It started with a text message. My friend Tamyka suggested I enter the 100km at the Alpine Challenge. At the time I laughed (or LOL’d) this off as a rather ridiculous idea. I had hiked about 50km of the course with Tamyka back in 2009 and could still remember the agony of hiking up T-Spur to summit Mount Bogong, and the bewilderment I had at the idea that she was planning to run the course. Thinking of that, I was certain there was no way I could run that course, and then there was the navigation to worry about too.
I am always a little taken in by Tamyka’s ideas though. In some way, I think she is better at gauging my abilities than I am and the more we trained together, the more the idea started to resonate with me. After a while, I knew I had to do it. I had no idea if I could finish, or even find my way, but I just had to try. I consider this to be the toughest 100km trail run in Australia and that is something I couldn’t miss out on having a go at.
My proper training started around December, when I finally committed to signing up. Having spent the end of 2010 and the first half of 2011 sidelined with injuries, I put a lot of thought into how to train for this event. It is quite apparent that my body can’t handle high mileage training and I only had to look at my record of overuse injuries to see that. So my Alpine training plan involved a lot of cross training. I also tried to avoid consecutive running days for the first couple of months. A normal week looked like this: run 20-70km, swim 2-3km, ride 70-100km and throw in some weights training.
I am proud to say that I didn’t get injured. In fact, I haven’t had an injury since I came out of that horrid moon boot back in April last year. I experienced minor niggles about 3 times and on each occasion identified the cause, rested and was niggle free within a couple of days. This is quite possibly my biggest running achievement to date.
By the end of February I was pretty exhausted from training. Although my mileage was low, I still found myself extremely busy. I all but gave up my free time and social life for training. I have no idea how people manage 100km plus weeks. Finally March arrived which meant tapering! I was very happy to give my exhausted self a rest.
Unfortunately, tapering is when the panic starts. With a bit of free time, I found I actually had time to think of the challenge ahead. Although the physical challenge was daunting – 100km with over 4000m of ascent – that isn’t what really worried me. I was fitter and stronger than ever and I had something far scarier to worry about – navigation!
This is not a marked course. There was no flagging tape in trees, no signs at junctions and sometimes, the trails become quite indistinct. I can read a map and use a compass. I found my way around the Canadian Rockies just fine, and the one time that I did get lost, I managed to use the contour lines and some landmarks on the map to figure out where I was and scramble back to safety. Feeling confident in those skills would be rational however, and all I could think about was when I had hiked the area 2 years earlier with no map reading or navigation experience to speak of. Back then I had to rely entirely on Tamyka. Even worse, I remembered coming down Quartz Ridge and losing the path several times because it was indistinct and overgrown.
In the spare time I had between packing and coming up with a race plan, I studied the map. This only made me panic more. On top of this, there was talk of a course change due to all the rain, so I was absolutely convinced I was going to get lost. Most likely this would happen in the dark. I am afraid of the dark. By race week I was feeling ill with worry. I somehow managed to stuff a suitcase full of all the gear I would need, plus some I didn’t, get on a plane and eventually end up in Bogong village.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
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.
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.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
I Would Rather Be Running
There is really nothing to like about waking up at 3:30am, driving to Robina, waiting around for 3 hours and then diving into murky canal waters. So it is really no suprise that I hated race 4 of the Gatorade Tri series. Still, I was a little shocked by just how miserable I was, especially after the swim leg. Even more suprising that I kind of want to do another one, despite saying "I am never doing this again" as I crossed the finish line. Here is my report on my first sprint distance triathlon (750/20/5).
Race day did not start too well. After racking my bike I went to put my wonderful Garmin 310XT on, only to have the band break. I didn't even have a spare waterproof watch so I could at least see my splits and have some idea of how I was going. To make the wait even more pleasant, the weather was miserable leaving me cold and soaking wet. My wave started second last, so the elites had actually finished before my feet even touched the water.
