GronkBlog

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2008-09-24T08:26:00.002+10:00

New Blog is here. :)

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2008-07-09T08:07:00.000+10:00

Sunday, bloody Sunday

2008-05-25T19:49:00.005+10:00

The Running Gods have taken someone else from me today. Today they took a friend of 35 years. I met Andrew in 3rd Class and we have remained firm friends till this very day. Andrew died in his sleep, assisted by a bout of pneumonia. When I spoke to him last week he was trying to put some cash together to spend Xmas with us in Switzerland.

Friends Until The End

by Stef Knudsen

We used to talk

We used to laugh

We were best of friends

I thought that's how it would always be

You taught me so much

Told me exactly what to say

I wish it were still the same

But someday I know it will

Maybe not today

But we'll meet up again

It won't be long until I see your face

In Heaven that marvelous day

Fucking hell !

Local and/or General

2008-05-22T08:23:00.005+10:00

I have been running, so I am guilty of failure to blog. My excuse is getting my house ready for sale. That's all done now and ready for you to buy it. [Uses Jedi mind trick] You know you want to ...

Last Sunday morning I ran about 8km in the park. With my tender shins I stuck to the grass/dirt and took it easy. They felt a tad dodgy afterwards, so I had to ice up. I also ran Tuesday for 5km and I think I'm on the improve. All to do with streeetching the calves for me.

Here are some pics that will appear in the house advertising.

Pulled the plug

2008-05-17T20:24:00.002+10:00

So sanity prevailed an I'm not running the half. Better that I take it easy and get a couple of uninterrupted months of running under my belt, rather than risking further injury.

I just got back from walking the dog in Queens Park and I reckon it could nearly snow out there. Best of luck to those lining up in Hyde Park early in the morning, brrrr.

Second thoughts

2008-05-15T08:53:00.002+10:00

I have been harbouring a secret. My shins have been sore for the past week. Yesterday I went for a run at 4.30am (yikes!) and the shins were sore to the touch all day. Yes tight calves are the culprits and possibly too many kms on my shoes. All fixable in the short term, but it makes me wonder about Sunday's SMH.

My heart says yes, but my head says no. My heart got me into trouble before Canberra when I stupidly ran 30kms of hilly coastal stuff, when I had only been running flat stuff for many months before that. That stuffed my hip and put me out of the Marathon.

So I'm leaning towards being sensible and bailing out of 21kms of slapping the road on tender shins.

What to do ...

A long weekend

2008-05-11T21:36:00.005+10:00

I took Friday off so I could have a solid three days of painting much of the interior of my house, readying it for Auction. That allowed me to scoot out on Friday morning for a 30 min run around Centennial Park. All good there, no dramas to report.

This morning I left early for a run down to Coogee and then home via the Coastal Park to Bondi. I admit I was a little pooped at the tops of some of the hills, but recovered quickly and I think I finished in better shape than I started.

I need to get in two runs this week of at least 5kms each before Sunday. I'm thinking that I may even have to run them both in the morning before work as I'll be painting (amoungst other things) every night this week as the photographer is booked for Friday. Argh !

Still plodding along

2008-05-08T09:34:00.002+10:00

Apart from a little doms after the weekend, I pulled up feeling good. Since then I've ran 5kms twice and intend to run 15km on the weekend. Add a couple of runs midweek, that should have me right for a slow 21km @ SMH next Sunday.

My bib and chip arrived last night and it was a pleasant surprise that I don't have to head over to Town Hall to collect my kit this year. I'll be running with CRs TOH & Beki and am very much looking forward to an easy run around the course and a catch up with everyone.

Randwick Ritz

2008-05-03T12:56:00.004+10:00

12km | easy

I was feeling like my old self this morning. No wheezy lungs like midweek and feeling strong in the legs. Frankly it felt great just to be out there and whilst I'm very much underdone, I got through the 12kms without too much effort.

I did a lap of Centennial but got bored after that, so I took the Randwick exit and ran past the Race Course, up High Street to the Spot and then home. Happy days.

The raising of Gronk

2008-05-01T11:39:00.014+10:00

"He called, "Gronk, come forth," and Gronk came forth, alive, and was again among his friends. And so Gronk went for a run, and behold, it was very good."

Yep went for a run people. Wasn't as good as it sounds really. I was very wheezy but managed 20 mins around the block. Feeling good though, with no niggles (der). Half Marathon in 18 days. Hmmm.....

I other news I just bought a new house ! Without telling you exactly where it is - I could host the Striders Clovelly Canter STaR in my front yard. Sounds like a cunning plan, I could hand out paint brushes. ;-p

Quack !

2008-04-15T10:01:00.003+10:00

Yep still got the bird flu. How long has it been ? Maybe 2 weeks I've been a snotty coughing mess. I see no light at the end of the tunnel either. In fact I think I feel worse today than I did last Tuesday. I've now infected everyone at home, so we now have a house full if kids with rising temperatures and tempers to match. Oops.

My jacket arrived yesterday with the 2008 SMH logo on it. I hope I can start running soon as I fear that I may start collecting DNS race gear as I have a Canberra singlet in the mail this week as well....

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

2008-04-09T17:07:00.007+10:00

Yeah what a load of crap that title is. I hate it when I'm not running.

Three days until Canberra Marathon and I'm still not running. Seventeen days until Bondi Barefoot and I've got no chance.

A month away from SMH and I'll struggle to get around I reckon. Oh well enough winging for today.

On the bright side my non-running has been due to my mega ear infection (now cleared up thanks for asking) and the bird flu which has had me coughing and sputtering for the past 10 days. So whilst I've been sniffling about, I have been walking niggle free ! All good. The hip and assorted other bits feel OK.

Goals ? I don't care about races anymore. I just want to run for a reasonable period of time without getting injured again. I think I'll have a run on Sunday, which will no doubt improve my mood. ;-)

Bula ! (Or is that Guten Tag ?)

2008-03-28T09:06:00.016+11:00

Well we're back from Fiji and we had a blast. The Resort was beautiful as were the Fijians and the coral and the fish and the beer. After significant negotiations with The Bride I even got the kids out to do some snorkeling and they were amazed at the sights beneath the calm waters of our lagoon.

On the running front, well there hasn't been much. On day 1 in Fiji I kitted up and ran on the main road towards Suva. The plan was to run 15mins and then turn back for home. I got through that but not without a fair bit of pain in the hip and top of the quad. Grrr. So I basically opted for R&R rehab and spent a fair bit of time doing water running - that is wading to and from the swim-up bar and back. ;)

So it would seem that my Canberra Marathon aspirations are now at an end. It will teach me a lesson that a croc like me should always enter these events with a late entry to avoid the loss of $$$. Oh well. I see that Dave & Fran have a strict refund policy. Whilst I don't want the cash back, an entry into the 2009 Race would be a nice gesture. I will email him today and test the water.

In other news I have picked up a mega infection in my inner ear and it hurts like hell. Exacerbated by the flight home no doubt. The quack in Bondi Junction (Fijian Indian coincidentally) says that it is common for divers to get infections blah blah blah. Yeah whatever just get rid of this sledge hammer pain in my head ! They are slow to heal apparently, sigh. Yes I am a sook I know.

In other other news our family is going to have a white Christmas this year. We'll be booking in the next week or so, but it looks like this part time runner will be donning the long skins and playing Santa in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. That's --> the Hotel Oberland that we are likely to book. Just a typical simple (100 year old) hotel perched high on some mountain (name TBA). We'll get there by train from Zurich apparently. Looks nice and it's and near some cog railway called Jungrfraujoch (the highest rail station in Europe @ 11,000 feet). Stay tuned for some serious hill reps leading up to that ! LOL

Gronkious Crocadilious

2008-03-18T08:30:00.009+11:00

Yeah I'm an old croc. Still haven't been doing much. I ran on Sunday - just the one lap around the park. Not good. Quads hurt as did a multitude of other niggles. I reckon I must have looked like a fire walker doing the "eee, oww, ooh" along the path. No, more like a fire walker with a carrot up his arse.

Yesterday I went for a massage at Jackie's Sports Massage. I got Jo who was new apparently. Nice young girl who after I told her that I had a marathon in a month and I wasn't feeling too flash, replied with "Marathon ? Oh so how far is that ?" *thumps head on desk*. Anyway she worked for the whole session on my sore bits and to her credit I walked away feeling half OK.

Thursday we're of to Fiji for some R&R. My plan is to run everyday, even if its just a few K's, with the aim of building up to a run in the mid 20k's range on the weekend of the 29th. That will be two weeks before Canberra. Good enough to get me around.

The verdict (part 2)

2008-03-15T10:54:00.003+11:00

I haven't been doing much since seeing PhysioLarry on Tuesday. Whilst I have been icing, stretching and popping the odd NSAID, it just hasn't felt right to head out for run.

This morning however I ventured over to Centennial for a lap (3.5km). It was kind of OK, with just a little pain in the groin/quad area. Has it improved since a week ago ? Hell yes, but it seems it will be another week before things will be back to normal.

The verdict (part 1)

2008-03-12T13:36:00.008+11:00

I saw CR PhysioLarry yesterday arvo and he prodded about to find that my right adductor (which is located in my groin at the scene of the crime) was mighty tight and freeeeeeeeeeeking tender (!)

After we chatted about what I've been up to in the past few weeks, he concluded that doing 30km on the flat grass and then ramping it up to do 32km via Heartbreak Hill and then to do Striders was just plain silly for an old codger like me. An overuse injury waiting to happen. Yes, when will he ever learn ...

