Hey it's the end of March I just realised!!
A quick review shows
Total for March = 236km, quite a bit below initial plan but that can really be put down to 6ft taking more out of me than planned and thus wiping out pretty much a week of training.
In comparing to March last year where I did 294km!
Interesting also to see that my average pace this year vs last year was actually the same. Again that 6ft influence where the avg pace was 7:51 for 45km.
Highlights for March - completing 6ft and also a 35second PB for 5km
Lowlight for March - struggling on 6ft much more than planned
Thursday, March 31, 2005
As sharp as it gets
The days continue to tick down and this morning I had scheduled my last "high intensity" pace session. Back to the treadie but this time 500m reps.
I planned to do between 8-10 but slightly slower than I would do normally (3:20) and so set the pace guide for 3:30 and did 8 (with 1:45 standing recovery). Once again could have done more but felt 8 was about right!
I call this high intensity given it is well below my Target Marathon Pace. Next run is on Saturday where we have the Striders 10km in the domain, was tempted to give this a real thrash but I think I'll now run the first 5km at around 4:15 pace and then see what happens.
I planned to do between 8-10 but slightly slower than I would do normally (3:20) and so set the pace guide for 3:30 and did 8 (with 1:45 standing recovery). Once again could have done more but felt 8 was about right!
I call this high intensity given it is well below my Target Marathon Pace. Next run is on Saturday where we have the Striders 10km in the domain, was tempted to give this a real thrash but I think I'll now run the first 5km at around 4:15 pace and then see what happens.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Time to sharpen up!
No more long stuff, time to get the legs used to turning over quicker.
A good session this morning of 6 x 1km @ 3:50 pace with 1:55 standing recovery.
No problems at all with this and really could have done at least another 2 but that is not the program at this point.
Combined with a nice warm up/down another good session to have under the belt and a further confidence booster. Rest tomorrow and then some shorter faster reps on Thursday.
I like this taper business!
A good session this morning of 6 x 1km @ 3:50 pace with 1:55 standing recovery.
No problems at all with this and really could have done at least another 2 but that is not the program at this point.
Combined with a nice warm up/down another good session to have under the belt and a further confidence booster. Rest tomorrow and then some shorter faster reps on Thursday.
I like this taper business!
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Homebush Hustle STaR
Last "long" run on the schedule before Canberra and you could not pick a better STaR to do it with. Starting in Concord you proceed straight through Olympica Park, then along Parramatta River crossing at Silverwater Rd, back along the northern shore and then across to Rhodes on the way home.
I wanted to have a pretty hard/fast hit out today and so decided to go out with the 6:20 group. Pretty much straight away the pace was one and after about 10km the group split into about 3 sub groups. I stayed towards the back and ended up running with Action, Luke Skyrunner and vat_man. We had a great time chatting and joking as the km steadily ticked by and I just started to struggle a little as we headed back through West Ryde/Meadowbank. Popped a gu and held it together as we too the short option "B" and headed back through Rhodes, just hanging on on some of the inclines. The guys knew I was being stretched but thought I should step up the pace on the way home. With a couple of km to go Luke offered to run with me at my actual Marathon Pace and we took off from the others. As it happened we only has about 1.5 km before a overpass to cross the railway line but we really turned it on and actually went a bit faster than MP, and just before the bridge headed up a slight hill I was really going for it!
Got back to the finish a little knackered and sore but very happy with the workout
26.3km in 2:04:06 (avg pace 4:43min/km and avg HR 163)
EDIT : Action dropped me a note saying his calculations make it 27.1km which then makes it an avg pace of 4:35 min/km!! Who am I to argue with a certified course measurer... (makes the run even more pleasing)
After cooling down had some good chats with different people at the finish and on reflection am very happy with this run as a last long hit out, the groin is still a bit sore but some rest and care should sort that out before race day. Some real sharpening this week as the focus shifts to intensity and rest rather than distance.
I wanted to have a pretty hard/fast hit out today and so decided to go out with the 6:20 group. Pretty much straight away the pace was one and after about 10km the group split into about 3 sub groups. I stayed towards the back and ended up running with Action, Luke Skyrunner and vat_man. We had a great time chatting and joking as the km steadily ticked by and I just started to struggle a little as we headed back through West Ryde/Meadowbank. Popped a gu and held it together as we too the short option "B" and headed back through Rhodes, just hanging on on some of the inclines. The guys knew I was being stretched but thought I should step up the pace on the way home. With a couple of km to go Luke offered to run with me at my actual Marathon Pace and we took off from the others. As it happened we only has about 1.5 km before a overpass to cross the railway line but we really turned it on and actually went a bit faster than MP, and just before the bridge headed up a slight hill I was really going for it!
Got back to the finish a little knackered and sore but very happy with the workout
26.3km in 2:04:06 (avg pace 4:43min/km and avg HR 163)
EDIT : Action dropped me a note saying his calculations make it 27.1km which then makes it an avg pace of 4:35 min/km!! Who am I to argue with a certified course measurer... (makes the run even more pleasing)
After cooling down had some good chats with different people at the finish and on reflection am very happy with this run as a last long hit out, the groin is still a bit sore but some rest and care should sort that out before race day. Some real sharpening this week as the focus shifts to intensity and rest rather than distance.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
CR 5km Challenge
A different approach to this week's run, I know I can break the current PB of 19:50 if I sort out my pacing. Decided to use the virtual partner feature on the Garmin 301 and set it for 3:55 pace which would give me a 19:35.
Up in the morning and as I'm eating toast and getting ready it starts to rain. No problems, a mere distraction. Get to the start early and watch/listen to the rain on the car roof. It eases up as 7am approaches and people start to arrive. I also decide to run with 20 minute group rather than 19 minutes so I don't get caught up following someone out too hard.
Action sends us off and while I'm at the front, no heroics and pretty soon Redback and Mr WT ease past into the lead. I'm happy with this as I'm feeling comfortable and this will stop me being silly at the front. Also in our bunch were Horrie and Mr G plus at least one other but really never saw them. At about the 3km mark Mr WT slipped back a little and I moved up next to Redback, we ran next to each other for a couple of hundred metres and then he started to drift back. Still feeling good and merely maintaining my pace we entered the last km and also started catching some of the earlier starters.
