Money is too tight to mention

14.5k 1:08:09. HR Avg 148 Max 158 Avg Pace 4:42
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:50 pm Temp 19C.
Session Type: Sub Lactate Threshold Run

Starting to introduce some more solid aerobic runs into the program. The legs seem to be holding up well this week to the extra effort. Tonight out in 34:01 (144) and back in 34:08(153).

I realy need to get a long long run in this weekend, and still haven't decided whether to combine it with Doomben Half on Sunday. $52 seems a lot for a slow run.

Back into the groove

Monday
9.5k 45:03. HR Avg 146 Max 157 Avg Pace 4:44
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:05 pm Temp 19C.
Session Type: Lactate Threshold Run

Tuesday
9.5k 47:04. HR Avg 142 Max 156 Avg Pace 4:57
Course: Waterworks Rd.
Start Time: 6:35 pm Temp 20C.
Session Type: Easy Hilly Run

After only doing 25k on Sunday, I felt recovered enough on Monday night to do a put a little more effort in. A reasonable reult given I haven't tried this level of effort for six weeks.

Tonight, at football training I made sure I didn't get involved in any running around. So I was able to set out afterwards for a run along Waterworks Road up to Ashgrove and back. Took it easy but its a hilly course and even cruising it gives you a good workout.

Thanks to all the comments about last weeks training. I guess it was just a case of over-training. I don't know if I have had more sleep than normal since then but I feel fine now and the last sessions have given predictable results. I don't really know how to make my diet any better. This is one area that I am very meticullious about.

Wacky Week

Monday
9.5k 49:04. HR Avg 138 Max `48 Avg Pace 5:09
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:50 pm Temp 22C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Wednesday
25.0k 2:14:10. HR Avg 135 Max 150 Avg Pace 5:22
Course: Home to Bowen Bridge and Back.
Start Time: 5:40 am Temp 12C.
Session Type: Long Run

Thursday
7.0k 43:02. HR Avg 114 Max 125 Avg Pace 6:09
Course: Treadmill.
Start Time: 6:05 pm Temp 18C.
Session Type: Very Easy Run

Friday
9.5k 47:09. HR Avg 137 Max 150 Avg Pace 4:57
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:45 pm Temp 20C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Sunday
25.0k 2:16:07. HR Avg 138 Max 151 Avg Pace 5:26
Course: Home to Bowen Bridge and Back.
Start Time: 6:20 am Temp 15C.
Session Type: Long Run

This past week has been odd. On my Monday night run, I felt very good. Usually on a Monday I am still a bit stiff from Sunday's long run but not that night. The big surprise was that I ran a relatively slow time of 49:04 at HR 138 despite feeling so good. Only last week I ran this in 47:36 at HR 135 whilst feeling really tired.

I was going down south for work on Wednesday and knew I would not be able to run Wednesday night. So got up early Wednesday morning and did 25k. Boy what a day to go for an early run. It was definitely the coldest day of the year so far by a long way. My hands stayed cold the whole way. It was a good run and coming back in 67:30 at HR 136 was excellent. The only faster time so far this year was in late March when I did it in 65:49 but at HR 146.

By Wednesday evening after a plane trip to Sydney and a long car trip out to Windsor, I could feel my legs getting very tight especially my left hamstrings.
By Thursday, they were really sore and I limped around all day. Thursday night, I felt some gentle movement could only help, so did 45 minutes on the treadmill at the Hotel where I was staying. Afterwards I had a good stretch and they felt much better.

Friday afternoon I flew back in to Brisbane, and went from the airport to work and out for a run. I didn't want to put too much pressure on my legs as they were still a little sore, so took it easy. Turned out to be the opposite of Monday's run. Felt crappy but did a good time 47:09 at HR 137. I am starting to get confused at this point.

I had planned to do 36k on Sunday but I didn't think I could risk it and so just settled for another 25k out to Bowen Bridge and back. My time was 2 minutes slower than Wednesday and at HR 138 compared to 135. So another backward step there.

Now some of those numbers my appear to be small but having closely monitored my training and Heart Rates for the last three years, I have found that it is very rare for them to behave in the fashion they have this week. Generally they only surprise on the upside. If they do go backwards, I usually am aware that my performance is down while I am running.

