Time to do some training

I think it is time to get down to some serious training. On the 24th and 25th of this month I have the Lamington Classic and on the 20th, 21st and 22nd of November I have the Endeavour 500 Summer Relay.

The Lamington Classic is run in sub-tropical rain forest betwenn Binnaburra and O'Reilly's on the Lamington Plateau which is west of the Gold Coast and very close to the Queensland / New South Wales border. We run 21k out on Saturday and return on Sunday, staying overnight in a bunkhouse. The event is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is the oldest trail run event in Australia. The field limit is 75, a special concession this year. It is usually limited to 50 runners.

The 500K relay is a fund raising event for the Endeavour foundation. I think this will be my 5th. I missed last year because I was overseas. The event is run over three days and this year will have about 17 teams of about 18 runners each. It is very enjoyable but very tough. I usually finish the weekend feeling absolutely stuffed.

Spring has Sprung

What incredibly crazy weather we have been experiencing. Heat, dust storms and gusting winds seem to be heralding a scarily hot summer. I went to bed last night during another dust storm laden with tonnes of dust from central Australia (the storm not my bed), this much milder than that on Wednesday with its choking, blinding dust, thinking that I would it would prevent me from doing Sunday long run. However, on waking at 4.30 this morning it appeared that the dust had moved on (to the Town of 1770 perhaps). I set off to Park Road to head off on my run by myself as Tigger is holidaying with Mr. Tigger and the young Tiggers.

By the time I started at 5.23 it was fairly light with the sun not yet visible on the horizon. A lovely cool southeasterly was blowing in form the coast. It was an absolutely beautiful morning for running and I felt better than I have since the Gold Coast Marathon in early July. I headed along the Brisbane River to Newstead, the mouth of Breakfast Creek in fact, and enjoyed every step of the 14 kilometers. Truly Spring has sprung. I felt compelled to greet everybody along the way with a cheery "good morning", tough not all seemed to share my sentiments.

As I headed back I hoped for a repeat of the enjoyment I experienced on the outward trip. I was not disappointed. In fact my running improved and I enjoyed it more. This was supported by the fact that my average pace continued to improve and ended up at 5.08 per K, the 28 K run having taken 2:23:33.

My total for the week was 63 K. My highest for many weeks.

Still taking it easy

I have been miserable with a rotten head cold so haven't been doing much. Even the 14 k with tigger on Sunday was a bit of a struggle. I'm starting to feel a bit better.

I have entered the 30k at Glasshouse on Sept 13. Tigger starts her 100K there the day before.

Brisbane Marathon

What a day! Winter is not officially over yet and today during the marathon we had to endure temperatures around the 30C mark. A bit of a shock to the system. However that was only secondary to the problem which slowed me the most. From about the 15K mark I started suffering excruciating pain in my right foot. I feel as though a nerve is being pinched and runs in a line form the tip of my second toe back through the middle of my foot. It is an incredible pain and very hard to manage while running. I eventually finished the run in 3:42 and was extremely relieved.

I thought the course was pretty terrible. Especially the second lap where we had to back track under the Story Bridge. That almost did my head in. The marathon recovery area a the finish was the best I have experienced in my, now, 17 marathons. They had people waiting on us hand an foot, treating us like kings.

Thanks for the encouragement along the way Robert Song. It was really appreciated.

I think the sudden high temperatures really took there toll today. There seemed to be a few causalities. Tigger stopped to render assistance to one young fellow who looked quite dreadful when I passed.

Deek & I

Twins! Even Mum can't tell us apart! Rob Richards and Robert De Costella at the Lengends Lunch , Marathon eve, Gold Coast, July 2009. Both are Marathoners. Deek is the Legend but he has never taken as long to run a marathon as I have.

Marathon! What Marathon?

I can' believe it is only a week an half to the Brisbane marathon and I have hardly given it a thought. Until I read Robert Song's Blog I was just taking my running of another marathon for granted. I just intend to turn up and run and see what happens on the day. For Robert Song, on the other hand, this has been a goal event for which he has been working very hard and now has to let go due to his health. This has made me appreciate the what a privilege it is to run a marathon and not just take it for granted that I will be able to go out and just do it.

Tigger is training hard for her Glasshouse 100K in September. She is taking me on a newfound tour in the wilds beyond Mt Coot-tha on Sunday. I am wondering if I should carry an EPIRB.

