the start of the week found me feeling a little wasted. with all this training it is to be expected but i'm always surprised how quickly it hits me. it's not always gradual where i can feel that i'm digging a little deeper into my well of fatigue each day but it usually smacks me in the face either during the first few minutes of a morning run or an hour or so into a longer run leaving me stranded and far from home. the long ones are probably good sessions which i can call on during race day for developing mental strength...
another week of training...
saturday: 28k - 2:14 - trail run
after logging 43k yesterday i expected to feeling tired but surprised myself with a good run up to the oaks gate and back. the return was in the dark at quicker than marathon pace fueled with adrenaline.
sunday: 21.22k - 1:38 - easy run
worked all day and stopped at nepean river for a couple of loops around the streets. planned on going longer but got bored with the run and decided to head back to the car and head home.
monday: am) 10k - - 0:41 - easy run
easy run to work with the pack loaded up.
pm) 13k - 1:03 - steady run
steady run home. felt good on the climb and finished with a nice easy 3k with monty the dog.
tuesday: nothing
i was tired when i woke and put off my morning run. with the morning off work and with the kids in tow i headed down to the plaza to do a little shopping and ended up there for about 5 hours. by the time the afternoon rolled around i was stuffed, my feet and legs were killing me and any thought of heading out for a run was forgotten.
wednesday: 14.4km - 1:06 - easy run
tried to add a little enjoyment to the run and headed up some side tracks and hills following the powerlines. nice little trails were found but they were too short. need to find an alternative lunch time run route.
thursday: triple run day
thought i would try something different and run three times today to gauge how quickly i can recover between sessions and experiment to see if any fitness benefits can be obtained from this method of training. i'll try and do some more next week.
am) 10k - 0:46 easy
lunch) 15k - 1:13 hill repeats/tempo
pm) 14.11k - 1:16 easy/steady on climb
total for day: 39.11k - 3:15
while the legs were tired going into the second run i headed down along the river and ran a couple of kilometres at tempo pace before reaching the bottom of the start of the sanctuary drive. ran eight repeats at a solid effort and felt comfortable which suggested i probably should have worked harder but i was thinking of running a few more repeats before heading back but the time got away from me and i needed to be at a meeting (which ended up being cancelled). cruised on the way back and felt good.
post-run food consumed: several bananas, 1.2kg of seeded grapes
i wasn't planning or expecting anything from the run home but just hoped that i wouldn't struggle. the run actually felt good and i managed to put in another strong effort on the climb up mitchells and through explorers estate. hunger was the only thing that was on my mind.
post-run food consumed: half a bag of dates, 1 thai drinking coconut, oranges and apples until satisfied.
friday: nothing yet
contemplating a rest day before a big weekend to freshen up and restore depleted glycogen but need to take the dog out when i get home so will probably head out for an hour or so. actually before posting this weekly update i have now decided to try doing some short sprints during my run and then i'll head back home and do some secret training in the garage. i'm definitely sick...
week total: probably end up around 140km
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
training mileage pb...
last week was full of challenges - getting sick, taking a few rest days and getting back into it to still come out at the end with a good week of running. but as i was looking at my training log during the weekend i added up the mileage and saw that i was on track to run my first training week (seven consecutive days) over 200 kilometres. i may have done it in the past but i can't remember as i am often sporadic in my record keeping. i'll claim this as my first...
none of my workouts are indicative of my form at the moment so my confidence going into north face is not high but i'm hoping that the steady training volume will give me the endurance to go the distance. another two or three weeks to build and a short taper to avoid feeling stale will hopefully leave me feeling strong and fresh on race day.
seven day summary:
7 days, 9 runs, 16:56 hours, 124.41 miles (200.22 kilometres), 5:04 average pace...
- no niggles, legs feel loose but tired with fatigue, lungs and sinus clearing... game on!
none of my workouts are indicative of my form at the moment so my confidence going into north face is not high but i'm hoping that the steady training volume will give me the endurance to go the distance. another two or three weeks to build and a short taper to avoid feeling stale will hopefully leave me feeling strong and fresh on race day.
seven day summary:
7 days, 9 runs, 16:56 hours, 124.41 miles (200.22 kilometres), 5:04 average pace...
- no niggles, legs feel loose but tired with fatigue, lungs and sinus clearing... game on!
Monday, April 13, 2009
fighting illness...
with the lungs heavily congested i gave in to sickness and decided to not run for a couple of days. i was excited about logging some big miles over the easter long weekend but in the end it would have been a struggle which wouldn't have been good for me physically or mentally.
saturday & sunday: - sick - no running
monday: 4:20 - course recon
another early start (4am). parked at explorers tree and ran the long loop (scenic drive) around to echo point and down the giant stairs on to federal pass. followed federal pass pass the scenic railway and through the landslide and on to the climb up the golden stairs. struggled to find the energy to get up the stairs and i was bummed. starting thinking that running long while sick is not the best idea. finally got up the top onto narrowneck and after a short food and drink stop got going again. i ran most of the climbs except for the steeper sections and went ok out to tarros ladder. at this stage i contemplated whether to continue on to dunphys or head back via the road (glenraphael?) and take the return journey along scenic drive back to the start. with time being the deciding factor i headed back along the road. i enjoyed the run back and was happy that i made the right decision. need to get over this chest infection and find my strength again.
