Did I Tell You It Was Hot?

Monday 19th to Sunday 25th January 2009

Its been hot. I once had a rugby coach start a preseason session by sitting us all down and saying "Let's get one thing clear, you know it's hot, I know it's hot. Now that that's out of the way we all understand there is no need for you to tell me it's hot. So get off your backsides and start training"

Given his wisdom I still feel the need to state the obvious in mentioning it's hot.

Monday 19th January
Nothing, the mind can be weak some days.

Tuesday 20th January
Met at Sleep Trains round house for an 'easy' run. Being a Tuesday morning it would be the Sun Valley loop. I did once again suggest that a circle can be run in two directions, however as the holder of the run Sleep Train once again dismissed such flippant conversation.

GPB, Dr Phil, Sleep Train and myself for this one and I must say the discussion on the chances of getting lost running in the bush of the lower blue mountains verse the guarantee of getting lost if running round Glenmore Park kept all but GPB entertained for a goodly portion of the run.

Solid finish getting round run in a touch under 55 minutes (did I mention the heat)

Wednesday 21st January
AM: Swim at the brook. Sleep Train in attendance and Dr Phil a touch after the start time agreed. Plenty of conversation but limited swimming. Actually lost track of distance covered but seem to recall running in the depths for some disorganised reason. Round the 2.5km mark.

Even the water seemed hot

PM: GPB, Sleep train, Professor Physiology and Myself for the Wednesday afternoon ride. M7 cycle way from TOLL car park to southern end and back. You would think I could write about the heat here, however buckets of rain and lightening that Sleep Train insisted was at least 2 seconds away in counting, ment it was not so much a hot time as moist.

It was wet. Lost my money to Sleep Train in bet on whether GPB would fall off his bike or whether he would fall off his bike and bring the rest of us down. Strangely no one even considered the chance he might not fall at all.

Sleep Train apparently looking into cost of training wheels for next wed.

Thursday 22nd January
It must be getting hotter

It's my run so we will run which ever direction I want. Unless Sleep Train fails to tell Dr Phil and Kiwi Jeff that we are running from Mansion on Marshall not the Round House. I believe they had a good run anyway.

Sleep Train and myself hit the standard summer circuit along Borea, Railway Pde to Spurwood and back along firetrail to exit at the track that's not there and home. Tired legs to start the day but managed the respectable time of 52 minutes.

Friday 23rd January
Back to the Brook for an AM swim. Still not sure why I get to pool at 6am when on holidays, but it seems to work. A Sleep Train lead main set of 20 50's had me screaming under water to the octopus of the Brook (that animal closely related to the snow snake) on each lap. Joined by Dane who seems to have recovered from Time Dwards attempts to kill him in his first week of training last week. Amazingly he is no longer green and was able to complete his sentences again.

It should be noted that Time Dwards once again failed to appear today (cross check my notes if you wish but I believe this is four days in a row!).

Saturday 24th January
New Holland joined us from Lismore for a morning run. To aid GPB in his quest to woo New Holland we kindly (make that very kindly) agreed to run the low lands on this Saturday morning.

Sleep Train and Myself joined this recently joined pair on a jaunt from Beef and Barra round Leonay then back round bridges. New Holland impressed with her ability to not only run but too shut GPB down as effectively as any seasoned professional.

Really hot, well done to Mr Cricket and the Discipliner who went out for 3hrs starting at 3.45am to beat the heat. I don't think from my tossing and turning through the night this strategy would have payed off on this occasion.

Sunday 25th January
Praise thee, clouds and coolness.

Time Dwards made it out of hibernation to join his travel agent and apprentice, along with myself on a Mt Bike ride. National park to Euroka, up Bennets ridge to the gate and back down single track. Simple but still one of the best.

Some how managed to turn one ride with four people into four rides with one people. Having amalgamated again back at cars yet another coffee in the village for the week. Not too bad a week really. Seven days for seven sessions. The test is coming though with a need to pick it up with number of sessions and duration ahead. Along with the return to work and those Nepean Gnomes who seem to think I'm suppose to teach them something (or not as the case may be).

What to do when you are too lazy to enter on time?

Having once again missed the cut off for entries for the Kathmandu Adventure Race in Glenbrook, this year having been rejected (and rightly so) as pleading entrants to a full race based on last years results (I guess it worked last year and intelligent individuals would have entered on time the second time round). The question was raised "what are Sleep Train and Scam Bullant to do on race day instead?"

Sleep Train's plans of a 2.30 to 3.oo hr run with Shogun sounded like fun but too many uppish bits and a pace that limits discussion to grunts was rejected. Instead a much more enjoyable morning was spent charging around the Lower Blue Mt's photographing people I knew competing in today's event.

The course looked great, having modified the marathon course set in 2007 to more accurately reflect the advertised 3hr race times expected. Leaving all the good bits like Glenbrook Gorge and the Kayak leg from the Euroka track to Rocky Pt. Whilst taking out the horrible scramble carrying bikes up from Knapsack Bridge to Marges Lookout.

Jeff Price & Mark Howell, as team BigFish Expeditions, smoked the course to win (going 20 minutes faster than Saturday's winners) with faultless navigation round the check points and looking good right round.

Dean Heke (from here on in to be referred to as Mr Travel) and 1st time partner Time Dwards looked strong till some missinterpreted advice from someone lead them up the not so garden path and out of the way of one of the check points. I hear the view up their was nice though.

Altogether a much more enjoyable way to spend the morning than chasing Sleep Train and Shogun up the Oaks Fire Trail to Woodford.

The Return Of Scam

Scam Bullant: A Return From The Depths
To some it might seem strange to start a blog with no internet access other than that so kindly provided by the NSW department of education. So too it seemed to me upon reflection, the belief that an employer would have no problems with one of their valuable human assets spending tax payer funded time letting the world know of their training entertainments when they should be expanding the cognitive matter of the juvenile population of NSW, was some what misplaced and misguided.

