ACTRA Paddy Pallin 6 Hour Rogaine 2010

I can happily report my MCL problem from the Aus champs caused me no problems, however I crashed my mountain bike at Stromlo a week and a half ago, and although I have done a lot of riding since then I have stayed off running as my knee was grazed up and a bit sore and banged about on the outside rather than the inside now (ACL/ITB area it seems). So after an hour or so of running around I started to notice my knee was in a lot more pain than I expected, then on the way up to 74 on the steep climb and then down the descent it went to pieces, I was at the point I could no longer run. Unfortunate but it was a lovely day so I decided to try pressing on at a slow speed and staying out for the rest of the event, Lizzie and Hayley were fortunately happy enough to slow down to my new walking pace.

It was a glorious spring day in a gorgeous part of the ACT and we had a lot of fun out finding controls for the 6 hours, thanks to ACTRA for putting it on and thanks to Haylee and Lizzie for the day out there.

fullsize Haylee and Lizzie about to start. fullsize Julie and Dave also out for some fun. fullsize Still waiting for the start, lovely day for being outside I must say. fullsize Aaron about to head off for a fun day out too. fullsize Lizzie about to collect our control card. fullsize A good turn out for the event today. fullsize Susie and Keith who raced with Paul today surrounding Selina who raced with Mark. fullsize Lizzie showing she really needed the energiser bunny label for the day from early on. fullsize Looking down a hill toward Haylee and some other teams we were walking in front of. fullsize Another team out in the sun. fullsize Following a few teams up a track toward a control. fullsize Lizzie in the Australian bush. fullsize Erica out for her first ever rogaine, good to see. fullsize Erica was racing with her sister Paula and her sister's husband Ben.

fullsize Haylee registering at control 37 fullsize Lizzie stamping the control card. fullsize The view toward black mountain still surrounded by fog from here was pretty cool, Lizzie was enjoying it. fullsize Another team on the way up to 74 fullsize There was a track almost all the way up to it, damn steep track though. fullsize Lizzie getting another broad gully control. fullsize Because Lizzie was running up and down the road a lot around us I gave her the camera for a while. fullsize I was already injured at this point so could not run and had bandaged my knee. fullsize Jean and Ron (Ron was stripping off for the camera maybe?) fullsize A lovely view toward a rocky hill, if the are had not been burnt we would not have seen the rocks in this way. fullsize Haylee and I walking toward Lizzie later in the day. fullsize Away fullsize Lizzie had probably run up and down this fire trail a few times already around us. fullsize The incredibly phallic rock above a control.

fullsize Lizzie thought the sun spoiled the previous photo and was giggling a lot about the rock shape, this however really did not get the look like the previous photo. fullsize Dave and Julie coming toward us, Dave and I both taking photos of the approaching team. fullsize Julie fullsize Dave, still heading away from the HH with less than 2 hours to go. fullsize Kim and Danealle were chasing them for a little while too. fullsize Lizzie and Haylee at a dam control, the only approach possible due to blackberries led on to the control (fortunately) fullsize Mark trying to catch water or something and Selina smiling and waving. fullsize Lizzie at the top of a hill with the camera looking back at us. fullsize Only about 1.5 km from the HH but moving slowly. fullsize Finished, the lovely first aid person elevated my leg and got me ice packs. fullsize Fortunately Lizzie looks like she had a bit of a work out today, and we all had fun, thanks guys. fullsize Paul and Keith. fullsize Guess who won mixed open and who won over all (mixed open teams got the top 5 places overall too) fullsize If you guessed Dave and Julie it would have been accurate, well done.