Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Have been feeling blah today...actually for a few days (no running).Still sore post galloping down the mountain at record pace(was yahooing fun at the time!)

Went to Pat Carrolls website and felt some motivation rub off on me so i am going to get out of my jeans and longjohns (Ha!) and put on my trainers for a shorty down to the corner (4.2km it is 11pm after all)

I am off to a weekend seminar called U P W, so no blogging for a couple off days.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Went to the track on thursday night and set the new club Age group record for the 2km steeplechase at 8:06.Steeple is hard work and i am still saw from it on Sunday.Had a run up a mountain today took over an hour to get up but 30 mins to get back down as i was flying. Was planning on running for a long distance but instead i ran/walked for a long time.

Last Sunday i ran Jacob in his pram for 15km.I am building up to run 25km or half of the Pub 2 Pub Fatass on 23rd September.Hope to see some of you there.Speaking of Fatass my friends Marie Claire and Tim Turner had a good result in trailwalker yesterday and as always i am in admiration of their exploits.

Roll on sixfoot march 2007.

Might as well add a description of a training session i did last month on 18/7 before it gets lost(small scrap of paper)

Lighthouse loops approx 620m
These loops are around the LH at Wollongong and are on the course that ANSW road relays are run.Start near roundabout and run anticlockwise(relays clockwise)
6 loops approx 90 seconds recovery.
2:31
87
2:23
89
2:30
82
2:27
90
2:25
90
2:17
WU an CD for total of around 9km

Not quite as consistant as Superflake's but i was pleased with effort.
Did session in 2:10s recently but died for last one.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

And for todays trick i will win a KJ's trophy race.

The AC Mitchell Memorial Trophy 2006 winner R2B!!

Presented to the winner on handicap of the nominated 4 mile event at Mt Kembla. In memory of former KJ Roy Mitchell's father and donated to the club by Roy in 1977.

"Early in the formative years of the Kembla Joggers we ran and organised races without trophies or prizes. There was no money in the club coffers and it was unlikely that we would ever have any. However around 1977 Roy Mitchell, who I introduced to running at 58 years of age, asked me if he could donate a trophy in memory of his father AC Mitchell. Before the words were even out of his mouth I had him at the trophy manufacturers. And so a shield was produced with the inscription 'A.C.Mitchell Memorial Trophy'. As this was our first ever trophy it rapidly became full and Roy was approached a few years ago about having it enlarged but he insisted on another shield similar to the first. I only wish there were more philanthropists like Roy around. Now the winner of this popular event takes home two shields – the old and the new. Incidentally, Roy went on to contest 10 City to Surf's culminating in his participation in a Kembla Joggers over 60 team which gained a placing. Many thanks Roy." ...Bill Williamson

The 4 mile event at Mt Kembla has a long and proud history within the club as one of the original KJ events. The race is held on a simple out and back course along the bitumen section of road with the turn-around just past the gate where the dirt road begins. Although the course has fundamentally never changed, Bill claims that the original course 'started and finished closer to the cattle-grid' and that the turn-around point was 'a few extra yards up the road'. With this in mind we can only admire the times set by the original KJs in the 70's and early 80's some of which still stand today as age-group records or top-10 performances.

During the 90's the trophy has been decided on the new 7km course which incorporates much of the old 4 mile course but deviates along the pumpstation road and then onto the dirt road for a short distance. This wasn't by choice but due mainly to Waterboard requests to avoid running through the Dam village. In 1995 it was held on a temporary 7km course from Kembla Heights Bowling Club when access to our Mt Kembla courses was restricted altogether.

Like most of our trophies, the shield is awarded to first home on handicap (with some strings attached) – presently you must have run in at least 3 recent events. The list of previous winners reveals some still familiar faces within the KJs including Kerryn Hindmarsh (now McCann) who won in 1978 at 11 years of age in a PB time of 28.03. The winner of the inaugural event was local soccer player Andrew Campbell.

Taken from my clubs website.

Now this was one toughy of a race,a little hilly and i am happy to say it was my longest run ever without walking! ;D

Forgot my techno gizmo Garmin as i left for the race after dealing with some errant tradesmen at my house knocking down walls so i was nervous of being late (bad habit #6059)so i called El Presidente and got my handicap otherwise i would have been a back marker.

