Another Shocker

Today Total: 7k
Week Total: 13k
Month Total: 138k
Year Total: 914k

Bah!

Slow Six

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 6k
Month Total: 131k
Year Total: 907k

Felt a bit iffy all week - you know - that feeling where you think you are about to come down with the flu but it doesn't quite develop.

Anyhoo after getting home late after a busy day I headed out for a run - I didn't particularly feel like running and I felt even less like it after the first kilometer. I perservered but it was crap.

Night Assault - Mt Panorama

Today Total: 13k
Week Total: 47k
Month Total: 125k
Year Total: 901k

I'm up in Bathurst to visit the Halfpenny. When I got here she informed me she had a party to go to tonight and as eisteddfod commitments are over there will be no early trip home tomorrow which means no mountains run.

So I took the opportunity to do a lap of The Mountain. I wasn't really prepared for a night run up here ie I just had shorts and a t-shirt but I did have the PT Apex so what the hey?

I parked up right outside the entrance to the gaol at about 7.40pm with the ambient temperature at 9 degrees (which was only going to drop). I headed off past the Bathurst Golf Course to the cemetery where I fanged a left and then headed up the roller coaster that is Boundary Road.

Another left and I was on my way down towards the race track proper. Turning right onto the track at the bottom of Pit Straight the Southerly breeze hit me and I started to wonder about the wisdom of this run.

I managed to run all the way up to the winery (where it gets really steep) and then elected to walk to the top. The one benefit of the steep bit was at least I was a bit protected from the wind.

Once on top it was bitterly cold and my fingers quickly went numb and my ears started to ache - I needed to move. I did stop briefly in the lee of one of the crash barrier revetments to say g'day to a couple of wallabies who couldn't give a toss that I was only 5m away. This small break also gave me the chance to take in the pretty city lights and then to look up and take in the best that mother nature had to offer in the crystal clear skies - I was deep in my happy place :-)

Getting moving again I started the descent which was quite a hoot and once I took the final left onto Conrod Straight I was out of the wind and conditions improved considerably.

The rest of the run was pretty uneventful and except that every little hill had my hammies squawking - the long drag up past the Department of Lands and the TAFE seemingly taking forever.

A final trot down past the prison and I was back to the car in 1.38.15 @ 7.33 average. Not real fast but very satisfying as I've always wanted to do this run - to do it at night was just the icing on the cake.

Happy 2P :-)

Concrete Progress

What goes up MUST come down!

Five Saturdays ago I was apalled when I jumped on the scales to find my weight had ballooned to 99.5kgs during the hiatus.

This morning I was much happier to discover I was 93.1kgs - much more acceptable :-)

I got there by a rigid weekday regemin and a more flexible but still careful weekend one.

Weekdays

Breakie: 1 x apple, 1 x banana

Lunch: wholemeal roll or sandwich with either salmon or tuna with salad & mayo

Arvo Tea: 1 x apple

Din dins: brown rice, some kind of meat or fish and a mix of green vegies

Dessert: 1 x Uncle Toby's Crunchie Apricot muesli bar

Zero alcohol (funny having been a non-drinker for years I somehow got back into the habit of drinking most days).

GALLONS of camomile tea - whenever I felt unbearably hungry of an evening or felt like a drink

Weekends

I chilled out a bit eg couple of drinks, some takeaway like Chinese or Thai and something different for lunch than the weekday regemin.

Mix with running and some other exercise and hey presto!

I'm pretty happy with this as my normal weight usually hovers pretty naturally at the 92/93kg range (as long as I keep training) and all my clothes now fit again :-)

Now all I have to do is get all of my fitness back - did anyone see where it went?

Play It Again Sam

Today Total: 10k
Week Total: 34k
Month Total: 112k
Year Total: 888k

Exactly the same run as Wednesday but the leggies felt very tired and heavy as I did a 60 minute cross training session on Wednesday night as well which left me with toasted pins.

It was nice to get out early and enjoy the sun this afternoon. I wore a singlet for the first time since the comeback and alternated between being hot running with the breeze and slightly chill running into it.

Oh yeah - the reason I got out early was because I gave myself an early mark after attending the Australian Marketing Institute Annual Awards luncheon at Pier One (tough life) where my organisation picked up the gong for Social Marketing - noice :-)

A Bit Further

Today Total: 10k
Week Total: 24k
Month Total: 102k
Year Total: 878k

The leggies felt a little weary after the quicker effort last night so I decided on something a little slower but hopefully a bit longer tonight.

I set off with the intention of running 10k in sub 62mins which is what I did. All up 10k in 61.31 @ 6.09 average.

It was a very even paced run but I did struggle a touch on the hilly(ish) 9th k - it sure doesn't take much to get my breathing all out of shape.

I'm pretty pleased with my progress to date but I could live without all the bugs I collected and swallowed tonight - it isn't just Spring in the air! Fortunately I'm not vegetarian.

