Always difficult to know where to start with a race report.
I think I’ll start on Brush Creek Road, in the dark, waddling slowly towards Yarramalong back in November 2011.
I’d left Checkpoint 3 at the Basin during the 2011 GNW 100 mile race just before 9pm. I was over 90kms into a 176km race with no idea how I would get to the next Checkpoint, let alone the finish line! The chafing between my thighs was excruciatingly painful and my energy was non existent. The activity I was undertaking could certainly not be described as “running” or anything like it. I’d been reduced to a miserable, slow, zombie shuffle with the occasional painful growl and groan. I was deeeeep in the hurt locker and it wasn’t fun. Ultra runners call this “Type 2 fun” which basically means you’re in hell during the race but you’ll laugh about it afterwards. I didn’t feel like laughing at that point and the bright lights of CP4 in Yarramalong seemed a long way off.
me in GNW 100 miles 2011 – Zinc War Paint??
Mr Brad Smithers and my lovely lady Emma emerge from the darkness and step out of the car with smiles, hugs and encouragement. I must have looked pretty awful because they didn’t even suggest continuing. This was my second DNF in a row at the GNW. I was devastated. Another year of training completely wasted. For me to DNF two years in a row felt like a kick in the you know whats. Actually it felt like two kicks in the you know whats followed by a punch square on my nose. One thought consumed me … I would have to wait another year for vindication to get the GNW monkey off my back!
Some harsh lessons learned, I went back to the drawing board. I was determined to finish in 2012 and I was resolute that I would implement anything and everything I needed to make it happen. I changed my clothing – I did some research on the best running shorts for 100 mile events and tried out some different brands on my training run. My tree trunk legs led me to discover gurney goo and Bodyglide to prevent chafing issues. I fixed my nutrition, learnt how to run and fuel myself at the same time and fell in love with Tailwind. I trained on the course with some experienced ultra runners and soaked up every bit of their knowledge and attitude.
Respect the trail. Respect the distance. Keep your effort level low. Be super conservative. Nibble and dribble as often as you can. Stop looking at your Garmin!
I ran my first 100 miles at the Glasshouse 100 mile event in Queensland as part of preparation for the big day and then in November 2012 I finally finished the GNW 100 miles in a time of 29:51. I’d finally completed my goal of a GNW finish and after spending so many hours on the trail chasing this dream, I had fallen in love with this beautiful and brutal trail.
My first 100 mile finish in Glasshouse 100 miles 2012
Flash forward (thanks for hanging in there reader!) to Saturday 8th September 2018 and here I was again lining up for the start of my favourite race for the 8th time. About to run on a very familiar trail.
“3, 2, 1 GO!”
Whenever I hear the countdown at the start of an ultra it always makes me smile, especially at the start of an ultra this long. Whichever way you cut it, 100 miles is a bloody long way to run! We would inevitably be running all day and well into the early hours of the next one. The distance would be taking us anywhere from 20 something hours to 36 hours. As we left the start line and started the first kilometre, I reassured myself that the 100 mile race doesn’t start till CP4 at Yarramalong, around 100kms into the 176kms total distance. Relax, breathe and don’t get caught up in the early excitement. Let the 50km and 50 milers pass you and start the day slow and easy.
The first few kms ticked over nicely and as we all warmed up the conversation started to flow. One of the best things by far about the GNW Ultras is the people you get to hang out with. Over half the field are friends and most of the marshals and volunteers are good friends too. I really felt like I was surrounded by caring, positive people that wanted me to succeed. I chatted to Tim Lyndon who was looking super strong as usual. Does this guy every get out of breath?? It was great having a bit of banter on the first few climbs. I also chatted to Wayne Calvert doing his first 100 miler and had a fascinating chat about the power of intention and dedicating your training to a higher purpose. Powerful stuff mate! Wayne would go on to lead the field till much later in the race but unfortunately had to stop at CP5 due to stomach issues. Then I met Nathan who I would bump into a few times on the way to CP2 at Congewai. Some great chats and plenty of camaraderie. This event really is all about you versus the trail instead of you versus the other runners. Anything can happen on the day. A great run can quickly turn into a hellish one and GNW runners are well aware of this. This trail has a brutal reputation but the vibe around me felt great and positivity was super high as we approached 16kms.
Before I knew it we were at Heaton Gap. 16kms had ticked by in a little over 90 minutes. A bit fast for the first section but it felt good to be warmed up and heading towards the first major climb. As we approached Brunkerville Petrol Station, it was such a boost to see my amazing support crew waiting for me at the crossing. My GNW champion pacer, Michaela McDonald (GNW 100 mile winner in 2017 and trail running Superstar) was there waiting and offered up a “YEEW! Go Joey!” and then a high 5 from my fellow Manly Beach Running Club runner Chris Jackson, a couple of kisses from my girls Emma and Nia and I felt pumped for the climb to Heaton Gap.
