End Of The Month

I had another good session on the treadmill today and even picked up the pace a little. I only trained 5 times this week but I've ended up doing more K's this week then any other. My runs have been longer then usual and I dont feel any worse for it, in fact I feel much better. This week I managed 48.7kms and I've noticed that from each week in December I've increased the K's marginally.

I have to admit I am itching to do some sort of run somewhere soon. All this running and nowhere to put any of it into practice.

Happy New Year to everyone and stay safe!

Today:
11.5kms in 60mins on a 1 incline
First 15mins done at 11.3km/h, next 15mins done at 11.4km/h, next 15mins done at 11.5km/h, and final 15mins done at 12km/h.

Month of December:
198.1 kms

Feelin Good

After my battle with the Toowoomba Range yesterday I retreated back to the safety of the treadmill. I felt surprisingly well today and didn't have any soreness or fatigue which was a big relief. My calf muscles got a good working over and I was sure they were gonna pay the price for the next couple of days. Once I did a few stretches and got going on the treadmill everything felt great and I have to say it was one of the easiest runs I can ever recall doing - I wish I felt like that everyday. When I finished I felt as though I'd just warmed up and could do it all again but common sense prevailed and instead I walked out feeling proud of myself and all the dramas of yesterday were forgotten.

Today:
11.4kms in 60mins on a 1 incline
First 20mins done at 11.2km/h, next 15mins done at 11.3km/h, next 5mins done at 11.4km/h and final 20mins worked my way up to 12.5km/h.

I Ran Down A Hill But Crawled Up A Mountain!

I wanted to do something different so I went to Picnic Point here in Toowoomba and investigated some of the walking tracks. Most of the afternoon was spent running and walking intermittently because I had no idea where I was going. Eventually I ended up doing a non-stop run of 4km which involved running down the range on a goat track (it wasn't really a goat track but it may as well have been) and then coming back up - needless to say the going down was easy but coming back up almost killed me. Just when I thought I was starting to get reasonably fit I have that thrown in my face! It puts a bit of a dent in the confidence. I really, really need to work on hills. Not sure how many K's I would have covered all up and no idea how many of those I would have run - I am going to just count my non-stop run up and down the range.

Today:
4kms in 21.10

Quick Blog

I forgot to post in my blog yesterday that I got an MP3 Player for Xmas. Its nice to be able to run on the treadmill with music playing - makes the time go much quicker. The problem is I must have gumpy earholes because the headphone plugs keep falling out once I start running - its so frustrating!

Its still hot here but not as bad as it has been. It looked like it was going to storm here this afternoon but all we got were dark skies and a little rumble.

Today:
7.7kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
First 20mins done at 11.4km/h, next 10mins done at 11.6km/h, next 5mins done at 11.8km/h and final 5mins done at 12km/h.

Santa Has Left The Building!

Christmas has been and gone and as usual I'm feeling a little depressed. I love Xmas and am always disappointed when its over. I love the feeling you have as Xmas approaches - all the shops with the decorations, houses with the lights, everyone happy and excited and then all of a sudden you have to wait another year for that feeling again.

It seems no matter where you are in SE Qld at the moment there is no relief from the heat. I'm not sure which was worse - Toowoomba or the Sunshine Coast. I spent Saturday, Sunday and this morning at the Sunshine Coast and the majority of that was in the refuge of air-conditioning. So much for taking in the sights and enjoying the beach - anytime I tried to venture outisde I felt ill from the heat! Needless to say any plans for a run on Xmas Day went out the window. I enjoy my running but going out in those temperatures is madness.

I wasn't going to go for a run today either but I remembered the gym was going to be open for a couple of hours. At least if you run on the treadmill you can do it in an air-conditioned room. Having missed yesterday I made an effort to do a longer then normal run. By the end of my run I was literally dripping from head to toe. My clothes were drenched and the treadmill and floor were covered in a pool of sweat - I was embarassed! I did have the satisfaction afterwards though of realising that I had just done my longest run since 1997. For a couple of months back then I used to do a long run of about 22kms but since then the longest I've ever run is the 14K of City 2 Surf and today I passed that by a magnificent 100metres.

Today:
14.1kms in 75mins on a 1 incline
First 45mins at 11.2km/h, next 15mins at 11.4km/h and final 15mins worked my way up to 12km/h.

Have A Merry Xmas!

End of another training week, this week I clocked up 47.7kms (2.3kms more then last week). I almost didn't get to the gym today, I spent most of the day running around like a chook with its head cut off trying to get last minute presents - what a nightmare!

