Training Log Archive: GraceE

Farrer Ridge loop.

Isaacs, Wanniassa and Farrer Ridges.

On Farrer Ridge. I just sort of ran out of time to do anything longer.

I drove to Batemans Bay to pick up some furniture. It was a very wet day, but I couldn't waste the opportunity to run somewhere nice. Set off from Pebbly Beach and ran over Mt Durras to Pretty Beach. Ran back via Dangerboard Rd and Mountain Rd (nearly got lost but luckily had my phone and a tiny bit of reception). Eventually got to the top of Mt Durras again and ran back down the way I had come to Pebbly Beach. Longer than anticipated by about 6km and quite wet, but still enjoyed the first half (and only got one leech). Saw six Lyrebirds!

Twilight event on Mt Ainslie North. Some long hesitations on 1, 4, 13 and 19 when I got to where I thought the controls should be and they weren't there (they were never far away but it felt like I took too long before I started moving again). Pushed hard and felt ok except the steep hills always slow me down a fair bit.

On Farrer. Getting a bit lazy and haven’t run over the top of the ridge the last couple of times.

To the top of Isaacs Ridge without toooo many stops in honour of the Point to Pinnacle which I would have been running had circumstances been different. Then back home via my favourite path round the side of Wanniassa Hill. It was nice, just me, Ed Sheeran and his bad habits.

On Farrer Ridge.

Up Mt Tennent, including along the new single track for the last couple of kms, which was lovely. Saw a Lyrebird. Reached the top in just under 64mins, then returned the same way.

Little run on Lyneham & Bruce Ridges on my way to hockey. Started running at 7.30 so the light was fading a bit.

Twilight event at Oakey Hill. I could have done better (lost over 3mins on c1). Needed better concentration, and was feeling a bit rushed (to finish by 6.30 so Matt could run). Always nice to orienteer on a new map though!

Today was nice and sunny! We walked all together around the Durras Lake Discovery Trail. Towards the end there was some panicking about leeches, mostly stemming from me but the kids soon caught-on. A fear of leeches is a part of who I am, having grown up bushwalking every weekend in Tasmania. Happy to mention a few of my more memorable encounters:
1. When a leech bit my Mum's eyeball. We were walking on the Overland track in a snowstorm and Mum turned to me and asked me what was in her eye. Ahhhh it's a leech! She asked me to try and get it out but it was slimy and not letting go. It kept disappearing behind the eyelid with only its head remaining visible, where it was biting the white of her eye. After much faffing, she ripped it off with her hanky and then had the worst bloodshot eye ever. The next day we had to hitchhike out of there so she could get it seen by a doctor.
2. When, on a school holiday program day trip to Snug Falls, my friend turned to me and asked me what was in her mouth. I looked and it went tooth tooth leech tooth. A leech was biting her gum where one of her baby teeth had fallen out. I remember the staff pouring salt into this girl's mouth as she screamed and all the children crowded around to catch the excitement.
3. When a leech bit me on my face walking back from Schnells Ridge and I had to wait patiently to get back to the car where I could see what I was doing in a mirror and gently roll it off.
4. When my Mum dropped me and my siblings off at the start of a short end-to-end walk and told us she'd meet us at the other end, and she would be timing (for her bushwalking books). We encountered many leeches and ended up running and screaming the rest of the way. Mum was angry as we'd taken like 5mins to do a 20min walk.
5. The millions of tiny leeches on the track north of Cradle heading to Fourways. I have never seen so many leeches and they were all really small which meant checking for them was even harder. We camped at Fourways ("Leechopolis") where the leeches were suddenly all giant and I went to sleep watching them climb all over the tent mesh and thinking how I'll have to pack the tent up and carry it in my bag tomorrow.
6. The Slide Track. Just mentioning it gives me shivers.

C • So many leeches! 6

From the discovery trail carpark I ran back up the road, up the sealed road a tiny bit, then along Parkview Rd until it hit another sealed road. Ran back the same way and then headed to Durras North on the nice track from the carpark. Meanwhile the kids had been playing at Durras North Beach. We also had another stop at Surfside & Cullendulla Beaches before heading home.

Ran from near North Head lookout down to North Head Beach - that only took 6mins so I ran back and then out to Honeysuckle Bay. Followed a faint pad from there over to Oaky Beach, then back via a more major (but overgrown) track that went further inland before joining the original pad. I couldn't believe all of this only took 35mins.
We stayed at Murramarang Holiday Park for two nights, and it rained for much of Saturday. But the kids still had fun in the pool and playing on the beach!

Just had time for a little run around Farrer after spending 3.5hrs at the hairdressers. I think that's a new record! I then picked up Florence, finished packing and we headed to South Durras with a stop in Batemans Bay for fish and chips.

On the way home from hockey I stopped by the lake and ran on a bike path towards Black Mt Peninsula and back. Did 2 x 6mins threshold. May have done a tiny bit more if it wasn't getting dark and raining.

Twilight #2 at Stromlo West. Nice area. Lost a little bit of time at c7 but the rest was pretty good.

To the top of Mt Taylor via the steepest path, then down the southern rocky path and back via Sulwood Dr. Not feeling very energetic, but it was nice to visit Mt Taylor again :)

To the top of Isaacs Ridge, then back via the side path on Wanniassa. Felt fatigued but also strong in places.

Rob Roy loop. Love this run so much! It was cloudy and had been raining but that meant the bush looked even more beautiful.

Farrer loop in the drizzle.

Twilight series event 1 at Mt Majura West. Advertised as steeper and trickier than normal, which was great! I was a bit low on controls 6,8 and 10 but better later in the course when it became flatter and I was more smooth. Beat Matt on five splits in the second half of the course :)