A few minutes into the climb I was greeted by one of my favourite members of the GNW family, “Mr Tailwind” Gavin Markey. What a legend this guy is! GNW100 mile winner in 2013, Gavin has supported me and several other runners over the years in the GNW250 and various Fat Ass events. Anyone that knows Gav know he’s an all round top bloke and reliable purveyor of white powder. Tailwind that is!
We chatted and the climb instantly became easy. Nothing better than to share the climb with a good friend. I discovered Gavin has a boat he’s fixing up called … you guessed it, TAILWIND. What else would it be called?? I want to get on that boat Gav!! So great to run with Gav and as we moved through the notorious jungle section, we both agreed the weather was perfect for some good times. Mild, a little misty but nice and cloudy, perfect conditions for long distance running. The mud through the jungle was a little tricky in spots but it’s almost always wet and muddy through this section. As I got to the end of the jungle and popped out onto the fire-trail opposite McLeans Lookout, I was a little behind my time target but happy to have one of the hardest parts of the trail behind me.
I ran into CP1 at 29kms feeling pretty good. Michaela ran with me for the last 500 metres on the way into the Checkpoint. She said her partner Tim Locke was going well in the 100km. Tim would go on to destroy the 100km event in 10:05, just 9 minutes short of the course record! What an incredible couple Michaela and Tim are with THREE GNW posts between them and some seriously epic times! I have so much respect for these two and I’m so proud to call them friends. Michaela told me that the guys ahead in the 100 miles were looking much worse for wear and that I looked very relaxed in comparison. I was in 6th position at CP1 and this felt pretty sensible to me based on previous years. It was exactly what I wanted to hear and I was happy to arrive at the checkpoint feeling pretty fresh and ready for the net downhill section into Congewai.
I was in and out of the Checkpoint pretty fast. Only 3 minutes, which was exactly what Emma and I had planned for. I chatted briefly to Bek Markey and confirmed my reservation on the good ship Tailwind some time after the race. My support crew were amazing. Emma had been joined by MBRC runner and half marathon expert KB and her partner James. Tailwind was refilled, Clif Bars and Clif Bloks resupplied. My nearly 2 year old baby Nia was wide eyed as she looked at me, arm outstretched, holding a Clif Bar. She didn’t quite know what was happening but she could tell it was something exciting. Seeing her wide eyes makes me hope she runs this race one day. I’ll try not to be a pushy parent of course but I’d love it if she had a go!
As I left, Gav was just behind me. I had a flashback to 2017 where Gav and I were in exactly the same position, except Gav was 100 metres ahead of me. This event really is all about pacing so I felt reassured that I was running with some experienced runners. Then seeing Kevin Heaton aka “Brick” confirmed that I was running a sensible pace. Between them, these two have clocked up some serious kilometres and plenty of podiums too. I discussed Strava issues with Brick. It always frustrates me that when you upload the GNW 100 miles into Strava, it only records the run as a Saturday run despite the fact it finishes on Sunday morning. I hate having a blank Sunday on Strava despite the fact I run through the early morning. Brick suggested I edit the data and break up the run into two sections to upload the Sunday morning part separately. Problem solved! Thanks Brick! 🙂
This section from CP1 to CP2 is all about keeping the legs ticking over and using this runnable fire-trail to it’s fullest. There’s a couple of climbs but nothing too taxing so there’s plenty of running to be had. The challenge is to run at a pace where you still have something in your legs for the 7.5km run on Congewai Road into the checkpoint. I tried to maintain a goldilocks pace that was below 6 minutes per kilometre but still relaxed and comfortable. I kept reminding myself “Never outrun your running!” In other words, never use up all your running just because you feel good.
My mantra going into this run was “Return to the breath.” So every time I felt I was going too fast or getting too excited, I would just put myself back in my body and return to the breath. Focussing on my breathing really helped me relax during these early kms and the more I repeated this mantra of “Return to the breath” the more powerful it became. It became quite hypnotic. When you repeat the same thing in your head for 5 or 6 hours you start to believe it!
Meditation had played a huge part in my lead up to this event. I can thank my awesome friend Robin Yates for getting me onto this. The Headspace app has been a real game changer for me and made all the difference in terms of my concentration. Thanks so much Robin!
