The training block...

I had set myself up for a big four months leading up to my first miler. Three months out Mat and I did a 24 hour running challenge to raise money for a local charity I volunteer at. It was laps back and forth of our local beach promenade (about a 5km loop) for 24 hours.

We were stoked with our efforts raising 16.5K for charity but it was hard. Harder than I think we both expected. I ran the first 100kms in just over 12 hours - and finished with 140kms. Vomiting into the bushes every hundred metres (before I stopped to recoup) at 2am in the morning was not in the original plans!

Six weeks out I ran Ultra-trail Australia 50K with the plan that it would act as a practice race for gear, nutrition etc and my final long run leading into the miler. At kilometre five I started getting gut-wrenching stomach cramps that would persist until 47km.

It did not make for an enjoyable day out and I really struggled to keep forward momentum when all I wanted to do was crawl up into a ball. I got to the finish though. Proving to myself once again that I can do hard things...

Not only was UTA a hard slog of a day I also finished with a niggling foot injury. My physiotherapist explained that an ankle injury I'd sustained a few months prior whilst trail running in Poland had caused a loss of ankle mobility putting extra stress on the tendons under my foot.

He was confident I could still run the miler but it would require a lot of load management and staying off it in the lead up to the race. Not ideal training conditions for a miler but I felt like I still had a chance.

Race week...

Things didn't quite go to plan in the lead up to the race either. December in Australia is the first month of summer. I don't think the race organisers ever imagined in their first iteration of the race they would have to deal with a snow dump in the days leading to the race. 24 hours out there was a complete change of the course. The whole starting 30kms were cut, and various other reroutes, change of directions etc.

I should point out that whilst stressful, the course changes did in fact make the race easier. It halved the vertical gain over the course. Doubled up on the flatter sections. I probably should have been thankful for it. But it was just another unknown in the lead up to the race and added to my pre race nerves and anxiety.

Fifteen minutes before we were due to take off they made an announcement for everyone to ensure the GPS transponders we had received at check in where turned on. What GPS transponder? They had forgotten to give me one. The last 15 minutes before the race started was a mad dash to get weighed and issued a transponder. It was the icing on the cake for a stressful race prep.

The Race Itself...

The start gun went and I tried to get in the zone. The conditions where crazy for the first 20kms but I plastered a smile on my face and found a comfortable pace. After the 30km check point we were directed to a straight climb following a chairlift to the top of the ski run. It was relatively short but very steep and was the straw that broke the camels back.

I finished the climb and was done. I've had lows in a race before and just kept telling myself to keep going it would pass. 40, 50, 60, 70kms - things did not improve. I came into the 88km aid station ready to quit. I promised myself one more lap of the lake and if I still wanted to quit I would drop.

At 110kms I returned to that same aid station and with a smile on my face handed back my GPS transponder to the aid station chief. I was done. My first DNF... I knew in my heart I could have walked the last 50kms over the next 10-12 hours and finished well under cut off. I couldn't think of a single reason why though and knew if I had done it that would be my last ultra.

I was worried I would regret my decision in the days to come. I can say, hand on heart, in the twelve months following my first DNF - I haven't regretted the decision once.

Check out more from Moretrail

I had never DNF'd a race.... Until I Did! (part 1 of 3)

I thought I was made of something different and had the mental toughness to push myself mentally to any finish line. I was wrong...

I had never DNF'd a race.... Until I Did! (part 3 of 3)

Reflecting on my first DNF... and plans for the future.

I had never DNF'd a race... Until I did!! (Part 4 - the final)

Back on the start line... 12 months later!

Race Advice - packing your running vest

As the races get longer the amount of gear you need to carry seems to get exponentially larger. Heres our top 3 tips for packing your mandatory gear into you vest for race day.