Easy

8km easy in 4:28's then a DCRun session but just concentrating on core, glute activation and upper back.

200's

Up at sparrows fart for an Akuna Bay ride with Macca but I was a minute too late at the ABC Pool and he'd gone. Pedalled furiously to catch him but gave up at Warringah Mall and skulked back home to bed.

Very hot (32C) and humid today and wasn't in the mood for a session. Decided against 400's and did 200's instead. 3km warm up, then did laps of the oval at LM Graham Reserve - 200m sprint and 200m float - except I'd marked out the sprint section longer than the float. Was tough enough in the heat and worked on the form again. All splits in the 36's other than rep 2. Suunto says 230m to 240m so I'll take 220m, it's not a full circle so shouldn't be too far out. Was definitely going faster than I'd normally do 400's in. 3km warm down for 10km plus all up.

No swim

Same as last week with a morning jog along Curly beach with Mags and Bec (including a dip in South Curl Curl pool) and then 20km over lunch - same route.  Did it in 1:23:56 this week though (4:11's) but I think I underestimated the humidity wearing all black.  Felt nauseous and light headed this arvo.  So much so I missed swim squad.

Will have to get out tomorrow.

Bought new bike.  Very excited.

Update

Friday was 60km on the bike with Sam, Macca and Ben around Akuna Bay in 2:00:31.  Hit the lights badly though so I reckon it was quicker than last week, particularly when we jumped on the back of the Manly Waringah CC train.  Went straight into 4km run around the Golf Club with Macca with the glutes and hammies screaming.

No running since due to camping at Coolendel.  Glutes have been smashed in any case, only recovering today (Sunday).

DCRun stuff

1km in the pool this morning. I'm still struggling to get under 2mins for 100m but at least it's the first time I've swam 1km freestyle.

DCRun session at lunch.  First part was glute activation exercises, then glute strengthening which consisted of 4x400m with 20 full body squats in between.  Then core work.  More wobbly legs on my part.  It was bloody hard.

Ivanhoe

10km easy in 43:50.  

Pub quiz in evening with LF Charlie and Iain.  A much improved performance from last months' last position.  We've worked out that, if in doubt, go with what Charlie thinks.

This is supposed to be off season

Up early and out with Bec and Maggie to run along Curl Curl beach and do some sand hills.

20km easy at lunchtime, up Pittwater and back down the beaches, although I picked the pace up in the final 5km for 1:26:00 (4:18's).

75 mins swim squad this evening. Don't like the sets with paddles as it seems to aggravate my dodgy right shoulder. Shame as it's nice to feel like you're swimming faster. I'm still crap and the slowest and get cramp everywhere towards the end but it's starting to feel a little easier.

Spent the morning in Maggie's class helping her make a Christmas wreath. I was pretty much the sole Dad, and all the Mum's had finished making their wreaths when Mags and I were still covering our coat hanger with newspaper, but pretty impressed with the finished product. Ours is the one with the little birds hanging down.

Curl Curl Parkrun - 2nd in 16:46

Quick first km in just over 3mins.  Then Sam Walker came past and maintained the pace while my legs turned to jelly.  No watch so just kept on pushing to the end.  

Jogged there and back with Macca and Jamie.  Eamo's becoming a regular too running a 19:04 PB today so the HuRT Squad are taking over.

Friday Grey

Steady 10km in 39:49 with new orthotics.  Haven't worn heel raises in 2 weeks now.

Bike and swim

Akuna Bay loop with Sammy, Macca and Ben early doors (just under 2 hours) then swim squad this evening (with Macca popping up again, he's stalking me).

Shagged out now.

Filler

10.5km easy.

Seaforth 400's

Had tentative plans to run HuRTS but missed my chance to get to the City and the session doesn't match what I'm trying to do at the moment.  So jogged up to Seaforth Oval and ran 10x400m off 2 mins, except it's not 400m.  Surprised in any case that the times were better than last month:

63, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64

The 64's were all between 64.0 and 64.5.  Concentrated on keeping my right arm straight.  Canny pleased like. 

Suunto download below - it gets it at 370-380m:

Triathlon training begins

Saw DCRun this morning who filmed my running and showed me where my form had flaws. Basically need to work on my glute medius and more core. Then did a session with him, the hardest of which was making my thighs go lactic on a bike before using my glutes to walk up steps carrying dumb bells. Bloody hell. My heart rate hasn't got that high in years and I jogged home with the wobbly legs of a drunkard.

Then tonight went back to swim squad where Ruth put us through 75 minutes of hell in h2o. Worse bit was 2 x 100m with a band around my ankles. Holy crap. I tried to signal the pool boy after 30m but I think he assumed we were all proficient. Ended up doing about 2.5km of different stuff all up so it must be doing me good.

Took the bike in for a service and hope to get out with sammy and the boys on Thursday morning.

MLR Sunday

2 loops of the old flat 10km circuit untimed but steady.  21kms.

Calves tight running in old Sayonaras and no heel raises.

Curl Curl Parkrun - 2nd in 16:40

Manic day today so had to squeeze the Parkrun in.  Got out the car to see who but Macca!  Did a warmup with him and he pointed out Jake Stollery - the chap who beat my course record by 5s a few weeks back.  So we finally meet each other when I'm feeling fat and lazy.

