Monday: Easy around the Bay

The second day after a marathon the DOM's usually are the worst. Surprising as I have none. No soreness, nothing , zip. So I went for a cruisy run around the Bay. I felt good - the weather was cool but pleasant, it is getting lighter earlier and the start to the day seemed to have a brightness and lightness to it.

Not that grey uninviting type of winters morning.

I stopped halfway around to do some stretching at a sailing club. I stretch on a deck over the water. It is so pleasant to hear the water lapping on the shore, away from the traffic and have the sun rise over the water to the east. This morning I took all that in. After the stretching I just sat with my legs over the deck to take time to acknowledge how lucky I am and how wonderful it is to be fit and healthy.

I then needed to snap back into reality as I was in Court this morning and needed to get moving to be there on time.

Update : Bush Capital Marathon 4.35.51

During the week after the M7 I did not run except on Friday.

This event this year was just going to be a finish under 5 hours. I drove down with Seris leaving home at 3.45am and we arrived just on 7 for a 7.30 early start. The weather was about 8 Celsius which is warm for this event. It never really got much warmer and the cool breeze in the exposed areas made it feel cooler with the wind chill factor.

No split were taken but were had the Garmin on pace and know it had to be about 6.30 per k to be back in about 4.30. We turned at about 25k with the average around 6.28 and drifted off the pace on the way back.

Number #116 done. A week off before heading to Wagga. I am not entered in next weeks City to Surf. I need some home/wife time.

Sunday 25 July: M7 Marathon : 3.47.58

With splits of 1.48 + 1.59 it was garbage. The week before the second half was strong and exhilarating. This one the second half was depressing and like running on sticky tar. The quicker forgotten the better.

Injury update

The Achilles issue has not gone away and it is getting me down. My times are slow because I just cannot put in 140/150k weeks like I have done in the past. When I was injury free those distances in a week week were done easily and the time were 20 minutes faster.

The last Friday I saw a post on CR about Shock Wave Treatment for Achilles issues and with success when other treatments had ailed. This was good news so as we do in this age it was a net search fro some hours - to fins out what it was, how successful it was and what type of injury could be treated. All the information sounded good so the search was then to find if the treatment could be had in Sydney.

This is good Article:

http://painmuse.org/?p=105

That lead me to South Sydney Sports Clinic at Kensington.

I had an appointment on Monday with a physio. That went well and xrays were taken and viewed. I then had an appointment with Dr Grace Bryant OAM a Sports Dr. Her CV is fulof being on Olympic and CTH Games teams as the Dr. Also at the clinic is DR Nathan Gibbs who is well known in Rugby League circles. So it looked liked I was in the right place for experience.

Diagnosis:
Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy - simple terms and inflammation where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel. So the extreme pain is when you press the bone at the back of the heel NOT when you squeeze the Achilles above the ankle.

Treatment:

• a simple stretch to be done 3 time a day and not the usual stretches that are done for Achilles issues;
• anti inflams for a short while;
• nitrate patches; and
• shock wave treatment (late next week and maybe two more sessions a couple of weeks apart);
• and if all that fails taking blood out spinning and injecting back some of it (forget the name of the procedure)

The DR was very pleasant and informative. She says that the combination of the first 4 should work and I should have a significant improvement in 2/3 weeks. Lets see and hope this issue will just go away.

Consequence of injury:

• reduced training distances and intensity;
• slower race times;
• a concern about being able to compete in any ultra's later in the year because of the inability to run over uneven ground and up and down hills (shown by the inability to make the time in GNW and the very slow time at North Face);
• being 6/7 k overweight !!! Now that will slow you down in any event and add that to a reduction in training and .... so

NEW MONTH

NEW APPROACH

NEW ATTITUDE

NEW AND BETTER RESULTS

Hunter Valley Marathon : 3.40.51

Not the quickest time this year but a very satisfying run.

How you say? It was the strong second half that was very satisfying.

It was a very steady first half and a hard push to maintain the pace in the second half as the long steady hills on the second lap take their toll. I made to half way in about 1.49 which was about on target.

I ran strongly in the second half for about 1.51 split. I was counted past halfway in 48th position and finished in 34th. I was pleased with the strong second half - not for speed but the strength up the hills. I managed the hills very well and passed most of the runners on the up hills and once on the top was able to push on hard.

I guess sometimes it is not the time that is important or satisfying but how you run it and feel you have run it.