Arriving at the end of the single track trail, I found myself on Congewai Road. In previous years this section has been extremely challenging so I made sure that the MBRC GNW team and I practiced this road before hand in our training. We did an out and back about 4 weeks before race day so we knew it was exactly 7.5kms to the checkpoint with a couple of small hills along the way. Training on the course makes such a big difference and is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt over the years for making race day feel as comfortable as possible. Running this road section felt like a training run. I tried to keep it around 5:30mins/km pace with a target of getting to CP2 as close to 12 noon as I could. I arrived at Congewai Public School CP2 at 12:05 feeling good. A quick weigh in, gear check, high fives, kisses and I was on my way within 5 minutes, eating a Tomato and Vegemite sandwich. As I left the checkpoint it was great to see Chantelle O’Donoghue and Gillian offering shouts of encouragement. Thanks for the smiles and positive vibes. I’m not sure if you realise but a few words of encouragement and a smile really does make all the difference.
Heading toward the turn off towards the Comms tower it was great to see my new friend Nathan on his way in to finish strong in the 50km and then seeing Chris Wilder looking strong only a few 100 metres before the turn off. Chris Wilder recently completed the GNW250 in the second fastest time ever recorded and is a super strong long distance runner so it was great to see him having a good day. I also knew he was likely to catch me if I slowed down so this was a great motivation to keep moving at a decent pace.
I headed towards the Comms Tower where I made a new friend running the 100km. We climbed up towards the Communications Tower together chatting along the way which really helped me get through the climb. On the fire trail I felt great. There was some light rain and the air was cool. I blasted some music through my earphones and ate up some good kms through the runnable sections here. As I descended into Congewai Valley, I was starting to get into a good rhythm and felt I must be making some good time and catching up with the guys at the front of the field.
I crossed into the field and noticed the gate was open so I didn’t need to use the steps over the fence. After a couple of minutes I crossed the creek and then the field looked a little unfamiliar. I’d gone the wrong way. I tried to get my bearings and then started to back track across the field. When I found the GNW post pointing up the hill, it was just on the other side of an electrified fence. I cursed myself as I stared at the scary looking car battery connected to the electrified fence. I could almost see the electrical charge vibrating the electric wire. It looked rather ominous. I wonder how many volts you need to keep full grown cattle off the fence?? Probably more than you need to electrocute a 72 kg runner!
I mentally mapped out the 200 metres I would need to walk back across the creek to get around the fence and back on track before I found a small gap in the electrified fence which looked like I could leap frog through to get back onto the trail. It took more seconds, possibly minutes than I care to recall for me to pluck up the courage to jump the fence but after shouting at myself “COME ON JOE!!” a couple of times, I managed to find the guts to jump over it, Fosby flop style without electrocuting any of my limbs or extremities. I was back on track but I’d lost my rhythm and waisted at least 5 or 10 minutes playing “jump the electric fence.”
I consoled myself that I always get lost at least once on this trail and I was simply using my allotted allowance of wrong turns. No more wrong turns please!
Over to the “unmanned, no water stop” climb on the south side of Congewai valley and I was in good spirits again. So pleased to be back on track and heading in the right direction. At the top of the climb there’s some good runnable sections so I plugged in my earphones and got back into my running rhythm.
The GNW is best described as a mixture of horrible climbs and beautiful long stretches of perfect trail in fairly equal measure. Just when you think the trail can’t get any worse and the climb seems to be going on forever, the GNW will serve up some epic, soft trail for 10km of euphoric, dream like running. In some ways the GNW trail reminds me of a strict parent. Some harsh lessons and brutally challenging trail are dished up and in the thick of it, it can seem insurmountable but the biggest challenges are swiftly followed by some of the most rewarding and beautiful running you will ever experience. It’s as if the trail shouts, “You must do this! Stop complaining and get on with it!” and then when the hard climb is complete it whispers softly, “You did well. Here you go. You’ve earned this.”
After a couple of kms I could see a runner walking ahead of me. Geoff was having a tough day with a torn calf muscle. I offered a couple of Panadol and he was over the moon. Sometimes offering a helping hand can make all the difference. We shook hands and he told me he was in second and Wayne was around 60 minutes ahead in first. On hearing that I’d just moved into second, a wave of energy washed over me and I started to push the running a little to make up some time. I wasn’t sure if Wayne was an hour ahead or less but I was determined to try to narrow the gap.
Before long I passed my favourite watering hole around 3km from the Checkpoint and then approximately 1.5kms from CP3 I bumped into Wayne. I worked out he was not much more then 25/30 minutes ahead so I was stoked that I had narrowed the gap.
A quick turn around at CP3. I said to my support crew, “Well this is getting exciting!”
