Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Hmmmmm

Just as things were coming along nicely too...

Long story short - I zigged when I should have zagged at training on Friday night and copped a nastly blow to my left shin.

It was pretty miserable on Saturday but with my new enthusiasm (planning to run 96k is a wonderful motivator) I insisted on pushing out a run. By Sunday I could barely walk let alone run,

I haven't gone to the quacks to get it checked - if it is something bad I'd rather not know - that way it will heal faster :-) I'm hoping to run tomorrow but it may be wishful thinking.

In any event it casts some definite doubt about fronting for PMC - but I haven't chucked the towel in yet. With a no taper build-up I still reckon I could have a crack.

Only time will tell.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Pre Dinner Doddle

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 43k
Month Total: 111k
Year Total: 737k
Consecutive Days Running: 7

I pulled up a bit sore after a hard training seesion last night and felt that I needed a bit more recovery than what I got out of my lawn mowing session this afternoon. So after pruning the roses it was off for another easy 6k around the foreshore.

All up 6k in 34.49 @ 5.48 av.

Scott asked whether I'd done PMC before? Well no not all of it. Last year I DNF'd at 62k - it was just 2 days after my dear old Dads funeral and the tail end of a month or so of high stress both physically and emotionally (it also coincided with a major restructure and promotion at work) - I was exhausted before I started and as I had a 7:00am flight to NZ the following morning I figured I had done enough when I hit Brooklyn (it was an "up" year) and so I jumped a train home.

I really enjoyed it though and would really like to knock it on the head this year - I've never run 96k with hills before - I have done 94k on the flat so I'm confident I can do it. Given my preparation has been a bit patchy I'll be happy with a finish in whatever time - the starting plan will be to run it in about 12 hours and just see what happens.

Hmmm it is getting closer....

Friday, May 18, 2007

Easy Six

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 37k
Month Total: 105k (Edited to fix earlier error)
Year Total: 731k (Edited to fix earlier error)
Consecutive Days Running: 6

Just an easy 6k around the foreshore in 36.17 @ 6.03 average - sweet :-)

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Tempo Time

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 31k
Month Total: 104k
Year Total: 721k
Consecutive Days Running 5

After a 1k warm up I took the pace up to what felt like tempo pace for my current fitness/weight for the next 5k.

Finished up with 5k in 26.36 @ 5.19 average for the tempo bit and with the final 2 warm down k's included a total of 8k in 45.12 @ 5.39 - getting there.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

6k Cruise And Yet Another Gadget

Today Total: 6k
Week Total: 23k
Month Total: 96k
Year Total: 713k
Consecutive Days Running: 4

Another easy run tonight - extremely pleasant and still around the foreshore. I barely raised a sweat for 6k in 37.15 @ 6.13av.

Now to answer some questions:

The new camera is blue - I don't think brown is available in Australia and silver is so baby boomer! Besides the blue accessorises better with my blue 205 or red 305 :-)

I purchased it from digitalcameras.com.au for $498.00 (I had a $10 voucher and paid by paypal which was the cheapest option). I highly recommend them - ordered lunchtime Friday and had the camera mid morning Monday.

And nope - I'm not doing SMH - I'm allergic to crowds and having done it three times ('97, 98 & '06) I have no real desire to do it again - give me Fat Ass or a trail any day!

Oh yeah - I took delivery of my latest gadget today - a battery extender with a USB out port - the cool thing is it comes with a USB to 3 different sized jacks adapter so when I'm out 'n about I can now recharge my mobile phone, the cackleberry, my garmin/s and camera all from the one device so long as I have enough A4 batteries. It even has a 3 LED torch built into it - man I love gadgets!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Double Digits

Today Total: 12k
Week Total: 17k
Month Total: 95k
Year Total: 707k

It has been a while since I've managed a midweek double digits run - so things are definitely on the up & up.

Having arrived home from work a bit earlier than usual I really didn't have any excuses not to so I headed off on my parks & foreshore route and a nice comfy run it was too.

Finished strongly with a sub 5min k to end up with 12k in 67.55 @ 5.40av. Pretty happy with that.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Easy 5 & A New Toy

Today Total: 5k
Week Total: 5k
Month Total: 73k
Year Total: 695k

The coach said an easy 30 minutes tonight so it was out and back along the foreshore at 6min pace - 5k in 29.49 @ 5.58 av - easy peasy.

I took my new toy for a run with me - an Olympus MJU 770 WS - um it's a camera if you hadn't already known/guessed :-)

I've long wanted a camera that I can take on my long bush runs that I can sweat all over and bash about and the 770 being waterproof to 33', shockproof to survive a 5' fall, crushproof to 100kgs of direct weight as well as having an ultra-slim design (2cm thick) fits the bill perfectly.

Sits nicely in the hand while you run too - at less than 200gms inclusive of the battery I hardly noticed it given I often run with a handheld waterbottle more than twice the weight.

And whilst I'm bragging - it also has video with sound and with a 2GB memory card I can grab more than 30mins of video at 640 x 480 - kewl!

