Belated update

Over 2 months since my last entry. Where has the time gone ????

Despite my lack of posts I have continued to run almost daily over the period. Since the Hobart marathon I have not run any events and just trained building base. I don't feel I have progressed far but that is the usual feeling when you are in solid training and it is difficult to run fresh and test where you are really at. However I will have an opportunity to do some testing in May with a marathon on the first weekend and another on the last weekend with the North Face 100k in the middle.

Am I fitter and faster than when I ran the Hobart marathon. I would hope so. Training since then has be consistent and injury free except for the continued issues with both Achilles. The Achilles have each improved but are still present to the degree that I still cannot stretch out fully and so I have not even thought about any short speed training.

March was 452k of really quality base training.

Just a snap shot of some training times to see where I am at (really for me to prove that that work is paying off). I have 3 courses I run regularly - 12k around the Bay (A lap) and 8.5k also around the Bay (B lap) and a 26k loop around many of the bridges over the Harbour. In the last week I have run PB's over each.

I will list the time for the first I ran them after the Hobart marathon and the present time:

Lap A: 74.26 now 59.43

Lap B: 57.18 now 44.32

Lap A & B : 2.11.42 now 1.46.28

Bridges: 2.50 now 2.32

None of the times are below 5 min pace but I have chosen courses with as many hills as I can find close to the Bay run. If you search there are enough to make 5 min pace difficult.

I have continued with running with Johnny Dark each Wednesday with a couple of laps of the Bay. When we started I was happy with 37 and JD was very patient in slowing down for me. Last week it was about a draw with a nice slick 31.37.

So I guess when I look back (which I have not done before this post) there has been significant improvement. I hope that the races in May will reflect the training. However they are not focus marathons. McLeay River in June and Gold Coast in July are the real focus marathons for this year. Any others that I run will not be as focused and will really be points on a road to the big ultras at the end of the year.

Being timed out at GNW was not good and I intend to be back again this year and not have the cut off times to be an issue. However whilst that thought is high in my mind I will enjoy the journey to it over the next 7/8 months.

No run

Last working day before Easter. I should have my priorities right but I just HAD to get some things finished at the College so up at the usual time and at my desk just after 7.00am. I did miss my regular early morning fix around the Bay and it would have been the perfect way to get into the 4 day holiday mood.

Maitenance: 21k @ 6.05

This was exactly the same 2 loops that I ran on Tuesday. With a shorter and faster session on Wednesday and a rest on Thursday I expected this to be much quicker and feel more comfortable. That turned out to be the case.

Tuesday was 2.11 @ 6.30. I was out before the sun was up but it did not take long for the humidity to increase to make the run very uncomfortable near the end. It is pleasing to get the maintenance runs down near 6 minute pace during the training week. Always remembering that during the training week it is near impossible to run at race pace unless you have had a few easy days before. Doing that just defeats the purpose of a solid training week.

No run : passive rest

Increase session : 2 x Bay

Not a speed session because each lap of the Bay is 7k so it is more tempo but it really doesn't matter what you call it - the first lap was as quick as I could go and maintain a steady pace of 5 (35.03) minute k's.

Took a 5 minute break before starting the second lap that I knew would be slower and tougher and 5.32 (38.40) pace is fine. The purpose of the session is to run as quick as you can but over a long distance to build speed and stamina. Over a period of time the pace that can be held over the same course should come down. That is because of the effect of each session in the base building phase.

Maintenace of 21k @ 6.30

Just trying to maintain the fitness base by running steady. The pace is way off where I would like to be but I know patience is what is needed and soon 6 minute ks on a recovery run will come easily. Soon I hope.

As Lydiard discusses - at the start of the base building and trying to get to 160k a week the pace is not important but getting the time on your feet is important. The pace must not be a slow jog but firm. However firm is not related to any partiular pace but a feeling that related to your present fitness level.

So at the moment it is a matter of grinding out each day even though I am already fatigued by the increased k's. But I have done this before and hopefully in a couple of weeks it will all become a little less difficult.

