Friday - where did the cool change go?

9.5k 47:09. HR Avg 138 Max 149 Avg Pace 4:57
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:05 pm Temp 26C.
Session Type: Easy Run

I am again getting the feeling that my body is fighting off the sickness all around me. Kewell still has a bad cough which he has had for over two weeks. Ducky has joined Dory with running noses and sore throats. I'm downing plenty of Vit C hoping to keep it at bay.

Thursday night, I played it safe and only did a 20 minute easy run (Hr 130) instead of my planned hard session.

Tonight, I also just did an easy run. It has been certainly cooler in the morning this week, but when I left work to start my run I was suprised how warm it was. I later found it had been up to 33C and it was 26C when I set off. The avg pace of 4:57 @ Hr 138 is pleasing.

Wednesday - steady progress

14.5k 1:06:04. HR Avg 151 Max 159 Avg Pace 4:33
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:30 pm Temp 24C.
Session Type: Sub 82%MxHR Run

Pilates at lunch time again today. Certainly my abs are stronger than they were 6 weeks ago.

Tonight was again not so humid making for a nice run. Managed to work up to HR 155 (82% Max) after about 3k and stay there for the rest of the run and managed to average 4:33 pace. Happy with that. Out in 32:54 (HR 148) and back in 33;10 (HR 155).

Tuesday - Vera Chuck and Dave

9.5k 44:12. HR Avg 148 Max 164 Avg Pace 4:39
Course: Waterworks Rd.
Start Time: 6:20 pm Temp 22C.
Session Type: Fartlek

A nice cool change blew in last night and it was more comfortable at 22C tonight. I guess it is all relative, as that still seems a bit high for ideal running conditions. I felt strong on the fartlek session and it was over a minute faster than last week and at Avg 148 against last week's 150.

The race numbers for Canberra have been posted and I have exactly the same as last year. Send me a postcard, drop me a line if you can guess what it is.

Monday - a real recovery session

21:00. HR Avg 94 Max 113
Session Type: Recovery

For the beginning of the taper, my recovery tonight consisted of 10 minutes walking on the treadmill and the 11 minutes on the gym bike. Just a matter of slowily turning the legs over. Then I did some stretching and Pilates floor exercises.

Sunday - At last, long runs done

36.0k 3:10:26. HR Avg 145 Max 159 Avg Pace 5:17
Course: To Bowen Bridge and then Gap Cycle loop.
Start Time: 5:10 am Temp 21 - 25C Humidity 86% - 75%.
Session Type: Long Run

Last really long run before Canberra now done. 96k for the week. I actually felt a bit tired before going out. Being a sedentary desk worker, apart from running I don't get much time on my feet. Saturday was the first match of the soccer season and I spent a couple of hours on my feet at the game ( which my team won 10-0). Then on Saturday night, the team was invited to be ball boys at the senior team's home game and I spent another couple of hours walking around keeping the boys in line.

But once I got into the run it didn't seem to be a problem. In fact I felt quite strong in the legs up till the last K. Today was about nine minutes faster than when I last did this course three weeks ago. Although that day was much hotter than today, it was still very humid again this morning.

This same run last year I did in 3:09:08 (Hr 142) but my blog entry that day says it was refreshingly cooler and I made it to Bowen Bridge (12.5k) without raising a sweat. My shorts were drenched by that stage today, so I am not reading that much into it.

There has been some interesting comments lately on HRs and predicting Marathon Pace. I find the HR Monitor invaluable in predicting MP. The only problem at this time of year when it is so hot and humid, it is hard to tell when HR creep is from heat build up or running over your aerobic level. Certainly in my long runs, my Heart Rate always goes up in the last 10k even even when I slow down. But I use my 15k runs as the best guide. When I can run the whole way at an even pace without a rise in HR, I know I am running aerobically. The fastest pace I can do this at will be my planned MP. Lets hope there are will be some cooler nights soon so I can get a more accurate picture.

