Monday, 14 October 2013

10x400m, 4x200m / 7km Tempo / 5km Parkrun / 8x200m

Monday

AM
9km-40:35 (4:31kms) Campbell Park

PM
16km-72:00 (4:30kms) Nolan Reserve

Fish out of water on the Northern Beaches but wanted to check out a potential training venue for squad members. Nolan's is a training mecca, a 1500m grass loop with a 650m add on over a small wooden bridge to Passmore Oval, wish I had something like this near me.


Tuesday

AM
7km-35:20 (5:03kms) Five Dock Bay

PM
10x400m (2min cycle), 10min rest, 4x200m (3) Drummoyne Oval

400m-70.7avg
200m-31.1, 29.9, 29.1, 27.9

400s were slower than I expected especially as the ground is in beautiful condition with a domestic one day match scheduled for Thursday.


Wednesday

AM
9km-42:00 (4:40kms) Five Dock Bay

+ Strength

PM
17km-68:13 (4:02kms) Centennial Park

Found myself running with a group I had no business messing with, a few 3:43s in there. Doesn't matter, it was stupid but it was fun.


Thursday

AM
8km-39:52 (4:59kms) The Bay

PM
7km Tempo - 26:06 (3:44kms) The Bay

37 degrees, blowing a gale and struggled with smoke inhalation, I've been vomiting black ash since. Shouldn't sook about it, family and friends in the mountains have actual problems. My sister inlaw's backyard was on fire, but they got the kids and animals out, now we're just waiting to hear about the house. The inlaws have just been evacuated from lower down the mountains.


Friday

Strength


Saturday

AM
5km - 2nd 17:24 (3:29kms) Curl Curl Parkrun

Worth the trip north to check out another training option. Watched Tom disappear off in the distance smashing the course record. Felt pretty good all things considered, would like to be running these tempos in 3:20kms with the same effort by Xmas.

PM

Strength +

10km-46:06 (4:37kms) Drummoyne Oval

Family still surrounded by fire, keeping vigil on rogue embers, wind has picked up again this afternoon. Aunt's house is one of the last standing on her street and Akira's godmother's family home also one of a few saved on her street, bloody lucky. Heard an RFS volunteer on the radio, between his regular job and the fire he hasn't stopped working since Thursday morning. Now that's a real marathon effort, Blue Mountains folk are as tough as they come.

Sergio Rosato is the Principal of St Thomas Aquinas my niece and nephew's school, a great leader.


Sunday

AM
24km-1:51.10 (4:38kms) Dee Why - Narrabeen

+ Strength

PM
8x200m (3) Drummoyne Oval

Avg 29.75, fastest 27.80

162km week, getting fit.

Monday, 7 October 2013

40min Fartlek / 600m TT / 6km Tempo / 20min fartlek

Monday

AM
16km-66:35 (4:10kms) The Bay

Including 40min fartlek - 3x3min, 3x2min, 10x1min efforts/1min floats

PM
10km-44:06 (4:25kms) The Bay


Tuesday

Rest


Wednesday

6km-27:00 (4:30kms) Centennial Park

+ 8x100m hills - fastest 14.55, i think that's my fastest ever. I was unsuccessfully racing a few cyclists up the hill, super talented runners who've been spending alot of time on their bikes lately.


Thursday

600m TT - 89.30 ES Marks

37 degrees, bloody windy and a 2m wide walkway across the track at the 300m mark to hurdle. The worse the conditions the greater the training effect, if it doesn't kill you.


Friday

6km Tempo - 20:42 (3:27kms) The Bay


Saturday

22km-1:42.20 (4:39kms) The Bay


Sunday

16km-64:30 (4:02kms) Five Dock Bay

including 20min fartlek (70sec hard/50sec float) @ 3:47kms. I suck at fartlek, 3:50s is generally a good indicator of fitness for me, sub 3:40s seems to be pb ready. Felt pretty good, might be getting fit.

#210 marathon for the squad today, JB 2:41.42 at Melbourne, a gutsy performance from him as usual and we would've gladly taken that 10 weeks ago. 5:30ish conversion from the recent half, a good bad day, Fats wise words on depletion turned out to be prophetic, smart bloke that one. Hard to convince an athlete who races with ambition to celebrate the effort rather than the result. Perspective can be lost by coach and athlete, but he should be as proud of that performance as I am, if you can't celebrate giving it everything then it wasn't worth doing in the first place.

