Run 1:16:00 [3] 13.0 km (5:51 / km)
Not a good day. My buttock is gradually becoming less ugly (the purple zone is about a third the size it was two days ago), but there's enough soreness there to suggest there's still quite a bit of swelling, and although it doesn't feel like it's affecting my running form, the watch suggests otherwise. (I didn't notice so much on Thursday, probably because that track was so rugged that I just attributed any issues I was having to the difficulty of the terrain). The original plan was to run to Green Cape from a road junction about 12km short of it, but once it became apparent that the body was struggling, I decided to settle for the Disaster Bay lookout a bit after halfway - I probably could have got through, say, 2.20, but pushing the boundaries with an injury in a remote area is perhaps not the most brilliant idea - not so concerned about the bruising itself, more about the risk of doing something else if, as I suspect, I'm running with irregular form. Still a hard and humid morning's work on a hilly track (one short but very steep climb made me thankful I hit it at 10k and not 21 as originally planned).
Two positives to draw from this run: my first testing of gels worked (I took one about 3k from the end, mainly so that if I reacted badly to it it wouldn't be a problem for too long), and the view from the Disaster Bay lookout was stellar.
I definitely hope this settles properly during the week; having missed a few other possibilities, the window for a serious long run in Six Foot preparation is closing. Next weekend's forecast isn't looking great either; if that holds I'm thinking seriously of going somewhere with at least a bit of altitude.
Came back to Melbourne during the day, a somewhat tiring drive (even stretched out the beach towel under a tree in a park at one stage), although I got through East Gippsland before any significant fire action (most of it's currently well north of the highway in any case). Just to show what I've missed out on, the car thermometer (over-reading, as usual, by a degree or two) was registering 44 as I pulled in.