15.91km LSD...

Pretty much the same post as last week.

I tried the earlier breakfast, Ribena and jelly babies routine again.

I felt really strong the whole way around. I tried not to start out too fast, and that enabled me to keep going up and down the mini hills at the end.

15.91km in 1:30:11 at 5:40/km pace. Faster than my training plan tells me to go, but I figure that if it feels good - it must be OK!

I think I'll stick in a Hills session this week...

7.43km Easy...

7.43km in 41:52 at 5:37/km.

A successful Easy run this morning. Not too fast and a pleasant 17 deg C.

I think I have to take a close look at the next 4 weeks before the Half Marathon, to make sure I maximise my training but allow time to taper in the last week or so.

6.26km Fast...

Bizarre!

I had it in my mind to have an easy week this week, just to have a bit of a recovery before stepping up over the next few weeks before the Half Marathon.

I left my Imaginary Friend tucked up in bed at home. I just used the stopwatch so I could record the distance and time. I thought an Easy 6km would be just fine today.

I took it easy for the first km, just thought I'd get my legs warm and then pretty much stick to that pace all the way. First km ended up at 5:40. A bit fast, but that should be OK, right?

The next km splits were... wait for it... 4:45, 4:55, 4:53, 4:33, 4:19!

What the...?

I was flying... felt so good I didn't want to slow down. The route is overall slightly downhill, but there a few ups and it's a route I run regularly.

So ended up with 6.26km in 30:00 at 4:47/km pace. That's the fastest run I've recorded since I started in July 2005!

Perhaps the easy week will be next week!

13.19km LSD...

I'll start off with: 13.19km in 1:15:45 at 5:44/km pace.

That felt like a great run on Sunday. A bit hot but not too uncomfortable.

I had breakfast a bit longer before I ran, as well as drinking Ribena on the run instead of just water, as well as stealing a few of Lian's jelly babies to snack on. I'm not sure which, if any affected my performance the most, but I'll try to include that plan in future.

So 5 weeks to go before the Half Marathon...

7.38km Easy...

Wow it was a fair bit colder this morning than it has been so far this season. I wore the compression tights, but I didn't bother with the long sleeve top or a hat. I will not be making that mistake again!

I really was determined to run at a steady 6:00/km this morning, so that I would be sure of making it a recovery run. It started out fine and I thought I'd settled at a good pace, but at each km split I was getting faster and faster - so I just ran at a pace that felt comfortable.

It actually ended up at an almost Medium pace. By the way, for me I call anything slower than 5:30/km Easy and anything faster Medium. At this rate I might have to define the limit between Medium and Fast!

So 7.38km in 41:19 at 5:35/km pace.

5.35km 10 x Hills...

Even though it was relatively warm this morning, I thought I'd give the Compression Tights a go up and down the hill. I didn't expect any noticeable difference, but hopefully my recovery will be better and the long term advantage will start to show.

So 10 reps up (0:31) and down (1:07) the 100m hill. Then a 2.5km Easy run home.

I tried to focus on using my arms to drive up the hill, pushing off the balls of my feet and getting my knees high. It felt a bit awkward, but hopefully it'll pay dividends for those hills on the SMH Half and City to Surf as well as general leg strength.

7.35km Medium...

And the third catch up post brings me up to date this morning.

Another started 'Easy' finished 'Medium'. But felt really good the whole way. And no magic tights (I don't want to just rely on their magic powers)!

The stock standard route resulted in 7.35km in 38:54 at a 'Fast' 5:17/km. I know this route is mostly downhill, but it's still a good comparison against what I've done on that route previously.

So that concludes the story on three good runs for me over the last few days.

As well as all that, Lian's 4th birthday was yesterday. We took her to the zoo - which is also a big treat for me (although I do wonder how bored some of those poor animals looked!).

15.58km LSD...

The second of three catch up posts.

Actually the longest run I've achieved since the Half Marathon in September 2005!

I bought some compression tights on Saturday. Partly to help a little bit with the colder mornings and hopefully also the added bonus of injury prevention. I tried all three brands... Skins, Canterbury and Line Break. In my opinion, there is only one thing to pick between the different brands... the price. Skins obviously need to recover the cost of advertising, but it's quite ironic that their advertising leads you to all three brands in Rebel Sport. So I choose the Line Break brand and saved $40, which I then spent on a new pair of Nike DriFit shorts.

So I pulled them on Sunday morning and headed out. They did feel good. Not too hot even when the sun hits the black colour and just enough to keep any cold wind off. That'll be tested more over the next few weeks. They also feel very comfortable and the tightness does feel good.

And so to the run. 15.58km in 1:30:07 at 5:46/km. Again, I followed the river out to Putney and then back towards Parramatta, and back again to Meadowbank and home.

I felt good during and after the run, but later in the day I ended up with a pounding headache. Not sure if that's something to do with the run, not enough rehydration, or perhaps something to with the lunchtime beer!

I just need to make sure that I build on these long runs with some decent Hard sessions during the week.

11.31km Easy...

The first of three posts I need to catch up with after the long weekend.

Even though Friday was a holiday, I was pleased to still get out for a run. I had a bit more time than my usual weekday runs, heading off in the afternoon down to the river.

I felt really good the whole way round. The weather was not too hot with even a bit of rain if I remember correctly.

So I ended up with 11.31km in 1:03:55 at 5:39/km pace.

And so to Sunday...

8.58km Tempo...

I forgot to note the summary for March - probably because it was so poor. Although having a 2 week holiday and my 40th birthday should be considered as mitigating circumstances!

Total km = 52.22

And so to April... there's no reason why I shouldn't be aiming for 150km this month. So we'll see how we go.

This morning, I was able to refer to my Training Plan and chose a Tempo run, which should consist of 4 x 1.5km at 5:00/km pace with 2:00 recovery jogs in between.

This really should be run on a flat route, because I struggled on the last rep and was desperately searching for whatever flat or downhill I could find.

I had about a 1km warm-up then got stuck into the first rep. I wasn't sure how I'd go with pacing at 5:00/km so I referred to my Imaginary Friend for advise fairly often on that first rep. We worked very well together because each 1.5km rep was actually completed at an average of exactly 5:00/km pace.

Apparently Tempo runs are designed to help you improve your running economy and your running form. So we'll see what effect that has as I work through the next few weeks before the Half Marathon in May.

8.15km Easy...

I had a crap night's sleep on Monday, so I skipped the Tuesday run. Therefore I knew I had to get out today... and tomorrow and Friday.

I dug out the long sleeve top this morning, but it's probably still not quite cold enough to warrant it. I'm planning on getting some long legged Skins before it does get much colder. I don't know whether the claimed Bio Acceleration Technology is quite what it literally means, but at least it'll keep my legs warm!

So this morning ended up as 8.15km in 45:05 at 5:31/km pace. So I must have been pushing a little bit harder than usual, but it felt OK.

I'll try to remember to take my Hard runs plan home tonight so that I can try something different to Hills tomorrow.

12.63km LSD...

Even though the statistics look OK... 12.63km in 1:15:04 at 5:56/km pace, yesterday's run felt far from OK!

I adopted the idea of not relying too much on my watch. I just set off at what felt like a comfortable pace. As the first few km splits were displayed, I realised that I was going a bit too quick, but I obviously didn't slow down enough.

I had the idea to do about 15km... should have got me up around a 1:30:00 time, but as I got to 6km I really wasn't feeling too great and then it became a battle just to keep running... a battle which I lost as I ended up walking 2 or 3 times!

So, the lesson is: unless I can control my pace - use the watch!

7.30km Medium...

Another one of those "intended to do an Easy run, but ended up with a Medium" sessions this morning. Perhaps something to do with the lighter schedule this week.

7.30km in 39:15 at 5:22/km pace.

It's good to run now that the mornings are lighter and cooler. But it'll only be a few weeks before I'm complaining that it's too cold!

I want to check out a different long run route for Sunday...

No Exercise But...

No Exercise this morning but I did want to note that I'm feeling sore in my Gluteus Maxima and strangely - my Biceps.

That'll be from the Hills I did yesterday. I was pumping my arms fairly violently up the hills, but I didn't think I was working them so hard!

No pain, no gain as they say!

5.42km 10 x Hills...

I originally intended to run on Tuesday, but I had to go to a conference which meant an earlier start than usual. So I went this morning instead.

I should pin my 'Hard' run options to the notice board at home, because my brain doesn't work too well at 5.30am so I tend to go for the simple option of Hills.

So 1km to warm up, stretch, then 10 x Hills... 30 seconds up and about 1:10 down to recover. Then about 2.5km Easy run to finish.

The Hills seemed really hard today. My head was starting to spin a bit by the 7th or 8th rep. So I was pleased to finish 10 without falling over!

One significant birthday present which I forgot to mention... a new pair of Asics Gel Empire II...

And another less significant (from a running perspective) but still exciting present... an ASUS MyPal A639...

13.07km LSD...

What a week that was!

Thursday was my 40th birthday and I don't think I've ever eaten so much as I did between Thursday and Saturday. And there were a few beers thrown in for good measure too.

The carbo-loading obviously paid some benefits, because I was able to get out for a long run on Sunday morning.

I only intended to do about 10km. I'd had a couple of weeks off and hadn't done much last week either, so I thought I'd just ease myself back into the habit.

But I felt really good the whole way around and finished up with 13.07km in 1:17:26 at 5:55/km pace.

There was a light drizzle of rain coming down for most of the run and that helped to keep me feeling comfortable.

So all in all, a good week and hopefully a springboard to dive back into regular training.

7.09km Easy... Happy Birthday to me...

I had the desire to prove that ticking over from 39 to 40 hadn't affected my ability to run.

