Training Log Archive: jennycasIn the 28 days ending Feb 28, 2010:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday Feb 28, 2010 #
Note
I spent a couple of hours at Narrinyeri Hills putting out tapes for the Arrows' training day in a couple of weeks' time. Planning a control picking exercise so in the end I just put pink tape on nearly every feature I came across! It's pretty dry out there currently and the tapes stand out, as will the flags, so on the day I'm thinking of just putting out stands without flags (mwahahaha)
10 AM
orienteering race (Port Elliott) 51:23 [4] 7.0 km (7:20 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
The long course at Pt Elliott; it was fun. First half was in the sandhills and coastal wattle scrub north of the caravan park and some of the plate controls were tucked right into the bushes but I found the pink tapes okay. At one point something brown and undulating moved in the grass right under my feet. I'd like to think it was a bush rat but it was probably more sinuous. Second part was in the suburbs and along the cliffs. Some nice granite boulders :) The pavement was pretty hard on my shins so afterwards I stood in the ocean and jumped waves until I looked like a drowned bush rat.
Saturday Feb 27, 2010 #
Note
Apparently, in Jenny-speak, "My shin's not up to 4 hours of running so I will just walk around the rogaine with Emma from my parents' garden club" actually means "I will do a Haarsma and drag a poor defenceless 17-year-old around Victor Harbor for over 23km!"
She held up really well, so well in fact, that with 50 min to go we had only 2 controls left on our planned route and so decided to add in a few extra, the only problem being that shortly after this decision was taken it got dark and Emma kind of hit the wall and then we had to cross the mouth of the Inman river on the seaweed heaps - so in the end we were 16 min late and lost the 160 extra points we'd just acquired, and both our mothers were looking out for us anxiously and about to ring our mobiles. (Yes, 34 is not too old to be embarrassed by one's mother...)
I really enjoy rogaining; it gives a sense of achievement in a way that orienteering somehow doesn't quite.
She held up really well, so well in fact, that with 50 min to go we had only 2 controls left on our planned route and so decided to add in a few extra, the only problem being that shortly after this decision was taken it got dark and Emma kind of hit the wall and then we had to cross the mouth of the Inman river on the seaweed heaps - so in the end we were 16 min late and lost the 160 extra points we'd just acquired, and both our mothers were looking out for us anxiously and about to ring our mobiles. (Yes, 34 is not too old to be embarrassed by one's mother...)
I really enjoy rogaining; it gives a sense of achievement in a way that orienteering somehow doesn't quite.
8 AM
running 1:16:46 [3]
shoes: Asics Kayano 15
Shepherds Hill, Eden Hills, Bellevue Heights, Flinders Uni and home. Beautiful fresh morning with a gully breeze. Soon after I started I realised that Kayanos really don't have enough cushioning, and not long after that, just how tired I am.* The shin took about 40min to stop twinging (don't think this is practical warmup duration for before a sprint), but at least it did. I felt really slow but I am sure I have only once done this run under 80min before, so my mental pace benchmark must need recalibration.
*This was meant to be a fairly low key week and has still ended up with 6+ hours of running/orienteering - think I need to recalibrate my distance/duration benchmarks too! Will try to do not much next week (as if!)
*This was meant to be a fairly low key week and has still ended up with 6+ hours of running/orienteering - think I need to recalibrate my distance/duration benchmarks too! Will try to do not much next week (as if!)
Friday Feb 26, 2010 #
7 AM
swimming 38:00 [3] 1.0 km (38:00 / km)
As discussed at Fern's 30th: Zara may be able to swim twice as fast as me but I figure I get twice as much value for money, based on time, per pool entry ticket as she does :)
Thursday Feb 25, 2010 #
6 PM
riding (Belair) 45:00 [3]
So restless, ratty and generally unproductive at work (dogwalking doesn't produce enough endorphins in the morning to last me through the day, I've decided) that I bailed as soon as was decently possible to ride in the park as a warmup before running. The park is now seeming a bit small to ride in, although the speed which I think of as "getting out of control on a bike" turned out to be not even as fast as Simon doing his intervals, when I came across him in Long Gully!
7 PM
running (Belair) 50:44 [3] 9.8 km (5:11 / km) +250m 4:35 / km
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
The usual loop (lake, train line, Lower Waterfall, across Jubilee Drive, down the steps at old National Park station and back along Long Gully) with John, Simon, Lauren, Zara (+ Callum) and Luke (AKA Hazelnut). Shins were tight but not painful, and I pushed reasonably hard (not having done intervals beforehand like some people) and felt stronger than I expected despite tired legs. The fast stretch along the creek was an effort but I'm sure I can improve my speed/endurance (just not between now and Eureka!).
