HEYDEN AIMS FOR ANOTHER 100KM PB

Contributed by Andrew Heyden, AURA member

Coburg 24hr/Australian 100km Championships, 17-18 April 2021, Harold Stevens Athletic Track Vic

I starting planning for the my next A Race back in December having fully recovered from my 50km in late October. I was in good ultra form and thought the best options were another 50km, to find the extra minute for the age group world record or try to better my 100km PB.

I wasn’t confident that the Canberra Running Festival would go ahead given the size of the field and Covid restrictions so I opted for the Australian 100km Championships knowing it would be a smaller field and less likely to have issues going ahead. 

The race was on the track this year as part of the Coburg 24hr Track Festival which has been going since 1983. A track ultra would be a new experience and challenge.

Training went well through January and February and whilst training solo most of the time, I gained confidence winning the February and March Striders 10km races on un-tapered legs. The elements of training were the same as in 2020, not too much speedwork (very little under half marathon pace) and lots of runs over hills, plus some longer 40km and one 50km run. I kept the weekly mileage the same at a max of 110-120km over 12 weeks and all was looking good. 

In late March though I was getting bored of training on my own. I had done a few long runs with my usual gang but most days I was running solo around St Ives as I’m not working in the city at present, my last role having been made redundant. 

Then in early April, two weeks out, I got a heavy head cold and felt rubbish for a week. I missed a few runs and could only plod a few. My confidence waned and I lost the mental edge, not helped by the stresses of my job search and interviews the week of the race.

Race day came and I took a flight to Melbourne in the morning. Had a light breakfast and banana for lunch.

The race started at 2pm and within 20 minutes I knew three of us were competing for the national medals. My planned 4.15 pace felt right and the Coros watch was measuring accurate on the track (it has a great feature, you set it to the lane you are in and it adjusts for the bends). Whilst the laps were boring, it was good watching the 24hr runners in Lane 1, who had started 2 hours earlier, and hearing their camaraderie and banter.

First focus point was the 2hr mark when we changed direction on the track. Average pace was around 4.16 and I was in 2nd and on for my first goal, the 6hr Australian M45 age group record.

I remained focused on getting a gel down every 7km and ticked off the laps between each gel.

Pace remained good through 30km and I set my sights on running strong until the sun went down. 

Three and a half hours in, with the setting sun, it got cooler and I started to fade, my body clock just didn’t like the setting sun. I tried to convince myself that the cooler temperature would make it easier to run the same pace but it wasn’t happening.

Pace slipped to 4.20-4.22 as we went through the marathon and I set my sights on running strong to 50km. It was now dark and I didn’t feel great under the floodlights, shivered a bit but got myself together. Feet were good but I had a slight pain in my right shin. Pace slipped to 4.30s and it was way too early for that, not a good sign.

Still another 20km needed by the 6hr mark for the record and was looking tough. My mind started convincing me to let it go and focus on consolidating my 2nd place in the 100km, if I push now for the 6hr record I might blow up. Kept the gels going in every 7km and took some CurraNZ (blackcurrant) capsules to help the muscles in the late stages of the race.

About 68km and I slipped to a 5 minute kilometre. My hip flexors were now the problem, they had tightened and not comfortable and made it very hard running below 5 minute kilometres. Still a long way to go.

Finally through to 6hrs, race director Tim Erickson handed me a small sandbag and I held it for a lap until the 6hrs call and dropped it for exact measurement. I knew I had missed the record by just under 1km. Could I have pushed for it, how much would it have taken out of me. 

At this point Anthony in second caught up with me and that was a good boost to switch on and hang on to him for the next 15 minutess. I knew from the live lap TV display on the start/finish line that he was 8 laps behind.

My mind was failing a bit now and I couldn’t remember if I had taken a gel at 84km. My crew told me that I had but I didn’t remember doing so at all. It was so important to have a crew members keeping an eye on me, huge thanks to ultra legends Kay Bretz and Dion Finocchiaro. 

Now to keep moving through to 90km but it was bloody hard going. I was determined not to stop. Got the kms back to 5.10 pace and made the call not to switch to Coke as the gels were just about staying down. Finally just 5km to go and the end in sight (albeit I had already crossed the finish line 210 times !). Laps had been passing so slowly. At last just 10 laps to go and I found a second (probably fifth) wind, back under 5 minute kilometres again. 

I finished in 7 hrs 46 mins, way off my PB. My fastest kilomere was 4.04, slowest was 5.22 and average 4.40. Second Overall and runner up in the National Championships again, as in 2018. 

It was great meeting winner Clay Dawson (winner in 2019 too) and 3rd placed Anthony Boyle, both great blokes.

Kudos to the 24hr runners, I went back to watch them in the morning and they were all moving well 

It wasn’t my day but I’m happy I finished it off.

Positives – runner up in the National Championships at 47 years young ain’t bad, quads held up well, no blisters or chaffing, nutrition went well. I think I actually only enjoyed the first 25 laps and last 7 or 8, not the 200 in the middle.

Learnings – running into the night was really hard, running laps on the track was brutal, going into the race mentally drained made for a tough day, just didn’t have the mental resilience I needed to push through faster. Whilst I love the Nike Next %s, I didn’t feel they were as beneficial on the track vs road and probably come into their own at sub 4 min kms for me.

I’m still drawn to the challenge and history of ultras and this hopefully won’t be my last. This year is the 100th anniversary of the iconic Comrades Ultra Marathon, I was originally hoping to tackle but of course was cancelled months ago. Glad I could fill the void with another decent challenge.

Legs are good post race, very little soreness but am taking the week off running and just cycling instead.

Time to rest up and find a job and then I’ll find the next running challenge.

Pictured: From left to right Phil Ryan (1010), Axel Carlsson (1014), Anthony Boyle (1013), George Mihalakellis (1011), Andy Heyden (1007), Stuart Hughes (1009) and Clay Dawson (1012) starting in the Australian 100km Track Championships. Photograph – Coburg/Supplied.