Shortened Wednesday

Just 12km today with MC, MrAce, Slapstick, JW, Élan and a post injury Andy Cross.  Cut short as I was just too tired after yesterday and it was bloody hot.  Figure it's better to go into the key 400's session feeling fresh rather than slogging through kms for the sake of it.

Either that or I'm just soft.

HuRTS 4 x 10mins

Mrs Macs loop today. Did a 3km warm up as I was meeting Kirst at 2pm and was already sweating when I met everyone.  Bloody humid and warm to boot.  One of those days when everything is a huge effort.

Struggle through the first rep with Fats and Andy in tow, reaching 15s short of the start line (5:10 at the bottom corner).  Back the opposite way (which, strangely, feels easier despite starting and finishing in the same place), catching Andy and Fats on the hill after the bottom corner but with Andy pulling ahead again in the final 800m.

3rd rep with Andy following the whole way making it back to the start line (just) - 5:03 at the bottom corner and by the 4th rep I was really struggling.  Made no inroads into Andy until he looked as though he was tiring on the hill past the bottom corner.  Caught him at the Art Gallery hill, overtake but he then starts coming back at me.  I've got visions of Barts catching me at JPMorgan so put in a sprint to hold him off.  9:54 and rogered.

Cycled home last night.  Cycled in this morning.  Guys pass me on hills like I'm standing still.

Couple of photos taken of Billy at State Gymnastics champs at Rooty Hill RSL on Sunday. Rooty Hills RSL is far more impressive than it sounds:

Easy Monday

Usual route untimed.  15.2km.

Old route Sunday

Perfect day and a big crowd of Andy, Bart, Barts, Kanser, Justin, Ray and Eoin for my old Queenscliff, North Head, Tany Park route.  Starts gentle but hilly from 10km onwards.  Easy pace though saw us finishing in 2:08:54.

Big news of the day though is the arrival of a new blog.  With more frequent updates than the Tiger's, more quality training than Kanser's, less reliance on the Garmin than the KiltedScot's and better spelling than Timmy's, it's the must read running update of the day.  Young Jack is my nephew based down in Melbourne and is posting some quality times, particularly over 1500m and 3000m.

Www.jacksrunningpage.blogspot.com.au

Curl Curl Parkrun

Busy weeken so drove there and did 7km warm up on the course.  Graced with some quality female runners today with Amy Stafford and Anna F turning up along with the Tiger.

Hip improved during my warm up so went for it from the off.  Km splits were about 3:10, 3:16, 3:20, 3:16, 3:14 for 16:16 all up (although officially timed at 16:18).  Gary ran with me for 500m then it was solo with Gary coming in 2nd, Amy 3rd and Anna 5th.

Very happy with that.  Quicker than I thought I'd go and held on well when I thought I'd be going lactic.

Interesting fact for the day:  Former wild child and current snooker World Champ Ronnie O'Sullivan is a keen runner with a 10km PB of 34:54.

Friday frolics

12km very easy around Centennial with MC.  Hip very sore (causing leg to collapse at times) from bloody glute exercises.

Took Voltaren late afternoon and evening in order to get through weekend.

HuRTS 400's

Well the plan is to do plenty of these 400's sessions, but conditions really tested everyone today.  33C, windy and bushfires raging.  A few of the old timers returned today with Durante and Big Mikey H both making a return.  MC split us into 3 groups with just me, Mikey, Dom, Kenny and Andy in the first group.  Running off a rolling 2 mins I went:

67, 68, 69, 71, 71, 71, 72, 70, 70, 69

Too quick in the conditions on the first 3 running with Big Mikey.  He then dropped off leaving me to run solo when the conditions caught up with me.  Was wearing a black T-Shirt which I had to ditch exposing my white belly to the poor ladies present.  Worswick couldn't resist but comment.

Pleased with the session despite the variation in times.  Everyone was suffering out there.  I collapsed on the grass at the end sucking in big ones.  Good honest session though.

Warmdown via Darling Pt with Jeet and Andy for 12km all up.

Just for Timmy, here's a photo from my office of Doomsday out West:

HuRTS Fartlek

Decided to give the session a push today.  First time I've done so for a Tuesday session in months, mainly because I've still been tired from the weekend.  But with shorter Sunday runs more recently, I've been feeling good by Tuesday.  Kenny, Andy and Fast Charlie (although there's talk of Fast Charlie and LF Charlie doing a name swap) came with me but Fast LF Charlie dropped out at the Park Hyatt and by the turn Andy was about 50m back with Kenny a further 50m behind him.  We'd made good ground though, reaching the 2nd speed bumps opposite the steep steps before Lend Lease - good given the tougher detour around Farm Cove.  

