M-12 9x2min
Posted by sook54, Sep 7 2010, 10:06 PM in Sydney
I did the scheduled 9x2min today reasonably successfully.
warmup
4.19km in 25:11 avg pace 6:01
9x2min (1:30)
1. 397m @ 5:02 (252m @ 5:57)
2. 419m @ 4:47 (247m @ 6:05)
3. 428m @ 4:40 (258m @ 5:49)
4. 433m @ 4:37 (264m @ 5:41)
5. 411m @ 4:52 (234m @ 6:25)
6. 416m @ 4:49 (241m @ 6:13)
7. 421m @ 4:45 (254m @ 5:54)
8. 414m @ 4:50 (230m @ 6:32)
9. 436m @ 4:35 (235m @ 6:23)
cooldown
3.35km in 21:59 avg pace 6:34
total for the day 13.53km in 1:18:40 avg pace 5:49
I suspect I am coming down with something, have been struggling with cold sore and generally feeling pretty tired the last day or so - they say the immune system runs down a bit under heavy training and last week was 102km!
M-13 Day Off
Posted by sook54, Sep 6 2010, 04:10 PM
Today I'm taking what I feel is a well-earned break from training. Coach tells me I will have to dig in for the speed sessions this week so I need to save my strength!
For those wondering, yes I have committed to do the full marathon on the 19th. I am definitely not in as good shape as last time (e.g. no gym visits to speak of for 3 months!) but on the other hand, as Silverfox said, I have the advantage of having done a marathon before, so I know I can go the distance. even if it's unlikely to be as fast or as pain-free as last time.
The new shoes seem to have done the trick with leg tightness (they're still tight, but improving). My glutes were feeling it a bit last night after the fastish 20km, but that's actually a good sign, shows they are working and taking some of the pressure off the hamstrings.
I've had friends staying most of the time since I came back from my travels, and have to actually go into work for meetings a couple of times this week (grr, I'm supposed to be having time in lieu). So I'm not yet getting quite as much time as I'd hoped to catch up on all the things I've let slide over the past few years... Running still wins!
M-14 Good 20km
Posted by sook54, Sep 5 2010, 09:59 PM
Busy day with family duties, so did my 20km tonight rather than in the morning - in the general vicinity of the Bay, at a pretty fast pace for me:
20.01km in 1:54:46 avg pace 5:44
Sometimes things just come together with a good even rhythm and the kms just slide by.
The pace was pretty even throughout fastest 5:28 slowest 5:57 (it was pretty dark by the end of the run, got home just after 7)
That gave me a bit of confidence though I have to keep it up for over twice the distance in 2 weeks!
"marathon - 15 Days To Go"
Posted by sook54, Sep 4 2010, 10:29 PM
As I was driving to the Striders 10k at north head today I saw this message about 15 times. Sheesh as if I didn't know that already!
I can't say today's run filled me with confidence. I actually felt pretty good for the first 5k but then it got really blustery in the second half and I nearly got blown off my feet. Obviously I also had the wind at my back sometimes so I can't entirely blame my performance on the weather - I was 1:07 slower than over the same course in June (admittedly with perfect conditions).
10.00 in 51:39 avg pace 5:10
4:59
5:12
4:59
5:17
5:00
5:20
5:25 - this 2ks was the killer, downhill but really strong headwinds
5:22
5:14
4:51 - sprinted strongly to finish overtaking 4 others
My legs were still feeling a bit tight but the new shoes seem to be helping.
Better Speed Session - M-17
Posted by sook54, Sep 2 2010, 11:08 PM
I've been trying to remember to streeeetch more this week, but legs still feeling pretty tight and soles of my feet were tingling last night which is not a good sign. I did pilates class this morning and then swimming with 2yo grandson, so didn't run till this evening after dark. I was wearing my new shoes (Nike Atlas) with no problems at all with them blister- or size-wise - though my right inner ankle muscle felt rather tight at the end of the speedy bits of the run.
I got into a really good rhythm into the run down the bay. it was pitch dark so I didn't know how fast I did the intervals, but I'm pretty pleased with it overall. It was a bit uneven due to swirling wind and occasional slight hills.
warmup
4.1km in 24:24 avg pace 5:57
8x30s (30s) - coach said 4:35 pace
1. 124m @ 4:01 (95m @ 5:17)
2. 117m @ 4:16 (90m @ 5:32)
3. 111m @ 4:20 (98m @ 5:07)
4. 125m @ 4:00 (87m @ 5:45)
5. 118m @ 4:14 (91m @ 5:29)
6. 116m @ 4:18 (88m @ 5:39)
7. 122m @ 4:05 (90m @ 5:34)
8. 127m @ 3:57 (85m @ 5:54)
That last one was slightly uphill
cooldown 4.1km in 24:51 avg pace 6:03
all up 9.9km in 56:57 avg pace 5:48
I felt like some of the old power and leg extension was back - was it pilates? new shoes? or just the time of day? Whatever, hope the good feeling lasts till Saturday morning. Tomorrow is a day off except for a zumba class at daughter's gym.
