Back from the Brink

Saturday was ANSW XC relays in Miranda.  Was still feeling average in the morning so didn't intend to run, but was taking Maggie down after her morning ballet eisteddfod.  Got there, saw the awesome set up, saw the crowd and decided to give it a go.  But first Maggie's race.  She was fantastic, running 17:46 just 3 seconds behind (an admittedly very pregnant) Elle.  Here she is:

Then I was up first leg in the Open mens.  Well, I had only one aim.  Stay ahead of Enda.  Ran with him for the first 200m then pushed ahead a bit.  Could see I had about 5m after 1km and then got through the first lap in 6:50.  Then my legs started going dead.  Not sure whether it was lack of fitness, antibiotics or getting over the manflu, but every corner involved an increasingly desperate look over my shoulder to see where he was.  I told myself I owed this to poor Timmy who has been ostracised by Enda of late.  And so I got there.  14:10.  Better than I thought and something to work from.

Scotty had a great run in 13:11 mixing with the big boys.  Barts ran a great second leg in 13:26 but JFen was run of the day as he beat both CT and me to run 14:01.

Great turnout by Rejoov so here we are (at least the blokes and Mags):

Monday recovery

Good news is that the achilles is feeling better and better (despite a real test on Sunday) and I ran home Monday evening with the stated aim of going dead slow but just felt comfortable the whole way.  69:55 (4:53's).

Bad news is the bug I've been struggling with started to hit me again when I got home and I'm off work sick today with a temperature.  FFS.

Long run including SMH Half

Headed in with the in-form Benny, Erika and Tim and got to the office after a few City diversions which had Benny's heart rate up in the 160's before we'd even started running.  Met LJ and then into the office for a change before heading out for a few pre-race kms.  Only managed 3.2km at 5:00 pace around MMC before being the last person to join the race from the front.  Headed a few rows back and then we were off.

Plan was to run 4min kms all the way.  But after Saturday's effort I wasn't too confident, worrying whether this little bug would hit me in the legs later on.  So by some bizarre logic I decided I needed to run a bit quicker to get some time in the bank.  Met JFen on the detour up Grosvenor Street and we ran together for the rest of the way, generally chatting (except on the hills).  We averaged about 3:50's going through half way in 40:41.  More effort required in the second half up the hills and noticeable how people were coming back to us.  Finished in 82:11 with a confidence boost given it felt comfortably hard.

Some super performances out there today.  Hoey was the pick, knocking off my PB from 2015 by 9s to run 71:04 leaving Barts and Scotty in his wake.  A typical strong second half performance from him.  Bruce ran a strong 76 on a tough course and Benny likewise only 4s shy of his Canberra PB on a much more difficult course (78:55).  Jeet is returning to form with a low 79 and he needs to belt up about his injury now.

Another 5km cool down with car gang at 5:20 pace for 29km all up.

Benny, Erika, LJ and me.  Thumbs are the new Dab.

Saturday tempo abort

3 weeks since the previous 5km TT around the golf club so tried it again.  Fail.  Just felt crap.  Think I've had a low level bug for a week which explained Thursday but that could just be an excuse, I just can't seem to get firing.  3:24 then 3:30 then jogged out the rest.  12km.

Brisbane Friday

Felt very average on Thursday so took my kit to BrisVegas and snuck in 14km over lunchtime in 4:30's along the river.  Need to stop over striding. Found that when I relaxed and increased the cadence I ran quicker and more easily.

103km for the week.

Wednesday MLR

Well it was the usual Wednesday MLR route I've been doing for the past few weeks with Timmy but without Timmy.  Instead, Jeet, Jack the Lad and Irish Dave did the whole thing (actually I added a km at the end solo) while Jac, Elle, Renee and Bruce joined us to the top of Ocean St.

16km nice and easy.  4:52's.  296m of elevation.  Starting to feel as though I am moving properly again.

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: