Tuesday, October 30, 2007

PCRG - 3KTT

PCRG 3KTT - 9:55 (3:12,3:21, 3:21)

A brutal week of training preceded this mornings time trial. Last Tuesday, it was 8x 500m on 30 sec standing recoveries. I hope to beat my best average of 94:75 per rep which was set on 1 min recoveries and was on track for five reps before fading over the last three reps to average 96 seconds. Finished off that session with 1k in 3:36.

On Wednesday I did the Green Bridge loop with Andy C and gees, he was feeling good. We normally do the 18.4k's in about 86 minutes but Andy dragged me around in 78:48!!!! That's about 4:15-4:18 pace and it was pleasing to put in a solid marathon pace effort on an empty stomach.

Was very tired the next morning and eased my way through a 50 min tready session in 5:15's.

Friday, it was 2 x 3 min efforts from the Story Bridge to New Farm with a 6 min effort on the way back and two reps of Gold Coast Hill - worked solidly.

With Slash's 40th Birthday Party on Saturday night, I took the rare step of doing my long run on Sat AM. I figured an extra day to freshen up for the TT would be a bonus!! I started a little too late, particularly given I only had a small meal the night before and bonked the last 25 minutes, slowling to a shuffle. A very slow long run for me at about 5:15's but got some good fat burning benefits out of it.

This morning, despite my freshen up, I felt terrible. The legs were like jelly, my mouth was dry and I was having a few negative thoughts. I just told myself to get through the first 400m and take things from there. Got to 400m in about 4th place and felt terrible so I thought maybe if I upped the tempo, the muscle memory would kick in and I would feel better. I went to the lead at the 900 and went through 1k in 3:12. Didn't feel much better going through the second k in 3:21 but knew that I had a sub 10 in the bag at that point. I worked strongly up the hill behing the boatshed and then tried to find another gear, but it wasn't there. Nic went past me at the 2300m but I managed to keep plugging away for another 3:21 and a 9:55 - my second fastest time ever. I am stoked - we can't feel good on every run and I'm very pleased that I was able to hang in there and get the best out of myself on a day when I wasn't at my peak. I would like to consistently run sub 10 at my time trials from now on and to run 9:55 when not being 100% is very pleasing and gives me confidence that I will be able to run sub 10's regularly from here on giving myself a platform to improve further over time.

Monday, October 22, 2007

2nd career victory

Tues - 2/1/2mins x 3

It was a long time coming but my habit of arriving just in time for speedwork finally bit me on the arse when I was three minutes late for this session. Didn't feel that great going straight into the session after a 20min warm up without even a breather but worked ok.

Wed - 90mins, 18k's @ 4:58mins km

Thurs - 30 mins, 6k's @ 5:10 mins/km

Fri - 4 x 2min with 30 JR, 30SR then 30 secs on/off back to start

Top session - didn't have anyone to chase on the outbound leg but was fairly strong mentally and able to keep the foot to the floor.

Sun - BRRC 5k - 1st in 17:48 - 3:41, 3:34, 3:34, 3:34, 3:26

After a 10 min warm up, I lined up in a small field hoping to improve further on my recent 17:26PB. There were no rabbits bolting to an early lead and I found myself in front after a few hundred metres. I relaxed and concentrated on finding my rhythm and not going too fast. Alas, I was a little too relaxed and recorded a slow 3:41 opening split. I tried to up the pace a little, but the legs felt tired from Friday's hard session and massage and I was a little dehydrated. Nevertheless, I had opened up a comfortable lead and MJ had taken the trouble to get out of bed early to come down and watch me so there was no way I could slacken off!! I ran solidly with three consecutive 3:34 splits and dug deep to up the tempo in the last k finishing off the proceedings with a 3:26. Contrary to the photo link here (100m from finish line) courtesy of Phil Wain at pbphotographics.com.au I'm not usually such a grumblebum ;-)

http://www.pbphotographics.com.au/BRRC_2007/Pages/21_10_2007.html#34

Am quite satisfied to chalk up another 'W' and run my third fastest time ever despite not feeling on top of my game. Gees, its gonna be fun to do 5000m on the track in the future, tapered and wearing racing flats!!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Still going strong

Sun 7th - 120mins, 24k's @ 5:00mins/km

Tues - 30secs on/off for 12 mins then 3mins hard
Andy C once again showed that he is a deadset freak by hurtling to the front just 9 days after his Half Ironman Tri. I went with him for a little while, fell of the pace before coming back at the 10min mark and finishing off the last two minutes and the final three minute effort very strongly.

Wed - 90mins, 18k's @ 5:05 mins/km

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:10mins/km

Fri - 4mins, 30JR, 2mins, 30SR, Repeat, 2mins

I slept in by 20 mins and it was a frantic rush to get ready. The Group was long gone by the time I got to the Ship Inn and I probably did better than 4:30pace running to the Story Bridge, getting there just as strides commmenced. It didn't hurt me as I went out hard before easing off slightly on the floating Riverwalk as a passing City Cat gently rocked it. Regained the momentum coming off the Riverwalk and ran out the first half strongly. Felt a million dollars on the way back finishing several seconds ahead of my outbound time and kept at it nicely on the final 2 min surprise rep.

Sun - 120mins, 24k's @ about 5:05mins/km

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Finally - a 3K TT PB!!

Its half time of the World Cup quarter final between the Wallabies and those stinking poms and my first chance to update the blog on what has been a crazy week!!

Fri - 2 x 2k 6:48 and 6:53

A solid session - pleasing to clock good times with the legs still a little fatigued

Sat - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:10 mins/km

Sun - 120 mins, 24k's @ about 5:00 mins/km

Tues - 3k TT - 9:48 PB - 3:16, 3:22, 3:09

Fronted up for the TT confident that I had a massive chance of breaking my PB set on a much easier course on Melbourne Cup Day in 2004. As is the norm for me in time trials these days, I went through the first 400m or so in third gear at about 3:25 pace and felt very comfortable. But by this point Matt C was almost 30m clear of me in the lead and I picked up the pace to move into 2nd. The first k passed in 3:16 and then the usual mental battle to maintain the pace in the second k began. I was able to remain strong, especially through the turnaround and went through the second k in 3:22 with Matt now just 2om in front of me. It was a gusty effort from Matt as he had run 2:53 in the Sydney Marathon nine days prior and I knew he must be hurting bad by now and I was a good chance of running him down. I floored it at this point and really attacked the hill behind the boatshed followed by the subsequent downhill. I reeled in the 20m to Matt in about 300m and went straight past him. Matt tried to go with me for about 100m but I kept the foot firmly down and reached the 500m split in just 92 seconds. 'Gees' I thought 'It'd be a shame to waste this split by slowing down over the last 500m'. I felt a million dollars over the next few hundred metres running smoothly and powerfully - it was a sensational feeling!!! Only in the last 150m did my form begin to flag from fatigue but I had enough momentum to cross the line in 9:48 after recording my fastest kilometre ever in the last k - faster than I'd ever gone in 4 x 1k efforts! Naturally I was on a massive high after that - you can't beat the feeling!

Wed - 90 mins, 18k's @ 5:03 mins/km

Thurs - 50mins, 10k's @ 5:15 mins/km on tready

Fri - 2min/1min/30 secs with 30JR x 3 - worked strongly throughout