Wednesday Feb 24, 2010 #
6 AM
running long (Brownhill Creek) 1:40:32 [3] 19.0 km (5:17 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
The full length of Brownhill Creek to the bottom of Pony Ridge and back. It seems as though I haven't done any distance lately (or hills, or speed) and need to get rid of the feeling that 10km is a long run! I hit the "I really want to go back to bed" wall at about 40min which was also the time that my leg decided it had run out of things to whinge about and so kept quiet for the rest of the run. I think that releasing the muscle top and bottom before and after a run is starting to help.
The sulphur-crested cockatoos in the trees above me weren't very quiet; there was an absolute cacophony of them. By the turnaround (54.30) I would gladly have accepted a lift from any passing stranger, but I scavenged some roadside plums and tried to put my head back/shoulders down and admire the view rather than looking at my feet, which I had become so accustomed to doing when pack-carrying. I still managed to get home in 46min (not the same route) so 100 all up isn't too bad; it just felt much longer. Normally I love this run but it really was a grit-your-teeth-and-get-to-the-end sort of day. Perfect weather though, and a shame about having to go to work afterwards.
The sulphur-crested cockatoos in the trees above me weren't very quiet; there was an absolute cacophony of them. By the turnaround (54.30) I would gladly have accepted a lift from any passing stranger, but I scavenged some roadside plums and tried to put my head back/shoulders down and admire the view rather than looking at my feet, which I had become so accustomed to doing when pack-carrying. I still managed to get home in 46min (not the same route) so 100 all up isn't too bad; it just felt much longer. Normally I love this run but it really was a grit-your-teeth-and-get-to-the-end sort of day. Perfect weather though, and a shame about having to go to work afterwards.
Tuesday Feb 23, 2010 #
6 PM
running hills (Morialta) 47:47 [3] 8.8 km (5:26 / km) +300m 4:38 / km
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
I hadn't run Morialta for over a month so was expecting this to be worse than it was. Fern, Troy, Bridget, Simon, John and I went up the south side to Pretty Corner, up Norton Summit Rd, dropped down into 3rd falls and the usual route down out of there. This was the first time in weeks that I actually felt confident that I can put weight equally on both shins. I was surprised to be reasonably strong on the hills (though I could surely feel each one of last night's sit-ups lurking below my ribcage), and coming down was limited more by breathlessness than my legs, though I was cautious on any loose gravel.
Plentiful dinner at the Tower Hotel after with John/Simon/Bridget. I pulled out a Narrinyeri map to discuss training for the 14th with Simon, and Bridget rolled her eyes at us!
Plentiful dinner at the Tower Hotel after with John/Simon/Bridget. I pulled out a Narrinyeri map to discuss training for the 14th with Simon, and Bridget rolled her eyes at us!
Monday Feb 22, 2010 #
Note
It's a running joke in our household that George will always try to find new ways of pointing out to me that I'm older than him - I don't care; he's aging at an incrementally faster rate, anyway. But now, all he has to do is say to me "thirteen controls" and then watch as I start frothing at the mouth...it's a good thing Summer Series has finished!
8 AM
swimming 20:00 [3] 0.5 km (40:00 / km)
Ankles which have been running around on rough terrain don't really enjoy kicking, that much.
6 PM
riding 1:10:00 [3]
Rode over to Fern's to deliver birthday wishes and then did laps of the runners for a bit - when they went somewhere I couldn't then I rode randomly around the suburbs like a kid on a BMX and eventually met up with them again half an hour later. Fern treated us with yogurt flavoured chocolate (sounds wrong but tastes so good!) while we made plans for training on Petticoat Gully, then I rode home satisfied with my efforts to procrastinate a bit longer on dishwashing...
Sunday Feb 21, 2010 #
orienteering (Rocky Paddock) 34:00 [3] 4.5 km (7:33 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2130
Last night I found some spare maps from the training I set on Rocky Paddock a year ago, so I talked John, Lauren, Simon & Bridget into meeting up there at 8am before we went to the official OASA training day. There were no tapes out, and I loaned Lauren my compass, but I know the area pretty well and so everything came up much as I was expecting it to. One control I went in circles on but I think that rock is mapped too low, only one where my "bearing" was wide, plus I ran to 13 instead of 11 because my course was overdrawn on an old map so it looked like spaghetti, but I still held the girls off, just. Of course they probably started about a week after me...
