down it in one

Having checked the forecast before going to bed last night  I knew today would have to be a single run day and that run would need to start as early as possible. Extreme UV, bastard hot (my words not the bureau of meteorology's) did not fill me with joy. But first thing first, get up at about 5:30 from my spot on the floor next to Harrie's cot and take Rowlf, my Irish Water Spaniel, for his morning walk. Strange to think that I care more about protecting that lump of crazy from the heat than myself. My mad dog does not go out in the midday sun, just this Englishman.

Anyway, I was ready to head out a little after 7am, by which time the sun had been up for about an hour and the temp was about 22. Humidity was a cloying 90%. In other words a typical Sydney January morning. I made some Gatorade homebrew, lubed up, sunscreened up, forgot my sunnies and head out. With my brother's Garmin. Again. Mine, after an overnight charge, decided it was not going to play.

Today's plan was to head inland and over the hill towards Dee Why, then pickup my stock loop. Anything over 21km and I'd be happy. The legs flt heavy again and I was very glad of the shade I found along the bush track next to the Wakehurst Parkway. This track goes past some aboriginal engravings and the last time I ran it I encountered an echidna (or fucking great hedgehog, if you like. The picture is of him - or her - waddling out of my way.) No sightseeing today, it was already pretty sweaty and th sunscreen was running into my eyes in a particularly annoying way. This looked like it needed to be a workman-like outing.

At 6km I refilled the water bottle and at a little over 7 I passed the gym that Sal was at. If I'd had any sense I'd have grabbed a guest pass and done some treadmill miles in the aircon. Nevermind, kilometres 7-9 are pretty much downhill with a couple of inspiring  ocean views as you crest some rises.

I knew from yesterday that the return from the mall is 11km so at the turn for Dee Why I decided I'd not go to Dee Why but head for home, turning the run into a Brookvale loop. I was struggling a bit. I found a tap outside a shop and refilled the bottle again, and again from a bubbler when I got to Queenscliff. The sun had plenty of bite by now and I can't say I particularly enjoyed the last 6km any more than the first 15.

I stopped again at Fairlight beach to refill the water bottle and had a chat with a runner heading the other way. She was supposed to be knocking out 31km this morning and was also struggling in the conditions, which made me feel comparatively better. Objectively I still felt pretty ordinary, but at least I wasn't alone. We headed our separate ways and I made it home in 21.7km. Very sweaty and tired, but with the best part of 24hours until I next hit the road.

And now a brief Garmin update. Before heading out to see the new Mission Impossible movie - aircon win - I switched my Garmin on. We did a bit of shopping, had a bit of food...and when I got home it was still alive. In fact it has been sitting on a chair in the sunroom, not tracking anything but not dead, for over past 7hours. At about 9hrs it beeped 'low battery' at me. Weird. Another charge tonight and we'll see how it is in the morning.