Where Has The Time Gone...?
A few things have happened in recent months- leaving my old work, moving to Leura with Mel, getting some study happening, gradual improvement in my health (not 100% yet), running Six Foot Track off no training....
A day or two after my last post in Feb, I came down with a bad, bad dose of bronchitiswhich put me right out of it for over a fortnight- to the point where, two weeks before 6FT, I was starting to seriously wonder if I would finish this thing. I stopped blogging- no fun in posting about how sick you are.
A flying visit to Brisbane (literally- 5 hours total in the city!) about 10 days before the race, to consult naturopath Matthew McGill was encouraging. I ended up on two courses of herbal medications, which markedly improved my congestion (although it never really was completely eliminated till now, the end of April) and got stronger as the race approached.
As posted on CR, I did better at 6FT than I could have imagined, with a 5.41 finish, including a very fast last 11K from Deviation. A fortnight later I ran the inaugural Great Volcanic Mountain Challenge, a 15K run up Mt Canobolas outside Orange, and that was good fun.
I've probably run 4 times a week since 6FT, but very rarely anything more than an hour- long or intense efforts still noticeably deplete my immune system, and it's hard to fit the running in sometimes, given I have a lot to do...
My goals are still to to the Triple Corwn of Ultrarunning late this year- Glasshouse 100mi, GNW 100mi, Coast- Kosciuszko 150mi.
Since I obtained a new Garmin about 10 days ago, here is some running stuff...
FRIDAY 14/4/06, 11AM, 11.8K, 60.44, 5.09min/km
From my house to Sublime Point lookout and back, almost all a road run. Very hilly for the first few km, then a gradual downhill, a few hundred metres of steep trail down to the lookout and steep back up to the road, then reverse, with a long steep uphill finish (I live on possibly the highest hill in Leura, south of the railway line).
Km splits (just to show the hilliness)
1K 4.28
2K 9.44 (5.15)
3K 14.50 (5.05)
4K 19.27 (4.37)
5K 24.04 (4.36)
6K 29.49 (5.44)
7K 35.07 (5.18)
8K 40.28 (5.21)
9K 45.32 (5.04)
10K 51.04 (5.31)
11K 55.54 (4.49)
11.78K 60.44 (4.50- 6.09 pace)
SATURDAY 15/4/06, 8.30PM, 11.8K, 59.11, 5.02min/km
Cold night, I was rugged up in a polypro longsleeve. Finally managed to crack the hour for the Sublime Point run, my "default" run I suppose. Felt quite strong.
Splits...
1K 4.26
2K 9.38 (5.12)
3K 14.38 (4.59)
4K 19.09 (4.30)
5K 23.39 (4.29)
6K 29.18 (5.39)
7K 34.16 (4.57)
8K 39.32 (5.15)
9K 44.32 (5.00)
10K 50.05 (5.33)
11K 54.45 (4.39)
11.75K 59.11 (4.26- last 750m uphill at 5.55 pace)
Woot.
SUNDAY 16/4/06, 10AM, 11.8K, 63.48, 5.21min/km
Legs quite tired and stiff from the previous night so took it a little easier. Highlight was the return back up from Sublime Point, where I chased a woman running ahead of me and the 8K split (uphill) was a 4.43, where it had only been 5.15- 5.20s before...
MONDAY 17/4/06, 6PM, 5.5K, 28.42, 5.13min/km, WEEK TO DATE 17.3K
Just had time to run out to the end of Megalong Rd- part of the Sublime Point course. Felt very tired.
TUESDAY 18/4/06, 2PM, 32.5K, 3.16, 6.02min/km, WEEK TO DATE 49.8K
Was in Brisbane, so from where we were in Wickham Terrace I ran along the river, up Mt Coot-tha to the lookout, back into the city, then out to Capalaba where Mel picked me up en route to dinner at her Aunt's.
Felt okay for the first hour or so- cruising along the Brisbane river at 5min/km flat was fine, but after a while the lack of long runs in the last 7 or 8 months showed as I slowed dramatically, then walked for a K or two before Mel picked me up. Legs not too bad the next day, just a real lack of distance conditioning showing.