Whilst I did feel particularly knackered after finishing 7.09km in 41:27 at 5:50/km pace, I put that down to the lingering fatigue from last week's trip to Hong Kong.

Today I'll also test whether my metabolism has suddenly slowed - by going out to lunch with my colleagues and then dinner tonight with Shirley and Lian - and seeing if any extra weight sticks!

6.58km Medium... A Rest is as Good as a Rest...

18 days between runs. In the meantime I've recovered from the Cold I had, spent a week in Hong Kong and given my almost 40 year old (on Thursday) body a rest.

So back into it this morning, with the intention of just turning the legs over for about 6km. As it turned out, I finished 6.58km in 35:51 at 5:26/km pace. It just felt like an Easy, relaxed run.

I'm still knackered from the week in Hong Kong and the flight back on Sunday. My body still hasn't adjusted to the 3 hour time difference. But hopefully by forcing myself back into the routine of waking early for a run, I can quickly get back to normal.

I'll see how I feel tonight / tomorrow morning to decide whether I'll run tomorrow or Thursday.

Too Hot, Feeling Crap...

I missed my long run yesterday. I couldn't find time in the morning and as the day got hotter the chance of going out later became less likely. Then I started to feel like crap - probably something to do with the cold I've been battling with all week.

I set my alarm for 5.30am with half an intention to run this morning, but as it turned out, I woke up feeling even worse - so it's a good job I did give it a miss yesterday.

I'll dose up on cold & flu tablets this week and try to keep the legs moving.

7.68km Easy...

An Easy run this morning. 7.68km in 43:24 at 5:39/km pace.

I did feel a bit sore from the Hills yesterday - which I see as a good thing. It proves that I was working harder than usual.

It's still tough to get out of bed at 5.30am, and it's going to start getting colder. So I have to keep the momentum going.

A longer run planned for Sunday.

5.08km 10 x Hills...

I tried some Hill training this morning. Back to an old favourite hill... very steep, but quite short... it rises about 13m in 100m.

I had a warm-up of about 700m, a stretch, then I did 10 reps at 35 seconds up and 1:10 walking down, followed by 2.3km for a total of 5.08km in 35:01.

I'll have a bit of a read up on Hill training to make sure I'm using the session efficiently.

An Easy run tomorrow then a longer run planned for Sunday.

A good start to the month.

8.49km Medium...

It was touch and go whether I'd get out for a run this morning. It was pouring with rain as I went to bed last night and I wouldn't have gone if it was like that this morning. But I set my alarm anyway and couldn't hear any rain when I woke up.

So off I went. And what a great run it was! Felt strong through the middle part of the run, tired a bit on some uphills towards the end, but finished an extra loop to end up with 8.49km in 45:46 at 5:24/km pace.

That must be one of the longest mid-week runs I've done. I'm usually a bit tight for time but I was feeling so good this morning that the extra 5 minutes was made up by getting ready for work and walking to the station quicker.

That probably concludes my running for February. I don't intend to get out again until Thursday. So I can record 114.8km for the month.

14.26km LSD...

A really good run on Sunday. Out and back runs are always a bit of a balance as you need to turn around with enough left in the tank to get hoome or suffer a long walk.

I only had an idea of 'more than 10km' on Sunday, but the more I got into it, the more comfortable I felt. So 14.26km in 1:24:22 at 5:55/km pace.

No adverse after-effects either, so I must have got the hydration right.

And then there was Saturday night. Good old SBS... showing Live Forever. The story of Britpop in the 90's. It filled in a lot of gaps for me from that period... let's not go too far into the reasons why those gaps occurred, but in my defence, I left the UK to go to Hong Kong in August 1995, right in the middle of when everyone was 'avin' it'. I remember catching up on the coming and goings when editions of Loaded arrived in HK about 2 months later!

For me it was all about visiting the record shops in Reading every lunchtime and general coming home with 2 or 3 CDs. And music festivals too. Living in Reading gave us easy access to Reading Festival... and daily showers - unlike the majority of festival goers. I also experienced the great unwashed festival culture over in Denmark at Roskilde.

Just fantastic!

7.28km Medium...

I felt good this morning. It was only supposed to be an Easy run but even though I was trying to hold back on the downhill between about 2 and 6km, it still ended up as a Medium paced run - 7.28km in 39:42 at 5:27/km pace.

I think I need to get back onto the idea of renewing my shoes. They're a bit battered after nearly 2 years, but at $230 a pop - I struggle to justify renewing every 6 months as is recommended.

So the list of presents for my 40th now includes:

Garmin Forerunner 305 - unlikely
Asics Gel Empire II - necessary
Asus MyPal 639 - awaiting delivery
Holiday in Hong Kong - redeemed frequent flyer points

7.13km 8 x 400m...

Again I was debating Speed / Hills as I woke up and got myself together this morning. I ended up choosing Speed.

I tried to go a bit slower than last time so that I could finish the full set of 8 reps. I had a couple of drop outs with the GPS signal which missed a few auto-lap beeps, but I finished 8 x 400m at about 4:27/km pace. So a little bit slower than my target pace of 4:10/km but I reckon it was close enough at this stage. Once I get used to this type of session, I should be a bit more accurate with my pacing.

An Easy run tomorrow before a Longer run on Sunday.

7.12km Medium...

Another one of those days when my legs felt dead for the first couple of km's. And another session when the first km was surprisingly slow. The strange thing is that the first km is fairly flat and then it rises for the next couple of km.

I suspect my Imaginary Friend is measuring the first km a bit long. Looking at the MotionBased route plot - it looks like it's cutting a few corners.

Anyway, I ended up overcompensating for the apparent slow start - trying to get back to an overall 'Easy' 6:00/km pace and ended up finishing at more of a 'Medium' pace (5:29/km). 7.12km in 39:07.

It's still good to know that I'm getting the mileage in with regular sessions. Probably try a harder session on Thursday - either Hills or a Speed session.

10.43km LSD...

Down to the river on Sunday afternoon for a nice, steady paced run.

I would have gone for the run in the morning, but I woke up feeling less than ordinary. We got on with the days activities but all the time in the back of mind I kept thinking of how I could slot in the run. Obsessed perhaps?

Ended up finishing 10.43km in 1:02:48 at 6:01/km. But that felt comfortable for that distance. I would have gone for longer but it was getting late and I didn't want to disrupt too much our evening.

It was a good route along the river from Meadowbank to Rydalmere and back. A couple of wrong turns were easily recovered. Next time I'll try to remember where I should be going and that should take me further along towards Silverwater Road and maybe beyond.

Definitely a route for long runs in future!

Gung Hei Fat Choy!!

7.59km Easy...

A remarkably steady paced run this morning. Pretty much on target pace all the way through. Strangely, it was the last full km that was a bit quicker than the rest - even though it was uphill. Perhaps a bit more effort was put in there to make sure I didn't roll back down!

Even though I didn't feel too bad after yesterdays Speed session, I want to get into the pattern of following it with an Easy recovery run.

So 7.59km in 44:05 at 5:48/km pace. 5:57/km for the first 6km.

Next, a longer run on Sunday.

5.84km 6 x 400m...

I decided on something a bit different this morning, rather than my usual 6 to 7km at an 'Easy' pace.

I first thought of doing Hill Reps, but as I was setting off I changed my mind to do some Speed work.

It's the first time I've ever done anything like this, and whilst I'd read some theory on the subject, I couldn't remember the detail. So I decided on: a warm-up, then 400m at a fast pace but not flat-out, then jog recovery for 400m, repeated 6 times then a warm-down.

I just checked my Runners World - Training Pace Calculator, and it says I should have done 8 x 400m at 4:10/km pace with recovery jogs in between. I actually did 6 x 400m at 3:30/km pace. So quite a bit faster than I was supposed to go but not as many reps.

It didn't feel too bad running at that pace and I don't feel any discomfort now.

Next time I'll try to do the full 8 reps at a slightly slower pace than I did today. I'll have to make sure I choose a good route where there aren't too many obstacles, hills etc... perhaps down to the river?

7.17km Easy...

A good run this morning. Very even pace - 7.17km in 40:40 at 5:40/km.

I ran along Shrimptons Creek and I was amazed to see how much water has flowed through there during the recent rains. There was debris caught up against any prominent object. At one point there is a footbridge handrail which has been knocked over by the weight of water pushing against the debris caught against it. And there are large stretches where the vegetation has been flattened by the flowing water.

I almost got caught up in some of the debris but thankfully managed to avoid going arse over tit.

So a good start to the week. Perhaps a speed or hill session on Thursday!

10.61km LSD...

I tried a new route on Sunday. I thought I'd go in search of a nice flat route along the river. So down to the river at Meadowbank and along to Putney.

There were a couple of difficult spots along the foreshore where access was restricted by boat ramps and fences - so I'll know to avoid those in future. The idea was to turn around in Putney Park and head back along past Meadowbank. But I was conscious of having either a long walk home or a run up the hill back away from the river. So I turned off in Meadowbank Park and finished just before Victoria Road.

10.61km in 1:04:43 at 6:05/km pace.

Next time I try this route I'll try to maintain a more even pace and avoid those difficult spots. That way I should be able to slowly increase the distance up to where I should be at for a Half Marathon.

6.65km Medium...

Another run this morning.

I only intended to run an Easy pace for about 6km. I asked my Imaginary Friend to lead me around 6km at 6:00/km pace.

I didn't pay too much attention to the watch. It was dark anyway and I didn't bother with the backlight. I just ran as I felt comfortable.

So when I heard the beep for 6km and checked the time, I realised I was about 5 minutes quicker than I'd planned. So I carried on until I was in sight of home - giving me a bit of time to warm down before reaching home.

