Downhill Reps 6 x 420m

Down the grass hill in Centennial Park from the Paddington gates.

Reps were 1:19, 1:19, 1:18. 1:20, 1:15, 1:15.

All done with about double the recovery back up the grass hill. Did a 1k warmup and a 1k cool down.

Striders Equaliser 14k

Due to plenty of rain over the last few weeks the course was very wet from one end to the other.
The usual shin deep creek crossing was mid thigh deep and flowing hard on the way to Lindfield.
On the way back it was still just as deep and slippery as you come down a steep hill to it.

Apparently Tom took a swan dive in the 1st crossing chasing Fats. But managed to recover and finish 2nd to the Mountain goat.

Slow down to the creek as usual for me as it is pretty rocky downhill but I caught a few places back on the up hill and along the road which I managed to keep almost until the last hill before the power station when 2 went past me.

Finished in 26th spot in 1:11:20. But 1st in the 45-49 males. Woohoo!

Long Hill Reps 4 x 1.3k

Up and down Parriwi Rd in Mosman. 24 degrees and 65% humdity with 30k wind gusts. Had a few others going up and down the hill as well but didn't recognise them.

Reps were 6:47, 6:41, 6:45, 6:44. All done with about the same recovery back down the hill.

15k @ MP

25 Degrees. 65% humidity and up to 30k wind gusts. Felt more humid to me.

Ran around the tar track in Centennial Park having to dodge plenty of human traffic along the way.

Total was 15ks in 60:00. Average pace of 4 mins per klm. Still feels damn hard trying to hold it. God only knows what the other 27ks will be like?

Downhill Reps 8 x 420m

Down the grass hill in Centennial Park from the Paddington gates.

Reps were 1:18, 1:16, 1:16. 1:15, 1:16, 1:17, 1:18, 1:15.

All done with about double the recovery back up the grass hill. Did a 1k warmup and a 1k cool down.

Centennial Park 22ks

23 degrees and 70% humidity and 20k winds were not the best help today. Missed a long run yesterday due to a race I had to do at my surf club so it was out after work to do something. Ran a few different loops around Centennial Park, Moore Park, SFS and SCG.

Total was 22.5ks in 1:41:45. Average pace of 4:31 per klm. Must have been moving ok.

Jack Carter Cup - 8th win

My surf clubs marathon and solo team event was on this morning. You can do the swim, ski paddle, run and board paddle solo as most do.
They do have teams as well which I have done since 2006.

Team was Stu(swimmer), Gordon(ski paddler), me(run), Coz(board paddler).
Suffice to say I have the easiest leg. Very weak competition this year with only the swimmer having anyone close and that was about 5 mins behind. The swim, ski, run and board were all made longer this year. Especially the board which was about double.

I had a hard run due to no training and the very soft sand with a steep bank on the beach. Course was longer as we had to go up the big sand dune at the end of the beach to the rocks in the corner and then run back to the club. I did the 2.95ks in 13:38. Passed to the board paddler. I had at least a 15 min lead when I passed to him.who ripped around the course and we won by about 20 mins, for the board paddler and my 8th win in a row. Another pair of dodgey sunglasses was the prize. Seven wins each for the swimmer and the ski paddler.

Long Hill Reps 5 x 1.3k

23 degrees and 70% humdity. A bit better than usual.
Ran up Parriwi Rd in Mosman again for these. Doesn't seem to get any easier.

Reps were 6:36, 6:27, 6:39, 6:33, 6:47. All done with about the same recovery back down the hill.

MLR 20ks

22 degrees. 65% humidity. Felt more humid than that at times. Ran from work up through Kensington shops being passed by a guy wearing boxing gloves. Thought I was running faster than that.
Then ran around Moore Park, SCG, SFS, Fox Studios and a couple of laps inside Centannial Park and back to work.

Total was 20ks in 1:31:49. Average pace of 4:35 per klm.

Downhill Reps 10 x 420m

Down the grass hill in Centennial Park from the Paddington gates.

Reps were 1:22, 1:19, 1:18. 1:18, 1:16, 1:19, 1:15, 1:18, 1:20, 1:18.

All done with about double the recovery back up the grass hill. Did a 1k warmup and a 1k cool down.

Grass was pretty wet from the rain overnight so made it a bit slippery.

Mosman Reversed STaR 31ks

We had Guz, PT, Shaun and Mark F for awhile before they all went short. It was left to John Bowe, Paul Sholl and I to hold up the 6:20 name.
Conditions were hell this morning. 22 degrees was ok but 85% humidity which only decreased to 75% by the end of the run. Felt really drained of energy from the start. Almost weakened and use a Gel on a training run.

Starts at Balmoral Beach and we go through Chinamans Beach, across to Clontarf for a 2k loop and back across the Spit Bridge. Through the bush around Beauty Point, and then back on the road through Mosman and on to Primrose Park, Cremorne and Cammeray before we turn at North Sydney oval to head back.

Then it was through Neutral Bay, Cremorne Point, Mosman Bay, Sirius Cove, Taronga Zoo, Bradleys Head, Clifton Gardens, Georges Heights and back down to Balmoral for the finish. John and Paul dropped me in the bush along Bradleys Head but there were plenty out running today.

The 6:30 boys of CT, Fats, Andy and Barts tore past us near Mosman Wharf. They had all gone except CT when I got back.

Total was 31ks in 2:41:18. Average pace of 5:12 per klm. Striders H5 with 10ks of bush and plenty of stairs,and humidity didn't help the speed today.

MLR 20ks

24 degrees. 45k wind gusts, 60% humidity.
Ran from work up through Kensington meeting Kanser along Anzac Pde as I went. Then past the SCG, SFS, Fox Studios, Moore Park and Centennial Park and back to work.

Total was 20.1ks in 1:33:22. Average pace of 4:38 per klm.

Downhill Reps 10 x 420m

Down the grass hill in Centennial Park from the Paddington gates.

Reps were 1:18, 1:19, 1:16. 1:15, 1:19, 1:18, 1:17, 1:20, 1:18, 1:17.

All done with about double the recovery back up the grass hill. Did a 1k warmup and a 1k cool down.

Getting easier to do as the quads don't feel so smashed afterwards.

Manly to Warriewood 35ks

The race I was supposed to do at my Surf Club this morning was cancelled after all the competitors arrived. Bunch of idiots running that place. The surf was monstrous at sun down yesterday so how could it be flat today?

Due to that I drove back home and had to run on my own even though the Striders were at DY earlier. Frustrating.
Basically it was run up along Pittwater Rd to Warriewood and back. Hard work on the way back into a stiff southerly. 20 degrees and up to 40k wind gusts on the way back. A few hills but nothing like last week.

Total was 35ks in 2:48:17. Average pace of 4:48 per klm. Wasn't fun on the way back. Had trouble cracking 5 min ks.