Irrational South 200 Miler 2023

 When:  Wednesday 12 April 2023 @7am start time

Where:  Wadna Gallery, Blinman, SA to Quorn, SA

Distance:  Supposedly 325.4km (but who ever really knows with Shaun in charge)

Why would I sign up for this?  My answer – why not!  200 miles sounds like a really long way… but I’ve done long distances before, so why not go a step further.  For anyone that knows me (and those that don’t, I’ll aim to give a short version) – I used to be even heavier than I am now.  I really started running when Bex and I moved to Australia in 2011 and I found that I enjoyed going further and further.  This culminated in the Coast2Kosci 240km ultramarathon in December 2016.  Since then, I have been steadily putting on weight and occasionally running 100km races with insufficient training.

This was all meant to change with the Unreasonable EAST 200 Miler in June 2022.  I went to Sydney and trained on the course with Adam and Piera, but the remote nature of the trails put me off and so I deferred my entry into Irrational South 200 Miler for 2023 – the first year it would be run in the Flinders Ranges.  Bex and I then took the kids on half a lap round Australia from October 2022, returning to Adelaide on 3 January 2023.  This left me with 14 weeks until race day – perfect time for a good training block to lead me into this adventure!

Training went well, thanks in large part to my wonderfully accommodating wife, Bex, as well as thanks to the guidance of Chris Neale of Summit Endurance Coaching.  On top of this, Adam Darwin (bestie) decided to sign up for the race and head over for a training weekend in February 2023.  This gave us some insight into the course, but as race day(s) proved, there was a lot more to the course than what we covered on this training weekend!

2023 statistics before the race are as follows:

Distance – 823km

Time – 105 hours

Elevation gain 12,574m

Whilst this is likely to be less than most (if not all) those at the start line of IS200, I was very happy with the build-up and specific work done to prepare for this race.  Additional statistic for me to remember is that “race” weight was 115kg.  This is definitely bigger than I would have liked, but I find it is harder to shift as I get older and the drinking doesn’t help!

Pre-race week – lots of good work here.  Adam and I would be doing this race “screwed”.  This meant that we would not have crew at each aid station and no pacers for the last part of the race, but we still had 21 aid station bags to pack so we had all the goodies we could ever want for the race.  In addition, Adam and I spent some time going over the plan and when we anticipated to be at aid stations in case Bex, Nic and the kids could make it to see us.  Quick catch up with Chris on the Easter weekend and then off we went to Wilpena Pound on Easter Monday (48 hours until race start).

Last shake out on Monday and a bushwalk with the kids on Tuesday morning left us heading up to Blinman for race check in at about 3 o’clock on Tuesday.  Time to get excited meeting the other runners and crew and listening to Shaun remind us of everything I had already asked at the last Q&A.  We headed home just after 7pm knowing we would be back here very soon.

Race (adventure) day finally arrives.  Everything is packed, bottles are filled, 5am peanut butter sandwiches have been eaten.  Nic has got us safely to the start at Wadna Gallery in Blinman in the dark without harming any wildlife.  We had a great welcome to country from Christian, who owns the Wadna Gallery, and then plenty of photos with the other runners as we all nervously waited for start time.  Before you know it, it is 7am and off we go.  Adam and I are slow to start, knowing we are only going to get slower over the coming hours and days.  As we settled into our pace, we probably had 4 or 5 people behind us with everyone else and the road ahead of us.  Road?  What?  In order to make sure Shaun got us to 200 miles, the first few km were in the wrong direction and were on the road.  Spoiler alert – there was not much road after the first 5km.  We finally turned ourselves back around and headed on the farm tracks back to the North Blinman Hotel.  Adam also got to hear the first of my maths games.  If it is of interest, 3.3km is 1% of 330km and I figured Adam needed to know every time we had completed 1% of the expected distance.

