LCNP.

WEDNESDAY 28/9/05, 12.30PM, 7K, WEEK TO DATE 18K, 6 HOURS SLEEP

Should have clarified my remark from yesterday on the pace of my recovery from Glasshouse- after both the 2003 and 2004 GH 100 milers, I resumed speedwork after three weeks taking it easy. Don't think that will be the case this time.

Ran from work into Lane Cove National Park, turning around at the top of Scribbly Gum hill. Felt like shit and replicated the 39.23 it took me to do it last week, pretty much to the second.

Nike Free Test Part 2.

TUESDAY 27/9/05, 12.30PM, 6K, WEEK TO DATE 11K, 6 HOURS SLEEP

Took the Nike Frees out on my 6.1K Waterloo Park course at lunch. Strange day- very humid, but a cold wind was also blowing. Didn't know if it was more comfortable to run with singlet on or off.

Felt tired after halfway- turned around after 15.30 and finished in 31.30ish, so faded a bit. It's a slow recovery from the 100 miler.

My calves had to work hard in the Frees, and I was definitely running more upright, just couldn't quite get the foot strike right. When I consciously told myself to slow down a bit and think about form more it got a bit better, but it'll take quite a bit of work getting used to these shoes. Back to regular Asics tomorrow I think.

Nike Free Test Part 1.

MONDAY 26/9/05, 9.30PM, 5K, 4 HOURS SLEEP

Got a pair of Nike Frees today.

This evening I walked down to the local oval and circled it for 25 minutes, then took them for a few minutes on the road next to the park.

First verdict: "interesting". Especially on the tarmac- I think it'd be impossible to run sustained heel-strike style on sealed ground in these shoes. The grass is a little more forgiving, but either way you definitely run more upright.

More research needed.....

Third Run Back.

SUNDAY 25/9/05, 5.30PM, 8K, WEEKLY TOTAL 22.5K, 9 HOURS SLEEP

I was meant to get a lift from Vat to the SMC 10K, but when I awoke I was in a fairly negative headspace and the idea of doing a 10K at Smithfield wasn't doing anything to improve my current lack of enthusiasm. So I contacted him, cancelled the lift, and went back to sleep. Had another sleep on the lounge at lunch.

Got out for a run at dusk, 20 odd minutes out and back, which took me partway around the Bay under a steel coloured sky threatening rain, a cool wind whipping up whitecaps on the water. Energy levels fluctuated, I felt okay, then bad, then picked it up again near the end.

Still no enthusiasm for competitive running. I couldn't give a damn at the moment if I never raced again, but I know this will eventually pass. Nothing personal, but I did get a bit irked at CR drinks the other night when people kept coming and congratulating me on the Glasshouse run, even when they knew I was crushingly short of expectations.

Thanks guys, I know you meant well, and I'll be back.

Second Run Back.

FRIDAY 23/9/05, 12.30PM, 7.5K, WEEK TO DATE 14.5K, 6 HOURS SLEEP

Ran from the office to Waterloo Park, then took some bike paths out to the end of Busaco Rd. I was looking for the path to Brown's Waterhole and the GNW, so buggered that one up, but a pleasing day in the sun on quiet streets anyway. Took about 43 minutes for a tick under 8K. Tired on the way back.

First Run Back.

THURSDAY 22/9/05, 12.30PM, 7K, 7 HOURS SLEEP

First run since the 100 miler; a 12 day break. Just had no desire to run beforehand given how crushingly disappointed I was. Ran from the office into Lane Cove National Park, to the top of Scribbly Gum hill and back. Sunny day- took my singlet off. Lots of runners and cyclists enjoying the spring weather.

Felt like I hadn't run in months- arms and legs everywhere, sandpaper throat, blood pounding in my head. Got around in 39.23.

Still got a few niggles in my hamstring and groin that I had before the 100 miler.

Oh well, can only improve from here.

Glasshouse Trail 100 Miles.

SATURDAY 10/9/05, 5.30AM, 100 MILES/161KM, WEEKLY TOTAL 178.5K, 4 HOURS SLEEP

Gutted.

My year-long sub 24 hour dreams evaporated quickly on Saturday morning as I found it uncharacteristically tough to hold the pace with Spud and Hermie from around the marathon point onwards. It was warm but not oppressive- 25 degrees was the Saturday max at Beerburrum. In previous years it's been 10 degrees higher.

Ended up walking pretty much all the way from cp8 to cp7 as what seemed like half the field blew past. At 7 I had three strong, sugared coffees which, combined with some inspired pacing from Skizzik, perked me up enough that I was able to pass Tim back, then ran strongly back to cp6 (93K) in the gathering darkness, fortified by more coffee. I started to think maybe a 25 hour run was possible, which would still be a PB.

However, I fell apart on the leg back to 5 (past Mt Beerwah) as an inspired Virtual blew past me in the darkness. Shuffling towards 5, I found myself on my hands and knees on the side of Connection Rd, vomiting up what I'd consumed in the previous few hours. I slumped into a chair at 5, shaking so badly I couldn't hold a cup without spilling the contents. Eventually I left 5 in the company of pacers MJ and Brendan and pretty much walked back to 2 (113K)- any attempt to pick up the pace sent my heart rate take off and brought on dizzy attacks.