All of me felt great with the exception of my left leg between knee and ankle. From now on, unless I actually say that it doesn't hurt when running, then the default interpretation is that it did.
All of me felt great with the exception of my left leg between knee and ankle. From now on, unless I actually say that it doesn't hurt when running, then the default interpretation is that it did.
running warm up/down 15:00 [2]
shoes: Asics Gel 2130
orienteering (Three Chain Break) 49:39 [4] 6.5 km (7:38 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2130
We didn't really expect any of the training exercises on offer to appeal to us but were curious about the "choose your own adventure" option. This turned out to be a master map of all controls on to which people could copy whichever course they saw fit. So we made up 5 short courses (0.9-1.2km maybe?), on 5 different maps, all starting from the crossroads, and ran each of them in turn, regrouping and swapping maps in between each mini-course. Bridget crash-landed heavily on a log and so sat out the last one, but at least we were vaguely sympathetic.
9:10 (freshest)
8:52 (shortest)
9:23 (did a dodgy compassless bearing)
11:36 (longest)
10:37 (most hills)
This was good fun and made the most of a not-exactly-exotic area and made me run harder than I otherwise would have.
9:10 (freshest)
8:52 (shortest)
9:23 (did a dodgy compassless bearing)
11:36 (longest)
10:37 (most hills)
This was good fun and made the most of a not-exactly-exotic area and made me run harder than I otherwise would have.
Saturday Feb 20, 2010 #
9 AM
riding 43:00 [3] 12.0 km (3:35 / km)
To/from parents' in order to effect a trade of blackberries for figs and grapes. All parties were satisfied with this rare manifestation of the barter economy's functionality.
Friday Feb 19, 2010 #
7 PM
orienteering (Summer Series) 59:33 [2]
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
Springfield. Scatter. Slow. Sluggish. Sleepy. Shin sore. Struggled.
(Have used up the remnants of my brain power in the above alliteration; do I need to write any more?)
Summer series isn't usually such an effort - I should have paid attention to the fact that this was an A3 map compared to the usual A4 and that it could take a while. Fern muttered something at me about "beware the uncrossable fences" as I started, and so I attempted to plan which 5 controls from 20 to leave out based on the crossability of the fences in Waite campus, but this backfired on me because many fences marked as crossable were 5-foot high with barbed wire on the top (I don't think I have the parallel scars on the back of my leg any more, from slipping while crossing a barbed wire fence at the club relays when I was 12, but I do still have the memory) and so I did laps of a fenced dam trying to find a way in. Later I went the long way round to avoid an 'uncrossable' fence which I could actually have got over.
I had so much fatigue/inertia tonight that I can't blame it all on my leg - which never really stopped bitching - and I'm ashamed to admit, I walked up hills. Was almost tempted to take advantage of the fact that apparently I'm now entitled to get 13 controls rather than 15 because the open class is technically only 17-34 years. I was horrified when the boys told me this last night and will be lobbying John to extend the open class to 17-39 next summer!
(Have used up the remnants of my brain power in the above alliteration; do I need to write any more?)
Summer series isn't usually such an effort - I should have paid attention to the fact that this was an A3 map compared to the usual A4 and that it could take a while. Fern muttered something at me about "beware the uncrossable fences" as I started, and so I attempted to plan which 5 controls from 20 to leave out based on the crossability of the fences in Waite campus, but this backfired on me because many fences marked as crossable were 5-foot high with barbed wire on the top (I don't think I have the parallel scars on the back of my leg any more, from slipping while crossing a barbed wire fence at the club relays when I was 12, but I do still have the memory) and so I did laps of a fenced dam trying to find a way in. Later I went the long way round to avoid an 'uncrossable' fence which I could actually have got over.
I had so much fatigue/inertia tonight that I can't blame it all on my leg - which never really stopped bitching - and I'm ashamed to admit, I walked up hills. Was almost tempted to take advantage of the fact that apparently I'm now entitled to get 13 controls rather than 15 because the open class is technically only 17-34 years. I was horrified when the boys told me this last night and will be lobbying John to extend the open class to 17-39 next summer!
Thursday Feb 18, 2010 #
7 AM
running intervals (200s(ish)) 6:43 [5] 1.8 km (3:44 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
8 x 225m (Mortlock oval) which, I would like to point out: was on rough grass, ever so slightly uphill, into the sun, and involved running through a flock of pigeons each time!
