Wednesday Bay a struggle at 32.12

JD led from the start. He quickly jumped to a 15 meter lead that remained that way until about 3k and then he just powered on and steadily moved further in front. I had no answer for him this morning. The little hill session yesterday although not tough is new and it will take the legs time to adapt.

 

JD finished just over 30 seconds quicker than me and he did it easily in his usual smooth and relaxed style. How was the morning around the Bay? Cool but just perfect.

 

If I don't run trails in training but want to run a couple of trail events later in the year then I need to add some training to give me something than session after session on the flat.So I added some hills and then today I added some stairs about half a k away from the hill. So a hill set and then a stair set and all up just over 30 minutes. My legs are smashed in a way that does not happen no mater how you run on the flat.

SMC Half Marathon and Tuesday

It was the monthly Club run at SMC on Sunday. Saturday in Sydney was just rain with brief sunny periods then more heavy rain. It looked like Sunday would be wet and unpleasant however Sydney turned on a dry, still and cool perfect Autumn morning.

 

With the marathon last week and so there was no intention other than to run solid and even paced and get back some slow but solid endurance. That is what I need at the moment to prepare for the second half of the year and the marathon feast planned.

 

The morning went as planned with a 1.43.xx with the last 5k was the quickest of the morning. Almost back to where I was 3 months ago.

 

No run on Monday. Passive rest.

 

A lap of the Bay in about 4.50 pace. And a tough little hill session (with 5 up & downs laps - it only about 360m for 1 complete lap) with 2 sets of about 9 minutes each. A cool but beautiful morning around the Bay.

Nice morning nice run around the Bay

A beautiful crisp but clear and skill. In Sydney it always seems to become that way at about Anzac Day. It was great to be out and on mornings like this it is priceless to be able to run - it doesn't matter how far or how long, just to be able to run.

Nice firm 33.30.

Just sitting in the waiting room of the specialist and yeah the tube has been removed. A few days before all is sealed but on the way back to being normal.

Wednesday morning and as usual JD and the Bay

I think it is almost written in stone that on Wednesday at 6.00am JD and I will meet outside the Rowers Club just above Drummoyne Pool. Being a post marathon week noting changed. Like clockwork we approach from opposite direction at the appointed time. A few minutes chatting and then we are off.

 

As usual the pace on the run is far quicker then we usually feel we can run or expect to run. No doubt running with a buddy help to get to an maintain a quicker pace then you would do alone. There were mumblings that 5 minute pace and just under 35 would be it.

 

A few k into it we stopped and chatted to Sook54 out after her 4.13 marathon on Sunday and sounding and looking like it had never happened. We continued on but by 4/5k JD was easing ahead. Thankfully I held on and we both finished in about 32.

 

Yep a bit quicker than expected but that always seems to be the way of Wednesday. That is why I enjoy them - they are run much quicker that would otherwise be. In fact if it wasn't for the standing arrangement I may well have stayed in bed and then regretted that decision later in the day.

Canberra Marathon: 4.14.17

Exactly the time that I thought would be the best I could expect. I was always within 30 metres of the 4.15 pacer and decided no matter how good I felt at anytime in the run I would not go in front of him. I did that and was pleased to have run the time I had.

If it can be the last 12k was one of the most enjoyable I have had for a long time. We hit 30k and the pace said well that is half way in the marathon. How true !! I downed a GU and just decided to settle into a strong even pace and think POSITIVE.

I was pleased to maintain the pace and over the last 16k made up almost 200 places. There a lot of runners slowing down - when you pass so many you think you are increasing your pace but they are just slowing down. Whatever it is empowering to be the one passing others.

One of the best mornings Canberra has put on for the marathon.

Also by far the biggest start field I have seen in the last 14 years. Despite that it did not feel too crowded in the first k or so - you just had to be patient and for me by 2k it was open space. All goes to a nice steady start.

Short story on preparation. My longest run in the last 2 months was 21k and almost all the other was between 7/14k with a few weeks of no running post op. Soon after the op I looked at the cut off and thought that would be an issue for me. However the training runs although short and slow did go better than expected and after the 21k three weeks ago I knew the cut off time would not be an issue.

The tube is out on Friday and I should be able to resume a more normal life. Next marathon is the Barossa Valley in SA at the end of May. So long to wait ...
      

Canberra marathon thoughts

What has happened to the time since I last posted. About 2 weeks !!!

 

I will not provide a day by day report of the struggle to get out each day and run since I last posted. Save to say some days I was out running and other days it was a struggle to run and on other days it was such I struggle I did not run. However I have done what I could and just have to accept at the start line on Sunday that I am where I am and no thoughts about what I could or might have done.

 

The reality is that when I went for the operation I thought I would not be able to run for almost a month. I was able to get out and start within 2 weeks. Since then I have done more training than I expected and so I have to be pleased with that and I am.

 

Today was the usual hot lap morning. The usual suspects of JD and the Professor where there. The sun was just up, the light was perfect and so were the conditions. I wanted a good hard hit out and the last really high intensity run. Thank Proff for leading all the way and give me something to chase and congratulations on being under 30 - that run run dragged me to 31.49. Pleasing time but absolutely no endurance.

 

On the basis of no endurance then I need to run the marathon on Sunday smart. That is a very controlled pace from the start. I am just not sure how much endurance I have if I start of at a pace I think I can maintain even over the whole distance. I would like to believe that I could run 4.15 (time bit pace !!!!) but i suspect it will be closer to 4.45. The question is will I start of at a pace that would if maintained would have me finish in 4 hours 15 minutes. I haven't decided. But liking a challenge I might just start off just behind the 4.15 pacer and see after 7/10 k what that feels like.

 

If that feels much too quick I will beat a hasty retreat and ease back off and settle into a .4.45 finish pace and enjoy the morning.