Something Different

No car so I couldn't get to Rotary Park. So had to go local...

I ran down Bobbin Head Road until I found a park. The warm-up was 4.5km in 20 minutes.

I was running wide around a football field. I did one lap as a warm-up and to mark out my route. I started with a 4 lapper, with one lap recovery. Then 3 laps, 2 laps and 1 lap - again with a lap recovery between efforts. I then repeated the set for a second time with a lap recovery to finish. All up that's 29 laps (1+4+1+3+1+2+1+1+1+4+1+3+1+2+1+1+1).

Splits were: 4:23, 3:14, 2:08, 1:00 and 4:19, 3:12, 2:05, 0:58.

Good to see all the times in the second set quicker than the first. I estimate the lap to be 320m so not mega quick running but a good hit-out all the same (it was quite awkward making the sharp turns around the field).

Finished with a 4.5km run home. All up that's 18.3km. I ran in the DS racers again and I'm liking them.

I've been invited to run in the K-Swiss A team for the half. They are providing some free gear which is handy.

Triple Gym

10km easy in 42:50.

Longest Tempo Yet

Gym again!

A 1km warm-up, then an hour's run covering 16.1km (3:43's), then a 1km warm-down.

A tough enough run. To think I've run a marathon at a quicker pace than that. Mind boggling.

Back to the gym

10km easy in 43:06.

More rest

I had two study sessions today so no time for a run.

That's only 46.4km for the week but a good chance to freshen up before a big week next week.

The Asics DS racers are great. My first race in them yesterday and a PB!

NSW State 10km

No car so bludged a lift with Baz.

We got there in good time to pick up chip, warm-up, etc. Bumped into Irish Paul and warmed up with him, Leigh and Irish Tom. Had a good chat, lots of banter; I will miss these races. Estimate 4km.

Lined up at the top of Olympic boulevard and soon we were off. The first km is slight downhill so got a bit carried away and that was reflected in the time as I reached the first km marker in 3:01. Concentrated on keeping the legs ticking over and the 2nd km was reached in 6:11. This was too quick and I was feeling it a lot. Tried to settle down and started to run with some small groups. I should have mentioned the conditions, very good, nice and cool with no breeze to speak of.

By 3km (9:28) I was running at target race pace so with the quick start I had some time in the bank and it was time to stay focused. The 5km marker was reached in 16:08 so that was way
ahead of plan. Just keep it going...

It started to drizzle a little, no problem. The downhill 6th km was a little disappointing (3:19) so that was a sign I was slowing. Plus I was aware that some runners were closing in on me. Sure enough I was soon passed by the Fossil and another guy. I tried to stick with them but didn't quite have it. At 7km my thoughts turned to hanging on. I knew I was slowing but tried to keep the legs motoring. The 8th and 9th kms were gritted out in 3:23's so more slowdown but come the 9th km I knew that any sort of decent last km would be rewarded with a new PB...

A last push up Olympic boulevard and sprinted to the line to finish in 32:49. A 41 second road PB and finally closes some of the gap on my track form.

Splits were 3:01, 3:10, 3:18, 3:19, 3:20 (16:08), 3:19, 3:19, 3:23, 3:23, 3:17 (16:41).

Finished with a 2km warm-down. All up 16km.

A happy bunny. Beer and pizza tonight!

Rest Day

Rest day and no beer. I recall saying I wasn't going to do that again...

Final Tune Up

In the gym again...

3km warm-up followed by 4 x 500m uphill (3.0) efforts at 3:43/km pace with 500m float. Finished off with a 3km warm-down. Total 10km in about 42 mins.

So that's it until Saturday. Looking forward to this race.

Stitch

An easy 10km run in the gym in 43:07.

Probably wasn't that easy in hindsight. I got a stitch (very rare) and thought I'd have to stop at one point. I ran it off though, that's how tough I am.

Time Based Intervals

I did something a bit different today. A 4km warm-up/down.

In between I did 8 x 1 minute efforts with 1 minute walk recovery. I ran them at 10km pace, maybe a bit quicker. I was wearing my heavy joggers which is always a bit of a handicap.

I estimate 10.4km for the session.

Watched the Boston Marathon today. A good finish to the end of the women's race with the Ethiopian just hanging on.

Rest Time

No running today.

Watched the London Marathon. Good to see it after running this race last year. I don't seem to recall much of the course!

Sunday

Same run as last Sunday. This time nearly a minute quicker.

Details - 21.4km in 1:37:59. That's 4:35/km pace.

That's another solid week in the bank. Total distance 96.8km.

Time to freshen up for the state road 10km on Saturday. Low 33 for me.

Running with mates

Got a text Friday evening from Saxon saying that Rotary Park intervals were happening with him and Palms in the morning Was I keen? Yes I was.

An 8:30am start from LCNP. Palms had got me some new racing flats (Asics DS racers) and I was keen to try them out so they went straight on. A bit of dirt would do them good.

A twisty 2.6km jog to the track and we agreed that the session would be 4 lappers. Maybe 4 or 5.

Palms was leading the first lap, me the second, Sax the third and back to Palms for the last. A 100m walk, 300 slow jog recovery with target times of 5:20 for the efforts.

Actual times were:

5:15, 5:16, 5:15, 5:13

These felt really easy. I could have run a fair bit quicker. It was so much easier running with the new shoes (fantastic), a group (seems much easier) and in the morning (much cooler). We couldn't decide on doing a 5th rep so as a compromise we did a 2 lapper. After a 75 second first lap it was time to stretch the legs and with a 68 second lap we all finished with a 2:23 (sub 3 minute km pace).

A 2.6km jog back to the start. All up 14.2km. I hope I feel this good next Saturday. If I do, I'll have a blinder.

Friday

Another easy run in the gym. 10km in 43:03.

More Intervals

Another visit to UTS Norths grass track.

A 4km warm-up, followed by 8 x 800s with 400m jog recovery. Then a 2km warm-down.

The weather was glorious. Too hot for intervals but I'll take it.

My plan was to run them at 10km pace so I thought sub 2:40 would be fine. Actual times were:

2:37, 2:37, 2:37, 2:36, 2:37, 2:36, 2:36, 2:35.

Pretty consistent. Recovery jog was approx 2 mins so 5 minute km pace.

Same As Monday

43:07 for 10km

Even Longer Tempo

A 14km tempo with 1km either side.

The tempo run time was 52:08 and all up 60:25.

Sweating buckets.

Gym

10km in 43:07.

Longer Run

I headed out at lunchtime. To save time I ran from home, down to the top gate at LCNP (4.4km). Then I ran the Striders 10km course in reverse with an extra 2.6km loop thrown in at the bottom of the course. Then the 4.4km back to Pymble with the long climb at the end up Lane Cove Road and back up the Pacific Highway. All up 21.4km in 1:38:50 so that's 4:37/km so not particularly quick but it will do.

A few niggles to worry about. Both knees sore, plus the right piriformis. Time for another massage.