48, 51, 50, 50, 50, 52, 50, 52 with recoveries of the same distance in between.
Can you be both wooden and leaden simultaneously? I reached a new peak in breathlessness also. Not quite sure what my pre-Easter training plan should be, but I'm leaning towards a "less is more" approach because I am just a bit stuffed, really.
48, 51, 50, 50, 50, 52, 50, 52 with recoveries of the same distance in between.
Can you be both wooden and leaden simultaneously? I reached a new peak in breathlessness also. Not quite sure what my pre-Easter training plan should be, but I'm leaning towards a "less is more" approach because I am just a bit stuffed, really.
8 AM
running warm up/down 31:30 [2]
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
To/from Colonel Light Gardens, plus recoveries between intervals. Starting to think I should always eat something before I run in the mornings. This never used to be necessary.
7 PM
riding (Belair) 50:00 [3]
While the others went running I snuck off to the far end of Long Gully armed with plastic containers and came back with 3 litres of blackberries! I really like 'riding' in Belair, pity it isn't bigger. Went the back way between Government Farm and Pines ovals to learn about gravel, and managed not to bounce the blackberries too much.
Wednesday Feb 17, 2010 #
7 AM
swimming 40:00 [3] 1.0 km (40:00 / km)
Couldn't do any more as I ran out of fingers & toes to count laps on :)
Felt better than expected despite waking up at 4am to the smell of smoke blowing in the window from a grass fire somewhere up the hill. Apparently there were fires at Windy Point and Hawthorndene, but I can't see any evidence, from the bottom of the hill. I can, however, see the "symbol" on Brown Hill and even from this distance it's all too obvious that the smiley face has been adulterated to become rather more phallic (children, avert your eyes).
Felt better than expected despite waking up at 4am to the smell of smoke blowing in the window from a grass fire somewhere up the hill. Apparently there were fires at Windy Point and Hawthorndene, but I can't see any evidence, from the bottom of the hill. I can, however, see the "symbol" on Brown Hill and even from this distance it's all too obvious that the smiley face has been adulterated to become rather more phallic (children, avert your eyes).
7 PM
running (Brownhill Creek) 36:13 [3]
shoes: Asics Kayano 15
To the end of the caravan park and back with Fern - she would have liked to go further but my shin/calf said no. I'm actually considering Kath's advice to take anti-inflammatories to bring down the swelling, but you can't do that indefinitely and I bruise badly enough as it is, plus they kind of eat holes in your stomach. I'm not sure either, how easily I'll manage to find some buckets of iced water to stand in, as per Kath's other piece of advice (she's married to an ex-footballer so maybe buckets of iced water are just lying around in her household?)
8 PM
riding 29:00 [3]
To and from Fern's, marginally faster than I would run there...(can't have been a headwind both ways). Vaguely contemplating going bike shopping this weekend - I bet I end up with new running shoes instead?
Tuesday Feb 16, 2010 #
Note
(rest day)
Before work: sorted out furniture for John & Bridget to collect.
After work: sooo tired that I only had energy for either Morialta run or OASA Council. Duty won out, so I then sat in the meeting, made a list of everything I have to do for Wallaringa, Arrows, OASA, OA and Aust Champs (there's a bottleneck over the next few weeks), and decided I'd prefer to go back to Tasmania instead (no chance)!
After work: sooo tired that I only had energy for either Morialta run or OASA Council. Duty won out, so I then sat in the meeting, made a list of everything I have to do for Wallaringa, Arrows, OASA, OA and Aust Champs (there's a bottleneck over the next few weeks), and decided I'd prefer to go back to Tasmania instead (no chance)!
Monday Feb 15, 2010 #
Note
(rest day)
Attack of the Killer Physio
Porcupine City. One of us had fun today, and it wasn't me! There were so many needles going into and sticking out of my legs that I had a brief vasovagal moment (not that you can exactly pass out when you're already lying down). Still, I am relieved that it's 'only' compartment syndrome again - that's an old acquaintance and I should be able to manage it as previously. Kath's parting words as I walked out the door were "don't let me see you in here again with a pair of shins like that!"
Proof that Adelaide really is too small:
Kath (looking at a scratch on my leg): "You wouldn't want that to get infected."
Me: "It's only an orienteering scratch"
Kath: "It's so common to develop infections, I know of a client who ended up on IV antibiotics after heart surgery"
Followed by a few more semi-confidential details which made me say:
"That's one of my patients, maybe we shouldn't be discussing this!"
