Rubber bands and smiles.

Day 33. 12/10/11: Quorn to Mt Brown East

Support crew does art.

Tim's bit:

Quite a hard run this morning: 21kms with the first six-and-a-half kms pretty flat but then left and up over Richman's Hill and then more and more hills (thankfully, smaller) after that.

I started the day a little worried after my ankle felt a bit compacted and sore last night. It's an old injury which still plays up. I rolled it on a rock almost three years ago now, but it seems to have left the ligaments which support the tibia a bit lax, so it kind of drops into my ankle joint and puts pressure where it shouldn't. That's what I've been told anyway... But that was the same Osteo who looked at my left leg and said: "Yeah, that one's stuffed, too" so either (A) why listen? or (B) you can go a long way on two "stuffed" legs and feet that don't work!

Same crew, more art.

So Richman Hill was two-and-a-bit kms of up then a lovely descent on what weirdly felt like "the beach side" of the ranges. With a long flat valley stretchingout dead flat and vaguely blue, and with the hills having somehow the undulations of big sand dunes, it felt like the second half of the run had that open airy feeling I associate with being near the coast. Lily was in great form and seem to love the spot we'd chosen to meet, so it was a real lift to catch up with her after 10.5kms and hear her enthusiasm about the day, the view, the tree, the birds and being outside.

I set off for the second half and the hills kept rolling: lots of ups and downs, which was pretty hard on the legs, but it was a lovely day to be out and every uphill led to a crest which offered another view. Along the way I had fun playing with an idea I dubbed "the joy of rubber bands." Effortless (or nearly effortless) running, I told myself, can be accomplished by using the fact that the hip flexors (three muscles running over the front of the hip and into the thigh), the Achilles tendon and whatever runs along the top of the foot are all rubber bands. If my hips are positioned just right, and I lift my foot at just the right moment (using the rubber band in my Achilles), then the whole stride thing is just a pretty simple flowing motion. At least that's what I told myself. It worked for most of the way, but isn't much good on downhills, where either the hill is too steep to run and I have to put the breaks on, or else it's all just about lifting my feet quick and making the most of gravity while I can... Anyway: a couple of hours in the sunshine and the day's run was over, back in the van with Lily, then back at the campsite for a shower and a delicious big salad lunch! All good.

Lily was too busy to contribute to
today's blog. She will be back tomorrow,
after the fashion show.

Run

Time (hr:min:sec): 2:08:36

Speed (kph):

Distance (km): 21.04