Recovery : 14k @ 7.04

A conservative approach to recovery would have been no run and a rest. So today with a more aggressive approach it was a very steady run but over all of the hills I have found around the Bay. Not sure if a tough hill course run slowly equates to a recovery session.

SMC Half Marathon @ 5.34

I thought I could run a bit quicker but there was still some tiredness in the legs from the marathon. The weather was hot and humid and I did struggle over the last third. I ran with Seris and Bernie G and we had agreed that steady and under 2 hours was the aim. We maintained a steady pace and ran 1.57.03. Slower by a few minutes than the last SMC half but the marathon and weather probably account for that.

It is time to:

• significantly start to increase the weekly distance and pay attention to that; and
• have some well defined purpose to the daily training sessions.

So I will start the Lydiard base building as I set out in late November 2008. That is days that are aimed to maintain the base (medium and quickish); increase the speed so shorter and faster that any other run and the longest and slowest run of the week on Sunday. The first 2 types of runs will be run on alternate days with Saturday off.

The maintenance run will be in the 20/22k range and at the moment as close to 6 minute ks although I cannot do that at the moment. I am fatigued and so they are slower but that is fine they will over a short period of time come down.

The increase sessions will be either 2 laps of the Bay in about 5.15/5.30 pace or a very hilly 14 to increase strength.

The long run on Sunday should start off at about 24/25k and be increased.

See how we go.

Update & Cadbury Marathon

On New Years Day I did do the 10k Twilight run and with a long run in the morning I was expecting it to be slow. However I felt okay and ran with Horrie and we finished in 53 or so. How surprising. Horrie thanks for the company and chat - it has been a while and we must do it more often.

I ran a few times in Tassie before the marathon but more early morning sightseeing and not really training.

The Achilles is slowly improving and so I thought that would not bea big issue but lack of long runs would cause a significant melt down in the second half. However I wanted to give myself a chance of getting under 4 hours so the plan was to run as close to 2 hours for the half with just a few minutes buffer if possible.

I ran 3.59.49 and for where I am at in regard to training and dealing with the recovery from injuries to both Achilles I was very pleased (read surprised and delighted) to be under 4 hours. If it was this time last year I would have expected closer to 3.15 but that was last year .... . The splits were about 1.56 and 2.03 and it was surprising to hold the pace in the second half as I have done no runs over 24k in 4 months and then only 3 of those in the last 2 weeks before the marathon. There was no taper as I had no k's to drop back from.

The injuries gave me little problems during the race and so I am pleased with the progress of the recovery.

Ran an easy Bay this morning as the first run after the marathon. I intend to run another 10 at the Twilight run this afternoon.

Happy New Year

I wanted to run 2 Bridges runs on consecutive days. To start the New Year off on a positive note today was going to be it. It was not about getting a time close to 2.15 like yesterday but about making it around and testing the Achilles as that would make it 52k of running in 24 hours. That is a huge effort considering where I was a month ago.

I made it in 2.27, the Achilles held out but the last 7k were a struggle. I was pleased with not only getting around but managed a half descent time as well. Over all in the month of recovery I am very pleased with the progress with no niggles to the Achilles all positive moving forward.

There is a CR 5/10k run around the Bay this evening and I may go to it as a very slow recovery

I am off to Tasmania tomorrow morning for a week of touring with teh family and then on the 10th January the Hobart Marathon. It is not anymore than a slow run to make the distance. No pressure and I do hope that if all goes well on the day to be no slower that 4.30. It will be marathon 109 and I have only had 5 over 4 hours but with my present fitness I know under 4 willnot be possible but I accept that in the circumstances.

Last day of the Year 2009

Continued on my way with alternate days between my Bridges runs. If you have forgotten it is 22k long and with about 950m rise and fall. That may not sound much but I can tell you there are some serious hills in the run and so anything like a descent flat course pace is impossible. I have been doing it because it is a good distance and the hills should build a little strength in the Achilles.

