The Blackbutt parkrun was my 96th parkrun. As we return to Victoria I will be pushing toward my 100th parkrun and will achieve it in a little over three years - with the vast majority since Inverloch started just two years ago. At this stage my 100th is scheduled to occur on Inverloch's second anniversary.
Monday August 15th to Sunday August 21st
I had planned to run across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Monday morning - had the route mapped and all - but I just wasn't up to it. I had eaten a pizza for dinner the night before but it just didn't lift my energy levels at all.
We flew home at lunchtime Monday and I mad a doctors appointment for when I got back. The doc gave me a full check over and found no real viral infection - just a chest cold and exhaustion. He gave me a certificate for three days to recover.
Tuesday was spent sleeping and taking it easy. From last Friday through to Monday I had been running a temperature and I never rested to give it time to settle. At least I was able to put that behind me on Tuesday.
I felt a little better on Wednesday morning - still very chesty though. I took it easy in the morning but went out for a run just before lunch. It was a quite slow jog - there wasn't a lot of energy. I was just under 6 minute pace for the first and there was only a little bit of acceleration after that. It was good to get the breathing going but it was punctuated by coughing fits along the way. I ran the sixth kilometre at 5:28 pace and was starting to feel a little smoother. It was good to get a run in though, covering 6.9 km in just under 40 minutes. After stopping I had a quite serious coughing fit. After recovering I showered and ate and rested to let the body recover some more.
I was back at work on Thursday and struggled through the day. I wasn't feeling too bad at the end of the day and went out to meet the other Headlampers at Cape Paterson. The air was quite mild. I ran both loops with the group, covering around 9.7 km - not real sure as my watch lost about a kilometre early in the run. We ran for almost an hour. I did have a pretty serious set of coughing fits on the drive home though.
I set the alarm and got up for an early run. The air was still mild as I set off on the 8 km course. The first two kilometres were pretty slow. I felt that I was moving much better than the times showed. I hit sub 5 minute pace in the third and ran the fourth in 4:50 but just started slowing at that point. I felt that I had very low energy levels right through the run, but more-so in the second half. My eighth was a 5:05 and then I slowed more in the last few hundred metres. I averaged 5:07 pace for the 8.3 km run. Later, at work, I felt myself getting more and more chesty as the day progressed. Immediately after work I came home and slept for 90 minutes.
It was off to parkrun on Saturday morning - a very difficult day for Heather with her mum absent for the first time. I ran a longish warm up but never felt overly energetic at any point. I started the run back in the field, giving support to Heather, and then worked my way back towards the leaders. I put in an effort to get to the joint lead and completed the first kilometre in 3:57. I took the lead just after the first turn and then ran from the front. I was terribly disappointed with my second when it clicked over at 4:11. The third was worse with a 4:17 and then the fourth was diabolical at 4:26. It was just a massive struggle. I made the decision to just push real hard in the last and finished it off with another 4:11. My official parkrun time was 21:07, one of my slowest ever. I ran back and met up with Heather. My overall distance was 9.7 km, running at an average of 4:44 pace, for just over 46 minutes.
I rugged up again on Sunday morning, after sleeping in a little. I set off on the 13 km course and it was just a real struggle early. I ran the third, fourth and fifth at sub 5 minute pace but slowed for the next two. Running back into town on the rail trail I just decided to give it a push. I ran the eighth in 4:52 and held it there for the next. I quickened even more when back on the bitumen, running the tenth in 4:45. I held it around that pace on the run home and ran a 4:41 for the thirteenth, before easing a little in the last three hundred metres. I was able to average 4:57 pace for the full 13.3 km run (My average was still behind 5 minute pace after 10 - so the speed was all at the end). I ran for just under 66 minutes. It was good to finally find some sustained pace in the second half.
Monday August 22nd to Sunday August 28th
I started the new week on an 8km course into town and back. The chest was starting to improve but there was still the coughing fit at the end. It was a slowish start for the first 2 kilometres but then I got under 5 minute pace. I ran the fourth in 4:40 but then the pace dropped back a little. I was back at 4:40 for the eighth and then eased back for the last 400m. I averaged 4:55 pace for the 8.4 km run.