That's 93.4km for the week. My biggest of the year. Same again next week then some freshening up the following week in time for the State 10km.

Time Trial Time

About time I did another Lane Cover time trial. Top gate to bottom. Downhill running so should be easy.

My previous PB was 14:49 set on Feb 27th this year. I was thinking about that during my warm-up run and couldn't recall my exact splits at various points of the course. So I came to the conclusion that if I was somewhere near 5 minutes with 3km to go, I was in with a chance...

After a slow 5.4km, I was at the top gate for a stretch. Lets get this over with....the first km is all downhill. You must be running at sub 3 minute km pace. As you cross the river there is the first climb of about 200m. The trick is to run strong straight over the top and get back into your running. The first checkpoint came in 5:01 so I was in the ballpark. Only 3km to go.

The next km is pretty flat. So run hard and take the racing line. With 2km to go I was 8:16 and I knew that was quick. The next km has another nasty uphill of about 200m, but again there is more downhill after that to make up the time. With 1km to go I was 11:31 so I knew a quick last km would see me right. I had a battle with a couple of cars in the last km and probably lost a little focus. That said, I finished in 14:39 so a 3:08 last km and a 10 second PB.

Really pleased with that. That's 3:10/km pace which is quick for me on the road. Okay, the downhill does help but I still can't get the 3:05's that I can on the track...

A 3.5km warm-down. All up 13.5km.

A few beers this evening. I'm looking after both the little ones as Marion is out on the razz. Man Utd have just beaten Man City in the last minute so that opens up the door for the mighty Spurs!

Yawn fest

Same old, same old. 10km in the gym in 43:09. Both knees sore.

Longer reps

In the build up to the half it's probably a good idea to do some longer reps. I'm making it up as I go along but it makes sense to me.

I drove to the grass track on Mowbray Road. I was planning on running 4 lappers with 400m slow jog recovery.

After a 20 minute warm-up on the surrounding roads, I hit the track and marked out my 1600m run in lane 3 (4 times the normal 400m stagger).

The pace I wanted to run was 10km pace. I thought that 5:20 per effort was a good enough target (being 3:20/km pace).

The first one felt really easy and I was a little surprised by the time of 5:13.

The second felt a lot harder and I'd slowed to 5:20.

The third was a slight improvement of 5:18.

And a 5:16 to finish. Would have been nice to be a bit more consistent.

In between I was walking 100m, then doing a slow 300m+ jog before the next effort.

I did an 8 lap warm-down. Total running of 14.5km.

Gym Run

Another 10km easy in the gym. Time 43:10.

Less than 5 weeks now until we move to Ireland....

Longer tempo

Back to the gym...

A 1km warm-up, then a 12km tempo, and a 1km warm-down. Total time 53:23.

The 12km was covered in 44:44 so that's about 3:44/km.

I'll up the duration of these tempo runs over the next few weeks. I might build up to 20km if I have enough time.

Club 2073 again

Another 10km easy in the gym in 43:27.

Some self massage on the tight calves tonight. Haven't a clue what I'm doing. Just squeezing the muscles and making them hurt more.

Firetrails

I ran at lunchtime. The calves were tight from the track so took it easy. I drove to the start of the trail just off Bobbin Head Road so I could spend more time on the trial. I ran for 34 minutes, up and down some monster hills (walked in places). Then turned round and did the same route in reverse. Tough going.

The run lasted 1:08:07. I'll put this down as 13km as I wasn't running quick but the effort involved felt like a lot more than that!

So that's 68.6km for the week. Not as high as I wanted. Will try and rectify that over the next couple of weeks.

Homebush again

No traffic today, though parking was fun as the Easter Show is still on, plus the Bulldogs were playing at ANZ stadium.

After checking in, it was announced that due to low numbers, all the 3,000m races were to be run as one (U18 men and women, open men and women). The race was brought forward 15 minutes to 7:20 with 10 runners...

So a quick 4km warm-up and change, a few strides and it was showtime. I tried hanging on the back of the lead 3 runners for a few laps but they were too quick. So a gap started to emerge and I just tried to keep the legs turning over as quick as possible. The first km was probably 3 exactly, then the slow down started. It was really hard running by myself, not a race, more like a time trial. At 2km I was 6:06 so the sub 9 had gone. I concentrated on lifting the pace for the last 2 laps but it was more a case of not slowing down further. The finish line couldn't arrive soon enough and the time I was greeted with was 9:11. Not too bad, but it didn't really happen for me tonight. Perhaps it was not a good idea to run km reps only 2 days prior! Oh well, a decent enough session in the bank.

I ran 3km as a warm-down so 10km for this evening. This could be my last track race for a while, and probably my last track race in the southern hemisphere!

More easy

10km treadmill run in 43:28. I've entered the 3km race tomorrow night at Homebush. See if I can give the 9 minute barrier a nudge.

Homebush

A stressful drive to Homebush. It took 1 hour 15 minutes due to bad traffic. I could have run there quicker. Upon arrival my travel rage quickly disappeared. The conditions were just about perfect, nice and cool with no breeze. After a 4km warm-up I changed into my spikes and was ready to go.

I had the track to myself. There was only one other person I could see in the entire stadium! The session was km reps. I hadn't decided how many - I would play it by ear. The 1st one felt comfortable in 3:01. The 2nd one, the same time. The 3rd one in 3 flat and the 4th in 2:59. That was enough. I should have mentioned that I was doing a 400m jog recovery between each effort in about 2:25.

I did a 4km warm-down. In total 13.6km for the day.

10km Easy

A nice trot of 10km in the gym. Time 43:29.

The aim is to get to the track tomorrow. Maybe time to do some of the dreaded km reps.

More tempo

I really need to come up with some more sessions. Back to the gym, a 1km warm-up, then 10km in 37:16, and a 1km warm-down.

Was blowing a good bit. There just did not seem to be enough air in the gym. A good sweat.

Rest day

Ran out of time to get a run in so decided to do nowt.

I went to watch Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova at the Opera House in the evening. Over 2 hours in an incredible performance. The man is a genius.

A late night. In bed at 1am.

Out for an hour

Short of time (2 kids does that) so headed out local and ran down to the firetrails at Wahroonga. I ran for just over 30 minutes then doubled back home. Total time 1:01:31 and no idea of distance but I wasn't going that quick so I'll estimate it at 13km.

That's 70.6km for the week. I'll try and get that a bit higher in the next few weeks to get some more kms in the legs in the build up to the half.

Trying to ignore sore knees. Tight calves will do that. Must find some time to do some self-massage.

Striders Lane Cove 10km

An early start. Up at 6am and out of the door by 6:20. Struggled to find a park and after a quick registration and 2km warm-up the race was underway.

Conditions were just about perfect. A cool 17 degrees and very little wind. I was in the leading group of 4 as we went through the first km in 3:15 and to be honest I was not feeling great. So the other 3 runners gradually worked away from me so I focused on my own race trying to work as hard as possible. At about 3km I was overtaken by the same young lad who beat me at North Head. So now I'm in 5th place...

My focus turned to getting to the top of the course in good shape, then lifting my game to run a strong last 4.6km. The uphill section is a real tough grind but I was pleased that the gap to 4th wasn't growing (say 10m). The km split between 4 and 5 was a surprise (3:40), that was quick for me. At the turnaround it was time to drop the hammer but it's not the same as doing the time trial. Picking up the pace is a real effort after climbing the long hill.

Anyway, I started to feel stronger and at about 6km I was back into 4th place. At the 7km marker I knew I had to run a strong sub 10 minutes for the last 3km to get under 34. Again lots of focus and I was starting to feel good and with splits of 3:17, 3:21 and 3:11 for the last 3km I snuck under 34 in 33:57 finishing in 4th. No sign of 3rd place in front of me - the gap was too much. So just missed the podium again.

So after a sluggish period between 1km and 6km, a good strong finish was pleasing. That's my quickest time on the Lane Cove course by over 20 seconds so I must be doing something right. It gives me some confidence for the May half which is only 6 weeks or so away.

The split for the last 4.6km was 15:18 compared to my best time trial of 14:49 so goes to show how the first 5.4km really knocks the stuffing out of you.

A 3km warm-down with Conor and Paul. All up 15km for the day.

40 minutes local

After far too many beers the previous night I thought I'd get out for an easy 40 minutes to build up a bit of a sweat. I ran local and did 2 Pymble loops in 36 minutes, then I added a couple of laps of the local park to bring it up to 43 minutes. Estimate 9km so slow and steady.

My thoughts turn to the Striders race tomorrow. I'm thinking sub 34 should be possible. I need to tap into some of my track form...

Intervals

Was planning on SOPAC but ended up more local at the grass track on Mowbray Road. I had the track to myself and lanes 1 and 2 were out of action so planned 5 x 800 running in lane 3 which relied on an estimation of the distance using double the 400m stagger.

After a 4km warm-up I got into it. I wanted to run them hard but not flat out and thought that 2:30 per rep was a fair target. With a 400m (slightly longer as in lane 3) jog recovery. Actual times were:

2:32, 2:31, 2:30, 2:30, 2:29

Not too bad but these certainly did not feel comfortable. I was pushing hard to bring them in around 2:30. It must be the grass track which slows me down a bit. I ran the last rep in lane 1 just to see if my estimate of 800m was close and it was.

After a 4km warm-down I was done. All up 13.6km.

Better still

The pain has just about gone in the lower back today.

An easy 10km run in the gym in 43:28. Felt pretty good.

Will try and squeeze in a track session tomorrow. Maybe time for some 800s.

Tempo Test

The back was a good bit better today. I decided to test it out with a tempo run at lunchtime and all went okay with no pain.

The time was 37:50 for 10km after a slow build-up.

Relief.

Back again

Another sore spot on my back this morning. Different to last time. Another trip to the chiro. I've got an inflamed spot in my lower back caused by shithouse posture when I've been studying (using the edge of the bed as a chair and a side-table as a desk that I can't fit under so have to sit side-on).

Too sore to attempt a run. Pain killers, icing, see how it is tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Recovery

Legs sore so time for a slow jog. Lets make it even more unpleasant by running at lunchtime. It was 32 degrees and no sign of autumn...

Decided not to get to caught up on times. Just turn the legs over for an hour. I was running at LCNP and after the first 10km (just under 48), I did an extra 2.8km to bring the total time up to 60:59. So a total of 12.8km.

That's 66.8km for the week. A strange week with some illness/injury but came through the other side to run a solid 10km. I'm feeling confident that better things are just around the corner and the immediate focus now switches to the next Striders 10km on Saturday. And it's on at Lane Cove where I've been training the house down...

Time for a beer.

State 10,000m

Back still sore in the morning. I made an appointment with the chiro at lunchtime to see what I'd done. Apparently I'd had a bit of a back spasm. Some massage and a few clicks later it felt a lot better. By that I mean I could at least run tonight. Steve gave me some magic Chinese liniment to rub on my back just before the race. I hope it's legal!

I did a 5km warm-up. It was still hot (26 degrees) which I didn't mind, but the humidity was quite bad. A gentle 20 minute jog and I was perspiring lot-sa. Times could be slow tonight.

A bit of panic just before the start as I didn't have a lap counter. A nice lady volunteered and we were all soon toeing the line. My goal going into this race was to give sub 32 a shake. So 15:50 at halfway, then hang on...

The race started and I settled into a nice group with me, Rob, Cale and Chris. We went through the first km in 3:06, 3km in 9:33 - so already we were slowing. I tried running at the front for a while but that was hard work! At 5km we were 16:08 or thereabouts and our group was still in tact. At this point Rob dropped out of the race leaving 3 of us. From there on in it was time to start hanging on. The pace had slowed further and we were probably averaging around 80 second laps. It was a case of not falling of the back and saving what you could for one final effort. In the last couple of kms I tried another stint at the front, then Chris had a go. Then it turned into a last lap shoot-out. With 200m to go I made my best attempt at a sprint. I think this took Cale and Chris by surprise but Cale had me easily covered and I hung on to finish a few seconds behind him. The time 32:38 and I placed 5th overall.

So just shy of my PB by 3 seconds but overall I'm pleased with the run given the high humidity. I can honestly say I've never sweated so much after a race. It was embarrassing!

The placing flatters me a lot. It seems that a lot of the top runners are just not interested in running 10km on the track. Fair play to the Chin for showing up and running a very respectable sub 30.

A 3 lap warm-down. Everything hurts. I'm getting too old for this. Beer is the answer.

UPDATE

I've had a bit of time to ponder last nights run and on reflection I think it was definitely a better run than my 32:35 PB. Humidity is my number one enemy and when I ran the 32:35 I had perfect conditions. Also, this week has not been ideal with the virus, then the back spasm.

My km splits were:

3:06, 3:11, 3:16, 3:18, 3:17, 3:19, 3:18, 3:23, 3:21, 3:09

Looking back it seems the 8th and 9th kms were where the PB was lost but at the time I was probably saving myself for the last km.

What next?

Woke up feeling just about back to normal. I ran at lunchtime, an easy 7km in 31:41. I threw in 3 x 400s at gradient 5.0 in the middle at 3:43/km pace as a final tune up (with 400m recovery). Felt pretty good.

Then later in the day I managed to put my back out whilst studying. Very sore, running will not be easy. Hope it gets better tomorrow. A few beers required for pain relief. What a week!

On the mend

I felt a good bit better today though I had a really bad night's sleep. Bed sweats and couldn't sleep. Not pleasant, I must have picked up a virus or something.

Anyway, I ran an easy 10km in the gym in 43:29. Felt okay. Hopefully I'll be fully fit come Saturday.

Unwell and track

I had stomach cramps and felt a bit sick throughout the previous night. That continued for most of the day but I decided to give track a go to "run it off".

