Parramatta Park 8K.

FRIDAY 29/12/06, 1PM, 14.5K, WEEK TO DATE 72.5K, 7 HOURS SLEEP, LOCO MOJO

Picked up a pair of Loco Mojos from Kev and took them down to Parramatta Park for a spin. They look retro as all hell but actually feel fairly good.

3.2K warmup (one lap of the park) in 15 minutes, felt pretty tired from yesterday's unpleasantness on the Nepean Lookout trail. Humid and 25 degrees.

The tiredness continued during the race. Moved relatively well for the first 5K (around 4.20 pace) then started to fall apart and battled in to finish in 36.17 for 8.1K, 4.29min/km. Very slow 3.2K warmdown.

Splits:
1K 4.25
2K 8.43 (4.17)
3K 13.07 (4.23)
4K 17.24 (4.17)
5K 21.48 (4.24)
6K 26.24 (4.36)
7K 31.15 (4.50)
8K 35.58 (4.42)
=8.1K in 36.17.

Nepean Lookout- 30K on a Hot Day.

THURSDAY 28/12/06, 11.30AM, 30K, WEEK TO DATE 58K, 6 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Thursdays I normally run long. But a couple of factors (Shogun being away and a 9am meeting at the restaurant) meant that I got out the door at 11.30 as the temperature climbed towards 30 degrees, ie fucking hot.

I took my new Nathan HPL 020 hydration pack with a handbottle as well- I was running from home to Nepean Lookout and back, a 30K trip with no water en route (used to be till the National Parks Service shut down the water tanks at the Oaks Picnic Ground) and the pack felt quite comfortable, although it did rub a bit when I took my singlet off. The route crosses Glenbrook Gorge, picks up the firetrail on the other side and climbs steadily towards the Oaks Picnic Ground just after 10K, then follows another, rolling firetrail for 5K to the lookout, turnaround and return.

Was moving quite well out to the lookout, which has a wonderful view of the Nepean River cutting through a high gorge, and did a couple of 5.10/min Ks at around the 20K mark before the heat caught up to me and I did a fair bit of walking after that.

Got to avoid these hot midday runs. Still, some good signs from this run and I haven't done a 30K for a while. Course map here.

Bon Voyage Carol...

WEDNESDAY 27/12/06, 6.30AM, 11K, WEEK TO DATE 28K, 4.5 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Carol Laplant's last day Down Under (for this trip) was today, so I took her on the Shaws Ridge loop at Winmalee, slow cruise in cool conditions.

Intervals- 2 x 2K and 5 x 400m.

TUESDAY 26/12/06, 2PM, 17K, 6 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

About 24 degrees and sunny.

Haven't done long intervals for a while, so I figured if I could nail 3 x 2K in under 4min/k I'd be doing well. Wasn't sure if it was possible.

Did a 5K warmup to Glenbrook Oval and then 6 x 100m strides.

400m splits for the first rep:
95
95
94
96
94
=7.56

Harder work than expected. 3 minute recovery.

2nd rep:
95
95
95
97
92
= 7,55

Was buggered after that and elected to skip the third 2K rep, but after some recovery opted for 5 x 400 to keep the distance the same.

89
88
88
87
82

Pretty damned happy with that on tired legs. 4.5K warmdown.

Muggy Days...

SATURDAY 23/12/06, 10AM, 12.25K (1.07.52, 5.31min/km), WEEK TO DATE 78.75K, ASICS 1100

Ran home from Warrimoo on a muggy, drizzly morning and it was fairly unpleasant going as a result. Tired legs and I slogged along drenched in sweat. Instead of the usual 8K road route I went through the bush via Long Angle Trail and added some bush around Glenbrook Lagoon also. Not good but I got it done. Map of the route here.

Parra 8K on a Hot Double Day....

FRIDAY 22/12/06, 9AM, 8.25K (42.19, 5.13min/km), WEEK TO DATE 53.5K, 7 HOURS SLEEP ASICS 1100

Ran to work to collect the Kombi. Legs felt a bit off, but ground through the run okay on a warm morning. Didn't try to push too hard.

FRIDAY 22/12/06, 1PM, 13K (2K warmup, 8K race, 3K warmdown), WEEK TO DATE 66.5K, ASICS 1100

Hot day in Parra Park for the weekly race (about 30 degrees, but no shade made it worse). I got through an ordinary 2K warmup and figured that with the tiredness from the last 36 hours plus the heat I'd do well to keep under 4.30min/km today.

Was in fifth place early on and battling in the heat; debated taking the short option (5K) and watched the first three runners take that choice, then the guy ahead of me elected to keep going for the full 8K and I wondered if I could beat him. Drew to within 10 metres of him at around the 5K mark; then I started to overheat and dropped off in the last 2K of the run and finished in 36.25, 4.30 pace, two minutes slower than last week. Did a very slow warmdown.

