Weekly Summary - 08/11/10 - 14/11/10

Monday (pm) 12.28km (1hr 3mins) - road - Run to running club. Nice and easy, nothing to report
Monday (pm) 7km - road (36mins) - Hill sprints. Hard work. Managed to get heart rate up to 200bpm on the final one.

Tuesday (pm) 12.36km (59mins 43sec) - road - Run home. Stopped off at shops to pick up food.

Wednesday (am) 16.17km (1hr 13min 12sec) - road - Nice progressive run. Start slow and built up. 7 min negative split.
Wednesday (pm) 11km (52min) - road - Run home from work. Nice and easy.

Thursday (am) 16.08km (1hr 12 min 10 sec) - road - Same as Wednesday, slightly faster with 8 min negative split. Feeling great.

Friday - Struck by lazyitis

Saturday (am) - 20km (1hr 58min) - trail - Felt terrible. 33 degrees, hungover and just not good running weather. Trail very technical with tricky footing. Had to dunk myself in a river to cool off. Too hot to do anything decent today. 500ml water + nuun, 500ml sports drink, 500ml water

Sunday (am) - 29.29km (2hr 28min) - road - Another scorching hot day. However things felt much easier. Legs felt great, drank plenty. Finished off by having a dunk in the sea. 1litre water + nuun, 1litre sports drink

Total - 124.43km (10hr 24min 29sec) - 8 runs

Fairly decent week. Legs feeling good which is positive news as my marathon is in a couple of weeks.
Had a massage on Saturday and i was labelled a freak due to the tightness of my whole body and my utter lack of flexibility. Had my IT band loosened up which felt great. Therapist surprised that my knees do not trouble me. Might make the massage a regular thing.

My Next Race

Today I signed up for my first ever official marathon - The Fitzroy Falls Fire Trail Marathon

Its meant to be a beautiful trail marathon and a good qualifier for the 6 Ft Track Marathon in march which i plan to run.

My training this last few weeks has been very much focussed on hills and im slowly upping the speed work. My mileage isnt super high as its not necessary. I should be able to complete this race off an average of 90km per week.

Im coming back from my ITB injury so i see this as the perfect step up to running ultras again next year.

Apparently one should expect to tack on at least 30 mins to their flat road marathon time when trying to predict their time at The Fitzroy Falls marathon. I have no idea what my flat road marathon time is but my aim is to complete the marathon within 4 hrs and come out of it unscathed.

This weeks training:

Monday - 12.72km - 61min 34sec

Tuesday - 20.44km - 104min 12 sec

Wednesday - Rest. Was just too hungry to run by the time work was finished so i decided to give myself a rest. Plan on making up for it tomorrow with a double run. We shall see....

Weekly Summary

Great week of running. Consistent and injury free which i'm really happy with.

A gradual increase in distance and I can feel my body getting stronger.

Had planned to only do around 80km this week but ended up doing more.

Monday PM - 8.33km trails - 41.29
Tuesday AM - 12.63km trails - 1.07.51
Tuesday PM - 7.81 road - 37.55
Wednesday PM - 20.12 road - 1.48.08
Thursday Pm - 20.36 road - 1.46.27
Friday - REST
Saturday - 24km - trails - 2.13.55
Sunday - 24km - trails - 2.20.38

Total - 117.27km - 10.36.25 h.m.s

Some pics below of my saturday run. Extremely wet and windy. The small streams which i can easily cross without getting wet had risen right up. This meant I had to run for over 2 hrs with wet feet. All part of the fun though!

Non-Stop Eating Machine

Since i've started running i've lost alot of weight. Down from around 90kg to 79kg. I certainly wasnt fat before hand but there is a lot less of me than there was before.

Having said that, my appetite is insatiable. All i think about is my stomach and how to fill out. Im conscious to not lose any more weight as I really do not like the typical runners physic so im constantly trying to take in enough calories to stop the weight lose.

For example, last night I ran the 20.5km home from work. I had a huge chicken and mushroom pie at 7.15pm. By 9pm I had to have an enormous bowl of museli and by 10pm I had eaten a toasted cheese sandwich! So in 3 hours I had pretty much eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner. Good going!

