Training for Speed

It is nice to have weeks with just 50km in the legs, especially as the weather is not at all inviting to go out and run. Today I covered just under 20km in 105min and got miserably wet in the process. The Nike shoes are holding up fine - one small pressure point on the right foot but I am sure I can sort that one out too. I am doing 5km runs now in 4'20" pace, so next step is to get the distance up over the next few weeks.
It is great to not spend hours after hours out running for once and spend some more time at home. Tomorrow, if the weather holds up I try to join up with some runners in the Botanical Garden for a round or two.
Have also signed up for another 1/2 marathon in August - Mudgee Running Festival. Seems like a nice race through wine yards. Just hope it is not going to be too cold then.
Happy running and save training.

Mini-Mos - 10km Race

First test completed. I was getting some new shoes yesterday, Gary at Kenso recommended Nike Air Zoom Triax 11 over my usual Asics DT2130 and they felt great on my feet, so I went along with it and got myself 2 new pairs.
Went for a short speed session that same day to test them out and I have to say they feel great and offer some bounce on the road.
Anyway - Marathon Man and Susie picked me up early today and we drove north over that bridge to Mosman to run the MiniMos Marathon - a 10km race through the neighbour hood of that suburb.
A fair number of keen runners of all ages waited at the starting line and for once the weather was friendly and not too cold. We met some old faces from Morocco as well as 'famous' ones (Tony Abbott). The course was fairly hilly and it was good that I had no clue where the course went. I just put down my head and off I went. I had to find my benchmark for the 10 km - a distance I probably raced 12 years ago the last time.
The first 5 km where hilly and I went through that first leg in 22 min - left Marathon Man behind and attacked the second half of the race. There were a few out and back section, so you got a good glance of who was ahead and who behind you. With an average of 4.33 per km I found enough to sprint the last few 100 meters and managed to finish just a bit over 45 min for the distance. So I know it will be a hard uphill battle if I say that 40 min is the goal for the World Masters Games, but if that course is a flat one and on a good day you never know.

A few minutes later Marathon Man sprinted down Tony A. and finished in less than 50 min - well done! Congratulations to Susie too, who is on track to become MarathonGirl - a mere minute over the hour mark, means that mark can be broken at the Gold Coast in a couple of weeks. We all have signed up for the Gold Coast Marathon. A Marathon des Sables reunion for Josh, Keith, Trent and myself for the big one and another go for Suzie to beat the 60 min for the 10km race.

3 weeks to the Marathon plus another 7 days for the next race - a ½ marathon test – it is all happening. 17 weeks to the Games….