Wednesday 7 December 2011

CREWING THE GNW100s

This blog is a continuation of my previous one on supporting Jaci at the Glasshouse 50km; not so much about the run, more about the experience of crewing or supporting a runner.  This time Jaci and I supported our friend and mentor, Andrew Bowen at The Great North Walk 100 mile; Teralba to Patonga, north of Sydney. This experience proved to be not only an exercise in resupply of nutrition and hydration, but also a demonstration of physical and mental co-operation between runner and supporting crew.


Andy had asked Jaci and me to crew for him some months previously and we had spoken on the phone and texted only sporadically up until about a week before the event.  Then it finally hit us that the time was here and we'd better find out what Andy actually wanted us to do.  In true Andy Bowen fashion, we were provided with printouts of the course, directions and check point details, as well as Andy's requirements at each CP.

Andy arrived in our vicinity the day before the event and we spent the day going over the course (on paper), purchasing supplies and packing all the goodies into bags and Andy's pack.  I should mention that it is Andy's 40th Birthday on this preparatory day and he is far from his Family and getting ready to start a 100 mile ultramarathon the next day (100 miles normally converts to about 161km, but it turns out that the GNW100 mile is actually 175km.........and BRUTAL!!!).  That night we had friends join us and we took Andy out for a Birthday Dinner and cake with candles.  It was an early night since we needed to leave home at 4:30 the next morning.


The crowd had started to arrive, at Teralba Footy Oval, by the time we got there and increased while Andy registered and got sorted.  At 6:00am on the dot, Dave Byrnes the Race Director, quietly (because of the local residents) started the GNW100s with a whispered, 'GO!!' Just under 200 runners took off.......only half would finish!!


I took Andy's rental 4WD with all the supplies, while Jaci took our Barina and we headed to Freeman's Waterhole to see the runners cross the road and climb an almost vertical trail on the way to CP1.  Andy looked happy and strong.  


From here I'll cut the story a bit shorter and move on to CP3; suffice to say that Andy was way in front of expected times and was pushing on very strongly, although at CP2 he had lost 3.1kg at the weigh-in; there would be further weight checks at CPs 4 and 6 so he can't aford to lose any more weight.  Advise - keep drinking even when you don't feel like it, otherwise any further weight loss would result in being withdrawn on medical grounds and a DNF.  Note!!!!  Keep a check on your runner's hydration....and nutrition, when you replenish their hydration bladder and food stocks!!!!!!


Jaci had to leave us for a while so I pushed on to CP3 (The Basin, literally at the bottom of a valley in the form of a bowl), and set up for Andy to check in; chair to sit in, blanket down to keep dry (and keep the leeches off), clean, dry clothes to change into, electolyte drinks mixed and ready in bottles ready to change over with empty ones (I hoped), water bottles to replenish bladder, esky handy with pre-prepared food, dry towels, ice......check......all set!  Waiting, waiting, waiting....smile ready....jaunty conversation ready!  Then Andy comes bounding down the trail.  Oh boy, what's happened?


Andy comes through the check in, almost in a daze, glazed eyes, expressionless, and obviously shattered.  OK!!  Into action;  sit down, pack off, towel down, fill hydration bladder, get electrolytes and food ready.  No need?  Andy says that he's had it and needs to put his head down for 10 minutes.  Sure, that's fine; I'll take care of resupply while you snooze and I'll wake you up in 10.  Hokas and socks off (with great difficulty), and lay down on the blanket.  10 minutes later, back in the world of the living, Andy says that he is finished and wants to pull the plug.  I know how much this means to him, having had to terminate his '33 Marathons across the Nullarbour' Project in September, so it's a matter of counselling this gutsy athlete to continue and keep pushing through for a further 100 kms.  Ahhhhh, no problem!!!


Discussion followed; discussion about the 100kms yet to complete, discussion about current condition, discussion about dark, light, cold, heat, hydration, nutrition, self, potential regrets, and finally.....Family!  When it all boils down to it, it's not worth continuing a race if you're going to destroy yourself for future efforts.  It's also worth thinking about how much you'll regret not going on.  So much to weigh up!  The crew can talk and counsel until they are black in the face; but in the end Andy had to make the decision.  I believe he made the right one - he pulled the plug.  We talked to some friends for awhile, then we packed up and headed for home.  No point sticking around doing a post-mortem; that would no doubt come later.  Andy was in good company; 50% of the field DNFd.  Some of them were very unwell, some were badly injured, all were glad they had started the GNW100s.  Most would be back next year, that's just the way it is.  Andy would pack up his 'bongos' and head back to Queensland to review his run and get it down on paper, as hard as that might be, and continue training for the next ultra, wherever and whenever that might be.  That, also, is just the way it is.


Jaci and I learnt too, both as crew and as ultra-runners.  Don't accept anything on face value, be ready for anything, don't try to bullsh...... yourself or your runner.  Ultimately, if the situation arises and you just can't go on - pull the plug!!  There will always be another race, allow your body to mend so that you can go on to complete that next 50km....100km.....100mile.....whatever.  Good on you Andy; it was our pleasure and an honour to support you.  You made the right (read smart) decision and you have nothing to regret.  That's just the way it is!!