Sunday 30 September 2012

Happy Grand Final Day Part 2

16.5km Mt Portal 9th ish? Time?

Up on home turf at Glenbrook for this trail race, great to be back. Too bloody sore to drag my legs around at any great pace so I haplessly watched several runners led by Brendan Davies disappear into the distance.

Great win by the Swans, they just kept finding a way to respond despite their key ruckman Mumford starting with a hammy tear, Jude Bolton 301 game legend carrying a partially torn acl, All Australian defender Richards with a torn ankle ligament and the greatest ever Swan Adam Goodes the best player in the 1st Half tearing his pcl.

This from Mitch Morton sums up the environment at The Swans and exactly why I love team sport:-

Richo: Why did it take so long to get out of the reserves after kicking 80 goals this season?

Morton: I'll be honest, the players didn't trust me to do the things this club demands. From that moment on I pledged to give my heart and soul to this team and they repaid me in spades. They promised I'd get my chance and they were true to their word.

The team told him he needed to be a better man and now he is, that's awesome!

I'm cashed up and I've backed the Dogs in the NRL, bit more nervous about this one. Despite the great structures The Storm have I just can't see a team with so many journey men beating the skilful and super fit Dogs. Cameron Smith is the danger, the best player I've ever seen. Krishnan Inu is another concern, pretty sure he wouldn't get a game for The Swans.

92km for the week and I'm smashed, the Thursday, Friday, Saturday overload has me on the floor.

Saturday 29 September 2012

Happy Grand Final Day

Friday

AM
Strength

PM
20x200 (30) avg 34.0 Solo Nield Park


Saturday

6x300 (walk back) 45.8, 45.8, 44.4, 44.2, 42.8, 42.3. avg-44.2

Was supposed to be 45.0 avg as an active recovery but got carried away. I'm too pumped up for the GF, best day of the year. Got my snacks ready, Akira is running around like a maniac decorating the house, I could burst!

Should be an even contest very similar style of play, hard and fast, the clearances will be crucial with great outside men for both team. Apart from bucket loads of $$$ invested on the Swans I'm neutral and looking forward to enjoying the contest.

Lots of superstars in the game, for The Swans - Goodes and Kennedy with Jetta on the brink but the superstar edge is with The Hawks - Cyril, Buddy, Hodge and Burgoyne.

Bit nervous about The Swans coming out of defence with Richards and Shaw limited to their right boots and Malceski his left. The Pies forward press exposed this badly last week and bombing to a tall outside the 50m won't work as The Hawks will have Hale, Roughead and Buddy drifting to the arc and will apply too much pressure on Mummy, Pyke and Goodes. The running ability or lack thereof of Johnson, Grundy and Smith across half back will be tested, definitely the weakest line of either side on the field.

If the Hawks break even on clearances it's game over, Hodge and Cyril are just too classy with their delivery and nobody in The Swans capable of matching Buddy. I'll stick with the Swans for the win though, Longmire is a smart man, Kennedy, Jack and O'Keefe should be too fit and strong for Sewell, Mitchell and Lewis on the inside,

Thursday 27 September 2012

Hard 600m

Wednesday

6km-31:18 (5:13kms) Solo Hen and Chicken

Still a mess from Sunday's Hills, needed a rest day.


Thursday

AM
Strength

PM
600m-90.30 Solo at Homebush

Still trashed from Sunday so took the chance to take the legs for a quick 600m to see which direction to take the next block of 6 weeks. The plan was to hit 400m 60sec then controlled to the finish. Not too bad, was a touch slow 60.4 and then finished well. Pretty happy with the speed progress, managed to sneak under 12sec for my last 2 warm up strides.


Tuesday 25 September 2012

10x400, 6x150m

Monday

AM
6km-30:10 (5:02kms) Solo Abbotsford
+ Strength

PM
16km-75:20 (4:42kms) With Ben St, Strutty and Copey at Centennial
+Strength

Another dentist appointment with Molly so first time in the park for about 6 months, the love/hate relationship with the park continues. If anyone was wondering how fast you need to run your easy runs to run a 27:24 10km, the answer is - Easy.


Tuesday

AM
6km-29:58 (5:00kms) Solo Abbotsford

PM
10x400(1), 5min, 6x150m (walk back) Solo Nield Park

Comfy on the 400s progressing from 75 to a few 66s to finish, fastest 150m-17.9. I remember how to sprint, just can't quite do it yet.

