35.2km long run tops off a 131km week

Phew - that was a big week. Topping 130kms with a race and a tempo run included meant that I was pretty tired by the time I had 8-10km to go today. I was able to maintain a steady pace though and still had enough in the legs to push it a bit up the final hill (not a Sandgroper sprint but not bad after 35k).

Just going back to last week's race and the pace I was able to run at, I found this quote on Nate Jenkins’ Running Times blog. Pretty much sums up my race on Sunday so it’s reassuring to know it’s nothing unusual:

“To quote 2:15 man Pat Moulton ‘have you noticed when your training hard and you race, that you run half marathon pace in the 5k, half marathon pace in the 10k. The only thing that changes is the effort’.”

A couple of running purchases this week to report on. I bought a Sugoi Helium jacket at the Running Centre just in time for Thursday's run in the rain. Fits perfectly and is extremely light. Not sure about the water resistant performance though as I got up too much of a sweat in the humid conditions that by the time it had rained my shirt was wet and I'm not sure if it was rain or sweat. Did a good job of keeping the wind off though.

Also got a Sugoi tech training shirt. Wore it on my long run this morning. It is very light and thin and didn't get too weighted down with sweat. I forgot to put Body Glide on my nipples and they didn't get too sore by the end (no bleeding or chafing) so that was very handy.

At the end of last football season, the parents of the palyers gave me a $90 Rebel Sport voucher. I have decided that the Brooks Adrenaline are not up to a long run for me, still getting numbness in the midfoot of my left foot, so used to voucher to help pay for a pair of Asics 2150s. I hope they are as good as the 2130s which are my favourite training shoe of recent years. I am on to my last pair of 2130s now and can't find any more in my size (US 9) anywhere.

This week (lifted from Strands):

Monday:  Straight back into it. Up early and out on a cool and perfect morning for running.  25.1km in 1 hour 50 mins (4.22/km pace).

Did the out to Peninsula Golf Course and back around the Bridges run that I have done a couple of times recently. Today’s pace was in between the quicker pace I ran this at with Simon and the slower pace I ran this at by myself last week.

This is a pretty big week for me and I think I will get pretty close to 120km this week by the time I have finished my long run on Saturday.

Tuesday: Easy recovery run on a cold, clear morning. Saw my brother in law Garry out there but going in the opposite direction.

8.6km in 38.57 (4.31/km pace)

Ran a bit quicker than normal for a recovery run – felt pretty fresh and also was taking the Saucony Fasttwitches out for a spin. Felt fantastic straight out of the box and really good while running. Good support for such a light shoe – very different from the Green Silence. I think that these will be my GC Marathon shoes.


 Wednesday - Maylands Tempo Run. Haven’t done this for a few weeks and conscious that Sunday’s 14.5km was basically a tempo run, I set out to run this controlled but making sure I did not flog myself.

I think I achieved this – particularly pleased with the 7.29 for the last 2km. Was not overly tired at the end and just ran on.  31.09 for 8km tempo.

Not sure how this compares to the last time I did this run, I’ll need to go back and look but it felt good (was actually 30.59 last time so 10 secs quicker than this effort - but I think it was more than 10 secs harder effort to achieve it last time if that makes sense).
Wore the Saucony Fastwitch – magic shoe!!
Activity Reps Distance Duration Pace


Warm Up 1 x 4100.04.1 km 00:19:00 4:38 min/km

Tempo Run 1 x 2000.02.0 km 00:07:50 3:55 min/km

Tempo Run 1 x 2000.02.0 km 00:07:59 3:59 min/km

Tempo Run 1 x 2000.02.0 km 00:07:51 3:55 min/km

Tempo Run 1 x 2000.02.0 km 00:07:29 3:44 min/km

Cool Down 1 x 4100.04.1 km 00:19:00 4:38 min/km

1 hour 9 mins for 16.2km all up
Thursday: Pretty heavy week continued this morning with a medium long run with Clown. After some very heavy rain overnight, it wasn't too bad while were out there - a bit of drizzle and a couple of heavy showers.
 
Tried out new Sugoi Helium jacket that I got from the Running Centre. Certainly more breathable than jackets I have worn in the past (and lighter) but still got up a bit of a sweat early on befroe the heavy rain came. Then I wasn't sure if it was keeping me dry or not because my shirt underneath was soaked in sweat already.
 