Back at the North Blinman Hotel, 10km done (just over 3%) and Nic, Evie and Tilly were there to cheer us on our way.  Straight down Glass Gorge Road towards the first aid station - slow and steady was all we needed.  Gently run the downs and flats, purposeful hike on the ups.  Simple.  After 3:07:21, we made it to Glass Gorge Road (AS#1).  Thanks to the wonderful volunteers, we were soon restocked (0:05:17) and back on our way towards the beginning of the Heysen Trail.  Total distance 24.5km, total time 3:12:38 (just after 10am on Day 1)

The trek to Parachilna Gorge turned out to be a continuation of the dirt road.  By now the sun was shining and the reality of what we were attempting had sunk in.  It is a really long way to go.  During this stage, we hit 10% of the run done – again, simples!  We had our first chat with Michelle (one of the Race Directors – and the most positive person I have ever met in my life!) but mostly just kept chugging onwards.  As we reached Parachilna Gorge, at approximately 40km, we reached the start of the Heysen Trail.  So just to be clear, we had already run the best part of a marathon before we even reached the start of the trail that we were meant to be traversing.  What I would later come to realise is that this first 40km was absolute bliss and we should be very grateful.  This section took 2:08:39 and after another short stop to restock (0:07:38) we were starting the Heysen Trail proper.  Total distance 40.2km, total time 5:28:55 (almost 12.30pm on Day 1)

Well, what a start to the trail.  Something we all became very familiar with over the coming days, creek bed!  This felt like an uphill creek bed for the next 18km.  We were joined by Gayle for this section and it was nice (particularly for Adam) to have some other company.  The sun was very hot through here and it was reasonably exposed, so we were all happy to get into a powerhike mode and just push on knowing that the sun wouldn’t last forever.  Relatively uneventful, and we arrived at Aroona after another 3:10:06.  So far, all going to plan.  As we approached Aroona, this was the first time I heard the family noises!  There was Phoebe with her awesome sign, Bex looking like she was relieved (must mean I looked ok at this point), and Josh was nowhere to be seen until he came round the corner to over me marshmallows!  A short break again (0:08:23) and off we headed back to the trail.  Total distance 58.2km, total time 8:47:24 (just before 4pm on Day 1)

Our stop had been much shorter than Gayle’s (her husband Nick was extremely attentive crew and I’m sure Gayle was being spoiled while we headed back out.)  We were joined by Mark for the start of the next section, but it very quickly became very steep and Mark pushed on much quicker than I was able up the hills.  Lo and behold, we saw Mark again about 7 minutes later as he came back to join us after missing a turn.  Once we had reached the top of the climb, we then had several km of gentle up and down before the last flattish run into Trezona, section time of 2:20:50.  The family was here again just as it was starting to get dark and this was a lovely chance to catch up before we added head torches and hi-vis vests and headed off for the first night.  Stop here was 0:16:43 which gave us a chance for a cuppa soup and quick check of our packs and everything to make sure we were good to go.  Total distance 72.5km, total time 11:24:57 (almost 6.30pm on Day 1)

This next section to Bunyeroo was pretty short and to my recollection relatively uneventful.  We started the section with Mark, but he quickly turned back to grab his hat.  He caught us again pretty soon after.  I seem to recall undulating rocky fire trail which gave a good chance to mix up the running and power hiking which was greatly appreciated.  The cooler evening was also much easier than the heat we had been dealing with.  We came in to a welcoming smell of fried rice on the pan after 1:54:18 for the section.  After another awesome Michelle hug and some much needed (and extremely tasty) fried rice, Adam and I headed out after 0:18:43 into what we understood to be a very challenging section, both terrain wise and navigation wise.  Total distance 83.7km, total time 13:37:58 (just after 8.30pm on Day 1)

We headed out with Jaci and Mark, but this group last about 30 seconds before I got left behind heading up an extremely steep hill.  Adam stuck with me and we left Jaci and Mark to push forward without us.  This was a very slow section with lots of navigation – if I remember correctly, it was about 4km in 1.5 hours.  I recall feeling very relieved that I was helping out with the navigation here as I was already feeling too slow for Adam.  Once we had got through the steep ascent, steep descent and the creek bed(!), we got some relatively runnable track into Wilpena Pound, but my legs were not in the mood for cooperating and so this was a bit of a slog.  This section took us 4:58:25 and we had a sit down, some food and then headed for our first sleep.  Alarms set for 80 minutes later and I seemed to drift off pretty quickly, waking before the alarm and ready to head out on the Wilpena Pound loop after a rest of 2:03:56.  Total distance 108.2km, total time 20:40:19 after the sleep (just after 3.30am on Day 2)

