Clarkey Chronicles

Bogong to Hotham 2009 - race report

2009-01-13T21:49:00.002+11:00

My race:

B2H as an event started for me last year when I was a sweeper. It was my way of sizing it up before actually running it. In reality I probably wasn't ready to 'race' last year and it may have broken me had I tried.

My lead up training was less than ideal and I ran out of weeks to get enough long runs into the system, I think I mis-calculated somewhere and also took my re-building a little bit slower than originally planned. So with only 4 runs over 30km since June and the longest being 40km in 3hr30min I feared I was a bit undercooked (not that I said that out loud anywhere).

Using past results as a guide I had set myself the goal of going around 9hrs, but dared to dream that I might give 8hr30m a nudge if things went to plan. Not quite sure where the logic of training vs goal separated, but I think optimism from some good running pre-injury.....

The morning of the run, we woke to wet ground and heavy skies. As daylight increased we could see that Mt Bogong summit was cloaked in a beanie of white. It was already shaping up as an interesting day. We were told the report from the top was 'cold and windy'.

The trouble with climbing Bogong is that there is no way to judge your pace. The best measure is your level of percieved effort. I kept in touch with some others who I guessed would be around my pace and was surprised to be keeping up with others who should (in theory) have disappeared. Most of the climb was wet and the views not as pleasant as last year. I was pleased to be feeling strong the whole way up just keeping a constant rythm forwards. Above the treeline the cloud was all consuming, all we could see was the path in front. Normally there is a shortcut to the summit - head right when you see the cairn. What cairn?? I flicked to the altimeter screen on my Garmin, 1953m - close enough. Off the trail in search of the summit. Quickly found the path again passed one of my TW team mates (Bryan) coming down. Touched the cairn. 1hr31m. Quicker than planned by about 4 to 9min. Happy and feeling in control. (8.6km @ 10m38s/km, elevation gain 1400m)

On the path downwards, visibility was OK but could not tell direction so just followed the path. I was quickly caught back up by my other TW team mate (Chris) who I had unexpectedly passed on the way up. He went by and I slotted in behind him. This section is easy as long as you keep your footing. Plenty of rocks etc to trip you up in the narrow and deep single track. (Why can't bushwalkers walk with their feet shoulder width apart??) Straight through the next check point at Cleve Cole hut in approx 20min. Running very freely now, we caught back up to Bryan. Team Muttley was in business!!! (12.5km, section 3.9km @ 5m10s, elevation down mostly)

Past Cleve Cole it is more downs but a few ups. Chris moved away as Bryan & I got in some fluids etc in prep for the big downhill. T-spur. I moved away from Bryan and really got stuck into the downhill, just letting it flow. I eventually caught back up to Chris and again followed him down to the river. The slower runners (from earlier starts) had been great in allowing us to keep moving by getting off the path - very appreciated. Once at the river I quickly noticed the log I used to cross last year was gone, so straight in. Chris took it literally and went ALL IN. I was going to find out if really wet shoes was going to be a problem. Cleve Cole to Big River 37min, 2h30min into the race. (18.6km section 6.1km @ 6m01s/k, elev down very steep)

I knew that climbing Duane Spur was going to be a grind, but had forgotten exactly how much of a grind. Litterally just step / step / step. Couldn't even get a spingy walk going. Up till this point we had regularly passed several runners from the earlier starts, on this climb it seemed to take forever to catch and pass anyone. Unfortunately in the trill of hitting the river I had forgotten to top up my handheld bottle and my camelbak was empty.....oh dear. Lots of climbing and barely 200m of fluids. I had to carefully ration myself to allow small swigs right to the top. Not sure which was the greater contributor to the onset of cramp - either the lack of training / the hard and fast downhill / the lack of fluid, but when it hit it grabbed hard and mercilessly, I was down to a brittle walk. This further sapped my motivation as both TW guys moved well ahead and another runner from the 6.15 start passed me. Finally back onto more level ground and Ropers Hut, time to re-group get fluids and keep moving. (23.2km section 4.5km @ 13m28s/k elev gain gain gain)

From Ropers to Warby Corner was supposed to be a time to get back into a rythm of running. WRONG, more walk / shuffle / jog. I had also forgotten that this was a bit uphill too.....(26.2km 3km @ 7m33s, elev uphill mostly)

Finally out of Warby Corner (which was also blanketed in cloud) I found a way to run again. This section is generally a nice wide 4WD type track with only gentle undulations. Got some food and fluids in and generally started to feel more positive and a whole lot less like quitting. The last part of this section is a flat aqueduct and I spied a 6.15 runner ahead so began to use them as a rabbit to chase - I needed that. (35km section 8.9km @ 5m28s/k elev gently down then flat).

This had me at 'halfway' 35km in 4h40m. A nice feeling to be there in that time given the terrible hopelessness I'd felt not too long ago. It also meant that I had acheived the cut-off point under the original original time of 5hrs (rather than the current 5h30m or 11:45am) My family met me here and helped with the re-stocking and encouragment. Left at 4h46m. At this point any thoughts of a specific finishing time had been put aside, I was just going to keep myself moving forwards.

More aqueduct running which should have been good, but I was too distracted by my handheld bottle. I was sick of holding it and could not find a way to hang it or carry it on either my camelback or waist belt..... the result was just wasted time and effort..... A couple more runners ahead to keep me moving in the right direction. Omeo Rd crossing was the introduction to the high plains running. I was expecting my family to come here too, but I didn't hear the comment made earlier that they wouldn't come over to this point, so I wasted several minutes hanging around and looking down the road thinking they might just come round the corner shortly. I should have just kept running!! (40.7km section 5.65km @ 6m25s/k , mostly flat one decent hill to finish)

From here the surface was a cruel mix of narrow single track and tussocks and cow / horse trodden ground. It meant you either ran with legs up and zig zagging or you just walked. I alternated as best I could. On reflection I think I lost interest in the race in this area. I wasn't catching the slower runners and wasn't really giving it 100%. Along here there was a pack of horse riders and also a herd (?) of brumbies, but in my down state it didn't really register. Eventually I caught a runner who I'd run some of Maroondah Dam with last year, so stopped and walked with them for a short while, just chatting and killing time (avoiding the race.....). I was told I should keep moving, so I did. After this I found a bit of mojo and was soon at the next checkpoint Pole 333. I grabbed a banana and got going again. (49.1km section 8.4km @ 7m30s, mostly flat small undulations)

The poles count down so from 333 I was looking for 267. When struggling I would run a few poles then walk one. From 267 there was the final big downhill. Despite the cramp being in the background almost the whole way since Duane Spur, i was feeling OK on the downhill sections here. Without pushing it I was able to gain some good momentum. Unlike T-spur the path to Cobungra River was rocky and loose, even if feeling great it could be quite a treacherous descent if you aren't careful. Passing another couple of runners here was nice, one benefit of taking the late start. Down to the river, across the bridge, past the checkpoint & then up again.... (54.4km and 7hr05m, section 5.2km @ 7m24s/k, flat then down steeply)

Swindlers Spur - a section I've often heard mentioned with plenty of unsavoury words. I knew it would be steep and it would seem endless. So head down, swinging the arms and singing kids songs repeatedly in my head (not out loud) to keep a moving beat going. Don't stop - keep moving one step at a time. Overall I was quite pleased with the way I went up Swindlers, I don't think it was fast but it was OK. It did catch me out a bit once near the top as it kicked up a couple of times after seeming to flatten out. I had also got my distances mixed up and expected the next checkpoint sooner than it arrived. Derrick Hut is the final CP and a welcome sight. I quickly downed a full orange and moved on with purpose. (58.2km and 7hr52m, section 3.8km @ 12m26s/k - steep uphill!!)

Now within sight of the finish (metaphorically), my mind shifted to finish times. A quick calculation said that 8h30m might be possible but I had to work fairly hard for it. Unfortunately I didn't really know the terrain but figured it I could do 8m/k I would get close. Fast walk the ups & trot if possible, then run as hard as my legs would allow on any flat or down. Its funny how the end of a race brings renewed energy that was absent only minutes earlier..... Getting close to the finish I could see the bus that marked the carpark, then I spied Bryan who was only walking. I ran up to him and told him I wouldn't pass and if we ran to the end we would both go under 8h30m, he tried for a few hundred metres and then said he had nothing left and I should go on. I did run on and touched the summit stones in 8h29m51s. Bryan arrived only 40sec later to have an 8h30m time. (63.2km, section 5.0km @ 7m26s/k, generally uphill) My Garmin measured 63.2km, which is not too bad given the terrain etc. Close enough to the advertised 64km.

How do I feel about this race? Its a phenomenal challenge, it doesn't allow you to relax, you must fight for every step of progress. You know you have put in a days work by the time you get to the finish. The location and scenery and surface is always changing. If we had more time to look around its a spectacular place for a run.

My own performance was very satisfying. Before the race I told Chris that 8h30m would be a dream time and 9hr would be a good result. But after the race I feel somehow not quite ready to pat myself on the back. I achieved the time I thought would be a stretch, but given how I struggled and then wasted time and lost focus etc I know there is a better days racing in me on this course.

Given my training in recent months I am happy with the result & it shows that the months of running before my injury and the long race days early in 2008 set me up for this result also.

The organisors and volunteers, some either spent days dragging in water before the event or walked hours to get to their checkpoint, were all excellent and a credit to themselves and the race and their radio club.

All being well I will be back in 2010 for the 25th running of this event. Will you??

Trailwalker 2008 - Team Muttley #485

2008-04-14T13:22:00.004+10:00

I know its been a long time since I was here, but I've been a little busy and the results are now realised.

Team Muttley - Melbourne Trailwalker Winners 2008 - New Australian Trailwalker Record.

Details of the event - blow by blow are here.

Obviously a TW attempt which is based on getting through as quickly as possible takes a lot of time and preparation so I won’t go into any more detail other than to say the idea was over 12 months old and the specific training almost 6 months. For me this is by far the longest I’ve had any plans for any race. It also meant the greatest volume of training I’ve ever done. Basically double of my marathon preparations.

It would have to be one of the smoothest mornings before an event ever, awake with the alarm then straight up, everything ready to go, shower – eat – dress – final checklist then drive. I love 5am traffic!! Our team met away from the start, which I think was a great idea as a lot of the early nerves were settled once everyone was together and in good spirits. It helped take away the concern I had for the cold that had threatened to bring me down.

Pre-event: lots of people, the hussle bussle, nervousness, excitement, laughs, gear checks, meeting people, photos, well wishes, final plans, clock checks, registration, final prep then line up and wait….. all very exciting and not dissimilar to many other events except for the unknown of what was going to happen in the 100km ahead.

Having several familiar faces at the start line was excellent, so I appreciated them making the effort to come and find me.
We got a little bit cheeky by jumping the fence and taking a position close to the front as we wanted to be comfortable early and not having to dodge too many people in the first km or so.

The gun and then…..nothing….it was almost like no-one wanted to move. Not quite, but the early pace was much slower than expected. So we settled in the first 4 or 5 teams at a pace slower than we planned. Our original thoughts were that 10-15 teams would go off quickly, then we could chase. When this didn’t happen we had to re-plan so deliberately let the others set the pace about 50m ahead.

Through CP1 - Churchill NP - we were in 2nd place by only seconds due to the 1st team "How Good is this?" taking a long time to move through. Immediately we knew our plans for very quick checkpoints would save us heaps of time throughout the day. Then within half a km we were in the lead. At about this point we were asking each other if we were OK with this and how did we feel. It was almost unanimous that this was not the plan and we did not like being in front. We then asked if our pace was OK – were we overcooking it. On this front we all agreed that the pace was within our range and only marginally ahead of schedule. So we just kept moving.

CP2 - Lysterfield Lake - and our Super Crew showed us exactly how they were going to save us more time at every CP. Our individual feed bags were handed over, we sorted through and grabbed what we needed then handed them back and kept running all before we even reached the check in. With 2 CP’s done we had lost less than 60sec!!!

CP2-3 - Grants Picnic Ground Kallista. We had the company of some marshals who decided to do some running before the teams came through so that was a good distraction. Our walk the big uphills strategy was in place and we seemed to just float up them without effort and so our pace off the hills was consistent and comfortable. Another friendly face at Belgrave – thanks EE. Then our mobile cheer squad found us near the Belgrave Station, Mrs C, little C, MIL and Aunty. Who were very excited to see us in first place, and I hear they were sledging the 2nd team when they came through….gotta love family. On the hills leading to the CP we had lebusq join us for a jog and a chat. Again at CP3 we were basically in and out, only slowing to allow water refill and also a bit of ‘cheese’.

CP3-4 - Olinda. With more uphills we just had heads down and churning along without pushing the limits. Even the fact that the course appeared to have been marked incorrectly didn’t phase us. More cheer squad visits which the team were really enjoying and appreciating, since there had not been any pre-planning on this. This was meant to be a tough section, but somehow it just disappeared and we covered it only 2min slower than in training.
Again lebusq found us for more chat and some updates etc. Again our Super Crew were seemless, only a slow down without stopping. 4 CP done and less than 3min time lost.

CP4-5 - Silvan Reservior. Down down down – a great section we could have really pushed this section but decided to just roll along. This suited me so I took this section as my meal section. At this point we had only heard that we were 4min ahead so figured that was basically nothing. We were surprised to learn at the CP that we had about 15mins lead at CP4 – I was surprised to have grown the lead by 11min in 1 section. Lebusq had passed on the message that Best Boys were not looking great. This gave us some confidence. Our longest stop of the event so far occurred here – a whole 2min.

CP5-6 - Mt Evelyn. We had a slow start along here, basically walking / trotting to allow Bryan time to slowly eat. Then back on rhythm. It had been completely uneventful to this point. The niggles that threatened had not caused problems, my cold symptoms had cleared completely. I knew the team were in good spirits when we again passed the mobile cheer squad and the guys happily stopped for a re-take of a missed photo!!! Once on the Warby Trail the first signs of potential trouble surfaced. Rohan had begun to feel heavy in the legs. At this point I was not concerned, I knew there was a CP coming with a chance to re-charge and re-start. Then he indicated the need for some blister treatment, so a radio call ahead to alert the Super Crew and medical help. TB found us along here and provided some good distraction. The entry / exit of this CP allowed for a slower walk in to give Rohan a chance to get some help while we did the feedbag routine. Despite the ‘off trail’ part of this CP being 900m we only took 10min ‘off trail’. Another quick CP despite the required tasks. Here we learned that we had over 30min advantage at CP5, we knew our CP strategy was a big part of this.

CP6-7 - Woori Yallock. Warby Trail. Flat smooth boring mind numbing. Maybe for some, but not for me. I was still feeling really good. Heavy in the legs but no signs of cramp or fatigue. Along here I basically ran with the back runner, either Rohan or Bryan depending on who was having a flat spot. Chris was just a machine and barely seemed like he was doing any work. Rohan was feeling slow but just found a consistent pace at about 6min/k – he did not stop. Somewhere along here Bryan started to feel the effects of his food intake, its had been a problem in other events so not entirely unexpected. Our radio call to Super Crew revealled that the CP was not ready for us as school was still in….sorry for being too quick…. By the time we got there everything was OK – just. Super Crew had to guide us in because the signs were not up yet. 500m ‘off trail’ and only 6min lost.

CP7-8 - Millgrove. The toughest section of the day for me. Not because I was suffering, but because those around me were doing it tough. Rohan just kept trying to find a ‘do not stop’ pace. Bryan was reduced to lots of walking breaks as his body did not allow him to settle or to purge. Here we fell behind the pre-planned section time and reduced to over 7min/k. It was along here that the courage and determination of Bryan was tested – and he passed. In terrible pain he kept finding a way to run just a little bit more to get to the CP. A little slower through this CP but not horribly. The latest update from CP 6 was a 44min advantage. I made an error in judgement and only packed my small hand held torch – perhaps it was foolish optimism….

CP8 to Finish - Wesburn. Bryan had given everything to get to CP8, so was only able to walk from here. I asked him a couple of times if a shuffle was possible, he tried but was physically unable. This section had me ‘running scared’, I’d plotted all the worst case scenarios and convinced myself they were going to happen. I believed the 2nd team was still flying and from 44min back had gained 10-15min in CP7-8 which had them only 30min behind, we were walking at about 10min/k so they only had to go at 7m/k to catch us on the last downhill. I didn’t speak any of this to Bryan, but I did get him to imagine the feeling of being a TW winner. Fortunately the uphills meant no-one would gain crazy time on us there. Then Bryan dug to his deepest resources to run / shuffle / trot down the hills. This made me feel a little better, but still fearful of being passed at the death. Just before the last big downhill to the finish Bryan told me he’d forgotten his torch & his night vision was no good. I could still just see so I held my torch behind me and kept moving. Back in the bush and we had to share my small handheld torch. Dicey at best… Just before we broke through the trees we heard from Chris and Rohan (just ahead) that we had about 2 ½ minutes to finish to break the Australian TW record. So with all other thoughts / aches / pains / troubles gone, we just ran. Bryan held his breathe, I ran with him. When he started to slow I grabbed his pack and pushed him along to keep the speed up. Across the line – confirmation of the record – then elation!!!

109 days - I think.....

2007-12-23T23:01:00.000+11:00

Well its been over a month since I last posted, time flies when you are busy with all sorts of things except sitting for long enough to post about running.

Work has been flat out, I've had family visit briefly, no. 2 son's birthday, my lovely wifes birthday, store 3rd birthday sale, 3 VIP sale events...... etc etc.

I've been running well - with a renewed focus on running hills. This after a couple of wake-up runs telling me that I was not running well going up.

Some pretty tough and fast(ish) hilly and long runs.

2 most significant runs have been 34.5km with 2 team mates from Team Muttley covering part of the TW course. Mostly OK, but struggled later in the run. Hindsight says contributing factors knocked me about and in different circumstances I was up to running better.

Then Friday just gone I ran on my own for 4hrs48min, covering 50km!!
First section I ran with a pack weighing about 5kg as a tester before Bogong to Hotham. I covered approx 36km in 3hr20m (approx) Garmin went flat which was annoying. This was run on the Warby Trail from Woori Yallock to Millgrove, then covered the final section of the TW course again to Wesburn park. Then back to the Warby Trail via Settlement Rd.

The pack was generally good and I found I was still able to comfortably sit on about 5min/k pace on the flats. Having the water 'on tap' was quite good, but I don't know that I would use it too often for runs shorter than about 3hrs.
Also ran again with my headlamp and also a little handheld. The headlamp was perfectly fine again but I was unable to get the hang of using the handheld effectively.

Once back to the car I changed my shirt and my shoes/ socks then dumped the pack and headed off to finish the run with a goal of getting to 50km. Unfortunately with the flat Garmin I was guessing on time / distance / pace etc. But with my mobile in hand for time checks I covered approx the right time.

The running time was approx 4hr38min due to 10min or so of stopping for water / food / changing etc. The time was lengthened by walking all the serious uphills on the TW course.
Overall happy with the running pace even towards the end, when roughly 5min/k was achievable but mainly to get the hurt to finish sooner.

Upon getting home the approx measure and manual manipulation of the course shows I got the desired 50km. The last few km were pretty tough and had me questioning why on earth I would want to run this distance and more again....

I think a few things contributed to the feelings......
1. Waking at 3am after less than 4hrs sleep.
2. Previous days running included tough 14km in the steep hills, then 10km with ave pace of 4.13m/k, middle section at 4min/k, last 7km ave 4.05m/s.
3. Running alone.

After the run I was able to chill for a little while, then I had to work from 12.30 to 10pm. Through the day the legs loosened a lot. By the end of the night I could run up the stairs at work. Today the legs feel very good, but not tested in a run (that will happen tomorrow).

No niggles, no pains.

Very happy and pleased that I feel strong being able to run reasonably quickly and definitely long.

For the record, its my second 'official' ultra run. My 4th marathon. My slowest for both. But there was a run I did with the ESRG which was possibly more than 42km, but that distance can't be verified, it was over 4hr15min on my feet - so the previous longest running session.

Hopefully everyone else is going well at the moment.

BTW - happy to recruit people to come with me for part of my next 50km adventure, since I know it might be hard to convince someone to run the whole way with me......

143 days

2007-11-19T22:21:00.001+11:00

After a couple of good (for me) weeks, I was due for a roughie.
Long run Friday of 29km was followed by, cricket, slack, slack, sore back/shoulders/neck, MIL B'day dinner, slack, slack, 24km, 21km.

So even though its a week not to be proud of, I was happy to put 2 days together at 20km+ each, undulating / hilly / trail sections, at sub5min k's.

Today, no pain or soreness etc very pleased.

Last night I ran (25deg at 9pm), with my headlamp for the first time. Its a Black Diamond Icon. a 3w led lamp. My first impression was very good. No hassles with the weight or the comfort. A few adjustments along the way but not due to being troublesome.

This piece will be very useful in the winter months or when I want to go to trails after dark rather than sticking to the roads that are well lit.

Running my favourite place (at the moment) up to Mt Evelyn via the Haig Rd trail at night was great.

So far so good..... stay tuned for my first 50km effort in the next couple of weeks. Anyone want to join me?? Even for part of it??

153 DAYS - How embarrassment

2007-11-09T20:40:00.001+11:00

Getting the TW newsletter telling me its 22 weeks to go, then a quick mental maths, then a ‘are you serious’ moment…..

Sorry to anyone putting faith in my count down….I’ll go back and fix the past entries now…..

I can only assume I missed a month in my early count – possibly due to the 29 days in February and trying to get that right.

Of course only a fool would suggest that I am correct this time, so if the auditors can assist and confirm my number, by mid next week we might stand a chance of getting it close…..

Running for me has been OK.

Going backwards:

Today – 29km, 2hr20m, some hills, nothing nasty. Early morning after no breaky, possibly led to feeling very tired afterwards. Remember ‘always use Sport shield!!’ Won’t forget that again in a hurry….

Wed – 9km, 4m45s pace until the last 1.3km completed at approx 3m40s pace. Middle 500m+ at 3m30s.

Tues – 16km 1hr16m (??) 4m45s pace, some hills, lots of trail along the Croydon to Mooroolbark (& beyond – next time) “Pipeline” track.

Sat – 25km, 1hr58m 4m45s. Big loop Nth Croydon – Croydon – Ringwood – Heathmont – Bayswater – Croydon – Nth Croydon. We ran this as a group over a year ago now, still a favourite loop (suburban) added a few bits to give some extra distance.

