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.

Decided to have a rest day - no run

18k @ 5.26 in 1.36.12

Again warm and humid but probably no different than what our Queensland friends go through fora much longer. I felt okay - dare I mention the Achilles - its still an issue daily particularly post run but during the run is less of an issue that it was some months ago.

Anyway back to Sunday. I ran very firm and managed to hold a good pace all the way. Best time and a huge improvement on the 1.40 from Wednesday. The fitness level seems to be on the rapid improvement by the steady running. But this improvement has not yest got me back to where I was some months ago but still I am improving.

5k Challenge : 22.09

I have not managed to attend one of these for a while. I have no speed at the moment so I was not sure what I should try to run and what I could actually run. I thought they would be widely apart.

I was there just as the 34 minute group went. So I had no choice I went with them. The Professor was leading and I stayed with him for the first k in 4.45 or so and it felt a little slow so I moved forward and thought this pace won't last long but I would enjoy it while it lasted. It lasted longer than I expected and finished in 22.09.

18k @ 5.46 in 1.41.29

The 'sauna' morning conditions. Humidity up around 75% but I suppose it could be much worse. I felt strong and ran well but a bit slower than a few days ago. No problems with that considering I am not having any easy days at the moment.

14k @ 5.27 in 72.32

Still 'sauna conditions. Despite yesterday being a longer run I felt fresh and strong this morning. This was reflected by a very quick time. I ran the same course on Tuesday in 77.34 - so a massive improvement. That will not continue however it was nice to run at that pace.

Australia Day : 18k @ 5.45 pace : 1.40.09

Despite it being a public holiday I was still out early in the 'sauna' type conditions that exist at the moment. I am still just content to build a base by some steady but solid running. That is pushing hard for the whole run but also trying to maintain the same pace over the whole run.

To run the same total time but have it very quick at the start and very slow at the end does not achieve the same result as steady all the way at a 'firm' pace. That is a pace that is a quick as you can go but is able to be maintained for the whole run.

Over time this pace will get faster as the body adapts. Maybe that is shown to be correct as I ran the same course on Monday in 1.44.37. However if there are no easy days in between there may not be a steady improvement like that over a day or so. At the moment I am in total overload. That is each day is run as hard as I can and I believe I can do that for the moment with the years of running I have in my legs. As the speed gets quicker I will have to incorporate some easy days so the hard days are higher quality.

At the moment it is just about increasing the distance with a firm pace daily.

Same as Sunday: 14k @ 5.48 and a bit quicker

Another very humid day around the Bay despite being out early and a blanket of cloud cover. The humidity made the whole run testing but I was happy to run quicker than Sunday. Being patient should lead to some quick improvement over the next few weeks before the inevitable plateau occurs.

I agree JD Lydiard has always worked in the base building phase.

18k @ 5.59

Added another 4k and managed to keep the pace the same. Got to be pleased but it was a draining effort because of the backup from yesterday and it was humid in Sydney this morning. Usually it would not be so tough but with the lack of base it is. However if yo believe in Lydiard then a few weeks of this and things should start to improve. Lets hope so.

Sunday: Easy 14k and the start of some base building

I have been in Hong Kong for a week and did no running but a lot of walking.

Today was just a very steady 14k at just below 6 minute k's. I know not very quick but this is all about slowly building a solid base for he rest of the year. But I know that in a week or so the pace will be much closer to 5 minute per k. It just takes this old body a while to get moving.

I hope to slowly increase the distance and the pace. Also I would like to try and run daily with the rest days being active rest - a solid distance but at a slower pace.

I was going to travel to Brisbane on Wednesday to run a marathon but I am just not ready to do one and not put my training back. It could be done but at a price in the time taken to recover and get back into solid training. I have decided to respect my body and not start.

2011

Yes I have been very quiet for a long time. Lets not go into the DNF at 148k at C2K. I need to move on.

I have already run a marathon for 2011 at Hobart last weekend. On really no training I was expecting something of a struggle and over 4 hours. I therefore went out very easy with the hope of getting under 4 hours with even splits. I was through halfway in about 1.56 and knew that was about as close to plan as possible. It was then a matter of pushing hard but always with the thought of making it to the finish line without bleeding time over the last bit. The second half was about 1.57 for a 3.53 finish. I was happy with that as a good result for my fitness at the moment.

I was back in Sydney late on Monday. I thought I would test the legs on Tuesday morning as I thought I had recovered well. A easy lap of the Bay in about 5.30 pace and it felt all too easy. I was out again today and averaged about 5.20 and felt good.

I have been doing some thinking about what has gone wrong in the last part of the year. That is I run well during the busy time between July/September and including the Melbourne Marathon in early October and then cannot hold the base for the end of year ultra's. I have decided maybe it is core strength that needs to have a base consistently during the year so that I can end the year using the base that has been built up and not becoming injured and fatigued.

So some research and reading to set up a program of exercises and weights to get some strength. I did that at the start of last year and ran my quickest marathon at Canberra. I then stopped that and my times drifted off.

Anyway I am off to Hong Kong later today and will start serious and structured training when I get back. .... and post daily.

Hobart was marathon #122. Goal for the year is to run at least 15 marathons plus a couple of selected ultra's. Other goal wold be to get my 5k time down close to 21 minutes.

First day of Summer 2010/2011

You wouldn't know it by the weather.

I was awake to 5.00am with very heavy run. I waited until 6.00am and still no change so I decided to go to work early. I don't mind running in the rain but to start out being drenched before I hit the front gate is not on. I can't say why its jst so.

As well I thought 'Do I really need this 8 days before C2K'. All I could think of was cathing the mother of all colds. I feel good both physically and mentally and I just don't want to incur any foolish self inflicted damage.