Training Log: May 26 - Jun 1 and Inspiration

life update:

life has rolled on by over the last 12 months which thinking back over it i can't believe how quickly time has passed since we left the blue mountains. i still receive the facebook updates for weekly run invitations from my bmmc mates and leading up to north face i watched with envy as roads made way for the trails and the runs got longer...

watching IM port macquarie live so that i could track all of my friends back home - ben b, gareth, tim and others, new friends up here like mark and my brother-in-law ken.

speaking of ken's unbelievable finish at the ironman considering that it was his first and was highlighted by his complete lack of training leading up to the event has totally blown me away. also considering that he has settled and works in port macquarie and that his wife has taken a position in brisbane just prior to xmas meant that his weekends were spent picking his wife up from newcastle airport on a friday night and driving back to port before turning around and doing the reverse on a sunday. often he was up here and we spent time eating, playing in the park and exploring markets rather than training. every conversation we had about the IM just confirmed that there was no way he was going to do it and i agreed that considering he hadn't swum, completed more than a casual ride here and there and often complained about his knees affecting his ability to run more than 20 kilometres at a stretch... well i think you'd agree that he was nuts for even considering the IM.

well as most of my endurance mates would understand hanging around a race venue leads you to perhaps do the irrational - i'm pretty sure that watching the IM in 2011 lead me to sign up for it in 2012. considering that ken lives in port and had signed up the year before to do the race he rang me to let me know that he registered so that he could at least do the swim, perhaps the bike but no way was he considering on doing the run he assured me on the phone call to me while he was standing outside waiting for the race brief to start. my advice was just to go out and enjoy the experience. well enjoy it he most certainly did!!!

his dedication to finish has become my motivation to do another...

so after making the decision to sign up for another ironman and being disappointed that i didn't bother keeping a record of my training as i progressed from being just a runner to being capable of finishing the IM i thought this time around i'll try and keep a record of the sessions and log my fitness as it improves.

my swim and cycling ability left a lot of room for improvement while my run was good. so after i get a couple of running races out of the way over the next few weeks i'll start to focus on those other two disciplines.

time to start filling up on all the good things in life including swim, bike and running...

random stats:

weight: about 6-7kg above race weight (previous not optimal)
resting heart rate: 37-40bpm
diet: mostly good but laced with tasty high calorie snacks
current fitness: room for improvement
feeling: MELLOW thanks to the JIM BEAM

training:

sun: 13.5km steady run (0:57, avg pace 4:14/km)

i ran 1km repeats (3:25-3:35/km) the day before so planned on going out for an easy run but ended up running through the first 10km in 39:48 then rolled through the last 3.5km at a cruisy 5:00/km pace. great night for running in the dark with the concrete path through the park illuminated by the moon with only the wallabies and a few cane toads for company. good times!

mon: 11.4km easy run (0:51, 4:31/km)

discovered a new loop around home and will definitely use this for other runs.

tue: am) ride to work 42km/1h30 + lunch) 13km easy run (1:00)

ran without the garmin so that i would keep it easy. right heel/achilles feeling a little tender. better keep an eye on that.

note: signed up for a running study and for the next 12 months will be running in these... (thankfully my hair grew back after IM)

can't say that i'm impressed with these shoes and i'm currently thinking they are more gimmick than useful design but will give them a chance.

wed: run workout - 1x2k, 1x1k, 7x30sec on/30sec off

went out without anything planned and ran an easy warmup out to the story bridge waiting for the garmin to get it's satellite fix (about 10mins). gradually worked into it and ran 2km (3:47, 3:37) and 1km (3:39) before throwing in some 30sec 200m runs to get the legs turning over.

thu: double run day 10km (lunch) / 11km (victoria point to home - 6:30pm)

easy run with work colleague at lunch and then home off the bus. easy to rest the legs up after a few hard days on the feet.

fri: 10.7km steady run (:46, 4:20/km pace) w/ 5km threshold in 18:37 + 4x200m fast

late night run. easy 3km out to the park and then ran progressively faster loops of the park (~900m) - 3:50/3:45/3:45/3:44/3:38/km pace.

sat: rest day

after my first week back of faster running decided that a rest day would help consolidate my fitness.

random photos.

great bushwalking only a few kms from home - kids love water!!!

future home of my weekly long run

Meltdown

Things are heating up here in Brisbane. I have experienced training in the heat during summer in the Blue Mountains and around Penrith but the heat combined with the humidity up here north of the border adds a new dimension to hot.

Looking at weatherzone for the last few days reveals just how pleasant running is around here.

