Hounslow Classic Ultra 2016

For me the lead up to this year's Hounslow Classic Ultra (68km, +/-4500m) had been some what relaxed. After my efforts at the BUFF Epic Trail and lingering leg issue I wasn't sure if I should register for the Hounslow Classic. Consequently I bided my time and left it quite late to enter the ultra distance race.

Running off Lockleys Pylon. Aurora Images.

The weeks between the BUFF Epic Trail and Hounslow Classic I continued to run as I usually do, racking up my usual mileage on the trails. There was no intensity in these runs and I enjoyed a lot of them with my people friends and my fury friends. The issue I had with the leg from my European trip remained but I was able to avoid aggravating it during this time. Better still, was that I hadn't committed to run yet and I didn't feel depressed about my casual lead-in to the race. I still managed however to get onto the Hounslow course regularly on weekends and familiarise myself with the steep descents (more like drops) and ascents (more like climbs).

The descent off Du Faur Head (Lockleys Pylon side) down to Blue Gum Forest. Training Run.

My commitment to finally register for the ultra came from a number of decisions. The year was still far from over, though Christmas decorations have already started appearing in the shops. I didn't want to end the year without doing one more event. So far in 2016 I hadn't done an ANZ Skyrace. Brian wanted to help out Mountain Sport by sweeping the shorter 21km course, so we were likely to be up at the event anyway. I had no other race lined up for the foreseeable future, so could risk aggravating my leg before having a proper rest period afterwards. So after weighing it all up I committed to the challenge of competing in Australia's toughest ultramarathon, as appointed by Ultra168.com.

The tree bridge crossing Govetts Creek at Blue Gum Forest. Training run.

Although the preceding week to the race was a short week due to the Monday being a public holiday, I made it seem even shorter by heading up to Katoomba after work on Thursday night. It's always an awesome feeling to sleep in Katoomba knowing that you are already at your destination and that the travelling is already done. I found it so relaxing that I risked sleeping the whole of Friday away. Once I finally managed to motivate myself, I travelled up to Allview Escape, Blackheath, which was this years event race hub. The uninterrupted views from this location gave runners and spectators spectacular view of the Grose Valley. The lawn at Allview Escape extends to the top of the escarpment from which there are direct lines of sight to many of the course's prominent features, such as Evans Lookout, Junction Rock, Pulpit Rock, Lockleys Pylon and the Pinnacles, the course's halfway/turnaround point. Each of these locations were tantalisingly close (within 8kms as the crow flies) but would take many hours of concentration and hard work to reach.

The Hounslow Classic Ultra is an out and back course, which is far from boring. The course sees runners drop in and out of the Grose Valley four times. Each descent and subsequent ascent is unique in its own way and just as much concentration is required going down as it is going up, though going up definitely takes longer to do. The technicality of the terrain is a good leveller bringing those who can run fast back to those that can run the technical trails, with the biggest advantage given to energetic hikers. 

Andrew Layson (Berowra Bushrunner President) and me before the ultra start.

Come race morning we were greeted with perfect weather that revealed the gorgeous views that would accompany us runners throughout most of the day. Even though I've seen the view hundreds of times before, I'm still mesmerised by it. Unfortunately I wasn't at the start line to gaze, but to race, and when we all finally headed off the pace was sensibly dictated by eventual race winner Loughlinn Kennedy. After a short section of fire trail to allow us to self seed, we dropped down onto the single clifftop trail and followed it towards Govetts Leap, last years race hub. I found myself running close to the ever cheerful Lou Clifton. Race previews had ousted local girl Lou as a potential podium finisher and rightly so as she is having a stellar year on the ANZ Skyrunning circuit with strong results. Even though this was a race and technically we were competing, we still managed to keep a pace where we could run together and chat like we would during a training run. It was really quite enjoyable to be able to do this on the trails with a friend.

The start line at Allview Escape, Blackheath, is spectacular.



