After missing my sub 4 minute time at KKOT the next two opportunities also each have a hill to conquer - Leongatha Fun Run & Great Train Race - each has a 2 km hill.
Monday March 14th to Sunday March 20th
Heather and I stayed in Carlton overnight after catching up with Matt for his birthday. We both decided not to run in the morning and went down for a cooked breakfast and then off to see the Moomba parade.
We went to the Roadrunners interval session before tea on Monday. I changed it up a bit and decided to slow the intervals and not have the walking. A little knee soreness would not have been helped by the stop / start. I ran a quite varied set of intervals over the course of a 10 km run. My first peaked at 4:11 but was followed by a quick loop and the next interval which peaked at 3:52. I slowed and got the heart rate down and then peaked at 3:56 in the third interval. From there I made it interesting with a set of 2 / 3 / 2 intervals. This lap I ran an interval along White Rd, peaking at 3:39, rested and then ran an interval on the Sth Dudley Rd section which peaked at 3:47 and was constant over the 250 metres. I jogged around to White Rd again and then ran a set of three. I peaked at 3:39 on White Rd, 3:41 on Sth Dudley Rd and 3:41 again on the school drive. Each had a short slow jog recovery. I slow jogged back around to Sth Dudley Rd and then ran a set of two. I peaked at 3:48 on Sth Dudley Rd and then 3:41 on the school drive. I slow jogged back around to Sth Dudley Rd and ran a single interval which peaked at 3:50 pace. Then I ran my final lap and finished it with an interval that peaked at 3:57. Needing another 600m I ran a loop of the aths track, picking up the pace near the end. I completed the 10 km run in under 48 minutes, averaging 4:46 pace. It was a solid run.
Monday March 14th to Sunday March 20th
Heather and I stayed in Carlton overnight after catching up with Matt for his birthday. We both decided not to run in the morning and went down for a cooked breakfast and then off to see the Moomba parade.
We went to the Roadrunners interval session before tea on Monday. I changed it up a bit and decided to slow the intervals and not have the walking. A little knee soreness would not have been helped by the stop / start. I ran a quite varied set of intervals over the course of a 10 km run. My first peaked at 4:11 but was followed by a quick loop and the next interval which peaked at 3:52. I slowed and got the heart rate down and then peaked at 3:56 in the third interval. From there I made it interesting with a set of 2 / 3 / 2 intervals. This lap I ran an interval along White Rd, peaking at 3:39, rested and then ran an interval on the Sth Dudley Rd section which peaked at 3:47 and was constant over the 250 metres. I jogged around to White Rd again and then ran a set of three. I peaked at 3:39 on White Rd, 3:41 on Sth Dudley Rd and 3:41 again on the school drive. Each had a short slow jog recovery. I slow jogged back around to Sth Dudley Rd and then ran a set of two. I peaked at 3:48 on Sth Dudley Rd and then 3:41 on the school drive. I slow jogged back around to Sth Dudley Rd and ran a single interval which peaked at 3:50 pace. Then I ran my final lap and finished it with an interval that peaked at 3:57. Needing another 600m I ran a loop of the aths track, picking up the pace near the end. I completed the 10 km run in under 48 minutes, averaging 4:46 pace. It was a solid run.
I woke up on Tuesday morning, thinking about a rest day and then deciding to do so when my back was a little stiff. I rubbed heat into my back and showered before work.
My back was a little stiff again on Wednesday morning so I rubbed in heat and warmed up. I set off on a 10 km run out to Mitre 10 and back along the Eastern Rail Trail. The pace stayed quite pedestrian for most of the run. I didn't get down to 5 minute pace until the end of the rail trail and then hit sub 5 minute pace for the last two, each run in 4:56. Overall I covered 10.6 km in 55:35. The average pace was 5:14 per kilometre. I pulled up quite well.
I felt much better on Thursday morning and set out on a shorter progression run. I was running at sub 5 pace after two kilometres, with the third and fourth both 4:52s. I stepped it up then and ran the fifth in 4:38 then followed up with a 4:20. I finished with a 4:09 before easing back up the home hill. Despite the usual slow warm up I managed to average 4:49 pace, taking 35:10 to run the 7.3 km.
After work we had a Headlampers run out at Inverloch. With a couple of new runners turning up we had ten runners all up. It was a pretty cruisy run around the town. I was able to cover 8.8 km in just under 50 minutes. My average pace was an easy 5:38.
I had planned to run on Friday morning but it was windy and pouring rain when I woke so I rolled over and went back to get some valuable sleep. It turned out that Friday was an unscheduled day off.
I woke up feeling quite fresh for Saturday parkrun but the weather was still a little ordinary. The rain was gone but there was a blustery south westerly coming over the coast. I ran an extended warm up as I was a little behind on my weekly goal after losing Friday. The warm up was 4.3 km long. I got off to a fast start in the parkrun, running a solid 3:42 in the first. Most of the second was back into the wind and I slowed to a 3:52. In addition to the wind I was also running solo out the front which always makes it harder. The third, into the wind up to the cliff-top and then around the barrier and back, took 3:55. With the wind behind me again I pushed harder in the fourth to run a 3:50. The final kilometre was back into the wind so I gritted and pushed hard. Right near the end I was overtaken by a fast runner who started late, but the final kilometre was a 3:45. My parkrun time was 19:05, not bad given the conditions. After finishing parkrun I set back out towards the final turn and met up with my daughter, Emma. We ran back together and Emma crossed the line in a new parkrun PB, just over 30 minutes. All up I averaged 4:31 pace in completing 11 km in just under the 50 minutes.
