BRRC 5k - 1st 17:27

BRRC 5k - 1st in 17:27 - 3:15, 3:24, 3:33, 3:41, 3:39

This was a race like none other.

After Pat cancelled Thursday and Friday speedwork along with next Tuesday's 3KTT, I thought it might be an ideal opportunity for me to have a hitout over 5k at West End. It was a reduced volume week for me anyway so I could afford to miss the shortened 90min long run and besides, I wanted to have a crack at finishing the year with a new PB in every distance from 3k to the Marathon whilst also picking up my first win for the year after a win-less year to date. I would also try and have a crack at 16:50 averaging 3:22's.

I rocked up to the new starting venue at the South Brisbane Sailing Club and after a 15min warm up and strides, we were away. After 400m (inluding a bungled attempt to start my Timex) it was already down to a race in two, myself and David Williams who ran a handful of sessions with PCRG three or four years back. I recalled having the edge on him back then and was confident that I had improved more than he had in the intervening years. However, my brow furrowed when Williams pulled up alongside me and we ran for a few hundred metres next to each other jostling elbows along the way. Eventually, I'd had enough of this and put in a short, sharp surge to break away before resuming what I felt was 3:22 pace. Alas, the sound of runners slapping the bitumen behind me did not fade away and before I knew it, Williams pulled up alongside me and we ran together through the 1k mark in about 3:15 or perhaps even a touch quicker.

I swore under my breath as my pacing plan went astray and put in another surge to go in front. I had come into this race untapered and with an increased workload the previous week and now the legs were starting to hurt and I hoped like hell that this time Williams would be dropped and stay dropped!!! Again, Williams fought back and overtook me but noticeably slowed the pace after he went past me. Encouraged that he was trying to slow down the pace, I immediately surged again for the third time - this time, I would drop the bastard once and for all!! But this time, I didn't have the strength to go on with it after my surge and Williams countered it staight away and we again ran side by side through 2k with a 3:24 as I shook my head at the absurdity of the situation - this was like a 1500m race on the track, which incidentally, I've never done. The next kilometre was like an episode of Groundhog day with almost five lead changes, with neither of us able to go on with the job. After three k's of cutting each other to pieces with repeated surges, followed by occasional slow downs, I had given up on the idea of a fast time and was contemplating the strategy of drafting closely for the next k and letting Williams do all the work before unleashing a big kick 400 out. As I bowled along in the lead and considered strategy, Williams put in a huge effort to overtake me going up the hill behind the Boat Shed and glancing across at his exertion, I sensed it was his last throw of the dice. He couldn't have picked a worse place to have a High Noon shootout with me for I have long practiced the art of going strongly up that very hill at PCRG Time Trials without breaking stride or losing momentum as I crest it. Sure enough, I finally shot clear after maintaining my momentum past the hill and Williams' footsteps finally receded into the distance. The cost had been high though and I knew that the final 1500m was going to hurt before I could collect my first 'W' of the year. Surely enough, ugly splits of 3:41 and 3:39 followed as I battled home, annoyed that a u-turn 150m from the finish line interrupted my efforts to finish with a fast last 400m. I crossed in 17:27 about 20 or 30 seconds clear of Williams, missing my PB of 17:26 by the smallest of margins. No doubt I would have got the PB had the final u-turn been 500m away and well before my kick. But the disappointment of the time was offset by the valuable racing experience I picked up and the satisfaction of coming out on top in a head to head duel - that kind of race was worth 10 normal races in terms of learning the art of racing an opponent head to head.

A satisfactory finish to a solid year, my friends - which I'll recap later. Happy New Year everyone!

PCRG Xmas Run

Tues 23 AM - PCRG Xmas Run - 3,2,1 with 30WR x 2 then three hills
Tues 23 PM - 30 mins easy

Big turnout for the annual Xmas Run. Each year, I look even skinnier with my singlet off! My current weight range of 75-77kg is a long way from the 84kg I bulked up to when pumping iron and benching 95kg! Pushed all the way by Andy and Ryan in this session - see photo. Also starting to gain increasing confidence in my ability to stay injury free as we do more PCRG sessions on the grass - I'm ready for a serious crack at the upcoming Qld Athletics Cross Country season in 2009!


Wed 24 - 90mins, 18ks @ 5:08's

Four to five drinks when hosting Xmas Dinner Party last night so easy run by myself breaking in the new Brooks Glycerin 7's.

Thurs 25 - 50 mins easy

Fri 26 AM - 50 mins easy
Fri 26 PM - 30 mins easy

Regretably, Pat cancelled speedwork Thursday and Friday - dunno why??? I was keen to go but will settle for a hitout over 5k at BRRC on Sunday. Friday arvo run marked the first time I've done this - I am now on eight sessions per week and will take three months to conservatively absorb the increased workload before bumping it up to nine sessions a week towards the end of March.

Kurrawa to Duranbah 2 x 25k relay

Some of the key sessions over the last fortnight:

Tues 9 - 17 mins of hills
- Fairly strong session in the Gardens - see attached picture

Fri 12 - 4 x 3 mins, 1 x 2min

With Pat in Sydney for Kerryn McCann's funeral, he promised a special guest coach. I waited with interest to see which former elite runner Pat would secure, but instead he scraped the bottom of the barrel by asking yours truly to take the session. So, there I was pushing the pram along the river and barking out instructions. Pinched a quote from Wayne Bennett's book, "Don't die with the music in you" where Bennett reveals how he urges players "Don't stop three steps short" in sprinting drills and I made that the theme for the day's session. Fortunately, a good time was had by all and importantly, the PCRG safety record remains intact!

Sun 14 - Kurrawa 25 return leg 1:50:50 - 7th overall team.

After the obligatory obscenely early wake up alarm, Slash led us out running 1:50 for the opening leg with temps 24 deg at 5am. I started my leg solidly enough but was 19 minutes behind the leader from the word go and we were no hope of defending our male team title. The PF started to tighten after 7k and I leaked time till 15k when Mark finally caught up with me in his car. Took 90 second pit stop to retape the PF and then with not a great deal left to run for, ran home solidly in 29deg heat to clock 1:50 including the pit stop - eight minutes slower than last year's leg. I've been managing the PF issue for 2.5 years now and its the first time its cost me time in a race. Luckily it didn't happen in Melbourne.

Tues 16 - Fartlek

Being restricted at Kurrawa, I didn't have the usual DOMS that comes with a hard run of 25k or longer so it was back to speedwork today and I trained solidly.

Wed 17 - 90 mins, 20k at 4:27's

Felt real good today and ended up moving ahead of Glenda and the boys.

Fri 19 - 6 x 2 min, 1 x 2min

Pushed all the way by Andy - ran a positive split of 10 secs for the three return reps. Not bad considering we started out like a bat out of hell.

Sun 21 - 120 mins, 25k's @ 4:42 mins/km

Solid run with Wayne, Scotty and Aza.

Vale Kerryn McCann

It was a sad week with Kerryn McCann passing away - I'll never forget being at work on that Sunday morning she charged into the G for a memorable win - I was cheering myself hoarse whilst disinterested colleagues continued to work in the background. I was lucky enough to meet her when interviewing her for R4YL after the Noosa Half in 2007 and she was as warm and friendly as everyone said she is.

Read a great quote from Krishna Stanton (who's 9:38 PCRG 3K TT i'm yet to beat) about her Melbourne Marathon win - "She floated on the wings of angels". Couldn't agree more, Krishna.

PCRG - 3KTT

Tues 4 - 3KTT - 9:54 (3:11, 3:27, 3:16)

This time trial was all Nic, with the young fella bolting away into the distance to clock 9:17 and smash Gaz's PCRG record of 9:27. Gees, it hurt to see him over 100m in front of me over the last kilometre considering we were duking it out head do head earlier this year before I reached the high mileage stage of my marathon prep. Even a welcome appearance and a 9:35 from Australia's M45-49 3000m record holder David Sweeney couldn't stop Nic.

Further back, Adam bolted away from me at the start in a valiant attempt to beat his 9:48 PB despite a lack of recent training. He proved the perfect rabbit for me dragging me through the 1st k in 3:11. My uncooperative legs suffered through a 3:27 second k before sibling rivalry kicked in and I ran past Adam at 2400m to record a fair closing split of 3:16. That makes it ten sub 10's for the year. I'll take it and hopefully have some real speed back in my legs soon.

Be careful what you wish for....

Fri - 4 x 1k, 2 x 500, 45SR - 3:17, 3:20, 3:26, 3:29, 107, 98

Gees, this was a tough morning at the office. After whinging about missing heat acclimatisation sessions, I finally got one when I didn't want it - at a key speedwork session!!! It was 23 degrees and 84% humidity at 6am - as I said, be careful what you wish for - you might just get it.

Legs still haven't got their zip back post marathon, but otherwise all is ok. Battled a bit today but then again, so did everyone else.

Sun - 120 mins, 24k's @ about 4:55mins/km

Finished a solid session just in time to watch Geb show our boys a clean pair of heels in the Great Australia Run. What a legend.

