Saturday - Manly to Spit & return (+ 6 x 60m sprints)

A nice change with the rain, but it was still quite warm and humid (it was already 23 degrees when I left home). Feeling quite good today, I got slowed down by the high tide (had to traverse the rocks just past Forty Baskets both ways) and the slippery downhill sections of the trail. I’d rather slow down and be overly cautious than risk it to go faster and come off second best (Darren’s story about breaking his wrist on the same trail haunted me today). I took the opportunity to really focus on my breathing, which has gotten out of hand over the past few months. I was breathing at 1:1 ratio with my cadence, which is far too fast (not enough time to blow off any excess carbon dioxide). So I trialled the 2:2 ratio, and despite a lot of concentration, it felt better. It’s like as if it controlled my pace better, preventing me from going out too hard at the start. I was less worried about it on the way back, but at least it was a start. A lot less people out there this morning (the weather played a role no doubt), so lots of geckos out instead. Ran past two pairs of walkers towards the end who were having a big argument - I think one of them didn’t move over for the other and therefore walked into one another. I’m just glad that I’m not the only one who has that problem! Got home in 87:07 (4:20’s), nothing spectacular but nothing horrible either considering the conditions. It felt just right in terms of intensity, so I can’t complain at all. Although my shorts are covered in sand and dirt (as is my back). Finished with six by 60m sprints with a two minute walk recovery between. These were harder than the hill sprints the other day! Similarly, the first one felt completely uncoordinated, but I regathered myself from the second one onwards. No swim today, although apparently it’s going to clear up and heat up by lunchtime.