Down-Time

I am in the middle of a lul, or as some might call it, downtime.  Not from running, I am still getting out there, but from the internet and its all consuming power.  Coolrunning is still there and I still read all the SA threads and post a little, but I haven’t found the time to read any other threads or blogs.  Damn this new job and the fact I have actual work to do now.  My training schedule is gradually resuming normal transmission, but I am still struggling to get up to 4 runs a week.  It is definitely more relaxed now that I don’t have to worry about doing 42.2km in a month, no pressure to get out there and run for hours…just as long as I feel like.

Yesterday I faxed off my entry into the River Run 15km event.  I did this distance two years ago and walked most of the way back from the turn around so it should be an easy PB.  The race report will probably be my next entry as the urge to post about my training is also in down time with no real goal left to train for this year…plenty of events just no major goal.

Broken Record

So many times this year I have said, “I’m still here” It is getting to be like a broken record.  Obviously after finally pulling the pin on any marathon ideas I have been feeling a bit down.  No matter, on Sunday I joined in a great CR group run up the Winter track off Waterfall Gully rd and back down Chambers Gully track.  The route was awesome and not too steep.  If I wasn’t so un-fit and carrying too many extra kegs then most of the uphill would have been runnable… alas I still walked a large portion of it.  We even ran on part of a track that can be seen from Greenhill Rd, along a ridge which I have often commented to anyone listening as I hurtle down Greenhill Rd, that I will run that track some day.  Well now I have.

The trip downhill was a long slow descent, without many too steep for a wuss like me to run down bits, and obviously CR TokenAmerican wasn’t trouble by loose footing or stray rocks as half way down we came to a halt after he spotted a Koala.  From then on the descent was interspersed with short breaks to view the Koalas.  One koala was only a few meters away at head height…leading to typical comments like…”the one time you don’t bring your camera”.  There will always be next time.  I don’t think I ran the hills, up or down, hard enough yesterday as my legs feel better then they have for a couple of weeks.

I am contemplating doing the 15km event at the SARRC River Run.  This will give me a very likely chance of running a PB as my 15km PB is very soft given I have only run this event once before and I limped the second half with ITB issues.

T.K.O

I gave myself a standing 10 count this morning.  It was hard and I had to do some comfort eating and probably some retail therapy tomorrow but I have finally decided to drop the marathon this year. AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! it kills me to say that.  Time to concentrate on the shorter distances.

This morning in a last ditched effort to save my training I was going to pop a few ibuprofen and go out for a LSD…unfortunately after a few white wines last night I got cramp in both calves during the night and pain down my right buttock.  Hence I made the decision to pull the pin.

Back to bad from worse.

I tried to go for a  5k run on Tuesday only to be crippled by the back pain I have had since last Friday.  The pain forced me to: stop numerous times, run with my hand and thumb massaging the affected area, run with a permanent grimace on my face, walk most downhills.  I am surprised I actually made it around the 5k in 36mins. 

Needless to say I have rested since then and I am gradually healing.  That is one point to the HM camp (made up ofEwen and Rachel at present).  I am still tentatively in the marathon camp…mainly due to pride, stubbornness and stupidity.  Saturday will reveal all and may tip the teeter totter in favour of the HM camp.

Race Report - CR 5k Challenge - 5km Uni loop

The inaugural Adelaide CR 5k Challenge was always going to be tough.  Why?  Because I could hardly move my back due to a rather nasty Go-Karting session on Friday night.  I turned up not long after 6:30am to be shortly joined by Sunny1, Itsfun…, Colsy, Cakeboy, Fitnhealthy and eventually SouthAustralian.  It was still dark as we set off in search of the appropriate distance marker to make 5k 2 and a bit loops.

SouthAustralian set off first at 5 to 7 followed by me at 7am.  The first kilometer was hard but I managed a little over 6min.  It didn’t get easier from there but once I was warmed up a little it didn’t quite hurt so much and I was able to set into a rather surprising sub 6 pace, breathing hard over the last kilometer to finish in 28min33sec.

Time to think hard.

It is getting down to the stage now that I have to seriously consider whether I am actually going to be ready to do the Marathon on the 31st of August or whether I should step back to the half.