The way my legs reacted to Wednesday's run is also a worry. Maybe sitting for long periods on a plane and car didn't help. And getting heavily involved at football training on Tuesday night probably didn't help. But then again, at that point I had done 105k in the last seven days and maybe it was just a matter of too much too quickly. I would have been very worried if it was only my left leg but my right leg was also sore. I am hoping it is does not cause a relapse of my pre-Canberra problem. The Gym at the hotel had a proper machine for doing hamstring strenghtening exercises and it showed that my left hammie is still a lot less strong than my right, so I still have a lot of work to do there.

Will just have to play it by ear over the next few weeks but the main goal is now just to get to the start line at the Gold Coast rather than any sort of time target.

Six to go ..

Friday

14.5k 1:12:34. HR Avg 147 Max 158 Avg Pace 5:00
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 6:10 pm Temp 24C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Another solid easy run tonight. How can it still be 24C at 6:00pm when we are only days away from winter? Out in 36:06 (141) and back in 36:28 (153)

Saturday

Since cricket season finished and soccer started I have been enjoying not having to get up early on a Saturday morning but it was an 8:30 am away game at New Farm today. Maybe the boys like me are not morning people and we went three goals down in the first 15 minutes. But we clawed our way back with a goal just before half time and then stormed home in the second half with another four unanswered goals. What an exciting match.

Sunday

31.5k 2:49:00. HR Avg 140 Max 153 Avg Pace 5:22
Course: To Bowen Bridge and Back then Gap Cycle Path.
Start Time: 6:40 am Temp 14 - 19C.
Session Type: Long Run

I set my alarm for 5:10 this morning. Unfortunately, it was 5:10pm and not am. Luckily I awoke at 6:10 and was able to get away by 6:40 and also there had been a decidedly cooler change come through overnight and it was what I would call brisk. Made for beautiful running conditions. I felt very good the whole way this morning and the legs easily handled the distance. Six more weeks till GC and I have pencilled in four more long runs. Want to do 36k next week and the week after which means missing the Doomben Half.

Weekly Total: 80k
May Total :198k
YTD: 1228K

Middle of the Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep

Tuesday

For the first time in about a month, I felt confident enough to get involved at soccer training. This just means chasing after balls mostly but it is all rather stop start and a lot more lateral movement than plain old running. In fact, I suspect strongly my hamstring problem before Canberra stemmed from soccer training the night before. We always finish training with a game and that night the numbers were not even and I played for one side. Being the competitive person I am, I couldn't let a bunch of 10 year old boys get the better of me, so at times I did put in an extra effort to get back and cut off that goal or go forward in attack.

Anyway after training finishes at 6:00pm, I go out for a run. Tonight I got to the stage of putting on my shoes and I just didn't feel right so I abandoned the run.

Next morning, I was thinking that was a good decision as I felt quite sore in the legs. I also thought my lunchtime Pilate's session who be hard but it turned out Ok and helped loosened me up.

Wednesday

14.6k 1:11:24. HR Avg 147 Max 158 Avg Pace 4:55
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:20 pm Temp 21C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Because I was feeling a bit stiff, I thought I would just take it easy but found after a couple of Ks that I was travelling OK, so stepped up the pace a bit and it turned out to be quite a solid work out. Out in 35:51 (141) and back in 35:33 (153).

Thursday

9.5k 47:36. HR Avg 135 Max 144 Avg Pace 5:00
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 6:00 pm Temp 21C.
Session Type: Easy Run

There seems to be a lingering tiredness in my legs these days which just seems to vanish when I actually start running. Still tonight, I definitely wanted this to be just easy pace. Pleasing though to be able to go at 5m/Ks at only 72% Max HR.

Monday - don't let the sun goes down on me

9.5k 45:53. HR Avg 148 Max 157 Avg Pace 4:49
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:25 pm Temp 21C.
Session Type: Easy Run

I would normal do a very easy run on a Monday night, and I headed out tonight with that in intention. It is now almost dark at around 5:30pm, so I have trouble checking my Heart Rate while running (unless I wear my glasses which I don't like doing). After a couple of K, I suspected I was going a bit harder than my target of HR 135 but I was feeling very relaxed and so decided to just keep at that pace while it still remained comfortable.

So it turned out to be a rather quick easy run at 4:49 pace but I very pleased it felt so easy. Out in 23:03 (142) back in 22:50 (153).

