Last day of the Year 2009

Continued on my way with alternate days between my Bridges runs. If you have forgotten it is 22k long and with about 950m rise and fall. That may not sound much but I can tell you there are some serious hills in the run and so anything like a descent flat course pace is impossible. I have been doing it because it is a good distance and the hills should build a little strength in the Achilles.

They by the way are responding well to the build up in distance and seem to be improving to the extent that on the start sometimes there is minimal pain and it does not get much worse as the run progresses. In addition the pain is no longer sharp and intense but more a dull ache. I assume that means they are on the mend.

Anyway the Bridges run in 2.14.30 and I was pleased to get under 2.15 and for the moment will be happy with that PB in this recovery period. I now need not speed (if that is what 6.06 pace is) but more distance/endurance. That will be the focus in the next 5/6 weeks.

I had a phone conversation with Malcolm Anderson (we had exchanged a few emails in the previous few day). Why mention it? Well he interviewed me for this book :

http://www.experiencebooks.ca/100clubdetails.html

I am still not sure how he found me but he had read this Blogg and some other stuff.

And then in the afternoon went for an easy run around the Bay at sunset with a beautiful coll breeze. Then headed off down the end of the peninsular at Balmain to watch the fireworks around Sydney Harbour.

Another rest day

Bridges Run : 2.17.58 @ 6.23 (22k)

Isn't encouraging when you are returning after an injury to see the times get quicker so often without what seems like no greater effort. Or maybe on the first one I was just lazy. It is amazing how quickly the body can respond to the training stress and rest when you start off from a low base of fitness.

Anyway it is good to knock another 7 minutes off the time run 2 days ago. This will not last but that is fine as I add another 5k on later in the week and will expect the pace to slow down again. As I said that's fine as at the moment this is all about recovery and building a base so that I can run each week 130k without difficulty. I hope that will become possible by mid February. I will leave my racing to when it counts.

Christmas Day

I was up too late to do the run around the Bay. It is always difficult because we entertain my wife's family for Christmas Eve lunch that always extends late into the night. So I always look forward to the run on Christmas morning to ... well feel better from the over indulgence of the day before.

Anyway I knew the family would sleep late and so I could go long. I also felt I need to get started on some longer runs to increase the endurance base. So it was a 22k loop around Sydney Harbour that I call my bridges run. Because it goes over a lot of bridges in the loop from home, Gladesville, Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge.

I haven't done this for a while and did the shortened version by cutting out a loop around Lady Macquarie's Chair and the Rocks. Yes too much information. It has a lot of up hill in the first 11k and I thought it was about time to test the Achilles.

Anyway an ugly slow 2.30.58 @ 6.51. I expect the only good thing about run is that they should get quicker.

No running : rest

Bridges Run : 2.24.30 @ 6.32

With the day's rest the second time around was much quicker. The first half with all the hills was very much the same and almost all of the time was gained in the second half. It was very firm in that second half and the Achilles seemed okay. When I cool down the slight limp returns but that happens if it is just a lap of the Bay.

I was more pleased that this was my 3rd run in 8 days over 20k and I felt as if some base is being developed without the Achilles recovery going backwards.

Boxing Day : rest

Bay Lap TT : 35.36 @ 5.06

After the recovery run yesterday I was fresh this morning. As a bit of a guide to where I will move in fitness in the next 3/4 weeks a I wanted a TT to set the benchmark. And in the recovery process over the next few months I will use a fast lap of the bay to gauge where I am at. The time was at least 3 minutes faster that what I have been doing on the double laps but the really don't count.

Maybe the 46.xx I did at the end of November was a true indication of where I was at, at that time.Still 35 is still a long way from the 29.xx I would like to do in early June.

Easy recovery : 15k @ 6.30

Decided to run some streets around the Bay that I either have never run before or only a few times. I just wanted and easy 15k with some new scenery. It was pleasant and it is the last day of work for the year for me so I was in no hurry and want to ease into the break without any stress.

Bay x 2 : 39.45 & 38.45

The first lap was a hard push with the humidity rising and before I was warmed up. I was dreading the second lap but put my head down focusws on efficient running and good form. Two good steady laps that continue to build base but ever so slowly.

No run

SMC : Half Marathon

All my recovery training has been no longer than 14k and no faster than 5.30 pace. Therefore I was not sure what would happen past 14k but expected a massive slow down.

I had 2 options start out at 2.15 finishing time pace or start out at 5.30 per k pace and see what happened past 14k. I thought either option would have me finish over 2 hours and probably close to 2.15.

I decided after the first k or so to run at 5.30k's to 14k and then see what I could do. I got to 15k still on 5.30 pace and then hung onto the strider lady who I had been following all race. She increased the pace and to my surprise I was able to do the same. Ran the last 6k at 5.15 pace for a 1.54.45 finish and 5.26 average. Much slower than usual but still pleased.

Not sure if however it is good enough to get under 4 hours at the Hobart Marathon in a few weeks. But I should be closer to the better side of 4.30 which is better than I expected a few weeks ago

The last week

Friday: 11 December: No run

Saturday: 12 December: No run

Sunday: 13 December: 2 x Bay - 39.27 & 39.20
No improvement from a few days ago but that was for 2 reasons - I was not trying to go quicker and I was out a bit later and it was very humid. In fact it has been cool out early around the Bay but very humid. It could be summarised solid workout consolidating the previous training.