tuesday: 1:10 - easy run - waterside/whitewater loop
felt tough during the middle 40 minutes but i used it to work on my mental strength and finished the run moving strongly. starting to feel better but legs are tender from yesterday's run - all those stairs.
wednesday: 1:10 - easy run w/ hills
it was hot and i didn't feel so good. definitely didn't hydrate sufficiently in the lead up and i paid the price. struggled through and ran the climbs which was a little encouraging. enough said about the run though.
thursday: am) 1:08 + 0:43 - easy runs
sleep: 4 hrs
shoes: nike pegasus (first run) and asics racing flats (second run)
met up with the bmcc crew for a run around streets, trails and hills of blaxland. didn't start out feeling too good but by the end i felt like i had blown out some of the junk. talk of big mileage runner anton k has motivated me to start putting in some higher mileage to see how my body will respond. just need to get over this illness.
after a short stop at home to feed the kids, share a coffee with my wife and grab my pack i headed out for the run to work. i expected worse but was surprised how good my legs felt. thankfully there were no uphills to test the lungs. the test will come on my return home run this afternoon.
pm) 0:55 - steady run
shoes: asics speedstars(?)
food (after): bananas, grapes, dates and about 2 litres of water
great run home. was totally surprised that my legs felt good and i could run the uphills solid. good tempo effort up mitchells pass and really pushed it up through explorers. a good day of training.
friday: am) 27 km - 2:15 - easy run
sleep: 4.5hrs shoes: nike pegasus
food (before): black coffee, 1/2 banana
food (after): 2 bowls cornflakes w/ banana & honey, 3 boiled eggs + more coffee
i had arranged to meet up with scurry down at the river for a run so decided rather than drive down i would run and add an extra hour. after yesterday arvo's effort i was feeling a little tired and my pace reflected it but i managed to keep on running. still coughing and spluttering on the phlegm that has invaded my lungs and sinuses but felt good going up mitchells and through the estate. not fast but didn't fade. tried to work on my mental strength during this run thinking about runners/adventurers and their great feats such as running across continents, setting speed records over long trails and climbing to the top of the world. really worked and helped to keep pushing through the fatigue. something i'll keep working on in the weeks to come.
pm) 1:10 - recovery run
shoes: asics speedstars
food (2h before): berry yoghurt, banana, loads of water
food (after): nut, seed and dried fruit mix + about 1kg seeded grapes
planned loop out to whitewater stadium via waterside estate. this run is becoming the standard lunch loop.
total: 151 km (94 miles) of running
a surprisingly high volume week considering that i am fighting illness and took two days off over the weekend. starting to feel stronger again as i recover. hope it continues...
saturday & sunday: - sick - no running
monday: 4:20 - course recon
another early start (4am). parked at explorers tree and ran the long loop (scenic drive) around to echo point and down the giant stairs on to federal pass. followed federal pass pass the scenic railway and through the landslide and on to the climb up the golden stairs. struggled to find the energy to get up the stairs and i was bummed. starting thinking that running long while sick is not the best idea. finally got up the top onto narrowneck and after a short food and drink stop got going again. i ran most of the climbs except for the steeper sections and went ok out to tarros ladder. at this stage i contemplated whether to continue on to dunphys or head back via the road (glenraphael?) and take the return journey along scenic drive back to the start. with time being the deciding factor i headed back along the road. i enjoyed the run back and was happy that i made the right decision. need to get over this chest infection and find my strength again.
tuesday: 1:10 - easy run - waterside/whitewater loop
felt tough during the middle 40 minutes but i used it to work on my mental strength and finished the run moving strongly. starting to feel better but legs are tender from yesterday's run - all those stairs.
wednesday: 1:10 - easy run w/ hills
it was hot and i didn't feel so good. definitely didn't hydrate sufficiently in the lead up and i paid the price. struggled through and ran the climbs which was a little encouraging. enough said about the run though.
thursday: am) 1:08 + 0:43 - easy runs
sleep: 4 hrs
shoes: nike pegasus (first run) and asics racing flats (second run)
met up with the bmcc crew for a run around streets, trails and hills of blaxland. didn't start out feeling too good but by the end i felt like i had blown out some of the junk. talk of big mileage runner anton k has motivated me to start putting in some higher mileage to see how my body will respond. just need to get over this illness.
after a short stop at home to feed the kids, share a coffee with my wife and grab my pack i headed out for the run to work. i expected worse but was surprised how good my legs felt. thankfully there were no uphills to test the lungs. the test will come on my return home run this afternoon.
pm) 0:55 - steady run
shoes: asics speedstars(?)
food (after): bananas, grapes, dates and about 2 litres of water
great run home. was totally surprised that my legs felt good and i could run the uphills solid. good tempo effort up mitchells pass and really pushed it up through explorers. a good day of training.