Was running late and didn't get to Homebush until after 7pm (with the track closing at 8pm). A quick 4km warm-up and I was ready to go.

The session was 3 sets of 4 x 400m, with 400 slow jog between sets. Times were as follows:

74/71/70/70 - 2:25 - 73/70/70/70 - 2:41 - 73/70/71/68

Felt pretty awful throughout. Stomach cramps were getting worse and I was done for at the end. Felt very low in energy. A 2km warm-down and straight home to bed.

All up 11.6km. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow.

Comeback

Back to the gym. A 1km warm-up so I could get a rolling start for the 10km tempo run. So the treadmill was at full tilt for the 10km and the resultant time was 37:16. All up 11km.

The right knee was a lot better. No pain throughout the run. Very happy. Nice to dodge a bullet.

The left knee is the same as it has been the last few months/year. Occasional dull pains but I've got used to it now and it can be controlled by stretch and massage.

Massage

Right knee/leg fix required. Top of leg very sore/tight in the abductors and hip flexors. Was hoping that fixing that would in turn fix the right knee.

Got a 2pm appointment so decided to have a rest from the running today. Arrived for the massage and as I suspected the top of the right hip was very tight. No pain, no gain, and after 40 minutes work on the quad, hip flexor, abductor and calf it felt a lot better. To start with slight pressure was really painful. By the end all the muscles had freed up and were moving nicely and the original pain was replaced with the residual soreness from being beaten up. Amazing how these things can be fixed up so quickly.

Will get back into it tomorrow. The plan at this stage is tempo on Tuesday, some 400s at the track Wednesday. Then easy running Thursday and Friday before the race Saturday night.

Double 10

Headed out at lunchtime. Down to LCNP. Same old, same old.

As soon as I got out of the car I realised that it was quite warm. Unperturbed, I started the 10km course and was running along quite nicely at 4:30/km pace and all seemed okay. I went through 10km in 44:56 and turned round for the second loop. By 13km I was slowing, not by much say 8 seconds per km. I kept focusing on getting the run finished as it seemed to be getting hotter. By 17km, I calculated that I had 12:45 left to run the last 3km to keep the second 10km at the same pace. A lot of huffing and puffing later I'd finished with an all up time of 1:29:37 (4:29/km pace).

Right knee not too bad but not right. Will try and get a massage tomorrow on some sore spots and hope that it gets better.

So that's 78.6km for the week. A good week with a huge 5km PB.

Got back into the car and checked the outside temperature. A barmy 37 degrees. Clucking bell, perhaps that wasn't such a bad run after all.

7km wobble

Still a bit sore from Thursday so just did an easy 7km loop around Pymble/Turramurra in 34:50. Was worried about the right knee but the run seemed to pass with no problems. That said, it was a little sore later in the day after I had warmed down.

Another hot run. Summer seems to have resurfaced.

Rehab

A 10km recovery run in the gym. Time 43:29.

Left knee a little sore. The track will do that. Plus the right knee has given me a few niggles in the last day or so. I'm hoping that my old injury (18 months out) is not going to resurface...hopefully self-massage and new shoes will see me right.

Moet tonight. And why not.

5km is this years black

Arrived at SOPAC at about 8pm. The race was scheduled for 8:50pm so plenty of time for pre-race rituals. Did a 4km warm-up and felt okay. Weather was quite warm (approx 24 degrees), and no breeze.

Changed into the spikes (need a new pair), and did some run throughs. Then found out that the 5km was to be split into 2 races so the men's A/B grade was put back 20 minutes or so...

Therefore, more time to walk/run/gather thoughts. Said hello to a few regulars. The King watching. Plus Cale who had just run the 1500m.

Soon lined up for the start. Gun went off and we were racing. Settled in behind Chris T and Rob W. The pace felt a little slow and I clipped heels a few times in my eagerness to push on. The first km came and went in 3:00 and that felt comfortable (Adrenalin). Then I kept hanging on the back and soon the 2km came in 6:00. I still felt okay and my immediate thought was that I could run 3:15's here on in and still run a solid PB. We kept ticking along and although I didn't feel like the pace had slowed, the 3km was passed in 9:07. Don't let them get away, just push on for 1 more lap was my mantra. Then the pace seemed to slow so feeling okay I decided to make a move and went past Chris and Rob (I must add that there was a considerable gap between us and the next group). Running at the front is a different ball game. I was running strong but it didn't feel as comfortable/quick. Not sure of the 4km split but around then Chris went past me again (I must have slowed) but I quickly chased him down to get back in front (I prefer being the chaser). With 2 laps to go it was a case of running strong to the finish. I was still leading our mini-group but at the bell Rob kicked past me and I focused on my own race to finish as strong as possible. I crossed the line in 15:25 and couldn't believe the time. Total shock and exhaustion.

The official time was 15:25:68. So call it 15:26 and a 28 second PB. Lessons learnt:

1. Don't be scared. I'm sure if you want to run 15:30 you should be running close to even splits. I went out quick and decided to hang on. Go with how you are feeling. Old skool.

2. Mental toughness. Don't let that gap emerge. I had to surge a few times to stop falling off the back but it felt good. In some sick way I wanted the pace to stay at 3:00/km so that I could test my mettle every 72 seconds.

Finished with a 4 lap warm-down. Chatted to Rob and another guy called Wayne. A great night.

Checked my time on McM. My best run ever apparently. Not sure I'd go that far. Thoughts have immediately turned to the 25 lapper a week on Saturday. I'm starting to believe that sub 32 maybe a possibility...

A tune up

I've entered the 5km track race tomorrow. Normally I'd like to do some 400s on the track to sharpen up but this wasn't an option. So back to the gym. I decided on a 3km warm-up, then 5 x 400m at 3:43/km pace on a gradient of 4.0 with 400m float. Then 3km warm-down.

The 400m hills were quite tough. Battled through and all up 10km was covered in 42:00.

Not sure what to expect tomorrow. I've gone backwards a bit so will be happy to sneak under 16 again. We shall see.

New 2150s

My first run in my new trainers. Asics 2150's - the latest model and an update on the 2140's.

Did my 10km tempo run. Cranked the treadmill up to full speed straight away so no warm-up. Ran the 10km in 37:24 and was blowing a bit. Good to work up a sweat.

Trainers felt great.

New week

10km easy in the gym in 43:21.

May run a 5km race on the track Thursday night. Will see.

My first run with a stroller

Headed to LCNP with Conor and stroller. Target was 10km in 50 minutes.

The new smooth surface helped. Not too bad on the flats and downhills but tough going on the ups. Not sure of the correct technique to hold the stroller. I tended to lead with the right hand.

Finished in 47:12. Probably about 5 minutes slower than normal based on effort level. Happy with that. Conor seemed to enjoy it but got a bit restless the last km.

So that's 50km for the week. A pretty easy week. Will try and get back into it next week.

Nish

No training today.

New baby doing well. The next Paula Radcliffe.

