What can I say .... back in hospital

Yep back in hospital an emergency operation yesterday afternoon with a post operation issue that was being monitored and then got out of control really quickly. One minute I was having some minor tests being done at the Dr's surgery that is part of the hospital and then within a very short time I was in the operating theatre.

 Few days in hospital. No marathon on Sunday.

I will return to running when it is comfortable and safe. Dam dam and dam the tube is back in.

Glorious taper and rain

Some rain in Sydney overnight and continuing light overnight. Not enough to prevent running but being on a 3 day taper it was a good reason not to run. Taper time is so nice and you feel less guilty about not running when the weather presents half an excuse not to as well.

Cool morning hot lap of the Bay

With the help of the Prof leading after the 1st k we both ran very nicely this morning. 29.23 and the first time under 30 since last September. Each time I think that I have run my last sub 30 some good training comes along, the planets align and I get another one.

JD ran well after his strong half on Sunday.

Thanks Prof - you make it look so easy.

Short update with training PB's

Okay I agree a PB in training might account for little but it better than not running them at the right time and they do put you in a very positive head space.

So Sunday it was shorter but strength with the focus on hills. Facts and figure mean little to others but just to say that after running 2 laps of a very hilly circuit in good pace the last thing I wanted was my hills and stairs session but sometimes in the name of progress you need to HTFU.

Did the session with PB's on each section. The stairs part is 5 laps and I usually just get under 15 minutes - today 14.10.

Monday
Rest for taper

Tuesday
Usual 14k loop usually run just over 68 but today smashed it in 65 and a bit.

As I said nice to get a PB in training. Lets hope it results in a good marathon time on Sunday. I just need to work out the right pace for an even paced run,

Another day and another training session ....

Despite pushing hard the Bay had a victory this morning with a 33.28 lap. Yesterday's session was still clearly in the legs. Another hill and stair session to finish.

Just finished at Court taking a reserved decision from the hearing last Friday. You always hold your breadth and hope the Judge makes the Orders sought by your client. Yes yes and yes all the Orders we sought we made. That is what you call a victory.

Client happy. Lawyer happy and relieved. It was a proper result based on the evidence.

Standard loop on a cool morning

Beautiful crisp, clear still morning around the Bay. After yesterdays lap I did a tough 30 minutes of hills and stairs so the legs were heavy this morning. It was the usual 13k or so loop with plenty of hills. A few breaths over 69 minutes that is a bit slower that the last few. Training is steady as it goes at the moment - training hard but not enough to risk an injury.

Short up date midweek

Saturday

What is now becoming the standard run. Again in the 68.xx. I don't expect much improvement in time but to be able to run the same time easier.

Sunday

Steady 25k @ 5.30 pace. Nice effort 2 weeks out from the next marathon.

Monday & Tuesday

Not well.Needed some treatment from the specialist. Just could not run with the issues. By Tuesday night I was much improved. 

Wednesday

I think the coldest morning so far but once you were moving it was fine. I felt okay, could be better but decided I should ignore the discomfort and run hard. Usual meeting at the Rowers with JD and the Prof made a guest appearance. Nicely paced by the Prof. He was always 20/30 meters in front of me and I could not bridge it but it was a nice mental and physical challenge that made the run go quickly. 30.44 and maybe a sun 30 is not far off. 

Thank for the run boys.

College of Law and work

Its is not often I write about much other than running. That is not because my life is only running. It is greater than  that but it is an important part and I choose to keep the rest of my life where it is.

However I thought I would write about this. Not sure why ...

I have been at the College of Law 12 years teaching and for the last 6 years teaching a post graduate degree in Family Law. That work has taken on average 4 days a week and I have tried to manage a busy family law practice with one day a week in the office. But more often than not it meant some late nights and weekends when not travelling to run. 

My private practice work was increasing with me having more difficulty in managing the work in a professional and timely manner. I was not happy trying manage both. The difficulty was that my contract with the College required me to attend 4 days a week and working remotely was not encouraged although a lot of work and teaching was online.

Also the work came in waves depending on whether assessments had to written or marked or workshops held. Some times it was 12 hour days other much less. Anyway my Contract expired yesterday and I decided not to renew it. But that does not mean I am no longer a lecturer at the College I remain doing the same work but as a casual.

That means I can come and go as the workload requires. I can work remotely. I can spend more time in the office and do what I like most and that is appearing in Court on hearings. So despite the change there is no change in my work at the College but a very big change in allowing me for flexibility.

I think I am happy with the change. 

I feel very free arising from having the flexibility that I did not have previously but still doing exactly the same work at the College.

