Beefing out the numbers

Was all pumped to go out for a run as soon as I got home from work today. One because I wanted to beef out my numbers for May, ending soon with a dissapointing total milage and two because I ate a packet of red rock deli honey soy chips for morning tea and I felt gross. The run was great and made me feel really good. 10k in 63mins. I have aspirations of running home from work on Thursday (11k) then running to work on Friday morning, so tonights hit-out was a good start. Came across this email forward today and thought it was quite amusing...if only I could afford a bike...but I have my Foot Falcon.

When Petrol Prices Reach $10 per Litre.

Spring Gully Rd v Simlin, 2-0

Well after another Gig last night, The Exploders and Evermore, it was bad but free so no complaints about value for money. Today we travelled back up into Adelaide Hills to visit Miss Simlin's niece and I took the oportunity to renew my battle with Spring Gully Road. It beat me again. This time without the confusion at the start I did make it further up the road, but had to walk at the Woodhouse Scout Grounds sign. Walked up to the start of the second steep bit then continued on at a slow pace. Included the elevation graph from sportstracks, not sure of the accuracy but gives some indication. Next time I will concour Spring Valley Rd, it will not beat me. Today - 5.86km in 37mins.

Meh.

A touch over 5k this morning, it was a little warmer but discomfort in the bowel region meant that my run was cut short to about 5.2k in 33 mins. That's it. Nothing else to report except to say that I have been dissapointed with my efforts this month since the HM. Getting aclimatised to winter is taking longer that anticipated, taking a concerted effort to get out and about early in the morning. I did the evening runs for a week or two but that jsut messes with the hole dinner etc schedule.

Clarity

Oh the clarity that comes when you are pounding the pavement. It is 6am and 2°C. your nose and thumbs are numb but the mind is racing. That's what happened this morning...the run was crap. After changing the alarm to 7am and switching on the electric blanket before going back to sleep yesterday, today I did the same thing but this time lay awake for 15 mins before getting angry with myself and getting up. Now I had not enough time to do the 9k reverse loop so had to settle for the 7km reverse loop instead and oh what a struggle, the cold, some foot niggles but the clarity of decision making was sensational...I think I found my Nirvana. I also wonder what major world impacting decisions have been made mid run?
To sum up, 7k in 46mins, felt crap...near freezing conditions is making it harder and harder to get up in the morning!

Another Concert Review?

Did the third lap of my Saturday run before going out last night. As penance for missing it on Saturday I did an interval run around the 7k loop. Started out with 2 warm up kilometres at 6:30min/k pace then dropped the clutch a little accelerating up to 5:30min/km for the next
kilometre before backing off for a kilometre at 6min/k before taking off again, this time helped by a majority of down hill to do the next kilometre at about 5min/k pace. Then dropped the pace for a warmdown up a few shortish hills home of the last 2km. In total 7.1km in a new
route PB of 42min32sec. I'll take a PB when ever I can get it but I wasn't aiming for one and not overly impressed as the average pace is slower than my 10k PB pace.

Decided just now not to head down to the Barossa next weekend for the HM. Bit disappointing but will keep it in the bank for next year as preparation for my first Marathon. A spendthrifty couple of months have me trying to save money now, while other social commitments have since some up. Now I will focus on the two longer river runs in preparation for the HM in August. I don't feel I have put in the kms over the last couple of weeks to improve my PB (all ready stated that I would be using it as a training run...but I can do this from home without the entry fee
+ petrol costs?. Now that I have finally stopped tossing and turning over this decision I can punish myself out on the road with a hard weeks running. A reverse 9km loop is in order tomorrow morning I think.

Oh Yeah, last night concert was good, not as good as Thursday night for me as Thursday was 1st string bands in my books, while last night was second string but they sure put on a good show. Van She - great EP that I bought the first time I saw them, unique sound for todays music scene and dare I say it, will be big soon. The Cloud Room - not many catchy tunes, didn't play some of my favourites from the album but a nice solid performance from this American Outfit. End Of Fashion - played there album almost in its entirety with a really tight energetic set, thought
they had a few too many slower songs to be really exciting and get the crowd into a frenzy, they almost got there playing lockup your daughters and oh yeah back to back. Wow is this a running blog or a gig guide? Of well will be nice to look back on still, and it is kind of running related as the last 60ks have been run with these three bands playing on the MP3 player so as I said
about Thursday night, when the songs are playing I am reminiscing about some fine running (if I do say so myself!)

