UTMB Australia UTA100 - I have got 99 problems but UTMB Australia ain't one!

The category A event of the year needed a lot of due diligence. It's not just the visa that took a toll on the itinerary but also the entire schedule that had to be looked into considering the past experience of travel outside the country.

https://uta.utmb.world/

https://uta.utmb.world/races/UTA100

The stress definitely begins when you start looking for a flight that offers the best deal and you hunt for the perfect day only ends when you have learnt the trend of flight fares. The non refundable cheaper flights will lure you but at the cost of any unforeseen incidents that may occur and you end up loosing all your money. With almost a month up after the Visa application and no means whatsoever to physically or telephonically get in touch with the embassy to check on the status, the worries just won't stop making rounds. That's when I learnt the ECR check in your passport needs to be rectified by submitting your academics else it just raises a flag at the embassy knowing the take home you draw and still continue to have the ECR check. So a telecon from the embassy got this resolved with an advice to get the graduation certificate submitted to avoid such scrutiny.

Australia tourism Visa 600 can be applied at:-

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder

Do not forget to create and account to track your applications.

With just 9 days away, the hustle with rental car, Airbnb or hotel booking had to be sped up. Arranging the itinerary to suit our needs was already underway and took shape as the day to fly approach. I got lucky with flight booking and had Quantas to serve a direct flight to Sydney from Bangalore, a 12 hour straight up in air till we land and same was the case with return.

Just as when we checked in and cleared immigration and security, the announcement of flight delay started to make rounds, not once but twice pushing it by 2 hours. This ultimately lead to a cancellation and we could not flight on the 15th anymore. Alternative flights were booked or overly priced and Quantas had no other go but to fix the technical glitch by flying the spare part it and have the plane ready by 16th ,10pm take off.

We were fed at the airport and arranged for our stay and food at sterling mac hotel and with no other option left, we would also feel helpless and hopeful. The idea initially was to do the athelete checkin on 16th and submit our drop bags on 17th morning and be ready to have a good day rest followed by a much needed sleep that night and head to the start line on the 18th morning 6am. All this could only fall in place provided the schedule does not change anymore. Mind you, the last checkin time at the race is 7pm on the 17th.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C69qctRBhYp/?igsh=MTVocGJvMndwNmtoMw==

All I could is keep the team in Australia posted on our whereabouts. The call center at Ironman could be of less help right now with the overwhelming proceedings that had already begun with uta11 category run on the 16th May.

I made sure to drop a email with our whereabouts and kept posting updates on our arrival. Happy to have received and acknowledgement from the staff at UTMB.

So we land in Sydney by 3pm Friday and had no plans of wasting time any further. With things now in our control, we headed to the car rentals that definitely costed us a lot more than the initial booking that had to be cancelled due to flight delays but again I felt we could have retained and just picked the car a day later. Learnings you see which seemed very important when you are keen to return Australia again and again.

The 107km drive from Sydney to KCC plaza at Katoomba took us around 2 hours and managed to reach the bib pickup venue 30 mins prior to the last checkin time i.e 7pm. Now, to our surprise the mandatory gear check seemed pretty strict and we ended up not meeting two of the listed gear guidance checklist but were told to fulfill it before the race and any random checks done on the route during the run could lead to disqualification. Now, with every store nearby closed, there was no way to have the rainproof jacket and the bandage 🩹 tape with said specifications before the run that was scheduled to begin next day at 6:30am. The parking ticket too were sold out and this was another chase that we had to take into consideration to arrive at or near the venue to avoid any parking fines.

The mandatory checklist

https://uta.utmb.world/runners/mandatory-gear

We finished the athelete checkin at 6:57pm and now the journey to the Airbnb located 30-40mins away in Springwood. Post a good chinese dinner, we checked in to our Airbnb and ensured the hydration back packs is all ready for the race tomorrow. By the time we hit the bed it was past 10pm and the wake up alarm was set to 3:30am. A 5 hour sound sleep and up I go for a hot water shower. By the way, all this menace is happening in 4-15 degree temperature which was quite a surprise and I wasn't expecting it to be this windy either that gave more bone chills.

Some lager in the flight didn't do harm though 🤗

With no expectations of getting a parking slot at the venue, we tried our luck and ventured in the side walks of the venue but ultimately ended up parking in the designated parking lot because there was no other way to go and were directed right in to the spot. Mind you this was also possible because the representative checking for parking tickets got busy with some chores else this would have been a bummer. So now that we have rested our car, stepping out of the car was a herculean task because of the freezing conditions at 5am that morning. To my misery, I ended up spilling some water on my warmers with the shivers I was developing while setting the electrolyte in the hydration pack. Such a ordeal you see. I scoot my tiny ass back in the car for some warmth and only headed to the starting point by 6am.

