Day 1
I have found myself entered in a 48hour adventure race in 4 weeks time and feel as though I need to increase my fitness and maybe loose a little of my extra padding at the same time. So why am I sharing a blog of my training sessions? Well dear reader it is so you can watch and judge me, when I'm out on a run with Strava as my only companion and I really want to walk up the hill instead of run I can say to myself that you are on the side lines watching me saying "Oh come on Wendy you can run that"
I would like to say that on Day one I competed in a 5 hour adventure race but that would be a fib as I didn't find out I was doing the 48hr race until the day after.
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| Andy and I at the start of the Step Up adventure race |
So what did Day 1's training consist of? As much as I would like to say a 9 hr run and bike ride and paddle session this would be a lie - I did 10 chin-ups ( one at a time with a recovery period between each ) - and that's it! Lets hope I do better tomorrow! Talk about a recovery day.
Day 2
I did better today, with a late evening 10km run. I set out into the forest with my AyUps and Hokas to run some hills in the nearby National Park. It was a big achievement for me as this is the longest run I've done on my own and I'm usually not that keen on running around in the bush at night by myself - but then I wasn't really on my own, you where watching me weren't you!
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| We live in a very beautiful part of the world. |
Day 3
Today Andrew convince me to run the tracks down to Cooran and back, we get a beautiful view of the Mt Cooran but I have to say it is not my favorite run and I would rather be out in the National park. After dinner I settled down to watch some TV and do a bit of an upper body work out - 3kg weights and lots of reps of bicep and tricep curls, push ups and some sit ups, you weren't watching me do that so I watched 1 hour of TV but probably only worked out for half of that - you really should pay more attention, I get slack when you're not watching
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| Mt Cooran |
Day 4
Wednesday is mountain biking day and I headed over to Tewantin to join Richard Poyner and friends for a mystery ride through the Noosa Hinterland.This ride saw us head from Reed Park in Tewantin out to Pomona and around the iconic Mt Cooroora and back for lunch at the Tewantin Marina, a decent 65km.
Day 5
Today was a big Adventure day with Andrew plotting a course from Borumba Dam to Yabba Creek Falls. All up we did 53km
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| The road ride was pleasantly quite and picturesque |
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| After a 20km road ride we droped our bikes and headed down into the creek line |
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| Its a great creek walk with lots of opportunities to practice rock hopping |
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| To base of the falls is dramatic surrounded by huge rock faces |
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| Getting up to see the falls proper required some free climbing |
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Finally a view of the falls.
Now for a scrambled up a very steep incline up onto a ridge covered in lantana, the only way out was to follow cow paths which took us off course but only meant a few ks extra walking.
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We had to swim Yabba creek and it was freezing, but a sighting of a platypus made it all worth while.
After a quick jog back to the bikes we headed off into the sunset feeling pretty happy to have survived another of Andrews mad adventures. Despite all the fun we had I would not recommend attempting this adventure using our route - the climb up to view the falls was proper rock climbing and the exit out of the creek line had lots of unstable rocks making it slow going. More reconnaissance is required.
Day 6
I'm feeling a little sore after yesterdays adventure so I need to stretch my legs. I have to collect Belle from school so I headed over to Noosa early and did a quick 7.5km run around the Noosa National Park. It bucketed down on me for the entire length of Tangle wood track turning it into one long puddle and I realised that I had only had a cup of coffee and two pieces of toast and it was well after lunch time ( and when I say two pieces it was gluten free bread - you know the stuff, it costs twice as much for half the amount ). It felt like proper adventure race training as I was wet and hungry!
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| View west from hells gate |
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| This is one of the most beautiful places to run with a stunning vista around each corner of the coast track |
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| I completed my native wildlife trifecta with a close encounter with and Echidna just out side the park entrance gates. |
Day 7
Today was supposed to be an early morning mountain bike ride but alas we slept-in, tragic I know...you all know how much I love to get up early in the morning especially when it's cold...it's so invigorating. Having missed joining the group we opted to ride to Mt Cooroora leave our bikes in town and do a double hill climb. A dash up Mt Cooroora is one of our favorite ways to get in a quick but challenging work out. We caught up with the group for coffee and then headed home.
