Upsen Downs

On Sunday I managed 3k before having to stop and walk back. On Wednesday I did my 7.65 circuit in 39:08 (av 5:06). I had to stop and stretch my right calf through the run. Today I had another go at my 7.65 and felt good all the way.... 35:27 ( av 4:38). My calf must be on the mend.

Injury

After the wonderful 500K Relay I had a bad week. I went out on Wednesday morning, feeling good but taking it easy. About 10 metres from my front gate after doing my 7.65K circuit I was pulled up quite dramatically by a severe pain in my right calf. I hobbled inside and went straight to the freezer for the ice pack. Ice and linament have helped. It was feeling better by Friday morning an I thouht I would try a run. I got 100m along the street and had to stop an dn walk home. Bugger!

Sunday morning! I look forward to Sunday morning s so much. I love my long runs or Club runs. Yesterday I opted for a longer slow run rather than the 5K championship at the club. I was running very slowly but even than the pain began to build and after 3k I quit and walked back to the start.

I envied the other runners like Tesso, Lizzle, Hannah, Chunderchick and Rith, all of whom I saw out there, running and sweating and generally having a great time.

What a Weekend!!

The 500K Relay is over. Now to get ready for the next one. It is such a fantastic event. I ran with the Brisbane Road Runners and we came 5th out of 17 teams. We are pretty pleased with that. Over the three days I ran 6 times - 2 on Friday, 3 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. Each leg of the relay is an about 5k on average.

The heat and flies will not deter me from doing the event again. I have done it three times now so am comparatively new at it. There are runners of all standards taking part and they all give the utmost for their team. It's awsome. I get quite emotional when I see the effort some put in. I wonder whether and when I will be able to give to that degree. If ever you want to be inspired and exhilerated and absolutely exhausted then the 500K Relay is the place to do it.

Relay Ready

I am as ready for the 500K Relay as I am going to be at this stage. I slept in this morning and thought I might have to miss my run. When I looked out the window and saw what a perfect day for running it was I just had to get out there, even if for a reduced time. Once out on the footpath I decide to do a 5k Circuit I haven't done for a very long time. What a blast! it was great. Here are my splits; 4:13, 3:58, 3:58, 4:31 (long incline), 4:02, Total 20:44.

I am feeling good and rearing to go. Yahoo!

The Relay Team bus is collecting me at 2:00AM on Friday morning. Hmmmm.

It's over a week since I last Blogged

All is well Robert Song, I have been a bit snowed under. Early starts at work have been keeping me off the road and the key board.

4 November 2005
Ran 7.65 in 37 mins. I didn't do my usual circuit but decided on a doing some exploration and found a very challenging hill which I had a couple of cracks at and then ran around a few more streets to make up some distance.

6 November 2005
Ran with some buddies from Park Road. We covered 15K in about 1:20. A nice easy run that one.

9 November 2005
Cool Night Classic. This was my 5th Cool Night Classic. It marked the 4th aniversary of my first ever Fun Run...a run which literally changed my life. I have not stopped running since (except for injury). the 2005 CNC was run on exactly the same course as last year so it was good to compare the time. I have been concerned that I have not been performing as well as I was at this time last year. Last year my time for the CNC was 21:04 for the 5.13K course. This year, after losing my race number and stopping to retrieve it (random draw prizes in mind) I finished in 21:08. A result which truly cheered me, especially with the 500K relay coming up this weekend.

11 November 2005
A return to my 7.65K circuit which I completed in 35:25.

13 November 2005
Race Director duties at West End for the Club. 10K and 5K events. It was great to see Hannah, Tesso, Rith and Spot all competing.
It was our club AGM yesterday and I was glad to step down from the Treasurer's job. I have to say that I am really disappointed that so few turned out for this meeting.

Today 14 November 2005
Ran an out and back today, total 10K in 47:17. I am feeling good for the big relay.

A Slow(er) Day

I missed my run yetserday as I had an early start at work. It was another glorious morning this morning and I thoroughly enjoyed my run. I had to stop for traffic for 6 seconds... I hate that. I felt like I was struggling on the uphhill home stretch but was pleasantly surprised that my time was 34:11....6 seconds slower than Tuesday.

I can't explain it

I don't know what happened this morning. I must have thought I was riding a winner. My previous best on my 7.65 circuit was 35:35. Today 34:05. It sounds a bit extreme. Ah! Isn't Extreme running in the Melbourne cup today. I must back that one. My wife reckons it is going to win. It's a sure thing then.

Goodna Jacaranda Festival Fun Run

I have wanted to do this fun run for a long while and for various reasons have missed it. One of the reasons I have missed it is that the organisers don't advertise. This year I rang them and was directed to their web site which turned out to be a good and informative site. The trouble is nobody knows about it.
I knew this wasn't going to be like other fun runs as far as organisation went. The web site said the 10k run would start at 7:00 AM and that the sign on and paymnet of the $5 entry fee would take place between 5:30 and 6:55. I arrived at 6:00 and found one of the organisers who was waiting on others so that they could begin setting up. Hmmmm!