friday: am) 27 km - 2:15 - easy run
sleep: 4.5hrs shoes: nike pegasus
food (before): black coffee, 1/2 banana
food (after): 2 bowls cornflakes w/ banana & honey, 3 boiled eggs + more coffee
i had arranged to meet up with scurry down at the river for a run so decided rather than drive down i would run and add an extra hour. after yesterday arvo's effort i was feeling a little tired and my pace reflected it but i managed to keep on running. still coughing and spluttering on the phlegm that has invaded my lungs and sinuses but felt good going up mitchells and through the estate. not fast but didn't fade. tried to work on my mental strength during this run thinking about runners/adventurers and their great feats such as running across continents, setting speed records over long trails and climbing to the top of the world. really worked and helped to keep pushing through the fatigue. something i'll keep working on in the weeks to come.
pm) 1:10 - recovery run
shoes: asics speedstars
food (2h before): berry yoghurt, banana, loads of water
food (after): nut, seed and dried fruit mix + about 1kg seeded grapes
planned loop out to whitewater stadium via waterside estate. this run is becoming the standard lunch loop.
total: 151 km (94 miles) of running
a surprisingly high volume week considering that i am fighting illness and took two days off over the weekend. starting to feel stronger again as i recover. hope it continues...
Sunday, April 5, 2009
night trail run
finding some available running time is sometimes difficult with a large family and work obligations. so in order to get the back-to-back long runs in this weekend i went out and did my first night trail run. so after working all day on some house renovations at my parents house i stayed home long enough to enjoy some time with the family, cook dinner and bath the little ones before driving up to leura. i parked the car at 8:00pm at the fairmont resort and planned on running from the start to CP1 up to CP4 and back down sublime ridge to CP5 and on to the finish. well that was the plan...
i found the trails and made it to CP1 (up Golden Stairs) up to CP4 and back down Stairs and on to the federal pass again but i couldn't locate the trail onto sublime. ended up running back to leura cascades and ran to echo point on a track i can't remember the name of. came out onto the road (cliff drive) and decided that with over 3:30 of running the road might be the quicker option back to the car. i felt amazingly strong on the climb up from leura cascades and ran it hard with the aim of depleting my energy reserves but at the top i still felt good. at the top i found i park i remembered running through and jumped back on the track and ran past gordon falls and golf links lookout and back onto gladstone road. with 15 minutes left before midnight i dropped my bag off at the car and ran a hard loop through the streets of leura. was very quiet out. what a run!
the week so far...
saturday: 32 km - 2:40 - long
ran up to springwood and back. felt stiff at start but loosened up. pain in groin midway through run was distressing. stretched and soak in hot bath after run helped.
sunday: 30+km - 4:05 - 1200m climbing - course recon (night trail run)
ran from start to CP1 to CP4 down stairs and back with exporational side trips to lookouts, deadends and unknown trails... energy-wise probably the best run i've had in some time. legs felt strong running all stairs except for the steep slippery metal ones. very quiet on track with the exception of the numerous waterfalls.
monday: 16 km - 1:08 (4:15/km) - recovery run
planned recovery run but 45 minutes into the run completely bonked. last 20 minutes was all about survival but did managed to pick up the pace. good depletion session training my body and mind to run hard when tired. post run recovery strategy - one litre of water followed up with two kg of bananas 20 minutes later and feeling better...
tuesday: 16.5 km - 1:10 (4:15/km)
the problem of gaining fitness is knowing when to back off and allow your body to recover and absorb the training. in regards of getting in some recovery today's run was a dismal failure. i spotted previous 100k team mate gpb and thought it would be nice to catch up with him so i quickly parked the car and chased after him. it took 3k to finally catch him which splits of under 4min pace and the result was that i was a little toasted but feeling good. we ran together catching up and holding 4:15 pace until we parted ways. of course i should have backed off here but didn't and for the next few kilometres i turned it up a little more. finally reached the car and had a little stretch and food before driving home. struggled through the rest of the night and had to force any food into me - stomach wasn't happy.
wednesday: 7 km - 0:35 - recovery
with less than 4 hours sleep i canned any thoughts of running long this morning and thought an hour should do it. but facing an hour of running my body revolted and decided that it had had enough. so i listened and headed home. good call!
thursday: sick!!! - about 1:00 - easy running
went to bed sick and woke up feeling worse. will head out at lunch but will (bolded and underline to emphasise the importance to me of taking it easy) take it very easy. need to feel better to go into the long weekend with all guns blazing, firing on all cyclinders,... yeah you get the idea!
*** i remembered what was written above in bold and took it easy - and felt ok after about 10 minutes of running.
friday: still sick - 2:30 - kedumba hill climb
it was supposed to be hill repeats but...
i woke at 4:30am to get myself up to Wentworth Falls to begin a long session of hill repeats at kedumba. felt like crap but feeling highly motivated. beautiful morning with the full moon casting enough light to be able to run with at times but under the canopy i used the headlamp to illuminate the track. i've run out here twice before but i still questioned whether or not i was supposed to take the trail to the right about 5km down. i kept heading straight and after a few kilometres i realised my mistake. oh well. i headed down for an hour passing through clearings at the bottom and with the light of the full moon the view of the surrounding cliffs and mountains were breath taking. i felt one with my surroundings.
turning around and heading back up the hill it became quickly appararent that running with a bronchial infection was not the best thing to do when the oxygen demand of running uphill is called upon. with a steep 3km climb at the bottom and a further 9km of climbing beyond i struggled big time. by the time i reached the car i decided that any further attempts at running down and back were not on. i need to get better.
