Training Log Archive: jennycas

Attack of the Killer Physio

Ow ow, my hip! It's been attacked by a Killer Physio...Kath says my hip rotators are weak. (So it's entirely their fault that I didn't want to get up this morning - they were weak-willed while the rest of me was motivated, really!) Also I am apparently under-recovered from the weekend. I could have told her that, it's only Monday....and feels like it :(

Trot along Brownhill Creek in the dark and the mud with Fern & Tyson, following the singletrack until we got to the stepping stones. 3 out of 5 were underwater so we turned around and went back the same way. I really like the sound of rushing gurgling creek water; (less so, the sensation of falling in it). Felt surprisingly okay after physio though knee is a bit uncertain.

Event: Victorian Long Champs (SILVA NOL)
 

Spur-gully, and lots of it! Only 12 controls though.I had a mostly clean run though I think my route choice on the long leg to 4 left a bit to be desired - I ended up a bit right of the line and approached the control from NE instead of SE. I thought it was an okay course; there were alternate route choices to be considered but mostly the fastest route was to go fairly straight and maybe bypass the tops of some hills. Wider routes still required careful reading of contours; you couldn't switch off much. I felt a bit sluggish on the hills (especially when Rita Homes from NZ ran past me) but will hopefully be fresher for the long run next weekend.

The only control which I didn't spike was number 8 which was in the wrong place. Well, I ran to the right spot, a bulldozer scrape on the spur above a flat saddle, but there was no control there. I could see the mapped ditch about 50m further down the hill (and had I been in geocaching mode where you look for the most obvious hiding place, maybe I would have checked there next) but I had no expectation that there would be a control in there, because it was clearly the wrong place. Then I started to doubt myself, but i knew I had navigated perfectly to it, so I went uphill a bit to check the contours, came back down again, eventually wondered what was so special about that ditch that the guy in the raincoat was still standing by it, went down and punched the control!

Turns out that the guy in the raincoat was the controller, acting on Anna Sheldon's report that the control was wrong (she was first finisher on our course). Turns out also that the control was only on our course, and that he shifted it to the correct location after he thought all the girls had been through so that the other classes on the course wouldn't be disadvantaged!

Hmmm. What I want to know is, if the control had been initially taped by the course planner, and then checked by the controller, and then put out by the course planner, and then checked by the controller, was it wrong all along - or did some of those steps not take place?

Event: Australian Middle Champs (SILVA NOL)
 

Chewton Diggings.

For years the main things I remembered about this map from one of Kay's trainings in the early 90s were the old foundations of the giant waterwheel, and the dam with a platform in the middle, where Rob Plowright lost his pants when he jumped off.

I saw neither of these features today but I saw 21 controls which were mine, and I successfully ignored a few which weren't. In fact, it was a pretty good run - all the goldmining features popped up just as I expected them to and it was strange ticking off the controls in my head: "I'm nearly finished and I haven't stuffed up yet!" Did probably lose up to a minute on 9 which was a crevice between 2 knolls in the creek bottom and I was confused, looking in a different crevice alongside the northern knoll. One of the NZ girls caught me here, and then Mace ran through us both on the next control and powered away up the hill to 13. Also I think my route choice on the second long leg, back to 17, was silly going over the hill when I should have gone around like Sus did.

The course was great (thanks Warren) and I didn't want it to end. The creek crossing was a nasty shock - I don't mind getting my feet wet and I could deal with it being thigh deep but then I fell in a hole and only my head wasn't submerged. It was literally breathtaking!

Sus & Lachlan & I put out some flags on the Spring Gully map and took the SA schools' team for a mapwalk to show them some of the more pertinent features of goldmining terrain (like creeks which follow the contour). I think it was a success, and the orchids were beautiful. It was hard to avoid stepping on them.

Kooyoora - yay!
yay - Kooyoora!
Was looking forward to this all day driving across from Adelaide.
Unfortunately it was pouring rain when we got there, not ideal for cross- country, so Sus & Lachlan & I went for a short run on tracks from the picnic area - out to McLeod's Lookout (which I never knew was there), up to the top lookout above the caves and back down. Some nice person had lit a fire in the picnic shed when they had lunch so we warmed ourselves around it afterwards.

This was just enough to whet my appetite. Now I am in serious Kooyoora withdrawal. Maybe it would help if I carried a piece of granite around in my pocket?

