Double dipping

Well it's been a busy few days.

Thanks to Lulu & Wine Trail Runner for their hospitality (and coffee table) and Ellie for her couch on Friday night ;-)

Saturday & my glutes were so bloody sore from Friday's pilates class. It actually hurt to sit down. Thankfully it was a rest day so I could spend most of it horizontal.

Sunday morning I was picked up by Belinda & Horrie from our hotel at 5.15am for the trip to Quarry Road. BeckyO joined in the fun too. I had woken up at 4am & couldn't get back to sleep after my first Six Foot dreams. I have no idea what happened in my dream but I woke feeling anxious & then couldn't get back to sleep. Weird.

Anyway I had 2 laps on the plan today - the first time I've run 2 laps here. I knew I had to be conservative on the first lap so decided to aim for a 1:40 split (on my first visit on Christmas Eve I ran 1:31)

We set out just on 6am with Horrie & I quickly settling in ahead of Belinda & BeckyO. Just after crossing the bridge the first time we bumped into Spud coming in the opposite direction & stopped for a quick chat. After setting out again, Horrie & I ran/walked the climb back out. We actually ran a few of the hills that I walked the last time I ran Quarry Road so I was hoping that it wouldn't come back to bite me later. I felt pretty ordinary (mentally) for much of the first outward leg. I think the anxiety from my dream had rattled me a bit. But once we hit the flatter section near Quarry Rd, I felt myself settling into the run & I started picking Horrie's brain about all things Six Foot & Glasshouse related.

Not long after hitting the Quarry Road gate, Belinda & BeckyO passed us & Horrie turned back to keep the girls company & get some more distance. I wanted to run strongly yet conservatively (if that makes sense). Running the type/size of hills that Horrie & I had been running on the first outward lap - hills which I would probably otherwise have walked (whether due to laziness or a perception of what running it 'conservatively' was). It worked - I made it back to the start in 1:33, feeling really comfortable. After refilling my fuelbelt bottles & having a GU, I set out for my second lap.

Not long afterwards, Spud passed me. He was flying up a hill I was struggling to walk up. Amazing! Horrie caught me not long after the campground & stayed with me again until the final climb back up from the bridge to the finish. I felt really strong this section & was pleased how I was able to transition from walking to running (albeit slowly) at the top of hills.

I finished the second lap in 1:35 - 2mins slower but I did spend 2mins stuffing around with my fuelbelt bottles on a section that I would otherwise have been running near the Quarry Road gate so I'm really pleased that I ran the second lap pretty close to the same pace as the first.

Once Belinda & Becky had finished, we sat in the shade near the car for a rest & a few snacks before a rather quiet trip home. A great way to start a Sunday with great company, trails & hills :-) I was also rather pleased that we had all finished before the gunshots started ringing out from the rifle range!

So I finished my 2 laps (25.57k) in 3:08:25 (1.33/1.35 lap splits) feeling pretty comfortable - tired but not completely trashed :-) My second longest run in both distance/time as well :-)

I learnt a few lessons from this run:

* I transition well from walking up hills to running (albeit slowly) again

* the need to stay strong & positive when going through a 'bad' patch because you will come out of it probably just as quickly as you went into it.

* to do my strength work earlier in the week. My right hip/glute started complaining rather loudly on the last climb. I have no doubt that they were tired & still recovering/fatigued after a tough Pilates class on Friday. One day, when I'm stronger I'll be able to do these types of runs while fatigued. But for this assault on Six Foot, my focus needs to be on being fully recovered & rested for each long run.

An hour today in the Tiger's company this afternoon helped to iron out a few grumpy bits. I am really looking forward to my next long run - my first visit to the Track :-))

MTD: 96.47 (!)