I'm off for a couple of days to the Sunshine Coast (Caloundra). It looks like its gonna be a scorcher of a Xmas so that should be fun. Thanks to everyone who has read my blog and given comments - I really appreciate it. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable couple of days!

Today:
6.8kms in 35mins on a 1 incline

Midday Session

Something different today - I went to the gym around Midday. There was practically nobody in the cardio room and the air conditioning was on full throttle which made it a welcome relief from the heat. To top things off nicely there was a David Bowie special on Music Max.

I felt great today, its amazing what running in a pleasant temperature can do for you. It made me realise how much I'm looking forward to Winter - having said that though I think I'll feel differently come June/July/August.

Not sure what to do over the next few days. I'm off to the Sunshine Coast on Saturday for a couple of days and I think I'll feel guilty if I skip too many training sessions. I'm in a really good routine at the moment and I'm worried if I break it I'll get into bad habits.

Today:
7.7kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
First 1omins done at 11.2km/h, next 10mins done at 11.4km/h, next 10mins done at 11.6km/h, next 5mins done at 11.8km/h and final 5mins done at 12.5km/h.

Not Much To Report

Another treadmill session! I wore my heart rate monitor today - something I probably should do more often. I wanted to check my heart rate for my run and found that it hovered around 136-138 for the first 30mins at 5:21pace - I have no idea what that means or if its good or bad. When I went up to 5:00 pace for the last 10mins the heart rate went up and down between 146-150. Something I noticed and found interesting was that when I took a drink the heart rate went up about 5bpm and took about 1 minute to get back down again. It seems the moment you make the slightest movement that takes you out of rhythm you pay the price with an elevated heart rate - you learn something everyday!

Today:
7.6kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
The first 30mins done at 11.2km/h and final 10mins at 12.0km/h.

What A Difference A Day Makes

After waking up sore yesterday and having a relatively easy day, I woke up feeling 100% this morning. I was still debating in my mind whether to skip training, take it easy or just go back to normal - by this afternoon I was comfortable with the idea of just going back to normal. It was very humid here again today (very strange weather as Monday is was a little bit nippy!) and by the end of my run on the treadmill I was lathered in sweat and my clothes were absolutely soaking - it makes you feel good though because you feel like you've done something worthwhile.

Apparently there is an 8km run at Southbank in Brissy on Australia Day - I'm definitely going to have to travel down the range for that one. Finally, a run in the not so distant future on the agenda. Might have to order a CR Cap I think!

Today:
9.5kms in 50mins on a 1 incline
First 20mins done at 11.3km/h, next 15mins done at 11.4km/h and the final 15mins worked my way up to 12.5km/h

A Bit Sore Today

For the first time I woke up a little sore today. My ankles were a little tender and my back didn't feel 100%. After I got up and moved about for a while they both felt a little better, but I decided I wasn't going to overdo it today and only have a brief session on the treadmill. I think I've been very fortunate so far with injuries so the last thing I want at the moment is to be laid up and unable to train.

Today:
6.1kms in 30mins on a 1 incline
4min intervals done at 11.5km/h followed by 2min intervals at 14km/h

My Road 10K Circuit

This is an old 10k route my mate and I used to use for our City2Surf training - he assures me its 10k (actually a little bit more 10.03) as he has measured it out with his bike, but after today I'm left wondering. Definitely need a Garmin!

After my unofficial 5k time trial last week I thought I would like to do a 10k on the road. I didn't intend to do this real hard - just a nice casual pace. Its not an ideal 10k TT course anyway as there are quite a few hills, nothing too scary but a few that cause me quite a bit of grief. I've come to the conclusion that no matter where you run in Toowoomba hills are just a fact of life.

The circuit is more or less a big square, so you don't have to weave in and out of streets, but you encounter some nasty headwinds and lots of traffic at intersections - one of my pet hates and reasons for doing the majority of training on a treadmill. For me, rhythm and form is everything and once I get into a nice momentum I find I conserve so much energy and feel very relaxed - the second I have to slow down for traffic this all goes out the window and it usually takes me 100 or so metres before I get back into my rhythm.

I started off at a fairly slow pace and straight away I was running into a strong headwind. I never realised how dry your mouth becomes when its windy and I didn't take any water with me. There is a long section shielded by buildings from the wind and its very flat, I felt like I was gliding the whole section and its the best I've ever felt - I'm guessing this was an extremely fast split for me and the reason for the time I did. Thankfully for most of the inclines I had the wind behind my back and they didn't bother me too much - slowly but surely I'm starting to conquer hills and not getting psyched out by them.

