110k week

This photo shows why you should watch out for overhanging branches when running Cross Country :)



Wed 20 - 90mins, 20k @ 4:27 mins/km, Last 4k 16:48

First 50 mins a real struggle and I trailed off the back at times and it had nothing to do with the steady rain and cold winds. Came home steadily enough though.

Wed 20 PM - 30 mins easy

Thurs 21 PM - 50 mins, 10k

Had no choice but to run at 7:50pm after a long day of hard yakka - COMMITTMENT!!

Fri 22 - 2 x 3min, 1 x 6min, 3 x GC Hill

Didn't make it as far outbound as I did at other recent sessions of this. A typical speedwork session for the high mileage stage of the marathon prep - I was heavy legged and the body was protesting but I was breathing easily. Its a strange combination for those who have not experienced it!!

Turned up to Andy's Buck's Party tonight a little late.......24hrs too late actually and instead of sampling Huongs Vietnamese, I had to settle for Subway. Now that your peels of laughter have subsided, let me assure you it could happen to you. A Thursday night Buck's Party could have fooled anyone :)

Sat 23 - 40mins, 8k easy

Finally got this session done in the morning.

Sun 24 - 170mins, 34k's @ about 5:00-5:05 mins/km

Did my first loop out to I'pilly via the Walter Taylor Bridge. Despite being happy with my eating and hydration prep on Saturday I had an off day, struggling physically and mentally. Was well off the pace after 30 mins and lost sight of the boys several times over the second half of the run. A session to forget, except for the fact, I banked 2hr 50mins on my legs.

Sun PM - 30 mins easy

Felt better than I did this morning. Shame I had to stop.

Qld Short Course Cross Country Champs, St Pauls, Bald Hills

Thurs 14 - 40 mins easy

Fri 15 - Rest due to recovery week

Sat 16 - Qld 4000m XC Champs - 25th in 13:56

Wow, what a torrid run!!! Had a solid start tracking Don Wallace into the race and felt like i was where I should be after 1k on a dry, fast course. Struggled a bit and lost ground going through the hoof marks in the cow paddocks before regaining momentum coming out of the paddocks. In the gully behind the main oval at the 1600m mark, I ran into a low over hanging branch with stubbed me sharply under the left eye before springing back. I staggered and momentum, swore violently and got on with it. Picked up a stitch at 2500m and began to lose some ground really feeling like I was going up and down on the spot at times but managed to keep plugging away. Passed a runner on the final hill before kicking home passing a runner in the finishing straight and another right on the line. Clearly it wasn't quite my day and I felt like I could have run at least 20 seconds faster and finished in the top 20 but I still have a lot to learn about running cross country and preparing for and executing a good race in the afternoon timeslot.

After swapping some war stories and doing a gentle 4k warm down, I popped into the gents before leaving and was stunned to see my face in the mirror. I had completely forgotten about running into the tree branch only to see that I was bruised and cut under the left eye - it was a close call indeed. Luckily for QA, I'm not predisposed to litigation but it did get me thinking: if a runner was to lose an eye or some vision in a similar accident, could they sue QA for failing to execute their duty of care despite the usual waiver form signed by runners?

Sunday 17 - 170 mins, 37k's @ 4:32 mins/km

Was hoping to do my usual Sunday run on an empty stomach but it proved impossible. I'm finding that after a hard cross country run on Saturday arvo, I can't eat enough to replenish my fuel stores from that effort and then top them up for Sunday morning despite eating like a horse!! So, it was with a couple of pieces of toast in my stomach that I joined Darren for a run after doing 20 mins by myself. Did a clockwise Green Bridge loop in 86:12 followed by another 10k's out to West End and back in 45 flat. Felt pretty good most of the way and the final tally was 37k's with a 29k stretch in the middle at 4:32 pace - I could have sworn it was closer to 4:45 pace - now that's what I call a quality long run. Very pleased with that one. I remember three years ago finishing a couple of long runs with Glenda with 4k's at 4:25 pace and thinking it was a huge effort. What difference a few years makes!!

More high mileage

Thurs 7 - 50 mins, 10k's @ 5:02 mins/km

Am getting slack and doing too many of these Thursday runs in the afternoon.

Fri 8 - 5 x 2 mins, 3 mins
Fairly controlled session keeping a little in reserve if I was to get called up to run for Intraining in the state relay titles the next day.

Sat 9 - 30 mins easy

Slacko!! Another afternoon run. Need to do these in the mornings so I'm not burning up valuable fuel for the Sunday long run!!

Sun 10 - 170 mins, 36k's @ about 4:45mins/km

A solid effort - not as good as last week's long run but got the mileage down. Finished off running alongside the Mother's Day Classic field giving MJ a cheer and getting passed by the likes of Letherby and Nowill. Letherby is in amazing shape as he gears up for the World Champs in Berlin. Its not often that someone thrashes Pete in his home town but Letherby did just that.