Previous – 2 runs I can’t remember and don’t have details here. Combined distance approx 29km – 1hr+each……. the trouble with Sportstracks – I don’t have to remember anything, it does it all…..I’ll find and update later…

So you can see that I’ve got a little bit of consistency going, 9km is the shortest I’ve run for a few weeks.

Happy I can knock out some speed even after a 7km+ section sub 5min amongst some hills. After all, even though training for longer stuff I’d hate to think the work is going nowhere in terms of leg speed.

I’ve started to map out a rough plan for getting the long runs done – after all covering 50km+ cannot happen on a whim….its amazing how quickly 22 weeks disappears when you write it down.

I’ve also been working on the footwear dilemma I’ve had. Due to a niggle I had doubts over the shoes I’d been wearing. But after the last 2 runs – 9km incl fast, and 29km long, wearing the ‘in theory’ worst shoes for me. As it stands right now, there is no sign of the niggle in the shin I was having, so I’m more confident now that it was a case of overuse and illness etc that led to my trouble just before MM.

That’s enough dribble from me….

161 days

2007-11-01T22:20:00.000+11:00

Firstly it is clear that JH has not been paying attention. He has me confused with someone who has a plan beyond the next day (with specifics anyway). There is usually some vague idea of what should happen, then I go with my own ideas.....

In this instance - since it has been asked - the following aspects have been considered important.

1. Running lots more than I have been (not hard to tick this box)

2. Running lots of long hills.

3. Practicing walking up long hills. (I would have used power walking but that would be a poor description of what I've done so far)

4. Running some long and slow days. Slow as in 6min/k+. Long as in 50km+ at least 4 times (possibly as much as 70km)

5. Know the course. Need to know where we can 'attack', and when to just hang on. Particularly the stages where elevation changes dramatically or when navigation may prove tricky.

6. Practice running and eating real food. (Probably linked to 4.)

7. Practice running with some form of pack, incl. gear & fluid & food.

8. Hope like hell, my 'can do' mentality will replace the experience my team mates have.

Other than that, I'll be reading / watching / learning from those around me who know so much more about these things than me.....

Mt Oberon: 560m

Yeah - great idea. Just get up and run to the top of the nearest highest peak.....yep insanity is well and truly a permanent resident.

A nice gentle flat start, then up.....for 6km. No bits that go flat or down at all. I lasted more than 2.5km before I took a walk break. This got me to the carpark. This is where all the people (including bus of school kids) were happily sitting and relaxing.... From here the walking trail starts - the sign said 3.4km to the summit. 205 measured it as 3.2km.

On the trail it was a walk / run mixture, not sure on the % split, but I know I ran one section of 500m. Then also ran strongly the last section before the rock climb to the summit.

Having 205 was handy so I could keep an eye on distance covered but also average speed. I managed to keep the trail section pace at just over 7min/k. Given walking is over 8min/k I can live with that for now.

I was surprised that often my legs felt better running than walking, but the fitness did not allow me to run the full distance.

Getting to the top was awesome. A cool breeze. 360 degree views, looking down over the camp where I started some 48min previously.

Then the down hill. Figured there was no point hanging around and might as well test the quads to see what they were made of. Hit sub 4min k's all the way down the trail. The school kids struggling up the hill were a little amused - got some high 5's, and one 'Did you run all the way up too?'. 3.1km in approx 12min. Once back on the bitumen I let the brakes right off. This section was done at closer to 3m35s pace. Quite nice to move that fast without feeling out of breath and almost effortless. I got to the bottom and my legs felt great, no rubber legs after about 22min downhill.

All up just short of 15km. 48min up, 30min back!!

I've been madly trying to get an elevation link for you in mapmyrun but with no luck. So this will have to do....

85km in 9 days, so unlike me....

165 days

2007-10-28T22:57:00.000+11:00

Funny weekend, but good.

Planned a longish run on Saturday morning, but due to a sore back (nasty spasm on Friday morning). Which was disappointing, as I was wide awake and ready to go.....

So Saturday was spent around the home, then the afternoon watching cricket. The closest I got to actually playing was padded up ready to go in next. But the boys got the runs required and then didn't get out.

Figured a run Saturday night would work OK. That would act as a switch in sessions.
It started as a plan for about 12km easy, but with a deadline to get home and discovering I was too far from home, it turned into 14km in 66min. A quick run up Manchester Rd was not what I really wanted, but happy enough.

Less than 10hrs later I was parked at Yarra Junction about to explore the last stage of the TW course. It was nice to start at YJ since I had never run towards Warburton before. Of course, the Warby trail continues to be wide, smooth and flat.

Past Millgrove and the fun only builds up.... Off the Warby Trail and its a very steep and narrow climb - walked a whole lot. Up in the fire trails you can see down to where you were only a short time previously at the river level. More ups and downs made for a slow part of my run. But I was pleased to see that part of the course. Unless we have some sort of magical day in April we will be in this part in darkness just to add to the fun!!

Once at the football ground I made my way back towards the Warby Trail again. With the middle section being slow I had to shorten the planned 24-25km run and only got to 21km before I had to head back to the car.

To put 2 runs together so close, 1 fast(ish) 1 tough(ish) and no sign of soreness or problems with either my shins or muscles etc was great. Also the last parts of my runs are generally strong so my fitness is in check. Now I need to build the qty of sessions and get some more tough hills in there.

169 days

2007-10-24T22:26:00.000+10:00

TW became a whole lot more real today with the arrival of the very thick information pack.

I've purchased a headlamp from the US via e-bay - Black Diamond Icon, retail $129, cost approx $68 - very happy.....or at least I will be when it arrives.

This will mean not only being able to see for the last part of the event, but I will also be able to do some off road running in the dark.

Todays run was pretty good.

So far I have been running without a plan and so far that means I have run over 12.99km for the last 3 sessions. 13.3km - 68min. 16.7km - 78min. 13km - 58min.

Started today working pretty hard up a hill to get from the Lillydale Lake to the Warby Trail, then it occurred to me that even though I'd worked pretty hard with some of my running, I have not been doing any fast/ish stuff. So I did the sensible thing and kept going faster once onto the trail - worked to sub 4.15 pace (its been a while since I've gone that quick on the flat (or slight uphill) - felt good.

Mucked around along the Mt Evelyn Aquaduct trail then back to the lake - nice downhill section here - kept the pace up.

Once closer to the lake I thought it might be nice to test the pace thing further, so I put the legs into a groove not tried for many weeks. Not wanting to run by watch pace, I held a pace that was working but not impossible to hold. At this stage I was already more than 10km into the run so fatigued a bit. Then as I do I pushed it out by adding an extra dog leg not orginally planned on. Almost 2km at 3.53m/k. Pleasing.

It feels very odd to have a race plan this far away from the event.

But also exciting from the POV that I might actually prepare properly.

Can you tell I'm not great at the whole picture thing, it was either too small or just unclear, so this is the best I could manage tonight.....

Catch-up time

2007-10-20T23:22:00.000+10:00

Well its been a while.

Since the last post, I've run the MM07 - 3.30.18 gun, 3.29.28 net.
I won't go into any more detail than already posted around the various public forums.
But - I will add a few points.

Pacing is very fun - but also very stressful and tiring. You spend so much time being aware of everything around you - runners / km markers / slow runners / drink stations / runners / struggling runners / time / distance to go / splits / your own drinks & sugar / your own legs and motivation / trouble on the course / decisions......you get the idea.

Before the race the Wise Old Miler - Tim said that it was inevitable that we would have one runner trying to monopolise our time.... it definitely happened. It goes without saying that this is not your normal runner type aware of people around them and generally happy to just be part of the event. They look odd / run odd / have odd advice / odd ideas and a complete lack of any perceptive intuition. Lucky for me he adopted my pace buddy Charles..... but we soon lost him somewhere.....its not mean to push someone in the lake is it???

For me I was very pleased that I could run a 3.30 while still taking care of all the above. It in some wierd way proves (to me anyway) that my marathons last year were not flukes. My training this time around was not bad but certainly not in line with - even for me - normal preparation. A whole lot more km at a slower pace. But - I did complete more 30km+ runs that either prep last year, so that was a good thing. Sickness threw me about - having training group responsibility meant at least 1 run that I did that if training for me I would have passed on. This I believe contributed to my niggle - which did not raised its ugly head in the race (or after).

Post marathon - things have been OK. Not a huge amount of running.
Cricket is back on- i felt worse after 1 game of cricket than I did after a marathon --- unused muscles and all that....
I was worried when my shins were very touchy last week, but I am now convinced it was due to cricket and not the running.
Not much distance post marathon. My first run back was a hard paced 7.5km in the hills near home - a nice recovery run. But mainly to prove to myself that the marathon was really just a long tough training run.
This weekend were the first serious sessions - 13.3km in 67-68min (battery flat) on Friday, then 16.7km in 78min this morning again a course with hills but also some cross country type running. Followed by cricket this arvo - bowled 14 or 15 overs. Ankle sore / big toe sore / calves sore / back tight -- its a tough game for those who don't train.....a bit like running.

Oxfam Trailwalker - a thought planted in May this year by CR Rohan, followed up after the marathon has lead to us entering a team. We are team #485 Team Muttley. The discussion was around building a team capable of Top 10, then see what happens on the day. We have the fishing line out with several runners all about 3hr marathoners, plus plenty of Ultra experience (except me).
It all happened much too quick by necessity to ensure we could register. I had no idea it filled up so fast....

Anyway - between now and then, I'll be working on my Ultra credentials - if not in racing, then certainly in training. Looking at completing 4 runs at or above 70km - so if I start hassling you to know when you are starting some long run sessions - don't be surprised if I find you after having already done quite a bit of work already......

Looking forward to this event.

BTW - about 180km logged on the 205 so far. Not bad for just over a month of running (for me), when you factor in a marathon taper(ish) and recovery idlness....

Garmin world

2007-10-02T23:00:00.000+10:00

Well it seems that the days of using my blog to record my running stats are over.
This whole Garmin life is oh so easy.

Press start - Run - press stop - remove watch - connect to laptop - upload. Done.

While no expert, seems I am learning more and more about how to use the Sportstracks software.

An update to my small leg issue.
Tonight I ran a solid hilly 11.4km at 4m50s average - no pain / no niggle

Really looking forward to Sunday now. But I have lost my pacing partner. There is a replacement, but we had been in contact several times to determine a common goal and approach for the day. My new pacing buddy is an unknown, I know he has run a fast half at Burnley, but that is all.....

One more run on Friday (maybe), then its all go!!

If you will be there - I hope to see you and fo course good luck!!

22nd September, 29km, Span

2007-09-22T22:32:00.000+10:00

This morning was the last of the long runs with the MM07 training group.
The plan was for 28km, but we had been given a little criticism for our courses being slightly longer than indicated - I say 'its not so easy to map a course accurately AND make it interesting to run AND make sure there is water AND make sure there are shorter options in the event of trouble etc'. But I figured today was not the day to push any boundaries, so the mapped course was 27.3km and it worked out at pretty close to that - by my 205 anyway.

The group were in good spirits today, and after the first 9km (when we were on the beach path) they settled into very consistent 6min/k for the remainder of the journey.

All up we were on the road for 2hr40min.
A little extra distance getting to and from the car.

For me it was perfect. During the run I had little or no discomfort in the troubled leg, and post run I have had no soreness - even forgot to use creams / pills to settle it down. So its all looking good. I'll decide tomorrow night if I will rest all week just to be sure.

So far I'm very happy with the 205, but still trying to figure out what info I need on the various screens. Has anyone else changed theirs from the default settings?

Next Saturday is a mere 15km, so we'll just do some mucking around in the city precinct to keep it gentle and light.

20th September, 14km, Perseus.

2007-09-20T21:55:00.000+10:00

I delayed the run from last night to this morning, when it began to poor with rain I was pleased about the decision.

After dropping my 5yo to kinder it was off to the Lillydale Lake for some flat ground running.
It was a strange time today, when I began running it was cold drizzly and blustery, but after a little while it was OK. I then had to determine how far to run today, it began as a 8km or 12km decision - not sure why. But then I decided that 14km or one third marathon distance at 4m55s pace would be a good idea.

If you have ever run around Lillydale Lake you will know that getting 14km out of that area without covering your footsteps too many times is tough. So I was on a mission to keep it interesting..... this was the outcome http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/australia/lilydale/150987530

I ended up with an average pace of 4m51s with the splits slowly improving without perceived extra effort. Feeling extremely confident now that 4m50-4m55 required to ensure sub 3.30 for the pace group is well within my comfort zone.

Again the lower leg was noticeable, but I would not call it pain full. It seems to get better further into the run. Today the quads felt a little heavy at about 5km but loosened up again, so I am assuming that it was a bit of lag from the hills on Monday.

I'm thinking that after Saturdays long run I might have only 1 short loosener on Sunday or Monday, then rest the week out. It might be enough to get rid of the niggle so I can go into the final week without any reservations. The work has been done now so a 5-6 day rest will not hurt. I'll decide on Saturday night.

17th September, 9.5km, Vomero

2007-09-20T21:45:00.000+10:00

Tonight was the first run with my new toy the Garmin Forerunner 205.
For those who aren't runners, its a wrist watch with a built in GPS. Not navigational, but a tracking GPS for measuring distance / speed / elevation etc. Very cool.

So for the first time in a long time I ran with a watch.....

I had enough time to figure out how to get it to chime every km, so that was interesting when running to be thinking 'surely that was a km gone??', but then other times it came around quicker than I thought.

It was supposed to be a gentle recovery type run tonight, but after I got going I could not resist attacking the hills near home. Overall it was a few ticks under 5min/km, but happy considering I only rolled down the hills.

Lower right leg seems to be better on the uphills so no stress tonight. Still just a case of getting no better and no worse. I am finding that the recovery is much better with very little residual pain after the run, only a mild reminder in certain positions.

The days are ticking by towards the big day, still feeling good but beginning to get into the mode of planning the race. I've got to get my splits fixed in my mind so there are no stuff ups on the day.

15th Sept, 35km, Span

2007-09-15T21:20:00.000+10:00

Long run with the MM07 training group today.
After a better week which had a couple of good runs completed meant I felt a whole lot better about the long time on the legs.

The niggle in the leg was noticeable early in the run, but then disappeared for most of the run. Only coming back again once we were well past 2hrs on the road. But it does not get any worse than mild discomfort, so with some care it will not be a problem for Oct 7.

The run itself was enjoyable today, everyone was moving along pretty well, a large group of 13 runners. We were basically running the Capital City Trail, but amended it slightly to allow for some different scenery along the way.

The plan was for 32km, but it seems that by the time we were done it was closer to 34km. For me I ran an extra loop of the MCG concourse just to sweep up any stragglers if needed, but also to get some distance in late in the run at a better pace.

I'm feeling very positive about the requirements for Oct 7, I feel that 5min/k pace will be very comfortable and my fitness is good. I'm even beginning to wonder what to aim for in the weeks after the event, since I've got a big base (for me) just need to tweak the speed for possibly some fast shorter races. Time will tell if this is ambitious.

So I'm back onto the creams and pills to get this leg right. I will keep running every second day now until the race.

13th Sept, 15.5km, Vomero

2007-09-13T22:52:00.000+10:00

Running in daylight was nice.

Got soft and parked at the Lillydale Lake. Then ran up the trails to Mt Evelyn. Followed Warby Trail back to Lilydale, then through the burb to the bottom end of the Warby Trail, then along the creek to Lillydale Lake.

Once back I decided on another lap of the lake to bring the distance up. Had assumed it would be about 14km, but turned out to be more than 15.5km. I suppose this time next week, I will know while actually running..... Garmin 205 is on the way!!

Felt good during the run.
Leg niggle is still there but not getting any worse. The faster lake lap proved that. So just need to get more cream and drugs onto that one.

I was going to run tomorrow, but the sensible me decided that a well spaced program until the Marathon is wise, so no consecutive days for me.

11th September, Span, 9km.

2007-09-11T15:31:00.000+10:00

Still not feeling 100%, I headed out for a very gentle - keep the legs moving - type of run.

Chest still a little blocked up, but nothing to worry about.
A slight niggle in the lower right leg is a bit of a concern, so on the anti-inflams and massage etc to keep that in check.

This run had 3 decent climbs in the 2nd half of the run, felt really good just keeping a steady cadence to get to the top of each one.

All in all, just nice to be out and about.

8th Sept - 34km, Skylon

2007-09-08T09:32:00.000+10:00

Tough week, flu / chest / throat trouble.

No running during the week, spent Friday afternoon in bed.
Felt OK on Saturday morning.

Not long into the run I realised it would be an interesting session with an inability to collect a full breath into the lungs. Not helped by me leaving my bag of sugar behind....meaning no fuel if it got really tough.
Very pleased the pace was easy, so I was never actually in distress or trouble.
After a while it was OK just to keep ticking over.

With about 5-6km to go the fatigue started to come on.
The last 20min or so was very tough.

Upon finishing the body and mind just failed, so it took a little while to feel OK after the run. Nothing a sit down, some water and some sugar didn't fix.

Even though it was not ideal, it was still good to get another run of more than 3hrs30min on my feet.

1st Sept, 38km+, Span

2007-09-02T23:36:00.000+10:00

Quick post.

MM07 training group.
Lots of stop start running.
Slow gentle pace.
2 sections of very fast to catch the group after dealing with back markers.
Last 3-4km of main 33km run were shuffle / walk with other runner.
Extra 4km of 5-5.30pace after a rest to check for another runner.
To and from car extra little bit.

All up over 4hrs on my feet with over 3hr40min of actual running.

Legs felt great afterwards, tired but no pain / trouble.
24hr later not even a 'mild objection' from the legs, so I must be doing something right.

30th August, 16km, Vomero

2007-08-30T14:52:00.000+10:00

Up early, but later than planned, on the road at 6.30am.

Decided on the home to Mt Evelyn course, with a variation plus reversed direction.
This is perhaps the 5th or 6th time I've run this course or similar and it is becoming a bit of a favourite if I want to run more than 12-13km.

I discovered today a new very long hill..... I knew that from the Lilydale end of the Warby trail to Mt Evelyn was a relentless uphill gradient, but of course when you start from the rail crossing near Lilydale station and follow the Maroondah Hwy its uphill all the way!! over 5km without a restful flat bit.

This morning was nice, particularly when on the Warby Trail I came upon another runner going in my direction and about my pace, so I slowed slightly and had a chat for a couple of km. A nice guy just getting into running, doing about 20min a day, slowly building up. He could not believe I was planning on 42km in 6 weeks - its all perspective I suppose. His friends probably can't believe he runs for 20mins!!

With the footpod I was able to take a couple of splits, but when I got to the end and realised the distance and the time overall I didn't worry about the splits. 16km in 73min is good enough for me.

Now I'm feeling very good about having little trouble with the time and pace for the 3hr30min job I have. In some ways I'm glad I've left my preparation a bit late so it means that no matter what I do I would not be in PB shape so the temptation is not there or the thoughts of 'what if'.

BTW - I've been saving most of my runs onto maymyrun so those who think they might enjoy a trot around the undulating surrounds of Chirnside can feel free to follow the trail less travelled....

28th August, 10.5km, 46min, Skylon

2007-08-28T23:01:00.000+10:00

Ok, the novelty of not wearing a watch is starting to disappear very quickly. I am almost 100% sure that I'm going to join the lemmings and get a Garmin, but I am waiting to see if I can get a supplier 'look after' through work.
I'm now really struggling with not knowing how long I've been on the road, or being able to take splits along the way.

Tonight, I had planned to wear the new Asics shoes I have been given to wear for the Saturday training runs. But unfortunately, they did not feel quite right on my feet. I have not ever worn Asics before so I had nothing to compare to. I was not willing to try them and see if they would be OK. I think I might visit a shoe store and try a few different sizes and models to discover what the problem is. There is a definite ridge under the middle of my foot, it seems to be where the material changes into the forefoot. Even earing them around the house led to some mild foot discomfort. So my 'new brand' experience will have to wait.

I did not feel like plodding around tonight, so a brief 3 step warm-up, then I was into it. With a rough idea of the loop to run I knew there would be some good downhill running and some uphill to finish. Once over the initial uphill, it was great to really try and fly downhill. Keeping the pace up all the way left me a bit sore in the back, MMR tells me I had a stop and rub at about 6km.
It was pleasing to be able to hold a decent pace for longer than in past weeks, particularly after getting over the good hill on Black Springs Rd.

Given the finishing hills slowing me down terribly, it was nice to have an average pace under 4m40s, particularly given it was an after dinner run. Again it would have been nice to know what my mid run pace was like.... soon hopefully.

26th August, 32km, 2hr35m, Span

2007-08-27T22:07:00.000+10:00

It's a bit sad when a comment about your long run gets onto your own blog before the details are relayed.....

It was great to get out for a long run with J yesterday.
After the events of the previous day including all the wrong foods and not enough sleep, if I hadn't booked a 'buddy' there is no doubt I would have hit snooze and rolled over many times....

I woke feeling less than ideal, so avoided food and just took some fluid on board.
So it was with a sense of nervousness that I set of in the just before dawn light. Not because it was dark, but because I was about to tackle 30km+ with J who is in great form and currently running far better than myself.

Once moving, the discussion was a great distraction and even though the pace was quite a bit quicker than any other runs of this duration this year it was comfortable most of the way. Without a watch it was hard to tell, but perhaps around the 2hr mark, my lack of breakfast was beginning to cost me.

J was very good to hang with me, as I'm sure he was capable of going quicker. Once in Croydon again he went ahead, I first thought that the wheels would fall off and I'd drag my sorry butt to the end, but I found a bit of resolve so I put it in my pocket and lifted my tempo. Finishing stronger than I thought I would - a good sign the longer runs are now paying off.

It is possibly the last time I'll get to test myself at a pace close to the goal pace for race day for a duration over 2hrs, since most long runs now will be with the Saturday morning groups.

My plan now is to build my mid week running to longer and faster running. I'd like to ensure than only the long run is slower than 5min/ks.

Think of me this week as I struggle through all the left over 5yo party food......

25th August, 12.5km, 60min, Vomero

2007-08-25T21:40:00.000+10:00

With our 5yo having his birthday party at our house this afternoon, I had to skip the city training run. So in replacement I was up early to run the local streets.

To start with I felt terribly flat, I even yawned while running - how bad is that. With a gentle uphill to start I was barely lifting the legs in the hope of just working into it, knowing there was a long downhill not too far along.

