Banjo Players' Tour De Sydney
Spent the weekend in Sydney as it was my OLDER sister's 50th birthday. Co-incidentally Clairie had to spend the weekend there too for work reasons. It was kind of like a training camp, with a bit of partying thrown in :-)
*****
FRIDAY - CELEBRITY SPOTTING
I thought I'd take Clairie on a running tour including Darling Harbour, the Opera House, and the little hill up past the Observatory (well, it seemed little compared to when I ran up it last time at the 40k mark of the marathon 2 years ago). The plan was an easy 8k, though it ended up being over 12k.
During the run we stumbled upon a small crowd gathered in Martin Place and just had to stop to see what was going on. 'Sunrise' was being recorded so we stopped for a squiz. Sports reporter Mark Baretta looked over and gave us a big wave as if he knew us. We wandered around to the part where people stand to get themselves on tele, Kevin Rudd was being interviewed and had to share the spotlight with us :-)
****
SATURDAY - CR 5K CHALLENGE
I was hopeful but wasn't expecting to go under last month's time of 22:20. Still, I headed out with the 22min group of JD, Kit, The Professor and a guy pushing a kid in stoller, with the goal of running 22 flat (4:24 per km). JD mentioned at the 2k mark we had a few seconds in the bank and so that made me determined to hang on. I lost the plot a bit in the 4th km but put the foot down in the last.
Splits -
4:20
4:22
4:24
4:26
4:19
Total (adding in the fractions) was 21:50 :-)
Eagle decided Clairie needed to see, and run, the Lilyfield Rd hill. JD, Rags and I went along with them and then ran back to the start line via the other side of the bay. It was about a 12k morning including the warm-up. It concluded with a great brekky at The Cove catching up with lots of our Sydney CR counterparts.
Somewhere during the race when I was still feeling good (must be early on!)
Post race - Razor, Clairie, Ray, JD, Tesso and Kit
Thanks so much to Gnomey for the pics :-)
*****
SUNDAY - LONG RUN
Clairie, JD, Eagle and I headed out on the Strider's Western Wanderers course. We were averaging around 5:05s and so I thought I'd try to hand in with my speedier counterparts for at least the first 10k. I managed to stick with them until 18k where I decided to skip a little 4k loop they were doing and run back to the start to give me 30k all up.
I challenged myself to keep the pace going until the half mara mark, and then the 22k mark where I stopped to put my iPod on. Strangely with my music maintaining the pace was easy. After 28k I was still on 5:05s. I walked up the stairs and on to Iron Cove Bridge and was planning two easy kms to wind down .... after flying over the bridge .... and zooming down the hill from the bridge. Now with just over 1500m to go I didn't see the sense in backing off and in fact the last 2kms were sub 5s.
30k averaging 5:05s - noice :-)
*****
Apologies to all the locals for the traffic chaos we caused with our three day visit, roads were blocked and even the Harbour Bridge was closed for a while. I just hope all the fuss didn't bother visiting US Vice Pres Dick Cheney too much either.
*****
FRIDAY - CELEBRITY SPOTTING
I thought I'd take Clairie on a running tour including Darling Harbour, the Opera House, and the little hill up past the Observatory (well, it seemed little compared to when I ran up it last time at the 40k mark of the marathon 2 years ago). The plan was an easy 8k, though it ended up being over 12k.
During the run we stumbled upon a small crowd gathered in Martin Place and just had to stop to see what was going on. 'Sunrise' was being recorded so we stopped for a squiz. Sports reporter Mark Baretta looked over and gave us a big wave as if he knew us. We wandered around to the part where people stand to get themselves on tele, Kevin Rudd was being interviewed and had to share the spotlight with us :-)
****
SATURDAY - CR 5K CHALLENGE
I was hopeful but wasn't expecting to go under last month's time of 22:20. Still, I headed out with the 22min group of JD, Kit, The Professor and a guy pushing a kid in stoller, with the goal of running 22 flat (4:24 per km). JD mentioned at the 2k mark we had a few seconds in the bank and so that made me determined to hang on. I lost the plot a bit in the 4th km but put the foot down in the last.
Splits -
4:20
4:22
4:24
4:26
4:19
Total (adding in the fractions) was 21:50 :-)
Eagle decided Clairie needed to see, and run, the Lilyfield Rd hill. JD, Rags and I went along with them and then ran back to the start line via the other side of the bay. It was about a 12k morning including the warm-up. It concluded with a great brekky at The Cove catching up with lots of our Sydney CR counterparts.
Somewhere during the race when I was still feeling good (must be early on!)
