Running 101

The past seven days looked something like this ...

Monday - 90 minute gym session (weights, core work etc).

Tuesday - 8 x 500m reps but with a reduced recovery (20 seconds). Aimed for 2:10s and was close, most were just a few seconds too quick. 12k all up including warmup and warmdown.

Wednesday - too wussy to run in the wind and rain so did 14k on the tready at the gym averaging 5min pace.

Thursday - the famous LKL run with JD, Eagle and Aunty K. A very pleasant run with some very pleasant company! All up around 18k. Not sure of the pace, a bit under 5:30s I guess.

Friday - 14k all up, some of it a bit under 5:30s, and some a bit over.

Saturday - CR 5k Challenge. Thought I'd do 22:30 or thereabouts and really couldn't see myself cracking 22 minutes. But I had Gnomey by my side the whole way and he was pacing perfectly, the km split times were only seconds apart. Crossed the line in 21:44. I'm sure he could have gone faster, especially when Rags caught us and then passed us, but he hung in there with me ... such a gentleman :-)
12k for the day including a 2k warmup and the run back to the start line.

Sunday - Started out with JD, ran 1k to the bay and did a lap (7k) with the goal of running 5min pace. Came in with a few seconds to spare. We tried to slow on the next lap but still it was 5:03s. Then he left me to my own devices and I managed another 16k without dropping too much speed. All up 31k in just over 2h37 (av 5:05s). Happy with that, but I was totally knackered!
Along the way bumped into Caro, Kit and Razor, and Marty, and stopped for a chat with all of them. So a very social outing.

Lots of kms for the week, 101 in fact :-) Still, is just six weeks until Melbourne I'm not feeling even close to ready.

Post C2S Post

Since C2S .....

Mon - East recovery run, about 9k. Ventured out to Fitness First at North Strathfield. Ok, but nowhere near as nice as my local at Toowong.

Tue - 8 x Lillyfield Rd hill reps. Got faster on each one. First seven 3:17 to 3:04, then hammered the downhill on the 8th to do 2:53. 13k all up.

Wed - 1h40m (18k or so). Got a funny knee pain all of a sudden during the run, not sure what it was. Seemed to disappear almost as quickly as it came on.

Thu - If I tapped my kneecap I could feel a little pain :-( Wierd. Rather than risk anything by running I did 90min gym sess at FF in Park St in the city. This FF was more like what I was used to, though the girl at reception wanted to hit me for $15 for a card so I could put my gear in a locker! When I said "forget it" she mentioned I could use some others that were basically free (put in $2 but you get it back when you get your gear out).

Fri - Knee felt okay so did 90 min run at lunchtime around the bay and surrounds. Holy hell it was windy, I was almost hoping my knee would give me trouble so I'd have an excuse to bail!

Sat - Met up with CR Blues Buffett (as in Jimmy Buffett) at Woolies at Kings Langley. We ran on the track beside the M7 and soon hooked up with Ian (CR nite-time-runner) and his boy Lachy (on his bike). Not sure where we were but it was a great run! They took me over part of the Cities Marathon course. The time flew. We were planning just 90 minutes but by the time we got back to the cars it was 1h 55m. It was a bit of a hike from Annandale but sure worth the effort. Can't wait to do it again!

Sun - I was planning a long run but didn't want to go in the rain (very wussy) so instead hit the gym (Park St again) for 90 mins.


*****


A few happy snaps from C2S ....

Superflake, Tesso & Duffman at the startline


Passing the cheersquad (just before the 13k mark)


Approaching the finish line


Post race celebrations


And speaking of C2S, my teammate Andrew and I came second in the Interstate and/or Overseas Mixed Team division - woohoo!

City To Surf

Friday - Annandale to King's Wharf and around Darling Harbour then back via the waterfront and Anzac Bridge then around the streets until I clocked up 90 mins.