I certainly will be collecting my Heart Rate data in the marathon but it will not really be guiding me much in the run. On race day I will have selected a pace and I will be sticking with that for at least the first 25k. The data will come in handy later when analysing the race and matching it up with training data.

For instance in Canberra last year I averaged 4:54 @ HR 155 overall with these 5k splits
05 4:53 151
10 4:42 155
15 4:47 155
20 4:53 155
25 4:52 155
30 4:52 156
35 5:02 158
40 5:05 159
42 5:13 159

So when the leg fatigue kicked in my HR didn't drop but went up slightly. I would expect the HR to go up 5 - 10 in the last 10k even if there was no leg fatigue (in our dreams) just because of heat dispersal problems when you start running for for over 2 hours. From my training runs prior to last year, I would have predicted 4:50 to my MP. That may have been a bit optimistic then so I will take that into consideration this year when finally coming up with my prediction.

Friday - MP ?

14.5k 1:08:24. HR Avg 150 Max 162 Avg Pace 4:43
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:50 pm Temp 26C.
Session Type: Sub 82%MxHR Easy Run

Pulled up OK from last night quality session and I don't seem to be coming down with a cold either.

Another steamy night. How long can this continue for?

Kept a nice steady pace all the way. Out in 34:06 (144) and Back in 34:18 (156). This pace is very much looking to be around where my MP in Canberra could be.

A work mate has been raving about Nick Cave's new album Grinderman, so I thought I would load it up a give it a listen tonight. Rough, loud and noisy and even funny at times. Reminds me of of The Birthday Party. I'll certainly be listening to it again but not in front of the kids.

Thursday - 3k inervals

9.0k 45:27. HR Avg 157 Max 174
Course: Tilquin St.
Start Time: 5:45 pm Temp 25C.
Session Type: Three 3k Intervals

My three 3k interval session tonight. I must say that I think there is still some lingering tiredness from the Half on Sunday. As well, Kewell has been off school for three days sick with a cold, Dory is on the way down and I feel my body is fighting it as well. So while still prepared to do the session tonight, I wasn't going to go 110%.

Times
Tonight Last week
13:11 (153) 13:22 (147)
13:11 (164) 13:06 (158)
13:32 (166) 13:16 (161)

Not too displeased with the results but the HRs indicate that I am still a bit tired. It is a bit early for taper paranoia isn't it?

Plu commented on my Half Marathon on Sunday.
That is a very solid last 5km heartrate. So I guess the heart rate naturally goes up with each successive 5km split. How do you plan to manage it in the full?
The simple answer is that in order to get through the full marathon, I am going have to slow down. The middle 10k on Sunday was 4:34 pace and my heart rate was creeping up from 157 to 166. My pace in last 5k was 4:25 and HR shot up to 172. So hopefully if I drop back to 4:45 I will be below lactate threshold and I will be able to keep up that pace with little increase in HR till around 36 k and then guts it out to the end for a 3:20 finish. Of something like that.

Wednesday - smoke on the water

14.5k 1:13:43. HR Avg 138 Max 149 Avg Pace 5:05
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:40 pm Temp 26C.
Session Type: Sub 72%MxHR Easy Run

Just an easy run tonight. Stepped out of from the air-conditioned office, to be meet with a hot steamy night and the smell of smoke. Apparently back burning on Stradbroke Island has left a smokey haze all over Brisbane.

A nice easy run. Out in 36:12 (Hr135) and back in 37:30 (Hr 140). With the return of humid conditions tonight, I once again ssaw the HR creeping up in the second half despite slowing slightly. Highlight tonight was as I ran under the Storey Bridge all the lights were turned on. So the days are shortening, just need to the weather to accept it should be getting cooler as well.

Tuesday - fartlek

9.5k 45:20. HR Avg 145 Max 165 Avg Pace 4:46
Course: Waterworks Rd.
Start Time: 6:40 pm Temp 25C.
Session Type: Fartlek

Soccer training at 5:00pm means I don't get out till late starting this session. I have decided that Thursday is the best day to my top quality session for the week, so will now run my 3K repeats then. So instead tonight, I did a fartlek session along Waterworks Road. Basicly it was go harder up the inclines and coast on the declines. Not much that is flat on this course.