So i have a bunch of exercises to do and I'll probably venture out for a run on Thursday to test it out. I've been told to keep up with the ice and voltaren for a while. Nothing over 10kms for the time being.

Basically I'm pretty relieved that it appears to be (at this stage anyway) nothing more than a tight muscle as I was thinking that I might have buggered myself and would be heading for a stint on the sidelines. I guess that that still might be the case but I'm feeling pretty positive about it all today.

Missing in action

2008-03-10T17:53:00.002+11:00

I have run a bit since last weekend, however this quad/hip/groin thing has been giving me grief. I've been popping voltaren and it clears it up pretty good but seems to shoot back as it wears off. So I'm thinking there is an underlying issue that needs to be dealt with.

I headed out for my LSD on Saturday morning only to bail out after half an hour. It wasn't sore (maybe a 3/10) but I was frustrated that it was hanging around some 10 days after it surfaced.

I'm booked in to see the niggle guru CR PhysioLarry Tuesday arvo so we'll see what's the g-o. Not super concerned about Canberra at this point. After all I've already managed to squeeze in a 28, 30 & 32 km run on the last month or so. So if I can get a longish run in sometime in the next fortnight I'll be pretty happy to head to the capital and plod.

Fingers and toes crossed. :)

Sydney Striders 10km

2008-03-01T15:07:00.003+11:00

Week 9 of 15
10km | Race | 46:55

I got home Friday night and was iffy about running this one. The right quad was giving me grief and I basically gave myself until game day to pull out or not. After dinner I walked the dog into Centennial and took the time to do some deep stretching whilst sitting under a tree by a duck pond. A very calming event (apart from when a goose chased the pup). After a shower and self massage with goanna oil, I was feeling half human again. No I don't spend enough time stretching and paying attention to massage and yes I know that things will naturally get tight after a 30km run and what do I expect etc.

So anyway I decided to run North Head. The quad still a bit niggly this morning so I massaged with voltaren gel and I think that did the trick.

The race was OK at the start although it all seemed to start very fast and I watched the 45 & 50:00 pacers shot off like startled rabbits, so that made me think that I was in for a tough morning. After a few kms the legs started to feel OK and I think I reeled in the 50:00 pacer at about the halfway mark. CR Rags was with me for most of the way and he provided a good pace to hang onto. He cruised off with 2 or 3km to go I and struggled to maintain good pace from there.

I finished pretty tired and but reasonably happy with the morning. Quad and ITB feel a bit beaten up so I'll have to pay some attention to them within the next 48 hours. All good though.

The week that was ...

2008-02-29T23:52:00.002+11:00

Week 9 of 15

Tuesday

This is a slow week. A week for rest and low k's. So I did a slow 5km around the Junction. Right ITB and top of quad is cranky.

Wednesday

10kms @ 10.00pm was the go. Was very lethargic (der) and was running half asleep, evidenced by the fact that I crossed Bondi Road without looking and a car beeped me. Oh dear. Didn't tell The Bride about that one !

Thursday

Another 5km around the village. Nothing to report. ITB & quad still cranky although on the improve with a nightly beating by the marathon stick. Might get a massage next week.

Heartbreaker

2008-02-23T11:17:00.004+11:00

Week 8 of 15

30km | 3:21:23 | LSD

So I decided that a long run was more important than running the Striders Equalizer Sunday. No brainer really. I need the base.

I headed out the door a tad before 7.00am and my plan was to run down to the Opera House, then run the City to Surf route down to Bondi and home (plus a bit more to make up the 30km if required).

Whilst down Rose Bay way I bumped into CRs Blkbox & Beki. Hey guys. Blkbox asked me if I saw the Queen Victoria when I was down at the Quay ? Nup. Would you believe that that biggest cruise ship ever built was down there when I was at the Opera House and I don't think I looked left ? *rolls eyes*

I won't lie and say that this run was easy. There was few times that I wondered when the hills would end. Quads were burning and the hips were doing it tough as well. It also got pretty hot at the back end of the run and the haul up Bondi Road was simply torture.

Anyway, another one in the bank. No niggles. All good.

30km - 23 Feb 2008
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TGIF

2008-02-22T08:47:00.007+11:00

Week 8 of 15

Tuesday

Ran 6km locally. Legs were cranky.

Wednesday

Ran 2km warm up, 8 x 250 hills JR, 2km warm down. Went OK. I should be timing these it appears. Might do that next week.

Thursday

Ran down to North Bondi Surf Club and return. 10km all up. It was a clear sky except for one particular cloud that seemed to follow me around and rain on me. I took it as a helping hand in the humidity rather than an impediment.

Not sure what I'm up to on the weekend. I'm due for another long run but also want to run the Striders 14km Equalizer on Sunday. I don't think (no, I know) I shouldn't do both.

Also there is a bit of a germ fest happening at home with The Bride and kids all sniffling and coughing. So I half expect to be doing the same within the next 24/48 hours. Fingers crossed that I survive the impending viral onslaught.

Big Top

2008-02-16T11:19:00.007+11:00

Week 7 of 15

30km | 3:15:31 | grass

I've been running the odd long run on the grass of late and thought that if I was going to bump up the k's to three oh this week, then it best be on the soft stuff.

So basically I just ran round and round and round Centennial Park. Which I found a total bore !

To make it worse the Park was in disarray because of the Good Vibrations Festival being held today/tonight. Kanye West is headlining apparently. Lots of white tents, high fences and gorillas with walkie talkies.

I found the last few kms a struggle. I just wanted to go home. These are the demons that talk to you and make running only a few hundred meters from home for 3 hours so hard. Anyway it's over, in the bank and I have no serious niggles. All good.

Hump Day Hills

2008-02-14T07:46:00.004+11:00

Week 7 of 15

2km | 8 x 250m JR | 2km

So I got out for a run again on a Wednesday. Go me. Of course I'm not running tonight because of VD so I'm not actually adding a extra running day to my week, this week. That will have to wait until next week. Maybe. Yes, the easy life of a part time runner...

Anyway, I selected a gentle Queens Park Road for my hill reps comeback. I ran a loop around a block or two and then ran each rep at moderate pace. I also made a conscious effort of dropping my hands lower than their usual position - something that CR Rags mentioned to me whilst running up one of those SOB hills at Lane Cove the other week. I think it helped too.

I felt like crap the first two reps and battled with the demons to keep going. Thankfully I forced myself to do the 4th and then felt good enough to run the 5th and so on. The remaining reps weren't really that bad and I finished in better shape than I started. Go figure.

Geriatric 5km

2008-02-13T09:46:00.000+11:00

Week 7 of 15

5km | easy

Yeah I felt old last night. No specific niggles to speak of but my legs and body just felt tired. I guess the left hip was a bit creaky when I think about it.

I'll have a longer run tonight but will have to miss Thursday as it's Valentine's Day. The Bride might chase me about with the rolling pin if I attempt that. ;)

La Perouse

2008-02-09T10:24:00.000+11:00

Week 6 of 15

25km | LSD | 2:28:21

It was pissing down at 6.15am. I mean big fat drops and lots of them. Footpaths were streams and roads were rivers, well not quite - but you get the drift. A little water wasn't going to stop this intrepid runner so I kitted and lubed up and set on my way. Lubed up ? I had vaso between the toes, bodyglide on my nooks and sportsshield in my crannies. I had so much lube on that I felt like Des Renford ready to take on the English Channel. LOL

Apart from the rain (which I lurve actually) I was feeling in the pocket. No niggles and full of energy. I bumped into CR Anne Victor along Doncaster Ave. She was heading out to La Perouse as well but she suggested that I go ahead because I was a very fast runner. LOL thanks Anne thats both you and my 6yo daughter who think that I'm a fast runner - but hey I'll take it !

I bumped into Anne on the home leg out Little Bay way and I trundled my way home from there. Nothing else to report other than a little niggle in the left achilles at times but I worked out that it was due to the camber in the road (running against the traffic my left foot is higher than the right) so I tried to run on the footpath where possible. Must remember to avoid the camber when I run Canberra.

Happy days !

25km - La Perouse
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Hump Day

2008-02-07T10:20:00.000+11:00

Week 6 of 15

11km | Easy

As predicted I didn't get out the door until 11.30ish. I wasn't keen - but ya gotta do wocha gotta do sometimes.

Very tired today. Zzzzzz

6km Junction Loop

2008-02-06T09:44:00.000+11:00

Week 6 of 15

6km | easy

My program had me down for 4 miles. Did that in light rain. Was very tired and mentally drained from a long day driving a desk and putting out a bunch of unexpected spot fires, so no world records broken. ;-p

I'm adding a Wednesday run and aim to start tonight. The Bride has an industry networking thing on however, so it will probably end up to be a late one after she gets home.

Recovery

2008-02-03T08:30:00.000+11:00

Week 5 of 15

30:00 | Easy

Just a lap and a bit around the horse track on the soft stuff this morning. I felt pretty good and the occasional drizzle made it quite pleasant to be out there.

I saw 3 young girls running together all with Eloise Wellings type nanna socks. Must be cool these days I guess.

Sydney Striders 10km

2008-02-02T11:02:00.000+11:00

Week 5 of 15

10km | Race | 48:50

It was either that I forgot how tough the Lane Cove course is or I'm kidding myself that I am anyway near to my fitness level of last year or so, but I really found it hard work today.