Whats important is to listen to your body if you are training hard. If it is hungry then feed it. You cant work out properly unless you are eating well and running has to be the number 1 activity in which you can over indulge.

Today is my off day from running, having been at it for 7 days straight. Its important on your off day to still eat as much as your normally would as you are in recovery mode. This is why at 11.45am I am about to tuck into more chicken pie!

Happy eating!

1 Year On

As the title suggests its been just over 1 year since I started running properly. I thought I would post some stats covering this off:


2009 = 683km - 46,000 calories
2010 = 1704km - 110,685 calories

Looking at the calories burnt i've figured out I've used up 62 days worth if we accept the average person burns 2,500 calories per day.

No wonder I literally cannot stop eating!


Seems to be a gradual improvement and if I can stay injury free and run consistently from month to month, something that I have been unable to do, then I should see my times improve.

Week thus far:

Monday: 8.3km run home on the pavement. 41.29
Tuesday: Morning - 12.63km trail run. 1:07:51
Evening - 7.81km run home on pavement. Smacked my big toe and made it bleed. Ran with a trail of blood for 4km. 37.55

Wednesday - Decided not to get up early to run. Plan to run the 20odd km's home though. Toe still sore.

Weekly Summary

Had a pretty decent week running which is pleasing. Summary:

I've started testing and pushing myself on a nice hilly trail around 6.5km in length. I run from the house down to the start of the trail and down a steep hill then its pretty much uphill all the way. Exhilarating. I time myself once i get to the top then continue on my journey.

On Sunday 22nd I ran this part in my 5 fingers in 33.30 mins. On wednesday in my 5 fingers I did this on 34.30 min but the return leg was a negative split by over 2 minutes which was cool.

On Friday in the dark I ran this in my running shoes in 30 mins exactly. I was knackered when i reached the summit but felt great.

Saturday was around 33 mins. So pretty consistent. I'd love to do there and back in under 60 mins one day. 12.7km and its hilly so will be tough but it something to work towards.

Overview:

Monday 23rd August - 13.75km bush run
Wednesday 25th August - 12.67km bush run
Friday 27th August - 9.11km bush run
Saturday 28th August - 20.27km bush run
Sunday 29th August - 21.85km bush run


Total - 5 runs
77.64km
07:16:39 h:m:s

A good week overall, ITB felt ok. Conscious to build up slowly and to stay off the roads as much as possible. Will look to break 80km next week.

Weekly Total

This week has not been great in terms of running and this is to do with my persistant itb injury.



I've cranked down the mileage, run totally barefoot a couple of times, ran in my 5 fingers and now seem to be improving.



Today I moved back in temporarily with my girlfriends parents. The site of where my running first began exactly a year ago. The trails in this area are fantastic and you cant help but want to go running.



So i slipped on my 5 fingers and went out for a hilly and rocky trail run. The temperature was great and my legs were feeling good. I was running carefully, scared to trigger off my itb.

The sandy stony trail felt great under foot , always careful about where i was placing my next step which made me feel rather fleet footed today. The overall elevation of the run isnt huge by any means but there are some really good climbs. In fact, today was the first day that i have run the entire course. Last year when i first started out I really struggled with the hills but today it all came together. This is clearly a result of my improving fitness over the year and also the lightness of the 5 fingers, really makes a HUGE difference on the climbs. Elevation gain 255m total.

12.73km = 1hr 06min 57secs
I made it to the half way mark in 33 mins 30 secs so i made a negative split by 3 seconds!
Very happy with this run.

Weekly total = 5 runs, 31.27km in 2:52:41
Summary - Very low mileage but easing back into it. Sunday was my highlight so if i can build on that i'll be pleased.

For the next month i've decided to cut out all alcohol and sugar from my diet. For no main reason but to just give it a go. Alcohol will be fine, sugar is my biggest demon!

Happy running

Weekly Mileage

Just finished my Sunday run. First run of any reasonable length that i have been able to do in well over a month.

