Another noticeable improvement this morning. For the first time since the injury I ran 10 km without a stop. The first kilometre or two were not good, though these were mostly downhill. Once I got on to the flat I was able to run without any real pain at all. Not sure why downhill poses more of an issue than the flat or even uphill.

And I managed to get my pace down to around 5:40 per kilometre – not fast, but my best for many weeks. It’s pretty clear now that the secondary calf injury is essentially better. However, the primary Achilles injury is somewhat more persistent, though not as debilitating as was the now repaired calf tear that put me out of the City to Surf.

The big question now is how my Achilles will feel tomorrow. I hope I haven’t extended it beyond its capacity.

Today’s Race from the Past is the 1990 Elouera Half Marathon at Cronulla. I was in good form going in to the race and after the first mile I knew I was up for a good performance. I felt great throughout, finishing in 73:50 in 18th place overall, an average of 3:30 per km. It remains (and probably always will) my PB for a half marathon.

On This Day

Sep 15, 2012

Distance today = 50.14 km; Total distance = 11,652.26 km; Location = Spencer, West Virginia – 38 47.573′ N, 81 20.080′ W; Start time = 0813, Finish time = 1558

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223047119

It was a classic day, but also a tough one.

I began on a very quiet back road. It got quieter and narrower, yet was still paved with recent hotmix, so was perfect for running (and even better for cycling). And the forests were great.

Then it turned to dirt, then to two tire tracks, then to potholes filled with mud. When it wasn’t like that, it was covered in very rough sharp rocks, which were incredibly uneven under my feet. On top of all that, it was extremely hilly. If I wasn’t stuggling uphill, I was trying to check my descent.

I finally met up with Carmel on a more main road, although the traffic was still fairly minimal. However, the damage had been done. Although I enjoyed the earlier part of the day, it left my legs a little shattered. I’m looking forward to a good night of sleep to help them recover.

The milestone for the day is a bit different. One year ago to the day, Dave and I took the challenge known as Le Cingles du Mont Ventoux (translation: The Idiots of Mont Ventoux). This amounts to cycling to the top of Mont Ventoux in France three times in one day – from each of the three directions one can approach the summit. Mont Ventoux is an extinct volcano, and is one of the legendary and most feared climbs in the Tour de France. Our challenge involved a total of nearly 15,000 feet of vertical ascent, over a total of 136 km.

As a single day effort, it’s up there with an Ironman triathlon and the Run to the Sun (a 58 km run from sea level to the top of the Haleakala volcano on Maui, at over 10,000 feet in elevation). I have completed all these things, but felt my three ascents of Mont Ventoux was as comprehensive an effort as any I have managed. All three ascents took less than two hours (1:59, 1:57, 1:56) – I was really pleased to finish it in such good shape; so much so that I ran to the summit the next day, as one does.

Now I find myself knocking over 50 km plus each day for nearly two years – a very different kind of challenge. Mmmmmmm!

Sep 15, 2013

No report on this day – I had finished the world run two days before. But three years ago today I completed a different challenge. See above for the report on my three ascents of Mont Ventoux.