I ran ahead of the 50min pacer at the start and watched the 45 min pacer disappear into the distance by the 1st KM. I was feeling OK but I found the hills a struggle and was basically stuffed by the time I reached the 5km marker in 24:XX.

I was joined about them by non-strider Jennifer and she kept me honest for the trip home (and surprise PB for her !). I think lots of hard races like this is what I need to get fitter and hopefully the running gods will allow me an uninterrupted Striders 10km Series this year. I'm thinking that my Wednesday run might be allocated to hill reps as I've been pretty lazy for way too long - evidenced by my effort today.

All good though and very happy to just be out there. :)

It's oh so quite

2008-02-01T09:19:00.000+11:00

Week 5 of 15

Nothing much happening here. No run on Wednesday because my toe hurt. Last night I was kitted up at 7.00pm only the running gods decided to put on a 2 hour lightening show. By the time it was safe to contemplate galavanting about, I was quite settled watching the TV with The Bride.

At least I'll be fresh for Striders in the morning.

Just on the sore toe, Dr Ewen diagnosed gout. Wikipedia says that it effects mainly men between ages of 40-50 (tick), usually attacks big toe in 75% of cases (tick) and "..is more common in affluent societies due to a diet rich in proteins, fat, and alcohol." (oh dear a whole bunch of ticks there). Hmmm you might be onto something there Ewen...

Hoomid

2008-01-30T07:33:00.000+11:00

Week 5 of 15

5km | Easy

You know that it's a hot one when your sweating before you even start your run. That's what it was last night and lucky I only had to do a quick 5km loop.

I felt like I pushed myself pretty hard but got home to see that I stopped my watch at 30 minutes. Hmm, Saturday's Striders 10km could be naasty.

In other news I still have a sore big toe. Might see Andy the Pod next week if the pain persists. In the meantime I shall just sit here in denial.

Little Bay

2008-01-26T10:24:00.000+11:00

Week 4 of 15

23.15km | LSD

I ran out to Little Bay early this morning. Yes I took the soft option and avoided the hills. Oh well, I was in no mood for hills. I did promise myself during the run to make up for it next week. I might do the Home/City/Bondi/Home run (25km) which takes in Heartbreak Hill.

No real issues except that my legs felt heavy for most of the trip. Off to the beach now with the kids to cool off.

23km - Little Bay
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Bondi Beach loop.

2008-01-25T08:48:00.000+11:00

Week 4 of 15

10km | Easy

A still, mild evening and silent niggles made it perfect conditions for running last night. Whilst I enjoy the run down to Bondi, the haul up to home is a chore and really takes it out of this old man.

No watch accompanied me but I reckon I was back home in about an hour. I have 23kms on the program for the weekend. I'm thinking I'll do the soft version and run out to Little Bay and back.

10km - Bondi Beach
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Bondi Junction 5km

2008-01-23T08:20:00.000+11:00

Week 4 of 15

5km | Moderate

I didn't get out of the house until late last night. The Junction was empty (apart from the backpacker pissheads at the Tea Gardens) so I had the place pretty much to myself.

On the niggle front, the inside of my calves were tight but not giving me too much grief. Whilst running it kinda feels like the old shin splints but there is no actual pain in the shins when pressed. More attention to stretching and the marathon stick is required.

Other than that I scooted (?) around my usual loop in an up tempo manner (no watch) and arrived home pretty wasted but satisfied. I was going to start running Wednesdays this week, but we are going out to dinner tonight instead. Yes I could do both, but I'm not gunna. :)

Park run

2008-01-20T19:56:00.000+11:00

19.37km | 1:52 | 5:48/km *

Week 3 of 15

To assist with niggle repairs I postponed Saturday's run to today. That seemed to work OK as I trotted about in Centennial Park pretty much niggleless.

Bloody humid out there. Evidenced by the fact that I arrived home 2kgs lighter than I set out. Considering the tough conditions and the monotony of running 6 or so laps of the horse track, I am pleased with the run and happy with the pace.

* Reading from uncalibrated Garmin FR50 footpod.

Back on the soft stuff

2008-01-18T08:59:00.000+11:00

Week 3 of 15

7km | grass

One thing I have learnt from my short time in running is to listen to your body. Right now my body has got all sorts of little niggles taking their turns in telling me to back off and take it easy.

Last night the shins were tender. It was noticeable the moment I stepped out on the road, so my 10km Bondi out and back was immediately changed to a lap around Queens Park and inside of Centennial.

This morning my big toe was very sore. In the joint and it really hurts. Arthritis probably - I'm getting old.

I have a 15km run scheduled for Saturday. I might stick to the grass, take it easy and do two laps of Centennial methinks.

Hot coals

2008-01-16T09:14:00.000+11:00

Week 3 of 15

6km Tempo

Hot coals all right. That's what it must have looked like I was running on as I plodded about last night. Quads and calves hurt big time. It reminds me of how slack I have been with stretching of late.

Scenic route

2008-01-12T11:54:00.000+11:00

Week 2 of 15

20km | LSD

I woke this morning feeling excited about this run. Frankly I find running midweek in the dark to be a drag, but come Saturday I really look forward to a long run. So I headed out at 6.00am and was soon down by the Harbour. At the Quay near the Park Hyatt was the biggest boat (ship ?) you would ever see outside on Monacco I reckon. It was the Apoise - 67m long ! As you can see it dwarfed the Park Hyatt behind it. I couldn't imagine what it would be worth.

I was running OK. My program stated that I should run 0:30/km slower than my marathon pace. I noticed that I was averaging 6:00/km pace so I was happy with that. I managed to keep that pace for the whole trip with a 2 hour finish. All good.

20km | Sydney Casino | 12/01/2008
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Edgecliff

2008-01-11T07:58:00.000+11:00

Week 2 of 15

8km Tempo

Ok I'm confused again. I thought a tempo run was were you started off easy pace, worked your way up to just under race pace and then eased back down again. My program describes my Thursday run as a Tempo yet wants the whole run at 15-30 secs under 10km pace (insert confused smilie). Whatever, I just went out for a run and tried my bestest to run it at an uptempo pace.

I ran into the city via Oxford Street and then back home via Edgecliff. The uptempo thing only lasted until Rushcutters Bay when I was faced with a 2km climb back up to Woollahra. I'm afraid thats where I started to plod. It was so bloody hot that halfway up the hill the hat and shirt had to come off. Apologies to northbound traffic on Ocean Street, LOL.

I have an 20km LSD on Saturday. I might head into the Quay and then do some sight seeing over near the casino or something like that.

Cruise Intervals (?)

2008-01-09T06:59:00.000+11:00

Week 2 of 15

2km | 3 x 800m (R90 sec) | 2km

This interval stuff is very much foreign to me. My program had me down for 6 x 800m intervals but I thought that might be tempting fate in my first week, so I opted for half that.

The concept of the night was 0:45/mile faster than my 10km time. So with the help of McMillan, I extrapolated that to a goal time of 4:33/km for the 800m based on a 50:00 10km pace.

So I mapped out a 800m loop around Queens Park and hit the first one after my warm up. I kept thinking "45 secs faster than 10km". So I ran it with a little urgency so as not to stuff it up. First rep at 3:39. Doh ! I tried a slower one next and ended up with 3:42, and then the next at 3:59. Double Doh ! Yep I officially have no idea. I was rooted by then and clearly would not have survived the full 6 reps as required by the program. With the aim of this game to run each rep pretty much on the money, I expect that last night was a waste of time.

Matraville or bust

2008-01-06T21:32:00.000+11:00

Week 1 of 15

17.5km | LSD

My program had me down for 18km. So I jumped (not) out of bed at 5.30am and headed south. South because its flat. Yes I'm a woose but I couldn't deal with 18km and hills today. Anyway, the weather was kinder than Friday's sauna with light drizzle and a mild temp.

I finished it in surprisingly good nick with no significant niggles. The ITB is tight but I've been denting nightly with the rolling pin which seems to be working a treat.

Many thanks all for the kind words and offers of support over the past week. It has been really appreciated.

17.5km Matraville
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Melting at Centennial

2008-01-04T06:59:00.000+11:00

Week 1 of 15

10km tempo run

I took the kids down to Bondi for a swim, so I didn't get out for a run until 5.00pm. I did the lap around the two parks and found it bloody hot. I was supposed to up the pace to just under marathon pace but that wasn't going to happen with that heat and my low energy levels. Anyway, 10km done in the bank etc.

10km - Centennial
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On location in Port Stephens

2008-01-01T18:49:00.001+11:00

We've managed to squeeze a few days up north (Mum insisted we go since it was booked) and have had a relaxing time with the kids and the Bride swimming in the resort's pool and at various beaches along the quiet bays, not to mention eating out at some pretty nice restaurants.

I've also managed to get in two runs, the first being 5kms out to Corlette along road and bike path. The second was the more challenging run to Shoal Bay and up to the Tomaree lookout.

Both days it was pretty hot and the climb up to the lookout had me blowing big time with a few walk breaks thrown in when the steel stairs came into play. The view from the top was exceptional and well worth the climb.

Back to Sydney in the morning to face more important things.

A race lost

2007-12-29T06:35:00.000+11:00

I don't usually blog about personal stuff. However I write with profound sadness that my step father and great mate lost his battle with cancer last night.

Baz, was diagnosed with cancer around C2S 2006 at age 60 after finding a lump on his bicep. It turned out that the lump was a secondary tumor with the prime being on his lung and adrenal gland.

He was a fighter and showed the small world around him how the power of positive thoughts can assist in the fight. He was only given a few months to live back then yet fought a great bout to stick it out for this long.