Swimming in a canal is most unpleasant. I usually swim at Ithaca or Bellbowrie pool, where I generally share my lane with one other person and swim in peace with good visibility. Today's swim was very different. For a start, the water was very murky so I could not see where I was going at all. I would swim a little bit of freestyle, look up and discover I was heading off course and realign myself, then the whole thing would happen again. This was one of the many reasons I just gave up and swam breaststroke. I positioned myself at the back of the pack at the start because I know I am a weak swimmer. I at least didn't have to battle with other swimmers for the first few hundred metres. I did have to do battle with seaweed and reeds however and I got myself tangled a few times. Then some people in the wave behind me caught up and I was getting hit and spashed. Then the girls in my wave who were still around me seemed to become quite aggressive. I think they all had a sudden panic that they didn't want to come last, and they didn't care who they hit or kicked on that mission. I had a few good wacks to my head and one in the ribs, making me very cranky. I thought I must have been dead last as I came out of the water, but race results indicate I was ahead of four other competitors in my category.
My transition went much better than in my first triathlon attempt. I had no trouble locating my bike this time and didn't waste time with socks. I was quickly out on the road on the bike. I was very excited to overtake those girls who got aggressive on the swim leg. I overtook a few people on the first lap but then I think I stayed in the same position until the end. The roads were wet so I took it very easy on the turns but some people didn't. There were quite a few crashes and stacks.
I was in and out of transition very quickly again. I didn't feel as stuffed on the run as I did last time, and I had swum and rode a lot further this time, so I think that the brick training helped, and I don't think I went out quite so hard. Again I overtook a couple of people at the start but then stayed in the same position for quite a while. The only wave behind mine was the team wave so sometimes it was hard to know who was in my wave and who wasn't. I assumed the runners who looked really fresh were in the teams so i was ok with them overtaking me. For the first lap of the run I was sitting about 50m behind a girl and I just couldn't close that gap. On the second lap she stopped for a water and I put my foot down, passing up the offer of a cup of water and moving past her (really who needs water with 2km left). I stayed in that position to the end and even managed to sprint over the finish line.
It was really just the swim leg that I hated, but I wouldn't say I really enjoyed the rest either. Still, I am interested to see if I can do better so maybe I will do another one. Maybe. I would rather run 100km though. At least the other runners are nice to me, and being slow over a really long distance is kinda ok. Also, I still find the term 'sprint' rather offensive. The only bit I sprinted was the last 100m or so.
Race day did not start too well. After racking my bike I went to put my wonderful Garmin 310XT on, only to have the band break. I didn't even have a spare waterproof watch so I could at least see my splits and have some idea of how I was going. To make the wait even more pleasant, the weather was miserable leaving me cold and soaking wet. My wave started second last, so the elites had actually finished before my feet even touched the water.
Swimming in a canal is most unpleasant. I usually swim at Ithaca or Bellbowrie pool, where I generally share my lane with one other person and swim in peace with good visibility. Today's swim was very different. For a start, the water was very murky so I could not see where I was going at all. I would swim a little bit of freestyle, look up and discover I was heading off course and realign myself, then the whole thing would happen again. This was one of the many reasons I just gave up and swam breaststroke. I positioned myself at the back of the pack at the start because I know I am a weak swimmer. I at least didn't have to battle with other swimmers for the first few hundred metres. I did have to do battle with seaweed and reeds however and I got myself tangled a few times. Then some people in the wave behind me caught up and I was getting hit and spashed. Then the girls in my wave who were still around me seemed to become quite aggressive. I think they all had a sudden panic that they didn't want to come last, and they didn't care who they hit or kicked on that mission. I had a few good wacks to my head and one in the ribs, making me very cranky. I thought I must have been dead last as I came out of the water, but race results indicate I was ahead of four other competitors in my category.
My transition went much better than in my first triathlon attempt. I had no trouble locating my bike this time and didn't waste time with socks. I was quickly out on the road on the bike. I was very excited to overtake those girls who got aggressive on the swim leg. I overtook a few people on the first lap but then I think I stayed in the same position until the end. The roads were wet so I took it very easy on the turns but some people didn't. There were quite a few crashes and stacks.