When I finally finished the run I thought I had done it in about 52/53 minutes. I had taken the run pretty slow for the first 15minutes and never really exerted myself at any stage. I couldn't believe it when my watch said 48.27 I immediately started doubting the length of the circuit and even went home and tried to measure it out in the car - I know its not a recommended or accurate method of measurement but I needed to do it. It came up with just over 10kms.

This Xmas I'm buying myself a forerunner! I think I've progressed to an acceptable level to warrant one for use. I'm no star but I think it would help so much with pacing and not to mention accurately measuring distances so there are no doubts left in my mind. Its a really exciting time for me - in the last month or so I feel like I've jumped an entire level in my ability. If I really did run 48.27 for 10k on what I think isn't an ideal course to do a PB then who knows what I could run for 10k if I set out with the intention of running it hard?

I hope the drive and motivation that I have at the moment always stays with me and the excitement that I experienced today is what keeps me running for a very long time!

Today:
10kms in 48.27

End Of The Training Week

This week I've done 45.4kms - I think 2.4kms more then last week. Slowly but surely I'm getting my weekly km's up with a good mix of speed and hill work thrown in as well. All I really need to focus on now is a decent size long run.

I've been thinking long and hard about what my goals for 2006 are. I know at some stage I would love to attempt a Marathon and I'd even being seriously considering having a crack at Canberra - mainly because I've heard its nice and flat without any real hills. But realistically I dont think I've given myself enough time to do it with any level of respectability. So the next Marathon I was thinking about was Gold Coast - the problem there is that its (in my opinion) too close to City to Surf. July and August are pretty crowded months (Gold Coast, Townsville, C2S, Noosa) with what I would like to attempt and C2S is one race that I want to give everything I've got. All that really leaves me with is either Sydney/Melbourne and I've decided Melbourne because I think doing the half-marathon in Sydney would probably be a nice lead in and the fact I've never been there would make it a nice mini-holiday.

All sounds good in theory, whether or not the body and ability agrees with it is another thing - but I've put it down on paper (so to speak) so I'm going to hold myself to it.

Today:
7.6kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
Started off at 11.2km/h and worked my way up to 12.5km/h for the last 10mins.

Hilly Road Circuit

I did my road circuit again tonight. It was nice and cool when I set off which was very welcome as I didn't feel like battling the heat again. I took the run very easy and unlike last week I felt relaxed the whole time - I even thought I may have been slightly quicker then last week but as it turned out I was 6seconds slower.

At the end of the month I've decided I'm going to reasses my training routine and be a little more 'goal specific' and aim at something in the future. At the moment I'm just running to how the body feels and don't feel like there is any purpose to it. I do feel much fitter though and the body apart from a little soreness once in a while has held up very well - but now its time to get serious!

Today:
4.6kms in 23.30

What A Hot One Today!

The majority of people think of Toowoomba as a nice cool place in summer, well the fact is that it can get stinking hot here. I could not sleep last night and kept waking up in a pool of my own sweat - it was so uncomfortable that in the end I just gave up. One of these days I'm gonna have to invest in an air-conditioner!

At about 4am I bit the bullet, got out of bed and I decided I would take my dog for a run. Lara (my dog, she is Alaskan Malamute X Labrador) used to be my running partner but once I started increasing my pace and distance she could no longer keep up. I feel bad not taking her for a run more often because she loves it. I didn't want to do anything drastic this morning so I just went and did a very short hill run - it works out to be about 1.6km and incorporates a very mean and nasty hill. All up it only took about 8 and 1/2 minutes but it was enough to see me drenched from head to toe in sweat.

I still felt reasonably good tonight and dragged myself to the gym and just did an easy 40min session on the treadmill. The first 25mins was ok but then the heat really took its toll on me and sapped all my energy - I was glad to see the end of the 40mins. I am praying that tomorrow is a little cooler - I hate the heat, its one of the reasons I moved from FNQ in the first place.

Today:
Morning - 1.6km in 8.30
Afternooon - 7.6kms in 40mins on a 1 incline

Unofficial 5km TT

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself at the moment. I had originally intended to do a road circuit tonight but we've had storms all afternoon here and since I was feeling really good I decided to go to the gym and do a pre-set 5km run on the treadmill. I've only ever done one of these before and that was a week before C2S. The run sets out an incline from about the 2.8km - 3.7km mark but other then that its all flat.

