HuRTS Fartlek

1 km warm-up then into the 45mins fartlek (5 x 9mins of 3,2,1 each with a minute break).  Had ambitions of trying to stay with Bruce and Jerome but they fell apart coming around the Opera House.  From then on it was Gidon and Big Kev.  Turned at Barangaroo averaging 3:42's.  G and Big K didn't seem to turn very well so I was on my own on the way back.  Andy and JFen came flying by at CQ with Toby following shortly after.  Lots stopped at 30mins with SMH Half on this weekend and Toby kindly slowed to get me up the hills at the end.

Finished 39s over for 12.1km (3:46's).  Time not flash but at least feel as though I'm moving properly again.  3km cool down for 16km all up.

New of the day for a proud Dad was Maggie smashing all in her school XC win.  Charlie finished a credible 10th in his after falling at the start and someone standing on his ear.  Bec finished 12th in Zone.  God knows what the competition is like for that as she barely moves from her bedroom.

Monday recovery

Did 13km with the squad, running with BW, Bruce, JW, Eoin, Liam & Co.  Then finished with some hills (4) in the Bot Gardens.  To be honest, this is the first run I've done where I felt everything was moving properly and started to flow again.  Coincides with managing to do 8x single leg pivots in the shower this morning.  Also coincides with my starting on high strength turmeric tablets for their anti-inflammatory powers.  They seem to work!  Bursar on my heel hasn't been as shrunken in ages.  Make your farts smell though.

4:43's.

Easy recovery

Just an easy 13km in the late arvo to Shelley and about.  Legs were buggered to be honest.  4:45's.

Just finished re-watching "Lion" and "La La Land" over the past two nights with Kirst. Both great films for different reasons and I had a lump in my throat watching each. Young Saroo is the star of the first and Emma Stone rose in my estimations for the latter. Great actress.

Tommy: 1 Nolans/Passmore: 0

Thursday and Friday were off sick with this cold bug doing the rounds.  Billy has been diagnosed with whooping cough.

Wanted to go long on Sat due to Mothers Day on Sunday, plus had a chance to get out.  Only problem was I had to keep an eye on Claudia.  So hatched a plan to run around Nolans and Passmore while she was out playing on the fields.  She would high five me every time I ran past.  She kept a pen and paper to log the number of high fives.  131 was the final tally.  13 laps of Passmore and Nolans plus one final loop of Nolans made up the 30km in 2:18 (4:37's).

Hardest thing wasn't the boredom of running the same loop (I actually like running on Nolans, less so Passmore) but the lack of variation in gradient, pace and terrain which results in sore muscles.

Wednesday in Melbourne

Well Tuesday was a write off. Up at 4:30am for the flight to Melbourne then an all day meeting finishing at 8pm put paid to any run, let alone a session.

Woke early on Wednesday morning and, realising it was my only chance and with the Achilles feeling good, I did the Yarra Trail for 16km.  Lovely.  Just can't run at 4:30's at he moment though.  Struggled to get it there.

Monday meander

13km in the late afternoon around the City. Had a shout out from Robin Whiteley. That was about it.  4:47's. Don't seem to be able to run any quicker these days.

Back to 30km

Managed to persuade Benny, Macca, Hamish and the Cap'n to do the lunchtime long run.  Macca is playing injury Wac-a-Mole but did 10km with us, with Hamish and the Cap'n lasting until Addiscombe on the return.  Only Benny did the full 30 with me, with him doing 34km now preparing for GCM after his great PB yesterday.

I struggled over the final 5km but did it with the achilles feeling relatively ok.  4:47's.  Not quick, but enough at the moment.

Alien in my calf:

A significant day in running

It started this am at Curl Curl Parkrun. Forgive my fatherly pride, but Maggie ran a stormer. 3 weeks ago she knocked 90s off her PB to run 23:24.  This morning, she knocked another 90s off to run 21:56. In doing so, she achieved the highest Age/Gender score at Curl Curl this am:

 

I told her to give it a crack with 10 days to go before her school XC and she duly responded.

Then the Sydney 10 results came filtering through. It looked tactical upfront but Barts lived up to his billing as HuRTs #1 with a 32:05, followed by Scotty (who was with him until 8.5km) and Nick in 32:27 and Binfield running a great race to dip under 33.  Toby pipped CT in 33:17 and other great PBs went to Bruce (34:07) and particularly Benny in 34:55.  Sub35 is a special thing.  Timmy claimed my $20 with a 37:15 and gave me something to aim for in my tempo in the afternoon.

Then Kipchoge's sub2 attempt (let's not pretend the other 2 were doing anything but making up the numbers).  It was a much more professional set-up than I'd anticipated and really interesting to watch.  The bloke is amazing.  So smooth with virtually no wasted energy. It's like watching Tucks.  He smashed everyone's expectations in getting with 25s and proving that it's possible.

Then I got out for a run - feeling inspired.  Decided against a hard 5km having watched the marathon so settled on 10km steady tempo.  Tried to keep the pace manageable throughout and that equated to 3:45's.  Felt in control which was good and ended with 37:17 (just outside Timmy's time this am). 

14km all up.

Thursday HuRTs

Over to Rushcutters but a small crowd in light of Saturday's Sydney 10.  And no cones.  Session was the pyramid of 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1 laps.  Decided to push it a bit but still incapable of hurting myself.