Got a decent rhythm going and even found I could hold pace on the next long steady uphill section. Perhaps it was something to do with the growing daylight....

I got to the top of a very steep and straight downhill on Hull Rd to the Lilydale Lake wetlands. At that moment I had a stupid thought that this hill could make for a good long hill repeats - stupid - stupid runner. At the bottom, what did I do?? Yep - turned around and went back up to get a 'split' to compare against. MMR suggests is about 350m, split was just under 2min.
If you have ever checked the .csv raw data from MMR then mucked around to get the gradient % for various climbs, it can be interesting. On this hill though I think the accuracy of the information surely can be questioned. I know this hill is steep, but it suggests the middle section of this hill is 25% gradient - is this possible???

On this uphill, I had a memory of a Lance armstrong philosophy in climbing. He would talk about 'tapping a rhythm' when climbing a big mountain, it was all about monotonously outlasting the competition. Today I 'tapped' up this hill - it helped that the gradient is such that there is no choice but to be on your toes. It was a good feeling.

The rest of the run was nice. Bright morning, fresh air. Got home without being quite sure how long I'd been going since the only measurement was my SDM footpod - hard to read on the go... It was a nice feeling to see 1hr tick over, it seemed like a good time to stop.

No niggles, no problems. Feeling comfortable in the lead up to MM07. Strangely I feel more nervous at this point than last year. I guess that is through the burden of responsibility, all the more reason to make sure my preparation is of suitable quality.

22nd August - 11.5km, 53min Skylon

2007-08-22T23:04:00.000+10:00

Seems a pattern is emerging. Run long Saturday, plan a run Sunday - don't, feel crap Mon / Tuesday, run Wednesday night.....

This week I even laid out my clothes on Sunday night ready for early Monday morning, only to have them still waiting for me at 8.45pm tonight.

Anyway, out tonight and found a slightly different loop of local streets. Rolled along at a steady clip realising that with my long runs being much slower I need to keep the legs sharp and ready to run 42km at 5min/k's.

Up and down hills was a good workout. The long hill up Victoria Rd is always a test. I decided the best test of my resolve was to tackle Wainwright Dr hill. It looks pitiful on the mmr profile, but its a steep hill that kicks steeper for the last 100m or so. I've never run up it before so I guess it was a mental hurdle too.

On the way home I had some sort of OCD eppisode where I desperately wanted to avoid covering the same bit of ground on the way home, so I extended a bit. Then I avoided the impulse the extend the run further - a shame in hindsight as I would have made the run more than 12km..... I spose thats the problem of running without a watch.

I'm feeling most ashamed that my content is almost purely running journal stuff lately, but I'm feeling little or no inspiration to comment on lifes other oddities....

Although - I can update on a few projects I've been looking at. Kids Play centre is still in the works, but more likely 12-18months away. Other smaller business ideas have been circling, just to get into the ownership mix. Also looking at possible property projects, since the MIL now needs a smaller home, we may be able to jointly build a duplex - one for her and one to rent out. SO you can see the choices are plentiful, just need the 'lightning strike' to tell me which one to chase the hardest.....

18th August, 30km+, Span

2007-08-19T21:56:00.001+10:00

3hrs for 30km, starting at 9am is not my normal style, but with the run leading duties it made for an enjoyable morning out and about.
Perfect conditions for a run.

Todays run was a test for the rookies about to embark on their first marathon. They all passed with confidence.

For me, it was about getting time of steady running. Even though the pace was well below what I need for the event, it was steady and comfortable. I did have a faster section early on when I required a toilet stop, but it added distance (had to double back) to my run and I needed to work pretty hard to catch up with the group, so my fatigue in the legs was increased due to this. A good thing for me.

Will try to get back to 4 runs this week.

15th August, 7.75km, Perseus

2007-08-16T20:54:00.000+10:00

A couple of days feeling unsure about my health was enough excuse to stay still..... read lazy.

Out the door in the dark night for a local hilly route.

I decided very early that I would just roll around without pain or effort. Then the normal - fly by the soles of my shoes - mentaility took over.

This course has 4 hill climbs which are mentally and physically tough. So I figured I would attack the hills - it makes them go by quicker right...right....greeaat idea..... In between it was a very casual jog/ trot.

First hill is steep so I moved quicker and quicker until just near the top I worked into a sprint which carried on about 70m past the crest. Awesome feeling. Shortly afterwards I realised that is perhaps the best feeling you can get in a training run. Accelerating up a hill and smashing it over the top!!

Second hill is longer so the plan was to hold a steady pace and increase speed if possible but do not drop speed. This one was good too, not the same over the top pace, but still strong all the way.

Third hill comes quickly after the 2nd, so not much rest. This one is in 2 stages, long and steady then kicks into a steep finish. Initially I was going to work the first stage only but decided not crack this one too and push right to the top. Gut busting, but held or lifted speed to the top. Legs jelly, walk rest.

Fourth hill, steep. Got into a high cadence rhythm and built the pace again to a smashing sprint over the top and extended out for 70-80m.

Good steady pace to get home. Pretty well exhausted at the end. So much for a gentle no effort trot.....

Also pleased to be confirmed as a 3hr30min pacer for MM2007. Very happy to have a part to play in the big day in October.
I guess that means 2 things: I'd better get myself right to be on my legs for that long & I'd better get into a good 5min/k rhythm form.

Looking forward to a marathon without the pain, and also with even splits the whole way!!

11th August, 24km, Span

2007-08-11T22:18:00.001+10:00

MM2007 training group today.

24km in the city. A great run. Very slow in the later stages but an excellent way to spend the morning.

2hr25min, the longest time I've been on my feet in a very long time - perhaps since MM2006....

10th August, 6 x 1km reps (10km), Skylon

2007-08-11T21:51:00.000+10:00

A morning run was postponed to the afternoon.
I wanted to complete some 1km reps on the aths track, but the wind blowing caused some concern and almost an excuse to bail.

But in an incredible show of strong will I went out.
A 15min warm-up proved the strength of the wind - it was a blustery day.

On the track, and the only timing device I had was my SDM - normally on my foot - so I held it in my hand and decided not to check splits during the rep.
My ideal split was 3m45s.

First split 3m33s - too quick but comfortable. Rest 2m27s
3m40s - 2m20s
3m42s - 2m18s (reverse direction)
3m44s - 2m16s
3m42s - 2m18s

During the 5th split I figured 5 was enough, but in some moment of madness I thought "why not 1 more" ~~~ After 300m I changed my mind and decided a quicker 800m would be sufficent and a good way to finish. It was a negative split 2nd lap to finish with a 2m45s 800m building speed to the end. Very satisfying.

With the wind etc it was both worth the effort and pleasing results for even splits in the conditions and without checking along the way.

Afterwards I went straight to cricket training, so overall an exercise period covering 2.5 hrs.

7th August, 8.5km 35min, Skylon

2007-08-09T23:47:00.000+10:00

Forgot to post this one.

Had a quick run from home down to Corydon aths. Thought I might get there as the Vets were finishing their long event.
I knew TB would be there.
Along the way I ran into a cross bar between 2 posts in the darkness, this kind of knocked the stuffing out of me (not literally). I was going to stop and have a chat / jog, then run back home. But I was too late they had finished and were wrapping up the night.
When TB offered a lift home, it seemed the right thing to do after my small incident. And a quickish 8km was still worthwhile.

Some 1km reps are the order of the day for tomorrow.

4th August, 22km 2hrs, Spans

2007-08-04T23:57:00.000+10:00

First outing with the MM2007 long run group today. There is some detail on the Ausrun forum thread, so I won't duplicate too much.

MMR showed the course as 21.6km so given errors would be 22km plus a little bit.
Total running time was 1hr58m but definitely over 2hrs with stops etc.

This was the slowest I would have run 22km in a very long time. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the time on the road, and with a group of 12 there was plenty of chatter. It was great to have some really appreciate the course and the support they received.

We'll see how this group goes, but if the numbers get up then there will be a need for more leaders particularly when the distance gets up over 30km.

For me it was nice to back up a hard run on Thursday with some extra distance today and have the legs feel good and fresh.

Might even try and get onto a session of 1km reps this week......

2nd August - 19km, 87min, Zoom Elites

2007-08-02T13:06:00.000+10:00

Taking advantage of the day off, and with both boys otherwise entertained, it wasn't until 9.15 that I got onto the road.

I decided to head for Mt Evelyn, from Chirnside this is about 9-10km depending on the chosen path. But anyway you look at it, the last 3km to Mt Evelyn is uphill. Either gently via the Warby Trail or steeper and rougher via the Haig Rd route. I chose the latter.

Getting to Swansea Rd in 25min was a touch quicker than I thought. 15min to get to Mt Evelyn was a decent effort. Drink stop at 40min. Then down the Warby Trail all the way to Maroondah Hwy then across continue the trail to Mt Lilydale College. Slippery and muddy along the school fence for anyone planning on going there.

Around school and back to the Trail, then towards home from Beresford Rd.

My footpod had the pace at 4.33, but it overstates the distance, so probably closer to 4.40-4.45m/km.

A good time out there today!!

As for the Training Groups and MM07 prep etc.
I am helping with the long Saturday runs, but unsure of details yet.

I am not racing MM07, but may run the event in some capacity.
I've offered to be an official pacer, but if not may find someone who requires an unofficial pacer for anything from about 3hr30m-4hr....or maybe pace a faster pace to halfway-ish....then cruise home.

I'll be leaving my 2.55 assault for next year.

July summary

2007-08-01T13:26:00.000+10:00

Short and sweet.

I thought it was a bad month.

With only 10 outings it really was.
But covering 139km was better than expected.

No real injuries, just lacking heart muscle.....

Pace in the legs is OK, endurance is OK.
Now just need to build gradually on both.

30th July, 6.5km, Vomero

2007-07-30T22:23:00.000+10:00

Quick jaunt tonight - seems I've discovered night running again - 3 of the last 4 runs have been after 8pm.

The legs were a little heavy so I suppose it was a bit of recovery.

No watch again, just ticking over without any real effort.

Looks like I'll be helping S2F with their long run training groups on Saturdays in the lead up to Melbourne Marathon '07. It will be good to get out and about with a group again. I am a little nervous about wearing the Asics sponsor gear, since it is forever - literally - since I've run in anything other than Nike stuff. I'm sure the Asics will be just fine, but a first for me just the same.

28th July, 13km, Skylon

2007-07-28T22:31:00.000+10:00

Night time run. Fast start, then consistent hard effort.
Lots of hills, with a tough uphill to get home - as always.

Lower back felt very rough, legs mostly good. Recent lower shin tightness and calf tightness has disappeared, must be getting a little conditioning in there.
Right leg a little 'heavy', might be still catching up from the small groin strain. As it did hang around unknowingly (due to not running) longer than thought. No trouble or pain tonight.

Happy with pace, did not have to walk any hills. Less than an hour to cover 13km, including a couple of stretching stops to loosen back.

Skylon shoes are great.

3 decent runs this week, hopefully a shorter gentler run tomorrow night, then long run during the week - maybe Tuesday.

26th July, 14km Span Triax

2007-07-26T21:57:00.000+10:00

Had to drop off the car for a service, so provided a perfect excuse to run home.

Planned a slightly extended route to take it to 10km+

Again no watch, just run.

From Croydon went up Kent to Yarra Rd. Had planned to go to Holloway Rd then home via Black Springs Rd.

Here's a big tip: Run along Yarra Rd. Gravel trail feels like the country. Pure runners gold. Or maybe I was just in a good mood, but will definitely go back again.

Today it was Yarra to Homestead and then to Black Springs (which is rougher, but not too bad)
The uphill to home is always tough, today was not as bad as it could have been.

Happy with 14km.

23rd July - 10km, Skylon

2007-07-26T21:22:00.000+10:00

Ran because I'd run out of excuses not to.

Just laced on the wheels and went, no watch, no plan, no pressure.
Started quick then dialed it right back to just enjoy the road.

Along the way I ran into my dream suburban street - I use the word suburban because I also have a dream for a country property - I use the word dream because there is currently a vacant block for sale in this said street.
I have a strong feeling that I'll 'accidently' find myself running in this street regularly, at least until the dream dies with the block being sold.... unfortunately not to me since I don't have a spare $369,000 to buy - forget about the building bit :(

This street is a court, high on the hill, approx 16 homes in total, one side is mostly a reserve with large trees. The vacant block is on the good side, with amazing views to the city.

My trouble is I dream big......which makes it tough for them to come true.....

Thoroughly enjoyed the run so it was worth getting out the door.

15th July - 25km, 2hr, Perseus

2007-07-15T22:43:00.000+10:00

Lucky I didn't see Stu's comment until after this mornings run, it might have been enough to give me an excuse not to run.....

By late last night the pain in the neck had settled nicely. So I dutifully set the alarm for 5.50am, which would mean a long run starting in the dark, but also meant I could be home by 9am.

Up and out, and the pains and niggles did not feature....I must have still been asleep.

Not keen on running any hills I went to the Koonung Trail along the Eastern Fwy. I've plotted the course here http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/australia/mitcham/599590968 and if you check the profile you will see I was mistaken.... It was not a hilly course, but it was all down and then all up.....gently but noticeable on the way home.

Early in the run I was not enjoying the cold, or the dark or the tightness in the shins.
Warmed up better once it was light. Then found a nice rhythm to the turn around, after approx 1hr??? Only unsure due to the battery in SDM going flat along the way. So even the overall time is an educated guess based on my memory for the departure time.

No pain in the problem areas of my back and neck. I little tight in the glutes, but nothing to cause struggle. One leg got a little sore near the groin, but I'm sure its not anything that will hang around.

Given the uphill return, I'm guessing its a double negative split. Slightly less time, but with uphill creating greater effort, so a double negative....... if that is legitimate.

Also worth noting the new 'equipment' I saw along the way. It seems the council has installed gym like machines in 2 or 3 groups, so creating an outdoor exercise area to simulate the indoor commercial venues. They looked generally vandal proof and sturdy. If I lived closer I might be tempted to take advantage of these machines. Great to see something new, that genuinely promotes some exercise and activity.

More than 12hrs later, I'm feeling good about the run.
This week, I'll just be aiming to get out every second day.

13th July, 9.5km, 47min, Span

2007-07-14T15:25:00.000+10:00

A pretty nasty week for me.
Started with poor motivation on the weekend, so the longish run on Sunday night meant running early Monday was out, then Tuesday came and went, Wednesday no running early then the trouble started.

At work that day we had to re-do a lot of the merchandising through the store, so this meant a lot of lifting and bending and awkward work in amongst shelves and racking etc. Nothing too tough, but it did go on most of the day. I believe this laid the platform for my trouble.

After work I arranged to meet some guys for a game of squash, in theory a great idea!! In practice it was a disaster.

It took about 3mins after a warm-up for me to get an almighty pain in the back. Nothing that I haven't had before, but I knew it would mean a few days of getting about like an old man. So the rest of the game was a bit stiff and sore. Throw it in with the fact I haven't played in 10 years or so, and it made for an almost comical event.....

Thursday morning confirmed the inevitable. Sore back and jabs of pain whenever changing position. To explain - the reason for my flippant sentiments is that I have had back trouble since my teens due to a genetic fault in my vertebra spacing. Simply means it cops a bit of extra pressure under stressful conditions.

By Friday my back was OK, but the muscles used on Wednesday night were objecting, mainly the quads and glutes.

So here we are on Saturday and I had to at least see if I could move. We took the boys down to Lillydale Lake where a walk around showed no major pain or trouble. I had my running gear with me just in case, so I got clearance to run home.

A direct route would have taken about 25min, so I planned an extended version. Without a watch I had to guess on a course to take about 40min. Of course, getting from the Lake to home is uphill whichever way you go. It was decided that I would take on a couple of hills that I had not run up before. Hull Rd from the wetlands to the top of Lakeside Dr- a steep sucker early on. Then Bimbadeen Dr, followed by the slow rise to the highest point in Mooroolbark.

Close to home I felt too fresh to have been going 40min with those hills, so I did a bit of loopy work to extend it out. When home in 47min I was pleasantly surprised. The legs and back and glutes all felt really good.

But - my trouble is not yet over. Showering after the run, I tipped my head back to wash my hair and felt a spasm in my neck just below the shoulder line.....grrr ......why me.....humph.
So here I am gingerly moving my head and neck etc, hoping it settles quickly so I can get out for a long slow trot tomorrow morning. To try an salvage some running for this week.

2007-07-08T23:42:00.000+10:00

8th July, 17km, 73min, Span.

How Bizarre.....

Yesterday I could not put in a title for the post, no change today, but I did get an e-mail copy of the post....something that has been missing for some time now despite changes and updates to try and fix it.....

What a terrible weekend for running? No, not the weather. Just me and my love of a soft warm bed.

Saturday morning - alarm set, alarm goes off, alarm ignored....no running
Sunday morning - alarm set, alarm goes off, alarm ignored.....no running, go to work.

When I got home, I quickly changed into my running gear, knowing that I couldn't get out until boys were in bed, but I knew I'd go if I was in my gear.

Out the door, motivation not too high, air cold, feeling unenthused.

Planned on trying to go for over an hour, just not sure how much more.
The chosen route was all going to be OK in the dark, it was just an old course with the boundaries expanded to turn a 50-55min run into 65min+. Mostly got it right, but made a mess once into the back streets of Mooroolbark, although checking the map again showed I would have probably ended up in a real muddle had I taken the original ideas.

I kept the pace on the high side, but didn't take the hills too seriously, just made sure the momentum was OK.

Close to home I saw 60min tick over, so extended the course to give me another 13min running. Happy with the 73min for almost 17km. Ave pace better than 4m40s so the flatter sections would have been 4m30s or less.

At the end I was glad it was over. I think 60min is the most I can take at night in the dark. The mornings are OK since it is normally light by the time its all done. Tonight was a reasonable compromise for missing the all important longer run.... back into it next week.

2007-07-07T23:41:00.001+10:00

6th July - 12.5km, Skylon

Blogger is not allowing me to set a title....????

Up early due to guests coming for breakfast.

Out the door at 6.20, planned on running for an hour or so.
Took in a nice loop including Exeter Rd and Lyons Rd.

Finished in about 58min so pleased with the outing, didn't have to push at any point, just let it happen.

3rd July, 10km, 43min, Perseus

2007-07-04T23:01:00.000+10:00

In what was supposed to be just a loosener after the weekend long run, it turned out a little differently.....

Day off, so I was able to run in the afternoon daylight - might have even had a little sunshine - at the Lillydale Lake.

It was ominous early after deciding that hospital hill would be a good warm-up when my right calf decided a spasm was a funny joke - yeah real funny. Fortunately it was something that came and then slowly went away.

The pace was definitely easy early on, but at some point I realised I was moving quicker than planned. It seemed a bit too easy so just went with it. The session became a bit of a Kenyan faster faster faster run. Mix this up with changing my route a couple of times to stretch it out you can tell I was just in a groove.

When I finished I was a bit spent, but not enough to feel stressed. Guessing that I'd been going for roughly 40min as per the plan I was happy. So imagine my surprise when a time check revealed only 37m30s, and almost 9km. So allowing for over distance error it is still an average of less than 4m20s. Given the easy start and the couple of hills I had, the last few km had to be at or around 4min/k. Without being in pain or fatigue at this speed I was very happy.

To finish off I jogged slowly to the water dribble (not enough to be a bubbler or fountain) and back to round it off at 10km - incl another hospital hill just to repay the joke on my calf.....

1st July, 21km 1hr47m, Vomero

2007-07-03T08:51:00.000+10:00

With a Sunday off, I took the chance to meet up with Tim Crosbie (Old Miler) and his HVT squad http://www.hvtraining.com/ at Sherbrooke. On the way I picked up JH & PJ.

After plenty of rain the trails were all very soft and muddy, so it was going to be a messy affair.

The early parts of the run were just teasers for what was to come later. After almost an hour we had done much more downhill and flat ground running that I thought was possible, but that only meant the uphill was yet to come.

I had never been up in that part of the Dandenongs so was a little surprised when we almost got to Belgrave. From here it was mostly uphill. The first one was good, felt pretty comfortable. But after that any long hill requiring sustained effort became too much to keep the running momentum going, so several walk breaks were in order. It seems that my endurance is still not quite aligned with my leg speed, since when I get moving I actually go OK.

I understand that I am really only just getting back into some longer work, but it is still frustrating when I think about how much I've lost in this area. I shudder to think what I would have done if I attempted to join these guys 3 or 4 weeks ago....

JH was clearly still in great shape after all his marathon work, and he made it look all too easy. PJ took advantage of having the super coach around and stuck with OM for most of the session.

Felt pretty good after the run, so lingering pains from the run. Not hard to guess what I'll be working on each weekend run that I get the chance.....longer longer longer.

Just remembered, I haven't rinsed my shoes yet - better do that before they set like rock with the mud covering.

Thanks to Tim & Kate and the crowd for having us along.

June - end of month - 172km

2007-06-30T23:00:00.000+10:00

14 times out and running.
Distances ranged from 6.6km to 26km+
Time - 29min to 2hr05min.

Happy with the monthly effort, more with the consistency rather than the output.
But at 170+ its a nice result.
Getting into running 2hrs at a steady clip is good, so I can now start building into some tougher faster sessions knowing the endurance is coming back into line.

With a little project in the coming months the endurance will not be a problem I imagine.

I enjoyed the track session I did, so I really should aim for more similar workouts, even if it is just time based intervals at effort.

3m45s pace is comfortable in repeated bursts, so now it needs to feel easier with the burst speed increasing so 3m30s feels comfortable. So I can then work some longer efforts at 3m45s if that makes sense.

Tagged

2007-06-29T21:13:00.000+10:00

Thanks to JH, I've got a list to complete, but the trouble is I am not following nearly enough blogs so I have no one to tag at the completion.
So this is a shameless plea for someone rescuing me from being the Dag who ended the Tag.

Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
Relationship? marriedlongtime
Your hair? disappearing
Work? hohum
Your sister? overseas
Your favourite thing? food
Your dream last night? nonevent
Your favourite drink? pineapplejuice
Your dream car? BMW
The room you’re in? lounge
Your shoes? collection
Your fears? hopelessness
What do you want to be in 10 years? retired
Who did you hang out with this weekend? kids
What are you not good at? failure
Muffin? lots
Wish list item? acreage
Where you grew up? Coffs Harbour
The last thing you did? movedcar
What are you wearing? houseclothes
What are you not wearing? hat
Your pet? fish
Your computer? Asus
Your life? content
Your mood? relaxed
Missing? summer
What are you thinking about? Queensland
Your car? family
Your kitchen? nice
Your summer? tooshort
Your favourite colour? red
Last time you laughed? 3.5sec
Last time you cried? I'masoftie
School? longago
Love? life

So now its up to a rescuer to save the momentum....