That last km is a bugger with a twisting path to keep you honest but I gritted the teeth and kept it going, as I rounded the final curve for the finish straight Luke Skyrunner and pram came up along side and cruised past, not much I could do about that. Crossed the line and immediately attempted to try and recover the oxygen that the lungs seemed to be a little short on.
The end result was a PB of 35 seconds with a new time of 19:15. Splits roughly were
3:43
3:56
3:53
3:49
3:54
Very happy with that and did a return warmdown run back for brekky in the cold and rain but good company!
This is a new benchmark for me and according to various calculators I a on line for a 40 min 10km and also a 3:10 marathon!! Just the tonic needed for the mind with 2 weeks to go.
So ends another week, seemingly a turnaround physically and mentally after 6 foot.
53km for the week and the parrot predictor says a 3:36:47, heavily influenced by last Sunday's struggle in the STaR.
Up in the morning and as I'm eating toast and getting ready it starts to rain. No problems, a mere distraction. Get to the start early and watch/listen to the rain on the car roof. It eases up as 7am approaches and people start to arrive. I also decide to run with 20 minute group rather than 19 minutes so I don't get caught up following someone out too hard.
Action sends us off and while I'm at the front, no heroics and pretty soon Redback and Mr WT ease past into the lead. I'm happy with this as I'm feeling comfortable and this will stop me being silly at the front. Also in our bunch were Horrie and Mr G plus at least one other but really never saw them. At about the 3km mark Mr WT slipped back a little and I moved up next to Redback, we ran next to each other for a couple of hundred metres and then he started to drift back. Still feeling good and merely maintaining my pace we entered the last km and also started catching some of the earlier starters.
That last km is a bugger with a twisting path to keep you honest but I gritted the teeth and kept it going, as I rounded the final curve for the finish straight Luke Skyrunner and pram came up along side and cruised past, not much I could do about that. Crossed the line and immediately attempted to try and recover the oxygen that the lungs seemed to be a little short on.
The end result was a PB of 35 seconds with a new time of 19:15. Splits roughly were
3:43
3:56
3:53
3:49
3:54
Very happy with that and did a return warmdown run back for brekky in the cold and rain but good company!
This is a new benchmark for me and according to various calculators I a on line for a 40 min 10km and also a 3:10 marathon!! Just the tonic needed for the mind with 2 weeks to go.
So ends another week, seemingly a turnaround physically and mentally after 6 foot.
53km for the week and the parrot predictor says a 3:36:47, heavily influenced by last Sunday's struggle in the STaR.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Sharpen up time
A nice sleep in this morning but still wanted to get out today so headed out this afternoon. Wanted to do a pretty hard session but not a full on headbanging interval set. I decided to do my normal run through the park to the weir and back. Main difference being that at 3km I'd shift down to around Half Marathon pace and hold that through the undulations for 5km. As it happened the start and end of the 5km were both halfway down Scribbly so a nice uphill finish to really test things out.
The warm up was pretty good and I was really floating but still running sub 5 min/km pace. When the 3km distance beep went off I immediately upped the effort and then monitored things on the garmin. At the end of the 5km I ended up in a time of 21:04 so slightly sub 4:15 pace, again on a undulating course.
Had a minute break and then warmed down heading home. The final stats were
10.97 km in 49:41, avg pace 4:32 (which is pretty much my new Canberra target MP) and avg HR of 170.
I have had the "blahs" since 6 ft but I think this session has turned the corner for me mentally. Not even that fussed by the blister I managed to pick up on my heel. No niggles from either lower leg and I did plenty of stretching at the end of the run.
A rest day tomorrow and the CR 5km challenge at the bay to round out the week and keep teh sharpening coming!
The warm up was pretty good and I was really floating but still running sub 5 min/km pace. When the 3km distance beep went off I immediately upped the effort and then monitored things on the garmin. At the end of the 5km I ended up in a time of 21:04 so slightly sub 4:15 pace, again on a undulating course.
Had a minute break and then warmed down heading home. The final stats were
10.97 km in 49:41, avg pace 4:32 (which is pretty much my new Canberra target MP) and avg HR of 170.
I have had the "blahs" since 6 ft but I think this session has turned the corner for me mentally. Not even that fussed by the blister I managed to pick up on my heel. No niggles from either lower leg and I did plenty of stretching at the end of the run.
A rest day tomorrow and the CR 5km challenge at the bay to round out the week and keep teh sharpening coming!
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Lets get back on Track!
Ok, time to get serious again.
Summer Series final event at Macquarie Uni. The scene is I am running 4th by 2 points from 5th. If we both run the same score then he goes past me as he gets to drop a lower scoring poor run. So I need to beat him by a bit, hard to do when he is significantly faster than me.
To complicated things further it had been absolutely bucketing down with rain here and when I got to the start part of the course was closed, as it was on sporting grounds (as you will see from the map scan). So a max of 480 up for grabs which means need a perfect score as 480 is gettable!
A route selected I'm off, good thing is I have run this map twice before so have a bit of an idea what to expect. Out to 3, down to 7 and in and out to 22. Around to 2 and another in and out for 13. Running very freely here, quickly past 12 down the hill to 15. First muddle here as I misinterpret the map and stumble for a minute or 2 with another runner. He leaves, I re-establlish map contact and sort out the problem. Back out up the hill for 21 on the way to 1. Continue up the hill and across an overgrown paddock for 25, down the hill to the dam and 14.
Major stuff up here as I completely fumble 26, but it seemed I was not the only one... Lost many minutes here, very frustrating. Finally sorted myself out and then raced across the paddock towards the campus and got 4/23 and 5 very quickly. Around the buildings now and extra complication of people everywhere. Slow down for 23 and then again lose map contact on the way to 6 sucking up at least another minute.
Now on to 23 and it is obvious time is not good and so opt to miss 30/19/20. Through the buildings again for 16 then real open running for 27 and home.