Monday - recovery run

9.5k 49:03. HR Avg 131 Max 141 Avg Pace 5:09
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:45 pm Temp 25C.
Session Type: Recovery Run

Pulled up well from yesterday's run but still just did an easy recovery run tonight.

Sunday - BRRC Half Marathon 1:35:20

21.1k 1:35:20. HR Avg 164 Max 178 Avg Pace 4:31
Course: BRRC Half Marathon.
Start Time: 6:00 am Temp 21C.
Session Type: Half Marathon Champs

Last night I decided that I was not going to race this one flat out. I would start out in the HR 155 - 160 Zone for at least the first 11k and then just try to keep that pace going without having to put in too much extra effort and then just run how I felt for the last 5k.

The weather didn't seem too oppressive at start time even if the BOM says it was 21C and 80% humidity and I didn't feel like it hampered me throughout the race either. The first 1.1k was a little quick at 4:26 pace but I quickly settled into a rhythm once starting the 5k loops.

My lap times and avg HRs were

1.1 k 04:51 146
lap 1 22:40 157
lap 2 22:52 163
lap 3 22:51 166
lap 4 22:05 172

So the first lap was to plan and I slowed a little in the second lap as my HR was going a bit above my plan. The third lap I stuck with the pace even though it meant a little rise in HR and the last lap I was feeling strong with lots in reserve so I steadily cranked up the pace to come home strongly. This was actually quite easy to do as I had caught up to a runner just before that last lap and I could tell he was determined to stick with me. I slowly just kept getting a little faster and to his credit he kept with me. I was surprised when he made a move going up the incline near Pauls and I let him get a 5 meter break but once we got back on the flat I just motored by him and he tried to go with me but he was spent.

For my effort, I was lucky enough to pick up a 2nd in my age group today.

As an indicator for Canberra, today was encouraging. On the run I thought I was putting in a bigger effort today then I did in the corresponding race last year. My memory of that was of a cruise for the first 15k and a big sprint finish for 1:36:05 time. But looking at the details, in every lap today I ran faster and at a lower Hr than I did last year. On that evidence I would have thought that I could at least make a modest improvement on my time (3:27) from Canberra last year.

McMillian is a bit more optimistic and his calculator gives me a predicted 3:21:04 for today's time. Given that I didn't go all out today then this or something slightly better may be possible. My only worry is that I did a lot more 36k+ runs last year and come the business end of the marathon I may be a little short. But in my favour is the fact that I did zero quality sessions for Canberra last year and ran purely on aerobic base training. This time I have already started doing some faster sessions and with four weeks to go have enough time left to get some real boost from this work. This must help.

So I am thinking at the moment that something between 3:18 and 3:25 is in the realms of possibility.

Neologisms

The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

ILikeToast may find Number 9 topical.

The winners are:
1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Negligent (adj.) describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
6. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.
7. Gargoyle (n.), olive-flavoured mouthwash.
8. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
9. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
10. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.
11. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

Friday - decisions

9.5k 48:33. HR Avg ? Max ? Avg Pace 5:06
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:45 pm Temp 25C.
Session Type: Recovery Run

Just an easy recovery run after the quality session last night. I left my heart monitor strap at home so had no record of my rate. These recovery runs are the ones which I pay closest attention to my heart rate. I find it essential to ensure that I don't push it too hard and keep the hard rate down. But I think I managed to keep it nice and easy without it all the same.

All five runs this week have been done on different course. This is certainly a rarity for me. I find a certain comfort in doing the same courses all time and never find it monotonous.

Sunday is the BRRC Half Marathon Champs which I will run. I am still undecided on my tactics. Have to decide on racing it or using it more as a quickish training run. The racing option has the disadvantage that I would need to back off quality sessions for at least next week and with only a four weeks till Canberra I don't know if I can afford that. The advantage is that by racing I would get a top quality session and a good indicator of fitness and potential time for Canberra.

