good luck sleep train

monday:

i've forgotten whether i got out in the morning before work for a run. maybe i did and if so i'm thinking it might have been for about 15-16km from home up to warrimoo and back down the highway to glenbrook and then home via the lagoon.

i do remember getting out at lunch though for an easy workout consisting of 1 x 3000m (3:59), 1 x 2000m (3:50), 1 x 1000m (3:43) with 1000m steady (4:40) between. i kept the pace moderate to make sure that i got the workout in as planned. over the last few weeks i've gone out with the intentions of smashing myself and discovered my limits in fitness. i thought getting in some consistent workouts would help build my fitness and confidence.

tuesday:

a sunny, windless morning greeted the bmmc crew (many runners with names i'm not sure of - animal, fat kiwi, scam, sleep, etc) as we met up for the weekly tuesday morning loop departing from sleep trains house (check out the loop here). i'd been meaning to catch up and run this loop for some time but hadn't. this morning though was our last opportunity to run with sleep and wish him well before he embarked on his trip to austria to run in the world long distance mountain champs. he looked ready to go and knowing what he has been doing in training i expect him to bring home the win.

the run started out at an easy pace but i could feel the previous days tempo run in my legs and by the time we reached the first of the solid climbs i was troubled with my lack of energy and power in my legs. thankfully running with a bunch of triathlon/multisport athletes has it's advantages as i discovered that every climb was followed up with a brief stop to stretch and take care of whatever else needs to be taken care of. after a couple of extra stops the run was definitely feeling very social.

between my morning run and lunch i decided that i needed to try something new in my training and instead of going with the hard/easy, long/short daily option i have decided to try laying down some quality every day and see where that takes my fitness. so with that in mind and a small window of time at lunch i headed out to run a workout. i ended up going with 4 x 800m (200m recovery), 5 x 400m (200m rec), 4x200m. i wasn't planning on killing myself in this session and made the decision early to hold back on the pace enough to be able to get through this workout feeling good. mission accomplished....

workout:
warmup - 3.2km (15mins)
4 x 800m - 2:51, 2:51, 2:49, 2:49
5 x 400m - 1:24, 1:22, 1:22, 1:21, 1:19
4 x 200m - :35.6, :34.6, :32.7, :32.1
recovery 200m (50m walk/150m jog)

a solid session and i was excited to finally feel some bounce in my stride. i was on a high right through to bed time...


wednesday:
i woke up feeling good this morning which was a little surprising considering yesterday's workout. i was waiting for my legs to feel it on my run to work but they felt nice and relaxed.


i decided to make this a three run day with a run at lunch where i managed to get out and run 15 minutes easy, 10 minutes at marathon pace and finished up with 6 x 300m fast with 30 seconds recovery jog on the end. felt smashed but loaded up on the fruit and water intake in preparation for the run home (up mitchells pass) on a few short hours away.


sitting in the changeroom at work thinking about the run to come i was unsure how i was going to feel making the 5km climb from emu plains to home. i need not have worried. ran the first 5km at what felt an easy pace still making the start of the climb in 21 minutes. at the start of the climb i made a deal with myself that i wouldn't walk until i reached the bridge (top of the climb) where i was free to walk if i needed. twelve minutes later i was at the top and surprised how good i was feeling. no need for a break and finished with a solid 2km up to home.


wednesday training:
am - 10km in 0:44
noon - 15' easy (4:40), 10' steady (4:00-4:10), 6 x 300m (60" down to 56") with 30" jog
pm - 10km in 0:46 (climb from emu to bridge in 12'30")


thursday:
got out early for another session. thought for sure that the 30+km of running yesterday would make it difficult to get through the workout but ended up having a great workout. pre-planned to run the session around 10km pace and not try and push it much faster. session was 2 x (5min-4min-3min) with 2min steady (about 4:40/km) between. another session nailed for the week and finally starting to feel like i'm making some progress.


workout: 2 x (5min-4min-3min) with 2min steady

warmup: 3.2km in 15mins
5min - 1310m (3:49)
4min - 1048m (3:49)
3min - 800m (3:45)


5min - 1322m (3:47)
4min - 1076m (3:43)
3min - 820m (3:40)


cooldown - 5-10mins





now that my garmin has died and gone to technology heaven i thought i had better start posting my training here more often before i forget all that i have done...

last week's training (or was it the week before?) - actually it was the week before. i've lost last weeks training to the recesses of my mind. i think i might have had a good week totalling about 130-140km.


monday: pm - 15.5k easy (1:10) hilly run up singletrack to mitchells pass finishing with 5 x 150m strides on the flat. great day for a run. planned to head out after work but didn't.

tuesday: am - 14.3k with hill workout (1:20) solid hill session running 26x100-110m. ran moderately for the first 20 repeats running them in around 28sec and then pushed it running the remainder in around 20-21secs. finished feeling great!

wednesday: pm - 10k easy (0:45) easy out and back run around the river.

thursday: pm - intervals 9k (0:42). shortened interval session due to the heat (33 celsius and windy). Ran 1x2k and 2x500m averaging around 3:30/km pace.

friday: am - 6k easy (0:30) with 6x200m fast. legs felt tired at the start but loosened up during the strides.

saturday: busy day and missed my planned run. turned out to be a mistake before trying to run hard the following day as me legs felt completely dead - which is normal following a no exercise day.

