MLR 15ks

Ran from work up to and around Centennial Park and Moore Park and then back to work.

Total was 15.2ks in 1:12:47. Average pace of 4:47 per klm.

Airport Adventure STaR 26ks

Starts in Kogarah and we go through Brighton, Kyeemagh, Monterey, Ramsgate beach, Dolls Point, Sandringham before crossing the Captain Cook bridge. Mark F and I were dropped by the group after about 10ks with the really flat track making the rest pickup there speed.

Then ran through Sylvania Waters and Sylvania before taking a bit of a short cut missing Sylvania heights in the process. Boring bit anyway. And I always run for the views! Then we crossed Tom Uglys bridge to Carss Park, Kogarah Bay, Beverley park, Ramsgate, Monterey and back to the finish at Kogarah.

Total was 26ks in 2:10.05. Average pace of 5 mins per klm. Bit slow for both of us with sore heels.

SMH Half Marathon 1:30:41

Had a preferred start again from the 85 flat from last year. Glad I didn't have to line up but I was there early enough that it would have only been 45 mins anyway.
Met a few of the HuRT's boys in the Domain. Many were heading to Actions' executive washroom but that was locked as I had walked past it earlier and had to use the usual Kennys port a loo.

Gun time was 1:30:41 for the 21.1k. Apparently 602nd out of 10,926.
10k split was 41:07 and 20k 85:37.
Not a good run. I liked the old 2 lap course better but Fairfax want to jam more and more onto the course so they changed it. They will probably have to change again for 2013 as the real building work on Barangaroo starts up. Wasn't my worst at SMH as I have run a couple injured or after injury.

ES Marks track 5x1k Reps

Felt a bit stiff in the legs tonight before starting so the warmup was a bit longer 2.4ks. One more lap.

Reps were 3:30, 3:31, 3:30, 3:31, 3:34. All done with a 200m walk recovery.

Plenty of fast runners on the track that I tried to chase. Don't think it worked. Did a 2k cool down after finishing.
SMH Half on Sunday. Probably my last preferred start for this race. With Fairfax's form with C2S they will probably hack the times for the half as well for next year.

MLR 13ks

Very easy run from work up and around Centennial Park via Moore Park Rd and Anzac Pde. Not many out running tonight at all. Wasn't even cold.

Total was 13.1ks in 1:04.00. Average pace of 4:53 per klm.

Mothers Day Classic 8k

Wasn't sure I should be racing when the cold is still hanging around. A cool and windy start this morning in Sydney. 13 degrees but it felt colder in the shade.
Plenty of pink out in the Domain and I felt out of place in Striders Green.
Watched the 1st k of the 4k race and then ventured over to the start on Macquarie St. The course was starting at Martin Place on Macquarie St and going down to William St with the turn almost at the intersection then back down Art Gallery Rd the wrong direction to normal traffic and back up to St James place outside the Mint for the turn to the 2nd lap.

Lined up on the front line as there didn't seem to be too many quick ones running that I would slow up. The 1st k was pretty average going through on 3:39 but from there the lungs didn't help with the breathing too much.
Came through the 4k in 16:07(edit) which I was hoping for a lot faster. Managed on the 2nd lap to catch the 3rd woman and only missed out on getting the 2nd woman by a few hundred metres. Chloe Tighe the female winner was probably a k up the road when I finished. Michael Prince won the mens.

Finished in 32:12(edit) according to my watch. Apparently I only recorded at the 4k mark but since I know who I passed running to the finish including beating one guy in a sprint to line I've adjusted the time. Plenty of dodging was needed on the 2nd lap as we came up behind the slow runners still on the 1st lap. I think some of them do forget that there is a 4 and 8k walk that they can do.

A good morning anyway. Was talking to 2nd place Michelle Chadwick who is coached by Sean Williams and almost had her convinced to join Striders and run at 6:20am. She is trying for a sub 3hr marathon.

ES Marks 6x1k Reps

Hottest May day in 70 years at 29 degrees today. Of course I run at night so a bit cooler.
Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down after finishing. Although I didn't cool down that much as it was still warm.

Reps were- 3:33, 3:29, 3:35, 3:35, 3:36, 3:33. All done with a 200m walk recovery.

Doing the Mothers Day 8k in the Domain this year. 2 laps of part of the SMH Half course. Although we go down Art Gallery Rd in reverse to the usual driving way. I think that way is easier as it doesn't have that nasty short steep hill before the Art Gallery. Should be fun with all the pink out.

MLR 15ks

Getting over the cold I have had for a week. Still feeling it in the lungs though which doesn't help the breathing when I'm running.
Ran from work up and around Centennial Park via Moore Park Rd and Anzac Pde with a loop around Robertson Rd on the way back to work.

All up 15.22ks in 1:13:30. Average pace of 4:49 per klm.

MLR 13ks

It was supposed to rain this afternoon but all we had was cloud with nothing attached.
Ran from work up to Centennial Park and did a lap of the park via Moore Park Rd and Anzac Pde and back to work.
All up 13.1ks in 1:03:18. Average pace of 4:49 per klm.

ES Marks 6x1k Reps

At ES Marks track tonight. Not as many people as last Tuesday but still good groups I could chase around the track.
Did a 2k warmup before starting.
Reps were 3:30, 3:34, 3:33, 3:29, 3:25, 3:31. Did a 2k cool down after finishing.

