Still Injured

Well another week of no running due to my persistent hip injury.

Last weekends plans went out the window after I only ran 11km on the friday. Oh well, this could be a long old process.

Heading down to the gym to hit the treadmill today. If i put the machine on the highest incline and plod along at 9km/hr i still get a pretty decent workout without irritating my hip.

Just dying to get out there and run properly.

Spent too many hours in the pub this week as a result of my injury, not feeling great about myself. Just hoping I'll heal in time for the 100km race on Jan 8th....

Slow return to running

Its been well over a week since I last blogged and that was due to my first DNF at Glenbrook Marathon.

Just 4km i tripped and fell hard on my hip. Extremely painful and I was hoping I could run it off. However running into the 18km aid station I just couldnt take it any more, so that was the end of that.

A week of no running and I tentatively ran 11km home on Monday. Still some pain but ok to run. Tuesday off and tonight was another run home which felt incredibly hard - however I wasnt hurting. Just some slight niggly pain when I arrived home. As long as I stay away from speed work I should be ok. I predict another 2 weeks before im back to normal.

In the meantime im planning a fairly long run on Friday in a bid to keep me out of the pubs. Havent looked at the route but it will be mainly road and most likely an out n back of 40 - 50km depending on how my hip holds up. If it hurts i'll cut loose, no point pushing it.

Looking into January I have my sights set on the Narabeen All Nighter 12hr race. This will be a fairly brutal test of how I cope running when tired - with no practice im not very confident. Also the mental toughness required to go round and round a 3.3km route will be something else which i'm unsure about.

Anyway, im alive and im running again and thats the main thing! Life is good!

Very Short Weekly Summary 15/11/10 - 21/11/10

The week started off perfectly well apart from a strange moment on Thursday when my body decided that it certainly didnt want to run home, instead opting to pull out after 5km, eat a muffin and jump on a train whilst sweating profusely....

Went to bed on Saturday with every intention of cracking out a 30km the next morning. Woke up on Sunday and the urge to get up early and run was not there. Instead I issued myself with another rest day and proceeded to use my time to over indulge in food and beer...hence the short blog.

Overall - 102.8km - 8 runs - 8hrs 07mins

Next saturday morning is the Glenbrook Trail Marathon. Apparently one should expect to add on another 15 or 20 minutes to their Fitzroy Falls Marathon time as a rough indicator. With that in mind, i hope to come in sub 3:30 depending on weather. If its stinking hot I wont have a chance and i'll just make sure i run a sensible race and enjoy the scenery and company.

The plan for the week is to really rest up. The taper has already started given todays rest day and I shouldnt expect to run more than 30/40 km all week.

Record Breaking Run

Well really its was a record breaking running home run. And just a personal record...

11km exactly to run home and I regularly do this averaging around 50 mins.

The last time i pushed the pace I managed 48 mins 40 secs and this was on Wednesday October 20th. So almost a month ago.

Well yesterday, mid afternoon I suddenly felt like having another crack. I had been doing hill sprints with NRG the previous night and my legs felt a little heavy but I thought I would just go for it.

I set my garmin racing partner to 4 min 20 km to give myself some breathing space and off i went. I knew I had to get a quick start as the course goes rises to almost 800ft of elevation and takes your breath away when you hit the bridge. So, go out quick and maintain until the bridge and then I should have a decent cushion for the relentless uphill to home.

1st km in 4:08 - felt nice and not to difficult
2nd km in 3:45 - didnt feel like i was flying but pushing the pace. Travelling nicely along the coast
3rd km in 3:53 - slight incline then onto some flat running
4th km in 3:57 - feeling comfortable and working my way around the opera house. Not looking forward to the stairs. Cushion is building though so can afford to lose time
5th km in 4:19 - Still bang on target but considerably slower. Struggle to move through the crowds
6th km in 4:42 - race up the stairs like i've never done before. Heart rate through the roof then race up more stairs until im onto the bridge. Normally slow down to catch my breath my force myself to continue on
7th km in 4:03 - surprisingly quick km here. Nice bonus as im bounding across the bridge. Didnt feel fast
8th km in 4:27 - unsurprising slow down here. Legs burning and im crawling up a fairly decent grade hill. Time still in the bank though. Feeling confident
9th km in 4:09 - ah, thats more like it. Cant fail now, looking forward to finishing
10th km in 3:49 - Adrenaline surging through my body as im getting ever closer to home. Hills are beginning to hurt
11th km in 3:45 - Last big push and im home.

