Training Log Archive: Vaala

Exhausting work bumping around all the gravel roads. Would have been way more fun if the fast route choices used some single track. Went okay apart from losing 3 minutes on the first control going completely the wrong direction! Then lost somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds going the wrong way along a road to #5 before realising it turned into an out of bounds road.

The girls decided to go riding instead of running today and I wanted to go running so ended up going with Chris...a bad day for having dead legs and feeling exhausted! Ran from Viv's and met up at Fava then ran up Mt Vernon Valley track and along the mtb trail then up to the top of Sugar Loaf. Down to the back track then along the top tracks back to the top of Mt Vernon. At this stage Chris got a text to say that the others were about half an hour away so he decided we needed a detour up to the top of Witch Hill which was basically a rock scramble. Then back down the valley track to the cafe. We were so thirsty the water in the stream began to almost seem appealing!

To Hansen Park and back again afterwards.

Thought I'd do some intervals (clearly avoiding doing my bootcamp stuff!). Anyway, this was actually quite an eventful run! So I ran along the river next to Hansen Park then crossed over the bridge and ran back on the other side doing a few loops. But near the end I crossed a bridge over a channel into the river and I heard someone calling out. I stopped and turned around but didn't see anyone so was about to start running again when they yelled at me again. Finally I saw there was this lady standing in the channel. Turns out she'd jumped in (she said she fell in but I don't think that's right) to rescue a dog but couldn't get back out. Her friend had gone to find someone with a ladder so I hung around to see if there was anything I could do. She said it got too deep to continue down the channel to the river and climb out at the bank and that she was slowly sinking into the mud. Finally some old guy in his slippers appeared carrying a ladder and we got her out. Felt weird finishing off the intervals after that interruption!

C • dramas. that would have bee... 2

Up Rapaki then down again to the bottom gate then up again. Along the road a bit then down Huntsbury. Got stuck behind a bus near the last sharp corner and had to sit behind them for ages 'cause it wasn't safe to pass. Then some car tried to drive into me on the flat where all the roadworks are. Slammed on the brakes (nicely skidding in some grit) and luckily so did the car behind me too otherwise it might have been a rather unpleasant story. Anyway, felt pretty good on the climbs and much more positive than yesterday. I never know how hard to push until I'm near the top because it's such a long climb.

C • Good work! Maybe next time ... 6

I hit my head again. It's really sore :-(

Wednesday night run in the misty rain with Chris leading the way. Mostly on definitely closed tracks which was a bit scary and I felt very useless and slow on all the slippery rock and that stuff (I was amused by the sign halfway along one of them that said Extreme Danger, do not proceed - with arrows pointing in both directions and no other track around that you could be on. Found myself all alone for various bits which was rather terrifying especially when my breath was fogging up my light and I couldn't see much at all. Hit a big low by the time I got home (well, back to Viv's...I wish I could go home).

Man, haven't done this in a while! We started off with a warmup for about 6 minutes then tackled the 2000 metre challenge. I got 8:59 which seemed pretty good considering how long it's been. Michael finished ages before me and it made me jealous 'cause I wanted the torture to be over! Can't wait to do it again!

I like the mountain climber type one but I would rather be outside climbing the hills instead but today was not that day.

C • You did know that above the... 1

Even did some pullups (well, pull partway ups).

Nice little ride from Viv's up Rapaki, down again then back to the house via a very roundabout route. Pushed hard up the hill which was fun. Felt a bit ill mostly because I had basically inhaled lunch at 3:30 when I got home then left as soon as possible. Tomorrow I will remember to take lunch.