One lap in 50.39

My quickest is 50.25 so in less than a week to get back close to it I was very pleased. I was also surprised how quick I was able to return to running close to a PB on the one loop and an PB on the double loop after not much training in the last few weeks.

Lap of the Bay +

It was a very cool and ugly grey around the Bay this morning. Full cloud cover and an icy wind. Maybe the tail end of the weather from Hobart where they are suppoed to reach no more than 10c and snow high up. The water was very choppy and I guess it would have been unpleasant for the rowers out training. I say that having never been rowing.

This morning JD and I ran together for the first time in 4/5 months. Things just got in the way of our regular Wednesday morning 'hot lap' of the Bay. Whey is is that when I run across Iron Cove Bridge to meet up 6 minute k's seem almost impossible. I arrive we have the usual chat I say look 'I had a tough session yesterday so lets say 5.00/5.15k's for the 7 k lap'. That agreed then we push out a 4.10 first k and then freak out, ease pack to 4.30's and finish just under 32.00. That seems to happen all the time.

Anyway we both agree we run a faster lap running together compared to alone. It always to good middle of the week session. I then did some stretching at the waters edge and then a 25 minute hard push over all the hills to home.

A tiring 18k or so and I feel it now.

2 loops and a PB: 1.48.16

I felt good this morning and was out early. Well I felt recovered but I have a bit of a head cold that is annoying more than anything else. I hope it goes away and does not get worse.

I really wanted a good hard session today and pushed hard on the first loop without holding back for the second. I thought the second will just have to take care of itself. I got through the first loop in 53.45 which was faster than yesterdays single loop - so I know the second loop would be tough all the way and it was - I just wanted to find a reason to stop but knew I couldn't do that and feel positive at the end of the session.

Also with a good time on the first loop the PB of 1.50.55 looked like it was under threat if I could hold on. I did hold on well for 54.31 on the second. A comfortable PB.I really thought it would take much longer to get back close to were I was at the start of the month. A sub 1.45 is now the aim before GNW.

One loop: 53.50

A beautiful morning around the Bay. It is now light at 5.30am and so pleasant to be up and around early. There was no wind and the water was mirror smooth with just a hint of a ripple in places caused by the rowers.

It was a matter of not holding back and seeing what could be done on the back of the double loop yesterday. A good firm effort but not spectacular.

Back into training: 2 x loops 1.59.27

It was around this time last year that I kind of lost the plot as regards training. I eased off and suffered being time out at GNW in November. At the time I thought I was training well and appropriately but looking back I just did not push in training. I will not do that this year.

I still have a few more marathons to run before GNW but as much as I can I need to up the training distance and intensity. I cannot fall into the trap of thinking 'recovery' and do an easy run. Most training runs have to be to the max - at this stage with only about 7 weeks to go the hard/easy theory just will not cut it. I have been injury free (apart from the continuing Achilles issues but they are gradually becoming less of an issue) and have accordingly built up a good base so it is time to consolidate on that with the training form now to GNW.

Having not trained much in two weeks it was back into 2 loops totally about 21k. Each loop was about the same time and I just got in under 2 hours. About 9 minutes slower than the PB run on 3 September.

5k Challenge

I have not been to one of these for ages.I went with very low expectations in regard to time. I have not run much in the last 2 weeks other than 2 long races. I have not done any speed work in months.I thought I could get under 25 but not by much however I was prepared to focus on 23 minutes. I started of with the 22 minute group and was just hoping to hold on for a long as I could.

By about 2k it was stretched and I just kept trying to click over 4.20k's it was hard as i have not been running anywhere near that pace in months. Well I just kept holding it and managed a very pleasing 21.30.

Friday Update

I have not run since then marathon. I have been in Brisbane for work for a couple of days and that was hectic. I came back late on Thursday. I did manage a slow lap of the Bay on Friday night. It is very rare that I get out for a run after work but somehow managed it.

Sydney Marathon : 3.52.39

I did no running at all last week after GH. I thought I needed more recovery that training for this one. So the first running steps in a week were as the gun went off.

Sydney turned on another picture prefect day for running. I decided to run alone and just enjoy my own company and thoughts despite being surrounded by a couple of thousand other marathoners. I did take in the run over the bridge at about 7.40am which is usually the time I drive over it in the opposite direction to the College of Law most mornings. I noticed quite a few others take the time to look around as well.

The course was changed from previous years but I had not bothered to look at a map. I thought I would allow the surprises to unfold on the day. It was an interesting course and I thought we saw more of the city itself. The weather was also very pleasant and the temperature did not rise as high as in previous years.

I was hoping to run under 4 hours and thought maybe the legs would fold in the second half. However I was still prepared to run the first half under 2 but not by much. I went through in 1.54 and the patiently waited for the wheels to wobble and then fall off. I took a risk at about 22k when I pushed harder with the effort but without any gain in pace. I knew if I did not make a very positive effort to increase the effort the pace would definitely fall away.

Even at that stage by just holding the pace I was already passing people who had gone flying past me earlier. It does give you boast to be passing and not being passed. While I was prepared to suffer the increased pain with the effort I thought I would continue it for a long as I could. I seemed to gets some slight wobbles around 32/36 and thought they would then fall off. But when 37k marker came up I got the scent of the finish and managed to up the pace or at least the effort.

Second half in 1.58 for a4 minute second half slow down.

The time might not have been fast. However it was quicker than I expected and I felt very strong in the second half and so it was a very pleasing marathon. It gives me some confidence that my endurnace base is good although totally lacking in any speed but then again I do no training for speed.

That makes 11 marathons so far this year with at best another 4: Sydney Regattta , Melbourne,Marysville and Woodford Bush Marathon.