45min 03 sec

Really happy to have taken off over 3 minutes from my previous time. Next goal is to get under 45 minutes but the thought makes me feel sick so will probably wait another month before I have another crack.

Just over a month ago I was never running sub 4 minute km's and now they seem to be appearing more often which is really exciting. Seems like more of muscle fibres are firing and im loving it. Heart rate still through the roof but thats going to happen when I push it hard.

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.

Bare Creek Trail Race 9km......?

After a week of doing very little running due to calf strain, heavy boozing, heavy rain and utter laziness i found myself at the starting line of the Bare Creek Trail 9km race.

I ran the course last week and knew it was going to be hard and today it was! Heavy rain for the last year (seems that way) made the course boggy and fairly treacherous. The start of the race was on a school field and there was a 100m dash for around 100 people to squeeze through a gate. Fortunately I was one of the first through the gate unfortunately that was where my problems began...

After a speedy start I already felt i was in oxygen debt and i seemed to struggle for the rest of the race. I was being overtaken left and right by the whippets but i made a pact with myself to just enjoy it. The first couple of kms are all down hill and this is obvious from my km splits of 3:22 and 3:27. After wading through a huge creek it was then a boggy slog uphill. Again i was overtaken a few times and i felt like an old man. I had no pep in my legs - i was struggling. Next 2 km's were 4:01 and 6:15 as i made my way up the 100m incline. At some point my laces came undone so i wasted a few seconds doing them back up. Good excuse to stop mind you..

The trail flattened out more or less and the next 2 kms were 4:22 and 3:58. Rocky and boggy underfoot i was looking forward to the finish but also beginning to recover. The next 3km saw the route move from bog onto road again. Ah the relief. Short lived as they turned to hills. Never mind, I was now enjoying myself. Obviously took a little while to warm up. 4:12, 4:30, 4:41. After looking at my garmin and thinking there was another km left i was surprised to find myself at the finish line after covering 8.33km. Didnt particularly feel like stopping and by that stage I would have been happy to do another loop or 2. This just reaffirmed im better designed for the longer races than the short stuff.

I came home in 35mins 05 secs or there abouts. No idea of  my position as I didnt stick around to find out. Sure I was top 10 but will edit once the results are out. EDIT: 9th place from 169 people

Overall fairly happy with how i pulled through. I still have no idea how to pace myself and i probably shouldnt have run a 42min 10km the previous day but its all good traininig.

Weekly Summary - 01/11/10 - 07/11/10

Monday (pm) - 10.56km - road - 54min 12sec - run to NRG. Nice and easy
Monday (pm) - 10.83km - road - 54min 17sec - 100m sprints, and 4 x 1.2km sprints. Warm down and run home

Tuesday - Melbourne cup. Rest day. Booze day.

Wednesday (pm) - 11km - road - 55min - Run home. Felt rough!

Thursday - lazy lazy lazy. Set my alarm and didnt get up. Went out for Nepalese in the evening.

Friday - Set my alarm again. Using heavy rain as my excuse to not get out of bed..

Saturday (am) - 10km - road- 42min 19sec - felt good. Shouldnt have gone so fast considering my race the next morning but felt good and couldnt help myself. Sore shins though.

Sunday (am) - 8.33km - trail - 35min 20sec - Hard work. Too short for me to really compete as I dont have the leg  speed. Good fun though

Summary - 50.69km - 4hrs 1min - 5 runs - Really a recovery week. Rain didnt help but im not using that as an excuse. Feel undercooked and im looking forward to a big week in the build up to Glenbrook Trail Marathon in a couple of weeks.

Definitely feeling the benefits of interval training with NRG. Leg speed is increasing and my cruising speed has picked up. Generally feeling good.

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!

Sore Shins

Went running after work in my vibram 5 fingers tonight. Having a low mileage week and looking to increase speed prior to my marathon. However I shot off too fast (4 min km) and my shins tightened up immediately. No warming up or stretching before hand so i had it coming. Struggled with pain the whole way home, had to walk at some point to loosen it up. To make matters worse my feet are a little blistered from the pavement. Should be ok by tomorrow.