I was in and out of transition very quickly again. I didn't feel as stuffed on the run as I did last time, and I had swum and rode a lot further this time, so I think that the brick training helped, and I don't think I went out quite so hard. Again I overtook a couple of people at the start but then stayed in the same position for quite a while. The only wave behind mine was the team wave so sometimes it was hard to know who was in my wave and who wasn't. I assumed the runners who looked really fresh were in the teams so i was ok with them overtaking me. For the first lap of the run I was sitting about 50m behind a girl and I just couldn't close that gap. On the second lap she stopped for a water and I put my foot down, passing up the offer of a cup of water and moving past her (really who needs water with 2km left). I stayed in that position to the end and even managed to sprint over the finish line.
It was really just the swim leg that I hated, but I wouldn't say I really enjoyed the rest either. Still, I am interested to see if I can do better so maybe I will do another one. Maybe. I would rather run 100km though. At least the other runners are nice to me, and being slow over a really long distance is kinda ok. Also, I still find the term 'sprint' rather offensive. The only bit I sprinted was the last 100m or so.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
In Training
Alpine training has taken off recently. I have been doing some pretty long runs and feeling very strong. I continue to be a slow and steady runner. When I train with friends I am always one of the slowest on shorter runs, but generally keep up on longer runs, because I just have one pace - slow. A nice steady plod is what I need for Alpine though. Throw me in a half marathon tomorrow and I will fail miserably, probably taking well over 2 hours to pass the finish line. There is a reason I like the longer runs – make it long enough and I will eventually catch up to the middle of the pack!
In December I strung together a few weeks of good training. I was still only aiming to hit about 40km a week, with the odd week here or there where I went over 60km. I am mixing it up with lots and lots of cycling and swimming to keep me fit while avoiding the plethora injuries that have plagued me in the past. Two of my favourite sessions from mid December were:
City to Mt Coot-tha and up Powerful Owl – I packed a heavy bag and ran from work, through Milton and Bardon to Mt-Coot-tha where I met Chris and then we headed up one of my favourite trails, Powerful Owl. Chris had forgotten his headlamp, and my old Black Diamond really wasn’t going to do the job for two, so we called it a night after that. All up it was about 15km with a lot of steady ascent.
Mt Coot-tha hill repeats with my Alpine training buddies – It was one of the few days I actually managed to knock off work at 4pm whereupon Todd and I headed up to Mt Coot-tha (by car not foot) and met Tamyka. We then did hill repeats of Powerful Owl and another trail I don’t know the name of. Again it was lots of steady ascent and I think once again, I did about 15km.
My next good training session was my altered version of the Festive Fat Ass. Deciding that I didn’t want to get up at the crack of dawn, drive all the way to Payne Rd only to run on some trails alone after everybody took off at the start, I came up with my own training run instead. Susannah, Sara and Mark seemed to like my version better too, so we headed out at a much more reasonable hour from Gap Creek Reserve. It was a nice 25km run up to Mt Nebo where we stopped for some lunch before heading back down. At the top I checked my water and established I had a bit more than I had consumed on the way up, so would be fine to not refill. Bad idea. I think the run back was a lot hotter because the clouds had moved on leaving us rather exposed. 7km from the finish and I was out of water. Uh oh. Everybody else was running low and although I pestered Mark for some of his once (thanks Mark), I knew nobody else could spare any so I just decided to stop whinging and go without. I think I was quite seriously dehydrated. I felt dizzy and kept getting cold chills. I felt terrible because I really slowed everyone down for the last few kms as a result. When we finally reached Gap Creek Reserve, I guzzled down as much as I could stomach from the bubbler. We also made it back just in time, as the storm basically started as I was leaving GCR.
On New Years Day, Chris, Todd, Poh and I headed up Mount Barney. This was a hike, not a run and it was pretty slow going. Chris and I did our own thing, meeting up with Todd at different points. He was running ahead and then going back down to help Poh. We had to scramble up a lot of rock and Chris, not liking heights and a lack of stable ground, freaked out a little bit. I have now discovered how I can beat him in a race – enter us in an event that requires lots of scrambling and opportunities to fall from great hikes. Going up wasn’t too bad but on the way back down, he was really struggling. When we reached rum jungle we tried to find our way to Easy Peak, but seemed to get lost very quickly ( a result of not looking at the map, GPS or compass. I was expecting the path to be as obvious as the one going up and I am lazy. There was no clear trail, but lots of branches off trails. Being tired and hot, I decided I was over it. I promptly sat down on a rock, pulled out the map and GPS and figured out how to get back to Rum Jungle, rather than heading up. I am sure we could have found our way, but the whole thing was taking longer than I wanted it to and I was allergic to every plant and grass out there and decided I had had enough, so back down we went.