Now, I have done the Wilpena Pound loop in the clockwise direction previously and I didn’t think it was too bad.  It turns out, anti-clockwise after 21 hours is a different story.  I think the first 4.5km were pretty easy – a bit of uphill, a bit of downhill, relatively easy, not too enclosed.  Then came 1.5km of total, utter devastation.  Now, I do not want to underestimate this.  It was hideous.  There were rocks as tall as me and I was staring at them working out where on earth I was going to find footholds to help drag myself up.  My knees were getting a workout, my hands were dirty and scratched and my mind was LOVING Shaun and the team who had devised this epic adventure.  Who in their right mind puts themselves thorough this in the pitch black after having done over 100km, knowing there is another 200km to go when (IF) you get back down the other side.  I manage to miss a switchback (I think) and so I am crawling under some trees hoping to make it up to where Adam’s voice is calling out to me.  Eventually, after what felt like a really long time, we made it to Tanderra Saddle Junction.  Perfect – now just a casual 3km back down the other side before you get to a decent path.  No stress – it is half as steep as the other side and the rocks are smaller.  Bonus!  The advantage of this side of the track is that the sun is rising and suddenly we can appreciate the view of Wilpena Pound and the surrounding area in the early morning light.  Once we have made it back down to the base of the climb, we run/power hike the rest of the way back to the aid station for a second time.  Don’t forget, with about 4km to go until the aid station, you pass the Heysen Trail on its’ southern route towards Quorn.  We have the pleasure of doing this section as an out and back this morning.  We make it back to the aid station near the resort after 4:37:01.  Fortunately, we can hear the family making noise again – we are later than planned which means we arrive back to breakfast with the family!  They have brought us hash browns and bacon from the buffet, but unfortunately I cannot get anything down, so I am left to get my feet checked out by one of the medics, Scott.  What a lovely bloke and happy to tend to my awful feet.  0:35:00 in the checkpoint this time round and then we set off towards Black Gap.  Total distance 126.6km, total time 25:52:20 (just before 9am on Day 2)

The start was easy – head back up the 4km we just did from the Wilpena Pound loop.  The sun was warm already and so we decided to stick with hiking instead of running – plenty of time for running when the sun isn’t out.  Off we went towards Bridal Gap and after 8.5km of simple hiking, the track became awful – narrow, dodgy rocks and straight uphill.  When we get to the top, it is a beautiful view over the valley, but barely a single Heysen Trail sign in sight.  I made the mistake of looking at the map… it suggested we needed to head to the right and then down the cliff face.  It turns out we needed to turn left and head uphill before then turning around and heading down the not quite cliff face.  Adam and I wasted a good 45 minutes trying to get down the wrong side, but eventually we made it down.  The track did not get better…  there was a very narrow path on the side of the hill, and the path had been eroded away.  That made for a fair bit of squeaky bum time as we wandered along here.  We eventually made it out to the road and found our favourite Irish crew who promised hot food and chairs only 800m down the road.  Off we went in search of sustenance.  It took us 4:15:45 to get here, and we feel the heat and the struggles with navigation cost us the best part of an hour.  We spent 0:26:46 here getting some food (cheese toasties), a zooper dooper and restocking the bag including lots of water.  Total distance 141.0km, total time 30:35:51 (1.30pm on Day 2)

