All Over Bar The Shouting

First up here are a couple of pics from our pre-GC dinner on Tuesday night. What a great night. How lucky were we to get words of wisdom from two of Australia's best marathoners.


Kerryn McCann & Pat


Liz, Tess, Kerryn, Tara


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It was a fun session at PCRG yesterday. We did some 30/30s, but not flat out. There was no pressure, which was great as I got to hang out with Clairie a lot. Everybody was in top moods, there was such a buzz amongst the group. I guess it was a mix of nerves and excitement.

On Sunday my plan is to go out around 5:05 to 5:10 pace and see what happens. Its unlikely but if I can maintain that I'll come home under 3h40m. Think I'll load at least 4 hours of music on the iPod just in case :-)

So that's it. I'd like to say all the work has been done but for me it hasn't. However, I've done as much as I possibly could have given the circumstances, can't ask much more than that.

Good luck to all, especially my fellow PCRG-ers who are running their very first half or full marathon. I am just so excited for you.

See you on the other side of the finish line :-)

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

Yesterday at PCRG after our warm up we had to do 3 or 4k at Sunday's race pace. I'm hoping to finish the marathon around the 3h45m to 3h50m mark so Tammy, Fi & I aimed to do around 5.17 pace. We were kind of close, a bit slow at times, a bit fast at others.

This morning I met up with more of the PCRG crew for a very easy 50mins. We did a bit of running in and around South Bank, mainly because we were trying to get our mugs on TV - the Today show was being broadcast live from there.

Mission accomplished, though if you blinked you would have missed it. Fellow PCRG-er Phil H recently took part in a big bike ride (GC to Rocky) and they raised $21000 for the charity. As he was being interviewed by Cam we ran past in the background :-)

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As I said I'm hoping to finish in around 3h50m at the GC but as I've only managed one 30k+ run since Canberra that time was factoring in slowing down and/or walking towards the end.

Putting my recent half mara, 3k and last Sunday's 10k times into a race time calculator it comes up with just over 3h30m. So now I'm wondering, should I go out at that pace (say 5:05ish) and see what happens? Or should I go out at a slower pace?

Either way the lack of long runs is going to get me and I'll be feeling the pinch well before the finish line is in sight.

Decisions ... decisions ...

BRRC 10 Champs

Saturday morn Mat and I started out early and put in about 5k before hooking up with the 6am gang for an 18k green bridge loop. I had no idea what pace we were going and was pleasantly surprised to find out we averaged 5:07s for the 23k as it felt very comfy.

It was great to have a couple of 'special guests' along - Michael from PCRG, and Sharon, who was 2nd lady in the Great Wall Marathon last month.

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Sunday morning was the 10k Champs at BRRC where I expected to come in around the 46 minute mark. Not that I was going to hold back, that's what I thought I was capable of at the moment.

Right from the outset Karen, Linda, Parmy and I formed a little pack. The four of us are around the same standard so it was game on! There were just two girls ahead of us and after a few kms we reeled one of them in. The other is a 40 minute 10k runner, there was no chance of getting her.

Man, it was such hard working hanging in there. Half of me was saying 96 points for 5th would be good and I'd win my category anyway, but the other half said "toughen up" and go for 2nd and 99 points. Unfortunately for her around the 6k mark Parmy dropped backed a little (also suffering the dreaded gammy hammy syndrome) so that left three of us battling it out. With 3k to go I got a tiny bit ahead of them but knowing Karen has such a strong finish expected her to come back at me any time, and just after the 9k mark she did just that.

I tried my darnedest but couldn't catch Karen, but was glad she gave me a reason to push hard right to the end to finish 3 seconds behind her in 44:55. And Linda was just 3 seconds behind me to notch up her second best time over the distance. I can't remember the last time I raced like that. It was really tough and trying to stay focused was such a challenge. But it was kind of fun. And how good is it to run in a pack and push eachother like that!

There were lots of happy people out there including fellow bloggers Shane, Eddie, Blair (who I will hunt down next time!), and Robert Song. What a run in the 5k by Robert's Song's boy Kewell who's looking very good for the junior event at the GC next week.

Also I noticed several other PCRG-ers stepping up to collect bling for age category wins or places - great stuff guys!

Congrats also to Clairie who did the 10k Running4Research that started down the road after we wrapped up. Just a pity there wasn't a prize for "first pregnant lady who had to run part of the course with a 2k sign that BRRC inadvertently left out because she didn't want anyone in the Running4Research race to get confused".

Countdown

Wednesday morn I'd planned to meet some PCRG-ers at The Ship Inn. It was blowing a gale outside, and a bit on the chilly side, so it was like a dream come true when I turned my my mobile on 5am and there was a msg from Tammy to say everybody was piking - whew! Hit the gym later. I was hoping to do 10-12k but ran out of time and only did 2k before getting in to my other usual exercises.