Quentin and Jake out front with Big Kev a bit in front of me.  Averaged about 3:21's throughout.

Longer cool down for 15km all up.

90km for the week.

Wed MLR

Out with Timmy again but joined this time by young Jack Maxwell and a chap we called Irish Dave.  Young Jack kept the pace a bit more honest so that we averaged 4:43's.  Same route of Centennial loop via Ocean St both ways. 15km.

Some reps

Ok.  Been procrastinating on this one.  Partly worried about the achilles, partly worried about lack of fitness. Finally joined HuRTs for 8 x 1km around Bangers.  Decided to settle on about 3:25 pace. After the first at 3:30 they were all around 3:22 to 3:23.  Variously ran with Jeet, Brendan, Timmy, The Bearded One, Biggsy etc. There's quite a pack at that pace.

Well, for the first time since January I wasn't even thinking of the achilles when running that pace. But then on the 6th rep it started to tighten a little.  Started the 7th rep before my head told me to cut it at that, and live to fight another day.  So stopped after 50m and jogged back to the office.

10km all up.  Achilles good this evening.  Sorry it's boring, but exciting for me.

Dinner tonight at the BFC before Dad and Liz head back to Blighty tomorrow:

 

Monday plod

Started to run home. Decided it was too much on my fragile achilles so did 7km around flat Barangaroo, was last man sprinting on to the ferry then 3km from the wharf home.  10km in 4:57's.  Just what the doctor ordered.

I've decided that success in life is about the quality of your distribution networks.

Longer Sunday

Got out at lunch with Darren and the Captain.  Did the same route as last week but adding to the lagoon and back and a loop of Fairfax.

Achilles surprisingly ok and got into the running after 5km.  Which was handy given that Darren had decided to punish his less fit running companions by pushing the hills.

All up 27km on a beaut of a day in exactly 2 hours (4:27's).

Then up to Narrabeen to ride the BMX next to Maggie as she ran 5km around the lake.  Legs shafted after that.

Saturday test

Was in Port Moresby Thursday and Friday with no chance to run.  Couple of days rest was probably what I needed in any case.

Headed out in the late afternoon to do another 5km tempo test.  3 weeks ago I ran 17:46 (adjusted to 17:39 on Strava) for the 2 lapper of Manly Golf Course starting from the corner of Kenneth and Quirk.  Ben Streck had run a 17:08 PB at Parkrun in the am so ambitiously set that as my target.

Went out hard over the undulating first km and was pleased to see 3:22.  A 3:26 followed and through the first lap in 8:32.  The tough 3rd km was 3:32 then consolidated with a 3:28.  Final km in 3:23 for a 17:11.  Strava seems to knock off 7s on the double loop as it gave me 17:04, finally knocking off Banksy's segment record.  Second loop was 8:39 so was happy not to drop off too much.

35s improvement in 3 weeks.  Next up sub17.

8km warm up and down for 13km all up.  Achilles sore in the evening.  6 hours of flying yesterday and the day before won't have helped.

Port Moresby:

 

MLR with Timmy

Out at lunch for what is becoming a regular MLR with Timmy. Chatted about everything from Rory Delap to Port Moresby and a few sidebars along the way.  15km around Centennial and back in 4:50's.

ANZAC Day

Kicked out of the house with the kids by Kirst, I ventured to the dark side to warn them of the perils of going astray. Venturing from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay, we encountered drug dealers (see pic below - my son pretending to pimp out his sister), latte sippers and beards galore.

Once home I got back to basics with a lovely 17km run around North Head with Charlie (the person, not the Eastern Suburbs drug of choice) and the Cap'n.  4:34's.

 

Monday

Still feeling ok (6 days in a row) and it was a beautiful day so joined HuRTs for 10-11km easy.  Chatted to Biggsy and Jac mainly.  Starting to feel more confident.  So much that I've got a bet with Timmy I'll run sub 2:34 in Berlin.  $50.

Sunday

Still can't run early with the Achilles being too stiff before lunchtime but got out at noon and Angus was keen to run at that time.  Did 25km with an extended route up around North Head. Great to have some company and kick off my first official long run post-injury.

Angus was remarking how I seemed to say hello to everyone in Manly before he stopped to say hello to Tony Abbott at Queensie on the way back.  I didn't.

Not the Novice

Down to Scarborough Park in the early afternoon. Wasn't up to running the Novice 10km but Maggie was doing the Under 12's 2km and Charlie decided to take part too as we travelled down there. Great running by both. They were knackered as they fell over the line. Mags ran a great 8:13 for 15th girl. Hard to tell how she did for her age as she has another 2 years in Under 12's.  Charlie was about 30s back.

Got home and, inspired, I ran loops of Nolan's and Passmore on the grass high-fiving the kids on the basketball court as I ran by. Felt great and as if I was moving properly again.  10km in 4:20's.

Friday with Jerome

Just me and the friendly Frenchman today.  But had a great chat with Jerome all the way round, a nicer bloke you will not meet.

12.5km in 4:34's.

Watched another 3 episodes of Thirteen Reasons Why tonight.  Holy crap it's heavy but gripping stuff.  Although I do wish he'd just listen to the tapes a bit more quickly.