I had been considering doing Hares and Hounds on Jan 8, but decided I didn’t want to pay or get up at 3am, so again I organised my own thing. This time Todd joined me for a run from Gap Creek Reserve to Lake Manchester. This was quite a similar run to going up to Mt Nebo, but we turned off South Boundary onto Creek Rd eventually ending up at Lake Manchester and following Lake Manchester Rd South to the Picnic Area. It was a ridiculously hot day and Todd got a bit ill about 5km from the end. We had a short break before walking the rest of the way. I think he was dehydrated and over-heated. Not to worry, I think Alpine will not be anywhere near that hot! All up it was a 30km run and I was pretty happy with how I did, although I pulled up a bit sore on Monday. My right hip flexor was extremely tight and even on my run on Tuesday, I was still feeling it in my legs. I think these sessions have been pretty good and I am really happy that I don’t have any injuries. Three runs a week and lots of cross training seems to work for me. I am doing a sprint distance triathlon on Sunday. Other than the early start time, I am looking forward to it.
In December I strung together a few weeks of good training. I was still only aiming to hit about 40km a week, with the odd week here or there where I went over 60km. I am mixing it up with lots and lots of cycling and swimming to keep me fit while avoiding the plethora injuries that have plagued me in the past. Two of my favourite sessions from mid December were:
City to Mt Coot-tha and up Powerful Owl – I packed a heavy bag and ran from work, through Milton and Bardon to Mt-Coot-tha where I met Chris and then we headed up one of my favourite trails, Powerful Owl. Chris had forgotten his headlamp, and my old Black Diamond really wasn’t going to do the job for two, so we called it a night after that. All up it was about 15km with a lot of steady ascent.
Mt Coot-tha hill repeats with my Alpine training buddies – It was one of the few days I actually managed to knock off work at 4pm whereupon Todd and I headed up to Mt Coot-tha (by car not foot) and met Tamyka. We then did hill repeats of Powerful Owl and another trail I don’t know the name of. Again it was lots of steady ascent and I think once again, I did about 15km.
My next good training session was my altered version of the Festive Fat Ass. Deciding that I didn’t want to get up at the crack of dawn, drive all the way to Payne Rd only to run on some trails alone after everybody took off at the start, I came up with my own training run instead. Susannah, Sara and Mark seemed to like my version better too, so we headed out at a much more reasonable hour from Gap Creek Reserve. It was a nice 25km run up to Mt Nebo where we stopped for some lunch before heading back down. At the top I checked my water and established I had a bit more than I had consumed on the way up, so would be fine to not refill. Bad idea. I think the run back was a lot hotter because the clouds had moved on leaving us rather exposed. 7km from the finish and I was out of water. Uh oh. Everybody else was running low and although I pestered Mark for some of his once (thanks Mark), I knew nobody else could spare any so I just decided to stop whinging and go without. I think I was quite seriously dehydrated. I felt dizzy and kept getting cold chills. I felt terrible because I really slowed everyone down for the last few kms as a result. When we finally reached Gap Creek Reserve, I guzzled down as much as I could stomach from the bubbler. We also made it back just in time, as the storm basically started as I was leaving GCR.
