I had a cool walk today - literally!! When I got home it was still only 26 degrees and there was a dew this morning! Wow! A dew!! Plus, I went a different way today which was kind of exciting too. I am supposed to have a rest day today, so I decided a walk would be good. No running. I thought it was a good opportunity to explore new running tracks. I've been looking for a reason to take this new route but have been reluctant because I don't know the distance, and I like to know how far I've gone as opposed to how long. So last night I decided that I would walk this morning. You know how when you look forward to something you get excited just thinking about it? Well that's how I felt!! It's almost embarrassing to admit!! I was up before my alarm with anticipation! Strapped on the gatorade, MP3 and fly net and was off.
In order to explain the significance of this new route, I need to provide a geography lesson about my location. Karratha is a long narrow town that runs east west. There are two main roads that border the town - one to the north and one to the south. The "top" road and the "bottom" road (creative bunch aren't they?). The top road runs along the flood plain/mud flats and the bottom road is bordered by rocky hills. Physically, Karratha can not expand north or south because of these natural boundaries. Karratha is a planned town, purpose built as a service town to the mining industry. The only way you can drive from one end of town to the other is by taking either the top road or the bottom road - no other roads go all the way through. There are three or four "through" roads which join the top and bottom roads. All the residential streets come off these through roads and most are culdesacs. The through roads form a natural border for the suburbs - there are four: Nickol, Millar's Well, Peg's Creek and Bulgarra. I live in Nickol, right on the edge of town. There is limited room for expansion east and west, too, because of the salt flats and more flood plain. There are heaps of bike tracks and footpaths throughout the town - I have to give credit to the town planners, it is pedestrian friendly. The footpaths join the culdesacs or run between them, so it is easier to walk than it is to drive. Unless you take the top road or bottom road, you can easily get lost in our charming little town and drive around in circles.
I'm getting to the point. Suffice to say my "normal" route follows the top road and I weave in and out of the streets around Nickol. Naturally I started my runs in loops around where I live and I avoided crossing the "through" road to Millar's Well. Well my walk today CROSSED THE ROAD!!! It was very exciting! I saw new people out and about, not the "regulars" who walk the top road with me. Another couple of exploration walks, then measure the distance on the bike and I might have a new running track! I've driven around the streets a fair bit (I volunteer for Meals on Wheels) but there is something different about walking them. Whilst I love my runs, I'm now excited about my next few walks too!! (Pretty sad really how a change in route can make me excited....)
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3 comments:
Hi I've just read you're blog for the first time. I generally go for a walk on my rest days. It was interesting reading about your change of route, you are lucky to have a cboice. I can either go up the road or down it (although we do have a creek flat that is about 600m around). I always go up the road as there is less chance of traffic or dogs and there are only 3 houses up the road, then it is bush.
Hi Pilbara, I'm a bit of a lurker on the Ausrun forum and am very glad to see you have started a blog! I was a beginner runner at a similar time to you, then dropped off the running planet. I have been itching to give it a go again and feel inspired again after coming across your blog. It's all about meeting your own personal goals - this is what I keep reminding myself about anyway!
Never got past 4th form meself but good luck with your couch potato to runner (do PHD aspirants say potarto or potato) hehehe sorry I'm being a bit unfair.
Fair dinkum but, reading over your blog it is great that you are giving the running a whirl and doing such a good job ;-)
Well done - stick with it.
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