77 - The Winter season

 .... follows 76 - On the UP ... now for some events

After a brief respite in January my body struggled again during term one of the school year - it reacts badly to me standing all day.  As I start the Road Runners winter series my speed and stamina appear to be on the up again.

The winter season started with race one of the Wonthaggi Road Runners Handicap series (of six races).  I had been running a lot of intervals in the lead up and ran slightly longer distances in the two weeks before the run.  The day before the race I ran three kilometre intervals at parkrun with recovery at 5 minute pace in between.  They were all in the low 4s for pace and the Sunday Race was a great follow up.

I started with Mal Dunn and we fed off each other for the first half.  I tried a few surges but he kept picking me back up.  I was feeling as good as I've felt when trying to run fast and got back at 4:19 pace, as fast as I've run in a while.  I finished in the top half of the field in 8th place.  It was my longest ave stride since early July last year!

Sun 24/4 am:  2.34 km - 5:02 average pace - 4:57 fastest km - Ave stride 1.36 m
Sun 24/4 am:  5km Hcap Race - 4:22, 4:16, 4:15, 4:27, 4:21 - Ave stride 1.49 m

Monday April 15th to Sunday May 1st
After a strong weekend of running I ran an easy one on the beach at Inverloch on ANZAC Day.  I am colse to the end of my lap of New Zealand with just over 60 km to run as I start a new week.

Mon 25/4 am:  7.65 km - 5:11 average pace - 4:53 fastest km - Ave stride 1.33 m
Tue 26/4 am:  5.03 km - 4:44 average pace - 4:25 fastest km - Ave stride 1.39 m
.... 4x 275 m intervals (ave pace):  3:38, 3:50, 3:50, 3:35

Wednesday was a rest day with a bike ride after work.  On Thursday I ran in the morning and then got out to do Headlampers after work - where a new Road Runner was organising.

Thu 28/4 am:  6.05 km - 5:11 average pace - 4:49 fastest km - Ave stride 1.36 m
.... 7x 125 m intervals (ave pace):  3:35, 3:40, 3:29, 3:31, 3:43, 3:16, 3:40
Thu 28/4 am:  5.01 km - 5:37 average pace - 5:20 fastest km - Ave stride 1.21 m

After a rest day on Friday I headed to Churchill Island for the PI parkrun on Saturday morning.  The covid virus is all around me with dad having it as well as some others close to me.  So far I appear to have dodged it.  I ran a cruisy run this time - taking in the Phillip Island sites.

Sat 30/4 am:  2.10 km - 5:21 average pace - 5:14 average pace - Ave stride 1.24 m
Sat 30/4 am:  PI parkrun - 24:41 - 4:59, 4:58, 4:52, 4:58, 4:48 - Ave stride 1.35 m

Sun 1/5 am:  6.06 km - 5:16 average pace - 4:59 fastest km - Ave stride 1.28 m

Monday May 2nd to Sunday May 8th
I started the new week with an interval session, doubling up on the netball courts I ran six 125 m intervals - the full length of the courts and then six 25 m intervals - the width of the courts.

Mon 2/5 am:  6.02 km - 5:05 average pace - 4:32 fastest km - Ave stride 1.34 m
.... 6x 125 m int (ave pace):  3:17, 3:14, 3:15, 3:04, 3:11, 3:10
.... 6x 25 m int (ave pace):  3:10, 3:08, 3:36, 3:16, 2:50, 4:02

Tue 3/5 am:  8.23 km - 5:11 average pace - 4:56 fastest km - Ave stride 1.30 m

As I approach the end of Run New Zealand I am now within 11 km of the finish line now.

Wed 4/5 am:  7.40 km - 5:14 average pace - 5:02 fastest km - Ave stride 1.29 m

Run the World / Run New Zealand - I slept in and listened to the rain on Thursday morning.  Then at Headlampers on Thursday evening I completed my 4710 km virtual run around New Zealand.  I started the run in August 2020, taking 21 months to complete it.  There has been a lot of turmoil in my life and the world in general over the 21 months.  My lap of NZ has been one of the few constants over that time.