Uncooperative weather

Sun - 120 mins, 24k's @ 5:08mins/km

Started off at 7:30am for another heat acclimatisation run but it a cool breeze throughout and strong wind the last 5k's put paid to that.

Tues - 8 x 1min, 30JR, 4 x grass hills

A carbon copy of last Tuesday's sessions, unable to match Nic in the first half but finishing strong to almost match him in the second half.

Wed - 90 mins, 20k's @ 4:26's

Green Bridge loop with Glenda in cool fresh conditions just after an early morning shower. Pace was solid from about 2k's onward.

St Kilda - At 15k - settling down for the grind ahead, thanks for the drink, Benno!


Brighton - At 23k - Into the wind now


St Kilda - 33k - And a good day to you to, Sir!


Finish - At last, its over. Onward and upwards!

Wild week!

A wild week of storms and heavy rain in Brisbane but training continues unabated:

Tues - 2/1/2 with 30JR x 2, 3 min

Spent the session chasing Nic D who has improved in leaps and bounds the last few months. Through the steady rain He steadily pulled away from me in the first set but I was able to limit the damage in the last two sets. Nice to have someone a fair distance in front of me so I have a target to chase as I work my way back to top speed and beyond.

Wed 90mins - 19k's @ 4:38mins/km

Green Bridge loop with Glenda.

Thurs - 2 x 4 min, 1x 2k

A rare appearance at Thursday speedwork due to a couple of drinks planned at the cricket. Ended up being a bit of a debacle. Shaw Rd along Kedron Brook was flooded, so I had to turn back and drive down Sandgate Rd. ICB was flooded, so I diverted to the city. I was 200m away from making it to the session when I saw Pat send the Group on their first four minute rep. I stretched, did strides and waited for the guys to return before joining in from the second rep. Went ok for the first two minutes but ordinary after that. Finished off with a woeful 2k rep by myself in 7:14 where my watch fell off with 200m to go and I stopped to pick it up. Forgettable session.

Fri - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:14 mins/km
Another heat acclimatisation session.

Back in business

Tues - 8 x 1min, 15WR, 3 x 30 on/off + 3 hills on grass

Eased into session and finished quite strongly - good to blow out the cobwebs and run fast for the first time in five weeks.

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:03's

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:08's

Fri - 2 x 3 min, 30SR, 6 min return, 3 x GC Hill

Pysched myself up to go as hard as I could for as long as I could to shock my system back into getting used to running fast. Went to the lead and was pushed by newbie and 9:48 time triallist Ryan the whole way. Finished up in New Farm around 20 metres short of where I last did this session. Battled back home in 6:11. Buggered after that and struggled through three hill reps. Satisfying session.

Sun - 115 mins, 23k's @ 5:08 mins/km

Started at 8am and battled through the heat approaching 30 degrees at 10am. First heat acclimatisation session ahead of Kurrawa to Duranbah 2 x 25k relay on December 14th. I have the return leg this year as Slash and I attempt to defend our title in the male teams category. It feels good to say that - "attempt to defend our title......"

Auckland and Singapore

Have pulled up exceptionally well from the Marathon, doing four easy runs most weeks since then. Mileage was 33, 41, 46 and then 35k's per week. During this time, I took my first overseas trip to Auckland for three nights, then off to Singapore for five nights and back to Auckland for five nights with a one night trip to Rotorua sandwiched in there. Some running highlights included:

- Running up to the top of Auckland's Mt Eden volcano - not unlike Mt Cootha in terms of elevation, but shorter.

- Getting up at 2:30 am for the flight to Singapore and then squeezing in an easy 20 minutes in the carpark at Auckland International at 4am whilst waiting for the plane. Better to run before a 10 hour flight than after. It was predicatbly cold and windy and I managed to put my foot into the only water filled pothole in the carpark!

- Running in Singapore was inconvenient at times with lots of stoppages at busy intersections in the first and last 15 minutes of each run. I was staying at Chinatown and had to run down to Clarke Quay and the waterfront to get clear running. Usually came across a few runners.

- Did a Sunday long run in Rotorua when it was about 12 degrees. Got to run through the local park on a boardwalk that took me right over the hot thermal springs and the hot steam was a very pleasant way to warm up!

A highlight of the trip came when I won a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne on the the flight home from Singapore. As I was flying a special charter flight, the cabin crew put on a competition.

To enter the compeition - you had to write of a funny or interesting experience during your stay in Singapore or a unique item you purchased shopping and the winners were selected and read out by cabin crew: My true story was as follows:

"On the last day of my Singapore stay, I decided I had just enough time to venture north to the Kranji War Cemetery just before dusk. Upon arriving I was the only person in the cemetery and spent nearly half an hour wandering the immaculately maintained graves and reflecting upon the sacrifice of the men who lay beneath me. My stroll was interrupted by the clanging sound of the curator shutting the tall spike tipped wrought iron cemetery gates. 'No worries, I thought - that's just to stop cars driving in at night and Lonely Planet says the cemetery is open 24hrs.' It was nearly pitch black when I finally made my way back towards the entrance. A brief pang of alarm gripped me as I reached the entrance and could not find a pedestrian opening through the six foot fence that surrounded the grounds........ I was locked in a cemetery in the dark all alone with the brave souls of 4500 men!!! Bereft of other options, I scaled the six foot fence and made my way back to the city - Phew!!"

Melbourne Marathon - 69th out of 3800 in 2:59:01

Melbourne Marathon 2:59:01

I rocked up to the starting line ready to go and the goal was a sub 2:52 marathon with a fallback goal of sub 3. I had no probs getting close to the front of the field but was on the right hand side instead of the preferred left hand side and I had to cover some extra ground in the first couple of hundred metres and hop over a traffic island. Not sure if the first k was long or if I was too relaxed but I went through in 4:35 before gently easing past the sub 3hr pack on the downhill second k in 3:42 and settling into a rhythm. Motored through the next five k's at a range of 4:02-4:09, just over goal pace and already we had caught up to the half marathon stragglers forcing me to divert around some of the inconsiderate ones every now and them. Got to Albert Park and copped the full force of the famed northerly winds that were forecast for that day - a forecast that I had tried not to think about pre race.

At this point, pack running became a priority and I concentrated hard on drafting to shield myself from the wind. Occassionally, this entailed going outside the normal racing line to avoid the wind and a fluid running stride and cadence was becoming difficult to acheive. There was penty of this till we reached the beach at 14k and turned around, receiving a partial tail wind. By this point, I was over a minute behind sub 2:52 pace. Pre race, I had resolved not to get carried away if a tail wind was received and to just stick to goal pace. Got my first personal drink from my brother Benno at St Kilda Beach and it was God sent as the personal drinks tables were once again a crowded mess and I was thankful I didn't have to go hunting for a drink in there.

The 15-20k stretch was probably my weakest of the race - we were out of the worst of the wind and those runners I had ran with to that point were moving ahead and stringing out but I was a bit one paced, couldn't latch on to a pack and was becoming concerned that I had gone out a little too hard. Sub 2:52 was slipping further and further out of reach and I was almost resigned to giving up on it. Help arrived at about 18k in the form of some familiar faces in team mates, Pete, Jason and also Chris Gale. They were part of a pack of 10 around 2:55 pace and the company of familiar faces and the good sized pack got me back in my groove again.

The half was reached in about 87:30 and before I knew it the halfway at 26k had been reached and it was into the headwind!! A headwind strong enough to blow a plastic crowd control barrier into the path of our pack at one stage. The teamwork started immediately with Chris going to the front and the rest of us shielding, then Pete and then myself and so on. Fortunately, the pack was still about 10-12 runners so I didn’t have to take too many turns at the front. The pace dropped to 4:15-4:18 range and I told myself to keep plugging away – this would not last forever and I had a new goal of sub 3 to focus on. By now, a mixture of Gus and Gatorade was sitting queasily in my gut but I’ve felt worse for sure. Approaching St Kilda again, the pack was losing some stragglers while Jason and Stef had taken off ahead, both looking very strong in the process. I accepted my last Gatorade and encouragement from Benno and Eli at 33km thinking that at least I felt stronger than I did when I accepted a drink from Benno at the 32k mark of my debut 2004 Gold Coast Marathon. The drink came at a good time and gave me a burst of energy shortly after and once we left the worst of the headwind and turned onto St Kilda Rd, I found myself moving ahead of the pack. Upon hitting a steady incline, the pack really fragmented for good and I was alone again, occasionally finding some shield from runners coming back to me.

