Second 10k Race Report

Todays race was a 10k Sri Chimnoy event in the Eastern Parklands. It was 5 and 1/2 laps. Quite a small field and I think this was a factor in going out too fast. I new I was going too fast but thought lets just keep this going and see how far I can get. After 3k I was starting to regret this decision but with such a fast start I convinced myself that I should go for a 5k PB and then just see what happens.

As it happened I staggered through 5k in 28min27sec, a minute PB after putting on a little 100m burst. Next came the hard slog of actually making it to the 10k finish line. slowed right down, but with just over one lap (2k) to go I was determined to break 60mins and put in a big effort for the 9th kilometer...this got me to the 9k marker with 7mins to do the final k and with relief I slowed down and cruised into the finish in a 5min PB of 58min38sec! (Included split chart just for fun to see how stupid my race was) WOW! dropped 5min in 4 weeks! Getting closer to that 2006 goal.

Other exciting events for the day...meeting my first CR in person, Sunni, who came up and introduced herself after recognising the wonderful red Coopers Sparkling hat I am still wearing in anticipation for my CR Cap. She claimed 2nd place in the female 5k event I believe with a sub 25min run.
Now for the HM!

April in review.
Running
MTD 172.6km
YTD 421.7km

Weight
MTD -3.4kg (116.7kg)
YTD -8.7kg

50th POST!

Dragged myself out of bed this morning after skipping a planned run yesterday morning due to the body winning the battle over my weak mind. Once I got going the run was refreshing, I love the feeling after a morning run, the feeling that you are alive and have enough energy to face the day. It was a freestyle run to as the Garmin died after the first k…someone forgot to check the remaining battery life…I was startled by someone asking me if I lived here while waiting for satellite lock and didn’t look at the battery life. It must look really odd, someone just standing around in their driveway at 5:30am in the morning twiddling their thumbs…at least the neighbourhood watch thing is alive and well…I thanked him for being concerned and assured him that I did infact live their…I wonder if he saw me run off in the opposite direction when I looked down to find that the Garmin had come to life after locking onto some satellites?
Considering going down to the East parklands on Sunday morning to check out a Sri Chimnoy event and maybe do the 10K…see if I can’t bust out the 60min 10k…should be good prep for next weeks half marathon.
Today’s summary…easy 10k in 1hr10min roughly speaking.

Wow, 50 posts, who would have thought I would have kept up this ridiculous charade of being an athlete for so long...roll on 100...

The other other X-training

No run yesterday. Sore feet and lower legs from a late night party on Monday night (bosses daughters 21^st, couldn’t refuse invite!) so I slept in and did some cross training in the afternoon. I like to call it cross-training but in reality it was some very, very bad golf, nice weather for it though. Other activities yesterday included a trip to the aquarium to populate some recently acquired aquariums, some Black Mores, Zebra Danios and comets and a 13 day old Murray River Turtle named Squirt.
So made up for yesterdays non-running day with a run this morning…oh it was so hard to get up…I can’t remember the last morning run I did as last week was mostly afternoon runs due to cramp issues, as a consequence I started off very, very slow…in fact I thought I was running on the spot, the first two k’s took a little under 16mins. Wore my headphones…not to listen to music but to keep my ears warm…I didn’t turn any music on till the 7k mark, ended up coming home in 1hr10 for the 10k., not that I was concerned about speed but I thought I was headed for an 1hr20. (Which would be the same as my 20k on Sunday if you believe everything I write, sorry Spark Driver I am still slow and did not grow the extra cardiopulmonary system required for me to run that fast,
Just found out that my only footy game for the year (an annual old v current Lincoln College footy game) is on the afternoon of my first HM, hopefully I am not required as I don’t intend to be able to stand by then and if I can, beer is provided to help with the such ailments as the ability to stand.

Last Long Run

Decided that todays was the last long run before my first HM in two weeks time. Ran 20k in 1hr20. (Edit: OK 2P your right I am not Superman, it was 2hr20!) This run like a couple of weeks ago was along the HM course bit this time the second half of it. I used to walk to uni along this bit a lot but it wasn't till I was running it this morning that I remember all the sharp climbs and descents. I adjusted the 1min drink/walk breaks to every 5k, corresponding to drink stations. Felt like a good run, but I felt like I was getting tired toward the back end, looking at my Garmin data now it looks like that from about the 13k mark I started speeding up and went from an average pace of 7:20min/k to finish with an average pace under 7min/k! Might have been all the other runners, bikers and walkers some of which passing me. Once again ran without MP3 player until about 12k when I was beginning to go through a mid run struggle. (did this attribute to the faster pace?). Confidence now high that I can finish the HM, probably targetting a pace of 6:30min/k for my first, but the plan at the moment is to go out easy and see how I come home, I at least want to finish.

