Time waits for no-one, for the fortunate and not so…….

Wow, its been almost six months since my last post here. A lot has happened and writing a blog has been the last thing on my mind.  Having left off with a rather successful feeling post the Bilpin Run, attention was drawn to the next race, which was the Coastal Classic from Otford to Bundeena.  This has always been a scenic run and a great test of trail running with elements from technical descents and climbs, beach running, some rock cliffs, more sand running and a little bit of everything mixed in.  A 29.5km course after significant rain during the past week makes it even tougher on the legs and for me it was a cramp and mud bath, but I rather enjoyed the latter ! The good old course got me again with cramps mid way through but I battled on to do a nice PB and a time of around 3:06.  Very happy indeed particularly when you finally get to cross the line before Robyn and Tim – think that must be a first in my trail running career, but they had an excuse given Sydney Marathon was 2 weeks later and they both smashed PBs with Miss Bruins upping the ante by demolishing my PB. 

A week or two later I headed to Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final to watch my beloved Swans get trounced by the Hawks. The day didn’t begin well when pulling up very sore with shin splints after a 8km tempo run around the streets of inner Melbourne suburbs.  I never really thought shin splints could be so painful and actually make you stop running, but that’s exactly what they did and I had a good 2-3 weeks forced rest (well I saw the physio many times and maxed out my private health cover) from running, but managed to join the local gym for swimming work and exercise biking to keep some form of cardio up.

I needed the exercise as I had signed up to Hobart’s Point to Pinnacle (P2P), a Half Marathon that starts from sea level to eventually climbing 1,300m, finishing at the top of Mt Wellington.  So once I had the green light from the physio, I had a couple of runs back to get me used to the legs again before entering the Kedumba 10km.  Rocco and Gillian were in the 21km event and we all travelled up in my car for the morning hosted by Running Wild NSW.  The 10km had a very small field of runners and was simple, a 5km down the Kedumba Valley Fire Trail and then turn and run the last 5km up the steep slopes.  Good way for me to get back into it and train for P2P.  The 21km race was the same except run down for 10.5km and climb up a lot further than I could at present. 

Gun went off and the 3 of us simply lined up at the back of the field to treat it as an easy training run.  We were slowly jogging the first 800m and then it got all too frustrating so I decided to actually stretch the legs and try and go quicker.  I was mindful of the downhill running with the previously sore shins, but things were going well.  No pain.  I made the turnaround in 5^th position I think and saw 2 very young looking lads (15 years old I was told), way out in front coming back up the hill.  It was then my turn for the all uphill and I was worried about fitness given the recent rest but I aimed not to walk it and gave it a good go.  I made it to 4^th then battled hard to finally get 3^rd before I spotted one of the tall young runners walking up the last big hill.  I caught him and encouraged him on but before I knew it, we had made the top of the hill ready for the flat and downhill sprint and he took off – cheeky kid !  He got 2^nd but I held the gap to 6 seconds so was pleased considering the lazy or easy start at the back of the field and simply jogging the first section.  Rocco and Gillian did well in their 21km run, making themselves stronger for P2P.

After Kedumba, I begin working on some training with the aim of being fit for P2P.  I even bought a road push-bike, well let me refresh that, I let Raki and Wilson do the shopping for me and made me spend a lot of cash.  A couple of weeks later I went for a morning ride with Raki and had a nasty fall that I wish no-one can experience.  It was all my wrong doing and fault, inexperienced, riding to quick, downhill and panicked on the breaks whilst avoiding little items on the road.  Luckily no cars were involved, only me, my bike, and my helmet and head.  Thrown over the bars at speed landing on the top right of your head is not fun, but the helmet I was wearing saved my life, there is no doubt.

Initially I thought I was Ok after the incident but my life and head was heading in a downward spiral within a week, feeling dizzy, drowsy, neausea, anxious, neck pain.  After numerous GP visits , I had a CT scan on my brain , neck and back and then weeks later an MRI (those machines are simply freaky for head scans). Scans showed no brain damage and specialists were baffled as to what was causing the issue other than to say it could be me being anxious or even Post Concussion Syndrome.  It was probably both the two to be honest and I battled through the next two months really.  A very nasty and down period in my life, coupled with a few other things that had I had to deal with and it was really low times.  In the past, running has been the cure for those times, but this time, that was not on the table, I simply could not run with my head injury.  It’s those times that you thank and become appreciative off the people around you, friends and family offering support and I thank every single one of you.

Obviously P2P could not be run in my condition but I only made a last minute decision to pull out the night before the scheduled flight weekend. The flight risk was simply too great for me.  Chantelle happily and probably gladly took up my race bib and was heading down to Tassie that weekend anyway.  Turned out she smashed it and I am not surprised as she is a brilliant runner ! Thanks Chantelle !

Things were beginning to improve a little around Christmas time so I started to do some light 5km-8km runs.  I knew that would make me feel better mentally about things but the fitness would be lacking on an enormous scale.  Given I had entered a race in New Zealand that was being held in 5 weeks (I had entered back in late June for memory) I was almost certain that I was going to forgoe my entry and plane fares making it a rather expensive last few months.  Given the race was 100km and all, what else should you do………….

…….time was ticking fast and really I had to make up my mind on what to do.  There was about 7 weeks to go before the start of the 2^nd official race of the Ultra Trail World Tour – the Tarawera Ultra Marathon 100km in New Zealand, from Rotorua to Kawerau via Lake Tarawera and Tarawera Falls.

I had entered this race way back in June or July and was really looking forward to this one, my second 100km race after The North Face in the Blue Mtns last year. It was supposed to be a lot flatter, faster and easier.  But with time not on my side and a lack of fitness following my head trauma I was feeling very uneasy, anxious and ready to pull the pin on this.  Watching your friends putting in the kms training around you whilst you are unable to run is not easy but I know I was doing the right thing by not attempting to run.  The risks were far too great. As I began to feel better week by week, I warmed to the idea of heading to NZ (still anxious about flying) to perhaps complete in the run but move my 100km entry down to 60km.  At least that was something.

I began training with a 20km trail run and remember this one vividly, with Ruth absolutely schooling Tim and I on a local trail run around Lance Cove.  Wow, I had a lot of work to do I thought to make this upcoming event possible.  The next week Pat and I ran a 23km trail around Lane Cove trails again, but we both suffered in the extreme humidity and heat and pulled up about 6km short of the 29km planned run.  The week after was a bit lighter on for kms but I was in desperate need of a long run the following week and completed a 41km run with Rocco, Tim, Robyn, Suzi and Chantelle on another hot morning.  That was a great training run for someone who needed the gallop.  Three weeks to go to race day and a light week somehow made it in my training schedule before another long run with the Knapsack Race of 30km under quicker conditions to get my legs into intense race mode.  A vey tough Wed night Hills session followed by another hard 22km trail run on the Saturday meant reverse tapering was complete with an 80km week completed seven days before race day.  I guess I was lining up for the 100km event as I hadn’t changed to the 60km !