On New Years Day, Chris, Todd, Poh and I headed up Mount Barney. This was a hike, not a run and it was pretty slow going. Chris and I did our own thing, meeting up with Todd at different points. He was running ahead and then going back down to help Poh. We had to scramble up a lot of rock and Chris, not liking heights and a lack of stable ground, freaked out a little bit. I have now discovered how I can beat him in a race – enter us in an event that requires lots of scrambling and opportunities to fall from great hikes. Going up wasn’t too bad but on the way back down, he was really struggling. When we reached rum jungle we tried to find our way to Easy Peak, but seemed to get lost very quickly ( a result of not looking at the map, GPS or compass. I was expecting the path to be as obvious as the one going up and I am lazy. There was no clear trail, but lots of branches off trails. Being tired and hot, I decided I was over it. I promptly sat down on a rock, pulled out the map and GPS and figured out how to get back to Rum Jungle, rather than heading up. I am sure we could have found our way, but the whole thing was taking longer than I wanted it to and I was allergic to every plant and grass out there and decided I had had enough, so back down we went.
I had been considering doing Hares and Hounds on Jan 8, but decided I didn’t want to pay or get up at 3am, so again I organised my own thing. This time Todd joined me for a run from Gap Creek Reserve to Lake Manchester. This was quite a similar run to going up to Mt Nebo, but we turned off South Boundary onto Creek Rd eventually ending up at Lake Manchester and following Lake Manchester Rd South to the Picnic Area. It was a ridiculously hot day and Todd got a bit ill about 5km from the end. We had a short break before walking the rest of the way. I think he was dehydrated and over-heated. Not to worry, I think Alpine will not be anywhere near that hot! All up it was a 30km run and I was pretty happy with how I did, although I pulled up a bit sore on Monday. My right hip flexor was extremely tight and even on my run on Tuesday, I was still feeling it in my legs. I think these sessions have been pretty good and I am really happy that I don’t have any injuries. Three runs a week and lots of cross training seems to work for me. I am doing a sprint distance triathlon on Sunday. Other than the early start time, I am looking forward to it.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Not My Year
I am not one for new year's resolutions or new year's goals. I generally have running goals all the time, although recently it is just to not get injured. So instead I will reflect on 2011, which I think was an ok year. I think some horrible things happened, but I still enjoyed it mostly. This isn't all about running, but I figure some people might appreciate the break anyways.
10 big events from the year that was:
1. Stress fracture - after a couple of months of pain in my right foot, a scan revealed a very nasty stressie in my left foot. 2 months in a moon boot and 3 months off running did my head in a bit.
2. Decisions - Am I allowed to mention it on the internet yet I wonder. To cut out anything I can't say, I had to decide if I would move myself, husband and K9s to NY city. After much deliberation and a whirlwind trip, I decided not to.
3. Oh Canada - I spent July in Canada. I love that country. Every time I go there it amazes me even more and every time I leave, it feels a little bit sadder.
4. My grandmother died - this is more something that happened to people that I love than happened to me.
5. Oxfam Trailwalker - I had total FOMO and entered Trail Walker as soon as entries opened. A few weeks later I got the diagnoses on my foot. My podiatrist did a lot of frowning whenever I brought up the topic of TW and we finally agreed that I should just walk it rather than run. At 60km I pulled out because my foot was killing me.
6. The real world - I started a new job. I am now a marketing professional. I quite like it. I miss the Eagle St crowd though.
7. Washpool 50km - The one ultra I completed in the whole year. Woot woot. This mattered a lot to me because it was a signal that I was injury free for the first time in a very long time.
8. Great North Walk - I got the honour of pacing the lovely Susannah for GNW. It was an incredible experience. I may just become a pacer instead of completing races myself in future.
9. Triathlon Pink - I got over my fear of swimming and completed a very, very short triathlon. I felt pretty chuffed.
10. Twins! I have two new nephews (and yet another arriving very shortly). After a bit of a scare when the boys decided to come VERY early, the boys are healthy and at home with their fantastic parents Michael and Jared.
10 big events from the year that was:
1. Stress fracture - after a couple of months of pain in my right foot, a scan revealed a very nasty stressie in my left foot. 2 months in a moon boot and 3 months off running did my head in a bit.
2. Decisions - Am I allowed to mention it on the internet yet I wonder. To cut out anything I can't say, I had to decide if I would move myself, husband and K9s to NY city. After much deliberation and a whirlwind trip, I decided not to.
3. Oh Canada - I spent July in Canada. I love that country. Every time I go there it amazes me even more and every time I leave, it feels a little bit sadder.