The well formed clifftop trail continued past Govetts Leap along to Evans Lookout carpark, then around to Neats Glen before starting the first big descent down into the Grand Canyon. Arguably one of the most picturesque walking tracks in the Blue Mountains, the Grand Canyon track slowly deteriorates the further you descend. There are sections that are well landscaped, then there are sections that have succumbed to land slips. All this is easily traversed but care needs to be exercised. As the trail started to become more technical I stuck to a pace that was comfortable for me. My conversation with Lou ended near the landslide section where I passed her then started to edge ahead. Once at the bottom of the Grand Canyon I followed the level single trail and the river down to Junction Rock, which marked the start of the days first big ascent back up to Govetts Leap via Rodriguez Pass. Joseph Dorph caught me at this point and took off out off sight. I'd spend the rest of the day trying to catch him. This ascent up to Govetts Leap gets steeper and steeper, starting with a gentle grade which turns into more frequent series of steps which in themselves get steeper and steeper, before arriving at the base of a vertical cliff and a trail which cuts across its face. On the ascent I caught and passed Jason Martin, but not before having a brief chat. Ahead I could now see Joseph, whom I knew I could catch and over took him at the falls. Joseph stayed right behind me all the way to the top. None of this happened quickly as the motion of running changed to a jog, then hands on knees power walk until finally reaching the top. I had a long day ahead and there was no use going out too hard at this early stage of the race.



Lou Clifton and I having a chat while running through the Grand Canyon track.

After completing the first big ascent and reaching Govetts Leap, the route retraces the clifftop track back to the race hub at Allview Escape where I met up with Brian to refuel. This first loop (21km) took me 2hrs 36mins to complete and was just a warm-up for what was to come.

Coming back to the race hub. Junction Rock is in the valley below. Ben Duffus.

I left the check point before Joseph and it wasn't long before he caught up again and we ran together for a while until Pulpit Rock where he left me for good. This next section of the course around to Perrys Lookdown is really the only runnable section of the trail as it follows a reasonably well graded dirt road. It's one of the few opportunities for the faster runners to stretch their legs and not be hindered by rocks, tree roots, branches, tourists, shrubs, etc. I was expecting to be passed by runners along this section, especially since I have a habit of slacking off when running by myself, but even with my relatively slow pace I managed to keep my position in the field.


The "runnable" part of the course between Allview Escape and Perrys Lookdown. Scott Hawker.

Most of my training runs on the course occurred between Perrys Lookdown and Lockleys Pylon. The two points are only 5kms apart, however between them is a 600m descent down to Blue Gum Forest then another 600m ascent back up the other side. This section of trail provides one of the best training grounds in the Blue Mountains for vert vs distance. On the climb up to Lockleys Pylon I could feel the effects of the Spring sun on my body. The day was reasonably warm and much of the trail up to Lockleys Pylon is exposed. The usual energy I have at this point on my training runs was starting to diminish and my lackadaisical training routine for this race was starting to show. Shortly after reaching Lockleys Pylon I was passed by Loughlinn Kennedy and Danny Garrett travelling in the opposite direction. They looked like they were running on top of each other and neither were relenting. Both these guys were leading the race and were on their return journey towards the finish line. Joseph was the next person I saw, in third place, on the out and back which meant he must have over taken a couple of runners. The 3km run out to the Pinnacles, turnaround point, was becoming a chore. I could feel my feet starting to become heavy and although the trail was reasonably flat, the exposed rocks were hampering my stride. On a few occasions I felt that my issues from the BUFF Epic Trail were preparing to make a come back, but I felt that I couldn't go much slower else Lou would surely have caught back up to me.

The volunteers at the Pinnacles checkpoint were very helpful.

The return journey from the Pinnacles back to Perry's Lookdown took 9mins longer than the out journey. At the time it felt like a lot longer as I was sure that I slowing down. As I'd passed Lou between the Pinnacles and Lockley Pylon on the return journey I knew where I sat in the field relative to everyone else. I didn't want to reduce the intensity, but at the same time I could still feel the weather sapping my energy. My nutrition plan was out the door by the time I was back at Perrys as I was finding it difficult to force food down. By the time the sun finally started to abate on the return journey to Allview Escape, the effects on my nutrition had done its damage. Solid food was no longer an option and I was left to my trusted cordial.