I was still hot all afternoon; kept sweating at work and didn't feel better till the cool change came through around 9pm.

Splits for the race:

1K 4.21
2K 8.43 (4.21)
3K 13.16 (4.33)
4K 17.43 (4.27)
5K 22.12 (4.28)
6K 26.39 (4.27)
7K 31.18 (4.39)
8K 36.00 (4.41)
=8.1K in 36.25, 4.30min/km

Double Days...

THURSDAY 21/12/06, 1.30PM, 8.25K, WEEK TO DATE 45.25K, ASICS 1100

Three hours sleep after the morning intervals.

I deliberately left the Kombi at work (Warrimoo) last night so ran in at lunchtime to collect it. Road run, overall uphill (climbing from 200m ASL to 275m ASL). 27 degrees, legs a little stiff. 8.2K in 42.22, 5.10min/km.

If I run in to collect the Kombi most days as a second run, that's a good few bonus kilometres each week.

Rough Days and Good Intervals....

Mixed bag since the SMC Half.

Monday I did a Spin class in the evening with Mel, who dropped me 5K from home and I ran the rest of the way. Didn't take a watch but felt a lot better than the last time I ran home from a Spin Class.

Had the sweats Monday night- Tuesday morning and dragged myself out for a run Tuesday morning (Shogun had a work call) and felt rotten from the start. Started going up the other side of the Gorge and started walking, so kept walking (with a bit of jogging) to Euroka and back- 12K of run/walk.

No run Wednesday- work stuff and feeling a bit unmotivated.

This morning I lined up for 10 x 600m intervals with Shogun, with 2min recoveries.... still had the sweats overnight.

THURSDAY 21/12/06, 5AM, 20K, WEEK TO DATE 37K, 4 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Very humid morning- 99- 100% humidity! Around 17 degrees- at the start of our session the far end of Glenbrook Oval had a fine mist at the other end.

7K warmup during which we felt rotten. 6 x 100m strides to stretch out, then into the reps.... 4min/km pace is 2.24 for 600, so I just aimed to start the session with reps around that pace and then get quicker as I went.

2.20
2.19
2.15
2.17
2.13
2.12
2.12
2.09
2.07
2.07

Fairly tough work from relatively early on, and the last one left me shattered. Good numbers though, very encouraging.

Very slow 4K warmdown during which we saw Whippet Gal out running. Went back to bed for a couple of hours.

SMC Half.

SUNDAY 17/12/06, 7AM, 21K, WEEKLY TOTAL 103.5K, 5 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1110

I had a handy run today, my "comeback" to regular racing continues after the encouraging 8K race round Parramatta Park on Friday.

Today I set out in the Half at around 4.40 pace, sitting 10-30m behind Eagle and K for the first 10Ks or so. I didn't accelearate in the second half but around half a dozen people came back to me in the second half. I did consciously back off on the hill just after halfway as this was where things went wrong last month, but it didn't affect my placing and I kept going in subsequent Ks. I felt pretty good as I finished in 1.38.55, 4.39 pace and 7 minutes quicker than last month. No real distress, just a good hard aerobic run. Much encouraged, just have to keep the momentum going.

PBs to Shogun and Horrie, saw Blue Dog out there at one point (doing the 10K?).

Splits...

1K 4.41
2K 9.12 (4.31)
3K 13.54 (4.42)
4K 18.32 (4.37)
5K 23.12 (4.40)
6K 27.41 (4.29)
7K 32.29 (4.48)
8K 37.05 (4.35)
9K 41.43 (4.37)
10K 46.23 (4.40)
11K 51.11 (4.47)
12K 56.04 (4.53)
13K 1.00.42 (4.38)
14K 1.05.36 (4.53)
15K 1.10.16 (4.40)
16K 1.15.06 (4.50)
17K 1.19.38 (4.31)
18K 1.24.25 (4.47)
19K 1.28.58 (4.33)
20K 1.33.34 (4.35)
21K 1.37.57 (4.22)
Finish 1.38.55 (4.39min/km)

First 100K week for a while too. Good to see.

Parramatta Park 8K.

FRIDAY 15/12/06, 1PM, 11.5K, WEEK TO DATE 82.5K, 7 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1110

Pleasantly cool 16 degrees with light drizzle for this week's Parramatta Park Runners 8K hitout.

I arrived in the Kombi just as the field was heading off, having been delayed on the phone with suppliers earlier. I set off 4 minutes after everyone else with no warm up, but Graham and Alan were good enough to record my "real" time as opposed to my "gun time, bloody good on them.