On Sunday morning I met up with Julian and Tony for a Road Runners run and a bit of hill work. We met in Pound Creek and set off up Millars Road. There were a number of hills - both up and down - and some great views of Anderson Inlet and Venus Bay. We ran together, turning up McCaughans Road and returning and then turning up Stewarts Road and u-turning at the end. On the return to McCaughans Road Tony and Julian went back along there but I chose to run back, upping the pace a little. My final three kilometres were 4:52, 4:44 and then 4:34. I averaged 5:16 pace for the 14 km run, running for almost 74 minutes.
Monday March 21st to Thursday March 24th
The back was stiff on getting up on Monday morning. I rubbed in the heat and the stiffness was quite high up. I stretched and then set off on a fartlek run. My first hard run was just after the warm up kilometre and I hit sub 4:30 pace before Wentworth road. I went hard again after turning into and crossing White road and hit some sub 4 pace. I had a few short efforts but saved myself for the Bilson street hill. I pushed hard and hit some good pace near the top running at around 4:13 pace. The heart rate peaked there at 160 bpm. I pushed hard up the next short rise and hit sub 4 pace on the other side. I turned down the east rail trail and had to slow to get around a fallen tree. I pushed hard after that and hit my peak pace of 3:38. There were another three efforts on the run home, all of which hit sub 4 pace and then I pushed up the home hill running at about 4:12 pace. My average pace was 4:45 for the 10.5 km run. I was out there for exactly 50 minutes.
I ran for another 50 minutes - 5 seconds shy actually - on Tuesday morning. The back was better but still a little stiff but I ran without heat. After a steady warm up - 5:42 and 5:13 - I started to run better at sub 5 pace. I cruised in the 4:40s for quite a distance and picked up the speed near the end as I really loosened up. The ninth was a comfortable 4:26 and then I finished with a 4:32. I covered 10.2 km and averaged 4:52 pace. The back pulled up great and has been pain free all day.
On Wednesday morning I headed for the Cameron street hill and found some nice tempo on the way out. I was under 5 minute pace in the second pushing up the hill to Wentworth road. I ran into town at around 4:50 pace, running around the Guide Park and then hitting Cameron street. I ran the sixth in 4:33, pushing hard up Cameron street. The trip back home was running towards a pink and red pre- sunrise. I eased back in the seventh then ran the eighth and ninth in around 4:30 pace. I eased back for the last two, covering 11.2 km in just over 54 minutes. My average pace was 4:50 and my body pulled up really well.
I slept in on Thursday morning, the last school day for term one. With the Leongatha fun run in the morning we only had five runners out on an easy paced run for the Thursday Headlampers session - Heather, Rikki, Tony, Brett and myself. We cruised around the town block at a little slower than 5:30 pace, covering around 5.5 km. At the end I ran a bit further while Heather went and ordered tea. I extended the run to 9.3 km, running for 51:20. I ran up Cameron street and then to the top of Broome crescent (highest point in town) before descending into the shopping centre. At an average pace of 5:30 it should be a good loosener for the morning.
Tonight Heather and I joined Run Down Under. After loading my Strava results it loaded all of my March runs and I am on 218 km already, between Bowral and Sydney (the run starts in Canberra).
Good Friday - March 25th - Leongatha Fun Run
The body felt ok this morning and I was able to do some good back stretches. We got out to Leongatha early and I put in a 3 km warm up - with a toilet stop. My last comment was a cruisy 4:30 and felt real comfortable.
It was a fast start in the fun run - there is a gate a few hundred metres in - and then I eased back but still ran the first in 3:30 (it is down hill). I eased up when I saw that time but the pace was still fast for the first three. The hill lasts for the first two so I was happy to keep up the pace when it flattened. I slowed it to 4 minute pace in the fourth and was dismayed to see I had slowed a little more as I turned. I had a slip in the loose gravel on the turn but pushed well out of it and it was nice to have the gentle breeze at my back. I ran the sixth in 3:57 but then slowed to 4:05 pace as I started to get runners running the other way. I stayed at 4:05 for the eighth and then started to get the 5km walkers in large numbers. I was thrilled to maintain the 4:05 pace for the ninth - I felt a lot slower - as I negotiated the hill and the crowded track. The heart rate was up near 170 as I pushed towards the end. I crossed the line in 39:12 - the course was a touch short - and then ran through to register 39:41 on my watch.
Given the course - 2 km hill and loose gravel - I was thrilled with my time. The hill had smashed me last year but I felt that I had handled it well this year.
My back was a little stiff again on Wednesday morning so I rubbed in heat and warmed up. I set off on a 10 km run out to Mitre 10 and back along the Eastern Rail Trail. The pace stayed quite pedestrian for most of the run. I didn't get down to 5 minute pace until the end of the rail trail and then hit sub 5 minute pace for the last two, each run in 4:56. Overall I covered 10.6 km in 55:35. The average pace was 5:14 per kilometre. I pulled up quite well.
I felt much better on Thursday morning and set out on a shorter progression run. I was running at sub 5 pace after two kilometres, with the third and fourth both 4:52s. I stepped it up then and ran the fifth in 4:38 then followed up with a 4:20. I finished with a 4:09 before easing back up the home hill. Despite the usual slow warm up I managed to average 4:49 pace, taking 35:10 to run the 7.3 km.
After work we had a Headlampers run out at Inverloch. With a couple of new runners turning up we had ten runners all up. It was a pretty cruisy run around the town. I was able to cover 8.8 km in just under 50 minutes. My average pace was an easy 5:38.
I had planned to run on Friday morning but it was windy and pouring rain when I woke so I rolled over and went back to get some valuable sleep. It turned out that Friday was an unscheduled day off.
