Race Report: The Alpine Challenge 60km

Sweeping Alpine Views

For those who have been following along, you would’ve read that after I rolled my ankle at the Blackall 50km, I went and saw a doctor and got told that I didn’t do any serious damage to my ankle. He was kind of right, a couple days after I wrote that race report I went and saw a physio and was told that I did a severe grade II sprain to my anterior talofibular ligament which would put me on the sidelines between 4-6 weeks. The day after I saw the physio I went into work (at The Trail Co) and saw my boss (who is a running coach) and he has had a very similar injury to mine. He told me to drop out of the Alpine Challenge as soon as possible so I didn’t have the mental anguish of ‘do I, don’t I’. Me, being a runner, meant I ignored his completely reasonable advice. So, for the 12 days after Blackall I was on crutches, unable to do any sort of aerobic activity at all. For the next 11 days after that the only aerobic activity I could do was ride a bike, but as this was during my uni exam period I didn’t do much of that either. In my last physio appointment before I left Brisbane (a week before the Alpine Challenge) I was given the all clear to run in the race. I had to strap up my ankle but I had full movement again. The one thing was physio was a bit concerned about though, was my fitness. Which was a valid point. In the 5 weeks leading up to the Alpine Challenge I rode a total of 150km (which, if you’re a cyclist, you’ll realise isn’t much) and I ran a total of 37km. 6 of those km’s were the only ones on a trail, which I did 3 days before the race and I realised how much fitness I had lost. So, there were two major concerns leading into this race. The biggest one was my ankle, while the physio had said it would fine to run on, he also said that it was still weak and very susceptible to being sprained again. The other one was fitness. I would be running at altitude, climbing over 2000 meters and I would be getting a distance record. Would I be able to finish?

The course profile

So much gear!

The start line

This meant when the race stared on Saturday morning, I went out conservatively. The race began in the centre of Falls Creek before heading down to Howmans Gap on winding single track. The first 5km’s were stunning, it was so green and lush and very easy to run along. I had to hold myself back though, I wasn’t prepared to roll my ankle within the first 5 kays! After a very short uphill at Howmans Gap, it was back to running downhill again for the next 3.5km’s along non-technical fire trail. Again, another place I could’ve ran a lot faster down, but I wasn’t willing to risk it. At the bottom of the hill was first time I had to consult my map as there was a t-intersection that wasn’t marked. It was a decision to either go left or right, but as there was another runner who was with me (doing the 36km) we used our collective brain power and made the correct choice to go right.

The Alpine Challenge is tough in a few ways. One way is the altitude, for the most part the course is above 1,200 metres, the climbs are also difficult, but you also must use your brain as the course is sparsely marked, as I found out, I had to use my map and course notes a few times.

My plan leading into the race. 7 hours was ambitious and I wouldn't have been able to get it this year. But with full fitness I believe going under 6 hours is definitely do-able.

What goes down must go up, and after 10km’s of taking it cruisy was the toughest part of the 60km course, an 8km 900 metre (ish) climb to the top of Spion Kopje. This is where one of my last purchases at The Trail Co came in handy, poles. I had never used poles in a race before this one, but I figured that if they’re good enough for the Europeans, they’re good enough for me! And I’ll be honest, they were a god-send. I wasn’t moving up the hill any faster than if I didn’t have them, but I was using way less energy. It meant that once I got to the top I was able to run again, kind of. I really had lost a lot of fitness due to my injury and the best I could manage was a really long interval-style running. Run for 900m, walk for 100m, repeat. I managed to keep this up and pass a couple of 36km runners until the first checkpoint, Warby Corner. From there it was only 9km’s until the next checkpoint at Langfords Gap, which took in sweeping Alpine Views, rolling, wide 4WD tracks and what should’ve been really fun, technical downhill single track, which I had to walk down because of my ankle. During this section the 36km runners turned off and I wouldn’t see anybody else until I got to the checkpoint. When I got into Langfords Gap I was feeling really good, I was a little bit behind schedule, but my nutrition was on-point and I was feeling really strong. I knew that between Langfords Gap and the next checkpoint was going to be exposed (from reading other people’s race reports, I had never been in this area prior to race day) and it was the middle of the day by this point, so I took on as much water as possible. This was also the point I put in my headphones in, being out in an exposed area when you can’t see anybody can be demoralising, so I hoped that my music would get rid of any negative thoughts. For me, the section between Langfords Gap and Pole 333 was my favourite. The views were second to none and the trail was really easy to run along (by this point in time I had reduced my intervals to run 300m, walk 200m, repeat). I honestly don’t think I can impress just how pretty the views were and I really wish I had taken a photo, it was stunning, but hot. It was probably about 30 degrees by this stage, but my heat training that I did for Blackall kept me in a good frame of mind. I was also really grateful for the cool alpine breeze and the couple streams that I came across, where I got on my hands and knees to stick my head into the water to cool myself down. It was also during this section that I came across another 60km runner, the first one I had seen all race! She was moving pretty slowly though and soon enough I was back by myself.

