21.36k @ 5.14 in 1.51.55

This is my usual morning run however today I decided to post the the stat for the whole run. Previously I have left of the cool down run of of just over 2k run over both sides of the Iron Cove Bridge to get me home and have the run over 21k.

I flew (all relative) around the Bay in the 12k-19 k section in 5.01 pace. Nice to be able to pick it up at the end of a run. Good endurance training for the marathon and good at developing some mental toughness for the last 12k of the marathon.

Bay lap : 29.35!!!

Usual Wednesday with JD and Professor for the hot lap. Thanks to the lead of the Professor I managed under 30 for the first time since 21 April last year. Really after that run there was not many attempts.

I am pleased with the run as it was only 4 weeks ago that I returned from Hong Kong well out of shape and expecting that a sub 30 would not happen despite giving it a go. Our first Wednesday run was on 2 February with a 32.42, followed by 32.00 and 30.21. So a good progression and much sooner that I was planning and all off marathon base building.

I am at about the same condition I was for Canberra last year but only reached this stage 2 weeks from the marathon and this year I still have about 7 weeks to go. So maybe I can squeeze a bit more endurance in before then and challenge a sub 3.30.

Proff was about 15 seconds faster than me and JD is 50 meters off the sub 30.

I have enjoyed the challenge of the hot weekly lap and I doubt if I will try and get quicker but just maintain where I am at.

It's the only quick running I do all the rest is 5.15 pace or slower. Just got to love the Lydiard base building - train to run a 100 miles a week in training at a firm but comfortable pace and reach that base and then do some specific training after the base is built. That maybe a gross over simplification but it is what I try to follow at this time of the year.

An intersting statistics

Someone from CR is recording results in all Australian Marathons. He provided me with this list of marathons run by individual runners over the last 9 years:

http://www.coolrunning.com.au/forums/index.php?showtopic=30829&pid=640335&st=0&#entry640335

The attached file in post 2 is interesting.

If any one knows how I can put the PDF directly into my Blogg that would be nice information.

The Messengers : A book about 100+ marathon runners

This is a new book 'The Messengers' about runners who have run more that 100 marathons:

My link

Interesting fact:

By the end of the 2008 climbing season, there had been 4,102 ascents to the summit by about 2,700 individuals. Less people have run 100 marathons world wide. The 100 marathon Club is more exclusive that summitting Everest.

On the back cover photos Julia Thorn and I score a place

My link

Quite a few Australians get a mention. When you read the book you realise that in Australia running a dozen or so marathons a year is quite sane as there are some runners out there running marathons running 100+ a year

19.34K @ 5.24

The same course as 4 runs last week. Paces last week were between 5.15 - 5.31 - so about in the middle I seemed not focused in the first 12k which was very slow then managed a 5.07 paced Bay to pull the average down. Just no zip this morning. I guess just one of those ho hum sessions.Not good not too bad just focus on the hot lap tomorrow that I suspect will be slower than last week

No run after 13 days of running

SMC 25K : 2.11.06 @ 5.15

The combination of a very big week in k's, one of the hottest nights in Sydney and a very hot and humid morning did not provide confidence that the run would be anything other than ugly and painful. It was brutal conditions but apart from a few times during the run I coped okay.

The first 15k was at 5.06 pace much faster than planned and then I thought the melt down was not far off. On the course between 15 -20 k are a number of significant and energy sapping hills and that was run in 5.31 pace. I thought the last 5 would be slower but I held on for a strong finish in 5.14 pace.

Almost to the second what I ran in 2010 but I am not sure of the weather. I did then peak at what I ran in 2009 and was amazed to see it was 1.51 - how the hell did that happen. The weather must have been much kinder.

Last year with the 2.10 at SMC I managed 3.25 at Canberra. It would be nice to get under 3.30 again.

12.5k @ 5.11 to finish a 144k week

Just the usual loop with the best time to date. A nice way to finish a 144k week. Biggest week for a long long time. Maybe this time last year was when I even got close.

No doubt I will jinx myself but I am relatively injury free. I must confess for the last 4 weeks or so I have been doing about 4 sessions a week of core exercises of one hour each and about 4 sessions of weights again of about an hour each. They area bit of a burden to fit in as well as running but hopefully I can keep them up. Hopefully some leg strength and core stability will come from them.

Recovery: 21k @ 5.35

Both the distance and the pace were an effort. But I should expect that with the much greater than 10% increase in weekly k's from last week to this week. It will be more like a 25% increase but it was time to do it.

Same loop as Tuesday now 19k @ 5.15

That pace might not impress many but it is a good time for me for where I am at in the base building at the moment. Average pace 5 seconds per k quicker than Tuesday. Today was run on tired legs after the quick Bay lap yesterday and 109k in training since and including last Sunday. On the way to a high k week.

Usual Wednesday Hot lap of the Bay : 30.21

It was a very surprising hot lap this morning. Completely unplanned and unexpected.

With the increase in k's and no rest day for about 10 days I thought fatigue would be a factor in limiting the pace. JD was not present but the Professor was there. He set a good solid pace for the start and unbelievably I felt strong and fresh and just tagged along on his heels. I felt we were moving well but I decided not to look at the watch at anytime.

I stayed with him until about 2k from the end when he cruised off into the distance. Even if I had known sub 30 was close I don't think I could have made it. However getting close to under 30 4/5 weeks earlier than I expected is pleasing. I expected it would tale at least that amount of time before I was this close. We will see what next week brings.

19k @ 5.20

A very similar loop to yesterday. I thought it would be slower than the 5.31 pace yesterday but you just never know I felt much better than expected and so I just ran to the limit of how I felt. There was no holding back except on the basis that I wanted to maintain the same pace all the way.

