Training Log Archive: theway

Felt a bit shabby last few days so thought a long walk would liven me up. Home, O shops, underpass, cct, concrete path to BM. Return same route. Took it very easy.

From tempus sports timing: Added together, the elevation of all the races is 6420 metres
... no wonder I am tired

Mt Buffalo - my favourite day again. ... tired ... will write up later.

Mt Hotham - the long cold tough day.
Flan and I resisted the temptation to sleep in and arrived at start with barely enough time to find a shrubbery. For once I didn't get too warm, yay. The first 10minutes are flat dirt road running until start of Bon Accord track where it climbs gently for a long way then drops down to a river crossing. This part is the most beautiful and runnable section of all 4 days - loved it, especially as my legs weren't too trashed. I witness the amusing antics of a woman lowering her friend down a ramp to a stream crossing because the friend's legs were so sore. Meanwhile the next person hunted for a different crossing point because she couldn't step down a 40cm drop. I pattered past both with good legs (obviously I didn't try hard enough on Mystic). Happy that I could run most of the first 50 mins, walking sharp hills to save legs.

The river crossing was a bit of a surprise - the bridge was partly washed away and unusable which none of us knew beforehand. There was a rope hand rail strung across at a wider point so we had to wade a swift current just under knee deep. I didn't think twice and went straight across in shoes and socks, counting on them drying out on the next big hill.... A shoe and sock change group were seated on the opposite side. Ha! I won't waste time, I thought.

The next climb is steep and long and I reached the top of it at maybe about 1:50 (lost track a bit) feeling warmed up except numb toes. Shoes/socks didn't dry out. Plenty people passed me early on this climb - the sit down shoe ppl I expect. As it leveled out the first patches of old snow appeared. I passed some of the early walkers then a senior runner in black singlet passed me and was the most perfect pacer to follow along the ridge. We ran most of the way (I felt good!) and walked just enough to save legs. Amazing views of the snow covered mountain across the valley along here. Then black singlet tucked her singlet up to bare her midriff - she knew exactly when the Wall was coming and was preparing to make heat. I remember hoping that she had enough warm clothing in her tiny pack. Soon I lost her.

The Wall wasn't as bad as I remembered, being a much colder day. I stopped twice to put on thermal and beanie, then jacket, then the steep part was over in 25 minutes - or did I lose count? Had one disaster - after putting on jacket I'd climbed a little further before realising I couldn't find my arm warmers (I was using them as gloves), checked the possibilities then about faced and descended to where I'd put pack down ... but before I got there I found my arm warmers. On my arms! I was so out of it by then I don't know how much time wasted but strangely it gave me a boost of energy and got to tree line ok where I wondered if it was worth putting on thermal tights.

By this time my feet were completely numb to the heels. Head and torso and hands were good so I jogged out into the wind and sub zero temps with bare legs and proceeded to run on snow and ice to top of Mt Hotham then all the way to the finish. I had to be careful of my feet because I had no feeling of the ground - a very strange sensation. Amazed I didn't fall over. My legs were the colour and consistency of frozen salmon and made interesting sensations when dropping from run to walk, like fishing line being pulled across the skin. My mouth went a bit numb then gradually the rest of my face got a bit stiff. Feet improved so that only forefeet were numb. Of course all this makes the end of Hotham the most memorable part of the whole event. And I passed a few ppl - probably walkers. It was wild. Nearly didn't notice finish until I was on top of it. We stopped before road.

Due to ice on road we had to jog 1k down the road to the bus stop tent which had a heater. Luckily I got picked up by random ppl before tent and managed to get same lift all the way back to house in Bright. Took a long time to get thoroughly warm but I was ok, unlike flan who pushed the cold too far and wasn't well.