Training Log Archive: markg

Inspired by robw, acejase, and Marty's 10 peaks run earlier this year, I took advantage of being Thredbo for the weekend by doing my own main range run. The plan was to run up on to the range on Australian Alps Walking Track from Dead Horse Gap, then across to the Ram's Head Range, picking up Ram's Head and Ram's Head North, before running back along the Kosciuszko walking track. It didn't quite go to plan but it was a fantastic day anyway.

Despite a planned early start, I got away close to 8am, firstly because I fell back asleep but then after getting up the conditions looked awful. It was grey and there was cloud all around the village - you could barely see across the golf course from the Riverside Cabins where we were staying. So I ummed and ahhed for a while but eventually decided I'd just get going and turn back if it stayed crap. Thankfully after just 10min I cleared the cloud layer and it turned into an amazing sunny day, barely a cloud or a breath of wind the whole time.

Made it to Dead Horse Gap in just under 30min, was feeling okay but not great and was feeling quite intimidated by the climb to come, not half because the first km is about 15% average. I suppressed my fears and just started plodding. I managed to settle into a nice pace that I was able to maintain for more or less the whole climb without killing myself. And before I knew it was up out of the valley and admiring the view.

At the high point on the spur above Eagle's Nest, I took a quick break and then turned left up toward Ram's Head. I'd studied the map a week ago but I hadn't brought one with me so I just kept climbing up to the NW. The going was tough in places - thick spongy vegetation and pockets of snow - but fantastic in others - bouncy alpine grass. I deviated briefly to climb a rocky outcrop looking back over Thredbo - nice view - then kept climbing. Unfortunately, when I got up there I couldn't work out which bump was Ram's Head! I climbed one at 85 min which I figured was close and my watch said was 2200m altitude - clearly wrong but hopefully meant I was close to the target of 2190m. I decided this was it and kept going but it turns out that I was about 200m north of the real peak. Oh well!

I subsequently decided to skip Ram's Head North, which is quite the rocky little peak, to save time and ran further north past it until the end of the range looking over a small valley toward Kosciuszko. Beautiful running along here, so springy and soft. Then I made a quick descent to the Kosciuszko walking track and hoofed it back to Eagle's Nest.

Very fun morning out. It was my first time running up in the alps and loved it. Amusing that I didn't hit either planned peak :)

Recovery run. Started hungry and felt tired and flat throughout. Did Suunto sleeping recovery test over night and it said I was only 37% recovered. Sounds like it was right.

A muddy run with Nick from Megan's work, who is my 6ft buddy. Wasn't sure what to expect as Nick hasn't done that much running but he took off fast, faster than I do these days. We kept up a solid pace the whole way; I actually tried to slow the pace a bit, didn't want to burn out a running partner at run number 1. He tired at the end but he seemed to cope pretty well. I reckon he'll do fine if he puts the kms in.

Anti-clockwise spiral around and up Mt Ainslie, then over Hackett Hill, and a half Mt Majura. Legs got tired on the climbs but otherwise felt great the whole run. Handling 20k so well was a bit of a surprise really but a nice one to be sure.

Half Majura and Hackett Hill. First run with a HR monitor since I got the sensor fixed. Shocked by 174 HR during warmup but it settled down and I remembered that this is normal (for me).

Testing my hip. Felt a little tight but none of the soreness.

Successfully entered for the Coastal Classic. Key step for a Six Foot entry next year, now to keep training without getting (properly) injured.

Hip is feeling better still. I've stopped the voltaren. Glute activation seems shoddy again and a little of that old soreness in the groin has appeared. Long run effects?

Hip is a lot better today. Taking voltaren and trying to work out some of the muscles which feel knotty and sore.

From home to the Arboretum via the ALJ Memorial Track and a lap of circumcision. Had a 12pm arrival deadline and started later than planned so I had to push the pace a little bit more than I wanted. This included going pretty hard down Breakfast Hill. Afterwards, curious about how close to a course record I'd got, I checked the matching Strava segment and found I was 45s behind over 600m! I also expected that the 15 people ahead of me would include a substantial number of orienteers but there was only one and a relative late-comer, Paul Cuthbert.

Before the run, I had a whisper of something not 100% in my right hip, unfortunately by the end I knew it and was hobbling around at the end.

Steady run at the back of Ainslie. Came back via the middle track, hillier than I'd planned for but I managed to keep it pretty solid up the hills. Legs feeling tired but I'm feeling good about improving fitness.

Commute home from work. A tiny bit of soreness in quads from yesterday's hill and a tight left calf.

Morning run up Majura via the zig zag track. Feeling a bit stronger on the hills, was still hard work in the 2nd half.

Cold, wet, and family stuff

Getting better, pretty mild cold.

Working from home with a little bit of a cold so as not to infect anyone else but it was such a nice day out that I just had to go for a jog.

Getting some hills into my training, short run up to the Majura spur to get the morning sun - nice views over the airport - then up and over Hackett ridge. Felt better than on runs around these trails going back a month or two. Also managed not to fall again ...

Run home from work. Wasn't feeling too enthusiastic before I started but it was quite nice out and I started to feel better, that was until I hit the deck making a turn onto some single track I'd spotted too late and got some gravel rash. Cranky after that.

ACT League #3 at The Murdering Shed. Longest run of any sort for quite a while. Felt better physically than last Sunday at Isaacs Ridge. Enjoyable course, a couple more controls wouldn't have hurt, but it's generally such nice running I can forgive it. Finished up 15min behind robw and Craney, which was better than I expected, although I did get done by the ever improving Marty Dent and young Patrick Miller. Lost a couple of minutes at #3, must have gone within metres of the control, but it took another confused loop before I got it. Lost a bit on #8 too, which was a bit weird and vague around the control. Need to work keeping closer to the line on longer legs - I was a bit wobbly on the long one.

Red 1 - Splits