10k tempo road race

Fronted up at the Brisbane Road Runners this morning at 6.30 for a 10k hit-out at race pace. I haven't run with this group before, they have a pretty straightforward 5k loop along Riverside Drive & Montague Street.

Tricky to gauge the right pace for these runs. Psychologically you think "ah, its only 10ks, no pressure" - & that can work against you as you don't have the big occasion to push yourself. So fell in at 3.50 pace pretty easily but the field quickly spread. Guys racing the 10k obviously well in front, but unfortunately no-one really around my pace. There was one guy that I started to gain on but he looked like he was going slow & it was frustrating as I realised I had dropped the pace & started hovering around the 4min k pace. I reckon it was my usual trick: you can almost be hypnotised by the runner in front so that you fall into their pace rather than running your own race. As soon as I did get past him (about the 6 k mark, I immediately got back to 3.50 pace) & felt better. Unusual that - running faster felt better - go figure. There was a long gap to the next guy who I was never going to catch so just maintained the same pace to finish in the high 38 min mark.

Here's a photo of me doing it easy at about the 2.5k mark: http://www.pbphotographics.com.au/BRRC/Pages/23_09_2007.html#4

Slowed to get a water & kept running but eased off to 4.30 pace to finish off with another 2 ks. As I was going past the finish I just managed to see the 5k race finish. Andy not that far in font of Matty who was finishing off like a freight train in front of the legendary Ron Peters in a big PB.

Last Friday ran a PCRG speed session from the Story Bridge along the river-walk out towards New Farm. 2x 3mins with 30SR between them; 6 mins back & finish off with 2 reps of the 'Gold Coast' hill (Ivory Street). Felt ok chasing Andy & Damien out, not too far behind them & managed a good run back holding them off from overtaking me.

Aiming for WORLD RECORD in Melbourne

Just realised my Melbourne race for October 7 will turn out to be a new world record for the men's marathon. I will be attracting alot of (unwanted) attention on the big day as I not only break the WR but actually SMASH it by around 40 minutes.

My race tactic is to go out fairly conservatively, clocking up 3.55 min k's & bring it home in, well, hopefully the same pace. Expecting the motorbike cam, helicopter & Pat Carroll "head cam" to start tracking my progress from the half way mark. As word gets out I imagine the rows of spectators will swell as ordinary people try to bask in my reflected glory & say that they too were there on that historic day. As I enter the MCG I can't imagine the roar that will go up from the crowd, even if it is just friends & family - not even Kerryn McCann would've experienced that level of adulation & well, incredulity.



And as I stroll over the line in around 83 minutes wearing my marathon number will the organisers cotton on that I'm actually a HM entrant who has started at the same time as the marathoners?

All strength to the Melb Marathon organisers who are starting the M & the HM at the same time & who refuse to re-issue a M entry with a HM one for contestants like me that have switched races... Roll on Oct 7, you rock!

Surveying his domain

Backed up from Friday night's run with another on Sat morning. 10ks thru' Toohey Forest from the Toohey Road carpark along the ridge track, past the Mt Gravatt campus & to Mt G summit & return. Took it pretty easy with a rest at the top - photo op for T who wasn't in the mood for posing (had to tie him to the railing). About 50 mins.
Sunday long run on the cards. The River Run was on but I decided not to race, would've lost momentum for the Melbourne HM by tapering & missing the long run. Also, I've run that race twice & ended up both times with injuries. Too many sharp turns for me perhaps.

Took T around the Yeronga circuit including obligatory swim, back home to drop him off after 45 mins. It was warm, even tho' I'd started the run at 8am, should've gone earlier. Then off to do the UQ 10k circuit, so probably about 20ks all up in 1hr 40.

Monday - rest. Tues at PCRG & the Premier turns up to run, good on her. (Disappointed to see the security detail but I s'pose that comes with the territory). West End for the predicted 4, 4 & 8. Turned into 1min, 30sec jog session x5 out; 30sec SR then 30/30s back. Good for a change, finished off with 2 quick sprints around the carpark. Bit disappointed with my run, felt a bit flat, just haven't done enough quick stuff recently.

Friday night running blues

Hit the pavement late Friday arvo, leaden sky, rain imminent. Through somnolent streets thick with the aroma of sizzling snags, end of week BBQs, beers with mates or with loved ones. Made me question my own actions - home early from work, not to catch up with my loved one but to pound the asphalt in a disciplined way, training for a greater goal - delayed satisfaction.

Nothing was holding us back, Tenzing leading like Buck from Call of the Wild, dragging me down Venner road. The roles reversed over the Green bridge as I glissaded across, T off the lead happy to fall in behind.

