Triathlon Training Diary: Taper Week WTF 50Miler & Race Report

Coming in to Nanga Campsite after the first 38km

Heading out for the next 42kms

This week was the week leading up to the WTF 50 miler my B race for the year in preparation of the Feral Pig 100 miler. After 2 DNFs it was with some concern whether despite the training I would be able to finish this race.

The week started with a rest day on Monday usually it is Mount street repeats . On Tuesday and Wednesday I ran an easy 5km and then on Thursday I had a rest as well on Friday when I headed down to Nanga Campsite just outside Dwellingup after work .Got in at about 8pm and then registered and settled down to try and get some sleep before the early start at 6 am .

Did sleep a bit but was up before 5 am .had water and a banana for breakfast.it was a mass start of 70 runners doing the 50 miler and 100 miler and a few relay teams. Started easy and there were a few hills in the first half.I had the Garmin course downloaded and with the runners around the first half wasn't too difficult to navigate.It was a cool 14C before t got warmer after 10.30am

I got to the first water point or turn around in 2.36 feeling good .That was 18km and so as always the first half felt strong.The return was a little harder and I was struggling a bit with a few longer walks. I got back to the finish point or Nanga Campsite at about 5.46 hrs into the race .Feeling a little more tired after 38 kms and over 1200m of elevation. Had a drink of coke and then refilled my 2 x 500m with tailwind and a third flask I had made up and in my backpack . That was useful as it was about 21 km to the turnaround and the next water point. This was the hardest part for me despite the little elevation. I struggled with walking a fair bit and mentally . I was really glad to get to the turn around in just under 10 hrs so this section took me more than 3.5 hrs. After some coke and getting 2 x 500ml of coke and one of water I felt heaps better .Unfortunately I asked one of the vollies to put the third flask of coke down the back in my pack but she slid it between the pack and my back and it must have slid down into the chair I was sitting. So I did not have the third flask when I ran out of my 1000ml of fluid. Did get some water from a marshall about 7kms from the finish which helped but definitely could have used the coke. I did have some lollies but the coke helped me run most of this section and I finished pretty strong with 13 hrs flat .Not quite the 11 hours planned but it was a tough course and I was glad to finish with the legs cooked after the first half , the second half was all mental . I ran in with a 100miler who was going to do it all again. That would have been tough.

The lessons learnt , I had to go out a lot slower and save the legs . Have more fluids. 4.5 litres for the 13 hours worked out to about 340ml an hour plus whatever I could drink at the aid station . Not quite enough at certain points and especiall from mid morning to about 3 pm . Learn to exclude all negative thoughts that were flooding in especially coming into Nanga Camp after 38km and before the last aid station. It is so easy to pull the pin rather than fight on . By keeping to a walk and run strategy and getting fluids in at the last turnaround I was able to pass 7 runners. So that was a real positive. I did get a bit lost at the end as the Garmin told me I was off course when I was still on the course. I fortunately had my lights which I needed for the last hour.

The legs were pretty done . I had one big blister and a black nail but no chaffing issues and after 2 days managed an easy 5km run . Lots of lessons for Feral in 5 weeks.