But the wind really picked it up again, and I began to lose steam and slipped into the safety of a newly formed pack of about five or six to stay out of trouble. I was tired and looking forward to the end of the race but I was not physically spent to the point of exhaustion. Importantly, all those fortnightly Wednesday morning runs with Glenda, Beth and the boys had conditioned my body to keep rolling along at 4:10-4:20 pace no matter how I felt. 38k arrived and I looked down at my watch to read 2:41 and thought to myself “You can run four f#####g k’s in 19 minutes!!! And once again, I moved ahead of the pack, inspired by the majestic sight of the G to my right. Ran steadily to 41k and then a God sent downhill enabled me to pick up my pace and by the time I got to Tess, Ciaran, Tara and all the other PCRG gang just outside the G, I was home and told them so. Entered the hallowed ground and looked up into the rafters to drink it all in. Ran about 150m near the boundary line and saw the finish clock ticking over towards 2:59 as I approached. There was no finishing kick, no hysterics and no carrying on. Just a quiet and reserved fist pump and I ran through the finish line and ticked an important box on my journey to a sub 2:45 marathon.

The aftermath was typical Matty. After swapping quick war stories with Jason, Stef, Beth and Glenda next to the finish line, I started to feel weak and unsteady on my feet. 600ml of water did not help and I got down on my hands and knees to have an inglorious hurl on the hallowed turf of the G – not far from where Dermott Brereton coughed up blood in the 1989 Grand Final!! Another hurl when handing in my timing chip saw me carted off to First Aid where accepted and injection to help me keep fluids down. An hour later, I was back on the the road to recovery and by the time I had walked 2k back to the hotel while drinking a bottle of Coke on the way, I was already mentally mapping out my recovery week’s training.

Thanks to everyone for their support – you know who you are!

Matty

Melbourne Marathon Taper - Week 2 and 3

Tues 30/9 - 3KTT - 9:49 - 3:12, 3:18, 3:16

- Took care of business and got back under sub 10 with a 9:47. Settled nicely and the breathing was great indicating a high base fitness. The heavy marathon training took enough sting out of my speed that I was unable to go with the in form Stefan when he moved past me at 2100. The course was probably at least 20m short and possibly more due to roadworks but adjusted time of 9:51 to 9:59 still has me under sub 10 so I'm happy.


Wed AM - 30 mins, 6k's @ about 5:10 mins/km
Wed PM - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:10 mins/km

Last double session before Melbourne today. Some rare scheduling dramas forced me to reshuffle my Wed and Thurs sessions.


Thurs - 68 mins, 13k's @ 5:08 mins km

Fri - PCRG -

Sun - 90 mins @ about 4:55 mins per km

Easy run with Pete's crew. Another run where time seemed to fly. Everyone gearing up for Melbourne and lots of chatter.

Tues - 1min, 30 JR, 1 min, 30 SR. Repeat, 3mins.

Just turned the legs over.

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:07 minskm

Thurs - 6 x 30 on/off

Short, sharp session with Stefan at Kedron Brook with a 15 min WU and WD.


Fri PM - 30 mins, 6k's @ about 5:15mins/km

Decided not to sacrifice sleep as I had an early flight to Melbourne. Robbie L was on the plane with us as was David Sweeney who as a Qld rep in the Half, was met by Melbourne Marathon staff at the airport to be escorted to his hotel (Note to self - I must run faster!!!!) Arrived 11am and MJ and I checked into our apartment and we'll be joined by Chelle later tonight. We're about 1600m from the G and at 5:30 this arvo, I went for a run down to the iconic venue. Depite spending a bit of time on my feet today, felt good and will spend most of tonight and tomorrow with my feet up reading and watching DVDs and of course.....eating profusely.

Melbourne Marathon Taper - Week 1 - Sept 22-29

Well here we are - a solid training block has been completed since the Gold Coast Half, the highlights of course being the 78:47 at Noosa and a sharp effort at the Sherwood Forest 5.9k. Feeling strong and fit after five 170min Sunday long runs in the last seven weeks. The week went like this:

Tues - First session back at PCRG after last week's cold and after a sluggish start, ran strongly at the back end of the session. A relief to get the speed back quickly.

Wed - An easy 90 minutes with the Wednesday crew - I was content to sit back and cruise along in comfort as they edged ahead of me.

Thurs - DISASTER!!! Turned up at the Kedron Brook for an easy 50 minutes and pulled the pin after less than 400m with an extremely tight right ITB. Was unsure if I would aggravate the condition further by running so did a rather stiff 40 minute walk. Despite this, I was not too concerned as the main area of tightness was clearly in the middle of the ITB and not closer to the knee which spells real trouble. Got home and texted Bruno asking for a slot today if one of his clients cancelled. I really wanted to get on top of the problem straight away so I could run fast at speedwork the next morning, rather than miss speedwork and get it fixed up at my scheduled rub on Friday afternoon. Fortunately, my luck was in and Bruno got a cancellation. Predictably, he bashed and cupped the hell out of the ITB and I was hurting like I haven't done so in a while. Mindful that I had to get back on track as quickly as possible, even at the height of the pain, I was egging Bruno on through gritted teeth - "Don't go soft on me!!". Fortunately, much of the tightness dissipated immediately upon completion of the rub. On Bruno's instructions, I had an Epsom salts bath that evening and went to bed pretty confident I'd be right for the next day.

Fri - 3 x 1k, 45 SR - 3:12, 3:18, 3:16

Got up and did some strides barefoot on the road out the front of my place and the ITB could hardly be felt so I got dressed for PCRG - wearing the long Skins. There was a little bit of niggle during the warm up but none whatsoever when I did strides at speed. Ended up having a great little session working with Stef throughout. Whilst the others did 4 reps and a short out and back, I followed Bruno's suggestion to pull the plug after three reps rather than risk trying to run fast on the fourth rep when the fatigue really starts to kick in.

Sun AM - 120 mins, 23k's at about 5:10's
Sun PM - 30 mins, 6k's at about 5:10's

Felt ok on Sunday.

Post Noosa Update

After Stefan gave me a blast for not updating the blog, its time to get off my ass and update:


Post Noosa - Week 1
Had my usual recovery week with no speedwork. Battled considerable DOMS. Clocked up 94k's including 170 min Sunday long run at about 4:50's with an hour around 4:40's.


Post Noosa - Week 2
My proud streak of eight consecutive sub 10's between 9:40 and 9:57 came grinding to a shuddering halt this week. The legs were just too battered to go fast. I gave myself a sniff going through 1k with Stef in 3:16 before fading with 3:28 and 3:30 for a 10:14. Sure, I was disappointed but also pleased that I was able to compile such a streak in the first place. Good healthy, avoiding injury and the fortunate timing of most races after a time trial played a big part in compiling the streak. Another 170 min long run at about 4:50's doing a fair bit of it on Kingsford Smith Drive, watching the B2B. 96k's for the week.

Post Noosa - Week 3
Legs getting back to normal - When getting physio, I had a good discussion with Shane about battling DOMS for two weeks after Noosa. We agreed that whilst I did many things right post race (2k cool down, wading recovery, Skins, stretching and a handful of nine to ten hour sleeps the fortnight afterwards) my recovery was too inactive. I paid the price for sitting down for 2.5 hours to watch the Oympic Marathon, then sitting down for 1hr 40 mins to drive home, then sitting down in the office for 6 hours that afternoon. Will make more of an effort to partake in active recovery from here on such as several 20 minute walks the day of half marathons and marathons. Got my mojo back at speedwork and churned out another 170 mins on Sunday. 97k's for the week.

Post Noosa - Week 4
Picked up a cold on Sunday night - first time in almost six months. Fortunately, I only missed Tuesday and Wednesday. Did easy runs on Thursday and Saturday and speedwork by myself at 3:45's on Friday when still getting the strength back. Fifth and last long run of 170mins for 36k's at about 4:40's on the Sunday. Would have preferred to get the cold on the first week of the taper, but the most important thing is that I got that last long run done whilst accumilating 73k's in four days.

More to report soon.

Recovery week

Well after the Noosa Half, I had my usual week off speedwork that is the norm for me after a Half Marathon. Not surprisingly, I had considerable DOMS and much of the week was spend doing easy recovery runs. I also threw in about four 9-10 hour sleeps to assist the body's recovery.

On Sunday, it was time for my body to once again answer the call and I joined Glenda, Mike H and Wayne. 170 minutes was on the agenda and it went surprisingly quickly once the last hour arrived. Most of the run was done about 4:50 pace with some 4:40 pace in the middle and towards the end. The legs were still pretty tired and didn't want to go and I had to concentrate on pushing them a little at times. Backed up with an easy 30 minutes at twilight.

Noosa Half Marathon - 9th of 950 in 78:47 PB

Sun - Noosa Half 9th of 950 - 78:47 PB

The last few days of the taper went well and I arrived at the starting line relaxed and ready to go despite just a few small last minute hiccups:
* I booked accommodation at Marcoola Beach only to find they didn't have a microwave to heat my dinner and heat pack for my back in the morning. No problem - I took my own, strolling casually through the plush lobby with a big silver 1000 Watt microwave!
* There was no cutlery in the unit. No problem - I ate my stir fry using the scoop from my container of Gatorade.
* I forgot to lace up my timing chip until three minutes before the race when I should have been doing my strides. No problem - just lace it up calmly and do my strides on the way to the start and join the field from the front, being the last person to do so.

Lining up in the front row, I was surprised at the lack of depth with only Michael Reeves capable of going sub 70. I shared a few jokes and good lucks with the boys and girls and we were away!!