Sun - 26.4C | 82% humidity
Mon - 31.4C | 54% humidity
Tue - 27.2C | 77% humidity
Wed - 30.5C | 60% humidity

Note: data recorded during training times

Training:

Training has also seen some changes with a reduction in total training time and volume and an increase in quality sessions. Last weeks training looked like the following:

Sat (8/12/12) - 5k warmup, 10k threshold in 38:36, 3k cooldown
Sun - 19k easy (around Mt Cotton)
Mon - 7k easy in 32:00 + strides
Tue - PM) Hill session 16x200m avg ~ 60sec (total elevation gained/200m = 30m)
Wed - 11k run (went out too hard in the heat and paid for it)
Thu - Run workout 4 x 6min (pace 3:37, 3:41, 3:43, 3:41) 5k warmup/3k cooldown
Fri - 7k easy run + 3-4hrs of walking around Brisbane (PM)

This week:

Sat (15/12/12) - 5k warmup, 5k in 18:37, 3k cooldown (planned to run sub 18 minutes but legs several things were against me - the heat/humidity, legs still sore from Tuesday's hill session and went out too fast in 3:30 pace for the first km and then tried to maintain it in the second km which included a hill)
Sun - 1h30 long run included 3km avg 3:38/k pace (legs felt recovered)
Mon - 7k easy + strides
Tue - AM) 42k ride (to work) PM) Track session 8x200m avg ~33sec + 20k ride in electrical storm
Wed - 11k planned easy but went hard and completed melted in heat

Remainder of the week looks like the following:
Thu - AM) Track session + ride PM) Ride
Fri - easy run
Sat - Run workout - long repeats
Sun - Long run

Planned races for 2013:
January 5000m track
Park Run 5km runs
Gold Coast Marathon
Ironman Cairns (probably not but ?)
Bridge to Brisbane
Noosa Triathlon

plan on racing more often next year...

The honeymoon is over

Ironman training has continued in some form or another for the last few months. Have had great expectations for completing epic training days and weeks but when it came down to putting the rubber on the road that’s where the romance ended. The honeymoon period lasts for about 2 hours on the bike before we start disagreeing about the state of our relationship and while I continue to hold onto the dream of our union I’m always thankful when we split up. Thankfully running has become my new mistress...

As far as training is concerned my typical week has become... actually I have no typical week so I'll just put down what I've done since I can remember (about 5 days back) and what I'm planning on doing through to the weekend.

Saturday: ride 90km steady (down Northern Road to Narellan and back) + transition run down to Glenbrook oval for some mile repeats - managed 6 this week 5:52, 56, 59, 6:02, 6:02, 5:54 on 7 minutes) - the last two were great but number 4 almost broke me. Think they were definitely too quick for the desired training effect.

Sunday: planned long ride but swam instead 3500m straight - arms too tired to pull myself out of the pool so just sort of rolled out

Monday: double run day. 12k run at lunch in 48:20 then four hours later 13.4k run in 56:46 - last half around 4:00/km pace feeling good

Tuesday: missed lunch swim but had a great lunch. After work managed a brick session of 40k ride with 3 x 10min hard (5min recovery) followed up with a run which included 2 x 2km repeats in 7:52, 7:06 - headwind one way, tailwind on the other (enjoying the run at the moment!)

Planned sessions for the rest of the week (subject to change)

Wednesday: lunch swim hopefully covering around 3000m. After work longish ride on the M7 for at least 3 hours with a short run off the bike.

Thursday: morning long run for 2hrs to 2h30 and a swim at lunch. After work might try and put in another run or easy ride.

Friday: ride and long swim day

Saturday: long ride 4-5 hours with either a longish run off the bike or mile repeats (8) like last Saturday. - better get up early for this one!

Sunday: another longish ride (maybe 3 hours) and a swim if time.

Pleasant Distractions

Fern on tummy

Training has been a little haphazard since the birth of Fern but I've been more than happy to skip a morning session or two to enjoy her smiles of which there are plenty. She is a bit of a Daddy's girl and enjoys a nice cuddle. No complaints from me.

On to the training update - I've been running almost every day again and have enjoyed a couple of great sessions. Of note - ran a great 28km long run where I averaged close to 4min/k pace for most of the run, a couple of good interval sessions including mile repeats all under 6mins and 400s averaging quicker than 71 seconds. It seems the higher intensity sessions also take less out of my legs than the longer endurance runs.

As I've also signed up for a triathlon or two I've also started swimming and biking. Unfortunately they haven't been going too well as I'm finding that I need to spend considerably more time doing those activities to improve than I do with running. Swimming was starting to improve but then kids and wife all got sick I ended up missing three weeks. Going back to the pool this week felt like I was starting all over again. The biking is going OK but I've been putting in too much intensity and not enough endurance work. While I'm slowly getting fitter on the bike the biggest return has been the fitness/strength crossover to my running.

Discovery --- less running + biking = better running

Looking forward to August to put in some serious training hours as my wife's work schedule becomes a little less busy and chaotic.

Listening to my two boys talking in the back of the car over the weekend before going to the movies with their 16 year old sister.