Late Start

First things first...yes my profile picture is at a party. The annual Triple J Hottest 100 Australia Day party, which this year was held at my place. Apart from being 42C in the shade it was a blast.

Next Thursday night was cross training, which in this case was Mosh Pit action. Kisschasey, Gyroscope and the Living End. Considering the Living End played for just shy of 1hr 40mins, I was pretty sweaty and exhausted by the end. Not to mention almost every song on the night bought back memories of runs because many of my longer runs have been to music by all of these bands. Needless to say it was the best freakin concert I have been too.

Today, just the second run for the week (where did the week go?) I know I said 3 laps of my 7k course but I was late rising and by the time I completed the second one it was 12pm and I had stuff to do so cut it short. As Penance I added two 1k intervals at HM pace into the second lap. To mix it up I dod the first lap counter-clockwise and the second clockwise. First in 50mins and second in 48mins. Knees definately felt a little fragile towards the end, I think mainly due to the low volume of km. Middle toe on left foot was a bit bloody so might need a band aid of some description next time, I just feel like I have almost worn in the new shoes so they should be ready for next week.

Not sure whether I will run tomorrow, I have another gig, the Cloud Room, Van She and End of Fashion...they kept me company this morning on my run...and I don't want to wear myself out before I get there...but the training volume has been low this week...

Calendar

No run today, off to work early and Living End, Kisschasey, Gyroscope concert tonight. This is my schedule of events for the next 3 months.

28th May - Barossa HM 21.1km
18th June - Torren's Classic 25km
16th July - River Run 30km
and the big one!
27th August - Smartplay Adelaide Marathon Festival HM 21.1km

My goal race is the SAMF HM in August and so all the others will be more like training runs so I don't over exert myself. They are more tools to help me build up my Long run distances. For those out there who think that laying down this schedule is motivation thanks for your advice...you could be right...but as my yr 12 English teacher said..."Simon is a coaster, he does just enough to get the job done", this is true in all sports I have played too, when playing a weaker opponent I tend to play down to their level (or slightly higher), which has led to some embarrassing defeats I might add, but playing against far more skilled opponents I push them to the edge. I lack the killer instinct to crush weaker opponents.

Now as far as running goes...I have completed a HM...I know I can do it and therefore I think my motivation to train has been lacking because I know I can go the distance and time goals don't interest me at this early stage. I really need the threat of stronger competition to get my
motivation up...look out Adelaide HM. (I know I won't beat you Rachel but I will give it a crack!)
OK time to stop rambling now.

After thought: I think I need a proper running photo for my profile. It is about time.

Lazy Week

Yep, definitely a lazy week this week...motivation scale is down near the other end. Didn't go for a run last night as promised, bad boy! Did go out this morning but cut a planned 15km run down to a 10k as I didn't feel like it. I bet I am going to regret this lazy week next week when I attempt my second HM! I thought maybe on Saturday I would do 3 laps of my 7k loop from home to simulate the Barossa HM. Hopefully my lazy mood doesn't last much longer and the motivation kick back into gear! Maybe a short 5k tomorrow evening.

Lazy Lardarse Layabout

I had planned a 15k run this morning at 5am. Did I get up...no...the alarm went off but I didn't wake up until 5:20am (which meant the radio was going for 20minutes). This delay in starting, and the fact that it was freezing was enough for me to roll over and reset the alarm for 7am. No will power what so ever this morning. Now I have to squeeze a quick run in this evening high likelihood of that not happening!) and do my longer run Thursday morning?

Inspired

After yesterdays failed attempt at running up a long steep hill I set out tonight before dinner to run my usual 9k loop in reverse...therefore instead of being uphill downhill uphill it was downhill uphill downhill, ie all the uphill was in one long (1km) steep section. Coped with this hill ok, made it to the top but was struggling. I might add this reverse loop to one of my weekly runs just for the continuous uphill section so that next time I am in the hills I wont come off second best!