FRIDAY 21/4/06, 6PM, 8.3K, 51.33, 6.11min/km, WEEK TO DATE 58.1K
Next stop Townsville, where I ran from our digs in the city to the top of Castle Hill (286m ASL) and back. A really striking looking mountain. Love running big hills.
SATURDAY 22/4/06, 3.30PM, 10.2K, WEEKLY TOTAL 68.3K
Up Castle Hill again, feeling okay, I intended to drop of the top via one of the trails, then come back up to the top again and home via the road- a double traverse, if you will. I encountered a local runner at the top who volunteered to show me a trail down, and I found myself sliding off rocks and lowering myself via my hands- not much running!
However we picked up a trail near the bottom and, when I turned around, ducked back up to the top using that trail, then descended via the road. Legs felt really tired on the way back up. Humid and raining during most of this run.
SUNDAY 23/4/06, 10PM, 8.4K, 46.55, 5.34min/km
Up Castle Hill one last time on a humid night. Felt quite tired in the legs, but got around in reasonable time.
Didn't do any running in Townsville except up and down that mountain!
TUESDAY 25/4/06, 10AM, 13K, WEEK TO DATE 21.4K
Back home and it's cold- about 11 degrees.
I ran from home to the track at Pitt Park, Wentworth Falls via the Korowal School and Wentworth Falls Lake.6.5K at 4.46min/km (overall downhill). Took off my shoes and did 6 x 100 metre sprints barefoot on the grass with jog back recovery, feeling quicker with each one. Then down to a 3K time trial to see where my fitness was at.
400m lap splits
91
92 (3.03)
96 (4.39- 1K split 3.52)
93 (6.13)
95 (7.48, 2K split 3.57)
96 (9.25)
95 (11.00)
48- last 200m (11.49)
A walking lap of the track to recover, then I did another 6 100m sprints- didn't time them, but they were quicker than the first set. The last few my stride length was really stretching out. 3 laps of the track jogging in shoes to warm down.
Damn good session- better than the 3K TT I did in January, and particularly considering I haven't done any speedwork for yonks...
A day or two after my last post in Feb, I came down with a bad, bad dose of bronchitiswhich put me right out of it for over a fortnight- to the point where, two weeks before 6FT, I was starting to seriously wonder if I would finish this thing. I stopped blogging- no fun in posting about how sick you are.
A flying visit to Brisbane (literally- 5 hours total in the city!) about 10 days before the race, to consult naturopath Matthew McGill was encouraging. I ended up on two courses of herbal medications, which markedly improved my congestion (although it never really was completely eliminated till now, the end of April) and got stronger as the race approached.
As posted on CR, I did better at 6FT than I could have imagined, with a 5.41 finish, including a very fast last 11K from Deviation. A fortnight later I ran the inaugural Great Volcanic Mountain Challenge, a 15K run up Mt Canobolas outside Orange, and that was good fun.
I've probably run 4 times a week since 6FT, but very rarely anything more than an hour- long or intense efforts still noticeably deplete my immune system, and it's hard to fit the running in sometimes, given I have a lot to do...
My goals are still to to the Triple Corwn of Ultrarunning late this year- Glasshouse 100mi, GNW 100mi, Coast- Kosciuszko 150mi.
Since I obtained a new Garmin about 10 days ago, here is some running stuff...
FRIDAY 14/4/06, 11AM, 11.8K, 60.44, 5.09min/km
From my house to Sublime Point lookout and back, almost all a road run. Very hilly for the first few km, then a gradual downhill, a few hundred metres of steep trail down to the lookout and steep back up to the road, then reverse, with a long steep uphill finish (I live on possibly the highest hill in Leura, south of the railway line).
Km splits (just to show the hilliness)
1K 4.28
2K 9.44 (5.15)
3K 14.50 (5.05)
4K 19.27 (4.37)
5K 24.04 (4.36)
6K 29.49 (5.44)
7K 35.07 (5.18)
8K 40.28 (5.21)
9K 45.32 (5.04)
10K 51.04 (5.31)
11K 55.54 (4.49)
11.78K 60.44 (4.50- 6.09 pace)
SATURDAY 15/4/06, 8.30PM, 11.8K, 59.11, 5.02min/km
Cold night, I was rugged up in a polypro longsleeve. Finally managed to crack the hour for the Sublime Point run, my "default" run I suppose. Felt quite strong.
