Out with the crew around Farm Cove today for the 14x3 min intervals. The turnout was huge but a broad mix of those per usual Tuesday runs and maybe 10-15 doing Gold Coast (full, half or 10km). Tom organised some strange 7,5,3 to which I had little idea nor any interest to try. Consulted with the likes of CT, Birchy, Sonya and Maca...
1 day into the taper and I already hate it! The commute via bike rather than running during the morning is outright horrible. Per my plan, just 30 min recovery today with no strides. Found some good company with Richard W. We started at CQ, headed around Farm Cove and back past the Art Gallery. Run took 35 min with the man-traffic disruptions....
Something for Jess. An alluring chalkboard menu with seasonal produce and highly regarded by bloggers. Christine, Nick and baby Linc are back from a cameo brunch down in Bondi. The risk is if this under delivers, a chubby baby is my second course. Massive menu descriptions highlighting local sourcing; owner gives no sympathy to the poor slave that updates the board by hand...
Had a great meal at Surry Hills last night with Lewis but no Sunday long run to run off all that food! Dragged Molly out pre-sunrise down to Balmain. The pace was 6 min/km. We got to East Balmain wharf, turned around and jogged back. 10km in 1:02 all up. 85km for the week. The lightest week since maybe March (6 foot track)....
Conscious of just accumulating junk pace. My usual Saturday am Bay Run was a little different. Toyed with a few ideas but landed on some type of light speed. So here is how it went: - 2km warm-up to start - 8km of fartlek - 500m at 3:30s, 500m at 4:30s - 2km warm-down Frankly my legs felt flat. A little concerning that...
Friday - Wharves I toyed with the concept of a genuine passive rest day. This unwound pretty quickly upon seeing the sunshine. Caught up with Sam J at lunch for a planned 11km recovery starting at Macquarie Street. Turned into a dad-advice type of run - SJ being a dad with a 3 month old little girl. All sorts of fascinating topics covered...
'When the sun goes down, so does the value' . This is why I have a brunch only mandate. With Perth running friend Suz in town and only free mid-week, I'm forced out of my comfort zone. Shenkin is a winning brunch joint. 9.5/10 score is almost uncontested. Dinner has just four choices with baked eggs a repeat offender. Being visit #4 in 6...
All easy again. Bang on 10km with Richard W on the usual Hickson Wharves the Pyrmont course. The pace was 5:30s. It is hard restricting myself to single runs per day but at least the legs are losing the flatness I've had since Sunday. ...
Out to Centennial at lunch with Renee at 5:30s. Planned 10km but realised all too late the loop around the picket fence would be well north of this distance. 14km in 72 min at 5:15 min/km. The new Vivobarefoot Evos feel OK. No support, very light and minimalist. Long term goal is to race in these bad boys. Picked them up for $60...
If you google ‘2 week taper’ one source says don’t over-taper then the next one says there’s nothing you can do to improve fitness. Just freshen-up. Even heading into my 5th 42.2km, have no idea what I should do. Anyway, I figure a 10k/day this week with a bit of speed, then 5k/day next week with some strides seems fair. Short Bay Ride...
The day was absolutely cracking and it is criminal not to head out for some sunshine. Saying that, a much shorter recovery run today. Easy one joined by Wooey starting at CQ, around M Chair and down past Wooloomooloo to Garden Island. Knocked out a tidy 25 push-ups before heading back the same route. 10km all up at 5:30 min/km. Legs still a...
With Gold Coast just 2 weeks out, I loosely planned a 21km training run to gauge fitness. Brought up the old running calendar and penciled the SMC half marathon in Smithfield. Employed the cheer squad in Lorie and Molly. No regrets considering a $25 race fee, a lead bike to chase, free BBQ and $50 prize money! Course is 2x10km with a little...
My biggest fear with wholefood cafes is over-priced leaf munching culminating in an angry drive home and a make-shift second course of scrambled eggs. Pleased to report, About Life is a reliable hit-out for value-focused flexitarians. Google 'superfood' or 'juice cleanse' and you'll find every element in this cafe/grocer institution. The Cammeray branch was 6/10 - eye-bleeding smoothie prices and egg staples disguised...
I gave myself two options today - rest or recovery. With a pending brunch planned, I chose the hunger-inducing Bay Run circuit. Was disallowed from bringing the dog today - she would have tracked mud back into the house. Lucky the weather really turned for the positive. Felt better after a good 11km in 1 hour. Scared to calculate what pace that equals......
Was pleased to have company during lunch in my planned 10km recovery. Matt volunteered himself this time, despite the imminent threat of rain. Pace was an easy 5:10s, starting at Hickson and over into Pyrmont wharves. Legs felt a little flat today. We extended the run a little to finish at 11.2km in 56 min. Decided I'll probably use the SMC 21km as...
A make-shift speed session today where I came away feeling strong. Started bang on noon at Maccas CQ with Wongy, providing a good 6km warm-up around Farm Cove and Potts Point down to Rushcutters. A good crowd turned up to the oval for some 8x800m intervals. Broadly split into 3 groups with a planned 2 min rest. Up front was Thurston, Quentin, JFen,...
Nice an easy today. Missed the start of the HuRTS group and instead dragged Matt out for a recovery run around the Opera House. Intersected with 5 of the HuRTS runners at Farm Cove, prompting a 180. The 4:30s pace frustrated us so we dropped back to 4:45s. Tracked back to Hickson Wharves as the kms ticked over. Finished up with 11.5km at...
Always a tough session but a good chance to work on a strong finish at 3:30 type pace. Very large front group for 3km to the Opera House before this fractured into maybe 6 and 6. Could have easily been up front, but decided to hang back with Macca, Mike L, Enda, Steve and Jerome till the turnaround (under the Hickson bridge). First...
Gave the legs a rest today, at least on a relative basis. Strange how 'not-flat' they feel after such a heavy weekend load. 7km into work at yes, 6 min/km pace turned into a great loosener. Had a dentist appointment with my old school mate J Kahn in North Sydney. It was a pleasantly excruciating catch up but glad to walk out with...
Initial aspirations trying the newly opened Kepos & Co turned south when I learned it's a $28/person set menu. No doubt you can already see two issues ... (i) price, (ii) being told what to eat. Thus its back to sister cafe Kepos Street Kitchen (8/10) where yes, I need to refuel. Israeli-themed, rustic and 'premium' choices that embarrass my humble Sunday DIY...
Had a huge Ethiopian type feast with Lewis and Lorie out at Marylands last night. Felt the part and equally being 3 weeks out from GC, today in theory should be the key long run. Centennial again for a 7am kick off. 11km banked before I joined a dozen HuRTS runners including Enda, Bruce, CT, JFen, Steve. Tough work today. Straight away 4:30s...
My 3 year old cavoodle Molly continues to impress. Last weekend she survived a double - 40km split over Saturday and Monday. Being so desperately energetic during the week, she seems to love the energy release of a Saturday am run. She seemed unusually keen at 6am, so off we went down to the Bay Run. Tracked NW towards Abbosford and circled the...
