First Week Of Training for Scary Scary Event just got even Scarier

Me - after a very hot and long (6 hours) run / walk on the Six Foot Track - 31km

(yes it shouldn't take one 6 hours but it was hot, we ran out of water, so we walked the last 14km - and besides, our legs were jelly, you'll see why)

This hasn't been a bad week of training, despite being "injured" - i.e. having a very sore achilles, and knowing that I have to keep it happy but keep it moving if it is to get better.

Sunday morning started with a swim at Glenbrook Pool.  30 laps but slow slow slow.

Monday - decided after icing the living daylights out of my ankles that I would try a little 5km run in the afternoon, took it really slow, deliberately didn't take iPod so that I could concentrate on keeping really slow and threw in a few local hills - by 5km the achilles was nagging but not shouting.  Felt better for doing it.  Stopped thinking "I will never run again".

Tuesday - knew I shouldn't run again but managed to persuade Himself to accompany me on a bush "walk".  Chose one that featured the stairs that are in the actual race - all 910 of them - the famous Giant Staircase that leads from Echo Point down to the base of the Three Sisters and along the Federal Pass, then back along Federal Pass and back up the stairs. 

Tourists who saw us climbing up the stairs turned back in horror.

We were sweaty and cursing lowly under our breaths. 

Felt amazing to get to the top.  Could not sleep that night for fear of what I have gotten myself into.  Achilles niggled like mad tonight, despite icing icing and more icing.

Wednesday - local 10km loop incorporating more hellish stairs, Lovers Walk from Emu Plains to Glenbrook.  Had to walk home, achilles again unhappy, got caught in the rain, didn't have my compression shorts on under my running skirt and felt fat and floppy post Christmas.  Not my finest training session, but at least I was out there.

Thurs and Friday - nothing!

Saturday - 31km on the Six Foot Track - totally brilliant, totally horrid in equal measures.  We ran the first 14km, we were on track to stop at Cox's River, have a swim, eat a sandwich and run back.  About 500m from the River we came across a very large and very aggressive red bellied black snake.  In fact, as Helen was running, and put her foot on the track, it too was heading onto the track and so they sort of collided.  Thankfully Helen was in front of me (not thankfully for Helen though). She quite calmly (in her rather posh English fashion said "snake!" - I screamed and ran the fastest I have ever ran in my life. 100m record on the Six Foot Track.  I was yelling at her to follow me, but she just seemed to be standing there.  Note to anyone who knows me - don't call me in an emergency.  Running and screaming are probably not the best reactions to large, unhappy snakes.   Helen eventually ran too.  We decided at that point not to continue down to the river.  I have never been so keen to get home in all my life. Both our legs went to jelly and we found it hard to run.   I found myself a stick and carried this until we got onto open trail again.  

Despite this (and another much smaller sighting of a red bellied black snake), this is the furthest I have been on Six Foot Track and the scenery around the farms on the Megalong Valley are just gorgeous - worth coming back for - in winter when the snakes are all having a nap!!

We ended up spending 6 hours out there, with breaks to dip our feet in the river, have a sandwich and at one stage just to cool off in the shade.  It was 37 degrees on Saturday and we almost ran out of water.  The plan was to refill the camelbaks at the campsite at the river but because we were too scared to pass the snake, we turned back without a refill.  A lesson there - to be prepared for any eventuality on the trails. 

Luckily I had planted a frozen bottle at the 25km point (about 4km after we ran out and by this stage it was 3pm and hot as hell) and then at the base of Nellies Glen we filled up from the stream. We guzzled from the stream.  No ill effects to report either, the water was sooo clear and tasted like the best water I have ever had in my life!!   A very tired Sonia and Helen at the end, but really happy to have made it safely.

Woke up with an amazingly well body apart from very sore quads.  Normally after a long run my back and hips are really unhappy.  Today there was none of that which has really encouraged me that I can train for this event.  Have I mentioned that I wake in the night with sweats thinking about what I have entered?  

So this morning I went to Glenbrook Pool - 20 laps to limber up the muscles.

This afternoon went to test drive the bikes the bike shop had ordered in for me. 

Ended up buying one and taking it for a 15km ride this afternoon.  My quads!!  Oh boy are they sore.

I am in love with my new bike. 

Here it is:

Still feeling scared, frightened, apprehensive etc about North Face, but this week has shown me that I don't have to run 70km at 6 min km's to get some good training in - the steps are a must for this race, the terrain is a must and the mixture of swimming and biking on top of the running are a must or else I will end up totally banjaxed.  Also spending 6 hours out on the trail like we did on Saturday is really important to get my body used to just being on it's feet for that length of time.  So, despite the apprehension, I am pretty happy with this weeks training - hopefully it can only get better!!

The biggest thing that happened this week is that I got my licence back after being disqualified for SIX MONTHS for losing all my points.  I look upon this as a positive, because it was really because of this I started to run to work, and I am now very conscious of the speed limit.  It felt totally brilliant to drive up to Katoomba early on Saturday morning, in fact it felt a little like the whole world was my oyster.  Which, of course, it is.  Kilpatrick.