summary: about 150 kilometres of running
- two good long runs back to back last weekend, followed by two good days of marathon paced threshold and a little high climb to end the week. sickness has ended plans for a big weekend of training over the long weekend.
i found the trails and made it to CP1 (up Golden Stairs) up to CP4 and back down Stairs and on to the federal pass again but i couldn't locate the trail onto sublime. ended up running back to leura cascades and ran to echo point on a track i can't remember the name of. came out onto the road (cliff drive) and decided that with over 3:30 of running the road might be the quicker option back to the car. i felt amazingly strong on the climb up from leura cascades and ran it hard with the aim of depleting my energy reserves but at the top i still felt good. at the top i found i park i remembered running through and jumped back on the track and ran past gordon falls and golf links lookout and back onto gladstone road. with 15 minutes left before midnight i dropped my bag off at the car and ran a hard loop through the streets of leura. was very quiet out. what a run!
the week so far...
saturday: 32 km - 2:40 - long
ran up to springwood and back. felt stiff at start but loosened up. pain in groin midway through run was distressing. stretched and soak in hot bath after run helped.
sunday: 30+km - 4:05 - 1200m climbing - course recon (night trail run)
ran from start to CP1 to CP4 down stairs and back with exporational side trips to lookouts, deadends and unknown trails... energy-wise probably the best run i've had in some time. legs felt strong running all stairs except for the steep slippery metal ones. very quiet on track with the exception of the numerous waterfalls.
monday: 16 km - 1:08 (4:15/km) - recovery run
planned recovery run but 45 minutes into the run completely bonked. last 20 minutes was all about survival but did managed to pick up the pace. good depletion session training my body and mind to run hard when tired. post run recovery strategy - one litre of water followed up with two kg of bananas 20 minutes later and feeling better...
tuesday: 16.5 km - 1:10 (4:15/km)
the problem of gaining fitness is knowing when to back off and allow your body to recover and absorb the training. in regards of getting in some recovery today's run was a dismal failure. i spotted previous 100k team mate gpb and thought it would be nice to catch up with him so i quickly parked the car and chased after him. it took 3k to finally catch him which splits of under 4min pace and the result was that i was a little toasted but feeling good. we ran together catching up and holding 4:15 pace until we parted ways. of course i should have backed off here but didn't and for the next few kilometres i turned it up a little more. finally reached the car and had a little stretch and food before driving home. struggled through the rest of the night and had to force any food into me - stomach wasn't happy.
wednesday: 7 km - 0:35 - recovery
with less than 4 hours sleep i canned any thoughts of running long this morning and thought an hour should do it. but facing an hour of running my body revolted and decided that it had had enough. so i listened and headed home. good call!
thursday: sick!!! - about 1:00 - easy running
went to bed sick and woke up feeling worse. will head out at lunch but will (bolded and underline to emphasise the importance to me of taking it easy) take it very easy. need to feel better to go into the long weekend with all guns blazing, firing on all cyclinders,... yeah you get the idea!
*** i remembered what was written above in bold and took it easy - and felt ok after about 10 minutes of running.
friday: still sick - 2:30 - kedumba hill climb
it was supposed to be hill repeats but...
i woke at 4:30am to get myself up to Wentworth Falls to begin a long session of hill repeats at kedumba. felt like crap but feeling highly motivated. beautiful morning with the full moon casting enough light to be able to run with at times but under the canopy i used the headlamp to illuminate the track. i've run out here twice before but i still questioned whether or not i was supposed to take the trail to the right about 5km down. i kept heading straight and after a few kilometres i realised my mistake. oh well. i headed down for an hour passing through clearings at the bottom and with the light of the full moon the view of the surrounding cliffs and mountains were breath taking. i felt one with my surroundings.
turning around and heading back up the hill it became quickly appararent that running with a bronchial infection was not the best thing to do when the oxygen demand of running uphill is called upon. with a steep 3km climb at the bottom and a further 9km of climbing beyond i struggled big time. by the time i reached the car i decided that any further attempts at running down and back were not on. i need to get better.
summary: about 150 kilometres of running
- two good long runs back to back last weekend, followed by two good days of marathon paced threshold and a little high climb to end the week. sickness has ended plans for a big weekend of training over the long weekend.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
anton inspired...
i re-read an article about anton krupicka last night and am feeling inspired to run as many miles as time allows for this week... at least 200 kilometres. should be doable.
i am also hoping to get out on the course once or twice this week with the plan to cover at least 75% of the course over two runs. maybe i can round up one or two other runners to provide for some camaraderie but it will be unlikely as most don't appreciate the early morning wake ups. but i will need to be on the trails by 4am to allow me to get to work.
before i forget - so far this week...
saturday: 15 km - 1:12 - knapsack stairs loop
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: about 3 hours broken
ended up being a long day before heading out for a run. turned the alarm off to try and get a bit more sleep before heading out for soccer. after soccer drove over to tahmoor and worked on house renovations for about 6 hours before heading home. my wife jacki convinced me that a run would be good. i was feeling a little upset in the tummy and lethargic but headed out anyway. pushed it a little trying to beat the failing light and ended up running the loop six minutes quicker than last week. felt good immediately after run.
