Heartbreak and the Park 30ks

Started out a bit late this morning unfortunately due to work. Took off at 9:30am which wasn't good as the day was already heating up.
Ran down to Rose Bay and up Heart break hill via the usual route through Clovelly and Bondi Junction. Up the hill to Christison Park and then back home via Dover Heights and Bondi Junction again.
Then I did a loop of Centennial and Moore Park to finish for the morning which by this stage was the afternoon.

All up 30.15ks in 2:35.50. Average pace of 5:10 per klm. A bit slow but it was pretty warm when I started and got hotter towards midday.

Easy 1 hour

A very late run tonight around Centennial Park, Moore Park, SFS, SCG and Fox Studios. Pretty winndy with the Nor Easter blowing hard.
Ran 11.7ks in 59:30. Close enough. Average of 5:05 per klm.

Boxing Day Classic 12ks

I had a race at my Surf Club this morning. Doing the swim and the run only. The water was fantastic. I think I was 4th in the run, was handicapped by a 60 second start.
Then a BBQ and beer lunch. Excellent! Nice sunburn marks.

And this happened during our races. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=338109

Went out for a run later in the day after falling asleep in front of the cricket. Did a lap of the inside running track of Centennial Park and then ran out and around the outside fence.

All up 12.17ks in 1:02.11. Average pace of 5:06 per klm. I think I'm still weighed down by the turkey from yesterday.

Christmas Day Twilight Run 7ks

After loading up on 5kgs of Christmas Lunch down in Canberra. And bottles of champagne and wine I was suitably weighed down tonight for a run around Centennial Park.

Did a lap around the outside of Centennial Park sticking to the grass and praying the turkey didn't want to come out until I got home.

Ran 7.2ks in a huge 42:07. Average pace of 5:50 per klm. Lucky I wasn't out to break any land speed records tonight. But I believe I left an impact on the park after my visit.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Heartbreak in the Park 33ks

Well no heartbreak at all just a mean hill. Ran from home up to Christison Park at Dover Heights via Heartbreak Hill and back again. After that I did a lap of the Centennial Park running circuit and then went out and ran around the SFS, SCG and Fox Studios and back home.

Had to do this at 5pm as I was at work this morning so missed the Quarry Rd run I wanted to do. Then Christmas shopping delayed me.

Total was 33.3 ks in 2:45.51. Average pace of 4:58 per klm. Not bad for those hills in Bondi, Vaucluse and Dover Heights. The rest is pretty flat.

The Four Minute Mile

Alas not from me. Nor from Ryan Gregson who was out at Bankstown tonight running the mile.

We had about 8 of us in the race, half U18 anf half 35+. Of course I was the 35+ just for this race.
Mucked up starting the watch so just have to do it off memory and the clock at the start line.

First lap of 409m was 1:25. A bit slow maybe, but I intended to start slow and then run faster in the 2nd half of the race.
The 809m mark was reached in 2:52. So 87seconds for the 2nd lap.
From the 800m mark I cranked up the pace passing a runner at the 800m and chased after the next one. I crossed the 1209m mark in 4:15 for an 83 sec lap. Damn there goes the 4 minute mile. I was gaining on the tiring runner in front of me. These 15 year olds just have no stamina. Got to within 20m at the top of the home straight.
I thought he had me 20m out from the finish but I've taken him on the line by 1 second with a late kick. And a 77 sec last lap.

Finished in 5:32.9. So laps of 85(409m), 87, 83 and 77. The mile was fun. I'm really looking forward to the 1500m in January now.

Easy 8k

A very windy run around the outside of Centennial Park. Ran on the grass mostly.

Ran 8.1ks in 43:30. Average pace of 5:22 per klm.

ES Marks 8x300m Reps

Did a 2k warmup at the track and then half a dozen strides before starting tonight. Pretty windy with the Nor Easter blowing.

Reps were 50.9, 50.8, 51.9, 51.2, 52.0, 53.7, 53.2, 52.9. All done with a 60 second walk recovery. Did a 2k cool down after finishing.

Averaged 1.2 seconds faster than last week. Excellent!

Mid week Long Run 16ks

Three laps of the Centennial Park running track and then up to Fox Studios and back. Had a shower for most of the run, felt fantastic to run in.

All up 16.1ks in 1:12.56. Average pace of 4:31 per klm. Wasn't too hard running that pace, although the course is very flat.

Received Canberra Marathon entry in the mail tonight. I'll be doing the 50k again.

Short Hill Reps 16x200m

Ran up the short hill near my house. Legs felt very good. I guess they should as I'm supposed to be using my backside muscles to go up hills more than the legs. Quite hard to focus to get the glutes to work more than the legs.

Each rep was between 50-55 seconds up and about the same back down again.

Got to have a sub 5 min Mile Ewen. Although I have not run under 5mins for my so far two 1500m races. But that was last year and I'm a year older and crankier.

And I've entered for the 1500m on the Sydney Track Classic night. A national Series meet in most of the other events except the 1500m for males. The 800m should have bromley, chisholm etc.. running.

Recovery Run 7ks

Around the grass track at Centennial Park tonight. Very windy in the park. Lots of people out still enjoying the fading sunlight.
Ran 7.2ks in 43:40. Average pace of 6:03 per klm.

And my legs feel great after the beating I gave them yesterday. Excellent!

If I do run on Saturday Ewen it will be a Mile debut.

Le Tour de Tourist 33ks

Actually regarding as the Sydney Striders Tourist Trot STaR. It starts close to my house and was the first STaR I did with the Striders on Boxing Day 2004. So has always been a favourite run. No bush in it and too many traffic lights to mention, with plenty of stairs. A pretty stop start run but great for the tourists. If you want to take one of your running friends to the sites in Sydney then do this one.

