Training Log Archive: TheInvisibleLogIn the 30 days ending Sep 30, 2008:
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Sunday Sep 28, 2008 #
Back, core and achilles 5:00 [3]
Real Orienteering race (Hill View) 37:30 [4]
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Australian Relay Championships. One of the risks of a lower attendance at the Nationals is that there will be a shortage of gun runners and I can find myself pushed up into the "A team". For the relay. I anticipated being the lead in the saddle bags. I was saved by Tim Hatley making a navigational blunder of 8 minutes or so. This allowed me to just sneak in 30 seconds faster than him with a relatively blunder free run. I had the final leg, starting in second place, with a 30 second buffe.r There was no way I was going to hold off the NSW runner on my tail. He had 7 minutes over me in the long the day before, so I was reasonably satisfied that he took 30 minutes off me. I hung onto 3rd position, mainly because there was 10 minutes to 4th. ie no pressure.
I must do more long runs next year. I was quite sore from the event the previous day. The terrain was fast and I wasn't.
I must do more long runs next year. I was quite sore from the event the previous day. The terrain was fast and I wasn't.
Note
Wide Bay has a deserved reputation as a Bible Belt and a low income migration destination. Driving from Hervey Bay to Maryborough is a good reminder that the hinterland of Queensland is so very different to the coast. Nowhere else will one see so many 'new protestant' churches, or so many blokes wandering the streets with unkempt beards. It could drop the 'Fraser Coast' slogan and adopt 'Bogan Taliban Country'.
Saturday Sep 27, 2008 #
Real Orienteering race (Hidden Glen) 1:08:35 [4] ***
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Australian Championships Long Distance. With no previous experience of the terrain, including no model event, I decided the main aim was to navigate accurately, and the secondary aim was to run fast. The strategy seemed to work reasonably. Only one small error when I aimed off to the right and and up on the left of a control. I was pushed off my line by the green I decided to push through. Lost only about 30 seconds as I hit the next control on my course and quickly recovered. Finished 6th which is as good as I have ever done at a National.
Relatively easy navigation for a Championships, but other managed to make far worse errors than I.
Relatively easy navigation for a Championships, but other managed to make far worse errors than I.
Friday Sep 26, 2008 #
Running 13:00 [2] 2.5 km (5:12 / km) +20m 5:00 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
In retrospect I think its a bit mad flying into Queensland for a two day carnival on relatively unremarkable terrain. The drive to Tullamarine, the flight to Maroochydore and the drive to Hervey Bay ate most of the day. Took a short loosen up run to recover from all the sitting.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Thursday Sep 25, 2008 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Wednesday Sep 24, 2008 #
Running warm up/down 12:00 [2] 2.0 km (6:00 / km)
ahr:127 shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Running tempo 18:14 [5] 4.3 km (4:14 / km) +45m 4:02 / km
ahr:166 max:220 shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Maybe its too late for a tempo run to make any difference to my fitness for Saturday, but it was good for my confidence to get a time this fast and sustain a high heart rate for so long. Maybe I haven't lost all that much speed over the fast few weeks. Probably lost endurance though.
HR readings seemed unusually high. It wasn't the usual start of run artefact either.
The tempo runs for this training cycle have ended up thus.
19.36
19.29 (7)
19.21 (8)
-
19.01 (20 = 10 per week)
18.46 (13)
18.29 (17)
18.18 (13)
19.46
19.22
-
-
-
18.14
So today was the fastest of the period. I am most surprised. Not sure what caused the relapse in times in the middle, but time in Darwin seems to have helped.
No more of these for a while. I'll become purposefully slack after the OZ Champs this weekend, and then get back into longer and lsower running for a while.
HR readings seemed unusually high. It wasn't the usual start of run artefact either.
The tempo runs for this training cycle have ended up thus.
19.36
19.29 (7)
19.21 (8)
-
19.01 (20 = 10 per week)
18.46 (13)
18.29 (17)
18.18 (13)
19.46
19.22
-
-
-
18.14
So today was the fastest of the period. I am most surprised. Not sure what caused the relapse in times in the middle, but time in Darwin seems to have helped.
