Training Log Archive: Dolf

Event: Perth Trail Series - Stay Puft
 

Very hot and uncomfortable this morning.
After 4 weeks of very limited running and stacking on a couple of kilos since the 6inch race, I was not expecting anything other than a slow plod around the course today.
The start was pretty much straight onto the narrow trail around the lake then onto singletrack to follow the Ghost house trail. I felt pretty uncomfortable running with a group at about 5:20 pace and backed off after a couple of km but still kept catching them on some more technical sections. I finished my water bottle early and refilled at a water tank at about 5km. As I was refilling Mark came past. He had said he was going to do the short course due to his sore knee but started with the long course runners. At this stage I had been thinking of swapping to the short course due to a complete lack of energy and already sore legs. At the turn off I told the volunteer of my intention to switch to the short course and started up the hill. When I looked back I saw Mark have a stretch and turn onto the long course as although he was also struggling he decided to keep going. I stopped, and made a decision to go back onto the long course, thinking I may regret switching when the race was over. The 7km out and back on the long course absolutely sucked. Lots of soft sand, hills and no protection fom the sun. I really struggled in this section, taking lots of walk breaks. Less than 10km into the race and I was feelling worse than I had for the last 5km of th 6inch. At the turn around I filled my bottle, drank it then filled it again, put my head under the water, grabbed some jelly beans and had a good chat with the volunteer. I think he could tell I didn't want to start running again.
After the sucky return leg of the out and back section the trail had a few areas of shade which helped a bit. I caught up to a guy at around 15km, which surprised me due to the amount of walking breaks I was taking but a lot of people struggled out there today. I ran/walked with him for a while, I walke more than him but was faster when running so we stayed pretty clos to each other until around 17km when I started to feel a bit better, ran some of the hills and pulled away from him. I was quickly catching someone as I was approaching the finish line, making up a couple of hundred meters over about 500m but just falling short.
I felt pretty shattered after finishing, I think I should have switched to the short course after all.
Overall, for a first event of the Perth Trail Series I think they did a good job.
To justify the entry fees I think they need to do a bit more, better aid stations (more than water and jelly beans), more spot prizes and a better race pack. Hopefully this may all be improved in races to come, however the race still sold out so things may stay the same.
I think I will try the WAMC Bold park cross country race in a couple of weeks instead of the next race at Walyunga, but I may do one of their future races.

Very much lacking in motivation since returning from Singapore. The usual routes all seem quite boring after running in a rainforest or along the Singapore river at night, but considering I have the Yanchep trail race on Sunday I figured I'd better get out and do something. I ran along the coastal path from Jindalee, running down to the beach and back whenever I came to a path or steps.
I turned early as my right calf was complaining. I'd hurt it when gardening Sunday while trying to dig out a stubborn tree.
Hopefully it'll settle down quickly but I'm thinking I'll treat the trail race as just another run and not push things too much.

C • Motivation 2