10km tempo

Well I tried to run it as a tempo, but it was very muggy out there today and my legs felt really heavy after a couple of bad night's sleep (3.5 and 5 hours respectively).

The old 10km out-and-back route from work. Got to 5km in 19:28 then picked it up a little coming back up the hills on the return to get home in 38:28.

Wednesday MLR

9 of us today - MC, King James, Dicky H, Benny St, RMR, Kroney, Clyde and Simon. The old double loop of Centennial Park route. All up 19km in 1:25:44. Nice easy pace the whole way and felt really good after not killing myself yesterday.

I'll continue on this way for the first quarter of 2011 - keeping the Tuesday session controlled so that I'm not knackered for the rest of the week.

HuRTS 5min reps

Beautiful day, quite warm at 24C (Humidity 33%, cloud cover 8%, westerly wind of 31km/h - got a new App for my iPad). Nice crowd today including the return of Young Timmy, MC, Dicky H, Andy, LF Charlie, JF, Chris G, RMR, Todd and the ever improving AAR crew of Ali and Julian.

Intended to run them sensibly and did so with JF, Dicky H and Andy averagin about 3:35's. On rep 7, Dicky was making it his last and picked up the pace running it averaging 3:21 and we continued this pace on the last rep. Want to continue to run them this way - feeling strong at the end. Not quite hot enough for a dip in the harbour post session but won't be long before that starts again.

Very easy Monday

Usual route but very windy so avoided Barangaroo and stuck to Hickson Road. Crowd included MC, Laura, King James,
Andy etc., but then we were joined by Durante and Wildman! The honour! All up 66:16, but at a very nice pace.

Comeback Day 2

Manly 10.2km today after a day in the sun. Felt great again. 5:59 for the Manly Mile reaching Manly SLSC in 21:38 and 39:38 all up. Doesn't really count but bumped into Hambuglar shortly before the run when in Dan Murphy's, he'd gone long on beer while I'd gone long on wine...

Training starts here

Christmas parties over, mojo back, need the rigour of a proper regime again. Just the Manly route today but feeling surprisingly good. 29:43 without trying. Left orthotics at work though so ran without them and noticed it.

HuRTS Progressive tempo

Charlie, considered your advice, but then made a $50 bet with the Tiger giving him a 30s headstart at the State 5000m in February, so decided to do some training.

Small crowd today what with Christmas and all (and MC confusing us all as to what session we were doing). Set out very easily at 4:27 pace with JF, Luke, French Ben, English Andy and Dicky H, picked it up to 4:00's then 3:50's then stretched out a bit with Rich over the final 15 minutes getting back in 44:15. We turned only just past the start of the Hickson Road reps though so it was a very easy first half.

Nice to be back out again though.

Stuffed

Been stuffed at work. Knackered at home. Just want to sleep all the time and have lost my running mojo. Haven't done anything since last Thursday. Had a Carl session this morning with more plyometrics work so ran there (4km) but he advised against running on to work afterwards due to the intensity of the session. My legs were wobbling by the end of it so I heeded his advice and got the bus.

Billy's homework

 

Just been reading Billy's homework book for the year and noticed this entry from mid-August!

Runs to work

Wednesday: Ran to work via Carl. Carl wasn't there, did some core work in the Gym and continued on to work. 57:36. Got to work prior to 9am, logged on to Six Foot website to register for the race, couldn't get access, finally got access at 9.15am and it had sold out. So I'm waitlisted. Not happy.

Thursday: Ran to work. Decided to put some effort in and make it a tempo. Did the first km in 4:05 (which includes the first 200m of trying to get the legs to function) but then hit the hill at Balgowlah and my legs were dead. Continued to put some effort in but every hill I hit (and there are a few) my legs were goooone. Perhaps it's a good job I am only waitlisted for Six Foot. 25:44 at Spit Junction and 53:46 all up so not a bad time all things considered.

Good luck to Benny tonight at Zatopek.

HuRTS 14 x 3mins

Knackered and run down after another broken night with Claudes so rocked up to the HuRT session in the heat with intentions to take it very easy. Ran with Mike Race for the first few reps and soon realised that running with Mike Race is no longer easy. Fely OK albeit a bit tight in the legs and pushed on a bit chasing Quentin over the final 4 reps. Another big crowd and even MC doesn't recognise half the group these days. It was Quentin followed by French Ben, Mike Race and Enda towards the front though.

Pleased to get through them unscathed, probably at the pace we're supposed to run them at (MC was saying Benny St thinks we do these reps far too quickly). I guess the last 4 were at 3:25 pace with the earlier ones at 3.35 pace.

Easyish Monday

The usual route (no Liners today so all the way down Barangaroo) with a big crowd including MC, Clyde, the Chairman, James V, Brendan K, Luke and French B. Easy to start with then the Chairman picked the pace up on the way back, with only me, Luke and French Ben running with him all the way. 35:00 on the way out and 31:45 on the way back for the 15.8km. Struggled towards the end though - lack of mileage is affecting me. Hot out there. Singlet was dripping wet by the end.

