Friday TT for a PB

Probably my last hard training run before GH.

I did not run yesterday as part of the taper so i hoped to be fresh and intended to push the run. It is my usual hilly about 19k loop around the Bay. The PB's for this run have been coming along in the last few weeks with the last one on Tuesday with a time of about 1.38 @ 5.13 pace.

As usual I had my Garmin but rarely look at it during the run. I was less than a third of the way into the run and I was struggling and thought either the day off didn't do me any good or I was running quick. A glance at the Garmin and I was at 4.55 pace that was off the dial. I thought I had blown it but was determined to just keep pushing. Was tempted to cut the run short and be happy with a shorter quick run but that was defeat.

Short story. Completed the loop for a 1.33 @ 4.58. Couldn't ask for a better result for a TT after almost 3 months of injury free running and training. I am ready as I will ever be for this one.

For my friend plant power is working well.

My usual 19k loop and a nice run

I don't handle the taper too well. If it is too long I know from experience I don't run as well as I could on race day. So for me it is always a hard decision of when to ease off and for a 100 miler that should be earlier rather than later. Still ...... I ran again this morning and felt just great.

 

A few hundred metres in and all feel great .. you are moving quickly ... it is not hurting at all and in fact you are holding back ... you suspect it might just be one of those magic runs where it doesn't feel hard and the time will be quick.

 

I ticked all of those boxes this morning. Last Friday I was under 1.40 for the first time. This morning it was about a minute quicker .... felt easier but it should not have happened with the marathon from Sunday still in my legs.

 

The taper will start soon but not this week ... over the weekend. I think i might give myself a fathers day present and either not run or go very short. 

Nice morning run for a recovery and just because I can

Spring by the calender is almost with us and this morning pre dawn it it felt like it had arrived. It was a beautiful morning around the Bay. I feel great and despite being in taper mode I could not resist a run. I put the Garmin on because of habit and did not look at it for the 14k cruise along my usual short loop.

 

It was too easy to finish with a 5.30 per k pace that would have been impossible a couple of days after a marathon.

 

The Mudgee marathon results have been posted. It was nice to win my age category but when you are the only one in it that is not much of a win BUT with 53 finishers and to come 10th overall was much more pleasing when you are the oldest in the field by at least 4 years.

 

I haven't counted but it looks like an equal number of male and female finishes. At about 17k you go down and back up a hill and so for the only time in the race you see those close around you. I had been 'chicked' by 5 females all coming up the hill as i was going down. Now nothing against female runners but it did give me something to consider - I managed in the run to the finish to 'unchick' myself with the 5 of them finishing within 4 minutes behind me. It was a great time had by all of us in the second half.

Mudgee Marathon: 3.33.45

What a way to finish the 9th. With how I have been training it was either going to be good or very ugly. Thankfully is was fantastic run in itself and a very pleasing time. Was about 30 seconds off the best run of the 9 on a course that is not easy.

 

It was an absolute perfect morning to run a marathon. The temp was just above zero at the start and it felt like it with fog with the forecast for it to warm up quickly - which it did. The hard decision was how much to wear. It would be nice to feel pleasant at the start but it was certain that it would become  warm quickly. I opted for tights and short sleeve top and that turned out for me to be the perfect choice. Although with numb hands and arms for 30/40 minutes was not that pleasant but manageable.

I know the course well as this was my 11th Mudgee marathon having missed just 2. The climb from 7k to 18k is never ending and near the end brutal on the legs. But having survived that it is a combination of rises and falls with more falls to the finish line. It is a challenging course.

I was not sure what would happen but being my 9th marathon in 8 weeks I was not sure if fatigued would be the issue and the back half being a struggle or somehow I would have strength and finish strong. One this was for sure I was not at the start line to cruise this one. It was one that I was going to run wisely but as hard as I could. I wanted it to hurt in the second half and face that challenge on bot the mental and physical side.

Short version: ran through the half smack on 1.49 and that was the first time I looked at my watch as up until then I was running on feel. I was not sure how the second half would go but the only way to find out was to up the pace to 5 minutes k's and try and hold that - a bit quicker on the down hills and pushing the up hills. It was tough all the way but there was a line of 5 or 6 runners in front of me (all but one female). They gave me something to chase. I was not looking at my pace very often as I now wanted to run to a set pace no matter how difficult that was and not run as I felt.

The k's were clicking over quickly but never quickly enough. The pleasing thing was that I was holding the average pace. Second half 1.44 for another 3.33 finish. Fastest Mudgee marathon for 5 years. Got to be pleased that.

The hard preparation for GH 100 miler is now finished. 10 days of combined recovery and taper.

