....follows 14. Keeping Kids on Track & Run for the Kids
Monday March 23rd to Sunday March 29th
I pulled up really well from Keeping Kids on Track. I soaked in the ocean on Sunday afternoon and followed that up with a slow recovery run on Monday morning. The air was really warm at 6am on Monday. There were no plans to push the run and I stayed above 5 minute pace for the first 8 km. That is about the time that I really started to free up and run smoothly so I finished with a couple of 4:50s. I ran 10.3 km in 53:38, averaging 5:12 pace but, most importantly, felt great at the end and through the day.
I stayed in bed on Tuesday morning but went for a run after work. Winter hit us for the first time on Tuesday and it was quite hard running outbound into a stiff south westerly. I ran 8:2 intervals (of sorts) but never pushed for any really great pace. I did get into the 3:40s in a couple of the intervals. I set myself for a longer run and fitted 6 intervals into the 14 km run. I ran for 65 minutes, averaging a handy 4:41 pace. My body felt good with the only soreness an underlying tiredness in the calves. I've now run 260 km in March.
Wednesday was a day off but I was back out in the dark on Thursday morning. I ran a 10 km course into town and up Bilson Street. I was running 4:1 intervals with 4 minutes easy and one minute hard. My peak speed was in the third interval when I hit 3:39 pace. I was going pretty slowly in between and ended up covering the 10.2 km in 50:33 (4:57 pace).
The weather was still bad on Friday morning so I stayed in bed and ran after work. I decided to go on a long run after work as I wasn't going to be able to run the next day. I set off on the 15 km course then extended that up Cameron Street and across the top of town. I was running well, at 4:30 pace, in the 3rd and 4th kilometres and that is where I decided to extend. I pretty much settled in at around the 4:40 mark ran quite strongly. I covered the half marathon in under 1 hour 39 and ended up runinng 22.1 km in 1:43:55 (4:41 pace). After the half I eased it up and ran easily back home.
No running on Saturday as I was Run Director at parkrun and then had to go to a football practice match. Heather and I stayed in Elwood on Saturday night as Matt was in a series deciding triathlon on Sunday morning (He won!).
I was up early on Sunday morning and ran along the beach paths to St. Kilda. I ran up Fitzroy Street to Lakeside Drive and then ran a lap of Albert Park lake. I had gradually built up speed (it was a cold morning) to be running at 4:30 pace in the 5th kilometre. I had some good speed around the lake running at 4:10 pace for the next three. Somewhere there I felt a slight pull in the right quad so I pulled it back a touch on the run back. I found some more speed on the way back into St. Kilda and completed the 12.5 km run at an average pace of 4:29.
Monday March 30th to Thursday April 2nd
With school holidays now here I have the opportunity to extend my run lengths (and not have to run in the dark). I set off on my 15 km course at a steady pace and found myself running at 4:40 pace when I warmed up. I had no plans to push hard but I was feeling good early on - no quad soreness. I ran off road when I got to the Baxters Wetland track and covered a patch I hadn't been on before. It is a pretty good trail to run on - cut grass and not too bumpy. My quad did start to hurt a little in this section though so I slowed the pace a touch. I quickened a little again along Graham Street and Wentworth Road before cruising home. I covered 16.4 km in 78 minutes at 4:45 pace.
I had iced my quad a couple of times and soaked in the ocean on Monday afternoon so I didn't want to inflame it again today. I set off to run slowly and had a really gentle workout. I took my time and took in the views today in brilliant sunshine. I dropped below 4:50 pace in the 5th kilometre but pulled it back from there. I ran out along Lower Powlett Road and back on the rail trail - my 13 km course, but I extended it around the shopping area. I finished the run with a succession of solid low 5:50s to get the average pace down to 4:59. In all I covered 14.4 km in just under 72 minutes. I pulled up feeling good but iced the quad again anyway.