This morning I dragged myself out of bed for the first time since Sunday to run 7.8k at 7min/km pace and it was well worth it beause now I feel fantastic for a Thursday.  I suppose the next month leading up to and including the SARRC River Run (30k) at the end of the month will tell me what to do.  Here are my conditions:
1) I have to complete 2 long runs of over 25km (not including the river run)
2) I have to complete the river run comfortably at or around 6min/km pace  (will allow up to 6min30 pace

That should be easy enough…I hope.

Race Report - Derby Dash - 25km mixed terrain

So I just posted a separate entry with my race prep…two 5k runs in two weeks and nothing longer than 11k since the Barossa Half.  It was with trepidation that I filled in the entry form…seriously considering the 10k.  Like the stupid idiot I am I entered the 25k…nothing like a long run on Sunday.

The crowd seemed smaller than last year and off we went.  OK I am too tired to think and write so to cut a long story short, it was a shocker…I could barely manage 6min/km pace for too long and  struggled hard trying not to think about DNFing from the 6k mark onward…not good.  I had to throw in an unscheduled walk with 4k to go… obviously I am not preparing well for the marathon…maybe I should concentrate on the half…will edit later with a proper report…25k in 2hr39min.

Later:  I started off just cruising along with the back of the pack…I think there was one person behind me and the first kilometer came up in 6min30sec.  I tried to up the pace a little to get up to 6min/k but struggled to get there during the 2nd kilometer and even the third and fourth. Finally coming around to finish the first lap I did a sub 6min kilometer and then stepped off the course for a quick pit stop.  I maintained 6min kilometers for the next few kilometers but the heart rate also went beyond 170BPM…woah!  The eventual winner (CR Littlesim) passed me half way around the second lap and I walked through the drink station at 8km. When I started to run again after 20m the legs would not cooperate and I couldn’t find a rhythm.

I struggled out the next 2km and then the third lap.  Just before the start of the third lap the 10k race started.  During the out and back section 3rd km of loop CR Fitandhealthy and I crossed paths.  At last, someone to chase.  After getting back into a good stride again after the 13km drink station, I set about chasing.  The fourth lap felt pretty, I caught Fitandhealthy at about the 16km mark and pushed on at 6min/km pace…but once again I couldn’t get back into rhythm after the 18km drink station.  By the time I got around to the start finish area to start lap 5 I was wrecked. 

I needed an extra walk at 21k.  It was damn hard work that last lap.  I spent it (apart from trying not to quit) admiring the wonderful use of the Victoria Park racecourse and parklands…there were the peddle car teams training as there were last year on the racetrack…there were heaps and heaps of dog walkers every where…there were people flying model planes and gliders…there were tents all through the parklands (I can only assume inhabited by otherwise homeless people, but it was too cold and early for anyone to be stirring)…I really do love this course…it was a pity that I just didn’t have the legs for it.  What kept me going was the thought of posting a large DNF in this blog…I knew it was good for something. 

Peek-a-boo

I am still here…just.  Following the CR hill climb of Mount Loft two weeks ago I came down with a flu.  It wasn’t too bad and I seemed to fight it off by Wednesday so went out for a 5k run.  The next couple of days I was finishing up at my old job and didn’t get a run in…then on Saturday when I was supposed to do a long run the flu came back twice as hard.  Needless to say I didn’t run.  Last week I started a new job and after finally getting rid of the flu on Wednesday got in another 5km run.  What great Marathon Training.  Not.

Personal Worst Route

OK sickos, stop snickering.  I ran home last night with out much fanfare.   I ran a little harder than the previous days double but not so hard that I was home in 50minutes.

This morning setting out for my longer route to work the legs were not going to cooperate.  They creaked and moaned un-unusually high amount for only being 26 years young.  Oh dear it was going to be a tough run.  It was a slow shuffle to beat all my other slow shuffles.  With 2k to go I realised that if I didn’t get a wriggle on the 10.7km was going to take me longer than 1hr20mins.  This shocked the legs into action to put in a 5:30 kilometre split before I dawdled through the front gates of work in a PW time.  Tomorrow is a rest day.

Doin’ The Double

It has been 7 months since I have done the home-work/work-home double.  How time flies.  I took it really really easy this morning and then really easy on the way home…in fact I didn’t run a kilometre sub 7min/k pace.  I was dawdling, but two runs in one day certainly is the best way to increase weekly mileage.