So I finished 6.65km in 35:27 at 5:19/km pace. That's the fastest I've run since the 9km Bridge Run back in September.

It didn't feel particularly uncomfortable, so I hope that's a sign of my fitness returning.

I intend to do a long run on Sunday.

7.50km Medium...

It's still tough getting out of bed at 5.30am, when it's still dark, to go for a run. But after a brief pause over the snooze button, I achieved that feat again today!

I chose my slightly more challenging route option - the one with the steady climb up to the half way point. I was very conscious of keeping a steady pace for the first few Ks so as not to blow out in the second half. I obviously did that very well, because I felt very strong towards the end of the run.

I ended up completing the 7.50km in 40:26 at 5:23/km pace, which is a faster average than I intended.

Another thing that I was aware of this morning was that my mind was distracted (work stuff) which in some ways seemed to make the run a bit easier. Perhaps a confirmation of the good advice I received earlier from a regular reader that I shouldn't focus so much on the watch - just enjoy the run. So thanks for that (but I still like to take my Imaginary Friend with me)!

7.07km Easy...

I missed a long run on Sunday and a run yesterday due to a great weekend up on the Central Coast. Plenty of exercise running around and swimming with Lian and her friends though. But also an excess of beer and food too!

So a much needed run along Shrimpton's Creek this morning. 7.07km in 39:55 at 5:38/km pace.

I need to step it up if I'm going to hit my target of 120km for the month!

7.66km Medium...

A bit faster than Easy this morning, and I think that was because I just kept an even pace all the way through.

I had some trouble with my home internet connection this morning (I was on hold for 1 Hour and 15 minutes waiting to speak to the Optus helpdesk before hanging up) so I couldn't upload my results to MotionBased and check the corrected distance and pace. I've now uploaded it and can confirm that it was 7.66km in 41:45 at 5:27/km pace.

My legs did feel a bit dead again for the first couple of Ks but after 4 or 5 Ks I was feeling good.

I clocked up a total of 74.31km in January which is very ordinary considering I'm trying to get in 3 x 6-7km runs and a longer 10km+ each week. I guess I should be aiming for at least 120km in future.

6.19km Easy...

It felt like I'd had about 30 seconds sleep last night. We were watching My Favourite Album on the ABC. A bit of an anti-climax to see Dark Side of the Moon as number 1, but some excellent albums which I was happy to be reminded are in my collection...

3 - Radiohead - OK Computer
6 - Nirvana - Nevermind
7 - Led Zeppelin - Four
8 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
10 - U2 - Joshua Tree

I guess you have to take into account what sort of people actually voted but come on... who the f*** is Jeff Buckley?

Anyway, I was up at 5.30am and out for a run. Nothing special, just my standard route.

I think I've realised part of the problem behind my inability to run at a slower pace. I generally start very slow, probably don't warm up properly before I start running. But then I guess I over-compensate for that later in the run.

So 6.19km in 34:05 at 5:30/km pace.

10.2km LSD... Skip 2 Hit 1...

I missed a run on Friday - well it was a Public Holiday and I figured I've been doing well enough lately to earn a day off.

So Sunday came around and I was determined to get in that much-awaited longer run.

I agreed with my Imaginary Friend to set out for a 1 hour run at 6:20/km pace. So at about 9.5 km, that would have been my longest run since City to Surf back in August! I also planned to round that up and go for 10km.

I knew there were a few challenging undulations (I could hardly call them hills!) along the route so I was conscious of keeping a steady pace for the first few Ks.

The first 3 Ks were knocked off at 5:35, 5:48 and 5:42/km pace, so I already had doubts about being able to achieve the target. I really do struggle to comfortably run slowly. But then I slowed it down to closer to the target pace and got into a nice rhythm.

It was getting a bit hot towards the end so that created another challenge, but I'd taken some water with me so I didn't feel too uncomfortable.

I ended up with 10.2km in 1:01:16 at 6:00/km pace. So that's classed as "Easy" run pace for me. I really do need to work on maintaining a steady pace for the whole run.

We had the neighbours over for dinner last night so a few beers forced a sleep in this morning and another missed run. I probably needed the rest because yesterday's run was a bit harder than it should have been!

I might try and get an extra run in tomorrow as well as my usual Wednesday and Friday sessions because we're heading away for a boozy weekend next Saturday!

7.69km Easy...

A bit of a weird run this morning.

My legs felt like lead for the first part of the run... perhaps I didn't take time to warm up and get my blood flowing. I did pretty much fall out of bed and plod down the street.

But even so I was surprised how slow my Imaginary Friend reported our first km. Well over 7 minutes! Surely I wasn't running so slow?! The next km was back on pace and I kept that going throughout the run.

The early impression stuck in my mind and I kept thinking... "I'll bin it after 6km". But I started to feel good coming up to that point so I carried on and finished 7.69km in 43:32 at 5:39/km pace.

So it turned into a useful run. A bit longer distance.

I need to make sure my legs are awake in future though!

6.49km Easy...

No chance of a longer run yesterday as the temperatures were up in the high thirties. I probably should have taken the chance to go earlier. I was awake at 6.30am but I was conscious of having to eat something before doing what I hoped would have been an hour of running. So all too difficult - I had a long splash in the pool instead!

Last night we all 'camped' out in the lounge room with the air-con on. Thankfully, I woke this morning to find that a southerly change had blown through and dropped the temperature significantly.

So the run this morning was bearable, though I'm still sweating now some 2 hours after finishing. I think that's partly due to the temperature getting up again as I was walking from the station to the office. Perhaps another dip in the pool when I get home tonight...

7.12km Easy...

I should probably not refer to these runs as 'Easy'. The pace is 'Easy' based on where my fitness was maybe 6 months ago, but now the pace is more like 'Challenging'. I'm sure a Heart Rate Monitor would help me to see what is an 'Easy' pace but the budget is a bit tight at the moment so I'll just have to go by how I feel.

I do however hope that I am building my base fitness back up, so that I can start to follow a more structured training programme.

And I'll chase up my mate about getting back into our weekly squash sessions to add Cross Training too.

6.43km Easy...

A little bit longer route this morning, and more challenging too as there was a steady hill after the first km. But I recovered well after that and got back to a comfortable pace to finish at an average pace of 5:36/km. A bit faster than I should be going at this stage.

Another run planned for Friday and then we'll see if I can get a longer run in on Sunday.

6.25km Medium...

I thought I might struggle to get out of bed this morning considering another busy weekend, but I felt a bit guilty about not going for a run on Sunday so I was determined to start this week well.

I guess the rest (from running) over the weekend did help because I felt pretty good this morning. It almost felt like I was floating along.

So I think I can now be sure that the habit has reformed.

Next run due on Wednesday.

My weekend activities did include a long pool session with Lian. She's now very pleased with herself that she can launch herself off the top step into the pool. She has an aversion to getting her face wet so that is quite an achievement.

It looks like I might get back into the squash too as my partner has settled into being a father and into his new job too. So that'll be good cross-training for me.

6.18km Easy... Playing Away from Home...

I'm trying to run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a longer run on Sundays too. This week I had a potential disruption to the Friday session by being up on the Gold Coast for work.

I took my gear up on the off chance that I would go for a run. Then I continued the good preparation by having an early night on Thursday (I was shattered anyway... an early start from Sydney in the morning and a busy day). And I set my alarm for 5am.

The alarm went off and I did have a brief thought to hit snooze and go back to sleep, but I fought that thought and rolled out of bed.

I didn't break any records on my 6+km run in about 35 minutes. But it certainly was a big achievement not to let a small disruption put me off my training plan.

A totally flat route as I a ran along through Broadbeach. I'd planned on about 40 minutes, so I turned around to head back at a convenient spot after about 17 minutes. I could see the hotel in the distance after a while but it looked way further than I thought I could manage. I ended up one block short and hence didn't quite get to 40 minutes.

I stood under a cold shower for about 15 minutes so that I wouldn't be sweating too much in the company of colleagues. I did feel a bit guilty using all that water given the serious restrictions they have up there, but the reason I was there was to assist in the building of their Desalination Plant, so I felt I was doing my bit in return!

A useful session though, both mentally and physically.

6.03km Easy...

Nothing spectacular, a bit over 6km in a bit over 35 minutes. But at least I'm getting back into the routine.

Unfortunately, my next scheduled run should have been Friday morning, but I'm away on site Thursday / Friday and it tends to be an early start so I don't know whether it's worthwhile taking my gear up on the off chance I can go for a run before work.

Perhaps this could be a test of my commitment...

5.24km Easy...

It looks like being a long, hard road back to even the level of fitness I had last year. My legs felt a bit sore this morning after Friday's session and it was a challenge to finish the 5 and a bit km this morning.

I woke up at 5.30am, which is about 3 hours earlier than I've been getting out of bed over the last couple of weeks. So quite a challenge in itself! It was very comfortable weather - a good time of day to run.

I'm confident now that I'll quickly get back into the habit of running. My next session will be Wednesday, then Friday and perhaps a longer run on Sunday. Just ease myself back into it.

6.49km Slow... A New Beginning (Hope)...

This is not a 30 year old review of Star Wars, rather a statement of my intent to start the New Year with a new beginning, hopefully a long middle and a far distant end.

It was a very tough 6 and a bit km - evident of the fact I haven't run or done any real exercise in over 2 months. Shameful really.

I have a Half Marathon in May in mind, so a lot of hard work to be done between now and then.

I toyed with the idea of giving up alcohol for 6 months, using the Half Marathon as some kind of event to use as an incentive. This was following a couple of binges before Christmas.

