26 December 2013

Yearly Review 2013



February 2012 I finally succumbed to the increasingly painful heel pain (plantar fasciitis)
and stopped running and sought remedies. I made a couple of premature attempts to restart running but it was not until July 2013 that I was able to start running again properly.
18 months in which cycling kept me sane though flying over the bonnet of a ute on 29th June 2012 could have left me in a different place. As it was a year on from my accident and I was riding like a cyclist rather than a runner. I cycled 26 times and rode 1200km in June 2013. So when I was able to restart running in July 2013 I had a solid background of fitness but it wasn't running fitness. To run train for 6 weeks and return to racing on 10/8/2013 at North Lakes parkrun and run 16;12 had me disbelieving the result in a pleasant way. I was gobsmacked and put it down to all those K's on the bike keeping me in shape. All those freezing cold mornings where I'd wear two pairs of gloves and even ended up wearing little cycle shoe booties to keep my oh so freezing cold feet from suffering frostbite paid off !
That parkrun performance gave me the confidence to deal with the horrendous torture of travelling to Gladstone and taking home $1000 for my troubles for the third time ;-)
Back to parkrun and this time a go at Sandgate in the hope that the flat out and back course would give me  a faster time than at North Lakes. Have to admit I was disappointed with another 16;12 at the time but that was just the competitive animal in me that always still wants to run faster!
Into September and the biggest race on the Brisbane calendar is Bridge to Brisbane. This year I opted to run the 5KM race rather than the larger field of the 10km because I dislike the logistics of getting to and from a point to point race and I didn't think I was ready to race a 10km at that stage. The Young Guns also tend to opt for this race so it was with some bruvado that I led out the first 1km of the race! 
3;03 was simply too fast for me I think I overcooked on the hill over the inner city bypass but still managed a half decent performance for 10th place overall. Disappointed the course was short so I couldn't compare my performance with the parkruns but average 3;15K's placed it on a par.
21st September saw me back at Masters. After getting over the shock of seeing Peter Reeves I ran 3000 in 9;36.
On my 52nd birthday I ran parkrun North Lakes and ran ran 16;12 for the third time in a row - Feck Me! Still the extra number on my age brought me a better age grade performance and 92.49% was the best age grade performance that weekend in parkrun global results.
Back to the track and a 9;31 3000m in the wake of Dennis Fitzgerald was an OK improvement 3;10 K's.
Back for another shot at parkrun and promised myself that if I managed the extraordinary feet of running 4 X 16;12 I would run a lap of the lake naked!
In the end I ran a 16;09 at North Lakes for a 92.78% age grade. Finally an improvement though of course I was not happy with only 3 seconds.
Another Sandgate parkrun and the Coolnight classic saw me close out my racing for the year.
A calf strain in November saw me loose three weeks running and get back on the bike. I have been running again through December and looking forward to getting back to racing.


2013 
Cycled 5,866.12km  28.6km/h  125bpm
Ran 1829.06km  14.3km/h 143bpm

2012
Cycled 3538.39km 25.5km/h 124bpm
Ran 1277.354km 13.7km/h 143bpm

2011
Cycled 56.5km 24.1km/h
Ran 3297km 14.5km/h 145bpm

2010 Sept27 to Dec31
Ran 966km 14.6km/h 145bpm




22 December 2013

Kinsellas Road East

Tue 17th 5.15am 10.59km 44;34 4.12's
Wed 18th 5.04am 10.53km 47;09 4;29's
Thu 19th 5.12am 10.59km 44;36 4;13's
Fri 20th Rest
Sat 21st 4.17pm 10.55km 40;31 3;51's
Sun 22nd 10.23am 3.84km wu 10 X 260m hill sprints 3.41km wd

Hot conditions running yesterday and this morning.I have been meaning to get some interval work started but have been slightly hesitant because of sore knees. 
Found a nicely runnable hill 260m approx(not many around here) and proceeded with 10 efforts. Early times around 53/54 seconds then 51 and held them. Consistent efforts.