A surprise result

After my 1:45 at Ipswich last Sunday I didn't have great expectations for today at Noosa. I love the Noosa half. It is a good couse, good weather and loads of friendly people. I set out a little fast, I thought, but was able to sustain a reasonable pace. I worked prettty hard the whole way. I finished in 1:32:06. I was over the moon. My first lap was done in 46:07 and the second in 45:58, so a negative split as well. I also came 4th in the M55-59 category. So am I pleased with myself? You bet!

Congratulations Tigger on you 50K win with digger on Saturday. You truly have taken to ultra running like a duck to water. A terrific result.

Congratulations Scott on your 2:56 Townsville marathon. Well done mate!

Park2Park

Another beautiful morning at Limestone Park in Ipswich, and the 5th annual Par2Park half marathon was, again, a great event. It is incredibly well organised and a credit to the Ipswich Hospital Foundation. The course is a tough one, no doubt about it, but still no excuse for my worst time on that course. No, my 1:45:01 is totally down to lack of preparation.

1st and 2nd places went to Patrick Nyangolo and Oswald Revilian Kahurzi in 1:08:49 and 1:08:50. Patrick has won C2S 3 times and Oswald has won the GC and Sydney marathons. The course is a 1.1k then 4 x 5k hilly laps. These guys lapped me in my second lap, their third, at about the 9k mark. Absolutely amazing running! The guy who cam third, Hintsa Mabrahtu, didn’t lap me until about my 11.5k. Hintsa finished in 1:13:48.

Tigger, who is training for the 100K at Glasshouse in September, ran 1:48:43, this after her training run in Toohey Forest on Saturday.

Back at last!

I have to say that I enjoyed the GC. My 3:19:44 was a course PB which pleased me greatly. The day was absolutely perfect. I didn't mind running down to Burleigh and have less distance to north of the start/finish. I think it made the course a whole lot better. My pace slowed a bit in the last 10K but I had a real adrenalin rush in the very long finish chute an sprinted (relatively speaking) to the finish line. The race was fairly uneventful and I didn't have any real issues. It is amazing what experience can teach. Things which would have concerned me in my early marathons are now things I can think through, put into the perspective of the whole race, and deal with. I think now I can face future GC's with a much more positive attitude.

Last Sunday, with my friends, Darryl and Michelle (my OS travelling buddies), i ran the Railtrail Fun Run an 8.3K run which follows the path of the now dismantled rail line between Fernvale and Lowood which are two small towns in the Lockyer Valley west of Ipswich. They had a record crow of over 700. It was well organised and very enjoyable.

Yesterday I met Tigger at 5:00AM at Park Road and we set off through Herston and Bardon and then over My Coot-tha, and extremely hilly course. Tigger is training for the Glasshouse 100k in September. As we came round the Mt Coot-tha lookout, ready to set off downhill and home, Tigger decided that she would run the reverse course back around the mountain (big hill really) before heading home. I just said " see you back at Park Road.” It was a really good workout and just what I needed to prepare for the Park 2 Park Half in Ipswich next Sunday.

Sub 3:10! NO WAY!

Less than a week to the Gold Coast Marathon. Let me make it quite clear that my legs do not have a sub 3:10 in them. I will be very happy if I can get a 3:20. I am trying to stay calm and relaxed leading up to the GC. I am looking forward to it because I have endeavoured to maintain a positive attitude towards it. Tigger is pacing the Half 2:10 bus.

Tigger and I did an easy 16 yesterday. On Saturday Tigger did a 30K then a fast 6 at Sherwood.

I am heading to the coast on Saturday moring with my mates Darryl and Michelle. We will be at the GC Lunch.

All the best for a great run.

GC, Less than 2 weeks

It is now less than 2 weeks to the Gold Coast marathon. As I wasn't able to do my long run last Sunday due to minding my grandchildren, I went out for 35K yesterday. Even though it is getting a bit close to the marathon I really felt that I needed those extra Ks in my legs. It took me 3 hours to do, some of it in pouring rain, so I was not pushing myself too hard. Even so, I still have not been able to get my head round the fact that when I am doing a training run I feel as if I am working hard and couldn't run faster if my life depended on it, yet in the race I can work harder and run faster and for a longer distance. After a race I always ask myself "how did I do that?".

Gold Coast is almost upon us.

The weather has been perfect for running. 36.5K along the Brisbane River yesterday was enjoyable. Not exactly in a "comfort zone" Ewen, but enjoyable. Ultra Tigger was with me for a while but had to head back early. Saving her energy for something big I think.

