THE UTA 100 PAIN PARTY

Why Do You Do It?

From the start of my planning, UTA was going to be different. For starters, it was a solo mission that I’d booked and committed to a long time ago. The GC Running Team weren’t feeling it so I planned on heading in alone. It was also the first time I had tried a 100km race, the distance had been calling out to me for a while and now was the time to tick it off.

After being connected through a mate, I met Mark Hinder and he came across to do the 50. It was great to have someone to share the experience with but also good that I could focus on my own game without too many distractions.

A great friend and supporter of my photography, Gary, lives in the area and as soon as he knew of my visit, he insisted on picking me up at the airport, loaning me his car and asking his wife to cook pumpkin soup the night before. She even made brownies!! (thanks so much G & A) talk about hospitality, the difference having all these things prepared for you makes on pre-race stress is huge and it played a big part in my positive mindset.

The usual crew weren’t there and there was something missing but I had my new team shirt with the logo on the front so I would represent the GC’s!! My planning had been very personal both mentally and physically and I was feeling calm and positive. It would have been great to have the lads there but an ultra is a single person race, anything else is a distraction so there were benefits to being on my own. Four weeks earlier we had all been through the Western Arthurs in a gruelling 21hr mission, my froth cup was already full and I was looking for more!

After flying to Sydney Airport, driving to the Blue Mountains and finding the Airbnb we eventually made our way to the pre-race check in. These are the moments you feel like you’ve forgotten something. Even though my gear had been laid out on the floor and looked at 1000’s of times over the last few months there’s always that nervous feeling in the bottom of your stomach. However, I cleared check in without a problem. The UTA event crew were fantastic and the vibe in the air was electric.

We caught up with local Tassie running legend, Dave Bailey, who had just won his age group division in the 20k race. Placing 7th overall is a damn solid result after winning the Tolosa Knights race in Hobart only 5 days earlier.

After listening to the Race Directors brief and a great performance from the local Indigenous mob we headed to the supermarket for some last-minute supplies. There was a heap of repacking and organising before I realised that I had left a couple of items out of my drop bag which meant I would have to carry them all day. This wasn’t desireable, so it was super lucky that another Tassie legend, Lincoln Quilliam, Race Director for kunanyi Mountain Run was volunteering at the aid station where my items needed to be. I couldn’t believe how lucky that was and a big shoutout to Linc for making sure my item arrived safe and sound.

Like most races the day started out early and I didn’t get much sleep. Up at 4am for brekkie so it could digest for a few hrs, taping of the ankles, consumption of carbohydrates, a coffee and then hopefully the all-important pre-race morning poo. It’s a defining moment in an any racers preparation. If you don’t get at least one movement before the race you’re gonna end up having to stop and that is, pardon the pun, a pain in the ass.  If you achieve success, it’s a good omen. Thanks to the beetroot juice I had consumed in the last 2 days that omen was tripled before I started my race. It was going to be a good day! 

Mark and I were on the first bus into the race hub, talk about keen. I left my drop bag with the evening’s supplies and by this stage loads of eager runners were arriving. The pre-race tension was so thick you could taste it. I was nervous but also very excited, today was going to be a first and something I had worked my ass off for quite a while. Today was a day I was always going to remember. Hoping for a positive experience, I said my prayers but felt very positive within myself.

The call went out for first wave, these are the elites and I really enjoyed checking out the front runners as they launched into a massive day of racing. Those people are bloody strong. The official winner, George Murray, made it home in 9:32:59 which is crazy and inspirational. Congrats to Piotr Babis, another Tassie lad who came in 3rd with another solid effort.

Just like that the front runners were away and my time was finally here. I didn’t get up the front as my race plan was to take it pretty slow at the start so I didn’t burn matches in the first couple of hours. I had my plan and I needed to stick to it. I’d trained a heap of zone 2 in the last 2 years and was comfortable at 6-7min splits so I was going to try and stick to that all day.

I didn’t have a clue what my time would be. As I said, the distance was new and unknown so it’s hard to figure out. I usually have 3 goals in mind, the mid-range goal where I hope to be, the outer range goal where I’d prefer not to be and the upper limit goal that is secretly what I hope to achieve. Any of the 3 would be ok but I thought 15hrs could be about right. With the elevation it might be more like 18 but there was also a chance that I would do well. For those that finish under 14 hrs you receive a special silver buckle, but it means you must push all day to get there. I really wanted one of these but was only hopeful. It didn’t matter, I’d be happy if I made it across the finish line…

Who am I kidding, I wanted that silver buckle and knew I’d come back time and time again until I had one. 

