Training Log Archive: jennycas

I spent so long packing everything last night in preparation for getting up at 5 am but it turns out I forgot to transfer my innersoles/orthotics over from last night's shoes. This I figured out when we rocked up at Warren Conservation Park already slightly on the late side. A frantic appeal to the Roadrunners group for spare innersoles yielded a pair one size too big, which I gratefully crammed into my shoes anyway.

This meant that John, Simon and I started at the back of the pack and slowly worked our way through the group. Unfortunately every time we wanted to overtake it was on a rough bit of singletrack and the people who rarely run off bitumen, and were gingerly picking their way, probably thought we were rude heffalumps crashing past them.

We had already decided to do the approx 16km option, so when we reached the South Para river we turned around and headed back up the hill after explaining to the guy in front of us that yes, he would probably have to get his feet wet, unless he crossed on the fallen willow tree. All the people we passed still heading down to the river expressed surprise that we weren't doing the full 23km; I'm doubly glad we didn't because I think it was actually closer to 28km.

When we got to Tower Hill, after 5km of up, the sun was still not very high and it was a beautiful cool morning, so we decided to detour past the Lyons' place. So we actually got to run some terrain through the pine forest and then took Simon down past the "waterfall" on the Lyons' block, through the prickly acacia. Now we have scratches and feel like proper orienteers!

Summer Series Marino Scatter O. Intensity felt hard rather than was intense. Foolishly I went to 16 controls not 15. I decided to leave off the southernmost 5 but when I folded my map it turns out I only hid 4 controls. I then proceeded to go to every one north of the fold. I caught on just after I had been to the most uphill control, which I could have chosen to leave off if I'd noticed a couple of minutes sooner. As it was, there was nothing worth leaving out on my route back, so I went to the extra one anyway.

Started out with the guys and Fern but legs died up the first hill so I treated it as a recovery run and went along Long Gully. Slightly faster bits were: when we were racing the train and managed to turn off at the steps just before it caught us; and back towards the railway dam I tried to sprint but then I got distracted by some new season's blackberries :)

C • 2 wheels 6

Eventually figured out that my extreme stiffness was a consequence of wearing heels to work yesterday!

It was still 35 degrees or something when I went to bed; much nicer this morning so I went for a run. And here's the weird thing: I'm suddenly running this loop a couple of minutes faster than I was. I suspected that yesterday too.

Could correlate somehow to my hip not currently being a problem, which I think is improved due to straightening my back and not slouching so much, and not taping my dodgy ankle so rigidly (when I do it puts strain on the other leg).

So I am cautiously optimistic that I may actually be back to where I was this time last year...all the same, I wish I could bottle a good running week up and release it when needed!

Got up early to run along the creek (end of caravan park & back) while it was comparatively cool. A few stops for water, stretching, and to say hi to Margaret Bourne and the corgis. Can really tell these shoes don't have as much cushioning as Asics.

Stretching and strengthening 20min. You gotta do these things when you are getting older - I note that AP thinks I am already 34!

I conned Zara, John & Fern into doing the Heysen Trail Hahndorf Spur track from Bridgewater, which parallels the freeway on its northern side, downhill (woohoo!) to the Onkaparinga river which is crossed on the road bridge just north of Verdun. The trail then follows Heysen Rd and Ambleside Rd into Hahndorf, but instead of going into town we turned right on the main road, crossed the Onkaparinga River again, then left into Taminga Grove which I'd never even heard of till two days ago.

At the point where it goes under the freeway I'd stashed some water -and abandoned my parents - a couple of hours earlier. (Parents walked back to Bridgewater by the same route we then ran.) Water was particularly useful as there's no longer a tap on the corner of Heysen Rd, and the pretzels/snakes were a bonus :)

We convinced Zara that her domestic duties could wait and this route wouldn't take much longer than the direct uphill into Bridgie...it was certainly more scenic. Crossed Cox Creek only 2km downstream from Bridgewater as the crow flies, up the hill to the north side of Mylor Conservation Park, down the hill to the Aldgate-Mylor Rd, up the rough singletrack alongside the road till we got to Aldgate Terrace, then followed the Heysen Trail mostly downhill (watch out for the unexpected (!) spongy bit) into Bridgewater just as my parents got there.

I felt surprisingly okay, for no obvious reason, though I was glad we weren't running any later or up any more hills. Hip seems to be better when I am carrying a water belt, maybe because I am straightening my back more.

Thanks heaps guys for coming out with me when I know you had more important things to do like packing for Tasmania, shopping for bridesmaids' dresses, or sleeping in.

Apparently I had nothing more important to do; I spent the rest of the day exploring the back roads between Woodside, Harrogate and Nairne with my grandfather and parents reminiscing, about the farmhouses and neighbours which used to be there in the 1930s/1950s! Oh, and the whereabouts of the patch of quicksand...