With Skiz MJ, Brendan and Schultzy pacing me at various times (thanks so much, folks!), I pretty much walked it from there, having to take powernaps at 1a, 9, 10 and 9 again as I was in such poor shape. Final time was 28.28, which was my fourth consecutive finish, but I felt empty- no elation to speak of, and I'd trade all four finishes for Spud's 21 hour run.

Wonderful crews, pacers and aid stations at this event. Some runners were sublime, some gutsy- Paul Every, take a bow. AB and Hermie- we've got some thinking to do.

Did a good job on footcare at least- my second straight Glasshouse 100 miler without a single blister.

Gutted is my description of how I feel about my race, particularly as I don't know what went wrong. I was in cracking from four weeks earlier. Looking forward to not doing much running for a few weeks.

Might post a fully detailed report later.

Pre 100 Mile Loosner.

FRIDAY 9/9/05, 4.30PM, 6K, WEEK TO DATE 17.5K

Aware of how urgent it was to be fresh (rather than "sharp") for the 100, I took Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday off. Friday afternoon I did 30 minutes along the course, from Moffatts Rd heading east towards Wild Horse. Felt pretty sluggish on the way out, but after the turnaround things started flowing better.

LCNP.

MONDAY 5/9/05, 5.15PM, 11.5K (56.55, 4.57min/km), 5 HOURS SLEEP

Twilight lap of Lane Cove National Park. Not much form to speak of, but at least my niggles felt better than they have recently.

Striders North Head 10K.

SATURDAY 3/9/05, 11K (1K warmup, 10K race), WEEKLY TOTAL 39.5K, 5 HOURS SLEEP

To North Head, scene of my big 10K PB in May, but this time not expecting much, something to do with bugger all speedwork for a while.

Only had time for a perfunctory warmup, first time for quite a while that I've done a race wearing Striders colours (apart from the cap). Cool, but no wind.

The first 2K I felt quite good, going through 2K in just under 8 minutes. I could see Suzanne Kelly and Podrunner just up ahead and knew they'd be good for a sub 40, which I wasn't going to do today, but thought I'd keep pushing hard and see how long I could hold it together.

Not that long, as I slowly started to fade and Seagull, Prof, Charles C, Dean G and Keith "the Legend" all went past. Did manage to hold off Rocket Rod after a bit of a duel in seeing who could blow up the least, and came in in 42.00 by my watch, 1 second slower officially. Really struggled on that last uphill between 8 and 9K.

Splits:

1K 3.57
2K 4.01 (7.59)
3K 4.09 (12.08)
4K 4.10 (16.19)
5K 4.10 (halfway 20.29)
6K 4.19 (24.49)
7K 4.24 (29.13)
8K 4.18 (33.32)
9K 4.29 (38.01)
10K 3.59 (42.00)

Good PBs by MPHaz, The Guz, Blue Dog, Prof etc.

I suppose I had no right to expect anything better given lack of quality work in the last couple of months- racing a big ultra every month tends to really stuff up your ability to do any intensity. And my ability to run 10K fast on the road has little bearing with how I'll run 100 miles of bush next weekend. However, I did feel a bit disengaged at breakfast after the race, with everyone talking about how they ran and I reflected quietly on how my short distance times have gone backwards since that heady PB in May and how the sub 40 10K is most likely out of reach this year.

Oh well. 100 miles this Saturday.

Pre 10K Loosener.

FRIDAY 2/9/05, 5.30PM, 6K (28.47, 4.43min/km), WEEK TO DATE 28.5K, 6 HOURS SLEEP

Office-Waterloo Park- return. Didn't feel that fresh or fluent, although I was a bit better on the return trip and negative split by about 20 seconds- final time wasn't bad at all. Hamstring and groin felt the best they had in recent weeks after this morning's visit to the Horned One, but could feel the hamstring late in the run.

This week I've had a couple of good runs- on paper- in spite of not actually feeling that good during them. Not sure what that means.

Intervals, Horned One, etc.

Took Wednesday off. I want to be fresh with GH100 looming.

THURSDAY 1/9/05, 12.30PM, 8K, WEEK TO DATE 22.5K, 6 HOURS SLEEP

Was going to run reps with the boys at Timbrell Park in the morning but elected to sleep in instead. At lunch I ran up to Dunbar Field (2.7K in 12.46) for some 400s, which I hadn't done for a while, and it showed- I went through 3 reps in the mid 80s working very hard, so backed off and did a few easier laps instead, then ran back to the office in 12.56. I didn't want to smash myself two days before a Striders 10K, or jeapordise my recovery from 12FT.

Cruising speed is okay, top end cardio isn't so good. Should run a 41 at the North Head 10K.

Still got some pain in the groin and hamstring so went to the Horned One on Friday morning. Want to get these niggles sorted before GH100.