More Barefoot Recovery.

MONDAY 28/2/05, 6.15PM- 10.5K

Woke up after 7 hour sleep feeling damned ordinary and had a fairly stressful day at work. Felt like going home afterwards but instead laced up the shoes and run from the office up to Dunbar again.

As soon as I started running I was moving quite well. It was sunny and 22 degrees but there was a cool north easterly breeze. Arrived up at Dunbar and ran 5.2K on the track (13 laps), moving well with little effort. Calves a little sore and I did get a spasm in my hamstring just after I changed direction at halfway which lasted a bit over one lap.

2.7K to Dunbar @ 4.56min/km
5.2K barefoot on grass @ 4.30
2.7K back to the office @ 4.47

3K TT tomorrow apparently.

Long Hills.

SUNDAY 27/2/05, 6AM- 25K

On a foggy, drizzly lower mountains morning I met Sarge, Yurtie and Poider for some hilly running on the Grose Head South and Shaws Ridge trails.

We set off into the gloom for a 25 minute warmup through the bush to the foot of Bees Nest Hill. This climbs about 130m in 1.2K. We did 5 repeats of this hill, alternating running it all and walking. As we climbed each time, we could look around and see nearby treetops obscured by mist. On the last rep we ran out to Grose HEad South lookout, which normally gives a splended view of the Grose River Gorge looking across towards Kurrajong, but today there was nothing but a grey wall of fog that it seemed you could reach out and touch, whilst still being able to hear the roar of the river.

Didn't feel too sharp- on the running reps Sarge managed to pull away from me each time.

We finished the run by returning to the trailhead via Shaws Ridge, which has one final climb of about 100m in about 1.5K. Managed to hang onto Sarge most of the way.

I love running trails in these conditions. Fantastic, if only I'd felt a little sharper.

February Bay Challenge 5K.

SATURDAY 26/2/05, 7.15AM- 11K (1K warmup, 5K race, 5K warmdown)

23 degrees and 88% humidity at the start. Yuck.

Reasonably happy with how this went. It would have been nice to break my PB from November (19.43) but the 1K reps I ran on Thursday suggested it would be marginal. Given recent pyrotechnic displays by myself and others over this course, I wanted to run spot on 4 min/km for the first 3.5-4km then kick and see what worked out.

Blue Dog led the sub 20 bus expertly through the first 4K as follows...

3.51
7.56
12.01
16.03

and he then dragged me and a few others through, I crossed in 19.51.

After the BBQ, jogged back to the start with Spud, Action, Prof and Colin @ 5.18min/km.

Really Easy...

FRIDAY 25/2/05, 8AM- 5K

Because of tomorrow's 5K Challenge I took it really easy today- 5K barefoot on grass before work in 24.32. It was 21 degrees but with a strong sun and over 90% humidity- the ground was covered in dew (interesting sensation underfoot) and the sweat was dripping off me within minutes. Calves still a bit sore. Hopefully this sort of running will toughen them up over the long term.

The Garmin returned a reading of 5.26K- the most accurate reading yet on this track, but still out by a fair way. It was spot on at the 1K, 30m ahead at 2K, 70m ahead at 3K, 120m ahead at 4K. The effect seems to be magnified as distance increases.

Now for the 5K at the Bay....

Like Old Times- Back to Timbrell.

THURSDAY 24/2/05, 6AM- 17K

After a lengthy warm up Action and I dropped into Timbrell Park for some reps with the boys. I did my old 5 x 1K session with 2 minutes walking recovery. Very sticky conditions- 20 degrees and 95% humidity. In fact, most of the park was shrouded in its own little fogbank.

My calves and soleus were still sore from yesterday's barefoot session, but the final result wasn't too bad....

3.50
3.50
3.49
3.49
3.49

which is one of the better outcomes I've ever produced for this session. (I think the best I ever managed was 3.48/3.46/3.45/3.49/3.50 or thereabouts, almost exactly 12 months ago.)

Followed by a warm down back along the dog loop.

Really easy short jog tomorrow then the 5K on Saturday. See if I can produce a respectable result there.

More Barefoot.

WEDNESDAY 23/2/05, 1PM- 10.5K

Slept in again (7 hours sleep) so at lunch I ran up to Dunbar and did 5K barefoot on the grass there and ran back, average pace for the run was 4.50min/km. Felt a little tired, calves a little achy too. This sort of run really works the lower legs. 26 degrees with fairly widespread cloud cover.

Looking at the Garmin data it seems to have problems measuring curves as the numbers it returns show a greater distance than the number of laps actually are. For example, 12.5 laps is really 5K but the Garmin said 5.4.