4. My grandmother died - this is more something that happened to people that I love than happened to me.
5. Oxfam Trailwalker - I had total FOMO and entered Trail Walker as soon as entries opened. A few weeks later I got the diagnoses on my foot. My podiatrist did a lot of frowning whenever I brought up the topic of TW and we finally agreed that I should just walk it rather than run. At 60km I pulled out because my foot was killing me.
6. The real world - I started a new job. I am now a marketing professional. I quite like it. I miss the Eagle St crowd though.
7. Washpool 50km - The one ultra I completed in the whole year. Woot woot. This mattered a lot to me because it was a signal that I was injury free for the first time in a very long time.
8. Great North Walk - I got the honour of pacing the lovely Susannah for GNW. It was an incredible experience. I may just become a pacer instead of completing races myself in future.
9. Triathlon Pink - I got over my fear of swimming and completed a very, very short triathlon. I felt pretty chuffed.
10. Twins! I have two new nephews (and yet another arriving very shortly). After a bit of a scare when the boys decided to come VERY early, the boys are healthy and at home with their fantastic parents Michael and Jared.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Pinkie Tri!
Getting up at 4am is never fun, and knowing that a near drowning experience awaits makes it a lot worse. Oh well, I had paid my $60 and done (some) trainin, so it was off to Kawana Waters for my very first baby triathlon.
When we arrived there were a lot of girls wondering around in race suits looking very fit and experienced. It didn't matter that I myself was wearing a race suit, these girls were clearly talented and I was about to embarrass myself. Then I saw the people in tutus and knew everything was going to be alright.
The pinkie tri started with a 300m swim in the Kawana swimming pool (I told you it was a baby triathlon). Although I can swim 300m now without much trouble, swimming continues to scare me. Unlike with running, I can't take 'walk breaks' as that would involve sinking. I'm just not a very good swimmer. Sorry mom, the 'swimmers shoulders' that you were always so excited by have not gotten me anywhere, except that I may have looked the part in the Chinese swimming team during the 90s. As it turned out the only thing I should have worried about in the swim was the congestion. There was just no where to move and some very slow swimmers who it was difficult to get around.
The first transition was a bit disastrous due to my blindness and lack of glasses. I spent a lot of time looking for my bike because the big numbers weren't at the end of the rows like they were at the other end. I have now been informed that I can get perscription goggles. Might need to look into this for next time.
Once I finally had my cycling shoes on, I ran my bike out to the street for the cycle leg. It was very nice to ride somewhere flat for a change and I managed to overtake a lot of people. I was very suprised to find I was actually half decent on the bike. After 3 laps it was back into transition. I almost entered in the wrong spot but figured it out soon enough and was racing in to pull my running shoes on. This time I found my spot quite easily.
I expected the run to be very easy. A bit of a joke really. I don't even run as little as 3km on my short runs. As it turned out though, my legs felt rubbish. The term I like to use is flat. Like when you run for the first time after an ultra and it is clearly too soon, or you drunk to many beers the night before a run. It was just so difficult to put one foot in front of the other and force myself to move. Somehow, from when I left transition to when I finished, my watch only showed 15 mins elapsing. It felt more like 20 minutes to be honest so I'm not sure how that worked. The official race time shows 18 minutes for the run split, but it doesn't have times for transition, so I think that run time also includes the transition time, or at least part of it. I'm fairly certain I only went over a timing pad when I entered from the bike leg, not when I left, so that would make sense.
My legs were singing by the time I could see the finish line. I am fairly sure that the only reason I pushed myself to keep running was so the 12 year old kid sitting on my heals wouldn't beat me. It's like getting lapped by oldies at the pool.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed the triathlon, not like I enjoy running, but I did feel very satisfied to finish, and I have definately enjoyed the cross training. I think I will try a longer distance next, then a half olympic distance, and then finally, Olympic distance. I would love to do a half ironman, but I know I won't get that good at swimming by the end of summer, so I have let that go for now. Even an olympic distance is a bit of a long shot.
