JULIE Byrne completed a gruelling 82.82 kilometre ultra marathon on Saturday.
It was a milestone moment for the Thagoona athlete.
Originally, she planned to enter in the 105km event but it was cut back to 82.82km during the event due to a bushfire.
The event, the Scenic Rim Ultra, involved 4,000 metres of elevation and punishing mountain climbs, long ridgelines and difficult downhill runs.
Julie said that last year she made up her mind to take on this ultra marathon, so for the past 18 months she has dedicated long hours to training for the “massive event”.
On Saturday, Julie was supported by her friends and family throughout the race, and she appreciated the mental uplift given by them as she experienced many ups and downs, though she “kept fighting strong for the ultimate goal, the finish line”.
“During the lead up to the event I was feeling quite nervous and when the day had finally arrived for me , I knew it was going to be hot and I was aware that there was not going to be a lot of shade anywhere,” she said.
“My friend Andrea Baker had volunteered to be my support team on the day. She was someone who would be there to encourage, support and assist me whenever I needed her.
“The race started and at the first checkpoint at over 14 kilometres I was feeling great, I then headed over Mt Joyce where I slipped going downhill but luckily, I wasn’t hurt.
“I then came across a brown snake which went across my path so I pointed to the bushes where he went and yelled out to the runners behind me to make them aware.
“At checkpoint number two a couple of runners were overcome by heat but I kept ticking along, now at over 30 kilometres I was still feeling good but was a little nauseous.”
But the heat began to really affect her during the next kilometres of the run.
“I started to feel really sick,” Julie recalls.
“Heat and massive hills do not mix, so I decided to slow down and take my time with the hill and after I reached the top, I recovered enough to resume eating.
“I experienced a tight quad, something that I had never had before, I thought I must have strained it when I slipped.
“I continued on to reach checkpoint five where I felt at this time like the wheels started to wobble as I was feeling overcome with heat.
“Andrea met me with news that due to bushfires on the last 25 kilometres the director had made the decision to shut that part of the race down, bringing the race to 82.82 kilometres instead of 105 kilometres.”
To cool down, Julie used icepacks on her head and neck.
“I continued with walking and running until I hit the first massive and very vertical hill.
“I reached the top while fighting extreme fatigue and real physical sickness but I sat down for a couple of minutes to recover.”
It was during this time that Julie realised that she had accomplished a personal best over the 50 kilometre distance as she had knocked one hour off her previous race time.
Her time at that point was 8 hours and 30 minutes for the 50 kilometres.
The knowledge motivated her and she felt positive that she was going to achieve a personal best for 65 kilometres.
“On the next bit of the course I was mainly walking with some running.
“I managed to keep the sickness at bay and with the support from friend Wayne O’Connor, I made it to the next checkpoint.
“Friends and family drove up beside me, talking and encouraging me to get to the finish line.
“At this point I had just knocked three hours off my 65 kilometre race time.
“I was super stoked.
“I had to stop to plaster my foot up, I also had a sore quad and the heat had receded.
“I started to walk to recover from nausea and pain in the leg and foot, but with Wayne by my side laughing and talking, I continued.
“The next rocky uphill climb was a challenge though and I tried so hard to power through it to get to the road however I really pushed my body hard, so hard that I had to sit, to rest and vomit.”
Digging deep and pushing the reset button, Julie continued her fight to the finish line.
“After a top up on coke and watermelon off I went walking with a bit of running, all I was thinking was that I had to get to the finish line,” she said.
“With the line in sight only 200 metres away I stumbled and rolled my ankle and then down I went.
“Wayne pulled me up though and I walked for a bit then started running to the finish line.”
Julie accomplished the 82.82 kilometres in 16 hours and 15 minutes.
