Six Foot Track - Race Report

Quoted message said:

Its a great race but I won't be back next year. I'll come
back to the Six Foot when I have legs that can do it
justice. Living in inner Sydney I can't train on similar
terrain without driving some distance and I don't have
time to do this. I've been spending too much time running
as it is. Three days after the event my legs feel like
they may never run again anyway.

That was an amazing effort. Also, a great report Andrew.
Won't be back huh? You say that now, but. . .

Phil

--
"Modesty: the gentle art of enhancing your charm by pretending not to be
aware of it." -Oliver Hereford

In article said:

I was 29th overall in 4:23, only a 4 minute improvement on
last years
4:27. I was aiming for 4:10 - maybe this was optimistic
but I should have been able to get closer. The race
was won in 3:29 with the first woman home in 4:33.

Andrew, I remember hearing your report for this race last
year (can't believe I've been loitering here this long). I
remember because it was one of the most memorable reports of
the year, and the race sounds so damn special that it almost
makes me wish I was still back in Australia. Yeah, a 17
minute improvement would be fantastic, but like you've
observed, it's going to take a lot of preparation to do
that. Good luck, and I hope (and trust) that you'll still
find some interesting races to participate in.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi pegasus.rutgers.edu~elflordOpen ↗

Andrew - great report on a great race.

So - if no return next year, what are you planning instead??

Anthony.

[email hidden] (Andrew Taylor) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

45 kilometres of pleasure and pain is how the race
director describes the Six Foot Track Marathon
(sixfoot.comsixfoot.comOpen ↗). 45km on rocky trails isn't easy
and an altitude profile equivalent to running into and out
of the Grand Canyon make it a challenge. A record 680
entrants this year. Many from interstate, some even from
overseas.

If this group ever had a get-together - anyone a regular
player of any big lotteries? - this would be the time and
place to hold it:-)

(I think I´d volunteer for support crew duty, though.)

Quoted message said:

I was 29th overall in 4:23, only a 4 minute improvement on
last years
4:27. I was aiming for 4:10 - maybe this was optimistic
but I should have been able to get closer. The race
was won in 3:29 with the first woman home in 4:33.

Maybe you should look at your climb up the result list: from
37th last year to 29th - and from AG 7th probably one place
up(?); it gets tougher when you get as close to the top as
you did...

Quoted message said:

Its a great race but I won't be back next year. I'll come
back to the Six Foot when I have legs that can do it
justice. Living in inner Sydney I can't train on similar
terrain without driving some distance and I don't have
time to do this. I've been spending too much time running
as it is. Three days after the event my legs feel like
they may never run again anyway.

Now that you´ve discovered what you can do at the long
stuff, you could change course and find out how badly you
could embarrass men half your age at shorter distance!

Anders

Wow! I'm exhausted just reading the report! Congratulations
on not only besting last year by over 4 minutes, but by just
simply finishing! (And so high up!) I'm very impressed. That
sounds like one really, really, killer race. Can I sign up?
;-) (Just kidding, tho' I love trails).

Teresa in AZ

PS- The kids have sure grown a lot!

Andrew Taylor said:

45 kilometres of pleasure and pain is how the race
director describes the Six Foot Track Marathon
(sixfoot.comsixfoot.comOpen ↗). 45km on rocky trails isn't easy
and an altitude profile equivalent to running into and out
of the Grand Canyon make it a challenge. A record 680
entrants this year. Many from interstate, some even from
overseas.

A friend put us up in her Blackheath weekender convenient
to the race start. A hot and humid Sydney summer had
stretched into March. A few days ago it'd had been 30+C
which would make the race climbs intolerable. 5am race
day its feels like 10C. Immediately I'm shivering and
hunting around for another layer of clothes while trying
not to wake the kids. I breakfast on sports drink and
creamed rice and think how good the post-race beer will
be. Dawn shows far too much blue sky - where is the
forecast cloudy day?

Monica gets me to the start with almost an hour to spare.
A special wave of over-70 age group runners already set
off: tinyurl.com2fhpfOpen ↗ The start is convival chaos.
Runners mill around greeting friends perhaps not seen
since last year. A sub-4 marathon is an entry requirement
so fit bodies are everywhere. Particularly intimidating
are the tans and muscles of the triathletes.

The port-a-loo queue is long and I head into the bush. The
privacy is limited as other runners, male and female, have
the same idea. I've become accustomed to public urination
since taking up running.