I'm not a great distance runner but i am improving everyday as i learn to train consistantly without injury .Which can be tough with 12hr shifts and a young family.Early morning runs after a 12hr nightshift are common for me!

Felt ok today after i got over my fluster of almostrunning late.Pasco was complaining about my running to me.I just had to ignore him besides I got my revenge on him after his baiting in the last 4 weeks! ::)

Concentrated on running "comfortably hard" through the stages with a constant 180 steps/min

Splits were
500m 1:52
1k 2:03
2.4k 5:24 (9:19 first 2.4km)
3.3k 4:09 (Halfway 13:29 4:05/km Av)
4.2k 3:51
5.5k 5:26
6.6k 4:27 (9:53 last 2.4km) (Second Half 13:45 4:10/km Av) Total 27:14

I was hurting a little the whole way.
As i got to the halfway mark i counted about 22? runners still in front of me but as i learned in the W2 track race final i just had to keep reeling the next runner in and keep going.
Finally with about 800m to go i caught up with Janice and then i looked back hoping none of the quicks were on my tail!
I was running scared just after the halfway mark anyhow as some of the quicks weren't far behind!

Looking at my splits i was really going for it but i didnt know it at the time as i was hurting and pushing myself hard.I remembered Hazels words at the track on Thursday night "Adrian,your not driving!"
This had a double meaning i thought (i run like i'm holding a steering wheel when i'm not hands on hips!) so i dropped my arms down low as Eric keeps telling me to and just "drove" forward!

I was really hurting in the finishing straight i thought "ok if i fall over now and twist my ankle i'll just have to crawl over the line" such was my (crazy maniac) focus.Needn't have worried as second place finished 43 seconds behind me.Icrossed the finish line and i wanted to drink desperately.I really staggered to the drink table and would have toppled over if i didnt grab a hold of it!

Ann Asher was sure i was going to faint and ready to call for an ambulance but fortunately i held it together!

When El Presidente announced the winner and Robert Eardley presented the perpetual shield (i get to keep it for a year and it gets engraved with my name!)
All i could say on the microphone was "that really hurt!"
I wished i had said thanks to all the great people who give their time and energy to making this club special!
So i do that now ,Thanks to everyone!

My Time 27:14

Kerryn McCann holds the ladies course record here 22:13 set in 2005,Now i know that i am extra chuffed!!

Photo to post when photographer can get out of bed due to 'flu.

Happy Running,
R2B

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Very long post alert!
Edited and Added To:

It's 10 to 6 in the morning and even now im too busy to post properly!!!
Had a great time after i relaxed and forgot about goals for once.Just took it fairly easy.It was a blast,i enjoyed this C2S more than the two others i have run by a factor of 10.
2004 89:xx
2005 74:04
2006 66:31

Plus i cut like 7.5mins off last years time!!
More tonight (12 hrs time) when i get home from work
R2B

I came home from work and tonight Jacob had already gone to bed (Doh!) and Carrie was ready also (Doh!).
I didn't want to go for a run because i was cold and still a little sore from weekend (though i pulled up much better than my 2 previous years)There was a 5k race at the track so i decided to head down and just make it a "comfortably hard" tempo run.Carrie had thoughtfully prepacked my running gear in my sports bag so i woofed down a bowl of ravioli and then another,yum!

I thought if i don't run too hard then I won't be sick!!
Anyhow first 200 in 44
got the rest of the splits but accidently erased them.
Through 3km in 11:5x

Felt pretty "comfortably hard" the whole run and even overtook Tim East who normally runs 19:40 ish for 5km
No sprint finish this time,could have but just wanted to see my time sans sprint for a change.Waiting for the exact time to be posted on clubwebsite but nonetheless
a big PB

Edit:Time for 5km was 19:46 now for what it was i am stoked!!
My last 5km race was a PB of 21:30 so i have moved along just a little!!
This is tops as breaking 20mins has been a longstanding goal for me and to do it when i least expected it just goes to show me the benefit of not pressuring myself to much and also that when i set out to run a comfortably hard "tempo" run i have a tendency to muff it up when i get half way into it and i feel good!!The positive side effect though is PBs so i am going to try learning the lessons from this,which include not focusing on my splits (though i did take them(erasing them before i got to check them!)).

