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

Jealous?

 The always motivational coaching endurance movies, click below!

Coaching Endurance

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.