Sunday with the boys

27km with Macca, Ben, Craig and Rich Mullaney.  We extended the latter an invite to the exclusive Northern Beaches long run/breakfast club on the basis he's English, lives NOTB and has some talent. Few have the trifecta. 

Slow (4:38's) but I was still struggling my way through it still suffering a bit from last week.

Forgot to mention that we saw the who's who of the Northern Beaches on this morning's run.  First up was Elle enjoying breakie in the cafe at North Narrabeen.  Then another talented female athlete in Melinda Gainsford-Taylor jogging around Narrabeen Lake.  All the stars are NOTB. 

Also didn't mention that Charlie's cricket team smashed Peninsula yesterday (4-117 versus 20-74) with Peninsula managed by none other than Michael Slater.  Here he is imparting advice to his outgoing batsman.  Made Charlie even happier with his 2 wickets off his final 2 balls:

Great runs by Barts, Q and JFen at Curl Curl yesterday.  Mixed performances at Melbourne.  Jess Trengove stunned with her 2:27 but Erika will be a little disappointed with her 2:57 after struggling from not taking enough water on.  A PB is a PB and it shows her strength of character to fight through but there's definitely a low 2:50 in her.

Saturday return

Avid readers of my blog will have noticed an absence of a few days.  They will both be wondering what had happened to the 16 day consecutive run.  Well, on Monday night I can down with gastro (which probably explains why I felt so average running on Sunday and Monday).  Tuesday I was bed-ridden - couldn't even crawl to the sofa to watch TV.  Back at work on Thursday but couldn't really stomach anything until Friday night.  Only plus is that I lost 2kg which I'll try to keep off until JPMorgan.

Did 10km on Saturday evening.  First 2km were a shocker (so lethargic probably from lack of food) but felt better as I got into it.

Monday moanings

Jeez I'm tired.  Like, marathon training tired.

Fronted up today with a big crowd in attendance including Enda, Kanser, Hoey, Worswick, BW, Renee, Jerome, Happy Hammer, TKS et al.  Plodded around feeling uncomfortable.  Felt a bit better after Enda and I stopped for water around Barangaroo and started running 4:00min kms to catch everyone.

Plenty of chat between Kanser and Enda.  I understood about 20% of it.  Enda pretty psyched up about beating JFen at JPMorgan.  It'll be pretty close between these two but I'll plump for Enda in that he always seems to perform well at this event and is looking lean after a 3 week break in China.  I'm just hoping to keep them both in sight and, who knows, if they fight each other hard enough I may be able to reel one in over that tough final 600m.

15.5km in 70:26 (4:32's).

Farked

Busy all day walking, at Nippers and lugging stuff around the garden.  Got out at 6pm for 40mins but was shagged.  Just couldn't get going.  Some days you just have to accept you haven't got it.

About 8km.

Saturday long

Out early doors with Barts, the Cap'n and Macca (the old team) for 27.5km up and down the beaches.  Finished with a dip in the ocean at Queenscliff and bacon and eggs at the Grumporio.  Absolutely magic.

4:34's so nice and easy.  Massive stretch of my quads last night and the hammy is better than ever.

Friday holy cow

So I was schedule a rest day.  But then Erika said she was running at lunch so decided to head out for an easy run and chat about her upcoming marathon.  Then she says she needs to run 6km at 4:00 pace so I think, OK that should not be too tricky.  Then we meet and she says that Gary has instructed her to run quicker.  So I think, well, I'll just run and see how it feels.  So we so 3km warm up before, BAM!, there goes her first km in 3:30 and BAM BAM!!, there's the second km in 3:24.  I kid you not, I could not hold on.  She has a 15m lead on me and I start thinking I can kill myself to bridge the gap or I keep running the same pace and surely she'll start to fade soon.  I catch her by the end of the third km (3:35 for me) and then into the wind around Barangaroo we run a 3:51, then a 3:48 and a 3:45 to run the 6km in 21:20 or thereabouts (3:38's).  Gary has got her into fantastic form for next week's marathon and I hope she smashes it.  I'm predicting a 2:53.

12 all up and 100km for the week.  Haven't had one of them since June.

Tiger Woods, eat your heart out

Out at 8am in Manly for 10 x 1min hills plus 10mins hard.  4km warm up to the hill at Shelly Beach. Didn't thrash myself on the hills but solid and was tired towards the end.  Then did the 3km back towards Queenscliff running 3:21, 3:20 and 3:14. Happy with that with the legs feeling comfortably numb at the end.

Then down to The Lakes for a day of corporate wanker golf.  Had a top day playing Ambrose.  I was the weak link as usual but got my 3 drives in early including my best drive ever on the 1st.  And we won!  Nice bottle of vintage bubbly to crack open next time we have something to celebrate.  So it will be very vintage bubbly when consumed.

MLR, kinda

Well, just coming home now at 9pm so my deal didn't quite sign at 10am but at least 'tis done.  Managed to get out at 2pm for 16km around the wharves and Barangaroo in 1:12 nice and easy.  Been taking Voltaren last 2 days for this troublesome glute insertion and feels much better.

