One week until the marathon - feeling good after another taper week.
The race starts at 7.10am (5.10am Perth time) and there is a webcast of the marathon on the race website http://www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au/
As part of the live online service, split times will be provided at each 5km point as well as at halfway.
My bib number is M2540
81.4km this week after 89km last week (Monday to Sunday totals). Possibly a little high this week but it didn't feel like I was doing too much and I would have felt underdone if I had done any less.
Two key workouts this week were interval session of 3 x 1 mile on Thursday and 21km medium long run today.
Thursday:
Warm Up 5.8 km 26:00 4:28 min/km
Intervals 1600m 5:51 3:39 min/km
Recovery Run 600m 3:21 5:35 min/km
Intervals 1600m 5:39 3:31 min/km
Recovery Run 500m 2:51 5:42 min/km
Intervals 1600m 5:31 3:26 min/km
Cool Down 4km 18:30 4:37 min/km
Session was 3 × 1 mile @ 5km pace with 50-90% jog recovery between. Decided to go for a 3 min recovery as expected to to be running around 5.45 for each rep.
It was very cold this morning (must have been around 2C and despite a decent warm up it still took me a while to get into this although I did feel very much in control and not straining at all for the first rep which was a bit slow.
Next 2 reps were better. The recoveries were a jog up to Canning Hwy and back after the first rep and up to Mill Point Road and back after the second rep. My pacing seems to be a bit all over the place but at least they were heading in the right direction. Particularly pleased with the last one at 5.31 especially as it didn’t get hard until the last 200m.
Ran warm down with Clown who was on his first run after his successful Perth Marathon.
Today (Saturday) - Medium long run – 21km out to UWA/Matilda Bay cafe and back via Narrows and South Perth. Even though I waited until after 8am before heading out, it was still very cold especially first 20 mins when my fingers on my left hand (not so bad on my right for some reason) were so cold it was painful. Rox says that it was apparently -0.6C at 7.30am – not sure if that is correct but it was definitely cold!!
Nice easy pace for the whole run – bright sunshine, light breeze and not a cloud in the sky made for nice conditions. 1 hour 35 mins so 4.31/km avg pace.
Rest day tomorrow.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Perth Marathon Relay - a win for BT RunClub-Strands
Ran the second leg of the Perth Marathon Relay (simonelliott ran 1st leg and sugar42 ran legs 3 and 4).
We were 4th when Simon handed over to me (the first three teams led off with some very very strong runners and Simon did very well to keep us in touch with them.
I passed the third placed runner relatively quickly and was running just 3.40 pace for the first 3-4km. As usual though I could not maintain it and drifted to 3.47 – 3.50 for the remainder although I probably picked it up over the last 1km.
I saw the third leg runner from the first team about 2 mins ahead of me as he ran past (the change over was at the turn around point) and didn’t see the 2nd placed runner so he must have only just been in front of me.
Was supposed to be a light easterly bit was more of a south westerly but wasn’t too bad.
It was good to see plenty of friends out on the course. Was able to run briefly with clown as I did my warmup and he was running towards Como Beach. Also saw Epi and TB. Saw clown and Sandgroper while I was racing as they were heading back towards the city. Rob was looking very strong and comfortable.
35.23 for me so average pace of my standard 3.45/km. A little a bit outside of what I thought/hoped I would run but not overly disappointed as I felt strong and in control. It is a bit frustrating though that I can’t run any quicker but I am in marathon not 10k training.
Pretty full on day – rode my bike to the start (approx 4-5km) as Rox was taking Sammie to soccer. Regretted not wearing gloves as it was pretty cool on the bike but warmed up quickly once I got to Como Beach.
Ran back to Como Beach after my relay leg at a very comfortable pace (9.3km @ 4.30/km pace) and then rode my bike home. The hills on the way home were not much fun with tired legs. Grabbed a quick shower and then drove down to the Marathon Club to find out where we finished and how everyone got on.
Very excited to find out that sugar passed the leading runner about 2km from the finish but just as happy to find out that Rob ran 2.59.05 to go sub 3 for the the first time. Sammie came down to the club with me to help me look for a man “with a big smile on his face”.
Very strong event this year. We ran 2.35 flat which was 5 minutes quicker than the winning team last year and the team that ran third this year would have won last year’s event. So pretty pleasing and not bad for a bunch of old guys. Great launch for Simon's running club which I think kicks off officially at the start of July.
Back home for lunch then back to the club for the presentations before heading home as we had Sammie’s 5th birthday party with her school friends this afternoon.
2 weeks until Gold Coast.
We were 4th when Simon handed over to me (the first three teams led off with some very very strong runners and Simon did very well to keep us in touch with them.
I passed the third placed runner relatively quickly and was running just 3.40 pace for the first 3-4km. As usual though I could not maintain it and drifted to 3.47 – 3.50 for the remainder although I probably picked it up over the last 1km.
