Sunday, January 31, 2010

Middle Harbour Picnic 28ks

A horrible STaR this morning. 23 degrees and 88% humidity at the start and only getting worse at 9am with 25 degrees and 75% humidity. And to top it off the hills were H4 out of 5. Seriously stuffed I was this morning.

Run started at Roseville and went across the Roseville Bridge and up the hill to Forestville and then downhill to Seaforth. Then across the Spit Bridge and up hill to Mosman, where we went down Awaba St to Balmoral. Then up the hill to Georges Heights and then had some flat parts through Mosman, Cremorne, Neutral Bay and Cammeray.
Then we went down hill and across to NorthBridge and Willoughby before going up hill again to get back to Roseville. Felt really drained at the finish.

Total was 28.82ks in 2:22:30. Average pace of 4:56 per klm. Surprised it snuck under 5 min ks as the start was so slow.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

NSW 5000m Track Titles

The race was delayed for an hour by a few lightning storms around the Homebush area. We were using the warmup track as the main track is being resurfaced. Why do that do that during Athletics season? Please explain?

Finally started an hour late and I was in the C race along with Striders Dennis Wylie, EJ Davie and Wayne Bulloch.
Went off too fast at the start doing 38secs for the 1st 200m. Slowed down a fraction but all too late to clock 3:37 for the 1st k. Oops. Way too fast for my present fitness.

Finished in 19:12. Managing to lap about 3 runners and take a couple of spots back from some fast starters. The run was 18 secs faster than I ran in Centennial Park earlier this month so I'm happy.
The track was very wet from the rain, but at least it didn't rain during the race. Just windy.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Menai Fun Run Australia Day 8k

Advertised as 8.2k the same as last year, and we had the same course so who knows what distance. I measured 8.1k, but I run gutter to gutter when I can.
Anyway it was a fun run and the same as last year.

Conditions were very uncomfortable. 23 degrees and 89% humidity on a damn Hilly course. Compares with Cherrybrook Chase fun run, Willoughby fun run and Lindfield fun runs in the hills factor. Not much flat.

Ran 35:01 which was a 1:38 PB for the course over last year. Went out a bit quick clocking 3:35 for the 1st k, and 3:46 for the 2nd. Didn't lose many places when I eventually slowed down.
Finished in 20th overall compared to last years 47th. Didn't snag a 40-49 age medal. I thought they were younger ahead of me.

Probably a good race for speed and hills at the same time. Does that work?
I did talk to CR's Nando at the start and John Dawlings after the race. Must be the first time I have beaten both in a race.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Surf Club: Swim, Board, Run & Flags

The swim was short this morning with a flat sea with the high tide up which still meant I was crap. In the board paddle I managed sixth. The Run was hard as the legs were stuffed from this mornings run.
In the Flags I came 3rd.

Beers, BBQ and cricket watching topped off the day. Sounds like Australia Day!

Dee Why Dash STaR 28ks

A fine drizzle greeted us at the start of the STaR for the 6:20am group which included Tom31 and Grandpa among others.
We start at Dee Why Surf Club and then run through Davidson and across Wakehurst Parkway and Oxford Falls and then up the long hill to Belrose. I lost the group on the way up to Belrose as I had to make a pit stop. Tried to catch up by cutting out bits of the run but only succeeded in seeing the back of the group about half a k away.
Meanwhile Fats who started at 6:30am passed me near Forest Way and Warringah Rd overpass without actually seeing me.

Continued on my own passing another group before Warringah Aquatic Centre, and then went on through Allambie Heights, Allambie, North Manly, where I took a short cut instead of going past Queenscliff Lagoon.
Kept going past the Harbord Diggers, Curl Curl beach and back to Dee Why. Had a sprint finish with Paul Jack the last 200m.
Good conditions this morning.
Total was 28.1ks in 2:15:35. Average pace of 4:49/k. Not bad considering the first 10ks of this run are so slow.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Run to the Golf Club and back 11ks

25 degrees
76% humidity
20k Easterly breeze.
No wonder I felt overcooked during this run.
Ran down past Shelley beach, Manly beach to Queenscliff and then along Queenscliff Lagoon before running up Pittwater Rd to Warringah Golf Club. Thought I could get a drink at a servo. No taps anywhere!!!
Ran back after finding one in a park and then plenty along Manly beach.

Total was 11.3ks in 50:25. Average pace of 4:27 per klm.
Felt sluggish for the first couple of ks and then slowly picked up some pace.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Darley Rd 12x210m Hill Reps

Nice cool breeze blowing tonight. Pity I was running uphill into it. Total was 24 mins with reps up between 46-56 secs. Some of those were a bit slack.
Recovery back down was shorter because of it.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Jack Carter Cup 2010-Another win

Five in a row for my team. One of my surf clubs long events. Our swimmer came out first and passed to the ski paddler who was overtaken as one of the other teams had a faster ski paddler.

Unfortunately for them while he was ahead by 20 metres of our paddler he washed onto the rocks around Barrenjoey Head. Such is life. We took advantage and our ski paddler probably gave me about 3 mins head start which I kept through my huge run. All of 1.9ks and 9:09. It was actually very hard work on the sand this morning as we had no hard sand to run on with the tide full.

