2010

2009 was a bit of a write-off. Effectively injured all year, but only accepting it from the end of March onwards. Racing back too quickly and picking up a new, equally serious injury. Hope to learn from my mistakes. I still managed 2 PB's, albeit soft ones, with 15:39 on a hot windy day for 5000m and 3:53 for the Six Foot Track.

2010 is starting well. I'm back running pain free but still just gently. I'm still "aware" of both injuries and am worried that if I pick up the training too much either could recur. However, I've felt that way about my left knee for the past 20 years and managed to live with it.

Tasmania was fantastic. Flakey - we missed the Hobart Marathon by a few hours as we flew out yesterday morning at 10am. Would be keen to head back and race in Tassie in the future though as it's a beautiful spot and seems to support running - we caught the tail end of a 5km race in Hobart on our first day there on 28th December. I managed 7 runs in the 2 weeks, gradually increasing the time on feet to 56 mins a couple of days ago. It's bloody hilly though. I seemed to encounter a huge hill on every run I did. Best place for running was Land of the Giants near New Norfolk (Russel Falls) where I ran for 5 minutes straight up a road and then found some gently undulating forest trails for the next 45 minutes. Also enjoyed sand-boarding on the Henty Sand Dunes in Strahan - I'd run up the dunes after each ride which was great for the glutes.

Will post some photos soon.

Boxing Day

Lull in Blog updates over the past week or so having travelled back to the UK and being busy. Caught a cold on the flight back (not surprising given the temperature in the UK and the busy itinerary). Did 3 runs in Hexham, each on the same route around Warden (about 9km). All run quicky - on or just over 4mins per km. The final one was with Jamie on a very frosty morning of Dad's wedding. He made me keep the pace very honest all the way before we caught site of Laurence just before Hallstile Bank (thank God).

Today was the first run in a week and running off the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day drinking. Quickish again for 8km (my 7.5km Manly route but extended through to Campbell Pde finishing at the Mola's where we were for Christmas Day). Plan to run more frequently in Tassie and then pick it up again in the New Year. May even make a HuRT session in January. Hip and achilles are pain free. Only become aware of my hip when I slow down and "sit back" into my stride, hence the quicker running. I've been slack on the exercises recently though which make a huge difference.

Good start

Carl blew me out this morning (after just paying for my new set of 10) so rode to work angry. Albeit not very fast. Just haven't been putting the time in on the bike recently. Went out over lunch for 7km, first 5km quick (19:14) and the last 2km slow (10 mins). Felt very bouncy again, this glute work is doing wonders. Achilles good. Hip good.

Sunday fun

South Steyne and back from home. 30:14 (about 15:07 at South Steyne). Very warm but felt great and bouncy. No probs with the hip although achilles has stiffened up a bit since Thursday. Spent the morning watching Bec in the Nippers Carnival at Queenscliff where she just missed the final of the beach sprint after looking across in the final 10m. No wade due to the heavy surf which was a shame as it's her strongest event.

Update

Sore after first run so will try again tomorrow.

A few recent photos....

http://pommytom.smugmug.com/Highnam/December-2009/10541399_UTTrR/1/732144034_NqHdu

Tentative return

Very easy 5km today testing out the hip (the MRI for which showed a bony spur on my femur head and torn cartilage). No pain although I "became aware" of it in the final 500m. We'll see how it is tomorrow. Been doing a stack of exercises on my glutes which has made a big difference in the past week.

Very unfit though. Felt great for the first 2 minutes then the heavy breathing started.

Adductor Tendinopathy

Is what I have - saw a physio on Wednesday. 2-3 weeks off running, but allowed (and encouraged) to ride the bike. Groin is very tender at the moment, even to touch. Won't be fit for JPMorgan or State 3000m now but will be happy to sort this problem out properly and start running pain free again. Will take it much easier this time with no fixed goals other than to start building a good base.

Bugger

Session was 14 x 3mins off 60s but I pulled out after 6. Not sure what the matter was - completely bereft of energy and was puffing and wheezing just to hang on to the back of the group running 3:45s. Plus the groin/adductor was very sore (which it has been all week but have been trying to ignore it). Have booked an appointment at the physio tomorrow and will sort it out properly this time. Won't be fit for November but just want to run pain free again. Only good news is that the achilles feels stronger every day and actually seems to be better the more running I do.