We ran at a pretty good pace - I had already been running at a similar pace to get to the meet point on time. Comfortable enough that we had a good chat especially about Rob's Boston experience. Pit stops for each of us at different times. Luckily plenty of facilities en route. I am up to 89.5km this week (Sunday to Thursday) so with an 8.6km recovery tomorrow and then 35k I will crack the 130k mark this week. I am feeling it a little bit. Not so much when I am running but after my shower this morning, it was all I could do not to slip back under the doona and go to sleep. Instead it was suit on and off to work :-(
 
25.1km in 1 hour 49 mins (4.20/km pace)
 
Friday - Recovery run to Mends Street and back. No feeling that flash today – fighting off a bit of head cold and its associated headache. Kept it a bit shorter and pretty easy this morning.


6.2km in 31 mins (5.00/km pace).

Hopefully will be feeling better tomorrow morning as I have a 35km long run scheduled


Saturday (today): Long run on what was a perfect day for it – hard to imagine a nicer morning. About 8 degrees C, sunny and only the hint of a breeze.

I added a measured 3km loop around Ascot Park racecourse to my 32.2k run to give me 35.2k all up. 2 hours 44 mins (4.39/km pace).

Not great pace but at the end of a big week I was happy to get through it spending some time on my feet. No pit stops so apart from 2 × 1 min gel stops, this was 2:44 of continual running.

Rest day tomorrow and then back into it on Monday.

Head cold seems to be on the way out so hopefully by Monday I’ll be 100% again

HBF Run for a Reason

Was supposed to be approx 14km but was more like 14.5km. Sugar has Map My Run plotted this at 14.54km so I’ll take that.

After very average weather yesterday, it wasn’t too bad this morning other than being pretty windy. I never really got into a group of more than two (ie me and someone else).

Met up with Sugar at the start and also saw Simon right at the start. We got a good spot at a very crowded start and got away well.

I went out fairly conservatively and I think the km markers were pretty random. I took most splits but I don’t think they are worth reproducing given their inaccuracy.

Relative to other runners who normally beat me and those who I normally beat, I think I finished just about right on (other than relative to Sugar who ran 52.03 ie more than 1km in front of me in an absolutely great run).

Looks like Simon had a good one too which bodes well for our marathon relay team, although I am clearly the weakest link.

I will put this down as a good solid run. Unsurprisingly I guess, I felt like I had good strength and endurance and finished strongly but lacked speed throughout the race. Not completely fresh despite a very easy 3 days before hand and couldn’t get above a tempo rythym and pace.

The bag collection afterwards was unfortunately a complete debacle. I was pretty lucky, it only took me 25mins to get my bag but by the time I left about 30 mins later, the crowd around the bag collection spot was 10 deep as about 30 volunteers searched for a bag each amongst the thousands of identical white plastic bags.

That would be my only real criticism other than the lack of a certified standard distance. There were lots of volunteers and the entertainment and music along the course was something different that we don’t usually get for races in Perth.

The best two moments for me were as I approached the end of the Northbridge Tunnel. They had speakers setup playing very loud music and as I approached AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” was just starting – the intro to that song is awesome and was really uplifting at exactly the right time – pumped me up and pushed me on.

The other really good point for me was the drumming and cheerleaders at the 13km mark coming over the Causeway. I was running pretty strongly at that point and the encouragement here made me feel even better. A bit of waving and interaction with the cheerleaders was fun.

I’ll be doing this race again in the future and am looking forward to the official results and photos from this one.

It was also good to catch up with quite few runners from the Moneghetti running camp afterwards and chat about how their racing and training has been going.

Speed Development video (for the future)

I am adding this for the interest of others and for my own future (ie after Gold Coast Marathon) reference. I really need to work on this to avoid becoming a "shuffler".

Before, Bali and Beyond

Beach at Legian where I ran every morning

This is a bit of an epic given the length of time since I updated.  Most of this is taken straight from Strands so its old news if you have been following there.

Wednesday 28 April - Easy bridges loop – getting the miles in without much speed this week. 12.8km in 58 mins – 4.31/km pace. My birthday, 43 today.

Thursday 29 April - This is approximate time and distance as I forgot that to get the 23.37km run out to UWA and back around the Bridges that I have measured, I need to do a short out and back leg to the Marathon Club when I get back over the Causeway. As a result this is about 2km short of that.
Also had to stop for 2 pit stops so have deducted 5 mins for that.

Definitely felt a bit tired this morning but it is important to keep the kms up this week as next week we are in Bali and it may be hard to get anything longer than an hour a day in. Last time we went to Bali I ran on the beach but that was when I was just running to maintain some fitness for football. I’ll be trying to get in a run on the beach first thing every morning.

21.4km in 1 hour 39 mins (4.37/km)

Friday 30 April – 8.6km in 48.23 (5.37/km). Very easy recovery run – really low HR (120) and minimal perceived effort.

