Mud for me and you and Blue Dog too.

Aths NSW Cross Country Relays at Miranda Park this afternoon. Males ran after the Women and Juniors races so the course was a mud bath. It was brilliant. Mud up to your ankles and that was on the dry bits.
The course is good in the dry but today hell! Mud all the way through the 2k laps.

I was in a Striders 35+ team consisting of James Jeffery, CR Silverfox, EJ and myself.
Lucky for me I went first so I could get it over and done with. First lap was about 8:20 and finished in 16:52 I think. No medals for our team. Hot competition in the 35-44 age group.

I think Tim Rowe smashed the course in sub 12. Ran like it was dry weather. And Steve Thurston and Ben St Lawrence were also in the same team for St George. Naturally they took the Open A gold.

A fun afternoon in the mud and my old racing flats have been sent to a better place. Sorry Kev. Blue Dog's 45+ team of hacks won a gold.

10x300m

15 degrees, 75% humidity and windy as well. Did a 2k warmup down to the start near Nth Steyne Surf Club. Didn't count the individual reps at all but the average was 61 seconds per rep. Very slow tonight.

Total was 10:10 for the 10 reps.

Then did a 2k cool down back home. Saw CR Sportsman near North Steyne Surf Club as I was about to start.

Easy 12k

Along Manly beachfront tonight. Noticed parts of the railing have fallen away along Fairy Bower. Courtesy of the heavy seas in the last week no doubt.

Just ran down to Queenscliff and back a couple of times.
Total was 12ks in 55:13. Average pace of 4:36 per klm.

Hard work those were last night JD to keep consistent.

10x500m

Running in 18 degrees and 80% humidity and almost no wind tonight. Ran along the Manly beach front although one could label it the rock front since the sand is now off in New Zealand waiting to come back.

Reps were 1:42, 1:37, 1:41, 1:39, 1:42, 1:36, 1:43, 1:40, 1:41, 1:38. All done with a 60 second walk recovery.
Hard work tonight.

SMC 25K

Weather looked good driving out to Smithfield until I reached Parramatta and it was raining. Thankfully it was all clear when we started running this morning. Heaps of water on the roads though.
Started off a bit fast but then eventually settled into 4:30/k pace which I maintained for most of the race. Went through 10k in 45:16, 15k in 68:11. Missed the 20k mark.
Seeing Horrie at about the 19k mark when I thought he was gone spurred me on to run faster the last 5k to race him home.
We both just beat the bus through at the busway at the 23.5k mark. Horrie got caught by the 4 guys chasing us but I did beat him home.

I finished in 1:55.27. So a 25k debut and PB. Average pace of 4:37/k. Not too bad after the half marathon last week. Fills a hole in my running PB graph.

Windy 7k

Went out in the afternoon along manly ocean front. The surf was huge and out of control. Nearly all the sand is gone, washed to New Zealand. Probably in the damn bunkers on the golf course.

Total was 7ks in 32:55. Average pace of 4:42 per klm.

Saw a nice white bentley parked in front of Le Kiosk for a wedding.

Were having a heatwave a tropical heatwave...

Oh really! No idea how that got into my head. Plenty of crap in there. The man in the dressing gown was just another mad Sydney Strider Glenda. Good run BTW on Sunday.

Tonights forecast during my run was: Showers coming from right angles and also left angles when I ran back the other way. Sand blasted from the left and right. I think I had a free skin peel with all the sand around. There wasn't much left on Manly beach with the surf the way it was. And 50 kph winds. Lovely.

Total was 12ks in 58:52. Average pace of 4:54. Damn that was hard work in the wind.

SMH Half Marathon 91:45

Arrived way too early for the start at 10 to 6. Got a lift in which was far better than catching a bus. I took advantage of my early arrival and stole all the toilet paper from the porta loos so those arriving after 7am had nothing. Very evil considering I was outside St Marys Cathedral. I had to say a few hail marys at the late sunday service for penance.

Wandered around the area looking for where to stow my bag later on. Fell asleep at a table for about 10 mins. Best sleep I had all night.
Chatted to a couple of the Woodstock runners and CR barefoot doing his 18th race(same as Mr Dark).
Went over to the start rope early and was first on the line(imagine that). Chatted to CR Nando for most of the time before the gun fired. Until Action came and stood in my way. Blue Dog was a liitle behind me at the start hoping to get some movement in his North Face race paws.

The gun went right on time and I was running within 10 metres of crossing the mat. What crowd? what congestion? Not at the front baby!
The crowd was pretty thick even at the start and it was a bit hard to get a clear run but finally managed it down Hunter St. Missed all the k markers until I saw the 4k in 16:18. Didn't think I was going that quick.

A smorgasboard of Striders and CR's kept passing me during the race much to my annoyance. Can't do much when you are not fit enough. Got to the 10k eventually in 42:40 and the drink bottle that I drank before the race decided I should go for the loo now. So I did in the port a loo. I did note at this stage that Langswm was having a good race as he was about a min ahead at the 10k mark. Back to the race.