Here is the map and my route
http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Uni.jpg
End up back in 50:38 so 60 points deducted for lateness. Given I got 410 that gives a net of 350, a terrible score given the fast guys got the lot in under 40 minutes. The only saving grace is 5th place did not show up so I managed to keep 4th place!! Also scored a special award and a bottle of wine for the work I did on the web site.
The run stats, 9.1km in 50:38, avg pace of 5:33 and avg HR of 168.
So the season ends, ended up 4th. Interesting looking at the three guys in front of me. First just finished 6th @ 6ft in 3:43, 2nd also just ran 6ft in 4:30 and 3rd has run a sub 4hr 6ft as well. Pretty esteemed company!!
The other good thing is both lower leg niggles gave no problems, the groin was a little sore but I think that will be the case for a while whenever I am running this type of event with sudden changes in direction etc.
I think next year I'' approach SS a bi differently and always aim to get the lot, just to stretch me out a bit further.
Summer Series final event at Macquarie Uni. The scene is I am running 4th by 2 points from 5th. If we both run the same score then he goes past me as he gets to drop a lower scoring poor run. So I need to beat him by a bit, hard to do when he is significantly faster than me.
To complicated things further it had been absolutely bucketing down with rain here and when I got to the start part of the course was closed, as it was on sporting grounds (as you will see from the map scan). So a max of 480 up for grabs which means need a perfect score as 480 is gettable!
A route selected I'm off, good thing is I have run this map twice before so have a bit of an idea what to expect. Out to 3, down to 7 and in and out to 22. Around to 2 and another in and out for 13. Running very freely here, quickly past 12 down the hill to 15. First muddle here as I misinterpret the map and stumble for a minute or 2 with another runner. He leaves, I re-establlish map contact and sort out the problem. Back out up the hill for 21 on the way to 1. Continue up the hill and across an overgrown paddock for 25, down the hill to the dam and 14.
Major stuff up here as I completely fumble 26, but it seemed I was not the only one... Lost many minutes here, very frustrating. Finally sorted myself out and then raced across the paddock towards the campus and got 4/23 and 5 very quickly. Around the buildings now and extra complication of people everywhere. Slow down for 23 and then again lose map contact on the way to 6 sucking up at least another minute.
Now on to 23 and it is obvious time is not good and so opt to miss 30/19/20. Through the buildings again for 16 then real open running for 27 and home.
Here is the map and my route
http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Uni.jpg
End up back in 50:38 so 60 points deducted for lateness. Given I got 410 that gives a net of 350, a terrible score given the fast guys got the lot in under 40 minutes. The only saving grace is 5th place did not show up so I managed to keep 4th place!! Also scored a special award and a bottle of wine for the work I did on the web site.
The run stats, 9.1km in 50:38, avg pace of 5:33 and avg HR of 168.
So the season ends, ended up 4th. Interesting looking at the three guys in front of me. First just finished 6th @ 6ft in 3:43, 2nd also just ran 6ft in 4:30 and 3rd has run a sub 4hr 6ft as well. Pretty esteemed company!!
The other good thing is both lower leg niggles gave no problems, the groin was a little sore but I think that will be the case for a while whenever I am running this type of event with sudden changes in direction etc.
I think next year I'' approach SS a bi differently and always aim to get the lot, just to stretch me out a bit further.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Whats been going on??
Yes I have been slack in blogging! Quite strange I seem to have drifted into a mental "blahness" since 6ft, sort of like how I felt after Canberra last year. Maybe subconsciously I am still beating myself up....
Anyway not that much to report so here goes
Wed 16th - Summer Series @ Lane Cove
Not going to do the usual detailed thing here. The map is a good one with challenging climbs on the way home and lots of undualtions and some nice bush sections. Headed out and the legs seemed to turnover ok, however the brain took about 3-4 controls before I was back in the groove navigating. Ended up coming back late, and it was getting dark and cool now as well. Overall a nice fast hit out but as I cooled down the upper quads were getting tight.
Had Thursday and then Friday off which meant after the big night on the beer for Cool Running drinks no running on Saturday either.
Sun 20th - STaR, North Ryde Rambler
Another night out on Saturday night (not big time drinking this time) and a need to be home by 9am so we could take the kids to the show saw me stumble out of bed and get to the STaR to run in the dark with the MTG who were doing a little extra distance. So a nice 5km in just over 30 minutes took me back to the start to head out with the 6:10am group. Just the four of us with Kev, Horrie and Spud and we cruised having a good chat about all sorts of stuff. The 6:20 group screamed past us after only about 5km but I could not be bothered trying to hang on so early. As we headed back towards the start (this star is like a figure 8) I was starting to feel the effects of 6ft but opted to continue into the bush for a little while where I knew there was a logical turn point. As we dropped down I noticed my rh ankle was starting to get sore (just to accompany the already complaining lh calf and groin). Turned around and ran back to the start and I quickly headed off to get ready for the show.
By the time I got home and had cooled down the niggles were all a good deal sorer and in particular the front of the rh ankle (near the tendon) was not good. Washed up and changed and headed to the show and proceeded to limp around for about 5 hours on a painful ankle. That night my wife was laughing.shaking her head as I rotated ice packs between the ankle, calf and groin. I think all three are tendonitis type problems and the ice was working (along with the naprosen).
No way I was running Monday and today I used discretion as well (I am now officially tapering!) but everything was certainly feeling better. The plan for the rest of the week is as follows :
Wed - Last summer series event at Macquarie Uni. I'm defending 4th overall by only 2 points now and due to the way the best 12 runs are calculated actually need to beat the guy in 5th by about 6 points due to the next worst run that we both drop! Needless to say I'll be having a go.
Thursday - recovery of around 10km but will include some MP fartlek pieces in as well.
Friday - rest
Saturday - CR 5km challenge
Sunday - a good paced 25km at the STaR on a nice flat course out at Homebush.
Hopefully this will shake out the "blues" as I get back on track with not that many days before Canberra, I need to get focussed and motivated.