Long stretch out there now in the afternoon heat.  Red Range camp is a water drop only, completely inaccessible to crew and therefore no aid station team.  The heat was really getting to me and I was feeling slow on this section.  I think that Adam was getting tired of me here as he was feeling much stronger.  We had a little bit of time with Andrew as he caught up with us, but he didn’t last long before he moved forward without us.  When we were getting close to Red Range, I made the decision that I needed to have a 15 minute power nap.  When I raised this with Adam, we agreed that he should move on without me and we would see what happens next.  When we reached the campground after 3:51:12, I very quickly settled with my hi-vis vest as a pillow and the camp table as my bed (plus the Qantas eye mask to help me sleep).  15 minutes later and I was right as rain.  Adam had left and I spent some time using the facilities and topping up my water from the tank (using my water filter) for a stop of 0:22:38.  Total distance 154.9km, total time 34:49:41 (just before 6pm on Day 2)

Off into the creek bed I went.  Now, I was feeling lonely (first time without Adam for about 34 hours), so I pushed myself as much as I could as I entered the soft sand creek bed.  At least it was starting to get dark (no sun to worry about) and then the creek bed led the way for me and I didn’t need to navigate.  After 10km, it turned out I did need to navigate… and I failed miserably.  The course map seemed really unclear and there were towering sides to the creek bed, but miraculously the creek bed was now 30m wide at some points.  So, what do you do?  I called Bex!  Funnily enough there was very little she could do, but it was nice to have some comfort.  Then, when all hope was lost, Bex noticed that Gayle(!) was only 400m away from me.  What should I do?  I’ll give you a clue… take a breath and shout as loudly as possible “GAYLEEEEEEEEEE” in the hopes she will answer.  And answer she did, with the man of our dreams – Mr Peter Childs.  Now, I don’t know if I was delirious at this point, but Peter was navigating without a phone or map or compass, but was looking up at the stars and then striding forward purposefully.  Well, who I am to complain, so I followed, and followed, and followed.  After what seemed like forever, we found a fourth headlight, it was Victor.  Lo and behold, Peter had taken us almost to the sleep station at Mount Little.  Unfortunately, almost meant there was still another 2km to go.  So off we went, me struggling to hang on to the back of this newly formed quartet.  As we arrive at the sleep station, relief floods over me and I very quickly ask the volunteer where number 173 is (obviously I missed Adam).  Turns out he’s only 20 minutes up the road and so I needed to get myself sorted.  Time for the section was 5:28:24 and then I spent 0:23:35 at the station – Jacqui the medic did a great job on my feet while I had a glass of coke and got ready to “chase” Adam into the dark.  Total distance 171.5km, total time 40:41:40 (leaving just before midnight on Day 2)

This next section was very simple…  it was meant to be 4.5km each way to collect my wood fired pizza.  However, that opportunity ended at 9pm and I was far too late for that.  Off I went into the darkness hoping I could get further down the road before I met Adam (knowing he would be returning much sooner than me).  I met him after about 30 minutes on the road, suggesting he was 1 hour ahead.  We agreed that he would have a 2 hour sleep and I would have 1 hour, meaning we could start again on the road to Hawker.  Another 25 minutes and I was with Ben and Shaun at the check in point getting the batteries in my tracker changed, meeting Kelly, the owner of Mount Little Station, AND eating the pizza that the wonderful 100 Mile runner Nicola Reese had purchased for me and left ready for my late night snack.  If anyone questions whether this is a good community, this is a perfect example of why it is the very best.  Seeing Shaun in his sleeping bag onesie with a big ole’ smile on his face, Ben who had just driven the trailer in from who knows where, and me the “ultra runner” stuffing cold meatlovers pizza in my face bought for me by someone I have met once, but who understood the deep desire I had for pizza!  All I can say is BLOODY BRILLIANT.  Right, pizza consumed, batteries changed, embraces done.  Off back on the 4.5km trip to the sleep station so I could be ready to join Adam for the next part of our adventure.  I got back to the sleep station after 1:58:10 (including the pizza break at the other end).  I checked in at the sleep station and went straight to bed for an hour’s kip.  Next thing I hear is Adam whispering sweet nothings in my ear… I mean telling me to wake up so we can get going.  While the bed was comfy and the location ideal, I did what he asked and I got up out of bed.  Onwards and upwards to Hawker after restocking the bag with plenty of goodies.  Total distance 180.5km, total time 44:10:22 (just after 3am on Day 3)

