2.4 No run

2.5 Two laps of the Bay

Two laps of the bay about 13.8k - ran with Siver Fox - did a lot of talking in the first feew ks then realised we were behind pace and talked lees and increased the tempo but not by much. Resulted on a first lap of 30:38 (about 4:25 pace) - much less talking on the second lap complted in a more respectable 29:12 (4:13 pace) - pace for the total run about 4:18 just on 3 hour pace which was what was planned.

2.6 : 2 x 3k + 5k

Two tempos of 3k - no aim for personal bets today wanted a couple at 12 minutes each - ran 12:08 and 12:06 - in the middle ran a 3k with Aunty Karin in about 12:50. The set off for 5k with the aim to 'feel' a 21 minute pace - the splits were rather eratic as I am not used to running this pace and I want some pratice before Canberra as it is the pace I intend to run at - splits 4:18, 4:15, 4:05, 4:13 and 4:04.

Not a day of absolute speed but still below MP and trying to get the feel before the race.

2.7 : Bay 27.54 and 5 x 800

After yesterday off thought I might be fresh enough for another Bay Run PB but would you believe I ran the same as Friday to the second - maybe I should have looked at my watch during the run after 3k of the run. Didn't look at it afterthat until after the finish. What does running the same time fresh today say about doing after 18ks on Friday. Well the rest didn't improve my speed and I am not worried by that - but I may take comfort from Fridy's time because it means that on tired legs I could still run as fast as on fresh legs - I hope that means that the strenght and endurance are there even after 18ks.

The finished off with 5 x 800 alll in about 2:55.

3.1 No Run

Recovery day : 62 k for the week. Hard to drop back but I am resisiting the temptation to run long and hard.

3.2 : 5k : 18:55

A very cool and wet morning in Sydney at 6.00am and the last moring before daylight saving ends in NSW. This means that 6.00am will now be light and so the rest of he early moring sessions before Canberra will be done in more pleasant conditions. I hate running in the dark as I am always concerned about triping etc.

Legs felt a little heavy so tday was never going to be a grab for a PB - it wa smeant to be short and very firm as compared to the intended marathon pace of 4:15 mpk (minutes per k)- firm is will below that pace and so 3:46mpk was just right. In fact I thought I could only manage 19 minutes at best and so then run was fine. Still have a slight right groin strain which is present at the start of a run but does not greatly interfere with the running stride when warmed up.

May rest tomorrow and then run what I was planning to to Sunday on Monday.

3.3 : Long Run : 26k

Ran with a friend on a course that was over parts of my usual course. We kept close to 4:15 per minute per k pace for the first 19 then di done lap of the Bay Run which is about 6.9k in 27:54 which is about 4:02 pace and is a PB for me by a few seconds. Absolutely pleasd with the overall run and the strong last 6.9k. Great for the confidence clsoe the the marathon and also probably shows that with some extra rest and reduced ks in the taper some good time scome along.

3.4 No run

Recovery day before some high intesity sessions over Easter.

3.5 ; Usual 14.5k : Unusual the rain and wind : 62.33

Last week in ideal conditions 59.19 this week in very wet, cold and windy conditions 62.33. Lost most of the time in the first third, held pace in the second third and made up some time in the last third. It s the taper so am I worried about it being slow - no the conditions were against it.But it was fun and unusual running in the rain again.

3.6 : Tempo : 2 x 3k

3 weeks of taper and this was the first session - plan to run it comfortable but firm in about 4 minute per k pace. Ran 11:52 + 11:48. Comfortable but with very heavy and tired legs as the left over from Sundays hard 30k. As planned.

3.7 No run

4.1 SMC 30k : 2.08.08

Very pleasant running weather this morning. I thought the humidity was low and not a factor also the cloud cover kept the conditions almost ideal with a strating temperature of about 18 degrees. About 6- 8 degrees lower at the start would have made it just about perfect conditions.

