ES Marks track 5x1k reps + 1x200m rep

15 degrees and 70% humidity doesn't feel cold to me.

Reps were 3:16, 3:15, 3:14, 3:12, 3:14. All done with a 200m walk recovery.
Then did one 200m rep in 30 seconds.

Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down.

Sydney Marathon Sneak Preview STaR 31ks

Wasn't of exactly what time to turnup with the longer course today so just fronted at the normal time of 6:20am.
Found Mark, Nick, EJ, Vic and Tim ready to go. As the name implies it is sort of a look at the 'new' marathon course.

We started at North Sydney Oval(easier parking I think) though and ran down to Milsons Point and across the Bridge, went up the stairs at the CBD end and across the Cahill on top of the Quay. Down stairs onto Macquarie St and up to St Marys Cathedral.

Then down around Mrs Macquaries Point and back up again, then up College to Oxford st and through Taylor Square, past the SFS, SCG and did a few loops in Centennial Park. Then back down along the busway to the turnaround near Randwick racecourse.

From there it was back through the CBD via Oxford St and Hyde Park before a few of us decided enough was enough and went up the Arygle Cut and back across the Bridge. Then we had a hard last k and a half uphill to the Oval.

Total was 31.3ks in 2:27:25. Average pace of 4:42 per klm. Legs felt good.

30 min Tempo Run

Did a 2k warmup before starting. Ran along Manly beach front up past Queenscliff Lagoon and back. A bit past the lagoon tonight with no moon out. Pretty windy with the North East sea breeze still blowing strong.
Total was 7.53 ks in the 30 mins. Average pace of 3:59 per klm. I was supposed to be running 3:57's. Felt too hard in the legs to maintain that.

Finished off with a 2k cool down.

ES Marks track 8x400m reps + 1x200m rep

Heaps of people at the track tonight. Seemed even more than Tuesday. Felt pretty humid as well.
Reps were 77, 78, 77, 78, 77, 76, 74, 76. All done with a 200m walk recovery. Then did a 200m rep in 31 secs.

Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cooldown.

MLR 19ks

Nice night for a run. No clouds at all.
Ran from work up to Centennial Park and did two laps around the outside of the park and then ran back to work.

Total was 19.51ks in 1:33:20. Average pace of 4:47 per klm.

ES Marks track 6x800m reps + 1x200m rep

Heaps of people running tonight. Over a hundred I would guess which made it a bit tricky overtaking people. So plenty of wide runs in lanes 2 and 3 had to be done.

Reps were 2:44, 2:42, 2:40, 2:37, 2:34, 2:38. All done with a 200m walk recovery.
Then did one 200m rep in 31 seconds to finish.

Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down after.

Pymble Pushover STaR 29ks

Numbers leapt from our 5 last week to about 14 of us at 6:20am this morning. We started at Bicentennial Park at West Pymble and ran through Pymble, St Ives, Turramurra, Wahroonga, Warrawee, South Turramurra and back through the bush to West Pymble.

Killer run this one and I always find it the hardest and slowest for me. H5 out of 5 on the hills and 8ks of bush as well. Plenty of water on the roads and flowing creeks to run through made for a pretty wet and muddy run.

Total was 29.6ks in 2:32:28. Average pace of 5:09 per klm.

15ks @ MP

I know Tim and Tom love a weather report.
Conditions at 1pm in Centennial Park:
19 degrees. Sunny. 30 k breeze with gusts up to 45ks.
Not good conditions to run in.

15ks at Marathon Pace. Which was to be 4:12/ks. 4 laps of the road circuit in Centennial Park. Which is 3.7ks a lap with a bit extra at the end. Ended up with 62:19 or 4:09 per klm. Quite happy with that in the wind.

MLR 16ks

It was supposed to rain for most of the day and it did pretty much. Headed out in it as the showers didn't seem that plentiful.
Ran from work up around Centennial Park and the SFS and SCG stretch of Driver Ave as well.
Started to get really windy at the end of it and I did get a bit wet.

Total was 16.6ks in 1:18.54. Average pace of 4:45 per klm.

ES Marks Track 3x2k Reps

Legs felt ok after City 2 Surf on sunday so I headed to the track at Moore Park.

Reps were 7:13, 7:13, 7:09. All done with a 400m walk recovery.

Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down.

