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.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
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.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Paint it all pink
I have signed up for the pinkie triathlon on Nov 27. It is a short distance and I am told it is not very competitive, so a good event for a first attempt I figure. Mostly, I liked the comment from Tamyka that "not many people will wear race suits". Although the idea of turning up in a superhero suit does mildly amuse me, I don't want to go out and spend money on something I may never wear again (if the whole triathlon thing turns out to be another one of my silly ideas).
The first leg is a 300m swim. To most people this probably sounds very easy, but this is the part that fills me with dread. I know I won't drown, but it is highly questionable if I will be able to accomplish much more than that. It may be that the rest of the field is finishing the bike leg before I even get out of the water. I have been training a fair bit for this part of the race. Basically, I go to the pool a couple of times a week and try to swim 300m freestyle without hanging out at the end of the pool to gulp down some air between laps. Once the 300m is complete I grab the pull-buoy and take it easy for the next 700m. I have been mildly successful and am fairly confident now that I should be able to get through the swim leg without having to stop and catch my breath, or switch to breaststroke midway.
Next is a 9km bike ride. I am ok with this. The issue that I have with cycling is that I get scared of the traffic, but I assume there will only be other bikes on the road during the race, so this shouldn't be an issue. On the weekend I rode from Kenmore to the city and back and found this to be quite enjoyable, other than when some idiot tried to run me off the road despite the fact that I was in the bike lane.
Then finally, a 3km run. This should be easy for me, but the truth is I am a slow runner, and I may still be catching my breath from the swim.
So... Pinkie Tri. Or is it Pinky Tri.
Oh yeah, I am pacing Tam at Great North Walk! I am hoping that with 100km in her legs when she gets to me, I will be able to keep up with her.
The first leg is a 300m swim. To most people this probably sounds very easy, but this is the part that fills me with dread. I know I won't drown, but it is highly questionable if I will be able to accomplish much more than that. It may be that the rest of the field is finishing the bike leg before I even get out of the water. I have been training a fair bit for this part of the race. Basically, I go to the pool a couple of times a week and try to swim 300m freestyle without hanging out at the end of the pool to gulp down some air between laps. Once the 300m is complete I grab the pull-buoy and take it easy for the next 700m. I have been mildly successful and am fairly confident now that I should be able to get through the swim leg without having to stop and catch my breath, or switch to breaststroke midway.
Next is a 9km bike ride. I am ok with this. The issue that I have with cycling is that I get scared of the traffic, but I assume there will only be other bikes on the road during the race, so this shouldn't be an issue. On the weekend I rode from Kenmore to the city and back and found this to be quite enjoyable, other than when some idiot tried to run me off the road despite the fact that I was in the bike lane.
Then finally, a 3km run. This should be easy for me, but the truth is I am a slow runner, and I may still be catching my breath from the swim.
So... Pinkie Tri. Or is it Pinky Tri.
Oh yeah, I am pacing Tam at Great North Walk! I am hoping that with 100km in her legs when she gets to me, I will be able to keep up with her.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Washpool/Gibraltar Range NP 50km Race Report
I was very excited about Washpool and the scenery certainly lived up to my expectations. My running on the other hand, did not live up to my expectations.
We headed to Glen Innes on Saturday morning. I had packed in a rush on Friday night and just before we got into Stanthorpe, I realised I had not brought my orthotics. I can normally get away with running trails without my orthotics, but given my stress fracture earlier in the year, I have been extra cautious recently. I didn't even have insoles in my shoes though, so I was in a bit of trouble. It turns out that stores in Stanthorpe, Tenterfield and Glen Innes are only open for a few hours on Saturday so it was too late for me to buy new shoes. A pair of 'sports insoles' from Bi-Lo was all I could manage to find. Not a good start.
We woke up early Sunday morning and drove about 1 hour to Gibraltar Range NP. It was a pretty cold morning so I was keen to start and warm up. Right from the start of the race I felt flat and was struggling to breathe. I hate using my Ventolin because it makes my heart race so I put it off, hoping things would improve. I left my long sleeve top on over my other shirt and breathed in as hard as I could. Finally around the 10km mark the air didn't feel so thick and my chest didn't feel constricted. Sweet. Unfortunately, no engines were firing yet and I felt flat and miserable. I forced myself to run the flats and downhills but walked the hills. Luckily the first 15km or so was largely downhill so I actually made descent time despite the fact that it was taking all my effort to just put one foot in front of the other. During this time I swapped places with a couple about six times. The would get in front of me on the uphills, only for me to overtake them on the downhills.