The day is warming and its more nerves than shivering that
makes it hard to stand still behind the start line. Then
we are off: tinyurl.com2fhpfOpen ↗ Its a madcap sprint
several hundred metres down hill to get good position on
the narrow path down to Nellies Glen 300 metres below. If
you are too slow to the stairs you may be held up for
several minutes. Hurtling over rocks and gravel is
absolutely terrifying but I'm on the stairs in good
position. Then its down, down, down through the
rainforest. Mud and moss underfoot. Several times I
misstep, slip and slide but fresh legs keep me upright and
down, down, down.

After Nellies Glen the trail widens and descends more
slowly. I calm down, take stock and slow down. I start
pacing myself using my heart rate
- a marathon strategy courtesy rec.running - thanks
Anders. Runners pass me over the next few kms. A few I
won't see again. Others could be in a 10k race and its
hard to resist cautioning them them to slow down. Bell
Miner colonies in the eucalypt forest here sound
delightful. I chat to few runners. One tells me he was
nursing a foot injury in the week prior to the race and
managed to land awkwardly and damage it twice on the
descent.

Around 10km a little pack forms which makes running feel
easier but while watching the runner in front I clip a
solid tree root and dive into the ground. Instinctively I
roll onto my shoulder and slide on my back. Minus some
skin I'm up and moving again quickly. Other fared much
worse and finished: tinyurl.com2j26dOpen ↗

At 15km you have a choice. Some plough straight across the
Cox's river, wading or swimming. I sacrifice a few seconds
and head upstream to where you can boulder-hop across most
years. Its worth it to have dry feet and no sand/gravel in
your shoes. I reach the aid station on the other side in
1:18, 2 minutes ahead of plan and smile for the
photographer: tinyurl.com2ux9yOpen ↗ I'm in 54th place
at this point.

The race now gets serious with the 480m climb to Mini Mini
Saddle past Murdering Creek. Most walk at least part of
this climb. I run it - but I make ground only slowly on
runners mixing powerwalking with running. The runner with
the dodgy foot also runs the climb and provides company.
Its sunny and there is little shade on the climb but its
OK maybe 20C.

The last of the over-70s is on Mini-Mini Saddle. He's
looking good and I tell him he has the 7 hour cutoff under
control. Just trying to be positive but he made the 7 hour
cutoff: the first over-70 runner ever to be an official
finisher. Amazing effort.

I try to push hard over the top and onto the descent but
the two runners ahead of me disappear out of sight.
Clearly my descending needs improvement. There is a runner
half-way down walking. I can't think of anything to say.
He is not even halfway and in serious trouble.

After a kilometre on the valley floor I'm feeling OK
again. The Black Range high can be seen above and there is
a Wedge-Tailed Eagle soaring over it. Two more creek
crossings but some judicious rock-hopping keeps my feet
dry. Now starts the infamous climb to the Pluviometer at
26km. I run this climb slower than the last. Some runners
are still mixing running and walking effectively but
others are walking slowly and not looking good. The runner
with the sore foot is still with me but towards the top he
drops back and I don't see him again until the finish. His
foot went completely and he limped home in 6 hours.
Tougher then me.

Switchback after switchback this climb seems to go on
forever. The Pluviometer aid station is the second best
sight in the race. I can't be looking good because the
volunteers suggest I sit down for a while. I'm not feeling
good either but I'm there in 2:33 only a minute outside my
race plan. I don't know it, but I'm now 38th.

The track keeps climbing on Black Range but the worst is
over. We pass through some pretty forest. A Yellow Robin
stares at me sideways from a tree trunk. I hear a Lyrebird
singing in the valley below - winter must be coming. My
legs begin to struggle around 30km and I can't squeeze
enough speed out of them. I slip behind my planned pace.
The only consolation is I run the short but nasty climbs
before the Caves Rd crossing at 38km - last year I had to
walk here. The track is lined with cheering spectators at
Caves Rd but I'm not in good shape. I force myself not to
stop. I [censored] some sports drink and charge across the
bitumen. My watch tells I've been running for 3:42. I'm 7
minutes behind schedule. My legs tell me worse is to come.

