Lang Rd 5x1k Reps

Hard work. 22 degrees, 20k winds and 55% humidity made it very unpleasant to run in.

Did a lap around Lang Rd and Cook Rd outside Centennial Park.

Reps were 3:41, 3:36, 3:31, 3:38, 3:34. All done with a 400m walk recovery.

A bit all over the place due to the wind and cars that seemed to love turning in front of me tonight.

15ks @ MP

Did two laps around Moore Park and a flat part of Centennial Park tonight. Really hard work in the wind that was blowing. 20k winds and up to 40k gusts didn't help when I had to run into it.
Meant I had to push hard with the tail wind to catch up.

Total was 15ks in 62:57. Just under 4:12 per k pace.

Should be ok for Melbourne I hope.

4x2k Reps

Ran a loop around Moore Park for these. Basically ran up Driver Ave past the SCG and SFS and then back down Anzac Pde. Then just jogged across to the start again.

Reps were 7:57, 7:52, 7:55, 7:44. All done with a 4 min jog recovery.

I was trying to keep the pace within about 10 secs of my Marathon pace for Melbourne. Ended up a bit too quick.

Middle Harbour Picnic STaR 29ks

Only the 4 of us this morning with Mark S, Al and Fats. With only Fats having done a half last weekend and the rest of us the Marathon for training. We are in fact all doing Melbourne so we could get a few "Go Striders" down in Mexico.

The run starts in Roseville and has a mean uphill for almost 3ks through Killarney Heights and Forestville before we run down along Wakehurst Parkway through a little bit of bush to Seaforth.

From there it is across the Spit Bridge and up hill to the top of Awaba St and down the steep downhill to Balmoral Beach. Then along the flat before we go up hill to Geirges Heights and back through Mosman shops.

Then along to Cremorne where we have a nice uphill again to Maccas and then back through Cammeray with more hills. Then on through Willoughby and Middle Cove to the finish at Roseville.

I think the run is H4 on the hills scale and with new Half PB man Fats leading it was hard work for me anyway.

Total was 29.6ks in 2:23:44. Average pace of 4:51 per klm. Not too bad with the long hills.

Moore Park 13ks

Legs felt very tired tonight. Not much energy and a nice sea breeze blowing as a head wind on the run up to the park didn't thrill me.

Total was 13.3ks in 1:04:20. Average pace of 4:50 per klm.

MLR 14ks

Legs felt a bit weary on the run tonight. Ran from work up and around Moore Park, SFS, SCG, Fox Studios and back to work.

Total was 14ks in 1:06:54. Average pace of 4:46 per klm. Almost the same as Sunday which is good.

Sydney Marathon 3:22:23

The intention was originally to do the Half but after City 2 Surf I looked to enter and they only had C start available which would have meant having to run through a lot of people. So I decided to do the full and use it as a training run for Melbourne in October which is much flatter.

I had a B start which effectively meant 3:45 hrs and slower which suited me as I was intending to run at 4:40/k pace for the race and walk through the drink stations.

Race went fine doing my 4:40/k splits and drinking and chatting to anyone I knew on the course. The 3:30 pacers Action and SuperSam I passed in the middle of the harbour bridge so just kept them at bay for the rest of the race.

The half was done in 1:39:11 and 402nd place on the net time. From then on it was just a matter of maintaining my pace which felt quite easy which meant passing a stack of people to the finish even with being 3 mins slower in the 2nd half in 1:42:20. Finished in 291st spot.

Gun time at the finish was 3:22:23.  Was the most fun I have had in a Marathon as I was just doing the training run. I'm sure some of the runners around me were getting pissed off when I would walk through a drink station and then catch back up again.

Onwards to Melbourne which should be a bit quicker. Might need to be as I enetered Rotterdam and told them to put me in the sub 3 hr start of which there is 3 of them but they want recent 2011 onwards proof that I should be there.
Rotterdam is a bit funny considering this year only 500 people ran sub 3 hrs out of 7000 runners. Lonely at the top!

Moore Park 11ks

Pretty windy tonight with a 30k Nor Easter blowing when I started out. Plus with 77% humidity it made the run seem harder than it was.
Ran from work up to Moore Park and back.
Total was 11ks in 50:47. Average pace of 4:37 per klm. Should do me for the Marathon on Sunday.

Manly 10ks

Along Manly beachfront up to and around Manly golf course and back. Felt humid and it was 68% but not cold. The sea mist was back though.