The next 20km or so involved a lot of climbing. There weren't too many steep hills, but there were a lot of hills. It seemed like all I did was climb for a few kilometres, run downhill for a couple hundred metres and then start climbing again. On one of those small downhills my ITB went. I swallowed a couple panadols, tightened my ITB strap and ignored the plethora bad thoughts in my head. I was in all sorts of pain and all sorts of trouble. All I could think of was getting to the next check point and then deciding if my ITB could make it. It was also very exposed and hot for a lot of this section so I went though more water than expected and ran out 5km before the checkpoint. At the time I was really annoyed with myself for being negative, but looking back, I am proud that I pushed through. Even when I came to yet another hill and wanted to scream, I just smiled and walked on up. I even made a clear break from that couple I had been swapping positions with for 30km. At long last the aid station showed up. I guzzled down some water, filled my hydration bladder and grabbed a coke. I figured I should keep on going as the pain killers had kicked in, making the pain in my knee bearable.
We had been told at the start of the race that the last 15km was downhill. I could call it flat. The profile from my Garmin Forerunner confirms that there was an elevation loss but it certainly didn't feel that way. I really had nothing left in the tank (having started with very little). I would run about half a kilometre and then walk a few hundred metres. It took all my will power to just keep moving. I came across An at a creek crossing. Her calves had seized up and she DNF'd. Greg had given her a lift between checkpoints and she was walking the last section (to view the prettiness). Good on her for going back out after the DNF. After a short chat I took off. There was only about 2km to go and I was determined to have the pain over as soon as possible. It wasn't long before I passed another guy. He said something about me still having lots of energy left. The truth was I just wanted the pain to end as soon as possible. I don't know how I was still standing at this point, let along running. I continued to stumble forward for what seemed like far more than 2km. Finally, after 7hrs 46mins, I caught a glimpse of the big red finish sign. As I ran between the flags to the finish line, the other runners, spectators and race organisers and volunteers cheered for me and it all felt worthwhile.
After a stretch, chat and ice cold shower, we were back on the road, headed back home. The six hour drive home was pretty uncomfortable. My muscles stiffened up and all I wanted to do was sleep. I felt a bit disappointed with my run. I certainly am not as fit as I had hoped and I was pretty annoyed with myself for letting the negative thoughts in. On the other hand, it was a tough course and I have finally completed another ultra - my first since September last year.
We headed to Glen Innes on Saturday morning. I had packed in a rush on Friday night and just before we got into Stanthorpe, I realised I had not brought my orthotics. I can normally get away with running trails without my orthotics, but given my stress fracture earlier in the year, I have been extra cautious recently. I didn't even have insoles in my shoes though, so I was in a bit of trouble. It turns out that stores in Stanthorpe, Tenterfield and Glen Innes are only open for a few hours on Saturday so it was too late for me to buy new shoes. A pair of 'sports insoles' from Bi-Lo was all I could manage to find. Not a good start.
We woke up early Sunday morning and drove about 1 hour to Gibraltar Range NP. It was a pretty cold morning so I was keen to start and warm up. Right from the start of the race I felt flat and was struggling to breathe. I hate using my Ventolin because it makes my heart race so I put it off, hoping things would improve. I left my long sleeve top on over my other shirt and breathed in as hard as I could. Finally around the 10km mark the air didn't feel so thick and my chest didn't feel constricted. Sweet. Unfortunately, no engines were firing yet and I felt flat and miserable. I forced myself to run the flats and downhills but walked the hills. Luckily the first 15km or so was largely downhill so I actually made descent time despite the fact that it was taking all my effort to just put one foot in front of the other. During this time I swapped places with a couple about six times. The would get in front of me on the uphills, only for me to overtake them on the downhills.
