DAY OF PAIN 2 - THE AFTERSHOCK

4am and the sound of my alarm shook me from my 2 hours of slumber.  Having driven back from Geraldton on thu night and doing Painathlon jobs til 2am, I had then got up at 6.30am to meet the setup crew at 7am for a massive day of rack-loading, challenge setting up etc.  After picking up mate and Adelaide Painathlon entrant Fitzy from the airport (after a game of volleyball mind you) at 11.30pm fri night i then had the final tasks of dropping the packed finish chute trailer off at North Freo, dropping another trailer of racks at Cardiac Hill, then self-loading another set of racks for City Beach ready for the morning.  Before dropping into coma at 2.00am I force fed myself a cold bowl of brown rice and chicken and knew that this might be my breakfast as I wouldn't have the oppurtunity in 2 hours time!

As far as multi-stage endurance preparation went I had broken every golden rule.  No sleep, no breakfast, no training, no fluid-loading, no road-bike, next to no carb-loading (save that rice).  Yet strangely I felt good.

Skip to arrival at City Beach, as cold as i've ever been.  Much to my delight, all marshalls were there and the racks were up in no-time before too many people arrived with bikes in tow.  5.40am and the carpark seemed really full already.

The months of planning paid off as everyone was ticked off and race-topped up in good time for the start.  As the light picked up so did the general energy and buzz.  It was 19 people last year and 56 this time round, all with the awesome Painathlon tops it looked brilliant.  Given that Peter Watson pulled out of opening the painathlon due to an Albany hospital rally (!!!!) and we couldn't get ahold of a starter gun at short notice it came down to me counting down the seconds with the megaphone and sending everyone off to a huge cheer from the gathered supporters and marshalls.

Underway!  Wow that sand was soft packed, up to my knees in it.  I was sure the field would spread out but everyones cold fingers took 10 secs each to co-ordinate the card-punching.  Sorry everyone, although it did provide an early breather!

Off to Reabold and it was great rolling into the transition to see the racks spread as far as the eye could see (note to self - make sure racks are clumped closer to the start next year!).  Taking advantage of my misplanning I parked 2/3 up the racks and straight onto the track.  Always a favourite time high-fiving everyone up and down the Bolt.  The Pain is only just beginning, already lost sight of the front-runners

Cardiac Hill and a good chance to see the field placements spread out over the grass of Kings Park.  The pace is settled now and it's either steadily gaining or steadily losing people in front and behind.  More fives and even some verbal abuse from the fat dads telling me i should be setting the standard!  Marek informed me it was far to hot to be wearing a sweatshirt.

Back up May Drive to Mount Pain and facing my demons of last year.  It was lap 2 where i started cramping and never stopped so I was determined not to let that happen again.  Steadily ground out 3 laps and I was done and the sweatshirt was off!

A quick cruise down to the causeway and it was time to sunscreen up and face my hardest run of last year.  Started off brightly but my lack of distance running (and more to the point breakfast and fluid loading) came back to haunt me as i entered the cramp-zone.  Absolute life-line at the halfway point with Bec and Nicole.  Chad, my cramping partner, and I invented the mouth-berocca which recharged us no end for the slog back up Riverside drive.  Normally no problem running this distance and fast but i was reduced to "ok when we get to this big tree on the left we'll run for 100m".  It was mental toughness 101 and i was failing badly.  Thanks to Chad and my stubborn-ness we made it in one piece and under 2hours (!) having been overtaken by practically everybody.  Oh the pain.  I pined for the muesli bars in my bag back at the causeway.  Of course we had to run across the last straight like we'd been running strong all 10km but Grant, the marshall, wasn't fooled and told me I was lazy and to lift my game!

For the long trip into the easterly Chad and I were joined by Fitzy and we elected to go north-side and onto Guildford road.  My bike choice really paid dividends as i averaged a full 15kph getting up to the Truth.  A quick stop at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory and a toilet break and a handful of choc-drops later we approached the ultimate Painathlon challenge.  Leigh had taken off to get some Leigh-way (bam) on us up Campersic Road as he was convinced we would catch him quickly on the long climb.  As it happened we never caught him and while Chad and I were hurting getting to the summit, Fitzy missed it altogether and clocked up some extra km's looking for a 'summit'!  The distraction of Fitzy's AWOL status actually took alot, but not all, of the pain of the Truth.  A terribly slow time but any time is a good time if you get it done at Brigadoon.  I gather one poor competitor (Brendan W?) made it to the Truth summit and couldn't see the massive 30L water tanker behind the driveway column.

Having returned to the serenity of Truth basecamp, we refuelled and refuelled some more waiting for our lost friend to complete his sojourn.  By this time it was touch and go to make Quadcruncher and no-go with my cycling form, so the executive decision was made to head back for Jacobs and the finish cutting out 7/8 and 9.

The tailwind once we turned onto Great Eastern highway was welcome and we high-tailed it back past the causeway and down riverside joining the bike path up to Mount St just as Des Maguire was coming up from the freeway and no.9.

After informing Des of his duty to cycle up Mount St instead of going direct to the bottom of Jacobs, the 4 of us attacked the hill with gusto.  Leighs leg opened up a big gap, Chad was walking pretty quickly with calf cramps and I hung onto Des's wheel for dear life with passers by egging Des on to lose me!

This was the first chance I had to see the Painathlon finish and it was a sight for sore eyes!  Just 10 laps separating me from it and rest sweet rest.  Racked and down to Jacobs I joined the masses of grim looking Painathletes busting out their last laps.  Joe Young gave me the darkest look i've seen in a long time, as i was organiser of his Pain!  Only the slightest hint of a wry smile in there.  funnily enough despite the struggle on the previous runs Jacobs is one thing i can do off the bat and I soon found my old 24hr-attempt training rhythm.  Lots of encouragement and a punch later I was bolting up Cliff St with Brad Hosking yelling at me and Kinga beside me up across the roundabout and through!!

7 out of 10 but such a good feeling nonetheless.

Rest of the day was a blur but as always great to chat to everyone, even if only briefly, and relive it all again.

Boy did I sleep well that night... and the next...and the next.

I am so pumped to get my full fitness back, get my roadie and show my true form in 2009.  What a day!