sunday: 32.5 km - 2:38 - oaks fire trail (woodford to glenbrook plus home)
shoes: nike pegasus pre-run fodder: sticky thai black rice and waffles
spent the day with the family up the mountains (katoomba and leura). went to the cafe where my step-son and his girlfriend work and had a good lunch. on the way home jacki dropped me off at woodford so that i could get a run in. carried a headlamp, mobile phone and a water bottle the nathan pack to see me through. running from the drop off point to the woodford station and i felt like i was breathing much harder than the effort required and i was concerned that it was going to be a long night in the bush. i needed to have not worried as i took it easy and ran well down the trail and up to the rangers station at glenbrook. on the hills i felt strong on the ups and on the downs i concentrated on trying to minimise the impact on my quads to avoid smashing myself up. gate to gate in under two hours.
monday: 15.2 km - 1:13 - hilly trail run
after work parked the car at the rangers hut (glenbrook) and headed off for a loop through the bush. an old favourite - oaks-bennetts ridge fire trail-euroka. ran easy on the flats but pushed the hills.
tuesday: 10 km - 0:43 - short tempo
squeezed in a run with about 4 kilometres of running sub 4min/km pace. with all the long runs and hilly trail work of late i didn't think i would be able to get my legs turning over faster than the easy pace i have settled into. i even threw in a couple of surges over the final 3k around 3:30-3:40 pace and my legs started loosening up. hill work still to come this afternoon. long run tomorrow.
second run: 15 km - 1:17 - penrith to blaxland
with the rain falling i left work with the intentions of running up home via knapsack stairs. felt good heading up mitchells pass and headed down to the gully and started up the stairs to find that a tree had fallen down across the track. back tracked and headed up the stairs on the other side heading towards glenbrook. had a great run along the single track in the rain with streams falling from the cutting and along the track. got soaked and had fun.
wednesday: ~ 8 km - 0:36 - running in the rain
resting hr: 38 :: shoes: nike pegasus
monty the dog needed a run and with all the rain it seemed i was the only volunteer. but boy did it bucket down. only a short one today as we had some house guests.
thursday: 20 km - 1:25 - tempo (10 km out in 45 mins/ 10 km back in sub 40)
shoes: asics flats :: feeling: lethargic
wow what a run. i started out in the pouring rain and i was thinking "what an idiot" but i had no thoughts of bagging the run. not today it had to be done. running down along the path which parallels the river and i felt like a big kid. no one else was out so i had some fun jumping puddles and running through torrents of water as it flowed into the nepean river. i don't remember ever being so wet.i was struggling to find any rhythm so decided to take it to the hills running a couple of loops up and down the back streets of leonay. fourty minutes into the run the rain stopped and i started feeling a little tired so i started running back to work. five minutes later and i was running quicker than i have in months and it felt effortless. perhaps all this aerobic running has some merit. a good day...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
motivation
generally after a race and the accompanying runner’s high has worn off i usually find myself in a post race funk. feeling drained and unmotivated often leads me into a state of depression. to avoid this i need to run. running lifts my spirits, relaxes me and makes me a happier person to be around - it's my drug of choice and i need it. so does my family.
after a race however i usually find that while the mind is more than willing and i want to run i am unable to create the physical willpower needed to actually lace up my shoes and head out the door. with experience though i know that once i get back out there and start running i will feel better after a few days.
this time around though my motivation is fueled with failure. my dream of having a good run at six foot didn't eventuate and it has ignited my running juices. the upcoming adventures of my running friends have also inspired me to think about my own new challenges.
i have to be careful though as i have a tendency to take on and do too much although as steve prefontaine would say “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”. well i think it’s time for me to give it my best. what does this mean? for me it starts with a commitment to get out of bed early. no more snooze button and earlier nights to bed.
getting out of bed early requires discipline, commitment and a goal (i.e. race, adventure, challenge goal). i’m trying to get into a habit of getting up at 4:30am everyday so that i can get my training in each day. if i fail to get up and put the run off saying to myself that i will run at lunch or after work i know that i end up cutting the run shorter or missing it altogether due to competing commitments.
so this week signals the start of the 4:30am wake up call.
it's been a good week to start. here's the last 7 days...
saturday: 15 km - 1:15 - stairs
shoes: asics hyperspeed 3 sleep: 5 hrs
headed out for the run about an hour or two after soccer. a long warmup before hitting the stairs at knapsack. just ran up it once today at a hard intensity but will add another climb each week. reached the top with only a single walk break (~10 seconds). looped around both lookouts before heading home via the lagoon.
sunday: 18 km - 1:30 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 4.5 hrs
managed to get out for two easy runs today. second run at night with my wife up to warrimoo and back along the hwy via the underpass was a much missed experience. felt tired towards the end.
monday: ~ 29 km - 2:30 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs
spent some time thinking about my running goals for the next few months which helped when setting the alarm for a 4:30am wake up. first run was a 75 minute run around the darkened streets of home - up to warrimoo, down the highway to glenbrook and return past the lagoon. a good 16 km loop. second run was in the heat around work out and back into one of the new developments. struggled through the middle section of the run as i started succumbing to heat exposure and dehydration. took it easy for about 10 minutes and surprisingly felt great over the final stretch finishing at a slightly faster than tempo effort.