I saw the third leg runner from the first team about 2 mins ahead of me as he ran past (the change over was at the turn around point) and didn’t see the 2nd placed runner so he must have only just been in front of me.
Was supposed to be a light easterly bit was more of a south westerly but wasn’t too bad.
It was good to see plenty of friends out on the course. Was able to run briefly with clown as I did my warmup and he was running towards Como Beach. Also saw Epi and TB. Saw clown and Sandgroper while I was racing as they were heading back towards the city. Rob was looking very strong and comfortable.
35.23 for me so average pace of my standard 3.45/km. A little a bit outside of what I thought/hoped I would run but not overly disappointed as I felt strong and in control. It is a bit frustrating though that I can’t run any quicker but I am in marathon not 10k training.
Pretty full on day – rode my bike to the start (approx 4-5km) as Rox was taking Sammie to soccer. Regretted not wearing gloves as it was pretty cool on the bike but warmed up quickly once I got to Como Beach.
Ran back to Como Beach after my relay leg at a very comfortable pace (9.3km @ 4.30/km pace) and then rode my bike home. The hills on the way home were not much fun with tired legs. Grabbed a quick shower and then drove down to the Marathon Club to find out where we finished and how everyone got on.
Very excited to find out that sugar passed the leading runner about 2km from the finish but just as happy to find out that Rob ran 2.59.05 to go sub 3 for the the first time. Sammie came down to the club with me to help me look for a man “with a big smile on his face”.
Very strong event this year. We ran 2.35 flat which was 5 minutes quicker than the winning team last year and the team that ran third this year would have won last year’s event. So pretty pleasing and not bad for a bunch of old guys. Great launch for Simon's running club which I think kicks off officially at the start of July.
Back home for lunch then back to the club for the presentations before heading home as we had Sammie’s 5th birthday party with her school friends this afternoon.
2 weeks until Gold Coast.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Choo Choo Run - last long run before Gold Coast Marathon
Choo Choo run with Sandgroper and Sugar on Saturday morning. This is a run that they have both done before, Sandgroper more than once but I had no real idea what lay ahead other than a lot of hills.
An early start with Sandgroper picking me up at 5am, then on to Sugar’s.
Drop off of dry shirts at Serpentine and drinks at about the 22k mark before we got to North Dandalup. We were a bit early so we had to wait about 20mins before it was light enough to set off.
I struggled a bit early as I have not done any serious hill work and no trail running at all recently. There were some serious uphills over the first 10km with the 2-7km stretch being pretty much all uphill without relief. You can find the elevation profile on my page on Strands by looking at the workout entry for this run.
Beautiful conditions for running – cool and clear. Early in we ran past paddocks with cows and a calf decided to run along with us for a bit and later on when we were on the trail we saw a few kangaroos.
We got to “Crying Corner” in around 52mins and took a short break (mainly so I could catch up – I was a couple of minutes behind the guys at this point). I think I improved as the run went on – the worst of the hills were over but it was still hard – there was hardly any of this run when you were not running uphill or downhill.
Whenever I could get onto anything that was flat and allowed me to run in rhythm I was fine. There was a good stretch when we had a about 12km to go and before we hit the big downhill. Sugar and I were cracking along at this point at 3.40-3.45 pace. The downhill was a bit of a downer though as it was just too steep to run properly. Also I had a bit of bruising on my left foot which made me even more cautious.
We got to back to the Highway with about 6km to go and settled into a good pace around 3.55/km pace. I was feeling really good at this point but got a bit tired with about 1km to go. Sugar is in great shape at the moment (has been since about this time last year) and ran really strongly all morning. Sandgroper showed his natural ability on the hills – he is a bit of a mountain goat I reckon.
We finished in Serpentine and after changing into the dry shirts we left, we hit the General Store for some much needed protein and carbs. The lack of baked goods was a bit of disappointment but iced coffees, bananas, gatorade and a Mars bar still hit the mark.
About 20mins later, the train arrived to take us back to North Dandalup. The train journey on pretty much a direct route only took about 11 minutes – but it was a very fast train :-)
This was my last long run before Gold Coast. I’m pretty happy with my ability to run well on the flat even after the hammering my legs took on the hills over quite a few kms and luckily for me, Gold Coast is completely flat.
This was a very hard run but it was also very enjoyable and a bit of an adventure. It is not the sort of run that you can do if you are not in decent shape so in that way it was also a bit of a reward.
In short – great morning, hard run, beautiful scenery and setting and top company – it doesn’t get much better than that.
The World Cup has started, co-inciding perfectly with my taper. Now I have a dilemma though as most of the games that I want to watch are in the absolute middle of the night eg Australia v Germany at 2am. This doesn't fit well with a need to get lots of sleep and recover as well as still getting some runs in at the right intensity. I think the Foxtel IQ will be getting a bit of a workout and I will spend a lot of time avoiding radio, internet and other people until I have had a chance to catch up on the games.