10.35km - road - 47min 48sec - 1718ft total elevation - vibram 5 fingers
Warm Night
Fuel = nothing
Fluid = nothing

A Light Week - Summary 20/09/10 - 26/09/10

This week I have taken 3 rest days.

Thursday off as I went out for a colleagues birthday drinks after work (too lazy to get up in the morning)

Friday off as I was moving house all day long (The girlfriend would not have been impressed if I had taken off  for a run!)

Sunday off as I just dont feel like running today. Shin bones feel a little sore and I just fancy enjoying some quality time in my new place.

I've had a pretty decent month so  a light recovery week will do me good. I will be having another day off tomorrow as I am travelling interstate and just wont have the time. I guess this is a fairly good taper for the marathon coming up in October.

Monday - 20.35km - road - 1hr 40 mins (Vibram 5 Fingers)
Tuesday - 20.32km - road - 1hr 37mins
Wednesday - 20.08 - road - 1hr 44mins
Thursday - rest
Friday - rest
Saturday - 28km - road - 2hrs 17 mins (28 degrees)
Sunday - rest

Total - 88.75 km - 7hr 20mins

A satisfactory week. I had a great run on Tuesday and with the marathon coming up on the 9th i guess now is a good time to start increasing speed and cutting down mileage whilst being careful to not overcook myself.

I had no trail runs this week which is the only disappointment but im not going to beat myself up over it.

Where can i buy these shoes?

I'm really keen for a pair of new lightweight trail running shoes. I have seen the New Balance MT100 and MT101's and I was wondering if anyone has any idea where to purchase them in Australia?

I dont believe the MT101's have been released yet and im pretty sure the MT100's cannot be bought over here but im just putting the feelers out.

Tuesday Run - 20.3km - road - 1hr 37 mins 47 sec (PB for this course home! Second night in a row!!)
Fuel = 1 banana
Fluid = 500ml water

Wednesday Run - 20.08km - road - 1hr 44mins 58 secs (went slow today, tendons sore, didnt want to push it - rest tomorrow)
Fuel = 1 banana after 9km
Fluid = 500ml water

Run home in Vibram 5 Fingers

Ran the 20.3km home in my 5 fingers tonight. Concrete concrete and more concrete. Sore on the balls of my feet but overall fine. Managed to keep my feet in tact and didnt kick any upturned paving slabs which is positive!


The inclines today felt easy as they always do when i wear the 5 fingers. Legs felt great and i managed to record my fastest time home ever  1hr 40mins 10sec.

Fuel = 1 banana after 9km
Fluid = 500ml of water

This last month has been my highest month of mileage ever and i feel better than ever. No signs of fatigue, body seems to be holding up pretty well.

Weekly Summary 13/09/10 - 19/09/10

Another pretty good week of running. Decent mileage for marathon training and my legs feel nice and fresh.
Had a fun run this saturday morning before breakfast. Took my garmin visat hcx gps out with me as i was exploring a new area. Was looking to run some trails near Turramurra. I ended up not really knowing where i was and found myself on top of a large rock overlooking miles and miles of bushland. Really wished i had my camera with me. My garmin suggested there were some tracks in the bush, so I made my way down and bush bashed till I came across the tracks. Really slow going because of this but great fun. I didnt see a single sole. Turned out to be a decent long run before the marathon in October.

Today I nipped out before breakfast for some speed work. Legs felt great after Saturday's run so I thought i would pick up the pace and do a loop of my local area. Great loop as it starts out with a gentle incline for 1km, then flattens out for a couple of kms before picking up a gradual incline again. Once i hit the bush its downhill for a couple more kms before beginning the ascents. The ascents are such a great workout, just straight up. Really takes it out of me but its a great sense of achievement coasting up them. Always a good gauge of fitness and gives a reliable indication of how my legs are feeling. Todays case, they were feeling great. I did however trip as i normally do running this trail and grazed the left side of my body. Just the adrenaline rush I need towards the end of a run.