The next 20km or so involved a lot of climbing. There weren't too many steep hills, but there were a lot of hills. It seemed like all I did was climb for a few kilometres, run downhill for a couple hundred metres and then start climbing again. On one of those small downhills my ITB went. I swallowed a couple panadols, tightened my ITB strap and ignored the plethora bad thoughts in my head. I was in all sorts of pain and all sorts of trouble. All I could think of was getting to the next check point and then deciding if my ITB could make it. It was also very exposed and hot for a lot of this section so I went though more water than expected and ran out 5km before the checkpoint. At the time I was really annoyed with myself for being negative, but looking back, I am proud that I pushed through. Even when I came to yet another hill and wanted to scream, I just smiled and walked on up. I even made a clear break from that couple I had been swapping positions with for 30km. At long last the aid station showed up. I guzzled down some water, filled my hydration bladder and grabbed a coke. I figured I should keep on going as the pain killers had kicked in, making the pain in my knee bearable.
We had been told at the start of the race that the last 15km was downhill. I could call it flat. The profile from my Garmin Forerunner confirms that there was an elevation loss but it certainly didn't feel that way. I really had nothing left in the tank (having started with very little). I would run about half a kilometre and then walk a few hundred metres. It took all my will power to just keep moving. I came across An at a creek crossing. Her calves had seized up and she DNF'd. Greg had given her a lift between checkpoints and she was walking the last section (to view the prettiness). Good on her for going back out after the DNF. After a short chat I took off. There was only about 2km to go and I was determined to have the pain over as soon as possible. It wasn't long before I passed another guy. He said something about me still having lots of energy left. The truth was I just wanted the pain to end as soon as possible. I don't know how I was still standing at this point, let along running. I continued to stumble forward for what seemed like far more than 2km. Finally, after 7hrs 46mins, I caught a glimpse of the big red finish sign. As I ran between the flags to the finish line, the other runners, spectators and race organisers and volunteers cheered for me and it all felt worthwhile.
After a stretch, chat and ice cold shower, we were back on the road, headed back home. The six hour drive home was pretty uncomfortable. My muscles stiffened up and all I wanted to do was sleep. I felt a bit disappointed with my run. I certainly am not as fit as I had hoped and I was pretty annoyed with myself for letting the negative thoughts in. On the other hand, it was a tough course and I have finally completed another ultra - my first since September last year.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Plan B
I had two weeks of good training and then it all went downhill rather quickly. Last Sunday I went out for a 30km run at Lake Manchester and everything was going quite well until the last 4km or so. Coming down a steep hill I felt that very horrible sharp pain on the outside of my left knee that can only mean one thing - ITB syndrome. I had quite a few downhills to get through before I got back to my car, so I limped and grunted my way back over the next 4km. Once home I jumped on the foam roller and applied a heat pack. I was a bit grumpy, but not too worried as I ran 100km on a dodgy ITB last year. It was nothing that pain killers, massage and dogged determination couldn't overcome.
I took the first few days of this week off to help my ITB loosen up. I was therefore very surprised to wake up Thursday morning with pain in my foot. Worse still, the pain was in the exact same place as it was when I had my stress fracture earlier this year. Uh oh. As yet I have done little about it. I am just hoping the pain will go away. I don't think this has followed what I would consider the clinical development of a stress fracture, so I am hopeful that it is just some tight muscles from walking in heals.
In any case, I have decided to go through with a plan that has been forming in the back of my mind for a while - train for a triathlon instead! I figure that I can reduce my running mileage and up my swimming and cycling and hopefully start to avoid some of these injuries. My plan is to do a baby distance tri next month and then build myself up to a real distance. So watch this space people. Follow my training and progress (or lack there of) over the coming months! Fun times await.
I took the first few days of this week off to help my ITB loosen up. I was therefore very surprised to wake up Thursday morning with pain in my foot. Worse still, the pain was in the exact same place as it was when I had my stress fracture earlier this year. Uh oh. As yet I have done little about it. I am just hoping the pain will go away. I don't think this has followed what I would consider the clinical development of a stress fracture, so I am hopeful that it is just some tight muscles from walking in heals.
In any case, I have decided to go through with a plan that has been forming in the back of my mind for a while - train for a triathlon instead! I figure that I can reduce my running mileage and up my swimming and cycling and hopefully start to avoid some of these injuries. My plan is to do a baby distance tri next month and then build myself up to a real distance. So watch this space people. Follow my training and progress (or lack there of) over the coming months! Fun times await.
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