99km week

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

10x600m / 4x600m / 6km Tempo / 20x200m

Monday

AM
9km-40:01 (4:27kms) Campbell Park

PM
16km-72:40 (4:33kms) Centennial Park

+ 4x100m Hills


Tuesday

AM
9km-39:54 (4:26kms) Campbell Park

PM
10x600m (1) Campbell Park

1:56.0 avg


Wednesday

AM
9km-41:40 (4:38kms) The Bay

PM
16km-75:58 (4:45kms) Centennial Park

+ 4x100m Hills


Thursday

AM
9KM-42:34 (4:44kms) The Bay

PM
4x600m (3) Campbell Park

1:46, 1:44, 1:41, 1:40


Friday

AM
Strength

Much needed rest day, long weekend ahead and i'm planning to slaughter myself, only 13 weeks til rrrrrrrace day.

I like this from Ryan Hall on the Kenyans

My last thought about Kenya and what makes the runners here so special is their incredible self-belief. I have never met a group of runners so confident in their abilities, even if they are unproven. For example, you cannot tell the difference between a 2:04 marathon runner and a 2:20 marathon runner in Kenya; they exude the same confidence and self-belief. It seems that everyone here believes they are just one day, or one race, away from hitting it big, and with confidence like that, perhaps they are. They certainly aren't afraid to take a risk and put it all out on the line, whether in a race or in training.
Nothing great ever happens without taking a risk.


Saturday

AM
6km-21:12 (3:32kms) Centennial Park

15sec per km quicker than 3 weeks ago, funny that, training makes you run faster.

PM
20x200m (30sec) Queen Elizabeth Park

32.5avg, happy with that.

I watched Braveheart for the thousandth time last night, 'every man dies, not every man really lives'. As I was plowing through the freshly sand covered turf I was trying to visualise the abhorrent Longshanks or being tortured on a rack but all I could really think about was how much sand was accumulating in my spikes.


Sunday

AM
24km-1:52.00 (4:40kms) Centennial Park

146km week

Monday, 23 September 2013

2km, 10x300m, 4x150m / 3km effort, 2x1500m Fartlek / 4x2km / Euphoria

Monday

AM
9km-43:45 (4:52kms) Campbell Park

15 laps x 600m

PM
16km-77:00 (4:49kms) Centennial Park

+ 4x100m Hills

Then straight to the World's Best Dentist for root canal, ate a steak for dinner, she's a frigging star.


Tuesday

AM
9km-43:00 (4:47kms) Campbell Park

PM
ES Marks

2km effort - 6:28,

10min rest

10x300m (1) - 51.0avg

10min rest

4x150m (3) - fastest 18.60

Triathlete runs a 4:15 beer mile errr 800m, oh dear poor buggers can't measure anything right. I recognise about half of my Jamison High Class of '91 school mates in that video in the red and white representing PIS. Still training and playing hard, great to see. :-)


Wednesday

AM
9km-40:30 (4:30kms) Campbell Park

+ Strength

PM
14km-65:16 (4:40kms) Centennial Park


Thursday

AM
9km-45:15 (5:02kms) Hen and Chicken Bay

+ Strength

PM
3km effort (5) 2x1500m Fartlek 30 hard/30 float (2)

10:21, 5:27, 5:11 - WINDY!


Friday

AM
9km-42:00 (4:40kms) The Bay

+ Strength

PM
6km-28:42 (4:47kms) Darling Harbour

+ 30xladders, 150x plyo contacts


Saturday

AM
4x2km (3) The Bay

6:56 avg

PM
7km-33:48 (4:50kms) Hen and Chicken Bay


Sunday

AM
24km-1:51.58 (4:40kms) Centennial Park

PM
Strength +

7km-29:31 (4:13kms) Campbell Park

I swore I'd never talk about the squad again in this blog but literally can't help myself...

Went out for my arvo run as Berlin Marathon started, was like a cat on a hot tin roof in anticipation of Steve racing Tiger squad's 209th marathon. I've been coaching since I was 14, hockey, cricket and now running. Every match/race as a coach is nerve wracking, you put your heart and soul into it just as the athlete does. But the marathon is the worst of the lot as it's a long time before the athlete gets another chance if something goes awry. This was even worse than usual, 9/10 races I have a very good idea how the athlete will perform, this time I really didn't know and Steve had flown to the other side of the world. 3 weeks ago he ran a half marathon in 89:49 and somehow between the 2 of us decided to have a crack at sub 3 regardless, woah!