Was a lovely little run on a scenic route following the coast on an out and back trail. Slippery underfoot at times but good fun. Weather was strange. A nice sunny 20 degrees to start with and by the end i was freezing having run in a hailstorm for 20 minutes. All part of the fun though.

I managed20.22km in 1hr 45min. Reasonably pleased. I had to take my orthotics out of my shoes at 14km as they were rubbing on my arch. Also my feet were aching. Ive never suffered from this before.

At 16km i felt my itb tightening up. So i probably pushed it a little too much today as im still in recovery mode.

Monday 9th August - Sunday 15th August

5 runs = 54.65km in 4hrs 38mins

Summary: First real week of running. Still taking it easy as itb is threatening to kick in. Will look to build on this next week.

Beer Running

On Friday I had a beer at lunchtime then one after work. Not wanting to go home and just watch tv i decided that when i got in i would go for a run. Normally I would never do anything after having a beer and thats really out of pure laziness.

So I got home and laced up and decided I would do my usual hilly 8ish km run but just take it easy and not push it.

Well I felt fantastic! It was a nice warm evening, there was no one else about, I had to use my headtorch on the darker parts of the trail which is always fun. I arrived at the hilly section and I was feeling good. I glided up the hill and felt energised all the way home. Good carbs in beer. I wont be deterred in future!

9.06km in 43.52 and no pain in either of my itbs. I was sure there was going to be discomfort because all day at work i was experiencing sharp pains in my right buttock and thigh. However the moment i put my trainers on with the new orthotics it went away.

Having said that, the orthotics are certainly going to take some getting used to. Having a solid piece of foam under my arches is a strange sensation. Im just worried it will give me foot pain. Something ive never experienced yet. Fingers crossed!

Today I had an appointment around 9km away so i used this as an opportunity to take my bike out. Its a dirt cheap bike and it feels like one! I was exhausted. I think I would have gotten to my destination faster and in less of state had I run. I wasnt built for cycling!

Tonight i am out on the town but I hope to get out for a run tomorrow. Highly likely this will be later on in the day due to the large number of cocktails im shortly going to consume :)

Orthotics

Since last Saturday I have managed 5 runs. Amazing! This was something I didnt think possible after being in an ITB depressed state since May 15th. Each run was actually better than the last so im delighted. Still not out of the dark yet and im very apprehensive about pushing it too much. Having said that i've been doing some fairly speedy hill runs and ive been feeling good.

I did my first run in my new orthotics yesterday. Nothing much to say about them really. Felt different and I actually had a few twinges on my other leg which was worrying but was just a short 5.5km run so no damage done. I think i'll continue to run in my vibram 5 fingers and save my orthotics for my longer runs.

No running today or tomorrow but will get some in over the weekend. Next week i'll kick myself into gear and begin running in the mornings, that way i'll have no excuses not to run. I plan to document all my runs on here as much as possible so I shall keep you posted.

Cheers

Ian

Been a While

Well guys, sorry its been almost a week since my last post, I just havent seem to had the time to post.

However I have been running but not too much. Over the weekend I went out for a 30km road run in just under 2.5hrs which was fairly pleasing. I was in a fair bit of pain afterwards. I survived on just water + 1 nuun electrolyte tablet with zero calories in it. I am trying not to eat on my runs to enable my body to burn fat more efficiently. When training for The North Face 100 I would eat constantly so I wouldnt 'hit the wall' and also to get my body used to eating foods. I sooned realised I could eat just about anything and have no side effects unlike other runners and i used to eat all the time. Now im taking a slightly different approach. 1 pound of fat is enough to fuel a runner for 50miles. If I can get my body burning fat from the off then my muscles are going to thank me.

So after 30km over the weekend I was still full of energy, I hadnt hit the wall and I could have gone on had it not been for an achey body which I still attribute to recovering from my first ultra.

On sunday I went out for a gentle 8.5km and then I have done nothing until this evening. I had planned on a long run after work however it has been chucking down with rain all evening, so I donned my vibram 5 fingers and went to the gym for a run on the treadmill. I lasted just over an hour and ran 11.5km. Just 2 weeks ago I could only run for 15 mins before my knees were hurting so this was a great improvement.

