Getting my Legs Back

Sunday's long run was 31.7K at and average pace of 5:30 per K. Tigger and I headed out from Park Road at 5:00AM and did the loop which included the Western Freeway, Seventeen Mile Rocks and back via another of Tigger's mystery tours (no hills this time, we did have to climb a fence though) through the back of Corinda, Sherwood and Graceville. After running along a cycle path for a while emerged from the mystery part of the run at Graceville Avenue where I was once again in familiar territory. We then headed through Chelmer to Indooroopilly, along Clarence Road, Swan Road and along the River to Park Road. Ultra Tigger then set off on her run home.

I am pleased to say that my legs are improving and I am starting to feel a bit like my old self. I am hoping now to gradually improve the average pace of the training runs. I am not wanting an exceptional time in Canberra, just a good time. A good time for me is in the 3:20's without fading too much in the last 7K's. It takes away from the pleasure of the marathon when you are really dragging yourself to the finish line.

A total of 83K for the week.

Something to Smile About

Today it was back to the track to do some more 800s. This time I drove down then ran 5 laps to warm up. I was equipped with a stopwatch today. I did 6 repeats today and walked between each for the same time as it took me to run the prior 800m. My times were: 3:25, 3:21, 3:22, 3:21, 3:22, 3:18. That is an average of 3:21. I was thinking I would average around 3:40 hence the smile.

Of course what I am doing here as some of you would recognise is the Yasso 800s which you can read about here: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-624-0,00.html . Some precious souls think this is some sort of magical training method Bart Yasso never claims it to be any such thing. All he says is that he has found it to be an indicator of marathon times. It is not a means to an end. You still have to put in the time and distance necessary to run a marathon. I am simply using it as type of speed work which has to be better than no speed work at all.

Short on the K's

I am still not getting the weekly mileage I would like or need. Only 61K this week. On Tuesday I attempted some speed work at the local running track. I ran to the track, about 2.5K, did 5 x 800m  with 400m  walk between. I found that my Forerunner does not make the best stopwatch so I don't have much of an idea of my times. Next time I will take a stopwatch. By the time I arrived home I had covered just over 8K not counting the 400m walks. Wednesday was a slow 12K and Thursday was a less slow 13K. I had planned to run 14K on Friday but woke feeling absolutely tired out and it was pelting rain so gave the  run a miss.

Today I met Tigger at Park Road and since we did the "Technical" run last Sunday, we (I) decided that a nice flat out and back along the river was in order. Park Road to Newstead and back bought us home after 28.6K at an average pace of 5:12 per K.

A Hill Too Far

Whinge, whinge, whinge! That's what I did after Sunday's long run, and I think I had every right to. Tigger had emailed me through the week to tell me she had come up with a magical mystery tour for our run on Sunday. She warned me that it might be a tad hilly. Talk about understatement. I have never run so many hills in one run. Not even at Glasshouse and that is saying something.

We ran from Park Road to the Royal Brisbane Hospital, along Herston Rd to Kelvin Grove, then on to Bardon, one of the hilliest suburbs in Brisbane. We even ran up Fernberg Road. We ran along Frederick Street and onto the Western Freeway to Indooroopilly. Then Tigger found the hilliest route through St Lucia that she possibly could. I was determined that I was not going to walk but was almost ready to vomit at one stage.

After 26K we made it back to Park Road where I did some whinging. I got over it though and it was, of course, a pretty good workout. It was what Tigger called a "Technical" run. We have progressed from "Character" to Technical".

On Sunday afternoon I spent some time with my 11 year old grandson helping him to prepare for a school cross country race in 9 weeks time. He didn't fare too well last year so we think a little preparation wouldn't go astray this year. However, as I was running with him I noticed that my right calf was very tight. A consequence of a few too many hills maybe???

Phew! I Made It

After cutting the Sunday run short last week, today I kept going. not that I had any choice since Tigger was running today. This time we kept going through Southbank and onto West End. I was finding it tough going. We headed over the Green Bridge at UQ, through St Lucia where I had to let Tigger run into the distance. I was running out of steam. the humidity was taking a heavy toll on my energy supply. I arrived back at Park Road totally spent having completed 35.7K at an average pace of 5:21 per K. As I neared Park Road Tigger was heading back to meet me to make sure I was OK. Thanks Tigger.

My total K's for the week was 75.7. My best since prior to going overseas.