Reflections on 9 marthons in 8 weeks

This journey will end on Sunday with the Mudgee marathon. It started with the Gold Coast marathon on the 7 July. It has been a wonderful journey with absolutely no physical or mental issues of backing up weekly for the marathons and off course the double weekend. The idea was conceived in early June and was put in place as a way of providing very short term goals leading to being the best prepared for the GH 100 miler on 6/7th September as I could.

The risk has always been an injury but that has not occurred.

I reconnected with a running friend in late June and that has had a significant affect on keeping me very focused and consistent in training. That meant I have trained hard between marathons with no taper and generally a 14k run on the Saturday. This will will be my biggest week before easing back as a taper for 2 weeks. This will including the marathon will be about 130k. In regard to the preparation it has come just at the right time.

I have been able to train about 70k a week in 4 sessions and then the marathon. Despite that I have always felt fresh for each marathon and been positive. I wonder how much better I might have felt with a taper. However by tapering for each one my training would have been light and while I respect the marathon and the physical and mental effort that goes into each one I run they were not the focus although M7 in the middle gave me a 3.33 time and the best for a few years.

I will miss the travel and the weekly focus and will now have to be satisfied with a focus being on loner events with greater time between each. 

I ran today my 19k loop. I started off doing them on the 2 July and have done at least 2 a week. The times started off around the 1.45. With some a bit slower and not many much quicker. On Wednesday I ran it steady for 1.49. Yesterday I pushed for a 1.42 and my quickest to date. Today I pushed again it felt easy, I should be very fatigued - 1.39 and I would say the preparation for GH is as best as I could have done in the time. 

Mudgee- anything under 3.55 - it wold be nicer to be closer to 1.45.

An update late in the week

It has been a great few days of running. After the marathon on Sunday I would normally only start running on Wednesday but I had an offer to run the Bay for Tuesday morning. Great friend and so could not and would not accept.

Sydney was very cold on Tuesday morning compared to the last week. Also the wind was up a bit and the Bay was far from mirror smooth, it was very angry. Another friend and he daughter joined us and the lap went by at a very conversational pace with no watch to be seen. Finished the lap and another was offered and so we were off chatting, running easy and just enjoying the pleasure of being fit and able to cruise along without a significant effort. I think the 16 easy k's made the rest of the week much easier. 

So Wednesday saw me out for my very usual 19k loop. It felt like an effort to maintain the pace. I was not looking at my watch at all and was surprised it was at 5.35. No wonder it felt tough.

Thursday morning, some indecision about whether to run not because I was fatigues, far from it, more I don't want an over use niggle. Runners are risk takes - yeah so I went. I felt great and as soon as I started running it fell smooth and I thought I might have a good session. So no peeping at the Garmin this session was all about feel and it was feeling easy. It should have felt much tougher with the quickest I have ever run this loop and about 7 minutes faster that yesterday with less effort. It just happens some days. 

Despite the risk of an injury the plan is again to run the 19k again tomorrow and easy back to 14 on Saturday. I will be again starting the marathon with no taper and so it could be a shocker. I do plan to go flat out but that might mean 4 hours.

After this marathon it is 12 days to GH. There will be some easy running in those  days so that I am fully tapered.

Wagga Wagga marathon: 4.59.06

It was a beautiful drive down from Sydney Saturday afternoon. The sun shinning the sunroof open and easy driving particularly past the Canberra turn off. Past there the rolling hills are green dotted with grazing sheep and cattle.

 

As usual the 'Gentleman's Club' at Wagga and the pre race dinner was very pleasant. I was made very welcome and my absence over the last few years was noted by a few.

Even with an 8.30am start it was very chilly with clear skies and some building clouds. However the clouds disappeared and it was perfect running conditions and stayed that way. The course in parts has changed since I last ran it and they have reversed the direction. That made it more enjoyable as the 'town' part was all over by 10k and then it was trails, tracks and bush. Lovely running and quite technical and challenging in sections. I took it easy and was pleased to sneak in a 4.59 finish.

As regards providing a good preparation run for GH in a couple of weeks it was perfect. I did make it harder on myself by training hard on Friday and Saturday morning and notwithstanding that was able to run the whole distance except for some short steep hills between 10 - 15k.

 

I feel pleasantly fatigued this morning and expect I will be out for a very gentle run and stretch tomorrow morning.  Mudgee marathon next weekend and the 2 weeks to ease off before GH. Fingers crossed the plan that has been in place for about 2 months will work.

 

I am certainly fitter and marginally lighter than I have been for quite a while.