No more of these for a while. I'll become purposefully slack after the OZ Champs this weekend, and then get back into longer and lsower running for a while.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Tuesday Sep 23, 2008 #
Running 26:40 [3] 4.87 km (5:29 / km) +120m 4:53 / km
ahr:124 max:166 shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Easy run except for 5 ascents of the Welsford hill. Trying to remind my body of the effort in running uphill at Championship events. It didn't really appeciate the reminder.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Monday Sep 22, 2008 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Sunday Sep 21, 2008 #
Running 45:48 [3] 7.78 km (5:53 / km) +150m 5:22 / km
ahr:139 max:180 shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Can't even remember this run, but it was on the Garmin so I must have run it.
Now I remember. It was picking up controls on Kangaroo Gully and Spring Gully. Ran easy for the first third, then basically ran terrain sprints between each control.
Now I remember. It was picking up controls on Kangaroo Gully and Spring Gully. Ran easy for the first third, then basically ran terrain sprints between each control.
Friday Sep 19, 2008 #
Running 51:08 [3] 9.82 km (5:12 / km) +55m 5:04 / km
ahr:139 max:150 shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Running warm up/down 27:08 [2] 4.34 km (6:15 / km)
ahr:134 shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Easy evening run. Not likely to run tomorrow.
Banjo jamboree.
Banjo jamboree.
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008 #
Running 25:18 [3] 5.19 km (4:52 / km) +60m 4:37 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Run after dark in fading head torch light.
Sunday Sep 14, 2008 #
Running 34:34 [2] 5.0 km (6:55 / km) +20m 6:47 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
A gentle run along the Douglas River. Saw some great camping next to superb waterholes just begging for a swimmer. Pity about the crocs. The good news. Drove into Douglas Hot Springs Campsite yesterday evening. The heart rate monitor was still there after 10 days. Obviously no-one else saw any value in it (understandable) and no-one saw fit to clean up the campsite.
Saturday Sep 13, 2008 #
Running 35:00 [3] 5.0 km (7:00 / km) +80m 6:29 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Run in Katherine Gorge area. Nice views.
Walking 30 [1] 2.0 km (15 / km) +10m 15 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Scramble along Umbrawarra Gorge. A real rock climbing paradise in cooler weather. Short walking access. Solid quarzite rock with strong, steep lines, all rising out of idyllic waterholes! No crocs.
Walking 30:00 [2] 2.5 km (12:00 / km) +80m 10:21 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Butterfly Gorge. O very impressive location, with a narrow canyon carved out of limestone. Didn't have enough time to do it justice. Worth a second visit and a swim/climb through to the upper three waterholes.
The access was the first real 4WD track. Up to now I have felt the tracks were merely rough 2WD.
The access was the first real 4WD track. Up to now I have felt the tracks were merely rough 2WD.
Friday Sep 12, 2008 #
Walking 30:00 [1] 3.0 km (10:00 / km) +50m 9:14 / km
shoes: La di da's
Limestone Gorge between Katherine and Kunnanurra. Bloody hot. Interesting terrain that if more common would put photgrametrists out of business (more later).
Thursday Sep 11, 2008 #
Running hills 14:33 [4] 2.2 km (6:37 / km) +200m 4:33 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
This was really getting back into training. Hill reps on Kelly Knob. I gave up after the fourth ascent. I was sweating so much I couldn't see. My eyes stung so I started the run back to the tent with eyes mostly closed. Felt this was realistic preparation for Qld.
Running warm up/down 36:15 [3] 6.0 km (6:03 / km)
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Run to and from Kelly Knob, and the downhill 'reps'. The latter were more fun. Had the company of the manager of the local health service for two of these. A long term European resident of the town... 10 months. It takes real committment to become permanent. The average price of a very ordinary residence is over $500,000. Quality starts at the cool million.
He had the usual comment on health management.. balancing toop many plates in the air for the available resources.
He had the usual comment on health management.. balancing toop many plates in the air for the available resources.