29th June, 7.5km, (Sky7.5)

2007-06-29T20:14:00.000+10:00

New shoes - awesome!!
So pleased to be able to type that bit, after my last new shoes disaster....not the shoes just the run... it was great to enjoy the debut run.

Up just early enough to get out the door and 'tempo' the 7.5km. When I say tempo I really mean running scared that if I don't hurry up I'll not have enough time to eat anything before work, so yes it was a quickish run, even pushed the downhills.

A little cool, but nice to be out and about feeling mostly good on the run. Trying to incorporate some running in hurt since I'm not racing very much at all.

New Shoes: Nike Zoom Skylon, very white, very light, very one piece. Very happy.

No work this weekend, so planning on joining Old Miler and co at Sherbrooke on Sunday.
I wonder how wet and muddy the forest trails will be?

27th June - 10.5km, 47min, ZE

2007-06-26T23:06:00.000+10:00

Given the valiant attempts to unlock the secrets I'll get on with the explanations.

1) Garbo - really only ever coined by a select few in highschool and quickly disappeared when the originator was drowned in a boating accident.
Michael - Mikael - Mikael Gorbechov - Mikael Garbagetrough - Garbo

2) Oppa - if memory is any good it began at a Nike managers offsite conference. Went to dinner and it was suggested that my chosen shirt belonged on someone of a more Greek persuasion, and since I am such a Greek I was renamed.
Clarkeoppiledes - Oppiledes - Oppa

3) Sparky - simply rhyming nickname from the cricket club.
Clarkey - Sparky

Today I was able to finish a little early which meant I could run in daylight. It also just happened to be the day when the wind and the rain were really cooperative.
In normal circumstances it would have been a dreary old running session, but I decided to head to the Dandenong Creek to see what the rain had done to the little creek we know so well.

Impressive wasn't it!!!

Looked to just get warm and going early on. Quickly got into a groove and the pace was OK. At the bottom end my course was decided for me, since I could not get under the road with a flooded path, and the thick traffic meant crossing was taking too long. So back I went.

With a plan to run 90sec efforts with 45sec float. It was a nice way to come back and using the up and down gravel path it was a little more interesting. Guessing the pace was at or slightly quicker than the 3m45s of last weeks track pace. I think I ran 4 or 5 before missing a chime and losing the pattern, after that it was just random effort sections.

Saw another runner out there so shared some insanity for a couple of minutes.

Back to the car, very wet and coolish. After stretching for a few minutes my face was actually sore from the cold....

25th June - 9km, ??, (Sp.55.7)

2007-06-25T23:29:00.000+10:00

Tonight was just about getting out the door and I did!!

Decided on a newish course, in that I've never put the 2 peices of this run together at the same time, they are normally part of other loops, so it felt new.....down through the back streets past Bimbadeen Primary, then back up Manchester. Then I ran onwards along Edwards instead of straight back up the hill, a nice adjustment and a new bit of concrete I'd never run on before.

Anyway, I have just finished playing with http://www.mapmyrun.com/ if you haven't tried it then I'd recommend it even after 1 attempt. Mainly because if does all the same things as gmap pedometer, but it has an elevation tool. Very cool. I discovered my run tonight had a 92m differential from highest to lowest point, with 123m of total climbing and 125m of total descent. Nice. Meaningless really, but still nice for someone like me who likes useless bits of information on anything and everything.

I'll be mapping Saturdays run with interest!!

The other feature of tonights run, apart from it being an after 10pm finish, was the fart(tehe)lek aspects of the session.

Firstly I literally sprinted up a hill that I've been avoiding lately, simply to beat it soundly so I don't avoid it unecessarily in future. Then I allowed the pace to lift on the downhill section toward Mooroolbark central. Then on the way up Manchester I used a couple of the hills to work harder again. Then on the gentle incline towards home I did lightpole sprints/strides. Then because I could and it was a nice night, I walked the last 300m to home....no reason just seemed like a nice idea at the time, and it was!!

No watch so no idea of the pace.

Lower legs objecting a little, so I told them to shut up or I'd do another lap. But after Saturday I'm not entirely surprised.

While on the run I got thinking about nicknames, not really sure why.

I've really only ever had 3 significant nicknames (that people used to my face anyway) other than Clarkey, Mick or Mike.

The first: Garbo, from high school.

At Niketown: Oppa

At Cricket: Sparks

Now because its late and I need sleep, I'm going to leave you in suspense until next time. When I'll reveal how these names eventuated. If anyone can guess the first 2 then you are truly a genius, the 3rd is obvious (well I think so anyhow).

23rd June - 26km+, 2hr05min, Peg

2007-06-23T21:40:00.000+10:00

Something must be going right, since even though I thought of all the excuses under the cloudy sky for not running or not running where I ran, when the crunch came it was almost automatic.

After failing to recruit a victim - I mean running partner.... It was solo that I left the Croydon Aths carpark at 6.50am.

In December 2006 one of the largest gatherings of the ESRG headed out for a 'mildly challenging course' which included a foray into the Mt Dandenong foothills. On that day the pace was relaxed with plenty of rest breaks etc to keep the group together. It was approx 23km and took us somewhere near 2hr20min. At the time I made a comment on Ausrun that I would run the course again.

So today I did. Without going into details except to say that I'm glad i felt better once in the hills, as the first 50min was a real struggle physically and mentally - I'm still not sure why.

I didn't run the same course exactly due to a bad memory, but my version meant that I stumbled (not literally) upon a picnic ground with toilets and fresh water. I know this is important to many, so if you go to this saved course http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1073310 near 14km I made a square over the picnic area.

Felt good in the hills and only had to walk one section where it was far too steep and muddy to run up. Then with the allotted time disappearing quickly I had to put the pace on a little more for the last 6km from the end of Glasgow Rd, roughly 4m30s pace.

Once all done, I was very pleased with the run and again with the course. I really should spend some more time running those Mt Dandy trails, its amazing up there. Particularly today when I crossed over what must be very close to the headwaters of the Dandenong Creek.

At 2hr+ and 26km I am back to where I was in April before I had the ITB niggle and then the running blues. I am now feeling a bit more in control of my running and more importantly my fitness.

21st June - speed reps 8.5km (PegTC)

2007-06-21T21:51:00.000+10:00

First time running on the newly resurfaced Croydon athletics track. It is a much nicer place to run than the old dead black surface, it almost made the mind numbing circuits bearable.

After a 10min warm-up of slow jogging and some dynamic stretching / loosening.

I embarked on the following:

400,400, 600, 600, 800, 800, 600, 600, 400, 400.

I'd set my count down timer to 22 & 23 sec to give me splits for 90sec laps, or 3m45s pace.
This is to keep me in line with my end of year goal for a 37m30s 10km.

In my first two 400m reps I was too quick and lapped in about 84s.
As the reps went on and increased in length the pace settled. Usually getting closer to splits but only due to backing off at the end or having to push to stay on track.
Only once I went over the 90sec by 1 sec.
My rest breaks were a little mixed generally based on feel, but always a multiple of 22sec. Ranged from 45s to 90sec. Sometimes walking, sometimes just sucking in the big ones. I had a bottle but found it tough to grab a drink of any usefulness.

For my last 400 I decided to give it a bit more effort to see how I went. Due to the feeling during the others I was not sure of anything good so eased into it. First 100m in about 20sec. Then I worked into it, was well ahead after 200m, the final 100m was into the wind but I still felt strong. Finished off in about 75sec. Satisfying enough, but was too soft in the first 100m.

For a cooldown I decided to take off my shoes and run barefoot for a lap or 2. Why? Well, I've signed up to be a crash test dummy for a new 'barefoot running' shoe brand. Still on the standby list for now but figured a little pre-work would be wise.
I lasted 400m on the track, then my baby skin feet couldn't take it, so one more lap on the inside on the grass. I was interested to notice that my barefoot running style did not differ too much from normal shod running. Thats a good thing I think.

A good session to mix it up a bit, challenge is to speed them up in the coming months.

20th June - 8km, ??min (Per)

2007-06-20T22:02:00.000+10:00

After 3 false starts - really not getting the hang of getting up in the morning - I finally got out the door tonight.

Went with the get changed and then wait method, for me it meant wait until 2 boys showered and at least one boy was in bed. Hindsight says I should have waited a little longer for the dinner to settle.....

Run plan was zero, except for the route which was the reverse direction shorter hill course with a slight variation.

No watch, not time checks, just run.

Felt OK in sections but generally felt very blah in the stomach, despite running regularly last year after dinner, I think the motivation was different so it was a necessary evil. These days its just painful.

I know the running was not fast nor slow, so I'm comfortable that it was worth getting out there. Felt like I had a good stride rhythm on the uphills and everything else was nice and controlled without having to labour the pace or momentum.

Not sure about the sleeping in business, I've been heading to bed earlier than normal, but still hitting snooze and going back to sleep, often leaving barely enough time to get ready for work....hopefully some slightly later starts in the next few weeks will help.

16th June - 19.5km, 90min, (Sp46.7)

2007-06-16T15:53:00.000+10:00

Longer run today, a slightly later start than planned, but not too bad.
Drove to the corner of Maroondah and Croydon Rd, parked and headed up the hill to do a favourite loop in the anti-clockwise direction.

Almost walked up the first hill since I was barely even awake and not even close to warmed up.

From there I was just out to cover the distance, so much so I was determined not to look at my watch so that I would not use known distances to influence my pace.

Several times I tried to remind myself that it was supposed to be long and slow, but it never seemed to last long and my overall pace indicates this.

Air was cool but not too bad, only the back of my hands got a bit of chill.

This is a favourite course due to the changing scenery, from housed streets to forested creek trail to rail trail to open creek trail, gravel, concrete, bitumen, some inclines but not too severe.
Link to gmap trail here http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1051558

Mostly good run, couple of trouble sections, but was able to finish very quick from Croydon main st to the car, mostly because I was angry at myself for an earlier judgement error, so I wanted to get it over with and get home..... in hindsight it was a good indication that my endurance is slowly catching up with my better leg speed this year.

Should start to get a bit more aggressive with the long run length and duration in coming weeks, but I'll have to get going earlier otherwise I might find myself chewing up too much of the day.

A good week for me, maybe I'm getting the hang of this routine / habit caper.

15th June - 9.75km, 47min (PegTC)

2007-06-15T23:12:00.000+10:00

Due to a bit of 'getting some time back' with work I was home all day today and only needed to gin into work for the last few hours of late night trade. Worked a treat asI was able to get a bit of DIY done.

Also meant that I could run in the middle of the day. Actually its cause I went all soft and wanted to avoid the freeze in the morning.

Wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, but was careful not to tempt fate by doing too much before my (hopefully) longer run tomorrow. I settled on sticking close to home and taking in a course I have run before that includes 2 longish hills, plus the other normal ones around home.

Along the way I changed direction a few times just to run some new streets or some I've not run for a while.

All up I was out for 47min which kept it to a reasonable time.

Covering almost 10k was nice since I really didn't work particularly hard at any point, just kept momentum on the uphill and let the downhills and flats take care of themselves.

I have pretty much decided to leave my Peg TC's for anything other than just cruising. They are just a little too flat and missing the nice comfy ride I like for training. So perhaps they'll just be for faster sessions and races.

With some luck I'll get out tomorrow for 100min or there about....

13th June - 8.5km 37min (Sp27.2)

2007-06-13T23:51:00.000+10:00

Firstly, a quick blogland apology. I've been reading many of your blogs but have not been commenting much, some of the content has been outstanding entertainment - keep it up!!

On a similar line - does anyone know why my posts and comments do not come to my e-mail, I've reset the setting several times with no luck.

Social Comment:
Looters are one of the lowest forms of criminal
The people (loose term) who take advantage of others in a time of disaster that was totally out of their control deserve no leniency in this country. When so many others are filling the Aussie way of getting stuck in to help, these germs are helping themselves.
Is cleaning the highway with a toothbrush too harsh a penalty??

Child abusers should be lynched
We need a new reality TV show. How can we allow defenceless children to be harmed and even killed without then removing all future existence of the offender (never to be referred to as human). Why is there no automatic - locked up for life? or life for a life?
Too often there is some lame excuse about stress and anxiety brought about by children. Well duh, kids ARE stressful. Its a reality and fact. Keep your pants on if you can't accept this fact EVERY DAY.

Gossip
I always thought the playground pettiness would disappear as people grew older. At school I accepted it. In my first serious job it was a young crowd so understood it may still linger. In my current job it is almost worse than in the playground, and this is a much older crowd.
Today, my fellow senior manager had a quiet word to let me know we may have an infectious disease in the store, but are waiting on blood tests, worker gone for tests. Not 15min later, all I hear everyone talking about is their opinion on the situation. It seemed even the specific staff member could not keep their mouth shut.
It drives me nuts, nothing is secret - noone can keep a detail to themselves. Are these people so lacking in imagination that they have nothing better to discuss than stuff that may or may not be true, or would otherwise be considered best not spoken about.....
Does it get worse? If so, I'm off to the country to find a farm, at least I know the sheep and the dogs won't go on with mindless natter.

By the way, I ran tonight too.
A shortish run, aimed at 40min got to 37min. But the pace was quicker than I had thought it would be. For the first time in a long time I was bounding up the smaller hills, generally feeling lighter and stronger on my feet. Almost too good - it was great.
Even felt like there was some juice in the tank at the end.
It seems either the fitness is returning, or any remnants of illness have finally dispersed.
So very happy with around 4m30s pace including some reasonable hills.

I saw on Coolrunning a reference to using Excel to calculate pace in min/s/km. Its very easy, so so much easier than my old methods. If you can't find it, let me know, I'll add an explanation on here to help.

11th June - long and wet, 18.5km - 86min (V)

2007-06-11T14:43:00.001+10:00

Today I was determined to take advantage of the long weekend shorter work day by getting in the long run I missed on Saturday.

Alarm set for 6.15am – who was I kidding?? 6.25 – nope, 6:35 – nope, 6:45 – nope…..eventually up and out just after 7am.

Just about out the door when I realised that the ground and trees and air and everything was very wet….it was raining.

Immediately – must have still been asleep – I went for the sensible option of grabbing my light climafit jacket.

This was odd since I’ve never run a serious training run in my jacket before.

The plan was to run for 90min. With a range of course options going through my mind I settled on one that was a big loop of roads I’d run before, including some that I’ve not visited in some time.

CP to Edwards to Kimberley Reserve to Black Springs to Lyons to Maroondah to Croydon Rd to Hewish to Hull to Manchester to CP.

A nice mixture of elevations with nothing too taxing and mostly able to run on bitumen rather than gravel or concrete. Except the drag up Manchester, I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy that bit of road.

Again I was struck by the sheer lack of activity for the duration of my run. I know it was raining, early and a public holiday, but to be on some usually busy roads and to not see a car in sight was a little eerie. Then to only see 2 people out and about, it was very lonely. But, I did seem to get one friendly toot….that was nice.

Not being sure of the distance, it was a case of being flexible to adjust for time. Nearing home I realised I was going to be short so a little loop added some time and distance. At 86min it’s a bit shorter than planned but a very wet runner was thankful to be home and able to shower and dry off.

SDM reckoned 19km, but that would mean 4m31s pace….I don’t think so, G-maps reckoned 18.3km. I’ve opted to call it 18.5km.

Either way, it seems I must have been lost in thought or groove or rhythm since I definitely didn’t push the pace at any stage, so I suppose it’s a good thing for a run like that in the lonely wet to feel effortless.

Back to the jacket: My biggest fear with wearing a jacket has been the over heating factor, and then having to take it off and tie it around my waist. I do not enjoy having things hanging off me when running. But today, I felt comfortable early, and then warmed up a little. So I pushed the sleeves up slightly, and lowered the zip a bit. For the rest of the run I was very comfortable and even appreciative for the protection.

I think I’ll experiment again on a cool morning / night without rain to see what its like. But for cool weather running in the rain, I’m happy to don the jacket again.

On reflection I remember reading / seeing something about Buster changing to running in long pants for training to protect his assets (legs). So I guess this is kind of in that line. I know I can run in such weather without a jacket, but if wearing the jacket provides some added comfort and does not cause trouble, then why not.

9th June - 29min dash, 6.6km (ZE)

2007-06-11T14:08:00.001+10:00

Not quite a dash, but the feeling was…..quick get in a run so that its done: 30min is better than nothing.

Evening run, dinner postponed so as not to run on a full steak laden stomach, I figured that in 30min I should cover at least 6km.

I picked a bit of a mongrel course, not quite in line with anything I normally run, just a mish mash of streets near home.

Initially I was going to steer clear of any real hills and just run the flatish loops near home, but that gets so dull and boring…..so I just pointed my toes the other direction and made it up along the way.

Towards the end I ventured up a hill I ran once when I first moved into the area. It was such a painful experience that I’d never run it again.

Keep in mind this was back in mid ’04 when my running was even more sporadic.

Up I went, almost laughing at how easy this little rise was…..geez I was a running wimp back then.

Nearing home, a watch check showed me at 26min if this was 6km then I was going to pull the pin. But of course my speed was not that hot, and SDM indicated 5.8km, so a lap of the block to bring me to 6.6km in 29min. So overall my happification level (that’s for you JH) was good.

Tonight was about teaching myself:

To just get out there.
That shorter is OK.
It does not have to be an all out effort run.

6th June - if it was 10km (Sp 18.7)

2007-06-07T22:54:00.000+10:00

This morning I was going to go to Mullum Mullum for a easy up and down run of about 10km.

But due to time restraint and then a complete mental fade, it turned into a time trial effort run.

I'd been led to believe that from Highland Ave to the end at Warrandyte Rd was 5km, but Gmaps has it at 4.7km, and I don't think the straight line limitations would account for an extra 300m.

To put this into context, I'd been reasonably happy with the times I ran, but at 300m less the level of pleasedness is slightly reduced, but still satisfied given it was just me and given my recent training.

Down leg - and it is down given it follows a creek - 19m14s

Rest - 2min

Up leg - seemed steeper all the time - 21m26s (including 2 walk breaks)

Total time - 40m40s

So the outcome is that I can hold 4min/km for 5km, I think I was still on track for about 8km, but the back end was not pretty.

I guess its just further confirmation that while leg speed is OK, the endurance is still a work in progress.

My calves felt like they were being crushed, so hopefully just a sign of being out of condition and under pressure, but just the same I'll keep tabs on the general feeling.

Shoes: Span (18.7km)

4th June - dark and early

2007-06-05T20:19:00.000+10:00

Up and out a little later than planned, but 6.15am was early enough.
Twas pretty chilly and dark, but I was pleased to be up and about.
Planned loop was the Mooroolbark course, but decided to avoid the Manchester Rd path and ran down the middle streets which is a more twisty option but means I can run on the road instead of the footpath.
Given we are in the middle of school shopping with #1 going into prep next year, I was interested to find that Bimbadeen was almost exactly 2.5km from home, almost walking distance....
Its a nice downhill stretch into Mooroolbark central, and along the way I was quietly amused at the commuters being dressed ready for work and on the way to the train at 6:40am, while I was only 25min into my run, with another 26min to go, then home breakfast (for me and boy) get ready and to be at work about the same time as the commuters!!!!

During the run I felt a little chill in the hands but that was all. The gentle light coming in at the end was very nice. Pace was comfortable. Covered almost 11km in 51min.

Shoes: Perseus

2nd June - It was almost raining

2007-06-02T10:29:00.000+10:00

Todays plan was to allow the 'early waker' to rise, I would then feed him and set him up with a favourite video to allow the 'sleeperinerers' to rest. Thinking this would be about 6.30am I ensured an earlyish bed time.

So it was a nice surprise when he came over at 7.15am, but given the delay figured it was best to get the 'all clear' before departing for close to 2 hrs.

With daylight and a light drizzle, I was off towards Lilydale. Undecided on where to run, not really wanting to stick entirely on the Warby Trail, but not wanting to run too many tough hills.
Eventually settled on parking at the lake, then making my way via some previously run roads (gravel) to Mt Evelyn. This section is the tough hilly bit and having it done before halfway was ideal. I'm actually preferring this to the relentless gentle rise of the Warby trail in this area.

Aiming for 40-42min then turn, arriving at Mt Evelyn after 30min meant an extension down the trail. Here I noticed a new addition of distance markers. I was horrified, the Warby trail has gone all technical ;). Seriously, its a nice addition but unsure of how accurate they are.

At 42min I turned for the return leg which would stay on the trail until departing to get back to the lake. Easy on the rise to Mt Evelyn, then allowed my legs to just take me on the downhill run to the lake.

It was nice just to allow things to happen, effort level was spot on. According to my SDM at the turn I was at 5.00 pace, by the time I stopped back at the car the ave had dropped to 4.48 so happy with that (even though it was downhill).

81min of runing covered 17km+ a nice slightly longer hit-out today.

Shoes: Nike Zoom Vomero - I am not normally one to get too involved in singing the praises of one shoe, particularly since there is no one right shoe for everyone. But.....during todays run the reality of the shoes on my feet dawned on me...... if you wear a neutral shoe and like good cushioning then I'd recommend at least trying the Vomero.
Without a doubt they are the softest shoe I've ever worn, but they do not feel spongy and leave you feeling bogged down in the foam.
Last year I wore them for MM2006 after almost 200km wear, I've been wearing them regularly since, so would have easily done 400km+ in total.
They are now my shoe of choice if there is any chance my legs will feel heavy or battered. Without fail, they provide a nice smooth and comfortable ride, the cushioning is ideal for just cruising along with the impact severely dulled. But if you want to pick up the pace then they simply feel great under foot.
Despite the distance covered in them they still feel as good on my feet as when new. I think the mixture of zoom air and duralon foam is a perfect match.
The only negative feedback I've heard is that the toe box and forefoot upper is a bit small and tight. There are times when I have noticed this, but never to the point where its a big problem.
So take care with the fit in this area.

Shameless plug ended.....

Social observation: Take some responsibility

2007-05-31T21:41:00.003+10:00

It's been some time since I made any comment along these lines so hear goes.
2 topics to start, maybe more once I get on a roll.