Off I went on my 'easy' run, before I knew it i'd hit 5km @ 4:13kms, I didn't even realise but somehow in my own wannabe marathoner way I was running with him. For the next 2km I was euphoric, imagine having so much faith in an athlete that you ask him to run his current half time twice and somehow he has so much faith in the program that he commits to do it. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but finally, runners high and wow does it feel good.

Sadly this was the real world and wasn't a fairy tale. Unfortunately he missed 3:03.29 but gave it a massive crack. After falling behind at half way fought back to be back on track at 35km but it took it's toll. Nobody symbolises our squad and what we represent more than Steve, ageless, hard working and never afraid of ambitious goals.

162km, great week :-)


Tuesday, 17 September 2013

2x3km, 2x150m / 7km Tempo / Sydney 1/2

Monday

AM
7km-35:32 (5:05kms) Timbrell

PM
14km-73:02 (5:13kms) Centennial


Tuesday

AM
7km-36:00 (5:09kms) The Bay

PM
2x3km (7) + 2x150m (3) ES Marks

10:12, 10:09
19.52, 18.20


"Actually, I didn't tire at that time (when I got dropped in the first 10k). I wanted the pace a little bit increased but if we are sticking together maybe the pace is slow because we are waiting for each other. I wanted the pace a little bit pushed so that's why I (fell back on purpose)."


Bekele after beating Geb and Mo, I reckon he's full of shit. Nobody intelligent enough to come up with such a cunning strategy in his debut half would be stupid enough to reveal it to his opponents.


Wednesday

AM
7km-31:50 (4:47kms) The Bay

+ Strength

PM
16km-80:12 (5:02kms) Timbrell Park


Thursday

AM
7km-34:11 (4:53kms) Nield Park

+ Strength

PM
7km Tempo - 26:15 (3:45kms) The Bay

Another goal, but not for this year 400m run your age club. I think the great Sydney Pacific sprinter Peter Crombie has done this several times.


Friday

AM
9km easy

+ Strength

PM
10x400m (1) QE Park

70avg Comfy


Saturday

Rest


Sunday

AM
Sydney 1/2 - 81:49 (3:52kms) 70.3kg

Controlled effort but 2min quicker than the same effort at M7, took a toilet stop under the bridge in the 13th km. A drunk must've designed the course, it felt like I was trying to navigate my way through a bowl of spaghetti. I enjoyed that, a beautiful Sydney morning, perfect conditions and I feel like i'm starting to get fit.

PM
Strength +

7km-33:15 - (4:45kms) Campbell Park

Check out Martyn Ashton's bike handling skills, sadly it hasn't ended well for him.

141km week, 4x strength and a good 150m.

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

14x200m / 5x1km / 6km Tempo

Monday

7km-38:30 (5:30kms) The Bay


Tuesday

14x200m QE Park

8x200m (30/4) 35avg
4x200m (60/4) 32avg
2x200m (90) 30.5, 31.0

Time to dip my toes in the water with a session, the only rule was, as fast as I can run without vomiting. With the dry wind and smoke from the bushfires unfortunately it wasn't very fast at all, but escaped unscathed.


Wednesday

16km-76:16 (4:46kms) Centennial Park

+ Strength


Thursday

Strength +

5x1km (3) ES Marks

3:12, 3:11, 3:12, 3:09, 3:05


Friday

AM
Strength

PM
9km easy

32:48 at 60 years 


Saturday

AM
6km-22:12 (3:47kms) Parade Grounds

PM
8km easy The Beautiful Bay


Sunday

AM
CP Ultra 50km relay - 25km 1:40.21 (4:01kms)

PM
40min Bike + Strength

109km week

Friday, 6 September 2013

5x600m / W2G

Monday

Rest - Stomach Ulcer


Tuesday

Rest - agony


Wednesday

Rest - worse


Thursday

Rest - better but still shit


Friday

Huge improvement all of a sudden.

PM
5x600m (90) Queen Elizabeth Park

Comfy, 1st 5 all 1:50 and last rep 1:47. Feel better after running, blood flow is good.


Saturday

Striders 10km - 39:56 (4:00kms) North Head

Kicked off a frantic weekend with a visit to watch a few squadlets in action, thought I'd have a trot while I was there and see how the stomach was feeling after yesterday. Felt better, but not quite right. Raced home to vote but the queue was too long, raced to work, raced back home to vote, then raced up the Mountains to dump the kids with the inlaws, then raced down to Penrith for a 40th. By 9:00pm I was doing laps of the monolith trying to keep my eyes open, pooped.