Intervals after work on Monday had absolute perfect conditions. No wind at all and a nice clear sky. It was even daylight for most of the run. I ran with Liz early and Lily later. I ran my first interval 2.5 km in - just as Lily joined us - peaking at 3:26. I was still in warm up mode. The next lap around I peaked at 3:08 and held the pace for a good part of it. The third interval, next time around, peaked at 3:01. It ended up being my fastest. I felt like I was running faster but my lung capacity is holding me back. On the next lap around I had a peak speed on the interval of 3:01 - right at the start - and then held the interval at about 3:04 pace. I finished with a cool down interval - in the low 4s - and then ran back to the car. I had covered exactly 8 km and averaged 4:58 pace when I got back.
I finished the set of three runs with a sunrise run on Tuesday morning. It took 2 km to warm up, before getting to sub 5 pace. My pace was up and down a bit - mostly in the high 4s, but I ran a 4:37 for the eighth. I stopped the watch right on 9 km with the average pace at 4:55.
I took Wednesday off.
On Thursday morning the cest was feeling much better and I set off on a run in North Wonthaggi. I was reasonably quick in the warm up, running the first in 5:13. The third was a 4:53 and the next two both 4:39. I slowed in the sixth but then went hard on the run home running the seventh in 4:31 and the eighth in 4:25. It was a real nice 8.5 km hitout with a reasonable progression. I was able to get the average down to 4:47 pace.
I was out with the Headlampers on Thursday after work. It had been a tough day with Joy's funeral but Matt was down for it so we went to the run together. It was a faster group than normal and we ran most of it at just over 5:30 pace. We ran out to the surf beach and then back, then out to the caravan park at the other end of Inverloch and back. It was a nice 10.1 km run and the average pace was 5:40. It was nice to have a slower run as I had been pushing it a bit. The chest is improving but I have had a lingering weakness in the left glute for a long time now and it is just starting to annoy me.
I turned off the alarm on Friday morning and went back to sleep, electing to have another day off.
On Saturday morning I was at parkrun. They had pacers but Bill was doing the 20 mins so I decided to try and pace at 19 minutes (unofficially). I ran my 3 km warm up and all seemed ok. Energy levels were just a bit down. I stretched well. On starting I initially was running faster than the 3:48 pace needed and slowed it a touch but then my pace really started to fluctuate. I ran the first in 3:50 - on track - but the second was a 3:53. I was finding it really tough. My heart rate was in the mid 170s for the third but I could only manage another 3:53. I was barely in front of Bill at the last turn and registered a 3:51 for the fourth. That was with a lot of push. I just kept pushing in the last and ran another 3:51. My official parkrun time was 19:24. At the end I was totally spent. In the last kilometre my heart rate hit 180 - that is max! I think that my lung capacity has been diminished by the chest cold. The left glute was just annoying as I cooled down and in the afternoon.
I had planned to get in my August half marathon on Sunday morning. I posted my run in the Road Runners group and Jason and Lily joined me. Jason had already run 17km - he is training for the marathon. We decided on two 9.6 km loops. They ran with me for the first loop. The pace was just over 5:20 pace until right near the end. Jason really tightened up near the end and we wore Lily out - it was a quick pace for her. I ran the first loop in 51:07 and then went again solo. I had a thought that I might try and get the average pace down to below 5 minutes but then dismissed it as a bit too optimistic. I got through 10 km in 53:20. I really upped the pace after going solo. The eleventh was a 4:31 but then the pace slowed on the gravel of the rail trail. I picked it up when I hit the bitumen of Lower Powlett road. I ran the 13th in 4:38 but slowed slightly (to 4:40s) when the magpie started swooping. The sixteenth and seventeenth were back under 4:40 pace. I checked the watch after 17 km and my overall average pace was still 5:04. I really upped it then though, running the eighteenth in 4:25. I backed that up and then stepped up to a 4:16 for the twentieth. I held the pace under 4:20 for the remainder and passed the half marathon distance in 1:43:53. I had run the second loop in 43:33 (almost 8 minutes quicker) and I ran the last 10 km in 45:26 (also 8 minutes quicker). All up I ran 21.2 km in 1:44:36 and I managed to get the pace down to 4:55 average pace. I was running really strongly at the end and the body felt great. I did ice the left glute severely when I got home but that is more annoying than anything else.