With John and Fern and Zara through Long Gully, up to the railway line (aiming for National Park Station and the Ballast Pit track but we turned left instead of right so missed it). From the top of the steps we went up the track that we usually slide down, then up to the fire tower, and down Jubilee Drive. Hip had been spasming all day but it loosened up nicely. Hamstrings very tight so I didn't push it on the hills. And knee stiffened up afterwards - hmmm.

A 6 hour drive tomorrow is exactly what I need. How did it get to be Nationals time of year already????

C • Lauren? 2

Day of rest. Well when I say rest, I set the training exercise for this Sat, walked Meatloaf, finally sorted out my Tas photos and did a week's worth of dishes, among other things. I got George to tread on my legs last night as a form of massage, and I think it was effective - ITB not worse :)

Not sure what this was, really. All I wanted was either a Mona fartlek equivalent (but you need to be able to see your watch for that, and it was dark) or a brisk run at the guys' pace. No one wanted to go fast though, I was full of beans but Simon was full of sausage and beer :) So I convinced everyone to go down to Bonython Park and the Torrens weir - which is overflowing - and I did as many faster efforts as I could and even found a couple of hills.

The only problem is that now my knees and ITB (plural) are very tight. Probably shouldn't have attempted that last 400m on the uni loop, which is hard underfoot. But I think I needed this run to clear my head, which at 3pm was full of fog and dying people (some days the hospice gets to me).

Bright blue bruise on my upper arm appears to be the shape of someone's elbow where I misjudged the gap getting past them on Sunday!

Recovery run through Colonel Light Gardens with Fern and John before Wallaringa meeting. Didn't feel too bad though there is a tight spot in my shin.

I think I sampled one of every kind of biscuit which was on offer for supper at the meeting at the Kreminski's. Gingerbread was the best!

We had 14 Arrows running the City-Bay and we definitely stood out! Sus and I lined up just behind the 50 min barrier and anyone who intended to be faster than that was allowed forward into the "cage" but an awful lot of ring-ins must have snuck through because I was passing some pretty slow people, not to mention walkers who weren't meant to start until later, over the first couple of km. So we started at the front of the 8.05am wave and it was amazingly quiet runing through the city streets with only other people's footsteps. I never saw the 1km marker so I decided to time every 2km. The first 2km was 8.46 which surprised me as it was well under 4:30 pace.

I went through 3km in 13 min (just turned on to Anzac Hwy) and could still see Sus in the distance so figured I wouldn't be a lot more than a minute behind her at the end. At 6km (Kurralta Park) it was the start of the 6km run and it was an effort dodging and weaving between the 6km runners - I would dart through a gap only to have a wall of people in front of me. Got better at anticipating gaps and only had to apologise twice!

7-8km seemed hard because of all the humans and at 9km (Morphett Rd) Anzac Hwy turned a bit more west into the breeze which was cooling but did have some wind resistance. I ate a couple of lollies here. Not sure of my 10km split as I was too busy pouring a drink on my head. Also I couldn't work out when to speed up because I didn't know exactly where the finish would be. 11km was just after Brighton Rd - we got diverted further west and then ran through to Jetty Rd via Partridge St, nice to have less humans. Along Jetty Rd I speeded up as much as I could but there were lots of people in the way. I thought the finish would be right on the beach so was a bit surprised when we had to turn in to Colley Tce and the finish was 50m ahead. Very short spurt! Think my last km was 3.55.

We got there well before the gear truck did :( Great to warm down with the other Arrows, hear everyone's stories and finish times, and then I paddled in the ocean which was excellent! Pulling on my Skins over salty wet legs afterwards was not so fun.

2km splits:
8.42
8.33 (17.15)
8.46 (26.01)
8.49 (34.50)
43. 48 or 55?
52.45

C • Congrats! 5

Short run to stretch my legs after standing all day at Lexie and Michael's wedding and to see how badly a sports bra goes with a sunburnt neck :(
A bit faster towards the end. This was better for my brain than it was for my legs - mostly okay but knee twinged a bit.

Dropped my car off at Kingswood for a service and ran home before work. Halfway home I was joined by Koby the kelpie. Never seen him before, don't know where he lives, but kelpies like to RUN! He didn't so much follow me for the next km, as run on ahead, sniffing and weeing on things but still much faster than me. At Goodwood Rd I stopped and asked him his name, then tried to convince him to stay on that side of the road, but he just cheerfully ran across ahead of me, ignoring the lights.

I bet a lot of drivers now think that I have very poor control over 'my' kelpie. I was having visions of needing to shut him in my kitchen while I rang his owners, but then he stopped to talk to some other dogs and I kept going. I sincerely hope he got back across Goodwood road okay in peak hour traffic.

