Downhill Reps 7x400m

Much better conditions than yesterday. No rain and the grass was pretty soft in Centennial Park. Very humid and the sun was out so I'm happy.

Down hill reps on the grass hill in the park.

1:09, 1:07, 1:10, 1:12, 1:11, 1:10, 1:09. All done with about double the recovery time back up the hill.

Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cooldown after the session.

Downhill Reps 10x400m

The grassy knoll was a special for some down hill reps tonight. Into Centennial Park with the Moonlight Cinema crowd. Really half a moon light tonight.
The legs were finally responding after having a forced day off yesterday with a meeting and dinner.

The reps were 1:13, 1:12, 1:12, 1:09, 1:11, 1:11, 1:09, 1:12, 1:13, 1:11.
All done with about double the recovery back up the hill.

Very humid 72% and 23 degrees when I started and the humidity didn't get much better when the sun went down. Did a 2k warmup before the session and a 3k cool down after.

Explorers Tree to Mini mini & Return-40ks

Started about 7:10 from the shelter in the car park. The first part down the wide fire trail was longer than I thought it was supposed to be, and then I hit the steps and Nellies Glen. Those steps are seriously dangerous and I wouldn't put it past someone breaking an ankle down there.
When the steps finished it became a narrow single track through the bush until I got to the open fire trail after about 3ks. It was very hard to run down those steps, heaps of water in there due to the rain last week.
The long fire trail after that was great to run on and lead down until I came upon a creek I had to cross after about 3ks of running down the road. No sign on the other side and it was an open paddock. Lucky a couple of bush walkers came down and I spotted the little sign up the hill. Pretty uneventful after that as I ran down to Megalong Rd and then basically through to the river. Arrived at the Coxs in 1hr 45mins. Filled my water bottle up after only using that from the start down to Coxs.

Started off up Mini mini using my race strategy of walking and running in certain places. Was passed by a few dirt bike riders who were tearing down Mini mini stirring up dust. Great stuff.
Arrived at Mini mini in 2:28:00. And talked to a couple of runners who had camelbaks on and were asking me where some water was. So I sent them down to Alum creek as they had just come up from the Coxs. Maybe they didn't know about the water tank?
Told them only drink from the 3rd creek which looks like it is moving faster so should be ok. Had a powerbar and a drink while I was on the top of Mini mini.

Back down Mini mini and I could finally run again. Filled up the water bottle at the tank and then tried to cross the Coxs via the rocks like the first time. Slipped and ended up dipping one shoe in. Bugger! The River was a dirty brown colour by the way. Not a good look.
The haul back up from the river began and I ran better along here than the training run in January. Had a Gu just before reaching Pinnacle Hill. A few fresh cow pats covered the single track which hopefully will be frisbees by race day. There is a tree down across the track along here as well. Had to duck under it putting my hand down to do so. Would hold up plenty on race day. Must tell Kev.

Back to Megalong Rd arriving at a spectacular time of 4hrs. Into the bush again picking up an extra water bottle that I left on the way down. Good running through the bush here, and then I hit the road again. The fire trail was hot, hot, hot, and seemed to go on for ever. Possibly did. The road has a double tree down along, probably about 1k from where the Nellies Glen sign is. Would need a good hurdle to clear it, or you can step in the middle and keep going.

When the road finished and it went to single track I think I had about 3ks to go. Had no energy left at all so basically had to walk most of it. When the stairs arrived it meant the heat was gone as the Glen has great tree cover. Had to walk all of the very wet stairs, with a few creeks actually flowing down the track at different points. I'm convinced there are 5000 stairs and not 500. My legs didn't hurt but it was just neverending. Some choice swear words were heard across the valley while I climbed the stairs.

The stairs finally finished and I had a few more hills up the fire trail to get back to the car. Which was still waiting for me. It was so good to get back and crack open the esky for a cold drink. A few gatorades and cokes later I left. But shall return on race day.

Some stats:
Start to the River 1:45:00. 15.5ks in 1:45:00. Average pace of 6:46 per klm.
Coxs to Mini mini 2:28:00. 4.5ks in 43 mins. Average pace of 9:33 per klm.
Mini mini to Coxs 2:55:00. 4.5ks in 27 mins. Average pace of 6:00 per klm.
Coxs to Megalong Rd 4:00:00. 7.5ks in 65mins. Average pace of 8:40 per klm.
Megalong Rd to the shelter 5:14:52. 8ks in 74:52. Average pace of 9:20 per klm.

Total was 40ks in 5:14.52. Average pace of 7:52 per klm.

This won't happen again as I can't see the point in running back up Nellies Glen for training. Well I couldn't run it anyway so it was a waste today.
Today was very hard work and from Megalong Rd I really did not want to run back. Longest time on my feet ever yet again.
The cramp bear don't live on this body as I had no problems at all, only tightness in the legs near the end which is normal as we all know.
Just hurry up with the race already. Now I can taper! Yeehah!