First K felt a bit rough with no warm up, but after that I eased into things well and started moving through the back of the field. Dipped below 4.10min/km a few times and waited to blow up but never did. Ended up doing 8.16K in 34.29 (4.13min/km), more than a minute better than last wee and 10 seconds ahead of the next guy on "real" time- bloody happy with that. Ran round the park again for warmdown.

Splits...

1K 4.30
2K 8.40 (4.09)
3K 12.52 (4.11)
4K 16.57 (4.05)
5K 21.14 (4.16)
6K 25.29 (4.14)
7K 29.38 (4.09)
8K (33.55 (4.17)
Last 160m at 3.37 pace.

Attention passengers, engine G has hitched itself to the sub 40 for 10K train....

Slogging over the Euroka Loop.

Easy 5K recovery run on Wednesday morning over the old railway lines (now trails) around Lucasville/ Lapstone Zig Zag. Legs definitely a bit cactus from Tuesday's intervals....

THURSDAY 14/12/06, 4.45AM, 24.5K, WEEK TO DATE 71K, 4 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Met Shogun again for our Oaks/Euroka loop on a damned humid morning (22 degrees/ 99% RH). We were going to extend it for another few Ks but we were both travelling fairly slowly today and just did the usual route in the end. I was buggered from lack of sleep and walked a couple of big hills in the end. Got round in 2.19, 5.41min/km.

Had a shower, breakfast and then slept till midday!

1K Intervals.

TUESDAY 12/12/06, 5AM, 16K, WEEK TO DATE 32K, 5 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

A cool 16 degree day with drizzle and a southerly breeze with some bite to it. Shogun and I warmed up for 5K by running to the Lagoon, around it and down to the track at Glenbrook Oval. Half a dozen 100m strides and into the session- 5 x 1K with 2 minute recoveries. I was curious to see if I could break 4 minutes for every rep- it's been a while....

3.57
3.55
3.55
3.50
3.44

5K warmdown.

Pretty bloody happy with that.

Hot Days...

Missed Saturday being tied up with work stuff. Sunday I did a hot, slow 10K into the National Park, struggled quite a bit.
Monday I was going to do a long run- loop in the NP from the Causeway to Red Hands Caves to the Oaks to Euroka to the Causeway, filling up my bottle at Red Hands and Euroka. Got to Red Hands on a 38 degree day with no water and the WATER TANK HAD BEEN REMOVED! Bushwhacked back to the tap at the Visitor's Centre (6K or so) in the heat and was feeling utterly fucked by the time I got there. Bit of a battle home- about 16K in pretty unpleasant conditions. Not much of a long run though.

A Few Photos from the Parramatta Park 8K....

Parramatta Park 8K.

FRIDAY 8/12/06, 1PM, 10K (1.75k warmup, 8.25K race), WEEK TO DATE 69K, 8 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Recent mention on CR of a weekly race series in Parramatta Park saw me head down there today for a hitout. The course is here: two big laps of the park and a short lap to finish off, running in the walking lane on the outside of the road. There are also 3K (one big lap) and 5K (one big and one small lap) options.

About 25-30 starters, but I ran most of the way myself as most of the runners seemed to take short options so they could enjoy their Christmas BBQ. Went out at a pace a touch harder than I did in the 10K last Sunday and tried to keep it aerobic, but faded a bit in the last mile or so- there's an uphill where I faded a bit on but somehow clawed that lost time back in the final sprint for a time of 35.45, 8.2K, 4.23min/km. Pretty happy with that workout- better run than Sunday, might be getting in some shape.

Not sure of results yet.

Splits:

1K 4.22
2K 4.17 (8.40)
3K 4.31 (13.11)
4K 4.11 (17.23)
5K 4.27 (21.51)
6K 4.24 (26.51)
7K 4.25 (30.41)
8K 4.28 (35.10)
Last couple of hundred metres in 3.39min/km pace.

I enjoy these low key races. Will be back next Friday.

Loosener/ Rough Offroad Long...

10K on Wednesday morning to Blaxland and back, legs feeling the effects of Tuesday's intervals. 55 minutes.

THURSDAY 7/12/06, 5AM, 20K, WEEK TO DATE 59K, 4 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Late night (working nights now- more details soon) but met Shogun at 5am for a long run over some of the roughest trails in the area- down Knapsack Gully and up the other side to Elizabeth's Lookout, then down an old, eroded firetrail covered in loose rocks to the bottom of Mitchell's Pass, up Russell St and Wedmore Rd into Emu Plains and a couple of Ks along the Riverside Firetrail, and back. We were running late on the way back so skipped the trails climbing to and from Elizabeth's Lookout, and instead went up the steps to Lucasville Station and home. The offroad sections were very slow indeed but we reeled off some good Ks on the flat. Faded in the last couple of Ks. Tough run!