Note
Magic Moments for the day:
1: Flash of insight into the Ord Irrigation area. Spent the morning doing some professional exploration. The history of the ORIA is a search for a profitable crop. I think they have finally found it. Southern investors. The scheme is gradually being purchased for Managed Investment Scehemes. The tree of choice is Indian Sandalwood. It is a complex agronomic exercise, with a succession of three host plants. It takes 15 years to a crop. I can see the market well oversupplied by then. But in the meantime I suspect the new WA government (as yet undetermined) will bow to National Party pressure and build the next stage of the scheme. So we will see more subidised irrigation developed exploited to extract major tax concessionf rom the Federal government. As a public servant I doff my hats to this superb and unusual example of State-Federal cost shifting!
2: The indoor cricket facilities are outdoors!
3: The German 4WD enthusiasts who spen each afternoon using a raft of tools and cleaning appliances to transform their vehicles to a state of extreme spotlessness. Cleaning the iside of the bonnet with polish.
Leaving early tomorrow for Limestone Gorge, Butterfly Gorge and points back to Darwin over the next three days. Last update for a while.
1: Flash of insight into the Ord Irrigation area. Spent the morning doing some professional exploration. The history of the ORIA is a search for a profitable crop. I think they have finally found it. Southern investors. The scheme is gradually being purchased for Managed Investment Scehemes. The tree of choice is Indian Sandalwood. It is a complex agronomic exercise, with a succession of three host plants. It takes 15 years to a crop. I can see the market well oversupplied by then. But in the meantime I suspect the new WA government (as yet undetermined) will bow to National Party pressure and build the next stage of the scheme. So we will see more subidised irrigation developed exploited to extract major tax concessionf rom the Federal government. As a public servant I doff my hats to this superb and unusual example of State-Federal cost shifting!
2: The indoor cricket facilities are outdoors!
3: The German 4WD enthusiasts who spen each afternoon using a raft of tools and cleaning appliances to transform their vehicles to a state of extreme spotlessness. Cleaning the iside of the bonnet with polish.
Leaving early tomorrow for Limestone Gorge, Butterfly Gorge and points back to Darwin over the next three days. Last update for a while.
Wednesday Sep 10, 2008 #
Running 49:54 [3] 7.9 km (6:19 / km) +40m 6:10 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
A run through the other side of Kunnunurra. Lakeside. I think land values are higher here (and they are high everywhere here) because its further from the indigenous section of town. No comment.
I tried to run around lake Kunnunurra. Most towns of this size with a permanent lake would have a footpath around the lake. Not here. Just boat ramps. I am constantly hearing from migrants to this area that they moved here because of the lifestyle. I don't think that any of them include the concept of running (or even exercise) inside this 'lifestyle' concept. It refers to weekends on boats fishing and nights on the patio watching the BBQ and downing beers. Given the temperature, its sort of inevitable. For two months of the year this could be an outdoor paradise if the terrain was actually accessible. I know what happens in Moab, Utah, which is similarly endowed. Its an outdoors paradise in the right season. Not here.
I did try and run around some of the lake, and kept on coming across future archeological dig sites. The middesn of the future won't be discarded shell fish, but decomposed VB cans.
I tried to run around lake Kunnunurra. Most towns of this size with a permanent lake would have a footpath around the lake. Not here. Just boat ramps. I am constantly hearing from migrants to this area that they moved here because of the lifestyle. I don't think that any of them include the concept of running (or even exercise) inside this 'lifestyle' concept. It refers to weekends on boats fishing and nights on the patio watching the BBQ and downing beers. Given the temperature, its sort of inevitable. For two months of the year this could be an outdoor paradise if the terrain was actually accessible. I know what happens in Moab, Utah, which is similarly endowed. Its an outdoors paradise in the right season. Not here.
I did try and run around some of the lake, and kept on coming across future archeological dig sites. The middesn of the future won't be discarded shell fish, but decomposed VB cans.
Tuesday Sep 9, 2008 #
Walking 3:00:00 [1] 13.0 km (13:51 / km) +150m 13:05 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Did the rest of the available walks.
Mini palms Gorge. Very scenic, and had it all to ourselves because we started not long after first light.