New Baby Girl!

Maeve Anna Bidwell entered the world at 4:42pm, weighing in at 3.1kgs. Mother and baby both doing well. So we now have a full set!

Great news. Everything went pretty smoothly even though it's easy for me to say that!

No running today and possibly for the next few days though I may sneak out for a run in the pram with Conor to build up a bit of a sweat.

A few beers is due. Here's to Maeve!

Hillwork

An old treadmill session. 6 x 1km uphill efforts with 400m float. Warm-up and down of 1km so all up exactly 10km.

Started the first km at 0.5 gradient and worked up to 3.0 for the final one.

All up 10km in 38:41.

Massage

10km easy in the gym in 43:43.

Massage in the evening. Problem was a sore piriformis. Two people required and a few elbows in the hip later I'm as good as new. On the pain front it ranked pretty highly.

10 weeks to go

Tempo run of 10km in 37:40.

Felt okay.

A big week

Usual Monday 10km easy in 43:45. Booked a massage for Wednesday evening.

Time to reflect

I headed out at lunchtime and I had 1hr 20 for my run. Decided to run at LCNP. Started with a 10km loop in 42:16. Then a further 9km to finish with 19km in 1:19:32. So that's a pretty solid pace of 4:11/km. Felt pretty easy although my right abductor is a bit sore (time for a massage). Must be doing too much of this running as I seem to be able to name every muscle and tendon in the legs.

Yesterday was a bad run. I'm quickly over it.

All up 64.5km for the week.

Must do better

I'd set myself a goal this year of a podium finish (my first) in the Sydney Striders races. I was hoping today was going to be the day...

No beers all week. Well rested. I was taking this serious.

Parked down near the hospital and jogged up to the start (approx 2.5km). By the time I got to the registration area I was sweating buckets. It was very humid so already a seed of doubt was planted.

Another 500m warm-up and was soon lining up at the start. The gun fired and we were off. I took it out hard and went straight into 3rd place. It seemed like a few of the normal pointy end guys were missing. Today was my chance.

Felt very good going through 2km in 6:31. I'd already opened up a gap to the chasers and my focus was on keeping the pace honest. But by the next checkpoint (4km) I was only running at 3:30/km pace and I was really pushing hard. This continued through 5km (approx 17 flat) and my efforts did not match the km splits. No matter what I tried I could not get below 3:30/km. Something was not right.

Then my thoughts turned to consolidation. I was sitting comfortably in 3rd place and I was confident I could hang on. But still no speed to speak of and sub 3:30's were not happening. By 7.5km (approx last turnaround near the stone arch) it was apparent that the chasing pack were closing. The long grind up the hill saw my pace drop to 3:40/km and when I reached the roundabout it was only a matter of time before getting overtaken. Sure enough at about 8.5km a young lad came trotting past relegating me into 4th. There was nothing I could do except watch.

Every section of the course seemed to be uphill. The last loop came and I was focusing on not being overtaken again. As I climbed the final section exiting the loop I put the head down and gritted the teeth. As I looked up the young lad in front had taken a wrong turn (right instead of left to the finishing area) and suddenly I was back into 3rd position. At this point my conscience got the better of me and I shouted over to him and he turned back to rejoin the race. I then slowed and waved him past me to finish immediately behind him. So back to 4th...

The time was 34:48. Well over a minute slower than what I was after. Perhaps it was the humidity, perhaps I just had an off day. In speaking with the other guys I know the humidity was a factor but it seemed to effect me more than others. Very disappointed. I know I'm capable of much better at the moment.

Oh well, I'll have another crack next month though I'm guessing some of the usual suspects will be running making my goal that much harder. But that's half the fun. You don't want these goals to be easy!

Finished with a 2.5km warm-down. All up 15.5km. Always have a beer before a race (the night before, not during your warm-up). That's my lesson from today. And tapering is a waste of time for a 10km race. HTFU.

More rest

Decided to rest again. Will be as fresh as a daisy for the 10km tomorrow. Raining all afternoon. Hopefully it dries out by the morning.

My goal is to get somewhere near my road PB of 33:30. The plan is to go out hard and hang on. That plan never changes....

Hospital

Conor was not well and ended up in Hospital with his asthma. Thankfully he is now okay.

No training as a result. First complete rest day of the year!

Wedding Anniversary

It's 3 years today. Well over 10 years really but 3 officially.

Easy 10km in the gym. Time 43:48.

Nothing planned tonight. With baby#2 due in a couple of weeks it's very low key for a while!

10km Tempo

The usual 10k tempo run in the gym. Crank up the treadmill as fast as it goes (16.1km/hour) then sweat a lot whilst getting funny looks from the Pymble cougars.

Felt really comfortable today. Covered the 10km in 37:38.

Study

Started studying today for my next round of accountancy exams. Yawn.

10km easy in the gym in 43:49.

Paying Penance

A dozen beers last night. Ouch.

My window to attempt a run was lunchtime. It was quite warm (30 degrees). This was going to be ugly.

Drove to LCNP and shuffled along. Was tracking really slowly, just under 5 minute kms. Went through 10km in 48 something and wasn't feeling great. I was originally planning an hour and a half but revised that down pretty early doors (within the first km). Did another 6km loop, slower still, and called it a day. All up 16km in 1:18:14. Not pleasant.

Didn't learn my lesson from last week. In fact I seem to have gotten worse...

So time to say 3 hail marys and 3 our fathers and move on.

All up 86.6km for the week. A good interval session and time trial in there. Will sharpen up next week and maybe have a rest day or 2 (haven't had a rest day all year). Then race on Saturday.

Deja Vu

4 beers last night so no issues this morning. Headed down to LCNP first thing for my time trial. Was hoping for another improvement.

Usual warm-up for 5.4km. Felt really good. The weather was cooler than I was used to, the knee felt good, in fact I didn't really have an excuse on hand.

At the top I did a bit of stretching and then dropped the hammer. First checkpoint (1.6km) was 5:06 so 1 second up on last week. Then with 2km to go I was 8:18 (?), then with 1km to go I was 11:40 (same as last week). A quick last km of 3:09 saw me home in 14:49 (3:12 per km pace). A 4 second improvement basically all in the last km.

That was pleasing. That's 3 improvements in my PB in the last 3 weeks. Time to carry this form into my next 10km race one week today at North Head. Hoping for a big sub 34.

A couple of km warm down so a total of 12km.

Heading out tonight with a few mates for some beers. Could be a big one...

Friday Easy

The usual 10km to turn the legs over.

Time 43:47.

Thursday Intervals

Am - 5km slow in the gym in 24:54.

Pm - out to SOPAC for some km reps. Started with a 4km warm-up. Then changed into my spikes and did a further lap before the session (4 x 1km with 400m recovery).

Times were: 3:02, 3:00, 3:00, 2:59 (average of 2:20 each recovery).

Felt pretty good but was always behind my target of running them in 3 flat. So I found myself upping the pace after the first 400m or so to get them in on target. Much less recovery than when I did this same session 3 weeks ago.