The weather in the morning may make the final decision for me. It would be stupid to race flat out in too hot and humid conditions at this stage of the campaign.

Thursday - Who could hang a name on you?

9.0k 45:27. HR Avg 147 Max 167
Course: Tilquin St.
Start Time: 5:45 pm Temp 25C.
Session Type: Three 3k Intervals

This is my Tuesday session but I delayed it this week due to still feeling tired on Tuesday. No problems tonight. A set of three 3ks with 2 minutes rest between.

I was surprised when I did the first in 13:22 (Hr 147).
My set last week had been 14:51 (145) /14:38 (154)/14:50 (155), so it was a fair improvement. I wondered if I had gone a little too hard and would struggle at the end.
Second was 13:06 (158) and the third 13:16 (161). Was really sucking it in at the end but it is a good sign that I didn't really fade. I still think I have a fair bit of HR to improve into with this session. At the moment I just can't push myself hard enough to get into the HR 170+ area but in a few weeks time that maybe possible.

Wednesday - Getting stonger

14.5k 67:44. HR Avg 149 Max 157 Avg Pace 4:40
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:50 pm Temp 24C.
Session Type: Sub LT Easy Run

Again tonight the weather was much kinder. Not so humid and a little cooler. It was a very pleasing run tonight. Out in 33:33 (HR 147) and back in 34:11 (152). That is the fastest I have been on that course this year. A few weeks ago I did 68:21 at HR 156 but tonight was 67:44 at HR 149. Very pleased about that.

Tuesday - Hilly recovery run

9.5k 47:04. HR Avg 145 Max 159 Avg Pace 4:57
Course: Waterworks Rd to Ashgrove.
Start Time: 6:45 pm Temp 23C.
Session Type: Easy Run

After my big week-end, I was still feeling tired in the legs so it was better to just do an easy run tonight and leave my quality session of 3k intervals till Thursday.

So after soccer training, I headed out along Waterworks Road for my easy run. With all the hills, it is never quite just easy but I felt OK. Thankful it was also not as hot as it had been on the weekend. Looks like I picked an ideal weekend to be away from the weather.

Womadelaide - knocking on heaven's door

Last Friday, I jetted out to Adelaide for the WOMAD festival. Three days and 2 nights of the music I love. I was staying a couple of K from the site so it was a short walk to get there and back each day.

Friday started out well with the funky Grandma's the Mahotella Queens showing they still have what it takes to get you moving. They were closely followed by a superb Lila Downs performance. The night finished in a frenzy to the driving afro-beat of Feli Kuti.

I knew the weekend would be like a marathon and I would need a plan of attack. It was predicted to be 37C on Saturday, so it was especially important not to go too hard too early and save some energy for the big acts on the last stretch on Sunday.

So seeing Oz blues group, The Backslider first up on Saturday was difficult to just sit (in the shade) and tap your feet when they were really cookin'. Blue King Brown were so good, I just couldn't resist and danced away to their set even though it was in the mid-afternoon heat. After that there was no trouble lying down and drifting away to the mysterious and magical sound of Huun-Huur Tu the throat singing combo from Tuva. By Saturday evening, the place was packed and it was necessary to stand up to get close and get a good view for the shows. Danced away to Habib Koite, Lila Downs (who was again superb) and surprisingly even found myself shaking the hips to Portuguese fado singer Mariza who stunned me with her physical presence (she looks about seven foot tall) and her huge voice.

Walking back to the hotel at around 12:30 at night, my legs felt really really weary and my knees were also aching. Had I gone too early?

Sunday thankfully was cooler. The Niger desert blues band Etran Finatawa's simple but compulsive groove where the first to get me on my feet. Stayed there for The Waifs who I knew nothing about but they impressed me greatly. Did a highly emotive rendition of From Little Things Big Things Grow with Kevin Carmody.

