Are You In It?

Aching All Over

There is nothing like meeting a group of runners who are faster and fitter than you to inspire you to push harder....thats what has happened in my few runs with Berowra Bush Runners and now Im feeling a little worse for wear....

Im trying to achieve alot of things at once at the moment

1. Increase my weekly kms from 34-50 per week

2. Learn kettle bells to strenghten my core and ankles

3, Shift footwear from motion control to stability

4. Get ready for Jubalani Challenge 23kms Trail Run

5. Run a solo long run each week

6. Take off my ankle strapping

7. Learn about the cause of my niggling groin strain

8. Run the tortorous hills of Berowra bush

Too many?...well probably.....the result is tonite a slightly sore back from kettle bells, a tiny niggle in my ankle from first outing with no strap and a niggle in my groin from a tempo hill run...I know this is normal to have niggles but i also know that prevention is the key? Should i rest....maybe, as i am about to go away for a week to Port Douglas? Am i good at resting? Well, like most runners....no...

I will probably sheve tomorrows long run and see how we go....

Feel Like a Freshman

This morning was my first run with Berowra Bush Runners, with one other Warrior coming too and another to follow next week....we ran straight down into Berowra Waters on a run they call "Kokoda" and then straight up Berowra Road...11kms all up..a beautiful descent into the mist and out again

The conversation was all about 6 Foot track and 100kms, Fat Asses, Mt Wilson to Bilpin, Mud runs....quite different from our talk about half marathons and City2Surf....

Pretty awe inspiring when the guy helping us round is about 15 years older than us, built like a teenage boy and ALOT faster.....

Only five or six turned up today but apparently there are usually 9 or 10 runners and 30 on handicap days.....running today helped to open up my future and see whats possible....

I think we looked like newbies with our water and trail shoes while they all ran in trainers and relied on taps (or no water)..either way I am very excited to have the change......

Variety is the Spice of Life

Pretty excited about my weekly activities at the moment as I am following the concept of keeping it varied by learning new skills.......here's my schedule

Monday: AM Boxing group class

Tuesday: AM Easy Run (7kms)

Wednesday: AM Kettle Bells/ PM Tempo 10KM run

Thursday: Rest

Friday: AM Hills Run (7kms)/ PM Free Weights

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Long Bush Run (10-12kms) or Road (20kms)

All together it takes 7 hours per week..an equivalent of 60 min/day....not too much

This means i am doing something different every single workout...I've found its the real secret to staying motivated and excited..I am always learning something new and cant wait to get there! This is quite different from last year...my routine consisted only of tempo runs (every single time) or free weights (every time), which became a real drag and lead to many injuries...

Ive also read that variety is actually the best thing for building fitness..your body learns to adapt and never settles into homeostasis.....

What a great excuse to listen to this track "Them Changes"......written by Buddy Miles..the man Hendrix chose to write songs and drum for him....with Santana!!!!

Dilemmas?

Having a few dilemnas this week about my running future...not whether or not to run of course, but who to run with....for the last two years i have run with Westleigh Warriors, a fantastic club that i owe so much to....the trainer and friends have taken me thru my first half marathon and full marathon and I would never have done this without them

Problem is the group doesnt really run bush and this is what i have my heart set on..Ive found it really breaks the monotony of the road and our local bush has so much variety and beauty...

So my other option is to run with a bush group, Berowra Bush Runners........they run 10kms every Sunday and have runners who are way ahead of me, smashing longer and longer trail runs...

The solution of course is to do both.....Wednesday night with the Warriors for speed and for annual Canberra marathon training, Sunday mornings with Berowra where Ill be pushed alot and feel like a little baby runner again......

Tuesdays and Thursdays will stay as is running with my buddies round the local streets....

Into Mordor

Indeed, one does not walk but has to run, and thats what we did this morning as we ventured in the dark and the rain into the netherworld of Galston Gorge...It was my first time using my head torch on a run....very helpful indeed

...and my first time running right after my front teeth fell out over a quick breakfast (its a crown)

The entry in from Hornsby is a wide bush track, a long trek down until you come to a steel bridge...then straight up for a few Kms....just about runable...

As we ventured to the top we saw some very hardy campers, still snoozing...gradually daybreak (and a wetish iphone camera)

Then it really pours, so much that the rock steps resemble a waterfall...down and down into Mordor..

Then on a few kms, it gets darker, and we come accross a waterfall..

Then we try and find our way up the track to Hornsby Heights, climb for a km only to find the bloody track ends..walk back down again and back to the Gorge..a 2km windy road with nowhere to run safely...only one thing for it..wet, bedraggled, muddy...thankyou lovely strangers who thank us at the end for not being axe murderers (despite my missing front tooth)

12kms...knackered...

Free At Last?

Went to my physio yesterday, a great guy, an ex-runner and someone who has helped me a great deal.....watched me run on his balcony again and is very happy with the changes ive made to my form (arms in, head up, core in)........it seems like my left leg doesnt overpronate anymore so long as i keep doing this and dont slack off on the exercises...

I now have six different exercises, all designed to strengthen the hips, core and ankles..this week i got some new ones, labelled as 'provocative' because they involve balancing and stressing my ex-injured ankle directly...

The best news is he wants me to stop running with my Brooks Beasts and try something a little less supportive.....just after i bought some new Beasts too...thank god for this as they really are massive bloody shoes!!!

All up my decision to take my eye off times and on to posture over the last few months is working our beautifully.....i really got a bit too obsessed but am now feeling free!

Westleigh to Galston Gorge (-ish)

What a fantastic morning run.....we aimed to run 17kms from Westleigh to Galston Gorge, then on to Berowra and back but it didnt all turn out that way...

We took off at 610 and were hampered by it being very dark...running a brand new trail with nothing but natural night vision can be pretty tough...

It was aided, however, by a quick visit to a cave where we found a lovely lounge to sit on (god knows how it got there)

We then ventured on, in better light, across a number of creeks, taking great care not to get lost....

A couple of falls, lots of laughs and before we knew it over an hour had past...our garmin's told us we'd only covered half of what we had expected, but hey...who'se counting...we turned back and enjoyed it all over again...

Here's an action shot of Gabby....

More adventures next Sunday!

Living for the Weekend

This is the little beauty we'll be doing this Sunday...18kms of bush heaven, down to Galston Gorge from Westleigh, to Hornsby Heights and back home thru the bush again....can't wait as its 4kms longer than we have done before in the bush and gives us a chance to increase our distance as we get ready for the Jabalani Challenge in 8 weeks or so...

Also found a great way to print the maps from Mapmyrun without having to pay for them (what a tightarse)...just use the Snip function on your computer if you have one.....

Ill post photos....