Anyway not that much to report so here goes
Wed 16th - Summer Series @ Lane Cove
Not going to do the usual detailed thing here. The map is a good one with challenging climbs on the way home and lots of undualtions and some nice bush sections. Headed out and the legs seemed to turnover ok, however the brain took about 3-4 controls before I was back in the groove navigating. Ended up coming back late, and it was getting dark and cool now as well. Overall a nice fast hit out but as I cooled down the upper quads were getting tight.
Had Thursday and then Friday off which meant after the big night on the beer for Cool Running drinks no running on Saturday either.
Sun 20th - STaR, North Ryde Rambler
Another night out on Saturday night (not big time drinking this time) and a need to be home by 9am so we could take the kids to the show saw me stumble out of bed and get to the STaR to run in the dark with the MTG who were doing a little extra distance. So a nice 5km in just over 30 minutes took me back to the start to head out with the 6:10am group. Just the four of us with Kev, Horrie and Spud and we cruised having a good chat about all sorts of stuff. The 6:20 group screamed past us after only about 5km but I could not be bothered trying to hang on so early. As we headed back towards the start (this star is like a figure 8) I was starting to feel the effects of 6ft but opted to continue into the bush for a little while where I knew there was a logical turn point. As we dropped down I noticed my rh ankle was starting to get sore (just to accompany the already complaining lh calf and groin). Turned around and ran back to the start and I quickly headed off to get ready for the show.
By the time I got home and had cooled down the niggles were all a good deal sorer and in particular the front of the rh ankle (near the tendon) was not good. Washed up and changed and headed to the show and proceeded to limp around for about 5 hours on a painful ankle. That night my wife was laughing.shaking her head as I rotated ice packs between the ankle, calf and groin. I think all three are tendonitis type problems and the ice was working (along with the naprosen).
No way I was running Monday and today I used discretion as well (I am now officially tapering!) but everything was certainly feeling better. The plan for the rest of the week is as follows :
Wed - Last summer series event at Macquarie Uni. I'm defending 4th overall by only 2 points now and due to the way the best 12 runs are calculated actually need to beat the guy in 5th by about 6 points due to the next worst run that we both drop! Needless to say I'll be having a go.
Thursday - recovery of around 10km but will include some MP fartlek pieces in as well.
Friday - rest
Saturday - CR 5km challenge
Sunday - a good paced 25km at the STaR on a nice flat course out at Homebush.
Hopefully this will shake out the "blues" as I get back on track with not that many days before Canberra, I need to get focussed and motivated.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Six foot Garmin 301 data
Forgot to include the HR/Elevation from the Garmin 301.
Pretty interesting, maybe I did go out a tad too hard looking at the HR.....
Pretty interesting, maybe I did go out a tad too hard looking at the HR.....
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Race Report 6 foot track
I've expanded upon my CR post re 6ft, read on for a more detailed version!
Wow, what an experience!
Running 6ft was the end of an 18 month goal, set when I started running seriously. A slight change in priorities saw a fast run in Canberra take precedence over a fast first 6ft. So the end goal was to do the run at a more leisurely pace and soak up the atmosphere. After a lot of reading and researching I determined that between 5:30-6:00 would be a realistic target given the above goal. In the end I worked out some splits which would keep me on track for a 5:45 finish. Some heavy milage in the weeks before and pretty much no taper were also the lead in for the run.
I had found some great accommodation in the Megalong Valley just off Nellies Glen Road and as we got there the eveing before scanned up the escarpement trying to work out the path of the track. Early morning rise and my brother in law dropped me off. Caught up with a few familiar faces and then boarded the shuttle bus to the start.
At the start the atmosphere was amazing as there was this real feeling of tension in the air as all the runners wanted to get going! Seeded in wave 2 I was a couple of rows back from the front and we were off!
Now I run trails (and downhill ones especially) fairly well and so was already zipping past people in the wide beginning section. Finally get to the "real" descent and form an orderly supermarket queue. Everyone was well behaved but still there were people slipping on the more difficult pieces. Gaps started to form and when we got to a slightly more level area I started going past slower runners when the track allowed. By the time we got to Nellies Glen Road it was pretty open running and I caught up to Spud and Jan. Was feeling great and well within myself so kept going and along the road could see other runners such as coaster and RMC just ahead.
At the first fence crossing (and aid station) my family were there cheering. As it happened it was also my birthday and they had some signs made up. A runner behind me joked as we went over the stile about a wierd way to celebrate a birthday. Along the section to Megalong Road caught up to Mr G and went past him as he stopped at the aid station to refill. Still felt great and ran just behind some Striders (Barry, Stephen, James and Tim) through this section. As we descended from pinnacle towards Cox's on singletrack sections I left them behind as my track running shone through. Caught up to a couple of conga lines and slowly moved my way through when opportunity allowed.
As we approached Cox's I was in the clear by myself for about a km or so and thus was not real sure about the crossing but picked my way over the stones on the right. At this point the time was 1:22 and so I was way ahead of the 1:35 that I had calculated. Knowing the hardest bit was just about to start I felt very comfortable and was planning to walk most of the climbs, only running on any flatter or downhill sections. Had my first gu here.
I could see a Strider in the distance but we seemed to be climbing around the same rate. Not too soon and coaster, Spud and Jan went past. Just as we approached the cattle yards you could see quite a bit ahead as the trail twisted, saw Mohammed (easy with the red cap) and maybe Blue Dog there. I then caught up to the Strider who I had been following and was surprised to see it was MPHaz, had a quick chat at the aid station and then kept going, his calf was not good but there was no way he was not finishing!
Soon after Mr G loomed up next to me and we had a quick talk, during which he commented he thought I was limping! As he moved forward up the climb, I thought bollocks, but then all of a sudden my left calf started to grab. Through here the group of Striders I went past earlier also went past but I was just managing my pace and adjusting my style so the calf did not complain.