Saturday - 2 laps of the bay from Timbrell. Ran anti-clockwise then clockwise wondering if I'd bump into anyone I knew - nope! Then did a bit of an out and back and lap of Timbrell until I'd done 90 minutes.


****


Sunday - City To Surf

After the previous couple of days I figured I was likely to come in around 68 minutes, so set the goal as sub 70. Got to the start line around 7am for the traditional CR gathering. I so look forward to this, its such a big part of the event. I also look forward to the chocolate flakes provided by Superflake :-) Its amazing just how quickly that two hours go when you are in such good company!

Run wise I found it hard to get too enthused to bust a gut, I didn't see the point in thrashing myself and not being able to run for a couple of days. Its not that easy to go flat out in the crowd anyway. Still, I didn't totally bludge. Heartbreak Hill was hard, I swear there were an extra couple of hills thrown in at the end of it! Got to halfway in a couple of seconds over 35 minutes and started to worry a little that I might not break 70 minutes.

It was getting pretty hot out there, definitely the warmest of all four C2S's I've done. But I'd forgotten how much easier the second half of the race is, especially from about 10k onwards. And there's always the anticipation of running past the cheersquad at 13k, just thinking about that gives you such a lift.

Running the home straight I could hear Pat on the mike and so turned off the iPod and ran over to the side of the road the stage is on so he could see me and screamed out "hey Pat!!!" It was so cool, he must've announced my name at least three times.

I ran under the finish clock just as it was clicking over to 67 minutes, but forgot to sprint on to the time card people, my official finish time was 67:05. A three minute negative split and under target - gotta be happy with that :-)

Everybody wants to work ...

..... no no not me!

So, why is this song stuck in my head? Might have something to do with having three months long service leave :-)

Which explains my absence from Blogsville. First up I was busy cleaning up my unit for my house sitter. Place looked so good I almost stayed. Then I had to pack. Then drive. Then settle in to my new temporary digs. And I had no internet access until now. But its just dial up which runs slower than I do.


*****


The last couple of weeks have looked like this ....

Thu - 4 x 1k. Times were 3:58 to 4:10. Not looking so good for the TT.

Sat - 32k (av 5:28 pace) with Mat & Sal. A great run, and Sal's first river loop :-)

Sun - 50mins or so with Toasty

Tue - 3k TT in 12:37. I think I talked myself into a shocker! At least it was 4 seconds faster than the last one.

Wed - lap of Mt Coot-tha with Mat, Celeste, Tom & Andrew. Tom & Andrew's first Mt Coot-tha :-)

Thu - my last PCRG session for a while :-( For some strange reason Pat thought I was leaving for good. I wonder what crazy (pregnant) person gave him that idea. It was sooooo much fun! I even got a giant card signed by everyone and a lovely pressie. I think I'll have to pretend to go away forever more often.






Fri - a lovely 50 minute run around Forster. What a beautiful place, I was tempted to set up house there until November ;-)

Sat - 8 x 500m efforts at Timbrell Park. Ran these a bit slower than I normally would (around 2:10 to 2:15 pace) but with a reduced recovery (20 to 25 seconds).


Hmmm, that 500m marker must be here somewhere ...


Sun - Annandale, Glebe, Pyrmont, Anzac Bridge loop. Kept on going until I'd notched up 70mins.

Mon - too lazy to do my long run on the weekend so 30k in and around the bay (av 5:27 pace). Very tough on my own - as much as I can't survive without my iPod give me my usual running buddies for company any day!

Tue - easy lap of the bay

Wed - weights and stuff at the little gym downstairs

Thu - 3k warmup followed by efforts at Timbrell - 4min, 2min, 4min, 2min, 4min, 2min, 4min (30sec JR). 2k warmdown.


*****


It certainly doesn't take long to get used to this holiday caper. Hopefully I'll catch up with some Sydneysiders soon. Perhaps if I could haul myself outside to run before 9am I might even bump in a few of them around the bay. I guess there'll be one or two C2S on Sunday :-)