Out we head into the wilderness once more.  It is dark and we are sore, but we know a new day is soon to dawn and we are likely to get a bit of road soon to help us gain a bit of momentum.  Before all of that, we have to negotiate our way into and then through another creek bed.  Oh the joy!  Still, I am back with Adam, we are on track and we are ready to push on to Hawker and pass the 200km mark.  The only problem I had with this was my decision to get “bouncy” over the rocks in the creek bed.  I cannot recall exactly what distance it happened, but I remember the moment with more clarity than I do much of the rest of the week.  There was a beautiful crop of slate rock in front of me, it was almost shining like a beacon for me to just place my left foot down on the leading edge of this slate… apparently that was a bad idea.  My foot went straight through the slate – it literally snapped off – and then my right knee went straight down onto the rock.  Just a little clue – it hurt.  A lot.  My knee was throbbing, but I managed to get up and keep moving, so I thought I was probably just complaining over nothing, so on we went.  Nothing much more to report on this section.  We were in and out of the creek bed until we eventually made our way up to the Old Wonoka Ruin water drop in a time of 3:53:50.  Short chat with one of the other crew, we filled up our bottles and after 0:06:35 off we trotted to Hawker.  Total distance 195.5km, total time 48:10:47 (just after 7am on Day 3)

Simple bit of road down to Hawker.  Run/walk strategy employed as much as possible.  We saw Scott the medic briefly who promised to check on my feet again at Hawker.  This took 1:04:57 and then we were safely at Hawker.  One comment I had made to Adam on the road was that I wanted a 12 minute power nap when I arrived at Hawker.  In order for this to work, I got myself a duvet from the aid station crew and using my Qantas eye mask, I closed my eyes and went straight to sleep.  I woke up feeling very refreshed.  It seems like these short naps are a good thing for me.  I’m not sure they will be useful in day to day life, but you never know.  After this, I woke to Adam asking for a pulled pork roll from the aid station… clearly I must have been imagining that.  It turns out I was not, as he was very soon eating his roll.  My stomach still didn’t fancy much, so I stuck to coke and a few lollies whilst getting my feet tended to by Scott.  After a reasonably long break of 0:46:51, we were back on our way and having ticked off 200km, feeling good.  Total distance 201.7km, total time 50:02:35 (9am on Day 3)

Here we go… off down the road and a right turn out towards Jarvis Hill Lookout.  About 7km of road which goes gradual up until the steep section to the top.  The world is good, the nap has worked wonders and the running gods have decided that they are going to shower me with love and ability far beyond my means (just before they decide to dump it all back on me).  Adam and I start a run/power hike strategy.  Adam does not know this, but in my head I am counting out 100 steps run and then 150 steps power hike.  This continues for a while until we come across one of our fellow 200 mile runners and we have a brief chat before moving on our way.  Now, if I remember correctly, I should have understood that this was such an ominous moment because I’m pretty certain we were running uphill.  Now, after 200km+ this doesn’t seem sensible.  However, since I am not traditional ultrarunner stature, I have always lived by the mentality “make hay while the sun shines”.  That being the case, now more than ever seemed like the time to keep moving nicely while the body allowed it.  We come to the base of Jarvis Hill and now it is about 80-90m of climbing in a very short distance, but this doesn’t faze us and up we go happy as can be.  I get to the top and start the run down the other side… it turns out my legs only wanted to work going up.  Going down was another story.  So here is me, hobbling down the other side of the hill while Adam is just standing at the Heysen Trail stile basically tapping his foot on the floor waiting for me to hurry up.  Needless to say, as soon as I saw this, I slowed down.  I’m not going to let him control me!!!!!! 