Penrith 17K/ Spin/ Intervals.

17K run into Penrith and back Monday morning- not bashing it. Took 5K or so to work most of the crap from the 10K out of my legs and after that I was clicking along at sub 5 min/km easily enough, although I could still feel the race in my legs climbing back up the hill to home....

EDIT- Forgot to add, Mel and I did a Spin class last night too. Hammered myself- think I'll always think of "Radar Love" as a pain inducer from now on rather than a classic old rock song. Wondered if I'd feel the aftereffects of the class in this mornings intervals session, but doesn't look like it.

TUESDAY 5/12/06, 5AM, 12K, WEEK TO DATE 29K, 4 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1100

Met Shogun for my first interval session in several milennia- a straightforward 8 x 400m with 60 second active recovery on the grass track at Glenbrook Oval. Cool, about 12 degrees.

3.5K warmup at 5.15min/km and half a dozen 100m strides on the grass with walk back recovery, then into the 400s. Not having done these in ages, I thought I'd do well to break 90 more than once or twice....

86
91
89
89
87
85
83
78

and I was buggered! Walked a lap of the oval and we jogged back- 3.5K warmdown at 5.19min/km. Shogun was pretty consistently 7-8 seconds ahead- he finished with a 71.

Not a bad session for an old broken down bloke.

Blue Mountains Joggers 10K.

SUNDAY 3/12/06, 7.15AM, 10.5K (500m warmup and 10K in 45.20, 4.32min/km), WEEK TO DATE 60K, 6 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1110

Great conditions for a run- light drizzle and 11 degrees. Bit startled by the entry fee- 20 cents, enough for a cup of tea to be served at the finish. Rob Spilling turned up about 10 minutes before the start and got us organised (including taking entries), before we took off.

This was only my third 10K of the year (not a good running year for me) and I figured sub 45 would be a pretty good target, considering no recent speedwork to speak of and I still had a bit of a head cold from last week.

We go right up a hill at the very start before making a couple of right hand turns onto Chapman Parade and followed this out to the turnaround. First 2.5k were sealed road, then it became dirt (no problems with the footing) and over the next kilometre the housing became more spaced out till the last mile or so before the turnaround was pretty much exclusively through the gum trees.

Saw Rob coming back just after I went through 4K, and a few hundred metres before the turn Sarge, then Shogun came back towards me.

The turnaround is a yellow painted arrow on the ground with 5K painted next to it, and is spot on accurate according to my Garmin, and Shogun's. Made the turn in 22.46 feeling fairly good and back I came. There are a few short hills on this course, but nothing long or too strenuous. Wouldn't be as hilly as the Striders 10K at Lane Cove. The hilliest sections are actually on the sealed road rather than the dirt (as you can see by my splits) and it was an uphill after the 8K point, with Wombat Way at the top, that gave me the most trouble.

I was running a little conservatively all the way as I didn't know what I was capable of doing, but I found myself at the bottom of the last uphill of the course and realised I had better bash up it. I did so and charged down the hill to the finish in 45.20. Best 10K time of the year, although 5 minutes off the PB. cool.gif Felt aerobically pretty good all the way.

The post race cup of tea was most welcome! Really enjoyed this run, even though I was alone all the way. Love these low key events. Thanks to Rob and crew, and Mel for taking results. cool.gif

Results:

1. Rob Spilling 35.42
2. Earl O'Brien 37.47
3. Edward O'Brien 38.17
4. Ian Sargent 40.45
5. Branden Haywood 42.11
6. Wayne Donges 43.55
7. Sheyne Donges 43.55
8. Sean Greenhill 45.20
9. Bob Amery 48.36
10. Sally Mckay 52.51
11. Steve Breeze 54.24
12. Bill Tomiczek 54.47
13. Margaret Kennedy 56.19

My splits:

1K 4.35
2K 4.25 9.00
3K 4.35 13.35
4K 4.36 18.11
5K 4.35 22.46
6K 4.31 27.17
7K 4.32 31.49
8K 4.40 36.30
9K 4.42 41.12
10K 4.07 45.20

Spin/Lucasville Loop.

Another Spin class at Springwood this morning, with Mel also in attendance. Really pounded the quads again. Hard bloody work.

SATURDAY 2/12/06, 5.30PM, 5.25K (28.35, 5.30min/km), WEEK TO DATE 49.5K, 7 HOURS SLEEP, ASICS 1110

Half bush, half road loop from home to Lucasville station, Knapsack Bridge, looping back to Lucasville and home. Just a short run on a humid afternoon, as I was just turning the legs over for tomorrow's Blue Mountains Joggers 10K. Felt a bit tired- perhaps from the morning Spin class.