Back to Normal

Thankfully back to a normal routine after a disjointed week. No exercise since Perth run last Tuesday-nice forced break but glad to get out there today for the Hurts session. About 10 turned up for the session including Tom, Adam, James, Laura, and Brendan. Tom and a few of the group set off at a cracking pace and I knew I was in trouble when we were doing 4.35 average pace for the first couple of kms. Group split in two quite early and I stayed at the back, more due to lack of ability than desire. Adam pulled up with a stitch around farm cove, but managed to join up again after the opera house, along with Derek. They did have the course and I managed to pick up the pace, 4.15kms, for the last couple back to Circular Quay for 10kms and 11km all up. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70542083.

Perth 10kms

What a stunning morning in Perth after a long day yesterday. Made slightly more exciting by a bomb scare about a 100m from my hotel which locked down the CBD at rush hour. What would have been a 10 minute walk from office to hotel took about 45mins. Managed to get myself out just after 6am and did 10kms along the banks of the swan river. Made a rookie mistake by heading west first and enjoyed a nice easy run at 4.30 pace, however when I turned at the 5km mark I was straight into a headwind. If I'm back in Perth, I'll be heading east first and enjoying the wind at my back on he way home! Still pretty happy with my run stats, which are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69578261, average movng pace of 4.37 is reasonable for a lone run, going out in 24.50 and back in 23.50.
Hoping to get out for part of the long Hurts run tomorrow as I have a 2pm meeting.

Sunday Ride

Hot and humid today in Sydney so ride was a very sticky affair. Only did 4 laps of the park hard and took an easy one as a warm down. Ride stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69124734 and happy to see I got faster each lap. Started just after the York Road gates and had quite a strong wind in the face from the Cafe to the Tafe gates, and it wasn't cooling so that made things a bit tougher. Glad to have got another 20kms in this weekend - just need to work out how to get the swimming in and should be ok for the BRW.

Belated Friday Post

Bit of a sticky day again - humidity up around the 80% but otherwise a good day for a run - slightly overcast. Legs felt great today despite the kms this week, so just took it at a nice steady pace and was aiming to come back to circular quay. Six or seven out today including the return of Tom,Rob and Brendan among the group.Thanked Tom for his comments about Thursday's post - think he was jesting to make me feel better!
Anyway managed to do 12kms - run stats are http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68800189 - to take me over the 50kms for this week and very happy.
Hoping to get out for a ride tomorrow, weather permitting.
Next week will be very quiet as I'm in Perth for Monday and Tuesday and have a two day offsite on Thursday and Friday.

I beat Tom.........

This will go down in history as the day I beat Tom on one of the gate to gate repeats.......Now some might say that his absence due to man flu for the last four days may have been a contributing factor, however I think he just went out to hard at the start and faded at the end - fair play to Tom, he did try to keep up, but I was just too fast towards the end of the set. He may not agree with this version of events..........
Run stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68659996 and takes me to 42kms for the week so far. Hoping to get the long run in tomorrow and do my first 50km+ week and legs feeling good.

Wednesday Hurts

Rest day yesterday and giving the nipples a break. Out with Hurts today for the long run - 2 loops of Centennial Park was the circuit - aimed to do one and head back. About 10 turned up including Laura and Russell. Still no Tom due to a very bad man flu and Adam couldn't get to the session due to meetings. Run out was ok and about 5 min kms due to the hills and 2 metres of sand running as the pavement was dug up on Ocean street. Managed to pick up the pace in the park for the lap and then headed back with Laura. Was good to have company and  wouldn't have run back at the pace we did if on my own. All up 15kms for the session and 16kms for the day with the run up. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68515203. Aiming to get to the sprint session tomorrow. Oh and the nipples are all good.

Monday - ouches all round for the Wisemans

Well a double day of pain for the Wiseman family started when Mackenzie chin, elbow and knee planted on her way to school this morning. She was followed by her father who suffered significant nipple chaffing during my lunch run - enough to have blood streaked all down my white shirt and a great look running back through the city! Not sure which one of us hurts more - Mackenzie is making less fuss....
To the run - didn't feel good heading out today, headache and stomach not right, so aimed to get to the half way point and see how I felt. Decent size group today but no Tom - wasn't quite sure whether I was at the right running group. Mike, Brendan, Ray, James, Russell among the regulars and Adam and Derek met us at the Opera house. Good to see Derek back running after a long injury layoff and he is almost up to holding my pace for a couple of kms..... After 5 kms felt really good, so just kept going and managed to finish the whole 14kms and held 4.35kms average. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68223870.

Sunday - working off the lollies

Managed to get out for a ride today although batteries ran out on the garmin as I entered Centennial, so no stats unfortunately. Very windy with light drizzle and managed 5 laps,so just on 20kms including from and to home. Guilty ride to do somethign about my complete lack of self discipline last night when I devoured a whole packet of Allen's Party mix - I love the snakes and bananas.
Forecast is for a wet week, so should be good for some harder efforts with Hurts. Aiming for 35-40kms again this week. Better get my entry for the SMH Half sorted out.

Tough Friday

It was a  bit tough dragging myself out today and not that happy when only three others (Tom and couple of faces I recognise but not sure of the names - sorry) turned up for the Hurts session as it meant no where to hide. Nice day today and about 30C but very hot when out of the breeze. Started out at 4.45 km pace and managed to come down to 4.30's for the second half - run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/67635915.  Just ran to Circular Quay on the way back to take my weekly total up to 42kms since Monday - big week for me and feeling it tonight.
Forecast is for wind and rain over the weekend, so not sure if I'll get out for a a ride or a run. Highlight will be taking the kids to Tangled tomorrow!