Sean Greenhill (RD) checking that I was alright before heading out on the last loop.

The final descent back down from Govetts Leap to Junction Rock was slow going. The spring in my step had gone. From Junction Rock there was just one more substantial climb back up into Grand Canyon. There wasn't much running going on along this section. My movements were coarse and I felt like I was in a hike-a-thon. At the back of my mind I wanted to finish the course in daylight and I used this as my motivation to keep going.


The hike-a-thon back up the Grand Canyon track. Ben Duffus.

It was a huge relief to emerge from the darkening Grand Canyon track and see that there was enough daylight to get back to Allview Escape. The weather had changed while I was in the canyon and the sun had been replaced with a cold heavy air as a cold weather front had come through. Along the clifftop track I was forced to start running in order to keep myself warm, such was the sudden drop in temperature. To my disappointment the cold air had brought a light fog that now concealed the view. At least I got to enjoy it earlier in the day when I was fresher and could afford lifting my eyes up from the trail. Now in my exhausted state my eyes were firmly focused on the trail ahead.

Yes Sean, those mountains look much bigger from my perspective. Maggie Jones.

After 10hrs 24mins I finally made it back to Allview Escape for the fourth and final time that day, 1st female and 4th overall. The final loop had taken me 44mins longer than the first time. I felt spent. I apologise to Sean Greenhill, Race Director, for not being more accommodating in his finish line interview, but to be honest all I wanted to do was have a spew, and I didn't think that it would be appropriate to do it in front of everyone. On the bright side, it is amazing how good you can feel after purging the system.

Hounslow Classic Ultra Podium. L-R Lou Clifton 2nd, me 1st, Lucy Bartholomew 3rd, Danny Garrett 2nd, Loughlinn Kennedy 1st, Joseph Dorph 3rd. La Sportiva Australia.

For anyone looking at a stand out Skyrunning event that is different to anything on the Australian trail running scene then this is my pick. It has big climbs with technical trails that reward runners with more technical running ability over those with flat out speed.

I found it easier to carry the food rather than consume it. Aurora Images.

Gear
La Sportiva Akasha shoes.
La Sportiva T-shirt
La Sportiva Snap Short
La Sportiva Trail Gloves
La Sportiva H9eadband
Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta 3.0.

Ultimate Direction Body Bottle.
Ultimate Direction cap

Hounslow Classic, 68km, 2015

These race reports of mine are written primarily for myself, so that I can reflect on events surrounding trail races. I think it's important to remember what worked and what didn't so that faded memories don't distort the real story. I'm writing this report so that I remember to give Hounslow Classic the full respect that it deserves! There are so many aspects of this course that are intimidating; the 68km's, the technicality of the terrain, the +/-4100m shared over the 4 major ascents balanced with the 4 major descents. This course has the potential to chew you up and spit you out. 

The Hounslow Classic is located in the Grose Valley, just north of the upper Blue Mountains town of Blackheath, NSW, with the race hub at Govetts Leap. This part of the Blue Mountains are synonymous with imposing vertical sandstone cliffs which the course negotiates numerous times in several locations. For these reasons alone I just had to throw my hat into the ring and sign up. I love running in the Blue Mountains, and the lure to run in an area of the mountains I don't usually focus on was irresistible.

Justine Medin showing how big the valley is on a training run.

None of the climbs out of the Gross Valley are easy. From the valley floor they start rising at a respectable grade which can be considered as runnable, to an extent. This runnable grade wears away at the legs quickly and the pace slowly grinds from a high cadence run to power walking strides up these lower valley slopes. The further you ascend the steeper the grade, until you reach the bottom of the spectacular sandstone cliffs. The trails cutting through these cliffs are narrow and steep. To ascend these sections you often need to resort to a mix of hands on knees to help push yourself up and hand over hand using the available balustrades. Opportunities to run are extremely limited, until you reach the top of each climb. Every time I trained on the course I'd try to run further up the slopes before having to walk, or practice a better line to descend. I slowly discovered the places where I could push a little harder and areas where I needed to back off and either recover or conserve myself.

View from Lockley Pylon.