Things started well and I was surprised by how many people took off fast. When I got stuck in the first congo line of people slowly making their way down the single trails I realised how annoying this was and why it would have been nice to be in a faster group. Oh well, embrace it and enjoy the views.

Everything started well and I settled into a nice rhythm. I was stoked to finally get started, my HR was higher than I wanted but I kept my pace nice and steady. Around the 35k mark I started to fade, I was feeling tired, sore and my thoughts were defeatist. Things like ‘If this keeps up there’s no way I’ll finish’ blah blah blah kept creeping in. I knew I had to change my mindset, the pain cave was winning, I needed a hammer and a chisel to dig deeper.

Something had to change so I made a call and tucked into my NoDoze caffeine tabs earlier than planned. I also had a pb & honey wrap and a CLIF bar. I didn’t want to overdo the caffeine as I was saving it for the last 40km but something had to change so I went for it. It took a few minutes, but after I plugged in my headphones, pumped my playlist and that caffe kicked in I was back in the game. The change caffeine can make on my mindset is amazing. Used properly it’s a game changer, as I have found out, though if used incorrectly it will shut you down. I decided to be careful today.

Before I knew it the first bagged check point was here. I ran down the hill, tunes blazing, playing air drums and froth was frothing. A quick refill on the Bulk Nutrients energy powder and a packet of baby food was all I needed before setting off again. I was having a good time and my fire was well and truly lit!

I was feeling motivated with a positive mindset so I quickly started catching people. The old tussle where you overtake each other a few times before 1 person pulls away. The race battle, it’s such a great part of the day and on this day, there were many. I love these battles and win or lose the mental and physical challenge is a reward you get for participating. There are the same faces you see all day and once you both realise it’s happening there’s a moment when you look someone in the eye and smile because there was a little bit of magic happening here, it’s now about us, not the race, who’s faster? Let’s go…

One thing I noticed on this race was my climbs and descents were strong. I caught a lot of people on the ups, but they caught me on the flats before I lost them again on the descent. From all the training in hilly Tasmania I was running up the hills which a lot of people were walking and I certainly left them behind on the downs. I need to work on my recovery pace, but I wasn’t going to push past the 6:30-7min splits I planned for the day.

I’d been thinking about family and friends past and present all day. I always think a lot about the people in my life when I go deep inside myself during races, especially those who have passed. The next thing I knew the first of the big climbs started and it was steep. Next up Nothing Else Matters by Metallica started playing in my headphones, this song reminds me of my cousin who passed a while ago. He loved Metallica and whenever it comes on a playlist, I always think of him.

With that song blasting in my ears, I felt his presence while I tackled that hill. I could hear and see him screaming at me to get up those stairs, move quicker, catch that runner, stop complaining. I had strong visuals of him doing it and the impact it had on my mood was dramatic. I fuckin smashed those stairs and passed a lot of people. It was an epic moment and the strongest emotions I felt that day, even compared to finishing. I started singing and I was CHARGING. Imagine it, 10-15 people slowly plodding up this big hill, everyone silent apart from the sound of huffing and puffing, hearts in their ears and then me screaming out Metallica at the top of my lungs while I passed them. It was beautiful and I send big love to my cousin for getting through to me in that moment.

From here on in I also felt a massive change in my physical strength and mental energy levels. I was running, climbing and charging again. This kept up until the very end. At some stage a few more checkpoints came and went, I spilled half a drink bottle of super sticky drink down my front, smashed a couple of Panadol, some Pringles and another nodoze.

I need to do a shout out to all the helpful staff in the aid stations. None more so than the two ladies who helped me at QVH, they filled my bottles, made me coffee and took my rubbish. I spilled sugar powder all over one lady and didn’t even drink the coffee they made me, but they were super positive and supportive which made a huge difference, many thanks and big love to you all. Overall, I lost a bit of time to the CP’s and I wasn’t mucking around, getting in and out of them quickly, that’s an art. 

I started watching my time from around 50k and when I did a few maths I started to wonder if a sub 14hr finish might be on the cards. If I’m honest I thought it might be a 17-18hr day, I was talking 15 and would have been stoked with that, so to see a 14 peek over the fence and wave, stirred my heart and I started chasing. 

My legs hurt but it wasn’t bad, the tunes were on point and I was moving nicely. I kept a solid focus of hard on the ups and down but 630-7min splits on the flat. Looking at my watch every so often threw my head into a spiral of maths to figure out the avg split time required to get in under 14hrs. I checked a few times to be sure but soon I realised that a silver buckle was now mine to lose, I just had to keep pushing and give it my all. It was going to hurt but it was in my reach if I wanted it bad enough.

