Decided I needed to run long again as time is slipping away with 6 foot now only 3 months away. I was going to do the Willoughby Star but decided that a 5.30am wake up was too early after a late night at the Sydney Festival and outdoor cinema. Plus I thought the bush running would do me more good.
I decided instead to reverse the run of a couple of weeks ago and head up and around Manly Dam and then finish off with the Spit to Manly track.
I left home at about 8.15 with my camelbak and a muffin bar for sustenance. Very low cloud and a hot humid day.
Made it to Manly Dam easily enough and then set off on what I thought was the circuit walk only to get lost yet again. For some reason the signage on the tracks of Manly Dam is appalling. Anyway, I eventually made it around one complete loop of the park and then headed out towards what I thought was the Spit, only to end up on the Wakehurst Parkway. I gambled on the right direction and eventually made it to Seaforth. By this time I was completely soaked through with sweat, my water was running low and the heat and humidity were starting to really affect me and so I decided to walk for a bit and eat my muffin bar. I also rang Catherine at this point for some moral support. I was only 18km in! Surely I wasn’t going to give it in just yet!?
Anyway after downing about a litre of water and stuffing in the muffin bar I eventually made it to the Spit Bridge to fill up my camelbak. At this point I decided that completing the distance was more important than speed and so from there on I walked the hills and jogged the flats and downhill’s. Suffice to say it was a very long 12 km back to Queenscliff. I don’t think I have ever been so happy to jump in a pool in my life!
Not the greatest 3 and a bit hours of my life, but useful all the same. The moral of the story being to run earlier in the morning to miss the heat and humidity of the middle of the day. I also need to give more thought to sustenance while exercising....a point that a few people have made to me recently. Running with only water is just not enough for endurance traning.
Should have come to Willoughby mate. How about the Pymble Striders run this Sunday? If you want a bush run there's a Running Wild 20km bush race in the Blue Mountains on Saturday: http://runningwildnsw.webs.com/20102011trailseries.htm#592074910
ReplyDeleteI should have done a lot of things differently mate! I need to get my bush running up...unfortunately i am in Melb this weekend for the cricket and tennis...definitely keen to run long though with company sometime soon!
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