The plan was to churn out 3:44's and go sub 79 with sub 80 the B goal and like I did at Brisbane and the Gold Coast, I nailed the first split with a dead even 3:44 settling into about 17th place where I was soon joined by team mates Pete and David J - both with 79 min Halfs to their credit. The first five kilometres were uneventful and reached in 18:37 after reeling in a few bunnies. By now, I was aware that I was a strong chance for a top ten finish and was counting my way up the field as I passed runners talking to myself "Currently 14th.....currently 13th"

Pete, David and I were working together but after taking two turns at the front of our trio, I realised that I kept pulling away from them so decided to relax and run my own race in front of them concentrating on steadily reeling in the runners in front of me. I reeled in a few more runners and went through 10k in 37:20, right on pace. Running at the pointy end of the field alone by myelf, it was noticeable how much encouragement the crowd offered - moreso than I get running further back in about 20th or 30th place. Going through the starting line again at 11k to start the second lap I got a big cheer from the PCRG cheersquad led by Tess and a commentary from Coach Pat who was MCing - Pete and David were about 20 metres behind me.

Things started to get a little bit tougher about 12k when I felt just a little depleted as if I had eaten just a tad too little in the lead up. I convinced myself that over a years worth of Sun and Wed runs on an empty stomach would hold me in good stead and a big swig of Endura at the next Endura stop would top me up. Shortly after, a shadow became visible at my feet - I did not look over my shoulder to see who it was but it looked like David and I concentrated on staying in front of the shadow's head. By now I was repeatedly chanting my race mantra in my head - "The pain of hard work or the pain of regret - you choose." After poor splits of 3:52 and 3:56, David caught up to me. Almost instantly, I was energised and felt a lot better as he went past and I slipped into his wake. The competitive instincts stirred and I thought about how no competitor had passed me after the half way mark of a half marathon this year and I decided I wanted to keep it that way.

Running with David got things back on course with a 3:47 split and I moved up to run alongside him resulting in a 3:40 split. Got my long awaited cup of Endura and instantly felt better. Looking at my watch, I saw there was less than 20 minutes to go and I vowed I could bloody well hold this pace for that long. As the 17th k passed in a strong 3:39, i decided to stick with David until 19k and then try and kick away from him. However, no sooner than I had made than plan, David seemed to slow whilst I was full of running so away I went moving ahead and passing another runner to move into 11th. Squinting into the distance I could see the familiar gait of team mate Glenda about 100m ahead - I had a target!! I started visualising Deek powering to the line at Rotterdam in 1983 and quickly ate up the distance to a slowing Glenda passing her just after 20k was reached with a 3:35 split and gave her a "C'mon" as I went past to ensure that she held on for 3rd female. A top ten position was almost in the bag so long as nobody passed me and former team mate Peter James was the next target - he was running the race of his life after being fourth early on but with less than a k to go the hurt was starting and I didn't think I could make up the 30m gap unless he slowed down big time. I gradually inched my way towards him getting within 10m with less than 200m to go when Peter slowed just a fraction to high five the PCRG Cheer squad. Instantly, I pounced, surging past him and rounding the bend into the home straight. Peter did not respond and I gave a few fist pumps as I ran to the line giving MC Pat a big high five before running under the clock bearing those magic numbers - 78:47. You beauty!!! I immediately sank to the ground trying to steady my breathing and fight of the nausea that usually comes with a gut busting finish but I was smiling. A beautiful day, fantastic supporters, great team mates, great competitors, a well executed plan, some tough patches, a big finish - a massive PB. Yeah, i love this game!!!

In taper mode

Tues - 3 min, 2min, 1min with 30JR, 30SR, Repeat, 2 mins.

Saw former PCRG team mate Jodie for a rub on Monday and I needed it as i'm behind thanks to Bruno's sojourn in Beijing. Felt good at speedwork and my gait felt strong and efficient. Went hard during the session without getting out of control.

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's

Very gentle jog - not concerned with pace at all.

Spent

Tues AM - 16 mins hills
- worked well
Tues PM - no run - taper for Noosa

Wed - 18.4k Green Bridge loop in 80:10
Legs very tired but Glenda was fresher after 'only' doing City to Surf on weekend and dragged me along

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:00 mins km

Fri 2 mins, 1min, 2 mins with 30 JR,30 SR, Hard all way back to start

Very tired getting out of bed after going to get MJ from airport at 11:15pm. Led to the turn but did it on muscle memory as I had no bounce whatsover. Faded badly over the last four minutes - absolutely buggered.

Sun - 120 mins, 23k's 2 about 5:10mins/km

Very easy Sunday long run by myself, tapering for Noosa. Am loving the Olympics although would be happier if our swimmers had picked up another three gold - C'mon Aussie!!

Sherwood Forest 5.9k - 4th - 20:02

Sat - Sherwood Forest 5.9k - 3:12, 3:30, 3:28, 3:27, 3:25, 2:59 - 20:02

Officially a 6k course which has remained unchanged for 25 years, the course is universally acknowledged as being 5.9k or even 5.85k which doesn't stop 60 or 70 runners turning up for a 2,4 or 6k hitout every Saturday morning. I had taken Friday off speedwork to run this race and with no 10k race in the leadup to Noosa, the plan was to run it very hard.

After an easy warm up, the race got underway and I was thankful that some speedy teenagers shot clear ahead of me because I had no idea where I was going? I settled into 7th place with no idea of who in front of me was doing 2,4 or 6k. I pushed hard up the slight incline over the first 400m and worked strongly up the hill that followed, clocking 3:12 for the shortest k on the course. I settled into a good rhythm on the second k as we raced through the beautiful streets of Chelmer but was losing half a second here and there because I didn't know the correct racing line to take. At one point, I lost sight of the lead pack and ran towards a T-junction in the middle of the road, not knowing whether i would have to turn left or run until I regained sight of the pack! The leader turned around at 2k whilst the remaining runners in the pack ahead of me continued - I was now 6th and fighting to hold it after being joined by another runner - who I don't know by name - but he has talent. We worked strongly together for the next 2k before I was able to shake him at around 3.5k. By now the lead pack had fragmented and I was running down the first bloke to be spat out the back - got him at 4k. The fourth place bloke was running strongly, but I reminded myself that I was here to hurt like I had run a 10k and so I dug deep, catching my target just before 5k. He tried to latch on for a little while but I shook him off pretty quickly, racing through 5k in 17:03 on my watch. Allowing for the short first k and slightly short 2nd and 5th k, I make the adjusted time to be in the vicinity of 17:15-17:18. That would have given me a 5k PB by 8-11 seconds which is very pleasing considering I had down a considerable amount of uphill running in the first k and was yet to reach the downhill stage on the return leg! That came soon enough and I took full advantage flying home the short last k in 2:59, taking care not to overstride the downhills. Quite a satisfying run and I'm looking forward to returning later.

Sun AM - 170 mins - 34k's @ 4:59 mins/km
Sun PM - 30 mins - 6k's @ about 5:10 mins/km

Backed up the next day for my first 2hr 50 min long run of the marathon campaign. The legs were feeling the effects of the previous day's race so I didn't push it too much, but relaxed and got the job done. From memory, I pulled up much better than my 170 min runs on last years marathon campaign.

Melbourne Marathon Campaign underway

1st place photo - PCRG Cocktail Party 'Vanity Award'


I didn't miss a beat after the Gold Coast Half, diving straight into my Melbourne Marathon campaign. The key points of the last month are as follows:

- I have added a Tuesday arvo/evening session of an easy 30 min run to my program taking me to seven sessions a week which will be a permanent move only dropping back to five or six sessions on the odd recovery week.
- At the PCRG Annual Cocktail Party, I won the "vanity award" for my now infamous photo above. The prize was a mirror!!
- Have got two 150 min long runs under my belt
- Made it eight straight sub 10 3k time trials after running 9:56 behind Jason H last week.
- My lead up races will consist of a Sherwood Forest 6k, Noosa Half and another Sherwood Forest 6k. As the GC Half taper and recovery came 13-15 weeks out from the Marathon and cost me long runs, I can't afford to give up any more Sundays to race. Hence the two Saturday morning 6k races at Sherwood that have been pencilled into my program.

Gold Coast Half - 81:23

Gold Coast Half 81:23 (98th/6848)

* Photo taken at 20k by Mike R - "B" Pacer Brendan Whelan is gaining on me and I'm hurting!

I stood on the starting line in the pre-dawn darkness, remarkably calm and cracked a wry smile as I thought to myself "Too late to do anything more to prepare - this is it!"

Earlier, I had correctly decided not to risk catching a shuttle bus from Surfers to the race precinct and got a lift in with MJ. Hit the PCRG tent to fire up the team and do an easy 2k warm up run heading north along the Marine Pde finishing stretch. Left it till very late to head to the starting line as I didn't have and old jumper with me to sacrifice to the t-shirt Gods and didn't want to get cold at the starting line. Got there just in time and jumped over the barriers to line up five metres from the front of the line.