The last month or so was very hard for him. It broke my heart to see him lose the ability to walk more than a few feet and live with the chronic pain. Even the round the clock doses of morphine could not take the edge off his pain as it had recently spread into his bones and liver.

In a show of true guts and determination he made the short trip with Mum from their house in Double Bay to see the kids and the rest of his extended family on Xmas Day. It may have only been for 20 mins or so but I could see that it meant everything to him - and everything to us.

I was with him and Mum when he died at 4.00am. I am glad that he went quietly at home and that the pain is now stopped.

He was a great man and taught me about hard work, love and single minded determination. His never give up attitude will stay with me forever.

We will sure miss him.

Not drowning, waving.

2007-12-17T16:53:00.000+11:00

Time flies when your flat out. Since I've got back from the CC1/2M, I hit the ground running on the Monday and have been so immersed with work that I've not had any spare time for myself. That means no running.

Being self employed might have it's benefits, however when the buck starts and finishes with your good self and Xmas deadlines beckon, then you have no alternative but to work your little butt off until the clients are all happy. Hence why I've not had a day off since then and have worked 15 days straight so far and it looks like that situation won't change until right up to Xmas eve.

Still, I'm a glass half full kinda guy and figure that the running gods felt that time was needed off the road to prepare me for my Canberra Marathon campaign which is due to commence, er soon.

In the meantime I've bought myself a Garmin Forerunner 50 which comes with a footpod and a HRM. It's only just been released and arrived from the USA today. I toyed with the idea of getting a Garmin 205/305 but my experience with the Timex Bodylink GPS and satellite dropouts in the city etc left a bad taste in my mouth. Reviews of this new gadget suggest that the footpod is up to 98% accurate which is way good enough for me. It also will talk with my notebook via a wireless USB dongle, so I can play with the software that comes with it. :) The Heart Rate Monitor is a new thing for me and I'll have to read up on all that. Not that this old man will be doing any lactic threshold training or anything. ;-)

I'll be taking The Bride and the Tin Lids up to Port Stephens after Xmas for a spell and hope to get a whole bunch of nice runs in up there. I hope everyone has a very merry Xmas & Happy New Year and will catch you all around the traps no doubt.

Central Coast 1/2M

2007-12-03T07:51:00.000+11:00

21.1km | 112:XX | Race

After nearly being washed off the Freeway driving up on Saturday, we were greeted with a sunny Sunday morning at The Entrance.

There was a whole heap of CoolRunners up there and it was good to catch up. Soon the talk was over and we were off around the lake. You know as much as I love this race, what really pisses me off is the lack KM markers along the way. Seriously, I had no idea how I was going and tried not to get swept away with the faster runners. Of course that wasn't to be and I arrived at the turn around (10 point something KMs)in around 52:XX.

I popped a gel (Strawberry + bananna GU - YUK!) and tried to maintain my pace. But soon the heat was getting to me. At each of the 3 drink stations I took two cups, one to drink and the other over my head, but things didn't really improve much. In the end with about 6km to go I had slowed down to a plod and was content that I would crack 2 hours OK as long as I didn't die too much from there.

CR Cliffold caught up with me with about 5km to go and I think I upped the pace a bit to keep with him. It was good to chat about crap to get my mind off things and we both ran together from there to the finish line.

All things considered, I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out and have only a little DOMS and certainly no niggles to report. All good.

Central Coast 1/2M
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Friday update

2007-11-30T08:11:00.000+11:00

Whilst I haven't blogged all week, I have been running.

Tuesday I ran 5km on the soft sand at Bondi Beach.

Thursday I ran down to Bondi and back (about 8km). That was a battle and a half. My legs were heavy and after a long day driving a desk, my brain was even heavier. Heading up the coast in the morning to my Dad's place in Umina Beach and then up to The Entrance for the half on Sunday. Should be fun.

Adios Amigos

Darling Harbour

2007-11-24T09:34:00.000+11:00

17.32km | LSD

Just perfect running conditions this morning. Mild temperatures and light drizzle greeted me as I set off just before 6.00am.

I had no real plans of where I was going and decided that I'd just head towards the Opera House and see what happens. Once down there I saw that they had barricaded off much of the forecourt because of the Australian Idol final tomorrow. So I diverted towards the Quay where the impressive Rhapsody of the Seas was docked. From there I wandered over to Darling Harbour, through to Chinatown, Central Station and then up through Surry Hills and Centennial Park to home. I felt really comfortable all the way and am feeling good with no niggles to report. Looking forward to the CCHM next week, athough I won't be racing it. Just going up for a plod and hope to finish it in a tad under the 2 hour mark.

Darling Harbour - 24 Nov
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Hyde Park

2007-11-22T22:27:00.000+11:00

8km | easy

I ran tonight along Oxford Street through Paddo & Darlo to the City and back. It's a nice easy run which doesn't take too much effort. So just my style.

Lots of people about tonight and all of them seemed to be drunk. Must have been a full moon or something.

Bondi @ night

2007-11-20T23:48:00.000+11:00

5km | soft sand

I'm getting bored easily of late, so I headed down to Bondi for a play in the sandpit for a change. I had the beach to myself and there was a nice sea breeze and the sand was cool on the feet.

After a few laps into my 5 lap run the legs were feeling weary, the sand was feeling softer and deeper than usual and I swear I was running on the one spot for a while there. Towards the end there was a lone sax player sitting on the sand in the dark playing something slow and moody. Very nice.

Gronk by the Sea

2007-11-17T10:55:00.000+11:00

14km | Easy

I headed out this morning with the aim of checking out the Sculptures by the Sea and clocking about 16/17km in a buildup to the CCHM. So I shot down Coogee way to extend the normal loop from my place to Bondi and back. Stupidly it turns out that I only ran 14kms. Doh ! Anyway it was a great run only the crowds near Tamarama (yes there were 100's of punters at 7.15am !) were a bit of a pain. I ran out of water around Bondi Beach so the run up the hill was a dry affair. A fun morning nonetheless.

Goals you ask Tesso ? I think that injury prone old codgers like me ;) need to enjoy getting out there as much as they can. My track record suggests that I may be benched with a torn thingamajig at any time, so I'm not planning too far ahead to be honest. My focus is Canberra in April and let's hope I can get there without too many interruptions.

Coogee - 17 Nov
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Dead man running !

2007-11-16T06:59:00.000+11:00

5km | easy

I finally got out for a run last night. For the past two weeks I've had some sort of a virus that makes you feel like you've been hit by a truck. Not a flu type of virus with cold like symptoms, but just feeling like crap. Headaches, shortness of breath and sore joints were the go for almost 10 days.

Anyway, with that near death experience behind me, I dashed (?) out last night for 5km. It felt good to be out there and I felt quite zippy actually. Well you would after 2 weeks off, wouldn't you ?

As I said in CoolRunning, this time off has dashed any plans for me to race the Central Coast Half in two weeks, so I'm just going to run it as a LSD. I'll try and run 15km or so this weekend and maybe 18km next. That should be enough to get me through a half in under two hours.

Striders - Lane Cove

2007-11-03T16:25:00.000+11:00

10km | Race | 48:34

My energy levels were pretty low last night and this morning. So I was thinking that a sub 50 might not happen today. Even a few minutes into the race I was feeling pooped. Luckily I found a bit of rhythm after a while and found myself about 45 seconds ahead of 50 pace at about the 5km mark (notwithstanding a shoelace malfunction halfway up scribbly !).

I managed to pick up a little time on the downhills after the 6km mark and held it until the finish. Happy with that except that I couldn't hold onto the half a dozen in the pack I was running with. I lost them with about 1.5km to go and it looked like they all finished about 500m ahead.

10km - Striders Lane Cove
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5km Tempo

2007-11-02T08:51:00.000+11:00

5km | Moderate

I ran my usual 5km loop only in reverse for a change. Plodded the first third, ramped it up for the middle bit and then cooled down for the rest.

My ITB was tight and I stretched it when I got home. Now I've got a sore hip this morning !

Striders Lane Cove is on in the morning. I'll be there chasing the 50:00 pacer again. My plan is to make it up to the top with the pacer and then bring it home hard to come in under in 48:XX. Fingers & toes crossed.

Roller coasting

2007-10-31T07:35:00.000+11:00

7km | easy

Uncle Hal had me down for 7.5km last night but it ended up to be a tad short. Usually I plan my route ahead but didn't have time, so I just got out there and winged it.

I headed up through Randwick again and down to Coogee. Rather than climbing Arden Street like last Tuesday I opted for Carrington Road to take me home. Carrington doesn't have the steep climbs as Arden does but it's still a constant climb. I finished feeling better than I started. Maybe I took it too easy.

07km - Coogee
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Heartbreaker

2007-10-27T20:32:00.000+10:00

17km | easy

I didn't get out for a run on Thursday. A new lounge that The Bride purchased arrived and the night was spent shuffling furniture. Not my favourite sport !

So I was really looking forward for a spin this morning. For a change I ran through Bellevue Hill and Rose Bay which led me to New South Head Road (aka Heartbreak Hill). Surprisingly, it didn't hurt much at all (at plod pace anyway). I felt pretty good all the way and was soon at Bondi Beach where I ran along the promenade and topped up my fuel belt bottles. It was pretty hot by then and the run up Bondi Road (aka Arsebreak Hill) was really tough. My legs are feeling trashed after all that but thankfully I'm pretty much niggle free. Fingers crossed it stays that way !

