After spending a relaxing day at Mooloolaba watching the preparations for Sunday's Triathlon, I made my way south down the highway to Wild Horse Mountain for a 6.15pm start. Intermittent rain during the day had made the trail unpredictable and there was a real prospect of rain during the run. About 30? starters lined up for the 10, 20 & 30km runs. As I have been having some real issues with my left shin splint I nervously agreed to the 30km, with the option that I could re-loop back into the 20km circuit if my leg starting playing up.All runners started together with the "wake up call": a 750metre climb to the top of the mountain, up the stairs around the lookout and back down the steep gradient to where the track started proper. The view of the sunset over the Glasshouse Mountains was fantastic, I wish I had taken a photo. Immediately I felt my shin start to twang but strangely enough after 200 metres or so I must have got the blood flowing and it eased off. That was the last time I felt it for the rest of the night. I think I may have been helped along by the mosquitos. Most of the competitors lost a pint or two to the little blood suckers before the start.
NOTE FOR NEXT YEAR - Bring Insect Repellent!
On the way down from the lookout I met up with Alun and we had a great chat for the next 7 or so kms. I must be getting a bit fitter as I usually aren't able to create conversation when I run but Alun was kind enough to cut back his pace a bit while we talked.
We passed CP10 for the first time and I was quite pleased to see that I was keeping pace with a group of 5 or 6 runners which is quite foreign to me as I usually end up running alone near the back of the pack. At about the 10km mark the group started to spread out and for the rest of the night I stayed stuck between a headlamped runner about 500m ahead and another about 500m behind. There was no moon at all so it was particularly dark. About 13km in, I noticed the headlamp in front of me turn around and start coming back towards me, then the call of "SNAKE!". It was only a Python, about 5-6 feet who had decided that the gravel road was a nice warm place to curl up and have a nap, only to be interrupted by our Headlamps. I relayed the call to the runner behind and continued on, dodging the occasional cane toad and ingesting scores of bugs that seemed to have a fatal attraction with my lamp.
I made a conscious effort to take note of my electrolyte/fuel intake. I drank some Hammer HEED at the 10km mark and I think? that I noticed a boost in the way I felt by the time I passed through CP10 a second time. Feeling way better than expected I decided that this was the point of no return and committed to the 30km. This loops around the "Lowlands" or wetlands to the East, almost reaching the Pumicestone Passage's mangrove swamps. Running alone in the dark, I imagined that freaky scene from the movie "Deliverance", humming the banjo theme Do Do dee Do de do de do dum......... - you have to have a good imagination to do distance running.
Turning back towards the highway we had a few long straight stretches, curtained on either side by the pine trees. The cloud seemed to clear by this stage and I even turned off my light to enjoy the view of the stars. (Earth Hour). It was so dark. I turned my light back on after a minute or so as I slammed by foot sideways into a washout. The false horizons on the straight stretches from 10B & 10C were a little misleading and it was at this point I contemplated the pros/cons of buying a Garmen or at least a compass so I could work out what straight stretch I was on.
Thinking that I was on the home stretch as I passed 10B I was starting to fatigue, I lost concentration on a sandy part of the junction, burying one foot into the ground. This produced a very slow, long, clumsy stumble which appeared to take about 10 seconds and 10 steps to complete. Twisting and turning I eventually ended up on my back after a half somersault in a pike position. Luckily I came away unscathed apart from being entirely covered in sand. - including my mobile phone and back pack. Most of this sand ended up on the black leather seats of my wifes car on the trip home. I thank my lucky stars that I had the spill in the sand as 10 yards on either side was hard gravel road.
Composing myself with a bit of a walk and a drink, I jogged past CP10 for the last time feeling tired but content. I think I was running with Geoff at this stage who mentioned he was hurting but he still managed to catch me. With a failing lamp and tired eyes, I once again stumbled after slipping a foot underneath one of the many fallen branches on the second passing of the twisty trail towards the river crossing. It started to rain as I passed a couple of ladies from the 20km course just before the river crossing. I thought how pleasant it was to wash the mud and dust off my shoes through the river only to be confronted with a foot deep clay mud bog 50 metres later. - so much for clean shoes!
By this stage my lamp batteries were on their last legs. Geoff took off past me after having a a salt tablet and a second wind, but as this section is made up of jagged rocks I erred on the side of caution, preferring to slowly plod in to the finish rather than twist an ankle or have another fall.
I came into the finish tent in 2 hrs 51 min. I think it was 27 or 28km total distance.
Thanks to all who organized the event. It was great to run in the dark for a change.!