The decline continued later when, at the Dendy Portside, the 3 week pre-marathon wagon made a brief pit stop I needed a red wine to warm myself up. Went and saw new Aussie flick Lucky Miles. Its great, though not being a Hollywood blockbuster (far from it!) it probably won't get too much pubicity. When I told people I was going the first question most asked was "Is it about running?" :-) Anyway, as Molly would say, do yourself a favour.

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Thursday morn at PCRG was our steady run and no-watch 1k. Funny, even though it was cold nobody was whinging too much, we were just glad that it was better than Wednesday.

Once again I was totally off with my 1k - I tried for 4:35 but did 4:16.

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This morning at PCRG was 6 x 2 min efforts on a loop in the Gardens that must be around 500m or so. As Pat said it was our last real hit out before GC, and being a shorter session I thought I'd push myself. It felt good. And I managed not to get lapped. But only just, one more rep and Matty would have blasted past me ... and of course he let me know :-)

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Gold Coast .... 9 more sleeps .... we're excited!

PCRG - 3k TT

Went out for a 10k no-watch run late Sunday morning, so late that by the time I got home it was afternoon. Anyway, after a pretty painful 32k the previous day this run was close to pain free. That's what happens when I don't have a rest day :-)

Bumped into Pat and Sue who were enjoying a lovely winter's day at South Bank.

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It wasn't cold but it sure was windy for this morning's 3k TT. I was hoping to go under 12:25 but that goal was out the window when, after battling a shocking headwind, I hit halfway in 6:26. The run back certainly felt easier, I did it in 6:15. So not a good total time (12:41) but I wasn't too disappointed when I found out most people were 10 to 20 seconds off what they hoped for. And its not often I do a negative split.

There was no hammy pain. Well, not while running. I have it now sitting here.

Conditions and times aside it was such a great morning as we were getting filmed for Pat's latest DVD and that's always a laugh. Needless to say there were quite a few shenanigans that Clairie and I thought were funny at the time that could prove to be embarrassing later. At least we weren't the only ones in the congo line :-)

Too Cool For School

PCRG on Thursday was 2 x 1500m (1min SR) and then something when we finished that, depending how long it took. My times were a little sad, though consistent, both 6:15s. Then with barely 25 seconds rest it was off on an out to 'the white van' and back. The van was parked past the 500m mark, so that turned into a 1.x rep. Not sure exactly how far but it took me 4:28.

Not the best session time wise, I just can't seem to get moving in the cold ... though the actual temp was around 9, the apparent temp was just over 6. I had the long sleever on for the whole time. On a good note, however, the hammy seemed happy :-)

I was thinking of backing up for the same session Friday, with the idea of taking it slower, but told myself I was due a rest day. To be honest though I just couldn't face the thought of being out there in the cold again. Should've gone, it was perfect - around 14 degrees.


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Hit the road about 5.15am this morning and put in a couple of kms on my own before joining in other early starters Mat, Sal and Andrew for half an hour. We then met up with the 6am people and headed out to New Farm and beyond.

I ended up running for just over 2h50m and doing about 32k. It was a real struggle. Unlike Thursday the hammy was annoying most of the way and it wasn't until the 28k mark that it started to feel alright.

Funny, its always much worse after a rest day. The best its felt in months was immediately after the Warwick Pentathrun. Hmmmm, and its supposed to be an overuse injury.

QUEENSLANDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday on the pgm at PCRG it was -

1k - 3:59
500m - 1:58
1k - 4:07
500m - 1:57
1k - 4:06

For those around me we followed this up with a 2 min effort. Then a handful of us finished up with a run up Gold Coast Hill before heading back to base.

My times for the reps weren't that great, I wasn't expecting them to be, but a slight improvement on last month. So I might be heading in the right direction once more. Tuesday's 3k TT will tell all.

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With an RDO today I didn't see the point in braving the cold for a 5.30am start. By 8am when I left for my run (a 12.5k green bridge loop from home) it had warmed up a fraction but but the wind had picked up. It made for slightly unpleasant conditions in parts, especially along the river.

That makes five days running in a row, the most I've done in a couple of months.

Saw Al the Pod later in the afternoon for a pre GC check up. He made some adjustments with things which will make me run way faster :-)

Saw Mark the Massage Man even later in the afternoon for a pre GC check up. He made some adjustments with things too - yowser!

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State of Origin :-)



My nephew about an hour before kickoff.

PCRG Gold Coast Rehearsal

On Saturday morn I just wanted a shortish run. After setting off with the entire gang on the green bridge loop once we hit Highgate Hill I took the 'soft option' and ran straight back to South Bank with Andrew and Brett. All up 12.5k or thereabouts.

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Headed down to Runaway Bay later in the arvo for the PCRG GC Rehearsal weekend. It was great, and so relaxing just hanging out and chatting over drinkies and dinner.