The tease was strong. I could see it in my mind and knew what it would cost. This was the moment I had to make a decision to coast home or bust my fucking balls if I wanted a beautiful memory.  I needed a Panadol, nodoze and ibuprofen to get me home because it was about to get ouchy. 

In my experience, I find that on race day it either hurts and you can’t handle it or it hurts and you like it. If it’s a like it kind of day then you’re in for a little pain party and oh what fun you will have. UTA100 2023 was a pain party for me, I danced my little jig and pulverised my legs all day and way into the night. 

Around the same time as the headtorches came out the last big downhill started and holy shit it went for ages. I don’t know what that hill is called but that’s one epic, quad destroying eccentric loading mofo. I started thinking that if it took me half hr to get down it and it smashed my legs, how long will it take to climb it. I was spent by this stage, it hurt and the constant sweet energy drink, mouthfuls of chewy Bloks and other foods were giving me a belly ache. The sphincter symphony was in full progress, it was too late in the race for politeness, so I farted my sweet ass off. 

A sub 14 was now definitely achievable and I was motivated to push harder. The picture of that little buckle swayed in my mind, but I had to push really hard down and then up this huge fucker of a hill if I wanted it. I couldn’t give up now, I was committed but oh man I’m stuffed and everything hurts real bad. 

I chased one Japanese guy up that damn hill for what felt like forever. I’ll never forget the little battle we waged. The sight of his taped calves, red Salomon pack and running poles in the circle of light from my headtorch is forever etched into my brain. 

Up steep hills we tick tacked and strove for the breakaway. After overtaking me at the start he led for a while but I kept my headtorch at his ankles so he knew I was there. He had great form running up that hill with his poles. Every time he ran so did I and vice versa. This went on for close to an hour. The breaks in between getting shorter and shorter. He caught me at the top of the hill and then I caught him in the forest and broke away just before the famous Furber stairs. On the way up Ferber stairs I stopped and had a rest for the first time that day outside of checkpoints. In that brief moment he caught up, pushed past and finished before me. Well done mate, whoever you were, that was cool!! Without that chase I would have slowly chugged up that hill, but our little battle made me push my limits and smashed it out with all I had left. I was pumped but very sore. 

Oh man, those last 10 kilometres were hard. The physical and mental effort required to not just finish, but to finish strong and with a fight, was huge. The cramping was intense but minimal, a few times I looked down and saw the muscles in my calves pulsating but I just kept climbing that damn hill and luckily I got away with it. Cramp can ruin and even end your day, I got away with it this time. 

Then just like that it was over. I hit the top of the stairs and one of the event staff congratulated me and said 200m to go. By this stage my calves were cramping and pulsing like disco lights but I forced them into getting over the last few steps, up the ramp and delivering a little heel click over the finishing line. 

I saw that silver medal come over my head and felt great pride in my achievement. It’s hard to explain but the fight I had to go through for that piece of metal was huge, so give it here, I want it. 

My new friend Mark Hinder, who was second in his age group for the 50k, came round to congratulate and celebrate with me. Well done Mark, that’s a solid effort after coming out of recovery from a broken ankle 12 months ago. That dude is fast.

I checked my result and it was 13:38:00. Wow I didn’t expect that, but I felt like I deserved it. After a 21-hr mission through the Western Arthur’s 4 weeks prior this was my third ultra for 2023 and I finished strong, stoked. 

The next few hours were spent frothing, talking to friends and family, eating salt and vinegar chips, drinking coke and letting the reality set it. Mark whipped me up an egg omelet when we got home which was fantastic because I couldn’t walk. My guts still weren’t happy but I ate that delicious omelet and said my good nights. It was a restless night as they usually are, but I got some sleep. 

Running is a personal challenge and that’s why I love it. There’s the mind, body and soul that have to be controlled if you’re going to commit to running a lot. If they’re not all onboard you’re going to struggle. The day you come home after a full session of going balls to the wall and having a good day, that is a good day and after all the hard work and investment from yourself, friends, and family it came together for you. Win ✅

It’s a relief that it turned out well because I could go home to those that support and invest in me, my team, and celebrate with them. They deserve this win as well, without them it wouldn’t be possible and they make sacrifices so I can do these things. I can imagine my wife sighed a quiet TFFT. I must shout out to my wife who never complained about me being away for Mother’s Day but supported me instead. She always does, no matter what, big love and heartfelt appreciation toots.

The next day I went to watch the awards ceremony and people coming across the line a massive 28 hours later. Holy Moses, all day, night, and morning they were out there and still moving. That’s a whole different ball game. 