Around the UQ perimeter track, the warm spring air stirring mozzies & midges into action. Walkers & runners enjoying the twilight serenaded by the drone of crickets. Passed a lap dog sporting an Elizabethan collar, youngsters rolling down a grassy embankment, and women cricketers practicing in the nets.

Slowly back through fluro lit suburbs, unkempt nature strips awaiting a weekend blitzkrieg of mowing. Under the crescent moon white bauhinia flowers dimly lit and the slow whoosh of a fruit bat's wing-beats through the languid sausage air.

Double long runs

Saturday did the Yeronga river loop, drawn to the smoke spiralling high above a Sherwood warehouse fire. At one point I could see the flames & there were a multitude of small explosions - I thought for sure it was a fireworks factory on fire. Alot of residents on the street too. Decided to turn for home when ash started descending, just as well, the news said there was asbestos & other hazchem involved. T had a swim in the Brisbane River at the speed boat ramp, dropped him off after 45 mins. Went back out to run some hills. Frederick St has a nice steady 3 minute rise up to Yeronga park so did 3 or 4 reps, finishing up after 66 mins.

Sunday earmarked for my first long run since the Noosa half. T dragging the chain I brought him back after 45. Headed over to Greenslopes for a change & did a loop of the Norman Creek Catchment Group's 'Demonstration Catchment Site' on the Norman Creek adjacent to the hospital on one side & the Pacific motorway on the other. I've been involved with this creek restoration project for a few years now so its always great to see the vegetative growth when you've been away for a while. Looking particularly lush after the recent rain. Large unit development has finally been built & their drainage pipes poke thru' a retaining wall & feed directly onto our site: no remediation or bioretention ponds to cope with stormwater run-off...Ran back the other way following the channellised section of the Norman Creek down to Stones Corner. Back slowly to finish after 90 minutes, about 18 ks.

Tuesday at Pat's was hill reps in the Botanic gardens. Not much of a hill but plenty of reps & Pat using a whistle to indicate running hard whenever he chose. That bloody CD player of his performing at max decibels & minimum power - the batteries always seem to be shot. Always when Fat Boy Slim's "Right here, right now" is on, making it akin to Hal's sequence in 2001 when his power slowly fades away.

Back over the Goodwill Bridge & a cluster of TV crews waiting for Premier-elect Anna Bligh to make her appearance. Funny to see Anna & Milton put in the 10 second burst for the evening news spot on their return to the Ship Inn. So much of what we see with pollies is stage managed to the nth degree.

Shagged

Tenzing in recovery mode after a full day of running & swimming @ Straddie in May. He sported a similar expression on his face on Wednesday morning after our long run. Met up with Matty at 5.30am but only wanted to do around an hour. Headed out on the Riverside Drive for 30 mins, got as far as Caravansarai. Back to the Ship Inn but feeling not too bad decided to push on to the end of the Gardens before returning. It was about 72 mins, 14 or 15 ks.

Today's speed session involved 2 min, 1 min & 30 sec efforts with 30 sec jogs between. Pat's 'cone zone' in force again - you have to go hard even if you are in jog mode. It was good, 'sat' on Matty's shoulder most of the way, flagging towards the end. I really need to do more of this, quick stuff & intervals. Took T up to the school sport's oval to chase & catch the frisbee this evening. The 400m track is pretty muddy from the unseasonal rain, might try & tear it up a bit more in the coming days. The Glasshouse 100 is on this weekend, its sure to be a quagmire...

Pacing the 3k TT

Aching from the 'friendly' game of cricket on Sunday I fronted up this morning to pace Toasty to a sub-11 min TT (time trial). I had the 500m times written on my wrist but as usual missed the first 500m marker. Felt like we were going too fast & eased up a bit to go thru' 1k about 10 secs fast. That was fine, good to have a buffer. Toasty took the lead & we had about 8 secs up our sleeves at half-way. Interesting experience this - running within yourself & observing other runners, distances separating people & how people were struggling running at their max. About 800m to go Toasty started to drop off the pace so I had to start coaxing a big performance & he responded well. We came home in 10.59 even tho' Pat called out 11.

Feeling chuffed I went back out to bring Michelle home in under 13.33. She'd mentioned her "3 successive faster performances" goal in the warm-up. She was looking really wrecked with a minute to go but I was sure she could do it & true to her prediction - 13.25.

Back out of it

A cold hit me again but fortunately not too bad. Took Monday off as my usual rest day but Tues & Wed I rested up. Forced myself out late Thurs arvo & ran a very slow 9k. Felt better after & ran 10k yesterday & 11 today. No fast stuff but did roll my arm over in anticipation of tomorrow morning's game of cricket. Hopefully make Tues's PCRG time-trial but will probably just run a pace session - 11 or 12 minutes.