tuesday: 12 km - 1:00 - hillwork
shoes: nike pegasus
every second tuesday i'm at home with my two year old so i manage to squeeze in a run on the treadmill in the gym while he's in the creche. i find the treadmill incredibly boring which leads me to playing with the speed and incline. today was no different. warmed up for about 25 minutes and then set the incline to 10%, the speed at 10kph and grinded out for about 20 minutes (at 85% effort). recovered for 5 minutes with the treadmill set at 15% and power-walked. setting the incline back down to 1% it felt like i was running downhill. finished up with 200m repeats at max speed (20kph). the iPod was cranked with some heavy tunes...
ended up being a great session and one i'll definitely be keeping in the schedule. think i will continue to add time each week to build up to about 60 minutes of climbing. legs are getting stronger...
wednesday: 10.6 km - 0:50 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs
easy run up to warrimoo and back. legs felt good.
thursday: 25 km - 2:00 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus pack: nathon hpl020 (i think)
didn't feel like running when i got up but felt better after an easy run to work. the run home was much tougher as the heat and humidity built up before an impending storm. ran along the river and up the to glenbrook via the trail to lapstone station and up the back roads to home. looked for all the hills and felt strong. sub 4 min/km pace over the final 600 metres left my legs feeling very shaky. cooled down in a cold bath to help with recovery. kids were very helpful and found it amusing to poor cold water over daddy - i was less amused.
friday: 30.5 km - 2:30 - long
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs
woke up at 4:30am and with a moments hesitation pulled myself out of bed and into my running clothes. woke up with a coffee and headed out. felt super comfortable running up to winmallee shops and a little further before turning around and heading home. it was very humid and my hydration was less than optimal. i should have been carrying a water bottle as i couldn't find a tap in the dark. a lesson learned!
totals: running - 140.1 km
after a race however i usually find that while the mind is more than willing and i want to run i am unable to create the physical willpower needed to actually lace up my shoes and head out the door. with experience though i know that once i get back out there and start running i will feel better after a few days.
this time around though my motivation is fueled with failure. my dream of having a good run at six foot didn't eventuate and it has ignited my running juices. the upcoming adventures of my running friends have also inspired me to think about my own new challenges.
i have to be careful though as i have a tendency to take on and do too much although as steve prefontaine would say “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”. well i think it’s time for me to give it my best. what does this mean? for me it starts with a commitment to get out of bed early. no more snooze button and earlier nights to bed.
getting out of bed early requires discipline, commitment and a goal (i.e. race, adventure, challenge goal). i’m trying to get into a habit of getting up at 4:30am everyday so that i can get my training in each day. if i fail to get up and put the run off saying to myself that i will run at lunch or after work i know that i end up cutting the run shorter or missing it altogether due to competing commitments.
so this week signals the start of the 4:30am wake up call.
it's been a good week to start. here's the last 7 days...
saturday: 15 km - 1:15 - stairs
shoes: asics hyperspeed 3 sleep: 5 hrs
headed out for the run about an hour or two after soccer. a long warmup before hitting the stairs at knapsack. just ran up it once today at a hard intensity but will add another climb each week. reached the top with only a single walk break (~10 seconds). looped around both lookouts before heading home via the lagoon.
sunday: 18 km - 1:30 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 4.5 hrs
managed to get out for two easy runs today. second run at night with my wife up to warrimoo and back along the hwy via the underpass was a much missed experience. felt tired towards the end.
monday: ~ 29 km - 2:30 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs
spent some time thinking about my running goals for the next few months which helped when setting the alarm for a 4:30am wake up. first run was a 75 minute run around the darkened streets of home - up to warrimoo, down the highway to glenbrook and return past the lagoon. a good 16 km loop. second run was in the heat around work out and back into one of the new developments. struggled through the middle section of the run as i started succumbing to heat exposure and dehydration. took it easy for about 10 minutes and surprisingly felt great over the final stretch finishing at a slightly faster than tempo effort.
tuesday: 12 km - 1:00 - hillwork
shoes: nike pegasus
every second tuesday i'm at home with my two year old so i manage to squeeze in a run on the treadmill in the gym while he's in the creche. i find the treadmill incredibly boring which leads me to playing with the speed and incline. today was no different. warmed up for about 25 minutes and then set the incline to 10%, the speed at 10kph and grinded out for about 20 minutes (at 85% effort). recovered for 5 minutes with the treadmill set at 15% and power-walked. setting the incline back down to 1% it felt like i was running downhill. finished up with 200m repeats at max speed (20kph). the iPod was cranked with some heavy tunes...
ended up being a great session and one i'll definitely be keeping in the schedule. think i will continue to add time each week to build up to about 60 minutes of climbing. legs are getting stronger...
wednesday: 10.6 km - 0:50 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs
easy run up to warrimoo and back. legs felt good.
thursday: 25 km - 2:00 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus pack: nathon hpl020 (i think)
didn't feel like running when i got up but felt better after an easy run to work. the run home was much tougher as the heat and humidity built up before an impending storm. ran along the river and up the to glenbrook via the trail to lapstone station and up the back roads to home. looked for all the hills and felt strong. sub 4 min/km pace over the final 600 metres left my legs feeling very shaky. cooled down in a cold bath to help with recovery. kids were very helpful and found it amusing to poor cold water over daddy - i was less amused.
friday: 30.5 km - 2:30 - long
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs
woke up at 4:30am and with a moments hesitation pulled myself out of bed and into my running clothes. woke up with a coffee and headed out. felt super comfortable running up to winmallee shops and a little further before turning around and heading home. it was very humid and my hydration was less than optimal. i should have been carrying a water bottle as i couldn't find a tap in the dark. a lesson learned!
totals: running - 140.1 km
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Six Foot Track 2009
Here's the report....