Vaulcuse 27/10/07
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Coogee Beach

2007-10-23T22:10:00.000+10:00

7.5km | easy

My legs have been feeling fatigued since the weekend. Two runs on consecutive days takes its toll on this old man. ;-p

Uncle Hal said it was 7.5km tonight. I managed to get out the door about 9.30pm and decided to head south for a change and take in Coogee Beach. Coogee is a bitch of a place because it's nestled at the bottom of a steep valley. So running down to Coogee means that the run out will hurt. And it did. I arrived home feeling like I had run 27.5km ! I know that some runners would probably run Arden Street up to Bronte easy, but I found it a chore and was in first gear running little fairy steps all the way. Best do a flat run on Thursday me thinks.

Park Run

2007-10-21T21:09:00.000+10:00

5km | moderate

I had to do a short run today at half marathon pace. Rather than muck about with times and such, I just went out a little harder than yesterday. It was late afternoon before I was in my kit and ran into the park a little after 5.00pm. I was moving quite well towards the racecourse end but then ran into a mega headwind which stayed with me up the rise to home. It was like running with a heavy backpack on and any chance of running the 5kms "at pace" was over. I got home feeling pretty stuffed, so it's got to be good for you in the long run I guess.

Good too see the horses back in the park too. I hope they're feeling much better after their break.

Vaucluse / Bondi.

2007-10-20T08:24:00.001+10:00

15km | LSD

It's been a long time since I've run a longish run, May actually. Just quietly I've been excited all week about this. The Bride thinks I'm off my rocker, but getting out at 6.00am on a Saturday and running for an hour or two on a perfect spring morning is what it's all about.

Whilst Uncle Hal had the distance capped at 15kms, I thought that I could make it interesting and take a hilly route north to Vaucluse and back via Bondi Beach. That would take in Old South Head Road (mini Heart Break Hill) and Bondi Road. Anyway, I felt pretty good all the way. Up Dover Heights way on the back half of the C2S route I was feeling right in the pocket. Listening to good music and winding my way down to the Beach - great stuff. As always, the haul up Bondi Road was a slog but I managed to plod my way home finishing a tired but very satisfied chap.

15km - Vaucluse
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Bondi or bust

2007-10-19T08:01:00.000+10:00

7km | easy

I had a 7km tempo run on the program last night. However I thought that was boring so I decided to run down to Bondi instead. I needed a change of scenery I think and I knew that that hilly run would compensate for the tempo bit that was cruelly imposed by Uncle Hal.

I was feeling pretty good for most of the run however the long haul on the way back up Bondi Road/Birrell Street really took it out of me. Even The Bride commented that I looked stuffed when I got home. I'll blame driving a desk for 11 hours and then running after dinner with a full tummy I think. Looking forward to a LSD on Saturday morning when I'll be (hopefully) feeling nice and fresh !

07km Bondi Beach
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Tuesday

2007-10-17T08:05:00.000+10:00

We didn't get to do the Maroubra Fun Run on Sunday. On Saturday arvo Jackson developed a cough which meant that he had to pass a fitness test on Sunday morning. Unfortunately it resulted in a late scratching with The Bride ruling him out just after breakfast. We'll have to look for another run for him in the coming weeks.

Last night I had 7km to do and ran the outside fence of Centennial. It was cool with a light breeze - just perfect running conditions. I finished the loop feeling a little wasted, but that's normal for a Tuesday night as my energy levels are always pretty low. No niggles to report.

Art Gallery

2007-10-13T08:41:00.000+10:00

13.8km | Easy

There was 13km on the Uncle Hal program today. Jackson wanted to go for a little run as well as a warm up for the Maroubra Fun Run tomorrow. So I decided to do a shortened version of my Opera House run and then swing home to pick him up for a 2km loop.

The shins and achilles were feeling sweet, with no residual effects from Thursday. The run down to Sydney Hospital felt OK although the paved footpath on Oxford Street is pretty hard on the legs. The hard part of the run is the long hill of Bourke Street from Woolloomooloo up to Taylor Square. I was pretty stuffed after that and found the run into Centennial to home a drag.

I then ran past home and picked up Jackson and we did a loop of Queens Park. Pretty happy with today's run.

Art Gallery 13/10/07
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Need for Speed

2007-10-12T07:14:00.000+10:00

7 x 400m | 5km pace

Uncle Hal has this silly idea that we should do speed work in a program. He's mentioned it before but frankly I have ignored it in the past in favour of an easy run (or if I was running without niggles, I'd swap it for a hill session). Not because I'm lazy ;-) but moreso speedwork in the past just hurt my bits and made me injured.

Anyway last night I decided that I'd give it a whirl. I ran a 1.5km warm up to North Randwick (Dangar Street) which is one of the few non-creepy flat stretches of road I could find.

McMillan said that a conservative 5km pace for 400m would be 1:50 so I tried to do that. The first was too fast, the second too slow - all over the place. Was I supposed to do a standing rest ? Who knows, I did anyway. Towards the end the gods were getting angry and there was lightning about with some distant thunder. I did the last rep in the pouring rain and headed for home. I got to about Moriah College in Queens Park when - HOLY CRAP ! - the biggest MFing thunder clap I have ever heard was right over my head. LOL I actually jumped into the air and let out a yelp. I then launched into Osafa Powell pace for the final few hundred metres to home !

My achilles is a bit tender this morning. Not sure if I will listen to Uncle Hal next Thursday.

Bogong Run

2007-10-10T11:20:00.000+10:00

7km | easy

Uncle Hal had me down for 7km, so I ran the outside fence of Centennial. It's conveniently 7km but much if it is also on grass/dirt so it's good for my old legs. I've had a few "pings" in the shins of late and I know I have to be careful not to aggravate them and get shin splints whilst in my building phase.

Those pesky bogong moths were out in force and I copped one right in the gob as I ran past the disused Racecourse. No, they don't have a pleasant nutty flavour by the way.

It was a tad nippy out and I elected to run in a short sleeve dri-fit. Bad move as I was way too hot by the time I got to Anzac Parade. So it was a shirtless run from there until home. Apologies to the motorists.

In other news I've started skipping. Got myself a speed rope and had my first session on Monday in the Nike Frees. I was pretty unco for the first few minutes and basically got the hang of it by the end. I did 10 mins and was a little puffed after that and had a good short workout. I intend to skip on the non running days and will apply the 10% rule to my sessions so as to avoid overuse. I've got a link to a web page for drills etc but I won't be able to go there until I can be proficient enough to do the simple things like switch from leg to leg and arm cross overs. That will take a little time methinks.

07km - Centennial Park - Outside fence
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Sydney Striders - Olympic Park

2007-10-06T12:28:00.000+10:00

10km | Race | 49:54

Well I said it would be hard work and boy was I right. In fact I can't remember ever feeling quite so stuffed after race.

I went out with the intention of trying to stay ahead of Brian the 50 minute pacer and did that for the first 5km, going through the halfway mark in 24:11. After going out of the carpark for the second time there is a hill which runs up alongside Acer Arena and that really took it out of me. By the time we got to the Wentworth Common I was goooooone. The 50 minute pack caught me at around the 8km marker and I bumbled my way home with them. The last 1km really hurt and I struggled with the demons in my head to finish with the pack.

It was a fun racing again and I really missed it. It's a shame that next month's Lane Cove Race is the last for the year. Whilst doing my first marathon this year was great and a huge personal achievement, I can't help but think that it came at a cost. You only have to see how many DNS's there are in my 2007 race calendar (right hand column) to see that I missed 7 Striders races (9 if you include The Equaliser and Internal 1/2M). What even hurts more is missing the C2S, again. Let's hope that 2008 will allow me to do more regular racing.

10km - Sydney Striders - Olympic Park
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Tempo Run ?

2007-10-03T23:16:00.000+10:00

5km | tempo
Uncle Hal (yes we have rekindled our relationship) said 5km Tempo Run was required. Only problem was I had no idea WTF that was. So I referred to his notes and he says "This is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace." Fair enough, so basically you bludge for the first 3rd, build up to a quick pace for the middle 3rd and then bludge home. Twice as much bludging than running fast ? Yeah I can do that. ;-p

Striders 10km on Saturday. Might take it easy and make sure I don't snap something.

05.5km Bondi Junction
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Park Run

2007-10-01T11:06:00.000+10:00

5km | easy
I took Jackson out for a 5km spin around the Park in the late afternoon. It was a hot one and I could see that he was doing it tough. Very red in the face etc. We stopped 3 times over the journey. Twice for a drink at a bubbler and once for a little walk rest. I don't blame him as I was pretty dry in the throat as well.

We'll be doing the 4km down at the Maroubra Fun Run next Sunday morning. Should be a good run for him as long as it's not too hot.

05km - Centennial Park
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Coastal Path !

2007-09-29T09:26:00.000+10:00

10.32km | Easy

I've been waiting to run the Coastal Path down to Bondi since May. Gee, I missed it. I got out the door at about 6.30am and headed down to Clovelly. It's quite a hilly run and it wasn't long before my lack of fitness was biting me hard. Running out of Clovelly towards the Cemetery I was really blowing. That pretty much continued for the rest of the run including a struggle up the long haul of Bondi Road. A real wake up call that, as I used to gallop up Bondi Road only 6 months ago.

I said last week that Striders next week will be ugly and I'm not wrong. Not sure where it will be held, but if it's Land Cove then it will be a very tough morning at the office indeed.

