Weekly Summary 07/03/11 - 13/03/11

Well no real excuses this week - just did not have any motivation whatsoever to get up and do my morning runs. Body feeling great, not feeling tired - i just lacked all motivation to put my kit on and head out the door into the darkness. 2 complete days of rest have made for this to be a pretty easy week.

600 km for the month is looking like a distant target but if I can find my rhythm and ramp it back up i'll be close.

Monday was the usual run to the gym then interval training with NRG. Really enjoyed the session. 5 x 1ishkm hill sprints. Found myself pulling away easily on the hills and recovering quickly. Good fun.
Weighed myself at the gym and found that i have dropped under the 80kg mark for the first time ever. I came in at 79.9kg. So my Phill has spent the week feeding me. I must have eaten an average of 5000 calories a day so it will be interesting to weigh myself again tomorrow.
(PM) 10.33km - 48min 49sec - 4.43min/km (500ml water)
(PM) 11.71km - 56min 17sec - 4.48min/km

Tuesday - No morning run and the evening was spent indulging in cheese and wine. Lovely!

Wednesday was my bog standard run home. Decent clip too. I find myself getting caught up in races across the harbour bridge with other random joggers. Good fun and the surges are great for race replication.
(PM) 11km - 47min 43sec - 4.19min/km (500ml water)

Thursday was a longer than usual run home on a decent hilly route - again some good speed in there.
(PM) 20km - 1hr 27min 9sec - 4.21min/km (500ml water)

Friday - Total day off - beers in the evening.

Saturday - Only had a 20km run in mind so set off up the pacific highway with my handheld water bottle immediately after breakfast. Just a few km's in I began to feel a bit lightheaded so stopped off at the supermarket for some chocolate. Continued on my planned route and then soon realised at the 15km point that the run might be a tad longer. The day was heating up quite nicely too. Manged to maintain 3hr marathon pace the whole way - in fact speeding up the further I went. Had to stop off at a petrol station to grab a drink too as I was covered in salt crystals. Finished up in pretty good nick
(AM) 35.5km - 2hr 34min 10sec - 4.20min/km (chocolate bar, 1litre water, 500ml energy drink)

Sunday - I had no set route in mind, just decided that Id head out the door and run the local roads in my vibram 5 fingers. Haven't worn them in ages so took it really easy. Nice hot day too so I was happy to finish up after 13km. Didnt want my feet or calves to be too sore in the morning.
(AM) 13km - 1hr 4min 22sec - 4.57min/km (500ml water)

Total - 101.58km - 7hrs 38min 33 secs


Planning on running the Sri Chinmoy half marathon on the 27th March. I ran this last year as my one and only half marathon and suffered miserably. Now im fitter, wiser and training a lot more I should do better. I wont be tapering for the race but might have an easy day/day off before the race.

The last few weeks have looked a little like this:

• 121.8km
• 149.38km
• 143.71km
• 149.68km
• 140.79km
• 138.45km
• 101.58km

Looking at the above I was probably due a low mileage week so I didnt fight it and ive enjoyed my time off.

Next week is time to step it up again for a few weeks and then probably have another quiet week down the line. Sounds like a fairly sensible cycle to avoid injury.

Run of the week (Saturday's Run)  below:

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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

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

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.

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 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!

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