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| Andy, my training and life partner |
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| Time for a quick chin up on the way down |
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| Taking it steady on the way down - I don't want any injuries and in previous years I have broken my foot and torn a ligament in my knee coming down this Mountain. |
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| Some blister management was required. |
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| The ugly side of adventure racing. This blister is the result of running in the rain yesterday with cotton socks that were just a little thin in my new Hoka shoes, I was not expecting to get rained on otherwise I would have worn wool socks. |
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| The tragedy of adventure racing - those nails have got to go *sobs quietly with each brutal clip - wondering if it is necessary but the index finger nail broken down in the nail bed is a cruel reminder of what can happen to long nails while out adventuring* |
Day 8
It's Mothers Day so I'm not cooking dinner, Andy, Nelly and I head out on a late afternoon/evening 11.5km run around the forest. I did consider taking a day off today but my quads and calves are sore after yesterdays double trip up the Mountain and we all know the best cure for muscle soreness is a good work out, lots of stretching and a hot shower. Why am I doing so much running ( this is alot of running for me ) when we will not do much ( if any ) running on the 48hr adventure race? For me this running training is a challenge ( I've never been a runner ), it's a quick way to get fit, toughen up, keeping going even when my quads are sore and I have a blister, getting rid of a bit of fat, building muscle and making sure my AyUps sit nicely on my head. I don't think this training will make me go faster on the day but the fitter I get the more I will be able to enjoy the adventure race and for me that is what adventure races are all about - the fun and the photos!
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| Snakes are still active even though the weather has turned cold |
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| Yep the AyUps are working |
Day 9
Another big training day with a 36km paddle and 12km run - 7.5 hours on the go. This time I went out with Andy, Nicola and Matt, thanks for a great day out, training with much fitter people certainly makes me work harder.
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It was an 8.30 start from the canoe launch at Elanda point where we were greeted by another iconic Australian resident, a grey kangaroo. |
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| Setting out onto a tranquil Lake Cootharaba on a cool sunny day is soothing to ones soul, but the Lake is fickle and conditions for the trip back are unpredictable and can rarely be described as soothing. |
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| We headed up the river to campsite three stopping at Kinaba Information centre and Harrys Hut along the way to stretch our legs. |
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| From campsite three we ran out to the sandblow were we had a 10 min break to take in the beautiful surroundings, |
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| It would be great to have more time to spend here but we had time restrictions so off we went on the easy run back to the canoes. |
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| A quick lunch stop at campsite 3 |
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| We enjoyed the paddle back along the river enjoying the perfect conditions but knew the Lake crossing would be a little challenging as we were occasionally getting a taste of the wind that had built during the day. |
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As predicted the lake crossing was choppy, not much of an issue for Andy and I as we paddle a very stable Kazkazi AR duo, harder work for Nicola and Matt on their skis but nothing they couldn't handle.
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Day 10
Andy and I headed to Noosa to join Tri Adventure for a running session through the Noosa National Park. This is the first time I have joined a group run and I was nervous as running is just not my thing. I managed to keep up with the group - just. It helped that we did most of the run in the dark on tracks I've never been on so I had to keep up. We did some hill repeats to improve our technique...I never thought in my wildest dreams/nightmares that I would ever do hill repeats but there I was pushing hard to try and keep up, there really is something to be said for joining a group to make you get more out of your exercise.
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| Heading into the National Park |
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| Up into the hills |
Day 11
Some mornings just don't go the way you had hoped...our usual fun Wednesday morning ride with a group of friends turned into the silence and icy looks of what I like to call marital bliss-ard. Items were forgotten, things were said...there was no riding. Not to worry, we got over it as we always do and spent a useful day catching up on office work. After having a headache for the last two days and the rain bucketing down all afternoon I decided that I would just take it easy and opted for an easy upper-body and abs work out followed by a scrumptious lamb roast - just what the muscles needed.
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| Tools of the trade |
Day 12
Andy and I took an extended lunch break today and chose an easy ride out on the road and some single tracks close to home, we live in such a beautiful place and the weather was just perfect today, we really couldn't spend all day in the office that would just be wrong.
