Race, Brunch, Repeat

Took to the flats of Kellyville after a bit of a sleep in. Legs feeling a lot better than the last few days, no signs of foot pain.

Did get an invite by Matt for 4x2km at Mowbray Oval in Chatswood, but had to pass - not a hard decision. Set out along Lorie's old 10km course with a few detours. Pace was around 5 min/km, which is increasingly my default, semi-injured state of running. I find at this pace I don't really risk aggravating niggles.

Looped around Kellyville Ridge, did a lap around some oval in Sanctuary Lakes before angling back towards Stanhope Shopping Centre. Recall it has been 5 days since my last swim. I jumped into the 25m lap pool for some easy freestyle.

Ended up doing a further 2.5km in the pool. 1km warm-up, 10x100m intervals at moderate intensity with 50m floats plus a 250m cool down. Jumped out feeling great and jogged the remaining 3km back to the in-laws.

Daily summary - 12km at 5;10 min/km pace, 2.5km swimming. Had to do it without a watch unfortunately...

Another recovery day as is always the case on Fridays. As planned, eased into a moderate pace heading into work for an early start. Met up with Matt along the way who always wants to push the pace beyond what I prefer.

Nonetheless, kept pacing around 5 min/km and covered 8km all up. Legs still feeling unusually flat, despite covering very little mileage the last two days. I'd put it down to the mild hill training I've been doing on the bike.

Rather than leaving my bike at work over the weekend (again!), I decided to cycle home after work along Pacific Highway. Kept the cadence high and put a little effort into any hills.

Daily summary - 8km running and 9km cycling. All easy

Looking forward to a low intensity weekend.

Out early on the bike, but today the weather was incredible. As always a short-ride to work. in the absence of doing much running yesterday, I did attack the hills (Cremorne, Harbour Bridge) a touch more aggressively. Saying that, a 9km cycle commute is a poor excuse for training.

Took a quick shot descending down Observatory Hill in the city. It's a popular place for boot camps any time of the day. Somewhere I should probably try to do some cross training.

Descend down Observatory Hill

Headed out at lunch for a recovery run with Woey from work. Yes I know I am suppose to be cross-training only - the weather simply too good. Lunch runs really do help break up what would otherwise be 12 hours sitting at a desk.

Started at Circular Quay, circled the piers around Walsh Bay before extending the run through Darling Harbour and Pyrmont. A 6km recovery turned into 10km quite easily.

Run summary - 10km at 5:45 min/km

No real signs of foot soreness, but frankly it does not take much to flare up. Looking forward to a run into work tomorrow.

Walked outside and classically observed the dark grey clouds with the thought 'I've got a short window here to ride". Too many times I've done this and it always ends the same way.

So there I was, honest guy riding his bike through Cremorne when the heavens opened up. This really tends to scare me. By the time I got to work I may as well have just gotten out of the pool.

Decided against joining the HuRTs MLR in my better judgement. Foot feels OK walking around but yesterday really was a big session - covered 25km of which 12km was at speed.

Got held back at work, but slapped on the drenched cycle clothes and rode 12km home. Thought I'd be clever and detour through Northbridge. This adds a nice little incline from the Sandstone Bridge.

Once getting home, thought I'd do a mini bricks session. Jumped off the bike, jogged a few km to space out 6 sets of 15 push-ups. This was more around putting some effort into something that doesn't involve legs.

Life lesson learnt when I walked through the door - do not ever keep the wife waiting. Lorie was a tad worried I had become the latest roadkill. Fair enough.

Daily total - 19km cycling, a mini bricks session off the bike and 90 push-ups.

Foot feels fine!

Tuesdays are easily my hardest day every week. Left bike at work over long weekend so I headed out today on foot in horribly sticky weather. A classic 8km recovery to run start the day at 6:20 min/km pace. Thought I'd take a selfie at North Sydney on the way.













At lunch I headed out to join HuRTs with Charlie. Legs felt OK but frankly the pain in the left foot still feeling suspect. Some chat about the Strider's race last Saturday - got some grief about running a sub-par time. Apparently I need to attack harder in the first 3km.

45min progressive tempo is an interesting one - split into 3x10 min blocks plus 1x5 min, increasing pace by 10sec/km at every block. It works out to essentially be a 10 min warm-up followed by a progress move from MP to almost 5k race pace. For me starting at 4 min/km and finishing at 3:25 min/km. Turnaround at 23:15 along Hickson Road.

With the suspect foot, I tried to be discrete and join the middle pack. Unfortunately for me got pointed to the front pack with Tucks, Tom, Barts, Crossy and a few others. Struggled the whole way trying to sit on everyone's heals. These guys are still a level above me.

On the return, we passed the main pack around the opera house (4-5km to go), suggesting the starting pace was too slow. Almost lost contact with the front with 3km to go, but did well to hang on. Finished with 70s to spare. I must have faded in the last km, but by that stage I was ready to tap out.

Run summary - 11.9km at 3:48 min/km. Splits show some time around 3:25 min/km pace. Joined a smaller group on a 3km slow recovery back around Mrs Macquarie's Chair.











Finished the day off with a slow cycle back home (9km) plus a touch footy game. In other words, huge day of almost every conceivable activity.

Fatigue level around 7 or 8. Need to rest up, so next two days to be mainly cycling or swimming.

Another beautiful Sunday and the last day of my supposed cut-back week. Woke up unaffected by the clock roll-forward (daylight saving) and headed out for a short-form long run.

Decided to do an out and (optional) back from Artarmon to Balmoral Beach and join my dad for some laps along the beach. Set out at an easy 6min/km pace, detoured via the sandstone bridge in Northbridge. Legs felt heavy from yesterday's race and I did notice some discomfort under the arch (again!).

