Brindabella : 53.8k : 5.15.59

I managed to recover from last weekend very well and was out and around the Bay on Tuesday and each day of the week except Saturday. My favourite at the moment is 2 laps of the Bay with a 5 minute rest in between and getting below 32 minutes for each. Not super quick but about right for my running at the moment.

Ran Brindabella and was 1 hour 15 minutes faster than last year. Makes up for the FF Marathon last week. Tried out some trail shoes for the first time and they worked well. Tried out a new eating diet on the run and it worked - well something worked as I ran the whole course up and down all the hills and felt much stronger in the last 21k than the first 33k's.

As the distance went on I just felt stronger and stronger. Maybe the cheese and nuts that I ate !!! No carbs at all on the run at all and just water and the electro drinks at the aid stations. Oh I think a coke or 2 with 10k to go.

No problems today and gave the SF a good test and it seems to ber fully healed. All going well for the GNW preparation.

Fitzroy Falls Marathon & SMC Half

Well I thought I might go close to matching last years time but the hot weather made that difficult and I was not wrong. Got to half way just under 10 minutes slower than last year but thought the second half was going to be difficult. Got to 30k still feeling just okay but then the heat, last weeks marathon and the lack of long endurance runs took it toll.

I then decided that I would forget about time and just run/walk as I felt. I did want to practice of that for GNW but was not expecting to do it today. Survived to 4.52.xx - for my worst marathon time ever but felt very good at the end which was suprising.

Left soon after a cold shower to visit Lucky Legs and Jim at home.

Was persuaded to go to SMC on Sunday and to run the half although I thought it was an ugly suffle. I had no stiffness and so was suprised to run the first 19k in a good time then the last week of running caught up with me and I slowed to finish in 1.44.53. Have develpoed a but of a lean to the left which I know happens when I am very fatigued. Happened on both days.

No sorness today however I suspect it will arrive overnight.

Have entered Brindabella but will decide later in the week if I should run the 55k. I suspect I will but very much just to make it in bythe cut off time.

MELBOURNE MARATHON 3.17.55

My last entry was on 23 June when I said the time for recovery was 3 months. Well I recovered a bit quicker and was able to start running in mid August. Progress was slow but positive and I decided to enter the Sydney Marathon and managed a steady 3.42 with no worsening of the injury.

As a result I ran the Melbourne Marathon and was amazed at the time - within seconds of last year. I ran it very conservatively with half splits of 1.41 and 1.36 on the way home. Nice negative.

Also in my last entry I expressed a wish to run/walk Fitzroy Falls Marathon - well I will do that on Saturday. That also means that I am a starter in the GNW100 miler again this year - which has always been my main aim for the year. Shame about missing Glasshouse.

How wonderful life is just to be healthy then add the bonus of being able to run - then add to run in spring around the Bay and life just just not get much better.