So New Years Eve came around and I thought I better go out in style. I got stuck into a case of Becks. During the evening I was reminded that it's my 40th in March. So I started to have second thoughts about the resolution. The next morning I realised that I don't need to give up beer - I need to give up crap beer!

So that did it. Becks will return to be my drink of choice. It's not as though I drink a lot!

As for this mornings run... I feel as though I'm starting from scratch again. Lots and lots of Easy paced runs ahead of me I think.

Step 2...

Step 2 of my journey back into training. Again nothing special (7.27km in 42:23 at 5:49/km pace), but just trying to get back into the habit.

I have a plan to give me extra incentive! My in-laws are visiting relatives in San Francisco in the next few weeks, so I'm searching for a bargain price on the new Forerunner 305... I've seen it for $499.95 plus $17 shipping in Australia, but even on Amazon (which may not be the cheapest) it's only $370 plus $8 shipping. Hopefully I can offload my 201 too!

I'm interested to use the training programmes available on the 305.

Next run due on Friday...

One Month Later...

Something must have sparked me back into action, because I made a decision last night to get out for a run this morning - the first since my 'recovery run' after the 9km Bridge Run. Obviously I took a long time to recover!

Nothing special - 6.98km in 39:02 at 5:35/km pace.

I spent most of the time trying to dodge out of shadows into the early morning sunshine - a bit too cold otherwise.

Hopefully this'll be the start of a regular routine again!

Bridge Run & Recovery

Last Sunday was the Bridge Run. 9km over the Harbour Bridge, around Mrs Macquarie's Point and back to the Opera House. A good advert for the tourist sights of Sydney.

And a great day for running too.

There were many more people than I expected, so there was a fair bit of weaving in and out of slower runners and walkers. But that was OK - it was probably a useful way to slow us down a bit to make sure we finished without stopping!

I ran again with my City to Surf partner, and we had a guess at a target time of 50 minutes. There wasn't too much confidence that we'd meet that as we hadn't done anything since C2S.

We started out probably a bit quicker than I intended so by the time we got to about 5km at Mrs Mac's point it was a struggle back up the incline through 6 and 7km. I reckon if either one of us would have mentioned the idea of a '30 second' walk - we'd have both taken the chance and struggled to get started again! But thankfully we kept going.

The 8km marker seemed to take ages to appear but then it was all down hill to the Opera House and we put a bit of a sprint on to finish the last km in about 4 minutes for a total time on my watch of 47:48. So we were stoked about that.

Based on the euphoria of that good run, we've set our goal on the SMH Half Marathon in May next year.

I started on the long road to that event this morning by having an Easy run of 7km, but I have to work on slowing down a bit as I finished in 37:44 which was about 30 seconds per km faster than I should be doing. Naughty, naughty.

Perhaps some new shoes will add to this new found enthusiasm... The warmer mornings help as well!

I am Crap...

I haven't done any running at all since City to Surf!

There were some excuses - like recovery from the run and the cold I had, but now I'm just out of the habit! Oh, and I guess there is the small matter of torential rain that Sydney has been experiencing lately.

I intend to do the 9km Bridge Run this Sunday, so that may remind me how I enjoy running.

Until next week...

City to Surf Wrap Up...

Having felt crap for the last couple of weeks and losing my voice in the last few days before the big day, I was pleased to finish the race at all.

But to finish in 1:23:41 (on my watch) was excellent - especially as I ran the whole way with a good mate of mine.

KM splits were:

1st km 6:21 0:06:21
2nd km 6:18 0:12:39
3rd km 6:18 0:18:57
4th km 6:06 0:25:03
5th km 5:41 0:30:44
6th km 6:09 0:36:52
7th km 6:35 0:43:28
8th km 5:54 0:49:22
9th km 5:25 0:54:47
10th km 6:17 1:01:04
11th km 6:05 1:07:10
12th km 5:27 1:12:36
13th km 5:21 1:17:57
14th km 5:44 1:23:41

It was a very hot day (by Sydney winter standards) so I had a big problem with staying hydrated. It was apparently a record field too so that made it difficult to get close to the drink stations. I ducked into my company tent for a bite to eat and some more fluids afterwards, but didn't hang around too long.

I didn't bother with the bus queue - preferring to walk back up Bondi Road to the train station.

Another good day. I really enjoy this event and will definitely be back next year - assuming no injuries etc.

Maybe I'll aim to beat my PB set in 1991 of 1:11:48!

Final Training Run, Now Rest...

As it turned out, Sunday's run will be the last training run I do before City to Surf.

I've been hit with a cold. And I've lost my voice. So I'll be dosing up on Cold & Flu tablets and throat lozenges for the next week. No running, just rest and recuperation.

Thankfully, Sunday was a good run. I planned on running for an hour at about 6:20 pace. A nice steady paced run. As it turned out, I felt stronger the further I ran. It must have been the freshly home baked apple and carrot muffin I stuffed down about half an hour before I headed out!

I think I needed to run at a decent pace to get my head straight for next week. It's fine training at 6:00 - 6:20 pace, but as I hope to run further and faster than any training run I've managed so far - that's where I needed a run like I finished.

So 10.93km in 1:00:16 at 5:30 pace. I felt strong even as I finished, but I'd promised to only run for an hour so I could get back and help with some chores. So I'd be confident to run at a similar pace for the full 14km next week. Perhaps the adrenaline may spur me onto something even faster!

Back to the Hill...

Another hill session this morning.

A 1 km warm up in 6:09, then seven repetitions again, this time 'ups' averaged 1:17, 'downs' averaged 2:14. So a bit quicker on the 'ups' today. A 1.59km run home in 8:17 at 5:13/km pace.

It's still very cold and a real struggle to get out of bed. I'll do a long run on Sunday, then ease down next week to rest the old body before City to Surf next Sunday.

I think I'll deserve a bit of a rest after that, so hopefully that'll give the weather some time to warm up!

More Hill Reps...

That was a real struggle to get out of bed this morning.

The alarm went off and my first thought was to reset it and go back to sleep, my second thought was guilt, my third thought was that whether I went out or not wouldn't make any difference to my City to Surf performance, my fourth thought was guilt (again), at which point I stopped thinking and got out of bed!

I headed to the same hill that I did last week. I was a bit slower this time but I did manage one more rep. I tried to concentrate on good breathing, falling up hill and being pulled up hill.

I had a 1km warm-up in 6:39, then seven 'ups' averaged 1:26, 'downs' averaged 2:11. A 1.82km run home in 10:54 at about 6:00/km to finish off.

No problems with the left hamstring... yet.

Disappointing...

Yep, disappointing that I haven't been out for a run since Friday. With City to Surf less than 2 weeks away, I really need to take every opportunity.

I do have a bit of a niggle in my left hamstring. I'm not sure if that's something to do with the hill reps on Friday or whether it was some innocuous event over the weekend (nothing too strenuous but plenty of bending and stretching whilst stripping paint off a screen door).

I didn't think it would prevent me going out this morning, but the temperature did! I just reset the alarm and went back to sleep.

Maybe I need to try lunchtime runs while the weather is still so cold...

Hill Reps...

I had a bit more time yesterday morning as I had a later start in the City. So I thought I'd make an effort to try some hill reps.

I identified a long hill which increases in gradient closer to the top. It turned out it was about 250m. My results were: 1km warm-up in 6:14, then 6 reps of 1:22 uphill with 2:00 walk downhill, and then 2.04km in 11:28 to finish. Total of 5.74 km in 37:45.

I can certainly feel some sore muscles today, which I don't normally experience - so that must be good, right?

I need to do a few more of these sessions in the next 2 weeks to prepare as much as I can for City to Surf.

Running in the Rain...

It wasn't too cold this morning, but shortly after I set out - it started to rain. Not too heavy, but it still took some effort not to turn back and head home. So an achievement that I did finish the intended run.

Which was : 7.25km in 40:32 at 5:35/km pace.

I still find it difficult to stick to the 6:00/km pace as prescribed by my training plan for an Easy run. Surely it should be as easy as... just slow down, but it feels bio-mechanically odd to run so slow.

Maybe with a bit of consistent training over the spring months I can improve my fitness and speed so that an Easy run pace will be 5:30/km. That'd put my Half Marathon target time back to what I did in 1994 - sub 1:40!

Anyway, what I was also pleased about was that I kept the pace up on the final stretch up a long hill. Not quite Heartbreak Hill proportions, but every bit of training helps.

My number came through for City to Surf today... 19023.

1 Year On...

I just checked my Blog from 19th July 2005.

Coincidentally, I ran the same route this morning as I did on that day a year ago.

Last year I used Google Earth to estimate 7.32km in 38:00 so that's 5:11/km pace. This year my Imaginary Friend reported 7.10km in 37:03 at 5:13/km pace.

So the only significant difference that the year has made is that now I have my Imaginary Friend!

I'd planned to run this years' City to Surf with two friends from Singapore. So rather than enter into Group A based on my sub 100 minute finish last year, I entered into Group B so that we could run together.

I should have known better. They just advised me that work commitments will prevent them coming over. So I've given up my Group A opportunity for nothing!

It probably won't make too much difference. Starting from Group B last year gave me a good chance to run from the gun at my own pace. It was just at drink stations that it got a bit congested. Perhaps an advanced start may have eased that situation slightly.

Oh well, I should be able to beat 100 minutes again this year (despite my disrupted training) so I'll look forward to joining Group A next year.

4 Weeks to Go...

I've got a couple more runs in since I last blogged.

On Friday I did an Easy paced 6.36km in 35:54 at 5:38/km. That's even a bit faster than my prescribed pace of 6:00/km. But it felt easy enough!

Then I went for a longer run on Sunday, finishing 10.42km in 1 hour at 5:45/km pace. Again, it's a bit faster than I need to go but I just kept to a comfortable pace.