The trail then undulates and for a while I manage a decent
pace but the last undulations take all I've got. I know
I've lost more minutes. The final descent begins just over
2km from the finish. Now you drop 400m down a rocky fire
trail with a teacherous surface. On fresh legs it would be
difficult, on destroyed legs its a nightmare. I don't want
to be overtaken now so I push as hard as I can. I see a
runner ahead and forget all caution and pick up speed and
actually overtake him. Amazingly this happens twice more.

The cement path above Caves House takes forever to come.
When it does I don't check my watch. I know its bad news.
Half way down the path I almost trip and when I try to
recover my legs are like jelly. For several strides they
wobble uncontrollably. I somehow stay upright and they
respond again.

Near the bottom I hear the announcer say here come two
runners. There must be someone right behind me. I do not
want to be overtaken in sight of the finish. I charge into
the last turn. Now I hear steps behind. Spectators are
cheering loudly. I turn and sprint for the finish 20
metres away: tinyurl.com2geseOpen ↗ My legs wobble once
but carry me across the finish line just ahead of the
chasing runner.

I'm collapse against a barrier as announcer teases the guy
behind about being half my age. Tom & Zoe rush over. I'd
have a nice finish picture if I'd not been half-dead:
tinyurl.com2sfgdOpen ↗

I was 29th overall in 4:23, only a 4 minute improvement on
last years
4:27. I was aiming for 4:10 - maybe this was optimistic
but I should have been able to get closer. The race
was won in 3:29 with the first woman home in 4:33.

The spirit at the finish is tremendous. Every runner is
cheered in. The finish line announcer does a wonderful job
- emphasing the diverse stories of achievement. I wanted
to meet a few people but in the end I get a cold beer and
slump in a quiet spot while the rest of the family go on a
cave tour.

Its a great race but I won't be back next year. I'll come
back to the Six Foot when I have legs that can do it
justice. Living in inner Sydney I can't train on similar
terrain without driving some distance and I don't have
time to do this. I've been spending too much time running
as it is. Three days after the event my legs feel like
they may never run again anyway.

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor said:

45 kilometres of pleasure and pain

<snip>

Where do I sign up? ;-)

Another great report Andrew. Maybe not the time you wanted
but still a great performance.

I have to say, you do look more than a little "drained"
in tinyurl.com2sfgdOpen ↗. Perhaps that's *not* one to
show folk when you're trying to sell them the joys of
running. ;-)

As to the "won't be back next year", well one of my friends
ran the West Highland Way race for the third (and last) time
last year (95 miles off road, over hills etc). He's well
advanced in his training for doing it again this year.

Cheers.

Tim

--
Remove the obvious to reply by email. Please support
rheumatoid arthritis research! Visit
justgiving.comspeysideOpen ↗ or
justgiving.comspeysideOpen ↗ if you're a UK tax payer.

Excellent race Andrew,

See you were wearing your Coolrunning singlet shame we
didn't get to meet up afterwards. Drinks at caves house were
most welcome.

Phil

"Andrew Taylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

45 kilometres of pleasure and pain is how the race
director describes the Six Foot Track Marathon
(sixfoot.comsixfoot.comOpen ↗). 45km on rocky trails isn't easy
and an altitude profile equivalent to running into and out
of the Grand Canyon make it a challenge. A record 680
entrants this year. Many from interstate, some even from
overseas.

A friend put us up in her Blackheath weekender convenient
to the race start. A hot and humid Sydney summer had
stretched into March. A few days ago it'd had been 30+C
which would make the race climbs intolerable. 5am race
day its feels like 10C. Immediately I'm shivering and
hunting around for another layer of clothes while trying
not to wake the kids. I breakfast on sports drink and
creamed rice and think how good the post-race beer will
be. Dawn shows far too much blue sky - where is the
forecast cloudy day?

Monica gets me to the start with almost an hour to spare.
A special wave of over-70 age group runners already set
off: tinyurl.com2fhpfOpen ↗ The start is convival chaos.
Runners mill around greeting friends perhaps not seen
since last year. A sub-4 marathon is an entry requirement
so fit bodies are everywhere. Particularly intimidating
are the tans and muscles of the triathletes.

The port-a-loo queue is long and I head into the bush. The
privacy is limited as other runners, male and female, have
the same idea. I've become accustomed to public urination
since taking up running.

