Weekly Summary - 25/10/10 - 31/10/10

Monday (pm) - 9.6km - road - 48min 55sec - Run to NRG
Monday (pm) - 11.66km - 57min 25secInterval training with NRG. Felt hard but managed to maintain a decent clip. 500ml water

Tuesday (am) - 7.48km - trail/road - 44min 42sec - Felt dreadful. Found some bush but it was slow going and slippery and i couldnt get into a rythm. Got frustrated with all the spiders webs and i  jacked my run in and hit the gym instead. 500ml water
Tuesday (pm) - 10.91km - road - 49min 35sec - Run home from work. Felt flat and a bit rubbish. Glad to get home.

Wednesday (pm) - 11km - road - 50min 54sec - Run home - Felt hard again. Didnt enjoy the run,

Thursday (am) - 15.19km - road - 1hr 10min 23sec - Felt great. Negative split my 6 mins.  500ml water

Friday (am) - 15.08km - road - 1hr 6min 18sec - Set out slow with the plan to warm and run the second half quicker. Felt easy and wish I had more time. Negative split by 7 mins. Best run of the week. The last 3km were all under 4 mins which was pleasing. 500ml water
Friday (pm) - 11km - road - 50min 35sec - Felt relaxed and took it easy. Was keen to get home for a curry.

Saturday (pm) - 11.84km - road - 57min 25sec - Run home from respite centre - Actually felt hard and not much fun sadly. 500ml water

Sunday (am) - 26.51km - road/trail - 2hrs 18mins 37sec - Run from home to St Ives show groun to run the 9km course i'll be racing on saturday. First half of the course is downhill and should be fun. Some real steep climbs after that which should prove testing. Felt hard today and I was forced to walk some of the inclines. Ran out of fluids too. Ok run overall, took it reasonably easy and enjoyed the scenery. 500ml water + 500ml water with 1 nuun tablet.

Total - 10 runs - 130.29km - 10hrs 34min 53 sec - Highest weekly mileage for me so far this year. Nice and consistent and pleased with how the week ended given my struggles at the start. Plan to take it easy this next week as I think my body is crying out for a little rest and i'm keen to be fresh for the Bare Creek Trail Run next Sunday

Friday's morning run:

Weekly Summary

Just 4 runs this week. Concentrating mostly on speed but yesterdays run was an 8hr slog on parts of the Great North Walk. Fantistic scenery, loads of wildlife but no real opportunities so stretch the legs. Great training for time spent on my feet though, slighty sore in the bum today but otherwise feel great.

Plans for next week are to definitely start my morning runs and increase the mileage slightly.

9km trail race early november and Glenbrook marathon end of November are my focus.

Weekly Total - 89km - 11hrs 4 mins

5km Time Trial

Monday night I went along to Norths Running Group (NRG) for the first time. Monday nights are apparently interval training night and my plan is to start structuring my running more as I want to get faster. Interval training is the way to go!

However, after I had run the 10km to get there, I was told by the friendly group of runners (about 30 in total) that every 6 weeks they have a 5km time trial and i was unlucky enough to be here on that night. Oh well.

We split into 3 groups, slow, medium, fast. Tentatively I put myself in with the fast group. I am here afterall to push myself.

We jog about 1km to the starting point and I'm told the course is a fairly hilly out and back.

The slow group goes first followed 2 mins later by the medium group then 2 mins later by the faster group.

Immediately i am out the blocks and find myself behind the 2nd man in front. I'm happy enough to sit off his shoulder for 1km or so then i surge past on a hill. The faster guy is way ahead so i concentrate on maintaining my pace and surviving whilst my heart rate averages 185bpm!

We soon pass the other runners and eventually pass the whole field just after the 3km mark. All uphill from then and finally after 18mins and 30 seconds i cross the finish line exhausted. (forgot to stop my garmin hence the discrepancy)

Having never run sub 4 min kilometers before i was delighted to have run 5 sub 4mins in a row.

I feel like I have over come a mental hurdle and I'm excited by the prospect of getting faster.

My focus now is to concentrate sensibly on improving speed whilst backing off from the long slow runs.

Having said that, this Saturday I'm out with a group of guys to run a planned 50kms or so in the bush. Cant wait!

Post Marathon Recovery Week

After my marathon effort last week, this week has been a nice recovery week and i have tried to make the most of it.

I was pretty sore the day after the marathon but come monday i was ready for a run. Just a short run of a few kms but i felt wonderful the next day. Another run on wednesday then i was for fortunate enough to be in Byron Bay for a long weekend and i managed to sneak in 2 beach runs which was a nice change.

I feel like i have fully recovered from the marathon and im looking forward to cranking it back up again next week.

Monday - 7.9km - road - 38mins 35sec
Tuesday -rest
Wednesday - 10.84km - road - 50min 28sec
Thursday - rest
Friday - 16km - beach - 1hr 13 sec (500ml water)
Saturday - 19.5km - beach - 1hr 29 sec (500ml water)
Total - 54.28km - 4hrs 12mins

Fitzroy Falls Firetrail Marathon

Wow, what a day!!

Woke at 4.50am and had 2 peanut butter and banana bagels, chia seeds and a glass of water, jumped in the car and was on my way with Phill to Fitzroy Falls for my my first marathon.

Arrived at 7.15am and located my race number - 4 then proceeded to warm up (something new to me!!).

At 7.55 a group of roughly 100 runners lined up at the start line. The faster guys positioned themselves at the front and i popped myself in the middle. In my heart i was really hoping for a 3.30 finish but was concerned about my shins seizing up like they have been doing the last couple of weeks. I certainly didn't want to be going out too fast at the start.