Monday August 29th to Sunday September 4th
I felt good after the longer run on Sunday afternoon. Woke up ok on Monday morning but could feel a little soreness in each ITB when stretching for my Monday morning run. I had already rubbed some heat into my left glute before the run. As such I was pretty slow early in the run and, when there was no great increase in speed, I decided to just make it an easy run to stretch the muscles. I stayed at over 5 minute pace until the seventh kilometre, running the seventh and eighth in just under 5 minute pace. I averaged 5:07 pace for the 8.4 km run. Back home I iced the glute but decided to leave the ITBs to cool slowly.
After a tough day at work it was great to get back to get out to the Interval session. I started stiffly and was looking at only running around the 6 km mark but then I joined up with Ari and we spent time chatting about the half marathon at Melbourne in October. I forgot abut the aches when chatting. I started my interval at just past the 2 km mark and maxed it at 3:45 pace. The next lap around I peaked at 3:39 pace and held it in the 3:40s for most of the interval. I missed the next interval then had a go the next time around, peaking and holding my pace at 3:27 pace. The next interval was easy paced - in the low 4s. I went hard for the final time on the next interval, peaking this one at 3:16 pace before jogging around and back to the car. I hadn't walked after any of the intervals so my average pace was 4:58 for the 9.8 km run.
I was out again on Tuesday morning to finish off a big four days of running. I rubbed heat into the glute and both ITBs before stretching. I set off running, expecting to have to do a real easy paced stretch run, and felt quite good. There was a spectacular pre-sunrise and the eastern sky had all sorts of reds and pinks. (It fizzled as the sun came up and went behind clouds) I ran the warm up kilometre in 5:19 and found myself at sub 5 pace early on. I ran the fourth in 4:39 and then eased up a touch. I picked it up again nearing home and ran the seventh in 4:35. It was a pretty solid run to end the block (tomorrow is a rest day), averaging 4:50 pace for the 7.1 km run. In the past four days I had covered 54 kilometres in five runs. I iced the glute again after the run and massaged the ITBs and calves in the shower.
Wednesday was a rest day. It was only a 265 km month, my first under 300 for half a year.
In August 2013 I entered my first monthly running challenge on Strava. At that point I was doing some pretty heavy cycling, preparing for a HPV race at Murray Bridge with Matt.I actually cycled 509 km for the month - my highest ever. I was also running quite a bit as well as we continued our trip around Australia. We started the month in Perth and I ran a couple of 8 plus kilometre runs around Forrestfield on the first couple of days. On the second I ran at an average of 4:18 pace - my fastest run to date. On the third I cycled down to Cannington for the Canning River parkrun. I had arranged for the Run Director to print out my barcode for me. It was my first run with other runners for a real long time. I set off with the leaders and found myself really struggling with my breathing early on. I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong until my watch registered the first kilometre. It was a 3:50. I eased up immediately - it was much too fast for where I was at. I ran the second in 4:05, eased some more before picking up speed near the end. My first ever parkrun was a 20:32. I amassed a lot of records on Strava. I was hooked on parkrun after just the one. I went back to the van and started planning to be at Rockingham the next week. I ran the Rockingham parkrun the following Saturday in 20:42 and claimed the age group record there. That afternoon we drove down to Busselton and I ran the Busselton City to Sea fun run on Sunday the 11th. It was a nice flat run along the Busselton foreshore, just under 12 km. I picked up my race pack on the Saturday afternoon. I was on the course bright and early and lined up near the front. I ran the first in 4:04 and gradually dropped back to about 4:30 pace over the next few kilometres. I ran the 11.9 km in 52:31, averaging 4:25 pace. My first fun run in a long while. It was back to solo running over the next few weeks running at Margaret River - on the wet river trails, at Augusta and in Denmark. I ran a 10,2 km run at Middleton Beach in just over 46 minutes. Then we got to Esperance and I put in three runs there in four days. The month ended with our trip along the Nullabor. I ran at Cocklebiddy, Eucla and then, on August 31st, at Ceduna. It was my very first 150 km month and I had completed 21 runs for the month. I had really started to step it up.
