Nervous much...

So it has been a while since I wrote anything. I have a good excuse for once though – I have been busy training. Now it is just 5 sleeps to go until Alpine Challenge 100km and although I know I am the fittest and strongest I have ever been, I remain very, very nervous. Although I know the physical challenge will be the toughest I have ever faced, that is not what scares me this time. I am worried about getting lost and about the feeling of complete isolation as I run alone for hours and hours in unknown surrounds. That is half the reason I signed up though, so I am just gonna suck it up and go with it.

This is the hardest I have ever trained for a race. By the time I started my taper, I honestly felt that I could not manage one more week of training because I was so tired. I have only been running about 60km a week, but that is actually a lot for me as I have always battled overuse injuries when I have done anything more than 50km. I have also thrown in about 80km on the bike each week and 3km of swimming, plus some weights sessions.

There have been some fantastic runs in that training. Almost every week, I went out for a night run with Tam and/or Todd for 2 – 3 hours at Coot-tha. We ran when it was pouring rain and got to see a very impassable Simpson’s Falls, as well as wade through creeks. We saw rocket frogs (these things are cool – google em) and a tiny little possum (sorry they are still cute even if they are pests).

I have also been making it out most weeks for the moon light run with the girls. These are great social runs. If you live in the Brisbane area and want to go for a mid week night time run, are a lady and don’t like to run up hills (who does), let me know and I will bring you along.

There has also been a start on the Trail Walker training. Our whole team got together and did a fantastic 35km(ish) loop in BFP back in Jan. Mallani took us down and up Township Break which is rather steep. I stood at the top of one hill and said to Tam, "I just can’t see a safe line to take. Oh well, stuff it, I’m just gonna go and hope for the best". Then off I went, fast, tiny steps and all. In no time I had lost control and was hurtling down the hill at about 20km/h, arms and legs flying everywhere. How I managed to stay upright, I don’t know. Libby was very upset with me for this performance. I hope she forgives me someday.

Finally, there has been the long weekend runs. My favourite was a 50km run I did with Tam. I started at Chapel Hill and ran up to Channel 9 at Mt Coot-tha via the Kokoda trail where I met Tam at the top of Powerful Owl. We then ran out to Mt Nebo. The weather had been horrible in the few days before our run and it was forecast to continue that day. We were lucky though, making it almost all the way to Mt Nebo without getting wet. The rain started as we ran the last little bit through the rainforest up to the café. As we sat eating our lunch at the café, I noticed a leach on Tamyka’s hand. Then we noticed a whole lot of leaches all over our shoes and legs. Needless to say, squealing ensued and the mountain bikers and motor cyclists had quite a laugh at us. I don’t care, leaches are disgusting. We then ran all the way back to Mt coot-tha. I left Tam at the top of Quail Trail and headed down to Gap Creek Reserve and then into Chapel Hill, while she still had to go up Highwood Rd and then down Powerful Owl.

All up, this has been a fantastic 3 or so months of training, but I am also excited at the prospect of having some spare me again! During my taper I have actually managed to sleep in twice and cross quite a few items off my To Do List (which is 3 A4 pages long).

Yesterday I worked out my race plan. It seems a little pointless when the course is likely to be changed due to flooding, but all the same, it gives me peace of mind to know I have something. Now all that is left is familiarising myself with the map a bit more and packing. Oh and pre-race dinner where I plan to consume all the calories that I will burn the following day. So… five more sleeps and off I go into the wilderness. Oh dear.