I woke up feeling quite fresh for Saturday parkrun but the weather was still a little ordinary. The rain was gone but there was a blustery south westerly coming over the coast. I ran an extended warm up as I was a little behind on my weekly goal after losing Friday. The warm up was 4.3 km long. I got off to a fast start in the parkrun, running a solid 3:42 in the first. Most of the second was back into the wind and I slowed to a 3:52. In addition to the wind I was also running solo out the front which always makes it harder. The third, into the wind up to the cliff-top and then around the barrier and back, took 3:55. With the wind behind me again I pushed harder in the fourth to run a 3:50. The final kilometre was back into the wind so I gritted and pushed hard. Right near the end I was overtaken by a fast runner who started late, but the final kilometre was a 3:45. My parkrun time was 19:05, not bad given the conditions. After finishing parkrun I set back out towards the final turn and met up with my daughter, Emma. We ran back together and Emma crossed the line in a new parkrun PB, just over 30 minutes. All up I averaged 4:31 pace in completing 11 km in just under the 50 minutes.
On Sunday morning I met up with Julian and Tony for a Road Runners run and a bit of hill work. We met in Pound Creek and set off up Millars Road. There were a number of hills - both up and down - and some great views of Anderson Inlet and Venus Bay. We ran together, turning up McCaughans Road and returning and then turning up Stewarts Road and u-turning at the end. On the return to McCaughans Road Tony and Julian went back along there but I chose to run back, upping the pace a little. My final three kilometres were 4:52, 4:44 and then 4:34. I averaged 5:16 pace for the 14 km run, running for almost 74 minutes.
Monday March 21st to Thursday March 24th
The back was stiff on getting up on Monday morning. I rubbed in the heat and the stiffness was quite high up. I stretched and then set off on a fartlek run. My first hard run was just after the warm up kilometre and I hit sub 4:30 pace before Wentworth road. I went hard again after turning into and crossing White road and hit some sub 4 pace. I had a few short efforts but saved myself for the Bilson street hill. I pushed hard and hit some good pace near the top running at around 4:13 pace. The heart rate peaked there at 160 bpm. I pushed hard up the next short rise and hit sub 4 pace on the other side. I turned down the east rail trail and had to slow to get around a fallen tree. I pushed hard after that and hit my peak pace of 3:38. There were another three efforts on the run home, all of which hit sub 4 pace and then I pushed up the home hill running at about 4:12 pace. My average pace was 4:45 for the 10.5 km run. I was out there for exactly 50 minutes.
I ran for another 50 minutes - 5 seconds shy actually - on Tuesday morning. The back was better but still a little stiff but I ran without heat. After a steady warm up - 5:42 and 5:13 - I started to run better at sub 5 pace. I cruised in the 4:40s for quite a distance and picked up the speed near the end as I really loosened up. The ninth was a comfortable 4:26 and then I finished with a 4:32. I covered 10.2 km and averaged 4:52 pace. The back pulled up great and has been pain free all day.
On Wednesday morning I headed for the Cameron street hill and found some nice tempo on the way out. I was under 5 minute pace in the second pushing up the hill to Wentworth road. I ran into town at around 4:50 pace, running around the Guide Park and then hitting Cameron street. I ran the sixth in 4:33, pushing hard up Cameron street. The trip back home was running towards a pink and red pre- sunrise. I eased back in the seventh then ran the eighth and ninth in around 4:30 pace. I eased back for the last two, covering 11.2 km in just over 54 minutes. My average pace was 4:50 and my body pulled up really well.
I slept in on Thursday morning, the last school day for term one. With the Leongatha fun run in the morning we only had five runners out on an easy paced run for the Thursday Headlampers session - Heather, Rikki, Tony, Brett and myself. We cruised around the town block at a little slower than 5:30 pace, covering around 5.5 km. At the end I ran a bit further while Heather went and ordered tea. I extended the run to 9.3 km, running for 51:20. I ran up Cameron street and then to the top of Broome crescent (highest point in town) before descending into the shopping centre. At an average pace of 5:30 it should be a good loosener for the morning.
Tonight Heather and I joined Run Down Under. After loading my Strava results it loaded all of my March runs and I am on 218 km already, between Bowral and Sydney (the run starts in Canberra).
Good Friday - March 25th - Leongatha Fun Run
The body felt ok this morning and I was able to do some good back stretches. We got out to Leongatha early and I put in a 3 km warm up - with a toilet stop. My last comment was a cruisy 4:30 and felt real comfortable.
It was a fast start in the fun run - there is a gate a few hundred metres in - and then I eased back but still ran the first in 3:30 (it is down hill). I eased up when I saw that time but the pace was still fast for the first three. The hill lasts for the first two so I was happy to keep up the pace when it flattened. I slowed it to 4 minute pace in the fourth and was dismayed to see I had slowed a little more as I turned. I had a slip in the loose gravel on the turn but pushed well out of it and it was nice to have the gentle breeze at my back. I ran the sixth in 3:57 but then slowed to 4:05 pace as I started to get runners running the other way. I stayed at 4:05 for the eighth and then started to get the 5km walkers in large numbers. I was thrilled to maintain the 4:05 pace for the ninth - I felt a lot slower - as I negotiated the hill and the crowded track. The heart rate was up near 170 as I pushed towards the end. I crossed the line in 39:12 - the course was a touch short - and then ran through to register 39:41 on my watch.
Given the course - 2 km hill and loose gravel - I was thrilled with my time. The hill had smashed me last year but I felt that I had handled it well this year.
Saturday March 26th & Sunday March 27th
The second part of my double commitment was at Inverloch parkrun on Saturday morning. I was to be the 20 minute pacer. There were some doubts as to whether I could back up from a fast 10 km but the body felt good on waking. As usual the back was stiff but I started my back exercises and my right knee clicked and instantly the stiffness was gone! The doubts returned when I started my warm up. I had stretched but when I started running there was no power. I just wound up slowly and started to get going when into it. In the third kilometre I was running under 5 minute pace and starting to feel good again. I covered 3.2 km in 17 minutes.
