Back Feels Good

After acupunture, heat treatment and massage on Friday morning and a fair bit of stretching over the weekend my back is feeling good. Turns out it was my sacro-iliac (not sure of spelling) joint that was tight and causing the back pain - so a better result than I had expected. The chiro on Friday got the spot on the massage and I was almost off the table with the pain but it seems to have work. Another session on Wednesday night and hopefully I'll be right for Sunday's race. He said just to do 6/7kms easy today so went out with a big group for the Hurts Monday run and stopped at Shelly Street. Adam and Dat turned up and MC returned from holiday. Tom, James, Russell, Dave, Laura, Indrajit, Mike Race etc etc - you get the idea. Felt pretty effortless today at 4.35 average pace and it probably should after a week off. This week will be easy anyway, so not speed session tomorrow, easy run over the old Corp Cup course on Wed and we'll see what the chiro says on Wednesday night. Stats from today at
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/173235678.

Back Trouble

Not been out all week due a bad lower back and chiro is on 10 days leave. Have found another one and got an appointment at 6.30 tomorrow morning, so hoping for some relief and a good prognosis as not the ideal prep for the state 10kms next weekend!

Beautiful End to the Week

Stunning day today and very welcome break in the rain of the last four days although next week's forecast is pretty grim. Adam was a no show today and only four people turned up - myself, Daniel, Joel and new guy. Decided to just do the Monday route round to Shelly Street so we headed off and met Emma at the Opera House. Managed to average about 4.30 for the 8kms although last three felt quicker but pretty comfortable and a nice end to a 47km week - biggest one for a while. Stats for today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/169846108.
Had a work visit to Gooogle's office this afternoon and was just blwon away by the place - they even have a room set aside for free massages and are bring a physio and hairdresser onsite to make it convenient for employees. Just a brilliant way of thinking about an office environment in my opinion.

Long Wet Run

Despite a serious case of the couldn'tbebothereds at 11.45 I dragged myself out for the long run only to be still standing on my own at 12.11. Tom appeared at 12.12 and I got quite concerned about heading off with just him - wasn't sure he could match my pace over that distance. We got about 20 metres when Jonathan appeared and I knew I was going to be in trouble. Slight shower at Garden Island but got absolutely drenched in Centennial and then again at Elizabeth Bay on the way back. Anyway it is only water and you can only get so wet. Pretty happy with 1.10 for 14.5kms esepecially after yesterday's effort. Tom seems confident I can break 40 for the 10kms - only two weeks before we know for certain! Stats for today's run at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/169295982 and may have a rest day tomorrow or do the Hickson Road set and go for a swim on Friday. At this rate, I'll not need to worry about finding a pool as most of Sydney will be under water.

A wee bit damp

A tough session today but really happy with my consistency through all 14 of the 3mins on 1 min off set - now just to put 10 together for a 10km run! Not a large group for a Tuesday but that would have been because it was a bit damp - perfect conditions for running and nobody around Farm Cove - with a very heavy shower for 5 minutes just drenching everyone. Tom, Tucks, Laura, Mike Race, Dave and Adam among the regulars and a guest appearance from Simmo. Adam and Simmo managed 8 of the set and Dat better watch out at the half! Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/168991054

Back to auld clathes and porridge

Not sure the title will be fully understood by all my readers but it was back to normal today. Out for the Hurts run at lunchtime and a big crowd for a Monday especially with some great performances in the Canberra half yesterday - Laura coming in 3rd with just over 81 mins, Dave Kane doing 79 mins and Rob doing a Pb of sub 84.40ish. Adam was out along with James, Indrajit, Mike Race, Dave and Emma. Pace was on from the start so given this is meant to be a recovery run and tomorrow's session is14 x 3 mins, decided just do half the set. Stats from today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/168680033.

Last FNQ Run

Got out for the 6km Trinity Beach run this morning after a very nice meal with the wife last night. Weather was slightly more conducive to running today with the temp having dropped a bit and a lot of cloud cover. Managed 25.36 and 4.12 average pace so just 7 secs slower than my quickest run for that that course whil;e we've been here. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/167721742 and heading back to Sydney tomorrow avo and lookig forward to Hurts run on Monday to see if any of this tropic training has done any good.