Jake went off quick with me 10m behind.  Hurdled a tree at 300m brought down in the recent storms.  Jake pulls ahead a bit.  3:10 and 3:16 for first 2kms.  He slows at 3km allowing me to catch up.  We then run together to the end with him chatting away, encouraging me and  looking like he's on a stroll.  Managed to hurdle the tree again on the run in.

No warm down as I had to rush back so 9km all up.

Might try Steeplechase next year:

Getting fat

Yesterday did 5km easy then 5 x Suwarrow hills (ending back of Reggie and Joel's) then 2km warm down.

Billy's got patella tendonitis requiring him to drop out of gymnastics for a bit. We start injuries young in our family.

Sunday MLR

Had plans to head to Centennial early doors for a run but a crap night's sleep coughing away put paid to that. Dropped Charlie at a party in Brookvale so just did 20km up to Narrabeen lake and back via Dee Why Beach and the Griffin St hill. 20km in 1:26 (4:18's). Body felt good for once. All this rest is doing wonders.

Curl Curl Parkrun - 1st in 16:54

Had a large number of beers, cider and rum last night over curry with Dicky, Macca, LF Charlie, Justin, Tim, Paul, Jamie and Ben.  Last thing I wanted to do was run this morning but Tiger had organised a session and knew this was my only chance of getting out so hauled my ass out of bed at 6am.  Session changed to Parkrun.  Jamie was also fronting so I had no excuses.  Fair crowd, numbers down on last week.  Good to see Eamo there too.

Uncomfortable run sweating out the booze.  Did enough to dip under 17mins.  Jamie was 15s back having run with him until 3km.  10mins rest then 10 x 1min with the Tiger, Jamie and Amy Stafford.  Big thunderstorms last night so the grass was very damp.  Made me work my glutes so much so that I faded badly on the last rep.  Felt like this is what I need to be doing though.

JPMorgan CC - 12th in 18:26

Started to feel crook on Sunday and came down with a heavy cold.  Timing sucked.  Still felt very average on race day but this is one event I never miss.  Had to do my company captain's duties in any case so made my way out Centennial Park.  After a few hopeless run-throughs I confirmed my decision to take it easy and run with LJ.  

Massive showing from the HuRT Squad as ever.  This photo was taken shortly before the race start:

I buried myself a few rows back from the front line and ran with the crowd.  Must have been in about 60th position or so at the bottom of the hill due to everyone screaming away at the start but boy, do they start coming back to you as soon as you start climbing!  Asked Durante where LJ was half way up the hill and he said way up ahead.  My legs were empty at this stage and I was wondering whether I could hold on even at this pace.  Got to the top of the hill, found LJ, ran through the km marker then suddenly started to feel as though it was easy.  LJ was surrounded by runners, and I began to think, she's a class act, a race winner and doesn't need a bum like me getting in her way.  Andy was up ahead so I started to race it.  Caught Andy and Jason Ibrahim then a big group including Enda at the front was up ahead.  Went past them just after 2km with Enda latching on and I ran with Enda for about a km.  From then on it was Kenny and Fast Charlie in front but I wasn't gaining quickly.  Thought about pushing hard to catch Kenny after 5km but I'd have had to nail myself?  Quickly came to the lazy conclusion that my body wouldn't thank me.  So maintained the pace to the end trying to enjoy the spectacle and smile for the cameras.  I got the km splits as follows:

3:26, 6:29, 9:43, 13:14 (was that one long?), 16:26

A great run by LJ to win in 19:36 smashing her PB.  A big PB for Jeet too who was the most angry man finishing when he clocked 20:00.  Otherwise most people were slower than usual.  MC was disappointed to fall 19s short of a sub19.  Andy is coming down with Manflu and Barts said he just felt flat.  Good to see the Stallion back out running a 19:50.

Frustrated not to have been running healthy.  There was a good group just in front of Barts (who ran poorly) and Muz with Alex getting 3rd in 17:47 and Chamkaur just behind.  This is the first time I haven't beaten 18mins since 2005.  Having said all that, I don't think I could have run any quicker today.  Pretty sure that if I had pushed from the beginning I'd have blown up at Paddington Gates.  But it's bit of a fizzer for the end of season race.

Plenty of banter and trash talking in the tent afterwards which continued on to the Light Brigade.  Good to see Macca out running again and staying to the bitter end.  We even contemplated Maisy's in the cab on the way home.

The battle for HuRTS#1, with Barts doing just enough as usual:

Super smooth Kenny with me in the background:

MC realises it ain't gonna happen:

Curl Curl Parkrun - 1st in 16:23

Jogged there feeling as lethargic as of late.  Chatted to JB, the Tiger and Jeet (who was over for a pre-JPM sharpener like me).  Decided to give it a crack from the off and guessed that JB would too.  Good through 2km in 6:22 (with JB still on my tail but sounding as though he was starting to falter a bit) but as usual the 3rd km slowed everything down.  Picked it up again with 1500m to go but had lost too much in the 3rd km.

Bit disappointed with the time but I think everyone was slower than usual due to the muggy conditions (very humid out there).  A good enough hit out.  Will do a MLR tomorrow then rest until the showdown on Wed night.

Jog home for 13km all up.