The day is warming and its more nerves than shivering that
makes it hard to stand still behind the start line. Then
we are off: tinyurl.com2fhpfOpen ↗ Its a madcap sprint
several hundred metres down hill to get good position on
the narrow path down to Nellies Glen 300 metres below. If
you are too slow to the stairs you may be held up for
several minutes. Hurtling over rocks and gravel is
absolutely terrifying but I'm on the stairs in good
position. Then its down, down, down through the
rainforest. Mud and moss underfoot. Several times I
misstep, slip and slide but fresh legs keep me upright and
down, down, down.

After Nellies Glen the trail widens and descends more
slowly. I calm down, take stock and slow down. I start
pacing myself using my heart rate
- a marathon strategy courtesy rec.running - thanks
Anders. Runners pass me over the next few kms. A few I
won't see again. Others could be in a 10k race and its
hard to resist cautioning them them to slow down. Bell
Miner colonies in the eucalypt forest here sound
delightful. I chat to few runners. One tells me he was
nursing a foot injury in the week prior to the race and
managed to land awkwardly and damage it twice on the
descent.

Around 10km a little pack forms which makes running feel
easier but while watching the runner in front I clip a
solid tree root and dive into the ground. Instinctively I
roll onto my shoulder and slide on my back. Minus some
skin I'm up and moving again quickly. Other fared much
worse and finished: tinyurl.com2j26dOpen ↗

At 15km you have a choice. Some plough straight across the
Cox's river, wading or swimming. I sacrifice a few seconds
and head upstream to where you can boulder-hop across most
years. Its worth it to have dry feet and no sand/gravel in
your shoes. I reach the aid station on the other side in
1:18, 2 minutes ahead of plan and smile for the
photographer: tinyurl.com2ux9yOpen ↗ I'm in 54th place
at this point.

The race now gets serious with the 480m climb to Mini Mini
Saddle past Murdering Creek. Most walk at least part of
this climb. I run it - but I make ground only slowly on
runners mixing powerwalking with running. The runner with
the dodgy foot also runs the climb and provides company.
Its sunny and there is little shade on the climb but its
OK maybe 20C.

The last of the over-70s is on Mini-Mini Saddle. He's
looking good and I tell him he has the 7 hour cutoff under
control. Just trying to be positive but he made the 7 hour
cutoff: the first over-70 runner ever to be an official
finisher. Amazing effort.

I try to push hard over the top and onto the descent but
the two runners ahead of me disappear out of sight.
Clearly my descending needs improvement. There is a runner
half-way down walking. I can't think of anything to say.
He is not even halfway and in serious trouble.

After a kilometre on the valley floor I'm feeling OK
again. The Black Range high can be seen above and there is
a Wedge-Tailed Eagle soaring over it. Two more creek
crossings but some judicious rock-hopping keeps my feet
dry. Now starts the infamous climb to the Pluviometer at
26km. I run this climb slower than the last. Some runners
are still mixing running and walking effectively but
others are walking slowly and not looking good. The runner
with the sore foot is still with me but towards the top he
drops back and I don't see him again until the finish. His
foot went completely and he limped home in 6 hours.
Tougher then me.

Switchback after switchback this climb seems to go on
forever. The Pluviometer aid station is the second best
sight in the race. I can't be looking good because the
volunteers suggest I sit down for a while. I'm not feeling
good either but I'm there in 2:33 only a minute outside my
race plan. I don't know it, but I'm now 38th.

The track keeps climbing on Black Range but the worst is
over. We pass through some pretty forest. A Yellow Robin
stares at me sideways from a tree trunk. I hear a Lyrebird
singing in the valley below - winter must be coming. My
legs begin to struggle around 30km and I can't squeeze
enough speed out of them. I slip behind my planned pace.
The only consolation is I run the short but nasty climbs
before the Caves Rd crossing at 38km - last year I had to
walk here. The track is lined with cheering spectators at
Caves Rd but I'm not in good shape. I force myself not to
stop. I [censored] some sports drink and charge across the
bitumen. My watch tells I've been running for 3:42. I'm 7
minutes behind schedule. My legs tell me worse is to come.

The trail then undulates and for a while I manage a decent
pace but the last undulations take all I've got. I know
I've lost more minutes. The final descent begins just over
2km from the finish. Now you drop 400m down a rocky fire
trail with a teacherous surface. On fresh legs it would be
difficult, on destroyed legs its a nightmare. I don't want
to be overtaken now so I push as hard as I can. I see a
runner ahead and forget all caution and pick up speed and
actually overtake him. Amazingly this happens twice more.

