MASSIVE ACHIEVEMENT AT ADU FOR FIRST 100KMS

Contributed by Sue Robertson, AURA Member, Ultra Runner

I started running after I retired form a retail management position, and thought I best do something to keep me fit. My daughter and I joined the gym, I lost a few pounds, and watched my sister and brother-in-law doing running events. So I decided to try the sport.

I’d progressed through to triathlon, where we had to run 21kms, and then I finally go to do a marathon – the Perth Marathon. It was hard, but I did it. I eventually got to do a 50kms ultra in Bunbury, WA back in April 2014 and managed to get a few more races under my belt.

A friend of mine had mentioned he was doing the Australia Day Ultra 100kms in Australind, WA in January. I had always done the 50kms for that event for the past three years since its inception. But this time it was different, so I signed up for the 100kms. I was so close to that distance that I had dreamt about, it was too good to let all the training go.

The race start was midnight on the Friday night, and was eight laps of 12.5kms. It wasn’t trail, but it was quite a nice pathway with beautiful views of the estuary, and there were aid stations and lots of support. A friend of mine Alli drove me down to Australind, and she was going to be my pacer from 9am, which was a godsend given I’d had issues with Plantar Fasciitus for weeks beforehand, but had some shock wave therapy which appeared to be working.

At the startline, people were milling around with headlamps and high vis vests on, and we got our bibs and transponders on, just in time for the race briefing. Just after midnight my friends Peter and Sally and I left the start line. Knowing we had about five hours of running in the dark, both Sally and I were happy to have company, it was very dark out there. We were running for 2:30 mins followed by a 45 second walk, and really doing comfortably. By the fourth lap we could take off the headlamps and vests and it was lovely to see the dawn.

Sally had always said she would finish at the 50kms mark, and Peter was doing a slightly slower pace in the fourth lap. On the way back to the finish at the fourth lap, the 25kms runners were going out, and a couple of runners I knew called out. I left Sally, changed my top, grabbed an LCM bar, and started out again on my own. Peter was just in front of me now, and for the next lap or so we leapfrogged each other, both slowing, and I was now not able to keep the pace that we did for the first 50kms in.

Everyone had said one foot in front of the other, just keep moving forward.

There were quite a lot of runners now out on the path, there were the 50kms runners and still some of the 25kms runners out there, and a handful of 100kms. Plus plenty of encouragement from everyone. The volunteers at each station looked after everyone’s needs, but by the sixth lap it was getting hard.

At the turn around into the seventh lap, I grabbed my belt with water bottles, my cooling towel, and a peanut butter sandwich. Alli and I walked out for the first 2-3kms on that lap, and then she encouraged me to shuffle to the next shady spot, then walk again, and then a bit later we did it again. The seventh lap took the longest, but I was still progressing forward. On the eight and final lap, the presentations were going on, and we were cheered as we left to finish the last 12.5kms. Thanks to Alli I shuffled a bit more on this one, speed bump to shade, shade to speed bump, shade to sign, and it was a feeling a bit more comfortable to do that, even though my legs were tired. The volunteers at the aid stations were so full of encouragement, and I couldn’t wait to finally let them go and pack up, I was the last person on the course. At the last turnaround we were cheered as we came in, cheered as we left, and with just over 6kms to go, I knew I was going to finish this.

Getting towards the finish line, I was happy to still see the archway finish line still up, but knew most people had gone home already. Alli skipped away in front of me to take a pic as I came across the finish line. About 200m out a friend shouted to sprint to the finish, and somehow my legs moved faster. There were about 10 people forming a human arch for me to go under, and overcome with emotion from such an amazing day, there was Ron the race director, first to give me a hug, saying he had something in his eye.

Tears from me, and some huge hugs from everyone, and I was a mess. As I posed for a photo before the finish line arch came down, another gift was given to me – a trophy for the Longest Day. I am so proud, I am so lucky, I did it. I ran 100kms.