It was a massive crowd of 200 runners at parkrun. I was swamped at the start but that was ok because I didn't need a particularly fast start. I ran the first kilometre in 3:51, just a touch faster than I'd hoped. My problem was that I was really aware of slowing the pace and not being able to pick it up again. I found that I had one runner on my shoulder, a first timer to parkrun named Daniel. We were running strongly and covered the second in 3:48 - a little too fast. The third was a 3:56, putting us 24 seconds under pace. Towards the end of the third Daniel's wife, Aleisha was pushing to get on our tail. We slowed to get her on and she was handling the pace well. Into the fourth they were running strongly. I was aware that I was a bit quick so I sent them on ahead. At that point, as I slowed, another runner, Kylee, joined me. My fourth was a 3:59 so she had run well to haul me in. I asked and found that she had only beaten 20 mins the once and her PB was 19:44. We were ahead of that pace so I checked behind and found nobody else on the radar and decided to go for it. We pushed right through the last, swapping the lead a few times. At the end she ran ahead to run a 19:35 and I followed her in on 19:37. I had finished very strongly, indicating that I was better with the more subdued start - as opposed to the frantic start the day before. After stopping and chatting my legs started getting very heavy so I set out on a slow cool down jog. I covered another 3 km and the entire run ended up being an 8.5 km run in just on 38 minutes.
This has been a milestone weekend with the two runs completed with sub 4 pace. It was great to be able to follow up so strongly today. My maximum heart rate was only 153.
I finished off a big week with a Roadrunners group run from Cape Paterson to Harmers Haven and back along the beach (low tide). It was a 15.4 km run and we ran for just short of 90 minutes at a pretty cruisy pace. There were some tough sections on the beach but the two main surf beaches at Cape Paterson were flat and hard - great for running. I ran with a little bit of pace there. All up the average pace was 5:47 but I ran a 5:12 for the fourteenth on the Cape surf beach. I had aimed to up the load to 80 km next week but was able to get to that level this week and that was with some fast runs included. It was great to run at sub 4 minute pace on Friday (10 km) and Saturday (5 km) with that level of running. The body feels great at the moment.
Monday March 28th to Sunday April 3rd
I started Monday with a nice solid run. After my warm-up kilometre I was straight into the mid 4:40s and running well. I ran into town and then picked up the pace on the run home, running the sixth in 4:39, then following with a 4:34 and a 4:36 before easing home up the hill. I averaged 4:47 pace for the 8.6 km run and then followed up with a 27 km cycle to Cape Paterson and back before lunch.
I was back out there before tea with the Road Runners interval session. I mixed it up with some double-up intervals, following up the path interval with a 200m track interval. We ran the path out and back and it was a much more social run with all runners passing each other all the time. I hit 3:12 pace in the second and third intervals and followed the third with a track interval where I hit 3:24. I was a bit annoyed at pulling up before the finish line. I hit 2:59 pace in the fifth interval and help it at that pace up the hill. Again I followed with a track interval, this time peaking at 3:10 pace. The next path interval peaked at 2:55 but I didn't follow that one up. I hit 2:55 on the next path interval and followed up with a peak of 3:12 on the final track interval. From there I ran out and back along the path to cool down, covering 9.7 km in 48:36. The average pace was just over the 5 mark.
I woke up quite stiff on Tuesday morning and did some stretching to get the back going. I set off on a quite slow run. I eventually got the pace to about the 5 minute mark in the third kilometre and held it there for the rest of the run. I covered 9 km in the run around the town and North Wonthaggi, taking just over 46 minutes.
I had set myself for a half marathon just to get in some distance on Wednesday (we are in school holidays!). The back was stiff, but not as bad as Tuesday and the stretching helped. The start was slowish but I was down to 5 minute pace late in the third kilometre. I held it at around that pace for most of the run. I ran up to the start of West Creek road at 4:53 pace but I was finding the run hard work. By the time I was at the end of West Creek road the pace was slightly over the 5 minute mark. I didn't get it back below at any stage but it didn't blow out either. I ran the half and about 100m extra, covering 21.2 km in 107 minutes. My average pace was 5:03 pace. When I got back I decided to ice both knees. They weren't injured but I did feel a slight soreness at times. It worked a treat and the back didn't stiffen up the next morning.
We had stayed in the city on Wednesday night, catching up with Matt. I decided not to run on Thursday morning as I was well on the way to my weekly goal already. We ran with the Road Runners at Koonwarra on Thursday afternoon. It was our biggest group with 16 runners and a cyclist. We had another regular meet us at Meeniyan and we all had pizzas at Tullis in Meeniyan. The run was a very slow leisurely run. I ran back and forth a little and covered 9 km in 57:30.
I was only a little bit stiff on Friday morning as I stretched and set off on my 13 km course. I was under 5 minute pace late in the second kilometre and then ran in the mid 4:50s for the next 4 km. I was a touch quicker in the next four, after turning back for home onto the rail trail. I pushed up the hill to the North school and put in a 4:39 for the twelth. I slowed late in the thirteenth and then eased it home to average 4:54 pace for the 65 minute, 13.2 km run.
It had been a big week but I felt quite good in the parkrun warmup, running quicker than 5 minute pace in the second. It is amazing what the body will get used to. I ran a 3.8 km warm up. I didn't go flat out at the start of the parkrun and just eased my way through the early bolters to take the lead about 700m in. The first kilometre was a 3:41 and then I pushed to the turn. It was into the wind on the way back so my focus was on not slowing too much. I had a runner right on my shoulder and put in a 3:47 for the second. I turned in front then the next three runners made their move and overtook one by one. My third was also a 3:47 but I was feeling the load a little and couldn't pick up speed with the wind. I maintained a 3:48 for the fourth and turned in fourth place. The third runner gave me a little look in on the run home but I couldn't get there. I finished with a 3:50 for the fifth to register my official parkrun time as 18:53. It was pleasing to register a sub 19 in a big workload week though.