A bit disappointed at the top of Mini Mini (no big sign saying you have climbed Mini Mini etc!) and started downhill. Was a little surprised at how much harder it was to stretch out after the walk/climb. Went through the aid station at Alum Creek (2nd gu) and splashed straight through the different crossings.As the pluvio climb progressed the calf complained more and more but I just slowed my walking to alleviate the pain. At that point I was pretty convinced I had pulled the muscle now based upon my previous calf strain last year. MPHaz went back past here, bloody tough bugger. Some of the other muscles in the left leg were now complaining as I am sure I had subconsciously adjusted my gait.Many people walking but I was slower than most. Very happy to get to the top in 3:08, losing a bit of time gained to Cox's but still ahead of original schedule.
The horror that I know now as Black Range immediately commenced. As I tried to shift back into running the legs refused to co-operate and now I was getting intermittent lock up of a muscle I had never even heard of before (which I now know was the Sartorius) crossing from inside the knee to the hip flexor, very hard to move your leg when this locks up!Black Range was much more about walking than running and I contemplated on a number of occasions quitting at the next aid station. Grabbed a banana and it seemed to make a difference so on I went breaking down the remainder of the race into chunks. Around here another Strider Dave King caught up to me and we swapped places about 20 times before the finish, both struggling badly.
I thought after Deviation (final gu) it would improve, and it did until I turned the corner to see the "short steep" section Mr G had written about. Somewhere along here Sarge and Horrie went past. Finally made it to Caves Rd and knew I'd get home, to be honest the downhill was not that bad for me, but I could not stretch out. The progression of runners going past continued and Amjan went past, running really well at this point.Finally made it down and as I turned the last corner both calves locked up as I tried to run to the line so it was more a limp across the line.Many, many lessons learned, ended up close to my original target but not in the style or manner planned. In the end it seems the calf/achilles was just a cramp as the legs have recovered pretty well, which is a relief!
A great day and all of the volunteers were magnificent in encouragement. I certainly appreciated the novelty of seeing the course first up on race day, adding to the whole experience.Some great runs and very definitely some gutsy runs from people I know (or know of). I perhaps treated 6ft with not enough respect first up and it certainly sorted me out. I'm already thinking about next year! Onwards to Canberra....
Stats 5:53:22
Wow, what an experience!
Running 6ft was the end of an 18 month goal, set when I started running seriously. A slight change in priorities saw a fast run in Canberra take precedence over a fast first 6ft. So the end goal was to do the run at a more leisurely pace and soak up the atmosphere. After a lot of reading and researching I determined that between 5:30-6:00 would be a realistic target given the above goal. In the end I worked out some splits which would keep me on track for a 5:45 finish. Some heavy milage in the weeks before and pretty much no taper were also the lead in for the run.
I had found some great accommodation in the Megalong Valley just off Nellies Glen Road and as we got there the eveing before scanned up the escarpement trying to work out the path of the track. Early morning rise and my brother in law dropped me off. Caught up with a few familiar faces and then boarded the shuttle bus to the start.
At the start the atmosphere was amazing as there was this real feeling of tension in the air as all the runners wanted to get going! Seeded in wave 2 I was a couple of rows back from the front and we were off!
Now I run trails (and downhill ones especially) fairly well and so was already zipping past people in the wide beginning section. Finally get to the "real" descent and form an orderly supermarket queue. Everyone was well behaved but still there were people slipping on the more difficult pieces. Gaps started to form and when we got to a slightly more level area I started going past slower runners when the track allowed. By the time we got to Nellies Glen Road it was pretty open running and I caught up to Spud and Jan. Was feeling great and well within myself so kept going and along the road could see other runners such as coaster and RMC just ahead.
At the first fence crossing (and aid station) my family were there cheering. As it happened it was also my birthday and they had some signs made up. A runner behind me joked as we went over the stile about a wierd way to celebrate a birthday. Along the section to Megalong Road caught up to Mr G and went past him as he stopped at the aid station to refill. Still felt great and ran just behind some Striders (Barry, Stephen, James and Tim) through this section. As we descended from pinnacle towards Cox's on singletrack sections I left them behind as my track running shone through. Caught up to a couple of conga lines and slowly moved my way through when opportunity allowed.
As we approached Cox's I was in the clear by myself for about a km or so and thus was not real sure about the crossing but picked my way over the stones on the right. At this point the time was 1:22 and so I was way ahead of the 1:35 that I had calculated. Knowing the hardest bit was just about to start I felt very comfortable and was planning to walk most of the climbs, only running on any flatter or downhill sections. Had my first gu here.
I could see a Strider in the distance but we seemed to be climbing around the same rate. Not too soon and coaster, Spud and Jan went past. Just as we approached the cattle yards you could see quite a bit ahead as the trail twisted, saw Mohammed (easy with the red cap) and maybe Blue Dog there. I then caught up to the Strider who I had been following and was surprised to see it was MPHaz, had a quick chat at the aid station and then kept going, his calf was not good but there was no way he was not finishing!
Soon after Mr G loomed up next to me and we had a quick talk, during which he commented he thought I was limping! As he moved forward up the climb, I thought bollocks, but then all of a sudden my left calf started to grab. Through here the group of Striders I went past earlier also went past but I was just managing my pace and adjusting my style so the calf did not complain.
A bit disappointed at the top of Mini Mini (no big sign saying you have climbed Mini Mini etc!) and started downhill. Was a little surprised at how much harder it was to stretch out after the walk/climb. Went through the aid station at Alum Creek (2nd gu) and splashed straight through the different crossings.As the pluvio climb progressed the calf complained more and more but I just slowed my walking to alleviate the pain. At that point I was pretty convinced I had pulled the muscle now based upon my previous calf strain last year. MPHaz went back past here, bloody tough bugger. Some of the other muscles in the left leg were now complaining as I am sure I had subconsciously adjusted my gait.Many people walking but I was slower than most. Very happy to get to the top in 3:08, losing a bit of time gained to Cox's but still ahead of original schedule.
