BEWILDERED: JUST HALF DELIRIOUS

Chris Martin and Phil Gore before the start of the race.

We arrived at about 6pm, and with the race scheduled to start at 7pm, I did my final preparations of my gear and nutrition. The very first part of the race followed the Tree Top Walk itself, a 600m long suspended walkway through the towering tingle trees. With the spare time that we had, Chris and I took the opportunity to walk along it and fully appreciate the breathtaking surroundings, as once the race started, I would just be focused on getting through there as quick as possible.

7:00pm soon arrived and the race commenced. I did the Tree Top Walk loop again, but this time a bit quicker. There was a “no running on the walkway” rule so instead I maintained a brisk walking pace. Upon exiting the loop I merged onto the Bibbulmun Track and settled into a comfortable pace. It wasn’t quite in line with my A or B goals, but I was ok with that, I didn’t want to burn myself out too early in the race if the pace wasn’t sustainable (this was a training run, after all). The course was a lot more winding that I anticipated, and with darkness quickly falling, I had to rely on my headlamp to find my way. There was one spot early on where I went off course – but fortunately it wasn’t by too much. I was following the Waugal markers but then the GPX on my watch told me I was off course. I backtracked and followed where the watch told me to go, but as it turned out, the GPX was incorrect. Initially annoyed that I had wasted a bit of time trying to work it out, I was ultimately thankful that I hadn’t gone off course by too much, and it had only taken a small inconvenience to learn the lesson not to rely on the GPX, and when in doubt, always follow the Waugal.

The Treetop Walk. Photograph – Astrid Volzke.

Conspicuous Cliffs was the first aid station and I arrived there at 8:41pm, just a few minutes quicker than my C goal. Apparently one of the more picturesque sections of the course, but having arrived there in the dark, I had not been able to witness the stunning views (although one of the aid station volunteers was more than happy to show me the photos he had taken at sunset). I didn’t really need too much besides a top up of water and a toilet stop but I took the time to talk to and thank the volunteers, and after seven minutes, I was moving again. 

Not long after that aid station, I was confronted with my first bit of beach running, and safe to say I did not enjoy it. I had already been apprehensive about the extended stretches of beach running in the lead up to this race, I was just thankful that this particular stretch wasn’t too long. However, I took it as a prelude of what was to come; the sand was soft and boggy, and there was no discernible path to follow other than the footprints left by the 200 milers ahead of me. Well, at least I hoped that they were from the 200 milers, and that they knew where they were going. Fortunately, the footprints led me off the beach, up and over the steep, sandy dunes, proving quite a climb. I was happy to be back on the winding single track, which was much easier going, despite some sections still being quite sandy.

The next aid station was Peaceful Bay, where I met Chris for the first time since the start. I got some decent food into me and stocked up with my nutrition and Trail Brew for the next couple of legs. Even though I had only completed about 32km at this point, by the time I left the aid station I found myself trailing behind my “fall back” goal by about 5 minutes. I made a decision to shift my focus away from my time-based goals. Although I set these goals to give myself something to aim for, I wasn’t tied to them, and it was more important to have an enjoyable, memorable experience. I didn’t give up on the goals completely, I just didn’t want to destroy myself or turn it into a negative experience trying to reach them. Just one of the principles I have learnt from working with Rob at Mind Focused Running.

Leaving Peaceful Bay behind, I was back on the beach again, but this time for a much longer stretch. To my surprise, this time the beach sand was firm and flat. It was very runnable, and I actually enjoyed it. I was able to stretch my legs out a bit more and pick up some speed. The refreshing breeze coming off the water and the gentle sound of the tide lapping against the shore made for a serene atmosphere. Undoubtedly the most exciting part of this section (and perhaps of the entire race), was the jet-ski ride. There was an inlet that was too deep to cross on foot and too far to go around, so the race director (Thanks Shaun) had organised a friggin’ jet-ski to ferry runners across. Safe to say, it was a brand-new experience for me in an ultramarathon! My only complaint would be that it wasn’t long enough. It only took a minute or so to cross the inlet and then I was back to running again.

Now about 4 or 5 hours into the race, I found myself closing in on the leading runners of the 200 miler, who had set off 36 hours (and 100 miles) before me. I caught up to Big Kev (and Sarah, who was pacing him) and slowed down to his walking pace to have a chat. He had some exciting stories to tell.

Soon after, I reached the Boat Harbour Rd aid station, where I refilled my water and grabbed a couple of cups of coke before quickly heading off again. The following leg consisted of mainly single tracks, including several sandy sections. I believe this is the part where I caught up to John Yoon, and we had a brief chat. John was leading the way for the 200 miler, and now that I was in front in meant there would be no more footprints to follow and there would be more spiderwebs to clear.