Sunday - At long last a long run

25.0k 2:14:29. HR Avg 139 Max 154 Avg Pace 5:28
Course: Home to Bowen Bridge and Back.
Start Time: 7:05 am Temp 18C.
Session Type: Long Run

How nice is it not to have to get up at 4:00am in the morning for your long run just to avoid the heat. I got away at just after 7:00am this morning and even had some light misty rain for 20 minutes on the way out to Bowen Bridge.

Completed the run feeling quite comfortable. Out in 65:53 (137) and back in 68:36 (142). I guess it was my final test and I now feel comfortable that I can realistically think about the Gold Coast Marathon now. With only seven weeks to go though, I need to get some more decent long runs over the next month.

Managed 74k for the week plus a night of dancing.

And by the time I'm sober I've forgotten what I had and everybody tells me it is cool to be a cat

On Friday night an old friend of mine, actually he is the same age as me but I have known since University days, was getting married (again). It was a 5:00pm wedding so no chance of a run that night.

But given the chance to shake the hips and party, I took the opportunity and managed a solid ninety minutes on the dance floor. Last one standing in fact. Probably what helped was that I wasn't drinking. I haven't been drinking since January so as to get down to a racing weight of 67 kg. I don't get out that much but when I do it amazes me how much some people can actually drink and not fall over. I know I would if I attempted to do it!

After a couple of beers I would expect to feel relaxed.



Three beers and I definetly have to lie down for a stretch.

Four beers and it is time for sweet dreams.

If I get to five beers it could have only been done with the help of friends.

Six beers and I just lie down and sleep where ever I can.

Drink anymore than this and your mates could just start playing tricks on you and you could find yourself waking up down The Valley naked shaved and chained to a post.

Listen to my heartbeat

Wednesday

14.5k 1:14:21. HR Avg 138 Max 145 Avg Pace 5:07
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:20 pm Temp 22C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Thursday

14.5k 1:14:16. HR Avg 135 Max 144 Avg Pace 5:071
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:20 pm Temp 22C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Two almost identical runs on two consecutive days. Thursday's run being the better effort done in a quicker time at a slower heart rate.

Historically these efforts give me an interesting comparison on where I am at. For runs under HR140 for this course, I did 71:36 (136) in May last year, so I am a fair way off that mark at the moment. The next best times of 73:38 (139) and 73:46 (139) where done in March last year just prior to Canberra Marathon. So Wed & Thur's runs stack up pretty well with those. The only time I have run better than these times this year is a 73:43 (139) on 21st March and I reckon 74:16 at HR 135 is a better run, so I feel I am back to where I was before the injury. Now just to test it out with some longer runs.

Tuesday - Language is a virus from outer space

9.0k 48:46. HR Avg 141 Max 154 Avg Pace 5:25
Course: 3 times Tilquin St circuit.
Start Time: 6:35 pm Temp 21C.
Session Type: Easy Run

After football training tonight it was three laps of my local 3k circuit. I was doing this as a speed session with 2 minute rests but it was just easy tonight and no rest.

Laps
16:22 (135)
16:08 (143)
16:16 (146)

Remember to carry some money

Just a reminder that if you are planning to go running along toll roads in Greece, to takes some cash with you !!

Monday - Easy Labour Day

11.0k 56:56. HR Avg 140 Max 148 Avg Pace 5:10
Course: Gap Cycle Path.
Start Time: 5:00 pm Temp 22C.
Session Type: Easy Run

A holiday today here in Queensland, so it was a run from home. I have pulled up from yesterday's race with no problems, so the plan for the next couple of weeks is to just start cranking up the Ks. It is now less than 8 weeks till Gold Coast so I really need to get back into some long runs soon.

Tonight was an easy run made all the more enjoyable by listening to the rap album The Dusty Foot Philosopher by K'Naan, a Somalian refugee now living in Canada. Unlike most contemporary rap, it is witty, inventive and uplifting.

Sunday - I dreamed I had to take a test in a Dairy Queen on another planet

10.0k 44:52. HR Avg 157 Max 174 Avg Pace 4:29
Course: BRRC 10k.
Start Time: 6:30 am Temp 18C.
Session Type: Race

I thought I would use this morning's BRRC's 10k race as test. I have been running at over 5m/ks for the past two weeks and it was time to test the leg at a bit faster pace. I would have been happy to to go around at 4:40 pace.