Over the stile we go and into the next part of the journey.  This is when we get to the rocks and the ups and downs following the fence line of the Heysen.  Not so many creek beds, but plenty of terrain that looks easy on the elevation profile, but up close and personal it is pretty difficult.  Also, the sun is now hot on our backs and the valley we are in means that the heat is being turned up.  It doesn’t help that we are coming into the middle of the day (bear in mind that this is the third day of sun in a row with very little rest…)  First of all it is not too bad, working our way in slowly but surely.  We see the Mount Elm water tank – but it is on the other side of a stile.  Do we need more water?  Quick squeeze of the bladder and bottles – “nah, she’ll be right”.  How those words will come back to haunt me over the coming hours.  The problem is, I had it in my head that the next stop couldn’t be far away – it was at least 13km, the terrain couldn’t be that bad – it was, and the course couldn’t be that open – it was.  Also, the idea of stopping to take off the bladder, repeatedly fill the soft flask with tank water and run it through the filter on my bottle was just not appealing.  Now, I cannot tell you (or myself) how poor this decision was.  I have reflected on it repeatedly since what happens next, and it may not have changed anything, but it may have changed everything. 

So, onwards and upwards.  My speed was getting slower and slower, my bottles were getting emptier and emptier and Adam was getting further and further away.  I cannot tell you if this was 1 or 2 or 3 hours later, but I see this wonderful image of Adam bounding towards me with two soft flasks full of ice cold water… clearly I have lost my mind.  It turns out that is exactly what I could see.  Adam (this reminds me just how bloody awesome he is) had been about 1km off course (each way) to go find a farmer and work out filling his flasks from a water tank.  My understanding is that the farmer gently explained that using the tank was not sensible…  I think even with a water filter the farmer suggested hospitalisation might be in our futures…  Instead, the farmer pulled out his esky and filled Adam’s two soft flasks with the farmer’s ice cold water.  Adam then ran the 1km back up the hill to give me one of these soft flasks.  Just so that I remember this, all I can think of here is what on earth is he doing?  Clearly Adam was not feeling ideal either (over 210km into the race), but he is gone and done this knowing just how much of a bad time I am having.  It is good to know the kind of friend I have and I have reflected on his selflessness throughout this event, not just this occasion, but on many occasions, and I really am bloody lucky.  Anyway, he leaves me with his soft flask and off he trots again in front of me, with me dragging myself along behind him.  I think Adam and I have another discussion and I agree to wander down and along Barnes Road.  Promises are made that I’ll be alright and just be a couple of minutes behind him!

What happens next is unclear, but I think I can piece it together.  First call to the duty medic was at 1.49pm on Friday afternoon.  No answer.  I’m feeling pretty dehydrated and the 500ml I have from Adam / the farmer is not lasting me long in the heat.  Once I don’t get an answer, I keep heading slightly off course down to Barnes Road.  Now, the course makes its’ way to Barnes Road a couple of km further down.  In my head I think that I decided if I was going to pass out, then I’d be better off doing this down on the edge of the road instead of up on the hill.  Mainly because I couldn’t imagine Matt / Jacqui or Scott the medics dragging me out from wherever I’d fallen.  Second call to the duty medic was at 2.09pm and Scott answers.  All I remember here is massive relief.  Someone is going to listen to me and be concerned about me and in 2 minutes I’ll have an entire team come to my aid!  Erm… I don’t think that was Scott’s response.  My recollection is something along the lines of “so you need a bit of water then…  anything… else???”  Clearly Scott does not understand how I’m feeling – or maybe I’m so delirious that he realises it ain’t all that bad!