Week starting 12.07.10

Monday: 15.6k @ 6.25 in 99.44 (Call it Loop1)

Just a steady run with the pace falling away in the second half when most of the hills are encountered. I will just keep plugging away at this loop for the rest of the week.

Tuesday: 17.6k @ 5.52 in 103.38 (Loop 1 + Park loop)

Ran the same loop as yesterday and then doubled back and did a short sharp hill to add 2 ks tot he run. I felt much betetr today. More smooth and not as tight. It was a pleasure to run in the pre dawn that was cool but not cold. I am not sure of running medium long in the week before the marathon but then again this marathon is not much more than a training run. That is I will run it as hard as I can but there will be no taper - just like a usual training week with the Sunday long run.

Wednesday: Decided on caution and did not run

Thursday: 15 July: 18.8k @ 5.34 in 104.45 (Loop 1 + pool loop)

Almost the same as Tuesday with just a couple of more hills thrown in at the end. Pleased that there was a significant increase in the pace. Felt strong all the way subject to the achilles discomfort.

Friday: 16 July: Loop 1 as Monday but 5.28 pace in 84.33

I was almost going to not run but decided a short 15k would be fine. Wanted to see if I could get under yesterdays pace and still feel comfortable. Managed that and improved 15 minutes on Monday's time which goes to show how slow it was. A 5.30 pace is a betetr base building base when the k's are being built up.

No real pedictions for Sunday but around 3.45 - 3.50 will be the aim. I want a little left for the following weekend.

Sunday: Back into it

No watch and no regard for time. Ran about 15k over all of the hills around the Bay. I will measure and time it on Monday.

Update

I did not run a step from the CG Marathon to the following Sunday. I cannot remember last time I had 6 days off. I just felt like I needed a mental and physical break and I was busy at work and went in a few days very early.

With 5 marathons in the next 6 weeks then there will not be anytime to really recover and train in that period. However it is time that I changed focus for the second half of the year. The focus will be on as many k's as possible to build a base.

The only focus marathon left in the year is Melbourne in October. Other than that the marathons will all be run hard but they will be part of the bigger picture of base building for the ultra's later in the year. I expect that I will try to run them in about 3.45 so that I can resume training within a day or so. I still plan to run some ultra's but the achilles is not recovered and I am really concerned about my ability with that issue to be able to make the distance within the cut off time.

Gold Coast Marathon : 3.37.13

Splits of 1.44.30 and 1.52.43. Short report disappointing time and a disappointing time and a ..... . Get the idea.

I die too much in the second half and I need to get back to high weekly k's and longer runs each day otherwise the base is going to evaporate. Problem is with me running 3 marathons in three weeks later in July I don't have any chance of any training except a few recovery runs in between.

I guess I had better start to adjust to the idea of some slow ones. However Hunter Valley and Bush Capital are not fast events anyway so I guess the aim will be quicker than last year. The M7 I am not pacing this year so I can run at my own pace.

Thursday & Friday

No run on Thursday as I was planning on Friday a quick lap of the Bay.

I woke up at the usual time on Friday for a run then thought 'what am I doing planning to run a quick lap of the Bay and try to get under 30. What for?' My aim is to run a good Gold Coast marathon not a quick lap of the Bay. So getting my priorities right I didn't run. I guess that will give me a three day taper.

Still predict the same time but will be trying to get close to the 3.25 I ran last year.

Usual Wednesday : Bay 31.30 @ 4.30

It felt chilly on the warm up and on the run over the Iron Cove Bridge to where I meet JD and the Professor. However on the way to work they said it was the coldest Sydney morning ( June ?) in 61 years.

We didn't chat as usual. It was straight into the run with Proff leading out and setting the perfect pace for a 30.30 finish however I could not keep up and very quickly lost contact that was never going to be made up. I was hoping as a mental boast to go close to 30 but after hard session yesterday that was going to be hard and it is supposed to be a taper.

I never looked at my watch on the way around and just figured that as I was going as quickly as I could the time would take care of itself. It was 30 seconds slower that last week and I was hoping to go quicker but ....

Maybe I should now focus on the taper for the next few days.

Usual lap 12k : 56.31 @ 4.47

We have had the winter equinox and the morning are colder. This is the most difficult time to train for me as I just feel the cold so much. I know others train in the snow etc but I just feel the cold so much.

Anyway I was out and with a rest though my 12k loop could be hammered as I was kind of chasing a PB. That was run on the 24 April a week before the Canberra Marathon. As usual I ran how I felt with just one peek at the watch as about half way. Not quite a PB but 3rd fastest with other two in the same week before Canberra.

