GETTING HER LOOSE GOOSE ON

Contributed by Sue Robertson, AURA member

My first full year of ultra running and what a year it has been! Starting with the new Yaberoo Trail Ultra of 50kms last July, it was closely followed by the Feral Pig for the 50 miler. This was my first miler, and I’d come in a little undertrained with a niggle in my right foot, but it came good just beforehand. It was the hottest day of the coming summer. I ran with Peter Jones and Caroline Fisher from the start, but we were quickly reduced to a walk due, and sadly we had to leave Caroline at the second aid station due to heat stroke. It took Peter and I close to 18 hours to finish, and it was our longest run to date.

Peter had already said he was doing the 100kms Australia Day Ultra in Australind, WA and after a little thought, I decided I was the closest I would ever be to being able to do the infamous 100kms so I signed up about two weeks after Feral.

ADU was another awesome event, and Peter and I ran/walked the first 50kms, sticking with the pacing we had chosen, and feeling good. The wheels fell off a little after 60kms, and I was walking more than I was running. Peter finished just gradually ahead of me. I was so happy when my friend Allison joined me as a pacer from the 75kms mark, and encouraged me to shuffle a bit more.

It was a special finish when I was the last one on course, and had a human arch of volunteers to bring me through the finish and race organisers Shaun Kaesler and Ron McGlinn were there to give me a big hug along. I was speechless and teary, and then handed the trophy for the longest day.

Prior to the ADU, my daughter Bianca Harding and I had decided it would be awesome to do an event together, so we decided to sign up for Wild Goose Chase Running Festival at the end of June. It was a multi day event, and at this stage we chose to sign up for the 106kms on the Saturday, and opted for the glamping package as we had to stay overnight.

A few weeks after the 100kms in January, I picked up running again and also some more stair work. Unfortunately, I ended up with a stress fracture of my second metatarsal, so was only able to cycle and swim for six weeks, and then I picked up walking.

Because of this, Bianca and I changed the event we were going to do to the Loose Goose multiday which featured an 18kms, 45kms and a 22.5kms over three days. Sadly, during this time my dad fell seriously ill and passed away, and so Bianca and I dedicated the Wild Goose experience to him.

Bianca and I arrived in plenty of time on the Friday to check out our glamping tent, have lunch and settle in and meet some of the other runners. Our friend Lynette arrived, and we all were on the start line for the first day, the 18kms hill climb.

As most of the runners shot off into the distance, Bianca and I were with Shirley and Lynette. Such beautiful scenery, along with some challenging climbs, lots of laughter and chatting, we completed day one in around 3.30 hours. I had my poles, and Bianca had picked up her first stick pole, named Boris, which got her through the many kilometers we covered.

A lovely evening by the campfire with good conversation, yummy dinner, and new and old friends, we all settled off to bed early, as most had an early start the next day.

We didn’t sleep though. We heard the 106kms runners head off at 6am, and then we had breakfast and got ready for our 8am start. It was going to be a long day, but a good one. We hiked a lot, and ran odd bits when we could; I was definitely happier to hike, and Bianca stayed with me. We enjoyed the aid station, aptly named Big G Street as it was after the big climb of the Big G, and all the crew there dressed in Sesame St characters. They looked after us before settling us on our way once more. Once we had done the first loops of 22.5kms, we went through the village, given a lift to our spirits by the crew and some friends there and we set off out again. We were ecstatic to come in over the finish line just over nine hours to cover the course, but all intact, and bonus, my foot was okay.

Much to my surprise my legs did actually work on Sunday morning. We weren’t quite back of the pack, as there were some girls training for the Oxfam walk, and they were walking, but we did hike quite a lot this day. It was great to see some of the front runners doing the 53kms when they came around past us, we could cheer them on. The hills were bigger today, or so they seemed, and I was even more grateful for the poles.

What an amazing day, we had stayed upright, we had stayed together, we had an awesome time cheering on other runners, and we had enjoyed every minute out there, even the hills. As we ran round the back of the village into the chute, you couldn’t help but get emotional, we joined hands as we crossed the finish, we had done it.

There was Shaun again, with our medal, and as he gave it to me, said this one is for your dad. We are blessed to have such amazing people who have given us such amazing events to run in, so much support, so much friendship, and goals to strive for that we never thought possible to achieve. This one was very special to run it with my daughter.

After all the podium presentations had been done, Shaun was announcing the Ultra Series Points winners. I had been luckier earlier in the season to have been on the top of the ladies leader board after three races, but there were still three more races to go at that stage, and I was only doing one of them. I was alongside some truly awesome ladies, who give this sport everything, and are the nicest and most encouraging to everyone. I was truly ecstatic to receive the plaque for third place, and an added bonus of prize money. I felt so privileged to be on that podium, such great ladies and such comradery amongst us all.

We’ll be back, and I think Bianca has the bug now too.

Pictured (feature): Sue Robertson and her daughter Bianca at Wild Goose Chase. Photograph – Shannon Dale.