It is NOT someone elses fault
In the paper this week was an article about how unaffordable the housing market is for first home buyers. Thinking this might be a well thought out piece on how tough it might be to get out of the rent trap, with getting a deposit together etc etc.

No - it was talking about the poor old first home buyers struggling to pay their mortgage. Apparently the average first home price is $370,000. Are they joking?? It also talked about the average income of these poor struggling first home buyers $80,000+

Maybe its me, but normally it takes a little bit of smarts to get to that income, but maybe not....

Come on people, get real. If you earn that much money and then CHOOSE to max yourself out on your mortgage because YOU HAVE TO HAVE, your choice of suburb, your brand new designer renovation, or brand new home, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 10 car spaces, home theatre, domestic help lodging etc etc etc etc.

News flash - IT IS YOUR FAULT!!! Don't cry to the government about getting into your first home. Don't cry to someone who made a realistic decision about their first home.

We bought our home 3 yrs ago. We borrowed what we could (on a whole lot less income than $80k). We have consistently paid above minimum repayments, we have regularly done improvements to the home. We still don't have $80k income, but we do have about 50% equity in our home now!!! That was my choice.....

Gen Y oh Why
I found it completely amusing recently in a newspaper blog on business concepts. This blog normally does not get many replies or comments but I like checking the content in case something relevant comes up.

One day the author touched the subject of Gen Y and how they are perceived in the marketplace. Raising some ideas that I had seen in reality in the last few years.

Bang - 300+ comments.

Mostly from Gen Y people trying to say that it was all wrong or that they were completely justified in their beliefs.

In doing so, they absolutely proved that the article was 100% on target!!

I love seeing people walk into a trap, while they are telling us they are too smart for that.....

ok thats enough for now, more later....

31st May - Let's cruise baby, low and slow....

2007-05-31T21:10:00.000+10:00

If you don't have kids that line will mean nothing.....comes from the Cars animated movie.

Anyway, after last nights effort I decided today would have to be more tame and less of an effort to try and get back on track.

Decided that Lillydale Lake was the venue, I'd run 3 extended loops (3.3km aim) for a 10km gentle run. No watch, no pace, no pressure. Just cruise baby.

Left the house in absolute pouring rain, and thought for a while...beauty now I can say I'm a real runner....I run in the rain. Got to the lake, the sky parted and it was beautiful running conditions for a pretender like me.

The rain did have the effect of clearing the lake trail of humanity and I didn't see anyone until I'd almost completed my first loop, a very stange feeling given its a busy location most of the time.
By my 3rd lap it was back to the normal traffic levels.

2 laps of http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1004015 in the clockwise direction, then 1 in reverse. Turns out that the extension was longer than planned making a 4km course, so all up I ran 12km at an easy pace.

My car clock suggested I was running for about 56min. So it turns out my cruise pace on a flatish course is 4m40.ish, so I'm happy with that.

Shoes: Elites

30th May - It should have been....

2007-05-30T23:01:00.000+10:00

This was supposed to be...... don't you love a run in new shoes....

There was absolutely nothing wrong with my new Air Span Triax, very light, perhaps a little less cushioning than I expected, but that seems to be the direction most models are following. Fit is great, nice and smooth.

My run however was not so great.
Early on I felt OK, I was mixing in some faster sections almost fartlek style to keep things a little interesting. By about 27-28min I was not in the best condition and beginning to labour a little.
It was then that the run turned into the hilly terrain, and it turned into a bit of a trudge, didn't ever feel the need to stop but it was tougher than it should be.

Got back and did Gmap for a 9.3km course, I covered the distance in 44min so it really wasn't a badly paced run, just didn't feel too great.

Shoes: brand new Spans (9.3km)

25th May - Walk then Stairs

2007-05-27T20:48:00.000+10:00

My lovely wife raised the idea of going for a walk early in the morning while Nanna looked after the boys, so we did....

Went in the opposite direction to the previous morning, set off at a decent clip, but the early string of down stairs meant the thought of the upstairs return was daunting.

Eventually turned around after 35min and knowing we were over time we hit the stairs hard and the heart rate and legs got going. Mrs C even got up to a jog for a little while.

Back to the 3 Sisters after about 65min.

Here I took a leave pass and went out on my own for another 30min.
I'd seen the signs for the Giant Stairway the day before and I could not resist, particularly since I had some childhood recollection from my last visit some 16years ago.

Hit the top of the stairs and....whoa...take it easy or it will be a quick trip down. Very very steep.
So a mixture of careful steps and tight grip on the rails. Got down to the bottom and then jogged along the trail for a bit to kill time.

On the return trip I had some crazy idea to see if I could go close to matching my downward speed. Well....that lasted about 30sec. The sheer volume and gradient of these stairs had me in all sorts of trouble and reduced to laboured steps unendingly upward.

G&D to keep moving, and I did better than I'd hoped early on - but definitely no speed just climb climb climb. The looks on the faces of those coming down were priceless. I'm not sure if it was "This guy is crazy" or "What am I doing - if he looks like that on the way back, what will I be like?"

Regardless - what a workout - 30 min of heart pounding, lung busting, leg melting effort - loved it. It was kind of like the express workout for the time poor.

I found out later there is approx 1000 steps.....but not sure that it is anything like the 1000 steps we know in Vic (which I am yet to visit so could be wrong) http://www.infobluemountains.net.au/history/giant.htm

Shoes: Pegasus TC

BTW - we had a very good meeting with our brand providers in Sydney. Nothing fixed yet, but a clearer idea of what we can do to get things going.

24th May - Katoomba Cliff run

2007-05-27T19:28:00.000+10:00

Our accommodation was literally 100m from the 3 Sisters, a rather spectacular geological formation.....this view from a little further away.....

So I had a look at the local bushwalks and chose one that indicated 5km one way, figured 10km would be nice. Just after 7am I had the whole place to myself, it was weird knowing that at any other time there would be people everywhere.

The trail was technical at best, and at times running was impossible, but I was thoroughly enjoying the scenery, the effort required to keep going up down over and through. There were lookouts regularly so I stopped to look often, as the outlook was incredible.

After 35min I figured I should turn around. Knowing the return leg would be quicker with no detours and stops I pushed the pace a bit, and the steps and rough terrain were no easier. It was a great workout and in just over an hour I was back again.

Who knows how far it was since the National Parks distances were not accurate (500m in 45s)??? But somewhere between 9km and 10km.

One of the best outings I've had in running gear.

Shoes: Pegasus TC

22nd May - familiar route CP

2007-05-22T18:39:00.000+10:00

As feared the cold took hold again, so a mixture of feeling terrible in the mornings and other stuff meant no running...and after such a promising start....

On the night before our trip to Sydney (Katoomba) I wanted to run, so went out for my old 7.75km course around home. No watch, no plans, no pressure. Just running.

Shoes: Vomero

15th May - 7km and an explanation

2007-05-15T10:50:00.000+10:00

Not hard to see that I’ve been pretty lazy since the GTR….. but last night I decided enough was enough.

The start of that was me getting up just after 6 this morning and doing a 7km course around home.

Just taking it easy and making sure I got home in time to get ready for work.

Found it a little tougher than I thought I would, so I’m suspicious that I really haven’t completely cleared the cold that I had.

But I also had some really weird perception and balance issues this morning, I nearly lost my balance a couple of times when doing a head check before crossing roads or intersections, and judging the distance / speed of cars coming down the road seemed uncertain. Hopefully it was just because I hadn’t completely woken up before running, but I’ll keep an eye on it.

It was also strange that when I woke up (after alarm failed) my eldest boy was in our bed, on my side, and I had no idea when he got there….

Anyway - a nice fresh way to start the day. 7km in approx 32min.

Shoes: Elites.

I posted on Ausrun that I’ll not be stopping by as regularly to contribute. Its no secret that I struggle to find a consistency with my running, this is due to no-one but my failure to make the right decisions. I have a hectic home life with the 2 boys and a random work schedule. The only constant thing is that early mornings are free.

My other choices, have not been adding positively to either my fitness goals or my future business goals. I’m fortunate to be in a great position on both fronts; I am consistently fitter than ever before due to 17 months of half decent running base & I have an extremely exciting business opportunity on the brink of going ahead. It is almost negligent of me to give less than a high priority to both these facets of my life.

So what does that mean:

Get to bed earlier so I can easily get up in the mornings to run, in theory a 5.50am wake-up for a 6am start should be an easily achieved goal if I am getting the right amount of sleep. Midnight and later every night was never going to work for me long term.
To make this a habit, it has to be 5 times a week, so that the early start is the norm and not the exception.
Realise its OK to run for only 30-40min, better that than nothing at all. Learn to get satisfaction from short sharp work, as much as a testing 1hr run. (I think I’ve become a 1hr+ snob – so have to change that….)
Evenings will continue to be family time, but once boys are asleep, my time has to go towards my business goals. Otherwise I’ll forever be wondering why my ideas and aspirations never turn into a reality.
My forum time will be limited to lunch-time reading (no posting) and weekend clean-up of dodgy users and post contents. I’ll still keep up with what people are doing and achieving as that always drives me to try to keep improving also.
Of course I’ll keep up with the blogs that I subscribe to, its often the most enjoyable reading I do.

So stay tuned for the re-focussed runner and better prepared future business owner.

In order to remove some of the mystery about the current business project; I am working with a partner to bring a new brand of Kids Play Centres to Melbourne. I’m sure you’ve seen or heard of the indoor playgrounds for parties / play etc, with café attached. We have signed a confidentiality agreement with the brand so I have to be careful with my discussions these days. Our next step is a face to face meeting with the brand in Sydney, so hopefully we can get some indication of how close we are to an agreement or confirmation of their willingness to work with us specifically. It’s very exciting!!

The new era begins now.

10th May - back into it....

2007-05-11T20:57:00.000+10:00

After the GTR, the legs felt pretty good, but with some soreness in the calves and hammy's.

On Monday evening, we had our normal family dinner, and this week it was at the in-laws. This is about 3.5km away, so I figured I would walk/jog home to get things moving again. Walking was OK, but when I broke into a jog the impact was not comfortable, so I power walked all the way home. Its an up and down area, so all parts of the legs got moving.
Once home I was glad for the outing. This proved a wise idea, as I had no real soreness afterwards, just a little stiff in the hamstrings.

Thursday morning was the next chance for a run after, a long work day Tuesday and then not feeling great Wed night.
With the family gone out, it was a cruisy morning, then out the door just before 10am.
Had a rough plan in mind, but was going to allow how I was feeling to dictate how far and how fast. Headed towards the Kimberley Reserve and the new side of Chirnside. Feeling OK, took the loop out towards the bottom end of Black Springs rd. Felt OK so kept going across to Croydon North. Then to Bellara Dr and the trail along the creek. About here I knew it was going to be a 60min+ run so I short cut a little across to Manchester Rd.

I really don't like running home via Manchester Rd so I took an unknown path through the suburb of Mooroolbark heading up McDermot. I enjoyed this route as it turned out there was one large hill and then either flat or downhill for most of the way home, rather than the rollercoaster of Manchester.

Home in 1hr8min, my foot pod reckoned 15km, Gmaps reckoned 14km, so I'll split the difference. Happy with the run as I didn't ever push the pace, just let it happen.
Hammys a bit tender but no problems.
The knee niggle is now a memory so I'm happy about that.

As for the goal I stated previously, it should be clarified that this is a long term goal for the end of 2007 or early 2008 depending on when I can find a race at that time.

So for Stu - I won't see you at Sandown, but only because I'll be in Sydney.

I just really need something to guide my efforts in the coming months, rather than the aimless accumulation of miles and speed.
I won't race a marathon this year (but still won't rule out a pacing effort if requested in the right circumstances).

So hopefully the rest of this year will bring lots of positives....fast running and some confirmations that our business is going ahead....

GTR 2007

2007-05-06T22:56:00.000+10:00

My post at Ausrun pretty well sums things up, so I'll copy it here in case (unlikely) anybody reading this is not an Ausrunner.

But in addition, today probably served as a bit of a wake-up call, that if I want to run faster, then I can't coast along and hope it happens.

I still hold to the no excuses for todays race. But I've still got to ask myself, if the dramas of the last couple of weeks with knee niggle (no pain today) and cold, had any affect.
Could it lead to a body self preservation mechanism kicking in??

Even so, for this year which is already a third done....I've not planned for anything or set any goals or really done anything constructive as far as running goes. Which is crazy given, I know I am faster and possibly stronger than this time last year (in some ways), and wasting it.

So...here is the goal.

To run a 37:30 for 10km.
Seems crazy, since my unofficial pb is 40:16. But this was mid way in a half marathon during a marathon preparation.
My thinking is:
1. It can't be a given.
2. It can't be achievable within 6 months
3. It has to have some meaning, ie leading toward something else later on.

My justification:
1. 40:16 is well above my potential, ie I feel I could run a sub-40 10km race tomorrow.
2. I've never actually trained for 10km, so its untapped potential.
3. If I want a low 2:5X marathon in 2008, then a 37m 10km is part of the journey to get there.
4. I like to dream big.

Anyway, for the sake of the record, here is the post of todays race....a memorable one at least.

'tis with mixed feelings that I post my race report.

Today was my fastest effort at GTR, but my worst run of the event. It also included a rather unique experience that I doubt will ever be repeated.

confused....yeah me too ....

I fronted this race with some optimism, and felt no reason to doubt this. I was able to get some last minute tickets onto the race train for the family, so with the weather cooperating, it was to be a real family event. Particularly since my boys love a good train ride (in fact any train ride).

Similar to others I was planning a fast start, and got that. I didn't take splits, not sure why, but perhaps it was due to them being in reverse, so a good chance they would be useless from a comparison POV. On the first hill, I spied SS in front, so tailed him for a while, then was able to go by. Feeling pretty good, the effort levels in check. Saw TB perhaps 50m in front (couldn't miss him the bright yellow & black).

2nd hill, and things started to get nasty. At some point SS came by again, but was able to sit about 15m back at this point. Then it happened, either the wheels fell off or I pulled a heart muscle or some other undetermined cause. I stopped to walk. Quickly decided that it was going to be 30sec. Fortunately once going again the pace was good, so I was again back within sight of SS. But worse was to come.

I had lost all track of time, since all kinds of ugly thoughts were racing around, including the preparation for a PW result. I was taking splits at the crossings but not looking out of fear. Got to the 3rd crossing with no train in sight, a first for me. Somewhere between the first walk and the 4th crossing, I had stopped for a 30sec walk on 3 more occasions. At this point, all I was thinking was self preservation. As I believe my effort (heart rate) was getting maxed out.

Around this time before the 4th crossing then for some time afterwards, I was running with the train in sight - actually along side me. Even though this event had confirmed for me (at that time) that the train had beaten me again, it did keep me going along. Mainly because I knew almost for sure, that my wife and boys would be able to see me.

The train just beat me to the 4th crossing, but from here it was mostly downhill so I gave it my all. Again I found myself alongside the train. Then the train disappeared, I realised that the track veered away from the running trail. With this I put the foot down and headed for the finish. I got to the end, and knew I'd beaten the train, but crossed the line with no great joy. I stopped my watch and saw 55.40. Huh It was a pb by 40sec.
BTW - lucky that they scanned the barcode, as my time will be a lot different since I was ushered into the wrong alley with NO attendant, so no time ticket (and no prize raffle ticket ).

So, as I mentioned. My best time, but worst race.

Why? I'm not completely sure. Perhaps a comparison: This time last year I was within a couple of weeks of a marathon. This time last year I'd covered many more miles in training YTD.
So perhaps the question is which run was a soft run. Last year - given I beat that time today Today - because of the way I went about it.

Anyway, it is still a must run event. I'll forever remember the day when my family saw more than a 3 sec flash as I go by. They were with me during one of my passions for quite a while.

5th May - pre-race check-up

2007-05-06T16:26:00.000+10:00

After fighting off the cold, and also the niggle in the knee by not running since Monday morning.

I figured it was wise to head out for a 30min confidence checker.

I didn't want all hills, so went to Lillydale Lake so I could mix it up a bit.
Cruised around a 2/3 lap to the path leading to the wetlands. Then did a loop of the new housing area, which includes a nice hill. Then back to the Lake, then a rep of the Hospital Hill. Hills done, now to test the leg speed. Decided on using the 250m markers for on/off reps. Aimed for 60sec reps to give 4m/k pace, which should be approx flat ground pace for tomorrow. It all worked OK, the pace was comfortable.

Finished up with about 31min running.
Seemed OK at the time, but a check of Gmaps suggests this is an 8.2km run.....so if that is the case then it was faster than I wanted....humph.

Overall, it helped me go into the race feeling much better about things, especially since the knee didn't even chirp a little and my heaviness due to illness seemed to be gone.

GTR report to follow soon.

30th April - Easy morning

2007-04-30T23:31:00.000+10:00

Mrs C got me up and going this morning which was appreciated, since I've been tending to take the easier (lazier) path to night time running....

Figured I would just roll around for about 40odd mins today. Took in a nice gentle downhill warm-up, then decended into the valley of mist....how cool, and how cold....its been a while since the fingers were chilly.

Got to just about 5km and then stopped for 90sec for a bit of a loosener stretch. Again, I was faced with some gentle reminders. Again, I am sure the problem is now just inflamation management, as the pain / problem is certainly not getting worse.

Homeward bound via a couple of nice hills just to get the heart pumping. Felt crap on the 2nd last one, but fought to the top. Snapped into gear for the final hill and moved much better.

All up, a tad over 8.2km, 38.30min running. A nice easy start to the day.

April has been my best month for the year, running 12 times.
Approx total distance 177km, approx ave pace 4m40s.

Ummm....I think I just figured out my issue with the niggle, its a long time since I got anywhere near those kind of numbers, but I honestly didn't ever feel like I was pushing the boundaries....
At least I am still running and managing the small problem.

I was hoping to gear up for an assult on my 10km pb at Sandown, but now we are travelling to Sydney for a wedding & also a meeting for my latest business opportunity investigations (I'd love to say more but this is not the right place....sorry)

28th April - Gently Gently....in my own kinda way

2007-04-28T09:25:00.000+10:00

With the knee still just gently reminding me that things are not 100% I delayed my next run until this morning. If I get through today with no change in pain, then I'll run again tomorrow night. With just over a week from GTR, there is no point trying to push the boundaries.

In order to avoid a hilly course, I drove to Lillydale Lake, then after about 1/4 lap, I left the lake to run into the Lakeside Estate.....the hilly Lakeside Estate :? I know I know, its a sickness....
Anyway, there was really only 2 long climbs, then I knew it would be out of my system.

After the success of the midway stretch last run, I did the same today after about 30min. As I was stretching, I realised I used to do this during my last injury comeback. Then after the stretch I realised how much freer the legs are after a mid run stretch, and if I wasn't watching the watch so much normally I might do it regularly.....mental note, when its just a training run, its OK to stop and stretch, since it feels great in the second half!!

At this point I was in the wetlands, which unfortunately are pretty dry in the top end, so headed back to the Lake. I knew I'd tested the leg in the hills, now it was time to test the leg under pace pressure.

Once back on the lake trail, its a 2.5km loop, the plan was to see if I could hold sub 4min pace. I resisted the urge to take splits and push based on times, so I just ran with effort.
It felt good early, but the second half was a bit of a struggle, I'm sure the pace dropped a little there.
1 lap down in 9m32s (3m48s/km), I think it might be a pb, but I've not often time trialled the lake.
After a 38m warm-up at 4m45s including hills, I was happy with this result, knowing that I could have backed off by 28s and still made my goal.

Overall distance about 11km with 49min of running. Pretty happy with that.

Knee: no pain when running, just gentle reminders every now and then. Post run, no change. So I'll keep stretching, rubbing, anti inflam this week.

Shoes: Perseus

25th April - Running Scared

2007-04-25T23:55:00.000+10:00

Before I begin, it is worth noting that I am watching the Cricket World Cup Semi-final. Australia is bowling, and after 5.3 overs Sth Africa are 2-12. I'll update any key events if they occur while I'm posting, kind of like a live time capsule.

After the weekends back to back runs, there was a little pain on the outside of my left knee. Immediately recognised the start of the dreaded ITB inflamation. So got onto the stretching and self massage and anti-inflams.
**Aust just missed a run-out chance - batsman was miles out**
Since then I have had a slight tenderness but not pain as such. I've delayed the next run to allow maximum rest and settle down period.
Tonight was the crunch moment, so I did everything I normally do before a run - not.... I was literally running scared, not sure what I would discover when I started to move along. It was a very tentative start, with every little thing seeming like the pending doom that injury breeds.

But after a while it all seemed to be going nicely, no pain or discomfort. Even the first serious hill was trouble free.

Tonights course was a hybrid of my local hilly course, since I was running without a watch, it was all about covering ground without problem. Rather than the 3 large hills tonight I added 2 more for 5 hills.
**Tait just removed the dangerous deVilliers, big nick to Gilchrist. 3-26**
Probably not an ideal choice for a testing run, but be assured if things weren't right I'd have gone home....

Really enjoyed the run, and will probably run the course again. Overall g-maps has it at about 13.5km and the clock check showed 65min, so given the 2min rest and stretch at about halfway it was not a bad run given the no effort mode I was in.

Post run, I did a good stretch. The slight soreness in the knee has returned, but given no pain during running I believe that I've caught the ITB problem early enough...
**McGrath takes his 2nd wicket to go to the top of the wicket takers list in a single World Cup, another catch to Gilchrist, Prince out for a duck. South Africa in big trouble at 4-27.
Next ball - Oh Ah McGrath is on a hattrick. Boucher gone. Hayden an easy catch in slips. 5-27. In case you weren't sure, no running test till the next ball is bowled.....
A 'courageous' leave (according to Flemming) by Kemp. McGrath you champion!!(even though no hattrick)**

....so just need to manage the inflamation - I hope.
As everyone knows my running schedule is not hectic so plenty of rest and recovery time.

**Tait - robbed of a wicket - Bucknor missed an inside edge from Gibbs, should have been 6 down and game over, but now we wait to see if it was a costly blunder from the umpire**

Still a little nervous, but equally hopeful of no real interruption to my Puffing Billy prep.

**South Africa 5-41 after 12.2 overs, in need of a miracle or an Australian implosion**

Shoes: Zoom Elite (nearing retirement)

21st April - Long 2hrs

2007-04-21T23:15:00.000+10:00

After a late one finishing at nearly 10pm last night, I knew a run this morning at 7am would be on tired legs.