Ive been neglecting my vibrams for quite some time now and im keen to start using them again. The only problem i have is the base of my foot blisters easily. Anyway, they are great shoes for keeping me running slowly which is what i need to do now and again.

Anyway, tonight at midnight its England v Slovenia and then at 4.30am its Australia v Serbia so no sleep for me. Im just hoping both England and Australia make it through to the next round.

Cheers

Under the Weather

Well today wasnt a great day, after getting little sleep last night due to sore throat I felt totally exhausted today and the last thing I felt like doing was exercsing.

I put in a decent run of 19km in 1hr 36mins last night after work but I just didnt have it in me today. So in the end I just jogged home at an easy pace and cut my run short to 5.7km. No point overdoing it here.

I've had a few requests to blog about my diet. So i'll give you a brief snapshot of my daily routines and what i have eaten over the last week.

During the work week I always start the day with a LARGE bowl of homemade museli. This consists of rolled oats, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, wheatgerm and a few other seeds. I eat this alongside a generous helping of low fat greek yoghurt. I easily eat 1kg of greek yoghurt a week. Cannot get enough of it!

Breakfast is eatem at 7.30am and usually sees me through until 10am. At this stage I will either have a piece of fruit or a homemade snack (museli bar). Clearly i cant get enough of museli!

Lunch is at 11.30am most days, i just cant seem to hold out any longer. Today I had a bowl of mexican beans and peas and other veg, left over from last night. I also had a biscuit. Dinner was spabol. Im a huge snacker and i never deny myself so I might have some chocolate later or ice cream.

I generally have a protein shake with a scoop of milo and skimmed milk after a run to replenish my muscles. My girlfriend is vegetarian so the majority of our meals are meat free which suits me. We probably eat more courgettes in a week than most families do in a lifetime! Chickpeas and root veg also make up most of my diet. I do have a killer sweet tooth though. Just this week i ate 4 large chocolate muffins in 24hrs. I could have done them all in 10 mins but that would have been greedy.

Generally speaking if I want to eat something I will. Since i've started ultrarunning less than a year ago ive lost almost 10kg in muscle so im keen to not lose anymore. I love eating and it seems these 2 sports go hand in hand.

No Real Training Plan

Today was a much shorter run than intended. I had planned on doing roughly 20km around the park close to my work when I realised I had forgotten my head torch. No way I was going to run the trails without seeing where I was going so I cut my run short and just ran home. Of course I could have run on the roads for 20km but I didnt fancy it. And that was fine.

The reason im saying this because I do not follow a set training plan, I never have. I just train by how I feel. I let my body dictate what I want to do. If I dont fancy doing something then I wont. I find this keeps me highly motivated and generally speaking injury free (bear in mind I only injured myself by racing).

I have a rough idea in my head of the mileage I would like to achieve each week, but if a social occassion comes along or I am just not in the mood then I went let that bug me, i'll just come back running more keen the next day.

Tonights run was the first time since The North Face 100 that I have run without knee and ITB supports. I ran a steady pace and I felt great all the way, no pain.

Distance: 8.33km
Time: 37.55 mins
Average pace: 4.33 min/km

Tomorrow I shall be watching The State of Origin so it will be another night where I wont be running long. Instead I can focus on speed and hills and make the most of the time I do have.

Long Runs

I haven't run since Wednesday due to extra-curricular activities, namely boozing but this weekend I had planned on doing back to back runs and I wasnt going to let a severe hang-over stop me.

I awoke Saturday morning dazed and not feeling fantastic but I had intentions of doing a 2 hr run. I staggered out of bed, put my running gear straight on, threw back some water, filled up my camelbak with a nuun tablet and more water and out the front door I went.

My planned route was from my house (Neutral Bay) to my gorgeous girlfriend's
parents house in Frenchs Forest. To leave Neutral Bay you have to run up Wycombe Road which is 900 metres of steep hill. Not fun on the best of days. I was only 100 metres up it when Phill drove past. I was very much looking forward to finishing this run!