Come Sunday night, the home stretch. Picked up the pace with another Mahotella Queens set which I went crazy in, and jumped back to back for a boogie session with The Backsliders this time in the cool of the evening.

The last big artist on Stage 1 was Salif Keita who was one of the main attractions for me. His set was brilliant. His last two albums have used a lot of acoustic instruments but the big electric combo turned up at Adelaide and they just rocked. The legs still had the juice in them and Salif propelled them to the finish line.

There was one last session after that and it was Huun-Huur Tu again. This time I could actually see them. Throat singing is truly something everyone should witness. But I was again deeply moved by many of their songs and soundscapes.

It was 1 am by the time I made the walk back to the hotel. It was sad that I had left heaven behind.

On Monday morning, I had to check out by 11:00am so I was determined to get a run in that morning. So I managed to get up and be away by 9:30. I ran along the path by the Torrens which was very pleasent. What was even better was that by Brisbane's recent standards, it was quite cool. Yeah. You almost forget what is like to go out for a run and not end up as a bucket of sweat. I kept up a reasonable pace of around 4:40 for 45 minutes and didn't even manage to get my singlet wet.

My plane home didn't leave till 8:00pm , so I had the rest of the day to fill. I spent from 11 to 4:30pm walking around the Botanic Gardens. I am a bit of a plant lover and find Botanic gardens fascinating. But by now, my legs were very weary again and I decided to go to a movie and rest for a couple of hours before going to the airport. The best movie I could find was Bobby which was just passable.

Back home on Tuesday morning, when I downloaded my run info on to the computer and all I can see in the Diary was Friday - blank, Saturday - Blank, Sunday - blank, Monday - 9.5k run at 4:41 pace, it just didn't add up as my legs , knees and back all felt tired. Just need to find a way to put in 12 hours of dancing, 11 hours of walking and 10 hours of standing on my feet into the diary to get the full picture.

Thursday - Tempo run

9.5k 42:40. HR Avg 153 Max 160 Avg Pace 4:29
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:30 pm Temp 26C.
Session Type: Tempo Run

Had a rest day yesterday after the hard running Tuesday night. Did Pilates a lunch time though.

Tonight was another harder effort, run at or just above the lactate threshold level most of the way. It seemed easy going out back coming back into the wind was a bit tougher. Out in 21:06 (146) and back in 21:34 (HR 160).

Tomorrow morning I fly out to Adelaide for the Womadelaide Festival. Three solid days of World Music. I am especially looking forward to seeing Salif Keita and Lia Downs .

That's Salif in the middle. He is an albino.

Will try to fit some morning runs in but it depends on how much dancing I get in.

All the best to the 6ft runners. Looks like it is going to be warm.

Tuesday - After training training

9.0k 48:56. HR Avg 151 Max 163 Avg Pace 4:55
Course: To Top of Tilquin Street and Back.
Start Time: 6:50 pm Temp 24C.
Session Type: 3 by 3k with 2 minute recovery

Tonight was my first session of the new phase in my Canberra program. I planned to go out and run above my lactate threshold level. Firstly though, at 5:00pm it was the first training session of the U10 soccer team I am coaching this season. Went well except my voice gave out after about twenty minutes. Will have to practice yelling at the kids, so I will be able to stand up and shout for a whole hour next week. That's if I have a voice tomorrow.

So it was almost seven pm by the time I started my running and it was lightly raining as I set out to do a set of three of a 3k circuit round the streets of The Gap with a two minute recovery. This has a few sharp short hills and one 800m long steady uphill section. Main aim was to attack the hills and not go overboard going down hill.

Lap Times were
14:51 (HR Avg 145 ; Max 158)
14:38 (154 / 161 )
14:50 (155 / 163)

I am surprised that the HR wasn't higher because I certainly felt I was putting in a concerted effort especially on the up sections.

Anyway the benchmark has been set and this will be my Tuesday session for the next five weeks.