The weather has been a bit warmer in the mornings - probably due to the overnight cloud cover. Thankfully it hasn't been too wet as a result either.

It's about time I got a few of those different sessions in (hills / speed etc) to make the most of these last few weeks.

I keep seeing the entry form at home for the Half Marathon. I should probably give that a go again this year. But I just don't think I've got enough training in to improve on my time from last year. Maybe I'm missing the point...?

One Week On...

Now that the World Cup is completely over, I can get my life back to normal and start running consistently again.

It was a week since my last run - so plenty of time for my body to rest, ha ha! I set out on my usual 6+km route with no particular strategy in mind - apart from just to get round. Thankfully I was successful at that and managed a fairly quick time (for me) - although I was completely knackered afterwards. 6.28km in 33:02 at 5:15/km pace.

I need to continue for the next 4 weeks and 5 days, for that is all that's left until City to Surf (gulp)! Perhaps some good quality hill sessions as well as some long weekend runs would be in order.

I think given the disruption this year to my training, I should be happy with a time under 80 minutes.

Back to Reality...

The fantasy was obviously thinking that England had any chance of winning the World Cup!

What a disappointment. Even the matches they won / drew weren't exactly high class opposition.

So now that's all over, I can get back to running.

I got out this morning with no great ambition, bearing in mind it was almost 3 weeks since I'd last run.

I thought 6km would be OK. But what I didn't anticipate was how quickly last nights dinner would have worked its way through my system... at the most inconvenient location... public toilets were locked, so I had to make use of another council facility - an isolated spot in the council offices car park. That'll teach them!

So I only made about 5km. And now I'm aching a bit. It could be the shock to the unused muscles or it could be more seriously due to the drizzly rain giving me a chill. Nothing too serious I hope!

It's less than 6 weeks to go until City to Surf, so I better make a final push and get in some quality sessions if I have any chance of a successful finish.

Missed Opportunities...

You could think that the title refers to England's performance so far in the World Cup. Lot's of missed opportunities, but thankfully 2 wins from 2 matches. The game against Sweden should be the biggest test and a good performance should set them up for the knock-out phase.

But actually the title refers to a run that I did last Friday but missed noting here, as well as lots of days in between where I just missed running.

Last Friday's effort was 7.4km in 39:50 at a fairly quick pace of 5:23/km.

Then there's been a week of disrupted sleep due to trying to catch the World Cup games and some very cold mornings which didn't help either.

However, this morning I was out running at 4am! I had an early night last night so that I could wake up at 2am to watch England v Trinidad & Tobago. After the match, I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep to make it worthwhile bearing in mind I'd need to be up at 6.30 to go to work. So I went for a run.

It's amazing how little life there is on the streets at that time in the morning. I'm not just talking about local streets around where I live. I'm talking about being able to run down the middle of a major road heading to and from the City which is usually chock-a-block with vehicles.

Another first - this morning I knew that I wasn't tight for time, so I headed out on a 10km route, which I finished (10.41km) in 1:02:46 at 6:02/km pace.

Even though I was wearing a hat - my ears were painfully cold. I'm looking forward to the days warming up...

Hopefully I can get a run in whenever I get a chance. Perhaps another 4am start on Monday morning after the Brazil v Australia game!

Tempo Run...

I took note of my Training Programme for the first time in a long time this morning. I saw a Tempo run described. 4 x 1.5km at 5:00/km with 2 minute recovery jogs in between.

Well I almost made it! I actually completed three repeats instead of four. I think I was making too fast a pace. I tried to keep an eye on where my Imaginary Friend was, but I don't think I was very consistent.

So 6.32km completed in 32:36 was good enough for a first try. My legs do feel as if they've worked harder than usual. So that should be a good thing.

I'll try and vary these 'harder' mid-week runs in future and hopefully my stamina and fitness will improve. I also have "Max O2", "Speed" and "Yasso" on the list.

I just looked back on where I was this time last year. Clearly I had no clue what I was doing! The distances I was estimating were a bit optimistic - now that I've got my Imaginary Friend to give his expert opinion. So hopefully, if I can keep going with the current plan, I should be on course to beat last year's City to Surf time.

Getting Carried Away...

I almost binned the idea of a run on Sunday. I was tired, it was cold and there was easy Sunday afternoon TV.

But I did make an attempt, with an intention to do the minimum possible, just to put a tick in the box.

As it turned out, I felt really good as I got into the run. I ended up with 8.98km in 51:18 at 5:42/km pace. I felt strong for the whole run. I was able to kick on up the hills and really put some pace on down hills. Strange though - I thought I'd completed a round 9km according to my Imaginary Friend.

It should have been a Longer, Slower, Distance run but that pace was faster than my Easy runs. So I better make sure I get some good rest before heading out again tomorrow.

I also need to take more care of my hydration. Even though it's cold here, I still must lose a fair amount of sweat on those longer runs. I woke up with a bit of a sore head this morning. Seems like a no-alcohol hangover! What a waste!

No More Excuses...

Our HR department at work have recently organised for some of us to take part in the Energy4Life programme.

Basically they assess your body age (as opposed to birth age) taking into account things like blood pressure, cholesterol, fitness, nutrition and lifestyle. They then put you on a 12 week programme and assess your body age again. Obviously the intention is to show a marked improvement based on more exercise, better nutrition etc.

My initial assessment identified my body age as 37 - which I'm fairly pleased with since I am in fact 39! There was no surprises. The assessment identified that whilst I have a reasonable fitness level, my lung capacity is poor. I also need to eat more plant food and fish.

So I certainly realise that one way to improve my lung capacity is with continued aerobic fitness (breath deeper).

Also, it's only 10 weeks this weekend to City to Surf.

So I thought I'd better make sure that over the next 10 to 12 weeks, I get stuck into the fitness and hope that the good habits can be continued.

I figured I'd better address all the little excuses I've had recently for missing training. The main one that I can actually do something about is to get my left heel pain sorted (there's not much I can do about the cold weather).

I went to see a Sports Physician. He advised me that I've bruised my Achilles tendon where it joins the heel bone. The solution is to wear an orthotic insert in my shoes to take some tension out of my Achilles tendon while it heals. No need to stop running - we've caught the problem early.

So, I need to search around for this particular product (Tuli's Heel Cup).

I did get out for a run this morning too. 7.43km in 43:02 at 5:47/km. It does feel good, and with all these little incentives, I'm confident that there'll be more achieved sessions than missed sessions in future!

Start, Stop, Brrr....

I thought I was back into a good routine with the running, but the cold weather as well as a cold I've picked up is hampering progress.

I did get out on Sunday for a good run. 10.82km in 1:07:05 at 6:11/km pace was very pleasing. An undulating route run at a fairly steady pace for over an hour.

I was then intending to go out again this morning, but I thought I'd better give myself chance to recover from this cold. Pity the cold weather is unlikely to disappear so quickly!

I noticed that the entries for City to Surf will open this weekend.

A Welcome Distraction...

Two runs to report on.

I managed to slot in a slightly longer run than usual on Sunday.

It was another busy weekend. We'd headed over to the beach for lunch. Lian was captured on video peddling her tricycle. She usually comes out with an annoying: "push me daddy, push me" - but the promise of an ice cream somehow miraculously got her legs pumping those little pedals!

Then I had to fit a new floodlight. After all the recent effort to get the pool back to a clear blue colour, I thought it was worthwhile fixing the floodlight so that we can see it even when it's dark!

Then I got out for a run. I intended to do 10km in about an hour, but it would appear that fish and chips is not in fact a lunch of champions! So I settled for 8.26km in 51:15 at a pace of 6:12/km. So that was OK.

This morning I woke up at 4:00am. There were a few things on my mind which I knew wouldn't allow me to go back to sleep. So I got up at about 4:30, had a slice of bread and honey with some water, checked a few things on the internet (allowing for the bread to make it to my stomach), then headed out.

It was actually a great opportunity to mull over those things on my mind, and in fact within a few km I'd sorted out my conclusion. 7.67km later - in 44:37 at 5:47/km pace, with an uphill finish, I was happy!

Another run planned on Thursday, then a longer run on Sunday - I hope!

Bad Day = Good Run...

Yesterday was a bad day in the office. Having to deal with dick-heads brings out a degree of frustration in me!

So having missed yesterday as a running day (I felt pretty dead at 5:45am when the alarm went off, so I reset it for 6:45am in time for work) I was determined to get out this morning.

No problems getting the bed off my back today! I headed up the hill with no real plan, but kind of assumed I'd cover about 6km at about 6:00/km pace. I didn't take too much notice of my watch, but this mornings run turned into a good way to unload the frustration from yesterday.

I pushed on a fairly fast pace (for me!). Ended up finishing 6.09km in 33:08 at 5:25/km pace. Nothing fantastic and I did feel knackered by the end of the run, but good to have a) got out for a run; b) kept a fairly even pace; and c) ended with no soreness, strains etc.

Must get a longer run in at the weekend.

Can Only Get Better...

I'll have to put last week down as a rest week in preparation for a big step up (hopefully).

I think I only ran on Tuesday. I was just too tired yesterday to get out and up to Brisbane twice during the week took it's toll too.

But I did feel good about getting up and out this morning - especially as it was miserable drizzly weather.

So 6.07km in 34:54 at 5:44/km pace was a pleasing result. Hopefully I can have a couple more runs like that before a longer effort next weekend. Then I should start introducing some harder sessions.

I can probably predict a bit of disruption to training during the World Cup. A few late nights / early mornings should see me exhausted for most of those 4 weeks.

What Running...

No running since Tuesday, which is frustrating as I had a feeling I was starting to get into the groove again.