Phil meeting up with Kevin Matthews (left) shortly after Peaceful Bay.

The next aid station was Parry Beach. Chris met me here and had my hot two-minute noodles ready and waiting for me. Whilst I refuelled, he kindly washed my feet and got me new shoes and socks. By the time I left the aid station, I was exactly 15 minutes behind my C goal. That might not seem like a lot, but at this point of the race it meant I could be adding a full extra hour by the halfway point. It was 31km from Parry Beach to Denmark, and it was at Denmark that you had to get a shuttle bus to take you to the other side of the Wilson Inlet. The shuttle bus would leave precisely on the hour, every hour, and if you were even just a few seconds late, you would have to wait the full hour for the next one. My initial plan for my C goal had been to get to Denmark by 5:45am, allowing a 15-minute buffer. However, with that buffer had now depleted, I realised that even if I ran at the planned pace (which I hadn’t yet for any leg of the race), I would still likely miss the 6:00am shuttle. If I was to attempt it, only to arrive a minute late, it would be no different than running at a more comfortable pace and taking an extra 55 minutes. Either way, I would still be on the 7:00am bus.

As it turned out, the first half of the next section was back on the firm and flat beach, and I was in fact able to pick up the pace. At the risk of pushing myself too hard, I decided to try for the 6:00am shuttle. Even after leaving the beach, the course remained comfortably runnable with its wide, clear tracks, and by the time I got to the Monkey Rocks aid station, I was only eight minutes behind my C goal. In my quickest aid station stop of the whole race, I quickly replenished my water and grabbed a cup of coke, and within a minute I was out of there. Now only four minutes behind my goal, I began to believe that I may actually make it to Denmark in time. However, I was blissfully unaware of how challenging the terrain would be in the first part of next leg.

Monkey Rocks involved a lot of climbing and clambering over, well, rocks. The navigation was also a bit of a challenge, and I had heard a few stories of people getting lost for hours in this area. It was not a section that was conducive to speed at all. However, with time not being on my side, I did my best to climb as quickly as possible, to run the short, smoother sections, and overall, just trying not to fall over or injure myself. A got through the rocks without incident, and as I entered the town of Denmark, I was excited to find out I was running on wide, flat roads and tracks. It was approaching dawn and the sunrise coming up over the bay was stunning. It was probably one of the easiest parts of the whole course, though ironically, it was the only spot where I managed to fall over. I must have kicked a rock or a tree root or something and I went flying forward and landed hard on my side. I was covered in dirt and bleeding, but fortunately, not injured. Determined not to lose time, I picked myself up, brushed myself off, and pressed on.

Surprisingly, I made it to Denmark by 5:37am, eight minutes ahead of my C goal. I thought I might even have time for a much-needed shower. Chris, who was waiting for me there, had been thinking the exact same thing, and had all my gear out ready for a quick transition. The shower was incredibly refreshing and just what I needed at that point in the race. Never underestimate the power of a shower to revitalise you and boost your morale. After applying some sunscreen and catching up on my food intake, I got into the shuttle bus (or car, in my case) with a few minutes to spare. The start of the next leg was a 35-minute drive away, so I used the opportunity to get a little bit of shut eye. Feeling clean, rested, and well-fed, and with the sun fully risen, it felt like brand new day and almost as if I was starting a completely new race. I was past the halfway point, having completed just over 90km of the (roughly) 170km course. I had visited six aid stations so far, and I would visit five more before reaching the finish.

At Denmark Aid Station. Photograph – Michelle Hanlin.

The next leg, at 22.2km, was the longest of the whole 100 miles, and it surely felt like it. It dragged on and on. It was also my most complained about section. With fatigue setting in, minor inconveniences became major annoyances. The first four kilometres of the leg was riddled with constant spiderwebs, and I resorted to running whilst swinging a stick to clear the path in front of me. Despite this, I still found myself covered in sticky webs, and was constantly paranoid that there were spiders crawling on me. Eventually I escaped that section and had an easy bit of road running for a bit before it went back to single track. It was overgrown with scrub in so many places that all I could really do was run through it and just accept that my legs were going to get scratched up. It was also around this area that I saw my first (and thankfully only) snake, very nearly stepping onto it. Add in a march fly bite, taking a wrong turn on two occasions, and increasing heat, you can understand why I wasn’t a big fan of this leg.