City 2 Surf stats

Gun times.
Top 100-
2006 - 50:03
2007 - 50:23
2008 - 49:36
2009 - 49:01
2010 - 49:40
2011 - 49:59

55mins-
2006 - 455th place
2007 - 363rd place
2008 - 440th place
2009 - 432nd place
2010 - 424th place
2011 - 418th place


Top 500-
2006 - 55:33
2007 - 56:52
2008 - 55:41
2009 - 55:51
2010 - 55:48
2011 - 56:00

Top 1000-
2007 - 1:01.05
2008 - 59:12
2009 - 59:12
2010 - 59:38
2011 - 59:54

Seems we are all fair weather runners.
Top 100th position was 19 secs slower than last year.
Sub 55 mins lost 6 more places over last year.
Top 500th position was 12 secs slower than last year.
Top 1000th position was 16 secs slower than last year.
I doubt these stats will sway Fairfax in not hacking the preferred times. The performances were all the worst since 2007 when we had a warmer than normal race.

Last year I was 443rd off gun time and this year 430th while only running 1 sec faster. Where did those 13 people go?

City 2 Surf 55:04 = PB

I have been running City 2 Surf since 2002 and this year was blessed with a preferred start. Arrived in the city at 7:15 and was a bit rushed to put the bag in and use the loo before it rained on me for 10 mins while waiting for the loo and then dashed off to the start line.

It felt strange being on the other side of the rope for once. But I waited when it was time to bunch up for the start. I didn't get much of a flying start but I was able to run straight from the gun which was the same as last year. Didn't take too many splits as I was just running along enjoying the crowd as you do with this race.
The 5k was reached in 19:12 which was slightly ahead of last year, and the clock was reached in 28:42 also just ahead of last year.

I felt I was passing people and didn't have too many pass me running back to Bondi. A new 10k timing mat was put in but I didn't think the time resembled the usual position of where the clock has been in the past. Apparently I was 40:08 at that point.

I thought I ran faster back home to Bondi but ended up as 55:04 and only a 1 sec PB. At least I beat Blue Dogs 45-49 age group time. And I have 4 more years to improve it hopefully. A PB but not what I hoped for and probably back in the red group next year. P.S. I did beat the famous Superman who lead up William St.

Start to clock 28:42, clock to finish 26:22.
10k to finish 14:56. PB is 14:35. Got to get faster.

MLR 14ks

Felt really tired tonight. Ran from work up around Centennial Park and back to work. Plenty of people about getting last minute runs and walks in.

Total was 14.51ks in 1:09.26. Average pace of 4:47 per klm.

800m/600m/400m x 2

Got to Moore Park a bit late tonight so had no-one to chase on the 2nd set.

Reps were 2:35, 1:55, 1:13. All done with a 200m walk recovery. Then had 4 mins between the set. 2nd set was 2:38, 1:57, 1:13. Done with a 200m walk recovery again.
Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down after finishing.

Pinched the session from Beermatts blog. He does a few more sets than me though.

Wahroonga Wobble STaR 27ks

Small group of only Jo Cowan, JB, Shaun, Fats and myself today. Hard star today with H4 on hills and 5ks of bush.
We start in Wahroonga and run through to North Wahroonga with a couple of ks of wet bush in the middle, back past the start and it was down into Fox Valley and then back down the Pacific Hwy before going back across to Pymble and then through St Ives where Jo, JB and Fats left Shaun and I to our own devices.

We did the bush through Cowan creek considering Jo had just left us was quite funny, then Shaun and I avoided the last bit of bush and the nastiest hill and ran back to the finish.

All up 27.5ks in 2:19:31. Average pace of 5:04 per klm.

Striders 10k Lane Cove - 38:52

Race didn't go exactly to plan or anyone elses for that matter. I had no goals on what time I might run other than Tim wanting me to beat Kanser which I did manage to do by a few mins.

Set off fast and was feeling very good for the 1st k but then just didn't have any energy and slowed down a lot. I was 19:42 at the 5k and only just ahead of Tom at the Ryde Rd turnaround.

Went faster on the way back without the hills and finished in 38:52. Not my fastest at Lane Cove, but it was a bit quicker than last year in the same race. If I can do that time to 10k at C2S next week I'll be up for about a 2 min PB which would be excellent. Some photos of the run from Strider Lee Baker.

MLR 14ks

Warm night. 17 degrees when I was out at 6:30pm. Ran from work up and around Centennial Park and a few of the streets around Centennial and back to work.

Total was 14.21ks in 1:08.15. Average pace of 4:48 per klm.

ES Marks 6x1k Reps + 1x400m Rep

Much warmer tonight than it has been. 18 degrees. Plenty out using the track which made it easy to chase people even though I had to run wider than usual.

Reps were 3:13, 3:18, 3:12, 3:15, 3:13, 3:16. All done with a 200m walk recovery.
Finished off with a 400m rep in 1:13.

Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down after finishing.

Hard C2S warmup this Saturday with the Lane Cove Striders 10k on.