The two hour bus ride gave us a chance to see the sugar cane and mountains of Far North Queensland. It was just the calm before the excitement that was our four hours white water rafting down the Tully River.
Mum booked the eight of us adult members of my family on the Extreme Team tour. So we slipped on red thermal tops, life jackets and helmets before boarding our seven person rafts.
It wasn’t long before we were encouraged to take a swim down some rapids. This is part of the extreme option. The water was icy cold despite the tropical warmth. But it was brilliant. We floated through small rapids and into a pool where we learned how to hoist ourselves back into the boats.
For the next four hours the sound of roaring water filled our ears; interrupted occasionally with the sound of birds singing in trees as we drifted through pools of crystal clear water. The only human sounds were those of our guide calling out instructions and our laughter ringing through the air.
Bright blue butterflies, pretty patterned day moths and water dragons flittered around our boat. They seemed unafraid of our presence.
The rock jumping was scary for me because I am not great with heights. But I did both of them. You all probably heard me screaming during the first; I was that loud in pushing through my terror. The second was much more dignified.
We swam down some rapids with a series of three big waves. It was tiring and challenging not to give in to the temptation to panic. So I went back to swim the section again.
Our boat stayed upright during the adventure. The same can’t be aid for Mum’s boat and she had a long swim through the most challenging and dangerous rapids of the day. Dad, one of my sisters and her boyfriend were also in that boat but were rescued by the guides before hitting the scariest section.
I can’t wait to get another chance to go white water rafting. It was so much fun. It’s just a shame we have few raging rivers here Down Under.
After the Past Pupils’ Mass I rode my motorbike up to to Binna Burra in the Gold Coast Hinterland to support my friends at the Lamington Classic (and to hang out drinking cider). On my way up the mountain I stopped at Beechmont to find a geocache and enjoy the view of the mountains.
The Lamington Classic is an annual two-day trail running event that is as much race as mega social. On Saturday, runners run from O’Reilly’s to Binna Burra along the Border Track. It’s 21.8km of twisting single track through the rain forest. After spending the night at Binna Burra, they then run back to O’Reilly’s on Sunday morning.
My running friends were running the event so I went up to Binna Burra on Saturday night to hang out with them. We spent the night drinking and talking. I’m not a big drinker, having been a tea-totaller until two years ago. But I enjoyed my three ciders (4.0% alcohol so very light and sweet) while my friends probably drank more beer and wine than was sensible preparation for the second day of running. While I was disappointed not to be joining them out on the course, I had a blast making memories away from running with a group of people who are quickly becoming friends; not just running buddies.
From the Binna Burra Caves Track
I woke at 4:40am this morning and didn’t want to wake my friends, who weren’t due to get up until 6:30am. Instead of hanging around, I made the most of the early morning sun by setting off on the Binna Burra Caves Track. Unfortunately, it was too dark in the rainforest for my mobile phone camera to get good pictures so you’ll have to trust me that I had a great time enjoying mountain views, rainforest scenery and the sound of rainforest birds. The caves themselves were huge and imposing holes in the cliffs and made me feel slightly dizzy.
For the second time this week, I did some light running. I walked a 10 minute warm up then did a 1 minute run / 4 minute walk ratio for 6 repeats. My foot and leg felt good during the running phases but I’m not ready to do anything more strenuous yet.
It was still about 5:50am when I completed the Caves Circuit so I also walked the 1.2km Binna Burra Rainforest Walk. I chose that walk because there is a geocache along it (there was also one on the Caves Circuit). I enjoyed the peace and simplicity of the Rainforest Walk; a short stroll through the bush with nothing to carry and no navigation required. There was no one else out on the tracks except me, the pademellons (an Australian marsupial that is like a tiny kangaroo that gets around on all fours), and the birds.
Jacarandas on the way to O’Reilly’s
After my walk I had breakfast with my friends, helped them carry their gear down to the ute that was taking it all back to O’Reilly’s and saw them off on their run. I then rode my motorbike down the range, across and back up the other range to O’Reilly’s, which took over 1.5 hours. The scenery along the way was amazing and included farmland, mountains and rain forest roads.
