ES Marks Runcrew

4km warm up in the inside of the track with Matt, Keith, Keith's brother Gerald, Hamish, Biggsy and Neil.  Then 3 x broken 1 miles as per 3 weeks ago - that is 1km hard, 300m jog, 300m hard with 4mins between each set.

Wore the flats this time with the achilles feeling stronger every day.  

Times went:

2:55, 51

2:52, 51

2:51, 52

Very happy and felt great.  As Gary pointed out, reps 2 and 3 are at a pace faster than my 1500m PB.

3km warm down for 12km all up.

Monday morning

1. Really enjoying the Manly Dam runs at the moment and hills.

2. Achilles feels better than ever.

So did another run up past Manly Vale Public School and back down the creek this am before adding the 4 x 80m hills up Suwarrow.  Felt great this morning.

Sunday

Too knackered to get out with the boys at 6am after having to stay up to pick up Bec.  Got out later and did another circular Manly Dam route, this time tackling the Northern Beaches longest hill - Warringah Rd up to Beacon Hill.  Quite tired at the end of 20km. 

Saturday hills

Missed Parkrun so ran hard up a hill instead.  Allambie Hill.  Then back around the dam for 13.5km all up.  Nice route.

Hurts Rushcutters

Over to Rushcutters but no Timmy cones.  And to be honest we were lost without them.  Come back Timmy, all is forgiven.  Some makeshift shirts were laid which moved after the first rep.  But anyway, session was 8 x 400m off 2:30, 3 min jog then 8 x 200m off 1:30.

Trailed Barts for the first four 400's then kicked into action and started pushing him a bit.  All were 65/66 on the watch but 67/68 pace in truth.  Then on the 200's I called for a different volunteer to pace each rep which made it interesting and distracted from getting through the set.  Averaged 30's on those (prob 31's in truth.

5km warm down for 13km all up.

Morning MLR

16km around Manly with Lewis and the Cap'n.  Sore after last night.  4:36's.

(Missed Monday)

Can't fail to put this down as it continues quite a good running streak....

14km with Enda, Timmy, Hoey and Co around the wharves to Barangaroo.

RunCrew Tuesday

AM:  7.5km around and about to the ferry wharf in 4:38's.

PM:  4.5km warm up.  2km TT in 5:56 pacing off Hamish and Keith.  Followed by 10 x 300m in 49, 50, 49, 48, 49, 49, 48, 48, 48, 48 (rolling 2mins).  Felt great tonight in the flats.  3km warm down.

Good to see Enda, Christian, LJ and Greta supporting Eloise in what looked like a monster session.

Picking up the car

Out with Kirst last night to a charity function at Balgowlah RSL. Both drank way too much so taxi'd it home, hence the run this afternoon.  Went via Allambie Hill and hit some serious puddles on the trail next to Wakehurst Parkway.

12km, feeling surprisingly good.

Claudie this morning watching Maggie's soccer:

Saturday long

Out early doors with Barts, Scott and Robin V for the usual route but with Barts keen on a fast finish. In fact, he was keen on a quickish start too.  I wasn't.  But just put my head down and ran.  Tired after yesterday's race.  When the boys picked up the pace I was hanging on. Did so for 4km then fell off at Dee Why and jogged home.

Bit of a GPS fail in not restarting my watch after a stop but I think it was 29km in 4:21's.

Mags and Charlie in Parkrun this morning.  New PB for Mags, good news before her Regional XC in Gosford on Friday:

City Mile Dash - 3rd in 4:32

I really didn't want to do this.  1.6km hurts more than a 10km or Half.  And I get more nervous for it as a result.  But I'd promised Timmy i'd turn up for his team (him, Crossy and Quentin - me replacing Durante from last year) so did so.

Jogged down with the winning girls, felt pretty good in the warm up, slapped my face a bit and then we were off.

First 400m - I can't believe how fast everyone can run. Seriously, I feel like I'm redlining it and I'm in 12th position. Ali Najeem is running a 27s 200m, Crossy and Q are well ahead and I'm thinking my days as a middle distance runner are gone.

Then get to 400m and everyone slows down. I start passing everyone and just think, rather than settle for this, why not push ahead.  And so at 800m i'm in the lead.  Turn the hairpin sheepishly, think "I could win this!" And start pushing on,  but feel a bit like a fox waiting for the hounds to pounce and sure enough at 400m to go Q and some kid come past and I can't go with them.  Q sustains the burst, the kid comes back but not enough for me to catch on the line.

