Race, Brunch, Repeat

Yep, still struggling with the throat and energy levels. Also the Rushcutters session was moved to the adjacent footy field as the oval was out of bounds. A quick 400m circuit was marked out with a shoe and a bag (no Timmy = no cones).

Session is 8x800m off 5 min cycles. Upfront was Barts, Quentin and CT with another five odd on group 1. Decided to run my own alternate 8x1km intervals at a lower intensity; half mara pace. Worked to the same cycle, allowing a 200m float in between.

Seems the legs (and mind) simply couldn't handle any red-zone stress.

Worked progressively from 3:50s to 3:20s. Tough work and amazed myself with the mental stamina not to give up. Drafting off Eoin helped, as did verbal abuse from Charlie.

8km in 28ish min (ex the floats). Ave pace looks crap but at least last 3 reps were half mara pace. '

16km all up with the jog from the office.

12:30pm call out by Conway. How could anyone resist an easy, 13km style recovery offering the best views on Sydney (CQ, Hickson Wharves, Barangaroo).

So surprise to see a good turnaround. Group fractured around Farm Cove, leaving Conway, Steve E, JW, Crossy, Lambert and a few others. Today's chat included:
- Coastal Classic war stories
- the need to cross-train (I've been doing my part)
- remaining race calendar (there is not much left ex-Blackmores)

To be honest, I felt flat the whole way. Feeling the affects of this mild flu. 7km in the morning, 13km at lunch makes 20km of easy stuff.

Waking up to a suspected case of early-stage flu suggests an easy week is in order. Decided to ease into the dreaded 45 min tempo with concerns over a sore throat and low energy.

1km warm-up with Crossy, a quick stretch with the gang before we were off. First 24 min had me head out to the start of Hickson wharves with Renee. Pace started at 4:30s down to 4:00s. Turned with an intended negative split and the pace slowly picked up.

Crossy came round before Opera House and I hitched a ride. Pace naturally stepped up to 3:40s and I was able to hold this to the stone arches. Hills and wind always make the last 2km difficult.

Back in 43:20. I added 100s by doubling back to round to 45 min.

11.1km at 4:04 min/km.

0-7k easy splits - 4:30, 4:36, 4:34, 4:28, 4:17, 4:09, 3:52
7-11k pick-up splits - 3:29, 3:27, 3:39, 3:45

13km all up with warm-up and warm-down.

Need to remind myself the foundation for this blog was initially running/training (not food).

Sunday
Skipped the HuRTS Centennial option for a catch up with Renee. What better way than the Bay Run and surrounds. Knocked out 10km before a 7am meet at Rodd Point. Good catch up all round and by 30km, we parted ways. R is pretty set for a solid Blackmore's effort. I'm thinking 86 min.

For me, it was a slow plod back home. Funny enough, last 2km had me jogging alongside Renee's husband on a bike (James).

Pace basically 5 min/km the whole way. Covered the Bay Run 3x with random extensions. Total distance 35km. 150km for the week. I'm tired.

Monday
Sore throat out of nowhere. Lucky the lunch pace was gentle, with Conway, Charlie, Renee and Craig in attendance. Barangaroo has been extended a little. Enjoyed the sunshine over the 13km covered (70 min).

Striders 10km at North Head for me was pace, no race. Timmy Lindop is enjoying a dream run of solid training/racing and I had the task of dragging him to a sub 36 min attempt.

Bribed a now huge Lorie with a post-run B&E roll and with that, secured a trusty driver to the 7am start. Not much of a warm-up in the preamble before I'm tucked in 2nd row at the start. Note the posers in the first row - they know who they are.


 Simple plan is a steady 3:35s. Always hard maintaining this on the post Gatehouse ascent for 400m (0-1k, 5-6km, 9-10km). Gun goes, I ease the pace on the downhill and let the crowd settle.

Legs feel fresh at 3:40s and some dodging has me quickly establish a steady train by 3km. I look back and Timmy's still there with Jeet, Renaud and the slower Gibson twin hitching a ride. Pace reads 3:37s and all on track.



