Fun MTB blast around Loftus with Brad on a load of single track I'd not been on before. A few minutes in, having just told him how I got a puncture the last time I'd been here on my CX, I proceeded to get a puncture... I think I've punctured half the times I've been here now.
Had fun after that though it was stupidly hot and I was massively lacking confidence, only one minor stack though I bailed on quite a few of the more techy sections.
The climb up to Heathcote on the main road from the pipeline track is horrific, particularly in the blazing sun.
9 AM
Running (Mixed) long 4:18:41 34.08 km (7:35 / km) +805m6:47 / km ahr:152 max:175 shoes: Inov8 Trail Talon 275 (black)
Long hot RNP outing taking in some new trails.
After a crap night's sleep, bike and bag faffing, I started a good hour or so later than planned, totally negating my route shuffling to try and avoid exposed firetrail later in the morning given forecast of 34°C by 11. That said, it was already over 30 when I started, though it wasn't actually too bad on the firetrail south to waterfall, the trails round to Lady Carrington were pleasant and shady, and LC drive wasn't as bad as I expected either.
Like last week was through 19km in two hours and feeling good, trotting along LC drive though I was a bit torn between speeding up to reach a cold drink & icy pole sooner, and keeping the HR down... Tried to keep to the latter though.
That cold coke and air con was much welcomed at Audley, though I probably spent too long there enjoying both... Was fine initially on the first climb out to Robertsons Knoll, but from there on towards Heathcote I was in struggletown.
The coke and snickers weren't sitting well in my stomach, the trail was far more exposed than I had remembered/expected, and I just couldn't move at more than a plod on the climb, and barely any faster once I hit the flat. Was struggling to put either food or liquid in too, and matters weren't aided by taking an unmarked mtb trail towards kangaroo creek rather than the bottle forest trail, and having to do some bush bashing to get back on another unmarked trail heading in the right direction.
Getting in the water however revived me no end aside from some crampy fun getting out again (having the pool to myself was great too, unlike like masses at karloo) and I perked up and actually enjoyed the last 4km climb out to Heathcote, especially the Karloo track, which has to be one of my faves around Sydney, lovely technical trail either up or down.
2.1l water, 2l electrolytes, 600ml coke (bit too much it seems, but it was cold), an icy pole, handful of lollies, handful of trail mix, 4 shot bloks, a snickers and a cereal bar. Could probably have done with some gels to mix up the liquid intake a little, and forced down some more food in the second half, but it's bloody hard in the heat.
Thought I'd take the "fun looking mtb tracks" back to camp, and they might have been fun had I not been knackered and out of practice mountain biking and severely lacking cycling fitness since my commute is non-existent now. I also took some unmarked trails (there's so many in here) the wrong way before realising, which greatly prolonged this trip. I was totally over it by the time I got back to the firetrail, which I could see just below me at one point at the furthest end of my wrong way trip, unfortunately between us was cliffs and horrible bush preventing a shortcut, so back I went on the trails I'd just covered.
6 PM
Hiking15:53 0.78 km (20:22 / km) +63m14:30 / km ahr:112 max:139
Running (Road)11:56 2.06 km (5:48 / km) +58m5:05 / km ahr:141 max:160 shoes: NB Zante v3 (black)
5 PM
Running (Road) warm up/down 17:24 [3] 3.55 km (4:54 / km) shoes: NB Zante v3 (black)
To Waverton, then Redfern to Erskineville.
6 PM
Running (Road)43:38 [4] 8.84 km (4:56 / km) +81m4:43 / km shoes: NB Zante v3 (black)
Live hash around Erskineville & Redfern, good fun but they had too big a head start, and seemed much more clued up with the route than last year, so we'd no chance of catching them really.
Running (Road)12:03 2.06 km (5:50 / km) +58m5:07 / km ahr:139 max:159 shoes: NB Zante v3 (black)
5 PM
Running (Mixed) warm up/down 24:08 4.13 km (5:51 / km) +27m5:40 / km ahr:133 max:156 shoes: NB Zante v3 (black)
To Waverton, then Strathfield to event.
6 PM
Orienteering race 45:42 11.23 km (4:04 / km) +77m3:56 / km ahr:175 max:189 shoes: NB Zante v3 (black)
Exile bay flag chasing. Full course looked to be over 11 and looking at recent speed knew I'd have to drop something, so went CW and dropped 6 early saving ~500m which did the trick. Most other folk went the other way and seemed to do more climb. Planned to drop 8 too, but it was all going faster than expected & pretty straightforward, aside from running past 19 losing 20-30s or so (though splits suggest 1 min which I don't believe), which was probably enough to knock me off getting back on time.
Glenn got the lot, but just over 46 so it was tied this week.