The cement path above Caves House takes forever to come.
When it does I don't check my watch. I know its bad news.
Half way down the path I almost trip and when I try to
recover my legs are like jelly. For several strides they
wobble uncontrollably. I somehow stay upright and they
respond again.

Near the bottom I hear the announcer say here come two
runners. There

must

Quoted message said:

be someone right behind me. I do not want to be overtaken
in sight of the finish. I charge into the last turn. Now I
hear steps behind. Spectators are cheering loudly. I turn
and sprint for the finish 20 metres away:
tinyurl.com2geseOpen ↗ My legs wobble once but carry me
across the finish line just ahead of the chasing runner.

I'm collapse against a barrier as announcer teases the guy
behind about being half my age. Tom & Zoe rush over. I'd
have a nice finish picture if I'd not been half-dead:
tinyurl.com2sfgdOpen ↗

I was 29th overall in 4:23, only a 4 minute improvement on
last years
4:27. I was aiming for 4:10 - maybe this was optimistic
but I should have been able to get closer. The race
was won in 3:29 with the first woman home in 4:33.

The spirit at the finish is tremendous. Every runner is
cheered in. The finish line announcer does a wonderful job
- emphasing the diverse stories of achievement. I wanted
to meet a few people but in the end I get a cold beer and
slump in a quiet spot while the rest of the family go on a
cave tour.

Its a great race but I won't be back next year. I'll come
back to the Six Foot when I have legs that can do it
justice. Living in inner Sydney I can't train on similar
terrain without driving some distance and I don't have
time to do this. I've been spending too much time running
as it is. Three days after the event my legs feel like
they may never run again anyway.

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor said:

45 kilometres of pleasure and pain is how the race
director describes the Six Foot Track Marathon
(sixfoot.comsixfoot.comOpen ↗).

<nice race report snip - and bird observations appreciated>

Quoted message said:

The last of the over-70s is on Mini-Mini Saddle. He's
looking good and I tell him he has the 7 hour cutoff under
control. Just trying to be positive but he made the 7 hour
cutoff: the first over-70 runner ever to be an official
finisher. Amazing effort.

That's really great!

Quoted message said:

I was 29th overall in 4:23, only a 4 minute improvement on
last years
4:27. I was aiming for 4:10 - maybe this was optimistic
but I should have been able to get closer.

Really nice race, Andrew. You pushed with what you had and
got a 4 min improvement.

Quoted message said:

The spirit at the finish is tremendous.

This sounds like a really nice event where everyone hangs
around cheering everyone else in.

Dot

--
"Success is different things to different people" -Bernd
Heinrich in Racing the Antelope

In article <[email hidden]>,

Anthony said:

So - if no return next year, what are you planning
instead??

Lawn bowls looks attractive at the moment.

Andrew

In article <[email hidden]>,

spud said:

See you were wearing your Coolrunning singlet shame we
didn't get to meet up afterwards.

Congratulations on the big PB.

Yep, you were one of the people I wanted to meet and I
remembered seeing you when I saw the coolrunning group
picture later. At another race no doubt.

Andrew Taylor

Great report. I just returned to Florida from running the
Six Foot Track and wanted to let you know your reports and
advise were great. I finished no where near you (A 6:24
finish) but was very happy to come in under the cut off. The
track was spectacular, but hills, both up and down were
painful. Somewhere around the 10K mark I got distracted
watching the birds and cliffs and took a tumble...thankfully
I was stopped by a gum tree....bruises are healing nicely.
Trainining in Fl has made me used to running in wet
feet...but the climb over the Black Range...WOW! Highest
elevation for 100 km here is 8M.. I definitely felt the 1000
M elevation changes. I am slowly getting things back
together and would definitely give it another after doing
some specific training. A very well run race. I give it a
two thumbs up marathon-photos.commarathon-photos.comOpen ↗ Gary

In article <[email hidden]>,

run2freedom said:

Great report. I just returned to Florida from running the
Six Foot
Track and wanted to let you know your reports and advise
were great.
I finished no where near you (A 6:24 finish) but was very
happy to
come in under the cut off. The track was spectacular, but
hills, both

Picked by marathon-photos.com for their cover photo - you
must have been as the most photogenic runner in the race!

Quite a few runners finishing in the second half of
the field were clearly very happy - its not the
easiest of courses.

Andrew Taylor