When Good Runs Turn Bad Or Vice Versa

The plan was Glenbrook to Woodford to Glenbrook. An early start at 4am with Vstar to get some running with lights and to meet up with a group of runners heading down at around 6.30am. Up and out the door on time starting promptly on 4am. So far so good. It soon became evident that I was not having a good one feeling nausea's from the beginning and unable to settle into any form of rhythm. We hit the gate in around 50 mins (very slow) and the Helipad on 1hr 25mins (honestly it was either 1hr 20min or 1hr 30min, cant remember so took the middle).

Vstar was very patient in his easing up for me on a number of occasions and just past the helipad I was hit by the first wave of giddiness. Forced to stop and walk a few steps but initially I had thought I was going to have to sit down to get my head together. Ate a bit and walk a minute before trying to push on. By now the sun was rising and this table top section is one of my favorite sections of the run. Kept me distracted for a few kilometers and pushed on past Toby's Glen and up the first major climb.

Past this climb and heading up again I was hit by a second bout of giddiness and decided every step I kept taking was a step further from finishing. Checked distance so far with Vstar (18.3km right on 2hrs) and knowing WES was heading up the track latter as was SWMBO (to be adapted to SWMBLO) on her Mt Bike along with the group coming down behind and the multitude of other park users that would be around headed back solo. Fully expecting to have to walk whole sections.

Settled into a steady pace and was happy to soon find a bit of rhythm, though the feeling I was going to vomit never really left. Past a couple of early morning Mt Bikers heading up and found myself back at the helipad in 2hrs 40mins. Maintained the steady pace trying to keep the semblance of rhythm found keeping in mind I was on the most significant down hill section. Not getting carried away. Got to the gate in around 3hrs 10mins confidant that I should at least be able to run all the way home. a far cry from the expectations when I turned early.

Eventually ran into WES just past the Euroka turn off and stopped for a brief chat. Seems he was feeling many of the same symptoms as I had. Pushed on round the first hair pin on the descent and saw SWMBLO and her treadly heading up the climb out of the causeway. Again a brief chat and on to finish at the causeway and a 5 minute soaking in the very much cooling waters of Glenbrook Creek. Total time 3hrs 43mins 56 secs for 36km. Spent the whole afternoon complaining that I felt tired and sick much to SWMBLO's joy.

I am glad to have spent the time watching Ironman prior to this run. Particularly the ability to watch various athletes and their attitudes toward their performance through the day. To see at times two athletes run through together at the same pace, yet so opposite in their mental state had me reflecting on my own approach to physically demanding session's.

It seems that on reflection a lot of those ironman competitors who grunted negative statements as to how they were feeling often are the same athletes never satisfied with their training and performances. Whist those with positive statements are often seen smiling and laughing in discussions on their mistakes and mishaps. Triathlon is a good one for this as having 3 legs each race most often in any given event you will under perform in one of them and go very well in another. Do I reference the poor leg in post race conversations or do I discuss the good one.

Spending a lot of time thinking these things over based on thoughts of why I am doing these longer runs at the moment. I may train with some of the fastest trail runners going round at the moment but I am not one of these. If I can keep this in mind and focus on the positives I can hopefully maintain a positive mind set and be a person people want to ask 'how is your training going or how did your race go'. With this in mind I am going to focus on the fact that I managed to run 36kms or roughly 4hrs on a day I was doing it tough. A positive outcome and something I could not have done this time last year.


Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
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Sunday 11th April
Swim in the Woods. Clocked up 2km but the strained muscle in my back was starting to create issues by half way through. Spent the whole night waking to stabbing pain every time I moved in my sleep. Might have to give swimming a miss for a week or two to let this settle down.

Monday 12th April
Nil. The pain in my back kept me unsettled all day. Hoping a days rest will do the remainder of my body good.

Tuesday 13th April
AM and off from Sleep trains Roundhouse for the standard two hills loop. Welcome back Animal after the structure of Ironman training followed by recovery holiday had kept you away from this one for a while. Also joined by Fat Kiwi and W.E.S. A cracker with my 56mins 42sec being well and truly the slowest lap time. I think Fat Kiwi is going to tear Anaconda apart.

Forgo the afternoon run to encourage back rehab.

Wednesday 14th April
Latish AM for a morning run saw an outreach run from the Gnomes Riverside car park round the river and up into the very much lower climbs of Leonay. Joined the banished one in GPB and settled into an easy start moving up to what would be close to tempo pace over the last 4-5km. 47mins 49secs.

Spent the afternoon on Katoomba golf course. A negative split with 51 out and 45 back. figure 3hrs 30mins on the feet is as good as anything given I have no doubts I will be walking parts of Nth face. Maybe I should include some clubs and balls to keep me entertained through Jamison valley.

Thursday 15th April
May I quote from the text of the good Dr, "Lock it in Eddy, time to get off my ass." With this in mind was joined by W.E.S, Vstar, Animal and GC for the Thursday run from the Mansion on Marshall. A very enjoyable morning with crisp air keeping all uncertain as to long sleeve or not. Perfect Autumn training weather. Animal eased off round the railway tracks clearly still feeling the effects of Port and by the main climb was deathly white. GC an Vstar easily made their way up the gully track and I was glad to largely keep them in sight. Total time 1hr 15mins 50 sec (but take out 9mins to bring back to 1hr 4mins 50secs). Animal unable to make post run coffee keeping all concearned for his well being.

Friday 16th April
Having decided the only way to get Dr Phil out running was to tell him we were turning up to his at 6 the plan was was put in place and implemented perfectly. If it had been Sleep train I would have suspected ulterior motives with his personal desire having been achieved in this. However with the good Dr I live to believe with a more trusting tone. the Prince joined us for what was an excellent boomerang type run.Taking in the double out and backs of what we shall call the Dr's Lookout and Martins Lookout. Total running time in the area of 4#mins though having cleared to watch have no idea of the 1-9 options available in this rather general range.