Unauthorised excursion. Hard work scrabling through boulder piles and wading through painful spinnifex.
Cathedral Gorge and lookout and domes circuit combination. A tour of the famed domes area.
Unplanned excursion to retrieve Julie's hat that blew off her head at the lookout. Why don't women choose sensible clothing?
Purnululu translates as "Don't". The scenery of this rock massif is eye-catching. The management is very frustrating. Its a long drive to get here. We arrived at 4.00pm one evening and had done all but one of the allowed walks (and a couple extra) by lunchtime the next day. The remaining walk started with a 7 k slog up a dry creek to the start of the senery and there was no guarantee of water so an overnight stay was inadvisable. Summary, despite the obvious enormous potential, there is bugger all to do other than a few short walks and pay $380 for a helicopter flight (which we didn't). There are signs every where that basically say 'Don't'.
Don't park.
Don't climb on the rock.
Don't walk past this track.
Don't even start this track. (One of the previously available tracks had been closed and expunged from the park record).
Don't leave the track.
The latter was highly amusing. Apparently we would threaten the soil micro-organisms. I took a photo of the sign and will get a response from the soil biologists at work. I would think all the burning of the bush by the locals would have far more impact. Lots of fires all over the place. Its a bizaree situation. All along the road are signs threatening dire consequences for dropping a cigarette butt or starting a fire in any way. All around are columns of smoke. Weird.
We dreamed of returning in the cooller season, 4-WD driving in from the other side and doing some unofficial exploration. It's highly unlikely we will ever do it.
Mini palms Gorge. Very scenic, and had it all to ourselves because we started not long after first light.
Unauthorised excursion. Hard work scrabling through boulder piles and wading through painful spinnifex.
Cathedral Gorge and lookout and domes circuit combination. A tour of the famed domes area.
Unplanned excursion to retrieve Julie's hat that blew off her head at the lookout. Why don't women choose sensible clothing?
Purnululu translates as "Don't". The scenery of this rock massif is eye-catching. The management is very frustrating. Its a long drive to get here. We arrived at 4.00pm one evening and had done all but one of the allowed walks (and a couple extra) by lunchtime the next day. The remaining walk started with a 7 k slog up a dry creek to the start of the senery and there was no guarantee of water so an overnight stay was inadvisable. Summary, despite the obvious enormous potential, there is bugger all to do other than a few short walks and pay $380 for a helicopter flight (which we didn't). There are signs every where that basically say 'Don't'.
Don't park.
Don't climb on the rock.
Don't walk past this track.
Don't even start this track. (One of the previously available tracks had been closed and expunged from the park record).
Don't leave the track.
The latter was highly amusing. Apparently we would threaten the soil micro-organisms. I took a photo of the sign and will get a response from the soil biologists at work. I would think all the burning of the bush by the locals would have far more impact. Lots of fires all over the place. Its a bizaree situation. All along the road are signs threatening dire consequences for dropping a cigarette butt or starting a fire in any way. All around are columns of smoke. Weird.
We dreamed of returning in the cooller season, 4-WD driving in from the other side and doing some unofficial exploration. It's highly unlikely we will ever do it.
Monday Sep 8, 2008 #
Running warm up/down 32:00 [2] 5.5 km (5:49 / km)
shoes: La di da's
Would normally be a rest day, but with an inevitable no-run day to follow, decided to force out a run. I really wasn't interested at 6.00am, so just ran round and round the local Kunnanurra footy oval. Footy is a cultural icon up here with the indigenous. The local strategy to encourage the young to attend school is an institution known as 'footy school'. It has its own building in the school ghrounds with a big sign out the front. You get to train and play in the footy school team, if you're attendance record is up to scratch. Don't atend training (school) and you are dropped. All they need to complement it is country rock school. I think that would cover teh mainstraem aspirations of the young men at least.
Walking 45:00 [1] 2.0 km (22:30 / km) +50m 20:00 / km
shoes: La di da's
Drove to Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles). This was to be the 4-wheel drive part of the trip. You really did need a 4-wd... but only because the sign said they refused entry to normal vehicles. I think I could drive the family sedan in there. Had time to wander up Echidna Gorge. This turned out to be the highlight of the visit, though we didn't know it at the time. It is a very narrow chasm that takes you a fair way into the rock of the main escaprment. Very impressive. Armchair canyoning.