Sunday

Woodford to Glenbrook 25km - 1:41.08 (4:03kms) 12th

Planned to run slower but felt pretty comfy so went with it. Did a very long cooldown at a nephew's 8th birthday with 20 kids playing footy with me all afternoon, the best! :-)


50km week and a seriously painful lesson learnt.

Check out the latest decoration for the Easy Tiger Massage wall courtesy of Ben St. 12:47 man/boy Hagos Gebrhiwet, yep TWELVE FORTY SEVEN, woah!




Tuesday, 27 August 2013

2km + 8x200m / 12x400m

Monday

AM
7km-32:05 (4:35kms) Timbrell Park

PM
16km-70:56 (4:26kms) Centennial Park

+ 4x100m Hills


Tuesday

AM
7km-34:51 (4:59kms) Timbrell Park

PM
2km effort, 10min rest, 8x200m (3) ES Marks

2km-6:17
8x200m (3) 31.4, 29.7, 29.6, 29.7, 29.5, 29.7, 29.6, 24.7


Wednesday

AM
7km-34:04 (4:52kms) Timbrell Park

+ Strength

PM
9km-41:15 (4:35kms) Centennial Park

DNF after my 3rd trip to the dunny. Stomach a mess from all the vomiting during last night's session and definitely shouldn't have backed up with a heavy strength sesh this morning. Lesson learnt.


Thursday

AM
7km-34:00 (4:51kms) The Bay

+ Strength

PM
12x400m (1) Goodard Park

avg 67.8


Friday

Rest - Strained abdominals from Tuesday, in a world of pain. Who would've thought that running fast has consequences, exactly why I started the speed work this early.


Saturday

Aborted attempt at 500m, agony!


Sunday

24km-1:51.36 (4:39kms) Centennial Park

What a bonus, thought 5km would be the limit.

102km with a very pleasing 200m in there.






Wednesday, 21 August 2013

8x500m + 2x150m / 7km Tempo / 3x2km / Hard 500m

Monday

AM
9km-44:22 (4:56kms) Timbrell Park

+ Strength

PM
16km-74:08 (4:38kms) Centennial Park


Tuesday

AM
9km-45:36 (5:04kms) Hen and Chicken Bay

+ Strength

PM
8x500m (3min cycle) + 2x150m ES Marks

92avg, 19.13, 18.31


Wednesday

AM
7km-33:00 (4:43kms) The Bay

PM
16km-73:20 (4:35kms) Centennial Park

+ 4x100m Hills


Thursday

AM
7km-32:19 (4:37kms) The Bay

PM
7km-26:01 (3:43kms) The Bay


Friday

Rest


Saturday

AM
3x2km (9min cycle) The Bay

7:30, 7:23, 7:16

PM
500m-73.9 The Bay

Pleasantly surprised.


Sunday

AM
24km-1:47.31 (4:29kms) Centennial Park

PM
Strength

Foot swollen, don't think fast 150s and 24km long runs are compatible.

135km week



Tuesday, 13 August 2013

1x200m / 20x300m / 4x300m + 19min Fartlek

Monday

6km-28:30 (4:45kms) Centennial Park


Tuesday

1x200m - 25.46 (standing start) ES Marks

A speed test to take advantage of the fresh legs. Turnover was great, but shuffling like a Japanese woman in a kimono. 76.0kg, big man.


Wednesday

16km-73:00 (4:34kms) Centennial Park


Thursday

AM
7km-33:28 (4:47kms) The Bay

PM
20x300m (1) Tamplin Park

avg 52.5, fat burner.


Friday

AM
Strength

PM
16km-68:01 (4:15kms) The Bay


Saturday

AM
4x300m (3) 19min Fartlek 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2min efforts with 1min floats at Centennial

46.0, 45.9, 45.8, 47.0. Fartlek avg 3:53kms.

Runners are cruel, a few recent harsh albeit accurate quotes:-
'You sound like a dying dog' Claire today
'You normally look fitter' Megsy Tuesday
'I don't know why you humiliate yourself doing long races, stick to the short stuff' The Bull after Sydney Harbour 10km

PM
9km-44:15 (4:55kms) Hen and Chicken Bay


Sunday

AM
20km-93:17 (4:40kms) Centennial Park

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

121km week



Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Plyos / 300m + 12x200m / 3km + 1.5km Fartlek

Monday

6km Easy Timbrell Park

+ Plyos

+ 4x60m


Tuesday

1x300m, 12x200m (3) ES Marks

300m-41.58 standing start.
200m-34.2, 33.5, 31.6, 30.4, 30.2, 29.3, 28.2, 28.4, 28.8, 28.5, 28.1, 26.2 rolling starts.