Finished with a 4km warm-down and some stretching. All up 18.6km for the day.

Midweek

10km in the gym in 43:49.

Nothing else to report.

Tempo Tuesday

10km tempo run in 37:48.

Felt pretty easy. Knee behaving itself.

Happy Mondays

Treadmill for 10km easy in 43:48. Felt a lot better today. Hopefully no lasting damage done.

Sunday

A late night - in bed at 2am 8 beers to the good. Got up at 8am not feeling great. My running window was the morning so after 2 cups of strong coffee I was out the door.

Back to LCNP. I was planning to run for 1hr30 and thought I may be able to get over 20km in. Started running and that thought went quickly out of the window. I felt awful from go to whoa and was really struggling. The heat, lack of sleep, too much booze, etc, not a good combination.

Went through 10km in 46:35 and was hoping I might come good after that. But no, I felt worse. The next 10km were a real slog. Left knee started hurting. Battled on and finished the 20km in 1:34:21. So the second 10km was covered in 47:46. The worst run of the year. What a difference a day makes...

So that's 91.8km for the week. The biggest so far of the year. A good week despite today's effort. There is a lesson to be learnt here for sure.

Ps, the band were great.

Saturday

More time trialling. I had to run at lunchtime which meant it was going to be hot but I wasn't going to use that as an excuse.

So back to my time trial course at LCNP. A 5.6km warm-up in 25:20 which felt like really hard work. I don't think the humidity was too bad but it must have been close to 30 degrees. Anyway, did a bit of stretching and went for it.

Attacked the first part of the course, went through my first checkpoint in 5:07 so 12 seconds up on last week. Then it was a case of maintaining the effort for the final 3km. With 2km to go I was still up on schedule. The last checkpoint I was 11:40 so with a quick last km I was going to break 15 minutes. Didn't feel great and was pleased to see the end in 14:53. An 11 second improvement on last week (3:13/km for the 4.632km).

Basically all the improvement was in the first 1.6km. The last section of the course was covered in 9:46 which was 1 second slower than last week. With cooler conditions there must still be some more improvement to come.

Did a 3.2km warm-down so all up 13.2km. Pleased with that. Another PB.

Off to see British Sea Power tonight. A few beers probably.

Friday

Another 10km easy in the gym.

Time 43:49.

Thursday

Am - 5km in the gym in 24:55 and 15 minutes on the bike.

Pm - was planning to head out to SOPAC but realised that wasn't a good idea as the first AC/DC concert was on and traffic would be murder. So decided to run my intervals in the newly resurfaced LCNP.

After a 4km warm-up, I lined up for some 400's. I was planning 3 sets of 4, with 1 minute walking recovery between efforts, and a 400m slow jog between sets.

I'm not sure the 400m is spot on but should be pretty close (I've used it before - see Sep 17th, 2009). My times were:

1. 71/67/66/67
2. 68/68/68/69
3. 71/67/68/65

All up the session took 27:49 for 5.6km.

A 4km warm-down. Left knee a little sore. Running quick in my racing flats will do that.

Wednesday

More easy stuff.

10km in 43:45.

Tuesday

Tempo run of 10km in 37:39.

Felt really easy today. Knee seemed to be really good. Don't seem to get many days like this.

Monday

A very easy 10km in the gym.

Time 43:49.

Trying to get in a routine of:

Monday easy 10km (gym)
Tuesday tempo 10km (gym)
Wednesday easy 10km (gym)
Thursday intervals (SOPAC)
Friday easy 10km (gym)
Saturday race/time trial
Sunday long run

Lots of treadmill running in there (4 days). Seems to be okay for easy runs.

Sunday Longish

Ran with Palms from my place to the entrance to Bobbin Head. We did 5 minutes or so up this trail then turned round and retraced our footprints back to Pymble.

By the time we got back to my place we had been running 1hr 15. Matt pulled the pin and I added on an extra loop at the end so all up 1hr 34 and approx 20km. Not run at a quick pace, probably around the 4:40/km mark.

Did not feel great at any point on this run. The humidity was awful, sweating buckets. We bumped into Nick Bromley on Bobbin Head Road. He must be a local.

All up 88.4km for the week. Lots of liquids required to rehydrate after this mornings sweat fest.

Saturday Time Trial

I decided to run my LCNP time trial course (just over 4.6km - top gate to bottom gate as per the Striders course). I think the technical term for this is a threshold run.

Did the usual warm-up of 5.4km. I was confident of running well, but the humidity was a killer. By the time I reached the top of the course I was not feeling great. Low on energy and sweating profusely. It took me close to 26 minutes to run this section so not far off 5 minute clicks. I took a few minutes to stretch at the top, then decided to just go for it. I seem to have developed a knack for running well after feeling awful in the warm-up so this was maybe a good sign.

Was running quite strongly, the course does feel a few seconds quicker now that it has been fully resurfaced. The road is now very smooth, pothole free, and will probably attract a few more cyclists - but I digress. I reached the 3km to go marker in 5:19 so I knew that to beat my PB of 15:15 I would have to run sub 10 for the last 3km. Struggled up the last hill as per the norm but with 1km I was 11:56 and a quick last km saw me home in 15:04. An 11 second PB (and 9:45 for the last 3km). I think this section is a shade over 4.6km so that equates to 3:15 per km but I will concede the course is very much downhill so will flatter your time.

Very pleased with that. I'm sure I could go a good bit quicker without the humidity and heat (it was probably 27 degrees so not ideal running weather). This was a real confidence booster. Sub 15 is just around the corner.

Celebrated in the evening with a 6 pack of Coopers. Long run tomorrow with Palms.

Friday

Another easy 10km in the gym.

Time 43:50.

Thursday Double Bubble

Went to the gym in the morning to take Conor to creche and did a very easy 4km run in 20 minutes. I then did a bit of cycling to help free the legs up.

In the evening I went out to Olympic park for some intervals. After a 4km warm-up, I did 5 x 800s with 400 jog recovery. The recovery time was about 2:20 each interval.

My times were 2:23/2:22/2:22/2:22/2:21

Very happy with that (all at sub 3 minute km pace). That's a good sign that I'm in pretty good nick. A did 2km as a warm-down then some stretching.

Looking back, the 10km time last week was a little slower than expected but times in general were slow. I think the humidity had a lot to do with that. I'm now of the opinion that I'm in sub 34 shape given better conditions. That's getting close to my 10km road PB...

Easy Wednesday

10km in the gym in 43:47.

Left knee about 80% now. No problems running but does get a bit sore every now and then. I'm trying some self massage on my left calf and soleus to help things along. Seems to be working okay.

Tuesday Tempo

10km tempo run in the gym. Time 37:41 which is as fast as it gets as the treadmills don't go any quicker!

A good sweat and I often attract a few funny looks from some of the other gym users.

Monday Easy

10km easy in the gym in 43:51.