Total was 10ks in 44:02. Average pace of 4:24 per klm.

Cherrybrook Canter STaR 26ks

An H4 and a couple of ks of bush as well on this STAR. We had the local Chris Graham in attendance as well as Fats, Mark S, EJ, Ray and a new female.
With two sub 4 hr Six Footers in attendance I knew the hills would be fast on this STAR. I was dropped on the 1st uphill bush section which was about 12ks but luckily caught back up again soon after. I decided after 20ks of up and down hills. Mostly up that I had enough legs for Sydney Marathon next week and went short.
The run basically goes around West Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook, Thornleigh, Westleigh and Normanhurst finding every hill in the process.
Total was 26.8ks in 2:09:55. Average pace of 4:50 per klm.

Manly 11ks

Still 21 degrees even at 7:30pm. Still a bit windy as well. Felt very humid but actually wasn't at all.

Ran from home up to Queenscliff, around Manly Golf Club and back.

All up 11.1ks in 50:21. Average pace of 4:32 per klm.

MLR 21ks

From work up through Kensington and along Anzac Pde and Moore Park Rd around the SFS, SCG, Fox Studios, Moore Park and Centennial Park.

Weather was warm and windy. 23 degrees and 20k winds.

Total was 21ks in 1:38:08. Average pace of 4:40 per klm.

Centennial Park 15ks

A nice and warm 18 degrees still when I went for a run. It was a loop of Moore Park, SCG, SFS and Fox Studios and back to work.

Total was 15.35ks in 1:10:44. Average pace of 4:36 per klm.

Harbourside Hike STaR 29ks

Only 6 of us this morning including Springer and Fats. The run starts in Waverton and goes stunningly uphill through North Sydney to Cammeray. Which basically meant no easing into the STAR with the first 2 ks uphill. Oh the legs!
Then it was through Cammeray to St Leonards, Gore Hill, Lane Cove, Riverview, Longueville, Northwood, Greenwich, Greenwich Point, Wollstonecraft, Balls Head, Berry Island before the finish at Waverton.

H4 on the Striders hill scale meant lots of hills and 5ks of bush which Springer wasn't too fond of. Total was 29.2ks after we missed a turn at Greenwich point in 2:27:55. Average pace of 5:03 per klm.
Legs still feel beaten up.

Centennial Park 8ks

Lots of human traffic and a few horses as well getting in the way around Centennial Park early afternoon. Plus the winds were pretty strong as well.

Total was 8ks in 33:30. Average pace of 4:11 per klm.

Moore Park 15ks

Around Moore Park, SFS, SCG, Fox Studios and back to work. Strong NW wind blowing tonight. Feels like early summer.
Total was 15ks in 1:10:11. Average pace of 4:40 per klm.

You can do it Ewen. I'll be watching.

MLR 20ks

Loops around Centennial Park, Moore Park, SCG, SFS, and Fox Studios and then back to work. Pretty windy but the moon is getting brighter with a full moon on Saturday.

Total was 20.43ks in 1:34:51. Average pace of 4:38 per klm.

Moore Park 16ks

Ran from work up and around Moore Park, SCG, SFS and Fox Studios and then back to work.
Pretty windy tonight but with an almost full moon it made it easier to see.

Total was 16ks in 1:12:14. Average pace of 4:30 per klm.

Marathon Sneak Preview STaR 34ks

About 10 of us this morning up from the 3 of last week. We started at North Sydney Oval and ran down to the Bridge, across circular Quay, up Macquarie St and around Mrs Macquaries Point.

Then it was to centennial Park where we do a few loops in and out of the park to do some more punishment on the legs. Then back up Anzac Pde to Oxford St and then through Hyde Park and the CBD to the Rocks.

Followed Hickson Rd and around until we get near Barangaroo and a sniff of asbestos before doing a U turn and heading back to the Bridge and up the stairs from Argyle Cut and over the Bridge. Then a lovely uphill run from Milsons Point to North Sydney Oval to finish.

All up 34.2ks in 2:43:00. Average pace of 4:45 per klm. Hard run on the legs today.

Manly 8ks

Due to the thunderstorm last night I had decided not to run. So tonight it was a run along a very empty Manly Ocean front to Queenscliff lagoon and back.

All up 8ks in 34:14. Average pace of 4:16 per klm.