After lunch I then umpired the reserve practice match for Leongatha. The game ran for 75 minutes and I covered almost 9 km.
I woke up not feeling the best on Sunday morning. I thought about cancelling the run but I had a couple coming over from Grantville so I went. We ran around town at around 5:10 to 5:15 pace. I stopped at 9.6 km when we got back to the Guide Park and went for the water. We had averaged 5:14 pace in the 50 minute run. When I got home I iced the knees but started to go downhill as I cooled. My body started shutting down and I spent most of the afternoon sleeping and unable to eat.
Monday April 4th to Sunday April 10th
I had improved by Monday morning after sweating it out in bed overnight. There was no running on Monday morning though but I did eat some breakfast. I had low energy all day, eating a ham toastie for lunch. I decided to have a go at the interval session and jogged out there (slowly) to warm up. The pace wasn't quite the same in the intervals and I was truly spent at the end of each. The third interval was a reasonable one though with my pace getting to the 3:30s, staying there, and peaking at 3:32. I did run 6 intervals and they were all down into the 3:40s. The entire run covered 10.7 km in around 58 minutes of running.
I had my hair cut in town early Tuesday morning and went for a run from the Guide Park. I had eaten breakfast and had a little more energy but the reserves were still very low. It was a hard push into the north westerly out to the Dalyston bridge. My pace rarely got under 5:20 pace. I picked up the pace on the turn and ran the sixth in 5:05 but then slowed down to around 5:15 for the next three on the gravel. When I got past the Pony Club and hit hard ground I really picked it up hitting sub 5 pace. The tenth was a 4:54 and then I ran back around to the Guide Park to finish with a 4:34. I was spent at the end of the 11 km run, averaging 5:13 pace and running for 58 minutes. Later Heather and I went for a walk along the beach at Venus Bay and I gave the legs some salt water therapy.
The weather changed overnight into Wednesday. It became very wet. The plan was another half marathon but it was still raining at lunchtime. It stopped early afternoon and the radar looked clear so I set out on the Cape Paterson course. As I got out past Mitre 10 it started raining again. Most of the way to Wilson road I decided to do a u-turn and then ran across town to get a little distance (the rain had stopped again). I wrung out the singlet at McMahon Reserve and kept going. The pace was generally in the low 5s with the u-turn kilometre a 4:56. The pace hit sub 5 pace again after I turned for home and I ran the twelfth in 4:56. I held that pace for the run home but eased it back up the last hill. I did cover 15.7 km at an average pace of 5:04 and I ran for just under 80 minutes, getting very wet. It was straight in the shower when I got home.
Thursday morning I wanted some speed and felt good early in the run. I had decided on a fartlek and hit 3:45 pace in the first push up the hill. I was running each kilometre at around 4:40 pace. All up I put in 12 efforts, with the best when I ran around the corner into White road and hit 3:41 pace. The energy was back. I ran a nice extended effort down to Oates road and then eased it back up the hill. My average pace was 4:45 for the 11.2 km run. I followed it up immediately with a short cycle.
I was back out with the Road Runners on Thursday evening. We had eleven runners at Inverloch, running the coast path around through the caravan park and up Townsend Bluff. It was a good group and the pace settled at around 5:45 pace. We got a group photo at the top of the Bluff and then ran back. I covered 8 km in 46 minutes. The average pace was 5:44 and we finished in the dark.
With about 23 km to get to my 80 for the week I put a lot of thought into finishing the week off with three shorter runs or putting in the Ks to get the 80 on Saturday. We are staying in St. Kilda on Saturday night to watch Matt in a triathlon so I decided to get it out of the way and then Sunday can be a rest day if need be. With that decided I set out on the 13 km course and decided to go easy early and bring it home. Pace in the progression run was slowish early but I ran the third in 4:54 before going back into the 5s for the next few. I was sub 5 again in the seventh and then ran the eighth to eleventh in the 4:40s. I was only 2 seconds over 5 minute pace (on average) after ten. With two to go I put the foot down a little and ran the twetfth with a 4:36. I found more speed in the thirteenth, running a 4:22 before easing back up on the road home. I ran for over 76 minutes, averaging 4:55 pace for the 13.5 km run. After lunch I followed up with a leisurely 28 km bike ride.
Saturday is parkrun day and it was a slow start to the warm up but 3 km later I was feeling good. The body does feel a bit weary after a heavy workload of continuous running. It wasn't going to be a fast parkrun start but I placed myself at the front and let the speedsters run past me. I was running easily and covered the first kilometre in 3:47, placed in sixth at that time. Just before the first turn the two in front slowed so I ran past them and pushed back into the breeze after turning. I ran the second in 3:53 and set about trying to close the gap on 3rd. The third was a 3:56 and the fourth a 3:57 and the gap was closing but only slowly. I made the last turn with a nice gap to fifth and pushed for home. I did pick up some speed in the fifth and finished with a 3:53. My official parkrun time was 19:22 and I was more than happy with that given the recent workload. My knees have a little bit of soreness from the workload but I have been applying ice. Bill and I went for a little cool down around town and covered around another 3 km. All up I ran (although my Garmin stopped talking to the satellite for around 500m) 11.4 km at an average of 4:53 pace. I ran for almost 56 minutes. I've covered my 80 km for the week so I plan that tomorrow will be a rest day.
Sunday was a day off. Since my last rest day, on March 18th, I have run 26 times in those 22 days. In that time I have covered 278 km in the process.
