Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Stuffed...
Thanks for the link Will - very helpful!
I’m feeling really tired right now from a lack of sleep over the last two days. Icing every 2-3 hours is starting to take its toll - getting up at 3am to ice is not much fun.
Update on the ankle is the bruise has now come out nicely. My foot is various shades of blue – and not only when I take it out of the ice. The swelling hasn’t started to go down yet but it isn’t looking as red (presumably from inflammation) that it has in the last few days. I saw the physio yesterday – it is a high grade 2 sprain; a particularly bad partial tear. The physio suspects I am probably as close to a complete tear as you can get without completely tearing it! You know me – I like to do things well :-)
On the bright side, this means I have very little pain – just a foot the size of a brick. I started on range of motion exercises this morning which I need to do 3 times a day. I was allowed to get back on the bike (at least on the trainer) today - yippee! The physio wanted to put me in an air cast – basically a solid plastic ‘cast’ held on by velcro – for 3 weeks (!) but fortunately or unfortunately (I'm not sure which) it won’t fit inside my trekking boots. So I’ve gone with a softer ankle support. Combined with my trekking boots which are a full leather, rigid boot, it should provide me with plenty of support & protection. He did warn me that it is going to be uncomfortable; I’m just going to need to suck it up & do my exercises so that I don’t have long term problems with it. What’s an adventure without a bit of last minute drama eh?
So the training this week has been -
Mon – rest
Tue – easy 45mins run - 6.99k - 6:26m/k - 145BPM
Wed – 45mins hike w/16.5k pack + 1 x sprained ankle
Thu – rest
Fri – easy 40mins on the bike
I’ll have another rest tomorrow (Sat) before a longer session on the trainer on Sunday morning before heading up the mountains for a couple of nights away. Oh, and I guess I should start packing.....
I’m feeling really tired right now from a lack of sleep over the last two days. Icing every 2-3 hours is starting to take its toll - getting up at 3am to ice is not much fun.
Update on the ankle is the bruise has now come out nicely. My foot is various shades of blue – and not only when I take it out of the ice. The swelling hasn’t started to go down yet but it isn’t looking as red (presumably from inflammation) that it has in the last few days. I saw the physio yesterday – it is a high grade 2 sprain; a particularly bad partial tear. The physio suspects I am probably as close to a complete tear as you can get without completely tearing it! You know me – I like to do things well :-)
On the bright side, this means I have very little pain – just a foot the size of a brick. I started on range of motion exercises this morning which I need to do 3 times a day. I was allowed to get back on the bike (at least on the trainer) today - yippee! The physio wanted to put me in an air cast – basically a solid plastic ‘cast’ held on by velcro – for 3 weeks (!) but fortunately or unfortunately (I'm not sure which) it won’t fit inside my trekking boots. So I’ve gone with a softer ankle support. Combined with my trekking boots which are a full leather, rigid boot, it should provide me with plenty of support & protection. He did warn me that it is going to be uncomfortable; I’m just going to need to suck it up & do my exercises so that I don’t have long term problems with it. What’s an adventure without a bit of last minute drama eh?
So the training this week has been -
Mon – rest
Tue – easy 45mins run - 6.99k - 6:26m/k - 145BPM
Wed – 45mins hike w/16.5k pack + 1 x sprained ankle
Thu – rest
Fri – easy 40mins on the bike
I’ll have another rest tomorrow (Sat) before a longer session on the trainer on Sunday morning before heading up the mountains for a couple of nights away. Oh, and I guess I should start packing.....
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Houston, we have a (small) problem....
Well, it's not really a small problem. A rather big one actually....
Yes, that is my right foot - and yes, I do have an ankle bone under there - somewhere.
I didn't have a particularly good morning today. Rolled my ankle while walking down a step on a bush trail today. I ended up on the ground on my back in the 'turtle position' - thanks to a 16.5kg pack - thinking that I had just broken my ankle. My life didn't flash before my eyes but my holiday did. Anyway, I picked myself up, hobbled for 20mins back to the car & prompted burst into tears while on the phone to TigerAngel. I have never rolled an ankle before (touch wood) so it's quite a novelty really. I've spent the rest of the day on my butt, either on the couch watching cr*p daytime tv with my foot elevated or in the bathroom with my foot in a bucket of icy water. Nice.
It could be worse I suppose. Thankfully I didn't brake it. But I've got a heck of a lot of work to do to get the swelling down before I get on the plane to Nepal in 8 sleeps time....