8am and we're off! I run with the crowd for the first 100 metres until i decide I've warmed up enough (amazing what adrenaline can do!) then start making my way towards the front. Worryingly i discover i am in with a chasing group of about 4 - the lead runner is already way ahead.  I look at my watch and see my 1st km has gone by in 4mins 17sec, not my intention. I make  an effort to slow down as there is still 41km's left and I could easily blow up.

I get chatting with a guy called Mick (an 82 minute half marathoner!) and the next 9 km's seem to tick by all too easily. My heart rate is a high 170bpm and I'm in unknown territory. I have done no interval training or tempo training so i have no idea if i can maintain this. Certainly my legs still feel good but i never run with this much effort.

I hit the 10km mark in just over 44mins and at this point a guy in a backpack surges ahead. We hit a hill and I make the decision that I'm going to go all out - if i blow up trying then so be it, but today I'm just going to see what my body is capable of.

I feel strong on the hill and i soon overtake backpack guy and I'm now running on my own in 2nd place. Wow, never in a million years did i think this would be the case. I'm aware of the pedigree behind me so i cant relax. I can still hear breathing and footsteps so i must keep pushing forward.

The next 7 kms is uphill and i remain on my own then there is a lovely steep section of track from 17km through to 21km - a chance to lower my heart rate to 165 bpm! I still cant believe it is that high but I'm determined not to let up. I go through the half marathon mark in 1hr 33 mins - a PB by 1 minute! This amazes me since i remember being so exhausted after my half marathon in January but here i was still feeling ok. I did some rough calculations and figured I wouldn't be able to maintain my current pace but might be able to hold on  and come in around 3hrs 20mins. This current section was an out and back and this is where i saw the lead runner who looked strong and offered some words of encouragement as he charged off. I figured he was about 7 minutes in front. On my return i saw the guys who were chasing me - another adrenaline rush! Running in a pack of 3 these hounds were looking strong and i knew i would be caught if i let up off the gas. Fortunately i was still clocking 4.30min/kms and i figured if i could keep that up then i should be ok - i just had no idea if i could keep it up or not.

From 21km through to 30km the running was mostly flat trail. I managed to get into a comfortable rhythm and was feeling good apart from a minor tumble at 25km.

30km's in and I'm really starting to feel the effects of the race now. I've been running on my own for the last 20kms and I'm really having to dig deep to maintain my pace. I hit a long stretch of road and cant see anyone behind me so i take a 10sec walk break. The relief is instant and I'm on my way again. The fear factor of being caught is the only thing keeping me going.

30km through to the finish is all gradual uphill and I'm playing mind games with myself to get me to the finish. 'Only another 2 km until i hit the 35km mark then its only 5 km till the 40km mark then once I'm at 40km I'm pretty much finished..'

I have another couple of 10 second walking breaks to compose myself from 30km - 40km then i knock the last couple of kms off in around 4.18min/km.

I come into the finish stretch and I'm greeted by a small crowd and I can see my girlfriend snapping away on the camera. That's a nice surprise as I told her that I should be done by 4hrs and hopefully by 3hrs 30 but no sooner. Fortunately she has more confidence in my running than i do!

2nd place in 3hrs 9 mins and 11 seconds - great way to spend a Saturday morning

I was about 6 minutes off the winner and about 3 minutes in front of 3rd and 4th place.

Fuel = 1.5 bananas, 3 endura gels, 1 mini mars bar

Fluid = 1.5 litres of water with 3 nunn tablets

Good to be finished!

Feeling human again



A Hopeless Week

This week hasnt been great for running. I have been struggling with shin issues so have only had the chance to really run a couple of times. Low mileage but i guess this is what i needed/

Nothing much to report. Yesterdays run was positive. Good to get back on the trails and my shins were ok once i had warmed up. The plan this week is to take it easy so im in ok shape for the marathon on saturday.

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 10.3km - 47min 48sec - road (vibram 5 fingers)
Wednesday - 5km - 23min 30sec - road (run cut short as shins were really hurting)
Thursday - rest
Friday - rest
Saturday - 24.39km - 2hr 6mins - trail/road (felt fit, shins sore at start but felt better as i warmed up. Ran on some real slow technical trail which probably helped then picked up the speed where i could. Felt more confident that i can make it through the marathon than i did at the start of the week)
Sunday - rest

Total - 39.81km - 3hrs, 17mins

Monthly Summary - September

September has been without doubt my best month of running since i started keeping tabs a year ago.

My previous high was 290km way back in March. I think the reason for my increased mileage is purely logistical. I spent a month living at my girlfriends parents place which is around 20km from where i work, so most of the time i used to run home from work.

I now live much closer to the office so it will be slightly harder to maintain the mileage.

Count: 21 Activities


Distance: 418.24 km

Time: 36:12:51 h:m:s

Elevation Gain: 8,467 m

Avg HR: 148 bpm

Calories: 23,029 C

Avg Time: 01:43:28 h:m:s

Avg Distance: 19.92 km

Avg Speed: 11.5 km/h

This week i plan on taking it easy. I havent been able to run the last few days as my shins have been sore. I have a trail marathon coming up next saturday so i hope to be fit for it. I'll be braving the rain today and going out for a slow test run today to see how i hold up. I think (hoping) the issue with my shins is because i have been setting off too quickly on my runs recently. I just need to relax and warm up into it. Looks like its going to be a muddy one today!