Had someone to chase on the way back which always helps.  Caught Andy and Kenny at CQ then pushed on from the Stone Gates home (10:30) to get back in 44:59.9.  How's that for a central governor.  12.8km averaging 3:30's.  Always seem to go Ok on the Fartlek, which I think is because I'm

soft and like a little rest after any small amount of effort.

4.5km warmdown with MC, Andy, Mr Ace and LF Fast Warrior Charlie for 18km all up.

Monday HuRTS

First run feeling good in weeks.  Very easy on the way out chatting with Ray (running even after his 2:39 yesterday!), MC, Mr Ace, Worswick and others.  Picked the pace up on the way back.  All up 15.2km averaging 4:29's.

Convinced my achilles issue is a very tight glute/top of hammie and rollered it to death last night which paid dividends.

East Side Sunday

Over to Kanser's this morning for a Centennial run.  Met Wildman in the park then did a route down to Coogee given it was yet another perfect day and followed the (very hilly and full of steps) coastal route all the way up to Bondi before heading back to Queen's Park and an internal loop of Centennial and back to Kanser's.  Pretty slow average time of 4:40's but that was mainly due to all the hills and steps. 26km in 2:01 something.

Some great results at Melbourne Marathon today with LJ running a fantastic 2:47 and Elle debuting in 3:05.  The girls are really showing the boys how it's done at the moment.  Richie Banks was the best of the blokes in 2:38:20.  Maybe we don't need to travel to Europe to run fast times.

Curl Curl Parkrun

Crawled over to Curl Curl early doors and then tried to haul my ass through the Parkrun.  Great little course.  Said hello to Ron Schwebel then we were off.  Some bloke in a triathlon top immediately sped off but was confident he was going to keep it up, especially as I was still running 3:16's.  Caught him at 2km, he tried to surge again to prevent me going to the lead then relinquished.

I hit the front then immediately went the wrong way.  He shouts to me so I rejoin 30m back again.  Probably lost about 10s.  Overtook him again at 3km then gradually pushed ahead maintaining the pace.  Finished just under 17 in 16:56 then jogged home.

13km for the morning and a great start to another beautiful day.

Mewling excuses

Just 7km in 31:20.  Beaut of a day but I had a few too many Bavarian beers last night so to get out at all was a bonus.

Think I'll try the Curl Curl Parkrun in the morning.  Magnesium is working.

Hot, hot, hot

35C today so MC cancelled the Hickson Rd reps.  I just ran around the harbour for an hour easy.  Body very sore.  Decided I need magnesium.

Wednesday MLR

Out with MC, Kanser, Mr Ace, Todd, Slapstick and half the NAB leveraged finance team for the usual Wednesday route but cut short at the Slip Inn for Kirst's appointment.  18km all up at an easy pace today.  Legs very stiff, need someone from Jackie's to sort them out.  But a beaut of a day.  Then out this evening for far too much fine wine and steak at Rockpool, not missing out on the Fat Duck inspired trifle.  Good days.

HuRTS 8 x 5 mins

Back to Art Gallery Rd for this set and it's a much harder (and better I reckon) session as a result.  Plenty of undulating hills especially on the return leg.  I was making up to 1.53km on each rep on the way out but struggling to get back other than on the last.

Solid session running up front alongside (variously) Kenny, BOB and Fats.  

4km warmdown for 17km all up.

Branxton Rodeo.  I loved it.  Bec was pants on the mechanical bull, Mags a natural.

Back home

Managed to squeeze in 7km back home from Huhter Valley before Kirst started screaming at me.  29:05.

Hunter Valley long

Solo long in Hunter Valley.  Not keen on running long without company these days but knees were fine and achilles mostly ok so the kms ticked by having found a decent circular route up Old North Rd and back down Deasy's Rd.  

26km in 1:54 (4:23's).

Hunter Valley

13km in 54:22 (4:11's) in the Hunter Valley.  Pretty crap run really.  Knees and achilles were a bit sore, nowhere to run but out and back route on main roads and didn't even see a kangaroo.

104km for week.

HuRTS 800m reps

5km early this morning picking up the car from the garage.

Spring weather for you at lunch. 30C and sunny on Tuesday, cold and wet today.  Was late to get to Rushcutters so missed first rep.  MC was leading them with LJ.  They were only taking 90s rest, grass was long, windy in final 100m, can't think of any more excuses.  I ran:

2:31

2:32

2:31

2:28

2:31

2:29

2:28

First 2:28 was chasing the second group to overtake them, much easier than running solo.  But generally nice to run fast(ish) again, been a while since I've done a Thursday session.  My knees feel better for it.

Jog back for 11km all up.

Wednesday MLR

Usual route with Jeet, Bart, JW, BelElle, Em and a couple of others.  Pace a bit quicker today (I had it at 4:23's but may have measured long - will check at home).  20.5kms all up as everyone had dropped away by CQ.

Getting more and more photos from Munich and feeling increasingly jealous.