team meeting

last sunday we all met at my house for lunch and to do some strategic planning. the full crew where there, me, rachel, alan, brad, rodney, majella and james. it was the first time that the support crew got to met each other and see who they were going to share a car with for over 30 hours, so gave them a chance to bond and plan how they were also going to entertain themselves for that length of time.

we got to plan abit of what we will need, both individually and the support crew. we watched the youtube video of the weary wanders who did is last year, it has been invaluable, giving us hints as well as a feeling for how tough it is.

one of the things that came out of it is wearing a fluffy dressing gown at the checkpoints so that you dont get cold but still can use your hands for feeding and changing gear. so dont laugh i have a blue one with black cats so in the photos i should look very strange but warm!!!

last night we went to the information night at chermside and got to hear some stories about the kokoda kids, real kokoda experiences and legends, how to prevent major problems like blisters, knees and things that rub!!!.

the common theme for the evening is that this is a team event and like the mateship of kokoda it is about helping your mates finish together as a team and how to support each other.

it just reiterated that its not about times but all getting through and the feeling of comraderie when you complete an event like this together.

only 18 days to go and this weekend the plan is to do about 65km over the two days and this will be our last training session before the event. the reality is hitting me hard but i am also very excited to be apart of this great event.

mini kokoda 30km

yesterday team walk the line finished the mini kokoda in 8 hours!!. Brad and I had done this section 3 months ago and it took us 11 hours and with me crying at the end. this time we marched fast and strong especially at the later third when we even tried to run down the hills, its actually better on the knees!!

there was about 600 people and the kokoda kids in red tshirts were about 100 of them, they were so full of spirit and laughter but a bit quiter on the way back (bet you they were in bed early). there was even a group of primary school kids that were running it (oh to be youthful).

we met some new teams and helped out a few injured on the way back, very easy to bust a knee or an ankle on the rough uneven ground.

it was foggy and very cold in the morning but warmed up beautifully, we had some lunch at pollys cafe and then headed back. i found the hills up tough (a bit flat yesterday) but blasted through the downhills and flats, so thats my plan for the real event. take it easy on the ascents but try and make time up on the downs and flats.

ankles are sore, so off to the physio for some strapping to see if that helps. our next and final training session is in two weeks where we will spend the weekend at the coast and do binna burra to oreillys and back again (42km) and then the first mountains on the sunday about 18km. and before you know it we will be doing the real thing on the 17th july!!!!

sometimes a good plan comes together and sometimes ......

well last saturday night we set out to do about 50km from pollys until the finish line, we started at pollys at 4pm and had a great walk to the hall, where is turned very very cold.

this was our first time out in the dark and cold for many hours and i wondered how i would cope with the lack of sleep (as normally i am someone who needs a minimum of 8 hours a night). but with food and some caffeine gu i felt wide awake, in fact i enjoyed hiking in the dark with the headlamp and felt more as a group hiking through the night.

we met up with some teams who finished at about 11pm and they were heading home to bed as we went up black shoot gully. this is truly the worst mountain of them all, as its not very steep but it goes for miles and miles and never seems to end, which drains the legs and the spirits.

half way up the trail, one of the team really started to feel unwell, pain, exhaustion and nausea started to take its toll. we got to the top of syd duncan and decided as a team to end the hike then at 3am. it was unbelievably cold and the wind just cuts through when your not moving, so we were glad to hop into a cab and get back to nerang.

a couple of new things i have learnt, that the support crew will be invaluable as when we got to SD park and it was cold and windy and tired, with no hot food or massage, it was so easy to decide to pack it in and go home. so the support crew will be vital to us completing this event and i am so grateful that 3 great people have volunteered to help us through this.

also with my feet (will it never end) i think taking out my orthotics every so often actually takes pressure off my archers, so plan is to see the specialist tomorrow for advice, drugs and cortisone (what ever it takes!!!).

this sunday it is the mini kokoda event (29km) so looking forward to completing this in a fast time than before and then we have a double weekend hike and then the event.

30 days to go, coming so fast, wont know what to do with myself afterwards BUT i have said to rodney that i would consider doing it next year if he is looking for team members (i know crazy!!!)

long time no blog

seems likes its been weeks since we went on a hike. last weekend it was raining and we all had other commitments so we just did our own thing. yesterday brad and i hit the track again, the plan was to do the section from the environmental centre to syd duncan park and back (only about 8 or so km) naturally i then thought we could add on the watercircuit and finish about 2pm.

that didnt eventuate, first there to get to the forest entry there was about a 2km road hike, going in the forward direction towards syd duncan was nice (some lovely creeks) a long long climb (blackshoot gully) which isnt so bad but will be after doing 60km. found ourselves up at mirani st, thinking it would be a short walk to the park, NO it was again at least 2km on the edge of the road, jumping off every time a car came along (quite dangerous) but we finally came to SD park and the grassy hill up to the top was fairly steep and if i make it that far in the event it will be very tough, but it reminds me of sound of music and i just want to run down and twirl around singing the hills are alive!!! see photo

we had a break and i felt good BUT the way back was long and with all the road walking my feet started to call out, we got lost twice going back so added on an extra km (must remember next week in the dark we have to follow the trail on the inside of the green tank!!!) but we finally made it back o the car by 1.30pm, so forget the water circuit. my feet were really sore and we had only done about 16km and took a lot longer than expected.

my confidence is again a little low today, i will give it my all next weekend when we are doing 47km hike through the night, this will be a real test to see how we go, with distance and no sleep.

rachel is motivating me and promises she will massage my feet, take care of me and give out drugs if needed to keep me going. wish us crazy team good luck and see how it goes next weekend