Coastal Path
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Update

2007-09-28T09:01:00.000+10:00

Tuesday 5km - The achillies was giving me a little trouble Monday and Tuesday whilst sitting at work. I was getting the odd short sharp pain. Anyway come Tuesday night it was feeling OK so I trotted around the block. No dramas with the leg.

Thursday 6km - I didn't get out until well after 10.00pm. Just did a 5km except that I took in a Queens Park/Darley Road extension. No dramas again with the leg, just short of breath at the end. I'll put that down to a strong expresso that I had late in the afternoon.

Sydney Running Festival - 4km

2007-09-24T10:39:00.000+10:00

It was an early start for the family to catch a 6.30am train at Bondi Junction to Town Hall. There we parted company with Jackson & I heading off to Milsons Point and The Bride & my daughter to the Opera House to see the finish.

This was by far the biggest race Jackson has entered and the sheer numbers and location is something that he will remember for some time I'm sure. We arrived at the start just in time for the start of the marathon and Jackson (on my shoulders) was sending his cheers to all the CoolRunners & Stiders he could find. Soon we were lining up at the start and Ooh Aah Glenn McGrath set us on our way.

We spent the first 500m weaving our way through prams and walkers. It was hard to find a rhythm when you had to stop to a walk because Aunty Pat, Uncle Frank, Rachel and Craig with the twins in the pram all needed to do their walk/run thing side by side creating a 5m impassable barrier *rolls eyes*. Once we were on the Bridge however things got easier and we ran at a pretty good pace. We got down on the Cahill and both upped the pace and then cruised down Macquarie Street to the Opera House where The Bride captured the Hollywood finish on video. It was a solid run by the little tike with a time of 24:xx by my watch. As I said to him afterwards - that's better than my marathon pace ! Very proud of him.

What's next ? Race 2 of Shri Chinmoy around the Bay in a few weeks for Jackson and October Striders 10km for me (now that could be ugly !)

It is better to have blogged late...

2007-09-24T10:09:00.000+10:00

...than to have never blogged at all ! Yes this CBF'd attitude to blogging has got to stop and I will do something about it, er soon.

Tuesday - Ran a 6km hilly route through North Randwick. It was the first time for centuries that I have ran hills and I pulled up the next day with a sore left achilles. It's an injury that has bugged me for nearly two years, so it's nothing new. I just have to remember not to stretch my calf too much and it will settle down in a few weeks.

Thursday - Just did a flat 5km around the block. The archilles only hurts when I stretch it. I can just hear Larry the Physio say "So don't stretch it !" LOL.

Saturday - I did early morning 5km inside Centennial Park. I tried to run at a faster pace than my usual plod and was still passed by a Nanna with a walking frame. No dry mouth or tightness in the chest, so perhaps some fitness is returning ?

The week that was...

2007-09-17T09:33:00.000+10:00

Two weeks ago I CBF'd running. Well the good news is that I've been managing a few runs here and there but CBF'd blogging. LOL

Tuesday: I went down to Bondi Beach and ran for 30 mins on the soft sand. It was hard going and my legs turned to jelly after about 20 mins. It was my first run on the sand since the Bondi Barefoot whenever that was - April maybe. Anyway the good thing is that recovery is pretty quick so I was right to go for my next run.

Thursday: I ran 6km around Bondi Junction and took in a little bit of Randwick. No pain in the leg, so I'm pretty confident that this stessie business is officially behind me now.

Saturday: We had a busy day planned so I left home early for a run in the park. I ran a 5km loop which takes in the walking path and the upper roads towards Oxford Street. I ran it a little quicker than my usual plod and found it tough with the whole dry mouth and tight lungs thing happening. Man, I am so unfit.

Sunday: With the 4km Bridge Run next Sunday, I had to get Jackson out for a run. So in the afternoon we headed out in the fading light for the same 5km loop that I did Saturday. The aim of the day was to run it an extra slow heart rate and show Jackson that he can achieve a solid run without getting wasted. So we just plodded along at his conversation pace and managed to complete the whole 5km loop without any walk stops. He did really great and was surprised that he felt so good at the end. He is definitely ready for a good run across the bridge next Sunday morning.

Sri Chinmoy 4km

2007-09-09T18:20:00.000+10:00

Centennial Park | grass | easy

It wasn't exactly a cast of 1,000's down at Mackay Oval this morning. In fact the numbers dwindled even moreso once the 14km and 7km groups were sent on their way.

At the start/finish line for the 4km we had two girls in the U17 category, a girl around Jackson's age, her Dad and us. So in the light rain we set off dodging puddles & mud. Jackson took off like a bear was chasing him and led the group out to the first turn around the lake. He was clearly going out fast because of the pretty girl in the group. I didn't have the heart to chip him in front of her and tell him to run at his pace rather than hers. At about the 1km mark he was blowing up big time, the girl and her Dad had moved 50m ahead. As he was gasping for air I said to him that he would learn a valuable lesson today. LOL

For the rest of the race Jackson was running on empty and really regretting going out hard. We plodded to the finish line and stayed for a little while for the pancakes and presentation. Presentation you ask ? Yep because of the small numbers, Jackson picked up a 1st place bling in his category and I got a 2nd place bling in mine. LOL.

Good to see CRs Blkbox, Beki, PlodBod, Ellie (solo cheer squad) & Vurt out there as well.

Update

2007-09-07T17:54:00.000+10:00

I had a bad dose of CBF'd syndrome this week. So I only got out Tuesday night for 25 mins in the rain for a slow jog.

With Friday being a public holiday in Sydney, Jackson and I drove down the road to Clovelly and we ran the coastal path up to Bronte Beach. That worked out at about 5km return. It was a tough run for the little guy with all those stairs and hills. Not to mention the grave yard which spooked him into a quick PB. LOL.

The leg is feeling fine and I'm really looking forward to a full summer's running.

Fathers Day 5

2007-09-02T11:59:00.000+10:00

5km | easy

There was no need to wake the tribe this morning as the kids found their way to our bedroom to jump on me bright and early for Fathers Day. A nice breaky later and we were on our way to Olympics Park for the Fathers Day 5.

Jackson said he was nervous about the run but I assured him that he had already run pretty close to the race distance before so I didn't think that he would have a problem. Anyway, if he got fatigued I told him that I was happy to squeeze in a walk break or two if required

The turnout was pretty poor and based on the number of volunteers in lime green shirts, they must have expected a huge walk up on the day. Anyway that meant that it was a very manageable crowd with no pushing or shoving at the start. Good for us.

It was gun time and the race director passed the mic to the Minister for Health who wished us all well. Oddly we then had to listen to a Rob Thomas song before the air horn was sounded. From the GO we ran up past Telstra Stadium down to the International Tennis Centre, around the Hockey complex, down the straight of the Athletics track, into the bowels of Telstra Stadium (wow always wanted to see that car park - not) and once around Acer Arena.

Jackson did very well and ran a solid 2.5km to the drinks station. From there we had a rest while we drank our cup of water and then walked up the hill to the 3km mark. From there we ran the rest of the way to the finish line and even sprinted the last 500m or so for a Hollywood finish. His time was a credible 36:37 and I have one very proud kid on my hands. Onwards and upwards to Sri Chinmoy 4km Cross Country next weekend at Centennial Park.

Runner uninterrupted

2007-08-31T07:30:00.000+10:00

5km | easy

Yes runner uninterrupted. Very good Ewen. My program had be down for 25m last night. In a bizarre delusional moment of granduer I concluded that I could run my 5km loop in that time. Yeah right.

30:05 later I was home, very puffed yet satisfied. Looks like it will be a fair while before the fitness returns.

Looking forward to running amok in the Olympic precinct on Sunday with the little fella.

A runner again ?

2007-08-29T07:51:00.000+10:00

R15, W2, R15

Whilst I have been getting out there for the past week or so, it hasn't felt like I was really running. These walk breaks don't really allow you to get a sweat up and you don't get any of that post run feeling of satisfaction.

Last night it all seemed to come back to me. Conditions were perfect singlet weather and after hanging about in the backyard with the kids watching the eclipse, I ducked out for a spin around the block.

Geeze it felt good. I ran the hills with determination and tackled the flats with some speed (well compared with my dawdle pace of the past few weeks it was speedy). I'm still quite unfit and the 2 min walk break actually came in quite handy, but I can feel things improving and came home feeling really "up". Very much looking forward to Thursday when I drop the walk breaks and get to run uninterrupted for the first time.

05.5km Bondi Junction
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Sunday Run

2007-08-27T08:49:00.000+10:00

R12, W2, R12, W2, R12

My return from injury program had me running for 36 minutes all up with walk rests and that was a perfect hitout for my 8yo son Jackson who will be tackling the Fathers Day 5 with me next Sunday.

Yesterday was Car Free Day at Centennial Park and it was such a beautiful afternoon and a real pleasure to be out there. Jackson did well however the last few minutes of each 12 minute block was difficult for him. I'm thinking that the 5km next week might be a tad beyond him right now, so we might have a few walk breaks in the race like we did today. That way he can complete the race without it being too strenuous. After all enjoyment is the key.

By this time next week I will be running without walk breaks of around 30 minutes. Very much looking forward to my first uninterrupted run of 25 mins on Thursday night. Yay. Meanwhile, I've got a little ping in my left knee. Sort of under my knee cap. I feel it walking mainly. Not a biggie, doesn't really hurt, but it's there anyway.

Puffed !

