Skiing & Bay Lap

Eagle & Mrs Eagle

Skiing went well. The weather was perfect and the snow was plenty and the snow typical spring - crusty in the morning and slushy in the afternoon. However if you got off the popular runs the conditions were good late in the day.

Eagle having a slow run

I ran a slow lap of the Bay on Tuesday.

Today was the usual 'hot lap' morning but no one else was there. ????? Anyway I set off alone and knew it would be hard to stay focused and on pace. The aim was just to consolidate where I am at and that was to run another sub 30 lap and be comfortable. Did that 29.35, the same as last week.

Easy 14.5 @ 5.07 pace

The usual short run. Firm recovery pace. No niggles or issues - so all systems are go.

I am off skiing for 3 days. Forecast is for pleasant weather and there is plenty of snow. Just hope I don't twist and ankle or such. Back running Monday morning.

Nice Bay Run Recovery: 29.35 @ 4.17 pace

I didn't run on Monday & Tuesday. Today is the usual lap of the Bay with JD. We were joined today again by Jo and Rach. Proff has a hammy injury.

I felt okay but the legs were a bit sore and heavy. Therefore I was not expecting much other than to get around in one piece. Jo and I started off very firm and seemed to be able to maintain that for the lap although I started to struggle in the last few k's when Jo pulled away.

Nice after a marathon to get under 30 without too much trouble.

Mudgee marathon: 3.34.10

A great weekend away with my closest running mates.

Before driving up I dropped my middle son off at the International Airport for his 3/4 week trip to London/Paris and England generally. The airfare was his 21st birthday present. He would like longer but cannot get more time off work. We have heard from him and he is fine.

It was a pleasant drive up to Mudgee in the late afternoon. Just a nice time of about 3 1/2 hours from Sydney.

The morning was clear and cool but not as cool as in the past. This was my 9th marathon at Mudgee from 11 being held. I felt good and a few posts ago thought on a good day might get close or under 3.35. That time was not on my mind when I started. I just wanted to run how I felt but that was quicker than my recent past marathons and I felt comfortable. That made me think a good time could be possible if I coud hold things together.

At 10k the course climbs with one short downhill until 19k and so it isa real energy sapping part of the run. I know you must get through that feeling okay before the rolling hills that are mostly downhill to the finish but there are enough uphills to keep you very interested.

I ran through halfway in 1.46.10 which was good considering the hardest part of the course was over. I was the able to lock into a 5.05 pace and was knocking off the 5k splits in the 25.00/25.30 range and was hoping I could hold that to the end.

It got harder to maintain the pace as I got closer to the finish and the effort to maintain it became much more of an effort. I managed that with a second a 1.48 second half. Very pleased to run my quickest marathon since May 2010 or about 20 marathons.

Tapered. Rested. A nice quick one @ 4.49 pace

After resting and tapering for one day it was time to sharpen up and test where I am at compared to the last 3/4 months.

This has been my basic short run over that period. Just on 14.5k with times as slow as 80+ minutes but not below 75 until Tuesday this week. My previous best before that was 7 May in 71.18. Today a nice 70.04 @4.49. I am not sure what that means as regards marathon pacing but it is nice to have a PB at this time of my preparation for the longer events late in the year.

Rest day - no run "The Taper"

Bay 29.11 @ 4.15 Yeah !!!

Last week I said I was hoping to go under 30 this week. Well 30 was smashed with ease.

The usual suspects plus Jo who led from the start and kept the pace solid all the way. A last k in 4.20 blew the sub 29. A stronger last k and I should have the 28.xx. Not next week after the marathon but depending on how things go maybe there is a chance the following week.

Anyway its nice to be back under 30. Lets hope I can hold that for a while instead of the crash and burn that has happened in the past.

Another crisp morning around the Bay

Decided with the marathon on the weekend it was time to reduce the distance but increase the pace - push the intensity of the run.

So it was my usual 14.5k run but pushed hard. I have run the often but not fully fit for months. I think the last time this was run when I was fully fit was on 7 May when I ran 71.18 @ 4.54. Soon after that I had the hammy issues.

Today a nice firm 72.08 @ 4.59. Things are coming along fitness wise very well. I might on Sunday get close to 3.35 if I am lucky.

Another 21.5k at a firm 5.07 pace

I was very fatigued when I got up and really did not want to run but knew it had to be done. I was not sure if I should have recovery paced run or push it. In the end I ran it as hard as I could and was only about 30 seconds slower than yesterday.

No niggles - so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.

A very nice 21.5k @ 5.05 pace

A wet morning and the City to Surf was being held. I was not running the City to Surf so I ran a medium long run. This morning was not about distance but about pushing the pace.

I have not run this fully fit since early May. A day r so later the first of the hammy injuries occurred and it is only now that I have no issues with the injury and feel that I can get on with some hard training in regard to distance and speed.

When I ran this in May it was in 1.44 @ 4.54 pace. All of have been running lately is about 14k loop. This loop adds one lap of the Bay. My best 14k time recently had been at about 5.20 pace.