Some girls from the Lingerie Football League were parading around the track tonight. Made for a good viewing night.

Aths NSW Novice 10k

The Athletics NSW Novice race was run down at Ramsgate as per the norm for the last 70 years. This year was the 100th year of the male novice race. The women apparently only became Novice's in the 70's.

The race was two big laps of 3k and then 2 small laps of 2k on mostly grass, dirt and sand. A bit of mud this year but nothing really bad. Legs still don't have much pace and I do hate the course even withput hills.

Time was 42:01 for the 10k which probably wasn't anyway as the Garmin said 9.85k. So I ran even worse.
State 10k road on sunday will be much better.

Tom was 3rd overall so he is now banned from Novice. And in the teams the Striders A team was 1st. The B, C and D teams in the males were all actually 1st but I think they only count down to A and B?

ES Marks 8x400m Reps

Not as many people at the track as on Tuesday night but still good numbers for me to chase around.
Did a 2k warmup before starting and a 2k cool down afterwards.

Reps were 74, 78, 76, 76, 77, 79, 76, 77. All done with a 200m walk/jog recovery. Probably more walking than jogging though.
Finish with a 200m rep in 31 seconds which wasn't fun.

MLR 13KS

Very windy today. I ran from work late morning up to Centennial Park. I had intended to run in the park but the lineup of cars and people had the place looking like a zoo so I stayed around the outside fence.

Plenty of people going to the Roosters V Dragons match at the SFS as well getting in the way down Anzac Pde. After that it was back to work for a short run as the legs didn't feel like doing much.

Total was 13.1ks in 1:03:40. Average pace of 4:51 per klm.

ES Marks 5x1k Reps

Pretty windy around the track tonight. Lots of people running including about 100 from Spot Andersons Bondifit squads.
Did a 2k warmup and a 2k cool down after finishing.

Reps were 3:35, 3:50, 3:41, 3:40, 3:37. All done with a 200m walk recovery. Legs felt really heavy which I guess is reasonable after doing a 50k race 9 days ago.

Canberra 50k- 3:52:51

My 50k PB had been niggling at me since 2007 when I discovered that Action had a time only 1 sec faster than my PB. If I had checked in 2007 before the race I might have run a bit faster doing the last 7.8ks.

I only decided in January that I would enter the 50k at Canberra. With limited training due to work and an achilles injury I entered the 50k getting a seeded start in the process with my name on the bib. First time ever.

I started the race with only 4 runs over 30ks which is not ideal for a marathon let alone an extra 20% afterwards. The conditions were good on the day and I thought I might be able to run another sub 3hr marathon as well. But that went out the window early when I realised my endurance wasn't up to scratch.

I went through the marathon in 3:12:37 which wasn't too bad as my last one in Sydney 2011 had been 3:31 in the heat finishing in 134th spot. I kept going to the first drinks table on the ultra which is just up the hill from the finish. I questioned at that point why had I entered the 50k. I figured then I couldn't DNF with my name on the bib so kept going.
The Ultra is always fun as going along the bike path everyone yells out to each other to keep going even if we don't know each other. A special club!

I finished in 3:52:51 for 14th overall. Just missed the PB. The worst part is that the time of Action's I wanted to beat was set in the 45-49 age group so he will still be ahead of me. Bugger.
Great to see everyone in Canberra again. Including Ewen, Ray James, Colin, Kanser and Timmy.
Thanks for the support.
Just realised that I have run Canberra 4 times entering the Ultra 3 times. I must be mental.

9ks with 5k at Marathon Pace

Along Manly beach front in the southerly. Nice wind but the pollen in the air isn't helping my breathing this week.

9ks total with 5ks at Marathon Pace of 21 mins. Easy. Just have to get through the 50k now.

Homebush Hustle STaR 16ks

Playing 7am host this morning with mainly the MTG for company with Horrie leading the group for their last run together before Canberra.

We started in Concord and ran over to the Olympic site and down to Homebush wharf. Then back up to the Sydney super dome/acer arena/allphones arena before heading along the Striders Homebush 10k course to the sandpit. We had to jump the fence as it was blocked off for the horses to play on for the Easter Show. From there it was through the Bicentennial Park mangroves and back along the road to finish at Concord.

Slow pace due to playing 7am host but it did get faster the last 4ks. Total was 16.37ks in 1:32:54. Average pace of 5:40 per klm.
Nice morning for a run with Easter eggs from the host afterwards. Happy Easter!

40mins in Centennial Park

The running track was so busy that I took to the dirt track inside of the horse track for a run today. Even that had plenty of people out running.

Total was 8.5ks in 40:39.

Hope so Ewen.

ES Marks Track 2k,1.6k,1.2k,800m,400m

Legs didn't feel good from the word go tonight. A long day at work and hurting my back as well didn't help.
Reps were 7:30(2k), 5:50(1.6k), 4:24(1.2k), 2:45(800m), 1:17(400m). All done with a 400m walk recovery except between the 800 and 400 where I only did 200m recovery.

Speed was 3:45/k, 3:38/k, 3:40/k, 3:26/k, 3:12/k. Could have been faster but I was buggered.

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

One Hour

Ran for an hour along Manly beach front and up to Manly Golf Club and did a couple of laps around the club which is just over 2.5ks per loop. After that it was back home again along the beach.
Good seeing conditions with the almost full moon tonight. Pretty windy and humid though.

Total was 12.75ks in 1hr. Average pace of 4:42 per klm.