Okay C2S:
Turned up and as i had said on my Blog i was going to just go out and have some "fun"
Thursday 10th August
...Came home and i just read all the posts on my blog and i feel better.Just going to try and take C2S easy maybe next year for 60mins.Not the end of the world and besides i want to enjoy the day no matter the pace i ran or the place i came...




And the start as i posted to CR just now
I caught the train at 6am from Wollongong and met my brother in law PHIL who had decided not to run due to bad case of the 'flu. This must have been tough as he was training hard to break 60min after 60:09 and 60:03 last year!

We got to central station and for the first time i wasn't nervous about the run because i was doing it for fun!!

Walked to Hyde park to have a look around it was around 8am and i was suprised that only what seemed like about 100 people were lined up in A1 and about the same amount in A2.I gazed down at the A2 group and you were the first person i saw and you happened to be looking straight at me!!

Anyhow back to topic i thought it was more important to warm up than get straight in line so i trotted around the park for 10 mins fortunately my Brother in law had brought some throw away clothes as muggins here had forgotten his!

Start officials started to close the ranks down and only allow entry from the rear of the pack so i hurried in.I was wearing my CR cap for the first time and had noticed all the CRs towards the front.I wanted to say hi say i walked towards them and people let me pass.It was the cap i'm sure!!
I didnt quite get to them as i saw one of my clubmates and started to chat with him.
Was chatting away and i realised i was only a few feet from BlkBox and Gronk both of whom i got to meet for the first time.All of a sudden the group tightened up in prep for the imminent start.
The gun went of and i felt i was running pretty clear in no time at all.
So in my opinion getting up close to the start line was great and not nearly as stampeding as the near the back where i had been in the previous two years,although i didnt get there nearly as early.
I felt that i didnt impede any one faster than me and no one really slowed me up so i must have been placed just right.

Anyhow next year i plan to get amongst it so i will be camping out early!
Cheers R2B


Anyhow i started to run with Gronk,we seemed to keep fade towards and away from each other.One minute he was there and then gone and back again.Obviously we couldn't have been far apart!
Lost Gronk for good around Rose Bay and found Digger and said hi!He was a nice bloke and we chatted a little.
Heart Break Hill arrived and i wasn't going to bust a gut so i walked a little and ran a little i saw some people i knew and tapped them on the shoulder to say hello and offer encouragement.
Got to the dodgy 7km halfway mark in about 34mins feelin allright.That was easier than i expected off no hill training (one big hill in previous 10 weeks!)
Felt the undulations to come would be tougher and they were.Crossed 10km in about 48mins was feeling a bit tired so i walked a bit was starting to think about times again...durrr! forget that!Was just past a drink station when i saw a CR Cap ahead and decided to get up closer as i had a feeling it was Tesso.I reached her and i think i surprised her with a "Hello i'm R2B!" we ran together for a while but i didnt get it when she tried to explain to me that the CR cheersquad including Johnny Dark et al were ahead.I was tired but we had begun the downhills and it was easier just to let go and go with it i sensed Tesso had also picked up the pace.She told me afterwards that i helped her go alot faster than what she would have done if she was alone but alas i lost her somehow before we got to the cheersquad and we didn't get the photo she was hoping for D'oh!
Any how lovely lady and exactly as i had expected her to be!
Got to the 13km mark and as always it's still ages to the finish line, i started to walk again...people were saying to me
"mate the finish line is just ahead!"
i didn't care!
I just started to trot again and out of nowwhere CR Blue Dog was there beside me urging me on!I didn't feel like going any quicker but he insisted that i not fall behind him!How could i refuse a bloke who had just the previous day run 12ft?(90km)
Had a lot of respect for him after that so i picked up my stride and moved as fast as i reasonably could as we rounded the corner it felt great to finish!I had drunk at every drink station and quickly regained my composure.