53 - 143bpm ave 159 max
54 - 147/160
54 - 146/161
53 - 147/163
51 - 152/166
51 - 150/165
51 - 150/167
51 - 151/167
51 - 150/168
49 - 148/169

Kinsellas Road East

16 December 2013

Rooting Roos

Fri 13/12 5;17am 10.64km 44:22 4;10
Sat 14/12 5;53pm 10.60km  41;40 3;56 152bpm ave 171max
Sun 15/12 5;16pm 10.61km 39;30 3;43 157bpm ave 174max

I didn't have much time at the weekend so just put in two tempo runs. Today (Monday) is a recovery day.
When I finished my run Sunday two Kangaroos came hopping past me, very obviously a male after a female. She was having none of it, hopped off up my road then back down, then back up. I tried to take a selfie with them in the background but they just hopped out of view.

12 December 2013

Web Attack

Tues 5.07 am 10.52km 46;02 (4;23's)
Wed 5.11am 10.54km 44;21 (4;12's)
Thu 4.55am 10.68km 44;53 (4;12's)

A storm last night resulted in very humid conditions (92%) this morning. Being the first human out along the pathways can lead to misadventure. The rains must have washed all the spiders webs away so they get busy spinning face height webs across the pathway to trap me. If this was the UK this wouldn't pose too much of a problem but in Australia where the spiders can bite you tend to be more circumspect. Plus the webs are constructed from the strongest stickiest elasticated rope material known to man. Your face catches the web first then you might spy the spider as it gets drawn into your mouth - if it is not the spider, it is the mummified remnants of an earlier prey. You spend the next 100m franticly waving your arms over your head and shoulders trying to rid yourself of an invisible cloak (the web) always conscience that a venomous monster could be crawling its way towards your exposed skin!
I face planted three webs in the fist KM of my run this morning.
Just keeping the running steady, letting my body get used to running again.

09 December 2013

The Ipswich Express

After resuming running last week and taking it steady for the first three runs I have started to add some distance. The calf feels fine.

Sat 30/11 5.75km 25;44 - 4;29 K's
Sun 1/12 5.73km 24;14 - 4;14 K's
Mon 2/12 5.64km 25;05 - 4;27 K's
Tue 3/12 5.69km 23;27 - 4;07K's
Wed 4/12 4:51am 10.62km 44;20 - 4;11 K's
Thu 5/12 4:45am 10.58km 44;33 - 4;13  K's
Fri 6/12 4:52am 10.60km 45;21 - 4;17 K's
Sat 7/12 10:01am 18;14km 1:13;17 - 4;02 K's
Sun 8/12 4:06pm 10;64km 44;40 - 4;12 K's
Mon 9/12 Rest
I need to slow the pace down further.

News from Queensland Masters , Peter Reeves (M60) ran 4;37 on a windy day Saturday 7th December to miss Alan Bradford's Qld M60 1500m by 2 seconds. That is a 94.62% age graded performance and would have won in the Gold at the recent World Masters Champs in Brazil. A World Class performance by my distinguished correspondent.

03 December 2013

Peter Reeves and Alan Bradford

I have resumed running after an earlier false start.
No calf pain and have run 5.6km Roo for the last 4 days.
I shall try to eek out the distance and go longer and slower under the orders of Coach Reeves.
Writing of our bearded correspondent, he managed a remarkable feat at the weekend;
In conditions best described as heavy rain, he set a new Qld M60 3000m Record. 10;02.19  (90.7%)
It looks good alongside his Qld M55 3000m Record and sets a mark for me to aspire to in years to come; 2021 for M60 to be precise!
Peter is sure to chip away at that record in better racing conditions.
He has erased the mark of Masters  colossus Alan Bradford. 
Mr.Bradford bestrides the record books like a behemoth from World to National and State level. His marks have stood for years showing the quality of the man and he is still performing to those past standards in his 70's now.
Here are the current Queensland Male records