I have not been altogether happy with my training in the past two months with much of my best speedwork done at 3:14-3:17 pace compared with 3:11-3:14 pace before the Brisbane Half. A virus a month ago that lead to a poor performance in the Doomben 10,000 and a month of training on weakened legs didn't help my confidence either. Whilst I wasn't feeling very fast, I drew quite confidence from the fact that I hadn't shirked the task over the past two months and had trained tough over this period. The plan was to run with the 80 minute pack and be in a position to work home ahead of them the last 3-4k. Conditions were a cool 17 degrees with just the lightest sprinkle of rain falling for a few minutes.

I made a smooth getaway watching the rabbits bolt ahead of me as I nailed the required pace from the word go with a 3:44. The pacer was going a tad too fast and I let him take the group about 30 metres ahead of me as I settled into a comfortable rhythm. PCRG team mate David J soon joined me and we worked together to to join the pack just after we reached 5k in 18:56. Matt L was already with the pack and we were soon joined by Jason H. I was feeling great for the next few k's and was tempted to go with David and Jason when they worked ahead of the pack at about 7-8k's but stuck to my plan. I missed the 10k split as I continued to run steadily, albeit starting to feel a little strain.

As a headwind began to occasionally poke through the beach side residences to make the task at hand even tougher, I kept repeating my mantra for the race told to me by Glenda a month ago "The pain of hard work or the pain of regret - you choose." I also thought about the much anticipated PCRG Cocktail party in two weeks time - was I going to walk in with my head held high or slink through the back door in shame? Gees - the things a runners mind turns to during a race!!

A pack of about 10 sub 80 hopefuls were still with the pacer at 12k when the headwind became considerably stronger and most of my splits were in the 3:49-3:52 range. Subsequently, the pack thinned out a little and it was just me running at the head of the pack with the pace. Reaching the exposed section of the course, I was greeted by a blast of wind that noticeably reduced my pace. Sneaking a glance over my shoulder, I saw that the pack had been blown to bits and I was a good 20m clear but struggling to keep up with the pace who was steadily getting away from me. When a split of 4:00 followed by a 3:59 showed up on my Timex, I accepted the sub 80 wasn't going to happen and set myself to reel in as many stragglers as I could whilst not having anyone overtake me. The last few k's could not come quick enough as I ploughed through the wind in the vicinity of 4:00 pace picking up a few stragglers. Upped the pace in the finishing straight lined by cheering crowds and got home with B Pacer, Brendan Whelan going past - the only person to get past me in the second half of the race.

Given my poor prep and the wind which I later found out hit 46km/ph whilst the point end of the half marathon field was exposed, I'm very happy with the run. It was only after the race that I found out that the sub 80 pack was 45 seconds off the pace after 15k and coming home at around 4:00's into the wind added approximately an extra 50 seconds to my time. Of more relevance is the fact that I beat the runners who I should have and thrashed my season nemesis Jimmy Bayliss who finished two seconds in front of me in the Brisbane Half. My only regret is not pushing ahead of the sub 80 pack with David J at 7-8k's after we had worked well together. Possibly, I could have finished with David in the 80:15 he clocked.

Pulled up reasonably well and spent the next few hours taking in the inspiration of the finishers. Pete H - an awesome 2:56 marathon just weeks after turning 50 - I was at the end of the finishing straight courtesy of my R4YL Media Pass and it was inspirational to see Pete charging through the finish line. An awesome performance from my Wednesday training partner Beth debuting with a 2:49. A gutsy 2:58 from Glenda who was carted straight into the medical tent for an IV drip. A sensational 3:06 from Mike Hansen. I also saw great finishes from Dave P, Ange and Scotty W.

SPLITS
1-5 - 3:44, 3:43, 3:48, 3:50, 3:47 - 18:56
6-10 - 3:50, 3:49, 3:49, 3:49, 3:52 - 19:14 - 10k 38:08
11-15 - 3:52, 3:52, 3:49, 3:48, 3:49 - 19:10 - 15k 57:18
16-20 - 3:51, 4:00, 3:59, 3:59, 4:02 - 19:53 - 20k 77:11
21 - 3:49

Gold Coast Half taper

Fri 27th - 3 x 2mins, 30 JR, 30SR, 30 on/off return.

Worked well with Matt L, leaving a little in the tank.

Sun - 80 mins, 16k's @ about 5:10mins/km

Comfortable effort, taking it easy

Tues - 1/30/1 15WR,30SR x 2

Session in Gardens at 95% intensity.

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:15mins/km

Thurs - 12 mins of 30secs on/off

After watching Queensland glorious win last night at RooBoy's it was after 11pm before I got home and had started to come back down to earth from the high of the thrilling game. Go you bloody Queenslander!!!!! Woke up at 4:45 am feeling very groggy and tired and decided to complete a good night's sleep rather than go to PCRG for what was little more than a light gallop. Hit the Kedron Brook at about 8:30am to do the session by myself in light sunshine.

Fri - 40 mins, 8k's @ 5:13 mins/km

Its all done now. Looking forward to getting away for the weekend and hopefully putting a nice race together. This will be the second of three half marathons I will do this year and will hopefully be a positive step towards my Melbourne Marathon in October.

PCRG - 3KTT

Sun AM - 120 mins, 24k's @ 5:02 mins/km
Sun PM - 30 mins, 6k's @ about 5:15 mins/km

Tues - 3KTT - 9:48 - 3:14, 3:21, 3:12

The plan was to try and replicate my 9:43 TT three months back when I kept a few seconds up my sleeve on the first k, held strong in the middle and then hammered it home down the stretch. I was pleased to execute it exactly as planned. Nic and Matt R led the field out and I settled into a bigger than usual pack of super fit and fast people ready to peak at the GC - Matt L, Glenda and Ged being some. Waited till the 600m till I ramped up the pace a little moving into third. Went past Matt R at around 1400 and then rounded the Gaz turnaround feeling strong although the legs were starting to feel like jelly. Caught up to Nic as we hit the hill past the boatshed and surged past him just like I did when I ran 9:43. Except, this time Jason H joined me!! I surged down the hill on the other side of the boatshed trying to shake of Jason's challenge but alas he countered the surge and then raised the stakes moving past me exiting the footpath onto the road. I bided my time briefly and at the 2400, tried another surge - no luck, Jason covered it again. Running side by side a little longer with Nic hot on our heels I surged again at the 2600 and this time there was no response. Beauty!! No all I had to do was make it up the incline outside the Hanson factory and then hammer it into the finish chute. Its amazing how that 2% incline outside the Hanson factory takes on monumental proportions at the 2800m mark of the time trial. I worked hard up it and then hammered it home for a satisfactory 9:48, my third fastest ever and the third time I have ran that time.

In some ways this was more satisfying than my 9:40 PB which was set when I was flying, had no niggles and couldn't put a foot wrong. This time around, I had to do things much tougher and run tough and smart.

Wed - 95 mins, 20k's @ 4:42 mins/km

Solid clockwise Green Bridge loop with Glenda, Beth and Andy - legs tired from hard effort yesterday though. The others picked up the pace from the Regatta back to the Goodwill bridge but I was content to keep crusing at 4:40's.

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:14 mins/km

Taper starts here for real - except for three speedwork sessions, won't be going faster than 5:00's from here on. Eased my tired legs through this run in sunny conditions at 9am.

Foggy Friday

1 x 2k, 4 x 500 with 45SR, 2mins - 6:39, 98,96,97,90

Another foggy Friday under the Story Bridge today albeit not quite the amazing pea soup of last week. Knew that it would be a mentally tough session and that I was just going to have to pick up my legs and carry them with me - LOL.

Started well and ran strongly enough for the 2k albeit a little off the 6:30-6:35 I would have liked. Then dug deep to put in some respectable 500 splits before finding a little extra for a big finish. In some ways, having a strong session like this and getting the most out of myself when the legs are less than 100% is just as pleasing if not more pleasing that when I was flying at 3:11-3:14 1k pace in March/April whilst everything was going right for me.

Good week

Some great shots of last Friday's session in the fog including me on the Goodwill Bridge with the Riverside Expressway invisible in the background. Hammering up GC Hill on the last rep and the Story Bridge.



Sun AM - 130 mins, 28k @ 4:36mins mins/km
Sun PM - 30 mins, 6k @ about 5:15 mins/km

Ran 5-35k self select at BRRC with Damo F. Wanted to do a 'quality' long run without letting the pace get ridiculous and felt I achieved that. Backed up for an easy jog at dusk.

Tues - 20 mins hills/fartlek

Led early before being passed by Jase whose fitness is on the improve. When Pat called for us to finish off with five minutes of running up and down the hill, I joined Jase and we spurred each other to hammer ourselves running side by side for our last two reps.

Wed - 90 mins, 20k's @ 4:20mins/km

Joined Glenda and Beth in ideal running conditions for a Green Bridge loop. Beth peeled off early leaving Glenda and I to work together. That didn't last long as Glenda dropped me approaching UQ and blazed away at 4:10 pace. I was satisfied with my 4:20's with the legs continuing to improve and the fitness ensuring my HR was not too high.