2007-08-24T07:18:00.000+10:00

R10, W2, R10, W2, R10

My program had me doing more a little more running and just a little walking last night. I set off and ran my usual 5km loop at a slow and steady pace. The first Km is up a steep hill and I was pretty pooped by the time I got to the top. Just shows how fit I really am right now.

I got through the course OK and without incident, so all good in the longrun. Saturday has me running for a whole 12 minutes without stopping ! Happy days LOL.

5km Bondi Junction
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Tired but running.

2007-08-21T23:18:00.000+10:00

W2, R8, W2, R8, W2, R8

I had a looong day in the office today and between you and me the last thing I wanted to do was kit up and run about in the cold. Of course you can't let these feelings of intense apathy rule your life. So after dinner and book reading with the kids I headed out for a quick spin.

Stupidly I ran capless.

Yes for some reason I can run through blizzards and hurricanes with my cap on and feel 100% protected from whatever nature can dish up. However throw me out there without my cap and I feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. Of course 1 minute into my run the heavens opened up. Yuck. My hair was soaked and water was in my eyes.

Not happy. Very ugly. Very cranky. ;-)

Nice weather for ducks (and boys)

2007-08-20T09:39:00.000+10:00

W3, R7, W3, R7, W3, R7, W3, R7

My Sunday run was planned for the afternoon and I was taking Jackson with me. After all he has to run 5km in two weeks, so he needs to get the legs used to it all over again. He should be OK considering that he has a footy season behind him now. The only problem was that The Bride wasn't keen on Jackson going out in torrential rain. So we worked on her for while and soon kitted Jackson up in cap and spray jacket to keep him warm.

We headed over to Centennial in heavy rain and basically had the park to ourselves. My program had me doing 3 x 3W/7R and we jogged that at a very slow pace. Jackson was meandering up and down the path and splashing through each and every puddle he could find. He was having heaps of fun and it was taking his mind off any fatigue that may creep up on him.

We ended our program OK but found ourselves about a KM away from home (yeah I have no idea), so I made an executive decision that we would add another 3/7 leg to the run. Jackson was feeling OK through the last bit although he did struggle in the last 400m or so. To his credit he ran it all the way to home and jumped straight into a well earned warm shower.

I have much of the same type of runs this week, only with the run times increasing up to 2/12. Can't wait until I'm able to scoot down to Coogee and run the coastal path up to Bondi on a Sunday. That's my goal for a month's time.

Walk / Run

2007-08-16T23:23:00.000+10:00

W5, R5, W5, R5, W5, R5

Not sure if I'm a runner who walks or a walker who runs right now. What I do know that its very boring but feels good to be out in the fresh air.

I'm not one to usually feel the cold, but that was before I ventured out tonight dressed in just shorts and a singlet. That might be the appropriate attire when you're running 10km, but I now know that doing this walk run thing, I'll need to rug up next time I'm out at night.

Sunday I'm due for a 3 min walk, 7 min run regime (yay) and will be taking Jackson with me. We need to get him into shape for the Father's Day 5 next month. I downloaded the course map for the race it it looks like fun, as we run down the straight at the Athletics Centre and also through Testra Stadium. Oh, and I also ordered him his own CR cap this morning. ;-)

Stress head

2007-08-14T19:50:00.000+10:00

W10, R5, W5, R5
Yeah I was suppose to start on Sunday. However Sunday somehow became Monday which became Tuesday.

I'm now a runner again (although it felt like I was only trying to be a runner last night).

What have I been doing ? Working hard and chasing after kids basically. A bit of spinning a few times a week has been keeping the weight down, although I have put on 1.5kgs since Canberra.

Over the next 7 weeks I am doing the Pfitzinger Return from Injury Program which should prepare me for a big month of racing in September. Jackson and I will be doing the Father's Day 5 @ Olympic Park and the 4km Bridge Run @ Sydney Marathon Festival.

No running or racing goals with be thought of until I have a solid 3 months of running under my belt. It's good to be back.

50 days to go until ...... I'm Runinnnnnnng

2007-06-22T07:13:00.000+10:00

Evermore - I'm running.

Cheer squad confirmation...

2007-06-07T15:57:00.000+10:00

Well I had an MRI and its a low grade stress fracture.

See you all in the Spring !

TGIF

2007-06-01T07:34:00.000+10:00

Not a huge amount of news on my front. The leg is still sore when I put a load on it but it has improved a tad in the last 48 hours.

I spoke to Larry the Physio a few days ago (congrats on the baby girl mate) and I agreed to see him some time next week. We might take advantage of the time off the road to fix a few niggles that I have been hiding of late.

This morning I headed down to a Maccas type medical practice in the city to see what they can organise on the x-ray front (would you like a MRI with that order Sir ?). I was privileged to be allocated a Dr who more than likely got his medical degree on Ebay. He proceeded to tell me that runners only get stress fractures in the metatarsals and only anorexics would get them in the tibia. Yeah thanks for that Doc, you get the NFI Award for today.

Anyway I left the surgery with a referral to a Radiologist who will apparently do an MRI for $300.00. I'll ponder over the weekend if I should get one done. If I continue to improve over the weekend I probably will do it with a hope that I can start back on the road sooner than the 12 weeks (worst case scenario) hiatus.

On the fitness front I haven't done much this past few days other than spin twice for 25 mins each session. I aim to build that up to 4 sessions a week for an hour a piece. Other than that I have been doing push-ups and crunches each morning and the normal leg stretches.

I really hope its not another 10 weeks out of running or I'll go insane. Is there a support group for injured runners ?

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Fat Friday !

Weight last Friday: 80.2kgs

Weight today: 80.2kgs

Comment: No increase after a slack week is OK by me.

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10 days on

2007-05-29T08:03:00.000+10:00

Today is 10 days since the SMH half. The inflammation and localised pain on the edge of the tibia has settled down. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have pain in the bone just below the knee. There is no real pain when the bone is pressed, yet it hurts when I put weight on it. On the Gronk's Pain Scale (TM) where 0/10 is well zero pain and 10/10 is being eaten alive by a bear, I'd say that walking is a 4/10. Walking down a slope and traversing up and down stairs it increases to a 6/10 and I need to limp to compensate.

Not sure what to do now. Do I go straight to my GP and organise a x-ray ? Well from what I have read stress fractures are hard to pick up in conventional x-rays and bone scans are the go. Bone scans however sound pricey as do sports GPs and I am wary of spending a slab of the family's cash for the doc to tell me basically what I already know - 12 weeks of no weight bearing excercise and then start a return from injury program.

Decisions, decisions.

Zzzzzzzzz

2007-05-25T07:40:00.000+10:00

Wow, so many kind messages from Bloggers after the SMH. Thanks so much !

This Monday was a rest day. The usual post race massive DOMS haunted me all day, so the rest day flowed lazily into Tuesday. I blame Plu for that cos he TOLD me to rest. LOL. I have been stretching however and punishing the ITBs with the rolling pin as well. Each day I have been spinning, seeking some downward movement for Fat Friday. Wednesday was State of Origin (life has it's priorities) so my first run was planned for Thursday.

Leading up to Canberra I kept a little injury a secret. I jokingly blogged at one stage that I had a stress fracture, but I got over it. Well the truth is that I really did fear a break high up on the medial edge of the tibia. It presented a sharp pain with the foot strike yet the bone did not hurt when pressed. It went away as quickly as it arrived. So I didn't have to worry about it. If it did end up a break then I hoped to get through the marathon and worry about the injury later. Thankfully I got through the race and there were no signs of pain.

Yesterday morning I noticed the same pain rear its ugly head as I walked down the escalator at Bondi Junction Station. It's been in the back of my mind all week but I thought that it was residue DOMS so I didn't really worry too much. I laced on the boots last night for a run and got to the end of the street before I had to turned back for home. It really hurt and testing it afterwards I can't really hop on my left leg at all. I'm thinking that best case scenario it's a soft tissue injury similar to shin splints only higher up (coloured red in the pic). Worst case I guess would be a stressie. Being a glass half full sorta guy, I'm focusing on the shin splint type injury. As an old hand at the cursed shin splints (aka Medial tibial stress syndrome) I know that I have to ice twice daily, start a course of anit-inflams and change the shoes. When I'm right to run again (that could be as early as Sunday or as late as next month), I'll have to stick to the soft surfaces for a while. If it doesn't respond quickly, I'll have to pay a visit to Larry the Physio next week for advice.

Of late I've been feeling like an old footballer who can't train with the team because of his failing body. He has to do his own thing, keeping himself in cotton wool and just prepares himself for the big games. My next big game is the City to Surf and wild horses won't keep me away from it. In the meantime my short term goal is Striders next week. Fingers crossed.

****************************

Fat Friday !

Weight last Friday: 80.3kgs

Weight today: 80.2kgs

Comment: 100gms Hahaha !

****************************

SMH Half Marathon 2007

2007-05-20T19:47:00.000+10:00

I set out today to get through this race without any dramas, seeing that I've got this quad (or is it ITB?) thing at the moment. Mission accomplished I guess. I managed a 1:42:xx which is a few minutes slower than last year.

I met Blkbox & Beki at Bondi Junction Station at some ungodly hour and we made our way down to the start area and checked our bags. I then had the pleasure of meeting a whole bunch of new CoolRunners before the start. Great stuff.

I slinked my way up to the start and was soon under way. I got through the first 10km in 46:xx and was feeling pretty schmick. Popped a gel and was drinking sensibly. I guess it was at about the 12km mark that I hit the wall. I could not believe the amount of runners that passed me as we ran up Pitt & Hunter Streets for the second time and into the Domain. My paced slowed, my heart rate increased and I could really feel my quad and tightness into my hip.

