The Kepler Challenge 2020

I need to start this by saying this won’t be pretty. Not even remotely. Read this not eating and with caution. It's a very real and honest story of my day on the Kepler Challenge this year.  

I am very blessed to have had two amazing friends supporting this race. Amy and Awhina were (are) amazing. They are everything and more that you can want in support people. Like EPIC.

Also a shout out to Kerry, who has been such a consistent friend and running buddy & Karen, with who I have had many conversations about running this at work- sharing the trail with you was a joy. You nailed it.

Okay. My race....

Firstly, after I entered I found out a friend was sick with cancer. I decided that this could be a really good fundraiser for her so set about raising money. As time progressed the prognosis has not been the best so when you read this, please remember that I was out there to not just to do this race but  do it with the love and support of an awesome community behind me.

The week leading up to the challenge I was sick.  Red raw sore throat with pus lumps on it. Hard to swallow. Just general shit. I decided I was gonna kick its arse so got plenty of rest and took a tonne of vitamins.  Which is a good thing to do if ya wanna feel better, but maybe not a good thing to do before a 60km race. Anyway, more on that later. I managed to nail the cold and the Friday before Kepler my sinuses were crap but nothing I couldn't run with.

We also found out that we would be running an alternate course. Although it's disappointing it is what it is and all I needed to do was get it done. I was determined to do this and love it regardless of the course. The bonus of the alternate course was a 7am start. Sleep in!!!!!!

I feel like I was really prepared for this. I had put in the km, trained well, did everything right. I was ready. Amy and Awhina took me to the 7am start and I was good to go.  

I started off well.  My strategy was to cruise up Luxmore and back down and have enough legs to run out of Brod Bay, then just hit a nice steady pace for the rest of the race.

I was on track.  I cruised into Brod Bay feeling great. It was a nice easy start and the rain that was forecast and forced the change to the alternate course was just starting. I went to the loo at Brod Bay because I just didn't feel right and that's when it all started. Oh my god, I had the shits. Which is perfectly normal with nerves etc but this was something different. It was awful and I was in that loo for a good 5 minutes.  

Sorted that out and started to head up to Luxmore. I wanted to climb the hill at a nice easy pace. The goal was to get up there in about 2.15ish because I knew that would preserve the legs for the rest of the race. I was again on track for this. I found the climb quite easy compared to last year's Grunt climb (that wasn't much faster at all). My calves didn't scream at me, my lungs didn't burn, I didn't find the climb as steep as last year. But my gut. Oh my god it was in all sorts of misery.

About half way up I stopped and put my raincoat on as the rain was fair pelting down by then. It was not long after this I saw the lead Kepler runner coming back down. What a machine…..  It's one of the bonuses of the alternate course that you get to see these amazing athletes hurtling past.    

Then I popped out at the bush line, and you literally feel like you do pop out.  Like “hello”! The guys from LANNSAR were there with words of encouragement and some jet planes. I grabbed a couple and started to head towards the hut. It was really quite wet up there. Hoods up sort of wet. I saw Karen up here heading back from the hut. She was looking awesome. I jogged across the tops to the hut where my first stop was the toilet.  Yep…. round 2. It wasn't the end of the gut issue.

I text Amy, imodium, liners, undies. She thought I had them. I was telling her I needed them. Yep. TMI but fuck it… its life.

I didn't hang about at Luxmore long. I grabbed a banana and started on my way.

The run back across the tops was great. It was still wet and felt quite cold after stopping at the hut.  I was going to stop and put layers on but knew when I was back in the bush I would be taking them off again.  The run down the hill was pretty cruisy.  I sat behind some lovely lady and we chatted a bit heading down.  Just before the cliffs I saw the first Grunt runner coming up.  He was flying.  Like seriously, who runs uphill like that (he does I guess).  My plan was to cruise down slowly and save my legs.  Last year when I did the Grunt I got to Brod Bay and my legs DIED.  I wanted to prevent this this year.  When I got there, I was a little sore in the calves, but I could run.  WOOOHHHHHOOOO.  Unfortunately this is when my tummy really decided to fail on me.

Cue the toilet stop at the Control Gate.  It was diabolical and by now I needed new undies.  Now I didn't quite shit myself, except I kinda did…. If that makes sense.  And I  had no liners and no confidence that my tummy would hold out.

Amy and Awhina were about 1km in towards Brod Bay and cruised out with me.  It was awesome to have these two amazing women with me and I got to tell them exactly what I needed for Rainbow Reach.  They noticed I wasn't eating and told me off.  Truth was I was scared it was gonna come straight back out in my undies.

I set off towards Rainbow Reach.  My legs felt great.  My head felt great.  And my heart was so happy.  I was running this race for my friend and even shitting my pants wasn't gonna make me stop.  If this was a training run I would have been home on the toilet with a novel hours ago.  But if shit was what I had to deal with, then I would deal with shit.

