This week i'm finally back into it after the dreaded gastro bug that knocked me out for 10 days.
Today I was planning on a 38km run. The Dun Mountain Trail loop. This is one of the hills/mountains at the back of Nelson.
I was feeling pretty good setting out today, got myself well organised the night before, including packing my new Chia seed balls.
Chia Seed Energy Balls Recipe
Chia seeds are meant to be awesome for long distance running... there is a legand about Indians eating a teaspoon before running a 24 hour race. They are a superfood, have 2 x the amount of protien than any other grain or seeds, 5 x the calcium in milk and 2 x the amount of potassium as bananas. Plus loads of other benefits. I used them raw in the above recipe but i think they are even better in terms of the benefits if they are soaked in water for 20 mins.
Ok so, back to today's run.
Starting out at about 9.45am after dropping DD off at Nana & Poppa's, but it was already VERY hot. And the first part of the trail was a few km's of dusty stoney road with no shade at all! Not to mention the uphill. Oh wait, actually i will - it went up, and UP... and UP! It wasn't mega steep but i certainly knew i was climbing. Felt very cross when I found myself having to walk after only a couple of km's! My lungs couldn't keep up! *need more hill practice :-(*
Being that i'm ridiculously useless with maps, the fact that i'd been studying it during the week and on entrance to the track was to no avail. I made a critical error after stopping and chatting to a south african runner - and followed her.... after about a 1km steep climb we realised that i was NOT going the direction i wanted to! So back down i went, and finally got on the right track.
And up i continued to climb for the next 10km's. It took A LONG time to get 12km in. I quickly realised that i'd be gone alot longer than i wanted to be if i was to do the full 38km loop. And after climbing for 12km I didn't have to ask myself twice! Cutting a run short is always annoying but since my body had only just come back to 100% from the gastro bug it probably wasn't a bad thing. I'm hoping to fit in a 15km tomorrow and if i do it means by mileage for the week will still be in the 60's which is pretty good.
The run back was awesome. I'm not usually a huge fan of downhills as i'm pretty clumsy, but today i managed to keep it together and didn't trip or roll an ankle once! Pretty big acheivement for me considering there was a fair amount of loose stones underfoot.
I was feeling great until another runner passed me, commenting on how it might be difficult to keep up with the mountain bikes on the way down. I laughed politely whilst cringing on the inside... the fact that she was even trying to keep up with the bikes was just stupid. *annoying stupidly fit people make me want to sit down and eat cake*
So my run was approximatley 24km and it took me 3.5hours, that included a fair bit on walking on the way up though. Not flash time wise but I have to just think it's time on my feet, better than sitting on my ass.
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