Hot Monday

We finally get a hot summer day in Sydney - temp went from 27-32 between 9 and 1pm - perfect timing for the lunch run. Big crowd out again today and thankfully Mike is controlling the 4.40 pace well although it feels a lot harder at the start.I reckon I lost about 2 kilos in sweat by the end of the run. Dropped off early at Circular Quay for 11kms in 50.30 minutes so pretty happy given the heat. It took about 30 minutes to cool down at my desk and a hot sweaty Scotsman is not an ideal office companion. Stats for today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145848046.

Wednesday, Friday and Sat

Out for the long Hurts run on Wendesday and the legs felt pretty tired after Tuesday's effort. Only 6 of us including MC, Tom, James, Todd and the Yorkshire Tim. Didn't feel great for the entire run so only did one lap of Centennial and came back very slowly with Tim but I was out and got 15kms in so that's what counts. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/144619506
Had pizza and pavlova on Aussie Day, so headed out for a ride yesterday morning with Nick and Chris and selfishly suggested a 20km time trial around the park, given I have a Kurnell coming up. We manege 5 laps and pretty happy with just under 19kms in 34.05 minutes, averaging 33kms/hr and holding around 6.50mins per lap of CP. Given I have been on the bike twice since Christmas my run fitness must he helping out. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145066321 and all up about 25kms in the morning. I also did the Hurts run session at lunchtime and was hoping for an easy 10kms or so, but got a workout of 11kms in sub 50mins. About 10 of us out including James and Russell but the group quickly split in two and I was caught in no man's land around Farm Cove. Stayed at the back with James and still averaged 4.27 pace. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145066358 and a good finish to the week.
I got out at lunch today for a quick swim at Clovelly and managed to get a km done in about 16/17 minutes - was high tide, pretty choppy and some serious currents opposite the surf club.
Not a bad week all up and might get out for a ride in the morning or have a long lie!

Quick Tuesday

Just managed to get out for two of the session today due to a 1.30 meeting. The set was 4 x 10 mins so decided to do them harder than normal. Huge group today with most of the regulars including MC, Tom, Charlie, James, Laura and a few faces including Simmo fresh (ish) from his first Nowra Olympic disance tri on Sunday. He managed a very respectable 2.44 and looks like he is getting the tri bug!
Got the furthest ever on the first one today almost getting to the art gallery and just opposite the cafe at the domain. Even better on the way back where I came home in 9.32 for just on 2.5kms. So pace was bang on 4 min kms for the first and 3.48 min kms for the second. Pretty certain I couldn't hold that for another two but happy given it is a hilly course. Stats from today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/144220612. Weather looking pretty poor for the rest of the week so ride and or swims could be in jeopardy.

Monday

Out for the normal Monday session today and a decent turnout including James, Laura, Russell, Tom, and Charlie. Legs felt fine despite yesterday's ride and Mike has decided that Monday's will be no faster than 4.40 average pace to ensure it is a proper recovery run. Managed to keep the pace on 4.40's all the way back to the end of Hickson road on the way home and then some bloke called Tom decides to up the pace, so given I hadn't run for 5 days, I went with him and we dropped down to about 4.20/4.25-ish. I decided to drop off at Circular Quay after 11 kms so that Tom wasn't embarrassed at me being out front with him. So pretty happy with 11kms in 50 mins and today's stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143973078.
Have registered for the March Kurnell triathlon, so the cross training will need to start in earnest and will also need to get more disciplined with the cycling and swimming as just over a month to go.

