Black Mountain Run-Up shouldn't present too many problems, after all, I didn't do the City to Surf and it's only 2.6km right?
Uh, Dummy, don't you remember how bad you are at running at the moment?
I was quite confused beforehand, although living a tad over 5kms from the start by foot over the trails of Black Mountain, I drove and allowed plenty of time. The increasingly impressive engineering works at the corner of Caswell Drive and Belconnen Way led to long delays, but I still had plenty up my sleeve. In a pique of dissociative amnesia, I turned off the road into Dryandra Street, vasilated, then turned right before I was headed out of way of everything.
After a U-turn, I crossed under Barry Drive and onto Frith Road before realising I was completely in the wrong place. Doh! No time to back-track to Clunies Ross Drive, I dumped the car at the the corner and jogged down the track to the start of the run. I was going to be late, but as I continued down the path thought that I would tack onto the back of the group coming up, figuring that my warm up down would at least equal the distance and difficulty of running from the start.
Later than the designated starting time, I could see the massed runners on the footpath starting line, and them start running at a 'Go'. I was closer than I imagined, and although the speedy guys raced past on the southern side, I tucked in to where Friar was, and he advised me that he had been running for 44 seconds.
It was very pleasant to run with him, however before the 1km mark was reached (and where the incline was still only very gradual), I dropped further and further behind until I was well off his pace. Once the incline started to steepen, I found it a real struggle, and was wheezing and struggling with my breath, while a tightness in my calves indicated a weekend of long, hard, tough mountain running that was only in my dreams.
I reluctantly walked most of the way up the concrete summit trail, and would have DNF'ed and not continued to the summit if I wasn't last and thought that John and Friar wouldn't be waiting at the top for me. I plugged on.
Eventually I made it to the top in 24:50, a significant PW, and indicative of my regression;
1. 15/08/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 24:50 9:33
2. 18/07/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 23:19 8:58
3. 20/06/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 22:17 8:34
4. 16/05/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 20:47 7:59
After I started to breathe again, Friar and I first walked, and then jogged down to my car. Jogging downhill and on the flat section of trail, I actually enjoyed the run and couldn't believe how bad I had felt on the ascent.
Uh, Dummy, don't you remember how bad you are at running at the moment?
I was quite confused beforehand, although living a tad over 5kms from the start by foot over the trails of Black Mountain, I drove and allowed plenty of time. The increasingly impressive engineering works at the corner of Caswell Drive and Belconnen Way led to long delays, but I still had plenty up my sleeve. In a pique of dissociative amnesia, I turned off the road into Dryandra Street, vasilated, then turned right before I was headed out of way of everything.
After a U-turn, I crossed under Barry Drive and onto Frith Road before realising I was completely in the wrong place. Doh! No time to back-track to Clunies Ross Drive, I dumped the car at the the corner and jogged down the track to the start of the run. I was going to be late, but as I continued down the path thought that I would tack onto the back of the group coming up, figuring that my warm up down would at least equal the distance and difficulty of running from the start.
Later than the designated starting time, I could see the massed runners on the footpath starting line, and them start running at a 'Go'. I was closer than I imagined, and although the speedy guys raced past on the southern side, I tucked in to where Friar was, and he advised me that he had been running for 44 seconds.
It was very pleasant to run with him, however before the 1km mark was reached (and where the incline was still only very gradual), I dropped further and further behind until I was well off his pace. Once the incline started to steepen, I found it a real struggle, and was wheezing and struggling with my breath, while a tightness in my calves indicated a weekend of long, hard, tough mountain running that was only in my dreams.
I reluctantly walked most of the way up the concrete summit trail, and would have DNF'ed and not continued to the summit if I wasn't last and thought that John and Friar wouldn't be waiting at the top for me. I plugged on.
Eventually I made it to the top in 24:50, a significant PW, and indicative of my regression;
1. 15/08/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 24:50 9:33
2. 18/07/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 23:19 8:58
3. 20/06/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 22:17 8:34
4. 16/05/2006 Black Mountain, ACT (2.6k) 20:47 7:59
After I started to breathe again, Friar and I first walked, and then jogged down to my car. Jogging downhill and on the flat section of trail, I actually enjoyed the run and couldn't believe how bad I had felt on the ascent.
Decided it would be best to give the BBQ Stakes a miss tomorrow, and go to the gym instead.
0 Responses to “”
Leave a Reply