Millie taught Akira how to play frisbee this week, she is a good teacher, he is already better than her.




Sunday 23 September 2012

22km + 3x300m Hills

Sunday

22km last 16km@3:48km Solo The Bay
+
3x300m (10) Lilyfield Rd Hills 60, 58, 60

Struggled on the hills, hurt me bad! Was in lactic hell after the 2nd rep and couldn't stop vomiting then dry retching, just continued to get worse through the 10min recovery. Residual fatigue from yesterday was too much to handle, a whopping 10sec slower than my fastest 48.8 back in 2004, James has the fastest known time with 48.5 in 2009.

127km for the week

Koji is a big unit, I don't think he'll be walking any time soon but more importantly his footy skills are coming along nicely :-)




Saturday 22 September 2012

600m hard + 7km effort

Friday

Strength


Saturday

AM
600m-93.0 (5) 7km effort 26:50 (3:50kms) Solo The Bay

The plan was to just touch lactic and I thought 91mid would be right, executed the effort fine, just underestimated the task. Warm up wasn't thorough and a little unco at that effort, felt effective though.

PM
9km-46:57 (5:13kms) With James Hen and Chicken Bay

Thursday 20 September 2012

4x150m

Wednesday

AM
6km-32:03 (5:21kms) Solo Barnwell Park

PM
16km-76:00 (4:45kms) Solo Callan Park


Thursday

AM
6km-31:30 (5:15kms) Solo Barnwell Park

PM
4x150m (walk back) Solo Nield Park

Fastest 18.4 rolling start

Tuesday 18 September 2012

4x1km, 4x500m

Monday

AM
6km-29:54 (4:59kms) Solo Hen and Chicken Bay

+ Strength

PM
16km-71:30 (4:28kms) Solo The Bay


Tuesday

AM
6km-29:53 (4:59kms) Solo Hen and Chicken Bay

PM
4x1km (5min cycle), 4x500m (3min cycle) With James Nield Park

3:20, 3:20, 3:16, 3:11, 91, 88, 86, 84 (3:17, 87 avg)

All clockwise, kms in flats, 500s in spikes

Sunday 16 September 2012

6x300 (3)

Not much to report, been cutting back on the volume (80km last week and 120km this week) and increasing the speed and a heavy block in the gym so a bit poor on time for blogging.

In the gym I had a big pb on the bench 3x125kg @ 68.2kg (I did 4x120kg in 2004 @ 80kg) although I suspect the bar may only be 15kg, so possibly 120kg, either way a massive pb. Tweaked my back on my final 180kg deadlift rep, had a warning but ignored it, nothing serious I'll just have to calm down for a while. If you're asking yourself if this is important for 800m running the answer is obviously NO, I just like lifting.

Speed wise I'm progressing well, where I'd like to be this time of year but way ahead of where I've traditionally been. Not targeting any winter races seems to be paying dividends. Had a good session at Homebush during the week, 10x400 (1) avg 66 then a 10min break 400-54.7 (rolling start), 10min break 200-24.9 (rolling start). Finishing most sessions with effort runs between 10 and 20min and they tend to be 3:50ish kms. Yesterday was 6x300(3) avg 45.0 all between 44.8 and 45.1.

Out to watch Andy and Megsy plus a plethora of clients in the Sydney Half today, both raced really well Andy 19th sneaking under 75 and Megsy 7min quicker than last year for 18th (I didn't notice 17 girls in front of her so I can't count or some dodgy bib swapping going on). Run of the day was Fats, raced aggressive and looked strong, 12th 72:57.



Sunday 2 September 2012

Jiggity Jig

Saturday

AM
20km-80:20 (4:01kms) Mackay Botanical Gardens and Hockey Fields

PM
9km-44:50 (4:59kms) Hockey Fields

Great to get word of Megsy smashing her pb at Striders and Andy a solid hit out too.


Sunday

AM
Mackay Father's Day 5km-17:50 1st

Had a bit of trouble navigating the course but a great way to start the day.

PM
10km-44:50 (4:29kms) Solo The Bay

181km and some good speed intro work.


Saturday 1 September 2012

6x3min

Friday

AM
10km-47:30 (4:45kms) Solo Hen and Chicken

PM
6x3min (1) Mackay Hockey Fields

They love their sport up here, beautiful grass fields. Perfect for running avg 980m by the garmin, wish we had something like this back home.