Thursday Quickie

Just time for some short sprints today-  run stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/67509426.
On my own for 4 x 1.2km Hickson Road session - happy with times as legs felt a bit heavy after corp cup. Out for dinner tonight - tapas and some nice red so will look forward to running that off tomorrow lunch.

Corp Cup

No run yesterday as legs were shattered from Monday's effort and Sydney Corp Cup race was on today, so wanted to have a good attempt at a pb - failed miserably. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/67360807. Started off probably a bit too quickly at sub 4 minute kms, but was just trying to keep pace with Adam. Felt like I was going strong and pushing it but almost a minute outside pb time with 24.55 - so not sure what I have to do! Course is slightly long due to St George outdoor cinema, but not 55 secs long - so pretty annoyed. Adam finished in 25.25 which was almost 2 minutes quicker than last week and about 10 degrees cooler! A 3 week break so will need to do some speed sessions.
Hoping to get a couple of the Hurts 1.2km sprints in tomorrow but have a 1pm meeting so will head out early.

Cool Monday

How nice it was to run on a nice cool day again. A good Monday turn out for the Hurts group - Tom, Mike, James, Laura, Charlie, Ray and a cameo by Russell who was back after a long injury layoff. Snaps to Laura for doing a 23km charity bush run in the National Park on Saturday morning  - even more remarkable given there was only water at the turnaround.
So 15kms today - only the second time I have done the full session on a Monday and felt good with a strong finish. Run stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/67063489 - forgot to change the watch back to running mode, so no splits and I won't make that mistake again.
Aiming for the sprint session tomorrow but going to go easy as I have Corp Cup on Wednesday and I want to give it a good crack and see if the training has made a difference from the last series. Unlikley to get out on Thurs and Friday due to meetings.

Sweaty

What a weekend - we got to 41.2C yesterday and it was awful. Took the kids to Bondi in the morning and it was bliss - water is about 24C and at 8.30 it was already 28C. Did a 500m swim and then a 500m run back along the beach and that was all I could manage. No air con meant the avo was spent in the shopping centre or just lying around the house.
Managed to drag myself out of bed for a ride after another night where the mossies feasted on me and the temp only dropped to 26C. Cool change due in at lunchtime - it's about the only topic of conversation at the moment.
Did a quick 5 laps of Centennial this morning as part of my BRW training - ride stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/66772677 and glad to see that I can maintain the pace above 30km/hour depsite my lack of bike training. Lap 6 was my warm down and still managed to be faster than the first lap.
Saw Tom from Hurts managed to come in 5th or 6th on the Dee Why to Manly SMH run yesterday - well done Tom. You can check out his blog from my links.
Looking forward to a lon run tomorrow lunchtime in more normal temperatures.

Friday Fun Run

Well my first run since last Friday and it felt great. Was out with the Hurst guys - most of the normal crowd were out and good turnout given the temp was still sitting at 30C. Tom, Charlie, Mike, Brendan among the crowd. We headed out across the bridge for a change to the normal Friday session - the rest of the group headed off to Balls Head and I dropped down into Lavender Bay due to a rather impolite 1.30 meeting. Legs felt great and no problem with hip although it wasn't a hard run - mostly around 5min kms. Run stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/66518124.
Looking forward to the beach tomorrow morning as the forecast on the coast is 36 - 6th day straight above 30 which is nuts. Cool change due to come on Monday and so looking forward to getting a decent night's sleep. Have been nailed by mossies this week - four on my forehead in one night - almost elephant man looking.
Hopefully I'll get out for run or ride on Sunday morning.

Thursday - All Good

Good news for Anna's folks and their friends in FNQ - no damage to them or their propetry, so very fortunate that Yasi passed them by.

Hoping for a run tomorrow - temp meant to be 32C whi will be coolest day all week so far. Read today that it got to 37C- stifling.

Wednesday - Not Happy

Bah humbug - been out all week due to a hip injury - so no running but hip feeling a lot better. Sods law and I blame Adam for talking about injuries last week and me saying that I have been injury free for ages. SMH half marathon entries have opened for the May run, so will have to decide if I am up for that and if I can persuad the wife to let me get the training in! Hurts long sessions are good for that though, so should just need to supplement with a 90 minute weekend run.
Anyway, mackenzie had her first day of school today - look out for some facebook pics shortly. so lost of excitement in the Wiseman house and she did well. After we had been there for about 15mins, she asked up why we hadn't left - very hard on the parents. Fortunately no tears from anyone, so that day passed without any emotional scarring.
Main area of concern at the moment is the cyclone about to hit Cairns with almost 300km winds - Anna's parent's house right in the path of the storm, fortunately they are in Tasmania at the moment, but just waiting to see what the night brings and praying that the house doesn't suffer too much damage and that their friends are all safe.
Some very extreme weather here at the moment - Sydney is two days into a 7 day stretch of above 30C - been 34C yesterday, hit 33C today, 36C forecast for tomorrow - and that is on the coast. Western Sydney - about an hour inland - is hitting over 40C. Very unpleasant. Temp only dropped to 26 overnight - just hot, sticky and not conducive to a good sleep. Hopefully we get a cooler night tonight.