two pelicans, a penguin and a run in the rain

No reason for the picture of Harrie other than she is damn cute and I didn't take a camera on the run. This is her having a snack while I upload my miles. Anyway, to today's news.

I swung my legs out of bed a little gingerly this morning and was glad to discover they were both working. After going to bed at 8pm having jacked the foot-end of the mattress up in the air I felt OK and thought I'd probably go for a run today. Like I had a choice...But first, after short-changing Rowlf on Friday, I needed to take the big lump for a swim.

We walked down to the Harbour, a distance of just over a km, in overcast and muggy conditions. Oh dear, thought I. Coffee in hand and tide high I started throwing stuff in the water that Rowlf dutifully retrieved. I had a chat to another couple of dog walkers and stood up to my knees in the water, getting a bit of a cooling for the calf muscles. Not really very cool, but it was nice anyway. After one throw I spotted a couple of the resident pelicans cruising past in the distance and then something caught my eye in the water just in front of me. A fish? No, too dark. A cormorant? No, too small. It's a penguin! A Little Penguin (note the capitals, that is what they're called) idly cruised past me. Rowlf didn't notice as he came back, and that was probably a good thing.

By the time we got home Sal was hanging for a coffee. I threw down some porridge and we headed down into Manly for coffee and a visit to the library that Sal had joined and that has a cool kids section. I'd packed my running gear in he car and stashed it under the car in the car park - it stinks far too much to be allowed to cook in the boot. Not that it would have bothered me because my plan was to run home. The long way. Twenty five km long if I could make it.

While we were in the library the heavens opened, which was a little ironic as I'd worked pretty hard to get my trainers dry for today. The rain eased a bit, we headed back to the carpark where I don't think anyone noticed me applying vaseline to my nether regions. Sal drove the girls home and I headed for the beach. Plan A was to run 10km north, turnaround and then run the 5km home from Manly.

It was quite nice to be running in the rain. Once past the surf-craft carnival that was taking up half of the beachfront in Manly there were relatively few people about. The troublesome right leg had a dull ache or two, but I was feeling OK. Today was going to be a careful, slow run.

Along the beach, over the hill to Freshwater and then around the headland and down to Curl Curl where I decided to run along the dunes and not the road. Slightly more forgiving underfoot, if a little tougher to run on. I got to the lagoon at the northern end of the beach and got a little lost, having to double back through some long grass ensuring my shoes and feet got completely soaked. Oh well. I got back to the road and then decided that instead of going straight along the road to Dee Why I would hug the coast and take the bush track around the headland.

Well I say bush track...today "stream" would be a better description. Nevermind, I was already soaked. Down into Dee Why and I looked at the long arc of sand and decided to keep on hugging the coast. The rain and dropping tide should leave the sand reasonably compact and I'd just deal with the camber. At the point where Dee Why lagoon flows into the ocean I met a guy ferrying a lass across, her feet staying dry. They were practicing for an upcoming 100km walk. I told him he should ferry me over and he offered, but I was soaked, declined he kind offer and ran on through the knee deep water.

Before I got to the end of the beach I decided to arse around a bit and write 'AUSWOMBLE' with my GPS track. I think I did OK. From there it was up and to the end of the headland at Long Reef. Oddly enough I have never ben out to this headland before. I passed a couple of surfers taking the short cut to the waves and asked if they thought I'd be able to get around the headland. They thought I should on the dropping tide, so I headed down onto the exposed rocky reef to complete my set of terrains for the day with seaweed. I think the full set was concrete, asphalt, sandstone, sand, grass, mud, seaweed and water. Not bad, just missed out on burning coals and broken glass.

By Long Reef the leg was grumbling, but nowhere near as much as it had yesterday. The plan now was to run back on the road, which went well until I ran out of pavement - Sydney is for car owners. So I made my back onto the beach, back through the water crossing and once again on sand to Dee Why. From there it was the road back and I finished by picking up the stock loop. Twenty five came up without me needing to run the last little hill back home, which was nice. I stopped the GPS and it stopped raining.

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1. Only one run today - hurrah!
2. That run was 25km and I completed it in one piece - hurrah!
3. I think that makes it a 100mile week. But before I get too carried away with myself, Gary is planning to run that distance in one go this June. But hey, it makes me cheerful, so take it away Mr. Dury

Is this the first post of the year in which I don't sound like a terminally miserable git? I think it might be.