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:01 mins/km

Happy days are here again!

Tues - 1min/30JR/1min,45SR, 5mins, Repeat 1st sequence

Plan was to hang on to the back of the lead pack at around 3:25-3:30 pace no matter how crap the legs felt. Quite a few people must have been suffering the effects of their long runs as I was able to run in the pack comfortably. Legs felt like jelly a few times but I got through well.

Wed - 90 mins, 20k's @ 4:27 mins/km
Green Bridge loop with Glenda and Andy - very pleased with this session given I could only manage 5:33 pace three days ago!!

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 4:58 mins/km
Started the run late in glorious sunshine thanks to sleeping in after the Mighty Maroons glorious 30-0 shellacking of those pea hearted cockroaches - YES!!!! Life is good indeed!!!

Fri - 2 x 3 mins with 30JR, 30SR, 6min, 4 x GC Hill
Started my favourite session in the heaviest fog I've seen in Brisbane in my five years of running around the city - in fact I've possibly never seen a pea soup like it before!!! We could not even see the other side of the river!!! Took it out hard and it was nice to finish the 3 min reps just past the City Cat stop on the path to Mertyr Bowls Club - about 20m short of my best result but very acceptable given the legs are not yet 100%. Turning around and squinting through the thick fog on the Riverwalk I was pleased to chase down quite a few people but couldn't nail the brilliant Pete. Was sucking in the big ones by the time we attacked GC Hill and just kept battling away honestly.

Slow recovery from ??????

Whatever affected my performance in the Doomben 10,000 and in the nine days prior to that hadn't quite gone away as of Sunday. Seemingly, I had a cold or virus and missed work on Monday and Tuesday. But the cold/virus never really bothered my head or chest - ie there was no runny nose, sore throat, cough or watery eyes. Just that my body was very weak and deprived of energy. The legs haven't quite been the same since.

Tuesday - did not run

Wed - 30 mins, 6k's @ about 5:20 mins/km
Very easy run - legs weak. No chance of doing the scheduled 90 minutes without risking major damage.

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

Fri - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:10 mins/km
Not up to returning to speedwork - another very easy run. Lungs felt good. Legs felt crap.

Sun - 120 mins, 23k's @ 5:29 mins/km
My slowest long run in years - just as well as I didn't join the gang leaving the Ship Inn - I would have been dropped inside 400m. I gently eased the legs through the run. Started late and was hungry when I commenced and starving when I finished so whilst the legs didn't get much out of it the digestive system got a good depletion session.

Back to speedwork tomorrow and we'll give it a crack and see how things go

PCRG 3KTT and Doomben 10,000

My Gold Coast campaign has grinded to a shuddering halt. The tale of woe is as follows:

Tues - PCRG 3KTT - 9:57 - 3:12, 3:24, 3:20

Started out like any other time trial getting balanced and into a rhythm moving to the front and going though 1k in 3:12. That was about as far as the legs lasted as I faded badly from the 1600 onwards with a rookie, Pete and then Jason going past me. It was only stubborn pride that enabled me to keep my streak of sub 10's alive. My breathing was strong and the lungs were clear - the legs just didn't want a bar of it as I recorded my worst 3KTT effort all year.

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:05 mins/km

Thurs - 2/1/30 secs with 30 JR, 30SR x 3

Terrible session at PCRG. I normally go about 90% for a session like this prior to a big race with a couple of all out efforts but the legs were frightfully week this morning. It was a real effort just to keep in touch with the back of the lead group.

Fri - REST

No idea what is wrong with the legs but after discussions with Pat, decided to ditch the 40min easy run in a last ditch effort to freshen up the legs.

Sun - Doomben 10,000 - 38:05 - 3:31,3:40, 3:37, 3:44, 3:51, 3:55, 3:59, 3:59, 3:58, 3:48

Another miserable run this morning in ideal racing conditions albeit slippery in places. The plan was to go out at Sub 36 pace and be extremely careful not to go out too fast, try to cuddle the legs and ease my way to a PB using my fitness base and good pacing to drag my legs along. It sounds stupid in hindsight - there is no such thing as easing your way to a PB.

Things started ok as I went through 1k in 3:31 with Matt L and Jason while Matt R as usual took off a little faster. The legs seemed to have some life in them as Matt L and I then moved ahead of the pack and worked together for the next two kilometres with 3k being reached in 10:49. As the above splits indicate, that was well it all turned pear shaped as the legs went weak and heavy and despite my breathing being under control, I started to fall back through the field rapidly and just plodded home in a miserable 38:05ish. That was slower than the first 10k of my Brisbane Half Marathon giving you and idea of how bad I was.

As I write this on Monday evening, I appear to have come down with a cold or virus as my body is weak and aching and I'm feeling crap. Hopefully, this is the explanation for the poor running that has bothered me for the last nine days. Fingers crossed I get over it quick smart and am back on track soon.

Recovery week - reduced volume

Tues - 2/1/30 with 30JR x 3, 30SR
Legs pulled up well from Sandown

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:05 mins/km
Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:05 mins/km
Fri - 4 x 1k, 2 x 500, 45SR - 3:11, 3:16, 3:21, 3:24, 103, 88.

Legs weren't up to it this session and I faded gradually as the session wore on with Pete H putting in a huge session as he winds up for the Gold Coast. Matt R, Matt L and Pete all passed me on the penultimate 500m effort when I really struggled, but I dug deep, thought about what the last k at Doomben would feel like and managed to finish off with a pleasing 88 second effort after which I did a Farne Sang.

Sun - 120 mins, 23k's @ 5:11 mins/km

Very easy long run with an eye towards conservation for Tuesday's 3KTT.

Skins Sandown 10k - 36:22 - PB

Skins Sandown 10k - 36:22(PB) 236th out of 641age a reasonable time. Its pleasing that my running efficiency is good enough

Its good to be back in Brissy and catch some decent weather. The Sandown 10k was held in 8.1 degrees temps with a relative temp of 4.6 degrees!!! I shivered like a leaf for an hour before the race as the wind howled through the grandstand.

Gees, I got sucked into a fast start. I pride myself on controlled starts but that's easy in Brisbane when I've only got 10-20 or so runners in front of me during the first k. Going down the Sandown straight the first time, I had well over 100 runners in front of me and despite expecting that, I still got a touch carried away. I went through the first k in 3:13 - my 3k TT pace and felt quite comfortable. Heaps of people were passing me down the straight and I thought I better not let too many get in front of me. 3k was reached in 10:15 as I ran strongly in the chilly conditions drafting in the back straight to avoid the light wind. I didn't even have time to contemplate running a blinder of a time before a stitch hit me on the right. I might only get three of four stitches a year so I was filthy about it. More than likely my stomach didn't handle my debut mid afternoon race too well with food in the belly - I ate a larger breakfast and a late slightly larger morning tea at 11:30, three hours before the gun - no lunch of course. I've made detailed notes of what I ate and when and will tinker with something different next time. One possibility I've thought of is running about two Saturday afternoon cross country races before next year's Sandown 10k as practice. I could do them as a substitute for my Friday speedwork session and then delay the Sunday long run till the afternoon. This will give me an opportunity to find what eating patterns work for mid arvo races.

Back to the race - as I started leaking time badly from the stitch, I just kept hanging tough and telling myself that it would only last a couple of minutes and I could make up time when it was over and that I had banked a lot of time with a fast start but gees, it lasted for the better part of five k's. I honestly thought I was going to fade to a 38 or 39 minute time as it felt like I was running through cement at times as the toll from the Labor Day hike again came back to haunt me, so I was pleased that I was able to keep the legs turning over until the stitch came good. I was able to finish of the race reasonably and trim another 43 seconds from the PB.

Whilst it would have been fantastic to run a 35 something, I'm pleased that I was able to keep the legs turning over when the going got tough and still salvage a respectable time. The whole trip has been a fantastic learning experience and also quite humbling. After a few top ten placings in Brisbane this year, its a reality check to come away in 236th place knowing there are plenty of other people out there training harder and or longer than I am. I've pulled up well and am champing at the bit to train even harder!!!

Splits - 3:13, 3:32, 3:29, 3:38, 3:53, 3:49, 3:51,3:39, 3:46, 3:28 - 36:22

All up, it was a fantastic four nights away with the highlights being catching up with my brother, dining out with MJ and standing head to head with Phar Lap at the Melbourne Museum.

PHOTOS - If you squint closely at the first photo, you can make me out in the white headband in the middle of the track about 10-15m from the front shortly after the start. And of course, there's Troopy in the second photo, winner in 28:50 from Michael Shelley in 28:51 - very quick!!

Reporting from Melbourne!

Tues - 15 minutes hills/fartlek

Although normal service appeared to have resumed and I was bowling along at the head of the pack, things didn't feel quite right. My left leg seemed to be climbing too high in its action and my stride and cadence were not as smooth and synchronized as I would like them to be. Other than that it was a fair session with the highlight being a challenge from Matt L when we kept repeating the hill in the last three minutes. The two of us hammered it hard for a good way and I was able to find some more speed when I didn't think I had any left.

