We had planned a full weekend at Canberra but unfortunately I had to rush to a job at Tallowa Dam. Fortunately I still made it to Canberra by 4pm to see Monica and Greg and Heidi run in the 10k. Monica and Heidi struggled a bit and later that night Monica had a few fainting spells.
We had a very pleasant dinner with the Leamons on Saturday night, eating Thai take away. I slept very soundly. Got up at 5.45am and dressed, ate some porridge, guzzled some water and went back to bed for another precious 10 minutes sleep.
Ran down at 6.30 to the start and met up with Mike K who looked in good shape. Weather was perfect. Cool but clear and calm. Soon after the start I was able to settle in to 4.10 pace and as usual the first 10k I felt like a slug. I did the first 10k in 41.xx and the the half in 87. 30. All felt good.
I took a gu at 10k and 20k and sucked glucoden all the way. At the 25k mark Wayne Gregory caught me up and I ran on his heels until Cowbell corner where he kicked away. During the next 5k quite a few people overtook me which I thought was odd as I had maintained the same pace, getting to 30k in 2h 6min. That left me 54 minutes to do 12k if I wanted to go under 3 hours. MMMM....4.5min/k I should be able to do that shouldn't I?
Yes i should have. But in the end I came in at 3.03.xx. I came in with way too much energy. I clearly needed a little more moral fortitude and better pacing in the last 12k's. On the positive side it was a one minute PB and I never felt that i was going to hit the wall like at Gold Coast last July. Note for next time, don't fear the wall so much that you fail to challenge yourself in the last 12k.
After saying Hi to the family I ran back 4k to find Mike who surprisingly was suffering badly. I jogged back to the finish with him, hoping that my encouragement was a help, but he was in a bad way. Disappointing for him as he had put in a lot of training, and seemed very well prepared..
After the marathon I didn't feel particularly tired and so we all went to the markets at Kingston for a few hours. I must have walked another 42k! We had a great lunch with the Leamons including prawns and dips from the markets and an excellent dessert wine from the Snowy Mountains with some Baklava. Then I had a nap for a couple of hours and had to drive home.
Next day the DOMS was minor and on Tuesday morning I was able to go for a brisk 10k Golf course run with Heidi. By Wednesday all soreness was gone. I had a very fast 10k on the Golf Course Thusday, and finally on Saturday morning I ran a very satisfying Anzac Day special. From Home to Cape Banks, Henry Head, Browns Rock, Congwong Beach, Lap circuit, Up Anzac to Bueachamp (taking the line challenge along Anzac) and then my best ever run up Broome St, along the bay up Howe St and home. Very pleasing effort. All up 1hr 50min.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Lead up to Canberra Marathon
I managed to keep the interval sessions up and ran the shortened Vaucluse Variation star on 12th April. This is a fantastic course, hilly but very scenic. I also had what I rate as my worst run ever on the Friday before. I went to run down to Cape Banks, but after a promising first k, all I could do is stumble along and often walk. Oh well. So in the week before the marathon I decided to eat red meat which I did each night. I also rested with just a few light runs.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Ten Bridges Classic Star Sun 4/4/09
Lapa intervals and tempo runs throught the week plus a couple of good bike sprints with Graeme through the week.
On Sat 3rd it was Striders 10k at Lane Cove, which I was able to run comfortably in 39m26s which is a course PB of 10 secs and 46secs faster than 2 months ago.
Sun 4th was the 10 Bridges Star, which I started out slowly behinf the pack but was able to hold on to finish with the faster runners and still fell comfortable. Time overall 2h 12 min. Distanc3 29.5k.
On Sat 3rd it was Striders 10k at Lane Cove, which I was able to run comfortably in 39m26s which is a course PB of 10 secs and 46secs faster than 2 months ago.
Sun 4th was the 10 Bridges Star, which I started out slowly behinf the pack but was able to hold on to finish with the faster runners and still fell comfortable. Time overall 2h 12 min. Distanc3 29.5k.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Tallowa Weekend 28/29 March
On Tuesday I ran intervals solo at Pioneer Park and Wednesday it was a MLR of Lapa circuit. Thu 10 intervals at Laperouse with Heidi.
Then on Friday it was off for an emergency job at Tallowa Dam. This meant staying at the Golf club 19k from the dam. So next morning I got away at 5.40am in the absolute pitch dark. It was very still and quiet. The road is lined with tall forest and the only light came from the brilliance of the Milky Way.
I had no torch but I could just make out the white lines down the centre of the road. So I figured, what could be on the middle of the road, and just started running into the darkness. It was like some sort of boundless isolation booth. Gradually I settled into a quick pace, and soon the rhythm of my feet became all I was aware of until... something very very close by let out a tremendous GROWL. It felt like it came from just metres away.
Whoa, I have never stopped so suddenly in my life. Cluthching my penis to stop from wetting myself, I stood very, very still. What the hell was that! Not a dog, not a bull, ...I couldn't see anything just blackness. In my imagination I saw shapes all about me...was that a big roo standing in front of me? I thought about the old saying "a man alone is in bad company"
After several minutes of total stillness, I started to walk, then run. I never did find out what it was, but it was not happy!
The sky did not lighten till about 6.15, by which time I was up on the plateau and could see the peaks on the other side of the valley starting to appear. I let out a Coo-ee and was rewarded with a sensational echo from many kilometres away. This was turning into a great run. Then as the stars were beginning to fade a very bright meteor came down across the sky.