Sun PM - 30 mins easy

Tues 12 - 16 mins of hills

Ordinary 10 minutes to open proceedings - felt crap but finished off last 6 minutes solidly enough.

Tues PM - Rest - Recovery week, reduced volume

Wed 13 - 90 mins, 20k's @ 4:26mins/km

It was a slower start than normal with a few of the gang tapering for the Sydney Half and other events which I was grateful for as I was struggling. Felt much better at the Regatta and picked up the pace. Worked home strongly with Jase and we did the last 4k together in 15:47 at slightly faster than Marathon Pace. Last 4k was hard work but not uncomfortable by any means.

Wed PM - Rest - Recovery week, reduced volume

First PB for 2009!

Tues - PCRG 3KTT - 9:34 (PB) 3:07, 3:15, 3:11

I was thinking about this TT as far back as Thursday when I started pysching myself up to run hard at 4 x 1k efforts on Friday morning. When I averaged 3:12:7 for the first three reps, I knew my foot was on the till for a PB on Tuesday. I got through the Sunday long run in good nick and pulled up well and I felt like my body had really absorbed a few weeks of doing nine sessions per week.

Upon arrival, I was disappointed that neither Jase nor Andy had turned up as they would have helped push the pace. As it was, there was a newbie, Hayden who turned up and stuck with me for my usual controlled 400m to start the TT. I then put the foot down and went up a gear and was surprised to see that Hayden was still with me and from a glance across at him, doing it very easily too!! Approaching the boatshed, I accelerated again but couldn't shake him. Went through 1k on track in 3:07 and then concentrated on staying relaxed whilst maintaining the speed over the middle stages. Got to 1500m half a step ahead of Hayden and then watched as he surged and put 10m on me in a matter of seconds. This turned out to be good for me as I now had a target and I forced myself to stay within 10-15m of Hayden.

Went through 2k in 6:23, starting to hurt and thought to myself "you've done all the hard work to this point - don't throw it away by coming home in 3:20!!" I flew down the hill on the other side of the boatshed and really hammered it to the Hanson site, ignoring the lactic acid buildup. Faltered ever so slightly up the tiny incline opposite the Hanson site before picking it up again and boy was I elated when I stopped my watch at 9:34. Naturally, less than a minute later I was already thinking about beating Nicko's PCRG record of 9:17.

Tues PM - 30 mins easy

Wed AM - 90 mins, 20k's @ 4:27mins/km
Solid run with the gang working home the last 4k's at 4:07 pace.

Wed PM - 30 mins easy

Milestone moment - now doing nine sessions per week

Have now made the step up to nine sessions a week averaging around 105-110k's per week. Will try and update a little more regularly as we approach the GC Marathon. Some key sessions in the last month have been:

13/4 - 160mins - 32k's - Did long run on Easter Monday. First of the 160 min runs
15/4 - Green Bridge loop in 80:11 at 4:16's
18/4 - 11th out of 16 Nickey Carroll Shiled 8000m XC in 29:50. 7:06, 7:29, 7:40, 7:34 - Sucked into a fast start by the 4000m runners in the field. Ran home fairly enough. Same time Glenda did at the same venue last year in the State Champs so it was fair hitout.
19/4 - 160min - 33k's - Quality long run with Glenda and Mike R at about 4:40's
21/4 - 6 x 2mins, 3 mins - Good session highlighted by a spectacular high speed slip on the grass by Matt L. Bewdy!
22/4 - Green Bridge loop in 82:00 at 4:23 average pace. Last 4k in 16:03
24/4 - 2 x 3 mins, 1 x 6min - Matt L and I attacked this one hard and hammered ourselves. Matt L then backed up 48hrs later for a great 35:48 10k PB so its nice to know I'm in that kind of shape
26/4 - 160mins - 31k's - Felt tired and beat up. Struggled on a Cootha loop and then Green Bridge loop by myself with most of the others racing.
28/4 - 8 x 1 min - With most of the gang tired and sore from races on the weekend, I was fresh and set myself to go hard and finish well clear of them and duly did so
29/4 - Green Bridge loop in 87:13 - Relaxed for the once a month "easy" Wednesday run
1/5 - 4 x 1k, 2 x 500m 60 SR - 3:12, 3:12, 3:14, 3:14, 99, 89. Determined to go hard and set myself up for a good time trial next Tuesday. Had a very strong session and it was only a bit of a headwind over the last few hundred metres that stopped me from recording an average of 3:11ish.
3/5 - 160mins -33k's at about 4:40's working home strongly. Good run with a large pack out to Bulimba. Except for a quick stop to retape my plantar fasciitis, there was zero stoppage time the last 2hrs 10mins.