Boy7 - "I bet we eat lots of crap when we go to the movies"
Boy4 - "I don't want to eat crap, I want to eat lollies."

Had us all laughing...

perspective

what really matters in life...

best smoothie ever

just had to post this smoothie recipe as i've decided that it is the best, tastiest and most refreshing smoothie i have ever made.


berry aloe smoothie
ingredients
1 cup frozen mixed berries
2 apples
1 punnet fresh strawberries
2 oranges
1-2 scoops pea protein
1 cup rice milk
1 cup iced water
2 large fresh aloe vera leaves


directions
- remove outer green part of aloe vera leaf to extract gel.
- throw everything into the blender except for water and aloe vera and blend until smooth. throw in aloe and enough water to reach desired consistency and blend for a maximum of 10 seconds (read something about maintaining the nutritional/medicinal quality of the aloe vera with minimal blending).
- drink


** no photo of this delicious smoothie as i was too busy drinking it...

weekly update: 15-21 november

training week summary (15-17/11/2010):


mon AM: 15k easy run

- typical lake loop. achilles felt good which proved the session on the grass yesterday was a good idea. 


PM: 21k mixed session (dr. van aaken style)
- have been re-reading van aaken's book and it made sense to me last night. so ran the following session 10k easy (sub 130HR), 2kMP (surprised to see HR figures 15-20 beats lower than marathon race effort for marathon pace PB), 3min jog, 10 x 350m with 50m walk, 2k tempo, 3k easy. felt great at end of session. heart rate never above 80%mhr.

tue AM: 16k easy (run/walk/jog/sprints)
- loop of the lake with some extensions to get around the learner drivers. threw in a couple of 30 second sprints on the return trip. felt tired but better after eating.

PM: 32k easy run (sub 140HR)
- used van aaken's guidelines to keep hr in the 130-150bpm range. backed off on the hills and cruised the rest. surprised to hit the 12.5k checkpoint 1 minute quicker than my usual long run effort. extended the turn around and ran back feeling great. finished the run wanting to go further. about an hour after stopping legs started aching and i had trouble sleeping.


wed AM: 13k easy
- unplanned loop through jamisontown to regentville and back via the river. started with a 5min walk to warmup the achilles which was feeling a little tight but ok after about 500m of running. didn't bother me for the rest of the run.

PM: 14k easy/steady


thu AM: i know i did something in the morning and at lunchtime but have forgotten. high volume training has eroded my memory even further. 

fri AM: 10k easy + strides


PM: 35-40mins w/ tempo intervals
- headed to the grass oval to be kind to the legs. bored after 1600m (not sure why i thought it would be any different this time). workout heading into the sleep train-style repeats on short rest with the plan for anything of up to two hours worth. short rests became slightly longer and then much longer at the sighting of sean and mel standing on the side of the track. was ok chalking today's effort up to a recovery day.

sat: nothing yet

sun: something bigger than saturday?

weekly totals:
run km

weekly update: 8-14 november

training week (8-14/11/2010):


mon: rest day - cross-training
- felt like i bruised my heel yesterday during my arvo run and together with my tight achilles decided to try something different. so hit the gym and jumped on the elliptical thingy for 45mins. didn't feel very manly so set it to a hill workout program and upped the intensity close to max. was overtaken by the fit old lady next to me up the incline and was forced to set the intensity back to a more modest level - hid the panel with my towel in shame. note to self - pay some respect for activities other running. heel and achilles felt good with reduced impact so tested it out on the treddy and ran 15mins with the incline at 10-15%. cruised the speed with heartrate less than 70%mhr feeling good.

tue: 11k w/ tempo intervals (55min) // 17k easy (1:17:36) // 15k (1:06) steady
- after yesterday's rest day decided to try and squeeze in a bit more running. first run felt good so put in 8-10x500m threshold efforts with 500m steady just to break it up. second run was a bit longer than planned around work as i decided to explore more territory. third run was a couple of laps in and around centennial park (sydney) while waiting for the teenagers to attend their hordern pavillion concert. ran too hard but was excited to see all the runners out there. included a couple of surprisingly good hills. made it back to the car and consumed the best post-run food. dinner one - fruit salad and dinner two - biggest salad (spinach, cos, mushroom, caps, cuke and mango with balsamic vinegar) i've ever seen thanks to my wife. i was stuffed but two hours later i was dreaming of food and hoping the concert would soon finish.
 wed: 14k easy run
- started out running around the river again but bored with the idea i headed for the heights. found some quiet back streets but wilted in the heat. this humidity is draining me. have to start carrying a water bottle...

thu: 15k easy run (1:12)
- strapped on the heartrate monitor to forced myself not to exceed my aerobic threshold. felt hotter than it should due to himidity. made sure i stopped at each watering spot, drank and drenched the hat. surprised at the splits considering the effort recorded on the polar. tried running slower but lost form. all splits within 1-2sec of each other. hoping for cooler conditions at c2k but planning for heat. added water spray bottle to equipment list. perhaps my 3yo can man the water blaster and have some fun shooting me as i run along.


