Poor Corp Cup

I really really dislike the corp cup. After reckoning the course is 20 secs longer with the open air cinema diversion, I was quietly confident that I could be pretty close to 24 today with the course back to normal. No such luck as I managed a 24.18. So three races left to break 24 for this series and it would be nice to do it before on on my 100th corp cup run in two races time. Stats for today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153624129.

Hot Hot Hot Wet

I'm done in tonight. Getting too old for exercising twice in the same day especially with the heat and humidity at lunch today.
Got out for a ride early doors this morning - just did 25kms on my own (4 laps of the park) and new cluster etc feels great. Just need a slight adjustment to the chain guide (which is what the bike went in for in the first place!) as it's rubbing on the small chain wheel. Centennial Park was choccas this morning and it was pretty warm even at 6am. Stats for this morning are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153230194.
Backed up by getting to the Hurts speed session today and it was just stifling in Farm Cove for the 4 x 10mins. Big crowd today including MC, Tom, Laura, Russel, Dave and even Simmo and Adam turned up. Adam reckons this was his first Hurts session of 2012 which is incredible. Managed all four of the set and stuck around 4.10/4.15 pace which I'm pretty happy with given the conditions. Stats for the session are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153344690 and most of the group made a beeline for the harbour at the Opera House for a very welcome and refreshing dip. Few tourists were quite surprised but no one cared today - even Tom made it into the water.
Corp Cup is on tomorrow and course is back too normal, so there might be a pb in the offing - stay tuned readers.

Monday

A last minute team announcement (yet another new person in charge of our team) meant I couldn't get out for the Hurts session today. So only managed an easy 5kms which is not the start I wanted for this week but will have to do. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153109066.
Aiming for a ride in the morning and looks like I could be on my own as Nick is more interested in the surf!

Swimming Lesson

Got to the Hurts Fridau swim session and was promptly reminded that I hadn't done a squad session in about 5 years. 500m easy warm up in the fast lane should have been a clue but I didn't appear to get the message that I was swimming with big boys until I attempted to hang on for dear life in the 300m leg of the 100m, 200m 300m 400m 400m 300m 200m 100m on a 1.50min repeat. Just goes to show that you need to train with other people to get any better as all my Clovelly swimming was fine for the fitness but I couldn't stick with the pace. A great session though and will certainly keep that on the weekly calendar now. So all up about 1.5kms of swimming with a 2km run either side to get to and from the pool. Aiming for a ride on Sunday or Monday morning.

Gate to Gate

A late running meeting meant I couldn't make the Rushcutters session but MC kindly put on a Farm Cove set as well, so rocked up for that hoping that I'd miss the first two but no such luck. Still a decent crowd of about 20 folk including Charlie Low, Jonathon and Hamish. Felt pretty ordinary for the first two but things seemed to ease up a little bit in the middel and just managed to hang on for the last two. Was very warm and humid today so gave the ladies a thrill by running the last one and back to the office with my top off. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/151850701 and ecstatic that everything was sub 4 min/km pace after yesterday's long run.
Might try and get out for a swim in the morning, if not I'll do the hurts swim session at lunchtime. Also very excited to get the bike back tonight with a new 11-25 rear cluster, bottom bracket and chain.

Wednesday Long Run

Headed out for the long Wednesday run today and felt absolutely awful on the way up to the State Library - no energy, legs heavy and very little motivation. Not sure what happened during the 5 minutes I was waiting for the rest of the group, but when we started off I felt great and was feeling really comfortable running up the front - the hill up from Garden Island felt the easiest it ever has today. Not a hugh crwod out but some of the usual suspects in MC, Jonathon, Todd, Indrajit, Russell and Tom catching us up at Rushcuutters. He seems to be enjoying the single parent life at the moment and, courageously, seems to be thinking about giving his wife some feedback on her domestic duties when she returns from the UK. He might not be out again for a while.
Anyway, all up 15.5 kms, coming back after one lap of the park with Indrajit and happy at 4.44 average pace for that route. Stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/151623758. Get the bike back tomorrow, so excited about the new cluster and looking forward to a Rushcutters set - how much excitement can one perosn have in a single day!

Return from Man Cold

After my ride last Tuesday morning, http://connect.garmin.com/activity/149462814, I came down with a pretty bad man cold which saw two days off work followed by another couple taking it easy to really shake it off. Managed a 1km swim at Clovelly yesterday morning and got out for the hurts run today for the first one in a week. Thought I would feel a lot stronger than I did to be honest, by about 8/9 kms I was feeling as though my legs were made of lead and just weak in the body. Was hoping to get to the opera house for 13kms, but pulled out at 11kms at the bottome of Circular Quay. Stats for today are at
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/151094950 and I won't be out for the speed stuff tomorrow, but aiming for a long one on Wed and speed on Thurs.
On a good note, I will hopefully get the bike back in the next couple of days and get a few rides in before Kurnell a week on Sunday.
On a bad note, the father of a girl in Mackenzie's class at school passed away on the weekend afer a year long battle with cancer. Two young daughters of 8 and 6 and it just brings the fragility of life quite close to home and makes you appreciate family and good health.

