Saturday, April 30, 2005

Friday, April 29, 2005

Not so easy cruise

Needed to benchmark (like that type of talk) my recovery by doing a 5 k easy time trial. Finished on 26 minutes - was expecting 25 - when I first looked at my watch I was at the 2 k marker in 11 minutes (the sunrise was not that pleasant) so moved up to finish the last 3 ks in 15 minutes. Nothing flash but just some easy recovery and working out the injury. Should be right in a few days.

Might do a short but intense 5 weeks preparation for the McLeay Marathon on the 12 June. Now convinced that part of the problem was Canberra was that I prepared too intensley too soon and so peaked too soon and could not hold it for long enough. So will not consider chanhing the daily programm but when to start the intensity. Thanks Mr G for your thoughts - they were appreciated and it goes to show it is not an endless rise in fitness and performance - rest periods must be scheduled in for improvement to happen.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Easy cruise

Easy run around the Bay. Still some problems in the right leg but I am sure that with a few days of easy jogging it will start to come right. Other wise no other problems from the marathon.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Monday, April 25, 2005

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Brisbane Marathon

Up at 4.45 for a 6.00pm start. Weather pleasant but maybe a bit warm and with some humidity. Was aiming to run 25 minute 5 ks for a long as possible. Started off without any pain or discomfort - thought I could go faster and found it difficult to stay at the 5 minute ks but I knew to survive the race and finish without doing any major damage I needed to stick to the race plan.

Ran through 30k in 2.29 - one minute in front of the schedule. Then I got incredibly tired and I think it was from going slower than usual and then I just got slower - then averaged about 5.50 per k to the end to finish in 3.41. I got slower but I seemed to do it without really making a decision to do it - I think maybe I did it so that I would not further injure myself at the time when that is possible. Maybe because I needed to give blood a week before may have something to do with getting a bit tired at the end!!

Tess was atthe drink station at about 31 k so stopped and talked to her - then the course goes throught the Botanical Gardens and then along the River on Southbank side - I enjoyed the rather relaxed pace in the last section and the pleasant scenery. Could I have gone much faster in all of the circuamstances??? no! no! no!

The most pleasing thing about the run - apart from considering getting rid of my watch and getting a calender to time my runs they are getting that slow - was that the injury felt like it got better as a result of the run certainly not worse. So maybe the long slow run was what was needed. Who knows the body at time is such a strange thing and it does the oddest things at times.

Anyway I'll take it the finish (no DNF's in 65 starts). I have no real after affects - in fact I feel better than this time after Canberra .However the sooner I forget the time the better.

Saturday, April 23, 2005

No run : rest and further self treatment

Flew to Brisbane arriving at 5.30. Pick up from the airport by Tess and taken to my hotel at Southbank about a k from the start. Then driven to a resturant and had a pleasant meal with the Brisbane CR's. Baack at the hotel by about 10.00 and read for about an hour.

Had said at the resturant that I thought my finishing time would be about 3.35 would be the best I would aim for but somewhere up to 3.45 is possible. Over a week ago I posted on CR saying that I was appy to pace someone who wanted a time between 3.30 and 4.00 - I had no takers but I thought if I recoverd somewhere in the middle would be about the time.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Needed a good test as today is the day - either I decide that I am fit enough to start or I wont go. However just making the decision that I am fit enough to start does not mean that I think I am fit enough to finish without some serious damage. I have been working overtime on heat and massages and there is a big improvement overnight.

Ran 11k steady at about 5.05 pace with much less discomfort than earlier in the week. I felt as if the hobble was going at a quick rate and with 2 days to go decided I would go and also thought I would be fit enough to finish on about the 5.10 pace. In fact I am fairly certain that that will be about the time and with some more heat etc I expect that I should be able to run with little discomfort.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Again around the Bay - about 1k into ran into Auntie Karin and Truckie - my day was made when Auntie Karin said something like "God your running with a big limp" - she was right but I didn't want to be told. I am struggling to run 5 minute ks and I don't know if I could hobble the 42 k on Sunday. No time today.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Around the bay agian - another times 5k - 25.05 still very ugly - more of a hobble that a run. Stiil major problems with the calf, thigh and groin but working on them with self masages and heat.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Around the Bay and struggled - time 5k in 25.18 - very ugly - have some doubts about starting Brisbane on Sunday

Monday, April 18, 2005

No run - recovery and work.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

SMC : 5k

Ran Smithfield 5 k with my two youngest children. Ran the first 2 ks with my 13 year old at a sedate 6 minute per k pace then moved up to my 16 year old and finished with him in 24.30. Calf seems to have improved enough to run without feeling any tightness but the groin is still a major problem.

Wnat to run the Brisbane Marathon on Sunday - will make a decision by on Thursday about my recovery.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Slow jopg around the Bay - about 5.30 pace - the calf and groin are still not recovered.

Friday, April 15, 2005

No running from Monday to friday and I enjoyed the rest and - the right calf and groin need more time to recover.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Canberra Marathon : 3.23.52

Quite shattered at the result.:

PREPARATION from December to the race perfect - with the usual ebb and flow and good days and not so good. Best confidence builder the 30k at SMC three wekks before the marathon where I finished the last 15k strongly.

TAPER etc all went well except over the last week or 2 developed a slight strain in the right thigh and groin.

EXPECTATION was that I would run faster than last years 3.04 - because the preparation was longer and far superior to last year.

THE RACE ran my own race - that meant running almost the whole race alone but that is what I wanted . Had always planned to run even splits or even a little slower in the first half and expected I had the strength to come home slightly faster the second half. Ran through the half in 90.30 and was not concerned at all in fact I was pleased I had held back. Ran through 25 in 1.47 and was still happy as I knew all I had to do was to finish in 4:15 pace which because I had held back I was hopeful of doing. I was right on my race plan.

However just after that the lower part of the right calf felt like it was tightening - but things like that happen and they run themselves out after a k or so. It didn't happen and by 29k I was very concerned as it was very tight and restricting my stride length - probably a cramp and not muscle strain. I had to stop and stretch it out and then walked through the 30k drink station to relax the muscle which it did to a degree.

Began running again after 30 km but could not stretch out to a full stride - turned off my watch and did not look at it again - time was not relevant and the sub 3 was gone. Just ran steady from then on but at a greatly reduced pace. It got no better but then it got no worse either.

The time was my worst ever at 6 Canberra's and worst time (except for last year injured Sydney and some trail marathons) since marathon number 13 and this was marathon 64. I think that says it all in regard to my feelings at the moment and disapointment that all the ingredients were there for a good run but it was not to be.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

2.1 Funny Sunday

Wanted to run a firm 10k - maybe just at or below 39. Got to 6k in 23.12 and just felt so uncomfortable that I stopped. Just out of puff and not enjoying what should have felt firm but not unpleasant. Was on 3:52 pace and may have held on for the aimed for time but ... not sure what happened.

Thought I would get something out of the moring so ran 5 k and trying to feel the 4:10 pace - went too slow for the first 2 - both on 4:20 and they di dfeel very easy - then looked at my watch and I guess I was hoping that 4:10 woul dfeel that easy but not so. Increased the pace and did manage the last three in 4:11, 4:09 and 4:10 and they also felt comfortable.

Much of a nothing morning butthe weather was nice around the Bay.

2.1 Rest - No run

Friday, April 01, 2005

2.3 6 x 800

Splits ranged between 2.56 - 3.01 - thought they would all be around 2.55 - just seemed to not judge the pace well this morning. Again it was not meant to be PB sessions just solid for the taper. Still equates to between 3:40 - 3:45 ks. Firm but not tiring.