Not happy Jan

Really busy and stressed at work at the moment and with Claudia not sleeping well at night it's starting to hit me. Came down with the same sinusitis thing I've been having intermitently all year on Thursday. Felt rotten yesterday. Just about better today so crept out for the short Manly route this afternoon after spending 6 hours in the sun marshalling the Queenscliff Nippers Carnival this morning.

Felt crap for first half then gradually better in the second. 31:35 (4:12's).

HuRTS Gate to Gates

Muggy today, had a bit of a headache and generally lacking any mojo but headed down with Jules mainly just to run with some mates. Tucks was taking it easy so ran with Dicky H on the first two reps and a bit ahead on the others apart from the last where Tucks put some effort in and blew us away. Others there included Andy, Todd, Bill, Clement, Ray, Anna, Luke and French chap Ben. Times went:

2:52, 2:51, 2:47, 2:49, 2:47, 2:46, 2:42

It's 909m so that is averaging 3:04's. Felt pretty comfortable on all but the last, but was still wondering how I ran them 10s faster per rep prior to JPMorgan. Then following Tucks on the final rep I realised how - you have to go full bore from the start and hurt yourself during each rep. But I wasn't up for that today.

We were supposed to do 8 but everyone seemed pretty happy to call it quits at 7. Very Conwayesque behaviour and he wasn't even there.

Wednesday slog in the rain

One of those days where it would have been much easier to roll over in bed and forget about it for the day. Instead, put my kit and rucksack on with a gore-tex jacket over the top and ran the 4kms to Carl at Spit Bridge. Did the session with him (no bounding today due to the weather (and my body)) but instead more core strength stuff - he even emailed me with the details:

*Wk 2/4 Race recovery program full ROM PN demand high x10-15 reps
-S (55) single jacks
-S (55) double prone jacks with S chest support (no hold)
-S (55) LB roll out (oblique focus)
-D full squat
-B kneeling R woodchopper x13.6kg

Then followed up with the 10km jog to work feeling very heavy-legged, especially on the hills. Absolutely soaked as it was a downpour. One of those days I used to love in the UK as I knew I'd be training when some of my competitors wouldn't be. Unfortunately my competitors out here seem more hardcore than me.

Put a link up to Carl's website on the left for anyone that is interested. Highly recommended. Got me over my achilles problems and will be my not-so-secret weapon for next year...

HuRTS 45mins Fartlek

Looked out the window before lunch and it looked cloudy and cold so put a long sleeve top on. Step outside and it's warm and humid. The top was drenched by the end of the session.

Fair crowd today (including AAR recruit Ali) but good upfront with Dicky H, Tucks, and new chap Quentin but with me doing all the work. Turned about 20m after the second speed bump on Hickson Road so a decent distance but slowed a bit with the effects of the humidity on the way back. Dicky dropped off just before the Opera House and my legs were gone as soon as we hit the hills with Tucks and Quentin pushing ahead. Got back in 45:54. Legs affected by the lack of a long run in training at the moment.

Good to see RMR justifying his Most Improved trophy for HuRTS with a 2.5 minute PB over the Half Marathon at the weekend.

Run home

Legs felt a bit heavy today but the breathing was good. Quick again, 15:41 at Ben Boyd, 29:05 at Toyota Garage, 47:02 with 2km to go and 54:10 all up. I've concluded that when you do no tough sessions (particularly the long run and intervals), the average pace of your normal runs quickens to compensate.

Short Sunday again

Same as last week but a bit quicker - 41:03 at 10km and 61:59 all up. Perfect running weather - 22C but a slight drizzle. Thighs still sourish, they'll probably recover just before Wednesday's repeat session.

The pain was bearable

Suffered like never before from Wednesday's strength training. Couldn't even touch my glutes without being in agony. Not helped by two nights on the booze on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday was the HuRTS Awrds night, where the following were annointed 2010 winners:

Best performance: JB (Gold Coast Half) with Heyden as runner up (Comrades and other ridiculous Ultras)
Most Improved: Mike Race with Laura as runner up
Serg Award: Conway. No one else got close. Enda got a few protest votes for constantly having a cold.

Thighs and glutes could just about stomach a run today so did the Manly 10.2km in 43:57. The only person I bumped into was my own daughter, which was a bit weird.

Heavy duty Wed

Training with Carl at 6am where we've started a new program outside involving loads of bounds, squats and drills. Legs were shaking like jelly all morning as a result. Then went out at lunch with MC, RMR, LF Charlie, King James, Craig and others (Rob joining mid-route) for two laps of Centennial and back (19km). Longest run in a month and felt fatigued as a result. Saw my female nemesis doing reps around McKay Oval.

HuRTS Awards Night tonight. The big event on the annual runners calendar, after the Laureus Sports Awards.