10 X 400m @ 68.71

Tue 5.45am 10.47km 47m36  4m33 K's


Wed 5.00am Nudgee 10 X 400m 120m jog recovery;
21 C/ 69 F/91% and CALM (no wind)
69.49
70.17
68.00
70.08
68.78
68.98
68.25
68.66
68.40
66.29
MOtivated this morning, must be a PB session.
A couple of triathletes were running laps and I used them as motivation.

Cool Night Classic update

I just got the 3rd place prize for the Cool Night Classic, a beautiful watch apparently cost $495 !
It just goes to show that you should ALWAYS race for every place! 
Both me and the guy I out kicked believed we were racing for 4th place but unseen by us (the huge crowd coming in the other direction nearly squeezed us off the road!) the 3rd place guy had dropped out and yours truly was outrageously rewarded!
Official results are here
I took today 'off' as a rest day! need to recover from that 20 X 400 in the heat.

World Record

Scott Lawrence, Andrew Egginton, Peter Hawes and John Jago (in the Australian vests)

Congratulations Scott Lawrence and mates Andrew Eggington (Vic), Peter Hawes (Qld) and John Jago (Tas) for their M50 world record in the 4x800m at Albert Park today. The first world record at the new stadium!!! They were paced to their record by an Old Scotch team of Rob Schwerkolt, Mike Taylor, Chris Taylor and Bill Feutrill.
 Official time 8:39.01. Approx 400m splits: 61.4, 66.7 (2:08.1), 63.3, 69.5 (2:12.8), 63.3, 66.3 (2:09.6), 62.1, 66.2 (2:08.3) - (Total 8:38.7)

20 X 400m @ 74.08 Cool for cats - Squeeze

As I drove to Nudgee this arvo this track played on the radio. I love it because it brings back a time when Londoners spoke and sang in a London accent rather than a Jamaican gangster voice that makes me cringe.
Of course as a kid hearing a band singing about the 'The Sweeney's doing ninety because they've got no where to go ....... ' is specially reminiscent !
For those that don't get it, the Metropolitan Police in London , the robbery squad was nicknamed Sweeney Todd (Cockney rhyming slang for The Flying Squad) , a rapid response unit to robberies. 
A TV series was made called The Sweeney staring John Thaw as D.I. Jack Regan  and Dennis Waterman as D.S. George Carter. John Thaw later stared as Inspector Morse [he developed a bizarre walking gait - his foot would flick sideways - said to be the result of injuries sustained during his Jack Regan days!]
Of coarse I had to go through my school years with everyone  humming the first three bars of the theme tune!
Anyhow today it was not 'Cool for Cats!' It was bloody hot!
At 5.00pm when I started the sesh it was 29 C /84 F , 66%, 9kph gusting 20kph , so contemplating 20 X 400m did not come easy!
For company once again I had Hughie Coogan and The News Sprint squad! Great to have company and exulted at that. Hughie was featured in the Sunday Mail this morning.
A steady start the wind and heat combining with a mental attitude to take things relatively easy following up from yesterdays race.
71.79  142bpm
74.50  147
75.45  145
74.55  148
75.98  148
74.94  149
75.40  150
76.38  150
75.30  150
74.08  151
75.02  151
74.33  152
73.96  153
73.84  152
73.90  154
73.54  154
74.28  154
72.88  156
73.72  155
67.82  159bpm


PF in right foot post session sore as !...

5000m 16.04:84

Too hot too humid too windy (26 C/79 F, 67%, 9kph gusting 19kph) to run any faster.that is it for 5000m for this year.Queensland State Open 5000m mid Jan will be my next go.


Fri 5.00am 10.60km Roo+Lake  47m00  4m26 K's
Thurs 5.33am 10.54km Roo+Lake 46m50  4m27 K's

Danny MacAskill - "Way Back Home"

10 X 800m @ 2m34.58 ; 10 X 300m @ 51.44

Sun 4.35pm Nudgee 10 X 800m - 200m jog recovery
2m32.69 155bpm
2m34.65 159
2m35.78 161
2m32.60 163
2m36.02 163
2m35.12 164
2m32.98 167
2m35.88 166
2m36.80 165
2m33.30 165


Mon 5.30am 10.54km Roo+Lake 49m41 4.43 K's !


Tue 5.17am Nudgee 10 X 300m - 100m jog recovery @ 51.44
52.36
53.36
54.08
52.44
51.70
51.07
50.53
50.06
50.20
48.63


Sunday was warm (29 O C) and WINDY so tough conditions. I could not face 20 X 400 and so was pleased I covered the same distance doing 10 X 800m.
Also at the track Sunday was Queensland Sprint legend Hughie Coogan and his entourage. Hughie is a multi World Record Holder and World Champion in the 75year age cat. He'd shock many over 100m to 400m.
Monday I was smashed! PF in right foot really sore and could only crawl around in 4m43 K's.


This morning I set my alarm at 4.25am to get to Nudgee early.Brisbane sure is humid these Spring mornings. Thankfully the PF wasn't so bad and after a reasonable warm up opted for some fast work.I was happy with this session - I still have some speed! and I got progressively quicker as the session proceeded even with a short 100m jog recovery.


My oldest Oli graduated from High School last Friday. He is not sure what he wants to do but will go to Uni and has put down Physiotherapy, Commerce and Engineering!
Here in Oz they have a wonderful tradition of Schoolies. Schoolies is enough to give any parent a worry as your kids go off on holidays with their school mates to party and have a good time.
Oli has headed down to the Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) for a week. A week away without any adult supervision. You want them to have a really memorable time but you pray they are safe and sound. 1 down 3 to go!!

