Training Log Archive: BA

Run with Shannon and al in morning around Aranda bush land (usual loop). Dark and freezing!

Gym session, made a new program. Did low weights to check form.

Rode to work

Physio exercises at gym

Run with Kathie, Shannon and al around Aranda and black mtn. Legs sore from yesterday but felt ok once I got going and felt good on hills.

Park run. As expected, really slow! Just had no ability to go faster, definitely still recovering. Was just running it for fun though and tried to focus on technique. It was cold but great start to weekend.

Body pump class at gym. I think I will be sore tomorrow!

Run with Kate at lunch. It was a bit quicker than I've been running lately and I was stuffed! Ran around museum peninsula, it was cold but had stopped raining and it was nice to get out.

Yoga at lunch. Was great, I loved it.

Ride home from work

Run with al in morning. Really nice run.

Ran home from work. Feeling ok.

Ride to work

Swam 1.5km

Nice run before breakfast. Lovely morning and felt OK, enjoyed being out running.

Body balance class at lunch.

Met al for a run this morning which was really nice. Didn't feel too bad, just a couple of sore spots (left glute, knee where I fell in it) and I couldn't have gone any faster than a jog but otherwise was nice to go for a run!

Ride to work (but couldn't be bothered riding home!)

Yoga at lunch at work. Was pretty tight in my hips and didn't have much strength to do any of the "add on" moves, but it was nice.

Massage- really nice but very painful at times, but felt pretty good afterwards! Especially hamstrings.

UTA 50km. I made it!! Was feeling very fortunate to even be at the start line, just hoping to go ok, and thinking that if I was under 7 hours that would be a super bonus. Was really nervous but all the pre-race stuff was normal and it was such a beautiful morning, I was also really excited. Set off a nice easy pace and spent the first few km (which was mostly on roads) just settling in and enjoying watching all the runners (there were 2 out-and-back stretches so could see runners going each way). At about 7km we headed off the roads and around to Echo point and then down the Giant Staircase. It was super steep, and started bunching up there so had to walk down (which was fine) and once down the bottom onto the single track that followed the bottom of the cliffs, it was pretty congested on the track. I didn't really get held up too much and was quite happy - my race plan was to walk all the steep bits so it was fine really. There were so many stairs (up and down), but I was feeling good and it was really pretty, with beautiful views and such perfect weather. The course followed the cliffs until about 17km and even though there were lots of stairs and it was a bit slow going, I couldn't believe how long it was taking.... until I realised my GPS had stopped! It said 12km for ages, and when we popped out onto a road at Leura I knew then that it wasn't working which was a bit annoying, but in some ways good as I stopped checking how far I'd come. I was still feeling pretty good (about 2 hour mark at Leura) apart from my foot, which was really sore, although not the sharp pain I'd had pre-boot, so I just tried to ignore it. My food plan was going really well with having gels every 45 mins, but after the Fairmont checkpoint I had a gel but accidentally breathed it in instead of swallowing and spent ages coughing and feeling a bit yuck. Then somewhere before Wentworth falls I tripped (silly annoying thing where I roll my ankle then land on my knee and hand) so lost a bit of skin there, and then my old knee injury started hurting, I think from all the downhill, and was feeling quite stiff. Luckily I saw Jase and the girls at Wentworth falls which was nice. I had a bit of a mental low patch after that, wondering how I was going to run another 3 hours with the pain in my foot and knee. At the Queen Victoria Hospital checkpoint (about 3 hours 40) I told Jase I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it, but he said I was looking relaxed and I realised that apart from my injuries I was still feeling pretty ok. I was now halfway, with most of the rest of the course on fire trail, and I picked up mentally. The next 9km were all downhill which was pretty painful, and I hadn't really realised quite how much climb there was after that! About 12km in fact! I walked heaps, but managed to run whenever it flattened out a bit so went ok. It was beautiful forest too, and lots of friendly runners. I was going pretty well around here, feeling mentally strong and passing a few runners. The last 10km seemed very long though, and from the 45km mark it was so hard! Back onto little walking trails, and any down (usually just a couple of steps or to cross a creek) was really hard as my knee was feeling sore and stiff. I was also feeling very very tired! Finally made it to the 1km to go mark, and the Furber steps... I was so desperate to get to the bottom of them, as I knew once I got there I'd be ok. Climbed the steps (which was hard!!) but could hear the finish and I was full of endorphins. I was so so happy to finally get to the top of the steps and run the last 200m to the line, I ran smiling, feeling very proud of myself, happy to have broken 7 hours, so happy to see Jase and girls cheering me on, and the music over the loudspeaker playing "i'm on top of the world, hey!". Such a great day out, I'm so happy I did it and was very pleased with how it all went. Thanks so much to the organisers!! And p.s. I am never running that far again.

C • Well done 8

Run with Kathie and Shannon around Aranda hill, including a few run-throughs.

Day 2 of carbo loading. Secretly loved the nutella and banana wrap but am not enjoying all the soft drink!

Swam 1km

Yoga at lunch. Really enjoyed it.

Day 1 of carbo loading! At least I know what to expect this time.

Short interval session around gossan hill - 4 x 2' (1') 4 x 30" (1'). Wasn't feeling particularly fast and foot was pretty sore (tight in arch).

Ride to and from work

Very slow easy jog in rain around Aranda (was lovely!) with practice pack with all gear needed for ultra trail. Had a couple of stops to alter backpack but it went well and pack was pretty comfy. Foot pretty sore in arch but knee feeling bit better.

C • Ultratrail 1

Andy's famous 5 hills at tempo effort (float down hills). Hard!! Rolled ankle at bottom of third hill and landed hard on knee so it was pretty sore for rest of run. 27:01 was lap time for the 5 hills. Tough but such a beautiful day so quite fun.

Swam 1.2km.

Body b at lunch. So nice to stretch

Intervals at lunch with Kate around little black mtn. Lovely day and nice to be out but a tough session and struggled to keep up! Did 10 x 90" (30"), 2' jog then 4 x 30" (30"). Not feeling in amazingly good shape but ok.

Ride to and from work

Swam 1.5km

Yoga at work at lunch. Nice but felt a bit out of practice

Intervals around little black mtn - 12', 6', 3', 90", 45", 23" all with 1' jog. Found it pretty tough but so fun to be out running.

Rode to and from work

Long run, woo hoo! Ran with Kathie and Shannon around black mtn, and foot felt really good! I was pretty tired but otherwise all good. Yay! Wore my new shoes to wear them in a bit for race, they were great.