Ouch factor on the war wound even higher today but no puss to report sorry Ewen :-)

A Bit Quicker

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 14k
Month Total: 92k
Year Total: 868k

Went through the first 2k tonight at just under sub 6min pace and I realised that finally I had legs that felt like they wanted to run. So I picked up the pace a bit on each of the successive k's with the final k in probably what is my current tempo pace of 5.34.

Finished 6k in 34.39 @ 5.47 average and then just jogged another 2k as a warm down.

The battle scar is healing well but as it is scabbing up and drying out it was much more ouchier today - should start to get easier to pull on the work strides from tomorrow :-)

Recovery Mode

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 6k
Month Total: 84k
Year Total: 860k

I pulled up a bit sore after Saturday's harder effort - not too bad but as I was a shin sore (not used to heavy downhill pounding) I decided not to run yesterday and take it very easy tonight.

A gentle run around the foreshore in light rain - all up 6k in 38.14 @ 6.22 average.

Miners Run

Today Total: 15k
Week Total: 41k
Month Total: 78k
Year Total: 854k

No I'm not in Port Macquarie.....

But my good mate Miners has come to visit the big smoke and we arranged to meet up so I could introduce him to my mistress "The Track". He'd already had a sneaky peak by traversing the stairs from the Tree to Nellies and back yesterday and today we were going to go from Megalong Valley Road to the Coxs River and return.

The weather was nothing short of sensational, 7 degrees at the start and absolutely crystal clear. It didn't take us long to warm up though as we hit the first of the hills and then the glorious technical downhill towards the river. We took a few mandatory breaks for photo op's and just kept to a nice gentle pace hitting the river in 51 mins. Plenty of water in the river too, came up to just under my nipples - which is about thigh height on Miners ;-)

A visit to the tank for refills and it was time to head back. I was interested to see how I'd go given the furthest I've run since May has been 8km on the flat. As expected Miners quickly left me behind on the ascent but being the good bloke he is (or he was afraid of getting lost) he patiently waited for me to catch up every so often.

Being his first trip to these parts we stopped so he could have a play on the swing bridge and just as I was about to pull up I looked down at my Garmin and went base over apex giving my butt and thigh a good grazing on the steep slope - gory details captured in the pic below. No major drama's though and we were soon on our way again.

Certainly not the fastest ascent I've ever done, but I was relatively pleased all things considered with a 1.10 for the return journey. I had to walk most of the ups and the leggies were definitely getting very tired by the time we got back to the car but all good.

It was really great to get back to some serious trail and share it with some good company - makes me want to get straight back out there. Thanks Miners.

I'll post some more photos on Monday but as I only have dial up at home it is just too slow to upload them now.

PS - I think Miners was quite taken with my mistress and wouldn't be surprised to see him lining up on the start line next March :-)

Now for the juicey bit:

Easier 6k

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 26k
Month Total: 63k
Year Total: 839k

After a torturous meeting in the city this afternoon that went much longer than expected :-p I didn't get home from the office till late so decided on an easy run tonight.

It was a nice run and a good sign that my fitness is starting to come back as there was no struggle at all - just a nice easy paced run. Lungs still all clear and a Voltaren Rapid taken an hour before running solved the hip issue.

All up 6k in 37.23 @ 6.14 average.

Well.... OK it wasn't that torturous a meeting I suppose :-)

All Clear

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 20k
Month Total: 57k
Year Total: 833k

Thanks for all the concerned comments but it finally dawned on me what the problem was - but as a prize numnuts I had forgotten that this has happened before till Mrs 2P reminded me. Being the sensitive fragile 2P that I am I don't tolerate Ibuprofen well and if I take it for a few days it makes me wheezy.

Yep you guessed it - I've been taking Panafen (Ibuprofen and Codeine) for a niggle in my right hip - told ya I was a numnuts.

Anyhoo I didn't take any today and hey presto my lungs were as clear as a bell - my hip hurt though - so apart from the chiro I'm going to have to get some Voltaren Rapids as they don't affect me the same way.

I belted out 8k in 48.11 @ 6.01 average which is the best run I've done since the Great Comeback MK39c commenced.

Bagpipes & Keys

Today Total: 7k
Week Total: 12k
Month Total: 49k
Year Total: 825k

With the cold South-Westerly blowing I dug out one of my old Bertoni thermals from my bushwalking days for tonights run - I would be glad I did.....

I took off wondering what would happen tonight after my last two ordinary attempts - went through 4k feeling fine but then over the next k I started to feel congested again and my pace slowed considerably.

At 5k I stopped the clock and began to cough - I coughed so hard I started to dry wretch but eventually something the size of a golfball came up and out - a bit more coughing and I was ready to run again and ambled home the last 2k without much drama.

Went to unlock the door and bugger, bugger, bugger I had taken the wrong key - nothing for it but to huddle as much out of the wind as I could till Mrs 2P got home about 50mins later - by which stage my lungs had filled up with crap again and I was wheezing like a deflated set of bagpipes.