And that was the pace I started out at. After a couple of K, I was feeling comfortable at this pace and so just slowly picked the pace up from there to the finish.

K splits.

4:39
4:34
4:33
4:37
4:30 1st lap 22:54 (HR 149)
4:30
4:25
4:26
4:18
4:17 2nd lap 21:58 (HR 166)
====
44:52

The last 2k pace was about as far as I was prepared to push it today. So had to allow a runner to pass me with 1 k to go and left the fight for another day even though I had another gear in me.


Some answers to comments.
JD - Ribot De-Bresac.

Ewen. - Ducky and Delta will now go on to run at Districts. If they place highly there they would then go to Regionals. Kewell is very keen to run in the Junior Dash 4k at the Gold Coast. Hopefully I can talk Delta into doing it as well.

Tesso - thanks for pointing me at the Buddy podcast.

Friday - Passing a Legend

11.0k 55:03. HR Avg 144 Max 153 Avg Pace 5:03
Course: Gap Cycle Path.
Start Time: 5:00 pm Temp 24C.
Session Type: Easy Run

My Wife and Delta left for the Sunshine Coast for a week-end dance Eisteddfod mid afternnon , so I had to leave work early to look after Kewell as Ducky and Dory were also going to be at dance classes. So it looked like I wouldn't get a run in tonight. But Ducky's dance class was off, so I had the chance to go for a run.

I was just going to take it easy again and started out that way. At around 2k I saw a runner up ahead on the path and I was catching up to him even at my easy pace. When I got a little closer, I realised it was John Ribot (former Australian Rugby League player, Bronco's and Storm CEO and current Qld Roar Chairman) so of course I had to be running at a respectable pace when I overtook him. This sort of moved me up a gear and as I was not getting any niggles from my leg kept the effort up for the rest of the run. So I am very encouraged by the run and I have pulled up Ok afterwards.

As for John Ribot, I actually played with him in a team when I was in primary school. It was a Brisbane representative under 6 stone team (if anyone can remember what a stone is?) and I was a hooker and he played in the second row. Out of that team, he was the only one to ever go on and do anything worthwhile in rugby league. His kids went to the same primary school as mine and his daughter went to the same dance school also and she was in the car pool for pick ups.

Today was also cross country day at the high school for the three girls. Ducky had been doing a few 3k runs over the last month in preparation but the others where relying on their dance classes for fitness. Delta surprised everyone and came 2nd in the grade 8 girls. Dory tried her heart out for 11th in grade10 girls and Ducky manged 4th in grade 11 girls. It was a sweltering 30C when they ran so it would not have been easy.

Thursday - Hope you have got your things together

9.5k 40:24. HR Avg 130 Max 141 Avg Pace 5:30
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 6:00 pm Temp 23C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Really really easy tonight. There was a near full moon just rising as I was running the Tennyson reach of the river. The water was still and the moon made a lovely reflection on the water. I forgot to mention the absolutly beautiful sunset I witnessed on Wednesday night's run. A lot of low cloud rolled in on Wednesday afternoon which was lit up intensely orange at sunset. Only lasted about 10 minutes but was sensational.

Wednesday - Running with a Buddy

14.5k 1:18:08. HR Avg 137 Max 149 Avg Pace 5:23
Course: Work to Riverside and Back.
Start Time: 5:10 pm Temp 22C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Had a Pilates class at lunchtime and tonight went for my longest run since having my hammie problem. In fact it was this course on a Wednesday night three weeks ago that I did it. I would like to say all went well but a few times I felt a few little niggles that reminded me that I still need to be cautious. Still 14.5k, things can't be too bad.

The last few runs I have been listening to Ry Cooder's new album "My Name is Buddy" (thanks to JD) based around the story of a hobo red cat named Buddy. At my current pace it is proving to be good listening.

The Recovery continues

Sunday

11.0k 58:43:24. HR Avg 136 Max 148 Avg Pace 5:20
Course: Gap Cycle Path.
Start Time: 5:05 pm Temp 24C.
Session Type: Easy Run

Monday

9.5k 50:24. HR Avg 131 Max 139 Avg Pace 5:18
Course: Work to Sydney St and Back.
Start Time: 5:45 pm Temp 23C.
Session Type: Easy Run


Slowly building up the distance again. The leg is holding up well at this pace. Will continue like this for another couple of weeks and continue on the stretching and strenghtening program.