Pain

Felt terrible after yesterday's run - stiff neck and shoulders, very lethargic and headache. I think I may have pushed it too much coming out of having a cold (mainly through drinking too much on Sunday night). So was in two minds whether to run today but felt OK by lunch so headed out for an easy Pain. Didn't push it, just eased around in 25:32 and easy following Tucks on the Farm Cove rep. Not many out today (last Thursday's session seems to have killed everyone off) - just Ray, Tucks, Chris G, Toby and Dylan.

2.5km warm up and 3.5km warmdown for 12km all up.

Supposed recovery run

A combination of a hangover (out watching Manly lose the Grand Final) and running too soon after lunch meant the run home from work (3pm - it's Labour Day today) was very average. Felt awful - the legs haven't felt so lethargic in months. Started to feel slightly better as the run went on but it's all comparative. Had a following wind most of the way which was about the only way I got home.

32:00 at the Toyota Garage and 59:37 all up. Not bad in the end. Looked at my watch with 1km to go and it read 56:00 so put the effort in to get home in under an hour.

Medium Long Slow Sunday

23km in 1:42:12. Loop around Balgowlah golf club until I got caught short so came home. Then did North Head route via Campbell Parade including Fairfax Walking Track. Beautiful day today - crystal clear, coolish, no wind and a pleasure to run taking it very easy.

Still recovering from cold that has kept me sidelined for the last two days.

[Pretty good guess on the distance - just G-Mapped it at 23.2km here...http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1357974]

Aerobic conditioning

14 x 3 min off 1 min rest around Farm Cove.

Averaged about 3:25 - 3:30 per km pace per rep. First 5 feel great, chatting away. Then you start to think they are going to go on forever and you haven't even reached halfway. By 10 (when Ray put in a quick one) I was starting to struggle but picked it up again over the last 2 knowing I was home. Pretty hot today - grabbed a rushed drink from the bubbler after no.10. Managed to run gate to gate plus some on the final rep - about 930m.

Good crowd led by Charlie, Serg, Anthony, Ray, Enda, Mike C, Toby and Derek from BT, Luke and Tim C joining after 5. Lots dropped out after 8 and more after 10 (including, inexplicably, Charlie), Ray, Serg and Anthony stopped after 12 leaving just Tim C and I to run the last 2.

Felt shafted at the end. Barely able to manage a jog. Now sitting at my desk with a sore stomach contemplating how to stay awake for the rest of the afternoon.

1km warm up plus 3km warmdown for about 17km all up.

Long endurance

20km from work to old unit in Mosman via Cremorne Point and back again. 86:30.

Couldn't do the usual session running to work as I hadn't left a suit so was planning to run home but weather was beautiful and work quiet so headed out at lunch. Still a little tired from the weekend and in anticipation of tomorrow's tough session I dropped the marathon pace sections and just ran it easily. Lovely run as a result.

Pain

No Charlie session today due to recovery from the Half so ran Pain. Calves are very sore today - I've been walking around like John Wayne all morning. Ran 3.5km warm up then Pain with Serg, Anthony, Ray, Dave Clark, Dylan, Luke, Phil, Enda and Toby. Highlight was a new PB on the 709m stretch around Farm Cove - 1:53. Tucked in behind Dave at the start and let him drag me around (Serg flying by half way around as usual).

3.5km warmdown with Serg afterwards for 13km all up.

Recovery run

Very easy 14km around Balls Head with Ray. 67:53. Nice run chatting about yesterday's race in the sunshine. Bumped into a chap Ray knew on the way back who introduced us to the 2 Kenyan's who finished 4th and 7th in yesterday's marathon. Turns out they only arrived in Sydney after a 20 hour flight from Nairobi on Saturday afternoon for the race early on Sunday, which probably explains their positive splits (after I was rude enough to ask them how come they ran so slowly in the second half).

Jamie - there were about 3500 runners in the Half - results here.... http://www.runthebridge.com.au

Sydney Half Marathon

8th in 72:21.

Woo-hoo! Finally beaten one of Dad's PBs!

Felt great heading into this race but had a bit of a panicked morning preparation. The organisers have finally plotted a great course but they really need to sort out some of the basics. The queue for the toilets was huge, as a result I only managed to drop off my bag (another organisational fiasco) with 5 minutes to spare. So no warm up at all. Set off with the lead pack of about 8 and ran together until the far side of the Harbour Bridge when Tom de Canto put a sudden surge. A group of 5 went with him, including Anthony just hanging off the back. Struggled a bit through Pyrmont but checked my time at 6km which was 20:04. Realised things were going well then. Fortunately I was caught just coming onto the City Westlink by a chap and we ran together for the next 9km. Went through 8km in 27:00 and 10km in 33:51. Coming back towards the Anzac Bridge I was dropped and on the turn I could see Ray wasn't too far behind.

From then I just tried not to let the gap with Anthony grow while really being more concerned with Ray catching behind. I was still doing 3:23 and 3:24 kms between 16-18km so knew that Ray would have to be charging if he was going to catch. Relieved to get to Hickson Road as I know the route like the back of my hand from there.

Loved the course. Lots of long straights just to put your head down and get into a rythmn. The out and back route means you get loads of shouts of "go Striders" which really picks you up.