Strange things are afoot...

Yesterday I showed up at Centennial Park at 6.45am to find our usual meeting place roped off by police due to the murder of a 37yr old. http://www.smh.com.au/national/man-died-a-violent-death-20090927-g7js.html. Today I try and run around North Head only to find the road closed by police due to a human skeleton being found by a fossicker. http://www.smh.com.au/national/skeleton-found-at-north-head-20090927-g7dm.html. Also on my run today, I set off with all things being usual from near Campbell Parade and return retracing my original steps to find a massive tree blocking the path. Good job I wasn't anywhere near it when it came down as I don't think I would have had the acceleration to avoid it.

Dropped Billy off at Woody's for a party and left the car there to do a 2 hour run. Ran to Shelley, up to North Head (but stopped by the cops at the roundabout), so went back the same way but when I got to Queenscliff carried on up the coast beyond Dee Why before turning around and heading home. Just like 2 weeks ago I felt fine until 90 minutes then really struggled. Didn't fall apart quite as badly as last time but it wasn't as hot. I think the correlation is doing the long run after Sean's session the day before, done it twice and both times I've struggled. All up it was 2:00:11. Works out at about 26.5km (route) so about 4:32 per km.

The Lambton Worm

Caught up with Sean's squad for 8km hard followed by 10 hills. Lots of wind today which, given we run a figure of 8 circuit, helped in parts but was tough in others. Laps went as follows:
7:04
7:17
7:24
7:03
28:46 all up. Felt pretty depressed during the 2nd and 3rd laps seeing the Tiger and Hollie pulling further ahead (albeit only doing 6km) and then saw Wayne Bulloch closing in on me so put some effort into the final lap. Felt better on that lap, lacking in confidence at the moment to push it earlier. Wayne was about 15 seconds behind. Given he ran 35:00 at North Head that shows about where I'm at. Pushed all the hills this time so pretty tired by the end. 15kms all up.

Bobby Shaftoe

Just an easy 6km today but ran it quite quick going through 5km in 20:09 before easing down to jog up the hill.

Cushy Butterfield

She's a big lass!
And a bonny lass!
And she loves her beer!
And they call her Cushy Butterfield,
and I wish she was here!

Another run home tonight. 31:07 at the Toyota Garage and 58:45 all up. Felt quite bouncy towards the end with the last 2km in 7:45.

A bet has been laid

Adductor was feeling better and had a massage with the Tiger so tested a run by running home. Where the adductor previously was sore was fine, but felt uncomfortable in the groin in an external, inside of the leg position. Was sore when the foot landed as opposed to when I dragged it forward as before. Achilles was also a bit sensitive with not having run in a while. Can't understand why I'm getting all these aches and pains in the hip flexor/groin area. Even the left leg was slightly sore. Otherwise run felt great, hardly breathing but was helped by a decent south westerly pushing me all the way home.

Got to ignore injuries from now though. Gary and I have $50 on who beats the other in the State 3000m. There's a $50 bonus if either beats my PB. I certainly won't achieve the latter, but it's full stream ahead on training regardless as to the aches and pains in order to beat the Tiger.

Bugger it

Very easy 6km run around the Botanical Gardens. Feeling strong again but the adductor/groin problem was bad. I number of other muscles in the leg get sore trying to protect it. Will take the next 5 days off to hopefully knock it on the head...

HuRTS Hills

First hill session in almost a year. Wasn't worried about the achilles but more about the adductor. Was fine during the session though. The program was for 30 x 100m hill with a quick jog back down after each one. We did them in the Botanical Gardens where the PiTD hill is. The intention isn't to all out sprint them, just to concentrate on form in lifting the knees and pushing through by firing up your glutes. We had a good crowd (suprisingly, given the Sydney Running Festival this weekend) with Charlie out front, Timmy L going well just behind him and a few others being burglars on the occasional rep. I ran in the middle of the pack alongside Binfield but found myself further forward for the last 5 or 6 when people started to tire. We had a quick drinks break after each set of 10. It was hot out there today - 30C but we had no shade from the sun.

