Nice week weather wise - first time in a long while I enjoyed a run in the Botanical Garden over lunch time. Sooo much better then then to good, old treadmill at the gym. My knee is giving me trouble again - guess the running on the road has an impact as well as my visits to the chiro practor to fix my spine....seems like the running with the damaged knee made me favoring one side more then the other with the result that my spine is now twisted...so we need to untwist quickly to get me ready for the World Masters Game in October :-)
Happy feet
23 July 2009
11 July 2009
World Masters Games - here we come
This morning I went south for one of my first 1/2 Marathon races for ages. Sri Chinmoy Sydney (www.srichinmoyraces.org/au/events/sydneyraces organised a great event down south at Dolls Point.
A week after my marathon at the Gold Coast my legs were still a bit weary but once the start 'gun' went off, I and Denis headed off on a fast 4.20 pace...soon we got into a rhythm and we crossed the first 1okm in 46.50 min, I just hoped to be able to keep it up.
Denis went a bit ahead of me and for the second leg I again used my 'catch the next colourful t'shirt' tactic. It worked fine and soon Denis appeared again just ahead of me. Feeling that he is slowing down, I knew I am going to get him. Unfortunately I did sooner then expected because he suddenly pulled out with a calf muscle injury. So I had to focus on a new t'shirt and with 4 km to go, I suddenly 'ran' out of other runners ahead of me...so it just became a long sprint to the finish. 98min for 21.1km, good work for a Sunday morning and on track for the games. Now it is back to training for the next 6 weeks until the Mudgee 1/2 marathon in August - I feel a new PB may be coming up by then :-)
Happy feet
A week after my marathon at the Gold Coast my legs were still a bit weary but once the start 'gun' went off, I and Denis headed off on a fast 4.20 pace...soon we got into a rhythm and we crossed the first 1okm in 46.50 min, I just hoped to be able to keep it up.
Denis went a bit ahead of me and for the second leg I again used my 'catch the next colourful t'shirt' tactic. It worked fine and soon Denis appeared again just ahead of me. Feeling that he is slowing down, I knew I am going to get him. Unfortunately I did sooner then expected because he suddenly pulled out with a calf muscle injury. So I had to focus on a new t'shirt and with 4 km to go, I suddenly 'ran' out of other runners ahead of me...so it just became a long sprint to the finish. 98min for 21.1km, good work for a Sunday morning and on track for the games. Now it is back to training for the next 6 weeks until the Mudgee 1/2 marathon in August - I feel a new PB may be coming up by then :-)
Happy feet
08 July 2009
Running for Fred
As you know I signed up for the Sydney Bridge Run and in the process I opened a fundraising page through their website. Please help and make a difference!
Visit www.gofundraise.com.au/run4vision
Too many poor people need our help - they are needlessly blind and we can help them - remember $25 is enough to give a person the eyesight back.
Thanks for your support
Visit www.gofundraise.com.au/run4vision
Too many poor people need our help - they are needlessly blind and we can help them - remember $25 is enough to give a person the eyesight back.
Thanks for your support
06 July 2009
Like good wine.....getting better with age....
The Gold Coast Marathon (http://www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au/) is a great race to run fast or at least try to....I was glad the start was at a decent time of 7.30am on Sunday morning. After a long night 2 nights ago, discovering Brisbane's nightlife any extra minute in bed was needed.
Under ideal conditions, cool 19 degrees maximum and slightly overcast with high clouds, over 4'000 runners lined up at the start. Trent (Marathon Man) and I decided to start with the 3.45hrs pacer and then see how we go. Going through the first 10 km in relaxed 52 min and since I was not comfortable with running in a big group of people (which kind of bulked up all around the pacer), I decided to speed up a bit and go ahead of the group.
The next 5 km split showed me a couple of minutes ahead of pace and felling good, I just kept going. Half way was done in 110 minutes. For the second half I decided on a new tactic by simply picking out a bright shirt of a runner a few hundred meters ahead of me and then chase 'it' down. That worked a treat and one colourful 'shirt' after another was left behind. After the final turn at 36 km and still feeling great, I kept this tactic up and without looking at time or distance any longer, I cruised into the finish line realising that with a bit more effort I could have easily beaten my own PB - finishing in 3hrs37min or a mere 1 min slower then my best ever - 8 years earlier. Was very happy with myself and headed back to enjoy the obligate ice bath back at the Sofitel followed by a family size pizza.
Trent was not as lucky and following his short recovery from a flu, he never took off and battled all the way to the finish - but finish he did. Maybe his worst race but remembering my worst a few years back on exactly the same course here can only mean that he can come back and do better next year.
This probably was my last marathon for the year. It seems that my new speed training was already helping to improve my race times and the next couple of months of running and training now for 1/2 marathons and 10 km race can only mean (hopefully) more fast times ahead. Next race will be the 1/2 in Mudgee (www.mudgeetriclub.hwy.com.au/marathon), followed by the Sydney Bridge run (http://www.sydneymarathon.org/) and then we should be ready for some great racing at the World Masters Games (http://www.2009worldmasters.com/)
I am also glad to have already my qualification for The Comrades 2010 (http://www.comrades.com/) in my pocket with the Gold Coast Marathon time.
Happy running everyone.
Under ideal conditions, cool 19 degrees maximum and slightly overcast with high clouds, over 4'000 runners lined up at the start. Trent (Marathon Man) and I decided to start with the 3.45hrs pacer and then see how we go. Going through the first 10 km in relaxed 52 min and since I was not comfortable with running in a big group of people (which kind of bulked up all around the pacer), I decided to speed up a bit and go ahead of the group.
The next 5 km split showed me a couple of minutes ahead of pace and felling good, I just kept going. Half way was done in 110 minutes. For the second half I decided on a new tactic by simply picking out a bright shirt of a runner a few hundred meters ahead of me and then chase 'it' down. That worked a treat and one colourful 'shirt' after another was left behind. After the final turn at 36 km and still feeling great, I kept this tactic up and without looking at time or distance any longer, I cruised into the finish line realising that with a bit more effort I could have easily beaten my own PB - finishing in 3hrs37min or a mere 1 min slower then my best ever - 8 years earlier. Was very happy with myself and headed back to enjoy the obligate ice bath back at the Sofitel followed by a family size pizza.
Trent was not as lucky and following his short recovery from a flu, he never took off and battled all the way to the finish - but finish he did. Maybe his worst race but remembering my worst a few years back on exactly the same course here can only mean that he can come back and do better next year.
This probably was my last marathon for the year. It seems that my new speed training was already helping to improve my race times and the next couple of months of running and training now for 1/2 marathons and 10 km race can only mean (hopefully) more fast times ahead. Next race will be the 1/2 in Mudgee (www.mudgeetriclub.hwy.com.au/marathon), followed by the Sydney Bridge run (http://www.sydneymarathon.org/) and then we should be ready for some great racing at the World Masters Games (http://www.2009worldmasters.com/)
I am also glad to have already my qualification for The Comrades 2010 (http://www.comrades.com/) in my pocket with the Gold Coast Marathon time.
Happy running everyone.
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