I now think 3.30 will be difficult and I expect I will be closer to 3.32/3.33.

No run

I felt a bit fatigued when I got up early. I thought there is nothing to be gained from 12k @ 5 pace in the week before the marathon. On balance I think the rest would be more helpful then the run. I need to feel a bit sharper than I do at the moment so I will have to manage the taper carefully and not do some runs just for the sake of running unless they are very slow and relaxed.

I will run the Bay on Wednesday and would like to go close to 30.30. I need to be rested to put in a good solid session on that morning.

Sunday 4 x 3k

It was an ambitious session as I wanted to get down to 4.35 or below average for each. However running to the start I felt there was no sharpness in the stride and thought that the quick 5k yesterday may have taken more speed out of the leg as that I thought.

That was easily confirmed by the first rep. I was not looking at the Garmin at all and was going on perceived effort and it felt as if I was going as fast as I could and thought that might be down around 4.30 for a 13.30. No way 14.24 @ 4.48. I almost jogged home and went back to bed but thought maybe that was warm up and set off for the second with about a 3 minute break in between.

I then run then in 4.35, 4.36 & 4.38 pace. Not as quick as I expected but still a firm session.

5K Challenge @ 4.19

I have not made one this year so it was pleasing to attend. The numbers were very low but there was a race on Sunday so most would have been resting for that. I thought my best would be between 22 - 23 and hoping for 22.30 @ 4.30 pace.

I started of at that pace or a bit quicker for the 1st K and that felt okay so I pressed on a bit faster to see if I could hold it. Managed a pleasing 21.35 @ 4.19. The time is not spectacular by any means but for the training I have been doing it was fine.

I doubt I have the time between marathons in the second half of the year to work on speed but to get a 20.xx would be nice.

No run : Recovery Friday

I had planned another 12k run this morning but felt I should have a rest day with the idea of a good 5k tomorrow morning. I guess taking a conservative approach and opting for a shorter higher intensity session with a rest day before. Also apart from the ever present Achilles issues I am absolutely injury free and I want to stay that way.

Time for GC marathon under just 3.30 will be fine under 3.25 would be the best result I could expect.

Easy day 12k @ 5.00

My usual 12k loop. The effort felt high but I could only manage 5 minute k's. The effort felt like it was closer to 4.45. But the plan was always to run this as a recovery run at 5 minutes k's and that is what happened.

The effort/pace issue is probably some residual fatigue from the faster sessions over the last few days. The same session tomorrow before hopefully a quick little 5k on Saturday morning.

Bay with Professor @ 4.26

The planned pace for this morning was to be no slower than 4.30 and the Proff was just the man to lead out and give me something to chase. It worked out just that way but as usual the first 3k were closer to 4.15 and a bit of a slow down at the end as you go through the uneven dirt section and then the stairs.

The time was 31.01 and hopefully next Wednesday I will get much closer to 30.

2 x 3k & 1 x 5k again

With no run yesterday I was hopeful of getting under 4.40 pace for each repeat. Rather a big improvement over 3 days but I thought it was possible because Tuesday was not flat out but not far from it and I was prepared today to push near to the limit but always with a bit in reserve mainly to avoid and injury.

3k @ 4.37

3k @ 4.35

5k @ 4.38

A pleasing result. I am not sure if these sessions will have much of an impact on GC Marathon but they are a pleasant change from the longer slower stuff.

I will do a quick lap of the Bay on Wednesday. Then a couple of 12k loops at just under 5 minute pace as the 'easy' days. On Saturday I might do the 5k Challenge and try and get close to 4.30 pace.

Rest day

I am aiming for high quality sessions and not quanity in the last week or so if training before the GC Marathon. So a rest today with the hope of repeating Sundays session but all at 4.40 (gulp).

2 x 3k & 1 x 5k

I am not sure what you call this type of session but it really doesn't matter about the name. It is all about just trying to get a bit of speed into the body.

I do not want a gut busting sub 20 minutes for 5k speed but just a bit of sharpening between now and Gold Coast marathon and I do not have much time to do much or achieve much but I will see what I can do in the time I have.

Today it was all about trying to do each rep at 4.45. I Could go a little quicker but I would probably get slower in the last few k's. So it was all about setting a manageable pace and being able to maintain it for each rep and tot he end.

3k @ 4.43

3k @ 4.42

5k @ 4.45

Nailed it !!!