It was finished with yest another lap of the Bay which by the way was near high tide, almost glass flat except for the ripples of the incoming tide and then rebounding off the very shallow shore. The sky was grey overcast and threatening with a cool freshness tot he air. Just perfect.

Any way the lap of the Bay was strong at 5.18 pace - so a good solid finish.

Monday recovery 21k @ 5.31

It was sooooo difficult to get up this morning. I was fatigued but knew I had to get out and run for a proper recovery. I decided to run how I felt which resulted in a much faster pace than I expected.

Once I felt okay and strong then I just pushed as hard as I could but wanting to maintain the pace as being even over the whole run.

I think good progress is being made towards a good base with good strength in the legs. No niggles at all. What a pleasure it is to run in those circumstances. Aiming to run each day and push the total k's out past last week. SMC 25k next Sunday but there will be no taper for that.

Sunday long at 27k @ 5.29

It's been a long time since I ran anywhere long on a Sunday. That is something over 21. Today I decided that I needed to start going long to consolidate the base building for the Canberra marathon. If not I would not have a very pleasant second half.

The weather was pleasant and I just ground out the run. It ended with 2 laps of the Bay. That is flat and I just wanted to see what pace I could maintain at the end hoping not to slow up too much on the last lap.

They ended up being 5.21 & 5.31 pace which was fine. Overall a very steady paced maintained over the whole run.

14k @ 5.16

I was out in the dark just after 5.00 am as I need to get the run done and get into the fruit and veg markets by about 6.30 to beat the crowd. I have been going to the markets for years and as it is less that a 10 minute drive from home so is convienant and good value.

Any back to running - it was not cool but not warm. I just pushed as hard as I could for as long as I could. A nice end to a 116k week.

20k @ 5.32

I was planning to run about 13k but was moving well and the weather was not too bad so I added a lap of the Bay onto the run. A okay pace and things in that regard seemed to have steadied after the wild fluctuations early in the week.

I wonder if it is just wishful thinking or am I actually feeling better and building the base. I am not sure but with 102k in 5 consecutive runs this week and no niggles I just hope the base is building. I also have been doing weights and other core type strength work 4/5 days a week for a couple of weeks. I think it is a bit early for any benefits to show.

To JD and Proff - a sub 30 for the Bay gets more difficult as the years roll by but I think my best chance will be the week before Canberra, so I have set Wednesday 6th April and the last shot if not before.

21k @ 5.35

Same run as Tuesday which was @ 5.58. Nice result today. Not sure why there is a significant difference. I think Tuesday was a 'black hole' run that was a blip and best forgotten.

Usual 'hot' lap of the Bay: 32.00

Hot is relative to my present fitness. And with an up and down week I thought I might struggle to match last weeks time.

I was up early to enjoy the coolness in the very early predawn and managed a slow lap of the Bay to the start. JD was there as usual and we were joined by the Professional fresh from his weekends open water swim at Manly. The usual banter about niggles giving weight to the predicted slow times (well they were from me at least the other two were quiet). I know why as the were serious from the start and within a few hundred meters they were away in the distance.

I just wanted some even laps and just about managed that. I ran 32.00 with an improvement from last week. JD 30.15 and Proff 29.30 ? - no wonder they were ahead soon after the start.

JD is within a 100 meters of a sub 30 lap. We just have to master 'pain' street leading up tot he new bridge. Proff ... what can you say he is back and should tick the BIG box for Canberra. It is great to have him back.

21k @ 5.52 in just over 2 hours.

Go figure - longer this morning and a faster pace by about 30 seconds per k. The body is sure doing some weird things at the moment. Usually I can predict what will happen but at the moment I just run and see what happens.

The weather was just perfect for running and I was out over an hour before sunrise but in that pleasant grey/pink start to the day.

Anyway on the basis of building a base this is okay.

An awful 19k @ 6.26

I did not run on Saturday or Sunday. Sunday morning was gain hot and humid and I could just not face another session after an uncomfortable night in Sydney.

I ran this morning in much cooler conditions after a cool change late yesterday.

I was expecting the fresh conditions to result in a good session. Just the opposite it was horribly slow and got worse as the run went on. Best quickly forgotten with no deep and meaningful analysis of what happened.

15k @ 5.38

Matbe yesterday I was just being lazy. A bit shorter today anda bit quicker. A bit difficult to follow with significant variation in the pace of the daily runs. Maybe noting can be read into it - that is just the way things are. Anyway I certainly willnot be changing my training because of the variations. Still the base building the Lydiard way. Just be patient as I have no important race on at the moment so just keep building.

18k @ 5.53

No zip this morning. No doubt the hot humid weather that continues during the night is having a cumulative affect or I was just being lazy.

Life is back to normal - the hot lap of the Bay with JD

Lets not delve into 'normal' but by that I mean after many months of not meeting on Wednesday we have again started for 2011. The 'hot lap of the Bay' probably relates to what we would like to do not what happens in reality. Ah but dreams are so pleasant.

Today's hot lap was 32.47 running the 'new' lap meaning over the new bridge and up that little testing hill up to the bridge that for the moment is the only way to run. Garmin says 6.85k but lest get some more laps recorded before the distance is set. Average pace 4.46.

Some work to be done and cooler weather to come before sub 30 is under threat if at all in 2011.

18k @ 5.19 in 1.32.25

It was not only humid but warm. I am not sure of the temperature but today in Sydney is expected to be in the high 30's Celsius. Out was 42.

There were plenty of water stops but the pace was very firm and only fell off over the last 3/4k's when all the hills kick in. On a day like this with the heat and humidity it was expected there would be a huge slow down at the end. However still 4 minutes faster than Sunday which was expected with the rest on Monday.