My run was perhaps better than expected but within the range of what I thought could be possible on a good day which today was.

By my GPS the course was 30.7k. If this are closer to the distance than 30k then 2.08.08 was a good time. It works out to be a 4:10 pace - if the run was exactly 30k then it works out at 4:16 pace - the later is exactly 3 hour pace. Anyway somewhere at or between is the pace for the day.

If halfway was accurate the I ran the second half slightly faster han the first half and felt comfortable in the second half. Felt as if I could have maintained the pace but not sure how long that feeling would have lasted though. Lets hope with a taper, some drinks other than water and some gels it will last until the 42.2 finish line.

About 75k for the week - as there was a two days off as a taper for Sunday. Might push the k's up by 15k next week but I will see.

4.2 Easy 12k

Tested the groin twinge with an easy 12k around the Bay - finished with no problems. In he middle tried to judge a 5k section aiming for a very steady 21 minutes but was too relaxed to runiit in 21:30 but felt very easy. Aiming to run most of the marathon at the 21 minutes 5 k pace so I will need to do some more running at this pace in the taper. Will give that pace a try out tomorrow in the SMC 30k.

4.3 No run

Playing it very safe - still a slight twinge - expect to run tomorrow

4.4 No run

Playing it safe - slight twinge in the right groin.

4.5 : 14.5k : 59:19

My usual run - again back under 60 minutes after a few at about 61. I was fatigued al the way at a various spots where I take my splits I was determined to call it a day but somehow managed to push past each one and suprisingly I was gaining on my PB splits despite the horible mental run I was having. Stuck it out to the end and was just 25 srconds off my PB and fastes since the PB in late Janaury.

I looked at my log from last year and 7 days out from Canberra I ran it in 61.13 which at that time was the PB - 4 days before I ran it also in a then PB of 62.12 - so during the taper the speed was coming in big chunks - three weeks before that the PB was at 65.07 - so almost 4 minutes off in 4 weeks but that wont happen this year - but still pleasing to have been below last years PB for some months. Slight sorness in the right groin - the first sign of the unwilling body for 6 months - so no run Thursday.

4.6 : Bay 28.46 + 4 x 800

Bay run a bit slower than usual but legs felt very fatigued - Bay is about 6.9k do about 4:10 pace which is fine at this time and for this session. The 4 x 800 all about 2:55 - felt a need a far greater effort on the 4th just to maintain the pace so called it a day.

4.1 : No run but wanted to

5.1 : Long Long Run : 32K : 2.27.11

Last very long run before Canberra. I have run this about once a month over the last four months and was hoping this would be a PB as it should have been at this stage of the preparation but with yesterdays solid effort I was not sure. It is the same run as I do usually on a Sunday and sometimes on a Wednsday with about 6 odd k put in in the middle so for the first 1 hour 20 I nkow the run very well. Ran to that point just on the usual pace and hen managed to finsh strongly again.

I ran it on 6 February which was a PB and managed today to take 2:00 off it so was very pleased. It was a large amount as well - could not have come at a better time in the prepartion. That is - it has happened when it should have - on the last long run of the prepartion phase and it confirms that I am now probably in my best condition as regards endurance. As a comparision I thought I was running well on 23 January when I ran it in 2:35.40 - so an 8 1/2 minute improvement.

110 ks for the week although it felt like I had done very little running. I am sure the taper is going to be very very difficult and whilst a lot of runners are looking forward to it I know that to radically reduce the ks and not be tempted to do long intense runs is not easy at all. I might look forward to the rest but resisiting the temptation not to train long and hard after so many months is extremely difficult.

5.2 : 2 laps of the Bay : 59.30

Ran with a mate who is also training for Canberra. It has been years since I have run 2 laps of the Bay - we started off with lots of chatting and so went through lap 1 in about 31.10 so a sub 60 for the 2 laps was going need some deep digging. Very little chatting on the second lap and got home with 28.20 - considering my PB is only 27:58 it was a good hit out. About 14k in total.

