three weeks out

three weeks out from north face and it seemed like it was time to record something of the training highs and lows of the last few weeks as hopefully things come together over the next two. training has been a little haphazard this time around without a schedule or focus which i have enjoyed and while there appears to be a lack of quality sessions, hills and lengthy long runs in the memory bank (my high tech log book) i've finally rediscovered my passion for running.


i can't believe that i've been pushing myself out the door with a distinct lack of enthusiasm for these many months but driving myself towards lofty goals and the expectations of others took me over the edge. thankfully i'm now loving it at the moment and i plan on remaining in that state of being. the only thing that could get in my way to halt my enthusiasm and passion is racing and after north face i'm not sure if i'll bother to focus on another event and rather concentrate on finding some other goals (non-race) which i can work through in training. perhaps a long journey attempt or exploring new trails or maybe even an attempt at reaching a new weekly mileage personal best. these are the sort of things that excite me about being able to test my endurance, strength and fitness not just at the physical level but also across both mental and spiritual barriers. focus on increasing our awareness while out there on the roads and trails and we will discover so much more...


on to the weekly summary:


sun: 2h20 run - long angle gully-valley heights-winmalee-springwood-home
- ended up being rather ugly as i struggled over the final 5k.

pm: yoga


mon: 4h hike - leura to katoomba
- went up the mountains after lunch and enjoyed time with the family. kids can have so much energy and i started wishing that i could run the stairs like my six year old. i think he might be part mountain goat. their passion and enthusiasm was contagious and rewarded with a hot chocolate...

pm: yoga


tue am: 1h28 (21k) easy run - whitewater loop + river loop
­- felt tired at the start and didn't expect a good run but felt good after about 5mins. ran into fred and chatted for a little before we departed ways. picked up the pace and ran strong around the river.

pm: 52' (13k) steady run - river loop + reverse loop to bridge and back via side streets
­- pushed the pace but felt didn't feel laboured. timed the middle 3k at 3:50 pace and was running comfortably within myself. days like this are rare indeed but exciting when the occur. need to identify the ingredients which result in runs like these.

pm (late): yoga

wed: 1h15 (16k) hills + reps
- planned to run a hill session but wasn't into it. Ran 3 x 500m hills and then progressed into sets of 200m with decreasing recovery starting at 90sec and working down to 15sec between reps. 200s run in around 37-38sec. enjoyed this session.

thu: 1h05'57" (15.7k) - whitewater loop
- felt a little lethargic from yesterday's effort which added to the surprise when i got back to work a couple of minutes faster than normal.

fri: plan 1h30 with intervals or tempo - yet to decide

sat: relay for life
­tomorrow's plan is to work all day and then take over the night and run/walk from 10pm to 10am

 here's to making training fun again. ok maybe sub 10 at 12ft this year...