- scout night tonight but thinking about heading out for a few hours from 10pm on to rack up a long run and build some confidence that i can go the distance.


fri: 2 x 15+k runs


sat: 40min easy run

- started out on the road but turned back with achilles pain. frustratingly drove down to the oval to see if running on the grass would be better. thankfully it was and i was able to run for an hour easy without pain or discomfort. at the hour mark boredom set in so ran the last hour as 400m steady (88-90sec)/45sec easy (~100m). 
weekly total: ~140km run

sun: 2hr easy run w/ intervals

weekly update: 1-7 november

can't believe it november already!


training week (1-7/11/2010):

mon: rest day
- decided to reward myself with a day off. actually foot was a little sore over the weekend so took today off to see if that helped.


tue: 12k easy (50min) // 13.7k (59min)
- ran the typical lunch route out to regentville and back. felt like i was crawling along but pace was quicker than i realised.
- planned on running three loops again but stopped after two due to foot bruising. felt ok but playing it safe this early in the week.


wed: 14k w/ workout // 2h30 trails easy
- got bored during the morning run and ended up running 9 x 400m moderate (90sec down to 80sec) finishing with 5 x 30sec on/off. felt good to break out a bit of pace.


- second run in the national park up to the helipad and back. legs felt like death!


thu: 15k steady run (1:06)
- solid run out for a loop of the lake.

fri: 16k easy run (1:12)
- around the streets of penrith on the way to pick up the car. felt easy and relaxed. resting up for a bigger one tomorrow. running only once a day feels like i'm tapering. better stop eating...

sat: 3hrs easy
- drove down to the m7 for some mindless bike path running. was planning on running for longer but path was cut north and south forcing me to turn around. running past the car for the second time i decided to call it a day. took it easy but still ran faster than i should have. splits were around 4:30-4:40 pace. felt like i was stumbling forcing myself to run slower. might play around with walk breaks to help slow down and go longer.


sun: 1h20 easy // 1hr easy
- got out for a solid run at lunch and then backed up with a couple of loops of the river on the way home. planned on going longer but helped a young couple break into their car. actually by the time i stopped the father had already broken his car window in an attempt to get in. 
total:  ~166km run

still haven't managed to put in an extra long run. need more weekend mileage!!!

weekly update: 25-31 october

i'm finding as the training progresses that i'm hard pressed to even remember back a day or two to what i've put out there on the roads. so in order to preserve the detail i'm committed to updating the log on a more (semi) regular basis...

training week (25-31/10/2010):



mon: 15km (1:08) steady run/21km (1:31) steady

- on what has become the norm i ran the first session at lunch. started out feeling the quad fatigue from yesterday afternoon's 40k'er but loosened up and felt good over the last 30mins. pushed a little hard and worried that i'd have a tough three loops of the two bridges loop three hours later. fueled up with 1.5 litres of freshly squeezed organic orange juice and a dozen fresh dates. race fuel test!

- on the second run i felt great and even managed to run the last 5 odd kms at under 4min pace. thought it would be a good idea to break out of the ultrarunning shuffle!

tue: 60min recovery run

- not surprising today's run was tough. got through a loop in 30mins and was heading back to work back convinced myself that i needed to HTFU and keep going. thankfully i did as the last 30 minutes was blissful.

** discovered that not all smoothies are good no matter how much fruit you add to them. not sure that adding avocado, beets and greens together in the one mix can be successful.


wed: 15km (1:06) steady/31km (2:15) easy

- went out at lunch for a loop of the lakes feeling good after yesterday's easy day. worked, ate and then 90 minutes later got out again. the storm provided some interest as i started thinking about what the safest place would be to get struck by lightening. might start carrying some food/drink with me as the runs get over two hours. discovered my new superpower - jedi vision. my awareness on the way home was out of this world. 

thu: 11k (somewhat) easy // 20k w/ 12k moderate (0:49)

- actually made it out of bed after another night of sleeplessness. i would have thought with the increase volume there would be a direct correlation with an increased need to sleep but unfortunately my body hasn't got the message. on to the run... not much to report. felt good on the flats and small rises but quads didn't want to help out on the climb up from the railway. achilles a little tender to so better keep an eye on it.

- will get out at lunch and try and put in a good 20k.


fri: 17k (1:15) // 13.4k easy (2 x two bridges loop) 

- went out at lunch for yet another 15k loop of the lake to discover that 3/4 of the way around the bridge was fenced off and i had to turn around and back track. don't think i fueled enough prior to the run as i could feel my edges beginning to tear. i was focusing on running at an easy effort trying to establish my mental strategy for race day thinking about what it will be like to run through the night and into the morning... but that all went to hell when i realised i had to run an extra couple of kms. discovered a large hole in my mental fabric. need to patch that up so i can continue to operate and adjust when things don't go according to plan.