But, at the same time I figured this would be good for me in the long term.

I planned on doing a loop we've run before that takes in Croydon and Bayswater, Heathmont and Ringwood. This route is approx 20km so I needed to add a bit. So with an extension from Croydon North and via Mooroolbark.

Deliberately taking it easy, the pace was very gentle and it felt good to be on the road with a long run ahead.

Once at about an hour, I started to figure that my extension was too far, so began planning a shortened version back to the car. It all worked out well. I stopped twice for 45s for water.

Back at the car after 2hr2min56s, so running time 2hr1m28s.
According to G-maps it was just shy of 26km, so average running pace of 4m42s.
Happy with the run.

Now, a little weary and....... a little sore in the left knee. Not a new niggle today, but definitely something that will flare if not watched. No doubt it is ITB issues, so I'm on the stretching, massaging, anti-inflam path right now. Its not painful, just niggly, but needs attention now to ensure it gets better and not worse.

Happy with the way things are going at the moment, just need a little tender care for a few days.

Shoes: Vomero

20th April - Another late one

2007-04-20T22:57:00.000+10:00

Even though it was a day off, I couldn't take advantage of the morning, so my run was again put off till the evening.

Left the house planning on about an hour on the road, so took a course that is normally 45-50 mins and added some extra.

Rolling along at an effortless pace, then it dawned on me that the pace was not effortless and slow, but effortless and quickish, so I tried to dial it back a fair bit.

Didn't work, as even the hills were just a piece of ground to be covered.

Finished 14km in 65mins, ave pace 4m38s.

I'd also planned on getting to the bottom of a shoe problem. My Pegasus TC had been worn a few times when my calves got sore, so was worried there was a connection. Since these were meant to be my new race shoes, I was a worried runner.
Tonight was aimed to prove or disprove. The result is it seems purely co-incidence, as there was no problem with my calves at all!!

New Hobby

2007-04-18T22:53:00.000+10:00

I realised that I have not yet shared my latest addition to my home:

"Fish"

After a 12 month E-bay search mission, I finally found (and won) the fish tank that I was looking for. To give some idea, new large tank costs somewhere in the range of $1000+ to get set-up and operational.

I was lucky to get mine, complete and ready to go - including some fish - for $275!!

We have had a 'practice' Gold fish tank for quite a while, so we knew most of what was needed, but I quickly discovered that a large tropical tank was a different situation altogether.

For those that love to Google things, we started out with 4 types of fish: Clown Loach x 1, Neon Tetra x 3, Guppie x 11 & Angel x 1 (possibly Koi Angel)

After a little while I felt the need to get more fish, particularly since we had lasted a little while without killing any. So we went for the Neon Tetras based on the advice that they have a really nice schooling habit and usually hang out together in a big group. So instantly our fish family grew to 30 (including the 4 Gold Fish).

The beauty of the Guppy is that it is a livebearer, and our fat little mummy fish had 5 little fishies (frye). Unfortunately, they didn't last long and only 1 remains, but I am hopeful of this one making it!!!

The missing babies made me think it was time to get some hiding places for the future babies. The obvious choice was for some plants - and they are good for the water quality too.

Of course, going to the fish shop leads to all kinds of temptation, so with the plants I also came home with more fish......

I'd heard that Clowns like company and given ours was solo (and had been for over 5yrs with original owner) I bought 2 new Clowns, much smaller but very cool.

I had also been advised to keep the Guppy gene pool mixed, so got 2 guppies in a different colour to the originals. (note: bad move, these were gone within 3 days....)

If you have had a fish tank you know about the problem with algae, so I sought some 'cleaners', and found the Siamese Flying Fox loves to each algae, so I got 4 of those. They are brilliant, they eat all day, and only eat the algae off everything!!

So our fish family is now:
Clown Loach x 3
Angel x 1
Neon Tetra x 12 (lost one)
Siamese Flying Fox x 4
Guppy x 11 (optimist is including the baby...)
Gold Fish x 4 (different tank)

Here is a before and after photo: (There are fish in there....trust me on that)
It looks so much better in real life....

Did you figure out which picture had something that didn't belong???

In case you were not sure, my little one hates the camera.....

17th April - Did you know....

2007-04-17T22:11:00.000+10:00

....that I get very bored running on my own, so if I don't do something to keep me occupied it drives me nuts. Which is probably why I do work harder or do crazy type things in training, and rarely get through an entire run at an easy pace when solo. Groups runs are really good for me, but they have been few and far between.

Another night run, but not as late, out the door at 8.10pm. The plan (ha, like I ever have a plan), was to just cruise around for 40odd mins on as flat a course as I could find in Chirnside, after the hard hill run on Sunday night it was best to dial it down. Well the easy cruise lasted about 9min, when on the second lap (reverse direction) of the flat loop I noticed that without trying I was into a quickish tempo and already looking for the interesting part of the run.

So rather than fight off boredom, I headed over to our little 650m circle road, its a good place for reps, not quite flat but probably equal gentle up down. Arrived at the 20min mark, and figured I would try a 3 lap Kenyan (ie faster and faster reps). So without stopping I hit the following splits.

Lap 1 - 2m39s (4m05s/km)
Lap 2 - 2m26s (3m45s/km)
Lap 3 - 2m19s (3m34s/km)

Overall: 1.95km @ 3m48s/km average

Pretty happy with the pace and the effort, only required to really concentrate in the last 150m of the final rep.

Then in keeping with the 'hills after speed' that worked so well last time (not), I went to my 1km hill trial......I quickly knew the legs were tired and heavy, so my last effort of 4m22s was not under threat, so I just kept moving with effort to see what a 'tired' rep would be. I was pleasantly surprised that the clock stopped at 4m35s. A good sign for GTR, if I can keep all my uphill splits in the 4m30-4m40s then it could be a good day for me.

Very slow and gentle run home (slightly downhill) to stop at 40m09s.....a perfectly timed run :)

15th April - Chirnside GTR Course

2007-04-15T23:40:00.000+10:00

Did you know that there is a GTR course in Chirnside Park???

With 3 good climbs, and plenty of other uphill bits, probably not as many good long downhill sections, but close enough. This is my 'test' course, in preparation for the GTR.
Trust me when I say, that you really need to be sure you want to run it before taking it on.

My plan of delaying dinner till after my run failed when my lovely wife had already put the steak on to cook......so instead I delayed the run for 3hrs after eating, so I didn't get out the door till 10pm.

It was a nice night to be out, the air was warm and reasonably still. I saw a bit of wild life tonight, a big scary possum (it must have been given how much I jumped), an owl, a couple of dogs, the common Outer East bogan, and the very rare courteous driver......given how much they slowed down, I'm not so sure if it was courtesy or disbelief.....

I deliberately took it out slowly to ensure the distance was covered in one piece, so the first 4.2km - 19m17s, this includes the first decent hill.
From here there is a bit of up and down, till you get the 2 largest climbs, almost one on top of the other. 4.7km - 20m35s, 8.9km in 39m52s.
With the big climbs out of the way, I used some downhill to build a bit of pace and rhythm in the final section. There are 3 hills but only 1 mildly steep and long. Once over that one, I tried to push to the end. With the mind games coming, this was not so easy.
4.4km - 18m22s, to finish the 13.3km course in 58m15s.

Overall an average pace of 4m23s / km, so not too bad, I was only looking at the watch for the splits, but I had hoped I could slip into the 57m but not to be.
Happy that the toughest middle section was at 4m23s pace, and the final effort section at 4m10s despite the hills involved.

Feeling pretty confident that I can beat last years time of 56m20s on race day, but I can't help but be aware that this time last year I was well and truly into marathon mode and doing some very long runs. This year I've only gone over 80mins twice.

Off to sleep now...suitably cooled and rested.

13th April - Speed Reps

2007-04-14T00:46:00.000+10:00

With a view to keeping things varied and interesting, and also to avoid getting caught in a 'one pace' trap, I headed down to Kimberly Reserve for another dose of speed work.

It's just over 2km to get there and its all downhill, so a nice easy warm-up.
Once at the reserve, there is a 1.1km gravel path loop. The plan was to run hard for 3/4 or about 750m, then slow recovery to start of next lap. In my mind I wanted to run 6, but was happy to adjust that based on feel.

The first effort section is purely to get a base time to work off, so not at full pace, but putting a bit of edge onto the run. Then every effort after that is used as a comparison. Obviously as time goes by the effort required to maintain the same pace increases with fatigue.

My splits looked like this:

2.35 (2.26 recovery)
2.37 (2.17)
2.38 (2.20)
2.39 (2.07)
2.34 (2.33) - reverse direction
2.44 (2.13) - switched off mentally and effort, used as a guide to 'no thought' pace.
2.36 - back in original direction and concentrated for last rep.

Overall I was happy with the splits, comparable or perhaps a couple of seconds quicker than past efforts.

As for the trip home, unfortunately it is all uphill, which after a hard session is less than ideal, and today it became literally painful as my calves objected to having to work during fast work, then again just to get home again.... so with a couple of hundred metres to go, I followed my own advice (for once) and pulled the pin to walk the rest of the way home. Something I've never done before, but today it was the right thing to do.

Total distance: Approx 12km
Total time: 55min

Shoes: Pegasus TC

10th Apr - Pram on the Lake

2007-04-10T23:32:00.000+10:00

To briefly explain...... I realised that I wasn't recording anything about my running other than which days I went, so I figured here was as good as anywhere. Nothing fancy, no regular tallys etc, just a record to look back on when I want to.
Also, it will keep me honest to ensure I have something to write about.

Today was a day off, the eldest boy had a 'playdate' so I was left at home with number 2. So rather than risk missing a run, we packed the pram with necessary stuff and off we went.

Knowing that the family were in Mt Evelyn, I planned a run to finish at Lillydale Lake so I could get picked up from there, as I didn't want to have to push the pram back up the hill to home.....

I've run with the pram a few times, but never on hilly terrain. Uphills are typically tough, but also the downhill, due to balance and the fear of tripping and losing control. So from now on, only flat ground for the pram running expeditions. Fortunately we were out of the hills withing the first 15mins.

Got part of the way to the Lake and realised that I hadn't started my watch.....bugger. So with no other option I just had to run with an approx time.

Once at the lake I did my usual loops and twists including the wetlands. Towards the end of the run - guessing about 45-50mins in. I did a final lap of the lake, so figured I would do some splits to get an idea of pace. By this stage I had guessed that things had slowed considerably. So I was pleased when the first split was 4.40, so from this I guessed that I hadn't dropped below 5min pace for the entire run!! Second split was 4.20 for a 9min final 2km (obviously I pushed a little in the 2nd one...).

So given the load and imbalance of the pram running, I was happy to cover the 11km under an hour, and for the pace to be respectable.

Shoes: Pegasus

8th April - Rye Run

2007-04-08T23:24:00.000+10:00

With an overnight stay in Rye with family, I was keen to get in a run in a new location. Given my tendancy to extreme familiar course boredom, this is a golden chance for me.

Up just before 7am, long enough to get brekky for number 1 son, and be out the door ab 7.10am. Probably 10min later than ideal, since I wanted to be back by 8am (I was on pancake duty).

Brushing advice aside (so unlike me), I headed for the beach / foreshore trail. If it was no good I had a fall back plan, but the trail was very runable so I stuck with it. Until I took a wrong turn and ended up on the sand, then the rock pools, so I quickly scurried up a rock bank in search of the trail.
Here I ended up in the carpark, so figured I'd follow some streets. Eventually I found Old Melbourne road, so I upped the pace and followed the bike path, a good surface but a bit up and down. 25min then turnaround. Google earth figured about 5km, but with the trail not being straight, I suspect it was longer.

On the return leg I bascially followed the same path, but was able to avoid the beach, but this meant a longer 'soft sand' section. So I also avoided the last part of the trail and kept on the bitumen for a faster finish. Back in 23min, then a 2 min slow jog cool down.

I'll log 10km but probably more, as I know the pace was sub 4.30's for much of the run.

A great way to start the day, and thoroughly enjoyed the new scenery.

Shoes: Zoom Vomero

April 6th - Chirnside to Mt Evelyn

2007-04-06T22:32:00.000+10:00

With the littlest one down for a sleep I was given the chance to get out the door, while the others were happy watching The Incredibles and surfing E-bay.

I had in the back of my mind taking a course that I had run previously with Rob (Rogo), which goes from Lillydale Lake to Mt Evelyn via David Rd then Haig Rd. But I also didn't want to take the normal route to get to the lake. So instead I took a pathway via the Mooroolbark Hills and Hull Rd to Lakeview Estate.

This course takes in some decent hills, but the worst of it is right towards the end in the trail to Mt Evelyn. By this time I was feeling very slow. I got to the water tap at Mt Evelyn in 46min. I guessed it was about 9km, but Google Earth suggests 10km, so it was quicker that I thought.

But, 46min out was longer than I planned, so after a quickish downhill to Old Gippsland Rd, I took it easy for the rest of the trip home. Again via the Lake.

The chosen hill to get home was the main Hwy. This was the first time I had run this one, as I usually take back roads. 8min to run the 1.6km hill so 5min pace on a long hill after 80min of running was pretty satisfying.

All up it was 85min and 18.5km on a tough course in warmish conditions, so pretty happy with the outing.

Shoes: Zoom Elites (2)

April 4th - Chirny Hills

2007-04-05T00:38:00.000+10:00

Determined to shake myself out of the blah blahs I have for running at the moment, I decided that I HAD to run tonight.

Out the door at 9.50pm.
I plotted a new course from home, but deliberately ensured there were some good hills in the mix. I also worked to ensure that I didn't push the pace at all. To begin I was using short steps and a quickish cadence and that worked to help keep everything nice and easy.

The idea was to just get through the run without pressing the hills or pushing the pace. The allowance I had was that the downhills could be fast. All I wanted to do was to feel comfortable moving around hilly terrain without real effort.

Towards the end I took on the hill that runs up Maroondah Hwy from Edwards Rd to Country Club Dr, Google Earth has it at 1km - UPHILL. So this will be my new time-trial section. Tonight in a comfortable but building pace, it was a 4.22 split.

Overall a 9.2km course covered in under 44min, so a nice gentle hilly run. Thoroughly enjoyable!!

Shoes: Perseus

March 31st - solo then group

2007-04-05T00:29:00.000+10:00

With the final Run for the Kids training run being a simple slow lap of the Tan, I figured I would do the right thing by myself and get in early enough for a longer and tougher run.

Out of the car at 7.15 gave me 75min till I had to be back.
The plan was for 37.5min out and back, along the way I figured a 39min out would put some pressure on me to come home faster.

From the top of Anderson St, I went to the river and went West, with the plan to go towards Docklands and past Telstra Dome, since I had never gone that far in that direction.
My problem began when I pushed the pace too much racing the row boats..... so once that was set I was moving well the the entire 'out' leg.

Upon finding the Capital Trail signs I followed that.
Getting close to half way, and I was not looking forward to the return leg, since I had gone out far too hard. So I began plotting a return leg, via the city.

At 39min (approx 9km) I hit Racecourse Rd, and so began my journey back. I got to Royal Park, then Melbourne Uni (??), and I was in familiar territory. To the city - Swanston St and the river then back to the Tan.

All up about 17-17.5km in 73min. A good hard workout for sure.

Then a very gentle Tan lap with the group for a 21km day!!

Shoes: Pegasus TC

Good Start

2007-01-04T23:16:00.000+11:00

2 training runs completed so far.

1. 7km approx easy run to get the legs going after a long Sunday run. Started badly with both calves 'popping' as soon as I started. So I aborted the hilly course planned and just kept it as simple as possible. Without a watch I did not know how long I had been running, but decided to go to my close by 650m loop flatish. First lap OK, 2nd a little quicker, 3rd feeling good and strong, 4th lap (after convincing myself it was a good idea) quicker again. So for 2.5km to finish it was a Kenyan style section. Felt pretty good, calves pulled up OK.

2. Street Orienteering - entered the A course or 10km. Joined an experienced mate, who was also a quicker runner, so not sure if this was the right combo..... Anyway, we got to the 18 required checkpoints (of 20 on offer), running for 49min. A Google earth measure showed 10.34km, the winner ran a course of 9.6km so not too far off. We ended in 5th place.

So far so good.

2007 is here, 2006 was a good year....

2007-01-04T22:44:00.000+11:00

If you frequent Ausrun, then you may have already read this.....

For me a year of many many highs and few if any real lows (unless I want to be a whinge).

Summary: Started with a goal to run 150 times for the year, nothing else. Purely to try an build a running habit.

Races were only planned shortly beforehand, except for Puffing Billy that was always on the calender.

Before this year I had some very soft PB's due to not much racing and long periods of being slack or injured. So I'm pleased to say that my PB's now look a little better, but still not where they should be.

Feb - ran 8km Zoo race, 33m50s for a PB.

Apr- ran 14.7km R4Kids - 60m36s

May - Puffing Billy 13.2km - 56m20s PB

May - Great Ocean Road 45km 3hr33m, 42.2km 3hr14m49s PB

July - AV Jells Park 12km XC 51m30s

August - AV Half Marathon 86m05s PB - 10km mark 40m16s PB

October - Melb Marathon 3hr03m50s PB

Finished the year on 150 runs. In covering over 2000km and being (significant) injury free for the year, then I achieved the spirit of my goal.

Detail: Now for the very brave -- or is that bored....

At the start of the year, I weighed about 78kgs(now 76kg), I had a bad 2005 with running, no habit no consistency, almost no racing. I ran Puffing Billy, Gold Coast Half, and an 8km -- all were slower than the previous years efforts.

By starting to count my running it was going to become clear if I was putting in the effort. Jan and Feb started OK, but not great. I did know that I was on track when I ran a good 8km fun run at the Zoo by finishing strongly.

My involvement with the Run 4 Kids training groups helped me get a decent habit going and my km increased, at about this time I was also getting some long runs in, so the dream of running the Great Ocean Road marathon began to spark.

Meanwhile, all my old courses around home seemed all too easy and my old times seemed very pedestrian. Hills were becoming my friends!!!

I ran 14.7km in 60m36s at R4K and was stoked, again with a very fast finish, no doubt a 10km PB (but I lost my splits), ave pace 4.07, better than my 10km PB.

From here it was all focussed on getting right for GOR. My long runs were going well, no injuries, looking OK.

Last long runs completed - including a 4hr epic including 2hr of Rogo Mystery Tour.

Entered at last moment. Planning on covering 42.2km in 3h30m and 45km in one piece.

Puffing Billy - now my annual pilgramage - was really a final stepping stone. Terrible day and just bouncing back from a flu / cold. Had a good run and was happy with a 5min PB.

GOR - my first marathon and first ultra marathon. Great day, very happy with the run (see Events thread for more detail). Over the moon with a 3hr14m marathon!!

The bug had bitten.

Post marathon I was back to take it as it comes, but tried to keep the km in reasonable check.

Since everything was going well and I was keeping up with my weekly running I secretly decided to have another crack at Melbourne Marathon (after 2 previous aborted preparations). But I did not announce my intentions until I was sure I was ready.

Running the Burnley half in 86m was my confirmation that I was going to give the full another go.....if all fell into place.

Again at the last moment I entered, but was very lucky to get a 'sponsors' entry that eventually cost me nothing -- very happy.

If Samsung is sponsoring again - remind me to ask about 'team' entries....

The day was a beauty, with fair winds. Hanging on desperately to the 3hr group I finally dropped off at 35km and held on for a 3hr03m marathon PB, excited cannot describe my feeling about this result.

But it also means I cannot walk away from the marathon until I have a 2hrXX.... time against my name.

Since then my running has gone a bit downhill, the frequency reduced the motivation reduced, but surprisingly my pace is generally still intact. I don't think I am in PB form, but can comfortably run sub4m30s longish training runs, so thats OK.

During the year I met lots of great runners, and learned about how to make training interesting. The easist way is to share it with someone.....

I learned how hill running is often the most efficient way to train - nowhere to hide.

I'm slowly finding ways to teach the legs to go faster.

If nothing else I have shown myself that I can do well even if I do things a bit differently.

Apart from the obvious, my highlight moment was having Old Miler at the finish to MM and his genuine surprise at my finish time....just one moment that made the preparation and pain worth it.

My other moment, was running with TB at Croydon Masters to help him through to a sub20min 5km, to see him jump with excitement was great. Of course now he would leave me well behind, but I was with him that night....

If at the start of the year you had told me that I would have 2 marathons and a bag of PB's and 2000km with no injuries.... I probably would have laughed at you.

Thanks for sharing the run (ride) this year!!

Knowing that there is a small group of runners who can share / support / encourage is just awesome.

To bigger things in 2007!!

Been a while

2006-12-15T15:39:00.000+11:00

Just in case there is someone that hasn’t given up on me……

Running is an interesting equation for me at the moment.

From the highest of highs in October when I ran a 3.03 marathon, to weeks gone by where I have only been on the road once for the week, and couldn’t make myself get out the door.

Sure there is lots going on at the moment, there are plenty of things taking up my time:

House work and reno’s

Kids

Busy period at work

Cricket

Looking for a new job

etc etc

With all that its been easy to just sit down rather than get up an out…..

Why? I suppose the motivation and sense of ‘need’ has reduced.

My weight is stable and lower than when I was 21 (9yrs ago) and supposedly fit.

When I do run I can still move along at a pace quicker than when I was racing 11 months ago, a training run can be done comfortably at 4m10s pace, and even hilly courses now are around the 4m30s mark, so if not at my sharpest, I haven’t lost a lot of speed.

The only thing I haven’t done is a long run over 80min, but with my shorter run fitness I still reckon 2hrs easy pace would not be a problem.

So what’s next? Well I still need to complete my goal of getting to 150 runs for the year. But that is looking like a close run (sorry) thing. With 17 days left I need 10 more.

I know I will get there, but it won’t be as easy as it could have been, at one point I was on target for 160-170.

I guess I need to then think about what the plan is for 2007, a new approach, a new focus.

In the back of my mind there is still the very small voice saying ‘What about 100k, or 100mile, or C2K (Coast to Kosi)

But also a sub 3hr marathon is very much on the agenda at some point, as is trying to get some shorter distances covered in times quicker than when I was a ‘wannabe’ runner in high school, 800m 2m10 and 400m in 54s. I’d love to run a 11.5s 100m but not sure that is ever likely.

So as you can see setting ‘event’ goals is not an easy decision either given they are at different ends of the scale.

