Update : 1st February

A month since I last posted.

There is bad news and good news.

The bad news : it was not a hammy but a stress fracture of the left femur. Not in the same positions as last time and not as severe. So there has been no running for 4/5 weeks.

The good news : as it was not as serious as before the best guess is that 7/8 weeks of no running should see it repaired enough to start running again. So it is just waiting and then picking a time to start running again and see how the injury responds - no pain then continue with the running any sign of pain and wait some more. I think I will ease back into some light running in the last week or so of this month.

End of year wrap up

Nothing much to report from the last 2 weeks or so.

First I had a bad bug and then a slight hamstring problem that goes three steps forward to recovery then two back. Consequently the training in that time has been none. I have been running but at a reduced speed and distance and certainly not at a pace to be effective for an improvement in fitness. Still however managed 478k for December.

Really I should not on some days been running but the weather and the Bay have been so inviting I have gone out against common sense. But sometimes we should just enjoy running and not be so focused and intense on goals. That is the time that you enjoy the freedom of running and the great gift of having sufficient health to be active. I am not quite old enough yet to stop buying green bananas !!!! (Think about it).

I need to get on top of this hammy thing soon otherwise a quality preparation for Canberra will not be possible. Any way happy new year.

I am off to the farm in the hills above Byron Bay for 2 weeks. I doubt if I will Blogg until I return depending on how I feel.

17.3 : 2 X ML1 - No!!

I felt just a bit off last night. When I got up I thought a cold/flu or something like that was coming on and fast. Made one lap and knew I was struggling so finished. I am no better as the day has gone on so I will not run until Tuesday.

I am away in QLD for a few days so running was always going to be difficult to fit in. There is no use 'pushing' through this and a few days off will no doubt freshen me up.

17.4 : 3 x Bay

A wet night in Sydney and it looked liked this morning's run would not happen but it eased about 4.30 and so I was off to meet JD as is usual on a Wednesday. And as usual it was 3 laps at what Lydiard would call 'Steady State' - that is running as fast as you can but still aerobic. That is not going into oxygen debt (anaerobic running) and building up lactic acid.

So a few weeks ago the aim was to run each under 35 minutes and that was just possible. Today it was easier to do laps of 33.46/32.54/32.42. I have not been using a HR monitor but I would guess the HR is lower and the pace is up.

We finished pleasantly fatigued but could have gone another lap but not sure what the pace would have been. But we will know next Wednesday ....

17.5 : 2 x ML1 : 69.34 + 68.15

An overcast and very cool morning around the Bay with a colder breeze. However the humidity was still there and so once warm the breeze had only a slight cooling affect.

Pace at 5.14 per k and 5.09. 27k for the day.

17.6 : ML1 @ 5.16 + Bay @ 4.58

After a long run yesterday it was easier than I thought to back up with 21 today. It was fine and the pace was just about right for each session. I was pleased to keep the Bay lap under 35.

21k for the day. Work will interfere with running later in the week so the k's will be down unless I can run at some odd hours and times.

18.1 : 2 x MR1 + Bay

A big morning so up early before it was too warm and humid.

It was just a matter this morning of getting into a rhythm for the for 2 laps and managed those in 68.41 & 68.42 @ 5.11. I then wanted a quicker lap of the Bay and managed 34.29 @ 4.56.

All up 35k for the morning and 162 for the week.

18.2 : 2 x ML1 : 2.17.07 @ 5.10

It was very humid this morning and a lot of stormwater 'garbage' floating on the Bay from yesterday's storm.

The same run as Tuesday and just a few seconds faster. Laps of 68.52 and 68.15. Felt as comfortable as you could on a humid morning with a lot of k's already in the legs for the week.

27k for the day and 113k from Monday. All looking good for a big week.

18.1 : MK1 @ 5.12 pace

Nice short run early in the morning.

