The week that was..........

Week - 0k
Month - 26.5k
YTD - 986.5k


Pretty Good!

Since the last time I posted just over a week ago I have ventured out for three runs. Although the longest was 5k, it was over three consectuive days and I got through it without a hitch.

After the 5k run I did 10 days ago I pulled up a little uncomfortable in regards to the hip. I took 8 days off only doing upper body stuff and walking. So the time came when I decided that I should get out there and give it another go.

Thursday, after work, I walked over to the rugby fields and set off for a 3k hit out. I extended my usual laps to include half bitumen half grass just to get a feel for the harder surface. It was an easy pace of around 4.50 av. and finished with no signs of soreness, which was a relief.

Friday, having a nice relaxing day off work I headed out for a 5k run entirely on road and footpaths. After some stretching I set off. Nice and easy for the first kilometre to warm up which ended up being 5.35. The humidity was high and even after a km I was sweating alot, I didn't take any water and was greatful that it was only another 20 mins or so before I could stop.

I gradually increased the pace through the next 4k. I wanted a time under 25 mins so I had to make up the 35 secs from the 1st km to do this. The track I ran was a new route with some slight hills. I was pleased to get home in just over 24.30, with again no signs of the injury.

Yesterday, the monthly TT at Shorncliffe. I haven't been fo a long time and forgot about the work the council was doing to the footpaths which changed the track. Just by chance I stumbled across everyone at the new starting area by taking a newly discovered shortcut.

The area where we conduct this TT is a great spot. It is a bikepath at the waters edge of Moreton Bay which looks awesome on a clear day early in the morning. Yesterday was one of those days however the wind was blowing. I have done a few TT there and at times the wind is strong but it was always a cross wind. I'm unsure if it was a change in location but the out leg of the run was into a massive head wind and was very difficult to run in.

At the start there were a few prams to contend with so for the first 200m I was allocated to the grass. From the onset I knew that with the head wind it was going to be a tough day. I had no goal in mind just run as hard but as sensible as possible and see what comes from it.

Running a foreign course aswell I think I was a bit hesitant, however having some familiar faces around me was a good sign, or was it?? considering that they have been running every week and I haven't, maybe I had gone out to hard for my current fitness level.

Getting to the turn around was a great relief and it felt great to now cruise along but still able to maintain the same speed. It was good until probably a k into the return loop when the absence of wind was causing my body to become very hot. The fellows around me where breathing heavy aswell so I wasn't the only one now feeling the effects.

I could now see the finish line and noticed that those ahead of me continued to run past it....Noooooo. It was not good for the morale as I could see that there was another witches hat further down that we had to run around and run back to the start line. This meant the last 300m was again into the head wind. I let those around me go past as I had been doing all the work up front for the entire race and just slipped in behind them.

By this stage I was puffed but kept with them, the witches hat come up and I increased the pace and past the blokes I could hear there breathing slowly get softer and knew that I had gapped them. I maintained this pace up until I finished crossing the line 20.10.

I was quite happy with the time considering the wind, some say that the wind would have added 10 secs to there time but I think 10 secs per km for 1/2 the race would have been more accurate. To be able to still nudge sub 20 after running a total of 26k in the last 5 weeks I couldn't ask for anything more. I felt a slight niggle from the hip after the run but disappeared about an hour later and never returned.

Later that day I headed up to Noosa to watch the Asics Bolt amongst other events. It was a good day.