Thu 5/5 pm:  5.01 km - 5:23 average pace - 5:13 fastest km - Ave stride 1.25 m
Thu 5/5 pm:  5.01 km - 5:23 average pace - 5:17 fastest km - Ave stride 1.26 m

On Saturday I was up early to head to Hastings for parkrun.  I listened to rain on the roof all night and had thoughts of baulking at the drive.  But we went and it was cold and windy but the rain had stopped by the time we got there.  My warm up was very short and I ran with my cycling skivvy under my singlet.  The Hastings parkrun was the completion of my parkrun alphabet.

Sat 7/5 Hastings parkrun 23:13 - 4:25, 4:31, 4:55, 4:40, 4:30, Ave stride 1.42 m

Sun 8/5 am:  6.09 km - 5:04 average pave - 4:46 fastest km - Ave stride 1.35 m

Monday May 9th to Sunday May 15th
I started the week with a rest day.  I woke with the alarm but my body just didn't feel like running so I had a rest instead.

Tue 10/5 am:  10.09 km - 5:09 average pace - 4:56 fastest km - Ave stride 1.33 m

Wed 11/5 am:  6.28 km - 5:00 average pace - 4:34 fastest km - Ave stride 1.35 m

.... 4x 280 m intervals (ave pace):  3:41, 3:50, 3:51, 3:39

Thursday was a rest day.

Fri 13/5 am:  6.54 km - 4:59 average pace - 4:50 fastest km - Ave stride 34 m

On Saturday morning I met Em, Brett and Jack at Phillip island parkrun.  It was a grey morning with a cool north breeze, but quite mild.  The showers threatened but stayed away until lunchtime.  I was planning an easy paced run but at the start it opened up for me with no fast runners.  I ran to the front and was able to maintain my lead all the way.  My legs, with feet in the heavier runners, went to jelly late in the run but I finished ok.  It was my 101st FIRST token, coming 15 and a half months after my 100th.  It has been a long drought.

Sat 14/5 am:  2.03 km - 5:17 average pace - 5:08 fastest km - Ave stride 1.28 m

Sat 14/5: PI parkrun - 23:19 - 4:39, 4:46, 4:39, 4:50, 4:32 - Ave stride 1.39 m

I stayed in bed on Friday and rested the body.  I went for a bike ride instead when I got up

Monday May 16th to Sunday May 22nd

Another day off on Monday after spending the night in Inverloch.

Tue 17/5 am:  10.01 km - 5:04 average pace - 4:48 fastest km - Ave stride 1.32 m

I started Wednesday in Inverloch. It was a wet morning so I never ran.  During the afternoon I started to develop a dry cough that got worse overnight.  I skipped work on Thursday and spent most of the day in bed.  I went out for a slow jog early afternoon to just try and sweat it out a bit, then I slept more in the afternoon.

Thu 19/5 pm:  6.01 km - 5:36 average pace - 5:23 fastest km - Ave stride 1.23 m

Friday I hit rock bottom and could not get out of bed.  I stayed in bed all Saturday morning, missing out on parkrun too.  I did get out into the sun for a walk on Saturday afternoon.  On Sunday morning I drove to Newhaven to host the WRR Handicap Race 2 but I didn't run.  I was starting to feel a little better late Sunday and did get to work oon Monday.  I tested frequently for Covid with RATs but all were negative.  It seems that the flu hit me.

Monday May 23rd to Sunday May 29th

The early part of the week was all about getting to work anf then recovery.  Each evening I was straight to bed after work and I snoozed.  I felt well enough to have a run on Thursday morning.  I started ok but then just wound down in the final 2 km.

Thu 26/5 am:  4.41 km - 5:29 average pace - 5:06 (2nd) fastest km - Ave stride 1.27 m

Fri 27/5 am:  4.14 km - 5:19 average pace - 5:14 fastest km - Ave stride 1.29 m

I ran at Inverloch parkrun on Saturday morning.  I only ran a short warm up then ran a bit faster than I had been anticipating in the 5 km.  I was pleasantly surprised that I could lift the pace in the fifth,

Sat 28/5 am:  1.33 km - 5:20 average pace - Ave stride 1.31 m

Sat 28/5 am:  Inv parkrun - 22:53 - 4:38, 4:51, 4:56, 4:58, 4:33 - Ave stride 1.37 m

Sunday was another rest day with a big sleep in.

Monday May 30th to Sunday June 5th

My chest is still quite affected by the flu so I chose not to run in the cold air on Monday morning.  It looks like being a very light week with a lot of cold air on the way for the start of winter.