Update before Wagga marathon on Sunday

It has been a different week for training. A few weeks ago I agreed with a friend to spend Tuesday running on a trail. It sounded like a good idea at the time - well it would be 2 days after a marathon and I should be right for 40k on a tough trail.

Some ideas do sound good but in reality are a bit hard to actually execute. Well we ran it nice and steady and had wonderful day out. However that rather fatigued me for the next 2 days and so there was not running until this morning. At a push I could have run yesterday but it was not necessary.

So this morning was a firm 19k in and around the bay at just on 5.30 pace. Another shorter run tomorrow morning before heading to Wagga to again run with the same friend. We both will be fatigued going into this marathon but it is all about the big plan to gain some strength and endurance and mental toughness going into GH which is getting very close.

Sunday will be all about steady and about a 4.45 finish at best.

Tan Marathon: 3.51.36

Not what I expected. Was I being unreasonable to expect run in the high 3.30's. Maybe.

 

11 laps of the Tan with 11 runs up Anderson Hill might have slowed me down. The lap is about 3.9k and I was managing a few steps under 20 minutes for the first 5 laps and then I developed a learnt to the left and then the battle began to just run a straight line. The lean has not happened since C2K in December last year.

 

Perhaps I am/was more fatigued than I thought. It could be a sign.

 

The weather was just perfect after a 7 degree start at 9.00 am but after a few laps it soon warmed up and it was perfect running conditions to the end. The laps were not boring as the Tan was open and so there was a lot of other runners, walkers etc to keep it interesting.  

 

Wagga marathon next weekend. I have agreed to run with a friend and I suspect something just under 5 hours maybe 4.45. It will be nice to be run a steady pace in this one and enjoy the pleasure of running.

Wednesday: No hot lap of the Bay

My usual hot lap of the Bay has not occurred for a few weeks. Mainly because with my focus being GH 100 miler a fast 7k each week does not fit in with the preparation is need to do. Also with marathons being run weekly at the moment I just cannot risk injury with trying to run a quick lap. 

I could not run it quickly at the moment and if i tried to run much quicker that 5 minute k's the risk of an injury would be increased. So this morning on a glorious morning that was cool but not cold I did a firm 14k with all the hills I can find around that Bay. Firm for today was just on 5.30 pace.

Easy recovery run on Tuesday

My legs feel fine but I know they are not. I need to treat them with some love and tenderness to keep them going well in the long term. That is to get to the start of the GH with no injuries or niggles.

Decided that a very easy recovery run would be of some benefit despite it being just 2 days since the marathon. I felt okay walking but as soon as the slow run started I could feel a few aches and pains. They were minor and to be expected. As the 10k they eased and either I was working them out of being warmed up they were hidden. This was not training but recovery that hopefully does more benefit that damage.

Brisbane marathon: 3.52.09

I am sitting at Brisbane Airport waiting for my flight back to Sydney and wondering how I held the pace in the second half.

I knew I would have to be conservative for at least the first half. I settled into a pace that felt comfortable and one I thought I could maintain for the entire race but was not looking at the Garmin as I was going on perceived effort. At about 10k I was surprised to be catching the half marathon pacer for 1.55. I decided that I was not going to pass him no matter how good I felt as I thought even that was too quick but if I had done any damage in being too quick it was already done.

Stayed with him until he went right for the finish and I went left for the second lap. Like a few marathons in the last few weeks I did not expect to be able to hold the pace but decided to settle into a 5.30 per k pace and see how long I could hold it. The second lap I was watching the Garmin closely and found more often than not I was running at 5.15 or quicker pace. I kept backing off so that I would not burn brightly and then extinguish before the finish line.

The 5k splits from 20k just kept clicking over in the 27.xx and stayed that way to the end. The fade as expected just did not come. It was tough going but I felt in control the whole second half but was ever so pleased to cross the finish line.

Splits of about 1.55/1.57. Another week of recovery/taper and in Melbourne next week for the Tan marathon as well as catching up with my daughter who lives there and the Monet exhibition.

Bridge marathon: 4.03.37

A wonderful day, a wonderful run and a wonderful and changing course. It is almost all on a bike pathway passing through wetlands, light forest and generally green scenery most of the time.  An interesting winding with just minor rises and falls. Ending with a long run along the water at Sandgate and then other a 2.8k bridge with a finish at Woody Point at the waters edge. 

The organization was smooth with just 2 major 'pit stops' along the way. So it is a run that requires a significant amount of self dependence although there were some drink stops in between. 

The very minor calf and ankle issues did not cause any undue problems. I think they are an underlying issue arising from slight over use. I was hoping to be under 4 hours but a few minutes over is fine.

Lets hope tomorrow is closer to 4 than 4.30,.