After a slow start to begin training this time around I had a few good weeks logging over 160km with a few good runs with fellow lower Blue Mountains locals Sleep Train, Scurry and Mister G in the National Park and around the streets and hills of home. But in hindsight maybe a little too late as I missed out on some invaluable long runs.
While the training was starting to come together and my fitness was improving, life's obstacles got in the way three weeks out and training ground to a virtual halt. I even contemplated not running which reflected my emotional, physical and mental status. However, the ever positive and enthusiastic Sleep Train helped psyche me up and suggested that I should have a crack at a sub 4 hour finish and which I was quietly confident a month out that I had it in me. His suggestions of a diet fueled with watching DVDs of Gallipoli and 300 would help ignite my primal fires and I took his suggestion on board. But 6FT is hard to predict.
After a very sleepless night when my two year old decided that party time started at 1am the alarm sounded a few short hours later, rudely awakening me and it seemed I had only just closed my eyes. After getting up without waking anyone I made my way into the kitchen to consume my first coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal cooked in rice milk and a banana. Continuing to follow my previously successful pre-race routine an hour later I drank a 600mL gatorade and took two S-caps (still two hours to race start). Everything continued according to plan with the scheduled toilet deposit and mellow time with my wife before leaving to pick up Simon.
On all my runs over the last week I felt full of energy and had to hold back and not run beyond my fitness but not today. I felt flat, heavy and lethargic - not a good sign. And not what I was expecting. After a short warmup jog to loosen up and shake off the staleness I headed over to the start to see the Wave 1 runners head off (and also try and get into a good position at the start line myself as I knew it was going to be a chaotic race for a good position heading down the stairs.
Getting into position at the front the gun fired and I took off with the other runners but was surprised how quickly some of them went past on their way down. I was being a little cautious after slipping here at 12FT last year (painful memory). I got caught behind a couple of slow descenders but when the tracked made it possible they graciously moved over to allow me to pass. At the bottom of the stairs when the track opened up I decided to push the pace and see if I could make up some time on my way to the river. I was surprised when I quickly started catching and passing some of the wave 1 starters. I thought perhaps that I was going a little fast but I didn't feel like I was pushing beyond my limit.
I reached Megalong around 37:30 and at this stage I was a little concerned that my stomach was feeling very full. I took my first GU somewhere here with some water. I had a great run as always along the single track to the river which I reached in 1:12. About 1:30 into the run I grabbed a Hi-5 Gel and consumed it with 2 cups of water but immediately I regretted it when I almost gagged. The rest of the climb was with a sloshing stomach which didn't appear to be taking in liquids or nutrition. I tried eating some banana and watermelon at one of the aid stations which didn't go down well either. I was continuing to alternate between drinking sports drink and water from station to station but when my hands starting swelling I knew that I was getting into trouble. I reached Pluvi in around 2:26 (about 6 minutes behind plan) and didn't have much in me to pick it up along Black Range.
Upon reaching Deviation in around 3:15 from memory I noticed that I was starting to feeling good, my stomach had cleared and my energy levels had picked up. I had a great run through to the road running all but the steepest hill, hitting the road right on 3:30. Having run 12FT a couple of times I knew that I could easily run home in about 35 minutes and I was happy with the thought that I'll finish in around 4:05.
I'm always amazed at the clarity one has when sailing through the air. As careful as I was trying to be due largely to my tired state I didn't manage to lift me feet quite as high as needed. I clipped the top board on a flight of stairs and in slow motion flight reminiscent of the photographic sequences of a matrix fight scene I sailed through the air and rotated onto my side to take the impact of the fall squarely on my hip and shoulder. I lay on the ground stunned and winded but knew immediately that I had to get up and move before I stiffened up with post-run stiffness (rigor mortis). Argh! Within a few 100 metres I knew I was struggling. I could run but I had thrown my back out and the pain would build up to a point that I was forced to either walk or stretch out a little before I could run again. I had gone from feeling good to feeling very down about the race and found that I no longer cared about my finishing time as my goal of running in the 3:55-4:05 range had slipped away.
I continued on in this state of mind working through the pain and trying to run as much as I could as I just wanted to get it over and done with. Catching up with a Wave 1 starter he asked if we would make it under his goal time of 4:30 and I realised that if I picked it up now and ran to the finish that I could run under 4:20. That became my goal and as painful as it was over the final descent I made it and immediately I felt content. Finished in 4:19:36.
My contentment immediately changed to excitement and jubilation as I heard from Blue Dog that my sometime training partner had not only won the race but in the process set a new course record of 3:15. A time that could stand for many years. Unless Ben decides that he would like to raise the bar again.