Solid

In at 8.30am, out at 1.30am.  Massively busy day but somehow managed to get out to do 60% of a HuRTS session.  Session was the 3, 2, 1 fartlek x 5 but I just did x 3.  Very hot but surprised myself in running pretty well turning not far behind Barts.  But I couldn't have gone much further.  

Hoping this deal signs tomorrow so I can get some kip.  May come home early if it does.

Monday long run

Out for the Sunday run on Monday with Ben, Banksy and the Cap'n.  Up to Narrabeen Lake via Cromer, one loop then home the same way.  27.5km in 2:06:12 (4:35's).  Longest run I've done since the end of July and felt it at the end.  Hammy ok but the insertion to the glute was a bit sore (which I think has been the issue all along).

Then rode with Claudie, Mags and Charlie to the Grumporio for breaky with the Cap'n and his boy Toby.  Beaut of a morning.  Think I'll have a kip now.

Sunday scorcher

Scorchio today.  Early start heading down with Craig to the Wharf Bar to watch England humiliated at home by the Wallabies.  With the clocks going forward last night it was a super early start so had a bit of shut-eye watching Paw Patrol with Claudie over lunch.  Headed out in the early evening (when it was still in the high 20's) for 10km easy feeling pretty good.

Saturday canter

Easy 12km in the afternoon.  54mins.

Recovery Friday

Out for a very easy 11+km with Kanser around Barangaroo.  Felt pretty tired today for the first time on the comeback trail - must have been yesterday's reps after Wednesday's tempo.

80km for the week.

HuRTS 6 x 1km

Back out with the HuRTS crew.  I'd woken up in the Daintree at 4am before a 6.45am flight from Cairns so was pretty tired.  Eased my way into the session running with Macca and Bruce. Good crowd with CT leading the way, Timmy falling further back in each rep, JFen and Hoey looking controlled and our three leading ladies (Erika, Greta and Renee) all looking strong.

Times went 3:26, 3:21, 3:19, 3:16, 3:06 and 3:13.

Then did my glute stretch on the grass only to have Mikey G come over and say "you don't want to do it like that, you want to do it like this!", and then proceed to show me an eyeful of one muscle of his body which certainly wasn't his glute.

10km all up.

Tempo time

Final day here in Mossman.  Felt good after yesterday so planned a tempo today.  Did 2km warm up jog, then 10km tempo, then 2km warmdown.

Set off at a solid but relatively comfortable pace and just tried to hold it and keep consistent.  Had to work a bit between 7km and 8km in the full sun but generally pretty good.  All km splits were between 3:42 and 3:47 apart from the final one pushing on a bit to finish in 37:02.

Been a great holiday.  Haven't been as relaxed or slept as much in a long time.  Some pics of our house here:

Holiday running

Another 12km in the morning - pretty quick again (seem to do perennial tempos when in on the comeback trail) but Suunto lost batteries after 6km.  Hot and humid.  

Cairns Parkrun

I'm Up nice and early and cajoled the family out of their beds for the short hop down to the Esplanade for Cairns Parkrun.  Did a 2km warm up then listened to the bloke try to explain the course route.  He did so FNQ style, so I was none the wiser at the end of his talk.  We had a load of visitors given it was school holidays - must have been 150+. 

Decided just to sit behind whoever was in the lead.  Did so for 1km but then couldn't help myself but drift to the front. All was good until 4.5km when I was about a minute ahead of the next chap and started looking out for the turn to the finish.  At 4.8km I knew I'd missed it and saw a random volunteer packing up from the first lap who told me I had run well past it (thanks mate).  Eventually got back with 5.8km in the watch.

Chap who won was on his 100th Parkrun so nice for him to get a win.  I jogged afterwards to pick up Charlie, Bec, Kirst and Maggie and all loved the occasion.  Then out for breakie.  No pan-served breakie or brioche in FNQ.

Splits were 3:21, 3:23, 3:24, 3:28 and 3:45 (becoming frustrated).  Hammy held up well so will try 90mins tomorrow.

How we felt after:

 

Mossman

11km straight out from the property, turned around and ran back.  22km in 1:33ish (4:14's).  Felt it towards the end in the heat and humidity.  Basically ran through sugars cane fields alongside the cane railways on quiet roads.  Amazing scenery.

Having said that, doing a long(ish) run solo on holiday is one of the hardest things for me.  Need company on the long runs and when on holiday it just feels unfair.

Cairns!

Nice and hot here.  Did 10km along the Esplanade in the evening.  Move to Mossman tomorrow but not before Cairns Parkrun which starts less than 1km from where we're staying.

Bit of speed

So the toe made a bit of a recovery overnight so I ventured out with Timmy, Mikey, TKS, Renee, Ray and a host of others for a very easy run around the usual route. 

It was 3 old school HuRTS Warriors fighting back from injury who turned at 5.5km to head back in anticipation of a quick OH Gate to St Mary's Gate (2.9km).  Got a bit of help from Ray around Farm Cove then hit by hurricane force winds up the hills which had us all at a standstill.

Pleased to get 10:14 under the belt with the hammy feeling tight early on but no issues in the warmdown jog.

11km for the day.