ONLY Cairns ultrarunner Mike Le Roux can travel to hell and back and enjoy the journey.

The 36-year-old was back on Australian soil yesterday after spending three months in the US competing in the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning.

Le Roux finished the series in second place after the final race of the Grand Slam, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile (160km) Endurance Run, was completed at the weekend.

The hardest event was undoubtedly saved to last, with Le Roux spending more than 28 hours on course at the Wasatch Front.

Even though he completed the race five days ago, Le Roux said his body was still feeling the physical repercussions of the effort.

"I'm pretty wrecked at the moment," Le Roux said.

"It's not only a long time on your feet, but also the exposure of extreme heat and then freezing conditions at night.

"Also, with a significant lack of fuel and calories, you take away something from your body that takes a while to
recover from."

But despite the pain and extreme fatigue he experienced racing the Grand Slam, Le Roux has no regrets about embarking on the epic endurance odyssey.

For him, it was an opportunity to discover more about himself and what he is capable of.

"I learnt that I have the ability to dig really deep when I need to," Le Roux said.

"It also reinforced just how much I love the sport.

"None of it was easy, and if it was purely a box-ticking exercise I probably would have been back in Cairns.

"The main thing I took away from the experience was that I still am extremely passionate about living outside my comfort zone.

"It is the place I feel most alive."

While there are plenty more adventures to be had in the world, Le Roux plans to take a break before tackling his next challenge.

"There are so many extreme things out there," Le Roux said.

"I will still pursue my goal of the Badwater Ultramarathon, although there might be a few other races I do before I get there.

"It's too soon to say anything definite.

"I just want to have a break for a few weeks."

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