5.3 : 14.5k : 59.36

Run this hilly course often. Best about 6 weeks ago in 58.53 so 43 seconds slower is fine. Average k about 4:07 which is fine - against PB lost all of it in the first 5 ks then today held it against the PB for the rest of the run.

5.4 Rest

As the taper approaches - more quality and high intesity days which require more rest days. Distance coming down but intensity going up.

5.5 : Longish run : 26k : 2:00:30

Same run as Sunday - so expected it to be not a PB because of yesterday - about 1:17 slower which is okay.. Time was slower at the half way by 1:30 and so made up a little on the secons half. All goes well for a marathon race plan of a steady first 2/3rds and a finish in which no time is lost to race pace.

5.6 3k TT + 7 x 800

A controlled 3k TT - that is very firm but not flat out because the business part of the session is at the end this is just a warm up - time 11.35 which was fine. Ran another TT to pace my friend Aunty Karin. The headed to the track for 7 x 800 - last week did 5 so the repeats have been increased. Must have been asleep on the first one as 3.02 - thoughthat maybe a sign for the rest of the session but then had 2:55, 2:55, 2:49, 2:52, 2:55, 2:57 - so all at aimed for pace of 2:55.

If the Yasso theory works then this session should indicate a 2:55 marathon. But who knows what will happen on the day.

5:1 : Rest

6.1 : Longish run : 26k : 1.59.15 PB for the course

After some months of hard training the results from a couple of key races were slower than expected. I thought I needed to consider my position and kind of regroup at this late stage of the preparation. My conclusion about the 2 races were that I just went out much too fast and then lost it badly - I didn't follow my own advice about even pacing but then again the pace I went out at was the pace that I thought I could hold - that certainly was a bad misjudgment on my part as I could not hold the pace - I considered that my fitness and speed was faster than it really was - it is marginal but when you get your pacing wrong my times show how they are affected notwithstanding your fitness.

Anyway I thought I would run my usual 26 k run so that I could test my fitness against a known distance. I decided that I would run it conservative to start with and then push hard in the second half. The weather was very kind at 5.00am with it being very cool and indeed little humidity for the next 2 hours.

Result was pleasing - I have run this run about once a week since the start of December and my best was 2.03.30 run in the second week of December, Since then it has blown out to 2.06 or so with just the last couple of weeks coming back to 2.03 +but not the PB of December. This morning 1.59.15 was a considerable improvement. The reason for the improvement : the weather one and some conservative running to start and then a strong finish. This morning run and time returns some confidence to me that my fitness is there and that I was not running wisely in the last two races.

So in the next 2 races - SMC 30 and the Striders 10 expect to see me lagging behind at the start.

6.2 : Striders 10k : Bugger 39:10

No worth the effort to make any comment.

6.3 No run

Wanted to give a sub 38 minutes 10k a real shake to the Striders on Saturday. Maybe my best chance for a fast 10k for while so decided that an extra days rest would not do me any harm short term or long term.

6.4 : No run

6.5 : Medium Long Run : 14k : 60:49

I run this regulalry - about once a week - last week was a shocker at 62.47 - this week 2 minutes faster - the session on each Tuesday was different but not by a significant difference. Anyway 4:20 minutes per k pace is close to the aim of 4:15 - need a minute or so faster to achieve that. Was humid out early.

In the afternoon an easy recovery run with the Striders MTG around the Bay.

6.6 : 3k TT + 5 x 800

Ran a steady TT of 3k in 11:15 - was fine. Helped Karin run her 3kTT in 12:29 which was ahuge PB for her. Then went off and did 5 x 800 - splits 2:54, 2:54, 2:54, 2:55, 2:52 - did a similar session last Thursday which was 4 in about 2:56 so a slight improvement in time and one extra repeat added. Will continue with these until Canberra and will increase to 10 in the session - then in the taper week will come back to 4 but increase the speed.