High fives from Paul and Margi the volunteers at CP3 made all the difference and as I left they shouted “RUN JOE!”
This next stage from CP3 to CP4 is all about setting things up for the second half of the run. I wanted to narrow the gap further but also “Arrive Awesome” (trademark Kirrily Dear) into the 100km mark at CP4. In other words, I really wanted to put a bit of pressure on Wayne but leave plenty in the tank for the hard section from Yarramalong to Somersby. CP3 to CP4 is basically 11kms trail and 11kms road. I focussed on my nutrition and hydration to set myself up for the road run into Yarramalong. In previous years this road has been my undoing but I’d done plenty of medium-long road runs in my training to prepare for this section. Mid week 12, 14 and 16km hilly road runs had conditioned my legs and head so that a 12km road run didn’t feel as intimidating as it had in previous years. Massive kudos to my coach Brendan Davies for preparing me for this event. I felt so well prepared this year it was ridiculous!! In my head, I felt like each of the sections was an interval and the distance didn’t seem to be accumulating any fatigue at all. Well structured training really works!!
I ran the road into Yarramalong with only a couple of short 30 second breaks to keep my heart rate low. As I arrived at CP4 I was ready to reset the tripmeter in my head and take a couple of Panadol Extra. I always save two Panadol Extra as a treat for this Checkpoint so I have something to look forward to at 100kms. The first 100kms of the race I try to avoid Caffeine and any other stimulants and then at 100kms two Panadol Extra have more of an effect on me. The mix of pain relief and caffeine has a massive benefit to my head and legs and helps me convince myself that I am resetting the clock back to zero. I try to use the idea that you can “Fake it till you make it!!” If I tell myself my legs are fresh and I’m not tired for long enough then it’s true. Ok 100kms down, lets run 76 more to the finish!!
I met my first pacer Burty Burt at CP4. Burt is a unit. The guy is ripped and never wears a shirt and true to form, here he was in the dark wearing a backpack with no shirt on. If I had a six pack like Burt I probably wouldn’t wear any shirts either!
As we left the Checkpoint we laughed and chatted. I discussed the strategy with Burt and he was 100% on board. This guy is a legend. We’ve done lots of running together including some GNW250 running (Burt has completed the GNW250) and he crewed for me during my Brisbane to Sydney 960km run. To say Burt and I get on well is an understatement. This guy is my kind of crazy! He’s a super tough guy and daft as a brush. Love it!!
As we chatted Burt told me that my support crew wanted me to make a move for first place in this stage. They felt this was the best time to overtake Wayne because it’s such a technical section and the section after this one, from Somersby to Mooney Mooney, was much faster and less technical. This made a lot of sense but I had to laugh. My response was tongue in cheek and only slightly sarcastic, “Oh eeeeezy! Just make a move for first place against an athlete that’s been leading all day. What a great idea! What do they think I’ve been doing out here, holding back and chilling out??” We both laughed. Wayne had been leading since around 16kms and I knew he was a strong 100km runner so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I knew he hadn’t run a miler before though and according to my crew he took a bit longer at CP4 and was looking a bit tired. I was confident we could pass him at some point over the next 29kms but I reminded myself to focus on my own race first. It’s so easy to get caught up thinking about someone else’s race instead of your own and then make a silly mistake with your pacing or nutrition. Emotions can be useful during races but they can also make you do things that you end up regretting. I told myself to Trust the Process and keep ticking the kms down in the relaxed way I’d been doing all way. Low heart rate, low effort level but efficient movement.
Burt and I ran and joked. Every now and then I would mistake a star in the sky for a head torch and get excited that we had caught up with Wayne and his pacer. Every time I got ahead of myself and thought about moving into first place I would trip up on a rock or a tree root. I kept telling my legs and brain to stay “Focused, Composed, Relaxed.” We would hopefully catch up in good time but I had to stay in the right frame of mind.
Then at 115kms we saw two head torches. Burt confirmed they were head torches and definitely not stars in the night sky. Wayne was walking with his pacer. He looked over his shoulder and moved into a shuffle but it was clear he was in pain. As we pulled up beside him, it had been over 12 hours since I’d seen him. “You’re a hard man to catch Wayne!” … “I knew you’d catch me.” he said … “I didn’t!” I said.
Unfortunately Wayne had some stomach issues and pulled out shortly after we saw him when he arrived at CP5 Somersby. I didn’t know this at the time so Burt and I tried to put some distance between us as we headed off towards CP5. As we approached the Checkpoint at 130kms my crew were jumping around and celebrating my move into the lead. What a dream come true but I knew I couldn’t celebrate yet. I had to run my own race and keep playing the game, putting distance between me and the rest of the field and run intelligently.