Glasshouse 100 miler : 28.47

Not as quick as I expected but I am satisfied with the time. I am always happy to finish a 100 miler no matter the time.

The weather was just about perfect and the course conditions very good except the large pools of mud were bigger and more of them. A mate slipped into one as he was going around it and got stuck up to his waste.

Although my time was slower than last year and as expected it seemed most runners were slower than last year despite the good conditions. Also to avoid some really bad mud an extra 4k was added. I ran some sections much faster than last year lost time through taking a wrong turn early and then being very cautious in the night by going back and checking course marking when I had not seen one for a while.

These three little adventures added a lot of time but that is party of trail running. But is is difficult to stay focused for so long and sometimes you run on automatic pilot and can't recall the last time your saw a course maker and then with horror recall you have passed a few forks in the track and just run on without checking for course markings .... then you go back to check you are still on course. That's so annoying but you would be surprised how often in an event it happens.

For some reason I had some stomach issues at about 80k and did not eat much after that. Also despite wearing the same shoes and sock combination I got a couple of blisters. Usually I get none.

I feel good now and whislst I could not run now or for most of the week my legs feel very good. I had to appear for a cleint in Court this afternoon and I think I was able to enter and leave the Court without looking like I had run 100 miles over the weekend !!!! Although my walk was slow.

The aim for the rest of the week is to get the small blisters healed and recover well for the Sydney Marathon on Sunday. It will be my 10th Blackmores Sydney Marathon. Yeah!! Their sponsor Skins send me a free pair for the upcoming milestone.

Nice steady lap in 4.52 pace

Just the usual lap of just under 11k. Pushed firm but nothing stupid and certainly not trying for a PB. So 51.15 was just right. Did some stretching for about 20 minutes after. I am not sure it does much good but it was nice in the early morning sun next to Sydney Harbour watching the boats etc. A higher tide than usual.

I will have one more run tomorrow before heading up to GH early on Friday morning. I feel good and confident that if the first 80k or so goes well then I should get a 26.xx finish but really if things go very very well then 25.xx is possible.

No run

I was feeling very good and thought if I went out for a run I might do something stupid and get injured so I decided no running was a good plan.

Easy for the taper week

The plan was 2 of the usual laps totalling 21k at a steady pace. No racing fora PB time this week. I just wanted to very firm laps at an even pace. Splits 55.40 + 56.38 for 1.52.18. Its all relative I suppose - it would have been a PB except for Friday's run.

As I have said this training has very little to do with the time at GH but is really all to do with rebuilding a solid base for November/December.

Fathers Day !!!

Decided a rest was in a wise thing to do and it was Fathers Day as well.

One lap in 50.25. !!!

I was out in midmorning on a Saturday. It felt weird as I never run at that time let alone on a Saturday but I did. All too complicated to explain why

It was overcast with drizzle and a breeze. So there were not many out and so it seemed like early morning. I felt in a good mood and ready to push a lap to the max. It certainly felt like that and as I got to the first point where I sometimes check my time I wondered if the time would be quick or whether I was just labouring after yesterday. A quick peek and it was about a minute faster that the fastest that I have run before.

I just wanted to hold that for the last 20 odd minutes to the finish but that has ALL of the hills and pushing hard up the early ones can put a lot of lactate in the muscles without much time to clear it. I just kept pushing on wishing for the finish.

Yes it was 50.25 and much quicker than the PB a few days ago of 52.10. As I have said training is not for racing but in the early part of a serious build up stage not just maintenance then there should be natural improvement.

2 laps for another PB

It was another angry looking morning around the Bay this morning. Very threatening grey clouds swirling around with a bit of a breeze but not strong enough to call it windy. The was no coolness in the air either so just about perfect conditions.

I also felt great even though yesterday in the office was long a draining. I thought I might wake up and rollover an go back to sleep. However I did get out of bed and was pleased if did. I made up my mind to run 2 laps although I knew it would hurt all the way as I was going to run like the weather 'angry' although personally I was just the opposite.

Ran the first lap in 55.27 which was like Wednesday and then on Wednesday I could not hold the pace and drifted off to a second lap of 58+. I held onto the second lap for would you believe was one second faster. Total 1.50.55 and about 3 minutes faster than Wednesday. The base is building well and more quickly than I expected.

Just one lap: 52.10 and a PB

I don't run training runs as races against previous time but sometimes you have to agree with yourself before you start a session you will push it. So despite a long session yesterday I felt like a hard session and planned to give it all I had. That was an effort based and the time was not that relevant but I expected it should be close to my best.

Also if you are like me building a base you expect that at the start as the fitness improves quickly that times will also improve. It is only when you have reached a peak that racing in training might not be a good idea.

The weather was very different from yesterday. It was grey dull and light rain. The temperature was pleasant. Pushed hard all the way for a PB by 40 seconds. I am sure as my fitness improves over the next month the times will come down and then it will be a matter of maintaining the pace and PB's will be few and far between. But when that happens then it may indicate I might have to alter the training sessions to get any further improvement.

Welcome Spring !!!!!

Well it seems I have survived another winter in Sydney. I know they are not as bad as elsewhere but it does give me a reason to first complain and the celebrate.

I was out before sunrise and saw a magic pink sky over a mirror like Bay with no breeze. I was looking for any new runners/walkers who decided the first day of spring wasa good day to start exercising. I think I saw a few. I wonder how commited they are?

Decided to double the pain with two laps that would total just on 21k. This is not really specific training for GH just general training with the idea of incresing the k's back up to well over 100k a week to give me a good base for GNW.

I last did a double lap in 12 August in 1.59 and today it was 1.53. So I hope that means the base is building. Depending on work committments etc I will try and do a double and single on alternate days. I also need to do some core strength work and some walks to get used to that. Like a lot of things what I need to do and what I can fit in might be very different.