Fox's Secret Training Camp - Porpoise Spit

Have just arrived back from a well deserved weeks break with mother, the rabbit and number 2 on the goldie. I was really looking forward to the break and enjoyed every second of the trip. As always the time went way too fast but it really hit the spot as I have been very stressed lately.

As for the training camp bit goes - well it certainly felt like it! For the first time in a long while I was able to focus on getting some time back into the legs.

Since I last posted I have plugged away at the base with only 1 or 2 efforts a week where I really pushed it. I had a good stack in the dark at Callen Park one morning where I tripped on the uneven section just past Leichhardt Rowers, a nice wake up call that left a bit of skin and a good dose of ego behind!

I have tried concentrating on soft surface running. I have noticed from this that camber, changing direction and my new orthotics have isolated a new pain on the centre outside of my right foot. I really think that orthotic is too raised causing me to now supinate excessively. I havent had the chance to get to see Andy Bull yet but will make a point of making an appointment this week for a tweak.

On the endurance front I need to be more patient. After attempting a hilly 20km with Striders early in my comeback I soon realised that this was far too much to attempt too early. So the long run has been shortened with a view to building up again.

A couple of weeks back I went for an early run one morning with 26 and man was that a wake up call. Steve was literally cruising and I was really battling. It was a stark reminder how far I had slipped and how much hard work I had in front of me.

The determination to regain my running fitness again has always been there. I now know I need to proceed with caution, ie managing without further injury. I want to look at the time I had off with the lessons learnt as a positive turning point and the springboard to being a better runner. Whether I achieve this is up to me. I know (with a good deal of trepidation) that there is a lot of bloody hard work in front of me and a good deal of pain. But most of all I want to go out and run without thinking and above all to enjoy it.

On to Porpoise Spit. A weeks worth of running between the northern tip of The Spit and Burleigh Heads. Pancake flat running but at long last time on the feet. Nothing spectacular with the efforts but a solid 70kms for the week. Highlights were running north of Southport Surf Club through the bush to the tip of the spit, really enjoyable and a negative split from Burleigh back to Trickett St where we were staying. Oh and the weather, magnificent - nice to be running in late May in singlet at 6.00am.

I must say as we pointed the car south again and headed back to Sydney, the heart sank. But as far as the week went it was by far the most positive for the running this year.

I am psyched to pull out a big one in September, really focussed, never been so determined. But I hope I am smart enough to go about in an incrimental fashion. Thanks Porpoise Spit for reigniting the fire, I hope to look back on this week as a real turning point. Time to start hitting the hills again now.

As Muriels dad said - you cant fight progress!