The Hounslow Classic was my first race following a fairly lengthy southern hemisphere winter break, with my last race being Mt Difficulty in New Zealand. Pretty much every second weekend I’d be up on the Hounslow course doing reps of Perrys Lookdown, or reps to Lockley Pylon, occasionally mixed with a few reps up to Govetts Leap or loop through the Grand Canyon. During every training session on the course I felt like a yo-yo running down into the valley before climbing up out of the valley. To ensure I did the desired amount of climbing I would drop down from Perrys, then do two reps from Blue Gum Forest up to Lockley's, which ensures that the last ascent of the session would be back up to Perrys and therefore the car. I find it best to remove unnecessary distractions during training, like returning to the car half way through a training session.

A bit of pre-race nervous chatter and sand bagging.

For me the worst part of any race is race morning. I often have a restless night’s sleep before a race, and the early morning starts means no sleep-in.  Then there’s the tough decision of “what do I wear”, as the clothes I picked to run in the night before no longer seem suitable to wear come morning. There is also the rechecking of the race pack, as if items that I’d previously packed the night before had disappeared and I have to guess the missing item. This series of events happens before I leave the house, again as I exit the car, and occasionally just before the start. The only thing that settles me down is the call to the start line.

The end of the first short loop. Hounslow Classic Facebook

The first couple hundred metres of the Hounslow Classic is up a bitumen road (the only bit of bitumen on the course), followed by another few hundred metres of descent, which sets the tone for the rest of the race, up down, up down, you get the gist. This part of the course is generously wide which allows runners to spread out and find a little space for themselves. The starting pace was nice and leisurely which allowed me to slowly warm up and loosen up. It normally takes me about 20 minutes of running to start getting into race mode so I had no complaints about the early pace.

After this little loop we started on the course in earnest. Being an out and back course, every descent would become an arduous ascent on the return. The race morning could not have been better. After early morning reports that it was raining in Blackheath, the weather cleared before the race to reveal this part of the Grose Valley’s spectacular beauty. As the first part of this course meanders along the cliff towards Evans Lookout the views over my left shoulder revealed the large ascents and descents that lay ahead. It is a natural beauty that us runners would respect in a very unique way, namely blood, sweat and/or tears.

The trick to trail running is to not touch the ground, like Maggie Jones and I.

I ran the first part of the race with Maggie Jones. I wasn’t expecting her to be up the front, but she kept a comfortable pace and there was no need to push any harder at this early stage. The open trail along the cliff line ended abruptly at Neats Glen carpark, where the trail turns sharply left, marking the descent into the leafy Grand Canyon track. This is where I thought I would pass Maggie but she was surprisingly quick on the descent and through the valley floor. I started feeling a little out of breath trying to stay with her. The first part of the descending trail is nicely landscaped, which gives you a false sense of security and draws you further down. It is not long however that the trail slowly changes and gives way to a more technical trail. The canyon is very picturesque and a nice place to dawdle in, though not so in the early stages of an ultra trail race. Generally I kept my position on the trail as it followed the river down to the valley floor beyond. There are sections of trail that cut in under overhanging rock formations where the head height is reduced and being small has its advantages. A little further down the trail, still on the descent into the valley, the trail is interrupted by a landslide which makes the trail almost indistinguishable. A little “local” knowledge helped in this area as the “better” route is loosely marked with red and white flagging tape.

One of the creek crossings in the Grand Canyon.

Shortly after the landslide section, the trail becomes more runnable and I enjoyed the feeling of gliding through the valley floor, listening to the babbling river beside me, while keeping a wary eye out for snakes. The rest of the trail back up to Govetts Leap is mostly runnable as it follows the Govetts Leap Brook from Junction Rock via Rodriguez Pass. The trail here slowly rises at a moderate runnable grade. The further you go however the more stairs start to appear and the steeper it gets. The defining point is at the base of Trinity Falls, as this marks the ascent up the cliff face. It is not a vertical ascent, but a tough slog up a track which cuts its way through the natural features of the sandstone cliff. It was at Trinity Falls that I edged past Maggie and tried to gap her on the ascent.

Coming up out of the Grose Valley for the first time. Hounslow Classic Facebook.