Yes, that is my right foot - and yes, I do have an ankle bone under there - somewhere.
I didn't have a particularly good morning today. Rolled my ankle while walking down a step on a bush trail today. I ended up on the ground on my back in the 'turtle position' - thanks to a 16.5kg pack - thinking that I had just broken my ankle. My life didn't flash before my eyes but my holiday did. Anyway, I picked myself up, hobbled for 20mins back to the car & prompted burst into tears while on the phone to TigerAngel. I have never rolled an ankle before (touch wood) so it's quite a novelty really. I've spent the rest of the day on my butt, either on the couch watching cr*p daytime tv with my foot elevated or in the bathroom with my foot in a bucket of icy water. Nice.
It could be worse I suppose. Thankfully I didn't brake it. But I've got a heck of a lot of work to do to get the swelling down before I get on the plane to Nepal in 8 sleeps time....
Monday, September 22, 2008
RNP weekend
Spent the weekend walking the track from Otford to Bundeena with a group of girls from WWoT. I'm really pleased with my recovery from Kokoda. Although the pace was a bit more sedate than what I'm used to, the heat and 18kg pack more than made up for it. Fantastic weekend filled with lots of laughter, gourmet food & spectacular views!
Figure 8 pool
So-called Eagle Rock. Looks more like a turtle if you ask me...
Looking forward to getting back into the training this week - and returning to one of my favourite places in the Blue Mountains next weekend.... :-D
MTD:
Hike – 157k
Run – 4.55k
Friday, September 19, 2008
Ladies who lunch
[*rant mode on*]
Right. I’ve just gotta get this off my chest. I didn’t think much of the race along the Kokoda Trail before going to PNG. I think even less of it now. The Trail is sacred land IMHO. Doing the race for the sake of doing a race – without learning the history of the Trail and the battles fought on it – just feels like sacrilege. Imagine the uproar if someone proposed a race up & down the beach head at Gallipoli…..
[*rant mode off*]
Phew. I must admit that I am quite enjoying this ‘not working’ thing :-) I have caught up with two friends for lunch this week. I’ve slept in. I’ve read. I've (finally) written about Kokoda (see the other blog) & generally organised ‘stuff’ ahead of my 3 month stint o/s.
I made it through Kokoda with no injuries, niggles, blisters or foot rot. So training this week has been firmly in the ‘recovery’ mode; easy sessions with a rest day on alternate days.
Sat – rest.
Sun – 45mins walk around Killalea State Forest south of Shellharbour in the rain that I didn’t get on Kokoda (4.51k).
Mon – rest
Tue – easy 30mins run. HR was not particularly elevated & the pace was (surprisingly) reasonable but my legs still felt I was walking through mud – 4.55k – av. 6:37m/k – av. 140BPM
Wed – rest
Thu – 35mins bike session including 5 x 2min firm
Fri – rest
The early starts begin again tomorrow when I need to be at Cronulla just after 6.30am to meet the girls from WWoT for a overnighter along the track from Otford to Bundeena. With an 18kg pack, I suspect I’m going to find out very quickly whether (or not) my legs have recovered ;-)
MTD:
Hike – 130k (w/15kg pack)
Run – 4.55k
Right. I’ve just gotta get this off my chest. I didn’t think much of the race along the Kokoda Trail before going to PNG. I think even less of it now. The Trail is sacred land IMHO. Doing the race for the sake of doing a race – without learning the history of the Trail and the battles fought on it – just feels like sacrilege. Imagine the uproar if someone proposed a race up & down the beach head at Gallipoli…..
[*rant mode off*]
Phew. I must admit that I am quite enjoying this ‘not working’ thing :-) I have caught up with two friends for lunch this week. I’ve slept in. I’ve read. I've (finally) written about Kokoda (see the other blog) & generally organised ‘stuff’ ahead of my 3 month stint o/s.
I made it through Kokoda with no injuries, niggles, blisters or foot rot. So training this week has been firmly in the ‘recovery’ mode; easy sessions with a rest day on alternate days.
Sat – rest.
Sun – 45mins walk around Killalea State Forest south of Shellharbour in the rain that I didn’t get on Kokoda (4.51k).
Mon – rest
Tue – easy 30mins run. HR was not particularly elevated & the pace was (surprisingly) reasonable but my legs still felt I was walking through mud – 4.55k – av. 6:37m/k – av. 140BPM
Wed – rest
Thu – 35mins bike session including 5 x 2min firm
Fri – rest
The early starts begin again tomorrow when I need to be at Cronulla just after 6.30am to meet the girls from WWoT for a overnighter along the track from Otford to Bundeena. With an 18kg pack, I suspect I’m going to find out very quickly whether (or not) my legs have recovered ;-)
MTD:
Hike – 130k (w/15kg pack)
Run – 4.55k
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The muddy bloody track
Thanks to everyone for their emails & comments - much appreciated!