Eventually in full daylight I made it to the final steep 2.5k descent to the dam and ran down it flat out. At this point I noticed that my left foot was hurting. Arrived at the dam feeling pretty good overall at 7.03. Average pace 4.3min/km.
In the afternoon, I ran up Mt Scanzi which has the most wonderful views. My left foot had become very sore so I took it very slowly.
No run on Sunday as I decided to give the foot a rest, plus I had to go to work all day.
Then on Friday it was off for an emergency job at Tallowa Dam. This meant staying at the Golf club 19k from the dam. So next morning I got away at 5.40am in the absolute pitch dark. It was very still and quiet. The road is lined with tall forest and the only light came from the brilliance of the Milky Way.
I had no torch but I could just make out the white lines down the centre of the road. So I figured, what could be on the middle of the road, and just started running into the darkness. It was like some sort of boundless isolation booth. Gradually I settled into a quick pace, and soon the rhythm of my feet became all I was aware of until... something very very close by let out a tremendous GROWL. It felt like it came from just metres away.
Whoa, I have never stopped so suddenly in my life. Cluthching my penis to stop from wetting myself, I stood very, very still. What the hell was that! Not a dog, not a bull, ...I couldn't see anything just blackness. In my imagination I saw shapes all about me...was that a big roo standing in front of me? I thought about the old saying "a man alone is in bad company"
After several minutes of total stillness, I started to walk, then run. I never did find out what it was, but it was not happy!
The sky did not lighten till about 6.15, by which time I was up on the plateau and could see the peaks on the other side of the valley starting to appear. I let out a Coo-ee and was rewarded with a sensational echo from many kilometres away. This was turning into a great run. Then as the stars were beginning to fade a very bright meteor came down across the sky.
Eventually in full daylight I made it to the final steep 2.5k descent to the dam and ran down it flat out. At this point I noticed that my left foot was hurting. Arrived at the dam feeling pretty good overall at 7.03. Average pace 4.3min/km.
In the afternoon, I ran up Mt Scanzi which has the most wonderful views. My left foot had become very sore so I took it very slowly.
No run on Sunday as I decided to give the foot a rest, plus I had to go to work all day.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Jenolan Weekend 21/22 March 2009
Ron's 60th birthday! Yvette organised a great weekend at the Jenolan cottages. Arrived about 10pm on Friday night. Up about 6.30 and went for a pleasant 10k run down Kanangra road. Very peaceful, many Lyrebirds leapt out of the bush and scurried across the road as I passed by. Ran up the Oakey camp road and checked it out for a bushwalk later in the day.
About midday we drove to the Oakey camp road and with a whole mob we walked down the ridge from Oakey Camp to Jenolan. Navigation wasn't a high priority and we came down the wrong ridge, but it turned out very well, because we ended up coming over the ridge on top of the Grand Arch. Something I have always wanted to do.
Afterwards I took the Pepsi Cola challenge and ran from Caves house back up the hill 6k to the cabins. Its a big hill and I was please to be able to run it without stopping, and sprint when I got to the plateau.
Later I played a very feisty game of touch with Rohan, Geoffery and Alana. This was followed by a magnificent BBQ where we celebrated Ron's birthday.
Enjoyed an extraordinary sunset from the cabins. The view looked straight back to Narrowneck and the Six Foot Track.
Next morning I ran through the pine plantation to the west of the cabins. There were many special moments on this run. Including the encounter with a tame wallaby and its joey, and then the eerie run through the pine plantation with its total silence, before emerging into a big clear felled area around a creek bed.
When we drove home we unfortunately hit a huge traffic jam from Katoomba to Lawson. One very funny thing happened on the weekend. After I got back from the walk to Oakey Camp, I realised the car key wasn't in my camel back. Uh Oh. So what followed was a series of phone calls to Honor in Sydney to try and arrange a spare key, or a hire car. That turned out to be very difficult. So on Sunday morning I went to have a look for it, not thinking that I had much hope....but I found it immediately, sitting on the drivers seat of the unlocked car! D'OH.
About midday we drove to the Oakey camp road and with a whole mob we walked down the ridge from Oakey Camp to Jenolan. Navigation wasn't a high priority and we came down the wrong ridge, but it turned out very well, because we ended up coming over the ridge on top of the Grand Arch. Something I have always wanted to do.
Afterwards I took the Pepsi Cola challenge and ran from Caves house back up the hill 6k to the cabins. Its a big hill and I was please to be able to run it without stopping, and sprint when I got to the plateau.
Later I played a very feisty game of touch with Rohan, Geoffery and Alana. This was followed by a magnificent BBQ where we celebrated Ron's birthday.
Enjoyed an extraordinary sunset from the cabins. The view looked straight back to Narrowneck and the Six Foot Track.
Next morning I ran through the pine plantation to the west of the cabins. There were many special moments on this run. Including the encounter with a tame wallaby and its joey, and then the eerie run through the pine plantation with its total silence, before emerging into a big clear felled area around a creek bed.
When we drove home we unfortunately hit a huge traffic jam from Katoomba to Lawson. One very funny thing happened on the weekend. After I got back from the walk to Oakey Camp, I realised the car key wasn't in my camel back. Uh Oh. So what followed was a series of phone calls to Honor in Sydney to try and arrange a spare key, or a hire car. That turned out to be very difficult. So on Sunday morning I went to have a look for it, not thinking that I had much hope....but I found it immediately, sitting on the drivers seat of the unlocked car! D'OH.
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