Hills At last

Finally I managed to squeeze in that Adelaide hills run I have been promising myself for months. Started near Crafers and did a 7km circuit that took me across the Freeway and back around up a long steep hill...now that is what I am talking about! it made my normal hills look like slight undulations. Saw two other runners and one girl in a car who stopped and asked me how to get back to Adelaide. She though it was a silly question but I have to admit I have gone round in circles myself in the hills and unless you know exactly where you can get back on the freeway it is tough.
Anyways...a good 48mins of solid hills running...with only a slight walk up the longest toughest hill past the scout camping grounds. Next time it will not be so lucky! Today I was going to go down to the Mother's Day 8k but could see no point and after my hard run and late night last night...I just stayed in bed till noon...ahhh the weekend.

Royal Kangas: re nutrition, I did start to track it for a few days but found it too hard with my style of cooking...ie just chuck stuff together...was never that serious at weightloss anyway...just want to run. That's not to say that I ain't lovin' it (weight loss).

Setting new goals.

Just another 5k last night…easing into my new shoes. It was run at about HM pace and that just amazed me at how I kept that pace up for 21km! I am planning to head down to the Torrens on Sunday for the Mother’s Day fun run 8k. I feel I should probably run further than this so will try a run tomorrow as well as I am not planning on any specific time/speed in the 8km I don’t feel I have to prepare for it. Finally got around to rearranged stuff in my blog and added an average monthly weight column as per Sparkdriver’s blog…why not just get it out there…March was a very good month for me. I think I need to set some intermediate goals to keep motivation up over the next couple of months till August. Not sure about the Barossa HM yet…transport/finances etc but there are 25 and 30km runs by the SARRC which I might look at targeting…which means increasing the kilometres…can only mean a faster time in August…see if I can’t get that time down under 2hrs for the HM…I am confident that all other 2006 goals will follow with increase in base fitness and a decrease in body mass!

Test Drive

The first day my legs feel like I can run on them and I am up at 4:30am to get on a plane for Sydney...4hrs of plane flying and 4hrs of car travelling and I arrived back in Home at 9:15pm. By 9:30pm I was out the door with my new shoes laced up for there inaugral run. An easy 5k run to gently introduce my legs/knees/ankles/feet/toes to the new shoe and of course to recover from Sunday. The run was just what I needed after a day packed full of travel. The news shoes felt a bit wierd as my foot was now going straight and not flopping every which way it could. I am sure I was using slightly different muscles than with the old shoes so expect a few sore spots...the main difference I noticed was some sqashing of the toes going down hill, though this might just be from my bruised big toe...long story short it was a vacuum cleaner auto-retract accident...the power cord whipped around and one of the prongs struck me square on the end of my big toe, rather deadly snake bite like...now my toe is purple.

Also just in...official results from Sundays HM Time: 2:11:47 Place: 182 of 213 finishers.

Hail Hurts. First HM Race Report

Race report to follow tomorrow morning, for now I need sleep...

Warning: long post below for result only skip to end.

Where to start...how about at the start...
Turned up at Adelaide Oval on a cold, windy and wet morning...forecast 15C rain and possible hail. I was wearing my new shoes but a wise head prevailed and I put on my old nikes before getting out of the car. Made my way onto a bus for the trip to the start line, the crowd was bigger than I imagined two full bus loads. At the start line there where a lot of people milling around inside trying to stay out of the cold. I got my race number and stood outside next to the building, there was a few brief showers and some seemed to contain 5mm sized hail stones (a sign of things to come).
The time came to move away from the building down the road 150m to the start line, I gues the field was about 100 strong, then the hail came down and everyone scattered to near by bushes, trees or houses. They only crept back out when the race director said they were about to start and then we were off...oh how cold my toes were numb.
I resisted the urge to scream off with the pack and held back letting them spring off into the distance, settled into a nice pace but got annoyed by the sound of many heavy footfalls behind so I put a little spurt on down a long hill and I was away by my self.
Targeted a few people in front and slowly ran them down till I found two ladies running a pace I was happy with and fell in behind them. A couple of ks in the hail hit...boy does it sting on bare cold skin...the ground was covered in an icy white winter wonderland and the sharp ups and downs of the river path was treacherously slippery. The ladies slowed down and I passed them ignoring the first drink station and running on through (ok 2 good decisions so far this was the first bad one, igoring my training regime). 2k after the drink station the ladies caught back up so I fell in behind them again, enduring another couple of minutes of hail and also sleety rain in a strong head wind...boy was this a run I am never going to forget...I was soaked from head to toe and the ladies in front were still running around the puddles on the path...me I ran straight through everything. (They said it was psycological). Keeping up a relatively steady pace we had been reeling in people from the start (and this would continue till the end), with 7k to go the ladies slow pace up inclines was starting to annoy me so up one particularly long one I put on a spurt for 2k till the 5k to go drink station and put about a minute on them.
Now the sun was out. This was the killer 5k, because you pass the finish line on the opposite side of the river and have to run up to a turn around and back...very damaging for the psycology and I gave in to a brief walk with 3k to go, still heading up to the turn around (and still passing people). Chaffing was also becoming painful as the rain/hail earlier had washed away any protection from that nasty beast (though the water proof bandaids were still attached to the upper body chaffing region). Made it to the turn around and passed a few more strugglers going back toward the weir accross to the finishing side of the river, don't know how my legs were doing it but I was still keeping up a good pace.
So with a couple of hundred metres to go (though you can not see the finish line till 50m to go I was really badly considering a walk until a guy comes galloping up from begind to pull in along side. I turned to him and said "going for a sprint finish" he replied "no, but I have been chasing your bright red hat since the start and badly wanted to catch you" we ran together till the end where he let me finish first (thanks whoever you were for making those last minutes enjoyable).