Day 13
What do you do when you get very sore calves for a couple of days after going up Mt Cooroora? Well do it all again of course - this time remembering to stretch at the end.
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| From the Scout Hall to the top, back to the base, up to the top again and back to the Scout Hall |
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| Rain clouds building |
To add an extra challenge on the second ascent I ran up each set of stairs, the bigger challenge is to not stop at the top of each set to recover but to keep going and try for active recovery.
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| In the evening we joined Tri Adventure for a night nav session in the Noosa National Park and as always it was a fun course. Belle, my lovely daughter and I teamed up and had a ball as usual, for a challenge we opted to do a bush bash ( which I've never attempted without Andrew before ) and nailed it - it didn't matter what happened after that - we had conquered the bush bash at night! |
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| That little bit of pink tape can make you feel on top of the world! |
Day 14
An early start...a very early start...5.20am, anyone who knows me knows how I love early mornings, they are awesome - FOR SLEEPING!. Luckily for us we couldn't have chosen a better morning to get going early as it was lovely and warm. We knew it would be a bit muddy but took the chance to get in a long ride joining Richard Ps group for the Lake MacDonald to Pomona part of the ride. We managed a respectable 67km and I got some pointers on improving my downhill riding, once again training with people with more skills pays off!
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| I started out over dressed - jacket, vest, arm warmers and buff all came off at the top of the driveway, it took that long for me to be convinced that it really was warm. |
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| Yep it was a bit muddy |
Day 15
Day 15 started as all Sundays should with coffee and breakfast on the Noosa River followed by a stroll along the river with our energetic Fox Terrier Nelly. Unbeknownst to us it was the RSPCA Million Paws walk so there were 100s of dogs taking in the morning air along the river...Nelly was in Doggy heaven.
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Hmm...I don't suppose strolling along the river counts as exercise really. |
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| The exercise challenge for today - take the bins out. Hahahahaha I hear you scoff - a rest day you think - well think again - taking the bins out means lugging two very heavy bins 400m out to the road including two steep hills. |
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| The reward upon getting to the top of the 1st hill |
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| Andrew is going to be pleased when he sees I've already taken the bins out. |
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Turns out it is such a nice run I did it 6 more times, hill repeats aren't as bad as I once thought.
I followed this up with an upper body work out and was very excited to find that I can do 2 pull ups ( chin up with hands facing away from you instead of towards you ) and when I say I can do 2 I mean I did one - had a break - did another one - had a break and then that was it I could do some chin ups but there was no more oomph in my pull ups muscles. |
Day 16
Today was a super secret adventure race training day, held at an undisclosed location using top secret equipment. Not much physical training mainly equipment and methodology testing for the mystery leg of the upcoming adventure race. The mystery leg is no longer a mystery it's a nightmare...packrafting! We have to carry an inflatable raft, pump and PFD on a 2-3hr mountain bike leg ( along with all our other compulsory gear ) then inflate our rafts, make a river crossing with our bikes and ourselves out of the water using hands or paddles to propel ourselves ( feet must be in the raft ) then pack our rafts back onto our bikes...sounds like fun hey. Lots to think about with this - what raft and paddles to use ( considering weight, size, stability and durability ) -how to carry the raft etc, how to attach bike to raft and get in and out of the raft, how to deflate the raft keeping in mind we may or may not have to use it again during the race. Andy and I had great fun toying with some ideas while enjoying the surroundings at our super secret training grounds, still more testing to be done but I'm hoping we are on the right track.
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| Heading off to the training grounds |
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| Will it hold me!!?!?!? |
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| 1st practice paddle. |
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| Time to deflate the inflatable, a perfect time for a little lie down. |
Time to head off to the lounge room for a quick upper body work out in front of the TV so I feel as though I've done some thing exercisy today.
