Double or nothing...

It is just so tempting to get out there tomorrow morning and run 10k, just so I can say I've doubled my distance since this month from the previous two... but no, tis year of the sensible runner and sensible I will be (maybe).

Had a great session this morning, still by no means back up to speed (or perhaps everyone else has just become a lot quicker!) but I'm feeling much better, like I could run for a long time (well an hour or so) and still feel great.

Oh happy days :)

Gold Coast Hill

Only a man who thinks a 60second SR is 30secs jogging could name a "hill" Gold Coast Hill and think its a good thing!! Every time I hear the word Gold Coast my legs now hurt, and thats nothing to do with the 42Km and all to do with THAT hill!! It was that hill that we finished our 6x500meter + 500meters and up the hill session on this morning, same hill we did last week but it actually felt a lot more doable. I dont think you can improve that much in a week, today was just one of those good sessions, one where you feel every strike on the footpath is sending you in the right direction. Cant wait for the next one.... can't believe a couple of months ago I was seriously debating giving it all away!!

Sunday long run

My plan was originally 90minutes this mornig, then I decided 2hours might be better and Mr Chelle told me of a 20km loop he use to do on his bike. Left home about 6am, it actually felt a bit cool this morning, winter is definitely on its way. Headed up towards the bike track that leads all the way up to the Hornibrook bridge, only saw two people the whole way up there, probably a bit early for a Sunday morning still! At the Hornibrook bridge, I turned right and ran along the Shorncliffe waterfront until I got to the end of the esplanade where I turned right again and headed towards home. All up I did 15km in just under 90mins, turns out I turned off too soon and missed out a top loop which would have made the run 20km. Still feeling pretty good with my run though and next week I might try the 20km loop.

Second session

Second session at Pats this morning, it was haaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddddddd. Around and a round the gardens, 2 mins running 30second jog recover x6. I picked off a couple of people at the back of the pack, needless to say though I was still very far behind a majority, still I'm just happy I was there. I had a bit of muscle soreness on Wednesday, i'd already decided on Tuesday night not to get up for a mid-week run as I thought two speed session was a big enough step for one week, plus MJ has sent me her marathon programme from last year and according to that I should be doing 2 hours this weekend, which was about 30mins more than I had planned.


So happy to be running with everyone again though - even if the group has expanded so much and I dont know half the names anymore!! :)

Back at Pats

The 4.40am alarm was a bit of a rude awakening this morning, probably would have been more rude if the puppy hadn't had a barking fit and a cat next door at 1am (2am and 4am!) but still, this morning was the start of the 15week countdown to the GC and not even the drops of rain that appeared on my windscreen as I reversed out of the garage were going to stop me from going, nor was the fact I didnt realise Mr Chelle had left me with no fuel and I needed to stop for some, or that the Inner City Bypass that I normally took was shut (for a murder investigation no less) or that my trying to get through Spring Hill to Southbank at 5.30am meant I took a wrong turning and had to do a big left, left, left to get back on track, oh and so by the time I arrived there was only half a dozen of the A Team hanging around the Ship Inn. Drat. Keeping up with the A Team (not that I would have managed to do that for more than 50meters) was out of the question and so a quick hi and I was off playing catch-up to New Farm.
So proud, not only did only two of the A Team pick me up, I even managed to catch up to the second group and made it to the floating walk way with the main group.

The task at hand was fartlek, 1min fast, 1 min jog, then repeat for 30 & 15 seconds x3, with a finale of the monster hill. I made it about 3/4 way up the hill and decided to walk the final 15meters, something to do with the last words my physio had said to me (dont do hills yet) made me stop!

Anyway, felt good all day and very proud for starting my official journey to Marathondom!


PS: Did I mention there are still ten days left of the month and I just passed last months Ks :D

Weekend of running

As planned this weekend was full of running, a Saturday morning trip to Intraining found MJ and I officially signed up as Half pacers for the Brissie Marathon weekend, on this basis we decided to do a test run on the Sunday morning and MJ promptly called Tesso to request a lend of her garmin to see how we would fair (Thanks Tess!).
Saturday afternoon and we headed off for our first Cross Country run, just 3km but felt more like 10 with all the long grass and potholes! I can only imagine since I found it so hard that it must be good for me! :)
Sunday morning and I picked MJ up at 5.45am and we headed to the Regatta for a 90min run with the planning being to keep within 6-6.30/k as we're unsure of exact pacing time requirement. We ended up with an average of about 6.24 so that was fairly good. We then arrived back at the Regatta in time for a quick shower, some treat brekky pancakes and then a sit down in front of the big screen to watch the C'wealth Marathon... talk about a running related weekend!

Graduation and a weeks catch-up

Tuesday
After pulling up okay from Sundays BRRC 10km I decided to head off on a slightly longer loop on Tuesday morning, one that incorporates a couple of large rolling hills at the start to really get the heart rate up. I think both puppy & I found it a bit odd running so much of the time in the dark, those mornings are really feeling more and more wintery now - he was darting from side to side trying to work out the noises he couldnt see, and I was just struggling to not fall over him while he was doing this (next time I get a white pup!). Anyway, the run went really well and at a very easy and comfortable pace.

