Six Months All Confirmed: The First Three Steps

Today saw the financial commitment to the first three steps complete. All opened, all entered, all paid up. Talk has been easy up to this point, or the equivalent point in relation to the first two steps. Now however it is all commitment. No more empty talk just head down and work for it.

These three steps do of course only represent the beginnings of the journey and as always whilst the early steps take some level of commitment to get going they i am sure will in the future become just the start. I guess though that without the start you cant ever move anywhere. So important to me they are (a touch of Yoda in all of us yes).

So six months and the first three steps:



Monday 14th December
The AM session went out the window after being up too late last night working on end of year trivia quiz. Joined the banished one GPB at Knapsack for a cool and misty 4pm run, a run at which he declared this to be his 52nd return training run. He also made the mistake of claiming I could lead the run anywhere I wanted. So I did. Starting with the standard track to Lucasville Station via the mushroom farm and RAAF base we descended the steps to under Knapsack Bridge before returning up Whollies fear to the mid lookouts track. Back down the downhill track (nearest to Mitchells pass) before again returning to the same spot via the single track. A loop past which ever of the lookouts is closest to the Gully, along the single trail to Lennox Bridge up and through the quarry before looping Spaghetti ridge into the Mini Gully trail and back to the finish. A good new run in 1hr 26secs. Was also decided that the only alternative name that GPB may be referred to by is Viagra due to the fact he can never keep it up (training that is).

Tuesday 15th December
AM from the round house around Sleep Trains standard Circuit. Joined by Sleep Train, Animal, Welsh Exchange Student and Fat Kiwi. Much discussion on the upcoming BMMC Christmas Party and the fact that there will always be someone who misses out on a present if Sleep Train is in the Chris Kringle. Legs heavy after yesterdays hills hurting on the climb out of Sun Valley.
1hr 1min 27sec with what i seem to recall being rather lengthy stretch sessions.

PM solo with Kings of Leon for company. Just a simple lap of Espresso run with the Gnomes presentation night on later this evening. Rumour has it some local athlete from a tiny niche sport is presenting the sports awards! Legs really felt it and it was a good thing no one was with me or I may have broken the no complain rule. 29mins 42secs, the temp is returning to normal December levels at around 32 degrees and super muggy.

Wednesday 16th December
AM from the Lucasville Resort with Whollie the Holiday Maker and Andy. A lap around the now standard Wednesday morning run. Taking in the sights of Knapsack Reserve whilst avoiding all the major climbs. Felt tired this morning, I think a reflection of my poor diet and a couple of late nights. 56mins 26secs.

PM joined Sleep Train and Dr Phil at the National Park gate 5pm. By 5.15pm when Sleep Train had finally got off the phone headed into the park for a lap around Bennett's Ridge (anticlockwise). Dr Phil was hurting to the point of being unable to talk. Something about riding Bells Line and swimming 4km already today and was sent home half way up the Oaks. Continued in the heat (around mid 30's I believe) feeling more dehydrated by the step. To a short walk for a small section up the single track out of Euroka, but soon back into a good stride for the last kms home. 1hr 13mins 49secs a swim at the causeway and some bullant spotting on the walk out to the cars.

Thursday 17th December
Missed the BMMC run from Animal Kennel this morning feeling like I was a semi dried piece of fallen fruit after yesterdays run in the National Park. also gave me a chance to get some things sorted for work before I left home.

The PM session was scheduled with the Upper Mt's division at Kedumba Pass. The substance behind why the BMMC exists was used to its full potential as I have no doubts I would have missed this one as well if not for the fear of retribution if I was to no show twice in one day. BMMC the home of accountability through banter and social harassment. Started a touch after 5pm having waited way too long for the always late Welsh Exchange student (again) and spent a very social 42mins down to the creek talking of days at Wollongong Uni (I'm sure it cant have all been good but 13yrs later it sure seemed that way) with Mister G. An 8 minute regroup at the bottom and the return journey back up the hill began. Set in at the metronome pace from the beginning and made sure despite the effort required for some of the steeper sections that I was running within myself the whole way up. The shade in the lower sections made it much more pleasant than school had been (at well over 40 degrees in Emu Plains today) and I found myself needing a lot less water than I had anticipated. 58mins to get back to the cars feeling strong still. A total time of 1hr 50mins 13secs for 7.5kms down then 7.5kms back up.

Friday 18th December
Big fat nothing. Though it was the last day of work for me for 5 weeks and in the past I would need a taxi to get home where this year I had a lemonade and headed off. This in itself must be training by my reckoning (two days 40 deg plus training have smashed the body that's the real reason).

Saturday 19th December
A 5.30am start from the Mansion on Marshall with Sleep Train with the aim of ticking off 3hrs. The original plan had been to clock in a new run over to Winmalee and back along the river, however when I woke up this run had me in the wrong state of mind. In the process of preparing the bowels for a long run away from amenities rescheduled a session playing on the escarpment between the river and the lower Mts suburbs.

Got off at 5.33am (see above paragraph for details) and informed Sleep Train of the adjustment to the plans. Headed over towards Knapsack Reserve, via Mt Sion to get in a warm up climb early. It is fair to say half way up the very short climb I became aware this would not necessarily by a fun one. Rounded Knapsack Reserve before heading onto the previously planned 'Playing on Hills' run. Three times down three times back up again. Each climb getting fractionally longer and steeper. Steps to old quarry, Mitchells trails then Old Bathurst gully track. Off the top of Old Bathurst added in a forth ascent by heading back into low land territory and following Greenhaven and Wedmore to the river track (spending 30mins avoiding gnomes on my first day of holidays). This brings up the longest climb of the day at around 23mins from gate to gate finishing at the end of Rusden Rd Mt Riverview. Needing around another 20mins we turned right at Mt Riv shops and ran the last 3/4 of Something Snappy (adding a 5th short climb out of the back ally.

All up 3hr 3mins 3secs, some fairly shattered legs and only 2hrs of BBQ at Rotary markets to go. Definitely a day that reflects Chuckie-V's recent comments (bought to my attention as I wailed up a climb) that the development of endurance is something to be endured. another 100km plus week for me, short of the targeted 120km I seek but building still. I now know I can do the 120's hitting 150 at intervals if I persist.