Who Said it was Flat?
Today:
Distance: 40.15 km
Time: 3 hrs 48 mins 56 secs
Rate: 5' 42" per km
Weather: mostly sunny, temp 12-19 degrees, humidity 35%, wind calm
Altitude gain: 570 metres
Calories used: 2876
Week: 101.45 km
Jan & Year: 150.75 km
I think I have bitten off more than I can chew, and I can eat a lot. After the Tour de Mountain run just before Christmas, I invited Liz Bennett to join the group as she is also intending to SFT. Christmas, New Year and holidays prevented her joining until today.
Now Liz is an accomplished marathon runner, cranks outs a sub 3 hr every time. Not so good on the hills, but we can train her to do them. Last weekend she went Hobart to run the Cadbury marathon. With SFT on her mind, she used it as a training run, not wanting a hard 42 kms on the hard road surface. She won with a sprint over the last couple of kms to run down the leading 2 females in a time of 3 hrs 15 mins. Prize money covered expenses for the trip although she described the course as boring and, CJ, she doesn't eat chocolate!!
So, this week, she runs the next day, and during the week, runs from her place to the start today, 14 kms, runs most of the first circuit we did about 20 kms and goes home. Total for the week, 138 kms. Amazing. She certainly has good flat speed and will keep Mick and Nick under control over the next month or so.
Today, Nick is in Brisbane, work, CJ missing as well, hopefully still enjoying holidays down the coast. Still 5 of us fronted at 7:30am, we waited for 10 minutes but no CJ, away we went. The original plan to run out to Goorooyaroo and Mulligans Flat on the Bush Capital marathon course we changed due to the possibility of very warm weather with the logistics of carrying or dropping off drink bottles on the way. Good decision as it turned out, warming up later in the morning.
John, Liz, Mick, Michael & myself left the War Memorial car park, headed towards Campbell Park on the Bush Capital course, some of us trying to sneak a short cut here and there. As Michael will say, the pace was on early, everyone must have been feeling good. We did follow the course properly out to the Federal Hwy underpass where the Bush Capital marathon and ultra continue, the 25 km run turns back towards the houses of Watson, Hackett and Ainslie. A check of the GPS, we had done just over 14 km at 5' 24" pace including the climb from Campbell Park to the Ainslie/Majura saddle. The on the flatter run back to the pace quickened again, down to 5' 14" per km for me just trying to keep up, everyone blaming the others for going so fast. But it was an easy pace.
Arrived back at the start having covered 24 km to find the Cotter group that started at 7:00 am having a chat, finished for the day. Some of them are also running SFT, they need to get serious now, or spend all the 7 hours allowed to make the cut off at Jenolan Caves.
Change drink bottles, and out for the 2nd loop, this time doing the 16 km run of the Bush Capital day but in reverse. Liz had gone home covering her 38 kms earlier, John had done all he wanted, so just 3 of us continuing on. At least a flat start behind the houses of Ainslie, but the sun was making itself known, getting warmer. It's a long slog up to the reservoir and then the rocky up hill to the top of Trent's Hill. After that, all is down to the saddle, then left towards Campbell Park. Getting tired at this time, the early pace catching up with me. A check of the GPS for distance showed that I would be short of the intended 40 kms for the day, so put the mind in to knowing I would have a bit extra to do. Later discovered Mick had added a km or so on out here where I did a loop around the outside of Campbell High School to get 40 kms. Michael also added a bit on at the school to make distance over 40 kms. Sounds better that just under, almost a marathon.
The others had long gone when we all arrived back at the start, a quick chat, compared times and distances and time to go. It had been a long day, not flat but certainly flat by recent standards of Mt Tennent and Mt Rob Roy. Michael and I had 20 minutes in the cool, surprise! water of LBG at the boathouse restaurant. Much better for that. Thanks to those that ran today, another great day on the trails.
Next week is the tough one, 3 loops over Mt Ainslie, Trent's and the roller coaster, Should be fun, just another 40 km day.