Next Sunday is the Queensland Half which starts and finishes at the Doomben horse track. I am looking forward to trying to blow some cobwebs out.

There is a little over 5 weeks until the Gold Coast Marathon. I am feeling much more relaxed about this year's event, my 6th, than I have in a while. I am looking forward to it actually.

34K is still a long way!

After Tiggers' 80K last week and after reading the posts of Coolrunners like Digger and Tuttle about their Comrades run on Sunday I have been feeling like a bit of a wimp only doing marathons. However, my I realised too, after doing my 34K long run on Sunday (on my Pat Malone) and feeling sore yesterday and today because I did try to stretch myself and work a bit harder, that 34K is still a long way.

Tigger, of course, is already contemplating her next BIG run while I worry about how I am going to perform in a titchy marathon at the Gold Coast. I think in my life, I am going to have to run at least one race longer than a marathon (maybe).

Yesterday I went with friends to do the 11K Glasshouse Trail run. I have trouble running on trails because I don't train in that type of terrain. I managed to finish in 48 minutes. My run started at 9:00AM. By that time Tigger had already been running for 6 hours. She started at 3:00 AM in the 80K race.

My friends and I, along with Mr. Tigger and the two junior Tiggers, waited for Tigger to finish. She came in at, I think, 9 hrs 45 minutes (Tigger will know) to win a medal for 2nd place female. Congratulations Tigger! She still looked fit and healthy and didn't collapse in a heap. She said it was a very tough run, and I believe her. Somehow, I don't think it will be her last. Though Mr. Tigger thought Tigger a little crazy to run such an event, I could see that he was very proud of her achievement.

Kathrine Switzer

The Calf is improving. I took it easy during the week and Tigger and I ran only 20K this morning. I am sure I will be able to increase the mileage this week.

At the Niagara Falls International Marathon last October I spent some time at the marathon Expo. Kathrine Switzer was there promoting her book, Marathon Woman. I have to admit that I didn't know a lot about Kathrine. I was vaguely aware of her 1967 Boston Marathon run-in with officials, but I was not aware of the tremendous amount she has done over the years for running and in particular for women marathon runners.

I saw her book and bought it as a gift for Tigger. Katherine even wrote in it for her. Tigger loved the book and lent it to me to read. I loved every page. Kathrine is a great lady. The running world owes her a great deal. Since reading the book this photo has come to mean so much more.

Old Person's Injury

I was went out for a run on Tuesday morning. I was feeling terrific and couldn't believe how well I was running. Then, low and behold, my right calf decided it had had enough and ceased up on me. i slowed my pace but still managed to complete the 14K in 1:09:37.

On Wednesday I went along to the speed session in Limestone Park. Chris had us doing fartleks on the grass running track. I took it easy to start with and as I warmed up (it was a 4 degree morning) I ran faster. Then on the second last "go" my calf called it quits again. I took Thursday and today off running to give my poor old calf a rest. Hopefully it will be good for a nice easy run with Tigger on Sunday. Tigger is insisting on an easy run after her super effort at Mt Mee last Sunday. Well done Tigger. 

Bloody Marvellous

What a great weekend it was in Canberra! I really love the Canberra Marathon.
I went with the attitude that I was going to enjoy the run as much as possible and just do my best on the day. I hadn't been very happy with my preparation and had only just felt like I was finding my running legs after starting speedwork four weeks out from the marathon. I really wasn't sure how I was going to perform so when I met up with my mate Langy on Saturday and he said he was feeling the same way, I was pretty happy when he suggested that we head out together at a 3:30 pace (just under 5:00 min pace) and see how it goes.

The start was cold but not freezing and was shaping up to be an ideal running day. Langy and I cruised along at a steady 4:54 per K pace. We caught up with Clairie at about 12K and then the 3:30 bus at about 13K. We reckoned the 3:30 bus must have set out a bit fast. It took us a tad over 2Hrs to hit 25K.

We were receiving great support along the way from people like Barb Williams, Robbie Lofthouse, Ewen, Coolrunners. Their support met so much. However, as always, the greatest supporter of all was the indefatigable Katie (Ihatetoast). She was absolutely incredible. Hers was a true marathon effort.