Still, earned a pair of Mizunos thanks to Q, Crossy and Timmy.  11km for the day all up and a good hit out which will serve me well.

Thursday easy

...because of the frickin' City Mile Dash tomorrow which I'm really not keen on.  

10km easy up to and aroundCentennial. 

Wednesday Melbourne MLR

Usual route up the Yarra Trail turning at 8km.  Bloody cold again and almost killed by a cyclist on 2 occasions.

16km in 4:32's.  Few strides at the end.  Took Voltaren last night as Achilles was sore.

Tuesday Tan Session

In Melbourne.  Frickin freezing.  Did the whole session with my black thermal top on (which Timmy likes so much) and a beanie.

Jogged the 2km warm up to Morell Bridge then started the 4 x 8.5min Fartlek (30, 60, 90, 60, 30 - same recovery, 3mins between sets).  Unfortunately started the first fast section straight up the Anderson St hill which was to repeat on each of the 3 laps.  Session looks fairly easy but it's a dead leg killer.  Turned out to be exactly 3 laps of the Tan before the 2km jog back.

15.6km all up averaging 3:59's.

Queens Birthday Monday

Met up for a couple of beers Sunday night with Macca, Darren and the Cap'n and it turned into another really decent crowd.

So I didn't run Monday morning but got out later (after a great walk to "the Cascades" from Davison) for 13km in 4:25's followed by a couple of km jogging then strides with Maggie and Asha.

Then to Vivid in the evening with the family.  Knackered.

Long Sunday

Huge crowd for a variation on the usual route.  Barts, the Cap'n, Macca, Scotty, Ben, Dicky, Toby, Hamish and even Lewis joined us later on.  With Dicky there, the pace was always going to be honest and he picked it up to Sub4's over the final few km.  29.4km averaging 4:25's.

Parkrun

On Thursday Scotty O says he's doing Parkrun so I knew it would be honest today.  Decided to do a decent warm up (on instructions from Gary) and wear my flats as a result in the hope of sticking with him.

Turn up, no sign of Scott so decide to run in my trainers before he appears at the last moment.  Quick change into the flats and we're off.  Basically, I was toe to toe with Scott the whole way.  If I eased up he would come past and vice versa.  3:05 first km.  3:14 second km (I was hoping for 6:12 at 2km) so I think we're drifting away from a sub16.  Then we both attack the difficult 3rd km and I attack the hill resulting in a 3:18 and a 3:13.  Scott comes past at 4km and I feel I'm toast.  I go past again just before the bridge and see 14:04 so a sub16 is on the cards.  Scott goes past shortly after but knowing how quick his sprint is and my thoughts from last week about race wins not being handed on a plate I decide to give it a shot by sprinting early.  Get a gap and keep on pushing to the line to finish in 15:56.

Really chuffed with that and thanks to Scotty for making it such an honest race.

12km all up.

Friday

4-5km jogging around training Maggie and then to the wharf.

Thursday

Did the HuRTs session at lunch with a really good crowd.  Plenty up front with Barts, Scotty O, Quentin, Darren Moyle, Jerome, Hoey and the Sub4 man Holt Hardy having a hit out before the City Mile Dash next week. 

Session was 6 x 1km off a rolling 5mins and my legs were complaining from the off.  Just no zip.  I'd suggested tonBarts and Q that we share the lead but in honesty I was just tucking in and trying to hold on.  Reps went 2:59, 3:00, 3:01, then my turn and did my best to keep it honest resulting in a 2:57. Next rep I was cooked and dropping off before Barts shouted at me at 500m saying something along the lines of "Get back on Tommy!" so I did as told and ran a 2:56.  Then the last we all started to pickup the pace, I got ready to start sprinting with 200m before the big boys took off leaving me in their wake.  Still managed a 2:56 though.

Good solid session on tired legs. 14km all up.

MLR

Easy 17km with Darren (4:47's).  Tired after last night's efforts but the pace was easy.

Arrived home to find Maggot and Claudie fully decked out in running kit ready for their session.  Their enthusiasm can be explained by the fact I said we'd be doing hills, and that each time they beat the time I set for them, they would get a lolly (had to run by Woolies on my earlier run to pick up the favoured Starburst).

So Mags and I jogged to the BP Garage while Claudie rode her bike, then Maggie did 8 X 80m hills while Claudie managed 4.  Mags got 5 lollies and Claudie got 4. Plainly I need to be stricter on Claudia's target times (17s for Mags, 25s for Claudia). Then a jog back.  Mags looking good. Aiming for a sub 25min Parkrun on Sat.