Thursday
Back to the normal racecourse run this morning, while I was running I was trying to remember how it felt just 10 weeks ago when I first did it; it hurt so badly and I felt so very slow and plod-plod like. I think things are certainly starting to look up.


Friday - Graduation Day
My physio appointment today was great, the ultrasound showed how much stronger my muscles have become and how I am improving at locking on the right ones for running, in fact so good was my session today, that my physio officially sent me packing without a return appointment. I have graduated to running with strapping, leaving alone large hills and a lot of speed, but other than that, the world is my running track!


I have a busy running related weekend planned. Tomorrow morning MJ and I are going to check out the Intraining sale, then in the afternoon we are going to have a go at the X-country, I havent done x-country since high school, so that could be interesting! In keeping with the leaving steep hills alone idea, on Sunday morning I am going to aim for a 75-90min run from the Regatta, finishing in time for everyone else returning back there from their Mt Co'otha runs for the Commonwealth Games Marathon and breaky :)

Saturday warmup & First BRRC meet

I have been off running all week, crook as a crook thing. I've had that horrible cold thats been going around since the weather changed, you know, the one that leaves you achey, and feverish and like you're head is going to explode. In an attempt to be good to myself and because having a couple of early finishes (ie 5pm) from work werent an option this week, I set my alarm for 6am everyday and didnt even attempt a run, other than a 20 min jog with on Wednesday evening with the puppy up the park.
MJ got back about a week or so ago and I was due to meet up for a quick coffee with her on Thursday as she was in the city, she put ideas in my head about a Half at BRRC on Sunday morning, the idea though appealing to my head I didnt think my body would be willing and said I would let her know on the Saturday after I'd tried to do a little run. On Saturday morning I got up at 6.30am and did my usual track with the racehorse puppy, I managed to do it comfortably in a good time. A couple of hours later I was still feeling okay from the run but not 100% from my cold and rung MJ to see if I could get a lift with her on the Sunday morning, but mentionned I would possibly just be doing the 10km.

I got up at 4.40am this morning and headed out to MJ's wher she was waiting for me and we headed down to West End. I decided in the car that I should follow what my body was telling me and signed up for the 10km run. I joined the BRRC also as this was my first run down there.
The Half started at 6am so this gave me 30mins until my run was to set off, this time flew by and before I knew it I was at the start and the gun had gone off. I started in the middle of the pack and decided just to run my own race, my first few K's were in 5.15 and after about the 4th K they started to creep up by 5secs/K, still I wasnt getting taken (well only by the super quick Halfers!) and I was doing my own thing, feeling good and not worrying about PB's for a change. I finished in 55:50, 9 mins slower than my last 10km at Doomben, to look at it in a "half full" way though, it is now 9hours after I finished my run, I had no pain or swelling and have not had to take any anti-inflams etc. Things will only get better (and quicker) from here on!


:)

Long Saturday Run

Well, definitely getting and feeling better in my runs I think. Four of the girls headed up Mt Cootha, but keeping in mind the 'year of the sensible runner' I opted for the usual trip along the bike path towards the city... I was feeling great and comfortably managed to keep up with Liz & Liz for the first 15mins. Just after the 15min point we passed the second water tap and I stopped for a quick drink, the others were heading off for varying 17km upwards runs so I plugged in my mp3 players and started the solo thing. The plan was to head up towards the base of the Story Bridge and then turn back, when I got to the base I decided rather than heading straight back I would do a bit of a weave around the City before re-entering the Botanicals. When I got to the gardens I felt a bit tight around my knee so treated myself to a water stop and a one minute walking/stretching break, this seemed to do the trick and I begun my run back along the bike way to the Regatta. I had just got to Coro Drive when Liz and a couple others ran past me on their way back, this was okay, rather than trying to keep up with them I plodded along, it was a bit of a struggle though as their was quite a strong headwind and I opted for another one minute walking break to help ease some of the struggle. By the time I got back to the Regatta I had run just over 14km, felt pretty happy with that.

Feb Round-up

Okay, quick catch-up time. I have just posted my Feb Ks up and noticed it was the same as last months, I'm actually not too disappointed with that as the Jan total would have included Cabooltures run.

Anyway, I didnt go to the Regatta last Saturday and opted for a solo-run instead, I wanted to do 75mins but stopped just short, was fairly happy though with how I felt afterwards and during. Today I went to the physio, I have graduated from having to go every ten days to going once a fortnight... in celebration I emailed Pat this afternoon to find out when the Countdown to GC begins, this was the week I joined on last year, so I may as well try and get there again this year! The physio is still saying to keep away from speed and hills, so I think I'll opt with picking and choosing one session a week for a little while to see how I go... exciting though :)