They by the way are responding well to the build up in distance and seem to be improving to the extent that on the start sometimes there is minimal pain and it does not get much worse as the run progresses. In addition the pain is no longer sharp and intense but more a dull ache. I assume that means they are on the mend.

Anyway the Bridges run in 2.14.30 and I was pleased to get under 2.15 and for the moment will be happy with that PB in this recovery period. I now need not speed (if that is what 6.06 pace is) but more distance/endurance. That will be the focus in the next 5/6 weeks.

I had a phone conversation with Malcolm Anderson (we had exchanged a few emails in the previous few day). Why mention it? Well he interviewed me for this book :

http://www.experiencebooks.ca/100clubdetails.html

I am still not sure how he found me but he had read this Blogg and some other stuff.

And then in the afternoon went for an easy run around the Bay at sunset with a beautiful coll breeze. Then headed off down the end of the peninsular at Balmain to watch the fireworks around Sydney Harbour.

Another rest day

Bridges Run : 2.17.58 @ 6.23 (22k)

Isn't encouraging when you are returning after an injury to see the times get quicker so often without what seems like no greater effort. Or maybe on the first one I was just lazy. It is amazing how quickly the body can respond to the training stress and rest when you start off from a low base of fitness.

Anyway it is good to knock another 7 minutes off the time run 2 days ago. This will not last but that is fine as I add another 5k on later in the week and will expect the pace to slow down again. As I said that's fine as at the moment this is all about recovery and building a base so that I can run each week 130k without difficulty. I hope that will become possible by mid February. I will leave my racing to when it counts.

Christmas Day

I was up too late to do the run around the Bay. It is always difficult because we entertain my wife's family for Christmas Eve lunch that always extends late into the night. So I always look forward to the run on Christmas morning to ... well feel better from the over indulgence of the day before.

Anyway I knew the family would sleep late and so I could go long. I also felt I need to get started on some longer runs to increase the endurance base. So it was a 22k loop around Sydney Harbour that I call my bridges run. Because it goes over a lot of bridges in the loop from home, Gladesville, Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge.

I haven't done this for a while and did the shortened version by cutting out a loop around Lady Macquarie's Chair and the Rocks. Yes too much information. It has a lot of up hill in the first 11k and I thought it was about time to test the Achilles.

Anyway an ugly slow 2.30.58 @ 6.51. I expect the only good thing about run is that they should get quicker.

No running : rest

Bridges Run : 2.24.30 @ 6.32

With the day's rest the second time around was much quicker. The first half with all the hills was very much the same and almost all of the time was gained in the second half. It was very firm in that second half and the Achilles seemed okay. When I cool down the slight limp returns but that happens if it is just a lap of the Bay.

I was more pleased that this was my 3rd run in 8 days over 20k and I felt as if some base is being developed without the Achilles recovery going backwards.

Boxing Day : rest

Bay Lap TT : 35.36 @ 5.06

After the recovery run yesterday I was fresh this morning. As a bit of a guide to where I will move in fitness in the next 3/4 weeks a I wanted a TT to set the benchmark. And in the recovery process over the next few months I will use a fast lap of the bay to gauge where I am at. The time was at least 3 minutes faster that what I have been doing on the double laps but the really don't count.

Maybe the 46.xx I did at the end of November was a true indication of where I was at, at that time.Still 35 is still a long way from the 29.xx I would like to do in early June.

Easy recovery : 15k @ 6.30

Decided to run some streets around the Bay that I either have never run before or only a few times. I just wanted and easy 15k with some new scenery. It was pleasant and it is the last day of work for the year for me so I was in no hurry and want to ease into the break without any stress.

Bay x 2 : 39.45 & 38.45

The first lap was a hard push with the humidity rising and before I was warmed up. I was dreading the second lap but put my head down focusws on efficient running and good form. Two good steady laps that continue to build base but ever so slowly.