Manly 30ks

Had some work to do early morning so didn't head out till later. Kept the run local and flat.
Going around Manly, Queenscliff, Nth Manly, Brookvale and up to Dee Why. There was the hill to get up to Dee Why and back but apart from that pretty flat.

Nice day for a run mid winter. Total was 30.2ks in 2:25:58. Average pace of 4:50 per klm.

Moore Park 3 x 2.2ks

A circuit going from Lang Rd at the hordern pavilion up past the SCG, SFS, along Moore Park Rd and down the path along Anzac Pde.

Reps were 8:31(3:52/k), 8:14(3:44/k), 8:20(3:47/k). All down with a 4 min walk recovery in between.

Slower than I thought they would be. Couldn't have been warmed up enough for that first one.

Moore Park 14ks

12 Degrees. Warm night. No wind which was good.

Did a couple of laps around Moore Park, SCG, SFS and part of Centennial Park.

Total was 14.26ks in 1:05:24. Average pace of 4:35 per klm.

Felt much easier than recent runs.

City 2 Surf times

My Dirty dozen of races this year. Only missed in 2005 with a stress fracture. Doesn't make for good reading as I appear to be in a 5 year rut.

2002 - 93:54(No training)
2003 - 77:43
2004 - 62:52(Started running May)
2005 - DNS stress fracture
2006 - 58:05
2007 - 57:59(Very disappointed with this as I thought I was running well that year)
2008 - 75:40(Hadn't run since April due to PF)
2009 - 56:25
2010 - 55:05(With a net of 54:53 getting me my only preferred start for 2011)
2011 - 55:04(Net of 54:55. But Fairfax made preferred 52 for males in 2012 so back in the red)
2012 - 57:13
2013 - 59:21(Had a pain under my ribs hit me going up William St which didn't go away till HBH)
2014 - 61:33(Achilles and no training)

Plenty of excuses since 2011. Hopefully I can turn it around next year.

City 2 Surf 61:33

Wasn't expecting much from the race this considering how my training has been. Was still at the Red start at 6:15AM but the time went quickly anyway. We now start at 7:55AM instead of 8am? Stupid change by Fairfax.

William St was great leading Steve Jackson who I somehow passed even though he had preferred start. Lead him until he tugged on my singlet just before the road split for the tunnel. So maybe 700m I was in front. Had to make a pit stop at Rushcutters after waiting for 2 hrs at the front of the red group. Bit hard to sneak out and be let back in.

I was really bad on any little hill and felt the whole field go past me up to Edgecliff. Caught a few back on the downhill into Double Bay but was then passed again up the hill to Cranbrook. Started sweating a lot as I was on the edge of my fatness through Rose Bay. Turns out it was only 50% humidity and it was just me. Bugger.

Got to the 5k flag in 22 mins. Forgot to change the garmin which was beeping like Timmy at Mile markers. More people went past me on the flat to the bottom of heart break. The hill was a struggle with all the extra weight I had on me. Apparently according to Fairfax I was in 2648th spot at the bottom and 2834th at the top. Didn't think that many passed me but based on chips they can start at anytime and are not actually running with me.

As I turned at the dead heart of Dover Heights I was feeling better with to downhills coming and motored past a few. Got taken back by a few later on up to the 10k which I reached in 45 flat. Could be the Striders 45 min pacer next race. Hmm!

The downhills were coming and so was my speed cranking the pace up to 3:35/k at one point. Screamed to a halt trying to negotiate the crowds and small hill on Campbell Parade. Through to the finish where I managed a kick to finish in 61:33 and 2307th spot.
No paper this year from Fairfax the tight arses? Striders didn't have a tent so we all stood around getting photos and chats with Deek, Monners, Mottram and Pat Farmer.

Times off my watch that I usually take:
5k 22:00
6.2k 25:57(c2s time)
7.2k 32:34(HBH clock)
7.8k 34:26(c2s time)
10k 45:00
Finish 61:33(32:34/28:59) One of my best splits here of 3:35. Now if I can just get to the clock faster. I'm a gun after the Heart break hill clock. 2834th position at 7.8ks and finished in 2307. Passed 500.

Centennial Park 10ks

16 degrees at 7pm and 60% humidity. Felt worse.

Just an easy 10ks around Centennial Park, Moore Park, SCG, and SFS.

Total was 10ks in 44:21.

Hopefully not my pace for Sunday.

ES Marks 5 x 1k Reps

13 Degrees but dew forming on the infield by the time I finished. Just felt a lot colder at 8PM at night. Clear skies and no wind.

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

Plenty to chase on the track tonight so they were faster than last week,

Reps were 3:48, 3:48, 3:38, 3:38, 3:40. All done with a 200m walk recovery.

Might have blown your $50 Ewen. But then if my lungs feel like racing I could go faster on Sunday.

State short course X-C 7.5ks

Upjohn Park at Rydalmere for a Saturday afternoon race. Nice dry course due to the lack of rain in Sydney. Got a bit dusty in some spots when the wind blew though.

Struggled around the 3 laps with my splits of 11:00, 22:48 and finish in 34:02.
Not unexpected it would be that slow.