For the tech heads it is 7.1 megathingamee-bobs with a 3x optical look closer widget.

And yes (before anyone asks) - I did take some photos with it on my run tonight but I don't have my puter with me so I can't download them yet.

I love toys - how excitement :-)

EDIT - here is what I see when I run the foreshore trail of an evening - this view isn't the best one but I didn't go very far last night. For out of towners - yes that is Centrepoint Tower.


Sunday, May 13, 2007

Almost A Long Run

Today Total: 17k
Week Total: 38k
Month Total: 68k
Year Total: 690k

The deal was I would start running towards Sydney from our place up the lake and Mrs 2P would pick me up somewhere along the way. If I made it as far as the freeway I'd just turn around and start heading back.

It was a pretty good plan and armed with a handheld and a $10 note I figured I was good for 20 or so k before I got caught.

I started out really conservatively at 6.45 pace as it is uphill for the part. I was struggling to get into the groove and despite implementing the Tesso "go before you go" routine I needed to duck into the bushes rather urgently at 3k. Good thing some people had littered and I found a maccas bag choc full of serviettes - you can get lucky sometimes :-)

Feeling much better the pace picked up a bit and I was clicking em over at about 6.20 pace - nice LSD stuff. Stopped at the Caltex on the Pacific Highway (10k) at Doyalson for a refill of Gatorade and after that felt fantastic - I started pumping out sub 6 min k's - each one quicker than the one before.

By the 17th k I was down to 5.10 pace and feeling fine but just as Garmy beeped a toot on a horn indicated I'd been nabbed - Mrs 2P must have been a bit keen to get back to the brood for Mothers Day lunch.

Oh well - not the 20+k I was looking for but after a scratchy start it was a great run and a good confidence builder. All up 17k in 1.43.46 @ 6.06av.

Happy Mothers day to all the mums out there ;-)

Friday, May 11, 2007

Three In A Row

Today Total: 5k
Week Total: 21k
Month Total: 51k
Year Total: 673k

Nuffin too fancy - just a 5k recovery style run as an out and back around the foreshore. It was going to be 6k but a rather nagging matter (read I needed a loo) had me cutting back through the back of Massey Park Golf Course.

All up 5k in 29.39 @ 5.56 av.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Play It Again 2P

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 16k
Month Total: 46k
Year Total: 668k

Same run as last night just a bit faster. Started out at around 6min pace for the first 2k - then ramped it up a bit for the rest including a sub 5 last k.

Saw CR Aunty Karen as I passed her place with 300m to go - I was on a mission and didn't want to stop and natter so I just called out a greeting but as it was pretty dark I'm not sure she knew who it was.

All up 8k in 44.24 @ 5.33 av.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Easy Eight

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 8k
Month Total: 38k
Year Total: 660k

Pulled up really well after Sundays run and then had a really hard night of training on Monday night.

Work has been a bit bonkers lately so between an early start and a late finish yesterday running wasn't an option. Another late one today but I was determined to get out.

Just cruised around the foreshore in blustery but warm conditions - all up 8k in 47.43 @ 5.57 - one of the slowest road runs I've done in a while but it's done.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Purrrrrrfect

Today Total: 14k
Week Total: 30k
Month Total: 30k
Year Total: TBA

Well that run was the cats whiskers :-)

Ran out along Narrowneck from the locked gate to the fire tower and return.

Conditions couldn't have been more purrrrfecterer - 17 degrees, crystal clear skies, not a hint of a breeze, and views to die for - Mt Solitary on one side and Megalong Valley on the other. Man was I in my happy place.

Rediscovered that running up hills at 1000m ASL with a camelbak is a bit of a different proposition than doddling on the flat around the Parramatta River - still I surprised myself with how much I actually managed to run.

All up 14 hilly k's in 1.38.35.

I needed that :-)

Friday, May 04, 2007

Gently Gently

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 16k
Month Total: 16k
Year Total: 642k

Well so far so good - while I'm still getting over the dregs of the lurgy at least last Tuesdays run didn't do any harm - in fact my disposition has improved quite a bit - if only the last bit of junk on my chest would clear....

POETS Day today so I got home early enough to head out before it got dark. I did an 8k loop I haven't done for ages that takes in a number of Concord parks and the foreshore as well - except for the distinct lack of hills Concord is a pretty nice suburb for running around :-)

I pretty much just cruised around at a fairly even pace though I did finish a bit quicker with a 4.58 final k - all up 8k in 45.25 @ 5.41 av.

Off to see the Halfpenny in Bathurst this weekend so might get a chance for a run up the mountains on Sunday arvo.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

New Month New Me

Today Total: 8k
Week Total: 8k
Month Total: 8k
Year Total: 634k

After Sundays disaster I was pretty keen to make ammends. So tonight after work I headed off around the bay sporting my PrincetonTec 1W headlamp - it's pretty dark out there in places.

Well happy to say it went perfectly 8k in 44.54 @ 5.37 average. Pretty gorgeous out there under a fullish moon, still conditions and stunning light reflections off the water.

Noice - now where are my keys???

:-)