I won't be posting recaps of my daily workouts here anymore - they are all on Strands. I will post weekly totals though.
Last two weeks have been 103.6km and 115.75km following from my 131km week. Six of the last nine weeks have topped 100kms so I feel like I have done the volume needed to have a good run at Gold Coast, I just wish I was running a bit quicker as I don't really know for sure what pace to run at. I feel confident I can go sub 3 but I don't know if that means 2.59, 2.57 or maybe even 2.55.
In other news, Ben's soccer team which I coach is now top of the league. We had a good (albeit comfortable) win this morning and Ben scored a cracking goal. A brilliant turn left the defender in his wake and he then strode on and smashed it past the keeper who had no chance. A really clinical finish and a very proud Dad.
First week of my taper this week. I'll still get up around 85-90km depending on how far I run tomorrow and next Sunday (after my leg of the relay marathon). I am down for 18.6km tomorrow morning but I might scale that back to a 12.8km Bridges loop instead. Ben and Rox are running tomorrow so I need to be back in time for them to head out and also I need to find time to watch the Socceroos.
An early start with Sandgroper picking me up at 5am, then on to Sugar’s.
Drop off of dry shirts at Serpentine and drinks at about the 22k mark before we got to North Dandalup. We were a bit early so we had to wait about 20mins before it was light enough to set off.
I struggled a bit early as I have not done any serious hill work and no trail running at all recently. There were some serious uphills over the first 10km with the 2-7km stretch being pretty much all uphill without relief. You can find the elevation profile on my page on Strands by looking at the workout entry for this run.
Beautiful conditions for running – cool and clear. Early in we ran past paddocks with cows and a calf decided to run along with us for a bit and later on when we were on the trail we saw a few kangaroos.
We got to “Crying Corner” in around 52mins and took a short break (mainly so I could catch up – I was a couple of minutes behind the guys at this point). I think I improved as the run went on – the worst of the hills were over but it was still hard – there was hardly any of this run when you were not running uphill or downhill.
Whenever I could get onto anything that was flat and allowed me to run in rhythm I was fine. There was a good stretch when we had a about 12km to go and before we hit the big downhill. Sugar and I were cracking along at this point at 3.40-3.45 pace. The downhill was a bit of a downer though as it was just too steep to run properly. Also I had a bit of bruising on my left foot which made me even more cautious.
We got to back to the Highway with about 6km to go and settled into a good pace around 3.55/km pace. I was feeling really good at this point but got a bit tired with about 1km to go. Sugar is in great shape at the moment (has been since about this time last year) and ran really strongly all morning. Sandgroper showed his natural ability on the hills – he is a bit of a mountain goat I reckon.
We finished in Serpentine and after changing into the dry shirts we left, we hit the General Store for some much needed protein and carbs. The lack of baked goods was a bit of disappointment but iced coffees, bananas, gatorade and a Mars bar still hit the mark.
About 20mins later, the train arrived to take us back to North Dandalup. The train journey on pretty much a direct route only took about 11 minutes – but it was a very fast train :-)
This was my last long run before Gold Coast. I’m pretty happy with my ability to run well on the flat even after the hammering my legs took on the hills over quite a few kms and luckily for me, Gold Coast is completely flat.
This was a very hard run but it was also very enjoyable and a bit of an adventure. It is not the sort of run that you can do if you are not in decent shape so in that way it was also a bit of a reward.
In short – great morning, hard run, beautiful scenery and setting and top company – it doesn’t get much better than that.
The World Cup has started, co-inciding perfectly with my taper. Now I have a dilemma though as most of the games that I want to watch are in the absolute middle of the night eg Australia v Germany at 2am. This doesn't fit well with a need to get lots of sleep and recover as well as still getting some runs in at the right intensity. I think the Foxtel IQ will be getting a bit of a workout and I will spend a lot of time avoiding radio, internet and other people until I have had a chance to catch up on the games.
I won't be posting recaps of my daily workouts here anymore - they are all on Strands. I will post weekly totals though.
Last two weeks have been 103.6km and 115.75km following from my 131km week. Six of the last nine weeks have topped 100kms so I feel like I have done the volume needed to have a good run at Gold Coast, I just wish I was running a bit quicker as I don't really know for sure what pace to run at. I feel confident I can go sub 3 but I don't know if that means 2.59, 2.57 or maybe even 2.55.
In other news, Ben's soccer team which I coach is now top of the league. We had a good (albeit comfortable) win this morning and Ben scored a cracking goal. A brilliant turn left the defender in his wake and he then strode on and smashed it past the keeper who had no chance. A really clinical finish and a very proud Dad.
First week of my taper this week. I'll still get up around 85-90km depending on how far I run tomorrow and next Sunday (after my leg of the relay marathon). I am down for 18.6km tomorrow morning but I might scale that back to a 12.8km Bridges loop instead. Ben and Rox are running tomorrow so I need to be back in time for them to head out and also I need to find time to watch the Socceroos.
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