Before long it's down to lap 2 and the 5km climb comes around. Upfront has Criniti gapping Barts, then Lewis some 40m back. A good 40s in front of my train is JFen and later, Enda then Macca.

Round the gate and the guys start to breathe hard. Passing the start (5.8km), I feel good, Jeet and Renaud look OK (for 4km more) but someone is missing!


O well, this was not my fault. Job is over, I'm guilt-free to spin the legs and pace moves to 3:20s. From here it's just picking up the likes of Gus, Macca, Eoin and Gibson #1. In fact, last 300m climb has me realising a very familiar and tiring Irishman battling at 3:40s pace.


I surge up the hill with the gap rapidly closing. Sadly this move is too late and the competition is triumphant. Being a modest guy, he is more motivated by staying on his feet than celebrating.

35:15 at 3:30 min/km. Watch has this 80m long, consistent with other GPS watches.

Splits are:
- (0-6km pacing) - 3:38, 3:36, 3:32, 3:41, 3:34, 3:36
- (6-10km tempo) - 3:22, 3:26, 3:18, 3:17

Felt I got a good work-out from this with the negative split.

Respectable but non-remarkable times from the squad today. Rolling hills and the U-turn make PBs difficult. Timmy was on the wrong side of 37, but I'm glad to see Renee back with a sub 40 effort.

Finished with a 4km group warm-down, way faster than I'm used to. At least a dozen of the squad backed it up for a brunch at Bench Cafe in Manly - a well known (bacon) ritual. At a minimum, great company with bacon upside.



'Best B&E roll in the North' - needs to be put to the test and I even convince Lewis, Renee and James to bear witness.

How did this simple construction go down?
Well I won't sit on the fence. Separate write-up to come.

The tight hammy that concerned me at C2S seems to have flared up again. No idea why, given I've barely done more than 100m strides (Tues/Thurs).

Soreness progressed over the course of (i) 6km jog to work in pouring rain, then (ii) 5:30s pace lunch run with Matt and Wongy out to Cremorne Point. This was 13km of nasty hills, albeit at as easy pace as is respectable. Views were cracking. Hammy felt worse than when I started. Strange.

Looking forward to pacing (not racing) at Striders North Head. Little upside in running hard to risk injury.

Another lunch meeting and another lost opportunity for group speed. Headed out too late and tagged onto the last 3km of Wooey/Matt's run off Hickson. Added 7km solo back around Farm Cove then Garden Island. Near Harry's hotdogs, crossed paths with early 'deserters' from the Rushcutters set that included Jeet, Lambert and Mark.

Tracked back to Farm Cove steps to finish with 10x120m strides. Saw Jimmy Matthews doing secret training whilst I had success loosening my flat legs.

13km all up in 65 min. Feel better.

Should be pacing Timmy L to a 36 min 10km on Saturday. The guy is notorious for a fast 2km followed by a not-as-fast 8k. Years of experience seems to not have tempered this enthusiasm...

Split my planned 20ish km day down the middle.

AM: 10k across Anzac Bridge and around Pyrmont.

PM: linked up with Steve Ellis and JW starting at the usual Macquarie St meeting point. Battled the whole way trying to slow JW down to 4:45s. Got to Barangaroo Point where to my relief, JFen and later Renau were putting some 'junk' kms into their respective routines.

12km all up in 60 min. Feel OK

Usually a lunch run is as important as lunch itself. However a work meeting meant not HuRTS speed for me. Substituted with a longish 15km run via USyd, Price Alfred Park then around the Domain / Farm Cove.

Wanted to get some turnover in the legs and in my usual self-coached style, put in 100m surges on 60m cycles. Ended up with around 45 surges and certainly felt I achieved this. Street observers must have thought I was 'on' something. Call it a half fartlek, half recovery/surges type work-out.

15km all up in 70 min. Felt buggered by surge #30 and but was lucky to be distracted by the morning sun.

Closed out the day by jogging 6km home, very slow.