The horror that I know now as Black Range immediately commenced. As I tried to shift back into running the legs refused to co-operate and now I was getting intermittent lock up of a muscle I had never even heard of before (which I now know was the Sartorius) crossing from inside the knee to the hip flexor, very hard to move your leg when this locks up!Black Range was much more about walking than running and I contemplated on a number of occasions quitting at the next aid station. Grabbed a banana and it seemed to make a difference so on I went breaking down the remainder of the race into chunks. Around here another Strider Dave King caught up to me and we swapped places about 20 times before the finish, both struggling badly.
I thought after Deviation (final gu) it would improve, and it did until I turned the corner to see the "short steep" section Mr G had written about. Somewhere along here Sarge and Horrie went past. Finally made it to Caves Rd and knew I'd get home, to be honest the downhill was not that bad for me, but I could not stretch out. The progression of runners going past continued and Amjan went past, running really well at this point.Finally made it down and as I turned the last corner both calves locked up as I tried to run to the line so it was more a limp across the line.Many, many lessons learned, ended up close to my original target but not in the style or manner planned. In the end it seems the calf/achilles was just a cramp as the legs have recovered pretty well, which is a relief!
A great day and all of the volunteers were magnificent in encouragement. I certainly appreciated the novelty of seeing the course first up on race day, adding to the whole experience.Some great runs and very definitely some gutsy runs from people I know (or know of). I perhaps treated 6ft with not enough respect first up and it certainly sorted me out. I'm already thinking about next year! Onwards to Canberra....
Stats 5:53:22
Summer Series (with a twist!)
Catch up time, craziness at work along with 6 foot have combined to delay my blogging considerably.
First up lets deal with Wednesday, travelled to Melbourne for work meetings and decided to head out to Mullum Mullum (near Ringwood) for a spot of Street Orienteering Melbourne style. Mentioned to fellow CR and chatter Louise that I might do this and she came up and introduced herself at the start.
The style of event is a little different compared to Sydney. The maps are black and white and are "melways" style. There are 20 controls put out and these are 2 x orienteering punches chained and locked to the base of trees, power poles etc. It is a mass start and you nominate a grade, I went for A grade which meant I had to get any 17 of the 20 controls. Ended up 9th in A grade and there were some pretty prominent elite orienteers there!
The distance was 9.1km in 40:57 (avg pace 4:30 and avg hr of 171)
A nice fast hit out and felt good at the end. Missed catching up with Louise afterwards.
First up lets deal with Wednesday, travelled to Melbourne for work meetings and decided to head out to Mullum Mullum (near Ringwood) for a spot of Street Orienteering Melbourne style. Mentioned to fellow CR and chatter Louise that I might do this and she came up and introduced herself at the start.
The style of event is a little different compared to Sydney. The maps are black and white and are "melways" style. There are 20 controls put out and these are 2 x orienteering punches chained and locked to the base of trees, power poles etc. It is a mass start and you nominate a grade, I went for A grade which meant I had to get any 17 of the 20 controls. Ended up 9th in A grade and there were some pretty prominent elite orienteers there!
The distance was 9.1km in 40:57 (avg pace 4:30 and avg hr of 171)
A nice fast hit out and felt good at the end. Missed catching up with Louise afterwards.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Recovery run to weir
A lighter mid week this week to do a "mini taper" for 6foot.
Headed out for the usual weir run in LCNP, a little cooler and less humid this morning. I do like running this time of year.
Nothing extraordinary, 11km in 52:18 (4:47 min/km and avg hr of 154).
Yesterday I went for a massage to iron out the little kinks from the last couple of weeks. I asked the masseur to be pretty firm especially on my calves and lhs ITB. In the end I reckon she was sorer than I was as she went at the legs hammer and tongs with deep elbows etc but could not get me to say that it was a little too much pressure :).
Melbourne bound for the remainder of the week, may try and do a evening orienteering event on Wednesday and then a light run on Friday.
Headed out for the usual weir run in LCNP, a little cooler and less humid this morning. I do like running this time of year.
Nothing extraordinary, 11km in 52:18 (4:47 min/km and avg hr of 154).
Yesterday I went for a massage to iron out the little kinks from the last couple of weeks. I asked the masseur to be pretty firm especially on my calves and lhs ITB. In the end I reckon she was sorer than I was as she went at the legs hammer and tongs with deep elbows etc but could not get me to say that it was a little too much pressure :).
Melbourne bound for the remainder of the week, may try and do a evening orienteering event on Wednesday and then a light run on Friday.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
STaR - Western Wanderer
Have been looking forward to this STaR, a little flatter than most and one I have not done for the longer distances before. As usual a big 6am pack went out, it was actually quite cool standing around in running kit. Decided to run the 6:20 group, given the target pace of around 5 min/km.
Off we went and it was a pretty good sized group. A nice easy first km and then the hammer went down as they churned out a string of 4:30 min/kms. After about 8km I eased off the back with Action and a few others so I could actually make 20km! The speedsters kept on going but we regrouped to around 10. At one point we split as some wanted 20km and some 30km, I of course wanted about 25km so went my own way as well.
It was a bit of a push by myself but regrouped and upped the pace for the last couple of km back to around 4:30 (which is a planned Marathon Pace).
Ended up with 25km in 1:57:50 (avg pace of 4:43) and avg Hr of 156.
Slightly easier week this week as I mini taper for 6ft. The niggles continue and I want to settle them down a little.
Off we went and it was a pretty good sized group. A nice easy first km and then the hammer went down as they churned out a string of 4:30 min/kms. After about 8km I eased off the back with Action and a few others so I could actually make 20km! The speedsters kept on going but we regrouped to around 10. At one point we split as some wanted 20km and some 30km, I of course wanted about 25km so went my own way as well.
It was a bit of a push by myself but regrouped and upped the pace for the last couple of km back to around 4:30 (which is a planned Marathon Pace).
Ended up with 25km in 1:57:50 (avg pace of 4:43) and avg Hr of 156.
Slightly easier week this week as I mini taper for 6ft. The niggles continue and I want to settle them down a little.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Race Report, Striders 10km @ Homebush
Time for some speed and back to Homebush the site of my current 10k distance PB. A fairly flat course in a figure 8 type shape based on the Homebush Olympic games site. A small loop (around 800m) then a large loop (around 4km), repeat and then another small loop to finish.