So today, having joined the world of linked technologies, Scam Bullant revives the blog that is me myself and I for you to engage with. Scam Bullant verse 100kms again.

ScamBullant Verse 100kms

It seems that running 100kms takes a little more than reminiscing on the times you ran 35minutes for 10kms or that 3 years ago you managed to cycle (all be it tucked tightly into the slipstream of the cyclist in front of you) from Perth to Sydney. No to run 100kms and to be competitive amongst the inner world of experienced trail runner will tack more than a hand full of gels and the occasional 3hr training run.

I would like to take this opening chance to apologise to the 3 poor souls that I demoralised through their inability to leave me stranded in the wilderness, and having to walk when run was clearly the plan of the day.

Hopefully through the process of following some form of corrected preparations in 12 months time I can be the one that carried team members up the hills not the one requesting a tow. That being it is the question, can I run 100kms? Not walk it or even jalk it, but run, run the hills run the flats, run the ridges, run the valleys and run the steps (dam you Golden Staircase and Nellies Glen). I guess we will have to see in 12 months time!

Remember Red Points North

Week One: Back on the horse (Or So To Speak)

Saturday 17th May 2008

Reco trip with sleep train to watch aspects of North Face. Richo hammering course when seen at Echo point (round 66ks in). Particularly happy with the weather we had 2 weeks ago as we stood in rain at Echo Point huddled under information centre gutters.

Interested to hear winner (Andrew Kramer) interviewed at finish about the altitude notes written on arm and his statement that time was irrelevant all he wanted to know was the uppish bits and downish bits.

Sunday 18th May 2008 - 60 minutes run

A hesitant minded approach to sleep trains round house, with thoughts of what a 2hr 30min marathoner ment in calling up for an easy run back in. Only the hopes that the ITB problems that hooked him from the race 2 weeks ago might bring him back to a level that was achievable.

Need not have feared a relaxed loop from the round house down spurwood past the concrete hill through the 5 ways and along to Sun Valley before a little bit of upishness to GWH and down to the start. Three breaks to stretch out slightly over tuned muscles and tremendous (there you go yr 12) views along the valley made for a brilliant return to running.

Conversation of interest revolving around what does intensity mean in training for ultra marathons. Can variation in intensity be met through variation in climbing included into a run or do track sessions still hold importance.

Monday 19th May 2008 - 30 minutes run

Very easy MonRun session with Nepean Gnomes Joggers/Jalkers/Walkers (H.S). Cruised along path on Mountains side of Nepean River. Bit of back tracking to make sure all on the shorter jog kept up to their abilities.

Tuesday 20th May 2008 - Nepean Zone Cross Country

It was a 6am start at Knapsack Oval for work this morning. Setting up the course with the Princes never ending bags of bunting. So no Tuesday morning run from the Lucasville Resort this week. However plenty of laps round the course in setting up, leading out, comforting 'the asthma attacks' (strange how the only kids with asthma at a cross country event have run the first 500m at sub 3minute ks pace) and cleaning up saw over 40ks clocked on the mountain bike by days end.

Nepean Gnomes out did themselves again and have moved from last in Nepean zone 3 years ago to pushing into the top 3 schools this time round.

Wednesday 21st May 2008

Rest Day, suppose in first week back it is about time.

Thursday 22nd May 2008 - 60 minutes run

Late start this morning thanks to the heated discussions taking place between the elected and those who are inspired by Billy Bragg. 7am from the recently adjusted shack come mansion with Whollie. The late start enabled the running of a summer special along the road past Blaxland Station (No sign of the sleep train) up to Spurwood (GPB: Glenmore Park Boy still hiding in his bed) down along trails into valley and back towards tip before an abrupt incline onto Western Ave and home.

Whollie amused by stories of GPB and his mental state across landslide and through off track section (dame you off track section) in wild endurance.

Friday 23rd May 2008

Rest day, using excuse of 1st week back running has too be milked a little.

Saturday 24th May 2008 - 2hrs 15minutes run

Having had she who must be obeyed bounce her jaw off the kitchen floor at the suggestion of a 4am start last night whilst on phone to Whollie it was agreed that a 5.30am pick up from the mansion by Whollie and Mulls was a much better option.

The fireman joined us at the mansion and we embarked on the dreaded out and back run. Why you need to see something you just saw remains a mystery to me. For Whollie and Mulls I was devastated to hear they were about to perform an outback outback (I hope they take a camera with them next time). Having run up to railway parade to Warrimoo oval and back we continued past the lagoon around to the Servo (for that often all important seat) and dropped our early starter joggers off at the Lucasville Resort.

With the fireman we headed home on a none out and back trails linking run through knapsack, to the lookouts, round to the top of Mitchells pass up through the Aussie Pyrenees, onto the false ending and up past the Simpson mural to finish back at the mansion. The fireman appearing to be happy he had fallen through a burning floor and was forced out of 100ks after our 2hr 15 minutes.

Tally's

It has been suggested by she who must be obeyed that I might possibly spend a touch too much on running/triathlon mags and sporting equipment. In an effort to deny these outrageous claims I have endeavoured to monitor this spending . Though I may try and hide the damming evidence amongst other more interesting statistics.

Sports spending starting 17/5/08

Magazine - $7.00 (and that's it hardly extravagant if you ask me)

Social Commentary

Times we have bagged GPB on run (or pushed him into puddles) - Nil (although he didn't run this week)

Times I no showed at a run I said I would be at - Nil (a surprising start)

Mileage (weekly)

Run - 4hrs 15 minutes

Mt Bike - 40ks +