Wednesday I've got Sunday on my mind....

It's Wednesday and I'm looking forward to the run for the kids on Sunday. Feeling fighting fit after taking it a bit easier the last few weeks. That probably means I'll run like turd on the day :)

Jack and I went for a run in the dandenongs last Sunday, and it seemed like the forest had been reserved exclusively for runners. After the awesome storms we had, not too many were keen on hitting the trails...except us and a bunch of other runners we saw. I guess we're either a little nuts, or everyone else is a little soft. Not that I was complaining, it was good to have the trails virtually to ourselves. The forest seemed to light up after all the rain, and with some fallen trees requiring some delicate negotiation, there was some climbing adventure to boot.

I am rapidly becoming a fan of those chilled out trail runs at a pace that you feel like you could sustain for hours and hours. I'm sure reality would be different and at some stage a wall will be hit, but it seems like good prep for a marathon and further. And considering I want to progress to some ultra marathons, that can only be a good thing.

It makes me wonder if I'm really all that interested in getting faster, or whether I would just rather be able to run longer. I guess if you can run faster, then it makes running at a slower pace much easier, so maybe they're not mutually exclusive.

Day 44. Brilliant!

Went for my long distance run today, up in the dandenongs starting at one tree hill. It was a bit of a random affair, just trying to find different tracks, and in the process I found some magic trails. There was a bit of everything, steep hills, magnificent scenery, the oldest hardwood trees in the world, overgrown ferns, fallen trees, waterfalls...and a wallaby! He crossed the track a few metres in front of me and we stood there checking each other out for a good minute or so. I think he was camera shy though, because he was happy enough to stick around until the exact moment I opened the camera app on the phone. Doh.

And was it peaceful. Apart from the occasional walkers, it felt like I was out there alone. That's the main thing I miss when running in the burbs, a bit of quiet. My focus was just to enjoy it and not worry about my speed, take breaks when I felt like it, and it was a lot fun. At times it just felt like I was gliding through the trails, a really cool feeling.

I expected to feel pretty tight after the car trip back home, but to my pleasant surprise I felt fine. Muddy, but not sore at all. The storms a few nights back left a few areas pretty mushy, which was good fun to run through. I found a few dead ends here and there too, but it was all part of finding some good trails that I want to return to.

Run Summary
Distance : 16.37km
Time : 1:36:15
Elevation : +555.7 / -548.6

Click here to view run profile

Day 24. Back to the start...

Back with Jack to the original stomping ground. We headed up to the Sherbrooke forest runs we hit up on New Years Day. This time around we knew what to expect, but it still didn't stop the hills from winning :) On the first trail, we both hit the uphill section, and our memories played tricks on us because after the first stretch, we both thought it was much easier than last time. Then we rounded the corner and it all came flooding back....there it is! The hill from hell. So the score now stands 2-0 in the hill's favour. I am determined to beat this beotch.

We then hit the second trail after a bit of brunch (no eggs bene this time), and I am proud to say I made it up without stopping, in about 8:23. Not far off my goal of 8 minutes. I thought it would take a few months to reach this fitness level, so I'm happy with the progress so far.

Love these trails. Have to take a small camera up with us next time.

Run Summary - Run 1
Distance : 6.39km
Time : 35:44
Elevation : +223.5 / -230.0

Click here to view run profile

Run Summary - Run 2

Distance : 2.02km

Time : 15:41

Elevation : +117.8 / -117.8

Click here to view run profile

Day 1. Happy New Year!

What better way to start the new year than with a big ol' run (or two)?

Jack and I took the opportunity to head out to Sherbrooke Forest (the one in Victoria, not the Robin Hood one) for a run to kick start the year. Two runs, a big plate of bacon and eggs and a few litres of sweat later, and it was a great way to get cracking on my goal of running everyday in 2010.

My plan is to run at least 1km every day this year. I figure if I am going to get out for at least 1km each day, I'll probably end up going for longer, since by the time I've been going for a few minutes I start to get into the groove and by then the cobwebs have usually been shaken off.

I will be tracking every run on my Garmin watch if possible. I also run in the Vibram Five Fingers, which for those who aren't aware of them, are basically a "shoe" that gets you as close as possible to running barefoot, but with some protection from undesirables such as glass & sharp rocks. The benefits are numerous and the downsides virtually none. In future posts I may provide more info if I have the time.

But I digress. Here are the first 2 runs:

Run 1

Distance : 6.74km

Time : 43:17

Elevation : +262.6m, -263.1m

Click here to view run profile

We started from the Grants Reserve car park, and quickly settled into a good rhythm. Thinking it would be a relatively flat run (relative to the hilly location), I was given a rude awakening when we started heading down a steep track not long into the run. Of course what goes down must come up (or something like that), and not long after we hit the mother of all hills, bringing Jack and I to a walk pretty soon into the climb.

It was a beautiful run however, and with the early morning mist still hanging around the dense forest, it was like being in a scene straight out of a movie. A big thumbs up to this track.

Run 2

Distance : 8.86km

Time : 1:04:58

Elevation : +369.9m, -367.6m

Click here to view run profile

After a good break which included some of the best eggs bene I've ever had (maybe it was the hunger but they were magic), we let our brekky settle and then headed off on another track from the other side of the road.

There was no time for an easy warm up as the track quickly started climbing, and by the time we got to the top we definitely needed a breather. It was spot on 1km and a tough 10 minutes to reach the top which came out onto a gravel road. This track is going to become a personal favourite. Already I want to get that time down to 8 minutes, which doesn't sound particularly fast for 1km, but it will do me just fine. It's a tricky and winding narrow track over lots of tree roots that keeps teasing you into thinking you've reached the peak, before punching you in the guts as you round another corner to see the trail pointing upwards yet again.

After a quick breather we set off again, not really knowing where we were going since checking the map was not something we bothered to put much time into. Somehow we ended up in Belgrave, which was not quite the intention. Still, we found our way back and this was one seriously tough trail. Very steep but also very beautiful, as with the first run.

Well that's it for my first post. I will probably not be so verbose from here on in but will just stick to shorter descriptions instead. Happy reading and happy running.