Quite enjoy the feeling of grass against bare feet. It's not as monotonous a run as I expect.

Hills Reps- a "Bollocks" Session.

TUESDAY 22/2/05, 12PM- 9K

Woke up this morning and it was light and I was clutching my phone- must have switched off the alarm and missed the usual Tuesday fun at Lilyfield Rd hill.

Emailed MPHaz who had also missed it and we arranged to do 15 minutes of 45 second hills at lunch, using the uphill between the speedbump and the rangers house on the LCNP course.

After a 4K warmup we got into it. Pushed pretty hard over the last few (Haz was chanting "bollocks session" between grunting and wheezing his way up the slope), then after 8 reps (15 mins) I insisted on one more, after which we both had to sit down for a little while to recover. Hard work. Walked to the top gates then jogged back to work.

24 degrees and cloudy- 66% humidity, but it felt muggier than that.

Barefoot Recovery Run.

MONDAY 21/2/05, 6.15PM- 11K

Slept in and had the usual Monday lunch meetings, so after work I ran up to Dunbar and did 13 laps of one of the outer laps of the grass track, barefoot, then back to work.

Sunny and 23 degrees.

I felt a little rough running up there but once I had the shoes off and was circling the track my pace picked up appreciably without much effort, but considerable changes in style which were still semi evident when I put the shoes back on and jogged back to the office. The breakdown is interesting...

To the track, 2.7K @ 5.15min.km
On the track, 5.6K @ 4.26min/km (!)
Back to the office, 2.7K @ 5.00min/km

Bit strange that I can do 5.6K barefoot on grass at 4.26s without pushing, then yesterday 10K on the road @ 4.15s is a supreme effort. Silly bloody sport.

Enjoyed the feeling of running barefoot on grass though, and shall do so a lot more often.

SMC 10K. Still not good.

SATURDAY 19/2/05, 11.30AM- 11K

Was up the mountains and the only time I could fit in a run was just before lunch in 31 C heat. Did the Shaws Ridge bush loop again in 1.04, 5.59min/km. Considerably slower than last week, which partly was explained by the conditions. Felt pretty wanky right from the start and improved a little as the run went on. Spent the whole afternoon and evening drinking water continuously.

SUNDAY 20/2/05, 7.30AM- 12K (10K race plus warmup)

21 degrees and 95% humidity but a cool southerly breeze. Went through 2.5K in 10.13, on pace for sub 41 but was already breathing too hard. Reached the turnaround in 20.55 and said out loud "ahh, shit"- no chance of a sub 41 now, and I wasn't feeling like I could hang on for sub 42 either. Eventually wheezed across the line in 42.31.

I found this result particularly depressing given Friday's workout indicated sub 41 was definitely on the cards, and because it pretty much rules out being in sub 3 marathon shape by July, given you need to be running a 38 minute 10K for that to be feasible. What happened, that I ran two minutes slower than I should have? Dunno. Got some thinking to do.

Rapped on the Pads, a Dot Ball, then a Square Cut...

WEDNESDAY 16/2/05, 5.45AM- 10K

Met Vat at the Rowers for another session of 3 x 3K bashing. When I got up (after 4 hours sleep) I felt distincly ordinary and I don't think he felt much better. Still, after 1K warmup we were into it.

I banged out the first rep in 12.13 (4.04 pace) but it felt much harder than it did last week- then I didn't feel like I'd exerted much at all. After 3 minutes recovery I set off in Vat's wake but felt distinctly crap- legs like planks of wood. I hit 1K in 4.10 and elected to stop. Jogged back to where I'd come from and gave myself a much longer recovery, rationalising that if I could at least run another quick 3K I'd have salvaged something from the session. However, I hit 1K in 4.14 on the last attempt and jogged slowly back to the Rowers from there. I was shattered for the rest of the day.

Vat hadn't done much better- died during his second rep and didn't start the third. We both figured we were still tired from our big Sunday, so I decided to take Thursday off so I could be fresh as possible for Friday's intervals and- most importantly- Sunday's SMC 10K.

FRIDAY 18/2/05, 5.45AM- 16K

After a 3K warmup, met Action and DJL for a session at Timbrell involving 1K, 500m, 1K, 500m, 1K, 500m with 60 second recoveries. We ran to Timbrell via the Dog Loop and got into it...

3.50
1.49
3.50
1.49
3.49
1.49

So I'm nothing if not consistent. Seems to show I'm over Wendesday's wobbles. I'd rate this the equivalent of running 5 x 1K with 2 minutes recovery (our old session at Timbrell) all in 3.50 or better, which I've only managed a couple of times.
We jogged back to Action's via the Dog Loop again.