Wednesday had been set for my big run of the week. I had previously run for 2 and a half hours so I decided to have a go at running for 2 hours 45 mins for the first time. I set up at the Guide Park and had in mind a few loops to get back to the start point so that I could abort if my quad didn't hold up. I ran the first loop out to Harmers Haven and back via Cape Paterson Road. I covered the first 10 km in 48:55 which included the first two slow warm up kilometres. I had my first gel at 13 km and got back to the Guide Park at 14 km. I picked up my 2 drinks, hat and extra gel there and headed for the rail trail. I dropped a drink at the start and downed the other. I was running strongly and somewhere along the way calculated that 165 minutes at 5 minute pace is 33 km but I was a chance to get in 34 km as I was running down near 4:50 pace. I completed the second 10 km in 47:59 and ate my second gel at that point. I picked up the second drink at the start of the rail trail and ran that path again, just getting past the cattle crossing in time. I was really starting to run well at this point running consistently around 4:45 pace. I ran back out to White Road and all the way to the North School. The cloud had come in so I ditched my hat there. I hit 30 km and had run my third 10 km section in only 47:25. I ran onto the eastern rail trail and across the top of town. At 32 km my stomach started to feel a bit tight but other than that all was great. I had some great pace and ran the 34th kilometre in 4:35. I had to do a couple of laps of the Guide park to get up to 165 minutes and completed 34.3 km in that time with an average pace of 4:48. I stretched and drank a gatorade after stopping but still felt quite strong. Back at home I weighed n and was 2.8 kg lighter that before I started this morning - that is after a 600 ml gatorade. I have iced both quads but my right quad felt great at the end of the run after being slightly tight early in the run. I felt that I ran quite comfortably and I'm extremely happy with the result.
Leongatha Fun Run
On Good Friday we drove over to Leongatha and Matt, Heather and I had a run in the Leongatha fun run to raise funds for the Children's hospital appeal. I was running the 15.5 km run to Koonwarra and back.
I was running with Bill Barry and we got to the front early with some blistering speed down the hill. Ethan - a young parkrunner running the 5 km - was with us to his turn-around and there was a fast runner out in front. The first kilometre was run in 3:22 but I settled at around 4 minute pace as the trail flattened out.
I was still feeling the effects of the long run on Wednesday but was determined to push at 4 minute pace for as long as possible. I was really feeling it at the turn-around but pushed hard to maintain second position in the early parts of the return.
I was really slowing on the rises. I covered the 10 km in 39:17 but, after a 4:08 in the 12th kilometre, I signalled for Bill to go past and keep pushing to the end. The last 2 km was up a 2% rise and was hard work. I slowed to about 4:30 pace in the final k's but was pretty happy with my time of 1:03:16 for the 15.5 km. I covered the 15 km in 1:00:53.
I followed up the run with a 24 km cycle later in the afternoon, my second in two days.
Saturday April 4th to Sunday April 5th
I woke up feeling ok on Saturday morning and set off for a run at parkrun. There was a massive crowd at the briefing and I recognised a few faster runners. I set off near the front but my quads suggested that I pull back a little in the first kilometre. I ran the first in 3:41 and slowed to 3:50 for the second. I was settled in 6th place and running at a steady pace but feeling fatigued. I held my pace well, running a 3:52, 3:54 and finished with a 3:51. I didn't feel really good until the last 500m but I did stiffen up quickly after finishing. All up I was pretty happy with a 19:14 run given my current workload.
With heavy legs and not much needed to reach my weekly goal I set off on a slow recovery run on Sunday morning. I ran the 13 km course that comes back through the rail trail. My pace was pretty pedestrian with most kilometres in the 4:50s and a venture under the 4:50 mark every now and then. It was a great run to stretch the legs out though and get over two big runs in previous days. All up I ran 13.3 km in 65 minutes, averaging 4:54 pace.
This is the first week (Mon to Sun) that I have ever been able to cover 100 km, covering about 110 km all up. Its a big load but I'm generally feeling good and getting bike rides in between.
Monday April 6th to Sunday April 12th
Monday morning was the first of three potential half marathons for the second consecutive big load week. I set off for Cape Paterson and, just to make it interesting - and keep my speed up - I made it a 9:1 interval run. After a warm up kilometre I was into the first interval at the end of the second and running quite well. The intervals had the effect of keeping my average pace down at 4:35 but I was also running well outside the intervals. In all I ran ten intervals with the first three and last four all dropping my pace to sub 4 minutes. There was a run of three flatter intervals in the middle. I ran to the edge of Cape Paterson on Wilson Road (dirt & stone) and then returned on the bitumen of the main road. The slower intervals were on the stones. I covered 22.4 km in 1:42:54 and finished off strongly - the 22nd kilometre was run in 4:24. I followed this run up with a cycle.