Burt had done an incredible job pacing me through this section. One of the hardest sections on the course. It was great to share this run with him and so rewarding to move into the lead running with one of my favourite trail buddies. I’d run my fastest ever time for this leg (3:56). Burt and I had blitzed it!! I hugged Burt and thanked him for a job well done. He still had no shirt on ha ha
My next pacer was some guy called Keith Hong?? Not sure if anyone has heard of this guy?? Jokes aside, Keith aka “Buzz” is one of the most loved members of our running community. Not just for his support of everything running related but also because he is simply one of the most awesome dudes I know. This guy is bursting with epiphanies, optimism, truth bombs, mind blowing facts and general awesomeness. The stories he tells are heart warming, life changing and soul soothing in equal measure. We chatted about “Post Traumatic Growth”, his experience with loaded weapons as an 18 year old Ranger in Singapore, Goggins-isms, Elon Musk, running a sub 3 marathon, a sub 10 hour 12 Foot Track, business, plus a few bad jokes thrown in for good measure. Running with Buzz is like running with a guest on the Joe Rogan Podcast or dining at a Michelin starred restaurant. There’s running chats and then there’s running chats with Buzz. The guy is class.
2 hours of chatting and running with Buzz passed in the blink of an eye. He was determined to keep me on track and we arrived at Mooney Mooney in almost precisely 2 hours. Then we struggled to find the Checkpoint due to a slight change of access. A quick call to Emma and some help from my next pacer Michaela and we were there. It was just before 1am and we were bang on schedule.
My crew turned me around quickly. A quick weigh in. Some pats on the back from Jon and Anna. Tim was also there to offer some encouragement. My crew let me know that second place was over 90 minutes behind me. All I needed to do was hold it together. Having Michaela (2017 GNW100 mile winner) as my pacer here was perfect. I had a winner to help me stay focussed and bring it home. We left the checkpoint in super high spirits and slowly ticked off the landmarks. The bridge at 2.5kms, the waterfall at 10kms, Mt Wondabyne, the signpost that says 10.5kms to go to Patonga. Then the dump at 7kms to go. Michaela and I agreed it was our favourite dump in the world!! Only 7kms to go and I was still feeling strong but my mind was starting to play tricks on me. I could hear voices behind me. Giggling and chatting behind in the darkness.
“Are you sure we’re 90 minutes ahead Michaela?” She reassured me that the voices were just in my head. Phew! Thank goodness the voices are just in my head! ha ha
Then it dawned on me. What if I was still in second and someone had got it wrong? Were they sure nobody was ahead of me?? None of the Volunteers had explicitly told me outright that I was in first place. What if there was someone else in the race we’d forgotten about?? My mind was really messing me up now. Again Michaela patiently reassured me that I was in first place and nobody was in front of me secretly winning the race. I accepted that she must be right, after all she’d been in first place before and she knew how this 1st place business worked.
More landmarks flying under my feet. Passed the dump, across the road, onto the sandy section. 3/4kms to go!! Up to the stairs, down the other side. “Wow! Is this really happening?!” Michaela laughed. “Wow!” Onto the last downhill towards Patonga beach. “Wow!” I kept saying. Michaela would reply with, “I’m so happy for you Joe!!!!” Thanks so so much Michaela, you made this last section such an amazing experience. I feel so privileged to hang out with champions like you. Your energy and infinite positivity just made this whole experience so perfect.
Down onto the sand at Patonga beach, 500 metres to go. “Wow!! Is this a dream?!”
Along the sand to the post. The clock wasn’t set up yet but Michaela congratulated me on a time close to 23 hours. I kissed the post in 23:06. A dream come true. A huge kiss for Emma, my biggest supporter and my rock for the last 7 years towards accomplishing this goal.
In conclusion, thank you to everyone that helped me achieve this goal. I didn’t expect to ever actually achieve this if I’m honest. My focus has always been on trusting the process and trying to improve my training each year. I have said for a couple of years that I would keep going back until I won even if it took me five years so winning this year was ahead of schedule.
It takes a village. I’ve learned so much from so many incredible champions. Too many to name here. Just take a look down the Honours Roll on the GNW website and you will see their names. I hope I continue to learn and compete in this sport for as long as I can. I can see there is plenty of room to improve on my time of 23:06 and I would love to run a sub 22 hours next year.
I love this sport. I feel so blessed to be a part of this community and I really feel that running can change the world. It’s certainly changed mine.
I love this trail. The GNW is a special place and I have a connection with it that has been incredibly rewarding over the years. I hope this race goes on for a long time.
Thanks for reading and see you next year! 😀
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