Vat and Action reckon I'm a good show for sub 41 on Sunday. Not too confident of that myself, but a PB should definitely be in the offing unless conditions are awful.

A Different Sort of Hill Rep.

TUESDAY 15/2/2005, 5.45AM- 16K

Jogged to Stephen's this morning for a stupidly early session with him and Cam. After a warmup on the dog loop, we launched into 8 x 1 minute at Timbrell Park with 45 seconds standing recovery. Averaged around 300 metres for these. Then we trotted over to Robson Park for 4 x 30 seconds DOWNHILL on the grass there- the idea being the hills would really get the leg speed cranking. Averaged a tick under 200m for these. Jogged back to Stephen's via the dog loop, then a 3K walking warmdown.

TUESDAY 15/2/2005, 1PM

Rowed 7666m in 30 minutes in the gym feeling particularly wanky. Then 3 x 12 situps with a 20kg weight. My lower abs are decidedly weak- have to do something about this next.

The Equaliser

SATURDAY 12/2/05, 6PM- 11K

I was up the Blue Mountains today and managed to fit in a run on the Shaws Ridge trail before dinner. Clicked through at 5.15min/km and felt great, never pushed the pace at all- I was under 5min/km until I hit the mile-long big hill at the 5.5K point, where it blew out to 5.30 or so, was reeling that back in at the end. Just a really enjoyable bush run. Was looking forward to the Equaliser.

SUNDAY 13/2/05, 7AM- 14K

The Striders annual "cross country" (ie rocky, hilly bushtrack) 14K race was held on a cool, (17 C) drizzly morning.

Basically the course starts by dropping steeply into a valley, climbs up the other side to a road section, then returns to the bush, descends back into the valley and climbs up and out following the original downhill- sort of a paddlepop shape.

I followed O Runner the whole way with Spud lurking right behind. The three of us were running shoulder to shoulder after the halfway point as we descended into the valley again, but O put about 15-20 seconds into me on the descent and then held that gap all the way to the finish (I could almost reach out and touch him all the way up that friggin' hill!)- my legs were trashed from going hard on the downhills and I couldn't respond as I'd have liked.

I finished in 69.04- I'd been told that sub 70 minutes was a good time for a runner of my speed so I'm reasonably happy with that, but a little narked that O Runner beat me by a few seconds for the third race in as many months.... Spud zoomed up the last hill and did 67-odd. Time-wise not bad, but a few people I beat last week (Spud, Redback, Sue Kelly) finished ahead this week, but then again I beat Rod Lovel, Greg Donovan etc, so maybe not too bad. Could have done a 67 with better pacing and course knowledge, perhaps.

SUNDAY 13/2/05, 4.15PM- 21K

To make up for the fact that there was no STaR today, Vat, Action and I ran a couple of laps of the Bay Run this afternoon. I ran to the Rowers and met the there. 22 C with a mix of cool southerly winds and strong sun. The whole run averaged spot on 5.00min/km but the laps of the Bay would have been low 4.50s. Felt pretty wanky but managed to hold onto the two speedsters. Again, legs really don't like uphills at the moment.

Day off tomorrow, I think. I was buggered when I got home, but a couple of dozes and a big dinner helped.

Flats and Hills.

FRIDAY 11/2/2005, 6AM- 13K

Met DJL on a semi cloudy morning (18 C, 70% humidity) for 2 x 5min hard with 90 seconds recovery and 6 x 200m hills. After a warmup, we started from the 3K marker on the CR Bay Run 5K course, heading clockwise. Logged 1.32km at 3.46min/km pace. On the return I basically duplicated that- 5 minutes saw me two steps short of where I'd started, so another 1.32/3.46. How I ran 3.37 for the first K of the November CR 5k I'll never work out.

We jogged back to Lilyfield Rd hill and I banged out the first 5 reps of 200m hills in 47, 46, 45, 46, then we decided to make the last rep all the way to the top of the hill- 300m. I thought sub 70 seconds was possible but the legs were going to jelly and I managed a 74- I think that may still be a PB for this hill. Had to sit down for a minute or two at the top.

3K walk as warm down. Feeling a bit more confident about things now- I did this session a couple of weeks ago and the two 5min reps were about 9 sec/km slower, and in 45 seconds I only managed about 170m of hill.

Racing the Equaliser on Sunday.

EDIT- FRIDAY 11/2/2005, 12.30PM

Rowed 7798m in 30 minutes (8 metre improvement!) and 3 x 20 situps with a 10kg weight against my chest. Felt a bit wanky for the first 5-6 mins on the rower, then I started to pick it up.

