Last Run Before Fiji

Out early for a run to Bondi and back before we head off to the airport this morning. Forgot to turn on the auto-lap so no 1km splits. Finding this Bondi run really tough and not a good sign for the C2S - averaged 5.10 pace for today which is slower than last week although I felt quicker - certainy the hills felt harder. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/194383078 and looking forward to a break from running and roughly 30C for the next week or so!
Hope all the Hurts folks do well at the Gold Coast runs this weekend.

Last Run Before the Holiday

Got in a last Hurts session for 10 days before we head off to Fiji for the mother-in-law's 70th birthday family holiday. Big crowd for the 8 x gate to gate in farm cove and was determined to give it a good go after the corp cup on Wednesday. Adam was out as well and we were both pretty happy with the sets - never getting slower than our first one and sticking around 3.45km pace and able to bring it down to 3.29 pace for the last one. Also a gate to gate pb by 9 secs. Was a little bit disheartened on the last rep when Tom passed me doing his half marathon race pace - it's really not right being able to run a marathon faster than I can run a kilometer. Stats for yesterday at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/193862464 and no running for the next 10 days so will have to work out other ways of keeping fit!

Bad Corp Cup

Quite vexed when I crossed the line today at Corp Cup and saw a 24.21 on watch and a smiling Adam trying to check out my time as I was bent double. Misread my watch at 21.08 thinking it said 20.08 and so crossed the line expecting a 23.21 and it certainly felt like had been putting in that kind of effort. Adam on the other hand managed to pull another 23.10 out of the bag in a great effort to equal his pb of a month ago. Looking forward to our next head to head. Stats from today are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/193276292.

Long Monday Run

Another stunning winter's day and not quite as cold as on yesterday's run. Got out with Adam for the Hurts session and a big crowd today despite the Gold Coast runs coming up this week - you can tell C2S is getting close. Headed off and Adam was keen just to go halfway after a longest ever run for him yesterday of just over 21kms and I was going to come back to Circular Quay. Felt good at the halfway and pace was around 4.35 at that stage and still felt all right at Circular Quay, so just kept going and managed to finish strongly on the last half km with sub 4 pace. A solid start to my last week before going on holiday and will hopefully be doing pilates tomorrow, corp cup on Wed, sprint set on Thurs and have a lunch on Friday. Might get out first thing on Sunday before we head off. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/192611879

Baltic Run

The coldest morning of the year by far and headed off with gloves, two tops and legging (embarassingly cold for a scotsman) after an earlyish opening of pressies for Hamish's fourth birthday. I was rewarded with a stunning run along to Bondi and back - albeit very slow due to the hills and steps - with the view sublime and not a cloud in the sky. Had forgotten how much I loved this run and now that I have dropped the Friday run for Pilates, might need to make this my regular weekend run and try and improve on the pace. Needed the coffee at the end and I think the thought of it warming me up helped push the pace a bit on the way home. Stats from today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/192157782 and pretty much 12kms for about 45kms for the week.

2km Sprints

Missed the start of the alternate 4x2km sprints today due to a late running meeting. Got to the start just as Adam and Dave were finishing their first one. Decided to do 3 sets and pushed them - had a great battle with Dave and Adam on the second one and then a real head to head with Adam on the last. He got me by about 5 meters and still happy with the times 3.45, 3.52 and 3.42 averages for the 2km sets. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/191218350

Belated Tuesday Post

Got out for the Tuesday fartlek session and gave it a decent go as I had a lunch today. Big crowd again but no MC so Tom stepped up to take control. Set was a minute on, 30 secs off for 45 minutes, turning at 22.5 minutes. I had no idea that I would get almost as far as the tempo run but almost ended up at the squased car and made it back with 3 secs to spare. Was in a group with Dave and another couple of chaps I didn't know and was pretty chuffed to hit a 4.009 average pace for the whole set with most of our 1 minute efforts at roughly 4 min/km pace. Legs felt heavy this morning, probably thanks to 28 kms in 2 days.
Think I'll do the 4 x 2km sprints tomorrow as can't really afford the time to head over to Rushcutters for the Pyramid session.
Anyway stats for yesterday are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/190248890

Long one to start the week

A stunning Sydney winter's day and long overdue so headed out for the Monday session and had planned to do about 10kms. Felt good at the turn at Shelly Street and hit the front with Tom and stayed with him (just to be clear he wasn't going too hard for him) to Mrs Macs where his lighter frame allowed him to get up the hills a bit quicker. So all up 16kms in about 1.10 and legs felt strong after last week's forced rest. Left calf still feeling a bit sore so will get a heat pack on that and keep up the stretching. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/190248890