I was on a course on Wednesday and Thursday which had an early start and then I was in Brisbane on Friday. So I'm sitting here today picking a good time this weekend to get out.

Hopefully something to report on Monday morning...

14 Weeks to go...

...until City to Surf.

I did a longer run on Sunday - 10.09km in 1:05:10 @ 6:25/km pace. As usual, I went out a bit quicker than I should have done, then paid for it in the last couple of km... dropping down to over 7:00/km by the end. But good to have run 10km and good to have run for more than an hour - some psychological achievements there! I must concentrate on keeping an even pace next time.

I was in Brisbane yesterday, so a 4.30am start just to get to the airport, so thankful it was a rest day from running.

I got out for a run this morning. I usually easily fall into an Easy run pace (about 6:00/km). About 6km is the typical distance. This morning, I just ran without worrying about the watch too much. I ended up finishing 6km in 33:17 - so that's 5:33/km pace. That felt pretty good!

So I'm feeling like I've slotted back into the running groove fairly well. I'll brush the dust off all my good ideas for training routines from last year - and actually put them into practice!

3 out of 3 This Week...

Another run this morning, with the weather getting colder.

According to my Imaginary Friend, we did 5.89km in about 35 minutes. But when I uploaded the result to MotionBased, it reported 6.22km in 35:02.

I think I'll go with my Imaginary Friend. It felt like a much more comfortable rate than 5:38/km - which a distance of 6.22km would have required.

Not too bad a reaction from my heel. I'm still popping the anti-inflammatory tablets!

I might try for a longer run on Sunday, if I get time in the morning. We're meeting friends in the afternoon so no chance then.

So far so good...

Another... ouch!... Day... ouch!... Another... ouch!... 6km...

I just got up to walk around the office and my left heel is killing me! Not sure if it's bruised or strained. Either way, I've popped a couple of anti-inflammatory tablets and I'll continue to do so until the pack runs out or the pain disappears. Hopefully that'll be before Friday morning when I'd intended to run again.

I uploaded my runs from Monday and this morning and I can see that Monday's run was 5.43km in 31:17 at 5:45/km pace. That was fairly comfortable and I'd be happy to keep those Easy sessions around the 6:00/km pace.

But this mornings results were a bit skewed by the GPS signal dropping out occasionally. The data told me I'd done 6.73km in 34:40 at 5:05/km pace. I doubt I went out that fast. I think the pace was similar to Monday.

I'm a bit puzzled by the GPS signal drop out because the route I took was the same as usual and I've never had drop outs before. The differences were that a) I 'updated' my Forerunner firmware (actually I already had the latest version but I wanted to check out the Webupdater) and b) I stretched out (when the signal seems to lock on) in a different place, so I wonder if I locked onto a different satellite and that became blocked more easily than the usual?

Anyway, I got the timing a bit better than Monday. I had to rise at 5:45 which was a bit of a struggle, but I'm sure I can get into the habit. I then got a chance to cool down while eating breakfast and uploading my Forerunner to MotionBased.

Hopefully my heel settles down in the next couple of days.

Here We Go Again...

Well there you go... I'm officially running again!

It took a bit of effort to sort myself out to get out there - I was frantically searching for my Imaginary Friend last night. Isn't it weird how we put things in the strangest places for safe keeping? Shoes, socks, long sleeved top, shorts, hat(!) - all arranged for easy access.

I set the alarm for 6:00 this morning and was out the door before I got a chance to argue! I set out to do 5km at an easy pace. Back to a familiar route: walked up the hill to warm up, bit of a stretch, had a brief chat with my Imaginary Friend to work out the plan and set off at 6:00/km pace.

No real dramas - in fact I was a little ahead of schedule. I think I finished at about 5:50/km pace, but I didn't have time to check the results after I finished. I'll have to get up a bit earlier in future if I want to be a bit more organised. It was 7:10 by the time I'd showered and changed, so I had to head out the door without breakfast (or cooling down). By the time I got to the station, grabbed some breakfast and got on the train - I was still sweating. Not pleasant for my fellow passengers!

So in future the plan will have to be to get up earlier and allow time to cool down while having breakfast and uploading my results from my Imaginary Friend to the computer.

On that subject. I thought about putting my current Imaginary friend on eBay and upgrading to the new model! I wonder if they're available in Australia yet?
Anyway, we're off. Only 15 weeks to go until City to Surf...

Welcome back!

One Week To Go...

One week from today I should be blogging about a successful return to running. That's still the plan - and I'm confident I'll succeed.

One concern is that, since I was in Blackwater I've felt a niggling pain in my left heel. I thought it was something to do with my running shoes, but since I haven't worn them for a few weeks and the pain is still there - perhaps it's something a bit more serious. I'll just have to see how I go.

So until next week...

The Plan...2006!

OK, OK, enough abuse.

I have a plan. It may be easy for some just to wake up one morning, pull on the runners and get going. For me, it needs a bit more thought...

1st of May is my target to start running again. That'll give me time to finish off a couple of exhausting jobs I have around the house (laying pavers) and for my parents to head off back to UK.

That'll give me 15 weeks until City to Surf 2006. With a bit more idea about a structured training programme and my Imaginary Friend to help me along, I should be able to improve on last years' time of 1:16:34.

So I should be looking forward to some cold dark mornings over the next 3 months!

A New Beginning...

So today has been my first day in my new job. And the first Blog for sometime...

But nothing to report on the exercise front. Still waiting for some stability in my routine in order to get back into that.

I've inadvertently proved that one of my original intentions in starting this Blog has failed. I believe I had the idea that if I publish my training notes - then when I start to waiver on the achievement of my goals - I would receive abuse and encouragement from my ex-training partners.

Well, where are you now?

So it looks like I'll just have to press on myself.

Anyway, the new job is based in the city so it's a bit more of a trek to get here than my old location. I'm relying on public transport and that's so far proved to be not too reliable (is 1h20 usual and/or acceptable for a 40 minute timetabled journey? I think not).

So until I figure out what time I need to leave to get here by an acceptable hour - I'm unlikely to restart the exercise campaign.

Excuses, excuses...

Dust Settling...

So I'm now finished in Blackwater. Yeah!

It's great to be home every night now but I've got to relearn how to pay attention to the girls. I got into the habit in Blackwater of being very lazy in the evenings.

I got back into the office in Pymble on Monday 30th January, but from Tuesday 31st till now I've been spending a lot of time on another problem project which is 1.5 hours drive South West of Sydney. So I don't feel settled back into a routine quite yet - which has prolonged the disruption to any running which I should be doing. It's also kept me away from the internet, which is another reason why I haven't Blogged for a while.

It also made it difficult to find time to speak to my boss... to hand in my resignation! But I finally did that last Friday 10th February. I suppose it was a compliment that they tried to persuade me to stay - but I explained the reasons behind the decision and thankfully they were able to understand and reluctantly accept the decision.

Basically I told them that I felt that my own growth had been stunted for the last 18 months since I've been trying to bring the projects up to a level of management which I'm familiar with. It's accepted that that situation would continue for some considerable time since there's still a long way to go until the company reach an acceptable level. Therefore I wouldn't be learning new skills in the direction that I want to go with my career. Whilst I accepted that there's always something to learn from any situation - I didn't feel that the available lessons were enough to challenge me.

So a bit selfish I guess, but it is my career, my security and my happiness.

So I start with the new company on 20th March. It turns out that my old boss from my current company will be my new boss with the new company. So that'll make the transition a lot easier. There are a few more familiar faces there too! Kind of like a takeover by stealth!

Who knows, it may well be that the same problems I faced here will be present there too. But I've been able to leave this organisation without burning any bridges and they've said if things don't work out - just give them a call! So that's as best a parting as I could have hoped for.

I'm sure it'll take a few months for things to settle down with that job. I'm supposed to be in head office for a while (in Pyrmont) before heading off to a project on site (in Manly). So I'll just have to be patient until life settles down to allow me to start doing things that I want to do - like running and relaxing at home.

My parents are staying with us at the moment too. They arrived at the beginning of February and they'll be here until end April. So plenty of opportunity for them to spend time with Lian - there only grand-daughter!

I hope to update this more regularly in future!

Blackwater, Rotation 10 of 10, Day 6 of 11...

That means only 3 more days here in Blackwater. Then I'll be heading back to Sydney to start back in Pymble office on Monday 30th - at least for the time being...

I'm still considering whether to jump ship and accept another offer that I've had. Lots of things to consider and I hate making these kind of decisions. Either way, I'll be in Sydney!

No exercise to report. And I'm not sure if I'll do much in the next 3 days either. I'm just looking forward to getting back home.

My mum & dad arrive early February for 3 months (gulp!) and my sister for the first week too, so we'll no doubt be busy with them for a while.

No more working on Sundays...

Blackwater, Rotation 9 of 10, Day 10 of 11...

Only 11 more working days to go in Blackwater! I'll be home this weekend then back here for one more rotation before finally departing with a smile on my face on 25th January!

It's been an experience! There have been some good lessons learnt from a work point of view and I've met some great people - some of whom I hope will remain long term friends, but I hope I never have to go through this again!

Anyway, I got out last night for another run. I was a bit more realistic in our plan when talking to my Imaginary Friend. We set out to do 6km at 6:10/km pace. We finished 6.04km in 36:48 at 6:05/km pace.

I was conscious to drink water regularly, but I only took one bottle and I probably needed more. Because I struggled to rehydrate again and ended up with a bit of a hangover type headache again.

But I feel good today. I'm looking forward to getting back home and getting back into a regular programme.

The question that remains is: where will I be working? Will it be back in my current company's head office in Pymble or will it be working in the Public Service in the City or for another Contractor on site in Manly? I really don't know the answer or even where my preference lies. Hopefully I'll have time to consider the options over the next couple of weeks.