Change it up.

Headed out this morning about 8 to make-up for yesterdays missed run (no cramps last night, yay!) The weather was nice and cool and overcast and I ran around 8km without the MP3 player just for something different and it felt pretty good. Tagged on a couple of extra ks to the end of my loop to to take it up to 12k at an easy pace. It is amazing to me that my easy pace got me around those 12 undulating kms in the time it took me to run my first fun run (C2B 12k, 80mins), all bodes well for my 2006 goals. Planning a long run tomorrow in preperation for the HM next month (aagh 3 weeks!). Probably about 2hr30mins, hopefully I can cover over 21kms in that time!

2 from 2

So missed this mornings run again. Was semi-awake last night when I tried to shift positions resulting in a cramp in my right calf (That is 2 legs, 2 nights)! Oh the pain, luckily I was semi-awake and just clenched my teeth in a "you are not going to beat me" kind of mentality/insanity...no screaming this time.
Not sure what went wrong. Took the magnesium tablet last night with light dinner. Went for the 10k run. Stretched. Weighed myself. Ate dinner and rehydrated back to pre-run weight. Maybe I am expecting too much too soon from one magnesium supplement so I took another one this morning with breakfast to try and ease the tension still in my right calf.
I wonder what would happen if I cramped in both legs at once instead of one one night and the other the next! It would be like the time I woke up to my alarm going off but both my arms were asleep (dead) so I couldn't roll over, or lift my arm to turn off the alarm or move!...it was very frightening at the time but must have looked so funny to anyone watching! I think I would have looked like a fish out of water.

The Miracle of Magnesium

Well, after some good advice I took a magnesium vitamin with a light dinner, then with the calf feeling better, headed out the door 90mins later after a particularly bad rain squall. Had a long sleeve body hugging top on under my white t-shirt and for some reason this gave me the euphoria that I was actually a real athlete. As a consequence the first couple of k's were more of a medium run no matter how hard I tried to make them easy. Luckily I had totally changed up my mp3 play list and had a classic 90s album (No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom) on, the song Sunday Morning is definately a song to lift the tempo and pump up the legs, it was much needed as I faded up the slopes of the last couple of kilometers, in the end I put in a concerted effort to clock up a sub 5:30min/km split up the last gentle slope before jogging the last couple of hundred metres downhill to my house to warm down.
Might start taking these little magnesium pills on runnning days and also might regret the non-easy pace of tonights 10k in the morning when I head out for another.

Dreaded Leg Cramp

Well, the dreaded calf leg cramp in the middle of the night struck me again last night. Not so frightening for me, but when you share a bed with someone and wake up basically screaming, I imagine that is quite frightening. Any way after that happened I reset my alarm for 7:30am as I knew my leg would be too sore to run the 10k this morning (from experience) How common is this sleeping cramp and what causes it? I don't know but my leg is sure sore this morning and I have been doing a few stretches to try and get it right for another evening run...not after a big dinner though. Will post again after that.

Lesson Number 2 learnt

Can't remember what lesson number 1 was but it is back in the posts somewhere.
Edit Lesson 1: If you are going to run harder than normal don't expect to find hills easy
Lesson Number 2 is, don't run too close after dinner.
Decided this morning to wait another half day after a poorly monday evening so set out for a 10k evening run 8:15pm. Big mistake. had to walk after 4k to stop the onset of regurgitation and then my heart was never in it...but my stomache was...coming home in a shortened 9k 1hr8min on the watch. Lesson Learnt. I will stick to my early morning runs.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Ah, time to add some pictures to my blog, Below are images of my two Easter runs/bush bashing in Mildura.

Friday's 10k


Saturday's 20/25k


Then just for R2B my weight chart.

Apparently I have been Tagged

Not sure how this is supposed to work. I was tagged by Blkbox so I will answer the 11 questions.
1. What time of day do you run?
I run during the week at sometime around 5:30am and on sunday at what ever time I wake up, usually 6am.
2. What are your favourite runs?
Any run I finish is a favourite run, but my favourite run so far would have to be yesterday...it was exciting at least (see yesterdays post)
3. What is your favorite song to run to?
I like to listen to new music on runs, because I don't normally get m uch time to listen to it normally, or I listen to songs by bands I am going to be seeing soon. If it was a song to get me moving up a hill etc it would have to be The Living End, Don't Shut the Gate or Carry Me Home.

4. What book are you reading at the moment?
David Eddings for the (who can remember) time and R4YL magazine.

5. When did you start running?
July 2005. (Seriously) On and off for the last couple of years, mostly off and not very seriously. Started for some unknown reason because an Idea popped into my head that it would be good to do the city to bay 12k run. I continue to try and have a healthier lifestyle...and also enjoy other benifits)

6. What's your post-race/post-run ritual?
Walk to the end of the street and back, stretch, hang my shirt on the line, download run from Garmin to computer, weigh my self, start rehydration (weight gives guide to how much) then Blog it! of course.