Welcome Back. Long Time Between Drinks.

Lots have happened in the past few months. Here is a quick summation:

1. Decided to move to Ireland
2. Sold Sydney apartment
3. Bought house in Galway
4. Flights booked May 18th.
5. New baby due March 19th.
6. Still running but sore left knee will not subside...

So with the impending move, and not looking to work until we get the family to Ireland, I've decided to have a solid effort on the running front for the first half of 2010. Since October I've been putting in the kms, but have been sadly lacking on the speedwork front. Interval sessions have been very few and far between. Despite that, I am pleased to report that there is still life in the old dog.

Lets start off with my races post marathon:

Oct 25th Wahroonga San Run for Life 10km - finished 3rd in 35:47
Nov 3rd Mingara 3km - 9:25
Nov 7th Striders Lane Cove 10km - finished 5th in 34:19
Nov 14th Homebush State 3km - 9:05
Dec 1st Mingara 3km - 9:21
Jan 28th Homebush State 5km - 15:54 (3 second PB)
Feb 6th Striders Homebush 10km - finished 4th in 34:33 (best Striders finishing position)

Basically, my speedwork has been racing apart from some token interval sessions the last couple of weeks. So still running well and with some speedwork I will soon be hitting my straps.

Race schedule will be the Striders 10km races each month, plus a few 3km races where I can fit them in. The main goal being the Sydney half on May 16th two days before we fly home. Would like to run a PB in my last race in the Southern hemisphere.

Over Christmas the focus was on building up some base fitness. I ran pretty much every day for close to 40 days. Nothing quick, just steady 4 min to 4:30 min per km pace. Averaging about 75 kms per week.

Going forwards I will attempt to get one track session in per week. I'll mix up the efforts between 400s, 800s, kms, etc, and try to reduce the recovery as I get fitter. It's hard work doing these by yourself - I need to find a few training partners to rattle through these sessions with.

Today I ran 20km in 1hr 23 in LCNP. Pretty quick pace (4:08/km) but felt quite easy. Just one of those runs where everything feels good. So that's a total of 84km for the week.

Melbourne Marathon 2:34:49

Woke up just before the alarm and had a couple of cups of coffee, a Le Rice and half a banana. I decided to head down to the hotel lobby at 5:30am so that I could get a taxi to the MCG.

I met this lady in the lobby who was looking a little flustered. Her husband who was supposed to be running the marathon with her had been vomiting all night because of food poisoning. She wanted someone to share a cab with so I was happy to oblige.

Upon arrival to the MCG I headed to the media room where the elite athletes were to meet. After getting changed, applying vaseline, etc, we were soon ushered down to the start area. We were able to wear our jackets which was handy as it was quite fresh. These would be returned to the MCG by the elite athlete co-ordinator. Very handy. I met up with my wing-man Sax and we were almost ready.

Deek gave his usual pre-race speech but to be honest I wasn't really listening. I was trying to focus on the job in hand. The weather seemed to be perfect and I was full of nervous anticipation.

The gun went off at 7am precisely and we were off....

It's a bit of an uphill start, and with the crowd at the start, a slow first km is to be expected. Well I spotted the first km marker and the time on my watch was 3:54, perhaps a little too slow but early doors. Settled into a nice group with Sax and didn't spot another km marker until we rolled through the 5km point in 18:21. That seemed about right, felt fairly comfortable, and we were in a nice group of 6-7 runners so everything was looking good.

I enjoyed the section round Albert Park, it's as flat as a pancake, the weather was cool and there was a slight breeze. Excellent for running. The pace must have quickened slightly and that was not intentional. We went through 10km in 36 flat with the group still tightly formed.

The next section had us exiting Albert Park and moving onto Beaconsfield Parade. We were still running in the group, taking turns up the front and we rolled through 15km in 53:19. The turnaround point on the parade was at approx 17km and the change of direction made no difference to the km splits, that was a good sign that wind would not be a factor today. Come 20km we were still tightly grouped and the clock read 1:11:45. Much quicker than planned pace but still feeling comfortable.

Halfway came in 1:15:46. Wow, that was over 30 seconds quicker than the same point in London. Surely I was going to pay for this. At the 25km mark, we were at the southern turnaround point. The time was 1:30:06. My wheels were still attached and I was feeling good.

I've never experienced running in a group like this before. Here we were working together, helping each other out at the drinks stops, it felt like a proper race. In the past I have often found myself running large sections of the race solo. Not today. This was a new experience and made for a more enjoyable race.

The 26km mark was an important one as that was the point in London where it all went ugly. Not today, I was still running smoothly. It was a case of setting mini-targets, and trying to run strong through to these points. So the focus was 28km, still felt okay, then 30km as we moved onto St Kilda Road, still feeling okay. This wasn't normal. The time was 1:49:05. Still way ahead of schedule.

At the 31km mark, the group was still formed, and then the lead 2 females went past. I think that sent a few shockwaves through our group as they looked to be running really strong. At this point I made the decision to try and stick with them. Well the group soon splintered and left me and Sax trying to hang on to the girls. More on this, there was the Japanese runner and Lisa Flint from the NSW team. Lisa was chatting to everyone, looking really strong. She was having a big race and was running just behind the Japanese girl.

Still running fairly well, the 32km mark arrived. So 10km to go in round numbers and time for the countdown home. I can't recall how long we hung on to the lead females, maybe a couple of km. Anyway, they gradually worked away from us and that left myself and Sax as the only survivors from our group.

By 35km, I was still running well under 4 minute kms. We had slowed a bit but not to the extent of my previous 9 marathons. I digress, the time was 2:07:56. I was starting to think sub 2:40 was a real possibility. A quick bit of mental arithmetic, so we have 32 minutes to run the last 7.2km. Surely...

By this stage we were running around the Botanical Gardens. There were a few hills to contend with that I recall, nothing too bad, and quite nice in a strange sort of way. The lead 2 females were still in sight and to my surprise I think I gapped Sax somewhere at this point. Upon exiting the Gardens, we were on the run for home. To my amazement, Sax had worked his way back on to my shoulder. Perhaps I was slowing? The 40km marker passed in 2:26:47. Sax mentioned I still looked strong and that if I felt good I should just go. Good was not a word I would use to describle how I felt at this point....time to grit the teeth and work the last section.

When you can see the MCG, you get a lift. Here we were, Sax and I, still running stride for stride. The 41km mark quickly passed and at this point Sax got away from me slightly. I think he could sense that the Japanese girl was slowing. As we approached the tunnel for the "G", I put in a real effort to catch the both of them. The 3 of us pretty much ran onto the oval together. At this point Sax seemed to take off and I was left to savour the final run home.

Coming round the oval I had gapped the Japenese runner and I could soon see the finishing clock. It started with a 2 and then a 34. I had the seconds on my side so I could do some show-boating and still sneak under 2:35. So the Freddie Flintoff celebration was on show and boy did that last 100m feel good. The time as I crossed the line read 2:34:49.