- will head out after work for another triple loop before heading home giving me just over 100 miles for the last five days. feeling that my body is handling the mileage effort without stressing over it.

sat: 13k (1:01) easy run
- after a day of physical work run got ugly and decided to cut it short. planned on trying again tomorrow.

sun: 30k (2:23) easy
- another day spent on house renos left me with a sore back and dog tired but headed out to log some miles. finished up with a sore foot and in need of a rest day (tomorrow).


total: 200km run

i'm losing my mind...

another solid week. nothing really stands out as far as training is concerned but big smiley stamp for consistancy and volume.


training week (18-24/10/2010):


mon: 10km recovery run/20km steady

tue: 12k easy/20k moderate

wed: 15k easy/20k moderate (1:28)

thu: 23k moderate (1:47)

fri: 14k easy/21k steady (1:33)

sat: rest day

sun: 40km run (3:08)


total: run 195km
** (more than I added up in my head. must be tired)

finally sorted out most of the crew. last time i went away with these guys (non-runners but good mates) on a fishing weekend it involved a trip to the cooma emergency room. all i can say about that is what happens on camp, stays in camp... there are only so many things you'll do for a mate!

plenty more to organise including accommodation and race nutrition/hydration strategy.

my name's on the list

'ith nervous anticipation i went on the computer last saturday to check whether my name was on the confirmed entrants list for this years C2K. i was not expecting the list to be published but the page update confirmed my entry has been excepted. blind terror followed...

for those that don't know C2K or rather Coast to Kosciuszko is a 246km ultra marathon race from the beach in Eden to the highest point of Australia the summit of Mount Kosciuszko. i feel tired just contemplating that thought.

training/fitness update:

for the last few months - OK probably since TNF100 in May i've been plodding along, regurgitating my usual training week of around 100km monday-friday with another run or two over the weekend dependent upon my motivation and desire to get out of bed for a typical weekly mileage somewhere in the 110-140km range. i've also been commuting to work and back a few times a week on the bike and on average squeezed in a spin class or two just for the variety and which also provides a way of working hard when the body is feeling a little ragged after a few too many runs. i've also been on an adventure with sleep train for some added variety.

increasing mileage

since i put in my appllication for C2K i have been slowly creeping up the mileage but nothing serious as i had low expectations for actually being accepted this year - but you never can be too sure can you?

over the last 8-9 days my daily average has crept up from around the usual 20km/day closer to 30km/day and i'm excited to report that i've already felt an increase in fitness. i'm hoping when i go beyond 200km/week i have the same sort of experience i had before TNF in 2008.

i'm not going crazy with the long runs or weekly mileage just aiming to be consistent and include a couple of runs around the 30-40km distance, a few in the 20-30km range and the remainder recovery runs in the 10-20km.

this weekend i'll get out for something a little longer - but how long is too long? 50-60km or perhaps i need to go out and work on something a little longer. what about back-to-back long runs? nothing planned or set in stone and no schedule to work off. no quality sessions planned either but i'll make sure to include some short sprints or fartlek when i'm feeling good to help with the leg turnover.


training week (12-17/10/2010):

mon: 1 ride; 12km recovery run

tue: 1 ride; 2 runs totalling 30km (10k easy/20k moderate)

wed: 2 runs totalling 30+km(12+k easy/18k moderate run)

thu: 2 runs totalling 27km (10k easy/17k moderate)

fri: 18k easy

sat: 25k run (2:00)

sun: 32km run (2:30)

total: run ~174km - 10 runs; 2 rides

Three Peaks Photo Journal

Brain is still trying to sort out the images of that fateful day. Until then here are some photos to enjoy...

How to get in trouble

This is how I'm feeling right NOW! (picture taken by 3yo)

Having friends that are phenomenal athletes who are also highly motivated and thrive on looking for adventure are great motivational aids to have in your life to help get out for an early morning run before work or the ocassional weekend foray into the local national park but on ocassion I receive a text message which leads to something a little more.

In this case the key player in this scenario is SLEEP TRAIN and goes something like this...

ST:  Record attempt scheduled for next Saturday 18 September. I can only promise pain not completion, safety or victory, YOU IN? 17 hours is current record.

ME: I'll check my wife's schedule to check whether she has any clients due to give birth and get back to you. Shit I'd better ramp up the training. Long run tmrw then!

ME: Do we have a plan to break 17 hours? Is there info on the web? Any reports, maps, etc?

ME: What gear do we need?

ST: Sub 17 is the SOLE PURPOSE. Gear as per TNF100 minus a few things, but you will need your own map and know how to use a compass.