Back into 2016 and I stayed in bed on the first day of the month as I was running after work with the Headlampers. Jason set up the course of two loops into North Wonthaggi and back to the netball courts. We went out at an easy pace around 5:30 on the first loop. Heather and Rikki stopped after the first loop, leaving four of us running. The pace slowed a little on the second loop and, once again, my watch stopped recording distance for a section of the run. It was still timing and still tracking my path but I lost about 1.8 km in distance before I noticed. Given Heather had gone home I left the group at the North school and ran home. My pace quickened on the way home and I finished with some 5 minute paced running. My watch recorded just under 10 km but I actually covered around 11.8 in 65 minutes.
I was up and at it early on Friday morning. I felt a bit stiff in the core stretching but when I stretched and started running I was feeling pretty good. I was only running a short 6 km run so I started to push it in the second, running a 4:52. I decided to run it as a progression run so upped the pace again to put in a 4:39. I ran a 4:34 in the fourth, around into Wentworth road. As I headed home I put the foot down a little more to register a 4:14 for the fifth, I went all out in the sixth and finished with a 4:08. I averaged 4:38 pace in covering the 6 km in 27:51.
This Saturday at parkrun we were walking for Joy, Heather's mother. Today would have been her 100th parkrun so we were walking her PB time of 45:14. Matt had come down for the walk on Friday night so we both got our run in early, running out to Inverloch. We were onto 5 minute pace right away, staying there for the first three kilometres. The next three were all down around the 4:40 mark. We ranthe seventh in 4:31 and then eased off. We were back under 4:40 pace in the tenth and eleventh as we were getting close to Inverloch. I was deliberately just slowly lifting the pace as the body was feeling pretty good. The twelfth was a 4:16, slower in the thirteenth but then I finished with a 4:15 and a 4;05, pulling away from Matt in the fifteenth (He is just at the start of his training build-up now). The pace had been pretty hot and I had covered the 15.1 km in under 70 minutes, averaging 4:38 pace.
So we cooled down, stretched and then started parkrun, walking at around 9 minute pace. Heather, Matt and I walked at the front. There was a massive sea of red. It was a great tribute. The sight on looking back was very powerful. We got to the line right on time with a massive group behind us. The Run Director decided to place the entire group on the 45:14 time as part of the tribute.
Looking for something different to do for my Sunday morning run I drove out to Williamsons Beach and parked out there for a nice beach and Desal track run. I was starting an hour after low tide so I jogged down to the beach and headed towards the Mouth of Powlett on the hard sand. On the beach the early pace was around the 5:30 mark. I quickened on the river flats and then ran onto the dirt road. I ran over the bridge and then u-turned and ran back along the road past the caravan park. I was running at sub 5 minute pace quite comfortably. I ran through the Desal gate and around to the left onto the nature path to start the loop. I ran all the way around to the toilet block, took a quick break and then continued. At this point I was running at around 4:40 pace. I had a few kangaroos watching me on the south side. I got back to the back gate and continued on the northern track for the second time. With the wind behind me again I ran the twelfth in 4:32 and held that pace for the thirteenth. I passed the toilet block again and then continued on out to Lower Powlett road to finish at the Williams car park. It was a pretty solid run, with the average pace at 4:54 for the 13.9 km run. I ran for over 68 minutes.
Monday September 5th to Friday September 9th
I took Monday morning off from running as I was going to be at the Road Runners interval session after work. With the daylight lasting much longer now we were back at the Wonthaggi Secondary college site for the intervals this evening and we had nine runners show up. I basically ran a 2 km warm up going on two half speed intervals in those loops. After that I joined up with Ari and started to work a bit harder. I hit 3:53 pace early in the third interval and then 3:34 pace near the end of the next. The fifth interval was the first real serious sprint. I ran it at under 3:20 pace, most of the way, and peaked at 3:09 pace. The sixth peaked at 3:15 pace and the seventh at 3:21 pace. The final sprint interval was where I put in a massive effort. I peaked at 2:56 pace and held it at 3:15 or under for most of the interval. As it turned out it was my fastest ever on that course - beating all of the intervals in the Autumn. All up I ran 9.2 km in around 47 minutes
I was out again on Tuesday morning. I ran into town and ran a circuit of the golf course, covering the back nine as there was a golfer hitting off (at 6am!) on the front nine. On the way to the course I ran most of the first two kilometres at warm up pace. My third, though, was a 4:36 and I was running pretty comfortably. I did slow myself down a touch though. On the golf course turf I maintained quite good speed. The ground is still a little soft though. After a 4:40 in the fourth I found myself running around 4:30 pace on the course. I slowed a bit in the eighth as I was running up White road and zig-zagging around North Wonthaggi. I picked it up again with a 4:34 in the ninth but eased on the way home. I managed to push the distance out to 10 km, averaging 4:45 pace in the 48 minute run
Following up from the previous evening the plan on Tuesday morning was for an easy paced run. I had the usual 2 km warm up and found the time for the second kilometre was 5 minutes flat - a touch quicker than I expected. I was running easily and put in a 4:47 for the third. I eased it back for the next two but was back at 4:46 pace for the sixth. I held that pace through until the end of the ninth and then eased it back into the front gate at home..I never really pushed hard but the average pace was a reasonably quick 4:54 for the 9.3 km run.