Sunday Sep 7, 2008 #
Running 1:34:00 [3] 13.01 km (7:14 / km) +120m 6:54 / km
Hidden Valley, Kelley's Knob etc
Note
Slack day. A trip up the ord River on a friends tinny. Seems this is the outing of choice for the Kunnanurra community. You could hardly say you had the water to yourself. Very impressive trip though.
Saturday Sep 6, 2008 #
Running 1:00:00 [3] 9.3 km (6:27 / km) +80m 6:11 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Hidden Valley, Kunnanurra. More info later. Must be off to boat up the Ord.
Walking 4:00:00 [3] 10.5 km (22:51 / km) +100m 21:49 / km
shoes: La di da's
El Questro Gorge: 159 metre cliffs on either side. 3 k long. Only 15 metres wide towards the end of the walk. Running water and swimming holes. Shade for most of the rip, from cliffs and padanus palms. Looking up you can see the upper cliffs glowing in the heat.
Emma Gorge: Only a couple of k in. Not as impressive as El Questro, until the final pool where you can swim in a deep black pond with the waterfall dropping onto you.
Zebeddy hotsprings. Lard tub more like it. Mildly warm water, and small pools full of people. The impressive part was the vegetation and the drive in. The palm lined creek was an extreme contrast with the dry and hot savannah. In this heat hot pools are most overated. The drive in was a bit exciting.
Sign of the day: Gibb River Road. Roaming stock next 632 kilometres.
Emma Gorge: Only a couple of k in. Not as impressive as El Questro, until the final pool where you can swim in a deep black pond with the waterfall dropping onto you.
Zebeddy hotsprings. Lard tub more like it. Mildly warm water, and small pools full of people. The impressive part was the vegetation and the drive in. The palm lined creek was an extreme contrast with the dry and hot savannah. In this heat hot pools are most overated. The drive in was a bit exciting.
Sign of the day: Gibb River Road. Roaming stock next 632 kilometres.
Note
There was a free concert tonight. Alcohol, smokes and money free. Mainly indigneous bands playing a version of country rock. As you can guess, pretty loud. And just across the way. Pretty good version of Johhn B Good woke me a bit before midnight. I admit enjoying it. Quirky interpretation and catchy.
Friday Sep 5, 2008 #
Running 44:44 [3] 8.2 km (5:27 / km) +5m 5:26 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
6.15am Along the Kunnanarra M1 irrigation channel. An unisnpsiring run in terms of scenery, but quite interesting from an agricultural perspective.
Highlight: Free water. So says the sign at the caravan park. Please water the lawn around your campsite! Argyle dam is a stunning sight. More water than they can find a use for. Only 10 per cent of inflow is used by irrigators. For a resident of the Murray Darling basin its another wolrd. I was reminded of Ernie Bridges dream of a pipe to Perth and my missed chance of musical glory. For the uninitiated, he was once WA agriculture minister. I was at a conference where he was programmed to give a speech. Instead he pulled out a guitar and sang a song about pumping water south from the Ord. I cursed that my mandolin was elsewhere. It would have been wonderful to walk up and accompany him.
Early this year I contributed to Dave Panell's blog, suggesting that Ernie's scheme should instead talke water to Adelaide to save the lower lakes. It would give WA membership of the Murray Darling Basin Commission and they could then stop whinging about missing out on MDBC Federal Funds. Economist Al Watson responded that ionly had half a scheme. Instead, if the water was shipped down via the new railway, then that would make a profit and the north would have one white elephant rather than two.
Highlight: Free water. So says the sign at the caravan park. Please water the lawn around your campsite! Argyle dam is a stunning sight. More water than they can find a use for. Only 10 per cent of inflow is used by irrigators. For a resident of the Murray Darling basin its another wolrd. I was reminded of Ernie Bridges dream of a pipe to Perth and my missed chance of musical glory. For the uninitiated, he was once WA agriculture minister. I was at a conference where he was programmed to give a speech. Instead he pulled out a guitar and sang a song about pumping water south from the Ord. I cursed that my mandolin was elsewhere. It would have been wonderful to walk up and accompany him.