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

Easy toddle by myself

Thurs - 12 x 30 secs on/off

There was no time to go to PCRG this morning. I was up at 5 and off to the Kedron Brook for a solo session. It was quite liberating running in the dark away from the bright lights of suburbia. As is the norm for the final speedwork session before a race, I concentrated on moving smoothly at a respectable pace - probably around 3:25-3:30 pace only hitting top speed on a few occasions.

Then it was off to Bruno for a rub at 7am and then into a cab at 8:25 and off to the airport. The cabbie was kind enough to show us a handy new shortcut to the airport and we beat the worst of the traffic. Bumped into fellow PCRG runner, Jason H who was on a business trip to Sydney and discussed his recent 2:59 Boston Marathon effort. Its been quite a few years since i last flew interstate, but I had the Skins on and drank plenty of water and only got a slight headache which didn't last long. Upon arrival, MJ dragged me to the nearest Krispy Kreme outlet and we picked up a few donuts before heading into St Kilda Beach where my brother Benno has a unit. Am now settled in and looking forward to relaxing and doing a few touristy things over the next few days.

Sunday

AM - 120 mins, 24k's @ about 4:50mins/km

Fairly easy run for most of the way going a little quicker when I joined up with Glenda for the end of her run. Ran alongside the Mother's Day Classic field towards the end of my run to check out the action.

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

Easy run, coming home a little quicker as I started to daydream of running glory!!

Digging deep

Thurs - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:02 mins/km

Legs starting to feel a little better

Fri - 2 x 3 mins with 30JR, 30SR, 6:27 return, 4 x GC Hill

The legs were starting to get some life in them after Monday's hike but I knew that it was going to be a brutally tough session regardless. I expected to feel ok for a couple of minutes before the strength started sapping out my legs. But I was mentally ready for it and I was going to break through the pain barrier!!!! Fortunately, we had one of my more favoured sessions with longer reps from the Story Bridge to New Farm. As expected, I was able to get away quickly before it got tougher after two minutes. I dug deep and concentrated hard on getting all the other little things right - relaxed face, relaxed shoulders, arms just above waist height, tick, tick, tick. I worked hard and did not have a great deal to spare when we stopped for a standing recovery. Turning around, I fired up the competitive instincts and set myself to catch up to as many people as possible in front of me. Didn't catch as many as I would like but pleased nonetheless as the legs were killing me but I was still able to maintain close to top speed. It is not often that a speedwork session can replicate the last 3k's of a fast 10k race but I felt this one did that for me and was pleased with how I finished it off. Followed up with four GC Hill reps.

Never again!!!

Thurs 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:04 mins/km

Fri 4 x 4 mins, 45 SR

Good session - worked well.

Sun AM - 130 mins, 26k's @ about 4:45 mins/km
Sun PM - 30 mins, 6k's @ about 5:1o mins/km

Joined up with Pete, Mike, Aza and Wayne in the morning for part of the run. Went canoeing for the fist time since 1989 when MJ and I went canoeing at Coopers Crossing in the afternoon. Not a bad way to enjoy two hours with some light activity for $25.

Mon - 3 hr 30 min hike up and down Flinders Peak.

For something different, MJ and I did a hike today. Flinders Peak is about 15 minutes south of Yamanto near the Ivorys Rock Conference Centre and was named after Matthew Flinders who recorded the peak in his log whilst circumnavigating Australia. The walk is classified as a level 5 which is rated near the top of the degree of difficulty level but hey, I'm a fit runner who does around 80k's a week so no worries!! Apart from a couple of flats the hike was mostly uphill and downhill. Not unlike walking up the Powerful Owl Trail at Mt Cootha for 2hrs and walking down it for two hours. Plenty of clambering over and around large boulders also!!! But it was worth it as the 360deg views at the 679m peak were quite spectacular - gees we live in a beautiful country.

Tues - 8 x 1min - 30 SR

With Sandown 10k less than two weeks away, I was keen for a quality session. Ignored a little bit of DOMS from the hike and and took the first rep out hard. Started to struggle towards the end of the second rep and by the start of the 3rd rep my legs were a quivering, shaking mess with absolutely no life in them. I rapidly fell back through the field, finishing the session running about 4 min pace in the middle of the pack. Easily my worst session all year- even worse than the 1k rep session two months back when i blew up badly.

Wed - 90 mins, 20k's @ 4:33 mins/km

The misery continued this morning on the Green Bridge loop run when Andy and Glenda dropped me after 10 minutes on their way to a 76:12 circuit at 4:08 pace. My battered legs simply could not keep up and after 35 minutes Beth also dropped me. Nevertheless, to run 4:33's on very tired legs whilst hardly breathing is the kind of session that toughens you up - I hope!!!

Needless to say, the lesson has been well and truly learnt - no more hiking or other activities to which my body is not accustomed unless done in a recovery week with no fast running or when the next key session is at least four days away!!!

Wednesday Green Bridge loop

90 mins, 21k's. 18.4k loop in 78:03 @ 4:14 mins/km

Excitement is clearly mounting at the Gold Coast looms - there would have been about 20 PCRG runners at the Ship Inn at 5:30am this morning joining various groups for their midweek MLR. And it was a tad chilly too - I pulled on the $1 Coles cotton gloves for the first time this year!!

Andy and Glenda joined me this morning and after easing into the run, Andy really ramped up the pace as he kicks off his Gold Coast campaign after recovering from Port Macquarie Ironman. Gees he was keen this morning and Glenda was similarly frisky. As is usually the case I relaxed and settled into a rhythm right behind them. Felt comfortable for the first 50 minutes but the breaths were a little more frequent in the last half hour as the pace ever so steadliy was increased. Andy really kicked home the last k at sub 4 min pace but I reined in the competitive instincts and continued to cruise along at the same pace. It was no surprise that we took 31 seconds of our precious course record of 78:34 set when Andy was away. Perhaps I should not have let him know this :) Pulled up quite well.

PCRG 3KTT

Fri - 60 mins - 12k's @ about 5:10 mins/km

Easy recovery jog - ran into Langy half way through and finished off the run with him.

Sun AM - 130 mins - 26k's @ 5:10mins/km
Sun PM - 30 mins - k's @ about 5:10 mins/km

Tues - 3KTT - 9:46 (3:11, 3:18, 3:16)

The plan this morning was to try and run even 3:12's and really work the second k to make up for time lost at the turnaround. I was fast asleep when Pat sent the large field on its way and lost maybe two metres at the start. As such, I probably wasn't as relaxed as I like to be in the first 300-400m. Matt C, Matt R and myself led the way early (the three Matt's!!!) Just nine days after I duelled with Matt C over the closing stages of the Brisbane Half, here we were going at it again!! There was quite a bit of jostle early on and Matt C and I bumped into each other on about five occasions as we went through the first k in 3:11. Following my plan of working the second k, I really pushed it here and was able to ease a few strides ahead in front. It was a cold morning and noticeably colder once we got to the exposed sections past the Boatshed - note to self (gloves and proper singlet next time instead of tri singlet!). Reached marshal Gaz at the halfway in 4:45 and lost the usual 2-3 seconds turning around. Continued working hard to the 2k mark and was bitterly disappointed to see a 3:18 split but calculated that I could still pull out a PB if I hammered out a 3:09 closing k. Fired up at this point and dropped Matt C for good, covering the next 500m in about 96 seconds with a PB still possible. Alas, I faded then, particularly up the slight incline next to the Hanson factory.

So, I've now built a rock solid base of sub 10's in the last six months as follows:
- Dec 9:48
- Jan 9:40 (PB)
- Feb 9:48
- Mar 9:43 (2nd fastest time)
- April 9:52
- April 9:46 (3rd fastest time)

But if I don't dip under that 9:40 PB soon, I'm going to get start getting a tad frustrated!! I don't plan to change my training - I'll just relax, look after my body and wait for the improvement to come to me.

A good recovery

Tues PM - 60 mins, 12k's @ about 5:20 mins/km
Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:15 mins/km
Thurs - 50 mins,10k's @ 5:10 mins/km

Am pleased with my recovery from the half so far. The worst of the DOMS hung around for a day and half starting Monday morning and mostly fading away by Tuesday lunchtime. I wore the long Skins almost non stop for four days after the race and have had three gentle recovery jogs.

All is good - the rest of the week is a recovery week with no speedwork. And then its into the deep end with a 3KTT on Tuesday!!

Brisbane Half Marathon 80:32 (PB)

Brisbane Half Marathon 80:32 (PB) 12-14th out of about 600-700

Race morning dawned with ideal conditions - cool and overcast with the hint of a little rain. I eased my way through a 2k warmup and then lined up at the start line with Wednesday run partner, Beth. The plan was to run 3:50's and break 81 with a 'B' goal of 82. In the back of my mind, there was the thought of breaking 80 if everything came together. The goal may seem a tad conservative to some as MacMillans Calculator says I can run a 77:55 half based on my 3k time but I was comfortable with my goal, particularly as this was only the second half I've ever raced! Yes, it seems like I've been around long enough to have 10 halves under my belt by now but alas that's not the case.

