Monday 15 June 2009

Mini Kokoda 29KM 14th June (was it a race or a long training run ???)




Having not been able to go to the chiropractor during the course of the week (he was on holidays), i hadn't done much training as i still had back problems after last weeks fall. I'd decided that seeing i'd see him the following Monday i was better off simply doing the only race available this weekend. The 29KM Mini Kokoda at Numinbah Valley, bit of a nothing distance for me but as someone who's done much training here (usually from Binna Burra to Springbrook on the only tracks i know), was interested to see what other tracks were available out here, for training later in the year.
Every time i'd gone for a short run during the week, the body didn't seem quite right so it wasn't until Friday arvo that i finally bit the bullet and put my entry in.
Waking on Sunday morning at 5 i was glad to find it wasn't quite as bitingly cold (yep i must be getting soft - back in the days in Melbourne our Gold Coast cold snapped would have been looked upon as quite mild) as the previous few days, but i'll admit that i struggled to get out the door by 6 after breakfast and a read, sometimes these shorter distances just don't inspire me.
Arrived at Numinbah with 15 minutes to spare but was shocked to see a paddock with over 100 cars parked, being the training run for the Kokoda Challenge next month there were hundreds of people there.
Ultimately this meant the start was delayed (i assume not having a watch with me) as i queued for quite a while to get my timing chip (another surprise), even saw the odd Ultra runner, John Lindsay (nowadays a grey nomad) and Nic & Mallani Maloney, as well as Ultra Legend Don Wallace there as a pace leader.


Decided i'd stick with the Buff Bandanna and keep the headband in the back pocket of the Tri Top as it was still pretty cool, with water carrying compulsory decided i'd take the handheld with fruit cup cordial mix, all being well 600Mls would be quite sufficient for 29K's.


Ended up leaving with the second group of runners to set off, in theory a good idea to start at the front but was soon dodging the people from the first group, will admit i was finding this frustrating but realised this run was more for the people training for the actual event (and in teams) rather than us individuals wanting a fast hitout, so just put up with it.


Finally some good downhills gave me some space and i took off, shame i hadn't looked at the course map the day before, as i came to a T Junction and looked for orange tape and headed right, surprisingly people free early on, with one runner at my heels, after a couple of creek crossings he said to me that we were accidentally on the second loop but may as well continue and restart. I had a vague recollection of 7 creek crossings at the race briefing but having not looked at the course didn't realise we only covered them in one of the loops.


Ultimately we took about 80 minutes to get back to the start line, at least now we were going to have a good long run undindered by teams of walkers. Was chatting with my fellow navigationally challenged runner for ages but have to admit i still don't know his name, just that he's done the Kokoda Challenge before.


Finally made it to Checkpoint 1 just as they were packing up, actually had Don Wallace coming back towards us by that point we were that far behind, after a while going up the steep hills towards Pollys Kitchen i finally started to run into teams of walkers and also to get a number of people running towards me, i've never seen so many walking poles in my life, it was reminiscent of hiking in Europe, certainly all these people were keeping me on my toes as i ran as acrobatically as possible to dodge the logjam of people in front of me, thankful for wearing the old Nike Free's but also wondering with all the creek crossings whether finally this may be there last stand.


Finally made it to Polly's Kitchen, by that point i'd only drunk half my bottle so didn't bother about enquiring about a top up, something i'd begin to regret later.


Was amazed to see just how many were still making there way down as i was heading up, definitely a very hard track to run on and a tough course i was certainly beginning to feel that extra loop in my legs. By now i was out of fluid and was thinking i'd get some at the next checkpoint however was directed to the nearest tap which i couldn't find, so decided i'd take a drink from a creek later on.
Ran/walked with Brisbane runner "Radar" for a while as the trail here really left no passing possibilities and decided i was better off saving myself for the parts i knew well.
Finally back to the road and a wider track from then on just kept passing people, my biggest worry being weather my waterlogged shoes would actually hold together until the finish line.
Typically i never did have a drink crossing creeks, was usually approaching them and i'd look bemusedly at people trying to get across without getting their feet wet as i just charged through enjoying splashing through the water (if ever people wanted evidence that Ultra runners really don't grow up they've only got to watch me the 45 year old little boy !).
Caught up with John Lindsay and his Kokoda Team on the uphill stretch after the creeks, finally somewhere that i could make intelligent comments about navigation and where we were with regards to the finish line. Chatted for a while but decided i'd better finish this thing off as soon as possible, was definitely feeling thirsty and fatigued as my run now would be closer to marathon length, much longer than planned.
As usual i enjoyed passing people, seeing that Peter Hall had introduced me at the start as an Ultra runner gracing this event last thing i wanted was alot of non ultra runners beating me (no idea if any people had recognised me from the interview on the previous Mondays Channel 7 news but part of me just didn't want people being able to say "i saw that bloke from the news today i beat him !").
Finally finished in 5:15:11, way behind Don Wallace in 2:45 and way behind any time i should have run, take that first loop 80 minutes off and even then 3:55 was nothing crash hot, i'd certainly paid for running that extra distance, although 72nd place of 469 actually doesn't sound that horrific.
Interestingly after post race Hamburger and a chat with a few others the cold really got to me, ended up needing to turn the heater up to full blast on the drive back, obviously i'm ready now for the heat of a US summer, now only a couple of days away.

2 comments:

Jordan said...

Hey Kelvin,
Enjoying your blog. Found it while snooping around for what runs I should do this year. I see your name and pic pop up all around the results pages. Good stuff - inspirational. The Mini Kokoda was my first trail event and only my 3rd running event ever. I only started running about a year ago, bit late at 34 I know but... Anyway I said gday to you during the traffic in the first section and asked how your previous weeks 100 went. I didnt see you on the TV but yep recognised you and haha beat you (just playing). For me it was a challenging trail. Nice hill at half way eh. I limped in at 4 10 or something with a buggered knee. Cool to read your perspective. I did wonder where you had disappeared to : ) I'll say gday again next race I see you. Cheers you're a bloody legend.

Jordan said...

Hey Kelvin,
Enjoying your blog. Found it while snooping around for what runs I should do this year. I see your name and pic pop up all around the results pages. Good stuff - inspirational. The Mini Kokoda was my first trail event and only my 3rd running event ever. I only started running about a year ago, bit late at 34 I know but... Anyway I said gday to you during the traffic in the first section and asked how your previous weeks 100 went. I didnt see you on the TV but yep recognised you and haha beat you (just playing). For me it was a challenging trail. Nice hill at half way eh. I limped in at 4 10 or something with a buggered knee. Cool to read your perspective. I did wonder where you had disappeared to : ) I'll say gday again next race I see you. Cheers you're a bloody legend.