As I neared the top of the cliff, and the race hub at Govetts Leap, I could hear the cheers and cow bells ringing for the runners ahead. Once at the top I located Brian at the checkpoint who resupplied me then I did a quick check-in/check-out before departing for the long out and back section to The Pinnacles, via what seems like the most indirect route, probably because it was.

Feeling relieved that the dirt road section had come to an end at Perrys Lookdown. Hounslow Classic Facebook.

The next three kilometers were much like the first, where the trail meanders above the cliff line, this time with the views over my right shoulder. After a quick loop around the Pulpit Rock monument the trail goes up onto a dirt road. This is the section I liked least. All my training had been on the hills and technical trail. While running on this dirt road out to Perrys Lookdown I felt as though my speed was not much faster than the earlier climb up Rodriguez Pass. Although it is fairly flat, with little variation in elevation, I expected to be overtaken any moment by the rest of the field. I took consolation in the thought that I could make up any lost time on the following leg. It was around this time that the field started to spread out and I spent most of the time running by myself.

A bit of hands on knees action while climbing up to Du Faur Head. Clarke McClymont Facebook.

Between Perrys Lookout and The Pinnacles the trail descends down in the valley once again to Blue Gum Forest, where it crosses Govetts Creek via a natural log bridge (large fallen tree) and ascends the other side to Du Faur Head and Lockley Pylon before flattening out for the remaining stretch to The Pinnacles. The descent down the sandstone cliff from Perrys is very steep and a slip or trip could result in dire consequences. Given the amount of practice I'd had on this steep part of the course I ran down in a pretty reckless manner and managed to catch Ewan Horsburgh who was suffering a bit with cramps but seemed in good spirits. Once at the bottom of the cliff I opened my stride and cruised down the groomed trail as it descends down to the valley floor. Once across the log bridge my goal for the climb up to Lockley Pylon was to reach the top before the leader came back through on his return journey, half way up the climb I caught up with Loughlinn Kennedy who I'd meet on an earlier training run. It was Loughlinn's  longest distance race to date he was struggling a bit in the heat as it was starting to get very warm on this part of the course. I managed to scramble my way to the top of the climb before meeting Ben Duffus (eventual race winner) just after Lockley Pylon. Behind Ben there was a reasonable gap before I started seeing the chasers. I was keen to get the last bit of this section over as soon as possible. The trail on this side of the valley is comprised of lots of loose sharp rocks which make running difficult as you need to dance around in order to find suitable footing. It is also a section that I find goes on and on and on, hence a section that I tended to avoid during training.

"Do I really have to do it again?" Rebekah Markey Facebook.

At The Pinnacle checkpoint I was greeted by the Markey Family from my local running club Berowra Bushrunners. They were manning The Pinnacles checkpoint, which is also the turnaround point on the course. It was good to have familiar faces which goes a long way towards helping ease the anxious and quick checkpoint turnaround. I headed out for the return journey back over the same trail that I’d just completed, crossing paths with every other runner still out on the course, on their way to the Pinnacles. To keep myself motivated I played a game on the return whereby I wanted to reach a particular tree, or hill, or rock before seeing particular people. The next girl I saw was Maggie, followed closely by Lucy Bartholomew. Judging by the gap I guessed they would be having a good tussle on the return.

What I like most about trail running is how friendly we all are as a collective group. It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are in the field, people are equally supportive. It makes it a pleasure to participate in events such as these where you are toughing it out on the same course together. There were lots of positive and encouraging comments being exchanged on this return trip and it made the return journey just that little bit quicker and more enjoyable. Meeting the sweepers while ascending Perrys marked the end of the field and a return to solemn running.

Feeling and looking a little exhausted on the return to Perrys Lookdown checkpoint.

