Right Now Im The Oldest I Have Ever Been

It seems funny that even though I have gone on to teach PDHPE for 13years including the HSC course on numerous occasions and marking HSC exams I find myself trying to remember how I use to tapper back at uni when I last really trained for any form of endurance event. I am quick to question my friends training methods, particularly those based on others anecdotal evidence, yet find myself ignoring the copious texts on my shelves and trying to base my tapper on past experiences from the mid 90's.

It may be the fear of failure that has been making it's presence felt for the past few days, the fear that you can actually make an effort and fall down as opposed to not having tried in the first place so who knows what you could have actually done. Or maybe I am just happy to learn from experience and so the natural starting point for this would be the last experiences I have in this area.

Having said that I think back to the carbo loading depletion methods that I use to use and see no point in putting anyone around me through the mood swings this use to bring on around Wednesday. So I guess i have moved on some what with age.

I think despite my public displays of personal breast beating I will take the chance to trust instinct on this. Not as an excuse but as an application of current knowledge levels seeking feedback to evaluate and adjust in future events. I must remind myself this is step one and only through many steps will there be any gained knowledge of what this ultra trail running business is all about. I may be the oldest I have ever been right now but that is only relevant till latter arrives I guess. Cant ever know enough to be the expert.

Monday 28th December
Took the first day of tapering a little too far I think. Zippo, but I did manage to put aside the minimalist approach to beer consumption and consume the best part of a six pack in visiting friends for lunch. More than I had over Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day put together. Maybe I have moved on from Uni days after all.

Tuesday 29th December
AM started off from the usual spot at Sleep Trains no we didn't what has got into us? Ran from the National Park Gates, must be a holiday thing. Animal, Sleep Train the Fat Kiwi and I lapped around Bennett's Ridge at a very casual pace including three pit stops, two stretches, a wait for two (ie not me) to detour to the river and a swim at the causeway. All up 1hr 32mins 30secs to the causeway.

PM picked up Animal to show him around the Espresso run with the aim of trying to teach him the turns. First lap went well pointing out significant land marks and points of prior knowledge to help him on his way for a second lap. Decided to set him off and casually walked up to the turn off to Spaghetti ridge to aid him through the trickiest and least familiar part. After 22mins of stretching decided possibly that a wrong turn may have been made, only to have this confirmed as him strided out from a side trail approximately 75 degrees off course. Much fun watching this spectacle and trying to decipher were he had actually gone. 29mins 48secs for the first lap.

Wednesday 30th December
AM meet Sleep Train at his Round House for the standard Tuesday run. These holiday things are doing strange things to our timing of stuff. I think I am going to be spending the rest of the day trying to remember what day of the week it is and being 30mins late as we didn't begin till 6.30am. Quite heavy in the legs so was very pleased to see Sleep train take some 5mins to get up his drive way. Easy pace with a nice cloud cover, a couple of stretches and a few stops to clear 'fallen' trees from the track along the valley floor (funny how they were equally placed and all at the same angle/height). 1hr 1min 41secs. Humidity still very high.

AM II and got out on the Mt Bike for the first time in months. She Who Must Be Obeyed has been pumped about getting out on her new pink bits mt bike since Christmas day. So given her having a day off to go to a wedding this afternoon took her up the Oaks Fire Trail to the gate and back down the single track. She eclipsed Whollie the Holiday Maker whist reaching the levels of GPB and Sleep Train on her first outing. Great hour or so in the Nat Pk.

Thursday 31st December
Sleeping after very late night at North Sydney Wedding. Provided an excellent pre-new years eve harbour event.

Friday 1st January
Part One: The Run

She Who Must Be Obeyed had a great run in what is definately still the infant stages of her budding running career. It has been reported to me by someone who is not putting themselves forward for the 6ft beer bet that she thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere supplied throughout this run. Particularly the freindly banter and the "no you go infront, no you go infront no you go infront" politeness experienced on the single track descent to the river.

Took the short option one week out from Hotham from Bogong ( obviously referring to SWMBO in her role as support crew) and very grateful for the directions supplied by Mr G at the ferry, I mean SWMBO and her running friend were, meaning angry exchanges were not exchanged (exchange * exchange = inexchange I believe following the whole negative * negative thing) as some nonlocals might have attempted to push back up the track just run down on this 'out n back' run.

Having negotiate the actual climb out. Including dodging puddles of blood found CSI like by Princess Donga. Risked personal injury (the non beer bet runner that is) in acting as the good conscience one wispering 'you could just run this little bit' along the final roads. Particularly giving the 2nd row union playing background of SWMBO. 2hrs 23mins all up

Part Two: Micks Mishap
Having realised that Prince Donga infact had the keys to The Welsh Exchange Students car. Was most relieved to see the Prince running up to the finish as the rain began falling. The sense of relief was however soon overwhelmed by feelings of amusment bought on by the statement "did you get your car keys? I left them on the white post at the ferry and told the ferry man that a guy running in a white visor will pick them up". Good thing there were only a couple of runners and not too many of them sporting white visors I say.

The desire to laugh out loud at the shear genious of the concept was only restrained thanks to experience in self control gained over years of answering sex ed questions form year 9 boys. A quick lift to the ferry and a scrounge around found no trace of said keys. An inquisition of the ferry man provided some aid. In that he recalled the receipt of the vital message and feeling concerned for the safety of the keys had handed them to a runner. Which runner was not known and in fact upon questioning to try and work out if the runner was heading towards the castle or the finish at point of offload. A certain definative shrug of the shoulders suggested the happy ferry man had no recollection of it had been today or last month.

Minuscule levels of self belief lead us back to the finish at which point it was decided that Prince Donga should stand in the rain asking runners if they had the missing keys whilst the rest of us sat in SWMBO car laughing, pointing and taking photos of him. A short discussion on his levels of success lead to the suggestion his opening line possibly should not be 'Do you have car keys' to every runner and possibly the question should contain some resemblence of specificity to the situation.

In the end a well placed sign and bright red jacket saved the day. A massive thank you to the runner who carried the burden of the keys Frodo style back to the finish and an equally big thank you to all the runners who didn't openly insinuate insanity upon being asked if you have car key's by a random (all be it very fast) runner in the rain at the end of 3hrs running.