Cooktown Killer

Well I'm done my most northerly run on mainland Australia and I don't mind if I never run that far north again. Cooktown is a great spot and would thoroughly recommend it for a visit - kids loved fishing off the pier and were mightly impressed with Dad's hunter/gatherer skills when I caught a brim! We did have a very close encounter with a Death Adder while on an Aboriginal tour near Hopevale and after 10 minutes of 6 kids playing in the dirt he asked them all to move and uncovered the creature buried in the dirt where the kids had been sitting - he seemed pretty spooked and was asking all the kids if they were feeling unwell but thankfully no one had been touched. Bit of excitement for the trip.
I headed out yesterday morning to do 5kms and that was a struggle - humidity and temperature even at 7.15 were unbearable and I honestly don't think I could have run much further - breathing was really struggling and felt pretty wheezy when I finished even though I was doing about 5 min pace. Stats for the run are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/167219247 and it looks pretty cool on the map when you zoom out.
Back in Cairns now and only two days of the holiday left but weather has tunred wet, so will try and get a run a long run in tomorrow and maybe a quick six on Sunday before we leave.

Quick 6

Headed out early for a quick 6 before we head off to Cooktown for the next couple of days. used the course on the garmin that I saved from last week and was happy to be 40 secs quicker at the halfway mark but it felt really hard on the way back and I was sure I was going to be slower than last Friday. However I did it a minute quicker for the same distance and still not enjoying the climate here for running - this is a really flat course and I am 2 minutes slower than my corp cup time but having to work a lot harder. Hopefully that translates to faster times back in Sydney! Anyway stats for this morning at
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/166556214 and will see if I can outdo Tom's snake at Seal Rocks with a croc on the run at Cooktown.

Easter Sunday Long Run

Early morning with the kids excited by the Easter bunny visit and I successfully avoided eating chocolate before I headed out for a longer run. Weather here has been stunning - about 30/31 every day with mostly blue skies and some cloud. Headed out about 7.55 for roughly a 12km run to Trinity Beach and back. Legs and cardio felt fine altough getting a bit of  niggle in my left calf and knee so will have to keep and eye on that a do some stretching. I wouldn't want to run much later in the day up here as it was already pretty warm and could feel the humidity making it feel difficult to get the air into the lungs - just feels like a lot more effort is required to do 4.35 average pace here than in Sydney. Stats for today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/165747312 and I succumbed to hot cross buns for breakfast but no choclate so far. Might get out for a short one tomorrow and then we are off to Cooktown for a couple of days, so may well try and get in a run up there - would the furthest north I'll have run in Oz.

Early 6kms in FNQ

Enjoying life in the tropics and got out for an early 6kms this morning at 7am as I didn't fancy a 30C run at lunchtime. an from Kewarra Beach to Trinity Beach and back in 26.30 and did manage to get in a couple of kms at around 4 min pace. Having a great time awith the family just relaxing in the pool or reading. The wife even headed out for 5 kms this morning - she has been coming to her folks place for 18 years and this was her first run - a slow starter! Will aim to get a longer run in tomorrow as there is a nice little ot and back 11km route. Stats from today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/165103401

Monday and Tuesday Catch up

It's been two stunning days in Sydney so far this week but the forecast for Cairns is looking even better with 31C and sunshine - let's hope it keeps like that for the next 10 days of our hols.
I got out for the Hurts run yesterday and there was a big crowd with Laura, James, Mike Race, Dave among the regulars. MC's hammy is still not 100% so he was off by himself. Hit the front with Laura from the start to keep at 4.40 pace and it all seemed fine until the second half of Farm Cove when a couple of groups began to make about a 20-30m gap. Our average pace dropped to about 4.35 by the time we hit the Park Hyatt and stayed like to the turnaround. Legs felt good and I was only going to come back to Circular Quay so I pushed it a bit from the turnaround to finish all up with 4.29 as the average and just over 49 mins for 11kms. Stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164335225
I headed out again today and it was a huge crowd for the 45min tempo run - I reckon at least 50 people in warm sunny conditions. MC was off on his own again, but Laura, Emma, James, Dave, Tom and Tucks among the ones I recognised. I set the Garmin to aim for 4.10 average pace and felt strong on the way out running with Brendan and James until half way round Farm Cove. Got just passed the Sebel at the 22.5 minute mark and tried to pick up the pace a bit on the way home. Managed to average 4.12 pace and arrived back at the start with 9 secs to spare for the first time ever, so pretty happy and good start to the week. Stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164335214
Thanks to Tom, I have now entered the Sydney 10 in May for my sub 40 min attempt Will need to ensure I keep up the training and watch the food intake in Cairns or I'll have no chance to cracking that time.