75 days of running = the end of my trip!

I hate the saying "all good things must come to an end." Why? But annoyingly I have to admit that on this occassion it is true; as my travelling adventure has come to an end!

It's been an adventure for sure! 77 days ago I left home (what was left of it, amongst all the renovations going on, which are still going on, but that's another story), feeling unsure about a lot of things going on in my life, and not even sure in fact if I should even be going away on a trip this long... surely it was a foolish idea. But I'm so glad I did! I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to go away for this length of time, and to have been able to go to all the places we have. 

The day after we arrived in Sydney, Andrew and I did our first run, and I've run every day since, 75 in all (which pleasingly is by coincidence a nice round number to finish on).

So my trip finished back in Perth (thanks again Paul, Yan and Hunter for looking after me) with a 13 mile run along the river on day 74 of Run Every Day While Away, and a 10 km along the river on day 75. I love the path by the river here, it's a peaceful place to be...

I will miss running out here, I've certainly run in a lot of fantastic locations! If you are thinking of coming to New Zealand or Australia - I recommend you do it. And come to both! And I wasn't paid by any tourist board to say that, it's true!

It's also been great to catch up with so many friends...I actually hadn't realised until I came out how many of my friends live here!

But, I am looking forward to going home, apart from the weather, obviously. It's 26oC here today, which is 'cool' for Perth in late November. BBC weather reports that London tomorrow will have highs of 12oC. But that terrifying fact aside, I am looking forward to going back and seeing family and friends, and Andrew again (who abandoned me 2 weeks ago), to seeing what's been going on, for Christmas, and to see what things lie ahead...

With running, I'm going to have a couple of days off. I've loved the challenge of running every day, but I feel I need some different challenges now. I'll keep running, (of course!) but I plan to have a couple of run free days each week so I can incorporate other exercises in as well. I've been planning my race calender for December and next year....40 more marathons/ ultras and I'll reach 100, which is my next big target, to be a full member of the 100 Marathon Club. Now I finally feel I'm over the NYM 100 miles, I've decided not to do any more 100 milers next year, but focus instead on marathons to 50 milers, which don't seem to destroy me quite as much. I'll definitely do another 100 miler at some point, but what's the rush?

And on that note, I am off to pack my trainers (which have only got one hole from the trip) ready for the journey back (I wonder if anyone's ever run a marathon on a plane?) and more UK running adventures...

xxx

Amazing Albany!

Day 68

Next we travelled South, 400km South, to visit Paul's Mum - Sue -in Albany. I'm still mystified by how immense Australia is. On a map, Albany looks like it's just a short way frim Perth, down a little road in the bottom left hand corner...but it takes 4 hours to drive between them-  four hours!!!

But wow, what a beautiful corner of the map it is!

On our first evening, a discussion ensued debating a suitable running route. Thanks Sue for the hand drawn map (and for having us to stay!), which clutching tightly the next morning I made my first expliration into the WA Bush. The roads I ran along were awesome, just what I thought of when I thought of Australia before coming here - long red dusty roads stretching into the distance. I spent the first 10 minutes chasing the school bus, which was driving around the block picking up the children from different farms. I was pleased at following a bus. I figured no snake with sense would hang around after the bus had driven past. I did see plenty of other things on the 7km...lizards, black cockatoos, and when I got back, some kangaroos had come into the garden!

Afterwards, we did a trip around some of the wonderful Albany coastline, visiting The Gap...

 The Natural Bridge...

and The Blowholes...

Day 69

 Same run as yesterday, and just as lovely! 

Afterwards we did another trip this tome out towards Denmark, to see the Elephant Rocks...

Green Pool...

And the Valley of the Giants tree top walk...

Day 70

For the first time in ages, it was cool enough to do an afternoon run! In the day we did a walk up Castle Rock...

And in the evening I ran around some parks in Albany and to the famous Dog Rock! 

Day 71

Did my usual loop around the block with an extra bit, to make it 10km. Am tempted to do some shopping on the way back...

Day 72

Paul is teaching Body Pump, so I go into town to and run 8km through the park, through Albany and down to the Anzac Peace Park by the sea, which is beautiful.

Day 73

Back to Perth today, but got in a quick 7km loop before we leave. Paul's nephew Lucas who is 6, noted that I had been gone a long time and therefore that I must have walked. Ahhh, the honesty of small children. On further exploration of this point, it turns out he thought I had run down the garden to the gate and back, and thought I had been gone a long time. A further debate ensued as to why anyone would want to run further than that. If you want to figure out why it is that you run, be questioned by a 6 year old. My answers clearly being unsatisfactory, we moved on to a race around the garden, which Lucas won, but in which some underhand tactics were employeed, involving 'resting for a stitch' and then restarting the race in a most uncontrolled manner. I know, I am a bad looser.