On my way into Caves House I ran into Andrew Lee who I knew was a local as I had passed him on the streets around home and after introducing myself and asking how he had gone discovered that he had run in second place. Way to go Warrimoo!!!!!
Now I'm inspired to get myself back into peak shape. My wife would say it's about time that I start thinking like this again. She has to live with me.
After a slow start to begin training this time around I had a few good weeks logging over 160km with a few good runs with fellow lower Blue Mountains locals Sleep Train, Scurry and Mister G in the National Park and around the streets and hills of home. But in hindsight maybe a little too late as I missed out on some invaluable long runs.
While the training was starting to come together and my fitness was improving, life's obstacles got in the way three weeks out and training ground to a virtual halt. I even contemplated not running which reflected my emotional, physical and mental status. However, the ever positive and enthusiastic Sleep Train helped psyche me up and suggested that I should have a crack at a sub 4 hour finish and which I was quietly confident a month out that I had it in me. His suggestions of a diet fueled with watching DVDs of Gallipoli and 300 would help ignite my primal fires and I took his suggestion on board. But 6FT is hard to predict.
After a very sleepless night when my two year old decided that party time started at 1am the alarm sounded a few short hours later, rudely awakening me and it seemed I had only just closed my eyes. After getting up without waking anyone I made my way into the kitchen to consume my first coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal cooked in rice milk and a banana. Continuing to follow my previously successful pre-race routine an hour later I drank a 600mL gatorade and took two S-caps (still two hours to race start). Everything continued according to plan with the scheduled toilet deposit and mellow time with my wife before leaving to pick up Simon.
On all my runs over the last week I felt full of energy and had to hold back and not run beyond my fitness but not today. I felt flat, heavy and lethargic - not a good sign. And not what I was expecting. After a short warmup jog to loosen up and shake off the staleness I headed over to the start to see the Wave 1 runners head off (and also try and get into a good position at the start line myself as I knew it was going to be a chaotic race for a good position heading down the stairs.
Getting into position at the front the gun fired and I took off with the other runners but was surprised how quickly some of them went past on their way down. I was being a little cautious after slipping here at 12FT last year (painful memory). I got caught behind a couple of slow descenders but when the tracked made it possible they graciously moved over to allow me to pass. At the bottom of the stairs when the track opened up I decided to push the pace and see if I could make up some time on my way to the river. I was surprised when I quickly started catching and passing some of the wave 1 starters. I thought perhaps that I was going a little fast but I didn't feel like I was pushing beyond my limit.
I reached Megalong around 37:30 and at this stage I was a little concerned that my stomach was feeling very full. I took my first GU somewhere here with some water. I had a great run as always along the single track to the river which I reached in 1:12. About 1:30 into the run I grabbed a Hi-5 Gel and consumed it with 2 cups of water but immediately I regretted it when I almost gagged. The rest of the climb was with a sloshing stomach which didn't appear to be taking in liquids or nutrition. I tried eating some banana and watermelon at one of the aid stations which didn't go down well either. I was continuing to alternate between drinking sports drink and water from station to station but when my hands starting swelling I knew that I was getting into trouble. I reached Pluvi in around 2:26 (about 6 minutes behind plan) and didn't have much in me to pick it up along Black Range.
Upon reaching Deviation in around 3:15 from memory I noticed that I was starting to feeling good, my stomach had cleared and my energy levels had picked up. I had a great run through to the road running all but the steepest hill, hitting the road right on 3:30. Having run 12FT a couple of times I knew that I could easily run home in about 35 minutes and I was happy with the thought that I'll finish in around 4:05.
I'm always amazed at the clarity one has when sailing through the air. As careful as I was trying to be due largely to my tired state I didn't manage to lift me feet quite as high as needed. I clipped the top board on a flight of stairs and in slow motion flight reminiscent of the photographic sequences of a matrix fight scene I sailed through the air and rotated onto my side to take the impact of the fall squarely on my hip and shoulder. I lay on the ground stunned and winded but knew immediately that I had to get up and move before I stiffened up with post-run stiffness (rigor mortis). Argh! Within a few 100 metres I knew I was struggling. I could run but I had thrown my back out and the pain would build up to a point that I was forced to either walk or stretch out a little before I could run again. I had gone from feeling good to feeling very down about the race and found that I no longer cared about my finishing time as my goal of running in the 3:55-4:05 range had slipped away.
I continued on in this state of mind working through the pain and trying to run as much as I could as I just wanted to get it over and done with. Catching up with a Wave 1 starter he asked if we would make it under his goal time of 4:30 and I realised that if I picked it up now and ran to the finish that I could run under 4:20. That became my goal and as painful as it was over the final descent I made it and immediately I felt content. Finished in 4:19:36.
My contentment immediately changed to excitement and jubilation as I heard from Blue Dog that my sometime training partner had not only won the race but in the process set a new course record of 3:15. A time that could stand for many years. Unless Ben decides that he would like to raise the bar again.
On my way into Caves House I ran into Andrew Lee who I knew was a local as I had passed him on the streets around home and after introducing myself and asking how he had gone discovered that he had run in second place. Way to go Warrimoo!!!!!
Now I'm inspired to get myself back into peak shape. My wife would say it's about time that I start thinking like this again. She has to live with me.
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