There was a small but supportive crowd of spectators at Perrys Lookdown and after another quick refuel at the checkpoint it was onto the dreaded dirt road section again. Edwin Perry managed to reach the checkpoint just ahead of me, but I managed to transition quickly and left ahead of him. He put his long legs to good use and soon caught me and then sped off. Not long after Loughlinn reappeared and he looked a lot better then the last time I saw him. Loughlinn and I ran a bit together until he got to fast and I had to drop back. About halfway along the road section rain drops started to drop lightly out of the sky. Up until then the day had been almost perfect. In typical Blue Mountains style, the weather changed rapidly, this time with rain that slowly developed into a deluge, and briefly hail. I’m fortunate to have an awesome raincoat, so I put it on and it managed to keep everything above my waist dry, until the rain eased, and eventually stopped completely.

When I reached Pulpit Rock I was expecting to encounter more bushwalkers on the trail, but the rain had deterred most of them and the trail was generally free for me to run freely. I arrived at Govetts Leap once again for a final refuel before heading down into the valley one last time. Mentally this was the most difficult part of the race, to leave a checkpoint in which I would finish some 2.5 hours later. I can only imagine how hard it would be for those runners who were struggling to leave the checkpoint to complete the last loop.


I didn't see anyone again till the bottom of Neates Glen when I caught up with Andrew Lee. Andrew was struggling, but he hid it well with his positive attitude. We had a little catch up before I pushed ahead to finish what I'd started.

As I emerged from the Grand Canyon track I was greeted by my young nephews who had been prowling the trail waiting to see me come through. They don’t often get to see me race so this was a novelty for them. Their expectation was that I’d stop and have a chat or play with them on the trail. They were not impressed when I continued running up the switch backs and they couldn’t keep pace. I kept hearing their voices call out " Aunty Beth, please slow down". They unsuccessfully attempted to cut large sections of the switchbacks. It proved to be very amusing in this late stage of the race. They did manage to sort themselves out and get a lift around to Govetts Leap just in time to see me finish.

That was one welcome finish line. Clarke McClymont

After all the ascending and descending the last 50m of course is a gentle incline up to the finish line. As much as I wanted to walk it the gathered crowd kept me honest and I jogged up to the finish for the win in 9:45, 7^th overall.

Post race debrief with Lucy Bartholomew (2nd) and Maggie Jones (3rd).

Mountain Sports continue to put on fantastic events and this is certainly no exception. Race Director Sean Greenhill managed to put together a truly challenging course surrounded by some of the most stunning views in the Blue Mountains. I'm sure he pulled strings to ensure good weather too. To top it off the flora was is full bloom, including numerous waratahs.

Hounslow Classic, 68km podium. Hounslow Classic Facebook.

My win at the Hounslow Classic also allowed me to secure the Oceania Skyrunning Series for 2015. I’ve really enjoyed participating in the series and competing in 4 new Skyrunning events:
The Hillary, 80km, NZ
Buffalo Stampede, 75km, VIC
Mount Difficulty, 43km  NZ 
Hounslow Classic, 68km, NSW. 

  

Buffalo Stampede Ultra SkyMarathon, 75km, 2015

It is always a frustrating experience to be injured, more so when it means being unable to run and missing an event. Last year I was impaired by an injury which resulted in me missing the inaugural Buffalo Stampede in 2014. I did however make the journey to Bright, Victoria, to spectate which only fueled the fire to return the following year and attempt this Skyrace.

Buffalo Stampede Ultra SkyMarathon Profile.

Fast forward a year and after some cautious training, I made it to the event ready to race. This year's Buffalo Stampede was also the Skyrunning Oceania Continental Championship with respective titles up for grabs in the SkyMarathon and Ultra SkyMarathon distances. Runners from Australia, New Zealand and abroad assembled to test their abilities on this Australian Skyrunning course. The Buffalo Stampede had been expanded from last year to include three race distances; 32km (Sky 26'er) with +/-2000m elevation gain/loss, 75.5km (Ultra SkyMarathon) with +/-4900m and 41.4km (SkyMarathon) with +2930m/-1940m held over three consecutive days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. The race that I targeted was the Ultra SkyMarathon with its out and back route from Howitt Park on the banks of the Ovens River in Bright to the top of Mt Buffalo and back. 

