Friday and Saturday

Back from the family holiday at Dubbo, which was absolutely freezing!
Managed to get out for an easy 8kms yesterday with Derekaround the foreshore while Adam and Anthony did 12kms to Balls Head and back. Just wanted an easy session as I was planning to do the long Hurts run this morning, as the real start of my marathon build up.
Happy to averag 4.34km pace with Derek and legs felt pretty fresh - run stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99224220 and something not right with heart monitor as I've noticed heart rate is spiking at about 200 for the start of the last couple of runs - suspect it is because it is slipping down and having to be adjusted for the first 5/10 minutes - lack of sweat in winter is a problem!
Headed out at 6.40 this morning to get to Mike's in North Bondi for a 7am start. Six folk turned up including Mike, Laura (very early start having driven from Cronulla!) and Rob Castella. I was aiming to get about 20kms in and Mike announced it was the Cremorne Point run this morning for a nice 31km run - post C2S this will be a good session to build up for Melbourne. Nice hill up to the Junction for starters and then down Oxford Street into the the city. A rather pressing call of nature meant I headed off for the facilities at Martin Place station (very clean at 7.45 on a Saturday morning compared to 5.45 on a weeknight, and possibly a new theme for the blog). I cam back via Gardeb Island, Elizabeth Bay, Edgecliff and up Ocean Street and had to throw in a loop around the Junction and out to Charing Cross to hit the 20km mark. Very good marathon pace training at averaging 5 minute kms and going to have to start working on the drink and nutrition plan as was starting to feel thirsty and hungry after an hour 45. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99418693. So all up 36kms this week and quite happy given I wasn't around Tues-Thurs.

On Hols

Work transpired to prevent the planned long Hurts run today with a 12.30 meeting invite coming through at 11.40 and one that I couldn't avoid. So managed to head out on my own around 1pm for a very easy Pyrmont run and about 7.5kms at a rough 5m km pace. Few steps involved which brought the average pace down, but felt good after yesterday's race. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98394397 and a little bit concerned about the hear rate for the last two runs - something not right about the spike up to 200 at the start and suspect a device issue as opposed to a heart issue - hopefully. Anyway off to Dubbo in the mornign or 3 days with teh kids for school holidays, so no running until Friday at the earliest and have also just found out the wife is working on Saturday instead of Sunday, so the long run could be in jeopardy on Saturday morning! Have also just found out that I was 11th of 51 runners in my category yesterday morning so happy with that until I read that a guy in 60-69 category did a sub 41! A great leveller running and more training required!

New 10km PB

Delighted with a 10km PB time today at the Sri Chinmoy race at Dolls Point. A stunning Sydney winter morning but very cold for hanging around prior to the run. Not sure how the guy doing the half marathon in nothing but a pair of pink flowery speedos managed to survive.
Aimed to head out around 4.20 pace and then bring it down on the second half of the course and looking at the stats just about managed to do that - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98084239. Got passed by so many people in the first km who I passed by the 6km mark and very happy with two sub 4min kms for the last two kms. Just got to get some more speed work in with Hurts to get the first 5/6kms around 4.10/4.05'sfor acrack at a sub 40 minute 10km!
All in all 48kms for this week and starting to build up to the marathon training distances. Off with the family to Dubbo from Tues-Thurs so will be a lighter week, but hoping to get out for a long one tomorrow and Saturdaywith Hurts.

Nothing in the legs

Not one of the greatest performances at corp cup today but not really surprising given the kms in the legs over the last two days. Headed off with Adam, Derek and Anthony and met Laura from MacBank on the way up. There was some suspicion being cast that I would have two versions of this blog ready to go, one if I beat Adam and one with a load of excuses if he beat me - well he did beat me and there no excuses- all very solid reasons. He is 5 years younger, he is faster over short distances and hehas only run 10kms this week. I rest my case. So a 25.45 which is 1.15 slower than a month ago and 38kms since Monday. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97176471.
No running for the next couple of days due to a hospital procedure on Friday avo but hoping to do a 10km race on Sunday morning if all is well.

Tuesday Speed Session

Backing up today after the session yesterday and the legs were feeling it as we set off on the 45 minute set. Was 1 minute at 10km pace, 30 secs at marathon pace turning at 22.5 minutes and aiming to get back to the start in the same time - bit of a exercise in pacing! Was pretty sure I would get to the half way point and just keeping going back to the office, but there were about 4 of us around the same pace, so came back and managed the whole session. Very happy with 10.75kms in 45 minutes and only about 50 meters short of the start finish line. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96942860 - not great pacing as I was slowing up considerably towards the end. Not sure the Corp Cup time will be great tomorrow however running with Adam will ensure the competitive juices flow and it's only 6kms!

Good Long Monday Run

Very happy with the run today - out with the Hurts group for the long Monday session and aimed to do the whole thing and managed just shy of 15kms - had to miss out Mrs Maquaries point of the way back. A good crowd today of about a dozen people and some stories from the weekend's races. Mike and a few others very unhappy with their Striders 10km times in Sydney and it seems everyone ran slow times. The most impressive performance of the weekend has to have been Tom's virgin marathon experience at the Gold Coast where he did a 2.36 - a sensational effort and hopefully one I can emulate in Melbourne, if all is well!
So back to today and out with Adam and very happy with an average of 4.25's for the session with the run stats at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96690062. Didn't feel good for the first 5 or 6 kms- legs felt heavy and when Adam headed off after 10kms, I really wanted to go with him but knoew the back end of the week would be no running, so pushed on and felt good for the second half. Even managed to pick up the pace through the 11/12km marks. So all up nearly 17kms today and a solid start to the week.

Saturday Long Run

A stunnning Sydney winter morning - about 14C when I headed out around 7.30 for a 3 lap run of Centennial Park. Start of the new training routine in the run up to the marathon hopefully- only going to get longer from here on in! Tookit very easy on the first lap to try and keep down around marathon pace and failed miserably at 4.45 average. Picked it up for the second lap to about 4.30 pace- although interrupted by a nature stop where I wasn't confident I would make it to the toilet block in time! Came back for the third lap and dropped the pace again for the first couple of kms to 4.13 and then down a bit more for the last 1.5kms - good city to surf training although a pretty flat course. So all up about 30kms this week but a different blend of fast and long stuff and legs feeling good. Run stats are at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96167475