Poor Week

Only one run this week due a buggy thing we've all had sinec last Friday - not to mention the poor weather. Got out for the corp cup on Wednesday andd didn't really feel like doing it but took one for the team. Weather was attrocious and I was drenched before I got the start. Took it easy round the course except for the last 100m where I had a sprint finish with another guy and all up a 25.05 and the stats are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/189323415.
Did my first Pilates class yesterday to try and help with this tighness in my calf, hips and lower back and feel about 80 today. I was the only bloke in the class and was putt to shame by the chicks - I was vibrating uncontrollably throughout some of the exercises and my level of flexibility is downright embarrassing. I'll keep at it though as it should do some good and I'm not getting any younger, so some core strength might help me run into my twilight years!
Some great results at the City Mile Dash yesterday with Tom coming in fourth and Jim managing to do 3.58 pace for the 1.6kms.
Hopefully back into it next week.

First Run as an Aussie

Legs felt good after a couple of days off and very happy with calf given the attention it got on Tuesday. This was my first run as an Aussie after my citizenship ceremony on Thursday night and it doesn't seem to have reduced my scottish sporting pedigree, which is good.
Only 5 of us out with MC, Russell, Big Sam and Terenece and I thought I might be in trouble but the pace was pretty pleasant averaging 4.32 for the 16kms. It wa s beautiful Sydney winter's day and it just didn't really feel like we had done that distance. So all up about 43kms this week which is all right given two days off. Stats for yesterday at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/186943652

Hurts Tempo

Was feeling very heavy in the legs today but given I won't get out until Friday I need to get some more kms in. A huge crowd for the tempo run and took my place at the start with Adam and Dave (the other bloke who didn't pb on Saturday) Knew within the first 1/2km that it was going to hurt all the way today and I wasn't wrong. Happy that I still averaged 4.14 pace but had nothing in the legs. Adam got further than he had ever been but also admitted he slowed down at the end so he didn't have too far to come back - burglar. Stats from today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/185797029.
Had a session of acupuncture and massge with Scott Webster tonigh and I have never been in so much pain before - I was almost off the couch twice when the needles scored a direct hit on a knot at the top of my left calf. Plenty of stretching for the next couple of days on that one.

Stewards Inquiry Required

Well, well, well, it would appear that some readers and fellow runners have an issue with using the Garmin as a source of truth for PB's and will only allow official results to stand. So it seems that my "pb"on saturday didn't count and I am still not a sub 39 runner despite having hard evidence to the contrary. MC and a couple of other lads weighed into the debate, started by Tom on this very blog, while out for the long one today. Based on this nonsenical approach to recording run times, I still haven't broken 90 minutes for a half marathon either. Adam was aslo spouting off about IAF rules etc etc while Dave and I will always know we made a little magic together on Saturday morning.
Anyway, on to today and I did the whole set for the first time in ages and felt really good, which was surprising after such a hard, fast run on Saturday. So all up 15.6kms in 1.10 (unless of course the garmin can't be trusted, in which case it might have been 1.11 or maybe 1.12 - who would know) and felt strong on the last 5kms. Stats for today at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/185487538 for those of you who think these devices are useful.
Tempo run tomorrow and that will be it until Friday due a school interview for Hamish on Wed and a lunch on Thurs.

Solid 10km PB at North Head

A very pleasant morning for a crack at another 10km PB. Picked Adam up around 6.15 and he seemed to quite surpised that that time of day existed and quite stunned that he was experiencing it on a Saturday. Made our way to North Head and checked in for the race. Caught up with Jim and given all the Hurts folk around, it was like a Monday run. There had been a bit of a courageous statement from the young Jimmy boy via text last night where he stated he was going to "whoop my scottish axxx" quickly followed by ïf I'm within 10 minutes of you that will be a victory" which was a bit if a backdown from his 8 minute prediction earlier in the week. Adam wasn't saying much at the start line and when the race commenced he and Dave shot off at a rate of knots - I think his first km was a sub 3.40. Had forgotten about the undulations on this course since 2005 and some of them are quite deceiving. Didn't feel great for the first couple of kms but managed to keep within about 15 secs of the two of them. At the stoone gate turn arpund for the second lap, Adam was looking quite comfortable but as we went up the hill I maanged to claw back Dave and halve the distance to Adam. At around the 7km mark I managed to get passed Adam and just kep the cadence ticking over and didn't check on him - was hurting at that point but wanted to maximise any gap on the two of them up the hill back onto the main road. Had no idea how they were tracking at the last stone arch turnaround and expected to see them close behind but there was a wee gap. Last half a km was pretty unpleasant and there is no chance of a sprint finish as it is uphill. Crossed the line officially at 39.23 but the garmin had a 38.48 so taking that as I started it at on the start line. So very happy and another 20 secs off my pb set about 4 or 5 weeks ago and the second for the week. Today's stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/184487260