Well I made it back to Port Moresby this afternoon after finishing the Kokoda Track this morning :-) It has, quite simply, been the most amazing, uplifting, inspiring & humbling experience of my life - easily the hardest physical, mental & emotional challenge of my life. But all the mud, sweat& tears was certainly worth it.
I get back to Sydney tomorrow afternoon. I will try & string a couple of posts together (yes, with photos) about my adventure over the coming week. But I fear - I know - that there are no words that will do justice to it nor come even close to explaining how this country, its people and the bloody track have touched my heart. But I'll try :-)
Well I made it back to Port Moresby this afternoon after finishing the Kokoda Track this morning :-) It has, quite simply, been the most amazing, uplifting, inspiring & humbling experience of my life - easily the hardest physical, mental & emotional challenge of my life. But all the mud, sweat& tears was certainly worth it.
I get back to Sydney tomorrow afternoon. I will try & string a couple of posts together (yes, with photos) about my adventure over the coming week. But I fear - I know - that there are no words that will do justice to it nor come even close to explaining how this country, its people and the bloody track have touched my heart. But I'll try :-)
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Apinun from Port Moresby
Well I've made it safe & sound. Just a quick blog update - actually Lorna is posting this for me as 'blogspot' is blocked here at the business centre in our hotel. And we have been told not to leave the hotel compound so I stuck with that, and the (high) prices they charge!
It's been a long day so far - the alarm went off at 2.45am this morning. I had been warned to be at check-in a full 3 hours before our 7.30am flight as Air Nuigini is renowned for overbooking its flights - so that a paid ticket is actually no guarantee of a seat! You can imagine my amusement when my folks & I arrived at the airport at 4:30am to discover that I was the first to check-in. I had to laugh when I finally got on the plane to discover it was half full! Thankfully I'm running on adrenaline and nervous energy right now ;-)
The weather in Port Moresby is slightly overcast & a balmy 33 degrees. Nice weather to lay by the pool - which I'm about to do - not so nice to be climbing mountains I suspect. But then again, the weather is just about the only thing I can't control so I'm not going to let it phase me. I'm still feeling rather nervous but I must admit to looking around our group at the airport on arrival in Port Moresby & thinking to myself 'man, I've got to be fitter than him' :-) Of course, I am carrying my own pack and most of the others aren't - so perhaps it's a bit too early to make that kind of call!
Must go. The pool awaits before a group briefing at 5pm, then dinner and an early night. Who am I kidding? I'll be up late packing, and re-packing, and re-packing my bag. Especially after our group leader asked me at the airport how much weight I was going to carry - and then raised an eyebrow when I said 12kgs.... (*gulp*)
Back in Port Moresby next Thursday afternoon / evening. As the late great Big Kev would have said - I'm excited :-)
It's been a long day so far - the alarm went off at 2.45am this morning. I had been warned to be at check-in a full 3 hours before our 7.30am flight as Air Nuigini is renowned for overbooking its flights - so that a paid ticket is actually no guarantee of a seat! You can imagine my amusement when my folks & I arrived at the airport at 4:30am to discover that I was the first to check-in. I had to laugh when I finally got on the plane to discover it was half full! Thankfully I'm running on adrenaline and nervous energy right now ;-)
The weather in Port Moresby is slightly overcast & a balmy 33 degrees. Nice weather to lay by the pool - which I'm about to do - not so nice to be climbing mountains I suspect. But then again, the weather is just about the only thing I can't control so I'm not going to let it phase me. I'm still feeling rather nervous but I must admit to looking around our group at the airport on arrival in Port Moresby & thinking to myself 'man, I've got to be fitter than him' :-) Of course, I am carrying my own pack and most of the others aren't - so perhaps it's a bit too early to make that kind of call!
Must go. The pool awaits before a group briefing at 5pm, then dinner and an early night. Who am I kidding? I'll be up late packing, and re-packing, and re-packing my bag. Especially after our group leader asked me at the airport how much weight I was going to carry - and then raised an eyebrow when I said 12kgs.... (*gulp*)
Back in Port Moresby next Thursday afternoon / evening. As the late great Big Kev would have said - I'm excited :-)
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