Harbourside Hike Star 9/2/16

First Star in a year.

Great to see familiar faces. Started with 6am group and completed the first half to the bridge

Then went straight up the hill to the finish. Had no trouble running the pace.

Hip pain. 6/10 at the end. Knee pain 2/10.

Erskineville to Pagewood 6/2/16

I went to a unit inspection with Honor next to Erskinville Station and then slow jogged to The office via Sydney Park.

I stopped and found a geocache in Sydney Park along the way. Walked the last couple of k due to hip pain.

Lihir 10k Feb 4th 2016

I was on Lihir Island PNG for a week. Mostly the weather was too warm for jogging or I was too exhausted but on this evening it was overcast and cool and I had an easy day.
So off I ran along the dirt roads of he mining township.
I was surprised to see half a dozen other runners out there plodding in the the pleasant twig blight and light rain.
I fell in with one fellow for the last 3k and fortunately I was actually faster than him. That's a first for the last 4 months
10k all up in exactly 50mins.

Return to running Dec 15th 2015

Twelve weeks after crashing my bike and breaking my pelvis I am back to something like runningt

Expect the Unexpected 26/9/15

And so it was on Saturday morning 26/9/15. I had just entered the Boston Marathon and determined my training plan for the next six months.
The first run was to be 15k along the coast to the office and then ride my bike back along the same route.
I arrived at the office, had a coffee while I paid a few bills and then set off on the bike for return trip home. I was in no hurry.
What happened next you know as much about as me. I woke up in St Vincents Hospital. I have no memory of the incident at all.
I had broken my pelvis (acetabulum and pubic ramus) and left eye socket. I had a large swelling on the left side of my head and suffered a big Impact on my left knee.
Two weeks in hospital and four weeks bed rest. It was an interesting start to training But best forgotten.
I threw away the crutches at week 7 and began intense pool training and gym work with bicycle training thrown in. Gradually through January I was able to start gentle running again.
So now it's the end of January and I have "graduated" from all medical treatment. The hip becomes painful after 5k but it's lessening every week.
I am very slow. I just can't move my legs quickly anymore.
So what about Boston? Well it's certainly not looking good. But I will wait till the end of Feb before deciding. I really need to be able to run 30k comfortably by the end of Feb to justify the trip.

11k - 31//2016

Longest run yet. From Concord west station to Olympic Aquatic Centre to watch Riki in the Tryathalon. Then once around the Striders circuit and back.
Pain 5/10

Run to Gym.

I took two voltaren after yesterday's run which had a dramatic effect on the soreness.
Ran 2.5 k to the DRLC and did the full round of leg strength exercises.
The ran 2.5k back. Slow and steady but felt OK.

7k around the Bay 26/116

Struggled around the Bay run for my longest run since "the accident". Very sore in between the legs by I made it without stopping. Very tired afterwards.

Great North Walk Star 11/1/15

Rainy but warm with no wind. Got there late as usual. Started at 6.30. No one started at 6.20 anyway.
Long slog up to Boronia Park in pouring rain, but not cold. All alone.
Ran up Pittwater road rather then the bush track as it was flooded.
Then around Mac Uni and down Lane Cove 10k course and back to Epping Bridge. Chose to run up to Centennial rather than along flooded bush track. Very slow up the hill. Then ran down Burns Bay Rd and into Hunters Hill. Recovered a bit coming over the Lane Cove River and had a good pace to the finish.
All up about 2h30.
Nice breakfast with Mum in Hunter Hill afterwards.
Form OK. Knees sore but tolerable.

Leg strain 5/1/15

I had best of intentions to join the Striders long runs this weekend but my lower left calf was very sore from twisting it on NYD. So instead I went on some long walks and swims. Had one great swim after dark from Coogee to Clovelly Pool and another from Long Bay to Little Bay. Just by myself. Great Solitude.
These really helped the muscle recover.
So last night I was able to run without pain down to Lapa and back in good time. I can feel the Christmas weight though.