Motorcycling through the trees
My friends all ran well today, backing up after yesterday’s epic with a quick run. After a few hours lazing around O’Reilly’s eating and chatting we all set off back down the mountain towards home. The roads up here in the mountains are fantastic for motorcycling (though they are narrow). For the first 10km of the descent I could almost reach out and touch the trees along the road. Then the road opened out and the views of the valleys were superb.
My wonderful weekend was topped off with a 2km walk with my partner after I got home.
I lie back in the bathtub and close my eyes. The cold water has stopped stinging my skin so I relax my legs into it trusting that this routine after my longer runs will help keep me injury free. I let my mind wander back to this morning’s run.
About eight of us met at Bayview Conservation Park to tackle the trails. We followed a fun 5km loop along rocky single track and a short stretch of fire trail. The run started with a long slow uphill gradient to a saddle. N and I talked about our decision to enter next year’s Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane while the rest of the group held their own conversations along the line. It felt good to pick our way over the rocky trail discussing exciting plans for the future.
From the saddle we scurried down a zig-zagging trail until we reached a fire trail. We crossed the main track and continued skipping down the single track. The track has been cut for mountain bikers so it twisted and turned smoothly to the bottom of the hill. We turned right along some more single track that undulated gently along the edge of a gully. I felt strong and rhythmic as we moved; my feet picking the way confidently and my body relaxing into the bush.
We came to another fire trail but turned hard left along the other side of the gully. The trail here was less twisting and allowed me to pick up a consistent cadence for a while. At the end of the trail we crossed a fire trail to another uphill section of single track. This track was cut into the side of the hill so it dropped away sharply; not that the drop was high because the hills here are only about 100m above sea level.
At the top of the hill we turned right onto fire trail for the first time. We had to drop down a steep hill of loose gravel, which caught some of our group by surprise. This was followed by a short sharp uphill climb before we were able to turn off the fire trail back onto single track.
At the end of our first lap a few of our group had to travel home so we farewelled them and continued down along fire trail to the You’re Kidding track. We ran this loop backwards, which meant we had to go slightly uphill all the way. You’re Kidding doesn’t flow as well in reverse as it does running it downhill but it was still glorious. A slight fog rose between the trees as we made our way along the trail. It’s likely to be the last fog we see before May or June next year because our summer has definitely started.
We ran a short distance down fire trail before our group had to split again; three of us wanted to keep running while three had to leave due to family and work commitments. We went our separate ways at a point where the fire trail led those leaving safely to their cars.
We continued our run by following the fire trail to where the single track we ran on our first lap took off. We followed the trail in reverse back to our cars; picking up the pace quite a bit now that we were a smaller group of just three. It felt good to power up the hills and cruise all the way back to our cars.
Total: 11.89km. Elevation gain: 251m. Average temperature: 11’C.
The late afternoon sun warmed my skin as my feet skipped smoothly over the gravel fire trail. I’d never run at Scribbly Gum before, despite it being so close to home. We turn down a gloriously soft and sandy single track. I enjoy the softness even though I’m wearing my Merrells. Soft grasses occasionally brush gently against my ankles.
Ahead of me M’s cadence is rhythmic as he leads the way. It’s S’s first time trail running and she seems to be enjoying it. The three of us chat as we run. It’s the first time we’ve actually run together so there’s a lot of ‘getting to know you’ to be done. It’s pleasant and comfortable.
We complete a slow 6km loop of the bush before M and I set off to do a second 4km loop. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
The sun is just about to rise over the horizon and the birds are singing like there’s no tomorrow. For the first 3 minutes, I’m the only person at the end of Days Road waiting for our run and I’m simply absorbed by the sound of the birds.
My friends arrived and we set off on our trot. The single track felt so good beneath my feet as I took up my place at the rear of our little foursome. We wound our way through the grass and ferns of the lowlands before contouring around a big hill. The trail became rockier and exposed roots tried to trip us as we climbed. But we stayed the course and reached the top of a saddle where we turned off onto a downhill trail.