Down Hunter St again and a slow slog up the Argyle Cut. Nearly came to grief on a pole turning into Kent as a female ipod chaser turned left on me without looking. Bugger!
Along past the Hickson Rd wharves and CR's Gnome and Brewer cruised past me, which lead to many changes in position over the next 5k until the bottom of Mrs Macquaries Chair where they slowed and I escaped back to the finish.

A slow finish in 91:45 after my 42:40 first 10k. Probably as good as I could have expected considering the lack of training by me this year. Plenty more races this year to get faster in. Thanks to everyones support out on the course. And good to see Springer, Greg and Timinerko after the race.

And I nearly forgot. I beat Blue Dog! He claimed that he did some race called North Face on Saturday. He's dreaming the only North Face I know is Everest and I have a North Face jacket.

Easy 5k

A light run along the oceanfront this afternoon as the sun was going down.
Total was 5ks in 25:09.

Looking forward to the race tomorrow even though I am not fit enough to be racing it.

Easy 7k

No phantom Strider here.

Did a lap of Manly beach and back home again. Seem to have hurt the back of my knee. I do remember last night having people get in the way and I overextended my knee at the time. Maybe that did it. It isn't too bad though.

Total was 7ks in 32:01. Average pace of 4:34 per klm.

Beach 5x1k

Good conditions tonight with no breeze to speak of. Spooked a few pedestrians when I came out of the dark near some of them. Considering I was wearing grey as well they let off a couple of screams. Maybe they thought I was the phantom jogger out to steal their ipods?

Reps were 3:39, 3:38, 3:43, 3:50, 3:44. All done with a 2 min walk recovery.

I'll ask Ewen.

North Head and the Beach 13ks

Not a long hitout as I have SMH Half next Sunday. Ran up to North Head this morning and around the scenic drive loop and back down past home. Then ran along Manly beach front before going back to the house.
The morning was cold with intermittent patches of torrential rain. Got absolutely soaked while I was out running. Shoes have been drying out all day.

Total was 13.3 ks in 1:05.00. Average pace of 4:53 per klm. I guess the rain soaked clothes and the Southerly wind didn't help the speed today.

Go Manly as they have just beaten the Broncos.

Novice 10k

Raced around the grass, sand and bark of Scarborough Park at Ramsgate this afternoon. Great day for running, ended up being 23 degrees on the day.
Course was slow to me, but I just really hate the course. Four loops does not inspire me at all.

Finished in 42:15. A minute slower than last week. But Uncle Dave was 26 seconds slower than last week so I guess it is all relative.
Glad it is over, now on to the half.

Easy 7k

Legs felt dead tonight so stopped after doing a lap of Manly Beach. Really windy tonight and still quite warm.

Total was 7ks in 31:46. Average pace of 4:32 per klm. Funny, I defintely thought I was running slower than that.

Have the Novice 10k on Saturday afternoon at Scarborough Park, Ramsgate.
Flat course but with a mix of mostly grass, sand and dirt.

Long Reps 4x2k

Temp at 7pm still 18 degrees with a warm northerly blowing and 68% humidity. Is this almost winter in sydney?

Ran along the Manly beach front with an almost full moon tonight. Ran past Strider Anthony Wong as well.

Reps were 7:50, 7:39, 7:52, 7:51. All done with a 4 min walk recovery.
Pit I couldn't have run better last Saturday.

Tourist Trot STaR 28ks

Almost didn't make it on time to the start at 6:20am. Met a big group of about 20 runners this morning on our jaunt around Centennial Park, Rushcutters Bay, Kings Cross, the CBD, The Bridge, Milsons Pt, Luna Park, the Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Garden Island, The bourbon, Tropicana, SFS and SCG to get back home again. Centennial Park was a mess after the heavy thunderstorm and floods in Randwick last night.

A lot of people cut the course short today, only 7 of us did the full monty. Not enough HTFU after the 10k yesterday.

Total was 28.7ks in 2:17.18. Average pace of 4:47 per klm.

Ran with a runner who is also a podiatrist. Going to see her about my foot at some stage.

State/Striders 10k at Homebush

Missed the race last year due to injury. Huge crowds this year. Felt like the start of City 2 Surf with us all packed in tight waiting for the gun.
Course is two loops of a pretty flat course. Wasn't expecting much after only managing a 20:40 last week in a 5k race at SMC.

Conditions were good with a bit of wind on the course. Tried to start off slow but still ended up under 4 min/ks after 2klms.
Struggled around the course and managed to finish in 41:01. At least it was a course PB since I didn't do it last year. And it was 3 mins quicker than Lane Cove in February. Now if only I can knock 3 mins off the next time I do a 10k. I think not.

Great organisation and some fast times by a lot of runners. Wins by Scott Westcott and Melinda Vernon.