Fantastic run by Ray to finish in 72:37 - a PB after 13 years. Anthony probably just ducked under 72. Good to catch up with 26miles, Tim Lindop, Keith and Sparkie afterwards.

[Added some photos taken this afternoon of the kids]

More easy stuff

Very easy 7.5km route around Manly early in the morning before the rain came. 33:42.

Recovery run

Very easy 14km around home - down to Queenscliff, around to Shelly, around North Head and straight back home. 64:15. Sore to start with but felt good by the end.

Hickson Road

Swapped my entry in the Bridge Run on Sunday to the Half Marathon, principally following Kanser's email asking whether I'd be happier with a 9km PB or a Half PB. So didn't push this session as hard as I would normally do. Having said that, it would have been hard to as nobody else did, consistently at least. Times went:

3:45; 3:32; 3:37; 3:30; 3:53

First and last I was running by myself into a strong headwind. Last also involved a detour due to traffic. Third was most satisfying tucking behind the main group to shelter from the wind and then pushing on in the last 200m. Strong wind assisting on the return runs made them very quick. Anthony ran 3:17 for the 4th, a new Hickson Road record.

Another big crowd, including Ray, Serg, Anthony, Charlie, Fats, Phil, Richard's H and M (making a return), Durante, Dylan and Toby.

Wednesday slog

Bloody hell. Tough one today. 19km run into work with the usual 4 marathon pace stretches. Legs felt very tired after yesterday's session - I was dreading each fast section. Military Road ended up being the most painful. I think the fast sections must have been slower than usual but the overall time was OK at 82:37. Beautiful day - warm, sunny and no wind.

Overt training

8 x 5 min off 90 seconds recovery.

Charlie sent an email this morning suggesting this session and my initial thought was one of horror and looking forward to PiTD as usual. Then Anthony responded saying he was keen. Thought about a little more and realised that the two people doing the session were the two people who have finished immediately in front of me in my last two races and are precisely those I should be pushing myself against.

The session wasn't half as bad as it looks and was interesting to see the way Charlie normally trains. Tim C and Enda also showed up and for each rep someone took on the pace. The pace was pretty easy - certainly comfortable for the first 5 reps and rather than having any lactic build up over the last 3, it was more just creeping fatigue. Very different to my normal rep sessions where I tend to blast each one. Tim dropped out after 5 and Enda after 6 so the last two were just Anthony, Charlie and I pushing on a little. Still felt as though I could have done 2 more at the end but feel pretty fatigued now I'm back in the office.

1km before and after for about 15km all up.

More easy stuff

Had to be another easy run today as I could only get out when work finished at 7.15pm and I've been up since 3:25am. Very easy 14km run home. Really enjoyed it not having to do any fast stretches. 58:54.

Mini-Break

Thursday - rest, too busy heading up to Port Douglas.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday - 11km around Port Douglas at quite a decent pace. 46mins first day, then 45:20 then 44:50 over the same route out to the crocodile park at the end of Port Douglas Road, back into Port Douglas the back way via the mangrove swamp (took this bit quickly worrying about crocs) then along Macrossan to the beach and back to the villa.
Can't get out at lunch today but hoping to fit in a run this evening.

Wednesday Tough slog

19km run to work with the usual 4 marathon pace sections. 82:08 - a little faster than the last few weeks probably due to not so much wind today.

This has become my toughest session of the week. I hope it's doing me some good. Pushed the bottom of Parriwi a little harder than usual which meant I was struggling by the top and found the Military Road section tougher as a result.

Pain

3km warm up plus 6km Pain plus 3km warmdown for 12km.

Felt a bit sore and weary to start with after yesterday's long run but got into it by half way around and felt pretty strong for the latter half. 1:58 for the long rep. Another good crowd including Tucks, Ray, Serg (who isn't as injured as had been made out), Richard (who looks to be getting some form back), Tim C, Durante, Phil etc despite Charlie Low leading Mike, Anthony and a couple of others on a breakaway session of 12 x 1km off a 1 minute rest. That just sounded like a bit too much to me.

Happy Birthday to Me

Treated myself to a 25km run due to missing the long run over the weekend (and for the last couple of weekends). 4km around Botanical Gardens and then 14km around Balls Head with Ray and Durante then to Darling Point and back with Ray. Easy pace the whole way. Had a few stomach cramps from Luna Park onwards - probably a small dose of what Bella and Duncan caught in Bilpin over the weekend.

APEC Weekend

Spent the long weekend up in Bilpin and just ran a steady 10km each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning.

Thursday speed

Tried out a speed session today. s x 5 x 520m (approx) around the outside of the football pitch on top of the Domain carpark. Worked very well as it was quiet (due to APEC I think) and they had just mown the grass which laid out a perfect grass track for us to follow.

Decent crowd again including Ray, Anthony, Tim C, Durante, Chris E, Phil, Charlie Low and two of his workmates. Reps went:

92, 95, 95, 95, 95, 95, 94, 95, 96, 97.

1 minute between each and one slow rep jog between the sets of 5. I led the first set (with Ray for the first 2) and then Anthony and Charlie pushed on in the second set (with Durante blazing for glory on the last).

Very different to running something like Hickson Road. Not mentally as tough but each one hurts physically. Quite of a bit of wind down the back straight probably slowed them down a bit.

1km warm up and 4km warm down for 11km all up.