The run started at 7:05 with an invitaion (jokingly) to the elite runners to start at the front. 30 of us set off, a few walking, a young 16 year old, Darryl Crooke, took the lead and disappeared out of sight. Their were no K markers and no marshalls. There was a police car patrolling and a sedan from the Qld Ambulance. There were some arrows to point the way along a very good undulating course. Though the winner was out of sight I managed to keep the 2nd & 3rd runners in view. Young Darryl won in 34 mins and I came in 4th in 42:04. The mother of the 15 year old girl who came second proudly told us that her daughter had not run 10K before. Unfortunately I didn't get her name.

All in all it was a good event on a good course. It was a fun run.

A Snail Passed Me

I am sure it was a snail that passed me this morning. It was just a blur. I felt like I was just lumbering along today. There was none of the magic of Tuesday but I was still glad to be out there. Just doing it does me a much good mentally as physically.

7.65K in 37:07

Glorious Rain

A 7.65K run in the rain today. I enjoyed the drenching and finished in 36:25.

A Magic Morning

I woke this morning feeling a bit down in the dumps and knew a run would give me a lift. I set out, planning to do my 7.65K circuit but was overwhelmed by the fresh cool morning after last night's storm. I decided it was time to do my 12K circuit agian after not having run it for ages.

It was an exhilarating run capped off with a surprising time of 57:07.

Sunday Long Run

I continue to be amazed at my recovery after the Toowoomba Marathon. On Sunday morning I met some buddies and we did 21k. With water stops and chatting along the way it took us 1:50. The coffee and the company back at Park Road was great.

Steady Eddie

Another 7.65k under my belt today in 36:25, a nice steady pace. I didn't get to bed until midnight and thought as my head hit the pillow that I would probably be too tired to run in the morning. I hadn't reset the alarm to a later time so it it woke me as usual at 4:50. Once awake I thouught I may as well make the most of a beautiful morning so off I went.

I love running.

Toowoomba Splits

Just for the record, Toowoomba Marathon being a 4 lap course, here are my splits:


Lap 1 52:47
Lap 2 51:43
Lap 3 51:30
Lap 4 54:29

Total 3:30:29

Whoops I didn't realise...I've been tagged!

I've been tagged....

CR Blog game:

Here are the rules:
1. Go into your archives.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence (or the closest one to it)
4. Post the text of your sentence in your blog along with these rules.
5. Tag five other people.

My sentence;
I have to accept that I simply don't perform at my best in these humid conditions.

I posted that on 24 December 2004, Christmas Eve. Remember how much I used to whinge about the humidity. I still whinge about it ... just not in my blog.

I now tag Jen_runs, Lucky Legs, Horrie, Plu, Superflake

A Good Recovery

Today I went out on my 7.65k circuit and finished it in 36:18. I was very happy with that considering I ran the Toowoomba Marathon on Sunday. I am very pleased with my recovery. When I think back to my recovery from the Gold Coast and how I struggled to get going again. it was getting on for 6 weeks before I felt i could enjoy a run.

Toowoomba was never really in me diary and so I hadn't done the long runs. My weekly average has been very low. I am, therefore very pleased with my effort of 3:30:30 and winning my age category to boot. The conditions were not ideal but I would rather the cold and wet than sweltering heat. It was good to maintain an average of 5mins per k for 42.2 k's and now to be recovering so well is an added bonus.

Yes!!!!

After a very lazy weekend I headed out this morning feeling good. Again, not pushing myself and just running as my legs took me I did my 7.65K circuit in 35:35. That is another 20 seconds off. Little by little, the improvement comes.

2 Seconds

Yes 2 Seconds. Tuesday 7.65K in 35:57. Thursday 7.65K in 35:55. An improvement all the same and it still surprised me.

Unbelievable

After a good work out in the 10K on Sunday I decided to take it easy this morning on the 7.65K circuit i.e. I was not going to make any real effort. After having improved my time last week from 37:49 to 36:49 I would have been happy with something in between. I felt good in the down hill sections, my left knee having improved somewhat. My quads felt heavy and tired in the uphill home stetch, 6m to 70m elevation in about 1.6K. I couldn't believe my time...35:57. Unbelievable!

10K Handicap Race

It was a 10K Handicap race at West End on Sunday 2/10/2005. My handicap was set at 24 mins 30 Secs. I thought the first people to start must be pretty slow for me to have that sort of handicap. However, the Handicaper did a pretty good job because the majority of runners came in within a period of 5 mins. The guy who set off after me was 30 secs behind me. When we finished he was 29 secs behind me. I finished in 42:17, an average of 4:15 per K. I don't believe I could have gone any faster at the time. I am, however, slower than I was at this time last year.

I would like to be a bit faster over short distances but I have only 6 weeks until the 500K relay. So I don't think I will be picking up very much speed in that space of time.