Brisbane Water Bush Bash

Update:

Thursday-Rest

Friday-8km-41 minutes, ran from home to Vineyard return. Started off very easy with 5:40/km pace and gradually wound it up. Legs were feeling a lot better today.

Saturday- Brisbane Water Bush Bash 48km

Up at the crack of dawn (actually before then) at 5:15am for a quick brekkie and the drive to Gosford. Forecasted early showers never eventuated, instead what dawned was a beautiful day. Got to the Sailing Club at 6:30am, Nikolay was already there, we exchanged greetings. Not long thereafter Miss Gazelle and partner Colin with kids arrived. Colin would be running while Miss G would provide support. Regular fatasser Jan Herrmann turned up and Plu not long after. So we were 5 runners in total, typical fatass numbers. No sign of slacker Tim T, who was probably banging his head against the wall with a severe hangover ;-)

We took a couple of photos and headed off along the waters edge in the direction of Point Clare. My plan today was to see how the legs behaved post Canberra and take it from there, no time goals just enjoy it and not get too bashed up. We stayed together until the Penang Rd hill and the first bush section at Point Clare. Not long before, who pops out of their house with mutt in toe but none other than the King himself Paul Arthur, a quick hello and we continued.
We travelled the undulating ridgeline to Woy Woy, no problems with navigation and were afforded some fanatastic views out over Brisbane Water to the left.
Plu and Jan fell back here deciding to travel together. Colin, Nikolay and I forged on to the drop at Koolewong. A very steep descent, which I recalled from 2003’s run, I just bolted down as there is no grip left on my shoes and braking was not an option. Just before the very bottom and the bitumen, I found a hole and went straight into it rolling my left ankle, not happy Jan, I was swearing at myself for being so stupid. I managed to run it off but not without some pronounced pain, a couple of ibuprofen helping out later on.

We crossed the Woy Woy bridge and made for the shore line around Blackwall. Good running here on the grass, we picked up the pace. I was thoroughly enjoying the run, Colin and Nikolay making good running companions. Miss Gazelle was to meet us near Blackall boat ramp but we must of just missed her as she was nowhere to be seen.
We crossed the Rip Bridge where there was a good breeze blowing and then headed up the climb at Daley Ave. Colin dropped back here and we didn’t see him again, an amazing run thus far for him as he was saying he had only been running for a few months!

I remember we got a bit lost climbing up into the Reserve just before Bouddi National Park last time but today we had no problems at all. We reached the crossing at Maitland Bay drive and ran well to the entry at Bouddi National Park. A quick water refill here and then some of the best and most scenic running on this course, through the rainforest. Soft trail under foot, the sun splitting the ferns either side of the trail, fantastic.

After we left Scenic road the trail opens up to a good-sized firetrail making for some better running. Before long we were on Doyle St and not far from Kincumber itself. Navigation gets a bit tricky here next to the Water Treatment Centre but we managed to stay on a northerly trail and came out on Empire Bay drive at the right spot.
I fully intended on stopping at the Kincumber shops for some coke and chips but ran straight past them and out onto Avoca drive. Bugger, I would have to wait until after Kincumber mountain to get some supplies from Tony, who was meeting us on the other side. We stuffed up going up the mountain too, taking the wrong track to the left by some houses but a quick backtrack and we were right, going up, up, and up.

When we reached the top I phoned Tony to let him know we weren’t that far away. The run down the other side is much nicer than the climb up, a good flat track all the way to the bottom. Tony was already there, waiting for us with a bag full of goodies including some Red Bull, straight down the hatch, great stuff!
I guess we were about 34km in and 4:20 on the clock. I figured 6hrs should see us home.

We made our way through Erina and then that bloody climb up Clyde Rd! Sometimes you are better off not knowing what lies ahead, ignorance is bliss and all that!
We walked all the way to the top and then took a side trail to Rumbalara Reserve all the while looking for grey and black markers. Problem was there were so many trails here and I couldn’t for the life of me remember the one we took in 2003. So using the compass we guessed and just forged on eventually coming out at the road near the toilet block as suggested in the notes.
A bit more faffing about and then the Orchid Trail, which was sign posted as closed by Gosford Shire Council. We figured bugger it we got to get down to Gosford and took it. We stuffed up again a short while later feeling we were heading too far north instead of southwest and doubled back, oh such fun at this late stage. We double checked with a trail biker and continued along another of the numerous trails in this Reserve. We figured just keep heading in a west- south-westerly direction and she’d be right. True enough, a while later we exited at White St which according to the map was way further south than we figured we were, oh joy. Luckily we didn’t have long to run to Gosford Sailing Club and the finish.
5:56 on the clock and almost 49km. An improvement over 2003s 6:14 but really time wasn’t an issue today, we had a lot of fun out there, thanks for the company Nikolay.
Perfect weather too, making this one of the more enjoyable Fatass runs.
We really should try and make this an annual event, it’s a cracker!

I called Miss G to check where Colin was; he was just over Kincumber Mt and would end up finishing his first ultra in 7hrs, another for the dark side.
Plu called it a day at Kincumber after a good run post Canberra and was very happy to get a decent long run in. Jan was about 20 minutes behind Colin at Kincumber, haven’t heard back from him as yet.

I was delighted with my recovery post Canberra and didn’t struggle at all during the run, all good signs for some bigger runs coming up.