On arrival into The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel in Hobart the team were meeting up for a meal across the road although by this stage I was really struggling and along with fellow Braveheart’s runner Brenda Windsor with us both deciding independently to opt for room service and get an early night sleep before taking on what was expected to be another very cold marathon in Tasmania while doing my best to recover from the flu.
In meeting up in the foyer the next morning it was fascinating to find Levi had implemented an innovative new heating solution taping heat warmers to the outside of his shoes to help keep warm while on the run which could well be a master stroke and something to consider for future events. We soon jumped on the bus to head into the Day 5 start line expecting a challenging day with the coldest conditions expected.
The location for this race required us to run 14 laps of an out and back 3km path along the Derwent River with the chill factor making the challenge even greater. The extreme weather and out and back course would prove physically and mentally testing for all on the day and it would be important to keep pushing on as fast as possible to get take care of business. Thankfully the hand warmers were in my gloves today to help provide a little relief from the cold.
There were a number of highlights from the day in Hobart with it really awesome to see Fenix powering along on the run as had been the case over the previous days and he had decided to test himself on this day running his first official marathon in Hobart which was super impressive considering the conditions.
Evan and Amanda from Aurora Adventures were phenomenal during the week providing valued support on bikes to check in with us and make sure we were ok to help out where possible while working around the clock to map out the courses each day to help ensure the best experience for everyone. The dedication was next level considering this was the final week prior to the beautiful couples wedding the following Friday. In the closing stages it was great that Amanda was able to capture a awesome action shot to remember the challenge.
Matt Boyd was again an angel in disguise for many on this journey and a real saviour for me in helping to provide medical support, assistance at the aid stations and friendship on the road which was sincerely appreciated more and more each day as the mission continued.
It was so nice to finally cross the finish line in 6:18:04 after completing the 14 laps and it was a great surprise to find the inspiring Deborah De Williams waiting to share the celebrations. Deborah is an Australian, world record holding ultra-marathon athlete, motivational speaker, philanthropist and the first woman to run around Australia and it was so special to have her valued support and receive the words of encouragement while also meeting up with her Mum and precious little angel Madeleine.
It was a quick turnaround back to the hotel for a fast shower, change of clothes and bag pack before the hotel were knocking down the doors to clean the room ahead of the return to the airport heading home to Sydney for Day 6 and start defrosting from our time in Melbourne and Hobart…