Young shoots of bright green grass form a strong contrast to blackened tree trunks. The bush along some sections of winding single track are coming alive with regrowth after last season’s fuel reduction burns. It’s a magical juxtaposition: destruction next to new life. With the undergrowth burned back we can see the trail twist and turn ahead of us. It’s been cut for mountain bike riders but it’s also fun to run switch backs and berms.
We run 4.5km on single track before returning to the fire trail to head back to the cars. Two of our group have to get their kids off to school; so they leave us here. My friend R and I decide to do a second loop. We both want to run 10km and have enjoyed the 5km loop enough to repeat it together. Only this time we take another single track back to the cars instead of following the fire trail.
I started my day at the physiotherapist to have my legs looked at. I’ve decided to see Paul at Body Leadership. He comes highly recommended by my running friends and I was not disappointed. I felt that Paul listened to me when I told him about my niggles, my injury history and my goals. Paul assessed my stride, flexibility and specific areas of strength. He did some massage to start releasing my tightness and gave me some homework. What I liked about him was that he explained what he was doing, answered my questions and didn’t try to talk me out of my slightly crazy 12-in-12 Challenge.
After enjoying a day at home with my partner, parents and an aunt, I went out running with my friend A tonight. We had organised a nice easy 4km run through the suburbs; a repeat of last Thursday’s easy run. I wanted to run 6km so did an extra 2km at 5:40 pace before meeting up with A. We had a lovely run and chat for about 4km.
I love these easy chatty runs. They are a nice reminder that running isn’t about training or racing but about movement and friendship.
Total: 6.34km barefoot run at 6:49pace. Elevation gain 74m. Average temperature: 18.0’C.
It’s 7am on Sunday morning. I see my running friend AJ waiting in his car at the end of Days Road. It was a pleasant surprise to have his company for the morning run.
The last cool wisps of winter lingered in the air as I took off my long pants and jumper. In a few weeks I’ll be grateful to strip down to shorts and singlet but this morning it was still slightly cool. But the sun was warm on my skin as I ran along the trail through dappled sunlight. Cool-warm-cool-warm; that’s how my skin felt as I moved from shade to sun and back again. it was a subtle but noticeable change that only happens in late autumn and early spring.
The single track wound it’s way through the grassy bushland. Gum trees rose all around us; the mature Moreton Bay ash and bloodwoods reaching up towards the bright blue sky. Smaller wattle and banksia shrubs grew as an understory amidst the native grasses.
We didn’t run quickly but it was a relaxed and natural experience. We picked our way over exposed tree roots and through sections of loose rocks. And then we cruised the comfortable sections in between.
My GPS is playing up so I couldn’t measure our run but I think we ran between 4-5km at about 6:30-7:00 pace.
After the run I returned home and thought my partner had already left home on her daily walk so I ran an extra 2.05km along he route to try to catch up with her. I was about 200m from home when I saw my partner walking down the road. She hadn’t heard me calling out to her when I returned home from my trail run so hadn’t responded. She was only just heading out so I joined her for her walk.
After starting my day with the club run, I went home for a few hours to relax before heading off to the Stockyard Creek Orienteer event, hosted by the Toohey Forest Orienteering club. I’ve decided to give orienteering and rogaining a go because I want to advance my navigation skills and confidence.
I arrived early for the 1pm start. After a chat with some experienced orienteers I decided to attempt the most difficult and furthest course on offer: a 5km ‘red’ course. The controls on this course were all away from the trails that criss-cross the Stockyard Creek area and they were flung all over the field of play.
I set off at 1pm to try to find my way around the eleven controls. I underestimated the challenge of orienteering a fully off-track course and had a bit of a panic on my way to the first control. While I wouldn’t have had any difficulty navigating to the location under recreational circumstances, I felt pressure under ‘race’ conditions; not because I wanted to win but because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself.