I was relieved to finally come into the Lowlands Beach aid station, and the amazing views of the coast there almost made the struggles of the preceding stretch worthwhile. I really appreciated the chance to finally sit down again and get out of the sun. My legs were super itchy from the constant scratching of the scrub and so I washed them down with some cold water. I took my time at this aid station – catching up on my food intake, applying sunscreen, chatting to the aid stations volunteers and just embracing the scenery. After almost 20 minutes, when I left, I was still slightly ahead of my C goal.

The scratchy overgrown shrub and winding, undulating single track continued for the next couple of sections, and it really started to wear me down. Whilst I wouldn’t exactly say I enjoyed it, I never reached the point that I didn’t want to be there. Shelley Beach was the next aid station, and possibly my least favourite. Nothing to do with the aid station itself, just where it was located. You had to come off the main track and navigate your way down a steep, rugged downhill, and all I was thinking on the way down, was that I had to come straight back up again after reaching the aid station. It may have not been so bad if you had to go back up on a different track, but going back up on the same one to return to the same point where you initially left the course almost made it seem pointless. Looking back on it, it really wasn’t a big deal, but after 130km and 16 hours of running it definitely felt like it was.

After Shelley Beach, the remaining aid stations were positioned relatively close together. Mentally, it made it a lot more manageable, especially by that stage of the race. The next one, Cosy Corner, was only a mere 8km away. I liked this aid station because they had Zooper Doopers, which is just what I needed by that time of day. It was just past noon and the day was really heating up. I also got some ice water poured on my hat, and then I left for the next aid station. Now, whilst the race manual had indicated a distance of 9.3km for the upcoming leg, I was delighted to discover that my GPX map showed a much shorter distance of 5.8km. What a pleasant surprise it was to be running 3.5km less than expected. And not only that, but I was also back on the firm beach sand for pretty much the whole leg. Coming off the beach I had to climb a steep staircase, and there I met Chris again at what was Mutton Bird Carpark Aid station. I had finished that leg in less than 40 minutes, a whole 22 minutes quicker than what was on the plan.

I was now well ahead of schedule (well, at least for the C goal), which allowed me to take my time at the aid station. I spent almost 20 minutes there, as I relished the opportunity to sit in a comfy chair out of the sun and have something icy cold to drink. The end was in sight with just over a half marathon to go and only one more aid station to stop at. When the time did come to leave, in my fatigued state, I left without my phone (mandatory equipment!) and my nutrition. Fortunately, I didn’t get that far before I realised, and I quickly doubled back to grab the essential supplies. Take two, I continued on to the next aid station. The course was back to monotonous undulating single track, but at least this time it wasn’t too overgrown and my legs were saved from further scratches.

Taking advantage of the chair at Mutton Bird Carpark Aid Station.

The last aid station was Sandpatch Carpark. The original plan was that Chris would skip this aid station and just meet me at the finish, but at the last minute (ie, the previous aid station) we decided he would meet me here as well. The tradition at this aid station is to chug an Emu Bitter before doing the last leg of the journey, but I’m afraid to say that I forwent this ritual. I can’t stomach beer at the best of times, let alone Emu Bitter after running 160 odd kilometres. I settled for an ice cold Powerade instead, and after just 2 minutes, I was back running again. The last leg was not even 10 kilometres, was net downhill, and had a nice stretch of flat road for the tail end. With eagerness to reach the finish line, I was able to pick up the pace and it ended up being one of my quickest legs, both in terms of both pace and elapsed time. Even finding the energy for short sprint on the final straight, I finished in a total time of 21 hours, 21 minutes, and 35 seconds.

Presentations on the Sunday afternoon with Michelle Hanlin. Photograph – Astrid Volzke.

My time at Delirious didn’t finish there. Chris and I stayed for Mt Clarence parkrun the next morning, by which time I had recovered enough to run an 18:32 5km. Chris then had to go home, but my wife Gemma and the kids came down and we stayed for the weekend. Over the next two days, we visited aid stations and cheered in more runners over the finish line – in between catching up on sleep and taking the kids around to see Albany. With the last of the runners coming across the line Sunday afternoon, there was a final tribute for Jeff, with his wife Jodie completing the journey for his shoes, carrying them over the finish line. There was a memorial held and people were given the opportunity to leave their shoes on a tree that was dedicated to him.

The weekend finished with an after party at the Spencer Hotel where everyone got to catch up with each other and share stories of what was a truly epic weekend. Add Delirious West to your calendar, its undoubtedly an event you should do at least once. Will I go back and do the 200 miler? Maybe one day…

Featured Photograph – Astrid Volzke.