NYD 2015

I avoided alcohol on NYE‎ but I couldn't help tucking in to Alison's magnificent roast pork and pavlova. So I felt a bit heavy in the morning.

Ran the Cape Banks circuit with a side trip to Brown's rock. A very slow trot, but pleased that I ran Brown's OK.

Twisted my ankle in a pothole around Little Bay. Hope nothing comes of that

Wed 31/12/14- Pioneer Park Intervals

‎I was planning a MLR but the mower had just cut the oval down. So I decided on running strides and the five intervals. I haven't run on the park for a month or so and the intervals hurt. At least they were all under 2min. Started at 1.59, then 157, 1.52, 1.52, 1,48.

Cape Banks Loop Mon 30/12/14

‎Very stiff still from Sat. Ran slowly on a warm morning. Slowly came good after Cape Banks.

No particular injuries.

Roseville Ripsnorter Sat 27th Dec

This was a tough 28k run. After an exhausting week finishing up work, then Christmas and Boxing Day feeds, I was determined to get out for a long run.

This was a 6ft Track training Group run. I had never done it before

After a trot across the Roseville bridge it's straight into technical ( that is rough as guts) bushland tracks. This is 80% of the course. 

After 20k it becomes very difficult to keep your legs from stumbling on the hundreds of roots and fallen trees. Only had one fall,which was below par for the course.

It was an interesting run but draining. I had never been to the Cascades at the head of middle harbour before. They were interesting.

 Only in the brief road section in the middle and the last 4 k could you really get a rhythm going.

‎My knees,  especially the left, were very sore in the last 10k. But they have recovered OK.

‎A good hit out.

Last St Vincents runs

‎Since April I have been running to St Vincents from the office to visit Serena.

‎I know the route very well now and the many reliable sights along the way. It's like Ground hog

day‎.

It's a very flat route‎ just under 10k. The only hill is the rise up Moore Park cycleway.

Usually it takes about 45 minutes but on some days it's taken an hour.

This week Serena is to be discharged ‎so I knew this might be my last run along this route.

Monday it took just over 40 mins. Still stiff from Sunday. Then‎ Tue it took 40mins exactly. Then on Wed it took only 38 mins from the office gate to the Hospital door.

The difference between Tue and wed was mainly the weather.‎ But I was surprised since I had been diving on wed which is usually energy sapping.

Still , a good way to end this running route.

I also found a wallet on the last run. I called the guy up and we arranged for me to drop it off to him at a local servo. He gave me a nice bottle of red called "The Reward".

Mt Tomlin - 14-12-14

I was in Port Kembla for work early on Sunday. I managed to escape at  9am and drove down to Berry on a whim. I had a hankering to explore the escarpment around Kangaroo Valley.

Berry to Mt Tomlin return

After buying a map and food I set off from the centre of town towards a faint track marked on the Kangaroo Valley map. The track ran up a hill called Tomlins Mountain in the Barren Grounds Nature reserve. I thought I might be able to push through to Jamberoo Pass road.

I had a pleasant 6k run through lush pasture land and weekend retreats before the road disappeared into private property. Undeterred, I went up the driveway of the house and met with the landowners who turned out to be lovely people, Jennifer and James M_ffat . 

They gave me some directions and warnings. Both were accurate. They warned that the road leading onto the ridge had became very overgrown. In fact they recommended a machete. (They had never been up onto the ridge.)

I took a short cut through their property and soon came to a lantana forest. This required me to crawl, slither and badger my way through for about 200m up the hill. Along the way I became covered in small cuts and bitten by a spider on my left leg. This wasn't staring out well. (subsequently found that the road can be access directly off the highway and there is no need to go through the lantana)

Finally I came through the lantana and onto an open disused road along the ridge which I assumed would lead to the summit. At first it was a typical Energy Australia maintenance road and then it led into pasture with lush grass, dams, and shady trees strung out along a round ridge running to the north. A very beautiful place. If it were not for the  kangaroos I could have been in the opening of the "Sound of Music".
It was easy running along here through mobs of startled kangaroos, wombats and all types of native birds like rainforest pigeons and parrots.