I've given myself a pre Xmas goal of sub 52sec 400m. According to the World Rankings, 20 guys over 40 years did it last year, so it seems like a challenging enough mini goal to be satisfying. It'll help my 800s to get some speed back, aerobic fitness seems to have minimal correlation to my 2 lap performance and I'd be bored and fat without anything between now and January. Blah blah blah, ridiculous over sharing.

Plan for today was 42.0 as easy and even as possible and anything else a bonus. The last 6x200m were quite a nice bonus.


Wednesday

6km easy + 6x60m Nield Park


Thursday

3km, 4min rest, 1.5km Fartlek (30 hard/30 float) The Bay

3km-10:28 (3:29kms), 1.5km-5:00 (3:20kms)

64sec slower than last month, sitting on the couch isn't paying dividends.


Friday

Rest


Saturday

6km easy


Sunday

24km including C2S-56:42 (4:03kms) 780th

Dora's gigantic head broke in warm up, had to carry it the whole way without a handle. My hands are more tired than my legs, they've been cramping all day.

66km week

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

12x300m, 5x150m / 6x1km / 2x500m, 2x200m Hills / Bay Run

Monday

AM
9km-41:24 (4:36km) Timbrell Park

PM
16km-73:20 (4:35km) Centennial Park

+ 4x100m Hills


Tuesday

AM
7km-33:50 (4:50kms) Timbrell Park

+ Strength

PM
12x300m (2min cycle), 10min rest, 5x150m (250m walk) ES Marks

avg 50.1

Rolling starts 20.4, 19.4, 19.8, 18.8, 18.6


Wednesday

AM
7km-33:49 (4:50kms) Timbrell Park

PM
16km-71:12 (4:27kms) Centennial Park


Thursday

AM
8km-36:40 (4:35kms) Wenty Park

+ Strength

PM
6x1km (5min cycle) The Bay

3:19avg


Friday

Rest


Saturday

2x500m Hills, 2x200m Hills (walk back) Paddo Hill

96, 96, 28.4, 28.0

Cruised the 500s and blasted the 200s, vomit vomit.


Sunday

21km including the 7ish km Bay Run - 20th ish 24:24 (3:29ish)

+ Strength

Could barely move after yesterday's session. My final 7 day working week, gave it a shot but just too bloody hard.

127km week

Thursday, 25 July 2013

20x200m / M7 Half Marathon

Monday

AM
9km-48:23 (5:23kms) Hen and Chicken Bay

+ Strength

PM
8km-34:40 (4:20kms) Centennial Park

Never been so sore in my life.


Tuesday

AM
9km-43:28 (4:40km) Timbrell Park


Wednesday

AM
10km-44:40 (4:28km) The Bay

PM
16km-73:20 (4:35km) Centennial Park


Thursday

AM
9km-43:29 (4:40km) Timbrell Park

+ Strength including 4x10 cable split squats +10kg (2sets each incline/decline)

PM
20x200m (200m jog) ES Marks 32.75avg

Big day. I can finally feel my legs again post Sutho 2 Surf, wish I couldn't. Ouch, ouch, ouch!


Friday

9km-45:08 (5:01km) Timbrell Park


Saturday

17km-77:54 (4:35km) Centennial Park


Sunday

M7 Marathon Relay, 1/2 - 83:59 (3:59km)

Garth ran 89ish for a 5ish minute pb on the first leg, I think we might've been 4th.

127km week

Thursday, 18 July 2013

9x300m / Sutho to Surf

Monday

20km-97:20 (4:52kms) Centennial Park


Tuesday

Rest


Wednesday

17km-78:45 (4:38kms) Centennial Park


Thursday

9x300m

3x300m (1) Target 54.0, actual 53.1, 50.6, 47.9
3x300m (2) Target 51.0, actual 50.3, 47.1, 46.0
3x300m (3) Target 48.0, actual 46.4, 44.6, 43.6

Useless judgement but felt easy, I will keep resting until I feel 100%.


Friday

AM
Strength


Saturday

AM
Strength

PM
4km easy


Sunday

Sutho to Surf 34th 11km-38:56 (3:32kms) 73.5kg

14 places and 63sec slower than last year but better than I expected. Could be flattering as we had a nice tailwind pushing us. Back into training tomorrow, looking forward to some hard work.

68km week