Got there around 6am to help set up (doing backup learning on the new electronic timing system). The mozzies made an appearance at around 6:30 and another large crowd, around 250+ runners faced the gun @ 7am. Someone tripped over a couple of metres into the race and there was a bit of congestion but after the first km it was pretty open running. The plan was for even pacing throughout and the first 3km were just that. After that however I started drifting a little and while the lungs felt ok the legs could not go faster. Finished up with 41:43 6 seconds slower than last month at Lane Cove and 20 seconds off my PB, however it was 1:40 faster than the race at Homebush at the same time last year leading into Canberra.
Probably a bit ambitious to expect a PB based upon what distance I have been running and also since I have not been as diligent on my speed sessions in the last couple of weeks. Plenty of time for speed after I knock over the next couple of longer races!
Did not get a chance to talk to too many runners afterwards as I found the guy that fell over and made sure the St Johns people patched him up and then went through the steps in finalising the electronic finish results with Action (we'll be flying solo in 2 races time as he goes on holidays!). Ended up a beautiful morning, although again quite humid.
Weekly Summary
Total distance 92km and Parrot Predictor says 3:28:08 for a marathon time. This coming week is another tough one with probably 30km tomorrow in the Striders STaR, some shorter hit outs mid week and a mini taper for the big one, Six Foot Track. This time next week I expect to have done my first 6 ft and will no doubt be hooking into a few refreshing ales!
Got there around 6am to help set up (doing backup learning on the new electronic timing system). The mozzies made an appearance at around 6:30 and another large crowd, around 250+ runners faced the gun @ 7am. Someone tripped over a couple of metres into the race and there was a bit of congestion but after the first km it was pretty open running. The plan was for even pacing throughout and the first 3km were just that. After that however I started drifting a little and while the lungs felt ok the legs could not go faster. Finished up with 41:43 6 seconds slower than last month at Lane Cove and 20 seconds off my PB, however it was 1:40 faster than the race at Homebush at the same time last year leading into Canberra.
Probably a bit ambitious to expect a PB based upon what distance I have been running and also since I have not been as diligent on my speed sessions in the last couple of weeks. Plenty of time for speed after I knock over the next couple of longer races!
Did not get a chance to talk to too many runners afterwards as I found the guy that fell over and made sure the St Johns people patched him up and then went through the steps in finalising the electronic finish results with Action (we'll be flying solo in 2 races time as he goes on holidays!). Ended up a beautiful morning, although again quite humid.
| Distance | Lap Time | Split |
|---|---|---|
| 1km | 4:01 | 4:01 |
| 2km | 3:58 | 7:59 |
| 3km | 4:02 | 12:01 |
| 4km | 4:12 | 16:13 |
| 5km | 4:05 | 20:19 |
| 6km | 4:15 | 24:34 |
| 7km | 4:17 | 28:51 |
| 8km | 4:27 | 33:18 |
| 9km | 4:21 | 37:39 |
| 10km | 4:04 | 41:43 |
Weekly Summary
Total distance 92km and Parrot Predictor says 3:28:08 for a marathon time. This coming week is another tough one with probably 30km tomorrow in the Striders STaR, some shorter hit outs mid week and a mini taper for the big one, Six Foot Track. This time next week I expect to have done my first 6 ft and will no doubt be hooking into a few refreshing ales!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Recovery & physio
Again a steady run down to the weir at LCNP and back, done the 11km in 52:28 (about 2 minutes faster than Tuesday) so an avg pace of 4:51 and avg hr of 155. Certainly felt the efforts of the night before and again noticed little niggles where I have had problems in the past.
Given what has happened to MPHaz in regards to an injury sneaking up on you, and also being slightly paranoid I made a booking with my physio as a precautionary measure. I really wanted him to have a look at my previous core muscle issues and stance etc to catch anything that may have been happening since I saw him last (late last year).
The good news is no obvious problems looming but I still have a dodgy stance, tending to tuck my hips/pelvis too far forward and this reducing the impact of my gluts and hamstrings while also causing adductor problems. He gave me a series of different exercises/activities to focus on. My physio know heaps about running and orienteering (he was in a team that finished ahead of us in the Metrogaine and has also run 6ft) it was well worth the effort to check in with him as I can now focus on some areas as a preventative approach to injury.
Rest day scheduled for Friday and then Striders 10km @ Homebush Saturday morning. This is where my current 10km PB was set and I am quietly confident about breaking that and perhaps also getting very close to 40 minutes. If I can do that now on a pretty heavy training load I will be very happy!
Given what has happened to MPHaz in regards to an injury sneaking up on you, and also being slightly paranoid I made a booking with my physio as a precautionary measure. I really wanted him to have a look at my previous core muscle issues and stance etc to catch anything that may have been happening since I saw him last (late last year).
The good news is no obvious problems looming but I still have a dodgy stance, tending to tuck my hips/pelvis too far forward and this reducing the impact of my gluts and hamstrings while also causing adductor problems. He gave me a series of different exercises/activities to focus on. My physio know heaps about running and orienteering (he was in a team that finished ahead of us in the Metrogaine and has also run 6ft) it was well worth the effort to check in with him as I can now focus on some areas as a preventative approach to injury.
Rest day scheduled for Friday and then Striders 10km @ Homebush Saturday morning. This is where my current 10km PB was set and I am quietly confident about breaking that and perhaps also getting very close to 40 minutes. If I can do that now on a pretty heavy training load I will be very happy!
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Summer Series Slip Up
After tossing it up this afternoon, taking the cooler weather into account, wanting to defend my position on the points table etc etc I decided to run Summer Series again. This week a little further afield at West Carlingford. The map centred around a creek running through the suburb and some nice bush and corresponding tracks for some different types of running. Before I left I noticed the points leader had already finished and got all the controls in 39 minutes and so I resolved to go for the lot as well.