Early this year I contributed to Dave Panell's blog, suggesting that Ernie's scheme should instead talke water to Adelaide to save the lower lakes. It would give WA membership of the Murray Darling Basin Commission and they could then stop whinging about missing out on MDBC Federal Funds. Economist Al Watson responded that ionly had half a scheme. Instead, if the water was shipped down via the new railway, then that would make a profit and the north would have one white elephant rather than two.
Note
Trip to Wyndham. Uninspiring town, but massive view of 5 rivers from the hill over the town. Spent ages sitting looking at the mud flats. Visited the prison boab tree.
Highlight: Watching Garnauts press conference while eating Barra burgers at the Wyndham pub. Not what I expected would be on a big scree in that sort of place.
Highlight 2: Driving the Ivanhoe Crossing of the Ord river. Watching the vehicles come across in fear is a local sport. We were last sothere was a crowd egging us on. Fast water half way up the door. Crocdile country. Wide river. Yep, adrenaline stuff for a novice like me.
Highlight: Watching Garnauts press conference while eating Barra burgers at the Wyndham pub. Not what I expected would be on a big scree in that sort of place.
Highlight 2: Driving the Ivanhoe Crossing of the Ord river. Watching the vehicles come across in fear is a local sport. We were last sothere was a crowd egging us on. Fast water half way up the door. Crocdile country. Wide river. Yep, adrenaline stuff for a novice like me.
Thursday Sep 4, 2008 #
Running hills 46:47 [3] 8.1 km (5:47 / km) +150m 5:17 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
6.54 am Run up and along the range overlooking Katherine Gorge village. The first part of the run, well most of it, was quite uninspriing, but like yesterday it finished with a sudden revealtion of the gorge from above. Again, stunning. At the bottom I truned around and climbed back up the range to getthe extra climb and to get the views again.
Note
Highlight: The views of the gorge.
Lesson: Showers are for comfort. After the run I had the shower block to myself. In most southern caravan parks you would queue at this hour, but here everyone showers in the evening to cool down. Showered in what I thought was pleasant but lukewarm water for running just the hot tap. It was only when i finished that i realised I had been running the cold tap only.
Lowlight: Gregory Tree 'closed'.
Lesson: Showers are for comfort. After the run I had the shower block to myself. In most southern caravan parks you would queue at this hour, but here everyone showers in the evening to cool down. Showered in what I thought was pleasant but lukewarm water for running just the hot tap. It was only when i finished that i realised I had been running the cold tap only.
Lowlight: Gregory Tree 'closed'.
Note
Sight of the day: Irriagted sorghum. Can't find this anywhere else in Australia at the moment.
Lowlight: Very noisy sound system from the indigenous camp across the way from the caravan park. kept on from 10pm till first light. I was thankful for exhaustion and ear plugs. Its a symbol of the tense race relations of the area. I think its obvious both sides despise each other. Totally different cultural expectations. There is resentment from Europeans as they see the other side 'outside the law'. The enforcement of noise laws is a case in point. The cops drive round and it goes down for 5 minutes then goes back again. Royalty payments are a source of anger as well. But then its some Euopeans who benefit by selling the grog, the music gear, the 4-WDs, whatever. Pretty depressing story.
Lowlight: Very noisy sound system from the indigenous camp across the way from the caravan park. kept on from 10pm till first light. I was thankful for exhaustion and ear plugs. Its a symbol of the tense race relations of the area. I think its obvious both sides despise each other. Totally different cultural expectations. There is resentment from Europeans as they see the other side 'outside the law'. The enforcement of noise laws is a case in point. The cops drive round and it goes down for 5 minutes then goes back again. Royalty payments are a source of anger as well. But then its some Euopeans who benefit by selling the grog, the music gear, the 4-WDs, whatever. Pretty depressing story.