Porcupine City. One of us had fun today, and it wasn't me! There were so many needles going into and sticking out of my legs that I had a brief vasovagal moment (not that you can exactly pass out when you're already lying down). Still, I am relieved that it's 'only' compartment syndrome again - that's an old acquaintance and I should be able to manage it as previously. Kath's parting words as I walked out the door were "don't let me see you in here again with a pair of shins like that!"
Proof that Adelaide really is too small:
Kath (looking at a scratch on my leg): "You wouldn't want that to get infected."
Me: "It's only an orienteering scratch"
Kath: "It's so common to develop infections, I know of a client who ended up on IV antibiotics after heart surgery"
Followed by a few more semi-confidential details which made me say:
"That's one of my patients, maybe we shouldn't be discussing this!"
Sunday Feb 14, 2010 #
8 AM
orienteering race (Diamond Hill Hagaby) 12:00 [4]
shoes: new Olways
Yes, well, I obviously shouldn't have massaged my shin immediately before running. I was already at the back of the pack by the first control and had intended to give it 20 minutes to loosen up (or not) before deciding whether to pike (and I am not a natural piker) but by the 4th control I wasn't concentrating at all because of the discomfort, and I really wanted to be able to go around Kooyoora (sorry Jim) so I walked back to the assembly area and sat with an ice pack watching everyone else finish.
It was nice to catch up with V & Kez & Reuben at the Beechworth Bakery franchise afterwards and the coffee met both my and Reuben's standards, which was a surprise.
It was nice to catch up with V & Kez & Reuben at the Beechworth Bakery franchise afterwards and the coffee met both my and Reuben's standards, which was a surprise.
12 PM
orienteering (Kooyoora saunter) 43:00 [2]
shoes: Asics Kayano 15
The simplest, though hardly the most practical, way to make me happy is to let me loose on Kooyoora with a map. I embellished a relocation exercise from the 2008 SA junior camp while the others went rockscrambling. It was wonderful! (And shin felt less worse on softer ground and in running shoes.) Only problem was, I couldn't decide whether to simplify like a good orienteer should or to pick off every rock for the pleasure of identifying them...
The trip home really was a drag. I would have much preferred to stay and camp at Kooyoora (good thing I won't be needing to choose between a June long weekend there or in the Flinders this year, because that would really be a tough choice). It's a measure of how tired I was that I voluntarily asked John to drive home from Keith (ain't nobody touches my steering wheel but me, usually). And I hadn't even done the long race!
Assessment of the weekend: I can still orienteer, and am maybe navigating smarter than I used to, though I'm unlikely to be much faster in the terrain this year. I don't have to worry about being the weak link when it comes to NOL team points any more - with luck, my points won't need to count at all :)
Hilarious moment of the weekend: when we got to Diamond Hill so early that no one else was there, Jim was still putting out controls, and there was a large brown bag, which had previously held control stands, lying on the ground. Shortly afterwards the bag had enveloped Lauren so that only her legs and gaiters could be seen below it, Simon was poking at her with a stick but she couldn't see him through the bag, John was taking photos, and I was laughing so hard that I had to sit down....
The trip home really was a drag. I would have much preferred to stay and camp at Kooyoora (good thing I won't be needing to choose between a June long weekend there or in the Flinders this year, because that would really be a tough choice). It's a measure of how tired I was that I voluntarily asked John to drive home from Keith (ain't nobody touches my steering wheel but me, usually). And I hadn't even done the long race!
Assessment of the weekend: I can still orienteer, and am maybe navigating smarter than I used to, though I'm unlikely to be much faster in the terrain this year. I don't have to worry about being the weak link when it comes to NOL team points any more - with luck, my points won't need to count at all :)
Hilarious moment of the weekend: when we got to Diamond Hill so early that no one else was there, Jim was still putting out controls, and there was a large brown bag, which had previously held control stands, lying on the ground. Shortly afterwards the bag had enveloped Lauren so that only her legs and gaiters could be seen below it, Simon was poking at her with a stick but she couldn't see him through the bag, John was taking photos, and I was laughing so hard that I had to sit down....
