Beards!

So, I've decided that a "mountain man" beard will help my running...(see HERE)
Let the experiment begin!

Alone in the bush.

My worst fears have been confirmed…I’ve got Ross River Virus (Western Australia’s answer to Malaria). Only an infected mosquito can give you this virus, and it affects all of your joints in a manor similar to arthritis. You also get a bit sleepy and experience “out of the blue” headaches…so not ideal if you’re a distance runner. In fact, my doctor has recommended I quit any running until this passes (which could be up to 18months!!). Luckily, my body has responded very well and I’ve only felt a bit of mild discomfort and a bit sleepy, but wanting to play it safe for a while, I’ve down graded my training until I feel 100%.

Sunday: I found myself very bored of sitting around, so I decided to go for a little walk. Leaving my house with the best of intentions of taking it easy, I left my water bottle and phone at home and decided to walk around the neighborhood…That turned into a little walk into the Thomsons Lake Reserve…that turned into a circumnavigation of the lake. I was “Hiking” now! Walking is soooo pedestrian when you can be out Hiking! Entering the reserve from my secret entrance on the northern end of the reserve, I grabbed a large stick to ward off poisonous snakes. All of my Snake encounters have been on the reserve. Rapid growth all around this area has created a condensed nature reserve. And snakes are very much a real threat. Walking cautiously down a single-track path I let the idea of snakes get the better of me and swatted several suspect leaf piles. I felt like and explorer, sure I wasn’t running but this was “trail time” all the same and fulfilled my nature fix. Circumnavigating the Lake wasn’t on my agenda when I set out but seemed the logical thing to do once I’d started. It was a very enjoyable time walking alone in the bush.

I finally got home two and a half hours later, sunburned, dehydrated and exhausted…and with a very mad wife waiting for me, in fact she’d nearly sent out a search party to look for my corpse.

I guess the moral is: you can still get out there even if I can’t go top speed, and always, always tell your wife where you’re going!

Happy trails.

All photos are from: www.walkgps.com/Thomsons%20Lake%20Walk.htm

The Wild.

"The Fig Tree Loop":

Wungong Gorge has been on my mind for about a week now, and when I woke up early this morning I thought it was a good time to pay it a visit.

Wungong is my “Local”, it’s the nearest good trail close my house and I’ve neglected it lately in favor of more exotic and distant trails, but after today that’s going to change…In fact, I’m going to make it my running home base!

I got to the trail around 8:00 this morning; I parked on the western side of the Gorge and decided to run along the valley floor to warm up. It’s fairly easy going along this bottom section and is suitable to horses and hikers alike. My feet were thanking me for taking them off road, not only for the more forgiving surface but also to change up my gait from road running. The further you run into the valley the larger the walls loom and engulf me in thick foliage and welcoming shade. Occasional beams of sun poked through the trees and revealed Orb spider webs high in the branches.

The terrain turned from flat to undulating and large rocks litter the trail like icebergs in the sea and just as treacherous. I paused occasionally, to play with my new camera and take photos. After a while I reach the eastern side of the gorge and can see the mighty Wungong dam. Turning right I head toward the southern ridge. Here the trail comes to the valley floor and then turns abruptly upward as you make the climb up out of the valley and into the more exposed and rugged southern ridge.   

I struggle to make progress uphill as the pea gravel gives way below me. The incline is unforgiving and in direct energy zapping sunlight. I reach the summit exhausted and let the cool easterly breeze blow on my face for a long time. Around me monarch butterflies have filled the sky and it’s like a surreal dream, I sit back and watch them swirl around and land on spiky bushes.

Once I’ve recovered sufficiently, I make the zigzagged decent back toward the valley.

Luckily its wild fig season and I come to my favorite fig tree. (Yes, I do have a favorite)It’s loaded with fresh figs and I spend several minutes squeeze testing them to find the ripe ones, I eat two or three and they’re delicious, refueled now I feel great and proceed back toward the valley. Here the trail turns west again and skirts the valley for a while before the big climb back to the ridge. The terrain here is very steep and the only way to climb it is to zigzag your way up. I climb for what seems like and eternity and eventually reach the top. Spying a new trail here I get my bearings and check my water to see if I’ve got enough for some “bonus k’s” luckily, I do.

Going east again I’m exploring and in my element. The running on the ridge is easy and I’m feeling great. The trail later merges back with one that I’m familiar with and I start to make my way back to my car. Getting off the ridge proves to be very hard; the decent is very steep and covered with pea gravel. I make very short quick steps as I scramble down, my feet are singing “the black toenail blues” as my toes relentlessly slide forward in my shoes.I reach the valley floor and cross a stream, I suck down the last of my water and lightly run my way back to my car, three hours have passed. I’m not sure how far I went, but I’m happy to be back where I belong.

buzz

Okay, a bit of a set back…either I’m really sore or I’ve contracted the mosquito virus “Ross River.”

I felt pretty terrible on my run the other day and my joints have been abnormally sore since, that being said, it’s been a long time since I’ve asked them to run.

 I gave a blood test the other day and I’m anxiously awaiting my results before I jump back into training. Crossing fingers…..

Less is more.

 Click here for more info!

Couch to 50k

Day 1: "The Couch Potato".

It became apparent about 10 minutes into my run tonight that I’m starting from scratch.

I left my house, excited, visualizing an easy 20k run, gliding along effortlessly…After all two years ago i could run a marathon on any given day!

However at about Ten minutes in, the illusion was shattered by a loud clapping noise. I turned ‘round expecting to see a Clydesdale chasing after me, but I was alone, alone with a stranger’s gait. Now for the uninitiated a “Gait” is your natural foot fall or running stride, mine felt anything but natural. I’m sure I looked more like a wounded emu than an efficient runner. Somewhere along the line I’d forgotten how to run comfortably and in turn efficiently.

“No matter” I thought, as I turned up my I Pod to drown out that annoying foot slap sound, “I’ll persevere and hope I can get into a rhythm.” I thought optimistically.

Finally at about 4k I relaxed into it started to feel good…then great…then really bad.

A walker in front of me was keeping pace…even pulling away??

“What the hell is that?” I gasped

“Oh my legs feel like they are going to fall off…Oh, okay don’t be alarmed. I’ve been here before.” I reassured myself. Thinking back to an ultra…but this was no ultra. This was a 7k stroll. I made it home exhausted and relived to have lived through such a harrowing ordeal. That’s it, first one done, tomorrow will be easier. Let the secret training begin!

Try a Tri?

Less than a month from now I’ll be embarking on my first triathlon. I’m not one of those “Ironman Types” who love multi discipline sports, I fact I’m not looking forward to the swim leg, with swimmers frantically kicking past me to get near the front. In fact the whole idea of a triathlon scares the hell out of me…that’s why I’m so excited about it.

It all started with the Santa Run (see earlier post) and since I was a bit of a “show off” in that race, a few guys at work selected me to be on their Tri team.

“No worries, that’ll be easy.” I said studying the course map.

“Three months to train, I’ll be ready...”

That was two months ago, sadly my training plans never materialized. I did manage to improve my best score on “Madden NFL 2005” on my XBOX and I did have a nice holiday. Now it’s less than a month to go and I fell like a teenager cramming for a big test. From this weekend it’s game on! No more lazing about.

That’s the reason for my excitement; I’m really excited about training again, albeit if the catalyst is some silly Tri and not an ultra-marathon, it’s a baby step in the right direction and should get me focused again on what I love… Running.