18.3 : ML1 : 65.34 @ 4.57kpm

I was up at 5.00 am but it was raining heavy and so I went back to sleep but by 6.00 it had eased to a drizzle and I decided I would try to run after the 31k yesterday.

I did feel stiff and thought it would be a struggle to get under 70 but I just wanted to get around the loop to keep the Lydiard base training going with no days off. Just over Iron Cove Bridge and I ran (hobbled) into Professor who decided to run? with me on my whole loop. Well that meant I could not wimp out if things got ugly. We talked and ran and then he reminded it was my pace we were running at and that we were at 4.45 pace - well that slowed me up.

We just kept going and talking and as I passed some of my time markers I could see we were ahead of any of my previous run. Finished off running the quickest I have however I have only run it in its present form a few times. Yeah !!!!

It just goes to show what you feel like at the start of the run might not be what happens on the run. Also it might be that some of the endurance and strength is starting to happen.

14k for the day and 86 for the week so far.

18.4 : 3 x Bay : 1.40.14

As is usual for a Wednesday I meet JD at 5.00am. The morning had a cooling breeze but it was humid. With the breeze the water was very choppy and no doubt the rowers would have had a rough and wet morning training.

The aim was laps under 35 minutes as even paced as possible and getting quicker each lap. We achieved that with laps of 34.03/33.06/33.01 for an average of 4.46 mpk. The session achieved what we set out to do. I felt so much more comfortable this week compared to the same session last week.

Also add 10k in the afternoon with JD at the CR Summer Series hosted by SilverFox

18.5: 2 x ML1 : 5.15 and 5.07 pace : 2.17.38

Out pre dawn with some scattered cloud, no breeze and the Bay mirror smooth.The humidity was high.

A bit fatigued but I am expecting to have that feeling for a while as I increase the k's.

What is more important is how the pace goes on the run not the feeling beforehand. Just as an aim I do not want to do this loop over 70 minutes - that is 5.17 pace which is okay but it is a mental barrier. First lap 69.44and the second in 67.54.

A short cool down for 27k.

For the second day with 123 to go things for the moment are okay.

18.6 : Easy around the ML1

I was a bit fatigued by yesterday's run but decided and easy run and some stretching would better than a sleep in. I did some stretching before starting to get warmed up and felt okay. Took it easy and did really time myself but did for just one k and was just on 6mpk. No niggles etc.

A glorious sunrise with a bright orange ball rising over the city skyline. Humid and the water was near high tide.

14k for the morning.

Some thoughts for training to Canberra Marathon 2008

By my calculations yesterday was 19 weeks to the Canberra Marathon and time to start thinking about it and planning some long range training. Last year I used a program that got me under 3 in Canberra in 2002 but it didn't do it for me in 2007. I felt I had good speed but not enough endurance to hold on for the second half. I then changed my program to one solely devised by me on a daily basis by in theory following the LYDIARD base building phase.

That is I ran long and often at the highest pace I could manage but within the aerobic range. That seemed to work because in July I was under 3 hours. Since July I have run too many marathons too close together to have any real program other one of taper/recovery. I slight calf strain put the end to any real training during the second half of October and then it was GNW and some recover after that and so I now find myself at the start of December and to get back into some serious training.

The aim for the next 2 months will be just base building. That is if I have a 3 hour marathon as a guide then that is 4.15 pace. All my runs should be in the 4.45 - 5.15 pace. With as few rest days as possible and instead of the hard/easy then it will be long/not so long. But that still gives at least 4 possible types of session with the 'easy' day being short @ 5.15 and the 'hard being long @ 4.45 and other combinations.

Lydiard thought the optimum distance to be run each week was 100 miles so lets say 160k but he did days with 2 sessions. I do not have the time to do that so it it seems that about 140k a week is about what I could expect to max out at. Anyway we will see how that goes for the next 9 weeks and then we will go further with Lydiard than I have been before and then incorporate Hills for 3/4 weeks and then move to some speed/sharpening a taper and we should be primed for the marathon. Lets see how it goes.