Tuesday morning I set off for a run through and around town, running 4:1 intervals. My legs were still a little sore / tired so the intervals weren't lightening fast. I did hit 3:30 pace in the eighth and last interval. I avereged 4:37 pace over the 12.5 km run, finishing in 58 minutes.
Heather and I travelled to visit our daughter on Tuesday so I was at her place on Wednesday morning. I ran the 5 plus km into Taggarty, around the town and then back. There is not much shoulder (or no shoulder) on the roads there so I had to run on stones and grass when cars come the other way. I ran most of it pretty easily and had a good look at the surrounding countryside while running. I did finish strongly with a 4:34 up the hill back to her place in the 13th kilometre. I completed the run in 64 minutes averaging 4:55 pace. It was a great recovery run.
So on Thursday I was ready for another long run and decided to try and fit in 25 km. I had a look and the run out to the Mouth of Powlett and back was roughly that far so I set off into town and onto the rail trail towards Kilcunda. I can remember the first time I rode this far and considered that a massive bike ride but today I was running it! The goal was to get in at 4:48 pace or better - 25 km in under 2 hours - and I got to 5 km in just under 24 minutes so I was on track. I kept my pace pretty steady but I did start to run more strongly in the middle, especially after getting back onto bitumen at the Desal plant. My 5 km splits were: 23:50, 23:48, 23:54, 23:30 & 23:06 and I came home with some real strong running. After passing the 25 km mark I eased up to have a recovery section on the road home. The total run was 25.7 km long and I ran it in 2:02:05, averaging 4:45 pace. I ran the 25 km in under 1 hour 59 minutes. I pulled up well from the run and followed it up with a cycle before lunch.
On Friday morning it was quite cold. I had to take my car in for a service so I stretched and then drove it into town and ran back home via Lower Powlett Road. I ran my 15 km course in reverse and it was quite strange running in that direction. I ran it as an 8:2 interval run and fitted 5 intervals into the run. My legs were quite heavy but each time the call came I was able to up the pace for a two minute section. The first interval was quite slow but each of the others I ran at sub 4 minute pace for part of it. In the fifth interval I ran strongly and got to sub 3:40 pace. It was hard work but I ran the 11.8 km in 55 minutes, averaging 4:39 pace. I have now run 85 km since Monday.
Saturday was parkrun and I went in not sure of what I was going to do - sort of a wait and see how it felt approach. I ran wel at the start and was getting pushed all the way through the first kilometre and a half. I ran the first kilometre in 3:37 and pulled away half way through the second, running a 3:44. I consolidated in the third with a 3:43 but slowed a bit to a 3:49 in the fourth. At the turn I was feeling great and determined to take it home strongly so pushed all the way back to put in a 3:39 for the fifth. Given the workload that I had put in in the previous two weeks I was very very happy with my 18:37. It should only get faster in the next few weeks. This was my tenth first placing at Inverloch parkrun.
I had originally planned to finish the week with another half marathon. Given the way I had run at parkrun and, especially, how well I pulled up from it I decided to cut back on distance and keep working on the speed work. I set off on the 13 kilometre course to run a serious 8:2 interval run. The first interval just broke the 3:50 pace mark but I was still in the warm-up phase then. I got down to the mid 3:30s in the second and was slightly better in the third interval. The fourth interval started on the gravel of the rail trail and I took forever to get it going. I did, momentarily, hit 3:33 pace just before it ended. I started the fifth interval early and was in the low 3:40s just after turning into Wentworth Rd. After completing that interval I had a short slow down rest and then built up the speed again to finish with my pace around the 4:10 to 4:20 pace. In all I ran 13.2 km in 59:43, averaging 4:30 pace.
The last 2 weeks
This week I covered almost 104 km and last week it was 110 km. I have come out of that increase in workload feeling very good. I had a quad niggle right at the start of the period but it hasn't troubled me in the past week. My calves are weary but they are in pretty good condition. The 34 km run in the first week has me feeling confident of being in a pretty good position for the marathon in October.
To get an idea of my progression I have looked back at the April school holidays for the past 3 years:
* In 2013 I ran 3 times, covering 21.6 km. At the time my average distance was 5 km and my average speed 12 km/h.
* In 2014 I ran 15 times and covered 121 km. My average distance twelve months ago was 7 to 8 km and my average speed 13 km/h. I ran my first 10 mile run at around that time.
* This year I ran 15 times but covered 226 km. My average distance recently has been around 14 to 15 km and my average speed is 13 to 13.5 km/h.
All is looking good.
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