The terrain is undulating roads for roughly 10km until I hit a national park. Only then do I forget about my hangover and begin to enjoy myself. The pains in my legs go and I forget about the run and just enjoy the scenery. The trail is pretty hard going in sections and im often reduced to a walk but its fantastic being on your own out there. The next 12kms fly by and before I know it i've made it to my destination and Im greeted by 2 mad dogs and an awesome sandwhich.

Time: 2hrs 6 mins
Distance: 21.89km
Average pace: 5.45 min/km

Feeling more refreshed today I set off on another planned 2 hr run. I fancied running somewhere new so I set off in the direction of Taronga Zoo. I discovered some nice runnable trails along the coastline and turned round for home after 55mins when the trail I was on abruptly stopped. I went home the same way and felt good and fresh. Some decent hills on the way which I tackled with relative easy today.

The run wasn't without it incidence though. As I initially set off I felt hypo and began sweating profusely. Im not sure why this was but I was feeling instantly drained and just wanted to lie down and eat. I had $5 in my pocket and considered stopping to grab something to eat, however I knew this feeling was only temporary so I slowed my pace and continued. After about 15mins I was back on form and feeling good.

Always a good experience to feel rough on a training run because if it happens in a race you will have the confidence that you'll soon feel better.

Time 1hr 47mins
Distance: 20.56km
Average pace: 5.14mins/km

Running on a treadmill

Now I'm the first to admit I loathe running on a treadmill but treadmill running can have its benefits.

As an example, last night as part of my recover I decided I would jog on a treadmill as I wanted to run at a much slower speed than I would normally if I were running outside. Of course you have to put up with staring at a blank wall or if your lucky a 50inc plasma tv, however you get to run at the exact speed you wish to, which for me was 5.30min/km. I managed 30 minutes with no knee pain and then I decided I would run home which took around 10 minutes.

Treadmill running is much lower impace that running on a pavement or a road so in theory this should help aid recovery (well rest is the best option but as we all know what runner wants to ever go down that path!!). To mimic running outside the incline on the treadmill should be set to 1% which isnt all that noticeable.

Once I arrived home I got my foam roller out and applied some deep muscle massage to loosen up my ITB for good measure.

Today I plan on running round Centennial Park near my work. Its a nice decent loop with plenty of variation and trails, I just hope my ITB holds up.

As it will be dark I will be taking my trusty Petzl Tikka Plus 2 head torch. The headlamp lights the way superbly and I barely notice it on my head.

My other value peice of equipment is my Garmin Forerunner 405cx gps watch. If im outside I generally do not run anywhere without this beauty. Highly accurate with plenty of features its a great piece of kit. I love downloading my data after a long run and looking back to see how far i've run, how fast, me heart rate, how many calories ive burnt and where ive been.

The battery life is supposedly 8hrs and when I first bought this (before I had even heard of ultrarunning) I laughed and thought I would never even run close to 8hrs. How wrong I was .......

However, there are pieces of kit out there that, portable usb chargers, that enable you to charge your watch on the run but I'll talk more about that in a later post.

Happy running

First Injury Since Ultrarunning

Since I completed The North Face 100 on the 15th May 2010 I have not been able to run more than 8km without aggravating my ITB. I belive this is due to the dramatic increase in time runnning during the race (13hrs 28mins) compared to my longest training run (6.5hrs). I took a week off to recover and tried to start running again only to find my knees wouldnt allow it. So another week off and I started running but still it was painful.

Its now week 3 and I went for a 8km run on saturday and had a little ITB pain towards the end. I think im possibly running too fast (4.30min/km) and should perhaps cut down to 5.30min/km and see how my knee feels then.

Extremely keen to build up my mileage again as I signed up for The Glasshouse 100 in September. This will be my first 100 miler attempt and a dramatic increase from 100km. I certainly wont be able to bluff my way through this race so need to make sure im in top condition.

I have 3 months to prepare and get in shape and I shall detail my journey here...