sunday: 40k of running including two races a half marathon race and a 9k'er. drove into sydney with my wife to take part in the sydney running festival. the plan was that i would run the half marathon and then find my way back to the starting area to run the 9k race with my wife. as i was only planning on running the race as a substitute for a long run my goal was to complete the half running at marathon pace and for most of the run that's what happened. went through the first 10k right in 4:15/k pace sitting on around 80% maxHR but then things got tough over the next 7k. Pace dropped to around 4:30/k and my legs started aching - not good. after getting back into the city things improved and i managed to finish up running the last few kilometres at around 3:50/k and i was excited that it felt easy. with 10 minutes of running and another 10 minutes commuting on the train i made it back over the bridge for the start of the 9k race. thankfully i found my wife near the front of the runners and waited just past the start and timing mats for the race to start before jumping in. had the most enjoyable run pushing my wife along to a great finishing time. an hour of walking back to the car to complete the morning... does it get any better?

up and back...

monday:


after arriving at work this morning to discover that i had left my security pass and shower key at home i decided that i would run home and pick it up during my lunch break. i'm happy i did as i had great run up mitchells pass getting home in around 40 minutes averaging quicker than 5:00/km pace. going hard on the way back to work knocked off 10 minutes on the return.


run details: 70mins steady (40mins out/ 30mins back)


planned second run around the river for 40 minutes to get in some recovery ready for tomorrows workout...

sunday long...

got up early to beat the heat and headed out about 6am. ran up the back roads to springwood and by the turn around i knew i was in trouble. yesterdays workout had caught up with me and the return was a mental effort to keep going when everything was screaming for me to stop and walk, rest or lie down...


stubbornness prevailed and i made it home in just over two hours... after a good feed and rehydration felt good for the rest of the day.


run: 2 hour long run (~24-25km)

unfinished time trial...

saturday:



i had planned on running a 10k time trial today but i left it late in the day and it had warmed up nicely by the time i managed to get out. thinking back to the start of last year i ran my first sub 40 minute 10k during a similar run. again a few months later i ran another time trial over the distance and ran 38:50 and then two or three weeks later i ran a time trial in 38:05. i guessed it was a good session to help bring on my fitness so it seemed like a good idea but...



things started out as planned and i ran the first two kilometres at the pace (roughly 3:40-3:50 pace) i was hoping for but then i lost focus somewhere and it was quickly all over. it was a good outcome as it gave me insight into where my fitness currently is. just as i thought - i need to work on my aerobic fitness. the modified session became a good workout though to save the day.



run details:



3.2k warmup with 4x100m strides



workout:
1 x 2000m, 200m recovery
1 x 1200m, 200m
1 x 800m, 200m
1 x 600m, 200m
8 x 300m @ a pace quicker than i can race any distance at, 200m recovery
1k cooldown

back from nz...

as it appears people come to this site from time to time to check out what’s going on in the life of shogun so for those who have nothing better to do i thought i had better start blogging on a more regular schedule. i know i’ve said it before but here goes…

as i no longer keep a training log or diary i thought i had better put something down before my runs have faded off into some dark part of my brain which can no longer be accessed. damn university years and herbal plant experimentation…

ok time for the update

flew over to the south island of new zealand on the 21st august, hired a campervan and proceeded to drive around with the troop checking it out. waking up on the first morning to be greeted with snow capped mountains in the distance was exciting for all – especially the little ones as they had never seen snow. managed to run around 8-12km on most days at whatever pace my legs could handle considering the terrain (and hills). definitely ran up a hill or two while there…

running highlights included:-

- evening run around the lake at wanaka
- a sunset, early evening run along the lake at queenstown
- hill session on the steep streets around queenstown (the following morning)
- stroll along the kepler track with the family – kids and wife all broke into various runs and it brought out smiles in all
- hilly run around dunedin including hard up 3 mile hill
- baldwin street - the “steepest street in the world” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_street)

the view looking down from the top

reading up and following eastern nutritional healing practices i've been think about following a monk lifestyle experiment and subsist on brown rice and mung beans for a time and see how it works out. perhaps i'll be taken to a higher spiritual plane. long miles on the trails and hills of the blue mountains, living and eating minimal sounds like a great way to achieve inner peace and reach my zen state.

i've also managed to get back into the training now that i'm home and it started off nicely to a well organised (thanks to the bmmc crew and most notably scam) night run on home trails - the oaks fire trail no less. 25k of undulating trail with supurb bmmc folk and cr flatlanders. to say that i struggled would be an understatement but you have to start somewhere. i was disappointed with how much fitness i have lost over the last few weeks and with a pain on the inside of my ankle which i could only feel on the climbs i was happy to reach the ranger station signaling the end - of course i still had to get back to the car at glenbrook station. great runs by b+ and prince d (who also started out with the 23k option from wentie falls).

i felt a little stiff and sore over the weekend after the run but managed to get out on sunday night for a good hour or so.

training summary:-

friday:
26km oaks fire trail night run - 2:06?

saturday:
shopping, gardening and unpacking - long day...

sunday:
1 hour run up to warimoo and back with diversions.

monday:
missed planned run due to daughter needing to be picked up with school so i'll call my training - a 20minute fartlek session with dog in the backyard. he's been missed...

tuesday:
met up with simon down the river and put in a solid session - 15min hard, 10min hard, 5min with whatever i had left (which was little). backed up with a run at lunch.

wednesday:
50minutes around the river and into the hills - tired. went to bed with sore legs and a belly full of good food (green smoothie).

thursday:
legs felt good when i woke and was happy for another meet up with simon for a solid 1min fast, 30sec jog session around the river which left me feeling great. backed up again at lunch with a long climb up mitchells and to the bridge over knapsack. kept it nice and chilled...

friday:
repeated yesterday's lunch run up to the bridge and back. on the return threw in some short speed variations (fancy name for faster running from power pole to power pole). will finish up the day with another easy run down to the bottom of a local hill for about 10 uphill sprints to finish my legs and the week off.
totals: 2 quality sessions, 1 long run, 3 doubles and about 130-135km of running