Stats for the week below:

Monday - 20.52km, road, 1hr 44min
Tuesday - 20.29km, road, 1hr 44min
Wednesday - 9.12km, trail, 44min 41sec
Thursday - 20.26km, road, 1hr 41min
Friday - rest
Saturday - 36.56km, trail/road, 3hrs 41min
Sunday - 12km, trail/road, 54mins, 28secs

Total - 118.76km - 10:31:14 h:m:s

Saturdays run:

The Week So Far..

Since my fast (for me) run on Saturday my calfs have felt unusually sore along with my achilles on my left leg. I dont really notice it until I am actually out the door and running. I seem to loosen up after 7-8km then the running becomes easier.

Monday - 20.5km road - 1hr 44mins
Tuesday - 20.3km road - 1hr 44mins
Wednesday - rest EDIT 9.12km trail run in vibram 5 fingers - 44.44sec
Ah the lure of the trails!

Forcing myself to take a rest day today. My legs actually feel the best they have all week but after 4 days and over 90km of running im sure i could benefit from a day off.

Will look to run again tomorrow as i will only be at my girlfriends parents place for another week so i need to take advantage of the good running distance between work and home.

Question: Who else takes advantage of stretching out their calf muscles whilst standing on escalators?

Weekly Summary

This week has been fairly reasonable. I had 2 days off running due to work committments and laziness, but this is fine as im only training for a marathon, not an ultramarathon!

Monday 12.72km - 61.34 - trails
Tuesday 20.44km - 104.12 -road
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday 19.78km - 108.11 - trails
Friday - rest
Saturday - 31km - 147.32 - road
Sunday - 22.87km - 119.13 - road/trail

Total - 106.82km - 09:00:44 h:m:s

Most pleasing run was my saturday run. Just hit the road and picked up the pace. Downhill for the first half and on the return uphil leg i made it home with a negative split of 30 seconds. A real marathon training run to see where I am at. Details below

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....

Wow, what a run!!

This evening I ran a hilly 12.7km trail run that I like to time myself on just for fun.

I've only run it 3 times before today and the results are:

22nd August - 66min 57 secs (ran in 5 fingers)

25th August - 66min 44 secs (ran in 5 fingers)

31st August - 67min 51 secs (ran in running shoes)

Today 61min 34 secs (ran in 5 fingers)

A huge improvement! Surprising after running almost 120km last week. I didnt set out to run as fast as I did, however when the garmin beeped 4.30 for the 1st km and 4.46km for the 2nd, I thought I'd give it ago.

I knew I was on for a fast time when I reached the turnaround point in 31mins 24 secs.



Such a stony course that you really have to concentrate where you are placing your feet. My feet feel like they have had a good massage. The plus side of wearing the 5 fingers is that you can really get some decent footing on the hills and power up them. Downhills isnt so fun..

I left my HRM at work today which is a shame as it would have been interesting to see the results. However, I think if i was wearing it then i may not have run so fast as i would have been horrified at how hard i was working!!!

Great to have achieved this today. I did set my alarm to wake up early to do this but lacked the motivation to crawl out of bed. Seemed to have paid off!

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

My First Barefoot Run

Today i finally decided to lose the shoes and run free.

The reason being my itb is irritating me so i wanted to try something different.

Like most runners im highly impatient when recovering from an injury and i want to be back running asap! However each time i run i always have to push the distance just that little bit more than i know i should. This is especially so with an itb injury. As the fitness is there, who wants to stop running after 8km!?!?! Only just getting warmed up!

So i decided the only way to limit my running is my going barefoot. I headed out my front door and onto the road. Nice and cool underfoot. This is a totally different experience than running in vibram 5 fingers. I really had to watch every foot fall and avoid the glass and hard stones. This instantly slows you down and makes you cautious. There was one part of really rough road but the rest was relatively smooth pavement.

I ran 4.20km in 24.21 mins. It was always going to be extremely slow but thats part of the reason for doing it. More than anything I really enjoyed it and hope to be out there again tomorrow!

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

Road to Recovery

Its been a long time since my last post. The reason being is my lack of running!

The ITB seemed to be worsening and it got to the stage where i couldnt go further than 4km. This was after a months rest.