I will keep track of the countdown by starting each entry with a number worked out as follows. The Sunday will be the start of the week as the marathon is in a Sunday. Last Sunday was 19 weeks to go so today is 18 weeks 6 days or 18.6 with Tuesday 18.5 and so on

Central Coast Half : 91.35

No running on Friday or Saturday.

I was not sure of what I could run. I was planning to run with JD and Gnome in about 97 but I could not find them at the start. So the revised race plan made in the first k was to run as hard as I could and so what time would result There were no k markers except at 10k which I ran through in 42 minutes which felt right - I was right on the max of my aerobic level - that is at the limit of being comfortable and feeling like the pace could be continued but at an significant effort.

The heat on the way back had an effect mentally and I felt like I was slowing down and it was in the conditions to maintain a high intensity. I lost a bit of time on the way back but not much if the 10k marker was correct.

Pace about 4.20 mpk which I would have to say should be pleasing considering no speed work has be done for months and not much running has been done at that pace for months either. Probably achieved on the old reliable Lydiard endurance base and the2 day taper.

Some thoughts to come on the next few months and the early focus for 2008.

ML1 + Bay : 68.57 & 35.02

I was out at about 5.30 am and caught a wonderful bright orange sunrise over the Bay. It was humid with no wind and the water had just a very small ripple I suspect caused by the tide.

I felt okay after yesterday but did take 5 minutes of warm up exercise before running. I wanted my ML1 lap of 13.25k and was not sure if I would do any more. The lap went okay and so set off for 5mpk lap of the Bay - I hoped. Close enough.

A good session but not sure if it qualifies as a taper for CC Half. I suspect I will just run through this one.

3 x Bay run : 1.39.55

As has developed recently JD and I meet at 5.00am for 3 of laps of the Bay. We are usually able to chat about Lydiard and what we are doing with regard to that theory.

This morning I just never felt comfortable and it was a struggle for he whole session.Therefore there was very little discussion from me just a lot of huffing and puffing proceeding like a badly tuned VW compared to the smooth well tuned Rolls Royce performance of JD. We were in separate showrooms this morning.

At the moment we are happy with no slower than 5 mpk pace and just keep it at that lap after lap. We alternated the lead with JD at a steady pace and I would fall behind and then have to surge to catch up then slow down and so it went - actually the tough session ruined what was a gorgeous morning around the Bay. It was a pity I couldn't enjoy it until I stopped.

So 35 minutes laps were the order of the day but managed 34.25 : 32.35 and 32.55 - no wonder I was suffering !!!! JD should have a blinder at the CC Half on Sunday and I will be attempting to draft behind in his jet stream.

Very wet Tuesday

Very wet all night in Sydney. Much too wet to run and anyway I needed and excuse to not run for as a taper for Sunday

ML1 again : 68.22 @ 5.10

It was very tough to get out of bed and even harder to get moving on the run. I was not stiff I just knew that to get under 70 minutes was going to be tough and I would suffer most of the way. I could have had a rest day but Lydiard would not allow a rest day just less distance but at the same effort - the way according to him of getting to 162k per week.

That's exactly what happened - it was a tough session but I was able to run okay and managed to get under 70.

A big Sunday :34k

Up out in the predawn in great conditions but it soon became very humid although not that warm early. Absolutely no wind and the Bay was mirror smooth.

Wanted a very long steady run to finish the week off. Decided 2 x ML1 + a Bay would be very testing. Ending with a lap of the Bay means I can watch the finishing pace to keep it firm to the end of the mornings session.

Lap 1 : 69.58 - slower that yesterday but I knew there was a long way to go.
Lap 2 : 58.58 - increased the pace overall but was slowing on the hills at the end.
Bay : 36.47 for 5.15 pace for a good solid finish.

Pleased with the weeks sessions for a total of 145k.