Perth!

Day 61
A new city to explore - the city of my friend Paul!  There were a number of things I never understood when he lived in the UK. Why he was so derisary about the quality of UK coffee. Or why he would abandon us to move to the entire other side of the world, for example. But now I'm here, I understand. The coffee is something else. And what a place! Thanks Paul and Yan (and Hunter) for having me to stay, and for all your kindness. And for setting me off on the right direction for my first Perth run down in Riverside Gardens....

I wasn't quite prepared for how hot it would be here, and how that would impact on running. It's not a problem I often come across in the UK, but 36oC is a bit toasty to be running around, so I've been running early in the mornings before the temperature rises too high. Still hotter than the hottest part of a hot day in a heatwave at home though. But it was breezy down by the river and there were lots of exciting new things, like pelicans, to think about, instead of how boiling hot and difficult to run in it was.

Day 62

Did a 2 hour run along the Swan River towards Perth, along a beautiful but perilous path...

Having got used to the idea of there being imminent danger awaiting around every corner, I focussed instead on the beautiful river, some art, and watching the city get closer.

Before I knew it, I was safely home, and hadn't seen a single snake, not one.

Days 63 and 64
Before 7am and coffee, I am not able to think creatively, and so alas I ended up doing two days of the same thing....45 minutes of fartlek running down in Riverside Gardens, because 1) I think I need to start doing a bit more of different paced stuff, and 2) the name fartlek makes me giggle, every time.

Day 65
When I got here, Paul put me in touch with his running friend Ros, who has taken me under her running wing, and on some beautiful runs around Perth. Today we did a 10.5 km run around the Kings Park, down along by the river, and back through the park. A wonderful route! Early in the morning the light was beautiful, and being high up in the park with views of the city in the sunshine was amazing.

Afterwards, we went to Paul's Body Pump class, and I 1) remembered how rubbish I am at all other forms of exercise apart from running, 2) hurt a lot, and 3) promised myself I will get better.

Day 66
Today Ros took us to the beach, where we ran 7.5 km along an awesome path from Cottesloe Beach to North Freemantle, into a gale. Then we turned around and ran back, surprisingly at exactly the same moment that the wind dropped to a gentle breeze. Funny how that always happens. Still, I loved the wind, whichever direction it decided to blow from. After the last few days when it's been so hot running, it felt good to be down by the sea in a cool wind. It was a beautiful run, and afterwards we paddled in the ocean and had coffee. Thanks Ros for your kindness, showing me around the city, sharing your runs with me, and being a fab running buddy!

Day 67
Keeping my promise to myself to get better at other types of exercise, I went to another of Paul's Body Pump classes (thanks Noakes!). I went along in trepidation and feeling a bit stressed about it, as my shoulders were still sore from the last class, and I could barely lift my arms above my shoulders without wincing. Still, as it turned out, I got on a lot better than the last class (as in, I was just rubbish, rather than really rubbish). I'm always amazed by how quickly your body starts to adapt to new things once you've started. It's pretty awesome. Afterwards I ran back home, thinking along the way of how I want to start incorporating other exercises into my running routine as well, when I'm home, which won't be that long away now. But then I started to get anxious about how expensive gyms are in London, and how would I afford it, and fit it in, and what classes there would be, which got me worrying about loads of other stuff, blah blah etc etc... Fortunately my run was only 30 minutes, so I soon enough snapped out of it, and went back to living in the moment, and realising it was only 7.30 am and already I had an awesome workout, and that things were pretty good.

Stories from Sydney

Day 54
Back to Sydney today, via a beautiful train journey back from the Blue Mountains on a double decker train. I don't care how geeky it sounds, but coming from the UK with it's slow, unreliable, and single decker trains...double decker trains are just, like, the future. Back in Sydney and back to Zoe and James - thank you for having us to stay again! Had an awesome journey from the train station to their house, including walking through the city, a 30 minute run through the botanical gardens (I have missed this place!), a ferry ride, and a walk along Cremorne Point which is definitely one of my favourites places on this whole trip.

Day 55
Back to Cremorne Point for a 5km. I love this place. Such a tranquil spot, full of exotic flowers, melodic bird song, sparkling waters with yaughts bobbing in the breeze, and views of Sydney Harbour all around.