Wednesday Sep 3, 2008 #
Running 31:34 [3] 5.14 km (6:08 / km) +25m 6:00 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
The route: 7.20 am from the Douglas River Hot Springs along the Butterfly Gorge track for a while.
Highlight: Plunging into the warm creek after the run. Every run should have one.
Lesson: Sleeping mats are important for insulating the sleeper from the ground, especially when the ground has been baking the sun for a day.
Lowlight1: Discovering my sleeping mat has a leak and only lasts 15 minutes.
Lowlight 2: Watching a tyre on the 4WD display anothe leak.
Lowlight: 3: Leaving my heart rate monito band behind.
Glass half full interpretation: A great excuse to drive in again on the way back to Darwin in 2 weeks.
Highlight: Plunging into the warm creek after the run. Every run should have one.
Lesson: Sleeping mats are important for insulating the sleeper from the ground, especially when the ground has been baking the sun for a day.
Lowlight1: Discovering my sleeping mat has a leak and only lasts 15 minutes.
Lowlight 2: Watching a tyre on the 4WD display anothe leak.
Lowlight: 3: Leaving my heart rate monito band behind.
Glass half full interpretation: A great excuse to drive in again on the way back to Darwin in 2 weeks.
Walking 2:00:00 [2] 9.0 km (13:20 / km) +200m 12:00 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Into Katherine Gorge via the plateau. Stunning scenery. Amazing terrain. Lots of world class orienteering terrain. No world class orienteering weather though. Bloddy hot. We started the walk 2 hours before sunset and got back just before dark.
Walking 20:00 [1] 1.5 km (13:20 / km) +50m 11:26 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Bulli waterholes, then Florence Falls. The former was a great feature with a series of small waterholes between waterfalls. But you almost had to queue to get a spot in the water. Close to Darwin. Florence falls was better. Atmospheric swimming in a deep hole at the base of a substantial water fall, surrounded by farless fish swimming around you.
Tuesday Sep 2, 2008 #
Running 55:00 [2] 8.8 km (6:15 / km) +100m 5:55 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Started at 7.15am to avoid the heat. Can't avoid the humidity though. I was surprised to find a small area of my running top dry at the end of the run. Still very tight in the left hammy, though its no longer sore. Took it real easy.
Retraced some of yesterdays route, added golf course and Mindel Beach. The latteris interesting. The grey nomads and younger aquarius types are camped on the foreshore. The indigneous are back up the creek.
Discovery of the day.
When you leave the airconditioning and head outside, your glasses fog up. Try the contact lens. OK, but the sun is stong so you need sun glasses. OK, but then they fog up... back to square one and live with it.
Heading off this morning inland. Not sure where.
Retraced some of yesterdays route, added golf course and Mindel Beach. The latteris interesting. The grey nomads and younger aquarius types are camped on the foreshore. The indigneous are back up the creek.
Discovery of the day.
When you leave the airconditioning and head outside, your glasses fog up. Try the contact lens. OK, but the sun is stong so you need sun glasses. OK, but then they fog up... back to square one and live with it.
Heading off this morning inland. Not sure where.
Monday Sep 1, 2008 #
Walking 2:00:00 [1] 12.0 km (10:00 / km) +100m 9:36 / km
shoes: Brooks somethingorothers
Walking because I can't run today. Still sore from whatever it was that I did on the weekend.
Fanny Bay, Botanic Gardens, NT Art Museum and Darwin generally.
Highlights:
Jackfruit hanging from a tree (nd mangoes and soursop on other trees). Nothing ripe yet.
The Art Gallery.
Lowlights:
Darwin = Gold Coast on the Arafura.
You know to expect it, but the public drunkenness, indigenous and backpacker, is still unsettling.
Newspapers. You have to read the local rag to believe it.
Fanny Bay, Botanic Gardens, NT Art Museum and Darwin generally.
Highlights:
Jackfruit hanging from a tree (nd mangoes and soursop on other trees). Nothing ripe yet.
The Art Gallery.
Lowlights:
Darwin = Gold Coast on the Arafura.
You know to expect it, but the public drunkenness, indigenous and backpacker, is still unsettling.
Newspapers. You have to read the local rag to believe it.