A fast start through to 9, 11 then a quick in/out along a trail to 7. Pretty easy to locate 10 under a power line tower and then some trail running for 24 and 4. (massive mistake here but more on that later). Further along the track to 19 then some faster street running with 25, 15, 30 and 20 in quick succession. A nice downhill stretch back to the bush and 18 then 22. Decided to duck in for 27. Excellent time to this point and I was feeling pretty good.
Up to 5 and then 8 with a bush bash to cut back to the higher track and pick up 12. More street running again and 6, 29, 13 were all pretty easy. Still looking good on time but in going so fast I had now reached the point where I had stopped planning ahead while running. A little of a muddle both in and out of 23 and it took a little while to regain map contact. Slowed down to ensure I got 14 right but had a poor route to then get to 17 which was also a little more difficult to find.
All of a sudden time which had seemed plentiful was running out! Street running again now and back up a hill to get to 28 and then 16 and headed back to the school grounds. As I entered and got 3 time had pretty much run out but I decided to get 2, 26 and 1 to complete the card. As I was running from 26 to 1, much to my horror I noticed there were 2 empty controls, number 21 was missing!! Too hard to work out why while also running late and I got 1 and then ran it home.
Here is the map and my route
http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Hunts%20Creek.jpg
Ended up back in a time of 50:11 which means a 60 point penalty so 2,26 and 1 balanced out. I now got a chance to work out where 21 was and it was back up between 20 and 4. (Grrrrr). Anyway that leaves me with 510 points, normally a good score but not tonight with a number of people getting the lot in early time. Still holding onto 4th overall as 5th did not run again tonight and I did at least increase my best 12 runs points tally by 2 points! However another person has now leapfrogged into 5th place and is only 22 points behind me. Will be very interesting to see how the final 3 events turnout and how these affect each of our 12 best events points. No Summer Series for me next week as I am in Melbourne for work and miss out on a new map based around Milsons Point and Kiribilli.
Distance covered was 9km and so an average pace of 5:36 and avg hr of 169. Some good lessons to be learned but the good thing was the legs felt fine after the 50km epic on Sunday.
A fast start through to 9, 11 then a quick in/out along a trail to 7. Pretty easy to locate 10 under a power line tower and then some trail running for 24 and 4. (massive mistake here but more on that later). Further along the track to 19 then some faster street running with 25, 15, 30 and 20 in quick succession. A nice downhill stretch back to the bush and 18 then 22. Decided to duck in for 27. Excellent time to this point and I was feeling pretty good.
Up to 5 and then 8 with a bush bash to cut back to the higher track and pick up 12. More street running again and 6, 29, 13 were all pretty easy. Still looking good on time but in going so fast I had now reached the point where I had stopped planning ahead while running. A little of a muddle both in and out of 23 and it took a little while to regain map contact. Slowed down to ensure I got 14 right but had a poor route to then get to 17 which was also a little more difficult to find.
All of a sudden time which had seemed plentiful was running out! Street running again now and back up a hill to get to 28 and then 16 and headed back to the school grounds. As I entered and got 3 time had pretty much run out but I decided to get 2, 26 and 1 to complete the card. As I was running from 26 to 1, much to my horror I noticed there were 2 empty controls, number 21 was missing!! Too hard to work out why while also running late and I got 1 and then ran it home.
Here is the map and my route
http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Hunts%20Creek.jpg
Ended up back in a time of 50:11 which means a 60 point penalty so 2,26 and 1 balanced out. I now got a chance to work out where 21 was and it was back up between 20 and 4. (Grrrrr). Anyway that leaves me with 510 points, normally a good score but not tonight with a number of people getting the lot in early time. Still holding onto 4th overall as 5th did not run again tonight and I did at least increase my best 12 runs points tally by 2 points! However another person has now leapfrogged into 5th place and is only 22 points behind me. Will be very interesting to see how the final 3 events turnout and how these affect each of our 12 best events points. No Summer Series for me next week as I am in Melbourne for work and miss out on a new map based around Milsons Point and Kiribilli.
Distance covered was 9km and so an average pace of 5:36 and avg hr of 169. Some good lessons to be learned but the good thing was the legs felt fine after the 50km epic on Sunday.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Recovery and test drive of 301
Monday off and the body needed it, surprisingly the sorest part is still the shoulders and upper back from the camelbak.
Wanted to get out and see what the body said to more running. In general it was a pretty good shakeout. First use of my "Birthday Pressie" a Garmin 301, needed to do a few test runs before my actual birthday (6 foot). Used one of my more usual runs, straight to the Lane Cove weir and back. Got down there pretty bang on what I did last time I ran. The legs felt fairly good but I did notice the odd twinges appearing from the sites of my more significant injuries (ie RH Soleus and LH ITB).
Ended up running the 11km in 54:19 (slowed down a little on the way back) for an average of 4:55 min/km and avg HR of 163. Some good stretching for the aforementioned twinges worked a treat on the ITB (also did the roller tonight). Backed up with ice on the RHS calf. Again the LHS calf with the problem last week was fine.
The 301 was absolutely brilliant! Now way I can go back to the bodylink now. Easier to use, less bits and much, much better software!
Undecided as to what to do tomorrow, leaning towards not doing Summer Series and just some straight line running.
Wanted to get out and see what the body said to more running. In general it was a pretty good shakeout. First use of my "Birthday Pressie" a Garmin 301, needed to do a few test runs before my actual birthday (6 foot). Used one of my more usual runs, straight to the Lane Cove weir and back. Got down there pretty bang on what I did last time I ran. The legs felt fairly good but I did notice the odd twinges appearing from the sites of my more significant injuries (ie RH Soleus and LH ITB).
Ended up running the 11km in 54:19 (slowed down a little on the way back) for an average of 4:55 min/km and avg HR of 163. Some good stretching for the aforementioned twinges worked a treat on the ITB (also did the roller tonight). Backed up with ice on the RHS calf. Again the LHS calf with the problem last week was fine.
The 301 was absolutely brilliant! Now way I can go back to the bodylink now. Easier to use, less bits and much, much better software!
Undecided as to what to do tomorrow, leaning towards not doing Summer Series and just some straight line running.
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