It's 6am now and we step out of the car and plan to walk to the start line to gather some courage among the others and soon found ourselves under the gas lit heating chambers to keep ourselves from freezing. The start line was staggered and I was up in wave 2 for the 100k category scheduled to begin at 6:20am but then was delayed by 10mins. Guess every minute delay just caused the restlessness of wanting to get warmer as quick as possible on the route while running than having to stand and looking for a shelter. Also, by now, I could feel the zero cooperation from the body which also altered the mindset. Strategies could be planned, decisions could be made, it was all instinctive. The only thing that we had complete control on was the run but that too wasn't kicking any butt so far. Another prevailing stress was the mandatory gear check point that could put all the efforts in vain. As per experience, you are either penalized with time or disqualified and the latter is not something that we were looking forward to.

The rush could not be felt due to the staggered start but soon found myself queueing up at the first steep and very much technical in nature the walk down in to the valley and lasted only during the initial stages of the downhill and is very well seen in the elevation profile.

By the way, it is very much recommended to study the elevation profile with aid stations and checkpoint marking to strategize you run but unfortunately this time we got hardly any respite from the time chase we were involved in till the start of the race and the entire expectations were laid on the past UTMB experience.

To be very frank to myself, the body just wasn't cooperating during the run and it felt like being dragged against all odds. This could be because of the time lag or the jet lag wherein we did not get the time to acclimatize to the weather conditions either. The initial 10 to 20 kms was comfortable in terms of elevation gains and drops but post the 20th km, the fatigue in the body could already be felt. This has started diminishing the confidence I wanted to carry and last till the end of the race. This was when I decided to take some time out and feed myself with food especially rich in sugar. That intake of food woke me up a bit and gave a much better feeling than I initially carried. The 30th km is where I meet Subham and we both happened to undergo similar kind of conditions. The idea was always to tag along with him knowing the prevailing back condition and it has always proven a boost in the past runs that we have done together. All I could hear from him is that this can be done and let's give it our best.

The weather conditions also played peekaboo with us with patches of trail being very cold to humid to breezy and windy that would give us a chill down the spine. I had undone the down jacket at the 30th km and ensure to keep my finger tips and ears closed and often use the buff to breath through in those chilly moments.

By now, I felt totally spent and there was still more than a half way to conquer. The need for more food started ticking as I continued moving. The next water point was stationed at 40th km while the refreshments could only be available at the Aquatic center at 57th km. We crossed the 40th and headed towards the next checkpoint. The run was done at ease now to ensure I don't burn out much and will be just in time till I feel really hungry at the Aquatic checkpoint. It happened to be a little chitty chatty phase where we connected with another runner who was stalled at the mandatory gear check during athlete check-in and we both ended up sharing our perspective. This continued for a bit on the route and then in a matter of seconds I crashed on to the ground and was back on my feet in no time. I toppled over a small boulder and it was so quick that I do not remember hitting the surface. The moment felt as if my physical ability to keep moving was shut for a few seconds and ofcourse wide awake post the fall. I started looking at injuries if any. Subham and noticed that my little finger of my right hand was protruding out and so visible with the gloves on. With zero thoughts in mind of how much bad has happened, I choose to push it back in place as there was zero pain after the fall. Putting it back didn't pain either. I chose not to gauge the damange and evaluated how much would this affect my remainder of the journey to the finish line. With very less engagement required from the little finger, I grasped some breath and continued to run. The idea was to get it medically checked at the next checkpoint.

Well, this picture has to be clicked no matter what. With uncertainty now prevailing till the next checkpoint, care was taken to ensure very less usage of the little finger is done in holding the trekking pole and just head with ease to the next checkpoint. Here, I would like to admit that I chose to not refer a medic at the checkpoint knowing the pain wasn't there in the first place and also being wary of the race being stopped for me if the matter was really of a concern. With some calculated risks and assumptions, I headed towards the finish line checkpoint after checkpoint.

With 3 more checkpoints left, one at 66th km, another one at 77km and the last water point at 91kms. The head torches were out as it started getting dark sooner at around 6pm. The mandatory gear check at earlier checkpoints had us show the head torch with backup and some point later , we were asked to show the thermal wear and vest that could glow in the dark like you see in this picture, I was wearing a orange one, not exactly a best but does the job to meet the mandatory gear guidelines.

Now, something amazing continued to happen on the route while we were trying to keep things together. Taking people by surprise knowing that we flew down all the way from India to gun down the UTA 100km run in Katoomba, Australia is something that they either never or least expected and were simply amazed by the passion running in our blood that takes us places to create history. We happened to also bump into few Indians residing in Australia and tagged along during the run. Thoughts were shared and some knowledge transfer just enlightened the goals of ultra running.

That's Maddog Malik, working in Sydney. PC his Dad at a Fairmont Resort checkpoint.

Here on, it was us three chitty chatty in the run for the rest of the route. I reckon there always another 25-30kms to go from now on. As the night progressed through the trail, pacing in short sighted distance with head torch ON is your only strategy. A head torch could ideally last for 3-4 hours and hence a backup is a must. Be a another head torch or a battery backup does the needful. The watch had already given up at 77th kilometre as a result there was no more realtime readings on the heart rate, the pace and nor the time which could only be reference at the aid stations. With no more day light that allows you to see the route from a distance, you are completely oblivious of the fact of the what is next on the route. And most importantly, you are unaware of any elevation gains that may be coming up unless you are keeping a track of it in your gps tracker or have read and studied through the elevation profile in advance. Okay! So the point is, due to zero visibility or I mean with whatever you see with the head torch, my ability to gauge the elevation goes down to zero, but technically that should not be the case because my legs could feel it while crossing a certain amount of distance but all I felt like doing is keeping pushing and not sure if it was something was deciding the faith of my finger or was it just the extreme fatigue from the travel and the mileage gain so far that lead to a numbness towards the pain threshold. With me increasing my pace, I could see myself parting ways from Subham and Mallik. Also knowing I could use some push from these guys if I happen to slow down again due to fatigue is something I took in to consideration and kept up the pace.

