26 April 2015

Sunshine Coast Cross Country Maleny Golf Course Obi Obi Creek 12km 3rd

Boy it was cold up in the mountain country that is Maleny! plus it was pretty windy real cross country weather ? actually not a patch on what you'd have to cope with running in the UK!.
Johnny Peters again disappeared off into the distance like he has done on the previous two races in this series. His only difficulty would be trying to stay on two feet and stay on course. This race is run over the Maleny golf course which is under construction and presently consists of about 4 or 5 holes. The course runs up and down the sides of fairways and the hills were pretty hard word compared to other courses this year. Ryan Devlin who I had previously managed to beat (first two races) started fast and hung on very well to beat me by a minute. The course was 3x 4km.

I managed to get out in the afternoon for a 10km Roo+Lake run to loosen up the legs for Mondays recovery run.

16x400 74.4 ave with 43 secs recovery


Sunday run Callahan Road 24km 1;44.41

Beautiful morning for a run but still a little hot.
I took a gel along for nourishment as there is only one tap in the first 20km.
Australians have a term 'ferrals' to describe earthy looking drongos. Two of these were walking along the road with beer cans in hand (@ 11.00am!) blocking the pathway. 
The distraction was enough for me to miss my right turn at Mackie Rd Narangba, and the only water fountain outside of North Lakes! but I was happy enough to continue on Narangba Rd to Callaghan Rd before turning right and heading back in the direction of North Lakes. It was fortuitous as Callaghan is a beautiful road full of acreage homes with some rolling hills to test you. 
24km is a good distance for me so I will repeat this in the future.

Sandgate parkrun 2nd 16;23

I ran this one hard, a flat out effort, a young lad managed to stick with me and out sprinted me at the finish. It's a shame he didn't put more effort into his own performance rather than just going for the win.I saw some photos of me looking 'all out' and him hardly breathing! My attitude in nearly every race is to run all out! is there any kudos really in winning a parkrun?
At the finish I looked at my watch and was a little disappointed (even surprised) to see it read 16;23. It felt like at least a sub 16 effort. Mind it was very high humidity 90% and perhaps I was also feeling the affects of a flu jab I'd had during the week (hope so anyway!).
In the age grading Anne Ryan smashed out a 93% top performance whilst I comfortably held off the Robot (Peter Reeves).







Over 350 of us in this parkrun!




20x400 77.4ave 35.5ave recovery


Sunshine Coast Cross Country Race 2

2nd

09 April 2015

10 x 800m 2:33 with 67 recovery

Track season is now completed for this summer but I think I will keep the long interval short recovery sessions going.
Nudgee was swarming with mozzies and as humid as ever. I completed the session as normal these days blind on times just hitting lap each time I finished or started an interval. Drenched in sweat by end of session. Still about 6 sprinters using the track which I find surprising.

05 April 2015

Australian Masters Athletics Championship

Friday 10000m 1st 33:03

Conditions were great cool! About 18 C drizzled rain and little wind. Always planned to go out hard and hang on.
Led for about a lap then M40 Neil Pearson passed and gapped me . I had Bruce Graham for company for the first 5000 16:24 but he dropped off almost as soon as we past halfway.
I did my best to ignore the finish line clock never calculating my laps or likely finish time but the halfway split told me Ronnie's 32:54 would be safe, but I never felt I was going to be for it finishing with 33:03. Which is 9 shy of Ronnie, but I was happy to break an Alan Bradford Championship Best Performance though sub 33 would have been better but then I'd have been really annoyed at not getting up to Ronnie!
I had Bruce for company for the first 5000m of the 10000m (other chap being lapped)
I



Saturday morning was going to be a nothing day so headed out to local Menai parkrun for a stroll. Pi$$ing down and the least conducive course and me not knowing it had me running 18:10.

Sunday 5000m 1st 16:05
Rain finally stopped overnight and dawned warm and sunny.
Much warmer than any of us anticipated during the race. Bruce picked up a virus and was a non starter which left me pretty much to run by myself for the whole race. The only time I noted was 3000m in 9:38. Finished in 16:05 to miss the CBP by 3seconds which was a disappointment.
I think to crack it next year I'd have to race only the 5 and miss the 10 but Adelaide is a long way to go for one crack at a record.

01 April 2015

3 x 1600m 1;49 recovery 5;05, 5;07, 5;08

A drenched Nudgee track last night but at least the actual rain had stopped by the time I started my session. Grateful that for once it wasn't a battle into the wind.
10 minute warm up, few strides, throw off the top and into it.
Decided to run in flats as have not run in spikes for a while and racing on Friday so didn't want to deal with calf muscle pain. As ever, ran the set completely blind on times just pressing the lap button for start and stop. Happy enough with set though I am a long way off Andrew Green (M52) who last week ran 4 x 1600m  4;55 with 2mins recovery - he is setting the bar so very high!

My heart rate is working

Here are my splits