There's still snow up there!

One variety of the numerous types of wildflowers that I saw

Coming into the Checkpoint number 3, Pole 333, I was feeling a bit warm, but on the whole pretty good considering I had already covered 47km’s. At this checkpoint I was told two things to my fatigued brain. Number one was that I was in 5^th place overall, but I was the first male through. This, for me, was entirely unexpected. I didn’t come into this race expecting to win. And number two; “follow this trail and take a right past the cars”. The trail leading to the cars was downhill and after being told I was winning (my gender) I flew as fast as I could down it until I saw the cars. I also saw a large wooden pole with a bit of orange tape on, which I though marked the course. So, I went right past the cars until I got to Tawonga Huts. Now I’ll admit, there were a few different trails, leading in different directions from the huts and I should’ve checked my map to see which trail to take, I then would’ve seen that I should not be at Tawonga Huts, turned around and maybe would’ve only lost about 10 minutes. But at this point in time I had been on my feet for 6.5 hours and I definitely wasn’t thinking straight. I just saw a trail that had a rock at the beginning of it, it just so happened that the rock had orange tape wrapped around it. I thought I was going in the correct direction. When I got to kilometre 53 and I hadn’t seen a checkpoint I knew something was wrong. This was the point I finally got out my map and realised that I had seriously fucked up. I was out of mobile phone signal so I couldn’t call someone to come and pick me up, the only way was to go back the way I came. Which I did. I eventually made it back to the cars and realised what the person at the checkpoint had said, “take a right… past the cars”. Oops. By this point in time I was out of food (I still had lots of water thankfully, the wrong trail I took had flowing streams to drink from) and low on self-esteem. But my mind completely gave up when my watch hit 60km and I still hadn’t reached Pretty Valley Pondage, which I was meant to have reached by the 53^rd kilometre. After my mind gave up, so too did my body. Everything became a struggle, but I wasn’t willing to stop. At Pretty Valley I had some watermelon (the best watermelon in the world at that point in time) and some lollies, which got me up to the top of Mt McKay and back down to the finish line in a time of 9 hours, 36 minutes and 57 seconds. I got a new distance record, going from 56km (Two Bays) and a new ‘time on feet’ record going from 6 hours 15 minutes to over 9.5 hours. 

Done!

Now that I’ve had time to reflect on this race I can say that going the wrong way still stings. It added on over 2 hours to my finishing time and I missed out on standing on top of the podium (after finishing behind 4 very strong women runners) but I can also say that I don’t care. I didn’t enter this race to win it, I entered this race to be in my favourite landscape, the mountains, and to tick a box. Hopefully this time tomorrow I’ll be finding out I’ll be living in England for a university exchange semester next year, and by completing this race and doing the Brisbane Trail Marathon, I now have the experience to compete in some iconic British mountain races, like ‘3 Peaks’. I also feel like this race is the culmination of everything I’ve learned over the past two years. I learned how to hurt in Blackall, I learned how to keep going even after things didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to in Two Bays, I learned how to climb at 4 Peaks last year, I learned how to get my fueling strategy right in the Brisbane Trail Marathon, I learned how to run fast on single track in Rapid Ascent’s trail series last year and I learned how to be humble at the multitude of races where I expected to do well in, but didn’t. And at every single trail race I’ve run and every single person I’ve met due to running, I’ve also learned that nature is amazing and people who run in it are awesome.

Thanks to mum who came up with me to Falls Creek and for volunteering at the race, you’re just as much a part of the trail community as I am. Thanks as well to Paul and the rest of the Running Wild team, along with the rest of the volunteers, it was an amazing event!
Thanks also to the entire Brisbane crew who’ve welcomed me with open arms, but a particular mention to Tim and Laura, my amazing bosses at The Trail Co. I never would’ve imagined working at a store selling gear and coffee for a sport I love, when I didn’t even know trail running existed 24 months earlier. The rest of The Trail Co staff are amazing too! 😉 You should definitely go there (in store or online) for all your trail needs!

So, fingers crossed I get to head over to the U.K on an exchange semester from January through to July next year and I get to experience European trail running. If I get to go, great! My first race next year will be the Manx Mountain Marathon on the Isle of Man, but if I don’t get to go, oh well, I suppose. But everything I do over the next few years will be leading towards my dream race, The Hardrock 100.

Until next time, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Trail Running Novice.