 

Day 56
Marathon day! Back to the Spit to Manly walkway. Last time I had to walk it, and walked 13 miles. This time I ran it (mostly) and did 26, so I guess that's progress. It was hot, but dull to start, so that the bright colours I remembered from last time didn't seem quite so vibrant. About half way though, the sun got stronger and it started to heat up. Soon after my head began to hurt, and soon after that the irritating pounding feeling of someone driving a chisel into my left temple started. If there's one thing that goes wrong on long hot runs, it will probably be my head. Either in how it thinks, or how it feels, or both on a bad day. Today, despite being careful to stay hydrated and wear shades, it was the turn of how it felt. A thousand hurrahs. My fear is always that it will turn into a full blown migraine, but fortunately today it didn't. Apart from that, and the incessant steps up and down the coastal path for the entire route  (which interestingly, I had completely wiped from my mind since last time), it was a good,difficult run.

Day 57
40 minute run down to Kiribilli to try to find the famous purple jacaranda lined street. We don't find it, but was a good hilly run anyway.

Day 58
A very long (in time) 13 km run from Coogee to Bondi Beach and back, taking in the Sculptures By The Sea walk and a brunch stop half way at Bondi beach. You know, it's good to set aside time for regular proper workouts, but I've figured on this trip that if you are tight for time, and wondering how to fit in a workout, then it's just as good to fit exercise in to what you are already doing. You get the benefits, and it's enjoyable too, seeing how you can make your routine more active. Thanks Zoe for waiting to pick us up, even though we took ages! The weather was terrible. Brunch was excellent. And the sculptures spectacular.

On the way back we drove through the jacaranda trees in Kiribilli (Zoe found them!) which strictly speaking wasn't to do with running. But it was on the way back from a run, and it is such a spectacular sight to behold, I have to put up some photos. So exotic seeing the purple flowers against the blue sky - like a dream! All the flowers here seem so bright, like looking through a filter. I keep having to remind myself they are real. And wafts of jasmine keep floating through on the breeze. Which reminds me of my jasmine plant at home in the garden, which has probably perished in the cold weather by now. Oh well.

Day 59
Today was Andrew and mine last run together, as today he headed home! So naturally it had to be along our favourite Cremorne 5km. I am gutted to temporarily loose my running partner. When I look back over the last 59 days... what an adventure it has been!

Day 60
Today was my last day and last run in Sydney. I woke up at 4.30am becuase the rain and wind was battering the window, and couldn't get back to sleep, so headed out early to get the stormy run over with. I was extremely creative, and ran the same route as yesterday. Actually the weather wasn't as bad as it sounded, which is often the case I think, when you think about things lying in the dark they often seem terrible, but actually once you do it, it's ok. I will miss this place so much! Sydney has definitely been one of my favourite places, and I felt sad to be saying goodbye to what felt like a new friend, as well as my old friends here!

The storm caught up with me as I quickly got my last fix of my favourite Cremorne Point route, which also happened to be the way to the ferry on the way to the airport. I left the house and all was well. 5 minutes down the road and a storm of biblical proportions hit right above. Lightening flashed right ahead, thunder crashed, and the rain was like buckets. The paths were like waterfalls with water gushing down, and I lost my flip flops several times. My super fancy, expedition style, North Face bag turned out not to be waterproof. At all. All of my clean and dry and satisfyingly recently reorganised clothes inside got wet. My hand baggage is even less waterproof, and it and everything in I got so soaked that I had to buy a new one at the airport to put all of my wet stuff inside (I actually needed to, it wasn't an excuse). Which defeated the aim of saving money by catching public transport rather than a taxi. The clothes i was wearing were wet, and wouldn't dry as the airport was so fiercely air conditioned. I was deeply unhappy as I boarded the plane, right at the back of the queue due to the whole debacle, so there was no room to even put my wet bag.

But nothing is fun all of the time, I believe I may recently have stated. Not even travelling adventures. And this is probably an experience sent to remind me of this, and not to go throwing about such profound statements as this without expecting to fully understand them. Fine. The point has been taken.

I am now in Perth, where the temperature is 35oC, and myself and all my things have dried. More on Perth to follow!

The Blue Mountains

Day 53

Next stop - The Blue Mountains. It's true, they are blue. Very beautifully blue. Because of the eucalyptus trees that cover them, and the oils that evaporate look like a blue haze. Andrew's friend Mike kindly put us up, and showed us around, but not before the local cockatoos showed up on the balcony for their breakfast...

Did an amazing run around Echo Point and the Three Sisters. What views!

Including the Giant Staircase of 900 steps (ok, might have walked this bit)...

Then back to the top...

Wow, what  a place! So close to Sydney that you can see it, but feels like another world,  high up in the clear blue air.