Distance: 40.15 km
Time: 3 hrs 48 mins 56 secs
Rate: 5' 42" per km
Weather: mostly sunny, temp 12-19 degrees, humidity 35%, wind calm
Altitude gain: 570 metres
Calories used: 2876
Week: 101.45 km
Jan & Year: 150.75 km
I think I have bitten off more than I can chew, and I can eat a lot. After the Tour de Mountain run just before Christmas, I invited Liz Bennett to join the group as she is also intending to SFT. Christmas, New Year and holidays prevented her joining until today.
Now Liz is an accomplished marathon runner, cranks outs a sub 3 hr every time. Not so good on the hills, but we can train her to do them. Last weekend she went Hobart to run the Cadbury marathon. With SFT on her mind, she used it as a training run, not wanting a hard 42 kms on the hard road surface. She won with a sprint over the last couple of kms to run down the leading 2 females in a time of 3 hrs 15 mins. Prize money covered expenses for the trip although she described the course as boring and, CJ, she doesn't eat chocolate!!
So, this week, she runs the next day, and during the week, runs from her place to the start today, 14 kms, runs most of the first circuit we did about 20 kms and goes home. Total for the week, 138 kms. Amazing. She certainly has good flat speed and will keep Mick and Nick under control over the next month or so.
Today, Nick is in Brisbane, work, CJ missing as well, hopefully still enjoying holidays down the coast. Still 5 of us fronted at 7:30am, we waited for 10 minutes but no CJ, away we went. The original plan to run out to Goorooyaroo and Mulligans Flat on the Bush Capital marathon course we changed due to the possibility of very warm weather with the logistics of carrying or dropping off drink bottles on the way. Good decision as it turned out, warming up later in the morning.
John, Liz, Mick, Michael & myself left the War Memorial car park, headed towards Campbell Park on the Bush Capital course, some of us trying to sneak a short cut here and there. As Michael will say, the pace was on early, everyone must have been feeling good. We did follow the course properly out to the Federal Hwy underpass where the Bush Capital marathon and ultra continue, the 25 km run turns back towards the houses of Watson, Hackett and Ainslie. A check of the GPS, we had done just over 14 km at 5' 24" pace including the climb from Campbell Park to the Ainslie/Majura saddle. The on the flatter run back to the pace quickened again, down to 5' 14" per km for me just trying to keep up, everyone blaming the others for going so fast. But it was an easy pace.
Arrived back at the start having covered 24 km to find the Cotter group that started at 7:00 am having a chat, finished for the day. Some of them are also running SFT, they need to get serious now, or spend all the 7 hours allowed to make the cut off at Jenolan Caves.
Change drink bottles, and out for the 2nd loop, this time doing the 16 km run of the Bush Capital day but in reverse. Liz had gone home covering her 38 kms earlier, John had done all he wanted, so just 3 of us continuing on. At least a flat start behind the houses of Ainslie, but the sun was making itself known, getting warmer. It's a long slog up to the reservoir and then the rocky up hill to the top of Trent's Hill. After that, all is down to the saddle, then left towards Campbell Park. Getting tired at this time, the early pace catching up with me. A check of the GPS for distance showed that I would be short of the intended 40 kms for the day, so put the mind in to knowing I would have a bit extra to do. Later discovered Mick had added a km or so on out here where I did a loop around the outside of Campbell High School to get 40 kms. Michael also added a bit on at the school to make distance over 40 kms. Sounds better that just under, almost a marathon.
The others had long gone when we all arrived back at the start, a quick chat, compared times and distances and time to go. It had been a long day, not flat but certainly flat by recent standards of Mt Tennent and Mt Rob Roy. Michael and I had 20 minutes in the cool, surprise! water of LBG at the boathouse restaurant. Much better for that. Thanks to those that ran today, another great day on the trails.
Next week is the tough one, 3 loops over Mt Ainslie, Trent's and the roller coaster, Should be fun, just another 40 km day.
posted by Two Fruits at
2:35 PM
1 Comments:
When I saw you, you were looking good - still fresh and ready to face the next 16km - all I can say is "wow"! I struggled on my first real hill run with the Mt Ainslie group but it was great to be back on the trails after so long.
By
strewth, At
January 10, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home