When we arrived there were a lot of girls wondering around in race suits looking very fit and experienced. It didn't matter that I myself was wearing a race suit, these girls were clearly talented and I was about to embarrass myself. Then I saw the people in tutus and knew everything was going to be alright.
The pinkie tri started with a 300m swim in the Kawana swimming pool (I told you it was a baby triathlon). Although I can swim 300m now without much trouble, swimming continues to scare me. Unlike with running, I can't take 'walk breaks' as that would involve sinking. I'm just not a very good swimmer. Sorry mom, the 'swimmers shoulders' that you were always so excited by have not gotten me anywhere, except that I may have looked the part in the Chinese swimming team during the 90s. As it turned out the only thing I should have worried about in the swim was the congestion. There was just no where to move and some very slow swimmers who it was difficult to get around.
The first transition was a bit disastrous due to my blindness and lack of glasses. I spent a lot of time looking for my bike because the big numbers weren't at the end of the rows like they were at the other end. I have now been informed that I can get perscription goggles. Might need to look into this for next time.
Once I finally had my cycling shoes on, I ran my bike out to the street for the cycle leg. It was very nice to ride somewhere flat for a change and I managed to overtake a lot of people. I was very suprised to find I was actually half decent on the bike. After 3 laps it was back into transition. I almost entered in the wrong spot but figured it out soon enough and was racing in to pull my running shoes on. This time I found my spot quite easily.
I expected the run to be very easy. A bit of a joke really. I don't even run as little as 3km on my short runs. As it turned out though, my legs felt rubbish. The term I like to use is flat. Like when you run for the first time after an ultra and it is clearly too soon, or you drunk to many beers the night before a run. It was just so difficult to put one foot in front of the other and force myself to move. Somehow, from when I left transition to when I finished, my watch only showed 15 mins elapsing. It felt more like 20 minutes to be honest so I'm not sure how that worked. The official race time shows 18 minutes for the run split, but it doesn't have times for transition, so I think that run time also includes the transition time, or at least part of it. I'm fairly certain I only went over a timing pad when I entered from the bike leg, not when I left, so that would make sense.
My legs were singing by the time I could see the finish line. I am fairly sure that the only reason I pushed myself to keep running was so the 12 year old kid sitting on my heals wouldn't beat me. It's like getting lapped by oldies at the pool.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed the triathlon, not like I enjoy running, but I did feel very satisfied to finish, and I have definately enjoyed the cross training. I think I will try a longer distance next, then a half olympic distance, and then finally, Olympic distance. I would love to do a half ironman, but I know I won't get that good at swimming by the end of summer, so I have let that go for now. Even an olympic distance is a bit of a long shot.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Time on the Trails with SHJ and the Little Red Man
Last weekend I was meant to pace Tam at Great North Walk. I had been waiting for the weekend to arrive with a mix of apprehension and eager anticipation. I desperately wanted to run and help Tam out, but I was also worried I might hold her back if I wasn't fast enough.
As I waited at yarramalong (Checkpoint 4) with Matt, I wasn't so sure I would be running. Poor Tamyka had tummy problems from about 50km. Susannah had been trough the checkpoint and back out, but came bake a little later with Tamyka who informed me I had a new runner because she was pulling out (with a 100km finish). I wanted to help Tam and her her a hug, but I needed to get going for Susannah's sake too, so we headed straight out, keen to make up some time.
I am not going to give a race report because I didn't race, I paced. It was Susannah's race so I will just give a short summary of the experience. It was about 2:30 in the morning when I started pacing and SHJ was keen to make up some time and seemed a bit worried about making the cut-offs. I just tried to chat to keep the sleep monsters away and her mind off her aching legs. I kept track of when she took pain killers and kept a look out for the little red man that marks the GNW trail. It was always a relief to see the little red man and know that we were on course. I hope I did ok with the chatting. I am pretty quiet when I don't know people really well and I find myself searching for topics. SHJ made up heaps of time from CP4 to 5 and Matt and Tam actually missed us at CP5 as we were so quick. I had enough food to get me through though, so no big deal. My hat was in my gear bag with Matt, so I had nothing to cover my bad beanie hair but that was the worst of it.
