Happiness Is:

Today Total: 30k
Week Total: 85k
Month Total: 191k
Year Total: 484k

Edit: Have included 6 Foot Course Profile

Knocking Blacks Range on the head!

After (during?) a muggy night in tinsel town I headed off at 4.20am.

Destination: Blacks Range Camping Ground
Mission: Conquer my rangeophobia
Execution: Run from the Deviation to Mini Mini return (30k with a bit of uphill)
KPI: No stopping or walking on Blacks Range on the return journey and complete the final 9k in sub 7min 50 pace (required for sub 6 hour race plan)


The profile shows why it is a tad difficult to maintain pace heading up Blacks Range.

After walking back down the Deviation for a couple of hundred meters (to make the run up to 30k total) I was on the track and running by 6.45am ladened down with over 5kg's of gear - by far the most I have ever run with. With predictions of hot weather I wasn't taking any chances - 3L of water, 750mls of Gatorade, some Gu, a muesli bar, first aid kit and mobile phone I was ready for anything.

The first bit had me huffing and puffing as it is actually uphill - not for long though - and it was down, down and more down - yikes -  I have to come back up all this - oh well it's what you're here for! I've never seen this part of the track look greener - the bit from the locked gate to Allum Creek was paradise.

After passing Allum Ck Camping Ground I surprised myself a bit by nearly running all the way to the top of Mini Mini and made it to the Eastern edge in 1.40.48 (6.43av).

Just as I arrived a group of about 7 arrived from the other direction and we had a good old natter. Some of them were just carrying one 600ml water bottle (almost empty) - I can't help thinking this is a bit dumb - I know they were only 4.5k from the Cox's but what if they so much as turned an ankle on the way back? Anyhoo they were very grateful when I offered to donate them some of my excess.

Heading back I gunned it back down the saddle and through the valley splashing through the water crossings like a 5 year old and then changed into low gear for the haul up to Pluvio. Again I surprised myself with how much I ran - I did walk a bit, but I reckon I ran more - all the time with a bit of a nagging doubt that I was going to pay for it later - arriving bang on 57 mins after leaving the Eastern side of Mini Mini (av 9mins 15).

I paused at Pluvio just long enough to reset the Garmin i.e. 3 seconds and headed up Blacks Range. At first I thought it was going to get the better of me but slowly but surely my legs were recovering and my pace improved and I felt stronger and stronger eventually finishing the last 9k without stopping or walking in 66mins 42 (av 7mins 25). I can't begin to explain the relief that flooded over me :-) Hopefully the monkey is off my back.

All up I completed the 30k in 3.44.30 (av 7.29) in quite warm conditions (it was 30 degrees when I got back to the car) - if I can average somewhere around that on the 11th for the full 45k I will be a very happy 2P indeed :-)

Now about that promised taper.........