Monday April 11th to Sunday April 17th
It had rained a bit overnight into Monday morning but was fine when I got up. My back was a little stiff but warmed up well when running. It was a slow start but I was at 5 minute pace by the third kilometre. I ran the fourth and fifth in the 4:50s and was running quite comfortably with my heartrate in the 140s. I ran the sixth in 4:44 and the seventh in 4:40 and was just starting to do some work. I picked it up some more in the eighth to finish with a 4:36 and then eased it back home, completing 8.38 km in 41:45. At the end of the run the average pace had dipped just below 5 minutes per kilometre.
After work it was back on the track (pathway) for a Road Runners interval session. We had 12 runners there tonight, including Emma and Brett. I forgot to start my watch at the start of the warm up so I missed about 600m of the run. The first interval peaked at 3:45 pace and I was just blowing away the cobwebs. Similar for the second where I peaked at 3:25 pace early and held good pace through it. I found some good pace in the third interval peaking at 3:09 pace and then followed it up with a repeat interval on the oval that peaked at 3:04 pace. I turned back and repeated the oval interval next with a peak pace of 3:08. My sixth interval was my third on the path and it peaked at 3:19 at the start and 3:20 at the end and held it in the 3:20s for the entire 260m. That was quickly followed up with a fast reverse track interval with pace in the 2:40s. The final hard path interval peaked at 3:09 and then I finished with a slower interval, held at under 4 minute pace for the full length. In all I ran nine intervals in the 9 km run. I ran for around 48 minutes.
I was out again on Tuesday morning to finish the set of three runs. It was a short run of 7.1 km and the pace was pedestrian. I was down to 5 minute pace for the fifth and under in the sixth to cover the distance in just under 37 minutes. My average pace was 5:11 per kilometre.
Wednesday was a day off.
Thursday morning's run was a 4:1 interval run. I started right away and hit 4:07 pace inside the first kilometre. The second interval hit 4:01 pace but the third had no pace at all. The fourth was nice and fast and consistently paced with the peak pace 3:58. The next interval was interrupted by a road crossing and had a peak pace of 4:07. The sixth interval was the best with the pace held in the 4:40s for the interval and the peak pace at 3:38. The seventh was the last serious interval and I held a good pace again through the interval, with the pace under 3:50 throughout. I put in a half hearted interval right near the end and then eased through the front gate.
On Thursday night we had a big group turn up for the first true Headlampers run for the season. We ran around Wonthaggi on the rail trails and down Cameron street and then checked out the new interval circuit in the parklands estate. We all ran different distances - I got a bit further because I was running back and forward a little. I covered 10.4 km in just over an hour of running at an average pace of 5:50. The was a wide variation in my running with the slowest a 6:59 - running with a new runner - and the fastest a 4:28 - chasing down the front group.
I completed another set of three on Friday morning, running a 7.3 km run. There was a very heavy fog but I soon warmed up. I hit sub 5 pace in the third quarter and ran the fifth at 4:43. The seventh was a nice quick 4:32 and then an ease back on the road back home. After the usual slow start I got the average pace down to 4:57 pace, covering the distance in 36 minutes.
I was a bit stiff at the start of my warm-up on Saturday morning at parkrun. I put in a long 3.7 km warm up and was moving well at the end. It was a slow start to parkrun and I was in front, despite not pushing too hard. One young runner passed me bt it wasn't going to last long. He helped me to a 3:45 in the first kilometre. I took the lead just before the first and then found myself pulling away in the second, where I ran a 3:54. I held my pace to follow up with a 3:55 then a 3:56. I was miles in front at the last turn and not really happy with my lack of pace so pushed real hard to the end and finished with a 3:49. My official parkrun time, in my 80th parkrun, was 19:16. The entire run was over 8.7 km and I ran for 38:30.
On Sunday morning I drove out to Dalyston and met Rikki and Jason for a Road Runners run. We ran out towards Archies Creek and the pace was always quite easy. We ran down the hill into Archies Creek and then pushed up the big hill out of town. We returned back along the Loch-Wonthaggi road and then ran into town and down Lower Powlett road. We returned to Dalyston along the rail trail. Our fastest section was the 2 km section transitioning from Loch-Wonthaggi road and onto Lower Powlett road where we ran a 5:41 pace. We covered 14.6 km in 85 minutes with our average pace at 5:50 per kilometre.
That run took me to a 74 km week and I have now run 187 km to be 17 km over the 10 km per day average.
Monday April 18th to Saturday April 23rd
After the run on Sunday I came home and used the roller on my knees. On Monday I felt the best that I've felt for a long time. I stretched and was able to do my core stretches as well. I set off on a short run on the 6 km course. I felt great right from the start and the warm up kilometre was a 5:04. I was down to 4:47 for the second and 4:33 for the third. I would have been happy to hold it there but the fourth only took 4:22. I accelerated further for the fifth and ran a 4:08 and then finished with a 4:07. The 6 km run was run at 4:30 pace on average and took right on 27 minutes. I used the roller again in the cool down.
We found a new interval course and ran there for the first time tonight. It is a loop in the Parklands estate that has not got many houses yet. We have moved so that we can have some lighting around the course, now that it is getting dark early. I jogged down there from the school and then we jogged the first lap while I explained the course. My first interval was an easy 4:03. My second interval had some good speed, peaking at 3:21 and in the 3:20s for most of it. There is a secondary interval up a curved hill and I followed up on the at a peak of 4:14 pace. My third main interval peaked at 3:07 but was mostly in the 3:20s. I followed up with a peak of 3:45 on the short interval. My best interval was the fourth, peaking at 2:46 and holding good pace. I followed up with another 2:46 peak in the fifth and then a 3:33 in the short interval. The sixth peaked at 2:47 and, again, held good pace then was followed up by a 3:28 on the short interval. My seventh interval peaked at 3:14 pace and was held at sub 3:20 then followed up with a 4:21 on the short interval. I eased through the eighth interval with a peak pace of 3:38. It was a pretty good set. All up I covered 10.7 km in 57 minutes of running.
