Day 152-153 Well, the best laid plans ... sore toe and run route disappears

Yesterday was meant to be my 2nd last run before the week-end's B-day run and several things conspired to challenge me to run forth.  I had a sleepless night - not just a bad sleep, but a no sleep night and felt exhausted from the start of my day. Writing about the earthquake may have stirred things up again. Then the morning headline from a scientic study gets stress levels rising again. "Big quake risk (magnitude up to 7.0 in the next year) put at 23%". Great, what are we supposed to do with that jolly bit of news?!

I had a busy day and didn't take time for a proper lunch. I took 20 minutes for a "nana nap" mid-afternoon hoping to perk myself up to run at 3pm.

Also, my big right toe has been causing me some discomfort. It was just a "clicky" noise to start with a couple of weeks ago and a bit stiff but running seemed to help stretch it out so I haven't given it too much notice. But it has since flared up and is a bit painful. So, run through the discomfort? Or give it a rest and forget the "plan".

Bruce was away so I couldn't talk it through with him. I was left to my own devises and a, what we call, a "dalai lama" = dilemma. Was I piking out and finding excuses not to run and being a wimp? Or should I follow the plan and know I would be re-energized by getting out there? This birthday run looms quite big in my mind at this stage. I've been so determined to succeed at my goal - come "hell or high water" or in our case, come "earthquake and high water".

All this going on in my head even as I gear up in my running outfit, music and all. And realise as I set out that I need to relax and take care of myself. So I opt to walk the whole circuit and I took my camera to get some good shots of the route.  Or, as I discover, what is left of my route.

The dunes are still standing and beautiful as ever. Here are a few gems I found along the way.

Then there's Bridge street with typical sights that you'll find around the city.

 Portaloos because of the munted sewage system....

and road warning signs because of the ever sinking roads.

When I reach the path that usually leads to the Estuary Track I find this:

And this

                   has become this.

I sneak through anyway, sinking into the muddy mess and find that this ...

has morphed to this.

The land has sunk so much that there has been much flooding of roads and even houses close to the water's edge - so there has been a lot of sand bagging and moving in earth to build up the shoreline. Eventually it will be compacted and made into a proper track again. But for now...?

And the last straw was this.

No way could I get past this blockade of earthmoving vehicles to get to my track!

 It's onto the roads all the way home. And Mother Nature gave me this beautiful sunset to sooth my distressed soul.

So it's back to Map My Run to sort out a new 5km route for Saturday. As I said starting out .... the best laid plans!!  Isn't life interesting.