DNF

woo-hoo, downhill!
Originally uploaded by Auswomble

Today's plan was to run around 28km from home to Newport. I made 22km before I simply ran out of steam. When I left home the humidity was sitting at 96%. It had dropped to 73% by the time I stopped, but it was then 27degrees and full sun. It slaughtered me. The early hills didn't help. I guess I'm happy that I got in the ks but a little disappointed that I did not finish. That said, I'm glad I did the smart thing. I overheard someone once say 'old guys train smarter, not harder.' I'll pretend like that's what I did, saving something for the last few days of the month.

And for today, that's all you get. Might add a bit more detail tomorrow morning, wanna sleep now.

OK, I feel a bit guilty about not writing much. This morning started misty and murky and warm and humid. I knew I had a long run coming so decided I'd walk the dogs a few hundred yards down to the baseball diamond where they could have a run around. A couple of reasons. I wanted to limit my sweating before what was bound to be a sweaty run, and I didn't want to kill the dogs. Sal got a few more mins sleep, AJ came with me. Back home I grabbed a gatorade homebrew and headed out. It felt relatively cool, in the low 20s but with the mistiness. But the humidity won out.

The route I took involves a lot of climbing early. Nothing brutal, but just up and up and up. It sapped me far more than I thought it would and probably took its toll mentally. I was not enjoying myself. I had brief moments of joy as I spotted the ocean, but not enough to drag me from my mood. Down the ocean side of the hill things did not get better and the run became a simple slog. At 20km I walked about 200m. At 22km I stopped running, called to find that Sal was at home and decided that I'd keep walking to Newport. Should really have logged the walk miles, but don't feel that I deserve them.

Why Newport? Well there was a colleague's son's first birthday party to go to. I wasn't exactly the life and soul when I go there, but I did have a couple of beers to sit on top of the litre of water and three bottles of gatorade. I've been piling the fluids down all day and still don't feel properly hydrated yet. OK, a couple more beers are not great hydration...but I had earned them.

AJ had a good time at the party, but it was pushing her sleep time and she was a bit grouchy when we left. She slept in the car on the way home and grouched again when we got home as we failed to transfer her to get more sleep. I had a brief kip on the couch though, so go me! The afternoon was all about keeping out of the heat, the hottest Australia Day in 20yrs. J and J came over and we chilled and chatted and ate the biggest lamingtons I've ever seen before moving on to pizza. Good to catch up, been too long. I need to get back in the water, diving. I miss it.

Right, I feel better now. As an aside, I did have a small twinge of conscience by taking advantage of a public holiday in Aus to get some miles in when others would not have that opportunity. Then I rationalised a little; I was finished by 09:30 and the distance ended up being a distance I can do before work. Conscience all better.

OK, that is it for today.