Monday: 14 December: 2 x Bay - 40.58 & 42.46
This is the first time in the recovery mode that I have run 2 loops of the Bay on consecutive day. I was expecting it to be slow but the idea was to run on tired legs. It was again humid. each morning I do about 20 minutes of Achilles stretches and at least 30 minutes of a night. I am not sure if there is any improvement. I still cannot walk without significant pain, discomfort and a hobble. I am amazed I can run at all.

Tuesday: 15 December: 1 x Bay 37.45 @ 5.23

A session for a shorter but faster session. I was pleased with the solid time. Well really for a lap of the Bay it is crapp but in the context of recovery it is encouraging that the slower longer sessions are able to also bring down the single lap time without any short repeat sessions.

Wednesday: 16 December: 2 Bay 38.54 & 38.33

The stretching continues at night and for the first time last night one particularly stretch that is held for 15 minutes caused almost no pain while holding it whereas usually there is significant pain when doing it. In the morning there was less limping before warming up and I hope that is a positive sign that there is at last improvement.

With that confident start I felt encouraged to push each lap with a recovery PB.

2 x Bay : 39.44 + 39.30

I have decided that my clock/countdown will be for the Macleay River Marathon in June. This is one of my favourite marathons and so I will focus on that and have removed Canberra Marathon because I think it will not happen.

I will run a couple of marathon before Macleay River in June but they will not be focused on.

I thought with a day off I might run a bit quicker even without pushing. Despite saying running at the moment is about training it is difficult not to run hard even in training. So I was pleased to get under 40 for each lap and sitting here some hours after training I am not sure the Achilles appreciated the effort this morning.

With regular running my time initially will come down quickly but I must keep reminding myself that at this time it is all about recovery and not about pushing to my present physical limits in each session. That can happen when the recovery is complete. The Achilles are a long way from ceasing to be an issue but I think they are getting better - although I hope that is not just wishful thinking.

Rest & recovery day: No run

2 x Bay : 42.44 + 42.10

Yes the Bay in 42 ++ and I am pleased. This time last year JD and I could do 3 laps in about 100 minutes. How things have changed and it shows just how much work I need to do.

At the moment the running is about balancing a lot of things. Not too hard or long to do damage to the Achilles but pushing enough so that there is improvement. An easy 7k each day will result in an improvement but it will take for ever. I do not want to be in a rush and push too hard and go backwards but I need to push up near the limits (as slow as they are) as much as I can.

About a week ago one lap was a hard push in 47 - so fitness does improve rather quickly. Today the laps were without a rest in between and it was pleasing to come back on the second lap a bit quicker but then again I controlled the first lap so that I could do that.

8k in 47.44 @5.58

I felt okay this morning - which means no worse than usual despite the 16k yesterday. I have been running a bit to HR but It is more a guide than something I push to.

Anyway I ran to a HR which was firm but able to be maintained. The pace was a consequence of the HR being maintained. So I was watching the HR and not the pace and was not sure what the loop time would be but I expected that it should be slower than yesterday just because today might be classed as a recovery day.

It clearly was no a recovery day by the pace. I need to watch the attitude that to run the loop each day quicker is good. It is not good as I need to get a pace and then consolidate it by running that pace for a week or so and then moving to a quicker pace. It cannot and should not be a race for a PB each day, that is not training it is racing. At the moment it is about training.

Sunday : 2 x 8k

I missed running on Friday and Saturday for various reasons but a couple of days no running recovery at this early stage is fine.

I decided that despite not having run much or long lately I would try 2 laps with a short break in between. The idea of the break at this stage was to have a small recovery so that I could hopefully maintain a similar pace on each lap. I really doubted that I would do that because of my lack of endurance AND I also wanted the first lap under 50 minutes as that sounded good.

Managed 49.44 & 49.51 so I was pleased. Also there was no additional sorness or stiffness with the Achilles - that means it was still a problem after the run but nothing additional because of the double distance.

8k in 50.02 @ 6.15mpk

Missed a run on Wednesday due to a work commitment. I have been doing a massive amount of physio exercises for the Achilles each night and in the morning. I feel there has been a slight improvement but there is still a long way to go.

On Monday it was 5k @ 6.27mpk (minutes per k) and that seemed right on max. I wanted to go a little longer today and expected the pace would be no better. Without pushing it was significantly quicker. I need to remain at that pace for a week or so while I increase the distance.

Start of Summer & start of rebuild

I have a certain personality and so it makes absolute sense to me to start my rebuild on the 1st of the month and the start of summer. It fits nicely into my organised way of thinking.

I have done some reflecting and now need to move on from 2009 and not to be concerned with what could have been. But also make sure that the things that I could change and improve on from 2009 are not forgotten. I need to remove all the negatives from the year and the disappointment of a DNS in C2K and be positive and focus on the future and the things that need to be done to to recover.

I have developed a plan of what needs to be done. I am determined to take my time, get it right and put the Achilles issues behind me.

Today was more stretching before running. It was then a test run to gauge my fitness so that I have a benchmark to compare as the recovery progresses. So it was 5k at the Bay as firm as I could go without pushing - well 32.15 is for me an ugly time but I am pleased to have an injury that at least allows me to run in the recovery phase. Also weighed myself for the first time in 4/5 months and a considerable amount of work needs to be done there.