Training Log Archive: Macca

Mundoolun (1:10,000)
Red 1-9 (6.2 km)
Actual time on course was 45:30 but somone (not naming Julia D's name) took my map! Spent 6 minutes tracking down a map for my exact course. Was a good fun course though, as uncompetitive and as it was. Hardly anyone there!

Sooooooooooo tired from yesterday... me wants to crash at 9pm...

Ship's Sturn Loop from Binna Burra with James
Today was really interesting. Got up at 5:20 to go down to Binna Burra for the long run with James and Kieran. Started cruising at 6:10, a little late. Got to Dreamworld and checked my phone - turns out James hadn't left until 6:30 because he had a flat battery. No probs. Got to Nerang and started climbing the mountain toward Beachmont when I got a call from James, "Yeah Mat, I'm not going anywhere"... broken down on the Pacific Mwy at Pimpama, without Kieran. Hung a U-ey and cruised back up to meet him. Called a tip truck to pick him up and bring the car back to Boonah (Towie loved it... not, had no idea where Boonah was - he was a bit thick). Got cruising ahead and finally got running at around 9:30.
The track started off heading down and down and down and down and down for aaaages, with not a single uphill. James & I knew we were going to get smashed on the homeward stretch. Ended up crossing a gorge and winding back up this massive escarpment to some awesome views, through a saddle then back in to the rainforest, back home.
Passed through heaps of varying scenery: went down in to dense rainforest, passed at least 5 waterfalls, crossed a gorge with a decent flowing creek, went up in to some classic bush, found a few nice rocky outcrops with incredible views over the coast and down the Nunimbah valley (Q1 was the only highrise in sight). Even went through a few open (but steep) grassy fields.
Felt alright for the majority of the loop, but bowels were tunring over like a dogs breakfast. By the end, felt like I'd been kicked in the nuts about 10 times over. Totally wasted now. James was the leader for the whole run, and burned me on the last 5 or so km, didn't have him in sight.
Relatively gradual climb for the 2nd half back in to the rainforest, but man you pay for the big downhill stretch in the first 5 km.
Had a well-earned ($5) ice chocolate at the Binna Burra café (in true shit Binna Burra café style service).
Headded down to Broadbeach for a Big Chiaf's Works Burger - ohh it went down so well. Cruised to the beach for a swim afterwards.
Ended up dropping James off at Boonah on the way home where he got picked up and driven back past the way we came from the Gold Coast for his stay down at Potsville.
What a day...
ADVICE to ALL: Don't do the Ship's Sturn anti-clockwise - it would be practically impossible (the last 5 km is a massive climb!)

C • cool story 1

Stockyard Creek (1:10,000
Long Red (6.someting km)
Soooooo tired from yesterday's Smashfest. A slow walk... practically.

Started off with everyone as a group (big group today, around 8 or 9 people). Kieran and James shot off ahead and they practically lost me on the first bush hill. Kept a steady pace, though was definately going harder through the first section than ever before. Powered up round the back and round, feeling pretty screwed but still going hard. Started seeing James ahead, slowly drawing closer. Ended up passing him on one of the last few hills. (dying to go to the loo at this stage). Burned it round the corner to bring in a PB, smashing the last PB by 22 seconds!
Still, had absolutely no chance of keeping up with Kieran... he's a friggen gun! I got a looooooong way to go if I'm to get any chance of being competitve.

Down along the river at UQ with James and Julia D.
8x 500 m, rest on 500 m
Heaps more consistent than the same session 2 weeks ago, but couldn't pick up the pace. James was way ahead in pretty much every interval. He's getting soooo fast!
1. 1:39
2. 1:42
3. 1:40
4. 1:40
5. 1:40
6. 1:40
7. 1:42
8. 1:39
Had nothing more left speed wise. I gotta find a way to pick up that pace.