Freak!

So, while I wait for my back to recover I thought i'd post this Vid of Kilian Jornet (aka FREAK) watch how this dude climbs and descends...not human.

Also, I got some new shoes on the way...this time some Montrails, report to follow.
Happy trails

The Bad Hurt...

Last night I rejoined my old trail running group for 16.5km in the hills, my legs felt great! I’m obviously I need of some good hill sessions though as most of the hills slowed me to a hike. The night finish was spectacular and otherworldly as my headlight found the path through a narrow cut between trees. Running with a group has always pushed me well beyond my limits and tonight was no exception…

We finished in the dark and sat around chatting for awhile, eating fresh oranges. A twinge in my back told me it was time to head home before me body seized from the shock of not running, to running hard in the hills.

I made it home, had some dinner with my wife and then went for a hot soak in the bath. It felt great to slide into the warm water and let my muscles relax…then out of the blue my lower back had a spasm and I felt like I’d been shot.

I tried to call my wife to help me, but the pain was so intense I couldn’t speak.

I clawed my way out of the bath for fear the pain would cause me to pass out and drown.

Eventually making it to the hallway on hands and knees, my wife came to my aid…by laughing hysterically at me.

Once she’d satisfied her need to laugh at my plight, she gave me some hot rub and an anti –inflammatory.  I lied on the couch for a long while in the fetal position hoping it would go away, but every time I’d move it felt like I had a knife stuck in my spine.

Bed time approached and I thought I could make it to bed on my own, I forced myself upright, the pain was so intense that I collapsed on the floor and cried like a baby. I have never experienced pain like this. I got to my hands and knees and crawled to my bed, passing out from exhaustion.

Waking up this morning, the pain is still there; luckily it’s subsided and is now more of an annoyance then a crippling condition.

So while I might be able to run 16.5km in the hills, the recovery of these runs as going to be the issue. It’s a hard pill to swallow, the mind is totally willing and the body is not up to it, probably due to Ross River…

I guess it’s back to walking for recovery, and we try again next week.




pics by Bernadette.

The Good Hurt!

I’ve been feeling better lately and decided to go for my first trail run today. Being my first trail run in a few months I’ve decided to choose a relatively flat trail to test my legs, so at mid-day today, I headed to Thomsons Lake.

I’ve been using an old “WalkGPS” map I got of their web site (Map can be found on previous post). It’s about 9km around the lake with four distinctly different environments; the southern and western side has sparse vegetation and is exposed to the sun with patches of thick sand. The north is, by contrast very shaded and large trees protect you as you chug up the hill, descending to the east the gum trees guide you back toward the lake and kangaroos scatter as I approach, frightening both of us in equal measure. Once you’re on the eastern side of the lake you enter the flooded plains (currently dry but certainly prone to flooding) and paper-bark trees offer little in the way of protection from the noon sun. Animals are thriving on the reserve and I see many species of birds and marsupials, rounding one corner I see a small possum about to be carried off by a group of crows, I gave them a fright and they abandon their attack and the possum scatters off, thankful this time to have a human encounter.

My legs are feeling okay; I’m admittedly unfit as I’ve stopped training regularly awhile ago, I try to blame the soreness on my fitness instead of Ross River…

I get home feeling great and even briefly think about backing it up with a 5km tonight to “cool down” but I remind my self to be patient and opt to rest instead. Happy in the fact I can finally start to re-build and start again.

Funny Friday.

Funny and True....i'm guilty of at least ten of these!

Tiny Victory.

By Monday night I’d had enough of sitting around watching TV, I wanted to punch Ross River Virus in the face, so disobeying the doctor I rummaged through my drawers in search of running clothes. It took me a while to find them as I haven’t had much need for them lately; but sliding them on I felt like a superhero getting into costume. I was about to leave my house and go running!

Outside the stars were putting on a display, and even through the light pollution I stopped to marvel at them for a while. I started off…a few sore steps, I persevered and the pain diminished. I passed 3k and the pain fell away completely. I felt like that scene in “Forest Gump” where he has those leg braces and as he runs, they disintegrate!

At 5k I was feeling brilliant, at 6k I stopped worrying about how I was feeling and just enjoyed. My footfalls were silent as they hit the ground, which is always a great indicator that I’m striding both comfortably and efficiently. I made it 8k without incident and decided to call it quits so I don’t overdo it.

Returning home I was ecstatic, it’s a very promising sign that I’ll be able to get back to full training in about a month.

Hopefully a easy paced long run this weekend (well 12k counts as “long” at the moment) and I’ll be able to get an idea of how I’m progressing.

An Ultra by the end of the year is back on the cards!

"T" Lake.

I was back out at Thompsons Lake this morning. I parked my car at the Russell Road entrance, and stretched sleepily watching the sunrise. Cold wind nipped at my skin and eucalypt trees perfumed the air. I grabbed my favorite walking stick and my camel-bak I made my way inside the reserve through the dual chain link gates. Chilled fog blanketed the low lying areas of the lake and gave off a mystical “lord of the rings” look.

I’ve been told to not run for another month (see previous post) but today I thought I’d try a bit of “light running”…just to see. The reserve is dead flat and running was easy enough, being on the coastal plain there are often thick patches of foot swallowing sand and even these were fairly easy to negotiate. Two kilometers later I relented as knee pain kicked in…damn. I slowed down to a hike pace and was happy to take in the view.

“A few more weeks” I promise myself.

“I’ll have to ease back into it.”

 I guess this is the first injury (Ross River virus) that has kept me out of running...in a weird way it’s helped me want to run more too. I guess the “not being able to” has made me want to do it more. No one likes to be told they can’t do something!

As I walk I have grand visions of creating a race here, maybe a 50 miler, maybe 100!

The idea of race directing has become more and more appealing over the last year. I can’t help but going to a trail and looking at the logistics of running a race there. Thompsons Lake is a pretty special place, and the idea of a race here, in my own backyard, is exciting.

I eventually circumnavigate the lake and get back to my car.

Trail time: “check!”

Image from "Walk GPS"
a great trail running resource website here: www.walkgps.com

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