For me, time to ponder until Dec 31, so I can be clear on what I want to achieve in 2007.

Last night I had an excellent run in the rain at 10pm. I took on a loop via Mooroolbark that I hadn’t run in a long time.

I set off fast and stayed there. It’s a hilly course taking in Manchester Rd, Hull Rd, Landscape Dr to Mooroolbark Rd, then Victoria Rd, St Andrews and home.

10km+ in 45m30s – I’ll check the distance, but could be 10.5km or more. Regardless, it felt good and strong. If anything the legs were stronger than my fitness (or it might have been my dinner…..), so very happy with the run. In the past it has taken close to 50min for this course.

Take care and enjoy Christmas!! (if I don’t get back beforehand)

Funny that....

2006-11-07T00:34:00.000+11:00

......the draft I saved and only just finished posted on the day I started, not the day I published....oh well.
If you can be bothered, go to 100 things from Oct 1st...

BTW - quick update on the running front.
After being well in front of my 150 runs target, a crappy October has me needing 13 runs eac month for Nov/ Dec. so I'd better get organised.

A good start so far, 3 done for Nov already, legs feel good again. Fitness is holding up too.

Marathon #2 & Random Ramblings

2006-10-16T17:10:00.000+10:00

I know the marathon was run over 7 days ago now and have made no mention of it, but I figured most people who would read this have probably already read about my adventure somewhere else. In case you missed those, you will find a race report from Clarkey on both the Ausrun forum and the Coolrunnings forum.

So I suppose here I can post some alternate perspectives to those that I had previously posted, with 7 days to ponder the marathon aftermath its amazing how many theories and thoughts go through your mind.

It has to be said that my recovery from this race was not as smooth as that after GOR. In May I felt ready to run again on Tuesday. Unfortunately this time, immediately after crossing the finish line, my back decided enough was enough and brought me to a sudden and painful stop. So from crossing the line until probably Wednesday I had a significant limp. This was amplified by the rather sore right foot that really hit me on Monday morning. By Thursday / Friday I was walking much better and generally the aches / pains had subsided.

The frustrating thing was that my muscles felt really good, so if the other problems had been absent I would have felt pretty good. So it goes without saying that I did not run all week. In fact I am yet to go for an official run since last Sunday.

I did however make my first appearance for my cricket club on Saturday, which I was not exactly bouncing around for, since first thing Saturday morning I got another back spasm which left me ginger most of the day. By 12.30pm I was feeling OK, we batted first, when I was in my back felt fine, running between the wickets was no problem. We bowled in the 2^nd innings and I was worried the action would cause me a problem, but I was OK. I bowled 4 overs, but there was no chance I could bowl again later as I cooled down I got steadily stiffer through my back.

Again, frustratingly, I feel worse now after 1 game of low grade park cricket than I did after 42.2km of running…..go figure. But it does highlight that the body can withstand anything that it has been trained to do, but ‘out of the ordinary’ activity is asking for sore muscles.

Back to running – so my first official run will hopefully be tonight, a very light roll along just to get back into the swing.

Marathon tales: (Some of the things that I really did not remember to mention in other ramblings)

Right from the start I had decided that I would not look at my watch too often. My theory for this was to try and mimic GOR when the markers were non existent. So early on I had little or no awareness of km by km splits. Apart from the 5km updates from the pacers and the fact that we should have been on 4m15s pace I did not know if we were steady or what. So it was with some surprise that I found several quick splits at sub 4.10. The change that I did make was to start looking at my splits once trouble started this is something I did not do during the Burnley half. I reckon this helped ensure I did not blow out further.

BTW – here are the km by km splits.

4.33, 4.12, 4.06, 4.09, 4.11 – slow start then quickly up to speed

4.07, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.17 – steady but gaining on the req 4.16’s

4.14, 12.29, 4.20 – missing 2 splits showed I was no looking at the splits when they went by…

4.19, 4.18, 4.20, 4.12, 4.10 – I think there may have been a few small undulations through this section

4.22, 4.15, 4.01, 4.32, 4.14 – obviously a marker out of place at 23km (but I didn’t notice)

4.14, 4.13, 4.15, 4.14, 4.21 – even splits holding strong

4.19, 4.12, 4.15, 4.25, 4.28 – to 33km OK, then it started to slide

4.20, 9.29, 4.52, 4.59 – obviously the CR’s at 35km helped km #36 but quickly backwards from there…

5.12, 5.53 – one really ugly km, then back under 5min/km – just….

The big difference I experienced was the pacing group; it has been pretty rare for me to have the same people around me for long durations. During GOR I had 2 runners with me at different stages, but never a group. In other fun runs, people move forward and back along the way. This time there was a group of over 20 runners for the first half, then with 10 or so sticking together for the 2^nd half, by the time I dropped out, there was about 8 runners left. Early on this did not cause any dramas, except at drinking stations, as everyone tried to find the right possie to grab a drink. Initially I dropped back a bit but as fatigue set in I was more determined to stay closer to the pace leader, so at least once I missed a drink. Trouble was everyone else had the same idea…..

Tired legs also nearly caused a couple of stacks as runners moved on their line etc. For me it provided a bit of distraction, I chatted to a couple of different runners, but given the pace, this was not a day for lengthy discussion. I often was at the back of the pack through choice, so this allowed me the option to move to the side protected from the wind if preferred.

Would I run with a pacing group again?? Probably not as closely, more likely would be to try a get 50-100m in front and then hold my ground, using the ‘fear of being caught’ mentality, but it would allow a bit more even and natural running space I believe. On the other hand, my next outing will be looking for a 2:55, so if the 3:00 guys catch me – then I am well behind so might use them to drag me home….

Did I take in much of the scenery? A little, but not much. With a close group it was not wise. When the road opened up a little I did have a look around. I have not spent much time in the area, particularly in the first half, so I didn’t have many familiar landmarks to look out for. I was pleased to see a decent number of people on the roadside; a big difference to the solitude of the GOR – if you like crowds then GOR is not for you.

There were a couple of places where the road took a big turn to the left giving a nice dose of headwind, again unexpected with lack of local knowledge.

I think I might drive down there one day just to have a look at the place I ran….

Now, what about my feelings towards marathons in general? Will I race more marathons? Yes, that is a given unless a 2:5X becomes wildly out of reach. Will I always race marathons or will I take a more relaxed approach. In this question I am convinced that I will enjoy running 42.2km even on days when I am not going for a pb. I know this because I have plenty of training runs, and two 4hr+ epics in particular, that far exceed the time it takes me to run a marathon, and I just loved being on the road for that length of time, despite the pain at the end…. So, I suppose that means I would be open to requests for pacing someone to their goal time at a marathon in the future.

Strategy for chasing 2:55 and below. Only time will tell, but for now my running won’t change. I will see how my pace and endurance changes with time. Remembering that this year is the first year I’ve had any consistency, even if it was only a Clarkey version of consistency. Another 3-6-9 months of the same thing might naturally bring extra pace and endurance. But if not, then I will have to look at ways to bring improvement. Common logic says more km, and I can concede this as a valid approach, after all many have succeeded using that method. Realistically, I am never going to be on the podium, so I have to balance the preparation with the required result. Even if I never race quicker than 3.03, there are plenty who don’t get even to that point, so I have no complaints and consider myself very lucky to have 2 good marathons under my belt.

But, perhaps surprisingly (or not so much), I am starting to look towards other events as my next challenge/s, perhaps events of greater duration or distance, where the completion and not the time is the main goal. In the back of my mind I have a belief that at roughly 5min/km (if that is the starting pace), I could run for a very long time, so the temptation is to test exactly how far that might be…..

There is an adventure race later in the year, all it would take is for someone to half indicate that they were keen, and I reckon I’d start working on my arms for the paddle leg of the race…..

What about my running for the rest of 2006? I still have my original goal to run 150 times for the year, and there is a reasonable chance that I will get to 1500km for the year, so that might be nice. I do like my training runs that last for about an hour, so I think they will become the bread and butter of my running. Plus, I found I enjoyed the speedier Yasso’s type sessions, so with the local reserve handy it will be a session I run regularly.

Time to get myself back into a ‘routine’, 29 more runs for 150, then after that it’s just bonus time.

A thought just occurred to me…. Would anyone consider a group run that starts in 2006 and finishes in 2007?? Now there’s a run worth considering!! (But in which year would you log the km???)

If you took the time to get this far then you probably deserve a little gem to take away:

“When someone does something that gets under your skin, remember they were probably not trying to piss you off”

So just take a breath and be the better person by walking away.

100 things

2006-10-01T23:18:00.000+10:00

Since everyone else seems to be in the sharing mood, so will I.....

My 100 things

1. Born Jan 1977, Pambula NSW.

2. Mum & Dad were on hols, so my first and only ambulance ride was when 1 day old.

3. I've lived in 15 homes in 3 states.

4. I first knew I could run fast for a long time when I was 8.

5. I was school vice captain

6. When I topped my class in Grade 6, my mum gave me a present, I still have it and wear it around my neck 24/7. But only started wearing it again recently.

7. My Mum died only 1 month after I was married.

8. I was married at 21y 2m 1w 4d old.

9. I met my wife when we were 8 & 9 yrs old, we dated in High School then broke up for 5yrs, then were married 15 months after getting back together.

10. We have 2 boys, 4yrs & almost 2yrs.

11. We live in our own home, our first.

12. I am the eldest of 4 kids.

13. I was the only one not school captain

14. I am the only one to have gone to university

15. I have been to the USA & New Zealand

16. I went to the Olympics. For Free.

17. I went to the 2002 AFL Grand Final. For Free

18. I have been to the Oz Open tennis Centre Court twice. For Free

19. I worked for Nike for 5 yrs. Hence 16-18.

20. I like most sports, but am not an expert in any

21. I have played squash, touch rugby, basketball, indoor cricket, cricket, indoor soccer, athletics competitively. But didn't start until I was 13 or 14.

22. I learned to drive in a 22 seater bus when I was 13, I first drove on the open road when I was 14.

23. My Learners permit was passed when 16 and 1 day. My P's on the day I turned 17.

24. I have really only owned 1 car. Since then my cars have been bought by my wife.

25. I delivered pizzas for 3.5 yrs

26. I was on a Supreme court murder trial jury when 19, for nearly 5 weeks.

27. I seem to gravitate to leadership positions, even accidently, but I enjoy it

28. I like to get into the garden, having our own home has allowed me to do this

29. Our small car has been registered in 4 different states.

30. I ride motorbikes. I have had 2 registered bikes and one bush basher. My current bike is off the road and I would like to sell it.

31. My next bike will be a Honda Gold Wing, lounge chair on wheels.

32. I love being outdoors, we used to camp and will do so again once the boys are a little older

33. I enjoy the company of positive, easy going people

34. I love spending time with ambitious people with a desire to do something and chase a goal

35. I am not a dancer or a musician, my creativity is there but limited and rarely used, as I prefer facts and figures.

36. Apparently I can sing a little, but am not brave enough to get too many opinions on this

37. I like fixing things, but don't think I would have the patience to be a tradesperson

38. I have never had a smoke or tried any drugs. I have never been drunk and don't drink much

39. I have a growing interest in politics and am amazed that Australians tolerate some of the things that go on.

40. I do not have extravagant tastes, but do like expensive toys.

41. Only 3 pairs of my sports shoes have NOT been Nike, 2 of those times was because Nike didn't make the specialty style required.

42. I own more clothes than my wife, but mostly due to freebies from my last job

43. I do have a faith in God & Jesus Christ, but my current struggle is with the church. There is a difference, feel free to ask me one day.

44. The dog my parents bought me in 1992 recently died, but since I left home and he didn't, I haven't seen him in a while.

45. My wife loves cats....I don't

46. My recent drink of choice is bourbon and coke, but would probably still choose pineapple juice most days.

47. Since living in Melbourne I have gained weight, lost weight, lost hair....now just waiting to gain hair again...

48. I worry about my boys future, so want to help them be financially secure, so they don't have to start from scratch like me.

49. When i worked in the city I read books on the train, I have not read a book for nearly 2 yrs.

50. I liked reading Wilbur Smith books

51. Since learning about the Coast to Kosi event, it will linger in my mind until I complete it one day.

52. I would also like to better my 400m pb of 54sec from high school.

53. I am a very content person easily satified to either keep busy or to sit quietly

54. Once you are my friend you will be a friend for life (if you don't cause mistrust), but don't expect me to call very often, but if coming through town I will stop to visit.

55. I wear size 11.5 or 12 runners.

56. I miss Nth NSW & QLD weather, I used to be very blonde and had a tan

57. I only recently started wearing singlets to run. T shirts hid my white arms.

58. I have never been to a famous artists concert

59. I would like to give blood, but get a cold every time I make a plan to go

60. I love playing golf, but have not done so very often since having kids

61. I have never won a major prize in a 'lucky draw' competition.

62. I had a weird idea, that I would one day buy every house I'd ever lived in

63. I would like to retire in Qld

64. I aim to choose how much I work by the time I am 50, so thats 20 yrs to become financially secure.

65. I've never been sacked

66. One day I will own a business

67. When I am ready to stop working in my business, my manager will become very well paid

68. I have big dreams, I know they won't all come true...but I also know some of them will

69. I would like to own a small acreage for the boys to have wide open space

70. My biggest weakness is I procrastinate

71. Once I get going I go at 100% till its almost done

72. Some things are not quiet finished

73. I am a night owl, but also learning to live off 5-6 hour sleep.

74. I do not like doctors, so will avoid visiting until absolutely necessary

75. I am very ticklish, so do not enjoy massage. But I will try a leg massage soon, purely for running benefit of course. (done post marathon)

76. I will not shave my legs....ever

77. When cooking I am not afraid to vary from the receipe

78. I eat very different food now than when I was growing up

79. I often wonder how life would be different if Mum did not die so young

80. I'm a pretty traditioanl guy, sometimes I don't have a very PC opinions of 'alternative' views and lifestyles etc, but I try to be mindful that everyone has their own choices to make.

81. i nearly joined the Army, they were going to pay my university, but I failed the physical....who would have thought

82. It took me 6 yrs to complete my degree, 1 yr deferred, several repeated subjects due to changing universities, then going PT so I could earn a living. Never regretted that.

83. I have never been West beyond the border of the NT

84. I started this list weeks ago and have only got back to it now.....that tells you something else about me.....

85. My height is 178cm, weight 76kg, I have wide shoulders, big palms and short fingers.

86. My knees click / grind really badly but do not give me any pain or trouble.

87. We are renovating our house, even though we didn't really plan to.....but it is fun getting it done.

88. I sold my first lot of items on ebay this week.

89. I have never placed a bet

90. At a Nike party at Sydney 2000, Prince Albert of Monaco stood on my foot accidently as he moved past. He had the manners to apologise.

91. When I first came to Melbourne I got onto the wrong train line twice....very annoying.

92. We visited Niagra Falls in the middle of winter, fresh snow and ice everywhere, a very different view to the normal postcards.

93. One of my biggest fears is that something will get in the way of my boys reaching their potential. My hope is that it will not be something that could have been avoided.

94. I regularly submit a 'donkey' vote in elections, due to having no option agreeable in a 2 party preferences system.

95. When running I like to try different courses regularly, I get bored running in the same place.

96. We used to go camping a lot, I would love to get back into it. Real camping with no facilities.

97. If I ever skydive it will not be in a tandem jump, I'll look after myself thanks.

98. I am lokking for a new job, time for change and hopefully more $$ so I can put more aside for my business plans.

99. Foghorn Leghorn is my favourite cartoon character. The Matrix series my favourite movies.

100. I eat Weetbix for breaky most mornings, have done for aslong as I can remember. Mostly for convenience, so on days off I have something different.

Phew - got there, perhaps now I can also get back to updating my running and other life stuff...

Last meaningful run before MM2006

2006-09-29T13:32:00.000+10:00

After months of ‘will I, won’t I’ thinking about entering another marathon for the year I have taken the plunge and will be running 42.2km on October 8^th.

But of course with such a lack of definite thinking and goals comes the inevitable fear of disaster.

Overall I have been pleased with my running in the last couple of months, each ‘test’ has been passed with flying colours, my mileage has been consistently higher than before GOR, my pace has been tested and shown to be quicker. Unfortunately this does not take away the feeling of worry every time something small seems out of line within weeks of the event.

2 weeks ago I ran 40odd km in a little over 3hrs, then backed up with 8km @4.12 pace only a few days later. I was feeling OK.

Sunday I ran for 2hrs covering 25+km (very rough guess, but conservative) and felt really bad towards the end. Confidence dented.

Despite common wisdom suggesting now is the time to be easing off and relaxing into the race day, I once again defied common wisdom and set myself a test today, with the outcome being absolute fear of the race, or confidence boost.

Yasso’s 800’s have been used as a guide for potential race day pace. I’ve run similar sessions with some success, but never the full 10 reps on a 400m track.

Goal: 10 sets of 800m @ 3.00min with 3.00min floating recovery.

Result: Consistent reps @ 2.52-2.58, held decent form throughout, with even laps and not needing to surge to hit times, in fact often backing off to conserve. The last rep with a little more effort was comfortable at 2.53, in fact the last 3 reps were all strong. The floating recovery moved from 500m to 600m late in the session.

At no point in the run did I feel stretched or under pressure by the time, purely concentrating on the job kept me on track. I had no niggles or soreness (other than a troublesome right foot at the base of the big toe – but it does not affect anything), all major muscles felt relaxed and stress free. Afterwards I do not feel fatigued. So today did what I hoped, it has me mentally back on track and hopeful of a really strong run on the 8^th.

My goal is still to run a 3:0X:XX and I would be happy with a 3:09, but I plan to hit 90min at halfway and just see what happens from there.

The one thing I must remember is to keep my head up and look ahead and around, there is nothing to be gained by looking down.

Now just pray for good winds and strong legs!!

Counting down again....

2006-09-21T23:39:00.000+10:00

Thanks for your comments and thoughts after my mis-adventure. The legs recovered very well. No running over the weekend or Monday, but Tuesday night I had a good workout at Croydon Aths.

Notably a 5m30s 1500m (progressively faster laps)

8km @ 4m12s pace for 33m36s (would have been a 8km pb in May...)

So even though it was tough work, it showed the legs / fitness were strong.

Today I had a very easy 8km, no watch, just cruise. A little tender in the legs, but was able to cruise and not just plod.
The hammys are a little tight tonight, but nothing a good stretch won't fix.

I was all ready to pull out the plastic and enter the MM tomorrow, but they have extended the online entry deadline, so I will postpone to the end of next week. Another week of trouble free running will help me to really lock away the confidence to enter.

Off to Cooma NSW this weekend, my youngest brother is getting married. So a long weekend, and possibly a run in country NSW.

Enjoy your weekend - whatever mischief you get up to!!

Long run mis-adventure

2006-09-15T19:09:00.000+10:00

I haven’t posted a detailed description of any of my recent training runs, but todays will be memorable for lots of reasons – hopefully none bad.

With a late start for work and the family making other plans, I decided that I could get my long run done this morning and so tomorrow will be free for family stuff.

I decided to take in a course that was generally flattish, but mixed in scenery and location. I was planning on 3hrs approx. Dreading the out and back on this occasion I went for a big loop.

2 things were tested out today, a different pair of shoes – previously only used for runs of no more than 15-16km. They are a firmer ride, so had not chosen them before when a long run was on the cards. Also a new singlet, a Nike sphere technology dri-fit. Happy to report that both seemed to have come through OK.

My first plan was to drive to Croydon aths track and start there, but once in my car I figured I could park closer to home to save time, since all I wanted to do was avoid the larger hills near home – especially at the end.

So, for those who know the east, this will give a visualisation of my run.

6.45am – parked at Croydon North shops, cnr Maroondah and Exeter.

Headed straight across to Dorset then down Bellara, I got to the walking track that takes you past Barngeong Reserve, then across Diane, along the rail line to Manchester Rd. Headed towards 5 ways roundabout, then up Lincoln. Over Dorset and continue along Lincoln to Croydon Rd. Distance check approx 6km, time 26min.

Down Croydon Rd, to roundabout, crossed rail lines towards Main St, headed behind the shops and across the Croydon Oval reserve towards the Athletics track. Once there I had a random thought that I might check the accuracy of my SDM, so I did 3 laps of the track. Seems there is a 5% error, but I had always roughly factored in about that much discrepancy – perhaps I should try and re-calibrate. But I also know that the accelerometer is affected by a range of things, so it is always just a guide.

Anyway, 3 laps at about 4m15s pace, then a quick drink. Distance approx 9.5km 43min.

Then along the trail to Eastfield Rd, across Bayswater Rd to the trail parallel, then to Canterbury Rd across to Bungalook and onto the Dandenong Creek trail. I followed this to my eventual return point at the HE Parker Reserve. But knowing that I needed some extra km, I planned to follow the trail and double back. I went past Boronia Rd and to the water tap at Koomba Reserve. This was my first mistake, somehow I got my ‘guestimates’ wrong and I went too far down the trail, leaving myself a very long return to the car. Distance approx 22km 1hr35m.

At this point I knew 2 things. Even if it was only 21km to this point – I had gone too fast. Regardless of the pace, I had an interesting run ahead of me, as one shoe was rubbing my heel slightly. Fortunately I was able to pull up my sock a little more and tightened my laces, it seemed to do the trick. But also I had no real idea how I would feel in the 3^rd hour particularly.

I eased back into the run, returning back to HE Parker 90s slower (29min), but this may be in part due to taking the gravel side of the creek, with more hills etc, and everyone knows upstream is uphill…..

Through the reserve and up to the rail line, across Canterbury Rd and continue. Follow the trail to Lena then Bedford rd, across and to Hill st, then into the Ringwood Lake reserve. Here I stopped for water again. All the uphills were now behind me. Distance approx 32km 2h24m

At this point, every time I had to stop for a crossing or had to step up a curb, it was not fun. My lower back was starting to object, but my legs were otherwise OK. At this point it would have been nicer on a secluded trail where I could just find a rhythm and run, but no such luck. Its amazing how all flexibility and agility disappears even though you can still run a straight line fairly strongly.

Across Maroondah Hwy, then to the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail. This was better, but there are still 3 or 4 crossings and waiting for cars etc. Across Oban Rd, then onto Highland Ave, weave to Kirtain then Yarra Rd. While not sure of the distance, I was approaching 2h55m and from here it was basically downhill, but that did not mean an easy roll back. A real mental battle to keep my momentum forward and ignore the tightness in my back.