Hill Ride

After having 4 days of no exercise, I hauled myself out of bed at 6.15 on a Sunday to meet up with Nick and Chris for a ride. It felt like we did every hill in the eastern suburbs this morning culminating in a ride up Arden Street from Coogee. Ride stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143548091 and very concerned to see my heart rate hitting 244 3 minutes in as we went up St Thomas street near Waverely Cemetery but doesn't seem to have done any harm for the rest of the session and probably cleared out a few cobwebs! Avoided the rain that appeared to be around the east this morning and enjoyed some splendid views of angry seas as we headed out through Bronte, Tama and Bondi to Watson's Bay. Chris is a new mate of Nick's who has just arrived from Adelaide two weeks ago and appears to be a pretty decent cyclist - well the legs are shaved so that's a bit of a giveaway. He was flying up the hills like they didn't exist but the cruelest of blows was when we were 100 meters from our usual cafe finish on Clovelly Road he announced that we were going to climb Arden Street. I've survived 11 years in Sydney with a fair amount of riding around the east and avoided Arden St but not today and to be honest, if I wait another 11 years before I do it again, it might be too soon. I honestly thought I was going so slowly that I would come off the bike. The bus coming up my backside helped with the motivation.
So bit of a slack week dut to the hols and back into it again next week. We are fully into camping now, although not quite ready for a site without running water or warm showers!

Tuesday

Out for the 8 x 5 mins today and legs were feeling pretty tight - I suspect from the new shoes. Was aiming for consistent 4 min/km pace for the set today and managed to do that and also get further on each rep. Looking at the stats I even managed to get faster as the set went on and finished on a 3.46 min/km pace so very happy. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/142428205. A huge crowd today - I reckon about 45-50 people all up which is just great to see.
No hurts for the rest of the week as I am on leave and will hope to gte out for maybe a swim tomorrow morning, try and sneak in a ride and run between no and Monday if all is well.

Monday

Nice run out yesterday with a big group including MC, Tom, James, Tucks etc. Took it nice and easy back to Circular Quay for 11kms all up at an average pace of 4.33. didn't get out on Friday as the wife was sick so had to stay home looking after the kids, so legs were probably well rested as I only managed a 1.5km swim at Clovelly on Saturday. Will get out for the 8 x 5mins today and then on leave for the rest of the week,  so might be some coastal runs.

2011 Stats

Out today for the 4 x 2km or 4 x 7mins session with Hurts and another huge group - 30-40 again today. Had a bad night with Hamy vomitting and legs were still feeling pretty tight and tired after Tuesday so wasn't sure I would get all 4 done but struggled through with with pretty respectable pace splits of 3.59, 3.48, 3.57 and 3.50 although there wasn't much left at the end. Todays stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/141003942 Also managed a 1.5km swim yesterday morning.

One of the features of the garmin site is a couple of reports, so I thought I'd check out the 2011 stats and turns out I ran 1360kms which took 158 hours and I used up 111,725 calories. My recorded cycling activity was somewhat less and I managed 277kms, in 15 hour using up 14935 calories. Not too bad for a fat scotsman!! Hope to see what the 2012 stats look like!

Happy and disappointed

Got out for the new tempo session today and a big turnout - seems the resolution thing is in full swing. Must have been about 40 people which made for aquite an impressive sight as we headed off around the Domain. So 45 minutes in total at 15 secs slower than 10km race pace - 22.5 mins out and turn and come back to start point if you have done the set properly. I set the watch to do 4.30 pace reckingin on a 4.15 pace for 10kms but big Charlie wasn't happy and said so as he passed me, so aimed for 4.15 pace and managed to hold that as an average for the set. Very happy that I managed 10.6kms in 45 minutes and that I got back to the start on 45.02. Disappointed that I started off too fast and didn't manage to keep a consistent pace all the way. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140493699. On the other hand, a sub 40 min 10 km is achievable on a flat course. Not sure if I'll do the ong run tomorrow or head out for an early morning swim.

Monday

Probably need to make a resolution to be a bit more timely with my blog in 2012. Anyway a couple of entries from last week and today's session to get me back on track.
Last Tuesday I managed a 10.5km run to North Bondi and back (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140247891) followed by a 500m swim at Clovelly and got out for roughly the same distance on Wednesday lunchtime with Hurts (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140247888) which really did hurt for the first proper run back of the new year. Only 5 of us out including Emma, Laura and MC.
Headed out today for the session and good to see a bigger crowd with a few worried looking faces at the prospect of working off the Christmas excesses. James, MC, Laura among the regulars. Wasn't that hard a run at 4.36 average pace but it felt pretty tough and the heat wasn't helping. Stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140247883.
Not sure If I'll do the tempo run tomorrow or the 4 x 2km speed set on Thursday.