Glasshouse September 2006 50k

I have been very lazy with the race reports so far - I have not written up the Queensland Orienteering champs or the Binna Burra run. I had better get this Glasshouse run out of the way.

I was not very confident about doing this run and have been trying not to think about it over the last few weeks, like somehow not thinking about it will make it go away. I have not felt very good, at Binna Burra last week my voice was reduced to a whisper from a bad cough (although the run itself fixed this rather dramatically), my training has been eratic - not due so much to illness rather lack of planning and sheer lazyness.

Rocked up to Glasshouse on Saturday, wondered about chatting to crew and helpers, watched the 100 milers strutting around looking rather fresh. Camped near the start line and woke up at 4 for a 4:30am start.

It wouldn't be Glasshouse without the customary excessive tiolet stops near the start. In fact I was in the tiolet when the start gun went off. Then I was in the bushes not 10 minutes into the run. All of which could be prevented if I simply woke up earlier.

For the first loop (base to 1a and back via hamburger hill) I ran with Hannah and her friend Suzannah. I was having trouble keeping up with them due to my eratic pacing strategy - it takes me a good hour before I get into a rhythm. It was good keeping with them because it was dark and a tinsy bit scary. Caught up with "Mr Smiley", not sure what his real name was; but he was doing the 100mile with no crew or pacers and with a permanant huge grin on his face, and was endlessly thanking crew when I saw him the day before at checkpoint 5 - what a top bloke. It was cool to walk with him for a bit when he only had 4km to go. I trotted off ahead of Mr Smiley, Hannah and Suzannah after 1a and could see their torches bobbing up and down behind me in the distance. I tried running with my torch off so I could guage if it was light enough to drop off at base. Note to self - wear contacts if running very early in the morning - my glasses kept fogging up from my breathing.

Back to base, we had to run right into the tuckshop area to get our names ticked off. There were a few people there - Clairie and Davo I
think were there. I giggled to myself upon seeing a bottle of coke "zero" on the table, I never get why you would want coke minus a
sugar-hit, especially while running an ultra. I told people at base that "Mr Smiley" was coming in, and from that they knew who I was talking about. Decided to loose the torch as it was getting light, and donned my visor I got from the Gold Coast Marathon goodies bag.

I don't know why, but I don't remember seeing the sun rise. Possibly because we were running west. From base to the next stop was along
forrestry trails - pine trees on either side, wet and slippery muddy logging tracks. Running toward "the twins", of which you can only see one from the direction we were approaching, the base was covered in a layer of mist. Everything was covered in a soft dew, including these little spider-web like things on the ground. I wondered what creature made these little webs. I knew the next stop was near when some smaller powerlines revealed themselves from the fog.

I was met by a man and a woman at the next stop. They had Endura sports drink, which I am not particularly fond of - tastes like yukky medicine, but had a guzzle on it, and filled one of my bottles with it anyway. The next section darts around the twins, firstly though a narrow walking track then onto a wide, well formed road, through patches of native bushland and pine forrest. The next aid station had strawberries, so I grabbed a handful. I also saw the same man and woman from the previous stop, who reported Hannah and Suzannah were 8 minutes behind at the previous stop. Well approaching the climb up toward checkpoint 5 (weetbix hill?), I could hear them chattering behind me, so I put my foot down to try not to let them catch up. I really enjoy the goat track section, it's rough and bumpy. You have to use your hands on the ground to get through some parts, and other parts you wedge your feet one step at a time in eroded wheel ruts that are as wide as your feet and come up to your calves. I get a kick on the up and downs, especially the downs where I imagine myself being on a mountain bike just rolling down with no brakes, at any moment at risk of going face first into the mud. The mud was not bad, it had a clay-like tackyness and had surprisingly good grip.

I got to checkpoint 6 smack bang on 4hour mark, not a second more or less. I remembered how I suffered from the heat going from 6 to Beerwah to 5 the year before, and as a precaution filled my bottles with as much ice as possible. It didn't take very long for the ice to melt, but I held the cool bottles against my face to try to keep cool for my least favourite section. This powerline section is very up-and-down, straight, wide road, unsheltered with no shade, and can be a killer when it is hot. This time, with a 2 hour earlier start, ice, a visor, minus a backpack, and with only a cool t-shirt on my back, it was much easier than last years effort. Before I knew it, I passed 6a and was on the fun, bumpy track to 5. At 5 I scoffed down some potatoes and salt, anzac biscuits, lollies, cake, coke, thankful that I could stomach it all. What a guts - all in a 3 minute stop (as opposed to 20 minutes last year). Filled up with more ice and was off again up to the lookout. Then ducked back into the bush again amongst pine forest for a few k's and crossed Gympie road. The rest seems to whiz past quickly, I did some mental calculations and realised I might make it under 7 hours if I hoof it, but I just couldn't hoof enough. Before I knew it, I was trundling up hamburger hill for the second time in the day, and shortly after running into the finish. My watch read 7:02 but my official time was closer to 7:06 (not sure how I got a 5 minute difference). Either way was stoked, being a bit less than 2 hours better than last year, when I came in just under 9 hours. Felt very good and fresh at the finish, but deteriorated over the next few hours. Tried my best to be friendly and chat to everyone but felt like going to sleep under a tree. Was anxious to know how all the 100 milers did, was sorry to miss a lot of them finish, but it was good to see how well they all went. Can't wait till next friday coolrunning drinks - should be good to remanisce.