I am also sincerely glad that any kelpie in Meatloaf's breeding is diluted by an awful lot of corgi! (He's been officially classified by my vet friend as a corgoid-heeloid-kelpoid, but that doesn't explain the goatee.)

Decided I needed some terrain running
a) to pracise lifting my legs higher
b) because it would be softer underfoot and for my knees
Since I finished work early I taped my ankles and did 5 laps of the pines in Blackwood Forest before it got dark. Tried to jump over logs and weave between trees as much as possible. My knee only twinged twice, on the downhills. Then I went to Belair and stood John up like everyone else did.

Intervals up the hill on the 4WD track in the wind and the rain. Great evening for it. Recoveries down the slippery single track. Tried to put my shoulders back and elbows down and push from the hips. Squeezed in a 5th rep before it got too dark.

2.33
2.37
2.38
2.42
2.36

Warm up to Shepherds Hill 22 min, 4 recoveries back down the hill 8 min, warm down to home 24 min. Found a cache on the way home :)

I seem to have an unhappy knee. Did notice it a couple of weeks ago at Pewsey Vale and towards the end of the long race at Paradise, but today it was more annoying after yesterday's physio. I am going to assume it's ITB as usual and treat accordingly. Can't wait till the pool opens in 4 weeks' time.

Attack of the Killer Physio

I knew that I had gradually been getting more stiff and tight lately, but Kath complained that I actually bent her acupuncture needles! Won't do too much running this week, methinks.

I felt like I had ben hit by something solid when I woke up this morning, and the brain fuzziness wasn't reduced by coffee. It's no fun to have a hangover when you haven't even been drinking. Actually, lack of drinking yesterday may have been the problem. Eventually after some serious rehydration and accompanying salt intake my head cleared so that I could tell just how tired I really am!

Long day at Paradise. Course was better than I expected but length was overkill. At least it wasn't too hot though much of the course was out in the open and I got a bit sunburnt. The first half was in the steep shaly hills; I couldn't run well because my arches were so painful either from orthhotics or tape pulling, but they loosened up eventually. A couple of contouring-around-the-hillside route choices were less efficient than up and over. The second half was flatter and I stopped to wade through Newikie Creek and soak my head, so I survived okay and was still running solidly at the end but with no great speed.

Time losses: bad bearing out of the start and too far right to no 1 (45 sec?).
Contoured instead of up and over to 12 (1-2min?) which was the badly mapped pit, and although I came to the right place at the head of 2 creeks there was no control, so then I headed south to confirm the next creek was correct, then back again and still couldn't see a pit, heard a beep down the hill as someone punched it, still couldn't see it but thought I'd better check further down anyway. Control was right in the pit! 2-3 min.

Headed out of 12 lower than I should have then had to climb a lot to 13. Out of the drink control at 16 didn't go wide enough so scrambled up and down a few cliffs (30 sec). Was happy with my bearings on the vague legs towards the end. Could probably have been 5-7 min more efficient all up, hope to be a bit fresher in a couple of weeks' time.

Dragged the others geocaching around Tourilie Gorge afterwards and was completely exhausted by the time we got home...

No way I had the time or energy for the 25km trail run so I was going to do fartlek but about 30sec into the first effort it was clear that I had nothing in my legs. So I ran over to Mitcham to say hi to Tyson instead. Pretty warm out, and I have been losing power when pushing from the hips again - am overdue to see my physio.

Along the creek to the redwoods, feeling very slow on anything with an incline. Simon & I came straight back and John, Zara, Lauren went over the hill. 25min up, 20 back which involved me trying to keep up with Simon's jog and still talk! I finally have to acknowledge that I've been out of breath when running, for a couple of weeks. Will have to procure some iron tablets and see how long it takes for them to hurt my stomach this time.

Decided to do 12 x 200m on, 200m off and actually convinced Steph and Andrew to do the first 6 with me - therefore these had extra-long recoveries while I waited for them. The next 6 all seemed to be into a headwind and I swear the wind changed direction as I ran around the uni loop. Legs a bit leaden so don't think I was real fast. Timed the last one @ 41 sec and the other 11 wouldn't have been much different.

Warmup at reasonable pace.

200m recoveries and warmdown.

The bruising on my hand has come out quite impressively. Purple from thumb-knuckle to wrist. Wonder if it will go yellow or green next? By today I was able to pick up the patients' casenotes again but my handwriting is still more of a shocker than usual.

