Cute

Today Total: 17k
Week Total: 46k
Month Total: 40k
Year Total: 1201.4k

Modern day usage of the word "cute" has modified its definition in today's dictionaries, but when I was at school the dictionary used to describe cute as being ugly but interesting. Well today's run definitely fits the classical definition.

On top of what has been my hardest training week for quite some time and fronting for my second run in under 10 hours my legs were weary as, as I dragged my semi-conscious body out of bed at 5am this morning. I had decided some time back that some time soon I would like to run from my place to the Bay Run, do a lap and return home. Today was the day.

**WARNING POSSIBLE CR HERESY ALERT**

I don't see what all the fuss is about with the Bay Run, it's noisy, crowded and in parts smelly but apart from that I guess its ok :-) I would much rather my more local Canada Bay and Exile Bay or Majors Bay, Yaralla Bay and Brays Bay.

**ALERT ENDS**

It was fairly warm and very humid this morning, but I actually like that and usually revel in these kinds of conditions, but there just wasn't much gas in the tank. On the 5k down to the bay my pace was all over the place, splits for this section range from 6.38 to 5.32, a sure sign of fatigue. When I got to the bay I almost bailed, instead I compromised with a short stretch break.

Vanity made me lift my pace to a fairly constant 6 min pace for the 7k around the bay. I saw Action twice as he was running in the other direction and we passed brief greetings and comments on the weather. Well at least he did - I think I just kind of tried to grunt something intelligible and seemingly friendly through my laboured breathing. I must say I found the whole "boot camp" scene around Leichhardt Park highly amusing.

Lap of the bay complete, I treated myself to another stretch break and ground out the 5k home with some of the splits dipping into the 7 min zone.

Whilst I believe chronic over-training is silly, I think days like today are good every now and then. Without being macho about it, it toughens you up mentally for those times when life gets a bit hard. It gives you that confidence that you can push on when common sense suggests it might be highly desirable to stop. And I am a firm believer that this is a skill that is generalisable to all parts of your life. If nothing else it is good preparation for Blacks Range (6 footers will know what I mean).

So yeah, nothing flash - pretty ordinary in fact, but I'm happy with it. All I have to do is survive tonights training and I have 38 hours or so of glorious rest before assaulting something up the mountains on Sunday arvo.

Edit: Mucking around with the troops and playing cricket in the roof top tennis court at lunch time I managed to niggle the calf injury I had last week. It's a mufti day so fortunately I had my skins on under my jeans so hopefully it is not too bad.