The Pacific Ocean training Track. If you have to exercise and rehabilitate, you could do worse than this track along Sydney’s northern coastline.

I’ve had a slack week. Monday I was too tired to do anything after the Mosman hike. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings swam at Manly. I had to reschedule the Wednesday gym session till Friday as I was too busy at work. Today was always going to be a tough one. I’d talked Barry into hiking from Long Reef headland to Manly as a training exercise for the Jatbula track. We planned to cross Curl Curl, head down to Manly, then up to North Head and then back to North Steyne. After the Thursday swim at Balmoral, which is always a chest opener, Barry and his wife Adriana arrived at my place at Manly at 10 o’clock and we drove to Long Reef.

I have done this walk numerous times as the last leg of the 31km trip from Palm Beach to Manly. I know it like the back of my hand and have carried packs weighing up to 30kgs. Today was a far more modest undertaking lugging 12 kg. A small increase from 10 kg last weekend. Although we were only going slowly the pain in my Achilles tendon was soon excruciating. I plodded along, enjoying the day, trying to ignore the pain and appreciative of the very pleasant company. I have always done this trek on my own, surrounded by silence. We made it to Manly for lunch in about two and half hours. I was overjoyed to sit down. I can’t believe how much damage I have done to myself. This is a much more serious injury than I had ever anticipated. I am having one of those down weeks where I just don’t seem to be making any improvement. Felt better after a reviving bowl of museli at Manly Wine bar looking out over the ocean. I think that place has the nicest view of the ocean from any restaurant anywhere in the world. After an hour we headed off to Fairy Bower, and then wound around the back of Manly to my place. We had aborted the trip to North Head as squalls were looming. We arrived at my apartment just before it started to pour. I drove up to Long Reef where we had left Barry and Adriana’s car. Came home and after a hot shower I only had the energy to sit in a chair and stare vacantly out the window. Very tired. Pain in my Achilles is shaping as the most difficult and sustained injury from the whole exercise of having a broken leg and surgery. Bones heal up quickly, the rest of the soft tissue stuff is just a nightmare. The frustrating thing is that this injury is self-inflicted. It has reawakened an old problem from 10 years ago. I was training for mountaineering and injured my Achilles carrying a heavy pack up Awaba St, Mosman. It’s obviously lain dormant ever since.

Today we covered 13½ km in 3½ hours. I only have a week left to decide whether I’m up to doing the Jatbula or not. I have to pay by the middle of next week. Still a way to go before I can carry 17kgs.