I think it was about the 25K mark where I gradually left Langy behind. I was feeling pretty good at the time and felt that I should make the most of the feeling. I passed a lot of runners but there were still some passing me. I was still thinking that there was a chance of my wheels falling off. As I was heading for the 34K turn-around I spotted my mate Glenno heading up the hill. He was well ahead of me but I thought that there maybe a chance of catching him. I think he thought he escaped being passed by me on this occasion. I lost sight of him but hoped that I could steadily make up some ground. By the time I got to 37K I was still feeling good. My legs were starting to feel a bit like lead but I was still moving fairly well so I figured that my wheels would remain intact so I motored on. As I turned the bend just after the 40K mark I spotted Glenno up ahead. What an incentive! I thought "I can do this" and set of in pursuit (not hot pursuit). After a final cheer from a beer bellied, bearded Katie, I caught Glenno right on the 41K mark. He was a little surprised and asked "why couldn't you have done this at 21K like you normally do". I'm getting old Glenno. I finished a few seconds ahead of Glenno in a net time of 3:23:19. I am so happy with that result. I really didn't expect to do as well as that.

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. It means a huge amount to me.

Congratulations my wonderful friends who ran over the weekend and who made the weekend such a pleasure.

Canberra - Less than 2 Weeks

I am looking forward to being in Canberra again. This will be my 5th Canberra Marathon and my 15th in total. Once again I will be staying at the Telopea Inn on the Park, right at the start/finish line. I look forward to catching up with all the usual suspects. I am not sure what is happening for dinner on Saturday night, but hope that I can scrounge a seat at a table somewhere with somebody.

Tigger an I set out from Park Road again on Sunday and headed off on the same route as last week. This time Tigger headed across the Green bridge for the 34k and I headed back to park Road for 20K. I finished with an average of 5:09. While Tigger turned up the heat on herself and finished with a very commendable 5:08. Great work Tigger.

Last Wednesday was Galeforce speed training in Limestone Park again. We did a 30 minute fartlek session on the running track. Chris called go and slow at varying intervals. It was a good workout. I worked pretty hard. Harder than I thought I actually had it in me to achieve. I really didn't think I could support that effort over a 30 minute period.

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you have a very enjoyable and safe Easter.

A Sick Tigger

Tigger has been sick all week but she did come for a run with me this morning. She was going to run out with me then turn back but changed the plan, as she is prone to do, and ran to a point where she could cut back to Park Road while I trudged on.

We went out along the Western Freeway to Indooroopilly  and headed across to the University of Queensland where Tigger left me at the Green Bridge and headed to Park Road while I went over the bridge and through West End, Southbank, Kangaroo Point, Dockside, Story Bridge and back to Park Road. 35.3K for me in 3:07 at 5:19 pace.

I went along to the Galeforce speed session again on Wednesday. 1K TT (3:49) 6 x 300m reps with 100m recovery then another 1K TT (3:50). I was pretty stuffed after that session, however, I haven't had the soreness that I had after the hill session the week before. I wish I had started this months ago.

While running today I stopped and had a quick chat to CoolRunner Tuttle. He is not long back from Korea where he ran a 3:09 Marathon. Tuttle's running has improved tremendously since he moved to Brisbane from Newcastle. He is now training for Comrades which is 8 weeks away.

Galeforce Pain

Out of desperation to stop the rot that had seemed to be setting in in my running, I decided it was time to commit myself to something which involved me with other other runners. Doing things on my own sure wasn't working. Having met Chris Gale of Galeforce Runners on several occasions and knowing he ran coaching groups, I discovered that he has a speed session in Ipswich on Wednesday mornings. Unfortunately I am not a person who finds it easy to alter my routine, I have to give the change careful consideration before committing myself. I normally catch the 6:52 train and am at my desk by 8:45. Attending a 5:30AM speed session at Limestone Park in Central  Ipswich means that I don't get back home until 7:00AM when I still need to shave, shower, dress and have breakfast in order to catch the 7:40 train to get to my desk by 8:30.  After convincing myself that such a change wasn't life threatening and that I surely would survive, I attended a session last Wednesday. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt really good to have put in a big effort and done some hard work. I am sure that I can make this session part of my routine.

There has been a price to pay, however. My quads have been very sore. My run on Thursday was pathetic. Nevertheless the speed session was a very positive experience and it has done me a world of good. I don't expect it to have any significant impact on my Canberra run. The greatest benefit will be, I think, the improvement in my attitude.

This morning I did 25k from Park Road with Tigger. We averaged 5:10 per K. I really enjoyed the run. The conditions were perfect.