Back to the coast and normal running??

Woke on the Saturday and found my sore throat had developed into something a bit more nasal so decided that a lift down to Bogong really was not a good idea (for both my companions and me), so decided i may as well head back home, quick check on the RTA web site showed the Pacific Hwy was still open but there were indications it may be iffy around Grafton.
So come lunch time loaded up the car and headed off, funny enough got a phone call from an old Sydney workmate i'd been trying to get hold of since i'd been down there (he'd been on holidays and just returned), so ended up making another detour.
Eventually ended up running a Sydney Striders "Star" training run on Sunday morning, very much like old times, being New Year it wasn't an official Star but nevertheless a good turn up and a number of familiar faces and the run itself was pretty much a trip down memory lane, from Centennial Park to William St (where i worked a few years) and then over the Harbour Bridge to North Sydney and Milsons Point and then back via Kings Cross (always an interesting place to run through early Sunday morning !!), in total 28.5K's, so all in all a good solid training week.
I suppose as a historical footnote i'd probably regard this as my last run as a genuine "Sydney Strider", i'd been a Strider when living in Sydney in the mid 90's and can honestly say that running many Stars with them (and also advise from various wizened heads there) made me the runner i am today, now living up the Coast i'm pretty confident i'll never live in Sydney again and seeing i'm sure to slot in some more runs with the Gold Coast Road Runners logically will become a member of their club (me and paperwork yeah it'll happen one day !!)
From there headed to Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre, for a feed and decided to stretch the legs with a walk on the "Bay Run" (a run around "The Bay" made famous by many Coolrunners !!), made it as far as the 3K mark and, in what must be a record didn't spot one "Coolrunner" and then headed back the same way to the car, still stiff and sore from the mornings run.
The legs seemed to be still struggling with stiffness so couldn't resist a wander around my old shopping strip of Lane Cove, much had not changed in 11 years and it was as though time had stood still (unfortunately my legs didn't suddenly feel like when i was 31), well apart from the cost of a cappuccino !.
Enough for memory lane after that it was simply a case of point the car up the Pacific Hwy and see if i could beat the floods up the coast.
By 6 i was at near Kempsey and rain was falling heavily again, one moment crusing along happily doing a 100 (and listening intently to the cricket), next moment was virtually aquaplaning in a sudden downpour. Took the chance to stop and let the downpour pass and also see if i could get hold of anyone at Bogong to Hotham, but no success barely any reception where i was and apparently none there.
By Grafton was ready for a meal and noticing there was better phone coverage couldn't resist ringing a few people to see how they had gone, thankfully with better success.
Home by 11:30 and happy to just crawl out the car and leave the unpacking for the next day.