Monday missive

15km with the Monday crowd.  Turns out new fast girl Erica is a Fairlight resident.  All the best runners live in Fairlight.  Which is why I'm moving to North Manly.

About 4:30 pace I think.  Nursing the right achilles.

Getting back Sunday

Intended on going out yesterday afternoon but was emotionally spent after BUYING A HOUSE!  Yep, we're moving.  Going to have to reset all my training runs.

Faulty house alarm kept us up last night and, after sinking a coupley of bottles of red celebrating, I was in no shape to get out early with Dicky and Quentin.  Set out at 11am.  Just did flat loops of Manly for 26km untimed.  Stopped to chat variously to LF Charlie, Quentin, Eamo and Stu Truman.  Although I was barely breathing I just started slowing to a plod over the last 3kms, reminiscent of Six Foot 8 days prior.  So I decided to fully recreate the experience by walking up the final hill.

Right achilles sore the whole way.

HuRTS 2km reps

Well, thighs much recovered but my right achilles is still very sore.  But decided I needed to get some blood flow into it and was doing it no favours stuck under a desk so headed out to the session.

Copped the usual flack from the HuRTS boys about my sub par performance while Tucks took the plaudits (yet again) then settled into a nice stroll around the reps with current HuRTS #1 himself, Mr Tuckey.  Not much more to report.  Barts looked strong upfront dropping Andy C and Clarkey.  Timmy is getting back staying with Mikey's group and Andy acts more like Ray by the day.

Need to persuade Andy C to run for the English at SMH Half.  The Churchill/Sands Cup is at stake and the bulldogs are struggling.

Six Foot Track - 18th in 3:48:36

Well, the day started in a panic. I completely misjudged timing to arrive at Katoomba High School with 20 mins spare, only to find a queue of 500 people waiting for minibuses. Jumped to the front after hearing an official shouting; "any Wave 1's?  No?  Any Wave 2's?" and arrived with a few mins to spare.  A few quick hellos, lined up next to Tucks, Quentin, Taffy James and Banksy and we're off.  It's the usual mad scramble down the steep, rocky descent.  Probably the most dangerous start to a race on the calendar.  Quentin leaps ahead, I see Muz just in front, then down the steps of Nellies Glen a familiar voice calls my name 2 places behind and it's Mad Robbie Neal.  Held a conversation with him most of the way down before seeing him cruise ahead on the flatter section of Megalong Valley, off to finish a brilliant 5th place in 3:34.

Along Megalong I chat to Banksy before he lets me pull ahead saying "I'll see you at the finish".  I replied; "more likely along Black Range", not realising how portentous this would prove.  My calves are very tight and sore at the bottom of Nellies and I was getting seriously worried.  I've still got 40km to go, there's no way they're going to survive?  Tucks then catches and we run together with Jim Perrett, overtaking quite a few people at this stage.  Great to see Kirst cheering on shortly before the winery, shame the kids couldn't be arsed to get out of bed.  Kirst said Marty Dent was very chipper and chatted to her as she cheered him on. However, this was about 400m before he took a wrong turn.  Apparently he wasn't so cheerful after that.

The technical section down to Cox's is one of my worst sections.  I can just never run this quick.  It's worse this year trying not to aggravate the calves.  Tucks and Jim put in about a minute on me over this 3km section.  3 or 4 others politely asked to come past me here, including Hanny Alston who went on to have a stormer.  But eventually I crossed Cox's with Tongey in 68:20 - about 30s quicker than my previous PB in 2011.

Then the hills of Mini Mini start.  The steep hills seem to help my calves in stretching them out, but the bottom of my left hammy starts to tighten.  Notwithstanding this tedious self analysis, I'm actually feeling pretty good and full of energy.  I decide I'm going to run all the hills at this point, even if it's a shuffle.  As a result I start to catch a few, including Hanny, towards the top of Mini Mini.  Also go past Muz at this stage who is already in trouble, saying he's not cut out for this sort of crap!  The downhill to Alum Creek is painful, legs starting to seize up now.  I then start the shuffle up Pluvi and suddenly this bloke comes flying past - Alex Matthews!  What the hell has he been doing?!

Well, I crest Pluvi in 2:12:30ish (64:11 KOM split - not far behind even Fats) but the legs are now seriously buggered.  From then on, I just drag my ass to the finish.  Banksy comes past just after Caves Rd but I don't care, I just want this thing done with.  Overtook a couple of poor souls in even worse condition than me - Jim Perrett and Campbell Maffett - when you blow on this course you really blow.   Then the long downhill to Caves House starts.  This is just agony.  My quads are screaming.  No more, surely.  Then the crowds.  Then the finish.  I'm ecstatic.  I've done it.  Not sure anyone cares, but I do.  Putting yourself through this pain makes you feel a little but better about yourself.