The first race of the weekend was the 32km, aka Sky26'er, which was altered and subsequently extended at short notice, due to risks associated with recent fires on the original course. The change to the intended route messed with runners heads, but it was a reminder that in trail running you need to be flexible and quick to adapt. The initial pace out of the starting chute was fast at the beginning, after all it was a "sprint" event, but judging by the spent looks on runners' faces back at the finish line the course had done its job of testing all who attempted it. The nett result was that the first day of racing had set the tone of excitement and a little trepidation for the races to follow. 

I was pretty happy to arrive at the race start line injury free. I had been over sections of the course a few times since the race was originally announced and was looking forward to putting all the different sections together. The female race field for the Ultra SkyMarathon consisted of the usual Aussie and Kiwi suspects; Julie Quinn, Jo Johansen, Whitney Dagg, Gill Fowler, Shona Stephenson, most of whom had bested me in trail races before. The only dark horse amongst the female field was Landie Greyling from South Africa, whom I was yet to race against.

The 7am Saturday morning race start of the Ultra SkyMarathon from Howitt Park in Bright saw the usual surge of runners in their eagerness to traverse the course. As usual I got swamped by runners, but I wasn't concerned as the trail is wide enough to overtake when needed, and I knew that my conservative pace would see me work my way back through a large portion of runners ahead. Running through the parklands of Bright I settled in behind Gill and Julie for awhile and soon the runners started to separate as the terrain started to rise, signaling the first major ascent for the day. The ascent followed a single trail mountain bike track alongside one of the many fire trails carved into the hillside. The ascent was very steep and I was able to start overtaking people as their earlier enthusiasm was reeled in the higher we got. A short distance up the ascent I passed Shona on the side of the track struggling with her head visor after it got caught in her hair. Fortunately for Shona a nice guy had stopped to help her untangle her hair. Note to self, don't wear a visor without having a tight ponytail. Nearing the top of the first ascent at Mystic, I saw Gretel Fortman who was spectating and encouraging runners up the hill. Gretel informed me of the gap to the other girls ahead, which was only a few hundred meters. I knew the next section into Bakers Gully was very steep and I was confident in my ability to descend quickly and catch up to the girls ahead. I opened my stride on the descent and was able to pass Gill going down this section. I knew Gill would be taking the descents cautiously having recently rolled her ankle badly in the early stages of the Mt Buller Skyrace two weeks prior.   

Summitting Clearspot. Skyrunning ANZ.

Having reached the bottom of the descent at Bakers Gully it was a short section of flat before the trail started to rise again for the second big ascent of the day up to Clearspot. It was on this ascent I was able to catch and work my way in front of, though very slightly, the leading girls of Whitney, then Landie. 

Descending Clearspot. Justine Medin.

The three of us all ran close together on the descent down Warners Wall then on into the Buckland Valley checkpoint. Landie started to gap me when I paused briefly to refuel as she kept on running through the checkpoint. Landie was out off sight before I got to the fire trail on the other side of the valley. Whitney managed to over take me as well, Bugger!, but I stayed within sight of her throughout the valley and over Keating Ridge to the next checkpoint at Eurobin Creek. 

First time through Eurobin Checkpoint. Buffalo Stampede.

I left the checkpoint before Whitney and hoped to put a gap between us on "The Big Walk" climb (+1128m over 10km), but every time I turned around she was there. I couldn't go any faster as I knew there was still a along way to the top, let alone the finish line. I really didn't want to push it too hard if I didn't have too but I was definitely feeling the pressure.

Almost at Mt Buffalo Chalet. Ultra168.com.

The higher I ascended up The Big Walk the more the trees thinned out until the view started opening up across the valley and mountains beyond. The single trail crisscrossed the bitumen road and I was spurred on by the occasional cheer from passing vehicles. I chanced a few looks over my shoulder and occasionally glimpsed Whitney charging up the mountain behind me which helped to keep me focused and not allow my pace to slacken. The ascent seemed to take forever and it was a relief to finally reach the Mt Buffalo Chalet checkpoint for the start of the "lollypop" out and back section. It was a bit disappointing to find out from my crew that Landie had extended her lead slightly, so my focus switched from chasing to being chased.