Crossed the finish line in 2hr11min55sec. I don't think I could have run any faster under the conditions. Everything went to plan...except for skipping that first walk break, but I took that extra one at the end.

After a shower, breakfast and a little sit down I headed down to the footy oval...damn our team was short on numbers...guess I am playing...managed a full game at half forward (my first game of footy in 365 days)needless to say my skills were crap and we lost by 3 goals, not bad for a team playing 3 players down for 3 quarters. Then came the beer (enough said).

All up a memorable first HM run in Rain, hail and shine, I included a chart of split paces below (kms weren't marked and Garmy is slightly off but chart is generally indicative and shows the 2k surge I but on around the 14k mark.)

Pre-Race Blog

My first HM tomorrow, I am nervous...because I know I am going to break a few rules.
The back story.
Miss Simlin is working this morning so I was walking up to the shop to get some groceries...happened past the local sports store who were having a sale. Went in. Looked at the shooes as I always do. 25% off, damn tempting. Looked at the clothes...quick dry shirts 20% off...tempting...ok I might try one on...no XXL...ok lets try on an XL...OH MY GOD IT FITS!...pleasure centre of brain overloaded with chemicals.
Wlatz back out into store, grab another quick dry shirt and a pair of shorts...now I promised myself I would not by any of this stuff for at least another 10kg...but 20% off! tried them all on...good fits...now back to the shoes...brain overloaded with endorphins, mind clouded by burning sensation in pocket...I reach out for the Kayano's...store lady sees me. I check her credentials...8 marathons...used to instruct at SARRC...all good...damn Kayano's don't fit...they are too narrow...end up in a pair of New Balance. Melt plastic on way out...total saving $70.

Now a canundrum...my high has gone and I sit here contemplating wearing almost a completely new outfit for my first HM...what a rule breaker. Maybe I should do a quick 5k tonight...but that will make them sweaty! Nope I am going to suck it and see...what's the worst that could happen...

(I will report on the worst that could happen tomorrow night...no doubt in an exhaustion/beer induced semi-coma)

Gently gently.

A nice gentle 7k run this morning. Joints felt a bit creaky over the first 2km but they loosened up with a bit of sweat. I was going to go in to Joggers World on the weekend to look at new shoes...wish I had now as I don't know how long it will be until they can relocate (if they can recover it) their stock following the explosion, oh well...didn't really have the money for it anyway, now only my feet will suffer for it.

Response to Plu...the course, as seen below, was 5 and a half laps of this circuit, two slight up hill/downhill sections, only slight though and didn't really pose any great problem (except annoyance). So you can see that it was my own foolishness at the start which caused the blowout.

Much needed recovery run

Seeing as I am taking it easy this week I set out for an easy 5k this morning, boy did I need it, my left leg is feeling a little worse for wear from the knee down to the ball of my foot! Damn racing, glad to be back at my old plodding pace. Plodded around this morning in 33mins, nothing to exciting to write about, just looking forward to a hectic May, why not list it...two half marathons, numerous 21sts, concerts by Alex Lloyd, Van She, Cloud Room, End of Fashion, Living End, Gyroscope, Kisschasey (OK only 3 concerts incl support acts)...ah glad to have this easy week to start off with.