I must have a low grade cold/infection that I wasn't really even aware of?!?

5k

Today Total: 5k
Week Total: 5k
Month Total: 42k
Year Total: 818k

Hit the wall at 3k with the same shortness of breath/wheezing issue I had yesterday - dunno what it is? It's like my lungs are full of crap but I haven't got a cold - allergy?

Grumpy Guts

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 31k
Month Total: 37k
Year Total: 813k

My tum tum hasn't been quite right since my dose of gastro a couple of weeks ago - might have to resort to seeing a quack.

Anyhoo the plan had been to do a long slooooow 20k today but when I woke up I just plain wasn't up to it so didn't.

Eventually got out for a trot after 4.00pm but started to struggle after 6k with shortness of breath and mild stomach cramps so I just plotted the shortest route home and took it really easy.

All up 8k in 52.50 @ 6.36 average pace.

Oh well it's in the diary and one they can never take away from me but it sure weren't pretty.

Onwards & upwards.

Legs Of Stone

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 23k
Month Total: 29k
Year Total: 805k

Geez I wish the running gods would listen properly - it was legs of STEEL I was asking for!!!

I had a brief window of opportunity yesterday so I decided to fill it with my first session core strength exercises for quite some time - 5 sets of 30 push-ups (knuckles, palms, hands turned in, up on finger tips and one fast set [not quite up to clap-ups yet]), 5 sets of 50 tum exercises (crunchers, cross-overs, full sit-ups, leg extensions and a slow set) and 5 sets of reverse leg raises for the lower back. I then got on the stepping machine to make up 20 mins of exercise.

Suffice it to say it was a sore and frumpy 2P who headed out for a run today - I battled my way around 8k in 50.41 @ 6.20 average pace. My legs weren't sore as such they just felt heavy and lifeless.

I actually started to feel better over the last 2k and briefly thought about going further but discretion played the better part of valour and I called it a day.

A Bit Further

Today Total: 7k
Week Total: 15k
Month Total: 21k
Year Total: 797k

Legs still pretty sore from Sunday but like yesterday once I started running they loosened up a fair bit.

Donned the rain jacket and went for a doddle around the green belt/foreshore loop - I had a vague intention of doing 8k but a good man knows his limitations and I snatched it at 7.

All up 7k in 42.46 at 6.07 average.

Probably won't get time to run Thursday as I've got a very full schedule - a rest day after 4 days straight probably won't be a bad thing at this stage of the Great Comeback (MK39c) anyway :-)

Easy 5

Today Total: 5k
Week Total: 8k
Month Total: 14k
Year Total: 790k

My legs were actually sorer today than they were yesterday but I forced myself out for another trot tonight.

As soon as I got started I loosened up though and found I could maintain a nice easy pace. A bit chilly around the foreshore but thankfully the worst of the wind had died down.

Finished up with 5k in 30.36 @ 6.07 average.

Triple S Recovery

Today Total: 3k
Week Total: 3k
Month Total: 9k
Year Total: 785k

Short Slow Shuffle.

My legs got progressively sorer as today went on so I decided to go out for a short trot after work.

The Evil Twins in particular were really stroppy with me for yesterdays folly and the muscles in my ankles and feet weren't best pleased either. I also think my quads have morphed into ones - but it must have been good for the little buggers as they've been malingering for ages.

I just doddled down to the local cricket oval for a few laps on the soft spongy grass so as hopefully not do any further damage.

Typing this now from the cackleberry in pool which is a bit chilly but soothing :-)

All up 3k in 21.12 @ 7.04 average.

Hello Old Friend

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 19k
Month Total: 6k
Year Total: 782k

Edit: OK photos are up below.....

On the way back from Bathurst today I decided to pay a visit to an old friend - The Grand Canyon Loop out from Blackheath.

I haven't run this loop for a couple of years but it is without doubt my favourite short trail run in the entire universe.

This trail has it all: extremely technical in parts; a tunnel; wet and dark grotto's; steep descents and ascents; you pass behind a waterfall; crouch through lots of overhangs; and the scenery is spectacular - I even had a close encounter with a Lyre bird.

I always run it anti-clockwise so you get the spendiferous views out from Evans Lookout over the Grose Valley as a reward towards the end.

Before you ask - yes Tesso I have photos and I will post them later when I get home (done now).

I'm not really fit enough for this kind of lark but what the heck - I just took it easy and made it around in 65.55 - in the past I have generally gone sub 60 so there is still a ways to go to get my fitness back.

The sign says 5k - Garmy puts it at 5.7k but given the overhangs that would be short so I'm calling it 6k.

I had a blast out there and was very much in my happy place - man I luuuuuurve the trails :-)

This is the tunnel.... spooky huh?

This next one is one of the many overhangs you have to run under

And finally - the prize - the view over Evans Lookout into the Grose Valley - does it get any better?