7. What do you eat before you run?
Nothing, I just want to get out and do it as soon as I get up.

8. What's your favorite running accessory?
My Garmin of course, closely followed by my Blog!

9. What's your motivation for running? (or why you first started running)
No Idea why I started, why I keep going...it makes me feel good, I am losing weight, I have more energy at work after getting up earlier and going for a run. (Don't figure)

10. What are your running shoes?
Some crappy cheap Nike Running Shoes, not sure what style, but I realise now that they probably have no cushioning in the front of the foot. Next purchase is definately a new pair before there is some serious damage to my legs.

11. What is your next running goal?
Finish two half marathons next month then start some sort of program to build up to my first marathon next year including a PB in the City to Bay.

Won't tag everybody but will tag - Rachel49 and Royalkangas

Trailing running, oh joy

Set out for a 20k long run this morning as I know that from the plans for tonight a Sunday long run was not on the cards. Ran down to the river and after a short up and back in one direction I ran around Chaffey Bend along a walking/bike track around the Murray. The trail was nice and the sun coming up over the Murray was stunning, after coming out at the end of 8th ave like I was told I would I ran up the street past 11th and decided that the road would eventually lead to 14th ave so I could run back along it back to the start. Big mistake! I started heading out of town towards Merbein! Cut into what looked like a trail of some sort and through the tree lo and behold there was a lake! not just any lake. A big Lake. Right in my path. Turned my Garmin onto Navigation to determine that the start was 4.5km directly on the other side of the lake so I set off around the lake following the trail with barb wire fence protecting the grapevines on the other. A most scenic route, I saw two kangaroos boxing each other over a wee little lass, probably bantom weight but still looked like they packed a punch. I also saw plenty of mud, some of which tried to make a fool of me by making me do a little slide and then gracefully regain my balance. But alas the trail ran out some distance around the lake about 20k into a 20k run and now 5.5k fom the start. This is where I stopped and started bush bashing across some salt bush, still hemmed in by the barbwired grapevines. Found some car tracks on the dried out part of the lake and so followed them until I got to a train line and obvious trail so I went for another little jog, with some walking till I eventually got to the end of Fifteenth St. A short, mostly walk later (2.5km) I was back at the start. All in all 26k in 3hr15min (my first 20k was in about 2hr15min) all good for the HM in May. Now for 2 rest days. Yay. I love trail running!

First Vitorian Run

My first run outside of Adelaide today with a 10k easy run around Mildura at an average of 6:50min/km... Rachel tagged along. I set the pace, which I think was a bit slow for her because she did mutter," I could run 20k at this pace", to which I replied, "that is the Idea!" It was good to get out there and run around relatively unfamiliar surroundings, I think I will be on my own for the long run on sunday though, but where to run? I could run all the way around this town and still not be at 20k and I really don't like running loops...It is too easy to stop when you go past home after one loop! Gee lucky we got out there early this morning it is now bucketting down with rain! Who said it never rains here! Anyway, feel good, no niggles to speak of...I will be happy when i have another 20k training run in the legs because the memory of the last one is starting to fade and I am beginning to worry againg that I may not be able to make the distance!

Runs in the bank.

Another 10k in the bank this morning. Nice and easy, an average of 6:50min/km. I have resigned to the fact that the safest way to remain injury free and get faster is to lose weight! I imagine running around with 20kg less to carry will be faster, so it is easy runs from here on in and maybe watching what I eat a little more…considered counting energy in yesterday and think I might give it a shot, to give me a clearer indication of the likelihood of any weight loss, luckily I found on Sportstracks that there is a Calories consumed field, so might have to start filling it in! After Easter of course, though chocolate really does make me feel sick.

Easy does it.

An easy 10k run this morning, was zoned out for the first 5k with the
MP3 player on (this was my mistake last time, went out without it!) then
the battery died and the last 5k were spent contemplating what running I
was going to do for the rest of the week. Finished the 10k at an
average pace of just under 7min/k. so 1hr10mins. Which reminds me, I
actually saw an official finish time on the SARRC website for my 10k two
weeks ago, it was a bit surreal seeing my name there with an official
finishing time of 1:02:19. Can't remember what I timed myself. Was
hoping to go under 60mins but can live knowing that next time I will
break it.
Now to completely change tack, I pulled up a little sore yesterday with
a niggle above my left knee, todays easy run verdict - No niggle to
speak of. Didn't hurt going uphill, didn't hurt going downhill, in fact
it was a pain free run, even the dreaded nipple chaffing was not so bad
this morning. Verdict - Keep running hills conservatively until I build
some more strength and stability in the crucial areas.
Planning an Easter weekend trip to Mildura, so finally some flat running
may be had, at the moment planning a 10k Friday run and a 21ish long run
on Sunday but will have to see how the socialising goes and if I can
keep up with Rachel49!