The old logging road

Soon the ridge was enclosed by the rainforest canopy, and the open field became a disused logging road. I followed this rough road for several kilometeres to about 1km from the summit where it petered out on a small plateau. It was a very pleasant walk/run along this road. Great views over the coast, and magnificent solitude, except for the mossies and leeches.

Near the top I came upon a fallen down shack with just the fridge, toilet and iron bath and water tank distinguishable from the bush. Eerie.

Once someone's pride and joy?

From here I made a beeline north through the surprisingly open rainforest floor and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself on the summit plateau in no time at all. (For once there were no false summits.) There were fine views from Port Kembla to Jervis Bay. Standing on top, covered in scratches, tick bites and leeches I called out to the world to "Bow down before Me". I received no reply, which I took as an answer in the affirmative.

I tried to persevere to the north to connect up with the Griffin Track, but the tea tree scrub was extremely dense. So after three hours of constant uphill getting to the top, I retraced my tracks and came down the mountain in just over an hour.

I checked in with Jennifer and James who kindly gave me cold water and then jogged back to Berry along Tindalls lane and then the Princes Highway.

It was hot running along the bitumen of the highway and I went straight into the pub in Berry and downed a schooner in one go.

About 25k all up in 4.5 hours. All in all a fun, challenging day.

Note to self, don't try and bush bash in ankle socks. D'Oh

Diving and running don't mix

‎Another hectic week trying manage numerous jobs while installing a new subsea cable. I don't need to dive much anymore for work but replacing this cable took a bit of experience so in I went. 

Only two runs through the week. The first from the office to St Vincents,and the second 11k around the SMC course.

On both occasions it was very muggy and a struggle to keep going.‎ 

On Mon I relied to run to St Vincents on a very muggy night. Just couldn't do it. Stomach pains so bad I got a branch and strapped it against my belly for relief.

Now we'd I just ran to st Vincent very comfortably in beautiful warm rain‎.

So a very mixed bag.

Emerald Excursion STAR Sun 30 Nov 2014

A warm day and very creaky muscles made me think twice about getting out of bed. But having entered the Six Foot Track marathon I figured I better make an effort.
I was the only starter for 6.20 so for the first 12k I had a pleasant solo run, and then caught Mike and Stef near the Maritime Museum.
I had a  chat with them and then after the Botanical Gardens I fell in with Mike, Mark S, and another quicker runner and we had a swift run through Paddington, then zig zagged through Surrey Hills, down through Broadway and back to Annandale for 30k.
With 5k to go I was hot and I rushed into a servo and got a cold 600mm skim milk. Yum. Cold milk is the best refresher. That perked me up for the run home.
Afterwards picked up Serena and had a pleasant breakfast at Kelly's with H & M and S.

Tourist Trot Star Nov 9th

‎Greg L has decided to run the Canberra marathon so I invited him along to this star run. Perfect weather for his longest run in 25 years.

I ran with him and Mike at about 6min ks.

Airport adventure star Sunday 2nd Nov

‎I was the only person to show up for 6.20. So off I went alone. 

A fresh ‎cool southerly was blowing which was a challenge for the Sydney2Gong ride.

I enjoyed the run to Captain Cook bridge where I caught sight of the 6.00am group. They missed the turn for the overpass so I caught them up and directed them back.

Then I pushed on alone but mistakenly took the short cut to Tom Ugly's Bridge. So I doubled back along the course to make up the missing section. 

I was attacked by a very aggressive magpie near Ramsgate Rd. It latched onto my ear.

Then turned around and completed the course in about 2.20. Some knee pain but felt ok.

Had a nice catch up with Mike and Stefica at the finish.