I was so keen to get back into running that all common sense went out the window, when I decided to join a group running the Brooklyn to Berowra section of the Trailwaker 2009 course.
The wear and tear on my body from the 800km walk had healed, but it was less than 30 hours since I got off the plane home and almost no running for 2 months since the marathon. I thought I would run as far as I could and I knew I could easily walk if I could not run. But I forgot that Trailwaker is a team event and unlike other training runs where you could easily be left behind, members of the team on Monday insisted on staying with me while I crawled my way home to the finish. And I am not even on their team! 
Breathing in the cold air at the start of the run felt like swallowing razorblades. Once I adjusted to the temperature I felt fine running until the first check point - we had taken a wrong turn early on an added a few extra kilometres to the section - so after 17 km on trails, hitting the road to get to the checkpoint I felt like my legs were made of lead and were very hard to lift. I was feeling light headed and a bit spaced out. I was going to the get the bus from Cowan to Berowra but after drinking some water and eating half a gel I felt better and was convinced to carry on. On the way to Berowra Waters I took a tumble and fell forward onto a smooth rock which grazed my arm and left knee. Luckily not a bad fall and I kept going. After the next uphill section my legs started to cramp which reduced me to walking. This eased the cramps and I could run/walk. I took the rest of the gel at Berowra Waters and waves of nausea which I had since Cowan got more intense. I shuffled to the end in 5hrs45minutes thanks to the team for staying with me to the end.
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