Day 17
A quick 10k run through the local forest today. Andy came with me and ran rings around me as per usual, he gets fitter and thinner - I on the other hand feel a little fitter and definitely no thinner, if anything I have put on muscle under the protective layer of insulation...result...bigger not smaller!@#@@! And as we sit at the table and I eat an egg salad sandwich without the bread and Andrew has two egg salad sandwiches, Vegemite toast, cream with apple pie on the side and a hot chocolate with cream I can't help but feel smug knowing that when the famine hits at the same time as an ice age descends I'll be ready for it!
Day 18
40km of mountain biking today around Wooroi today with the Wednesday group, making the most of the weather and beautiful tracks. Thoroughly enjoyed the new Top Track, Milk Maid and Snake, what a great job the local groups have done of perfecting these tracks.
Day 19 Ponderings
A 11.6km run today,anyone would think I enjoy running...to tell the truth the jury is still out on that - I enjoy the results but I'm not sure about the actual running, I have a feeling the more I do the more I will enjoy it. I have gotten to the point that it has become a kind of meditation and I find myself getting quite philosophical will running the tracks and searching for fungi so I have an excuse to get Andrew to stop for a second. Today I got to thinking about how Andrew is chaos to my order, he always wants to run, bike or paddle somewhere new and I would be happy to go the same old places every day - lucky I married Andrew otherwise I'd probably spend all my time in bed reading books. I must drive Andrew crazy with my slow pace but then he is pretty lucky to have a partner who joins him on his crazy adventures, no doubt he wishes I was more impressed with he feats of manly athleticism but I don't want to encourage him to be crazier than he already is, I do think he is pretty amazing but don't tell him that! My children learnt early that I don't give praise lightly and I've always thought that people should do things for their own sense of satisfaction and pride, not to impress other people, I cringe when I hear the call "Mum look at me" - that phrase was banned in our house. See I told you running gets me thinking.
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| Apparently the photographer get distracted too, but in a different way!?!?!? |
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| Yay a chance for a rest |
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| Pretty dark on the homeward stretch |
Day 20
A nice easy ride down the bike paths from "The J" in Noosa to Raw Energy at Perigian with the Tri Adventure group. Forgot to start Strava so I've no idea what path we took or how far it was...and Andrew tells me if it wasn't on Strava it never happened! Big day tomorrow with an 8 hour foot rogaine out near Gatton so the only other exercise I did was to walk to the top of the hill and snap a pic of the sunset.
Day 21 Murphys Law
Day 21
An Early start saw us 3 hrs south west of home at Adare about to begin our first Qld Rogaine Association 8 hr foot rogaine.
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| We were surprised to find when we got the map and it only had 2 main roads marked on it, no tracks marked at all so we were really going to have to navigate using features. The black line is the route we took as close as I can firgure. |
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| From the beginning this was going to be a different race, we weren't at the back of the pack at the start - I'm totally going to stay in front of that 10yr old for at least the next 50m! |
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| 20 mins in we had a minor disaster with my water bladder springing a leak, we topped up Andys bladder and then drank as much as we could. This was good and bad...on the good side I didn't have to carry water and all the extra water slowed Andy down marginally...on the bad side I had 500mls of water sloshing around in my innards for the next 30mins of running. |
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| We got some fabulous views from the many high points during the race. |
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| We traveled along some very nice creek lines. |
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| Some of these creek lines were a little hard to get into |
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| Some pretty thick bush to navigate through. |
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| Andy always finds time to hone his balancing skills. |
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| Up on a saddle - does this track head the right direction? |
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| Another watercourse highway |
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| We found an animal track that took us on a very nice traverse, bit of a drop off but. |
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| Hmmm...that hot spot was a bit more than that - no wonder it was smarting a bit. |
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| Time to test our Nav skills at night. |
So how did we do, pretty good I reckon - 7 nice fungi photos, 1 flower shot and over 100 other good photos...Oh yeah we got a few check points too. We came 4th in our category ( mixed veterans ) and well yes we may have done better without all the photos but where's the fun in that. We came 6th in the Open mixed and 14th overall, all in all a great day out.
Day 22 Our Bar is full of Coconut Water
Day 22
A bit of a slow start to the day as we didn't finish racing till 7.30pm the day before and we camped out at Adare. We had intended to go out and help collect check points but my blister resisted any attempt to put shoes on again
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| Time to deal with this blister. |
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Yep I'm going to do a bit of upper body work today...I'll whip cream the old fashioned way!