Today was pleasing because I added 50% in distance and reduced my pace by 15 seconds a k. I felt strong and am looking forward to the marathon next week and then a couple of weeks solid training before GH 100 miler. Oh and a few days skiing the weekend after the marathon.

A quick lap of the Bay early

I did not run on Friday as I did not want to push too hard too quickly after the marathon.

I generally do the shopping for the house most Saturdays. That is being in the fruit and veg markets by about 6.45 and then back into Balmain for the supermarket by 7.30. The fruit and veg markets are less than 10 minutes away. So getting a run in before those chores does mean I have to get up super early. I sometimes do and I sometimes don't. If I miss the run I am not too concerned as it is never factored into my weekly training.

Anyway I did a quick lap of the Bay in 30.26 which was okay.

I was attending a conference all day in Sydney so after the shopping it was off to the conference. I ran because I knew I would feel better knowing I was sitting down all day.

I would have been Mum's 83rd Birthday today. I really didn't want to think about that.

Nice 14.5k @ 5.20 in 76.50

My usual intermediate distance run. Depending on recovery/taper made it varies between about 72 at my very best and about 80 when in recovery.

Its only Thursday after a marathon and I should be going out for my first tentative recovery run or really an ugly shuffle/hobble. However I have no muscle soreness although I am aware that does not mean I am recovered but it does at least allow you to run freely and a nice firm pace.

Nice predawn morning around the Bay. It is a little warmer as it is okay to run without gloves and feel comfortable from the start of the run. I would have to say being injury free I am enjoying my running at the moment.

My mind is really starting to think about the Glasshouse 100 miler in 4 weeks time. It always sounds such a long way and I never enjoy the thought of running through the night however once you start you just seem to face the challenge and stay moving forward for about 28 hours. It does feel so nice to stop.

Usual Bay Run for Wednesday: 30.05

Ran #130 marathon on Sunday. Jubulani on trails in the bush in north east Sydney. Nice course with lots of varied terrain. I have run most of it before are various time. Only 2 checkpoints so I needed a full backpack. Time was not relevant it was all about time on my feet on trails.

No run on Monday or Tuesday.

Meet up with the usual suspects for our Wednesday lap of the Bay. Today I really thought that after running 3 marathons in eight days I would struggle. We started off steady with a couple of 4.25 or so k's. It then seemed to go weird where Proff and I just started to move much quicker with ease.

My watch was not switched on. I had no idea what pace we were running (the starting pace was told to me after we finished. It feel very firm but comfortable. Proff finished about 5 meters in front me in 29.57 so I think I was about 30.05. I thought it would take another month to get close to under 30.

Maybe a 29.xx next week.

14.5k in 77.58 @ 5.22

Same loop as yesterday. Easier and quicker.

The weather is warm and the moment and just so pleasant to be out pre-dawn.

15.5k in 80.14 @ 5.33

My maintenance loop that has some hills scattered through it. They come often enough to take the sting out of your legs, build up lactic and make it hard o get rolling again on the flats. I have to remember it is the week after a double marathon weekend and so I need to make sure I do not push too hard too soon and have an over use injury.

Running is back to normal

A bit warmer this morning around the Bay.

Wednesday so it was JD and Proff at the Rowers on 6 for the lap of the Bay. Running ??? across the Iron Cove Bridge I did feel a little delicate and thought that it would not be pleasant on the lap. After our usual chat we started off with me expecting to fall off the back quickly.

The first k in 4.45 felt okay but perhaps not sustainable. The second k was also at 4.45 and I was feeling better. I stayed close tot he Proff with JD off the back.

Nice 31.26 @ 4.34 pace.

Update for the 'double weekend'

I haven't posted much in the last few weeks but I have been doing a bit of running in the mornings but I would not call it training.

Although I have started up Wednesday mornings again with JD and Proff and despite all the statements before we start about a slow lap we still seem to get around in just over 31. Maybe we should just agree to go hard and all get back below 30.

For the 4th time I have done the Bush Capital marathon on Saturday and then the M7 on Sunday. I always have doubts about what I am doing and whether I will finish either let alone both but I did it and much easier than I thought. In both I finished much stronger than I should have from the lack of real training I have done over the last month.

Without going into too much detail Canberrra was about a minus 6 Celsius start but clear blue skies and still. I finished in 4.10 that was 25 minutes faster than last year !!!!. The course had been changed but not enough to make that much of a difference. I just did not tire over the last 10k.

Sunday was again a minus degree start. I felt okay in fact I felt very good with no stiffness etc. My plan was to stay around the 4 hour mark for a long as I could. I started with the 3.45 pace in front of me and decided to run just behind him until I slowed and was caught by the 4 hour pacer. The 5.20k pace we were running at was comfortable? It should have been a struggle.

Anyway the 5k splits to 30k were between 26.11 - 26.46. That meant I was shoulder to shoulder with the 3.45 pacer at 30k. I then thought about how I felt, what I had done the day before and that last 12k. I made a decision that I felt very good and just increased the pace slightly and was able to maintain just on 5.00 minute pace to the end. The 5k splits between 30 - 40k were bang on 25 minutes each.

Did that feel good to move from 122nd at 32k to 88th at the finish.

A few days off and another marathon on Sunday.