The sunrise over Bilgola Beach moved me to tears this morning. It was so gloriously beautiful. The sky was pale blue and pink and the ocean was vapourising so much that I could taste salt with every breath. I stood on the headland for ages wanting to fully savour the sadness that was sweeping over me. I shed a tear for the shear beauty of the scene and for those who are no longer with us to witness such glory – particularly James Dean a colleague of Mikes who died over the weekend. He was only 28 and newly married. Then I realised that 99% of the population is probably still not awake to witness this natural beauty. I guess you have to be a morning person.
There was no avoiding the humidity this morning - even at 5.00 am when I headed out for my run. It felt like running in a light sauna. I ran to Newport Beach and back for a hilly 13km. My glutes were sore after yesterday’s run and the tennis ball message. It was a mental struggle to run after the turnaround at Newport. Maybe that was the reason I stopped at Bilgola for so long. Target pace for this run was 5.32 to 5.51 min/km so I am happy with my average pace of 5.45 min/km.
Friday January 30, 2009 (Fartlek – 7km)
Yesterday I was supposed to run a fartlek session but I was tired in the morning after a late night with the Master of Song – Leonard Cohen. Today was again warm and humid at 6.00 am as I headed out the door. I ran to Narrabeen Fire Station and return for a total of 7 km, with 4 km run as a fartlek at an average pace of 4.56 min/km and the rest at 5.30min/km. Left hamstring is as tight as violin strings and feels like it might snap. It hurts while I run and even when I am sitting down. Have to do get back to glute stretches and strengthening. I did some stretches at the end of the run near my local beach lookout – pretty stunning.
Early morning light on the beach is always so invigorating and replenishing. Great way to finish a run.
I ran to Mona Vale headland and on the way out met the wife of an ex-work colleague. Stopped to chat and almost 20 minutes later got going again. On return did 6 x 300m hill repeats at Cooks Terrace. Bloody hard work and each one was going to be my last. I kept saying this just to trick myself into finishing just one more and before you know it, the job is done. With warm up and cool down ran a total of 10km. This morning the Bahai temple was completely shrouded in fog and a low mist was hugging the valley at the foothills of the mountain. It looked very serene and quite beautiful. I am very glad I got out the door.
I stopped swimming there over the school holidays as it tends to get a bit crowded. So I was surprised to see so many people at 6.30am. I swam 1km with fins and 500m without fins. The fin swimming tends to work wonders on the lower leg muscles and for me it is almost as good as a message. 
My plan was to do the full 30 km and push the pace a little as I have not done a longer run this week. The early pace was quite slow through the 5km of bush trail. From 10 to 20 km I trailed behind the second group of runners who started 10 minutes after. I was pleased to be able to hang on to tail end even over the hills. The last 10km I ran mostly with Mary and Steven. We made up for the slower start through the bush by pushing the pace to finish the 30 km in 3.00. Tough hilly course and at the end I wandered if I could hold onto that pace for another 12.195 km? The way I felt this morning at the end of the run, the answer was no.
The condition of this section of the trail was superb. It was almost like running on a paved surface. My legs were feeling great and after a short stop at the top of the Pluviometer we took off again. I felt like I was flying downhill on the Pluviometer. I though Mike was behind me, but when I stopped to look, he was nowhere to be seen. So I waited fearing he might have had a fall. The trail in this section is very steep with lots of turns and the surface was very dry with lots of loose rubble. In a few minutes he came around a bend and signaled that he was OK, so I took off again. It only took another half a km before there was a reasonable gap between us again. I was so focused on foot placement and balancing the body right that it took only a momentary distraction before I found myself sliding downhill on my right shoulder and knee and my face hitting the ground and then bouncing back. I was in shock and could not move. My right knee was very painful and I thought I had broken a leg or smashed my face, concussed, so I waited for Mike to arrive to pick me up. Mike helped me to get up and I realised that maybe things were not so bad. Missing skin but I could still walk and maybe even run. But not wanting to jinx my good running health I decided to pull the pin on the training run and walk back to the car. Mike ran back to the car. 
So once again I found myself walking the Black Range. On the walk back I had a thousand flies feasting on my bloodied knees and shoulders and by this stage the sun was directly overhead and it was hot. My right hand was beginning to swell and by the time I got to the car the middle finger was twice the size and turning blue. 
Stopped at a medical clinic in Katoomba to get cleaned up and strapped. X-ray tomorrow for a possible broken finger. Hopefully my grated knees and shoulder don’t give me grief and I can get good nights sleep. The score so far Black Range 2: Elma 0, but I will be back.
Running with Alan, Martin and John to Maroubra and the stunning coastal scenery distracted me from the discomfort I was feeling throughout. Five of us including Darryl, Dave Steve and Mikaela turned northwards from Maroubra and headed back to the start through Lurline Bay and Randwick, avoiding the industrial land.
Got home from the run just in time to get into my cossie and head to the finish of the Warriewood to Mona Vale ocean swim where I waited from Mike, Jake, Alex, Judy and Russ to finish the race. 
Brilliant sunny weather, surrounded by fit and healthy people and a cooling dip in the ocean completed a perfect morning. 
With a big group and a new and unfamiliar trail, it was always going to be a slower run than some we had done recently. The early section of the run obviously does not get many visitors as it is quite overgrown and after and 1 hour of getting scratched, my nerves were well and truly tested. I had had enough but not enough for a dummy spit. We regrouped at any spot where runners could get lost. But 36 runners of varying speeds, made regrouping testing for the front of the pack. The faster runners were champing at the bit to be let loose. And as soon as the navigational challenges were over they were off. I ran a total of 32km in 3.32. Fantastic running conditions with overcast skies and cool wind. 
I was feeling relatively fresh and since I am not running tomorrow I wanted to go a bit faster on this run. Ran with Dave, Dave and Graham at a pace that was quicker than I would normally run on a trail. I thought I would hang and on see what happens. Chatted most of the way and got to the turnaround point in 1.32. Pretty solid running with a few walks on the steeper sections. I thought I would not be able to stay with them on the return but hung in to the end. Finished in 2.56, with an average pace for the run of 5.52 min/km and last 4km at an average pace of 4.35 min/km. Very pleased with the effort, but my feet very cramping and the legs were trashed at the finish. 
I ran 4 by 1km intervals at a pace of 4.43, 4.33, 4.45 and 4.52. My target tempo pace was between 4.45 - 4.57 so I was very happy, especially when the last one was finished, as I did not think I could maintain the pace. 
The day for me can be divided neatly into the four segements. The first three section I ran strongly and felt resonably comfortable and then the wheels fell off on the last section after the return ferry crossing. The first section approximately 9km was easy running mostly along fire trails to the river. It was a beautiful still morning and until we got the ferry we did not see another person. I enjoyed the quite and the coolness of the early morning before sunrise and we got to the ferry quite quickly. The ferry had just arrived so the timing was perfect. 
Very happy to finally do this run. Absolutely stunning countryside which I have never visited before. I would love to come back and explore the waterways perhaps on a kayak. 
By the time we finished, the temperature was in the early 30’s and although we had planned to have a picnic at Berowra Waters we ended up heading back home and to the beach for a cooling swim. The ocean looked perfect with hardly a breeze to break the surface. 
The swim was followed by a glass or two of Charles Melton Sparkling Burgandy to see out the year. Great way to finish the year - running in a stunning natural place I have never been to before.