Glasshouse Mountains - 50 miles

Sunday:
Distance: 82.3 km
Time: 9 hrs 37 mins 48 secs
Rate: 7' 01" per km
Finished: 7th out of 18 starters
Weather: cool early, temp at 3:00am start 10 degrees rising to 18 degrees, humidity about 70%, wind from SW up to 35 kmph.
Week: 82.3 km
May: 273.6 km
Year: 2008.25 km

A number of the ultra regulars that would normally go to the Glasshouse Mountains would have been in the Blue Mountains for the North Face 100 km. However, that did not distract from the Queensland event with 18 entrants in the 50 miler, about the same in the 50 km, and around 70 starters in the 30 km event. A race record was set in the 50 miler by David Waugh, and keep your eye on a new girl to ultras from the Sunshine Coast, name Lisa Spink, she is very good.
For me, a much better run than last year, obviously many more training kms help. Similar times for the first 50 kms but much stronger in the second half which is also has the undulating and technical sections. With a race start at 3:00am, we needed torches or head lamps until the sun rose just after 6:00am, so covering the first 28 kms in 2 hrs 55 mins set up a good base for the run.
Swapped the torch for the sunglasses at the Beerburrum School, DS2 and then got into the forest and the beginning of the rough parts called the Goat Track and a very technical track under the power lines. Plenty of time is lost here by most, just getting down some of the slopes requires plenty of caution. Really glad to travel these parts in the daylight.
Back out in the open and on to DS8, a drink station you go to 3 times, the volunteers are very friendly and seem to know everyone's name. There are two loops to be completed, the first of nearly 11 km covering an old railway line where I missed a turn, covered an extra 1.5 kms and 10 minutes of time. Very annoying.
The second loop is shorter, just under 6 km but has a bugger of a climb, Cook's Hill, 200 metres in height in 1 km, walked all of it. Just after the top is DS8 again and only 18 km to go, mostly flat but on soft sandy forest trails. I love this section if only I hadn't already covered 65 kms.
However, from DS8, I had another 8o km runner just 300 metres behind me all the way to the finish. I had no sprint finish left in my legs and was glad he didn't either. Managed to keep him at bay when I could really have done with a walk, but I was not giving up my 7th place for anyone.
Finished in one piece, no problems with food intake ( ate mostly egg sandwiches, watermelon, muffins, creamed rice, drank about 4 litres of sports drink) or feet, wore gaiters over my socks but one small stone got in, quickly removed to prevent blisters. Legs felt fine after finishing, I would have stood longer in the pool but the water is too warm although the pool is closed for the Queensland winter.
A couple of pain killing tablets for the legs when I got back to the motel and straight to sleep after Rebecca got the flick from the BB house.
Caught a flight out of Brisbane at noon today and back to work tomorrow. Of course, I will ride the bike as part of an active recovery program, hopefully down to the river at Pine Is at lunch time, maybe a short run on Wednesday.
Double the distance to 100 miles in Sept is still on, the only difference is there is much more walking earlier in the event. See how winter training goes. A good long run every 2nd Saturday, maybe 6-8 hours followed by a shorter 3 - 4 hours on the opposite weekend. Before then, easy until end of May.