Saturday Feb 13, 2010 #
Event: BendiGo ToDay
3 PM
orienteering (Fiddler's Green) 33:19 [3] 4.4 km (7:34 / km)
shoes: new Olways
It took me nearly as long to get my feet into O shoes which hadn't been worn for 5 months, as it did to do this course! Relay leg from 2006, features came up pretty quickly and where I expected them to be. I still have a deep distrust of marshes and didn't enjoy running through the tussock grass on the (theoretical) spectator legs, but the rest was good fun. As was getting my car nice and muddy through the large puddle on the way in to/out of the map area. Next time I'll advise passengers to wind the windows up :)
6 PM
orienteering race (Diamond Hill sprint) 30:07 [4] 3.5 km (8:36 / km)
shoes: new Olways
This was a kind of slow-motion sprint, I guess. I think I paid too much attention to the tracks (and not always to the right tracks) when I would have done better to run straight, exept for the fact that I was very stumbly and uncoordinated on the rough stuff in O shoes and although my shin didn't hurt much I felt like I couldn't confidently put any weight on it. And I was really out of breath - noticed this during and since Cradle (need dietary iron source plus supplements?). Anyway, having now drawn my route on I can see that the mistake quotient was kind of high, but that didn't detract from the enjoyment. Neither did having Vanessa, then Lauren, then a chain of boys go through me like I was standing still...Lauren's was afterwards voted run of the Southern Cross Series round. That's kind of cool!
Did anyone else see the guy sitting under a tree, reading a book, in the no-man's-land between 2 and 3? I am starting to think I may have hallucinated him!
Did anyone else see the guy sitting under a tree, reading a book, in the no-man's-land between 2 and 3? I am starting to think I may have hallucinated him!
Friday Feb 12, 2010 #
8 AM
swimming 22:00 [3] 0.5 km (44:00 / km)
Was probably running a bit late to be doing this but figured it may help me get through a 10km race on Sunday. One thing about the way bruising shows up on my shin is that then I know which bits not to poke again because they will still be tender. I have a date with Kath on Monday; it's definitely overdue.
C • 10k 1
7 PM
orienteering race (Summer Series) 29:38 [4] 5.75 km (5:09 / km)
shoes: Asics Kayano 15
Scatter O at Oakden is usually fairly short, and it's a flat area so I ran quite hard because I wanted to see if I could break half an hour, and I did! The course semed similar to last year, though John said he set from scratch, and so I left out a different set of 5 controls (3 up north and 2 in the middle) and had the joy of running along main North East Rd for 1km.
Afterwards my ice pack and I got friendly for half an hour while I chatted to people, then I drove to Keith with John & Lauren & Simon and had my dinner at 11pm.
Afterwards my ice pack and I got friendly for half an hour while I chatted to people, then I drove to Keith with John & Lauren & Simon and had my dinner at 11pm.
Thursday Feb 11, 2010 #
7 PM
running (Belair) 51:00 [3] 9.8 km (5:12 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
The usual loop up past the lake to the train line, Lower Waterfall, across Jubilee Drive, down the steps at old National Park Station and back Long Gully. I was grateful for numerous stops, where I was too slack to run back for anyone else. It was really nice in the park after rain, and my legs held up okay though I could notice them getting tired, so eased off towards the end - plus my shin was annoying me, in slightly different spots from usual.
Wednesday Feb 10, 2010 #
6 AM
running (Brownhill Creek) 57:12 [3]
shoes: Asics Gel 2140
Up the creek with Fern to the junction with Tilley's Hill Rd and back again. Company was nice but shin made its presence felt in an unwanted way (obviously, it's always present and holding the rest of me up in a wanted way). I am starting to wonder what the point of all those really long runs was if they made no difference to my pace and endurance and just contributed to the shin problem. Christmas morning was fun, though, the difference there being that I wasn't carrying the mammoth pack.
Now I have a month to try to get faster before Eureka (in reality, trying to get faster is a lost cause for me, but anyway...) and will have to stop sulking soon and focus on the fulfilment that responsibility for a nationals carnival brings. On the bright side, the entry form has gone to print and I have admired a completed map for the Aust long champs (insert not-particularly-evil-laugh).
Now I have a month to try to get faster before Eureka (in reality, trying to get faster is a lost cause for me, but anyway...) and will have to stop sulking soon and focus on the fulfilment that responsibility for a nationals carnival brings. On the bright side, the entry form has gone to print and I have admired a completed map for the Aust long champs (insert not-particularly-evil-laugh).
7 AM
swimming 24:00 [3] 0.5 km (48:00 / km)
Saw my swimming gear looking neglected as I was on my way out the door to Fern's so I grabbed it and detoured via the pool on my way home. You can unlearn a lot of things in two weeks, such as that inhaling while still under water is a bad idea!