ME: So should I practice running up and down insanely steep hills with no idea of where I'm heading while randomly screaming your name?

ME: Or cursing your name!?!

ME (must have been a more positive mood): Sounds like fun. Luckily I had already started secret training to have a go at (removed information to protect the insane)

ME: Think I'm all clear for the 18th. Have you found any other suckers? Oops I meant participants?

ME: some random BS text about all the training I've put in to get ready for this operation. Thinking about upcoming training will hopefully have a placebo effect on my cardiovascular fitness and hill-climbing strength and turn me into a mountain goat.

ST: How you feeling for next Sat?

ME: Feeling sick just thinking about it!

ST: Yep it will be one tough day.

Discovered on morning run that there were no other takers for this challenge. It appears no one is talking to ST after the last BMMC weekend away. Fear grows!

ME: Have the day in the calendar but feel far from ready. YOU READY? Might have broken a bone in my foot kicking one of the kids toys. Test run on Monday.

ST: Make sure you have a map and compass, plus a basic survival kit. This time next week we may hold the record.

ME: Or I'll be in hospital. What maps do I need?

ST: Responds with maps needed. Asks about training.

ME: Will do. Nothing for me (my wife) was away.

ST: Are you ready for the toughest part of your life tomorrow? Lets meet at 345am at my place for 430am start...

ME: I was trying to think up ways out of it but now keen. My love of the Australian bush has been aided by the infected tick bites I scored from the weekend.


Sitting here with only 12 hours away from go time this is the sort of internal dialogue that is playing along in my mind.

MIND: You know you can do this. You've gone long before and been described as an endurance beast.

BODY: WHAT THE F*CK WOULD YOU KNOW? I do all the work out there on the trails when you just want to give up, go home, crawl into the fetal position and suck your thumb. Your legs and cardiovascular fitness are not ready for such an undertaking. We've also gotten fat since last time you put us through big training weeks before the TNF100. We told you to stop eating now that your done. Why don't you listen to all the stomach aches, bloating and post-carb feeding energy crashes that we have signalled your way.

MIND: But I thought when I was tired I needed more food and caffeine to top up my energy stores to get me through the day.

BODY: YOU THOUGHT WHAT? You stupid f*ck! You actually need to eat less and sleep more. STOP trying to overstimulate your adrenals and get some friggin rest.

MIND: If only you ran more and left me to do the work we'd have less problems. Now stop talking and get ready to go tomorrow. Besides I've loaded the pack up with lots of fruit, dates, dried figs, apricots, baked sweet potato and some other healthy snacks. We should be able to get all the water we need from the four water crossings that are along the way.

BODY: WHAT THE F*CK BRO. I WANT INSTANT CALORIES. YOU KNOW CHOCOLATE, ENERGY GELS AND BARS, LOLLIES, COKE, SPORTS DRINK. WE'RE TALKING SURVIVAL OUT THERE YOU F*CKING HIPPY!

MIND: OK settle, I'll pack some chocolate and an energy bar or two just in case.

BODY: Thanks!!

Time to rest...

Training 5/9 - 11/9

i have written numerous blog posts in my head (even a manuscript or two) while out running but haven't actually felt like posting anything. i often get asked where my training update blog posts or race reports are but i'm better off reading through my sent messages on my phone to friends to find out what i've been up to lately. last night however after some messaging (SMS'ing, texting or whatever you call it) with Sean G i thought i might as well start focusing my training towards a goal (will settle on one soon and declare it in an upcoming post) and try and document my progress - well if sean's doing it again i may as well make a (re)start. at least i'll be able to reflect back upon my training and wonder where it all went wrong (or right?).

sun (5/9): pm- 20k run (~1:30), 15min easy cycling, 3 sets of leg presses - got bored with run. leg press weight was pathetic when i think back to my weightlifting days when i could almost bench twice that weight. i also weigh about the same now as i did then - WTF?

mon (6/9): am- 60min run w/ workout ? - 20min threshold, 2 x 800 + 8 x 30/30s - can't actually remember the details but i think it went something like that.

pm- 9k easy run in 41:05 - nothing remarkable about this run. hammies a little tight (from weights).

tue (7/9): am- 16k run (1:12:07) moderate - headed out about 30mins before usual 6am meetup with the BMMC to get in some extra distance. gave myself a flogging trying to catch them on the knapsack stairs 40 minutes later only to realise that i had mixed my tuesday run up with the thursday BMMC run. descended the stairs and maxed out going up mitchells pass to home. on my knees crawling through explorers estate hoping no runner would run past thinking i was an unfit newbie.

noon: 12k run (48:02) hard - wow what a rebound. ran solid thinking i was running conservatively but at the turn around (25mins) i decided to hit the gas running back in 23mins.

wed (8/9): noon- 38:33 struggle-fest - don't know what i was thinking when i headed out at lightning speed (ok more appropriately relatively fast pace). crashed at the 10min mark and survived the loop back to work.