So that's it. Goal achieved. Sub 2:40. But the time, wow. To run a sub 2:35 was something I never dreamt was possible. I still can't quite believe it.

Here is a quick summary of the 5km splits:

5 00:18:21 00:18:21
10 00:17:39 00:36:00
15 00:17:19 00:53:19
20 00:18:26 01:11:45
25 00:18:21 01:30:06
30 00:18:59 01:49:05
35 00:18:51 02:07:56
40 00:18:51 02:26:47
42.2 00:08:02 02:34:49

Here are the weekly training kms in the 12 weeks up to and including the marathon:

1 77.6 kms
2 76.4 kms
3 57.6 kms
4 70.5 kms
5 93.0 kms
6 97.3 kms
7 88.2 kms
8 100.8 kms
9 70.3 kms
10 92.9 kms
11 67.8 kms
12 64.2 kms

Total 956.6 kms
Average 79.7 kms per week

My nutrition was spot on for this race. I ate much more than I normally would in the couple of days preceding the race and I think this made a huge difference. On race day I took a Powerade gel 30 minutes before the race, then during the race I took a further 4 of these at roughly 30 minute intervals. I only consumed water on the course and stayed clear of the sports drinks. Worked a treat.

Travel

My chiro apt went well. My hips were fine but he had to make a slight adjustment to the lumber in the small of my back. Something like that anyway.

Another pasta lunch and then I travelled to Melbourne. That went well apart from losing my boarding card in the departure lounge!

Upon arrival in Melbourne I took it easy. I went out early for more pasta then a few provisions for the morning. In bed in the hotel by 9pm ready for the marathon the next day.

The weather seemed good and the plan was still going to be to run low 1:17 at halfway, then try and maintain that pace for as long as possible. My "A" goal was sub 2:38, my "B" goal was sub 2:40, and my "C" goal was sub 2:41:21 (my current PB).

Easier Friday

Back to the gym for a very gentle 4km just to turn the legs over. Time 20:00.

I've made an apt with the chiro tomorrow to check my hip alignment as I've had a touch of sciatica the last few days. I'm pretty sure it is nothing to worry about.

The carbo load started with a huge feed of pasta for tea. I'm going all out to eat plenty the next few days as looking back at my London experience, I may have not taken enough carbs on board.

Easy Thursday

I went to the gym and ran 9km easy on the treadmill in 40:22 so that's 4:29/km. Started really slow and wound the pace up a bit towards the end.

Felt pretty good. I had a good stretch afterwards and took it easy the rest of the day.

Another early night.

Nice 'n' easy

I pulled up okay after the 3km race. Phew.

Rested all day and an early night.

Getting close now, only 4 more sleeps...

Last serious hit-out

I'd heard on the grapevine that the quicks at tonight's 3km were only going to race the first 2km. Plus a couple of my normal sparring partners were injured/sick. Their 2km pace was too quick for me so I was left with the prospect of an out and out time trial running Hans Solo...

I did a 4km warm-up and caught up with Baz for a chat. I changed into my spikes and ran some strides and before long we were under starters orders.

Lets go back a step, I was thinking low 9 for tonight. Conditions were pretty good with a bit of a headwind on the back straight. As always, there was some sub 9 banter before the race with the lads but I was very much talking it down. I'd go out hard the first km and see what happens....

A quick first 200m in approx 32 secs, then settled into my own race with Mark and Cale running up front. I went through the first km in 2:55 which would give me a chance of a good time. The middle km is what lets me down and true to form I started to slow with my 2km split being 6 mins exactly (a 3:05 km or 10 sec slowdown). I was getting a fair bit of guidance from the sidelines and knew that the last 2.5 laps were going to hurt. With 800m to go, I needed to lift and I probably ran a 72 second lap which left me needing a 69 second last lap to break 9. Well I kicked as hard as I could and with 200m to go I lifted my cadence (more coaching). The last 100m was a blur but I crossed the line in 8:58.29.

A very unexpected 3 second PB. Another goal achieved. Plus I won the race with Mark and Cale dropping out at 2km!

A great confidence booster just before the marathon. A much better run than Saturday's race. Easy running for the rest of the week with plenty of rest.

I am a sub 2:40 marathon runner. I am a sub 2:40 marathon runner. That's my mantra for the remainder of this week.

Rest

Did nothing on the running front.

It was Marion's birthday so we had a nice day. Cake and beer is a nice combination and is a good form of carb loading.

Back to serious business tomorrow. The 3km at Mingara...

Sunday

Woke up to more wet weather, but decided to get out there fairly early to get the run out of the way. I drove down to LCNP and thought I'd run for about and hour and a half.

Again I ran the Striders 10km course. Despite quite heavy rain at the start, this soon became light drizzle and turned into perfect running weather. I finished the first 10km in 43:31, then doubled back and did the majority of the same route again missing out the Scribbly gums section. I slowed a little as I didn't want to get carried away. Total run time 1:26:33 covering 19.5km (4:26/km).

So that's 67.8km for the week. Next week will be very easy. I'll rest Monday, maybe do a 3km race on Tuesday, rest Wednesday, 10km easy on Thursday and that will be it until the race on Sunday.

If the weather is like today next Sunday in Melbourne I will be licking my lips...

Striders 10km Homebush 5th in 34:26

Woke up this morning not too bad. I limited my beer consumption to 4 beers (pints), so should be able to get away with that...

Weather was ordinary at best. Lots of rain and heavy winds. I decided that in these conditions I'd be happy with 34 anything. Quicker than that would be a great run.

Started with a quick first km in 3:15. Then struggled to keep the pace up from there on. I went through 5km in 17:01 and knew at that point that sub 34 wasn't to be. Tried to keep the effort up on the 2nd lap but it was difficult running solo. The weather wasn't as bad as I had feared and it was quite pleasant running in the light rain. There were a few windy sections but overall not too bad. I finished in 34:26 and 5th overall so that will do. Neither a confidence booster or shatterer. A par run.

Spoke with Saxon at the end. We were talking pacing strategy for Melbourne. The early money is on a low 1:17 first half and then try and hold that pace for as long as possible thereafter. If it looks like bad weather then there will have to be a rethink.

Friday

I had a massage at 8am. The muscles were not too tight so it wasn't a real painful affair. I suppose that's testimony to not having any real niggles at the moment and running well as a result.

A few beers planned this evening with Shark and Worky. Will try and keep a lid on it as I have the 10km race on Saturday...

I didn't hear about the job interview from yesterday. Back to the drawing board I guess...

Thursday

Up early for a run at LCNP. Weather was already heating up at 7:30am...

I did the Striders 10km course in 44:20. Then doubled back up Scribbly gums again, then turned round at the 3km marker back to the finish. Estimate this to be 15.3km all up in 1:08:24 so that's 4:28/km.

Not a great run but felt strong at the end. I've got it into my head that I've gone off the boil a little bit. I need to be thinking more positively.

Tomorrow is a rest day and I have a massage booked.