Tuesday Feb 9, 2010 #
running (Shepherds Hill) 59:40 [2]
shoes: Mizuno Wave Rider 10
The shortest loop in the park - it started out seeming as difficult as when this was my "long" run when I first got back into running 4 years ago, but by the end I felt human again. Ran through a few spider webs along the creek, but didn't see the spiders, they must have gone to the beach already! I think I acclimatised to Tasmanian weather too well, because 28 degrees at 6 am wasn't fun. Also, what's with it being pitch dark at that time these days?
Actually, it was strange on Saturday how many people kept saying "wasn't it warm out there?" followed by "but I guess you wouldn't notice, you're from Adelaide". They're talking about a day which maxed out at 20 degrees, I'd think - I did notice being slower in the sun, but I usually am. (Apparently one guy took something like 25 salt tablets throughout the run!)
I am surprised at just how hammered my legs have been since Cradle. It can't be that I didn't do enough training (if anyone suggests that I will go sit in a corner and cry), so it has to be that I didn't eat enough, before, during or after the run. Part of the problem was not being really that hungry, because I didn't run during the week, so I don't think I scoffed enough pasta when I had the opportunity, but also I just couldn't think of a decent protein source apart from cheese. I never can, because I don't like nuts or tuna. And we didn't have any meat while camping (how do vegetarians manage?), plus afterwards I was just too tired to eat.
Actually, it was strange on Saturday how many people kept saying "wasn't it warm out there?" followed by "but I guess you wouldn't notice, you're from Adelaide". They're talking about a day which maxed out at 20 degrees, I'd think - I did notice being slower in the sun, but I usually am. (Apparently one guy took something like 25 salt tablets throughout the run!)
I am surprised at just how hammered my legs have been since Cradle. It can't be that I didn't do enough training (if anyone suggests that I will go sit in a corner and cry), so it has to be that I didn't eat enough, before, during or after the run. Part of the problem was not being really that hungry, because I didn't run during the week, so I don't think I scoffed enough pasta when I had the opportunity, but also I just couldn't think of a decent protein source apart from cheese. I never can, because I don't like nuts or tuna. And we didn't have any meat while camping (how do vegetarians manage?), plus afterwards I was just too tired to eat.
Monday Feb 8, 2010 #
Note
Kept bumping into things today - I'm often a bit dizzy when my shoulders are tight. Need to get my balance back before I run again I think :)
Legs are slowly regaining power. I'd love to know what my CK level was yesterday (creatine kinase being a breakdown product of muscle, therefore elevated as a result of muscle damage).
Legs are slowly regaining power. I'd love to know what my CK level was yesterday (creatine kinase being a breakdown product of muscle, therefore elevated as a result of muscle damage).
Sunday Feb 7, 2010 #
Note
I seriously felt today like I had done both a 24 hour rogaine and the Black Hill Challenge simultaneously. Quads wouldn't move the rest of me up or down! Was already starting to feel less worse by end of day, but we got home at 8pm, I was sleep deprived and really not looking forward to work...
I had acknowledged beforehand that I’d be closer to 13 hours than 12 but I’m left with the feeling that I didn’t do something quite right either in planning or execution; haven’t figured out what just yet. I'm already starting to plan how I can do the run more efficiently next time – which is at least a couple of years away, if anyone is wondering!
I had acknowledged beforehand that I’d be closer to 13 hours than 12 but I’m left with the feeling that I didn’t do something quite right either in planning or execution; haven’t figured out what just yet. I'm already starting to plan how I can do the run more efficiently next time – which is at least a couple of years away, if anyone is wondering!
Saturday Feb 6, 2010 #
running long (Overland Track) 12:53:41 [4] 80.0 km (9:40 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel 2130
I started out too fast, did a great 3hr run, then ran out of legs and lunch and plodded the next 50km on empty. But I made it! Next time I won't be too busy running to eat...more details when I am awake, able to walk again, and have downloaded my splits.
Note
The results are now up on the website: http://www.cradlemtnrun.asn.au/index.php?option=co...
Basically this was an 80km line course with 3 controls (yep, they used SI for timing. Only one person lost their SI stick on the run). Distance estimates vary between 79 and 82km so the distances below are not precise.
