ES Marks 6 x 1k Reps

Thankfully not as crowded as last night, but still about 50 out running which meant lots of overtaking.

Reps were consistently boring: 3:29, 3:27, 3:26, 3:26, 3:26, 3:29. All done with a 200m walk recovery.
Did a 2k warm up and 2k cool down.
Still was pretty windy around one side.

ES Marks 3k TT

Remind me next time I want to run on a Wednesday night at Moore Park not to. Turned up to find about a hundred Can Too Runners, another group of about 40, plus a tri squad running of about a dozen more. Thought it was William St on the 2nd sunday in august there was that many people.

Did a 2k warmup which was a challenge with no room to move.

Was hoping to run 10:30 for the 3k but that went out the window in the 1st k going through that in 3:40. Pulled it back on the other two running 3:35 and 3:35, which had me finishing at 10:50.

At least they were close in time splits and I didn't have a blow out. But a bit too slow for my liking.

River Run STaR 25ks

Arrived late this morning at a STaR I have only run once. It was dark and raining. Was told by the hosts there were about 6 at 6:20 so just go up this other road and you should find them.
Turns out I didn't find them but John Binfield who arrived before me but missed the 6:20 group as well found me after 3ks. So we ran together getting lost and trying to read the map in the dark.

The STaR has about 40 street turns on it during the whole run which makes it hard to follow in the dark at the start. Run starts in Putney and goes through Tennyson, Henley, Huntleys Point, Gladesville, a bit of bush through the field of Mars which was very muddy and soon to flood from the look of the creek we ran over. Then John and I went short through Denistone, West Ryde, where the 6:20 group caught us, and back through Meadowbank to the finish.

Didn't rain during the run but did as soon as we finished. Total was 25.2ks in 2:12:15.

State Longcourse XC 52:06 = PB

Found out on Thursday that the course had been changed. The big hill at the back of the course had been changed to a couple of shorter up and down hills instead. Probably made the course faster for me at least. Not sure about other runners.
Was supposed to rain heaps on the coast but due to driving to Nowra I missed all the Sydney rain until I came back into some real heavy stuff at Sutherland.
Course had a couple of small mud spots but was otherwise dry until I had rain for a couple of minutes at the 11k mark. Nothing heavy.

Splits were 3:40- 1k, 7:58- 2k, 16:41- 4k(1st lap), 20:55- 5k, 34:30(2nd lap 17:49), 52:06(3rd lap 17:36).

Always go too hard on this course at the start. Must be the rush to get to the hills. PB by 1:53 over last years 53:59. Was hoping to run the 2nd and 3rd laps closer to the 1st but to no avail.

ES Marks 4 x 1k Reps

Not looking forward to Nowra at all Ewen. You know that hill is coming 3 times and you can't get away. Hopefully I'll run a bit better than last year.

ES Marks track was pretty crowded so had to do lots of passing.

Reps were 3:28, 3:25, 3:24, 3:25. All done with a 200m walk recovery. Felt like I had a headwind going both sides of the track.
Did a 3k warmup as I felt cold before hand.

ES Marks Track 2k\1.6k\1.2k\800\400

Missed the showers as none fell during the session just before and after.
Fairly wet track though. Some of those runners wear very squeaky shoes. The racing flats I use have no rubber so I could sneak up past everyone.
Did a 2k warmup before hand.

Reps were:
2k - 7:34(3:47/k)
1.6k - 5:54(3:41/k)
1.2k - 4:20(3:36/k)
800m - 2:46(3:27/k)
400m - 1:17(3:12/k)
Total 6k in 21:51(3:38/k)

All done with a 200m walk recovery. That first recovery was hard between the 2 and 1.6k. But the others were easier.

ES Marks 6 x 1k Reps

Not an easy night to run on the track, 20k winds and gusts up to 30ks. Still plenty of people on the track and the slow ones insisting they should run in lane 1.

Reps were 3:31, 3:29, 3:31, 3:28, 3:27, 3:30. All done with a 200m walk recovery.

Did a 2k warm up and a 2k cool down.

MLR 16ks

Cool start tonight only 13 degrees. Colder when the wind blew as well. At least the rain had stopped.

Ran from work up to Centennial Park, around Moore Park, SFS, SCG and back to work.

All up 16ks in 1:12:20. Average pace of 4:31 per klm. Felt good.

ES Marks 6 x 1k Reps

I don't know, was it the chasing chicks around the track that did it?
My legs don't feel recovered from Sundays Nightmare but something pushed me faster tonight.

Reps were 3:32, 3:27, 3:25, 3:21, 3:23, 3:28. All done with a 200m walk recovery. Did a 2.4k warm up and a 2k cool down to finish.

Might run ok at Mini mos 10k on Sunday.

Newport Nightmare STaR 29ks

Have to love a star map that says "The Full Catastrophe!" on the instructions. That just means a really hard run.
Starts at Newport Beach and goes straight up to Bilgola Plateau via the inland route. That meant straight up for 2ks with John Binfield and Nigel streeting me up the hills. Finally get some down but then it is up and down through Clareville on the Pittwater side before we reach the flat of Careel Bay and Avalon.

Then it was up to Palm Beach along the Pittwater side, where we continued past the golf course and did a run on the sand up to the lighthouse. Too many stairs here.
Back down and the race for home was on via the Ocean side of Palm beach, Whale beach, Avalon, Bilgola to the finish.

Hasn't been run since 2009 apparently. Bit of a mystery on whether it is H4 or H5.
Total was 29.2ks in 2:33:31. Average pace of 5:15 per klm. Very slow so I'm going for H5.

Drove up to Palmy afterwards as it was a great day for a swim. water still warm at 20 degrees.

ES Marks 6 x 1k Reps

Taken a while but finally back under 3:30 for 1k. At ES Marks track again tonight.
Had a young kid being coached as a walker who was in Lane 1. Seriously that coach doesn't give a shit about the rest of us.

Reps were 3:34, 3:33, 3:35, 3:33, 3:29, 3:31. All done with a 200m walk recovery.

MLR 15ks

A bit shorter run tonight as I wanted to get home to watch the Queenslanders get pounded, which they did.

Up to Centennial Park and around the SCG and SFS and back to work. All up 15ks in 1:10:30. Average pace of 4:42 per klm.

ES Marks 6 x 1k Reps

Interesting discussion tonight between Spot Anderson and Pete Spehr over who should run in lane 1 on a crowded track during training.
Spot says piss off and Pete says get your 6 min k runners out of lane 1. Went on for about 30 mins while I was going round in lane 1 passing the 6 min k runners and being passed by other faster ones.

Pete Spehr has a point as the Can Too groups always tell their people to go wide around the track unless they are doing 4 min k laps which 95% are not.
Doesn't worry me as I'll chase anyone around the track to get faster.

Reps were 3:35, 3:37, 3:37, 3:35, 3:31, 3:32. All done with a 200m walk recovery,

Not the Striders Tourist Trot STaR 31ks

No Tourists, No Striders,
The weather report for Timmy as I know he has trouble sticking his head out the window to look.

12 degrees at midday. 31k winds with gusts in the 60's and it rained until 2PM. Two thirds done by then but at least the wind dried by clothes out except for the shoes and socks.

Ran up to Centennial Park and did the Striders STAR course minus Blues Point and Woolloomooloo,

Didn't feel good after running past the circular quay and a Turkish protest as well. Legs were hurting badly from the rain.

Total was 31ks in 2:31:23. Average pace of 4:53 per klm. A few stairs and the wind slowed me up a bit.