Time Marches On

Is it really over a month since I last updated?

I haven't done quite as much training as I would have wanted in that time but have done enough to keep progressing.

Started off the month with the BRRC Half Marathon Champs and managed a 1:34:15. Started out conservatively and just slowly cranked up the pace all the way. Managed 43:21 for the last 10k. Also picked up a win in my age group.

The next weekend was the Womadelaide festival and I was away for four days so that was a bit disruptive on my training but because of the cooler weather this year I did manage some 8k runs on Sat and Sun mornings. Add this to the 12 hours each day on your feet and it is all a bit tiring. Womadelaide was brilliant again this year. How can such a pissant town put on such a great event ?

I am writing up some thoughts on my weekend and will post separately but one of the highlights for me where Ska Cubano who played Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Two great shows.

Don't be fooled by the title of this video because this is not them performing at Womadelaide but none the less it is very similar to the performance on that night.



Here is another live version of this song done at the Nobel Peace Prize Presentations in 2005. Unlike Womadelaide this crowd just doesn't get into the spirit of things.



I thought coming back from such an exhausting weekend may effect my training but I had some great training runs that next week, the best being a 18k in 1:26 which is 4:46 pace at a really low Heart Rate of 134. I also introduced a Hill session on Thursday. Just across from my work is a really steep quiet street leading up to where Cloudland used to be. Perfect for Hill repeats. I planned to do this once a week but since doing that first session I haven't done it again.

This is mainly due to picking up a stomach bug last weekend which laid me low and I didn't train for four days. So have just taken it easy this week as my stomach continued to be unsettled. In fact Wednesday night almost turned into the run from hell, when severe cramping attacked me on the floating walkway and I desperately needed to go to the toilet. Not exactly any places you can hide along there. I had to stop and walk with my knees together but luckily I spotted a port-a-loo on a construction site just around the bend at New Farm and relief was obtained.

Today, I again ventured down to the BRRC for the 10k Champs. The weather is starting to become a little less humid so conditions were OK. My plan was to run 4:20 pace as a sort of trial run for the Twilight Half Marathon next weekend as that is my target pace for that. I went out a bit fast with a 4:06 first K but it didn't seem to be too uncomfortable so kept going at the pace. At 5k I read the clock as 20:03 and as I was feeling well within myself I thought maybe I should go for the sub 40. I don't know what I was thinking because in fact the time was 20:32 but I did put in a few sub 4 ks before reality hit and my lack of speed training started to show and I struggled home with a negative split of 20:29 but the last 2 ks were 4:14 and 4:11 and were tough. In the end 41:01.

But I am very happy that I am up to running that sort pace at this point in my preparation. It all looks good for later in the year if I can keep it together and stop the stomach grumbles.

IHateToast, sorry I missed you on that day. The funny thing is I was wearing my glasses that day which is something I rarely do. I was thinking on the run how clear everything looked and how I could actually make out people who were more that just a few metres from me. But I do remember thinking at one point "was that Katie?". Strange thing though is I swear it was up by the Sydney Street Ferry stop rather than New Farm Park but I guess that wasn't the case. Just shows how much the mind wanders when out on a run.