Ran over to Fern's the shortest way (17 min) then up Brownhill Ck with Fern & John on the single track to the end of the caravan park & back to Fern's (37 min), then home (20 min). It was getting dark and I was a bit tentative of the mud since I was breaking in new shoes, but otherwise the pace was reasonable.

To be read in conjunction with John's (Nieuwy's) log!

Did the long course, tried to run as hard as I could through the soft squelchy pine forest and the thicker native scrub in practice for Vic. I know the Warbys will have a lot of junk on the ground and when we ran the Aust schools champs there in 1992 some parts were ankle deep in water.

Anyway, no 2 was too low down the gully, which I hit spot on but then ran too far up because I saw the control on the upper waterhole. Then I had to run down again. Riordan ran past me on 5 but he may have wombled a bit on 6, I was lucky in the young pines there because I saw him punch it.

11 and 7 were very close to each other, I saw the flag for 11 and used it as an attack point for 7 but 11 was in the wrong place so I (and Riordan) ended up 100m too far downhill. I should have realised that John, who was thundering down the hill behind us, had stopped to punch 7 - when I could no longer hear his squelchsteps! Coming to 11 later on, it was clearly on a log not the dead tree it was supposed to be on, which was admittedly hidden in a thicket.

I had the correct line of pines east from 18, popped out on to the track at the correct earthmound, but no control. Ran north on the track first, then south to the unmapped mound which did have a flag on it. Jim, the course planner, can be forgiven for this one, because that was the spot where he had bogged his ute while putting the controls out the day before, and had to go home to get his tractor and tow himself out! The wheelmarks were impressive.

I was tiring a bit by the end but enjoyed splashing through the string of waterholes which the map is named after. John 53, Riordan 55, Tom 68, me 69. Probably lost at most 5 min on all the map/control dodginess.

Got back and downloaded just before Wallaringa's computer displayed the Blue Screen of Death (to quote Andrew) and died with its legs in the air, taking all the event data with it. Thereafter we got everyone to download their splits twice and kept a copy so that the results could be compiled manually. Pity about all the effort Jim, Andrew, Regina & I went to, to make the event full SI....

C • Warbys water 1

Thought I would go look for a couple of caches in the vicinity of Pewsey Vale and do a nice trail run before O training. Should have worn my spikes though, it was very slippery underfoot and karma got me just after I crossed the fence into a certain park beginning with K. Going downhill where a slick of water crossed the track, my feet shot out from under me and I have no recollection of putting my hand out to brake but I must have because a lot of skin is missing from my palm - and I kept sliding anyway :(

Short hard course set by John; good I thought, with a couple of legs where I really had to concentrate. Wasn't running or thinking as fast as Sunday (and my hat kept getting in the way). Found time to admire the Scarlet Runner (Running Postman) which has come into flower since last weekend.

C • Donkey 3

Shadowing a W14 around a moderate course and collecting controls in between. Took about an hour but less than half was actually running.

Secret Controllers' Business...
Set myself a short course on the steep southern end to check Paul H's mapping. Oh boy oh boy, this is going to be an excellent long Nationals map! It's like a cross between Hill Park Dale and the Dubbo maps, and if it rains as much next September as it has this year, the waterfalls will be spectacular. Wish I had taken my camera! Sunset across the plains was beautiful too.

C • is that some subtle marketi... 3

With John, Lauren, Zara. We went up through Echo Tunnel to the tank (I haven't been through there at night before) and came back down Jubilee Drive thereby avoiding the slippery descent to the railway line where someone always stacks it!

Shepherd's Hill, Eden Hills, Shepherd's Hill Rd to Blackwood, Belair via some ups and downs, back down Gloucester Ave. 47min to Blackwood, 20 to Belair, 32 home from there. I was in bottom gear on the hills and very slow through the middle section but a bit faster than usual on the way back down which was nice. Perfect morning and the banana beforehand helped.

I thought I would see whether Sustagen is any better after a run than it is at 4 am mixed with coffee on a rogaine. Verdict: it's bloody awful, only the coffee makes it drinkable!

C • sustagen 7

Powered by Twix :)
I had already decided to do a 5km time trial around the uni loop before I found out that the others were going to do 400's; you can probably guess that I wasn't too disappointed.

Splits at each km were: 4.12, 8.44, 13.10, 17.40, 21.55. I was satisfied to get under 22 given that it was dark and some sections of the track are a bit rough. I now believe that the back km is uphill (splits 2 and 4).

4.12
4.32
4.26
4.30
4.15

Not too buggered afterwards.