SHJ continued to do well over the next two sections and I really enjoyed pacing her. We did meet Tam and Matt at the next CP so I was able to get more food, coke and my hat. Finally we reached a sign that said 10.5km to Patonga and it felt like we were on the home stretch. We went through some technical stuff near the tip (an obvious highlight) and then it was nice road and fire trail. Susannah has very long legs and was taking great striding steps along there. I am such a short ass I had to jog to keep up. The race finished on the beach with a really nice atmosphere. They rang a bell for SHJ as we entered the beach and Tam was screaming "go Susannah" very loudly. I was so amazed by SHJ to run so well over such tough trails, and proud to have run with her for part of it. What a champion! Yet another 100miles under her belt. The girl is amazing.
I was very sore after the run - chafing and sore feet. On the way back i made Matt pull over so I could puke. Unfortunately I had to make use of a plastic bag before we stopped. Ew. I had a welcome shower when we got back (I believe everyone appreciated this) and settled my tummy with some green tea. Then it was off to bed. Wonderfully I woke without much pain in the morning.
I am very grateful to Matt for his wonderful crewing. Lots of driving and not much sleep! It was lovely of him to keep going after Tam finished. I am also very thankful to the ever generous Tamyka who flew me down, gave me a room and an opportunity to run on beautiful trails. Congratulations on another 100km! Susannah is just incredible. I loved tagging along for 70km. Also, a massive congrats to Libby and Malani for their 100ks. Very inspiring stuff all round ladies.
As I waited at yarramalong (Checkpoint 4) with Matt, I wasn't so sure I would be running. Poor Tamyka had tummy problems from about 50km. Susannah had been trough the checkpoint and back out, but came bake a little later with Tamyka who informed me I had a new runner because she was pulling out (with a 100km finish). I wanted to help Tam and her her a hug, but I needed to get going for Susannah's sake too, so we headed straight out, keen to make up some time.
I am not going to give a race report because I didn't race, I paced. It was Susannah's race so I will just give a short summary of the experience. It was about 2:30 in the morning when I started pacing and SHJ was keen to make up some time and seemed a bit worried about making the cut-offs. I just tried to chat to keep the sleep monsters away and her mind off her aching legs. I kept track of when she took pain killers and kept a look out for the little red man that marks the GNW trail. It was always a relief to see the little red man and know that we were on course. I hope I did ok with the chatting. I am pretty quiet when I don't know people really well and I find myself searching for topics. SHJ made up heaps of time from CP4 to 5 and Matt and Tam actually missed us at CP5 as we were so quick. I had enough food to get me through though, so no big deal. My hat was in my gear bag with Matt, so I had nothing to cover my bad beanie hair but that was the worst of it.
SHJ continued to do well over the next two sections and I really enjoyed pacing her. We did meet Tam and Matt at the next CP so I was able to get more food, coke and my hat. Finally we reached a sign that said 10.5km to Patonga and it felt like we were on the home stretch. We went through some technical stuff near the tip (an obvious highlight) and then it was nice road and fire trail. Susannah has very long legs and was taking great striding steps along there. I am such a short ass I had to jog to keep up. The race finished on the beach with a really nice atmosphere. They rang a bell for SHJ as we entered the beach and Tam was screaming "go Susannah" very loudly. I was so amazed by SHJ to run so well over such tough trails, and proud to have run with her for part of it. What a champion! Yet another 100miles under her belt. The girl is amazing.
I was very sore after the run - chafing and sore feet. On the way back i made Matt pull over so I could puke. Unfortunately I had to make use of a plastic bag before we stopped. Ew. I had a welcome shower when we got back (I believe everyone appreciated this) and settled my tummy with some green tea. Then it was off to bed. Wonderfully I woke without much pain in the morning.
I am very grateful to Matt for his wonderful crewing. Lots of driving and not much sleep! It was lovely of him to keep going after Tam finished. I am also very thankful to the ever generous Tamyka who flew me down, gave me a room and an opportunity to run on beautiful trails. Congratulations on another 100km! Susannah is just incredible. I loved tagging along for 70km. Also, a massive congrats to Libby and Malani for their 100ks. Very inspiring stuff all round ladies.
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