So after that horror 5kms I was able to amble down the hill back down to the Quay and claw back some of that lost time. By the time I got to the top of Argyle Street at the 18km banner I was feeling almost human again. Don't know why. CR Rags came up from behind and I tried to hold on to him until the finish line as best I could. In the last 100m CR Johnny Dark appeared out of thin air and we all finished together in a sprint to the line.

I will spend this week trying to tenderize my ITB & quad with the rolling pin and will start next Saturday on a decent hilly LSD program. Gotta get some speed & endurance in the back end of my race if I'm going to conquer the C2S in August.

TGIF

2007-05-18T12:47:00.000+10:00

I've a had a few runs this week, a 10km on Tuesday and then a 5km last night. To be honest I'm carrying a quad strain, which I've been keeping under wraps (hence the lack of blogging). Sadly, it gave a me a heap of grief last night. Not sure where it came from but it's either over enthusiastic stretching or lack there of. Who the hell knows. All I know is that it hurts when I hit the ground and the pain is on the outside top of the thigh.

I've been massaging ever since and popping the magic pills, so I'm hoping that I will get around the 2 laps of the SMH without getting a puncture. One thing for sure is that I will give it a crack and won't die wondering etc. Yeah Gronk has an injury - what's new. LOL.

****************************

Fat Friday !

Weight last Friday: 80.3kgs

Weight today: 80.3kgs

Comment: Doh !

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Mothers Day Classic - 4km

2007-05-13T11:12:00.000+10:00

After a lovely Mother's Day breakie concocted by the kids, the Bride, Jackson, Maya and I headed into the city for a morning in the Domain. Jackson & I were doing the 4km Fun Run and the Bride & Maya the 4km walk.

After parking we went our separate ways and Jackson & I soon found ourselves at the start line with about 10 mins before the gun. It was then that I noticed that everyone was wearing timing chips except us. Oh well, we already had received our bibs in the post and I decided after a millisecond of deliberation that time was so unimportant for us in this race. In fact I wondered why the organisers even bothered to go to the effort. It was pretty clear that the participants around us were most definitely there for the "Fun" rather than a serious "Run". I guess that they had the system in place for the 8km earlier in the day, so it was easy to carry it through for the 4km.

Soon the gun was off and the mob moved forward towards Mrs Macquaries Chair for the first time. I could see that Jackson was a tad freeked by the masses so I moved him onto the footpath which gave him a clear run. We passed the CR Cheersquad (thanks guys) and soon after rounded Mrs Macks Chair. As expected, once we left the road and jumped on the pathway around the point, the congestion was chronic. This meant that we had to jog on the spot twice for about 25m until it thinned itself out.

The long hill from Farm Cove back up to the Art Gallery took it's toll on many of the runners and Jackson was no exception. Just before the Cahill Expressway overpass he announced that he wanted to walk. Not sure if I was being a bad Dad or not but I told him to tough it out and keep going. I told him that it was only 800m to the finish and that he would regret it if he walked a part of the race. To his credit he found another gear and pulled through to finish in fine style to receive his medal. It will be a talking point on Monday at show and tell I'm sure.

Early bird

2007-05-12T09:51:00.000+10:00

In a weekend which is chock-a-block with family stuff, I had to head out this morning before the birds managed their first morning squark.

A lap around the park on the soft stuff was on the menu to give the old legs a break. I ran at moderate pace and tried to pull hard up the hills because of the SMH next week

I have no real expectations about SMH but if I could get close to last year's time of around 100 minutes I'd be pretty happy. That's probably a long shot at this stage but I'll just go out hard and hope for the best.

Finally a run !

2007-05-11T07:20:00.000+10:00

I've been plagued all week with the flu which turned into a chesty cough as well. That kept me off the road all week which has been quite frustrating with the SMH just around the corner.

Last night I was feeling like I was on top of things and headed out around 9.00pm for a run into the city and back. The legs were feeling OK and so was the chest and I made it down to the Opera House and back in nippy time.

My legs this morning are feeling pretty trashed because of the hard paving which is much of the 14km run. I might run on the grass/trail on Saturday for an hour and a bit just to give them a break. On Sunday Jackson & I have the 4km Mothers Day Classic which is basically one lap of the Striders Domain course. I fear that it will be congestion plus on the narrow walking paths, but am very much looking forward to our first fun run together.
****************************

Fat Friday !

Weight last Friday: 80.7kgs

Weight today: 80.3kgs

Comment: Oh well, a loss is a loss.

****************************

DOMS

2007-05-07T07:20:00.000+10:00

I read with amazement that a few runners backed up after the Striders 10km on Saturday morning and ran the NSW 10km Road Champs in the afternoon. Or guys like Superflake and Nando who ran the NSW Champs on Saturday and then the Heart of the Lake on Sunday.

Meanwhile I'm hobbling about all weekend with massive DOMS in the quads and calves. I guess there are those of us who CAN and those of us who CANNOT. I of course am in the latter big girl category.

On Sunday morning Jackson & I had a lap around Centennial for his weekly training run (aka Dad's recovery session). This was Jackson's last hit out before the 4km Mother's Day Classic next weekend. We completed the 4km (loop of the park and run home) in slow but solid style, save the DOMS pains in my legs. It was good to get some blood in the muscles and I admit that I did feel much better after the run that I did before.

Sydney Striders 10km - North Head

2007-05-05T10:17:00.000+10:00

I arrived this morning at Manly bright and early, and after a warmup I said to CR Go Girl that I would stick with the 50 min pacer for the whole trip. So off we went. After a Km or so I felt pretty comfortable. So I moved ahead and spied the 45 min pacer in the distance and decided to real him in.

I managed to run up to the 45 min pacer after about 5 or 6kms and felt good enough to move ahead of him and figured that I would try and maintain a good pace until the finish.

I hit 9kms around 40:xx and fell apart in the last km to finish in 44:58. Very happy with that anyway considering I've done SFA training for the short stuff.

Today gives my some confidence for the months ahead that with a bit of specific training I'll be able to shave a few mins off today's time and be back on PB pace. I'm feeling great at the moment with absolutely no niggles !

Fat Friday !

2007-05-04T08:01:00.000+10:00

I'm having a few issues with Blogger at the moment and have to enter my text in html script. It's a long story but has got something to do with MapMyRun.com and their new formatting.

So if it all looks a tad spazo for a while that's the reason

I'm running Striders @ North Head in the morning and will be tagging along with the 50:00 pacer. I figure that I ran 55:xx last month, so 50:xx is a good place to aim for this month. Will try and get closer to 45:xx in June. Well that's the aim anyway.

****************************

Fat Friday !

Weight last Friday: 81kgs

Weight today: 80.7kgs

Comment: Downward movement !

****************************

Darling Point 11kms

2007-05-03T07:48:00.000+10:00

I'm finding it difficult to get my head around this whole training thing right now. I'm supposed to be in recovery mode after Canberra, yet feel that I should be busting a gut training for the SMH and beyond.

So today I decided that I'm feeling good and that I've had enough of whatever this recovery thing is. Time to run heaps of hills until C2S in August. Time to try and get some of that long lost speed (don't laugh) back.

Bondi Junction 5kms

2007-05-01T07:23:00.000+10:00

I'm in a recovery mode today after the 10km in the sandpit. The legs recovered almost instantly (low impact) but a few of the manky toes from Canberra flared up again.

The run was OK and no niggles to report.

Bondi Barefoot 2007

2007-04-29T12:42:00.000+10:00

10km | soft sand | Race | 68:08

I won't hide the fact that I was shitting myself this morning. Not knowing if the task was beyond me I guess. Still I did run 7.5km last weekend so it was just a mental hurdle that needed to be overcome.

I headed down to North Bondi Surf Club and signed on bright and early and collected my race singlet, got chipped and race number drawn on my arm (always wanted one of those).

I chatted to a heap of runners including a Cool lurker who was training for some 500km race in the deserts of China. 50kms per day for 10 days I think. Sheesh !

We gathered at the start shortly before 9.00am and got our race instructions. Soon the whistle (surf life saving thing) went off and we were running. The pack pulled me along at about 5:40/km pace and soon I was dry in the mouth and gasping for air. I could only sustain that sort of pace for 3 laps and slowly dropped of to a reduced pace of about 7:00/km. That was the pace I train at and I knew that I could last the distance without to much dramas.

At the halfway mark I was feeling pretty crap for going out too hard and being a hero and it took a few doses of sports drink to regain my composure.

I got a cheer from CRs Blkbox & Beki at about the 7km mark and I mumbled something like it was only 3 laps to go. Those 3 laps seemed to take forever and all I could do was plod at the same pace and be strong in the mind as it would be all wrapped up in 20 mins. Thanks for the support guys !

I finished in a wobbly 68:08 (exactly 30 mins behind the winner Jeremy Horne LOL) but all in all had a fun morning. I will be backing up in 2008 for sure and might look at the Manly Soft Sand Classic in June or July.

Update !

2007-04-29T12:20:00.000+10:00

Fat Friday ! **************************** Weight last Friday: 81kgs Weight today: 81kgs Comment: I need some more consistent training ! Too lazy ! **************************** Thursday 26th April 10km | easy Ran into the city this time around ran strong and finished in reasonable form. Tuesday 24th April 10km | easy I ran 10kms down to Bondi and back. Ran it easy with no niggles to report.