You start in Centennial Park doing a lap of the park, run down to Edgecliff and proceed to run back along the City 2 Surf course to the start line. Past St Marys Cathedral, Hyde Park, Hyde Park barracks, St James church designed by Francis Greenway and built in 1829 as was the barracks. Down King St past all the designer shops before heading North along Kent St and through the Rocks going past The Lord Nelson Hotel(Australias oldest pub) and down onto Hickson Rd. Running the last k of the SMH half course.

Then across the Harbour Bridge and through North Sydney, Milsons Pt, Blues Pt and back past Luna Park and Nth Sydney Olympic pool and back over the Bridge again. Then past Circular Quay, the Toaster, the Opera House. Through the Botanic Gardens, past the Boy Charlton pool, past the Finger Wharf and Harrys Cafe de Wheels. Past the Naval Dockyard of Garden Island and up the hill through the slut and sleaze of Potts Pt and Kings Cross.

Past St Vincents hospital(don't go there), and along Oxford St passing a couple of late or early drag queens. Where was Priscilla? Then back past Victoria Barracks, the SFS, the SCG, the Hordern Pavlova and to the finish at Centennial Park. Enough Japanese tourist photo ops to last a lifetime.

Now about me. Slept in and only started out about 12:30. Had a few showers during the run which was excellent as it was pretty humid. The legs were complaining for probably the last hour as I have not been doing any long runs lately.

Total was 33.5ks for the day. Done in 2:50.59. Average pace of 5:06 per klm. Pretty hard to keep a good pace with all the lights and tourists in the way. Made it back before the heavy rain came.

Homebush Track 3000m

Well after a lot of chaos at work I finally arrived at the track with only 15 mins to go before the race. So consequently no time to warm up at all and I wasn't even mentally switched on to race after what happened at work.
A balmy 27 degrees when the race started and I really wished that I hadn't turned up for the race. The clock didn't work for our race at all which was the open male. It worked for the masters/U17/U20 race after ours.
Didn't press my stopwatch straight away so splits are a bit out.

3:26, 3:40, 3:40. But with not starting the watch straight away they are out of whack. The final time was 10:49. It really was humid out at Homebush.
I think I just retired from the track for the summer. Maybe not Bankstown has a mile race on next week which I might run.
Yes I ran really bad!

ES Marks 8x300 Reps

Pretty windy tonight and not many people on the track when I finally arrived late.
Had a couple doing Javelin practice plus one in the discus cage as well.

Did a 2k warmup before starting and I forgot the strides again. I might remember one day.

Reps were 53.6, 53.1, 52.2, 52.7, 53.4, 53.3, 54.1, 53.2. All done with a 60 second walk/stumble recovery.

Did a 2k cool down after finishing. And I was glad I did. I'm tired. Hope I get a fast race to run in on Saturday afternoon at Homebush in the 3000m.

Mid Week Run 12ks

Didn't have time tonight to do anything longer. Ran around Centennial Park, Moore Park, SCG and SFS.
Nice and cool with the Southerly still blowing. Much better than the weekend.

12ks in 52:34. Average pace of 4:22 per klm.

Duffy's Forest Dilemna STaR

Slept in this morning and missed the start of the 6:20am group going. Eventually caught up with them by taking a shortcut. The run was hilly with heaps of bush trails and water on the course. With rivers to run through. It was fantastic, but bloody humid.
I eventually couldn't handle the pace anymore and was dropped by the group with about 3ks to go. Considering I was running less than the rest it was a worry.

Not to fear I made it back to the start at the Japanese school. Then we had the Striders award Brunch. Bacon and eggs, fruit, croissiants, coffee, rain, awards. Excellent!

Finished with 15ks in 1:17.42. Average pace of 5:10 per klm. Considering it was very hilly and lots of bush tracks, that pace wasn't bad.

Later on in the afternoon played 9 holes of golf at the Terrey Hills course which is close by. Just got in before the hail hit.

If you are wondering what has happened since the last post? Check the Six Foot blog. It's on my profile.

Went out for a late run of only 6.2 ks near Centennial Park which I did in 29:16. Average of 4:43 per klm. Very humid still!

ES Marks 9x300m Reps

It was hot. It was Steamy. And I was running in a thunderstorm. Excellent stuff.
Lots of water on the track after the rain passed through.
Did a 2k warmup and then half a dozen strides before starting.

Reps went 51.1, 52.0, 51.8, 52.7, 52.8, 55.4, 53.5, 53.0, 53.1. All done with a 60 second walk recovery.
That 55 rep was because someone walked across the track in front of me without looking. Pain in the neck.
Did a 2k cool down after finishing.

A wet recovery run

A glorious run in the mud and rain of Centennial Park tonight. Just after the thunderstorms had gone and it was still raining a bit.
Did a lap of the grass trail around the outside fence of the park.

Ran 7.2ks in 43:21. Average pace of 6:01 per klm. Nice and slow and the legs were loving it.

Central Coast Half Marathon

Well today I found out what focusing on short track races does to your endurance. You have none.
Very warm, humid and heaps of water across the bike path. One of the bridges was flooded and we had to do a diversion around the bridge out and back.
Didn't see many of the k markers as per usual for this race.
But I was 24:05 at 6k, 40:05 at 10k and 1:00:41 at 15k. After that I struggled to the end with my lack of long runs telling in my legs. Was passed by at least 6 runners after the 15k mark. Lucky I had Marty to talk to for about 10ks to keep me awake.

Finished in 1:28.39. Anyway at least it was a long run out of the way.

Better organisation than last year but the course still maybe short. Didn't measure it. We were back about 50m than last years start.
Great to see so many Cool Runners up at the Entrance doing the race.
Thanks to Lucky Legs for the company up and back.

Now for that 3000m in 2 weeks at Homebush.