Monday Hurts

Adam still not back to running after having his wisdom tooth out on Friday, so fronted up to the Monday session on my own. Had managed to get a swim in on Sunday morning - just a 1km - but Clovelly was perfect with clear, warmish water and the sun shining. Decent crowd today with MC, Laura, Russell, James, Rob, Dave and Charlie among the regulars. Seem to have forgotten the 4.40 pace rule with the pace around farm cove already down to 4.35's. Was very humid again today and despite thunder as we ran around the Opera House, no sign of a cooling shower. Left calf was feeling pretty good after some stretching at the start and was quite keen to attempt the whole set today but didn't want to push it too much so left the group at the Opera House on the return leg and came back to the bottom of Pitt Street for 13kms in 58.38 mins. Not a bad start to the week and although I could still feel some twinge in the calf, nothing compared to the end of last week. Did some more stretching after I finished so will see how things go on Wednesday. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/149286726 and working from home tomorrow, so weather permitting, I'll sneak in a ride in the morning and maybe a swim at lunch.

Little Blighters

No ride this morning thanks to Hamish waking up and 12.40 followed by Mackenzie at about 2am and not being able to sleep in between, I didn't really welcome the 5.20 alarm. So it was a run at lunch and had to stop half way due to a very tight and popping feeling in my left calf. Noticed it in the second last run of yesterday's session and got it massaged at the chiro last night but discretion is the better part of valour, so I just did 8kms to Shelly Street. About a dozen out today and the highlight being the return of Tom, who hasn't been bludging and been sick. James and Russell among the crowd. Started off up front with Tom at about 4.30 pace and managed to bring it down about 10 secs for the kms under the bridge and Barangaroo. So despite the calf, pretty happy backing up Wed and Thurs with 36.03 for 8kms. Stats from today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/148442441. Hoping to get a swim in this weekend if the weather permits.

Tough Session

It was 8 x 3 mins today in Farm Cove and I knew I was going to feel every one today on the run over. Legs felt sluggish after yesterday's corp cup and I just feel really heavy at the moment. Weight is sitting around 77.5-78kgs so maybe that is having a effect but that's been pretty steady since the marathon. A big crowd with the first appearance this week from James and notably absent from all sessions this week has been Tom - perhaps the running evry day in January has finally taken it's toll. The park wardens were after us for the first couple of sets - admirable effort trying to stop 40 odd people running at sub 4 min km pace but he didn't suceed in putting us off. Anyway, very happy with consistent pace in the 3.42-3.48 range but it was tough. Today's stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/148241236  and I did do all 8 just didn't get the garmin set up properly until the end of the first one.
Aiming for a bike ride in the morning with Nick and Chris - Watson's Bay hill route so that will be fun. Not sure if I'll skip the lunch run for a hurts swim session, do 10/11kms or actually have a lunch.

Corp Cup Getting Interesting

Second corp cup of the series before a three week break and managed to take 10 secs off last week's time with a 24.25. Given the course alteration is still in place I suspect I am tantalisingly close to 24 for the normal course, so I'll focus on the speed work for the next couple of weeks. I felt pretty ordinary today as well, so hopefully that is a good sign. I had forgotten to change the workout option on the garmin so it thinks I was cycling. Anyway stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/148036344  and looking forward to Hurts session tomorrow.

Tuesday Ride

Out for a very early La Perouse ride today - 5.30am meet with Chris and Nick. Half the ride was in darkness which is the first time I've done that for a long time. Wind was also up this morning which made for some tougher climbs than necessary. A good hit out and about 30kms all up. Stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/147817883 and looking forward to corp cup again tomorrow!

Monday Long One

After Friday's yum cha lunch and a weekend of looking after the kids and only getting out for a 15 minutes swim on Saturday afternoon, I was feeling good for today's session. Crowd of about a dozen today including MC, Russell, Emma, Laura (great effort at Striders 10km on Sat to finish 2nd) and Charlie. MC's plan to keep the Monday run at 4.40 average pace is working well, so I hung around until the Opera House gates and then headed back to Pitt street for 13kms at 4.38 average pace. Was keen to carry on for the end of the set but a 2pm meeting put paid to that. Out for a La Perouse ride in the morning weather permitting and Corp Cup again on Wed, so will give tomorrow's speed set a miss and back up on Thursday and Friday. Entered the May SMH half marathon today, so will need to ramp up the training if I'm to have a crack at 88mins. Today's stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/147592883

Pinnacle of my running career

I've reacched the running summit today it will all be downhill from now on - I was in the same group as Mr Higham for the Hickson Rd sprint session today. This is a man who does a sub 33 for 10km, get's a 2.36 for his first marathon and comes 9th in the 45km 6 Foot Track and now me, a fat scotsman with a pb of 41.42 for 10kms, who can't break 24 for the corp cup is up there with that kind of running calibre. I think I'm retiring. No stats today as I forgot my watch but it's immaterial, I was just behind Tom for most of the session and he only managed 4 repeats.
Won't be out tomorrow or possibly ever again

First Corp Cup of 2012

I'm obviously not in as good shape as I thought as I was certain I would crack 24mins for the corp cup today but alas it was a 24.35 and it hurt. I do have a small excuse in that there was a course deviation for the St George outdoor cinema which I reckon adds 20 secs to the run and I noticed the distance was 5.96kms as opposed to the usal 5.94kms. Due to a late finishing meeting I was out on my own today but did see a  few of the guys on the way around - Adam, Derek, Anthony and Dat putting in fine efforts. Stats for today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/146338598 and a pb for the 5th km but just need to run that 3rd km faster and get better on the stairs. Pretty happy that I managed a couple of sub 4 minute kms so here's hoping the sprint session tomorrow can pay dividends for the next run.