Being the Christmas week and away with the in-laws for the whole week I did not really expect to be able to stick to my program. Nevertheless, on Christmas Eve morning I set out from Eagle Bay to Bunker Bay up to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. Partly on tracks, partly over rocks, lots of beachsand and then back on the road. That was quite disappointing and rather long. Instead of just doing 45' I ended up doing just over double that. I didn't mind as I had thought about cutting the weekend long run into two in any event. On Wednesday I found myself a nice long hill and did that 6 times, annoying a couple of dogs (and presumably their owners as well) in the process.
For Friday I planned on driving up to the lighthouse and taking the Cape to Cape track to Yallingup and back, a total of 28ks.
That worked out nicely, notwithstanding the track changing considerably already in the first five ks, I found a nice rhythm. I remember thinking about doing the whole thing and getting some others to join me (yes, you guys!) - a total of 135ks, maybe broken up into 2 or 3 days to start with. Approaching five ks I saw this limestone outcrop and ledge and thought to myself to keep to the left as it looked as if it could break off and - WHACK, BANG, I tripped and crashed headfirst into various limestone rock ending up with hitting my nose. Boy, it hurt! Blood was everywhere, dripping down my nose, on my hands, running down the shins from both knees, not a pretty sight. I think I would have been a good black knight impersonation, limping backwards and forwards trying to figure out what to do next. After a while I gathered all my bits, cap, glasses, bag etc and although the last thing I felt like running, thought it was best to just keep moving. I wasn't going to let this hold me up and pushed further South, although very slowly.
At the Three Bear beach I came across a few surfers and they gave me a odd looks, I must have looked pretty bad. Anyway, by then my left knee had swollen up and was quite painful, so I decided not to push it and turned back.
Back at our place I spent a good hour cleaning myself up. Apart from the bruising, scratches all over, the left knee was worst off as by then it was so swollen I couldn't bend it. Also, there was a cut in it that wouldn't stop bleeding. (Oh, yes, and my nose looked as if I had been in a decent bar fight!) Good grief I thought, Canberra over and out.
Well, I haven't been on a run yet, except for a few minutes on the treadmill today, but all is not lost. Still a bit swollen, but by tomorrow morning, I'll be hitting the road again.
This is the second last week of base training and next week is an easy week in the period, so I'll push the hard stuff towards the end of this week to give the knee some time to recover, without losing the benefit of the easy training next week.
Then it's into intensity.
Apart from the lead up, 2008 promises to be the most interesting year yet. Canberra in April (although the bookings are not done yet and accommodation for five people comes at a premium!), the Perth in July and Rottnest in October.
In addition though, we are looking at visiting son #1 in Germany in the second part of his exchange year, so around September, which would tie in nicely with school holidays and the Berlin Marathon! Possibly a bit close to Rotto, but who says that I have to set PBs anywhere. Berlin is a gorgeous city, I certainly wouldn't mind going back there, so for now that is something I am seriously looking at.
The aim is to go below 3:30, either in Canberra or Perth and the rest is just for fun.
In between, a few club races (as Epi says, have to be careful not to mess up the training regime with them, but then again, who says they have to be all out efforts) and the C2S where I'd like to go below 52:30.
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