Once I relaxed and trusted my navigation skills I found the first control easily and ran cross-country through the scrub to the second control. Then I got overconfident. I checked the map but not my compass and ran off in the wrong direction. It didn’t take me long to realise my mistake but the only way to correct it was to backtrack to the second control. Then I made the mistake of not trusting my compass because I was frazzled. It probably took me twenty minutes to get from the second to third control.
Once I found the third control I regained my confidence and found the fourth and fifth controls easily before again making a mistake on my way to the sixth control. I got three-quarters of the way to the control when I made an error. Instead of trusting my compass, I made an incorrect assumption about where I thought the control would be and went off in the wrong direction. I was tired and hadn’t drunk enough water. While that’s not an excuse it does put my confusion into context.
I might have been last but I finished
Once I found the sixth control, the final five controls fell into place easily. It took me 84:44 to complete the course, which was 60 minutes slower than the winner and 20 minutes slower than the next orienteer. But I am pretty happy with my effort. It was my first orienteer and instead of playing safe I went out on a limb by entering the most difficult event. I found all the controls, didn’t get lost and learned a lot.
Next time I enter an event, I’m going to take 5 minutes at the start to plan my routes, note the compass directions I need to take off each control, and identify attack and catching features so that I don’t have to stop and route-find as much at each control.
I can’t see myself taking up orienteering as a sport because I don’t get the same heart thumping excitement about it as I do about trail running. But it will be a good training tool to help me keep improving my off-track navigation skills and confidence. And it is a nice way to develop leg strength and concentration skills through cross-country running (which, believe me, is really tough).
Total:
6.85km club run in bare feet @ 5:34 pace. Average temperature: 14.7’C. Elevation gain: 2 m.
5km long course orienteer (I probably ran closer to 7km with all the geographical embarrassment I endured).
There’s a thin line of red light separating the clouds on the horizon from the blue grey sky above. Coochiemudlo Island is still a dark lump in the ocean but the dinghies and sailing boats moored in the bay are already clearly visible. The tide is high and the water’s surface is patterned by areas of flat calm between the ripples.
The grass beneath my bare feet is cold and damp. I look down and see that my toes have turned red as my body tries to pump blood to keep them warm. I’m not concerned. It’s still over 10’C and the worst of the winter cold should be behind us. I’m running well, averaging 5:13 minutes per kilometre. That’s a lot faster than my marathon and ultra marathon race pace but I’m only running 5km today. I feel strong.
As I pass the 2km mark the sun starts to break free of the clouds. The big ball of orange rises quickly into the sky. By the time I turn for home at the 2.5km mark the sun is a large bright red sphere filling the sky just north of Coochiemudlo Island. It’s red rays reflect off the water and I feel it’s warmth fill the air. For the first few minutes of my return leg I turn around to watch the sun’s ascent. Then, it’s filling the eastern sky. No longer do I run in the dawn but it is fully day.
Total: 5.01km @ 5:13 pace full barefoot. Average temperature: 11.5’C. Elevation gain: 15m.
I did it! I completed my first 50km trail run today. And I did it the day after I completed the Conondale Range Great Walk so I am doubly proud of my efforts.
The Flinders Tour is part of the Glasshouse Mountains Trail Running series, which has a history dating back to 1990 when the Glasshouse 100 was the first 100 mile trail run in Australia. The Flinders Tour event, held every July, has a 10km, 25km and 50km option; I took the 50km options.
A lot of the course was on fire trail
I took the early start option because I wasn’t sure I’d make the cut-offs. I was moderately confident of making the 7 hours cut-off for the finish but didn’t think I’d make the 3:15 cut-off for 27km. I also didn’t want to run with the pressure of time chasing me. I wanted the luxury of knowing that I could totally bonk and walk half the course while still finishing within the adjusted 8 hour cut-off.
The course started with a nasty run up Mt Beerburrum. While the mountain is only about 289m high, the trail is bitumen and heads straight up. All but one of us in the early start walked the entire bitumen section of the climb. The views of the breaking dawn creeping over the Glasshouse Mountains were a brilliant way to start the run.