pm: workout 10 x 400m on 2mins (session goal 80sec on/40sec off)

warmup: 1200m in 5:17 - felt ordinary so decided to just get into it. when tired, run fast!
session: 10x400m on 2min
1 - 79" (40" rest)
2 - 80 (40)
3 - 79 (41)
4 - 79 (40)
5 - 78 (40)
6 - 79 (40)
7 - 78 (40)
8 - 77 (41) - put the music on
9 - 79 (41)
10 - 79
cooldown: 14mins on the road

- parked at the oval on the way home with thoughts of either doing a session or running on the trails. felt lethargic and tired during the warmup so decided to just run some fast 400s and get it done. while i didn't have time to run an hour of quarter repeats (ala sleep train workout) i decided to run them at a hard-moderate effort and keep the recoveries to half the time of the repeat until i ran 10 or slowed down. mission accomplished made the 10 repeats under goal time and happy to finish feeling like i could keep rolling them out at that effort but i was starting to get tired. felt better during the cooldown than the warmup and was on a high all night.

thu (9/9): noon- 1h10 easy run - looped through the hills of leonay. had an ordinary patch just after 40mins which lasted a few minutes but then felt great over the rest of the run.

fri (10/0): noon- 11k easy (~48min) - planned to make it out for 60mins but felt tired and called it quits as the loop passed close to work. put it down to a serious lack of sleep.


pm- 30min easy run w/ 4x400m hard - planned easy run on the grass on the way home but decided whether a good thing or not to run some hard 400s. struggled against the wind but still managed to run them a little quicker than the other day. knocked them out in 78, 77, 74, 72sec. nice easy cooldown around the streets and i started feeling quite fresh. headed home with a need for food (or fruit smoothie)...

sat (11/9): recovery day - don't think anything will be logged while my wife is out of town. 

total:

Early mornings with the BMMC

typical tuesday morning run for the BMMC. the only unusual thing on this run was that i actually made it out of bed to join sleep, scam and vstar.

sinus infection

two days out from North Face (actually 1 day 15 hours according to my desktop countdown widget) and i'm struggling to fight the infection that has invaded my sinus passages. as i generally don't prescribe to western medicine i look towards my nutrition (source: Healing With Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition) and other alternative treatments. it has helped me get over various ailments in the last week or so including food poisoning, head cold, flu but this sinus infection seems to be a little more persistent. well at the least the lungs are almost cleared but damn you nasal passages...

i'm hoping that i will experience something similar to the zatopec phenomenon with my enforced taper rest during the last two weeks. i've never missed this many days of training leading up to a big event and all i can say is that i haven't been this rested since my two week break between the Cities Marathon and 12FT in 2008. maybe this test could change what i have previously thought i needed to do during the taper phase (or re-confirm my previously conceived views).

on a search of the web i found the following useful information... (i'm focusing on the mucusless food and ACV thing).

HOME REMEDIES TO CURE SINUS INFECTIONS:


#1. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is our #1 favorite remedy for stopping sinus infections. We wish more people knew about this amazing home remedy for sinus infections. The idea is to take apple cider vinegar before the sinus infection occurs, which for most people is at the start of allergies, colds, flu, etc.

CURING DIFFICULT or STUBBORN SINUS INFECTIONS


If antibiotics and/or the below home remedies are not curing your sinus infection, you need to take a look at your diet and eliminate all the mucous forming/thickening foods or drinks. Milk, citrus, spicy foods, wheat, cheese, etc. are usually the culprits. Try eliminating them from your diet for a few days.

Then try all of the following:


* Wild Oil of Oregano, a very powerful anti-bacterial herb (capsules are best)... Take 2 capsules every 3- 4 hours. This is a very safe herb.


* Potassium supplements -- dries up mucous.


* Drink apple cider vinegar throughout the day in large glasses of water (ACV thins mucous). See below for more information about ACV.


Run a hot shower run onto your face (forehead and nose) and then clear all the mucous from sinuses. Do this several times a day.

You should see improvement within a day or two. Please let us know how it goes!



HOME REMEDIES TO CURE SINUS INFECTIONS:

#1. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is our #1 favorite remedy for stopping sinus infections. We wish more people knew about this amazing home remedy for sinus infections. The idea is to take apple cider vinegar before the sinus infection occurs, which for most people is at the start of allergies, colds, flu, etc.

We have found that when apple cider vinegar is taken either as a daily tonic or at the first sign of an allergy or cold (i.e., sinus headache, stuffy nose, watery eyes), one can completely stop the histamine response or allergic reaction. If you happen to have one of the brands of ice cream mentioned above, you should also take a large dose of apple cider vinegar the moment you get home.

