6 Foot Track Race Report 2005

My fourth Sixfoot and the plan was to go one better than last year and break 5hrs.I knew I would have to run a very good race to do this, as last year I felt I ran quite well to finish in 5:02. Training in the past few months was good and my speed was definitely better than this time last year so I was pretty confident.

Stayed the night before at Chez Greenhill, again this year, and shared a beer with Mister G and Uncle Dave. Got to race start at 7am to a bustling Catalina Park, the aroma of sunscreen and deep heat wafting through the early morning air. It was nice to meet up with so many Coolrunners and Sydney Striders here, and definitely an improvement on registration at Explorers Tree. When we arrived at Explorers Tree and the start you could feel the tension in the air amongst the virgin 6 footers. Come to think of it there were a few experienced guys looking decidedly nervous too, all good. The first wave were let go at 8am to a rapturous applause and roar from the rest of us. This is a sight worth waiting a year for! I was in wave two and 5 mins later we were on our way.

My plan was to stay ahead of last year’s splits by at least 5mins to give myself a shot at sub 5.I ran down Nellies alongside pal Jan Herrmann and we reached the Nellies sign in 13mins. I felt we were moving along quite nicely and was happy when we reached Megalong Rd in 43:16 (2004 split 49:30). Caught up with Colin as we crossed and slapped him a high five.

Running up Pinnacle Hill was wonderful as the sun melted the early morning mist away. It was along here that we started to pass some familiar faces. Mister G who had gone out like a bull out of a gate down Nellies was reeled in here, as was RMC. Jan and I both run at a similar pace (except for hills that is) so we stayed together to the Cox’s. We were lucky to fall in behind Striders Steve Bodnar and Barry Rutter who were making good progress to the river. The pace (as Jan commented) was just right. I had originally planned on just wading through the river but everyone seemed to just take the rock-hopping alternative instead. In fact it was so easy this year we lost no time at all. A quick stop at the aid station, one cup of water and Hi 5 and a gu on the hour was the plan for the day.Our split to the Cox was 1:23:45 (2004-1:30:25), so far so good.

And so to the climbs. I ran the first section of Mini with Jan but it wasn’t long before I let him go do his thing and began to power walk. I felt superb on this climb and managed to stay within sight of Jan as he jogged up. The sun was starting to take its toll on some runners who were not looking too good. I passed ORunner here who had a great run to the river. A short while later I would pass MPHaz who was not looking too comfortable but dogged determined to finish. Lemon Tree Pass split was 1:48:09 and then some nice running to Alum Creek in 2:10:26 (2004-2:18:52). The track was in the worst condition I have seen through this section and right up to Pluvi. I love the section around Little River and ambled along here feeling very relaxed. The climb up Pluvi was tougher for me than Mini, usually the other way around! I still made good progress passing numerous runners who had just gone out too hard. Shortly before the top I hear a call from Mister G. We reached the aid station in 2:48:11 (2004-2:55:53) so I was still a good 7 mins ahead.

The next section along the Black Range is for my money the start of the race in terms of getting your shit together, the difference in running a good 6 Foot or not. Unfortunately for me I managed to lose some time here each of the last 3 years I’ve ran this race. I was improving every year but this year I was determined not to walk at all. Mister G commented as we trotted along “no stopping here, run the lot” to which I nodded. We passed heaps of runners and it was so uplifting to be finally running this monkey off my back. The Black Range devil was in my ear every now and again saying, “hey slow down and walk a little” but I was having none of it. I mentioned to Sean, just keep moving even if it is a slow jog, it beats breaking into a walk. We stayed together for a while until I started pulling away. I didn’t see Mister G again until 3km from the finish.As I pulled into Deviation 3:47:01 (2004-3:54:03) I was rapt to have finally ran the whole of Black Range. I poured some coke and water into me and grabbed some fruit and was outta there.

This next section up to Caves Rd however is a real bastard. I ran strongly on the flats and downhills but only managed a fairly decent walk up that shitty goat track to Caves Rd. I passed Blue Dog here and was still way ahead of splits reaching Caves Rd in 4:10:05 (2004-4:17:32). The crowd support was fantastic, giving us a great cheer as we crossed. Feeling pretty stuffed (as you should) I thought sub 5 is definitely on, just gotta hold it together.

I was thinking about the finish line as I made my way along Caves Rd but wasn’t getting too carried away as my left calf was showing signs of not wanting to participate any more. These little twinges of cramp were more noticeable on the steps up and down the Caves Rd section. Binda Cabins was reached in 4:26:16 and I knew I had it in the bag barring a fall or massive cramp up. Still needed to concentrate and bring it home. I was moving along nicely trying to do mental arithmetic but that wasn’t happening for me. I figured somewhere between 4:50-4:55 was on. Just then MisterG turns up after having a good run from Deviation. I wasn’t too surprised as he’s an excellent judge of pace and a strong bastard to boot. We chatted for a bit and then he suggested sprinting down Mt George firetrail. I was up for it, so agreed. Only thing was I couldn’t keep with him, maybe if I had an extra 10 kg, gravity would of lent more of a hand. Still I ran a faster split down the last 3km than I have ever ran. Just as I hit the bitumen for the last 50 mtrs I cramped in both calves and wonkily ran through the finish chute. I was elated to cross the line in 4:52:02! YES! Sub 5hrs and a 10-minute PB was mine. ;-)

Hung around at the finish line for a while cheering fellow runners in. One of the best things about 6 Foot is that welcome at the finish.
Congratulations to Emma Murray (mind blowing time) and Dan Green for their wins. Also well done to Kevin for another seamless 6 Foot track organisation. The firies and all volunteers were fantastic as usual.

Upon reflection breaking 5hrs and finishing 92nd overall was very satisfying to achieve. However from a tactical point of view the most pleasing thing about this years run was the fact that I managed to run every step of Black Range, very encouraging for next year. I don’t think I could of ran this race any better than I did on the day and am finding it hard to see where I can make up time next year. It will probably just involve the usual getting faster and stronger but tactically I hope to run the same race.

Roll on 2006!