I was back out again on Thursday morning for my eighth day straight running. Given that I would also be running after work I went out on a short course. I had thought about taking the morning off but the weather is just too good this week with warm days and clear mornings. Just outside the front gate I felt good as I climbed the first hill and decided to put the foot down a little. I ran the first kilometre at sub 5 minute pace and was well away. I decided to make it a progression run - these decisions come out on the road while I am running (there is not a lot of pre-planning - just how I feel on the day). I ran the second in 4:32 and just kept pushing. Down the track and along Strickland street I covered the third in 4:23. Then along Korumburra road and into Wentworth and up the hill, I ran a 4:18 for the fourth. I was running really nicely and just kept pushing to record a 4:02 for the fifth. So the challenge was there to get in a sub four!. I pushed hard down to Oates road and then really worked up and over the hill. The sixth was a 3:56, finishing in the driveway at home. I had just covered my six kilometre course in 26:11, averaging 4:21 pace - not my fastest but a pretty pleasing effort on day eight of running.
After work I went to Inverloch for a Headlampers run. We had seven runners as we set off at an easy pace down the trail at the back of Seahaven lodge.We were running at around 6 minute pace early. Around 3 km in I left the group to run the the parkrun toilet and then pushed to catch them back up. My fourth was a 4:31, followed by another two sub five kilometres as I returned to our start at Mitre 10. Then we set off on the second loop, again running at just under 6 minute pace. All up I covered 10.7 km and averaged 5:36 pace.
With the rain coming Friday had always been the planned day off. A rest day to freshen up for my 100th parkrun. My very first parkrun had been over in the West on August 3rd in 2013 - just over 37 months ago. Since that first parkrun at Canning River I have run parkruns in South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania and New South Wales. I have also run at five locations in Victoria. In total, including the 495 km of parkrunning, I have run a total of 9,731 kilometres. I am looking forward to my 100th in the morning
Saturday September 10th - my 100th parkrun.
My 100th parkrun coincided with the second anniversary at Inverloch - so there was to be a massive briefing starting at just after 7:30am. So I was out there early for my warmup. I looped around Inverloch and was on pace very early, running the first in just over 5 minutes and the second in 4:40 - the adrenaline was flowing. I finished the 3.4 km warm up in 16:46, averaging 4:48 pace.
I was trying to keep warm and stretched right through the presentations. I was presented with a certificate for the most first finishes, with 15, and the gold medal for leading the points table. Eventually we all grouped up and the group photo take then it was off to the start line.
I was off to a quick start and found that nobody was going with me. The first section had the wind at our tails so running was easy. I ran the first kilometre in 3:47 but was just starting to feel a heaviness in the legs after hitting the rise to the playground - I suspect some lactic acid build up from the long wait to start. I turned and pushed into a reasonably strong wind. Some parts were more sheltered but it was a push at times. I ran the second in 3:55, then got to the turn-around near Abbott street, and the wind was behind me again. I decided to push all the way to the next u-turn but the third was only a 3:56. I picked up a bit of speed though ad pushed all the way to the sail club, greeting other runners along the way. I had run another 3:47 for the fourth. I decided that the time wasn't going to be special so I would enjoy my 500th kilometre of parkrunning. So on the way back I put out my hand and pretty much high five-d every runner on the way back to the line. I still managed to keep the speed under 4 minute pace, running the last in 3:58. My official parkrun time was 19:24 and it was my 34th time at Inverloch (in 85 runs there) with the first placed token.