Sunday morning we all set out at 6am and ran on the course to the marathon turnaround point and then back south. For this section Andrew and I stuck together and were constantly pushing out 4:50kms, though it didn't feel that 'fast'. He turned back at Southport and I ran most of the stretch down to Surfers and back with Fi, the pace dropped back to around 5:30s I think. I did the last few kms on my own as I needed to speed up a little in order to minimise the hammy/glute pain.

At around 27k all up that's my longest run since Canberra, the legs sure knew about it though :-( Makes me wonder how I'm going to do another 15k on top of that in a few weeks time.

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Stayed overnight at Mermaid Beach Sunday night and Monday morning though it would be good to do the remaining 15k so it was down to the Miami turnaround and up to Surfers and back.

Talk about absolutely perfect running conditions at the coast both days, you honestly couldn't ask for anything better. If its like that on marathon day I'll almost be happy that I'll be out there for a long time :-)

Green Light Go

Yesterday at PCRG it was efforts (5mins, 4mins, 5mins, 3mins, a hill), and it was an effort. I was struggling, both physically and mentally. I think I was just really tired from working the night before. I was happy to push through and get it done.

Saw physio Adam later in the afternoon after spending 80 mins at the gym. Not sure if that was the best idea, then again he got to see the effects of both a hard PCRG session and all my strengthening exercises. Anyway, the good news is he's give me the okay to totally resume my normal program - yay!

So by my calculations that gives me three days training before its taper time for the Gold Coast .... I started with a rest day today :-)

PCRG - Hills

Yesterday at PCRG it was a hill session in The Gardens. I had a bit of DOMS from Sunday's race (especially in my calf muscles) so started out steady. Nothing much hurt so just gradually increased the effort with each hill. And to make up for not going 100% on the ups I didn't back off on the downs.

After the final rep we all gathered at the top of the hill and Pat selected four people, including Julie, to do one last shorter rep. As they headed down he sneakily informed us it was Julie's birthday as so as she powered up the hill we formed a guard of honour and sang "Happy Birthday". Cute :-)

Its A Fine Line ...

between pleasure ...



and pain ....



I think at Doomben on Sunday I crossed that fine line around the 18k mark :-)

Scott asked if there was any reason I did it so hard. I'm putting it down to a combination of no long runs, the fatigue from 90 mins of physio exercises, core work, stretching etc at the gym Saturday, and lack of iron in the diet of late (thanks for the reminder Clairie, I ate half a cow on Sunday night). But I reckon its mainly not doing those long runs.

Perhaps what I need is some performance enhancing drugs. Then again ....

Qld Half Marathon

The 'A' goal today was to run sub 1h40m, the 'B' goal sub 1h45m. I did a three km warmup before the start, not really to warm up but because the physio has said I can start doing longer runs :-)

The first 14 or 15k were going okay, I was just slightly under target. But after that things started getting tough and it was a real effort. At around 18k the 1h40m pack caught up to me, and Steve L (the pacer) gave me a tap on the arm and some words of encouragement. It was just what I needed, and I hung in with them.

At 20k I was shot. Thank goodness Langy was out on the course warming down and saw how much I was suffering ... so made me suffer more and dragged me that final stretch before turning into the grounds of the racecourse. From there it was just a 'sprint' to the finish and I crossed the line in 1:39.20 or 21.

So I was more than happy with my time, but certainly not happy with how I felt, especially in the closing stages. It was almost akin to that feeling you get at the 35k mark in a marathon. Without the encouragement of fellow PCRG-ers Celeste (who finished about 10 seconds in front of me), Steve L and Langy I doubt if I would have achieved my goal, so am very grateful to all of them.

On the bright side I came 2nd in my category.

And it was a course PB.

And once again rather than a finisher's t-shirt we got a towel, way more useful.

And I got to listen to lots of great music - started with The Saints "Swing For The Crime", finished with The Strokes "Hawaii Aloha".

And my new in-ear earphones worked a treat - no more elastoplast holding the bud types in!

But best of all I got to give both Speedygeoff and Robert Song a post race punch in the belly :-)

Do This Don't Do That

With many of the crew competing at Doomben on Sunday (half marathon or 10k - I've entered the half) Thursday morning's session was 30/30s followed with the monthly no-watch 1k. I nominated 4:35 for that.

The 30/33s were good, not too strenuous. As we were lining up for the 1k Toasty hunted me down and informed my he'd put down the same time as me, he wanted the opportunity to stir me for 4 minutes and 35 seconds. Luckily for me we were a tad ahead of pace and finished in 4:09.

Saw Adam the physio later in the afternoon and he says I can/should ...
increase the length of my runs - yay!
not to do slow runs as they seem to hurt more - makes sense
run every second day for now to allow for recovery - dang!
eat chocolate every day - I think I made that one up :-)