Then I'll follow that with some elbow bending. |
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| So it turns out I really don't like Moscato so I dived back into the alcohol cupboard and lucky for me it was full...of coconut water...things have changed in our house! |
Day 23
Hmmm...well...I...um...yep nothing to report. I have a blister ok so no I didn't do anything and it was kinda nice.
Day 24
Today saw us meet in Noosa with Jan and Gina, conditions were so nice we headed out the bar for some ocean kayaking, this is only the 3rd time I've been Kayaking in the ocean and it delivered with crystal clear water, a small swell, blue skies forever and perfect temperatures.
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| On the Noosa River |
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| Heading out into the ocean |
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| Made it back through the breakers |
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| Time for some secret Geoquest training - all will be reveled in the fullness of time. |
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This little fella was very curious and somewhat bemused by our packrafting attempts
Day 25
Made it to our usual Wed group mountain bike ride, it was a beautiful day out on the trails for a nice 40+km
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Day 26 Maybe this running thing isn't so bad after all
Day 26
So the blister is all but better so Andy and I strapped on our Hokas and headed out into the night for a run in the bush because "I want to go for a run!" Words I never in a million years I thought I would utter. I'm surprised to find that I'm enjoying running now that I have the fitness to do a 10km run easily, at an easy pace mind you, I still struggle to keep up a fast pace. Andy often goes into what he calls top gear without noticing then 5 mins later realises I'm not with him any more and comes jogging back towards me to make sure I'm alright and "yes" I reassure him "I'm just slow"...although sometimes I am taking macros of fungi. I tried out my new Camelbak pack tonight as I needed to replace my water bladder which sprung a leak 20mins into the 8hr foot rogaine on Day 21 and it turns out you can buy a bladder and pack for the same price as a bladder on its own. I got the Camelbak Rogue and could't be happier.
Day 27,28,29,30 It's called tapering ok - and I may have over done it
Day 27
I teamed up with Julie to attack Andrew Friday Night Nav session in Tuchekoi NP. It was a great course with plenty of challenges, Julie proved herself to have a great sense for distance. I proved I still have a long way to go with Nav but I am really enjoying the learning experience.
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| We all converged on check point 1 at the end and did a quick debrief of our successes and failures |
Day 28 and 29
I did nothing, zip, zero, nada - it's called tapering ok and yes I may have over done it but luckily there were no injuries
Day 30
Today I finally got around to testing my loaded pack rack on my bike, I've got my pfd, microfibre towel and pack raft on the pack rack and my bike performed beautifully, if anything it handled better than usual as a result of the extra weight in the back. Just a quick ride around the forest.
I tested it out on the down hills
I tested it out on the up hills, on single track and Andrew got me to go up and down some gutters just to make sure it would work over rough country
Days 31,32 Derailleurs are easier to fix than collar bones
Day 31 I kept to the tapering schedule and didn't do anything and on Day 32 I joined our usual Wednesday group ride - It all started out well
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| About 1/2 hour in a big stick resulted in a broken derailleur on one to the bikes, the boys shortened the chair to make it a single speed but no matter what they did it kept trying to move up to the biggest sprocket on the back so it was time for some towing. This went well untill the bungie was held onto for a little to long and let go with a snap a got Andrew a good one on his upper thigh - it took about 10mins before we could move on - not because Andy was injured but because we were all laughing so much we couldn't breathe properly! |
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| Three hours later one of the group took a tumble off his bike and a very slow speed fall resulted in a very unlucky break to his collar bone. |
So finally it arrived - the reason for all the training...The 2014 GeoQuest Half (http://www.geoquest.com.au/what.htm) . Twenty four hours consisting of 32km Trekking, 69km MTB, 15km kayaking and pack rafting section around the NSW Central Coast. The TriAdventure Cowgirls were the 1st and only womens team and came 7th overall. Did the training pay off...Yes it did! For a full account of the race check out the blog.
http://geohalf2014.blogspot.com.au/
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| Course overview |
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| Drinking bubbles at 8am as you do! |