Just as I started the 7km out and back section to Chalwell Galleries I crossed paths with Tom Owens (leading male and eventual winner) heading back to the Chalet. Not long afterwards I crossed paths with Andrew Tuckey (2nd place male and Oceania Champion). I was surprised when Andrew went off the narrow trail to allow me to pass. Chivalry is alive in trail running. Seeing and exchanging words of encouragement with all the lead males helped lift me as fatigue was starting to set in. 

Approach to Chalwell Galleries.

This out and back leg is a little gem of alpine Australia. Near the "lollypop" the trail skirts around an alpine lake then a short distance beyond the trail takes you through, and even under, some large rounded boulders, for which Mt Buffalo is well known. I managed to get to the start of the "lollypop" loop without seeing Landie which meant that she didn't have that big a lead over me. The same could be said when I returned to the common out and back trail when I failed to see Whitney, Gill, Julie and Jo, which meant that they were likely in the lollypop loop already. The first female I saw was Shona. I did manage to see a few other girls and we exchanged words of encouragement as we passed each other. 

Back at the Chalet I was given another split and it was good to know that I hadn't lost any time. The course now doubled back on itself all the way to Howitt Park in Bright. We would also be crossing paths with every other runner, both fast, slow and everyone in between. Occasionally I'd get an update on how far behind Landie I was, but the times and distances varied so much that it was more frustrating than anything else. I tried to stretch out on the descent  off the mountain in an attempt to narrow the gap ahead to Landie. I can't say that I wasn't trying as I momentarily found myself falling into some bushes, having tripped on a rock, which was a wake-up call to be more careful. Luckily it only resulted in a grazed knee and compared to many other runners' legs mine were still looking pretty good.

Getting refueled and restocked at Eurobin checkpoint on the return journey. Antony Bowesman.

Returning to Eurobin checkpoint I was again informed by my crew of the time difference to Landie ahead. It was the same as the top, but what was equally important was the gap to Whitney and Gill behind me. I was hoping my speedy decent might have put more of a gap between us but clearly to no avail. Heading out over Keatings Ridge again I put my earphones on and listened to a playlist that Brian had specially compiled for me. The songs were not necessarily to my liking, but they were different and unpredictable with high tempo beats to "keep my cadence high" as Brian put it. 

Even with the long straight road section through Buckland Valley I couldn't see any girls ahead or behind me. There were a few guys that I tried to stick with but essentially I felt that I was in no man's land. Again the gaps were much the same and I felt that the podium had pretty much been decided. If I had known that Julie had leapfrogged from fifth to third in that previous leg I might have tried to run harder. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

I really didn't know what I wanted at Buckland Checkpoint. Antony Bowesman.

The ascent to Clearspot was tough and I tried to run as much of it as possible. I could see runners/walkers ahead and they all seemed to be going as slow as myself which made me feel a little better. On the descent from Clearspot I could hear the cowbells in the distance, from runners ahead passing spectators. The final ascent up to Mystic was slow, but the coke from Bakers Gully checkpoint helped me get to the top. That was a horrible ascent for me, as the sun felt so hot I wasn't sure if I had a fever or if the day was really that hot. I plodded on and eventually got to the top and managed a slow trot down the last descent. The end was near and I was starting to wish I was already there. On the run into town I passed Mum who was waiting for me. She urged me on and told me how close I was to a sub 10 hour finish.

It was such a relief to cross the finish line back in Howitt Park. Finishing second in 9:59:46 was sweetened by also being crowned Ultra SkyMarathon Oceanic Champion. Shortly after crossing the line and receiving my finishers medal from Sean Greenhill I was asked for an interview. I had to quickly decline as I was afraid that the next thing out of my mouth would not be words.

This is how I felt at the end. Skyrunning ANZ.

I really enjoyed the whole experience that Mountain Sports were able to create for this Buffalo Stampede event. The three race format over three days allowed runners not only to compete, but to also spectate, cheer and socialise. The ting, ting, tinging of cowbells heralding approaching runners is becoming more frequent in trail races around Australia. Having international runners attend and race on a "home"course is a great experience. The whole weekend was a lot of fun.

Buffalo Stampede Ultra SkyMarathon female podium, Julie Quinn, Landie Greyling, me (L-R).