Update

My email is now working for all of those interested.

Lazy social weekend

Well so much for a long run yesterday.
After three late nights socialising, saturday night being a wine, cheese and black books marathon Sunday morning was not a friendly time to get up...infact I didn't...I got up with enough time to be on my way to Football park for the Crows v Eagles match. Well what a match, Eagles were up by 24 points going into the last quarter and even though the crows ran themselves stupid to get to the lead at the 20 min mark I had faith that the eagles would finish stronger and get over the line. And they did, much to the dissapointment of the crowd.
How did these football players get so fit, they are all completely muscle, just looking at their legs and there is nothing but muscle there.
Anyway, that was all the inspiration I needed to get back out on the pavement last night, completing a nice short 7k run around my usual route, in a 30sec PB no less. The last k leaving me questioning the whole reason I was running, why? what am I putting myself through? where are the Benifits?

Risky Recovery

I have been feeling a bit off lately, like a flu is trying to take hold,
so I have been drinking Litres of water before bed and laying of the
physical excursion in an attempt to stop anything taking hold in the
chest, throat or rhino area. Success so far with only cloudy minds and
what feels like sinus pain. So in tempting fate I went out for a risky
recovery run this morning in the drizzle of pre-dawn. I wanted to do
10k, but I also didn't want to weaken my bodies defences in case the flu
was just biding its time. Ended up doing 7k at long run pace.
Was this the right thing to do...only time will tell...if I am in bed
all tomorrow with any number of chest and throat infections I will add a
entry telling myself, "I told you so". But, after all the food binging
and lack of exercise I have been doing over the last couple of days I
just had to get out there.
I was watching "Amazing Medical Stories" last night and they had a 340kg
man who had been in bed for 7 years. One night he was making dinner for
him and his wife when his knees just gave out and could no longer
support his weight. He crawled into bed and stayed there for 7 years
till he was taken to a nursing home for morbidly obese people where he
died not long after. Now I have one question: "who the hell was giving
him the food!". What was his wife thinking that diet pepsi, potato
chips and hamburgers were a good idea to give him because he wanted
them? Surely she could see that she was killing him.
Anyway better stop with the potato chips and steak burgers like last
nights dinner. Maybe I should start blogging what I eat, but that would
just down right disgust me I think!

10k Recovery

Took advantage of going late to work today toget in an extra long run this morning withouthaving to get up really early. I struggled out of bed just after 6amand set about a recovery run, decided on my normal 9km route but adding the first hill at the end as well as at the beginning, stretching out the run to 10km. Pushed each hill section (about 4) a little harder, and recovered on the downhill. The run felt really good and didn't tire me out too much. I coasted along at just below 7min/k.

Summary of March.
Distance: 149km
Time: 2hr9min
Weight: 120.6kg (4/1/06 : 126.4kg)

First Fun Run

Well, after having an internal debate in my head early this morning in bed, I finally got up and got my arse down to Clarrisbrook Reserve for an SARRC fun run. Didn't know what to expect so rocked up nice and early (thanks to daylight saving finishing) and got my late entry in. Seemed like a decent turn out to me and the weather was nice and crisp. The course is a windy 5k loop on gravel paths with a few very short ups and downs, but I was determined to do 10k so 2 laps for me it was.
Started at the back of the pack and there wasn't too much congestion before everyone found their pace. I had my first split at 6min exactly, wow bang on pace! Then the old beginner mistake of not running your own race sunk in and I wass trailing this pair who seemed to be going about the pace I wanted to go. Well, next split was 5:18. Crap, better slow down, so I let them slowly move away from me and fell into a nice rythm with a 5:59 and a 5:57 then a 6:13 to finish the first lap in my second fastest 5k! The affects of that 2k 5:18 started to take their toll and I slipped in behind another runner to pull me through the next three ks with 6:13, 6:17 and 6:07 now the end was in sight and I picked up the pace with 3 sub 6min kilometers to finish off in a major 10k PB of 62min13sec. (that's 6min30sec of my PB!).
Now my garmin (piece of crap, no no I really do love you forerunner) registered 10.4k, only 400metres off, that is not bad I suppose (4% error) but it means my splits might not be entirely accurate as I did not hit the lap button past every k marker.

Anyway it was a good run, and My race number was the first to be pulled out of the hat at the lucky draw, unfortunatley it was for 2 free pizza hut pizzas and not the shoes from joggers world.