Passed to the board paddler who was still about 3 mins ahead and he finished the team off with a win. Five in a row. Another pair of sun glasses for us. I took a pair of Oakleys this time. Nice!

The team whose paddler washed up was nearly DQ'd from the start when the notorious Tim Prowse(known to Miners & Tom31 for different reasons) started with the solo swimmers instead of the teams, so the ski paddler had to wait on the beach for 8 mins. Also they lost the spot and came 2nd. Finished off with a BBQ and perve on the back lawn.

Back next year for hopefully another win.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Sydney Summer Twilight 5k

In Centennial Park tonight with a 7pm start.
23 degrees, cloudy, 76% humidity and a 10k easterly breeze blowing.

Ran ok for 2k in 7:40 and then fell apart for 2ks. Must be the uphill bit from McKay Oval back to Queens Park always does me in.
Pulled it together in the last k with a bit of downhill to run 19:30.

Probably should have run faster, but I was on my own at the front as well.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Darley Rd 12x210m Hill reps

Hard work tonight. 27 degrees, 30k winds and 71% humidity going up and down a hill.
Legs didn't feel like it after the Half on Sunday.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Hobart Half Marathon 89:57

My fastest half since Central Coast in December 2007 which isn't saying much.
Arrived in Hobart late Saturday afternoon and found an italian restaurant I could get some decent pasta at.
Ok nights sleep and then an early breakfast wakeup at 4am as I had to go out to the start to swap my number from the full to the half. Rode out out on the bus with Dave Criniti and Mel Selby.
Watched the full go off at 6am and then waited around for my race at 7.

Stood in the front line at the start and waited for Mark Tucker to go off so quick I thought he was going to lap me before we got out of the Cadbury estate. The estate is 1.25k and you do laps first. He was moving at sub 3 min/k pace.
There were a heap of runners go off the front fast which I just let go, maybe it was my lack of training that did it. Settled on my pace which saw me at 12:25 after 3ks. That was the end of the dream run for me.

The 10k I think was about 41:40 and the 15k in 62:30. Hanny Allston came past me at one stage but I didn't realise it was her until we turned at about the 18k mark to go back to the finish.
Did manage to get past a few runners from the 10k mark onwards.
Plenty of hills on this course but nothing like SMH or Sydney Half.
Finished in 89:57. My quickest since December 2007. So quite happy with the progress.

Organisation was good and low ley. Roads are not closed but all the locals know about the race. 150 marathon runners and 500 in the half.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

5k @ RP

23 degrees, 70% humidity, 30kph winds with gusts up to 40kph. No fun to run in tonight along Manly Beach.

Total was 5.03k in 19:45. Average pace of 3:55/k.

A bit faster than I should have been pacing at. Oh well. I blame it on the wind on the out and back course.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Lap of the Lake STaR 19ks

A new edition to the Striders Training runs early last year. Starts at Dee Surf Club like the Dee Why Dash except we get out easy and only have an H1 run instead of H5 like the Dash.

Ran with the 6:20 which included 9 of us today. Ran from the club out towards Cromer past Dee Why lagoon and continuing on past Cromer Golf club until we reached the bush tracks by Narrabeen lagoon(lake). Ran around part of the lagoon seeing the 6:00 and 6:10 groups at about the 10k mark. Were we fast or were they just too slow today?

I then turned around at the 10.7k mark sort and ran back to the bridge crossing the lagoon and ran back down Pittwater Rd to the finish via Narrabeen and Collaroy beaches.

All up 19ks in 1:34:04. Average pace of 4:57 per klm.

I love the 6:20 group when I can run with a Six Foot track winner and a 3 times Canberra Marathon winner. Lots of knowledge there.

Friday, January 01, 2010

Surf Club: Swim, Board, Run & Flags

The water was so good after the run this morning. A bit of a swell came up so we had some good waves to contend with in what was a very long swim. Probably about 600m over the usual 350m.
The Board paddle was even longer but I think I managed 4th.
The run was reduced to a soft sand beach sprint which I managed to come 3rd in.
In the flags I stayed out of trouble and almost snagged a win. Came in 2nd.

A nice BBQ and beers topped off a great start to the year.

But I did need a 3hr grandpa sleep in the afternoon as I was stuffed.

Beyond the Black Stump Fatass 16ks

Started at the normal time this year of 7am. Was up the front going into the bush as I wanted to avoid a bottle neck on the stairs before the bush. Plus the bush goes single track further along towards the ferry so can get a bit slow. Reached the ferry in 53:04. Caught the ferry over and back just for fun.
The camelbak was put to good use as it was 21 degrees and 94% humidity this morning. My clothes were soaked when I got back to the finish.

Took the bush going back and got stuck behind a group of 5 who must have taken 15 mins to go up the stairs after the single track section along the creek. Only about 700m. Very slow. The bush was slow anyway as the humidity was hurting. CR Brewers drinks near Turner Rd were fantastic as they were ice cold.
Finished in 2:03.12. Including the ferry rides. A great way to start the year.