Dissapointments and further challenges

There have been more set backs this month then I care to count. Although one should be excited about completing their Masters (yay for me) my new single minded focus has been pummeled into the threat of being called off.

It all started on Mother's Day. I had carelessly organised to take my sister on a rogaine, a decision I am sure she now regrets too. The rogaine took place in the Hann national park. The scenery was majestic yet the spear grass was relentless and piercing my new trek running shoes. It is now about a month after the rogaine I am still finding spear grass in my socks and my shoes, even after sitting down for an hour and a half and plucking them out. For those that aren't aware you need pretty accurate navigation skills with a compass to get between checkpoints. Well it was sort of a hit and miss day for my sister and I. We got a few but we spent far to much time looking for the ones we didn't hit spot on. This and stopping to remove spear grass from our shoes hampered our times.

After climbing the last hill to our final check point we were pushed for time to get back to the hash house. We orientated ourselves in a hurry and started down a spur where I proceeded to roll my ankle and my sister jarred her knee. This put us on the wrong track when we didn't re-orientate ourselves. Just goes to show you can get lost quite significantly in the bush in very little time. needless to say we ended up on a road, our first sign of self preservation and 3km (by road) away from the hash house. We elected to stay on the road as we knew they would send out search parties. If we headed back across land (light fading) we were only about a kilometer away. Luckily a farmer came along and gave us a lift back to the hash house. With much embarrassment we headed back late for my dads birthday dinner and mothers day dinner only to find my wife had to go to hospital for a sprained ankle, she did this having coffee with her family. Happy Birthday Dad, and Happy Mothers Day...

Next installment, after giving my ankle a while to rest I decided to retry the blue arrow (7km hill walk in cairns) compared to the pyramid it would be the equivalent of not quite going to halfway. After attempting this with a friend a few weeks earlier and doing it in around 1hr and 40 minutes, I went back and did it again and was please to knock 20 minutes off my previous time. Although, seeing a wild pig and a brown snake may the reason 20 minutes came off my time. This for me was a good boost after the set back of the rogaine.

As my birthday turned over (which my two closest friends neglected to wish me happy birthday) and I finished my last assignment, I decided to do the whole race course with my friends who are also doing the race, as a birthday present for myself. This I thought would be a good indicator of if i could do it. Needless to say I failed dismally. All I can deduce is I did not really feel up to it. I did not even get to half way and I rolled my ankle again. I am sure I nearly passed out a couple of times. However, reflection and analysis plus my fortunate knowledge of physiology has led me to the conclusion I was just dehydrated. My heart rate sat at about 170-180 bpm for most of the first 45 minutes. A little to high for me. I now know when I do it hydrated, it should sit between 150-160 bpm. I have started making check points and have planned water stops along the way. I have run from the township twice and worked out where my water stops need to be.

I think I am back on track but I can never be sure now. I have done half the run twice this week and will do it a couple of times a week for the next two weeks and eventually stretch it up to the full distance. It is hard now, harder then I thought it was going to be. I need to shed 8 more kilos in 10 weeks and drop my times by at least 20 minutes to see the southern side of three hours on race day. I will be competing in a multi-sport triathlon event in two weeks. 5km hike/run, 15km mountain bike ride and 900meter paddle, should be hard and fun can't wait.