Maybe another run tonight...?

Imaginary Friend = Johnny No Mates...

My Imaginary Friend took me out for a run last night. 6km at 6:00/km pace he said. I thought it was a bit ambitious given the lack of activity since before Christmas, as well as all the usual over-eating and over-drinking.

But obviously my Imaginary Friend has no mates to eat or drink with as he hasn't lost any of his previous fitness. No problem for him to keep the 6:00/km pace - but I really struggled, particularly after the first 2km.

I ended up binning it after 5km. I completed 5.16km in 31:51 at 6:10/km pace. Never the less, I was pleased to get out for a run.

It was still very warm, even at 6pm in the evening, so even though I took a bottle of water with me - the sweat lost was probably not replaced. I tried to re-hydrate after the run too, but still ended up with a bit of a hangover type headache this morning.

On another subject, I have an audience with my boss today to talk about my future role. So we'll see whether he can convince me that there is something worth sticking around for.

Happy New Year 2006

27 days since my last Blog. A record!

So there should be lots to update right?

Well there has been absolutely no exercise in that time - unless you can call splashing around in the pool with Lian - exercise. I am back in Blackwater now for the final 4 weeks - and I have brought my running gear back with me, so hopefully I can slowly get back into some sort of regular activity. Then once I get back home to Sydney - I can hopefully commit to some goals for 2006.

I've had almost 3 weeks off work - which has been excellent. Plenty of time spent with my girls, a bit of time to consider where I'm going workwise this year (I've already said too much about this so I won't put anything more in writing until there's anything confirmed), and generally enjoying the festive season.

Christmas Day was a huge feast - with traditional ham and turkey, beer and wine. Lian was much more aware this year of what it's all about - paying a bit more attention to the content of presents rather than the wrapping paper.

We had our 7th Wedding Anniversary on the 29th December. It didn't take anything too special to celebrate - just spending the day together (with Lian at my in-laws) was a big enough treat.

New Years Eve was spent at home, with a BBQ dinner with friends, then watching the fireworks on TV.

A couple of excellent BBQ sessions and eating out with friends filled in the days between.

We've also arranged for air-conditioning to be installed at home - which is maybe a month too late considering that we've just experienced some of the hottest days on record - but I expect there'll be some more hot days to come, and we did get a good price having waited for the post Christmas / New Year sales.

My parents arrive early February - for 3 months. So that'll be excellent. Plenty of quality time for Lian and her Grandparents. I'll have to think of a few jobs for my dad to get stuck into around the house so that he doesn't get bored!

So that's about it. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and wish you all well for 2006.

Blackwater, Rotation 7 of 10, Day 4 of 11...

Not a lot happening to blog about.

I haven't run since November 30th - when I did 7.06km in 41:51 at 5:55/km pace. I think I forgot to note that one here. I don't remember much about it, but the figures look like it was another Easy run.

I'm fighting off another cold. Must be the dodgy air-conditioning here on site or back in my room at the camp. So no chance to run recently. Hopefully I can shake it off before the Christmas break. I fly out of here next Thursday (15th).

It's getting very hot up here during the day, and stays hot until the sun goes down, except for when there's a tropical rainstorm. They are intense!

I'm still trying to finish here by Christmas, but everyone else is dragging their heels on making the decision - so I'll probably have to come back in January.

I just want to get back home now. Get back into normal home life with the girls. And start my new role back in the Sydney office. I have my doubts as to whether it's going to challenge and interest me - but I think I should give it a go for a few months and then make a decision.

I had a mad idea to do some press-ups in my room last night. I think watching The Shawshank Redemption on cable TV last night made me think like I was in prison - and what else to do in prison but... press-ups, chin-ups. Feeling a bit sore across the chest today. I'll see whether that routine continues.

Blackwater, Rotation 6 of 10, Day 9 of 11...

Still expecting 10 rotations here - i.e. until end January, but I'm still playing the game by telling everyone there's no need for me to be here beyond Christmas - as long as we all commit to that, which is unlikely!

Anyway, still trying to get a run in whenever I can. Last night was successful with 7.05km in 42:02 at 5:57/km pace. A very even pace with no aches and pains and a good cool down at the end.

I think at best all I'm doing is maintaining whatever fitness I had before I came to Blackwater, rather than actually improving. But I guess I have to be thankful of just that.

I have some doubts over my ability to keep up the exercise over Christmas. But I think I will be kept active by all the jobs I've avoided around the house for the last 3 months.

This weekend we have a good task - putting up the Christmas tree, and a bad task - writing Christmas cards for overseas! I always start with a good intention to write an individual message in each card, but after 2 or 3 cards they're lucky to get a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year".

Blackwater, Rotation 6 of 10, Day 6 of 11...

I went for a run yesterday out of boredom rather than any positive reason. So I probably wasn't in the right frame of mind to do anything too exceptional.

And that was certainly the result. Whilst I did complete 6.04km in 36:00 at 5:56/km pace, that included about 400m of walking at about the 4.5km mark - something I haven't had to do for a long time.

I'd intended to do 8km at 6:00/km pace, so obviously I started out too quickly as my overall pace was about right despite the walking.

So a pretty disappointing run really. I'll see how my enthusiasm level is before deciding whether to go for a run after work today.

Blackwater, Rotation 6 of 10, Day 4 of 11...

Last night was 11 days since my previous run! My mind is still keen to run, but at the end of a long day on site, my body generally can't be bothered.

But yesterday - I needed to do something to reset the frustration meter! Life here is bad enough without having to deal with arseholes.

Anyway, 7.47km in 43:47 at 5:50/km pace was an excellent way to unwind and remind my body what exercise is. Whilst I was running with my Imaginary Friend, I didn't pay too much attention to where he was. Although he does advise me when we complete each km so that's when I have a drink.

I saw the date for the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon was announced for 21st May 2006. This will probably be the next event that I run. So I should really think about setting a target time for that and make sure I commit to a training programme to achieve that goal.

If I publish 1:45 now - is that a commitment? I guess so.

8km Easy, Tropical Rainstorm...

I almost forgot about going for a run yesterday. After Saturday's effort just to get out for a run - my mind must have thought that that was enough for a few days. Then there was the distraction of watching the cricket on TV (England in Pakistan).

But as I looked at my watch at about 5.45pm, thinking "mmm, I'm getting hungry" - I suddenly decided to get the gear on and go out for a run.

I almost turned around and went back, because it was just starting to rain as I stepped out of the door. I looked at the sky and saw that it was likely to develop into a late afternoon tropical rainstorm.

My Imaginary Friend wasn't fussed. He just set off at his metronomic 6:00/km pace, calling out "see you in 8km".

So I pressed on. And the rain increased, and the wind, and then it started to hail - those little tiny hailstones that feel like pins as they hit your skin. It was hard going as the wind and rain / hail was fierce, but I just pulled down my cap and kept to the easy pace - didn't get too stressed and thankfully avoided increasing the speed to try to get it over and done with.

When I turned with my back to the weather, it became much easier - although by that stage I was drenched and couldn't avoid the puddles, so it was like running with an extra 5 kg (probably good training).

After about 4km, I had thoughts of binning it after 6km and had to battle with my mind to keep going. I was pleased to finish the full 8km in 46:35 - that's 5:46/km pace - so a little faster than intended, but it felt comfortable.

So even with just 2 consecutive days of running, I feel like I'm back into the routine. I plan to get out at least 3 evenings this week, just keeping to the easy paced schedule.

Not quite Easy, not quite Long...

An Easy run for me should be at 6:00/km pace and a Long run should be 10 to 20km. At least that's according to my Runners World - Training Pace Calculator.

So 9.76km last night was a bit short to be Long and the pace of 6:10/km was a bit slow to be Easy.

But who cares? At the moment, I'm just happy to be able to get out for the exercise.

I'd actually talked to my Imaginary Friend and agreed to just run for 1 hour at a comfortable pace (we chose 6:10/km). So we did achieve our target, and crossed the line together for a change. I did get away from him for a while and he caught up and passed me too. Then he really played dirty and didn't wait for me when I had to stop to tie my shoelace. But I managed to catch him up again.

I think I've realised the source of my heel soreness. My shoes seem to press in that area. I made a point of stretching my heels out before I set off, and in doing so I felt that soreness as the shoe pressed against my heel. So perhaps a new pair of shoes from Santa...?

Blackwater, Rotation 5 of 10, Day 5 of 11...

Very poor effort. 11 days since my last entry and therefore 12 days since my last run.

But there was a 4 day weekend on the Gold Coast with the girls within that period, which was excellent. We did however confirm that whilst Lian loves to watch The Wiggles on TV, she is too scared to approach the characters 'in real life' (well you know what I mean). It's the same with Santa. Last year she refused to go and sit on Santa's knee in David Jones. Probably a good defence mechanism against weirdos!

Anyway, an excellent weekend. But it did remind me of the fact that I am desperate to get out of here and return to life in Sydney. Notice I'm keeping the ... of 10 rotations in the title, as I'm more than likely to be here until the end of January.

So, back to running. I do intend to get out this evening and tomorrow as well. It's getting very hot up here, so I'll have to leave it as late in the day as possible. I'll still stick to the easy paced runs - just to work on the base fitness. Hopefully if I can maintain some level of fitness then when I return to Sydney, I can get back into a regular routine and set some goals for 2006.

Blackwater, Rotation 4 of 10, Day 8 of 11...

Well there's a chance that it'll only be 7 rotations now. I'm hoping for a finish here by Christmas! But we shall see...

I'm still getting a run in when I can. I missed my intended run on Sunday - still a bit under the weather with the cold.