Met Phil at our customary spot at surf club for an opening beer after a few minutes cool down and a swim in the ocean,beautiful.Was surprised when the lovely Lulu tapped me on the shoulder to say hi.(I didn't realise how prominent the CR cap makes you in a crowd!)
Left Phil and went to the other side of the beach and caught up with the Kj's tent.
Went across the road to a big pinkish hotel which i knew from a photo on Coolrunning was where the CR meetup was!

Met loads of top people including those mentioned previously and the likes of Johnny Dark, Ellie 80,Uncle Dave(what a down to earth guy!),Sparkie,Tesso,Digger,Bluedog,MPH, Bargewanna?,and many others!But unfortunately i had a train to catch and there aren't so many on a Sunday so i had to go early and missed meeting some of those i extra wanted to like Horrie,Don Juan,Shane Lewis and others who had helped positively by posting on my blog!

Anyhow thats a long post by a sometimes retiring type!
Thanks for reading.
R2B

Friday, August 11, 2006

  Posted by Picasa
My CR cap arrived in the post today!
I have written R2B on the velcro at the back.

And here is a photo of what i look like.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Thanks for everyones kind comments!

I have had a few days off since saturday due to weather,work and tiredness.
Got back out there this morning for a short 4.5km.
I had a feeling it would be hard work but not that hard!
I was getting a sore knee was almost breathless at times and i wasn't even running fast just trying to take it easy.Got back feeling like crap.

I wore my heart rate monitor and most of the time i struggled to keep it below 79%Max.
Came home and i just read all the posts on my blog and i feel better.Just going to try and take C2S easy maybe next year for 60mins.Not the end of the world and besides i want to enjoy the day no matter the pace i ran or the place i came.

I am looking forward to meeting many CRs and bloggers who's names and comments i have read yet havent had the pleasure to meet.Hopefully Kevin Tiller posted my CR cap yesterday as he promised and it arrives back tomorrow, cant wait!

Cheers R2B

I have cut and pasted this direct from Hilda's blog and changed it a little

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. McDonalds Kitchen Hand
2. Labourer
3. Refractory Installer
4. Sinter Plant Operator

B) Four movies I would watch over and over
1. Gladiator
2. Matrix 1 -2
3. The Butterfly effect
4.

C) Two places I have lived
1. Gwynneville
2. Balgownie


Four TV shows I watch:
1. Mcleod's Daughters
2. My name is Earl
3. Sunrise
4.

E) Four places I have been on holidays:
1. Poland
2. Malta
3. Italy
4. USA

F) Websites visited daily:
1. Blogger
2. Hotmail
3. CoolRunning
4. My Running Club Website

G) Four of my favourite foods/drinks:
1. Pasta
2. Snitzel
3. Stirfrys
4. Baked dinner

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. On the moon!
2. With friends
3. In Italy
4. A cruiser...

Five people I think will respond, better say I wish to know more!
1. Rob
2. Spark driver
3. SuperFlake
4. The Black Knight
5. Tesso
6. How could i forget BJS 1965? (now where's your blog??)

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Good training run or really crap race?
You decide.
Turned up at Striders 10k race at Lane Cove National Park.Got up at 4am and Drove the 90 mins in light traffic to get there.I normally wouldn't be bothered to go so far for a run except i was trying to prove something to myself ie if i could run 10k in 41 mins.
On the day Glenn Guzzo was pacing the 40 minute group and the next pacing group was 45 minutes so i predecided to run as far as i could with him knowing i wouldn't be able to hold that pace forever though i would at least do a 5k PB.Glenn hit the pace he was aiming for fairly wellexcept for the first km,we passed 1 km in 3:51 according to his blog and 3km in 12:11 ish (by my garmin that was going a little silly by then,time to upgrade i think but no money)
The pace had got to me by then that and not geting a warmup in.I needed a walk break and as that type of thing goes it was the beginning of
slow catastrophic race failure syndrome

Only a few seconds that stop but enough for everyone to keep charging by me a few meters and when i started again i had lost momentum (all this stuff is great in hindsight isn't it?)
I was pressing lap most of the time when i started walking so i could try and analyze it later but quite frankly i have that many splits that it is a mess!

I passed 5k in about 20:07 or 20:21 mins give or take (new PB as consolation prize) and the top of the course 5.5k in 22:16.Sometime in between these marks,probably half way the 40min pace group rushed past looking good and it was another little nail in my coffin.

