Training Log Archive: GraceE

At the wetlands - a big loop and a small loop.

Yep, still sick. Just checking.
A little loop on Farrer in the fading light. Was super cold, maybe I should stop stubbornly wearing shorts every time!

Won 5-0 against United. It rained throughout and was quite cold.

Woke up with a sore throat so thought I'd do the double while I could still run. First up was Weston Park's new Burley Griffin Parkrun. There was a good turnout of over 400 runners for the inaugural event. It was grey and wet underfoot but not raining. I had done a warm-up so was better prepared this time. The run went well and despite some undulations on the course I ducked under 20mins which felt great. Splits were 3.50, 4.01, 4.00, 4.04, 3.50.

Then we went orienteering at Kowen Forest (Orchard Road). I enjoyed the course and was clean navigationally. It was often soggy underfoot and with the brambles and pine clippings felt quite European.

Lunchtime run from work, to OPH and around capital hill but on a path through the bush which I hadn't been on before.

A lap of Mt Taylor with 10mins tempo. It was not a night for my shortest shorts - absolutely freezing! When I got back I changed into slightly longer shorts for hockey.

From home, around the edge of Mt Taylor, along Farrer Ridge, over to Isaacs Ridge and along that, then down a green-strip (cycle path) to Yamba Drive and back along Mawson Drive to home. Did 10 x 3/1 (ok, I didn't do the eighth one as I was coming off Isaacs, so 27mins of effort).

Another busy day which ended back in Canberra, but for various reasons I didn't get out for a run (I was going to ascend the Corn Trail but the roads in were closed!).

This is my favourite half-hour run in the world. I know, big call. It starts at the Camel Rock carpark at Wallaga Lake and heads up onto the headland where you traverse the clifftop admiring Horse Head Rock below, the great expanse of sea and the blue/pink/peach of the horizon as the sun sets. The path comes out at a headland covered in lush green grass and then heads west with views over Wallaga Lake inlet. There used to be some boardwalk here but it got washed away last weekend. The path then sticks to the shoreline in front of the shacks, finishing with a bush path that comes out on Wallaga Lake Rd. This last section had been damaged too and was pretty water-logged so I stopped in sight of the road. Then I turned around and got back just on dark.
The rest of the day involved a morning beach trip (Narooma), cafe, family walk at Wallaga Lake inlet, lunch in Bermagui, afternoon at Mimosa Rocks where Matt went for a disastrous run and Florence and I meandered out to the point, beach-time at Camel Rock (when I did my run), then dinner at Narooma Club.

Today we headed to the coast, but only got there in the afternoon after a leisurely pack in the morning, then a coffee stop in Phillip (didn't get very far!) then lunch and a play at Braidwood.
We headed south at Bate-o and decided to try for a run and some beach-time at Brou Lake, 10km north of Narooma, but unfortunately the road to the campground was closed due to damage from last week's storm, so all there was to do was visit a small cove for a short while before we got driven off the beach by the wind.
We were staying at Narooma and in the early evening I went for a run around the bike path that encircles the town, including an out-and-back along the boardwalk north of the bridge. 10 x 90/30s. I felt like I was moving well but it must have been that optical illusion that you get when running in darkness as my times weren't amazing.

DFAT hills. Struggled on the final one big-time!

Mt Ainslie Run-Up.
Michael offered me a lift again so I accepted. 20 secs faster than last month so that was nice and it certainly felt a lot easier (although last time was straight after a rogaine I think!).

Back down the mountain chatting to Tom Brazier (who is preparing for his 106km race in Spain!) and Michael. When I got back down my thermal had gone. I have never had an item of clothing disappear from where I've chucked it before so this is a first. I wonder what happened to it!

Underwater hockey?! Have never played in such wet conditions! We had to adjust our play due to all the standing water and the slow movement of the ball, but actually I think it was one of our best games and we tied 3-3 with the ladder-leaders Old Canberrans HC.

Tuggeranong Parkrun.
During the week when I decided to do this I was hoping for a good run and a time close to 20mins. It didn't play out exactly to plan but I was still quite pleased with this PB anyway.
So I got to the race with no time to spare and went straight to the startline where everyone was already gathered. Starting at 8.02? This isn't the Parkrun I know! It was pissing with rain so that was probably why. Now I'm not one to go in for long warm-ups but starting a 5km without even stretching is a first for me.
It rained heavily the whole time and there were plenty of puddles on the course. My throat was more constricted than normal and the two pieces of toast I'd eaten 20 minutes earlier were sitting a little higher than I'd have liked. Still, put in the effort and finished with splits of 4.01, 4.09, 4.08, 4.07, 3.53 (tad short?) - couldn't believe the split for the 4th km!

Lunch run from work, bit late getting out. Up Melbourne Ave and single-tracks to the top of Red Hill (NW), then back down through the streets of Forrest. Felt hungry and a bit flat.

Another headtorch run, up the concrete path on Taylor and down the zig-zags, squeezed in before an ANU hockey dinner/State of Origin thing in the city.