With almost 80km down and the last aid station and checkpoint, I feed myself just to be upright and ofcourse awake with some coffee in my system. The adrenaline rush could be felt because all that was left was less than a half marathon and seemed very much achievable. The cold was catching up too and the night grew younger and younger. I could go past as many runners that were at crawl pace and I could feel their pain too. Guess I was just waiting for my turn to turn in to a snail. All felt pretty easy towards the end of the trail and then the very infamous Giant stairs knocked our souls out. Over 1400+ steps in the last 5kms was a daunting task on the legs. This was quite hurtful for me as the trekking poles could not longer be used for traction and support on the iron grill steps. The pain of using my right hand that was carrying the little finger with dangling future and all I wanted to do is beg for some mercy. I used my arm strength most effectively with my left to pull myself up on every single step. Frequent breather after couple of steps and sips of water was the key too. There was no stopping for me now, given the fact the amount of stress built from the word go from Bangalore, this felt like a vengeance. The entire climb was filled with mixed emotions and I lived the journey again from the time I stepped in to the flight till I saw myself at the start line and then to the 50th km mark that raised hell in my spine and yes, I wanted to bring this home. This wasn't easy, this wasnt easy....

Getting done with the Giant stairs wasn't the part you wanted to get over, when said just 1400+ something steps to the finish line, getting over it welcomed you to another signage that said just 200+ something stair to the finish line. The feeling of 'Is this a Joke' can do a round or two for sure. I must have had the feeling of 'Bring it On' for sure, now that I don't remember but the haste in my approach just to not hear the finish line from the distance but also to be there in a jiffy. Yes, the sub 20 hours for a 100k distance was a target that we set and happy was I to do it well in time. The bronze medal said it all.

That's the face I carry from a 5 hour sleep post the run. I wasnt sure what was keeping me awake, was it the caffeinated gels that I consumed or just the thoughts that running in my mind of what worst could have happened when far away in a geography less known. Well, all that could only be answered when you are in the middle of all of it and you bet, the journey has been amaaazzzzziiinnnng.

Btw, the climax of the race or if I may say, the after math was awaited to know whats underneath the right hand gloves. To be frank, I couldn't feel a thing or two. Off was my gloves and I see a swelling on the finger. Not knowing what to do I could only think of dialing up Reza/Rach on letting know what went wrong with the finger or rather how and when and fetch some advice to see how to take care of it ahead. A no brainer was to seek medical advice but I felt like sharing my pain could help me stay calm and may be not panic since I still didn't have any idea of the seriousness of the issue. The medical advisors at the finish line had a look at the finger and gathered the much needed information from me in knowing what went wrong and how do I feel. A buddy strap is all that was required at the moment to give the finger some support and keep it straight and not expose it any further from being knocked here and there.

A scan of the finger could give speculations to rest and it did indeed. No fracture whatsoever but a ligament stretch lead to soreness and will need the time to heal. The buddy strap stays on for atleast 2-3 weeks post which mobility workout for the finger to resume normal functioning of it was recommended.

Fyi, the consultation and the scan costed around 20,000 INR and hence a travel insurance is must not matter what and is a pre-requisite too for your Visa and Travel. The expense was automatically pushed from the hospital to the insurer who later have collected documents from me to verify the expenses incurred.

Now that the race is done and I wait to Subham to show up so that we could wrap up and head home. A little over 20 hours and he shows up while I continued sipping on some hot soup and in the comfort of blanket wrapped around me by the medics to save me from hypothermia. Learn about medals that are given out for timing bracket you finish the race in. So I lured over a bronze one while Subham fancied a colorful one.

See the medal, cute right ☺️

By 4am, we make it back to the Airbnb. Mind you, the drive back home was a droopy one too. With so much sleep in our eyes, we slowly headed home and thanks to the empty roads that didn't raise any nightmares. Tired enough to choose not to unpack the car with all our gears, we did forget to pick our drop bags or should I say, we chose to come back in the evening and pick it up from the venue. Well, that was something we shouldn't have done because by evening, every little thing was wrapped up at the race venue and we were left wandering where the bags could be. Socialized with a few at the venue and found out that the only way to know the whereabouts was to contact the Ironman man office and the chase continued till the day just before we left for Bangalore. Phew!! But Subhams bag didn't make it back and seemed to be lost in transit. The search is still on.

Amanda (our Airbnb host) was delighted to see us both with our medals in the morning and took some time off to share her thoughts on travel and social work and yes, it was impressive to see what she was up to in her fifties to be this active.