Here are my splits for the mathematically minded (sorry the table didn't work out too well); but if you’ve never walked the track the place names won’t mean much to you. If you have, you will know and love them:
Place Distance Cumulative distance Time Cumulative time
Kitchen Hut 4.5km 4.5km 47.15 47:15
Waterfall Valley 5km 9.5km 40:55 1:28:10
Lake Windermere 7.75km 17.25km 52:22 2:20:32
Pelion Creek 8.75km 26km 1:00:46 3:21:00
Frog Flats 3.5km 29.5km 24:01 3:45:20
Pelion Hut 4.5km 34km 39:01 4:24:21 (depart 4.33)
Kia Ora Hut 9km 43km 50:16 5:23
Du Cane Hut 2.5km 45.5km 35:34 5:59
Windy Ridge Hut 7.5km 53km 1:52:17 7:21
Narcissus 10km 63km 1:40:39 9:32
Echo Point 6.5km 69.5km 1:20:30 10:52
Cynthia Bay 11km 80.5km 2:01:41 12.53.41
My full writeup is 4 pages long, which is a lot to read in black and white on AP, so I am going to email it to everyone who I think will be interested, and if I don't have your email address, feel free to ask me for a copy...
Basically this was an 80km line course with 3 controls (yep, they used SI for timing. Only one person lost their SI stick on the run). Distance estimates vary between 79 and 82km so the distances below are not precise.
Here are my splits for the mathematically minded (sorry the table didn't work out too well); but if you’ve never walked the track the place names won’t mean much to you. If you have, you will know and love them:
Place Distance Cumulative distance Time Cumulative time
Kitchen Hut 4.5km 4.5km 47.15 47:15
Waterfall Valley 5km 9.5km 40:55 1:28:10
Lake Windermere 7.75km 17.25km 52:22 2:20:32
Pelion Creek 8.75km 26km 1:00:46 3:21:00
Frog Flats 3.5km 29.5km 24:01 3:45:20
Pelion Hut 4.5km 34km 39:01 4:24:21 (depart 4.33)
Kia Ora Hut 9km 43km 50:16 5:23
Du Cane Hut 2.5km 45.5km 35:34 5:59
Windy Ridge Hut 7.5km 53km 1:52:17 7:21
Narcissus 10km 63km 1:40:39 9:32
Echo Point 6.5km 69.5km 1:20:30 10:52
Cynthia Bay 11km 80.5km 2:01:41 12.53.41
My full writeup is 4 pages long, which is a lot to read in black and white on AP, so I am going to email it to everyone who I think will be interested, and if I don't have your email address, feel free to ask me for a copy...
Friday Feb 5, 2010 #
Note
Packed up a very wet tent which obviously needs seam sealing again :( and made porridge while watching the blue wrens, who were happy after rain. Got to Cradle Valley with enough time for me & George to walk around Dove Lake before the 6pm run briefing (where my compulsory gear passed muster). Dove Lake walk was just beautiful, made the whole trip worthwhile. Also, I'm satisfied with my decision not to run the last 5 days; there are still sore spots. I should survive tomorrow - it's just like a 12hr rogaine, right? I have eaten enough pasta for a 24hr, though, carbo loading being one of my skills!
Thursday Feb 4, 2010 #
Note
Well, my shin didn't trouble me when walking either up or down the Nut at Stanley, so my mood improved a bit. (I was gibbering slightly after reading in R4YL about someone who turned a stress fracture into a full fracture by running on it. Anyway, I think this is actually a combination of compartment syndrome and shin splints.) Other short walks undertaken today included Rocky Cape and some bits of forest near the Arthur River. We didn't make it to the Milkshake Hills though as it began raining very soggily.
Wednesday Feb 3, 2010 #
Note
Woke up to cloud & drizzle in Mole Ck, decided to drive up Mersey Forest Rd, more smoke than before, also more wind, helicopters were just observing. So we backed out of there & drove up to Devil's Gullet &Lake Mackenzie with thoughts of walking on the Central Plateau, but up there we could hardly see for fog and I didn't have a decent map...eventually (and grumpily) we headed for the coast and camped at the beach near Stanley.
Tuesday Feb 2, 2010 #
Note
We had planned to go to Mt Field and walk the Tarn Shelf but Mt Field NP was closed due to the fire near Wayatinah, so we drove across past Great Lake, intending to go to the Walls. Got 3/4 of the way up Mersey Forest Rd and a helicopter was dropping water on a fire up the next bluff from the one we would be walking up! So we thought better of it, stayed in the guest house at Mole Ck, found Zara's name in the guest book.
Monday Feb 1, 2010 #
Note
Can't complain about a day spent going to Hartz mtns, Hastings cave and Duckhole lake (we saw a platypus). Shin surely did complain though, even on the short walks :( so I hope hiking up into the Walls of Jerusalem for a couple of days isn't a completely daft idea.