Everything Old Is New Again; and Barefoot.

THURSDAY 10/2/2005, 7.15AM- 9.5K

 

Today was just a recovery run so I got up and headed into the office early so I could go for a run while testing my new toy, a secondhand Garmin Forerunner 201 GPS. To add some variety I decided to mix some barefoot running into this particular session.

 

On a very dark and cloudy morning (17 C with intermittent light drizzle) I ran up to Dunbar Field, took my shoes and socks off and did 10 laps of the grass track (ie 4K) barefoot. Quite different to "normal" running- really worked the calves and I seemed to adopt a more upright, high-stepping style. My lower back and stomach muscles were mildly sore afterwards- I assume a result of the change in posture. Feet got beat up too, but that was partly why I wanted to give it a try. And will do so again. The barefoot laps were the quickest segment of the run, overall.

 

Can't comment on the Forerunner much yet- haven't worked out the features. Even the equivalent features to the Timex work in different ways, so I suppose I'll have to relearn everything. Hence, everything old is new again.

 

EDIT: THURSDAY 10/2/2005, 12.30PM

 

Went to the gym at lunch- 5771m on the rower in 30 minutes and 5 x 12 situps with a 10kg weight held to my chest.

New Mission Statement.

Oh yeah, I changed the "Mission Statement" blurb at the top of the page to reflect better the mindset required for my long term goal. What do you think?

"It's Doing Us Good, Right?"

WEDNESDAY 9/2/2005, 5.45AM- 14K

 

Hit the sack at an ungodly early hour (9pm) because I was meeting Vat at a stupidly early hour of the morning for long intervals- 3 x 3K. Had to pass on dinner with a friend as a result. Must have been the hottest damn night of the summer- didn't dip below 30 degrees till 8.30pm. However I was woken briefly at 2.30am when a cool change started to come through, nodded off again, and rose again at 4.30.

 

I met Vat at the Drummoyne Rowers, the 0K marker of the Bay 5K, and we jogged to the 1K marker as warmup, with a southerly headwind in our faces. Then we ran hard to the 4K marker, 3 minutes recovery, run back to the 1K marker, 3 minutes recovery, then run to the 4K marker again to complete the session, followed by a slow jog back to the Rowers.

 

It's one of Ray's sessions. A good way to increase cruising speed, although not as gruelling, I suspect, as his 3 x 5K super session. Anyway Vat and I agreed that the final 3K felt like the pointy end of a 10K race, but our average pace was higher than a 10K. At one point Vat sought to reassure us both with the immortal words, "It's doing us good, right?" My times were 12.27 (4.09min/km), 12.11 (4.04) and 12.15 (4.05). Felt like Iw as moving quite well, although mentally I lost it a bit in the last K of the third rep and my pace slipped from 4.03 to 4.05.

 

21 degrees, 80% humidity.

Back to the Gym.

TUESDAY 8/2/2005- 12.30PM

 

Went to the gym for the first time since the start of December. Managed to get through 5 x 12 situps and rowed 5199m in 20 minutes on the rower. Need to burn more calories, more!

Back to 30/30s.

TUESDAY 8/2/2005, 7.30AM- 8K

 

Some days I hate alarms, but I had an early meeting this morning so hitting the snooze button after 5 1/2 hours sleep wasn't an option. Came into work and jogged up to Dunbar Field. Calf muscles still felt a bit tender and for the first mile of the warmup my joints were jammed with rust, but once the blood got flowing I was clicking along okay.

 

Dunbar is a bit of a lowkey athletics track compared to, say, Rotary Field or St Luke's Park at Concord. Last week I was flogging myself doing 400s whilst couples were strolling hand in hand round the outer lanes, it was very surreal. This morning some cockatoos were munching on grass seeds and, when they wandered into my lane, seemed extremely reluctant to move, despite 85kg of sweaty hairy runner bearing down on them at speed. I also managed to have a free shower courtesy of the ground's watering system on my last few reps.

 

Anyway, form-wise I felt fairly good. Noticeably slower when doing reps that mainly involved running one of the curves than the reps that were mainly on a straight, but I suppose this is standard. Anyone got any suggestions as to how I can run the curves better...?

 

Jogged back to work after finishing. About 23 degrees.

Weedy Run.

MONDAY 7/2/2005, 6PM- 6K

 

My calves were really beat up today. Slept in (7 hours sleep) and had a lunch meeting, so slipped out after work for a recovery jog on grass, along the nature strips down to Macquarie Uni, through the campus and back to the office. 6K at 5.29min/km. Bloody hot- 29 degrees and bright sunshine.