There are a couple ways you can drink apple cider vinegar. One way is to put 1/8 to 1/4 cup ACV in 16 oz of water and sip it throughout the day. The other method is to gulp the mixture at once. Depends on your preference, really! Sometimes you just have to take this dosage once to stop the allergy and sometimes you need to take it up to three times a day. If taken at the onset of symptoms, allergies will usually disappear between 1 -3 hours after taking the first dose of Apple Cider Vinegar. If you've been experiencing allergies for a day or more, your symptoms will disappear after about 24 hours. If they don't, make sure you continue to take water/vinegar mixture for several days!


14 Readers have found success by taking a heavy dose* of ACV the moment they feel a sinus infection coming on. (* Note: dose = 2 TBLSP diluted (or straight) in spring water up to 3x a day)

Please remember -- the key to success is to use apple cider vinegar before a sinus infection appears (i.e. during the first stages of a flu or allergy attack).

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...

memory fog...

last week, this week?? can't remember where i'm at. thinking back to last week i can't remember what i did and the watch doesn't help as it only stores 5 or 6 runs in the memory. before everything fades here's what i can remember. so much for my commitment to keeping a training log this year...

training:

prior to friday (16 april): about 100km of running over 4 days


friday: rest day but concluded with a power yoga session (10pm)

saturday: 46km trail run (~5h30) – hellgate loop. great day but was emotionally crippled during the first half of the run and battled to find the energy or desire to run. finished feeling strong over the second half which provided a glimmer of hope.

sunday: recovery day spent cleaning house (not mine). concluded with a yoga session (11pm)

monday: 6am) 11k road run (49′36″) – underpass loop

4pm) track session: 28×400m w/ 45″ rest – 3k wu/4k wd – total 17k (1h21′). great session averaging 84sec/400 which was about 6-8 seconds better than last time i did this session. started out running 88-90sec and finished up the last 20min running 80-82sec. never felt like i was pushing too hard, breathing was easy and accumulating little lactic acid. even enjoyed listening to an audio book rather than needing something a little heavier to pull me through. a confidence builder…

tuesday: 16km hilly run (1h10') - ran from work and headed up into the hills. felt tired but still managed to find my climbing legs and make it back to work a minute quicker than last time i ran the loop. planned on running a second run later but stuff happens...

wednesday: 10k easy run - easy run to work felt not so easy. haven't slept well since news of death. funeral today...

settling into a pattern...

two high-intensity, high-volume weeks and i was feeling very tired at the start of last week. i decided at the start of the week that i would throw out the schedule and run an easy week to absorb the fitness gains, rest, restore and get ready to build again. still managed to hit 155km (97 miles) for the week. thought about going out and running 5 more kilometres to hit that magical figure of 100 miles but decided that numbers are irrelevant and put the feet up to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

training over the last few days has been great and without a schedule i haven't been stressed when runs planned the day before are missed or altered due to other life events. i have noticed though that i have fallen into a either of two patterns of easy day-intervals-tempo-long run repeat or easy runs-hard run-long run repeat. on days when i have been thinking of dropping a run i've subconsciously headed to the local grass track and run some repeats. last sunday was such a day and when i eventually got out i put in a good long warmup of about 7-8k before hitting the grass track for what turned out to be some 800s. feeling tired i didn't want to go out and cruch myself but just wanted to loosen up my legs and hips and feel good running a little faster than normal. ran them all at what felt like tempo effort and then put in a hard 400 before heading home for the evening. finished up with another good run...

the runs...

fri pm: long 2h06 (29k) blaxland east-glenbrook-np-euroka (via singletrack)-bennetts-oaks-home - smashing run, felt strong running threshold effort all the way from euroka to the oaks then maintained a strong effort all the way home. passed james and andy lee on their runs...

sat pm: 1h03 (14k) warrimoo-highway-glenbrook pool-lagoon-home felt crappy and so decided to cut the run short heading down attunga for a short loop back home. felt ok about 5mins later so hit the highway down to the pool and back home via the lagoon.

sun am: driving duties for the NSW mountain running champs

pm: 1h11 (16k) 5x800m + 1x400m intervals 7-8k warmup and then 800s with short rest of 1-2mins in 2:52,51,47,46,42 then 400m in low 70s. 15min cooldown home.

mon pm: 2h22 (~31km) rangers gate-oaks-helipad+10min-return after a tough climb out of the wier felt great and easy up to the oaks gate (in 39-40') and kept going up past the helipad feeling strong on all the climbs. thought about going all the way to woodford but it was starting to get dark. smashed it on the way back running quicker than marathon pace. thought i would pay for it but climbed strong to the top. awesome run but sore after... (need to work on my core strength)

tue noon: 1h11 (15+km) nepean river-lapstone station (via trail)-knapsack-mitchells-emu plains started out feeling sore (back) and stiff and thought the hills would sort me out but climbed well and ran steady from the knapsack bridge back to work. consumed a record number of apples in one go!