I set out with the intention of running sub 24 which I thought was a realistic goal. The first 2mins I set out at 12.5km/h and then got to 12.8km/h which I think was about 4:41pace. After about 5mins I was feeling really good and went for 13km/h and thought I would keep that pace up until I got to the incline. I threw my towel over the monitor of the treadmill - I didn't want to know how long I had been running or when the incline was coming because at this state I was feeling awesome and just wanted to maintain my form and breathing and not worry about anything else. I could feel the incline kick in and it started to get tougher to run but I kept my pace the whole way through with little worry or distress! I was stoked! Anybody who knows me realises that I have a real problem with hills and inclines - they psyche me out and I really struggle with them. So, I had got through the incline at 13km/h and I spent about maybe a minute just recovering at that pace but I realised I still had plenty of gas in the tank and really wanted to bring it home as strong as I could. From then on I just kept putting up the pace and I did the last 5oometres at 15km/h with absolutely no problem at all. I finished in 23.13 and was left wondering what time I could have done if I had of been a little more aggressive and started off at a quicker pace.

I'm guessing after you run a couple of competitive races you learn how to pace yourself better but I always feel like I want to start off slower and finish off a race strong rather then really battling to come home. Having said that though you dont want to finish a race with gas still in the tank - its a bit of a balancing act.

Today:
5km in 23.13

Feeling Inspired!

It was great to read about all the CR's exploits from the weekend. I can't wait to be one of those getting out there and among it. Its inspiring stuff to read all the blogs and does wonders for my own motivation.

I felt much better today and didn't have any troubles with my run. Not sure what the problem was yesterday but hope it doesn't happen too often.

Tomorrow I'm going to do a road circuit at about 7-30pm. I've mapped out a route that will take me past some of the houses in the local Xmas lights competition - it should be good and may even get me in the festive spirit.

Today:
7.7kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
The first 15mins done at 11.5km/h and finished off at 11.8km/h.

Tough Day

I woke up today thinking I'd be feeling good and looking forward to my run - I felt the oppostite. For some reason I didn't feel very energetic at all and my legs felt very heavy. When I got to the gym and did my stretches I thought that maybe after 5mins of running the legs would loosen up and all would be ok. It didn't happen - for the whole 60mins I really had to push myself and the legs just got heavier and heavier. I was so happy to finish! I'm glad I didn't take the easy option though and go for a shorter run. As much as the physical fatigue was there in the end it became more a mental battle to make sure I finished. Definitely going to take it easy tomorrow and not exert myself too much.

Today:
11.3kms in 60mins on a 1 incline
The first 30mins done at 11.2km/h and the final 30mins done at 11.5km/h

Looking Forward To A Day Off Tomorrow

I'm glad to see the end of this training week. With the heat and the few extra kms I've chalked up this week (43kms compared to avg. 35kms the last few weeks) I was feeling pretty fatigued by the end of todays run. I think my focus now will be 2 days off a week and try and concentrate on a few longer runs - especially if I wish to try a half-marathon in the not too distant future. I'm very confident that I could run a sub50 10km race at the moment and not trying to sound arrogant or cocky but I think I would really surprise myself with the time if I gave it a shot at the moment.

One thing I'm very happy with at the moment is my level of motivation - I even feel guilty by taking one day training off a week and I cant ever recall eating this healthy. I once read somewhere that the first 3months of a beginner runner is the hardest, they said if you can make it past the first 3months then chances are you will stick with it long term. Here's hoping that my motivation level never dwindles! I figure if I keep reading everyone elses blogs and reading the boards at CoolRunning the chances of that happening are nil. Its amazing that the words and diaries of total strangers can inspire someone so much.

Today:
7.5km in 40mins on a 1 incline
Started off at 11.okm/h and worked my way up to 11.5km/h

Back To The Gym

After my hill run yesterday it was back to the gym. I thought I would be sore today but I actually woke up fine. I had intended to do a 45min run today but thought I would go for something shorter and give my body a nice gentle workout.

I started out very easy and as strange as this sounds sometimes when I am running too slow it feels very uncomfortable - that can only be good right? I like to settle into a groove that feels right - so towards the end of the run I really picked things up and in the end it was a brief run but one that left me feeling very good.

Today:
5.8kms in 30mins on a 1 incline
The first 5mins done at 11.2km/h, the next 15mins done at 11.5km/h and worked my way up to 13.5km/h for the final 10mins.

Hills: My Nemesis

Today I did my road run circuit. This was the first time in over 2 weeks so I thought I better get out and get a feel for the pavement underneath me again. The course I've set out is very hilly! I hate it but I know its a necessary evil. Hills have a tendancy to almost stop me in my track.