 

I think grass running is good for form- it forces you to really "drive" off your toes. Especially if it's thick grass- through the uni it was ankle deep, and I was having to work fairly hard, partly due to the terrain and partly due to the heat.

Striders LCNP 10K and Berowra STaR.

FRIDAY 1PM, 4/2/05- 3.5K

 

Wanted to keep the legs fresh for the 10K but to still remind them of what they were supposed to do, so at lunch I trotted up to the park and did some drills.

 

SATURDAY 7AM, 5/2/05- 12K (2K warmup and 10K race)

 

I matched the time I ran at the Penrith 10K last week (41.54), but this one was hillier and, um, accurately measured. Only the third time I've dipped under 42 on a certified course.

Pretty cool morning actually- there was a mist rising off the river and people's breaths were visibly fogging for at least the first half of the race. I clicked through the first 4 km averaging 4.10- 4.12s, Redback just ahead of me after he went past at about a mile, and Spud just up there as well. Didn't feel very flash on the uphills at all, but I passed Spud on the big uphill just before the Ranger's Hut and informed him that if he could stick with me he'd do a PB. Glenn had shot past going the other way just beforehand- about the time I reached the speedbump- so I could tell he was on for a fast one.

The uphill km from the 4- 5K marks wasn't too good- I hit 5K in 21.15, having estimated I needed to reach it in 21 flat to do a PB. As it turned out, if I had done so- and held it together- it would have been a PB by one second....

At about the 7K mark (another 4.10) I pulled up next to Redback and said that we could still go under 42. His reply was fairly blunt and I passed him not long after, but then he came back at me just after 9K. Spud was closing in again as well, but I didn't see him. I did the last K in 3.49 with Redback just behind me. We cursed each other (in the best possible way!) for pulling each other through the last couple of km.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with that. Hopefully my times are now going to start trending the right way. Looking forward to the next SMC as long as it's not 35 degrees.

 

SUNDAY 6.10AM, 6/2/05- 25K

 

Went up to Berowra for the hilliest STaR going round.  A cool 16 degrees at the start but warming up by the end. I set off with Blue Dog, Spud, Warwick Selby, Dawn Tiller and a few others and, despite the hills and the rocky nature of the firetrail section, we averaged spot on 5min/km for the first 12K until the turnoff to Berowra Waters. This rapidly reduced our average pace to 5.40min/km or so, which was not helped by the 5K long uphill climbing out of there. After negotiating another bush section off the end of Turner Rd I was fading a bit due to the early pace and elected to cut it a bit short and ended up doing 25K averaging 5.35min/km. Didn't see the point in flogging myself for an extra 5K when I was just going to do it slow.

 

Feeling a bit more condfident about my running now than I was a week ago.

45/45s.

WEDNESDAY 2/2/05- 7K

 

No running- 7K of walking. Shocking night's sleep. Damned humid.

 

THURSDAY 12.30PM, 3/2/05- 8K

 

Nine hours sleep, yeeha! Might be connected to the fact that it was an unseasonably cold night (14 degrees at my place).

 

Because I slept in, I did my workout at lunch. I jogged up to Dunbar Field and, as a variation, did 15 minutes of 45 seconds sprinting, 45 seconds jogging- the same as the 30/30 workout really. Worked out to be 10 repeats. 

 

It was 20 degrees and 36% humidity with a cool north westerly wind blowing, so a REAL relief from the conditions of the last couple of weeks. Usually northwest winds are hot in Sydney in summer, but there's a low pressure cell in just the right location to change that this time.

 

Felt pretty reasonable. This is not as tough a session as the 8 x 400 workout, but you're still working hard enough.

 

Looking forward to a change of fortunes at the 10K this Saturday.

Not Too Much Rest for the Wicked...

TUESDAY 1/2/2005, 7.45AM- 8K

 

When I woke up I thought it looked unusually light- a glance at the watch- 5.56am. Hmm, don't think I'll get to the Hill in four minutes, so I went straight into work and did 400s at Dunbar instead.

 

83

84

84

83

83

83

85

86

 

My form went to hell in the last two. Hands were up around my chin and were crossing over the centre line of my body. Not good.

 

It's typical Sydney summer weather these days- very high himidity. Today it was 21 C and 88% humidity at 8am. Some mornings I'm dripping with sweat just from a 10-15 minute walk to the station. I despise these conditions, give me South Island of NZ any day! Or even Jindabyne.... as the 12th Man had Richie Benaud saying in Wired World of Sports, "typical stinkin' fuckin' hot and humid day in Bombay today for this one day fixture between Australia and India..."

 

I'll do 30/30s on Thursday as a sharpener for the 10K.