Ewen, I closely watch the Canberra weather and I am very pleased things have turned cooler.

To answer Plu's query on what I do during the 45 minutes between waking up at 4:00am and getting out the door on a Sunday morning. First thing to remember is that I am not a morning person. I usually train in the evening so waking up at that hour is a shock to the system. I get up and boil the jug and make a cup of coffee. I put on my gear, strap on the HR monitor, and get wired for sound and finish drinking the coffee. I drink black coffee so it takes a while to coool enogh for me to drink it all. This all takes about 25 - 30 minutes. I will take a peek at whatever English Premier League game is currently on TV at that time also. I won't go into a ihatetoast level of detail on what happens next but I find going out for a 30+K run is much better done on an empty intestinal system. Now other people who are used to training in the morning may be able to perform on cue with this but as I say I am a slow to get going. But one thing is for certain is I'm not going out without the job being done. And before you know it 45 minutes is gone and I'm off .......

Sunday - tell me why

36.0k 3:17:11. HR Avg 147 Max 165 Avg Pace 5:28
Course: To Bowen Bridge and then Gap Cycle loop.
Start Time: 4:45 am Temp 22 - 26C Humidity 88% - 72%.
Session Type: Long Run

With six weeks to go till Canberra, today's 36k run had been planned to be my longest run so far and be done a bit quicker than I have been going recently. As well I would test out my race routine by taking gels along the way.

But with the weather continuing to be hot and steamy, I dropped the plans to speed up too much and figured survival would be a good goal today.

I was up at 4:00 and out the door into the dark by 4:45am. I was feeling good on the way out and felt strong, so was a little surprised to be a minute and a half behind last weeks time at the turn round. I was still feeling strong on the way back and at 67:22 was just 9 seconds slower than the out leg. At this point last week, I was really feeling bad and it was quite a mental struggle to head back out for the cycle path loop. Today I was feeling much better physically which I put down to the gels and had no problem heading off even though it was to be the 11k loop today.

I drank about 300mls of water with my gel and it took a few K for that too settle down in my stomach but I got back in a groove and even though it was hot I managed to make it to the end without slowing too much. But what a relief to finish. I sat on a bench in my backyard and watched a pool of sweat grow on the ground as it dripped off my body and I wondered why I was doing this to myself. Funny how I actually felt worse after the run than while actually running it.

That bought up 103k for the week. Exactly the same amount as I did for the corresponding week last year. That day I ran this same course one minute slower in 3:18:11 (Hr 141). The big difference being that it blew a gale and rained for 2 hours on that run. Could have used a bit of that today.

Friday - One night, one steamy night I'd lose a kilo each hour

14.6k 1:09:36. HR Avg 153 Max 165 Avg Pace 4:46
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 6:50 pm Temp 27C.
Session Type: Sub 82%MxHR Run

The weather has just got steamier and steamier all week. It was 27C and 78% Humidity when I set out tonight. I was travelling Ok to start with and turned around at 33:54 (HR 146) which is 4:39 pace. But after that, the blood just seemed to boil and I felt very hot. Even as I dropped the pace, I couldn't stop my HR going up and up and came back at HR 160 but at 4:53 pace.

I have a strange but a somewhat trailing indicator on how humid it is. When we start to have many humid days in a row, my heart rate monitor strap starts to rub on my back for some reason during runs. After a prolonged period, these patches become quite red and if I don't intervene they will get to the point of bleeding. This is even with the application of Bodyglide. So what I do and what I did tonight was to actually put elastoplast tape over the two spots that rub. But as I say this only happens when the humidity reaches a certain level. Lets hope it goes away sometime real soon.

Thursday - easy does it easy does it

9.5k 49:44. HR Avg 136 Max 144 Avg Pace 5:14
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:25 pm Temp 26C.
Session Type: Sub 72%MxHR Easy Run

No wonder I was a little slower at the end of the run last night. Have just looked at my total for the the last seven days and it was 107K!

Tonight I made sure it was just a slow recovery run.