But I did get out last night. I spent a bit more time warming up and stretching out my heel and ankle areas, and that seemed to pay off. No pain in the left heel at all. Although it is still sore when I push my finger into it.

I explored a few new streets but ended up running into dead ends, which slowed me down a bit while I tried to work out where to go. But still I finished 7.46km in 45:06 at 6:00/km pace.

I was struggling a bit toward the end. I was trying to pick up the pace a bit to make up for the time lost in finding my way. I probably should have kept it steady and run for longer. Now that I know where I'm going around there I can make that a longer, slower run at some time.

Blackwater, Rotation 4 of 10, Day 6 of 11...

Mmmm, a bit of an enforced break from the running these last few days. I'm struggling to shake off a cold so that I'll be fit for next weekend when we're off to the Gold Coast.

So without the running, I realise how boring this place really is! I've avoided the pub, but all that leaves is staying in my room, watching TV or videos that I have on my laptop.

Actually that's not all bad. I'm having a chance to watch Red Dwarf for the first time ever! I remember when it first was on TV in UK (1988) but I rarely saw any TV in those days. I also missed out on Black Adder too!

Anyway, I think I'll have to have a gentle trot this afternoon - otherwise I think I might just go mad! Then I'll settle down to watch the rest of Red Dwarf - Season One.

Blackwater, Rotation 4 of 10, Day 2 of 11...

Back in Blackwater, after a good weekend off with the girls. There was also a list of jobs that needed some attention since I won't be back in Sydney for 1 month (we're going to the Gold Coast for my next weekend off). So I was mowing the lawns and cleaning the pool to hopefully keep those fronts under control for a few weeks.

And back into the running last night too. 7.11km in 41:48 at 5:51/km. I started a bit slow as I was feeling a bit sore and stiff - but once I'd warmed up I felt pretty good. Again I tried to vary the route - but basically it's either clockwise or anti-clockwise with a few minor street variations.

I think I need to be patient and build my base fitness before I get too involved in a more varied programme.

Blackwater, Rotation 3 of 10, Day 11 of 11...

OK, I'm predicting 10 rotations into Blackwater now. That's based on the fact that my parents are coming to stay with us in early February, so I'll have to make sure I'm out of here by the end of January. The Australia Day holiday weekend looks convenient.

I've now got a good idea about what I need to achieve too. And I reckon to make any use of those achievements, they will need to be completed by the end of the next rotation, i.e. 2 weeks time. Then it should be plain sailing through to the end.

In the meantime, another Easy(ish) run last night. I was actually pushed for time since I needed to eat and be out again by 7pm for a colleagues leaving party. So 6.44km in 36:26 at 5:38/km was a bit faster than it should be. My Easy runs should be at 6:00/km! I varied the route by running clockwise this time. Very exciting!!!

I'm heading back to Sydney this afternoon for a bit of quality time with my girls. And no doubt plenty of jobs at home - like cleaning the pool!

A Good Way to Unwind...

A frustrating day at work yesterday. Frequent and lengthy power cuts caused by some attempts and failures to do a switch over or something! So not a lot achieved out of a long list of things to do.

But "bugger it" I thought, I was able to leave work by 6pm (so just a 12 hour day - the 8th in a row!) and got out for a run as soon as I got home. Actually, that should be as soon as I got off the phone from my boss back in Sydney. I was trying hard to ensure that there is a role for me when I finally finish this Blackwater adventure! I think I'm succeeding in this aim.

So 6.35km in 36:58 at 5:48/km pace. I'm starting to get bored of the routes available in and around Blackwater. I'll have to start running in a clockwise direction now!

The problem of being able to see my Imaginary Friend has been solved, but there's still the problem of both of us being able to see where we're going! The roads are a bit rough, there are very few pavements, and the 'nature strip' is fairly cut-up too. So I really have to be careful not to twist an ankle!

But I really enjoyed the run, never-the-less.

I'm happy just to be getting in some Easy runs at the moment. I think this is the best way to build my base fitness. But as the route boredom increases, perhaps I'll need to vary the sessions to add variety.

Wind Sprints...?

Well hardly sprinting, but it was very windy yesterday. A good but tough run.

I managed to avoid the tropical rainstorms. I can just call them tropical since we are just North of the Tropic of Capricorn - in fact I run along the Capricorn Highway! Anyone who checks out the map will see the highway (66) at the South end of the run.

Total distance was 7.05km in 39:00 at an average pace of 5:32/km. So probably a bit too hard for an Easy run but good to keep an even pace never-the-less.

I made a conscious effort to stretch out the left calf / heel afterwards. There is a bit of tenderness there.

I should probably have a rest day today, but there's not much else to do here - even Woolies isn't open on Sunday! And I'm easily diverted during the week, so maybe I should take the opportunity when I can. A real Easy run if anything though (6.00/km pace).

Blackwater, Rotation 3 of 5, Day 5 of 11...

I guess I should probably admit that my titles in this format are a bit pointless, because realistically - there'll be more than 5 rotations! I reckon I'll still be here into next year! Hopefully it'll finish by the end of January as my parents come over from UK in February for a few months!

So another Friday night in Blackwater! Having been for a few beers on Wednesday and Thursday night, I had to work hard on the temptation to go out last night too. A couple of people were having a leaving do too and it was Friday - which would be hard to pass up at the best of times.

But I did give it a miss! I got back home and got out for a run pretty much straight away. I requested my Imaginary Friend to set me a pace of 6:20/km for an hour, and he dutifully obliged.

So 10.07km in 1:02:38 at an average of 6:12/km had me finishing about 200m ahead of my Imaginary Friend. I'm amazed he doesn't get pissed off with me, always trying to beat him like that. We should really run together if that's what we set out to do, right?

I also used the backlight function for the first time (thanks again Louise). It's better than I thought as it lights up at each auto-lap so I could check my pace at each km.

I felt the soreness in the rear of my heel again, but it wears off after a couple of minutes of running. I guess that's either stretching it a bit or the endorphines helping to mask the pain. It doesn't feel too bad at other times so nothing to worry about for now. I'll see how it goes now that I hope to get back into regular training.

I intend to get out for an Easy run this afternoon or evening. Probably won't go out again either. I want to watch Australia v New Zealand in the Rugby League Tri-nations test anyway.

Not much happening at work today - the result of last nights festivities I think!

Dumb...and my Friend's not so Bright either...

So, how long have I had my Imaginary Friend? 10 weeks, I believe. And I've only just figured out how to turn on the backlight! Doh!

Thanks to Louise for that prompt! What's your blog address? I'll see if I can learn anything else.

But I didn't actually get to use that feature last night, since I was diverted to the pub for a few beers! It was potentially a good career move, since one of the guys I was out with is up from our Sydney office, and he filled me in on a lot of background information as to what's going on with the reorganisation.

But I'll definitely be out for a run tonight, with my Imaginary Friend illuminating the way!

Back in Training... in Blackwater...

Finally, all of the obstacles have been removed.

Actually the biggest and final obstacle affecting my ability to get out for a run was not having transport and therefore having to rely on some colleagues to get around and therefore fit around their timetable.

Well, now I have wheels! Nothing flash - just a typical site vehicle - Toyota Hilux 4WD.

So last night, I was able to drive home, quickly get changed and head out for a run. I almost didn't take the opportunity because I was a bit late leaving site. It was dark by the time I got back and there are not too many street lights in Blackwater! I was also conscious of finishing, showering and cooling down in time for dinner which finishes at 8.00pm.

So I didn't set too hard a target - and it was just as well. I reckon there's a little bit of fitness been lost in the last few weeks. The previous run I did was 23 days ago - September 18th! That sounded like a "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 23 days since my last run!"

My Imaginary Friend was glad to get out too and see the stars. We had a bit of a chat and decided on 6.00/km pace, and see how far we'd go. I had an idea that 6km would be good.

It was so dark that I couldn't see where my Imaginary Friend was. It was only when I passed under street lights that I could check and adjust my pace. I really have no idea about how fast or slow I run.

So after starting out a bit fast, here were the lap splits:

• 1st km in 5:33
• 2nd km in 5:54 (11:27)
• 3rd km in 6:08 (17:35)
• 4th km in 6:17 (23:52)
• 5th km in 5:56 (29:48)
• 6th km in 6:11 (35:59)

Exactly as intended which is good. And very pleasing to have restarted the running.

I did feel the soreness in my left heel, not on the base but on the rear of the heel. It's been tender for the last few weeks - especially when I press it or when I first put weight on my foot in the morning. I should have given it plenty of rest by now, so perhaps I need to visit the podiatrist.

Hope that doesn't prevent me from carrying on with the training!

I'll have a think about a "hard" session for tonight, although I may just make that a long slow distance.

Blackwater, Rotation 2 of 5, Day 8 of 11...

I finally got a couple of MotionBased screen shots of my Blackwater runs so far.

My enthusiasm for the running is still there, I just need to adjust my schedule to make time.

Should be next week!

No Running, No Blogging...

Life's been a bit disrupted over the last couple of weeks. I've been back and forward to Sydney a few times and I'm due to go back again this weekend - which is excellent!

But it has left me feeling tired and unmotivated to run.

Hopefully that'll change next week. I'll get back into the normal routine of 11 days on and 3 days off. The 11 days on should allow me to get back into my running. I should also be a bit more flexible with my time in the evenings because I will not have to rely on other people to get to the canteen. So I can run as soon as I get back from work - then eat.

We're also planning to utilise the 3 days off better too. Rather than me flying down to Sydney via Brisbane, I should be able to get flights for Shirley and Lian to meet me in Brisbane - then we have the opportunity to see Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, including Wiggles World at Dream World!

So life's not looking too shabby!