Ultra Marathon Trail Race Recap & Updates!
Whats New? Recap from last weekends Ultra Marathon Trail Race
56km’s @ The Glass House Mountains – 4th place!
This was my first trail ultra marathon so I was really stoked with how I ran on the day… if it can be called daytime haha! All of the CRAZY competitors (including myself) met at 230am at the Woodford Swimming Pool to check-in and get ready for a 330am start time! Everyone had to weigh in at the start and then again at checkpoint 4 to make sure they didn’t lose to much water weight throughout! In the race briefing it was also mentioned that if you became completely incoherent you would be asked to withdraw from the race…this is when I realised it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
READY TO GO!…
Head torch on, 250mL water bottle in hand and a gel stuffed into the side of my leggings and we were off. Within the first 10 minutes I was dripping sweat – It was humid and very hot – about 35 degrees and this was in the nighttime so it was bound to get worse!
I realised about 8km’s in that my 250mL water bottle wasn’t up to scratch and I definitely should of been more prepared with a camel pack or at least 500mL’s of water. At the first checkpoint most people ran straight through – I quickly stopped and downed some water from a large container…most of it ended up on me so I was running drenched in water – at least it cooled me down! I was trailing behind a guy who I later learn’t his name was Josh and at about 17kms in he took a wrong turn leading us down a huge hill and up the other side… at the top we both looked across and saw the other competitors head torches on another peak! No time to sook we cursed a few times and just got running back down the hill and up the other side.
Up until this point I was in first place for females but by now another lady has passed me. From checkpoint 2-3 I ran half of the it with a lady Carmen who I also raced against in the 50km Gold Coast Ultra Marathon a month prior. Carmen is super lovely and not to mention crazy fit. Carmen is in training to complete an Ultraman in a few months – this consists of Day 1 – 10km Swim and 145km Ride, Day 2 – 280km Ride and Day 3 – 84km Run! I was pleased to keep up with Carmen for 5km’s or so (20-25km mark) and then she jetted off past me.
I was battling with not enough fluids at this point when a really kind man offered me coconut water as he could see I was becoming pretty dehydrated, so for the next few km’s we ran together, chatted and every so often he would let me have a sip from his camel pack – What a legend!
I was now sitting in 3rd place for Females and cruising along – there was about 20km’s to go. At this point I was only stopping to walk a few of the steep inclines. I crossed paths with Josh again in the last 15kms and we stuck together for the last part of the race…1km to go and I wasn’t sure weather to go straight on or head right. Josh and I both headed right and ran about 1km before realising we were at a dead end – we searched around and realised we took a wrong turn. I knew I was in 3rd place and didn’t want to lose this spot so I was like C’MON lets go, Josh and I legged it the last 1km back to the main track and then the last km to the finish.
I arrived in just before Josh and when I got back I realised a lady had passed me by 2/3 minutes when I was off on one of my lost tangents haha…all we could do was laugh. She even said to me ‘ how did I beat you – I didn’t even pass you’ haha… oh good times, she then went on to say oh well its not the olympics…I was like well the effort put into the last 6+ hours of running it may of well have been the olympics haha!
It was a great day… the best part was falling into the swimming pool awaiting us at the end.
The high you feel after completing a big race like this is the best feeling!
How did I pull up?
I went straight home – ice bathed, hot showered, stretched, put on my 2XU compressions and the next day I was fresh as a daisy! I actually did an F45 class the morning after it which was very leg and cardio heavy but I was surprisingly fine!
New Sponsors
Stoked to have 12 Rounds Fitness on board as sponsors – Thanks to MJ and the guys for supporting me financially and also for promoting my cause within all of the 12 Rounds Gyms. 12 Rounds have just opened up a lot of new gyms in Melbourne which is super exciting so for all my Melbourne friends be sure to check them out!
12 Rounds Fitness Instagram
Elle Poulus!
Owner/boss of 12 Rounds Greenslopes – you have been so supportive from day dot in a number of ways it means a lot! Thank-you!
12 Rounds Fitness Greenslopes
Jaybird Sport have also jumped on board as product sponsors and are providing me with their best Run True Wireless Sport Earphones to use whilst I run across the Deserts! So excited to start using these!
Steigen Sport have sent me a huge variety of socks to try out – they are awesome – super comfortable, a variety of anklets to higher rise ones and the colours are really bright and vibrant!
Sarah Douglas – Personal Contribution
Sarah attends the F45 where I work and she reached out to me and explained that she thought it was for a great cause and would love to support me. Sarah has financially contributed to my endeavours to complete the 4 Deserts this year and I am so grateful for that! Thanks Sarah.
New Donations
Thanks to everyone who has donated to my charity ‘The White Cloud Foundation’ in the last few weeks – it honestly means a lot!
Each donation makes all of the hard-work and hours slogging out midday training runs really feel worth it!
Rhiannon Beatie, Michaela Harris, Doug Lawrence, Madeline Tsikleas, Khalela Thompson, Kirsten Lester, Breanna Williams, Maxine and Tamara Bulley, Rhiannon Skenner, Emma Pericic, Jess Stallard & Richie Ince. You are all amazing 🙂
If you would like to donate to my charity please click the link below or if you would like to sponsor me please contact me – jacquibell94@gmail.com.
https://give.everydayhero.com/au/journey-to-complete-4-deserts-grand-slam-2018
What else is coming up?
– Training has now increased and I am running over 115km’s this week!
Thanks Chris for kicking my butt! Chris Gale Running Squad!
– I am having weekly gym sessions with Kieran Maguire at Science of Fitness – I find these super challenging and I am still getting use to getting pretty sore from these – lots to work on!
– Body Leadership Physiotherapy have been keeping all of my injuries at bay luckily and the body is holding up well! Thanks Paul and Anna!
– The White Cloud Foundation will be an event in early March celebrating Queensland Women’s Week in an effort to raise funds and awareness for Women with or at risk of Perinatal Depression. I am excited to be apart of this and will have more details about the day soon! Last year it was called Leaping Ladies and it was a huge success!
THE 1st BIG RACE!
ONLY 93 days until I am on a plane heading to the Sahara Deserts and 97 days until I am at the edge of the Desert ready to run! Eeeeek! Thanks for reading guys and I appreciate all the support and kind words I receive off many of you who are following the journey 🙂
J xx