Now only 4.5k to home but a long way when your mentally shot and feeling tired.Those 4.5 mostly downhill km took me more than 24mins and i was easily overtaken by the 45min bus pacer CR SPUD who had lost all his passengers but finished in 44:59 not withstanding.

The only bit that was any good (or bad?) was that i had so much in reserve at the end i had no excuse but to sprint the last 6 or 700m to the end,barging past about 5 runners into the chute knocking my garmin flying and taking about 5 mins to find it gathering by the time elapsed on it.

Saw heaps of CRs i recognised from races etc but had never met personally but i was down on myself and not feeling very confident so i just had something to drink and went home.My second worst 10k race to date (injured last time)

In the afternoon i fronted up to the ANSW road relays back in Wollongong and was told we didn't have enough runners to make a B team in the opens so i was left just standing there feeling like a knob after the night before having dramas with my wife about spending the whole day running...she wasnt happy about being woken at 4am as she is a very light sleeper to top things off.

I am very sore now and just need to get this crap off my chest.Sorry for the rant.

R2B

Edit:I have some lessons to learn from some experiences lately including this one.Some are more on a spiritual level (eeek that sounds gay!) about mental strength...why i run...and about doing more long runs and training at and near to race pace to give me confidence.Also i need to get back to effective measurement of my training,something which stopped some time after i started blogging :(
Perhaps i can still do this electronically?
Also a mentor/coach and a good training partner would help immensely.

It may sound like a shame to some after all my talk but i think if i can't do 41min for 10k and i only managed 69:45 for 14.4k last fortnight then i am just kidding myself for 60mins C2S.I will try to seek out some 63-65ers at C2S and go with them.

Time to get back to reality of where my training currently is and that is 63-65mins.
Reason is not enough long runs and not enough fitness.Yeah i know two bad runs arn't the end of the world but i do need to get real.As i said to the club handicapper when he added a minute to my handicap at the 9 miler(14.4km) due to my good time at the 3km race 3days before "....theres a world of difference between 3k at the track and 9 miles Gary?!..."This was me thinking i had a shot at handicap honours talking but in reality it is a fact.

Cheers R2B

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Tuesday:
Morning 8km pushing Jacob in the pram along bike track 42mins av. 5:15/km.
Today i wore my HRM after it being lost for many moons.
Speed can rise significantly without raising the rate significantly so this is good to know.When i hit my easy pace which i lowered slightly on account of pushing a 10kg baby and large pram my heart rate stayed at 140bpm (70%Max).Decided to keep the heartrate at 140ish BPM easily down for most of the time and had a bit of a play at higher heart rates.It was interesting to note that all i had to do was run at that pace and the heartrate just stayed level.Jacob slept for nearly an hour.

Went home and decided to finish mowing my lawns after breaking the starting cord the previous day.Took me an hour in total.Had lunch late and afterwards i went down for my second run of the day this time sans Jacob.Did a short warmup at easy pace 1km followed by 4*1200m tempo pace runs(4:07/km aim)
Actual results were a little faster and i had to try to slow down for the purpose of this workout to be 100% effective!Which was easier said than done.

Results
1.23km 4:52 3:58/km
1.21km 4:54 4:04/km
1.26km 4:57 3:56/km
1.21km 4:53 4:02/km

4min warmdown

Wednesday
I thought i was underdone in the hills department and it was a little late to smash some in at this stage though we went for a couple of walks pushing the pram up some Ginormous hills which had me breaking into a sweat so i guess this was pseudo cross training in disguise!About as much training as i got in before having to go to work that night at 5:30.

Thursday now 4:15pm and i am just up and blogging....will have to have an easy 40min in the morning after work and then rest of friday to sleep.Don't go back to work for 3 days,good!
Rest day as Saturday i am driving to Sydney early for a punishing double,
Striders 10km at Lane Cove (seems i will have to jump on the only "bus" available the 40min express and hold on!) so a pb is coming!!

Afterwards back to Wollongong for state road relays my leg is 4km and it will probably suffer a bit though i am going to call the team organiser now and explain and hear his reaction.

Wish me my best deserves (and dessert for Tesso!)