Tightttttttt M-18
Posted by sook54, Sep 1 2010, 04:53 PM
After the 35km on Monday my legs were feeling it quite a bit more than usual, which is probably a combination of
1. stepping up distance and intensity last week
2. running long distance on concrete and bitumen after several weeks mainly on dirt
3. shoes getting a bit old
I did a 10km recovery run on Tuesday morning (M-19) and really struggled, not only no oomph but found it really difficult to get any smoothness in the old stride. It took 7km (!) to warm up and I averaged 6:17, with the fastest km only 6:05. I was glad I'd made an appointment to see Sally the physio. She commented that I'd done the right thing to give myself the day off on Sunday, as the knot that I'd felt in my R hammy on Saturday could have been the precursor to a tear. The right hammy was still a bit tighter than the left, but both of them were very tight, as were my calves and basically everything else. At least my feet are holding up ok! After a half-hour massage, mainly on hamstrings and calves, my legs felt a lot better, more alive if you know what I mean.
This morning I pushed ahead with the scheduled 90min run, which I was pretty pleased with, all things considered - average pace 5:54. Again I took a while to warm up but my stride felt a lot smoother. I did this round the extended Bay course (said hi to Eagle near Rodd Pt).
Later in the morning I visited Running Science to get a replacement for the filthy Vomeros I binned before I left Darwin. I ended up getting a new model called Nike Atlas - they seem to have the same basic features as the Vomero but are a bit cheaper.
I'm still tossing up as to whether to downgrade to the half - I'll make up my mind after the Striders run on Saturday.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to do 5x5mins fast, which I'll have to do in the afternoon since I have pilates in the morning. At least that will give me a bit longer to keep recovering.
Another job I need to do is rejoin the gym - also tossing up about which one to choose. The usual Sydney uni one has the disadvantage of needing to travel further to get there, and since I'm on leave for the next few months I'm wondering whether to go for something closer to home. My daughter has persuaded me to accompany her to a zumba class at a Haberfield gym on Friday, I am considering getting a 3month membership there since it's very conveniently located.
35km Slog M-20
Posted by sook54, Aug 30 2010, 01:44 PM
What a glorious Sydney morning it was! I left home at 6am and headed around the bay (said hi to JD down there) before following the well beaten path along Victoria Rd and over the Anzac Bridge to Pyrmont and the city. This was actually the most unpleasant bit of the run, with exhaust fumes and traffic lights. Once I got across the Pyrmont bridge to the bottom of Market St I headed along the waterfront right around past the wharves, under the bridge, around the opera house and the domain, and got to the 17.5km turning point just before reaching Hyde Park (no traffic lights!). Then I more or less retraced my steps, with a few detours along the foreshore walk at Barangaroo, which turned out to be blocked off, meaning a bit of a detour back to Hickson Rd. This added a couple of extra km to the run, so after I crossed Anzac bridge I came back along Lilyfield Rd and the Haberfield bit of the Bay Run rather than the traffic-lighty fumey Victoria Rd route. I'd been sort of intending to check out the Centennial Pk bit of the marathon course but didn't realise how far it would be along the foreshore. I'll do that next weekend instead I guess (only 20km then, yay!).
I taste-tested the powerbar vanilla gels (the only brand I could get in Darwin) with my preferred Endura vanilla gels and the latter win hands-down! I buy these by the box from Running Science, and although they work out more expensive they are the only ones I can really stomach. I took 2 today, the powerbar one in the Domain at about 15km and the vanilla one just before getting back onto Anzac bridge at about 27km. I also consumed 2x500ml bottles of powerade (lemon-lime) and plenty of water (made a point of stopping about every 5km to take on a decent amount from bubblers).
Although the hamstring wasn't any particular problem my legs just felt lacking in spring and oomph and I had to keep pushing myself to keep the pace up. Ended up with 35km exactly in 3:35:03 on the watch (avg pace 6:09) (used another 20 mins or so at traffic lights and on various water stops, and a loo break at Darling Harbour, so total time on the road was just under 4 hours).
Tomorrow I'm scheduled for 1hr run, which I'll do at semi-recovery pace since I expect my legs will still be feeling it. I have an appointment with physio Sally at lunchtime but I can't get in to see my masseur Anna till next week (she is taking time off)! decided not to risk the rugby team masseurs (guys) who were offered as replacements for my lovely Anna.
After the Striders run on Saturday it will be into the taper! eek!
M-21 Sooky Day Off!
Posted by sook54, Aug 29 2010, 09:29 PMYep, I sooked out of the 35km this morning. At 3am my R hammy was still quite stiff so I decided to award it 24 hrs to recover from Saturday's twinge. Kept very busy with catching up with the family and life in general. Hamstring definitely feeling better tonight so the alarm is on for 5:30am and I'm rummaging around online to find the new marathon course so I can run over bits of it tomorrow morning, though no doubt the Monday morning traffic will interrupt the running a bit more than desirable.