Run of the day was definitely James Matthews.  I thought sub 4 was a stretch goal but he smashes it looking super strong with a 3:53.  But honourable mentions to Tucks going sub 3:40, Worswick going sub4 (with a Pluvi to finish split in the top 15!) and Banksy with a 31minute PB.

Looking at the splits, and like most things in life, I am Mr Average.  21st quickest to Cox's, 20th quickest KOM, 20th quickest Pluvi to Finish.  But most time can be made up from Pluvi to Finish.  Worswick and Taffy Jim smashed me on this section.

Will I be back?  Not sure.  I still can't walk properly 3 days later.  But there's something about this event.

500m to go:

..and about to cramp:

Me, in front of Tucks, oh yes:

Crossing Cox's, with Tongey:

I did it!

Getting to the start line

Took the last 2 days off trying to rest the calves before Sat morning.  Feel a it better but the achilles is a bit sore.  Will be agony after but I should get through OK. Not nervous enough for the race which usually means I won't pull out a great performance.

Will be interested to see how Tucks goes - has he been foxing us?  Confident Fats will pull out his usual stron performance but tw win may be past him as Dent and Alex Matthews are the men to beat.  I'm secretly hoping to tap Muz on the ass somewhere along Black Range.

Splits from last week:

And, just for Timmy as he was asking about it, a panoramic shot from my officewindow  this morning:

Wednesday would you believe it

The summer Wednesday route, which I almost daren't publish as it seems so indulgent.  Let's just say Bondi deserves its reputation as one of the best beaches in the world on days like today.  Me, Mikey, Dave Clarke 5, Mr Ace, Wingewick and Élan today.  Voltaren worn off and while the achilles is fine, the calves remain super sore.  Beginning to get worried about ability to run Six Foot now.

Tuesday kinda HuRTS

Voltaren took effect.  Achilles fine but calves still tight.  Did the 8 x 5mins very easy back in the pack.  We've got a great squad there.

Monday meander

Couldn't walk on Sunday.  Achilles blew up and calves were incredibly tight post race.  That's running in no heel spikes for 10km on a track for you.  Took Voltaren and hobbled around 11km with the usual HuRTS Crowd.

NSW 10,000m Champs - 8th in 32:46

Well, it was the usual build up to a night race - me being a stress bunny all day and driving Kirst mad.  Not helped by having our house on the market for viewings and trying to find other properties.  Dad had agreed to be my lap counter and keep me company on the way out to Homebush but I wasn't much company for him.  A few nervous mutterings and compiling a list of excuses.  Reached the track, said hello to everyone and did a warm up with Barts.

My plan for the race was to keep calm early on and bang out as many 78's as I could, hopefully with a group around me.  Well, that's pretty much how it went, but absent the group.  Started off following Nick Bellemore and Barts, but Nick pulled ahead and Barts slowed so I jumped in front of him around lap 3.  So the race was basically me pacing Barts from lap 3 until lap 24.9, when he overtook me in a sprint finish with 30m remaining.  Officially, he was 32:46:34 and I was 32:46:77.  I should have gone earlier, I left the sprint until 150m to go.  Barts said as much afterwards, as I could sense him working hard over the final 800m.

It was my first ever track 10,000m and I enjoyed it.  It's a long slog, and mentally more difficult than anything else.  But it's not the painful lung buster of a 3000m or the sustained pain of a 5000m.  From 2km until 5km we war banging out 75s and 76s feeling good.  Through 3km in 9:42 and 5km in 16:16 and I worked out that I could still get under 33 running 80s from then on (3:20 pace).  However, I must have relaxed a bit as by 7km we were at 22:56 (6:40 or 80 per lap for the previous 2km and probably slowing while doing so) but the fact that I was doing the maths and working this out shows how different it is to a 5000m when I'm often unaware how many laps I've got left let alone target times.  So I knew we had to start hitting under 80s a lap and we did - I'd look at the clock each time we passed the finish line and it'd be a 78 or 79.  So with 3 laps to go I knew we would be under 33mins and I figured that it was time the start working out how to beat Barts.  Gradually upped the pace and could sense him working but he still held on.  I've been doing a few sprints as part of every run and foolishly thought I'd have an advantage.  The last lap sped up all the way, I started sprinting at 150m but could still hear him.  It got desperate at 50m but then he comes past.  The announcer shouts out something like "WE'VE GOT A BATTLE BETWEEN A COUPLE OF STRIDERS HERE…..AND, OOH, HE'S FIST PUMPED IN TRIUMPH".  Yes, you heard it here.  Barts fist pumped as he crossed the line.  No apology.  No mention of "you deserved it Tom for doing all the work", just a fist pump.