I got to the next aid station and Ally (my physio) and her family were there.  I pretty much announced to the whole aid station that I had a really bad gut and was pretty much shitting myself.  Ally offered me some sympathy and some toilet paper.  I turned it down cause  I thought I'd be all right.  Haha.  Nope.  It wasn't long until I was in the bush digging a hole.  It was about now I ran out of wet wipes.  I can't even begin to explain what it's like to have the shits in the bush with nothing to wipe with.  Beech forest is great because the forest floor is mossy.  Use your imagination.  I got to 5km and asked for toilet paper.  The lovely lady there was starting to unwind the roll and I said “can I have the whole thing”..... She looked at me like I was nuts, but handed it to me anyway.  I shoved it in my pocket and set off.   Luckily I grabbed it cause 5 minutes later I was back in the bush digging a hole.

Every time I tried to run I needed to poo.  I felt great, I wanted to run, but I just couldn't.  I didn't feel confident that it would end well.

I finally made it to Rainbow Reach.  Amy and Awhina were waiting for me,  Our timing was perfect and we got to cheer for Awhina's brother Riki and another Bluffie, Larry, as they came through.  They were doing so awesome.  I left the track to go to the toilet.  I swear by now I had lost about 40-50 minutes due to tummy issues.  Between stopping to shit every 5 minutes and not being able to run at pace…..

At Rainbow Reach I got new wipes and clean undies.  I was able to clean myself and feel more human.  I also took two imodium.   Amy and Awhina resupplied me.  All the sweet stuff came out and I put in sandwiches and chips.   Amy said something about 24km to go.  I was like fuck yes.  I can do that.  Thats fuck all.

Off I went.

I was still feeling dodgy as I left Rainbow Reach so took it quite easy on the way out.  About 5 minutes out I started to get really thirsty.  Like super thirsty.  I think this was the imodium kicking in.  Then I got hungry.  YAY.  This was a turning point for me.  I went from too scared to run cause I was shitting constantly to feeling confident.  I was able to run.  YAY.  I was starting to gain on people and pass people.  People coming back were commenting “looking strong”.  The cool thing was I felt strong.  I felt like I felt at the Control Gates but this time I had control of my body.  YAY.  

I really really enjoyed the run into Motarau.  I ran with a really cool guy for a bit and chatted.  Then I left him and met some other cool people.  Ran with them for a bit, then carried on.  I got to Motarau to a really awesome group of volunteers who were hard out cheering.  I guess because by now I was quite a wee way back in the pack and us back of the packers need extra love.

I didn't need to go to the toilet here.  OMG words can't explain how amazing that felt.  I chatted to the crew here and ate oranges.  I was hungry and thirsty.  

I left Motarau to return to Rainbow Reach.  I was alone for a lot of this run.  I had gone 42km when I left Motarau Hut and was feeling good.  It was a really powerful moment for me running this part of the trail on my own.  The sun had come out.  The birds were singing.  I spent a lot of this part of the run thinking of my friend.  I had a wee emotional moment during this part of the run.  I knew here that I could finish this run and I allowed myself to think of the people in Bluff who were supporting me.  I was thinking of my parents who were at the finish line with two of my kids.  But mostly my heart and soul were just so full.  I honestly didn't give a flying fuck that I was painfully slow and had crapped myself.  I was out there for all the right reasons, running with heart and with love.  Stopping for a crook guts was never an option.

I got back to Rainbow Reach to the cheer squad of Team Stinkbum (so aptly named).  We refilled with fuel and after a hug and a word of thanks I set off towards the finish.

It wasn't gonna be a fast run out and I was ok with that.  I had long let go of the notion of finishing in a time and just wanted to get it done.  I chucked some music on and started the slow jog out.  I felt really good and was gaining on and passing people.  It's a great feeling at 50 odd km to be able to pass people.  I went through 5km to go and grabbed some more oranges.  Oh my god they are the best.

It's about here I turned my phone from flight mode.  It started going nuts and I'm one of these people who need to stop to text…. Oops.  Oh well.

I got what felt like a hero's welcome into the last aid station.  Ally and the team were cheering and yelling.  It was awesome.  I stopped for another chat about the state of my arse.  Grabbed a few more oranges and set off.

At the 1km out I stopped jogging and walked for a bit.  I used this time on the track alone to contemplate.  I knew I had not run my best race.  But I ran that race with everything I had.  Would I like to be faster?  Yes.  Would I like to be better? Yes.  Do I care that I wasn't? No.  Because I didn't quit when I should have.  Because I gave it everything.  Because I was out there for all the right reasons.  And I knew that my being out there had done some real good.  And even though I was at the back on the pack I felt like a winner….

Once I had processed these feelings I started to run.  I could hear the finish line and see the Control Gate.  I had the biggest grin on my face.  I had done it.  Fuck yes, I had done it.  As I was running towards the finish line a gorgeous face popped out of the bush.  My gorgeous Kate wanted to run the final bit with me!  As I ran over the Control Gate my heart has never been so full.  

Crossing the line my Mum and Dad were there waiting.  It was an emotional moment.  Mum gave me flowers from my friends family.  They came to watch me finish but had to leave.  I'm sorry I took too long.   Dad had tears in his eyes.  I could feel his pride.  My kids gave me hugs.  Amy and Awhina were there.  It was an epic moment.  I had just done 58km of running on the Kepler track.

So in a few words...  Kepler Challenge, HELL YES.  Too many vitamins for a head cold.  HELL NO.   Would I go back.  Yep.  100%.