I took a day off on Tuesday. My body was pretty good when I got up in the morning and I was able to do a full set of core exercises.
I was able to do the core exercises again on Wednesday. I set off on a ten kilometre run around the Guide Park with the intention of running three extended fast sections. My pace was better than usual in the warm up. I started the first fast section as I crossed the road near the Miners Rest motel, just before the 3 km mark. The first hard run lasted for around a kilometre and I covered the fourth in 3:58. It was a hard push and I followed it with a much slower recovery. I started the second hard run at about 5.8 km in and ran hard through the shopping centre and into McKenzie street. It was run at sub 4 pace and the seventh kilometre was run in 4:01 - even with the ease up at the end of that kilometre. I kept up a pretty consistent pace. The final push started about 8.3 km in and, like the first two, covered about a kilometre. I built into it on the gravel of Mary street and found some good pace on the bitumen. The last 500 m of it was quite fast at sub 3:44 pace and peaking at 3:13 pace. I averaged 4:41 pace, covering the 10 km in 47 minutes.
I took the morning off on Thursday and then ran with the Headlampers after work. We had nine runners but it was a really slow jog in the rain, running as a group. We started at Mitre 10 at the entrance to Inverloch and ran along the creek track and into Surf Parade. I extended my run to get in a 10 km run and covered a total of 10.7 km in 70 minutes.
I followed up with a fartlek run on Friday morning, setting off on a 7 km course. After a warm up kilometre I was under 5 minute pace in the second with an effort up the hill towards Wentworth road. I pushed off for my first fast section after turning into White road and peaked at 3:36 pace before holding it at sub 4 pace to the fire station. I hit 3:45 pace in my second effort, down past the ambulance station. I then hit 3:54 pace up the Osborne avenue hill. My fourth effort peaked at 3:36 pace into the recreation reserve. I hit 3:45 pace in Ivor street then settled into sub 4 pace for a distance. My final interval peaked at 3:32 pace going down toward Oates road. There was some real good pace through the run and I averaged 4:47 pace for the 7.2 km run.
I was reflecting on running on Friday morning, especially the health benefits. People who don't run just don't understand the benefits. They think that running will tire them out when, in fact, it does the opposite. Running rejuvenates the body and make a tired person fresh again. Three years ago I used to get so tired in the afternoons. These days I stay fresh all day.
The plan for Inverloch parkrun was to put in a fast kilometre and then just ease through for the rest. My back was a little stiff in the morning but I was able to do my core exercises. My warm up started slowly but I ran 3.7 km and was running well at the end of it. I made a ridiculously fast start to the parkrun hitting sub 3 pace early on. In retrospect it was possible too fast and a build up acceleration may well have led to a faster first kilometre. I ran at sub 3:30 pace all the way to the hill but slowed going up it. I covered the first kilometre in 3:23. I dropped it right back on top of the hill and turned in third place. I ran the second in 4:29 and then settled into some 4:15 pace. The third was a 4:15 and the fourth a 4:13. I started the fifth at that pace and sat on it for another 300m before losing patience and picking up the pace on the run home. The last was a 3:52 and my parkrun time was a 20:25. I had covered 8.7 km in just under the 40 minutes and averaged 4:33 pace.
Sunday April 24th - Vic Masters 3000m championships
Heather and I were both running at the Duncan MacKinnon reserve. We were there early and I was able to do a substantial warm up. I covered 3.6 km in the warm up, starting at 6 minute pace - with Heather and two others - and then got under 5 minutes in the third.
Heather ran in the early race and ran nicely to beat two others in her age group and win gold. She ran a 13:56 and her opponents both ran 14:01.
I started the race in lane three right behind a runner who I knew would run away from me. It was still a scramble to find position on the first bend. I crossed the start line in 36 seconds and then pushed hard around the bend. I was running well and I was back at the finish line in 78 seconds. I kept pushing the bends and my next lap was an 89 second lap. That had me running the first kilometre in 3:23 - the same as the previous day at parkrun.
The back straight at the start of my second kilometre was my slowest point of the race. I got to overtake a slower runner on the next bend and picked up the pace a little. That lap was run in 87 seconds and the next in 86. I completed the second 1000m in 3:35. It was starting to be hard work in the third kilometre. I put in an 89 second lap and then the penultimate lap was a 92. I pushed hard on the last lap and did manage to pick up speed. I was overtaken by two runners on the last bend, one an older runner putting in a phenomenal run. My last lap was 86 seconds and my last 1000 slowed to 3:46 pace.
As I was the only 45 to 49 year old runner I won the gold. My time of 10:46.6 was 0.6 of a second slower than last year. In retrospect, given the injury this time last year and the slowing due to the marathon training it is great to be getting back the speed back to where it was. Now to start building more sustained speed.