Weathering The Nt - M-22
Posted by sook54, Aug 28 2010, 03:12 PM
Wow 2 months since the last blog entry. This has been a very busy period indeed for me with work and travel, but pleased to say that I'm going to be back in Sydney AND taking some time out for the next few months. I've taken the plunge and entered for the Sydney Marathon on 19 September, hence the marathon countdown theme you'll see emerging in my blog titles for the next 3 weeks.
I'm pleased to say I've just weathered (in all senses of the word) a very tough few weeks training in the NT in very warm superhumid conditions. At this time of year it's supposed to be dry and relatively cooler overnight but instead it's been back to buildup conditions already (23+ overnight, 90% humidity) to the extent that it poured with rain yesterday for an hour or so (fortunately after I'd finished my run). Everyone has been saying this year's dry season didn't really happen. I've been getting up very very early (an hour before dawn) but that also tends to be the time of peak humidity, so a lot of sweating has been going on! This morning, at the end of the trip, I had to throw away my second-best pair of Vomeros because they were so deeply ingrained with red-brown dirt. Nevertheless this week I managed to run every day in the remote area I was camping in (for work), doing hard sessions (including 20x2min intervals one day). At least I didn't mind the cold showers (the only sort on offer). I am pretty happy to be headng back to cooler climes today (currently in Darwin airport en route to Sydney).
I actually developed a R hamstring twinge on today's morning run in Nightcliff - was supposed to be a 12km ladder session finishing with 5km at sub-5:15/km pace but instead after several stops to stretch I decided to pull the plug at 11.5km. At this stage I'm still planning to attempt the 35km planned for tomorrow morning. Unless it really stiffens up overnight....
Hopefully the 35km will take me up to a 90km week, and providing the 35km goes well tomorrow morning I am definitely on for the Sydney marathon on 19/9 (my last day of being 55). I will have only done 4 30km+ runs, no gym sessions and only a couple of pilates classes this time around, so I don't feel nearly so well prepared as last time. Next weekend's Striders 10km at North Head will be a bit of a reality check for me as to pace (did a PB on the same course 2 weeks out from the Macleay marathon).
Too Much Travelling
Posted by sook54, Jun 27 2010, 01:25 PM
I'm sneaking this blog entry in between writing a paper for my conference in Malta next week (leaving on Tuesday), dealing with the aftermath of my trip to NT last week, and just generally feeling a bit fatigued and migrainey. I was supposed to be in the Woodford to Glenbrook cheersquad today, selling CR gear, but I woke up this morning with migraine looming and decided I couldn't afford to risk bringing it on. I hope my CR friends will forgive me!
Marathon recovery is continuing pretty well - there is some residual tiredness in the legs but glad to report that basically 99% of the time I'm feeling perfectly recovered physically. Maybe the general level of fatigue is not entirely work-related though.
I've kept up the running pretty much to schedule, though I had to skip one run in the remote community I was working in because the running buddies I'd lined up to run with ended up with car troubles and I was advised it was really not safe to run by myself.
Here's the summary since my last report:
Monday: long drive from Darwin to remote community
Tuesday: missed run
Wednesday evening: I drove out of town a few km and ran on the road: I did 5.17km in 28:32 avg pace 5:31
5:57
5:57
5:32
4:57
5:03
(147m @ 6:06)
Thursday: long day, activities in community till lunchtime then drove back to Darwin
Friday morning (now back in Darwin) I did a fartlek session. Unlike earlier in the week it was really warm and humid (90%) even pre-dawn.
warmup
3.01km in 6:03
6x1min @ 5:15 (1min @ 5:50)
225m @ 4:26 (182m @ 5:29)
209m @ 4:47 (183m @ 5:27)
203m @ 4:56 (187m @ 5:20)
212m @ 4:43 (196m @ 5:07)
217m @ 4:36 (175m @ 5:44)
224m @ 4:28 (193m @ 5:11)
cooldown
3.01km @ 5:31
total 8.43km in 46:51 avg pace 5:33
As you can see my legs were full of running and I had to keep holding myself back. Coach did say I could do it faster than ordered!
I flew back to Darwin Friday afternoon, didn't get home till 10pm (flight arrived at 8:10 but the usual Friday night queues for luggage and cabs at Sydney airport)
Saturday (yesterday) did the coolrunning 5km at the Bay. I was still quite tired and dehydrated from the plane trip.
I ended up doing 24:26, almost exactly the pace of last month's (24:24). I actually felt aerobically fine but my legs ran out in the 4th km (that is always a slowish one anyway because of having to navigate a few twists and turns). I'm reasonably pleased with this, considering yesterday's relatively hard run in Darwin and the stage of my marathon recovery. I definitely finished in better shape than the last one.
warmup
2km @ about 6:30
cr5k
5.03km in 24:26 avg pace 4:52
4:54
4:48
4:49
4:59
4:49
(25m in 6.46s @ 4:14)
5km jog back
of which only 2.79km measured, avg pace 5:46
All up 12km.
Today I may head out for the scheduled 5km this evening if I'm feeling up to it. At the moment still feeling pretty bleagh, and hard to get up enthusiasm for anything much.
on M-14 Good 20km