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Fatigue has already set in and I feel like I’m moving in slow motion. Short of breath and beginning to realise I haven’t drunk nearly enough water. “I’m in trouble,” I think to myself.
As we skip down the dune and on to a stretch of beach, I look for the hard sand to run on. I couldn’t find any. I’m already blowing. My heart rate is in the red zone and I’m at 90 per cent of my maximum, which is where it will stay for the remainder of the run.
I start cursing myself for going too hard too early. I suck in as many deep breaths as I can and overtake a couple of players. Now we have a gradual incline through the soft sand on the beach and into the forest.
Fox Sports reporter Nathan Ryan’s HR and GPS results.Source: FOX SPORTS
It’s here the sand becomes extremely loose and I am forced to walk.
I watch new recruit Marata Niukore from the Warriors jog past me. It’s at this point, I face my first mental hurdle. The sun is beaming down on us and I’m sweating from every gland in my body. I’m in trouble. Big trouble.
“I can’t do this,” I start thinking. “I need to come up with an excuse. Dehydration? Torn hamstring? Dizziness? There’s no way I can go on.”
As I run through various scenarios to quit the session but still save face, I pass 20s coach Luke Burt, who is encouraging the boys. I shuffle past him but my shuffle soon goes back to a sloppy-looking speed walk.
FINALLY ON LAND
I can’t explain the relief I feel when I finally exit the bush and see the sweet, sweet surface of a gravel road. Sure, there’s steam rising up and heating my shoes but at least it’s sturdy.
There’s a couple of the training staff standing by with water bottles and after a quick squirt, I continue shuffling away. It’s at this point I start getting dizzy. Legit dizzy.
I start thinking, “Maybe I won’t need to pretend I’m dehydrated. Perhaps I’ll pass out? It’s not the best way to end the day but it would make for a good video.”
An Eels trainer kindly hands me a drink.Source: FOX SPORTS
I’m averaging around 171 beats per minute. I’m above the red zone. With the lactic acid coursing through my legs, I follow the fence around the road which has several families enjoying a picnic in the park.
In the distance, I can see one of the boys from my group. He’s too far ahead to tell who it is and he’s really striding out.
On the opposite side of the road, I see Frank Pritchard and Matagi. Maybe it was the exhaustion but for whatever reason, I thought they were on their way to do a second lap of the lighthouse, so I cross the road and follow the big boys.
THE MISTAKE
One of the Eels staff points me towards the lighthouse.Source: FOX SPORTS
I have no idea why I thought we had to make two trips to the lighthouse but it turns out we didn’t. I’d just made a huge mistake and I would end up paying for it later in the day.
But at this point, I was oblivious to my error and I shuffled up alongside Matagi before he surged ahead of me. Again my jog slowed to a shuffle and then to a walk as the heat really started to get to me.
“Blahh,” I yelled in frustration. I’m exhausted. I’m nearing empty and I’m not even halfway. It’s stinking hot. A dry kind of heat and I’ve had enough. Again I try and jog a little. It lasts a few steps and I’m back to walking.
Now more of the boys are catching up to me and soon pass me as the windy road continues to go on and on and on. As I turn the corner, the road opens up to a carpark and I see the lighthouse.
Eels players climbing the steps towards the lighthouse.Source: FOX SPORTS
Leaving the road for a paved path, I see BA, who yells out something along the lines of, “Great work Nath.” The trainers tell us to go down the stairs which lead to the beach, touch the sand and come back up. I follow the stairs down, trailing one of the boys down, touch the sand and start my climb back up.
As we skip down the dune and on to a stretch of beach, I look for the hard sand to run on. I couldn’t find any. I’m already blowing. My heart rate is in the red zone and I’m at 90 per cent of my maximum, which is where it will stay for the remainder of the run.
I start cursing myself for going too hard too early. I suck in as many deep breaths as I can and overtake a couple of players. Now we have a gradual incline through the soft sand on the beach and into the forest.
Fox Sports reporter Nathan Ryan’s HR and GPS results.Source: FOX SPORTS
It’s here the sand becomes extremely loose and I am forced to walk.
I watch new recruit Marata Niukore from the Warriors jog past me. It’s at this point, I face my first mental hurdle. The sun is beaming down on us and I’m sweating from every gland in my body. I’m in trouble. Big trouble.
“I can’t do this,” I start thinking. “I need to come up with an excuse. Dehydration? Torn hamstring? Dizziness? There’s no way I can go on.”
As I run through various scenarios to quit the session but still save face, I pass 20s coach Luke Burt, who is encouraging the boys. I shuffle past him but my shuffle soon goes back to a sloppy-looking speed walk.
FINALLY ON LAND
I can’t explain the relief I feel when I finally exit the bush and see the sweet, sweet surface of a gravel road. Sure, there’s steam rising up and heating my shoes but at least it’s sturdy.
There’s a couple of the training staff standing by with water bottles and after a quick squirt, I continue shuffling away. It’s at this point I start getting dizzy. Legit dizzy.
I start thinking, “Maybe I won’t need to pretend I’m dehydrated. Perhaps I’ll pass out? It’s not the best way to end the day but it would make for a good video.”
An Eels trainer kindly hands me a drink.Source: FOX SPORTS
I’m averaging around 171 beats per minute. I’m above the red zone. With the lactic acid coursing through my legs, I follow the fence around the road which has several families enjoying a picnic in the park.
In the distance, I can see one of the boys from my group. He’s too far ahead to tell who it is and he’s really striding out.
On the opposite side of the road, I see Frank Pritchard and Matagi. Maybe it was the exhaustion but for whatever reason, I thought they were on their way to do a second lap of the lighthouse, so I cross the road and follow the big boys.
THE MISTAKE
One of the Eels staff points me towards the lighthouse.Source: FOX SPORTS
I have no idea why I thought we had to make two trips to the lighthouse but it turns out we didn’t. I’d just made a huge mistake and I would end up paying for it later in the day.
But at this point, I was oblivious to my error and I shuffled up alongside Matagi before he surged ahead of me. Again my jog slowed to a shuffle and then to a walk as the heat really started to get to me.
“Blahh,” I yelled in frustration. I’m exhausted. I’m nearing empty and I’m not even halfway. It’s stinking hot. A dry kind of heat and I’ve had enough. Again I try and jog a little. It lasts a few steps and I’m back to walking.
Now more of the boys are catching up to me and soon pass me as the windy road continues to go on and on and on. As I turn the corner, the road opens up to a carpark and I see the lighthouse.
Eels players climbing the steps towards the lighthouse.Source: FOX SPORTS
Leaving the road for a paved path, I see BA, who yells out something along the lines of, “Great work Nath.” The trainers tell us to go down the stairs which lead to the beach, touch the sand and come back up. I follow the stairs down, trailing one of the boys down, touch the sand and start my climb back up.