At 25km. Still feeling strong.
After Mt Beerburrum the course followed fire trails and short sections of single track through the pine forest plantations that surround the Glasshouse Mountains. I traveled well for the first 18km. I ran all the flats and downhills, and walked only some of the hills. At 18km I hit a small wall because my feet started to hurt a lot from the sharp gravel that covered much of the fire trail. But I walked my way through it for about 500m and then decided I was going to run to the 20km mark. That was all I needed because just after 20km I reached the third checkpoint where they had Endura, watermelon and salty pretzel sticks.
After the aid station I decided to run to 25km, take a photo and keep running to the 27km turn around. And that’s exactly what I did. I ran. I wanted to prove that I could reach 27km in 3:15. While I would have missed the cut-off if I’d started at the actual start time because I left the turn around checkpoint at 3:20, I was happy to have made it to the turn around in 3:15 and to be feeling strong. Just before the turn around I passed all the 25km runners who were running towards us. There were a lot of them and passing each other was difficult but it was a lovely change to running alone (I ran alone from about 8km to just before the 27km turn around).
A small stretch of single track through long grass.
After the turn around I felt strong as I ran towards the 30km mark but then started to get a bit lost in the enormity of the challenge. I had to fight my mind telling me that it was silly to be out there. But I was prepared for this eventuality and simply kept reminding myself what a blessing it is to be able to participate in this type of event. Just after 32km we ran down a short section of single track. I knew it was coming so for the 2km I was struggling I waited for the checkpoint so that I could enjoy the single track. It was rough and grassy; a fun area to run.
Occasionally we actually saw the Glasshouse Mountains
After the single track we ran on more fire trail. I was finding the going tough on my feet. While the Vibrams are great for my form, my feet definitely aren’t yet tough enough to handle this type of rocky terrain. I think it’s because I couldn’t move my toes to change the way they impacted against the rocks; they were just splayed in the shoes’ toes. So I decided to buy a pair of Merrel Trail Gloves as an alternate running shoe for this type of longer run where the surface will be too hard for my feet in the Vibrams. No doubt I’ll be able to run this type of course in Vibrams in future; I just need to give my feet time (you have all seen my training reports and probably realise I don’t really do enough miles to have tough feet yet).
This is where I hit the wall bad!
At 37.56km I hit the wall really badly. I had been running steadily more slowly since 30km with bursts of energy. I was still happy with my speed of 7.8kph. Fortunately, there were three ladies who were walking the 25km course who I came across as I hit the wall. I spent 2km walking with them. They kept me going by chatting to me. It was amazing. I was feeling horribly low and talking to them took my mind off the pain in my feet and the struggle in my mind.
And then I hit a checkpoint. I had eaten a Powerbar while I was walking, and stocked up on Endura, Coke, watermelons and salty pretzel sticks at the checkpoint. It did the trick. I started to run. And I felt so empowered and high that I took this short video clip to share with you all.
We had to run through this virtual obstacle course twice.
At the top of the hill I was walking up in that clip I had to navigate my way through an obstacle course of fallen tree trunks that were laying across the track. They were probably put there to stop dirt bikers from traveling on the trail but they also made life difficult for me. But not so difficult that I couldn’t keep going. After crossing the tree trunks I ran all the way down the next hill and then started to catch back up to the runners who had overtaken me when I was struggling with the wall.
The view back at the 50km mark
Exhausted at 50km and hating the fact that the course was an extra 1.64km long
And then it happened. I hit that sweet spot where I could keep running through my exhaustion. I caught up with and overtook five experienced ultra runners who I’d been trading places with all day (they had also taken the early start). And I just kept going! I decided that I wanted to finish the race in less than 7 hours. My mind took over and I was able to ignore the pain in my body (to an extent). The extra 1.64km over 50km was really tough but I pushed through. The mind is stronger than the body.
I took these two video clips with my phone to share the final stretch of my 50km trail run with you. Sorry about the quality though.
Transventure 