Short update

Wednesday

The usual with JD. We were both fatigued from a heavy session the previous morning. So we both had heavy slow legs but still managed about 31.30 but it felt like sub 30. We ran side by side the whole way but never spoke a word. All our energy and focus was on the run. 

After I did 30 minutes of hills reps and stairs. No sure how I managed that.

Thursday
No run - rest/recovery day.

Friday

The usual 13k+ loop done in 68.12 or so. About the same as earlier in the week. Perhaps it should have been quicker with the day off but then you cannot expect to continually improve each day you run even when coming from a slow base. Anyway you fitness level cannot be judged by just one session. I am okay with the session - I would have been very pleased if I ran it last week. Funny how perceptions change in a short time of a few seconds can make the difference between happy and not so happy.

Nice improvement

Saturday 70.26 and today I wanted to give that time a real shake up. The course has many hills and particularly in the second half and is about 13.5k. 68.12 good but it comes from a very poor fitness base that is no doubt improving quickly. I just wonder how much that will convert into a marathon time in a few weeks.

First Marathon Photo from 1982

I was going through some old scanned photos on my laptop to sort them on the weekend. I came accros this.

A finish in my first marathon in May 1982, It was called the 'Legal and General Marathon' and started at Manly Beach at the surf club on the southern end and travelled up to one of the beaches to the north and back again to the start.

 

I have no idea why I entered - Deeks Commonwealth Games run in Brisbane was later in the year. So I was not inspired by that run maybe there was just a general interet in running and the marathon in general. I do however remember hitting the wall a loooooooooooooong way from the finish and walking a lot to the finish line.

 

Clothing has come a long way in 31 years. Cotton Tshirt and ex footbal shorts. I think the shoes were New Balance. I think it was an ordinary wrist watch and a 4.25 finish.

Refreshed for Monday's session

The half marathon course I have with the 2 loops that I have described last week. Best to date 1.53 (there are a lot of hills despite it using some parts of the Bay run). This morning 1.49. The Sunday rest was worth being fresh and putting in a high intensity session this morning.

 

Also my weekly cycle ends after the Monday run. This week I was just over 100k for the week. The first time since the first week in February. About time I have returned to that magic number.

No run Sunday

A late night on Saturday celebrating a friends 61st Birthday and her graduation as a qualified nurse. She was my legal secretary for almost 20 years before changing careers. Despite being in bed well after midnight my body clock had me up before from 5.00am.

 

I could have gone but it would not have been a good run, I just knew I would be tried and would be just going through the motions. Better to sleep in for once and rest.

A Saturday morning run !!

It doesn't happen often for various reasons. But this morning I had time for a longer session and was out well before the sun even thought about rising. However on the way back home I was running east and it was a glorious orange and the whole of the Bay was reflecting that colour. Just magic.

Same course as yesterday. Now down to 70.26. It was not easy but it felt so good to be pushing hard with no issues. 

Just a great morning to be out running

I had Court this morning so I needed first a run to clear my head and also not to take too long. So it was the14k loop that I have not run under 75 minutes although I have only had 6 goes at it since the operation. Today I wanted to give it a real hard hit out. This session was about intensity. Nice 71.04.

Nice to see improvement but that was massive. I was running hard but thought it would be slow because of the residual fatigue that must be building up with the increase in distance. I never look at my Garmin when I run so it was a massive suprise when I looked at it after I finished.

Court went well.

Thursday 21k @ 5.35

The weather was not that cool but it was a bit wild around the Bay pre dawn. A strong breeze at times, some angry dark scattered clouds and the water was choppy. Notwithstanding all that it got better as the sun came up and was a great morning for running.

 

The legs at the moment are very fatigued but I was not going to ease up or have a complete rest. So it was off for 21k with a 14k loop and then a 7k loop. Much of the 7k loop is a repeat of the last part of the first loop and a number of hills. Push hard up them and the legs burn and become rubbery on the short flats. But I need something other than kidding my self that running on the flat is effective training for trails.

 

It was about a minute faster than Tuesday on the same course but I will not get much faster while I run on tried legs.

Fitter, faster & further

I won't bore you with a day by day account of the training. The summary is that I have been running well and am starting to get back into the pre operations sessions.  I have had a couple of 20k runs in the last week which is a big increase in the distances I have been running in training in the last 2 months.

 

As today was Wednesday then it was the usual with JD. We both had big sessions yesterday so it was very much running on tired legs. Despite that I managed this week to push on in the last 3k )a reversal from last week) and finished in 31.18 with JD 20 or so seconds behind.

 

Then did a hill and stair session lasting just under 30 minutes. Absolutely nothing left after that combined session but I feel great. Nice to be able to push to the limits without being restricted because of the post op recovery.

 

I am looking forward to putting in a real solid 2 and a bit weeks of training with a week taper before the next marathon.