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.