Post race - Razor, Clairie, Ray, JD, Tesso and Kit
Thanks so much to Gnomey for the pics :-)
*****
SUNDAY - LONG RUN
Clairie, JD, Eagle and I headed out on the Strider's Western Wanderers course. We were averaging around 5:05s and so I thought I'd try to hand in with my speedier counterparts for at least the first 10k. I managed to stick with them until 18k where I decided to skip a little 4k loop they were doing and run back to the start to give me 30k all up.
I challenged myself to keep the pace going until the half mara mark, and then the 22k mark where I stopped to put my iPod on. Strangely with my music maintaining the pace was easy. After 28k I was still on 5:05s. I walked up the stairs and on to Iron Cove Bridge and was planning two easy kms to wind down .... after flying over the bridge .... and zooming down the hill from the bridge. Now with just over 1500m to go I didn't see the sense in backing off and in fact the last 2kms were sub 5s.
30k averaging 5:05s - noice :-)
*****
Apologies to all the locals for the traffic chaos we caused with our three day visit, roads were blocked and even the Harbour Bridge was closed for a while. I just hope all the fuss didn't bother visiting US Vice Pres Dick Cheney too much either.
posted by Tesso at 9:34 AM
19 Comments:
Sounds like a great weekend Tesso.
running really is the best way to see a place, well walking is but it would take too long. I'm sure you two were a happy inconvenience
to all those jaded Sydney-siders ;)
By the way the American news is reporting that "Aussies love Dick Cheney" some how I doubt it is really true. Sorry for those that think sport and politics shouldn't mix;)
Sydney-siders will put up with any inconvenience for Celebs like Tesso and Clairie..specially when thaey are in town at the same time.
VP Dick probably felt a bit peeved that you stole the limelight.
Sounds like a nice weekends running among other things Tess, sorry I missed you guys. I was gonna do the CR5km but a 60 minute drive to get there and the few wines the night before were not part of my taper plans. Oh well next time.
You are running well, hold it together for Canberra 50.
I'm already thinking of an excuse to go again!!!
ROAD TRIP!!!!!
It was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed being exhausted. I just filled out a nutritional datasheet and I am sad to say the last few days looks pretty woeful. Hope the dietitian will get me back on track. I kept telling her it was your fault for telling me about the bananna bread. It sounded innocent enough at the time but gosh when it came out!!!!!!
How about the bacon and egg roll on Sunday!!! Ha Ha Just after Eagle finished saying he brought us to a healthy organic cafe so we could have something other than bacon and eggs because he knew we were healthy hee heee
You ran really well on the weekend - in all the runs so I think you can safely say the mojo was found in Sydney.
Heh maybe it was our impromptu meeting with Dick Smith?
I hope you stayed away from Dick Cheney and the pointy end of his rifle!?!
Nice running - both times and places!
Does this mean that the reported "protests" in Sydney were actually mobs trying to get autographs from Tesso and Clarie?
Its great to see your back in the groove so to speak.
That's a great result for both Sat and Sundays run. Well done!
I figured the extra security measures for Dick were BECAUSE you and clairie were in town
Scott, i think the title of the US article didn't have the word Cheney in it and was about Qantas or something?...sry, couldn't resist...
I did hear there was some protesting around obsevatory hill.
Nice pace for 30 k's!!
I'm sure Cheney's security detail thanks you & Clairie for being such a great decoy ;-)
Sorry I didn't get a chance to catch up with you on this visit but I'll see you (lots) soon!
Sorry I couldn't get to the 5km challenge but had to work. Bummer! That's a great weekend's running. Things are looking good for Canberra.
So the mojo was found I take it!
Nice running Tesso, Baretta knows good athletes when he see's em :-)
What was our 'Free Beer' bet again? 21:15 wasn't it? ;)
I hope you gave your sister the newly traditional CR 'punch in the guts' for making it to that really old age! Poor old thing.
Now you know why I run with an ipod!
Good running and sounds like a great time in Sydney!
And what was that about a little hill up past the observatory? If my memory serves me well its was a huuuuge hill!
Now, you didn't mention whether Kevin Rudd looked excited to be on TV at the same time as you...
Great to see you Saturday. Coming down fro the next one? :-)
Gnome
Sounds like a great running weekend away there Tesso. And you could fit the party in as well. That's great.
It was nice to catch up on the weekend. BTW I had a look at the video from PCRG, those superheroes sure can run fast.
Wow you get around! have you got a sister working for Qantas or something?
Hope you enjoyed the 50th. Won't be too long now for both of us..
Still, we could be pretty fit 50 y/o's when you average us out ie me average, you super fit.
BTW, I thought that was you in the chopper overhead Saturday night...
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