Few laps warmdown.  Paid attention to an enthralling women's High Jump.  The girl who finished 2nd drew a big crowd.

In summary, very happy with the time, bit pissed off not to finish with a win over Barts.  But in good shape and body is going well.

Woeful Friday

7km dead slow feeling very average.

HuRTS 200's

The squad were doing 8x800m but didn't want to hurt myself before Sat so sat in the second group with TKS, Renee, Ellie, Lou and JC and did 200m fast on each rep and cruised the rest.

Long warmdown with Barts for 13km all up.

Now properly back at work.  Hrmphhh.

Wellness Wednesday

Same as last week with LF Charlie, MC, Élan and Worswick.  Nice and easy, lemon squeezy.

Recovery not HuRTS

Squeezed in 10km from work this arvo during a busy day.  A few strides thrown in.  One of those runs where you feel infinitely better at the end than you did at the beginning.

Long run home

Out in Manly with a mate from the UK on Saturday night and hangovers are affecting me more these days.  So had a rest day.   Ran home this evening but added the Wednesday wharves run to start with for 30.2km all up in 2:15ish (4:27's).  Bumped into Fats at Darling Harbour and had a good chat.  Handling these long runs fine now, but helped by a rest day the day prior.

Curl Curl Parkrun - 3rd in 16:30

Rocked up with Macca and Quentin.  CT was there, knew he'd go off quick so plan was just to stick to him.  Thing is, he went off very quick and I was a pussy and held back from the start.  Ran with Q the whole way sharing the work.  He made an effort at 4km.  I thought he'd gone early but he held the customary 4s gap.  CT maintained the gap he had by 2km and, just to rub salt into my wounds, beat my course PB by 1s in running 16:17.  Disappointed at the end, particularly as I felt fine running home.  Need to get myself out of this 16:30 rut by committing early on.

16km all up.

To work

Ran to work.  Untimed but very slow.  Few strides and body OK but tired.

110km for the week.

HuRTS Hickson Rd

The crew of Modern Family blocked our usual Park Hyatt route so we made up 1.2kms starting just prior to the Bridge.  Another good crowd with the English Andys, Fats and Enda up front with Tucks still struggling (or deceiving us - no one can quite decide) further back with MC, LJ, Timmy and even Kanser making an appearance.

No idea as to pace as I'd left the Suunto at home.  Decided to sit in behind Enda and Andy C for each rep but halfway around each one I'd feel their pace drop so took it on after that.  Felt great today with plenty of pace.  No doubt I'll pay the price on the weekend.  Did a long cool down with Timmy, MC and Slapstick for 14km all up.

Have entered State 10000m a week Saturday following cajoling from Barts.  Will be my first ever track 10km.  Also going to do The Equaliser on Sunday but not too hard and as part of a longer run.

Bondi

Met up with MC, Andy Cross, Slapstick, Elan and a client of MC's.  Ran to Bondi.  Jumped in the surf.  Ran back to the office.  Only in Sydney.

Highlight of the trip was seeing the reaction of Mikey when he found a $10 note on the pavement at Bondi.  I've never seen anyone swivel and swoop so quickly.  It was like watching the figure skating at the Olympics.

17.5km in 1:25 (4:50's).

HuRTS 14 x 3mins

What I learned today:

1.  HuRTS sessions are mentally and physically tough.  This was my first in 3.5 months and I'd forgotten how hard they are.

2.  The squad just grows and grows.

3.  The old timers are on the comeback!  Great to see Tucks, Fast Charlie, Muz and Phil Dove out there plus the likes of MC, Macca, Enda, Andy, Jeet, Pete W, Louis, LJ and a whole host more.

4.  Muz is on fire.  Seriously so.  He was effortlessly putting 10s into the rest of us over a 3min rep.  Needs a haircut mind.

I struggled early on but improved as the session progressed.  I think it was the mental side of things I struggled with most.  Didn't worry about the pace but tried to keep up with Bart's, Enda and Andy while working the hills and relaxing on the downhills and flats.  The new 3 min route around Mrs Mac Chair is a great improvement.

18k all up.

Super Long Sunday

Over to Centennial early doors for what will probably be my longest run pre-Six Foot.  Did a lap of the park solo then met CT, Barts, Enda, LJ, TB, Renaud, Birchy, Jeet, Young Timmy, BK and numerous others for 38km.  Everyone was running different distances but had company the whole way after the first lap with Terence finishing the last few km.  Real confidence booster today as I felt fine even at 38km and even managed some manual labour this arvo.  Having second thoughts about selling the house now that I've actually put some work into it.

2:51:42 all up (4:30's).