Run summary to Balmoral

Took 60 minutes (10km) to get down to Balmoral and some pondering, decided against beach running (spells bad for PF-injuries) and headed back home. I thought it would be particularly fun to do the ascent back up to Mosman shops. Essentially, think going from sea level to 90m in a short distance.

Plodded back up circling the Rawson Oval and did a slow 12km back. Threw in another few more hills on the return and by the end, had 2 hours banked and some arch soreness to remind me of my age. Check out the elevation, not bad for an easy post-race long-run.

Run summary - 22.7km at 5:20min/km, 350m elevation.

Was ready to throw in the towel and rest for the remainder of the day. However scorching weather, a free afternoon and slightly tight ITBs lured me to Lane Cove pool in the afternoon. As is customary, a planned 30min splash turned into my longest ever swim - 65min or 3km (freestyle only, no intervals). I keep forgetting how much the muscles / joints loosen up after a good pool session.

Came home to an amazing Almond Hot Cocoa that Lorie made for the MiLA's facebook blog with her Toasted Almond Spread. Best post session recovery drink ever!

Hot cocoa

Very happy withe the effort today - 3 hours of cardio plus an evening 30min tennis game against brother Matt. First time swinging the racket in 5 months but not as rusty as I expected. Went down 2 games to 1, first to 11 points.

Back on the running:

Weekly total - 87km, which included 1 speed session, 10km PB, 2 swims and a few cycle commutes. 

Weekly run summary

This is my lightest week of running in quite awhile. Leg's don't feel that way. I'd say fatigue level 7 (out of 10) - quads and arch.

First race since since June and boy my lack of race fitness showed. Call it low motivation, sore foot, tired legs from Thur/Fri, no race strategy or all of the above.

Lovely wife Lorie, and my folks decided to come along and support me. Last and only time I ran the Striders Homebush was in 2012 where I clocked 36 minutes.

The course is a double lap of a 5km course that starts in a car park off Hill road. It's relatively flat, but has a lot of twists and turns along the walkways.

Of course I was late to turn up with only 3 min before the start. No warm-up = not good

Caught up briefly with Enda, Timmy, Tommy, Andy and Macca before the start. Gun went off and at least 20 people shot off at 3min/pace, which I frankly find baffling every race. First 2km was spent dodging people, but really trying to work out who to actually race against.

Chairman Tommy was out of sight too quickly (never expected to see him anyway). I kept my target on Enda, who maintained a 30m gap on me till 3km - the guy is in good shape! I reeled him in eventually and rather than drafting, decided to pull ahead early. At this point I started to feel sharp pains in the stomach (dinner last night?) and breathing was irregular. I think I'm use to a much slower start, those first few kms were 3:25ish pace.

I mostly avoid looking at the watch, but did my best to hold the pace for 2nd loop. It was a struggle to stay motivated in the last 3km without anyone to really chase. Splits showed I slowed slightly which resulted in an embarrassing positive split race.

Despite this, I did almost run down a tiring 6th place. Also saw Lorie and my dad jogging one lap of the course in my final 2km; by that stage too tired to give her a hi-five.

Finishing time was 34:19 at an average pace 3:25min/km. 7th place.

Overall pleased to bank another PB. Beat my 2012 time by 1:40 (that's 10s/km) and my PB by 1:20. Caught up with the crew after. Tommy posted a cracking mid 33s run and Renee seemed pleased with a 39. Tim looked tired (not sure time), Enda a touch wobbly after a 2nd half fade (he still did 35) and I think Macca was taking it easy? I need to get involved in this HuRTS time handicap that the guys have money on at these races.

Happy snap after the finish - thanks Lorie!


Buried my face in some watermelon after the race, took a few snaps and headed home. Quads sore, everything else fine.

Splits are below:
First 5km in 17:04 (3:26, 3:26, 3:21, 3:23, 3:28)
Second 5km in 17:15 (3:21, 3:27, 3:28, 3:31, 3:29)

I should be OK for a long-run tomorrow and some trail running on Monday.

Took the bike into work again once again with a very easy ride through North Sydney and across the Bridge. 9km all up in 29 minutes, not far off what I could run on a track!

Headed out during lunch in what was much more mild weather than Tuesday and Wednesday. Joined Charlie and Andrew from work with two other blokes from their warriors group. Initial plan was an easy 6km; I would drop off after 3km and return back.

Of course this never happened. We tracked the coast around Milson's Point, Kirribili and looped around Cremorne Point on a semi-trail. A good amount of hills on the return back to North Sydney too. Absolutely beautiful views of the city for much of the run.

I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't too concerned about a dull ache under my left arch, as well as the prospect of racing tomorrow at the Striders 10km in Homebush.

Run summary below - 13km covered at 5:30 pace.



Charlie gave me the heads up that I've been called out by Tommy to run the Striders 10km, can't back out now! Doubt I can do too much damage to my legs in 10km, but we'll see how I go. I recall my last effort at Homebush was around 36 flat in 2012. Disappointed if I can't beat that.

Weekly mileage only up to 55km in 5 days, so much less than usual.

A day of pure enjoyment running, but well deserved.

Legs much fresher from yesterday's rest day. 9km across the Harbour bridge in what was much more mild weather. Foot issues seem to have moderated (nearly abated).

Joined a work mate Chris for another 8km at lunch. Definitely a scenic run heading northwards back across the Harbour Bridge, looping down to Blues Point and following the boardwalk back past Luna Park.

Average pace for both runs was 5:30 or slower. Can't complain with that!

Daily total: 17km, fatigue score back to 5.

Looking to rest up tomorrow as I am still considering racing Striders on Saturday.