Saturday 1 May - Don’t eat Mexican food the night before a long run … obvious really

We went out to a Mexican restaurant last night for a family dinner to celebrate my birthday. I have had Mexican before running before without a problem but the result this morning was that the first hour of my run was basically a tour of the public toilet facilities between South Perth and Garrett Road. As a result a pretty slow pace due to discomfort and the stop starting.

Eventually fixed the problem in time to hit the last hour by picking it up a bit. I added 2km onto the last 12.45k to give a 14.5km run home. Slightly windier than last time I did a similar run and at the end of a pretty big week including the 32km run only 5 days ago. I set myself a goal of getting home in under an hour and managed to just do it 59.56 so 4.08/km for the last 14.5km. Total 28.5km in 2.09.56 (4.33/km).


Sunday 2 May – rest day including travel to Bali

Monday 3 May - All distances are approx for this week based on time and effort (although I have subsequently checked on Map My Run and found that I am pretty much right on).

Wow it is humid here. Even setting out before 7am (no way I am going before 6.30am – I am on holiday after all), the humidity combined with steamy heat is stifling.

It had been belting down with rain about an hour before I headed out for this run so that just added to the humidity.

Our hotel is on the beach so headed down and turned right – further away from Kuta. Had to jump across/run through some drainage channels before I got to one that was simply too wide so turned and ran back. Got back level with hotel in 38 minutes so ran on for 11mins more before turning and running back. Got back in 9.50 for a total of 58.50 (4.31/km)

Drenched in sweat and soaking wet shoes – slipped them off and straight into the hotel pool. No shirt for running this week.

Two of the three pools at the hotel we stayed at

Our hotel/apartment is nice, especially for what we are paying. Have been ripped off once by a money changer – still don’t know how he did it – must be a magician.

Tuesday 4 May – 11.3km in 51 mins. Headed out to the left this time towards Kuta and then on towards the airport. After about 15 mins the beach gets rocky but there is a paved path which I ran on until the end of the path then slipped around a fence and ran on towards the airport. I must have been on airport land though as when I only had about another 100m to go before I could run no further as there was another fence and then the airport runway causeway, I got turned around by a security guard (friendly).

It was sunny this morning and pretty oppressive.

Wednesday 5 May - Did the same run as yesterday but without the trespassing on the airport land. As a result, a slightly shorter run. Was feeling pretty fatigued but made the effort to run back quicker than I ran out – which I achieved 23.10 out and 22.35 back. 10.2km in 45.45.

Straight into the pool again which has become the ritual.

Thursday 6 May – Every run I have done so far has been shorter than the previous one so within the constraints of drains and airports, I wanted to run close to an hour today.

Headed out to the right and ran until I got to the first drain that I couldn’t jump across and then turned and ran back -11 mins back to level with hotel. This worked out well because I needed to make a pit stop.
Already drenched in sweat, headed out to the left and did yesterdays run in even splits 23.03 and 23.07 for a total of just over 57 mins (12.5km in 57.10).

Pretty solid running. I won’t be doing any speedwork this week I think. Just steady running to keep up some aerobic base.

In the afternoon, was going to get a massage at the hotel by the pool but the going rate was twice what was being charged outside hotel.


Was going to find a local massage place but ended up going with the first offer of a massage that was at the rate I was going to pay (60,000 rupiah for 60 min massage). Seemed like a pretty good massage by three women – pretty firm. Only 50 mins and knocked back two offers of “special massage” so even though it was was OK quality, if I have another one while I am here, I think I will go to the spa I found a bit further along the road which was same rate but without the pressure for extras.

Ended up tipping the two friends 5,000 rupiah each but still less than $10 all up.

.
Friday 7 May - Slow run out to the airport and back. 10.2km in 50.10. Had a bit of a sore neck and woke up stiff. Don’t think it was a particularly skilful massage I got. I’ll stick to trained professionals in the future I think.

Saturday 8 May - 10.2km in 51 mins. Bit slower than yesterday. Very tired and a bit fatigued after a full day at Waterbom Park yesterday (inc 30 times up the water slide towers – approx four storey building height).

Had to take a pit stop at a toilet block on Kuta beach on return leg – an interesting cultural experience – it was basically a plumbed hole in the ground.

Sunday 9 May - rest day for travel back to Australia.

Only 67.4km  for the week but it felt like more - certainly timewise it was longer than a normal 67.4km would take.   I read the other day that your your muscles, tendons, ligaments, heart, and lungs don’t understand” how far you’re running. However, your body does comprehend and react to an effort level over a specified time so this week was still very beneficial in that respect..

Monday 10 May -  Back to my regular Bridges loop for my first run back home. Had a rest day yesterday with the travel home. Felt a little tight in the achilles – probably from having run on the beach for a week.