Splits...
1K 4.26
2K 9.38 (5.12)
3K 14.38 (4.59)
4K 19.09 (4.30)
5K 23.39 (4.29)
6K 29.18 (5.39)
7K 34.16 (4.57)
8K 39.32 (5.15)
9K 44.32 (5.00)
10K 50.05 (5.33)
11K 54.45 (4.39)
11.75K 59.11 (4.26- last 750m uphill at 5.55 pace)
Woot.
SUNDAY 16/4/06, 10AM, 11.8K, 63.48, 5.21min/km
Legs quite tired and stiff from the previous night so took it a little easier. Highlight was the return back up from Sublime Point, where I chased a woman running ahead of me and the 8K split (uphill) was a 4.43, where it had only been 5.15- 5.20s before...
MONDAY 17/4/06, 6PM, 5.5K, 28.42, 5.13min/km, WEEK TO DATE 17.3K
Just had time to run out to the end of Megalong Rd- part of the Sublime Point course. Felt very tired.
TUESDAY 18/4/06, 2PM, 32.5K, 3.16, 6.02min/km, WEEK TO DATE 49.8K
Was in Brisbane, so from where we were in Wickham Terrace I ran along the river, up Mt Coot-tha to the lookout, back into the city, then out to Capalaba where Mel picked me up en route to dinner at her Aunt's.
Felt okay for the first hour or so- cruising along the Brisbane river at 5min/km flat was fine, but after a while the lack of long runs in the last 7 or 8 months showed as I slowed dramatically, then walked for a K or two before Mel picked me up. Legs not too bad the next day, just a real lack of distance conditioning showing.
FRIDAY 21/4/06, 6PM, 8.3K, 51.33, 6.11min/km, WEEK TO DATE 58.1K
Next stop Townsville, where I ran from our digs in the city to the top of Castle Hill (286m ASL) and back. A really striking looking mountain. Love running big hills.
SATURDAY 22/4/06, 3.30PM, 10.2K, WEEKLY TOTAL 68.3K
Up Castle Hill again, feeling okay, I intended to drop of the top via one of the trails, then come back up to the top again and home via the road- a double traverse, if you will. I encountered a local runner at the top who volunteered to show me a trail down, and I found myself sliding off rocks and lowering myself via my hands- not much running!
However we picked up a trail near the bottom and, when I turned around, ducked back up to the top using that trail, then descended via the road. Legs felt really tired on the way back up. Humid and raining during most of this run.
SUNDAY 23/4/06, 10PM, 8.4K, 46.55, 5.34min/km
Up Castle Hill one last time on a humid night. Felt quite tired in the legs, but got around in reasonable time.
Didn't do any running in Townsville except up and down that mountain!
TUESDAY 25/4/06, 10AM, 13K, WEEK TO DATE 21.4K
Back home and it's cold- about 11 degrees.
I ran from home to the track at Pitt Park, Wentworth Falls via the Korowal School and Wentworth Falls Lake.6.5K at 4.46min/km (overall downhill). Took off my shoes and did 6 x 100 metre sprints barefoot on the grass with jog back recovery, feeling quicker with each one. Then down to a 3K time trial to see where my fitness was at.
400m lap splits
91
92 (3.03)
96 (4.39- 1K split 3.52)
93 (6.13)
95 (7.48, 2K split 3.57)
96 (9.25)
95 (11.00)
48- last 200m (11.49)
A walking lap of the track to recover, then I did another 6 100m sprints- didn't time them, but they were quicker than the first set. The last few my stride length was really stretching out. 3 laps of the track jogging in shoes to warm down.
Damn good session- better than the 3K TT I did in January, and particularly considering I haven't done any speedwork for yonks...
4 Comments:
Glad to hear the Garmin is going ok ;-)
Good to see you blogging again too!
Great to see you are getting better Mister G. Hopefully we will see you around in Sydney at some of the races.
Those are pretty good times considering you say you haven't done much running. At least you seem to be enjoying yourself again. Good stuff.
I'm glad to see you're blogging again. I hope your health gets back to 100% soon.
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