My Legs, I can't feel my legs

That was what my brain was saying to my legs near the end of these hill reps.
A very uncomfortable 26 degrees and 65% humidity during the session.
The reps were up my 1.1k hill and I struggled to do 8 reps.

The reps were: 5:31, 5:25, 5:32, 5:33, 5:31, 5:36, 5:31, 5:25. All done with about equal recovery back down the hill again.
A lot slower than 2 weeks ago, but I guess the week off last week had a bit of an effect. Plus yesterday's longish run.

Downhill Demon 12x400m reps

A 2k warmup over to the grassy hill in Centennial Park for some down hill reps.
Lots of people in the park tonight. I even saw Mohammad driving by after finishing his training with Long Arms.
As per usual tried to keep the reps consistent.

Reps were: 1:13, 1:13, 1:13, 1:13, 1:13, 1:15, 1:12, 1:14, 1:13, 1:13, 1:11, 1:10.
All done with almost double the recovery time back up the hill again.

Did a 2k cool down back home after the session. Legs feel good, it was only darkness that forced me to stop. No lights in the park you see, or can't see.

Caves House to Pluvio & Return-40ks

The reason for 40 was due to getting to a sign on the way up from the Caves which only said that I had just come up the track not which way to go forward. Consequently walked up the track for 1k then turned around due to thinking I was wrong. Then spotted a walker who told me, yep the same hill I had to go up again. Bugger.

The start was at 7:30am this morning from Caves House after not finding the turnoff to the Black Range Campground where I intended to start from. No sign?
The start was all up hill and down and up hill again after the mistake and arriving at 6ks in an hour. That hill out of the caves was brutal and I could only walk it. Lucky we get to run down it during the race.

Trudged along to the Binda Cabins and then met up with Caves Rd. Couldn't work out where the track went and finally found it on the same side I had been running. Nothing to bad about this part. Eventually got down to the official crossing of Caves Rd. Made my way down to the Black Range campground discovering there were at least five nasty hills to go up between Caves Rd and the campground.
Down Black Range with the sun still behind the trees giving me plenty of shade. Not too bad the hills down here, coming back would be another story. Finally arrived at Pluvio after doing 21ks in 2:26:00.

Met Kev Tiller and Becky O plus 3 other stragglers doing the fatass "megalong to Mega". Had a powerbar here at half time.
Filled my camelbak up with some water and headed back.

Worked out that coming back along Black Range the first hill after Pluvio you would have to walk up as it was too steep. Found about 4 others that gave me the same feeling in the legs. Why run it. I did run all of Black Range bar the worst hills and arrived back at the campground after 60 minutes for the 8.7ks.
Met Ray(Kit's other half) and Deanna doing a bush walk towards Pluvio to meet Bernie g, Kit and Blue Dog later on. Filled up my water bottle from the tank. It was nice and cool actually. Excellent considering the water in the camelbak was copping the sun. Also had a my first ever Gu here. Seriously I didn't feel any effect at all.

From then I knew that the bit back to Caves Rd had five soul destroying hills. Two of which were at least 500m in length and quite steep.
Made the crossing of Caves Rd and trudged up and down the trail, walking a few more hills as I was knackered back to Binda Cabins. The sign for a shower made me nearly attempt a full clothed dip. Maybe race day! Just kidding.

There were a few more hills from the cabins until I finally reached the summit of Kiora Hill and I could run a bit quicker down hill. Very slippery down the single track to the stairs at Carlotta's Arch. Raced down the stairs and broke the imaginary finishing tape.
Trudged uphill to the car to break open the esky with a few much needed suppliers of gatorade and coke. Plus some snakes!

The important splits:
Caves House to Pluvio: 2:26:30. 21ks in 6:58 per klm.
Pluvio to Black Range campground: 3:25:50. 8.7ks in 6:49 per klm.
Black Range to Caves House: 4:41:06. 10.3ks in 7:18.
Finished with 40ks on the clock for 4:41:06. Average pace of 7:01 per klm.

The bit from Black Range to Caves House had more up hills than I could ever have imagined from the course map. Especially the part to the Caves Rd crossing was particularly hard for me. Heaps of walking up every hill and a slow trudge along the flat to get my breath back.
Learnt a lot about the course. If any tells you it is easy from Pluvio to the finish then they are lying. The sun was killing me now as the shade had gone from Black Range with the sun straight overhead, just like race day.
My last visit to the track before the race. For the stairs and Nellies I'll just have to see that on the day.
Yet again it was my longest ever timed run. And the best part was that I have had no cramps whatsover despite all the up and downhills I had in this run. Hope for the same on race day.

Long Hill Reps 6x1.1k

After doing an extra downhill rep on Tuesday I had to put in the effort to do an extra uphill rep tonight. Very tough in the humidity.

Reps were 5:16, 5:10, 5:17, 5:15, 5:16, 5:20. All done with about the same time recovery back down the hill.

2p one grandparent was scottish, one english and two aussies with german/belgian heritage.

Filled the online entry about 11pm last night while still at work. That's why no run yesterday.