Pleased with this pace/effort – didn’t feel hard at all. 12.8km in 56 mins (4.22/km pace).

Tuesday 11 May - Medium long run including 5 × 4min hard/2min easy after 35 mins warm up (warm up at a steady pace to actually warm up – it was cold this morning – beanie weather).

Actually took a 4 min break after rep 3 (2min easy then 2min pit stop) due to residual Bali stomach issues.

Last rep and run home were into a pretty stiff easterly breeze. 

18.6km in 1.20 (4.18/km)

Wore the Brooks Green Silence again – taped and vaseline in the blister spots but still got one on the right foot. Maybe I put the tape in the wrong spot. I’ll give them one more chance before retiring them to be after race shoes. I’m not sure they have enough support to be a marathon shoe for me yet either.

Wednesday 12 May - Slow recovery run – nice morning for a run but just going through the motions really before a 24k medium long run tomorrow morning.  8.6km in 47.02 (5.28/km)

Thursday 13 May - Ran with Simon on a cold and rainy morning. Had been quite stormy during the night but eased a bit by the time I headed out at 6am. Still light drizzle but got wetter splashing through unseen puddles in the dark. Met Simon down near the Causeway and then we ran past Burswood, over the Windan Bridge, out to the Peninsula Golf Course, then back and through East Perth, City side of river, Narrows and back through South Perth. May My Run gives me 25.1 in  1.45 (4.10/km) so we were going along at a pretty fair pace.

One pit stop – still some residual Bali issues there I think.

Great to hear Simon’s Boston stories – I think he has one of the best I have heard – leaning on 1988 Olympic and 1990 Boston Marathon winner (plus 2 x European Marathon Champion) Gelindo Bordin to do a quad stretch in the coral at the start!!

Friday 14 May - Recovery run. Thought that I would be tired after yesterday’s solid effort but had a surprising amount of “pop” in my legs. Ran easy but stayed off of the wet grass and went a bit quicker than normal on this run. I needed to though to keep warm – I don’t know what the temperature was this morning but it was cold. Wore long sleeves, Skins and beanie but was still wishing I had worn gloves too. 8.6km in 39.17 (4.34/km).

Saturday 15 May - Long slow run – wasn’t too bothered with pace especially after Thursday’s solid effort over 25km. Just wanted to get some time on my feet. I read something the other day along the lines that your body doesn’t know how far you have run just how long you have been running – so that was the aim for today.

This is the 2nd 20 mile run of this marathon training segment – I have two or three more with one or two of them getting out toward 35km.

32.2km in 2hrs 31 mins (4.41/km).

We had a picnic in Kings Park for lunch and then went to the Running Centre in West Perth to spend the $50 voucher I got for my birthday (I intended to buy a Sugoi jacket now that the rain is coming in but they didn't have my size - so they are ordering it in for me). Ended up buying (much to Rox's frustration) a pair of Saucony Fastwitchs. Seem very similar to my Ohana racers. I think I will play it safe and wear the Ohanas on Sunday and hopefully the Fastwitch will be my GC Marathon shoes.

Great store - unlucky for me that I had Rox with me but luck for the wallet/budget I think.

105.89 km for the week

Sunday 16 May - Easy ride with Neil on a Sunday afternoon. We just rode down the bike path south alongside the Freeway and then turned and rode back the same way.

Passed Attorney General Christian Porter out for a run on the way out and the way back – made me think … perhaps not all collisions between cyclists and runners are accidents …

Stopped for a coffee after 46k and then went our separate ways.

This was exactly what I wanted, a nice easy ride which took nothing out of me. 51.59/km in 1 hour 57 mins.

Monday 17 May - Bridges loop – picked it up a bit towards the end but not too much – pretty easy throughout.

Wore Brooks Green Silence – taped in the right spots this time. No blisters but am pretty convinced that this is not a shoe I should race more than 5-10km in. There is just not enough cushioning or support for a Clydesdale like me.  12.8km in 55.45 (4.21/km).

I really need to update more regularly ...

Couple more relatively big days this week (18.5km tomorrow and 24-25km on Wednesday) and then pretty easy for the remainder of the week before the Run for a Reason on Sunday.

Chris Solinsky - 10,000m American record 26.59!!!

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

This week's running in the tropics on Strands

Logging in from a hotel lobby (no airconditioning) but we can't get wi fi in the apartment.

I have logged this week's runs on Strands - wow it is humid here - a bit of a struggle to get the kms in this week but have managed to get it done so far with a modified program of 45-60 mins a day. I'll be giving the long run a miss this week - it's just not possible in these conditions.