Stats:
pace each 1000m: 3:23, 3:35 & 3:46 for an average pace of 3:36
first 200m 36s
subsequent 400s: 78, 89, 87, 86, 89, 82 & 86 seconds
Average Heart rate: 171bpm, Max Heart rate: 178bpm
Average Cadence: 163spm (new high), Max Cadence: 213 spm
Average stride: 1.63m (new high)
Monday April 25th to Saturday April 30th
Monday was ANZAC day so I wanted to take the opportunity to get in a longer run to set up the Puffing Billy run next week. I had thought about running a half marathon but, with intervals backing up in the afternoon, decided on the 10 km course extended with some hills added in. I felt a little stiff at the start but the 5:29 warm up was better than many starts. I was down to 5 minute pace in the second. My first hill was Osborne avenue and I pushed over the top at around 4:40 pace. I ran around the Guide Park and then headed up Cameron Street and pushed hard all the way up. I ran most of it at 4:40 or just under and then hit 4:25 pace near the top. I ran down Drysdale street and then pushed up Bilson street, hitting 4:30 pace near the top. I continued along Broome and pushed to the top of the town where the old Mine Managers residence is. I pushed up the two Watt street hills hitting 4:25 near the top. I had been averaging around 4:50 pace for most of the run. I found some good sustained pace up Wentworth road and my eleventh kilometre was a 4:43 - the fastest of the run. I pushed up the home hill and then cruised down to the front gate and along the drive. I averaged 4:55 pace for the 12.5 km run and ran for just under 62 minutes. I followed the run with a 20 km cycle.
We had a massive turn out of 21 runners at our Road Runners interval session this afternoon. Seven new runners. We all ran the first lap together until the first interval. I went at about 80% and, as it turned out, held my pace at around 3:22 for the entire interval. In my second I held my pace at sub 3:15 and peaked at 3:06 pace. I peaked at exactly 3 minute pace in the third. My fourth interval was the best, peaking at 2:42 early and I was able to hold it at under 3 minute pace. The fifth peaked at 2:56 pace and the sixth peaked (early) at 2:41 pace. From that point I ran some much slower intervals and then ran a 4:22 tenth kilometre before cruising home. I covered 10.1 km in under 54 minutes.
I finished off the set of three runs with an 8.2 km recovery run around town. The pace was easy, nit getting to sub 5:10 until the fourth kilometre. I did hit sub 5 pace in the final two and averaged 5:14 pace, running for just over 43 minutes. In the three runs - Monday am, Monday pm & Tuesday am - I covered 31 km.
Wednesday was a rest day.
It was a really slow start on Thursday morning, taking 6 minutes just to get through the first kilometre. The air was warm and the pace picked up quickly. I ran the third in 4:56 and then ran the rest of the run in the 4:40s. I was able to get the average pace down to 4:59 pace over the course of the 8.3 km run.
I followed up on Thursday evening with a Headlampers run with the Road Runners. We had 14 runners out at Cape Paterson and ran a few loops of the town. I ran a good deal of it with Emma and Brett and averaged 5:52 pace for the 11.6 km run. I ran for almost 69 minutes. It was Emma's first ever 10 km run.
Another day off on Friday to freshen up for the weekend.
With footy in Bairnsdale on Saturday we had driven to Sale on Friday night so that we could run the Sale parkrun. It would be my 82nd parkrun and my eleventh different parkrun course. We ran the 1.4 km into the start and then I extended my warm up around the Sale City oval. When I got back Heather was talking to Les, a 60 plus Vic Masters runner (who burnt me off on the last turn of the 3000m). I was planning to run easy and around 4 minute pace. About six runners took off ahead of me and I pulled three of them in over the first kilometre, running a 3:52. I slowed to 4:08 in the second - more than I planned to slow - and picked it up on the concrete surface in the third (3:52). I inexplicable slowed to 4:10 in the fourth. I actually thought that I was pushing. The three in front had been quite a bit in the lead for most of the run but one dropped off in the fourth and I had a crack at chasing him down in the fifth. I just missed and ran a 3:51 to finish off. My official parkrun time was 20:07 and I was fourth. Les came in first and I ran a cool down with him and had a chat at the end. All up I covered 9 km, running for 42 minutes.
After the footy we drove from Bairnsdale to Fern Tree Gully, getting in at 9 pm.
The 35th Great Train Race - Sunday May 1st
.....and my fourth - 1984 (56:50), 2014 (58:22), 2015 (61:17 - injured) & today.
We were in Belgrave at 8am waiting for Matt. There were storms last night and Matt's train was delayed so we didn't get to see him before the race (He left Flinder St at 6:33 and got to Belgrave at 9:30 - the race was delayed until 9:45).
Heather and I warmed up around the school at the top of the hill, meeting up with Bill, Kris and Taz in the process. I put in a 3 km warm up, putting in 18 minutes of stop start jogging and heaps of stretching. I was in good shape at the start.
As the gun went off I took off and in a few moments time heard Matt's voice. We ran together for 6 km or so but he has had a rest period and dropped off on the Clematis hill. We had a bit of a chat then settled into the run, cruising on the early down hills to start with a 3:39 and a 3:53 before hitting the first serious hill. The third was a 4:12 and then the speed returned with a 3:49 and a 3:42.
Then the run got serious with the Clematis Hill - a serious 1.9 km climbing 107 metres. In 2014 it took me 10 minutes to get up there, averaging 5:05 pace. Last year, when injured and running much slower generally, I got up there in 9:51 at a 5 minute pace average. This year I took it on and pushed as hard and as far as I could. The pace dropped down to near 5:30 pace several times on real steep bits but I was able to get up there in 9:36 at an average pace of 4:52. I ran the sixth in 4:23 and stayed under 5 minute pace for the eighth, running it in 4:57.
I lost my way a little after then. I had pulled away from Matt and sort of relaxed the pace a few times looking out for him. I ran the eighth in 4:08 mainly down hill and then settled into 4:30 pace for the ups and downs of the ninth and tenth. I quickened a little on the trail to Emerald lake, running the eleventh in 4:19 and the twelfth in 4:05. In the run to the line the train was getting louder and louder and with less than a kilometre to run it went past me. I graciously waved to the passengers but was a bit disappointed to get that close.
I crossed the line in 56:41 in 205th place. I was the 191st male and I was the 11th placed 45 to 49 male runner. The train beat me by a mere 21 seconds.
This is now my fastest Great Train Race, beating my 1984 time (as a 17 year old) by 9 seconds.