Last Wednesday I saw chiropracter who first told me my pelvis was out of alignment along with my upper back. He said this would definitely contribute to the pain i was having and suggested orthotics if i want to run silly distances - which i do :)

He performed some acupuncture on me which was an interesting experience and left me for 20 minutes whilst it worked its magic. The acupuncture really hits the spot. I felt totally worked after that and felt like I had received a beating. I then had my pelvis put back into place along with my back and knees. He suggested I try running again 2 days later...

Apprehensively I went for a run on saturday in my 5 fingers. I wasnt overly confident of being able to run my usual 8km loop but off i went slightly cautiously. About 4 km in i felt some twinges, the itb was threatening to kick in. So i slowed down and turned around and ran another 4 km to home. So 8km in under 40 mins wasnt too bad. I was pleased with the result and it was a marked improvement. However not quite perfect as i felt it was going to give in at any moment.

On sunday i tried my luck again. This time i wanted to run a hilly 8.7km loop in my 5 fingers. I felt great from the get go. Again some slight discomfort around the 4km mark but much less than the previous day. This time i was charging up and down hills so really testing my itb. I arrived home again in under 40mins averaging 4.29min/km which i was really pleased with.

I will be running home tonight then with any luck going for a run with Phill. This should take my distance to around 10 or so kms tonight. A great test for me.

On Wednesday i am seeing the chiropractor who is fitting me with orthotics. Im happy to go with his advice on the evidence of my previous 2 runs. He really assured me the longer distances require good bio-mechanics.

I shall keep you posted!

Taking a long break

Well its been well over a week since my last post. The reason being I havent had much to say.

On Sunday 27th June I went out for a 45km road run in my vibram five fingers. Knee feeling a little dodgy but managed to pull through. I lasted 30km in my vibrams which was fairly incredible as I havent done much running in them and my feet didnt have any blisters at all. Then I changed into my runners and went home. In the end my knees were in a lot of pain and I didnt run for the next week.

I went out yesterday for a 12km run and my knee packed in. So i jumped on a train and went home.

Today I cancelled my 100miler at The Glasshouse 100. There is no way I would be able to complete it or enjoy the run feeling this way. I can walk freely without any pain so I dont want to do major damage.

The plan is to take a complete break from running for 6 weeks. Let me knees and ITB completely heel and when i start back i will start back slow and short distances only. In much the same way as i started out in August 2009. Hopefully I will be fit and I can enjoy my running again.

In the meantime, I will be spending the next 6 weeks doing weights and cardio in the gym. I have a stack of protein powder to get through and i plan on putting on some of the muscle i have lost.

I'll be itching to run after a week but i have to be sensible and stick out the rest period.

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

Rest Days

The importance of rest days is not to be underestimated. Whilst running, the body is put under severe stress and muscle fibres are broken down. Rest allows the body to repair and come back stronger.

Im a strong believer in resting the body but there are athletes out there who insist on training every day. Each to their own. I personally would lose motivation if I ran every day and I also don't think my body would appreciate it.

A strong theme among ultrarunners is do double up your long runs on the weekend. That is, to do a long run on a saturday and then another long run on a sunday to get get your body used to running when fatigued. This is something im yet to do, but in order to successfully complete The Glasshouse 100 miler I shall have to use this approach.

Last night was just an easy jog home. 6km average 5min/km. Nothing to report, things felt good.

2 days of rest coming up for me now and then some runs over the weekend.

On the mend?

Well today there was a break in the rain that has been hitting this country hard for the last couple of weeks, so I took my chance and decided to run outside. My plan was to do a lap of centennial park then run home. I put on my knee support for good measure and headed out straight from work with my camelbak, garmin and half a litre of water.

I set off and forced myself to go slowly from the start as I was extremely nervous to aggravate my knee. It was dark the moment I reached the park so I slipped my petzl on my head and it lit up the trail perfectly. A nice cool evening and it felt good to finally be outside running properly, albeit cautiously.

My pace varied from around 4.45min/km to 5.30min/km and all in all I managed a solid 20.5km averaging 5.12min/km overall.

My legs feel a little sore but I feel great. My slow pace meant I could enjoy the scenery and there was no strain on the lungs. The plan is to back this up with another run tomorrow.

Fingers crossed!

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...