Plenty of Striders out running as well. With Andrew Tuckey winning the 35-39 age group and top ten overall. Must be HuRT's number 1 at C2S now. Although Tim Lindop will probably know better.

Hill Reps 3 x 1.1k

Not a lot of time tonight with end of month. Couldn't run last night as I was waiting on a phone call that never came.

Ran on the grass up Lang Rd to Moore Park Rd and back down.

Reps were 5:48, 5:52, 5:49.

ES Marks 5 x 1k Reps

2k warm up before hand and a 2k cool down afterwards.
Nothing felt good tonight. Felt like I was running in mud and just couldn't get any go forward in the legs.
Could be the lack of training though?

Reps were 3:58, 3:58, 4:00, 3:54, 3:57. All done with a 200m walk recovery. Slowest in years. Although I could do with a 4 min k pace at C2S would give me a 56.

Centennial Park 2 hours

Woke up a bit late so didn't start until 7am. 9 degrees at the start which was good for singlet weather in the park.
Did a couple of laps of Timmy's 10k loop and then another lap inside the park on the grass.
Plenty of people out in the sun this morning.

Have CT's 40th glam rocker party tonight. AKA livin' in the 70's. Should be fun.

Total was 25ks in 2 hrs. Average pace of 4:48 per klm.

Hill Reps 3 x 1.1k

Lord of fatness running up hills. Can't say it was fun. Wasn't even very steep and had some flat and downhill in it as well.
Ran up a grass hill beside Centennial Park. Basically up Lang Rd to Moore Park.

Reps were 5:54, 5:48, 5:56. All done with a jog recovery back down again. Nothing flash about them.

Monday Long Run 22ks

Sunday became Monday after sleeping in. And then my Surf Club AGM and beers put paid to the afternoon run.

Ran from work at Banksmeadow up to Fox Studios and back. Hard run. Lots of side streets and cars. Plus plenty of dark spots to fall over in.

Total was 22ks in 1:49:30. Just scraped under 5 min k pace which was ok. Felt slow at times but I had a lot of stopping to do with lights, people and streets.

Moore Park 12ks

11 Degrees but felt like 8 with 50k wind gusts. No-one out running as it was a Friday night.

Couple of laps around Moore Park and past the SCG and SFS.

Total was 12.2ks in 56:22. Average pace of 4:37 per klm.

Moore Park 12ks

Stuck at work last night so couldn't go for a run. Rained for awhile anyway so it didn't bother me at all.

Ran a couple of laps around Moore Park and past the SFS and SCG.

Total was 12.2ks in 56:32. Average pace of 4:38 per klm. Slightly faster than Monday.

I was looking for you at the 10k turnaround Ewen but was a bit hard with the big crowd. Maybe next month at Bondi? Which I assume you are coming up for?

Moore Park 12ks

Warm at 7pm. 13 degrees and 82% humidity with the cloud cover. Wondered why I was sweating so much.

Around Moore Park and past the SCG and SFS.

12.2ks in 56:50. Average pace of 4:39 per klm.  Achilles felt ok.

Gold Coast Half Marathon 1:33:48

Nothing to write home about with my lack of training. My head thought I could run faster but my body said no.
Caught the plane up Saturday with Moh Alkhub on board. Caught the bus to the convention centre to get our numbers as well and then the bus into the accommodation. We were staying at different places.

Up at the god awful time of 4am for the 6am start of the half. Had to catch the bus near the hotel arriving about 5:15. Met up with a few Striders and left my bag at the tent.

Start in the dark and I knew in the 1st k I would struggle to hold the pace I wanted. After that just tried to hold 4:30/k pace.
The organisers heard my whinging from last year and put in a 10k split mat. Very good.

Great weather for the race. Big crowds and the Australian all comers marathon record was broken as well as the course PB in the men's. Deek had the all comers since 82 Comm Games.

Splits were:

10k - 44:00(4:24/k)
20k - 1:29:03(4:27/k)
Finish - 1:33:48(4:26/k)

Finished on net time 611 out of 8572. So still top 10%. I thought more had beaten me than that.

My race positions were good. 612 at 10k, 612 at 20k and 611 at the finish. I know plenty passed me after the 10k mark but between 15k and the finish I was obviously reeling them back in to grab 1 spot. Yeehah!

Moore Park 10ks

10ks around Moore Park area. Nothing too hard and took it easy.

10ks in 46:35.

Warmer than last night.

5k @ RP

13 Degrees and a bit windy. Felt colder but wasn't too bad. Must have been the CO2 fumes keeping me warm.

Did a couple of laps around Driver Ave, Moore Park and Anzac Pde.

5ks in 19:27. Not sure I can keep up that pace for another 16ks. Probably blow up after 5 and struggle home on Sunday.

Sir Joseph Banks Park 11ks

Not far from work to this park. In the old sand hills and swamps of botany bay near the airport.

Did a couple of laps on the grass, scrub and paths of the park.

Total was 11.1ks in 51:28. Average pace of 4:38 per klm.

Even in the wind it felt faster than during the week which is good.