Fresh and fast!!

5 x 1min, 30JR outbound, 30SR then 30 sec efforts with 30JR inbound

I think coming into a speedwork session fresh from a recovery week agrees with me - I certainly ran like a fresh staying thorougbred first up over 1400m this morning. I had run well at this session when I last did it as the jogging recoveries are tailor made for my high aerobic fitness base at the moment and I always manage to recover with a brisker jog than most.

Runing at West End this morning, I lined up right at the front as I always do for speedwork and was on the pace in the usual mad dash at the start. Then Andy moved into the lead trailed by Gary and myself. Gary dropped me on the 3rd one minute effort and set off after Andy whilst I motored along in third trailed by a pack including Slash, Glenda, Jonesy and Azza. I was feeling strong, concentrating on running a little faster than sub 3:30 min pace and I must have been doing no slower than 4:20's-4:30's for my recovery jogs - they felt easy and comfortable.

After five reps, we paused for a break with Gary finishing 20 metres in front of me and Andy about 30 metres in front of me. I was surprised to turn around and notice the chase pack almost 20 metres behind me. It didn't feel like I had gone fast enough to gap them by that much. But I knew that I would have to put in a hard effort on the return leg to catch up to the pack and try and finish at the same time as them otherwise they would know that I had spent myself in the outbound leg!!

Gary was running well this morning and caught up to me pretty quickly, but I managed to slowly gain on the pack in front of me. About 500m from home, I was determined not to let Andy catch me and with a strong but controlled finish, I managed to pass Azza, hold Andy at bay and hit the line right on the heels of my just agreed Kurrawa to Point Danger relay race partner, Slash. Jonesy and Glenda finished very strongly and I couldn't make any ground on them on the return leg. All in all, a very pleasing session.

Not long afterward, I was at the QSMC at the Gabba for preventative physio from Shane Lemcke and he gave my body the thumbs up. As usual, there were a few niggles that I need to keep an eye on but otherwise all is goinig well