I started out at a fair clip but by the end of the first steep hill my breathing was laboured and my calfs were burning. Once I got back on the flat I was right and recovered fairly quick. But half way up the second hill I didn't think I was going to be able to continue - I kept telling myself I could stop in another 10metres and just kept doing that until I was finally up over the top of it. I was ok all the rest of the way home but my breathing just wasn't right and I think I may have overdone it. I didn't look at my time during the run and was very surprised by it when I got home and had a look - it was quite good considering the amount of hills and the steepness of them.

Today:
4.6km in 23:24mins

A Speedy Run

I went to the gym earlier then normal today - probably wasn't a good idea as it was Midday and hot as hell. I decided to do the_en4cer patented speed work routine that I've been doing the last couple of weeks - I don't think its textbook stuff but I think its getting the job done. Its give me a good mental boost as well because anytime I do it I ended up averaging under the 5.00min pace.

I felt good after the run and still think I had a little bit left in the tank ie. I didn't collapse into a ball on the ground afterwards. Not sure what to do with the routine next week but I think I might try and up the pace a little on the speed sections - I'm kinda making things up as I go along but I'm very happy that I feel good afterwards as a couple of weeks ago after a session like this I was pretty much ga-ga!

Today:
6.2kms in 30mins
Done in alternating 2min intervals of 10.5km/h and 14.5km/h

Hot and Humid Today

It was a stinking hot day here today and very muggy as well. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do 40mins or 30mins today but ended up going for an easy 40mins. It didn't end up real easy, I think the heat and humidity got the better of me as I got very lethargic after a couple of minutes and I noticed my heart rate sky rocketting as well.

Depending on how I feel I think I might either have a rest tomorrow or just go for an easy 30mins - and to think, Summer is only just beginning!

Today:
7.5kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
The first 30mins done at 11.2km/h and the final 10mins I worked my way up to finish off at 12.5km/h

A Longish Run

I thought I would treat myself to a new set of running shoes today. My New Balance are getting a little old and I dont feel like they give much cushioning. So I have an early Christmas present in a brand spankin new pair of Asics.

After my day off yesterday I felt pretty fresh today and decided to do 60mins on the treadmill - with my new shoes as well. I started off pretty easy with the intention of doing the second half of the run quicker (I believe this is called 'negative split'). The whole run was quite relaxed and I felt really good afterwards.

I'd really love to run a competitive 10km race at the moment just to see where I'm at. I have all these figures of what I'd love to run and what I think I'd run floating around my head. Not to worry, the longer I hold off running a 10km race the better the time will be I guess.

Today:
11.4km in 60mins on a 1 incline
The first 30mins done at 11.2km/h, the next 20mins done at 11.4km/h and the final 10 mins I worked my way up to finish off at 13km/h.

40mins for Today

I wasn't going to do any training today since I haven't had a day off since Sunday. But having felt pretty lively and not too sore the guilt kicked in and I went to gym. I started off fine for the first 15mins but the next 15mins was pretty tough - the legs got heavy and I felt like my form was very sloppy. The last 10mins I felt good and I kicked up the pace and tried to bring it home a little quicker. This is usually the way with me - I start off feeling fine and finish feeling good but the middle section of my runs are really tough. I think it is more a mental issue then physical.

Today:
7.7kms in 40mins on a 1 incline
The first 30mins done at 11.5km/h and the final 10mins worked my way up to finish off at 13km/h.

My First Post

After reading and being inspired by everyone else at Cool Running I've followed suit and set-up my own blog.

My running history has been on and off for the last 15years. At school I was always quite capable of running -whether it was short, middle or long distance. But once I went to Uni I got slack and pretty much stopped all competitive sport and very rarely did any training. Every so often I would try to get back into running but it only ever lasted a couple of months.

I moved to Armidale in 1997 and inspired by the change in climate and surroundings ( I was originally from Cairns) I really made an effort and for most of that year I stuck with it - that was the first year I did City 2 Surf. After 1997 I moved to Toowoomba and once more the training was on and off.

The last two years I've done City 2 Surf but I only started training for it about 6 weeks before. I'm determined now to stick with my running and since August I had 2 months off but been back in the groove since October. The majority of my training is done at the local gym on the treadmill but I also get out and hit the pavement with my dog every once in a while. I'm no star when it comes to running but I enjoy it and find it incredibly relaxing and invigorating.

Today:
5.6km in 30mins on hills setting.
Started off at 11.2km/h alternating with 2mins intervals of flat/hill and eventually finished off at 12km/h
Was sweating like a pig on heat by the end of it but love it - love a good sweat!