Pleased with how it went. I could probably push them a bit harder next time but was being cagey. Still, legs are now very shaky, particularly after training with Carl this morning where we started to do squats etc.

4km warm up and 3km warm down for 13km all up.

Starting to get excited...

Rotten cold yesterday. I was the world's grumpiest man. Better today but still coughing up a load of bad stuff (which almost hurts my still sore chest). Wasn't going to miss today's run though. Set off by myself on the Surry Hill's route to Centennial, did two laps then 3 loops of Mackay Oval then back the same way. Very sorry for myself to start with, coughing, feeling my sore adductor etc. Then at about half way everything seemed to come right, started to push the pace just because I felt I could and felt fantastic for the first time in ages. Spirits really lifted. It shows in the km splits:

4:43; 5:01; 4:23; 4:35; 4:31; 4:25; 4:17; 4:23; 4:11; 4:02; 4:07; 4:20; 4:17; 4:12; 4:03; 3:43; 4:05

All up 16.82km in 1:12:41 (4:19's). Had a good stretch at 12km and the adductor felt much better afterwards. Should remember that.

Sore all over

Yesterday's run buggered my legs up. Felt like someone took a hammer to them overnight. Not helped by general stiffness due to the streaming cold I've caught.

Today was an easy 10km in 44:20 with Serg and Clyde, catching up with Gerry half way around. Felt quite good while out there, but as soon as I stopped as I was hobbling around like an old man. One day soon I'll go for a run and everything will feel great.

Big congrats to my big bro Jamie who smashed his 10km PB yesterday in running 36:57. Looks like the sub3 marathon in November should be easily achievable. I'll be giving him 10 seconds max in the Highnam Handicap in December.

Tough

If I'm being honest, I haven't enjoyed the long Sunday run for about a year. Injury worries seem to be exacerbated when running slowly, so it's always a slog. So I wasn't looking forward to today. Adductor was still sore, chest has been very sore and I'm always very aware of the achilles. Plus I had a sore throat and slight headache with a cold coming on, and the only time I could get out was 1pm on a beautiful sunny day with the temperature up at 28C. However, there was no way I was going to miss it after last weekend's effort.

Despite that, I felt great from the word go. I ditched the crap shoes yesterday and bought a pair of Brooks Infiniti and they felt brilliant. The adductor was still sore for the first 10km but gradually eased over that time so that I could barely feel it. I was running just under 4:30's but felt bouncy and was enjoying it. That was, until I hit 20km. I was then desperately thirsty but the nearest bubbler was 3kms away. I slogged my way there with the kms blowing out to 4:50's and then ran from bubbler to bubbler hovering around the 5:00 per/km mark. Eventually got back covering 28.69km in 2:13:06 (4:38's). Could barely stand up, shivering and alternating between feeling hot and cold. Tried to drink but immediately felt sick. I think I've just made the virus a lot worse than it would otherwise have been, but wouldn't have done it any differently. At least I didn't pull out.

Slowly feeling more normal

Saturday

Joined up with Sean's squad for what I thought was 6km hard. Turned out it was 8km hard followed by 10 100m hills. Watched everyone immediately shoot off into the distance while I ran with Craig Dunn and another chap with Dmitry just behind. Stayed with them for the first two laps where the other chap finished (he was only running 4km). Craig then seemed to ease off the pace a bit so I pushed ahead and ran by myself. Kept the pace fairly controlled the whole way and I think I judged the pace OK - it was hard but not as knackering as a race. Pleased to be able to stay ahead of Craig and Dmitry but they are also recovering from injury/illness. Splits were as follows:

3:28, 3:33, 3:41, 3:36, 3:40, 3:41, 3:41, 3:30.

Must be a bit short of 8km as my time was 28:36. Then did only 3 hills. Achilles was fine but I needed to get home and was also a bit concerned about the adductor.

About 14km all up.

In pain

Easy 10km with Clyde and Sam (44:20). Had intended to run 14km but adductor was starting to get a bit sore. Stretched it out thoroughly and feels good again now. Pain in my chest following last Sunday's secatur accident won't abate though.