Anyway, Scott promises to speak to Matt and work out when they can send someone to me.  In the meantime, just head to the Barnes Road water drop – at this point, I think it is still 5-6km away.  Finally I make it to Barnes Road and then I begin to head along towards the water drop.  Now, this part makes me chuckle every time and I’ll see if I can do it justice here…  I have my walking poles with straps attached to my hands.  Nothing unusual about this.  Simply means that if you let go of the pole, you don’t drop it as it is attached to your hand.  Perfect.  Now, I have been happily using my poles since we left Wilpena Pound and they’ve worked perfectly for almost 100km.  Now though, they are becoming too heavy to hold.  So I let them go.  The straps do their job, which means I am dragging the poles along a rocky road.  A voice in my head says “what is that bloody noise?”  I turn round and find out that it is my poles dragging along behind me.  Excited Joe suddenly thinks, wouldn’t it be a great idea if I used those poles to help me walk?!  Bloody brilliant Joe, I’m not sure how you come up with these ideas – pats myself on the back and off I go with a new found energy.  2 minutes later…  “what is that bloody noise?”  Apparently it is those poles again.  Another lightbulb moment, another chance to use those special walking poles.  Now, I am pretty certain that I had this conversation with myself 5 or 6 times over the next couple of km.  What good company I would have been!  Finally, after what feels like forever, I make it make to the Barnes Road intersection where the actual trail joins it – and this looks like the perfect spot for a rest.  Bag off, hi-vis vest laid down on the ground, and I settle in for what will be a comfortable nap before Matt the medic comes and helps me out.  Down comes Simon Keating from the trail, looks at me a bit funny, checks I’m ok, and then heads off on his way to the water drop.  I have asked him to remind Matt the medic that I am down here and he should come and see me!  Simon had no water either, so at least I know it wasn’t just me who had been short.  Next to come along to the party is my right knee (remember the one I smashed in the creek bed after leaving Mount Little which I said would be fine?!)  Apparently it is not fine.  Now my right knee wants to have a discussion.  The discussion it wants to have is an explosive pain that seems to reverberate in my head.  Now, I don’t think I feel pain that often, but I’d call this an 8 out of 10.  On my scale, that’s pretty bad.  Not sure if/when I’ve ever got up to an 8 before.  I think, I better stand up and walk on it, that will make the pain go away.  Nope… that definitely makes it worse.  Back to laying down it is.  But now the pain is there and keeps shooting through my knee whenever I move even slightly.  Next to my side is Jiri from the Czech Republic and amazingly he has 200ml of water which he very kindly pours into my soft flask – that was greatly appreciated even in my delirious state.  Off he heads again and I’m left to wait for Matt with the knee still hurting, but the pain only really coming back every time I try to stand up.

I think Matt the medic made it to me at sometime around 3.15pm on Friday and we very quickly agreed that there was no chance of me continuing, even if you exclude the dehydration, I was unable to put a lot of weight on my right leg without screaming in pain.  So, we’ll call it here after this incomplete section in 6:09:02 when I was bundled into Matt’s 4WD to head off back to Quorn.  Total distance (per watch) 228.31km, total time 56:11:37 (just after 3pm on Day 3)

On the drive down, we crossed paths with Jiri and Simon before we reached Adam at a gate further down the road.  I had a good cry and left Adam to go and continue to knock it out the park which he did until Friday night when the thunderstorms rolled in and eventually the race was cancelled due to inaccessible tracks for crews/medics/support meant that it would have been unsafe for the race to continue.  My DNF came approximately 7 hours before the race was paused and it was eventually decided that this was the finish of the race.  Matt took me back to Bex and the kids in Quorn, checked me out and made sure I was ok before leaving me with Bex so that we could head to Port Augusta for an x-ray on the knee and for them to check me out. 

Once we had been to the hospital (twice, both Friday night and Saturday lunchtime), I was on crutches but nothing broken in the knee, so overall good news.  It was good to see Adam once he had been brought back in from the aid station he had made it to Quorn.  Everyone was in good spirits despite the need for the race to be cancelled before anyone had made it to the finish line. 

It was nice to hang around for the presentations on Sunday even though I was pretty devastated not having been able to carry on to the end.  What next?  Who knows, certainly not me.  For now, I will reflect on what was an amazing adventure that was unfortunately cut short.  Still, I am proud of what I was able to achieve and I am certain that I am a better person for the experience and my life now includes a new bunch of people who are just as crazy as me and who have the same love for this crazy stuff that we do.  Finally, and most importantly, to my wonderful wife Bex and our two awesome kids, Joshua and Phoebe, thanks for being the best support crew I could ever ask for.  I wouldn’t be able to do these crazy things without Bex’s full support of my craziness.