The winners are stoked, so are their families and there was lots of cheering and hand shaking. Good on them, they worked damn hard for that and deserve to be congratulated. There was an over 75 age group in the males, I walked over and shook that blokes hand, nodded my head and said congrats and respect. That’s hardcore, what a legend. 

Many limps, grimaces and a Large Big Mac meal later I am on my plane, cramped up writing this. When you get back people ask you why you do it, shake their head and think you’re crazy.  Well after all the lovely comments of support from those close to you, fist pumps, cowbell rings and social posts later, people I hope this blog explains things a little bit as to the ‘Why?’ 

UTA was a proper race and the biggest I had experienced. It took me a while to realise it because no one is ever rude. They may not engage much, sometimes you talk, but they’re not rude. The pace is on and everyone is sending it. I liked it, running is about challenging yourself because it’s bloody hard and it hurts. If you don’t like testing your capabilities or challenging yourself, it’s not your thing. 

When you bring together group of 1000 people who absolutely love it and unleash them on a challenging course, you’re gunna see people push themselves pretty darn hard. I love it and it entertains me.  Congrats to everyone who participated that weekend but congrats to the crazy buggers who also like putting themselves through 100k of that craziness. 

What’s next? 100 miles I guess. Actually, there’s no guessing about it. I have a firm goal to tackle a 100 mile course and I’ve been dreaming about it for almost 2 years, watch this space.

What worked: 

• Caffeine - I use NoDoz but there are other ways of consuming caffeine like gels etc. The affect this has on energy is great but the big one for me is mental perception. In the correct dosage it can take me from ‘No I cant/don’t want to’ and change that frame of mind to ‘Yes I can, let’s do this!” Just be careful though, if you gobble too much you get sick.

• Only Organic Baby food Pouches - These things contain so many good fuels but the main part is how easy they go down. No chewing, no crunching, just suck and swallow.

• Bulk nutrients energy powders - I’ve written a lot on these products and I use them in every race. Have a read by following the link. I make up pre packaged amounts of Carbs, electrolytes and protoens so that I can pout them into my water bottles, shake and consume all day.

• Cliff Bloks

• PB and honey - 1 or 2 of these in reserve for when I needed solids. They were the easiest and tastiest to get down. Make sure they are wrapped ell though as the honey leaks and can be messy.

• Pringle’s - Oh man these tasked good at the 50k mark. I could only handle small containers but the salty goodness was fantastic.

• Coca Cola - Dayum I smashed the cola at each aid station. Sugar, caffeine, cold cold bubbles, need I say more?

What didn’t work:

• Cliff bars - felt like concrete in my mouth while I ran. I was too dry and these didn’t help. It was me, not the bars.

• Choc - Urgh, no more sugar thanks.

• Fruit - I had a piece of watermelon early on in the day and it repeated on me for about 10hrs.

Equipment List

• Ultimate Direction Mountain Vest 6.0 - it was comfortable the whole 13 hours and the water bottles work really nice. A big mouthpiece lets me get my powders in easily at aid stations and the pockets made it easy to arrange my bits and pieces so they were easily accessible.

• Inov8 Trailfly Ultra G 280 - Such a great pair of ultra trail runners. The nitrogen infused soles on these make them very bouncy and sofdt which was something I needed during 13hrs of continuous pounding. The only thing with these compared to my Roclite 275’s is the grip, they just don’t grab as well and i’d love to see them with a similar set of lugs to improve traction.

• Naked Running Band - No other running belt can compete. It sits comfortable and holds so many items safe and snug. A staple in my long distance running kit.

• Jabra Elite 7 Pro ear pieces - These lasted for 10 hours. I plugged them in at 30k and they didnt miss a beat the whole day. The sound is good, bass is solid and I they didnt slip outr at all. The one thing that annoys me is the bluetooth sometimes drops out on a headphone if I remove it, then I have to stop, start, discoinnect etc. This happened a few times and it’s probably how I used them but if they just stayed paired and bvoth dropped out rather than 1 it would be easier to fix.

• T8 Sherpa Shorts - I wont wear anything else in a race. They are light, comfortable, breath well, dry quick and have extra posckets if I need them

• T8 Commando Boxers - This was the first time I used these and I was stoked with how they performed. I suffer from chafe and on long days my 3B cream wears out, by the time you realise the rub has begun and it bloody hurts. On this day I tested the commandos and didnt have any chafe, this was a big win and ill keep wearing them because of it.

• Injinji Toe Socks - Not the first time I’ve praised these. No blisters, comfortable to wear and they stayed up all day long. If you haven’t tried them then you should.