I was smoothly away and stayed out of trouble during the mad dash into the Stanley Street tunnel to clock a 3:49 for the first k, running with Beth. After the disaster of my very slow second k in the Easter Egg 10k when I relaxed far too much, I made a conscious effort to 'work' the second k and a 3:45 was the result. After a 3:40 third k, I let Beth go on ahead of me and settled into a comfortable rhythm.

The middle stages of the race saw some consistent pacing and I was very pleased to churn out consistent splits between 3:46 to 3:53 from 3k to 15k with only a 3:58k out of place. It was fantastic to get a lot of support and ‘Go Matt’s’ from PCRG team mates and Tesso out on the course. As I was in the zone and did not want to waste one iota of energy I felt bad that I could only raise a hand slightly in acknowledgement. During this time, I was only overtaken by one bloke from Athletics North. At the 14k I rejoined Beth and we were soon in the company of Mark Jackson, a 2:27 Marathoner making a comeback of sorts. Marathon placegetter Tom Dover was hanging off the back of the pack with another Marathoner. I was feeling strong and had to resist the temptation to pick up the pace a little and stick to my race plan of working home strongly once I reached the QUT hill entering the Botanic Gardens.

Time passed quickly and soon I was surging up the hill into the Gardens. I passed the bloke from Athletics North and was grateful for the support of Matt Reid on his bike. At the 18k mark, the next target was PCRG team mate, Matt Carrick and I set myself the challenge of making up the 150m gap to him. I ran strongly through the Gardens and didn’t think that any of the pack behind me would be able to keep up so was surprised when Mark Jackson eased past me at the exit. Digging deep, I immediately retook the lead and surged up the Goodwill Bridge making big inroads into Matt’s lead. I worked the downhill side of the Goodwill Bridge quickly but as always automatically mindful of not over striding.

At the 20k mark I went past Matt and was by now beginning to feel the strain in a big way. My legs were getting fatigued, my breathing was in gasps and my stomach was churning uncomfortably. I peered through the pedestrians and supporters along the Clem Jones Promenade looking for another target and was surprised to see female leader and 2006 Noosa Tri Champ, Felicity Abram 100m in front of me. After being controversially left out of the Olympic Tri team last week, I had expected Felicity to take her frustrations out on the course with a 76 or 77. As I rapidly gained on Felicity I calculated that at my current rate of progress, I would overtake her in the finishing chute. Uh oh, not good at all for I ran the risk of being labeled a ‘Desperate Bloke”!!! So, I took the only option that seemed to make sense – I gunned it even harder!! Fortunately I managed to get past Felicity with 200m to go and was surprised to find one last enticing target in front of me – my nemesis, Jimmy Bayliss from Intraining. I had just failed to run down Jimmy in the Brisbane Running Groups 3k Challenge when 5th but did have the satisfaction of giving him windburn at the 19k mark of the Kurrrawa 25k Relays last year. I was getting delirious by now and could feel bile exiting my stomach and rising up towards my throat. Jimmy heard my footsteps and lifted his pace entering the chute. I kept the pressure on all the way down the chute in case he faltered but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless, it was an extremely satisfying moment to run through the finish and time seemed to slow down as I glanced up at the clock to see 80:32 on it. The satisfaction lasted all of two seconds before I staggered over to the grass and regurgitated the remaining contents of my stomach for my third career post race spew!!

Obviously, it was a very satisfying race for me and in particular, I was pleased with my controlled pacing and discipline to stick to my race plan. Not letting anyone overtake me and running down a few rivals in the closing stages were also a highlight.

All up it was a fantastic morning and it was great to see some super performances from team mates David and Cassie in the Marathon and Pete and Sarah in the half just to name a few of many. It was also great to go out to the 36k mark of the marathon during my 15 minute warm down. At that point, the Moroccan defending champion led my occasional running partner, Aidan Hobbs by 200m but was looking over his shoulder repeatedly. I urged Aidan to never, never give up as anything could happen and it was great to see him finish all over the top of the Champ for a memorable 2:43 debut Marathon victory

SPLITS
1-5 – 3:49, 3:45, 3:40, 3:47, 3:47 – 18:50
6-10 – 3:46, 3:46, 3:50, 3:53, 3:52 – 19:08
11-15 – 3:50, 3:58, 3:53, 3:49, 3:53 – 19:25
16-20 – 3:55, 3:51, 3:52, 3:48, 3:48 – 19:14
21 – 3:36

PHOTOS
- 1st photo courtesy of Phil Wain of PB Photographics at 11k on Coro Drive
- 2nd photo is a great shot from team mate Mike R of myself, Mark Jackson and Beth at 16k with Tom Dover hanging off the back. Very pleased with the strength and control of my running gait this late in the race

Taper week for Brisbane Half

Tues - 20 min hills fartlek

Last hard session before the Brisbane Half and I really put in - see photo above. The jogging recoveries on this session are quite long and enable you to really hammer it on the hill and the other sprint area in the Botanic Gardens.

Wed - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:11 mins/km

Gentle taper jog on the Kedron Brook running out some stiffness and soreness from a physio session with Shane at the Gabba the previous day.

Thurs - 2 x 4 mins, 30SR. 3 x 2min, 30JR back

I don't really like the last speedwork session before a big race that I'm tapering for. Mentally I am in two minds as to how hard to go. Today, I ran about 3:40 pace for most of the way only hammering it for one minute during the first two minute rep. Felt strong and fit throughout.

That's better!!

Fri - 3 min, 4 min, 5 min, 3min, 1 x Hill rep - 45SR

Quite a pleasing session doing the hard yards up front by myself throughout. Lots of us were shattered after the penultimate 5 min rep and I was pleased with how I maintained my speed and form on the last rep.

Sun AM - 110 mins - 22k's @ 4:58mins/km

Solid Kedron Brook run cut 10 minutes short as I was late for a Sprinkling.

Sun PM - 40 mins - 8k's @ 5:15 mins/km

Gingerly eased through this run along the Brisbane River adding 10 minutes to make up for this mornings shortfall.

Update time

Still trying to get back into the daily blog updates - not quite there yet :)

Wed 2nd - 90 mins, 18k's @ about 4:45's along Brisbane River with Glenda
Thurs 3rd - 50 mins, 10k's @ about 5:10's easy
Fri 4th - 2 x 4min, 30SR, 2min, 3min - Legs tired but worked hard with Brisbane Half in mind
Sun 6th AM - 130 mins, 26k's @ about 5:05's
Sun 6th PM - 30 mins, 6 k's @ about 5:10's
Tues 8th - 4 x 1min, 30JR, 30 on/off back, 2:30min, 2 x GC Hill - Although am running well, I don't quite seem to have the zip of 4-6 weeks ago. Can't wait to get it back.
Wed 9th - 90 mins, 19k's @ 4:48mins/km. Green Bridge loop with Beth.
Thurs 10th - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:09 mins/km

PCRG - 3KTT

PCRG 3KTT - 9:52 (3:13,3:21,3:17)

After the recent racing and the 1k efforts last Friday, the legs were lacking a bit of zip. Nic D was also absent so I ended up having to do the hard yards by myself up front. I just concentrated on maintaining good form throughout and my cardio fitness was good enough to ensure that I continued my streak of sub 10's. Although, some distance off my PB, I'm happy nevertheless as I have consolidated a base between 9:40-9:52 that will set me up nicely for a crack at sub 9:30 in the near future.

Mooloolaba Tri 10k Run Leg

10k - 37:36 (10th out of 515) - 3:33,3:53,3:52,3:48,3:47,3:48,3:45,3:34,3:52,3:56

Northies got together at Mooloolaba on Sunday for our only Tri of the season. Neither RooBoy, nor Matt were fit so we just did it for fun. RooBoy opened proceedings with a 28:30 swim and 256th place and Matt was on the bike for around 72 minutes in 85th place. My plan was to go around in Half Marathon pace of 3:50's with a view to assisting my preparation for the Brisbane Half in 3 weeks time. I could have run a gutbuster and maybe jagged a small PB on the tough course in warm conditions but both Pat and I felt I'd get more out of a Half Marathon pace effort this time and save the fast 10k for the Victorian 10k Road Champs at Sandown on May 17th.

Mooloolaba was typically warm when I started my run at 9:15am but it was beautiful day and the cool seabreeze meant it wasn't as hard as previous years. I went out a tad too fast but settled into a comfortable pace afterwards. I felt good for a long way, was running in controlled fashion and was did not become fatigued until I crested Alexandra Hill for the third and final time. I was well under my goal of 38:20 at that stage so just cruised to the finish line to bring Northies home in 34th place in 2:17:45. Very pleased with the run and it was nice to crack the Top 10 running at less than top speed. Time will tell whether I can hold the pace for another 11k's on a flatter course in cooler conditions.