From Yarra Rd, it was follow the Maroondah Hwy back to Exeter Rd. The steep downhill to start was tough, then the rolling downhills to finish was simply about telling myself that it was not long to go. Keep a rhythm. Don’t quit. You idiot, how did you stuff this up…..etc

Back at the car, I stopped my watch at 3h06m running (stopped at crossings etc). My SDM showed 3h13m, I stopped it a couple of times when fixing shoes / longer drink stop etc. Overall I was out and about for about 3h20m. I wasn’t game to look at the distance recorded at this point, so I just wandered around, drinking my Gatorade, making sure I didn’t seize up or get a cramp in the hammy or anything.

Overall distance – SDM shows 42.09km, but factor in an error of approx 5% so it could be really 40km. Either way, it was too far to be running in the morning before having to work. But, after a stretch, and food / drink / shower etc. I felt OK. A little stiff in the legs but not too bad, my lower back has relaxed and no problem. No evidence of strained muscles or joints etc. So hopefully I come out with no problems that linger. Tomorrow, I will be doing plenty of walking so that will help loosen things up, then potentially a light 7-8km on Sunday evening.

If you’ve lasted this long, then you may also be interested to know that today was supposed to be my last long run before deciding to enter the Melbourne Marathon. So far I have had no dramas with my running so was ever hopeful of entering – even though I didn’t ever say I was strictly preparing for it. Today confirmed that despite a few extra months of running, the back end of 42.2km is still going to be extremely tough. But, if no niggles or problems arise between now and the 21^st, then I’ll be submitting my entry to run my 2^nd marathon this year.

My goal will be to run a 3:0….something, but anything under 3:14:49 will be a good day out.

Epic ends.

Observations

2006-09-10T12:36:00.000+10:00

A week of sad tragedy with a couple of Aussie personalities being killed doing what they were famous for.

I have been amazed at the level of coverage and outpouring for these guys.

Would it have been the same if they died quietly in their sleep, or if they had died after an illness?

This is in no way to belittle anyone who has a personal feeling of loss from either of these men, or was in some way influenced by their life.

But, when does the ‘memorial’ just become a media self-promotion. ‘We had more information / stories / angles, than you did……..ner ner ner’

Is it too cynical to suggest they have become more famous in death, than they were 3 weeks ago??

For their families and close friends, I hope the media circus dies down soon.

Politics:

An ever more interesting subject. In Queensland Beattie is returned, despite regular serious problems being highlighted. Beazley and the ACTU get caught out in their scare campaign for using union people in their ads. The pollies decide to reward themselves with a 6.4% Superannuation increase, after having previously given themselves a healthy pay rise.

I heard it mentioned that our politicians get ‘performance reviewed’ every 4 years. I find that interesting, in that an election is not a review, it is simply (in current environment) a choice of 2 parties. The cynical ones will say, we just choose the ‘least bad’ party.

I wonder if there will ever be a time when parliament truly allows accountability in an ongoing fashion, allowing the public to actually have an influence in how the country or state is run.

What would it take to get a 3^rd party strong enough to make life interesting? Is there a growing discontent amongst the ‘post baby-boomer’ generation, to garner enough support. Or do our BB still hold sway? Will it take until they no longer dominate for things to change?

Given the general feeling that our pollies can’t be trusted. Would absolute honesty succeed? A party who owned up to mistakes, who allowed their people to say ‘I don’t know’. Who showed that breaking promises did not get brushed aside?

Would this been seen as a weakness or a greater strength?

John Howard talked about the ‘gene pool’ for Aussie politics. Perhaps we miss out on great politicians not because of the money, but because genuine people could not put themselves into the current ‘system’ and accept the compromises that seem to be part of politics today.

Can anyone comment on if this has always been the case? Is change fighting against 200 years of history, or is this a more recent evolution?

Running Update

2006-09-10T11:38:00.000+10:00

Today was run number 111, it was almost run 110, since I was reluctant to write down the 2.5km burst I did yesterday. But in the end I figured, I ran, I got my heart rate up, it served a purpose – testing the toe, so in the book it goes….

Significant running info since my last post:

- I did another session of 750m repeats around the reserve near home, less reps this time and slightly slower – due to racing the next day – but I still enjoyed the run. So I think I will make it one of my regular runs. The only problem is that it might be tough at night, so will have to wait till I get to run in daylight. 4 reps at 3min, with 2min floating recovery 450m.

- On Sept 3 I ran with the Richmond Harriers / Athletics Vic Half Marathon, probably the fastest field for a half marathon I am likely to ever run with. To put it into perspective, I would normally finish in the top 10-20% of most fun runs, but amongst the AV crowd my best run had me in the top 37%!! Those skinny whippets are quick!!. My run was very pleasing, after a fast start – not my usual approach – I was able to hold 4min /k for almost 10km (40m20s), then I was able to hold 4:05 for 7km, then I slowed to just over 4m11s. But pleasing to have a final km of 3m55s to finish in 86m07s. This was a significant PB so a good day out. With a 3km warm-up and more than 7km after the race, it gave me over 31km for the day. The last 7km really felt like the end of a marathon, so it was a good ‘mental’ training run also.

- Tuesday afternoon, I dropped a heavy display plinth on my toe, it hurt a lot right away, but typically I figured it will be OK, so after work I ran for 36m and then did a session of cricket training. By the end of the session I was in a lot of pain. At home, it only got worse. Painkillers and ice did nothing, so I took the advice of my wife, to puncture the blood blister (except she recommended a doctor do it….), almost immediately the pain was reduced. I have to say this is the first time when I have regretted going for a run. If I had just gone home, I might have avoided some trouble and might have saved my toenail (I’m sure it is going to drop off).

- Saturday morning, after hobbling with discomfort when wearing shoes since Tuesday, my itchy feet wanted a run. Since the barefoot pain was gone, I decided to try a short run to test it out. 2.5km at a fairly quick pace and the verdict was good, no pain while running, in fact I barely noticed it. And afterwards there was no post-run pain or increased swelling.

- Today – early start – on the Warby trail at Wandin, running by 5.55am. Headed towards Lilydale to meet some running buddies. Kept the pace up, and was feeling generally OK – not fresh but OK. Once past Mt Evelyn it was a lot better on the downhill section. I got to Lilydale with time to spare, so headed towards the Lillydale Lake for a lap. Since it was just part of the whole run, I did not take exact splits, but if I am right, then it was a fast lap, 2.5km in either 9 or 10min…it was meant to be easy, and although I was working, it was not on the limit. Anyway, back to the trail and met the gang. 59min running to this point. A short wait, then back up the trail towards Wandin. It was great to have the company for the last part of the run, we covered the 9-9.5km in about 50min,so an easy finish for me (they were continuing for another 27km). All up probably about 22-23km in 1h48m running. Toe – no problem.

So despite a small problem this week, I still got some km in, and apart from missing my planned 35km yesterday not too much of an issue as I’ll catch it up on Tuesday, I think I’ll head over to Dandy Creek for a nice flat long run.

Me and my running

2006-08-20T13:07:00.000+10:00

As much as I joke about my unorthodox training methods, I am pleased that it works for me. I can’t justify the time to run 5 or more days a week. So I am pleased that I can continue to keep running well, finding improvement and in general avoiding injury. My current weekly mileage is about 50km, which I try to average over a 2 week block, so 1 bad week does not get me down – I just catch up the next. But in case someone else read this and is looking to duplicate, please note my major point – I do not often cruise a run, even easy runs will have significant sections of hard work.

To explain further I’ll describe my ‘normal’ running.

You just saw my long run from yesterday. It is very rare that I do not negative split my long run. Prior to yesterday, I did 30km first 15km ave 4.52, by the time I finished my average had dropped to 4.42. or I will incorporate a fast section lasting approx 40min.
I run hills a lot, I work the uphills and cruise the downhills. I will either high step, or long stride up hills. If not that then I’ll use a fast cadence.
If I am running under an hour then I run a solid pace from start to finish – no warm-up 10min, straight in and get the heart and legs pumping early, the entire run is under a fair amount of ‘stress’. Usually I will have a fast finish for approx 2km – flat out, legs burning, heart pounding, head quitting.
I use group runs to keep me in check, these runs will always be my easiest runs. This is time to ensure the enjoyment remains. This is time to soak up information and ideas.
My running pace is quicker than recommended in general. I take the common theory and usually increase the pace by a bit, particularly on my long runs, but it applies to most of my running. eg last marathon 4m37s, all long runs (solo) sub 5m. 15km runs 4m30s ave, including hills. 4m10s if flat.
I rarely run the same course twice in a week, I regularly change my courses, run them in reverse, combine different courses. This makes sure I do not get into a rut or a habit. I have found old courses seem too easy, my mind has beaten those courses so they provide little challenge other than to run them faster (not always an option). Different courses, different hills, different mental battles, different feelings. This keeps things fresh, it does not allow a bad run to get in the way. When I do got back to an old favourite, I can quickly identify the improvements. This also makes sure my boredom does not surface – I get easily bored with the same things.

So I suppose this is a little bit about me lining up my thoughts and really evaluating what I do, but also it acts as a ‘reality check’ for anyone who reads about my running, and how it differs from the normal. Hopefully there aren’t people simply looking at my small 50km weeks and thinking that is all there is to it.

Will I stick to my current theory? For now, yes. Like I said I can’t justify any more time. At the moment it is providing the fitness I need, but it is also providing the improvement that I enjoy. If my goals change in the future and running faster or longer cease to be important, then you will find I will mellow and I will simply run 1hr sessions at a cruisy pace with an occasional 2hr run thrown in just to make sure I can cover a half marathon on a whim.

There it is, a little more about how I make running work for me, and not the other way around.

Enjoy your running, I hope you too can find your ultimate plan / theory so you can keep the enjoyment in your running.

Long Run - Warby

2006-08-20T12:40:00.000+10:00

An early start Saturday morning, but not as early as planned. With a boy not well, being up for 40min cleaning the mess at 4am, made the 5.30 alarm very difficult.

So at 6.50am I was on the Warby Trail.

A pleasant morning, with the rain clearing overnight, the air was cool but not icy. Starting at Lilydale I took it very easy on the first long uphill. The plan was for 90min out and 90min back, so an easy start was essential. I found a nice plodding rhythm, that saw me at Mt Evelyn in 20min, Wandin in 45m, Water tap (past Seville) in 65m, Killara in 81m, then I turned around at a nameless gate, almost right on 90m. I forgot to check the distance, but when I remembered shortly afterwards my SDM read 17.84km, so roughly 17.7km out.

At this point I went for my trusty Natural Confectionary Co. snakes…..deciding to ration I only had 2 leaving some for later. From here I went for a more natural paced rhythm since I knew the return leg had some long uphill sections. (For those who do not know the Warby Trail, it is not undulating, nor is it hilly. IT basically follows a long uphill long down hill pattern, the gradient is very slight, so much that you do not really notice on the down, but enough to sneak up on you if running the uphill when fatigued or not concentrating.)

I was feeling pretty good so I just let it flow. At the water tap, I had gained 4min. At Wandin 6min (last snakes taken here). At Mt Evelyn 8min. Back to the car in 80min. A 10min negative split over 17.7km. Return leg average pace was 4m31s, so slightly quicker than my GOR marathon pace. Most of the way I felt pretty strong, but I think the concentration went after I passed Mt Evelyn, that is the top of the last uphill. All the way to Lilydale is gently downhill. I remember several times losing all bearing of time and distance (I was deliberately ignoring my watch). Even though I was running OK, my form was holding up (as it should with a downhill – even a slight one) it just felt a little odd. Possibly a sign of my energy stores being depleted??? But once stopped and stretched etc, it was all OK, so no lingering effects.

Overall I was happy with the run, a thought occurred to me that perhaps I am a lazy runner since I did not want the return leg to take 90min. But that is a bit of an oxymoron – ‘The Lazy Long distance Runner’. On the flip side, perhaps it is my inbuilt mechanism for improving strength and toughness, as I rarely have an ‘easy’ run.

A slight soreness in my right bog toe – weird and new…. A bad case of inner thigh chafe (forgot magic stuff…..) Tired, but healthy. Longest run for several months.

More thoughts to follow

'TWAS GOOD

2006-08-18T15:49:00.000+10:00

I have not posted for a little while, but that is in part due to laziness and in part due to lack of actual running.

If my memory is any good (since I am remote posting) my last post was about my 29.99km run….

Since then I have run a handful of times so I will try and remember the key facts or notables:

Wed – 8km Lillydale Lake, very well moonlit night, 3 laps, last lap 2.5km at 4min/k

Sat – 28km approx. 36min solo, hilly 20min out, 16min back. Then a group run for 20km on Yarra Trail, 1hr48m, mixed surfaces, a little up and down, great weather once the sun was up. First long run in the Vomero’s – happy so far.

Wed – 15km, from home to Lillydale Lake 4km, loopy loops in lake area 7.3km, ave pace for first 11km 4m22s. Home leg included a tough uphill to get home. Overall pace once home again. 4m23s – very happy. First run in new Perseus, firmer ride but seemed ok on both gravel and hard surfaces, a slightly better fit than the Pegasus.

Now to todays run. A late start and boys not feeling 100% meant that I ran at 11am, I can’t remember the last time I was beginning a run at that time.

I decided to head down to Kimberley Reserve for some laps (1.1km circuit), once on the road it was pretty windy, so slightly cooler than expected. A nice gentle downhill roll to warm-up and get to the reserve. 2.4km.

In my mind I was thinking I would run 3 sides of the loop at pace, then recover on the 4^th side. Initially planned on 5 loops, but was happy to wait and see.

As I had not done this before I was concerned over the pace, so the first rep was just to establish the base time. 2m35s for approx 750m, then a walk /jog recovery back to start 2m53s, so a longer recovery than planned. I was feeling pretty good on the 2^nd & 3^rd reps, kept the pace consistent, and the recovery was more jog and less walk. 4^th OK, 5^th too slow, so I went for a 6^th rep, quickest by 10sec!!.

Splits: 2.35 / 2.38 / 2.39 / 2.36 / 2.40 / 2.25, recoveries around 2m20s

Then a slow trawl home – uphill – felt bad but must have been ok, since it was the same pace as the downhill warm-up.

Overall 12km in 54min.

Given this was my first attempt at this type of workout, from a volume of reps POV, I was very pleased with the results. I believe I could have completed at least 2 or 3 more without getting too far away from 2m40s.

Long run tomorrow – hopefully somewhere near 3hrs.

29.99

2006-08-06T23:49:00.000+10:00

Another lonely 6am start on Saturday morning. In search of a flatter course I ventured to the start of the Koonung Trail along the Eastern Fwy, parking near Park rd I was able to keep an eye on the new Eastlink construction, with the activity there was obviously some early starters there too.

In the darkness I passed a walker with large dog, obviously not on a lead.....grrrr.....me -- not the dog!! Then a runner!! Then no-one for a very long time. I had taken the chance on wearing my Zoom Elites, trying to get over a mental hurdle as far as what are the 'right' shoes for my long runs. They feel great on my feet, so why not for 2hr+

This time I used the gravel paths on the Southern side, and fortunately the rain had not turned them into a soft mush. After a while the light increased, but my pace remained in control. My hands were getting cold, so I made them disappear into my sleeves. Once past Elgar Rd, I noticed some wet footprints on the path, so I thought maybe I'd bump into another runner. So you can imagine my surprise when I bumped into a large group - maybe 12 - runners. They had obviously stopped for a drink at the tap, but they were moving a little slower, so I bid them good morning and kept going by.

At my turn around point, just shy of 70min. The group also stopped, some brief discussion then most continued but 1 runner turned back. So I caught up to him, and ran for some time with company. It turns out I had run into the Knox Road Runners, a group who I knew started at 6am, but had not looked up for a while. It seems I probably followed them in the darkness without knowing it. Anyway, Alan held a good pace so the company was great, he is running C2S next week.

I was left to run the last 3-4km on my own, but the pace had been set..... At the halfway 14.78km, the average pace according to SDM was 4m52s. By the time I had stopped at 29.48km it had dropped to 4m42s overall, so a much quicker 2nd half. Once back near the car, I decided a very light trot was in order partly to slow everything down, but also to get to 30km. Can you believe when I finally stopped to stretch my SDM read 29.99km!! So my question is......would you have run/walked 10m to get it to tick over 30.0km? I didn't.

A very satisfying run, slightly longer at 2hr18m running and almost 30km.....

City run - in the nervous 90's

2006-08-04T16:47:00.000+10:00

Todays run was run #96, so far I am 6 runs ahead of my goal for 150 in 12 months.

I met one of the usual suspects in the CBD, a nice mild and clear morning. Even though I ran successfully with only 1 layer on Tuesday, I will still double up for a little while longer, particularly in early morning or late night runs.

A 6.45 start and a gentle 2.3k before meeting at 7am. I figured todays run would be a bit quicker, since my running mate only knows 2 speeds, fast and stopped. So I just sat off his shoulder and tried to control the pace from there. He has been racking up the k’s in the hope of running a 89min half marathon. Which makes sense except that he is not confident despite his quick paced training runs. So I made some attempts to talk through the need to balance his training, to match his long slow with some short fast. But – still he kept going and going. That is one of the benefits of the forum, you can see others trying new things and getting results, so your confidence to match the plan is greater.

Back to the run……we hit the river and went to Church St bridge and back, with a small extension into Southbank, all up about 8.7km. We parted ways and I went up Bourke St and eventually to the Fitzroy Gardens, a bit of a weaving circuit through the gardens saw me back at the car in 1hr14m (which included all stops, waiting etc) so possibly only 1hr8m or so, and covered 15km, so a good run with a mixture of scenery.

I wore the Vomero’s again, and despite feeling odd on my feet in the car, once I started running they were very good. The cushioning and ride is excellent. The soreness on the outside of my right foot did not surface. So I am feeling a lot better about the new wheels today.

Once again, I’ll be out in the darkness for an early Saturday morning run, most likely on the Eastern Freeway Koonung trail again. The aim is to get my 2hr+ up to 2hrs+ a bit more hopefully 20-25min more. Possibly 30km.

Short, new, fast

2006-08-02T23:34:00.000+10:00

Tuesday we had a pilgrimage into the city. With the plan to go and see the Museum. On the way we thought we might stop at the Nike Factory in Smith St, as I had mentioned I might need some new shoes shortly. Nothing for me (except some socks), but we got some Wmns Zoom Elites in hot pink trim for K, a bargain at $60 gotta love ex-staff look after!!

Then we took advantage of the free Crown parking voucher. Since we were there we stopped at Niketown, I decided on the Zoom Vomero, very light and soft trainer, $110 (more look after) and a singlet.

By now the Museum was out of the equation ---- should have gone, it would have been cheaper!!!

So off to the new Adidas store, to see some ex-Nike colleagues. Here we got some shoes for Master 4yo, again 50% off.

A quick ride on the City Cirlce FREE tram, and then back home

Finally to running: It took a while to get the boys in bed, but eventually at about 10pm I got out the door for a short sharp run. I decided on a semi-new course, a few roads in a different direction and a slight extension to run in some different streets. I decided to work hard and make it hurt. The start was mostly downhill so an ideal warm-up. Nearly all the hills were in the 2nd half of the run. It felt pretty quick, the only annoyance was the slight sore spot on the outside of my foot. I got the turns wrong in one place, but kept going. The later hills hurt. Home in 34m, SDM showed 8km, so 4.15 pace despite the hills and the stops for wrong turns and crossings etc. Happy with the pace. Finished off with a 1.5km cool down.

A good start to the month. Last month was 218km with mostly 1hr plus sessions, several over 2hr and 25km+, its nice to have some good k's in the legs. Perhaps a longish race is on the horizon, but I'd need to juggle my roster for that....

Long Run with company

2006-07-29T15:06:00.000+10:00

Early this morning, I started the run that will take my weekly total to 80km.....but in reality it just made my fortnight 119km, and so 60km average, which is still better than previous weeks.
My week ends on Sunday, but highly unlikely I'll run tomorrow, I do not want to push it too much.

Leaving home at 6am, I made my way down towards Mooroolbark via Victoria/Mooroolbark Rd. Then onto Hull Rd to meet Tony (Tiger Boy)at Cardigan Rd. From here we determined a rough plan of 90min+. Up Hull Rd to Croydon, Mt Dandy Rd to Carcoola, to Mullum Mullum Creek, to Yarra Rd - past un-named runner's house - to Maroondah Hwy, to Exeter Rd - nearby to another unnamed runner's house - to Lyons Rd, to Black Springs Rd, to Yarra Valley Bvd, through the estate to Kimberly Reserve, to Edwards Rd (via new estate), then onto Home through Chirnside Sts. All up, 26km+, 2hr10m on a hilly course which included some grassy uneven sections late in the run.

I was very happy for the company, as a few sections would have been pretty draining on my own. The morning was great, only a handful of rain drops, and all done before 8.30am

A rest now for a day or two, then back into it. With most runs being 12km+ recently, I might go for a shorter sharper session or two. Or maybe same length, but with some fast sections midway.

PS. If Jaykay was visualising last time, then this course will have made it worse, going so close to home....enjoy the journey.

Sensor Lights...

2006-07-27T22:50:00.000+10:00

Wed morning run - cancelled. No probs, I'll run straight after work - cancelled. After dinner, boys asleep (almost), 9pm, falling asleep on the couch. Get up idiot!! Change and run.

I decided to take my 13km hilly course in reverse, I'd never run the reverse on this course. Feeling pretty ordinary, so taking it easy. Slowly warmed up and fell into a rhythm, after about 30min I decided to extend one of the loops. I suppose this was a positive decision to not get beaten by the run, this added at least a km. I determined the hills would be an opportunity for positive effort, using a mixture of shorter quicker steps and strong strides, the uphills were quite good.

The course was not as hilly in reverse, or rather there was more downhill than up, so it was not a tough course. In the middle section, there is a string of long downhills to really cruise. The back end - as always - was worked a little harder, more in a desire to just be home, but equally not wanting to short-cut the course. Total distance 14.5km. 1hr06m @ 4m37s. 2 runs this week and already more km than last week.

Are you still wondering about the sensor lights??? When running late at night, I am very conscious of the sound of my footfall causing curiousity or suspiscion (sp?). So I often run right in the middle of the quiet estate streets. But....can you imagine how many homes have sensor lights that get triggered by something (ie ME) in the middle of the road!!! Really annoying, as I would rather slip by unnoticed.