3000m 9m15.96 Qld M50 Rec

Wed 5.22am 10.58km Roo+Lake 46m26 4.23 K's
Thur 5.26am 10.58km Roo+Lake 46m38 4.24 K's
Fri 5.33am 10.54km Roo+Lake 45m34 4.19 K's


200 33
600 1.46
1000 3.03
1400 4.18
1800 5.33
2200 6.50
2600 8.03
3000 9.15


Hot and humid, some breeze.more walkers than runners so lots of lane two running, Peter Reeves said I looked strong start to finish. Happy to have beaten one of Ronnies Records which prior to Keith Bateman was an Australian record (KB moved it down from 9.19 to 8.59 !).Good to be running 3.05's. 
In the right conditions I should shave more off. Above times are aprox as might have mixed up schedule times with actual times.
Cheers

11 X 400m Barefoot

Sun 3.20pm16.23km Roo+Lake+Roo 72m31 4m28 K's
Mon 6.07pm 10.54km Roo+Lake 45m49 4m21 K's
Tues 5.19am Woodside Oval 10 X 400m 60s rest ; \
79.00, 77.90, 78.26, 77.40, 79.30, 
75.24,75.53, 75.96, 75.63, 73.26, 71.23


I forgot to set my alarm for 4.30am for the session at Nudgee so for a change I thought I'd run the local oval.
Local, Scott Carlson (top runner currently retired) told me that if you run around the 4 goal posts that comprise the two footy pitches at Woodside Oval in North Lakes it is spot on 400m. 
This meant running a square with rounded edges!! 
Probably more accurate than an oval on the Garmin  mine recorded all the repeats between 398m and 413m. Some times I'd run a slightly wider line to make the turns easier.
After the first 5 I decided to run barefoot and it is funny how my speed increased! 
Having such fun I miscounted and did an extra one!
Sunday I decided against track following Saturdays race - cant over do it!

5000m 15m55.34

To run a record you have to be in shape to run some way under new record time. 
For me aiming at 15m49 again today was a little unrealistic.
I'd run 3 hard races in 8 days and put in two track sessions (20 X 400 and 10 X 400).
I was in a field with some classy runners like Ron Peters but I lapped the field (just!) so I had no assistance competition wise to compete against.
Thirdly and perhaps today the biggest factor were the conditions, it was just too warm.
BOM said it was between 24.8 and 25.5 O C at 8.00am this morning (77 O F to 79 O F) with humidity at 61%.
So in my own mind I was perhaps negative before the start as I let these thoughts cloud my brain.
Still I gave it a go, running 3m01 for the first KM and 9m31 for 3KM. Those killer last 5 laps where your mind wanders into negative territory, why am I doing this? 
The suffering gets to you and you relent your pace as the Central Governor takes control. 
I need to do it on a cool evening like when its 14 or 16 O C and where there is competition to  run against or with. Sadly there are no opportunities to run in cool conditions at all in Queensland but next year I'll have some opportunity to run night time races against the youngsters.


Of course another huge factor could have been the air drag created by my huge now Booney esque Mo!


After a long warm down some of the older boys collared me into running a leg of a 4 X 800m and so even at the risk of upsetting the Mrs by being late home I ran a 63 first lap followed by a 70(!) sec to complete the first leg for the team. Con (52) , Phil (54) and Peter (58) wrapped things up for a new Australian M50 Record 9m05.22
Booney

Me!


Cheers

Recovery

Fri 5.05am 10.56km Roo+Lake 48m04 4m34 K's Slow easy recovery run.


The Overnight low was 22 O C ( that is 71.6 O F) and humidity was 80% at 5.00am.

Cool Night Classic

Wed 10.6km Roo+ake 46m30
Thur 5 15pm Price Waterhouse Coopers 17th Cool Night Classic 5.15km 3rd or 4th 16m29
Not quite a classic as with 4/5000 runners on an 'out and back' course on the narrow Riverside pathway, was always going to be running back into a sea of runners! That was exactly what happened. 
Fast downhill start in the Botanical, I ran 1st K in 2:55!!
3 youngsters headed off the front and as I tried to gather my legs another 3 guys past me.
The warm conditions, 28 O C with humidity didn't make things feel great. 
Up ahead I thought It was Geoff Berkley who had beaten me in this race last year (he was 2nd, I was 3rd) 
I reeled him in eventually. We turned and ran back on our selves into the flood of humanity!
It certainly slowed things down as we got squeezed out of space. This was a public footpath and at one point I had to overtake a cyclist heading in the same direction, I put my hand on his back he slowed to a halt held up on one side by the Riverside Express way column support we were running under, as I squeezed past he cursed out loud, those cyclists hate us runners sometimes and to be fair he had a point! 
Into the finish area and I had caught the 4th/ or 3rd place guy and sprinted past to the finish. 
I heard the announcer call me as 3rd place and I thought that was a mistake! 
So I didn't wait around for presentations but later at Central,I met Robbie Lofthouse who had been spectating and told me I was indeed 3rd over the line! 
Hope no one masqueraded as me and picked up the 3rd prize a $400 watch!! 
Maybe it was a cool night hey?
The 3rd placer must have dropped out and with the crowds there was no way we were going to see him! 
So 3rd place again maybe!

10 X 400m @ 69.88 Moreton Bay Road Runners

Mon 6.03pm 10.57km Roo+Lake 45m23 4m18 K's
Tue 5.06am Nudgee 10 X 400m 80sec recovery
73.98
72.54
70.36
70.48
69.40
69.18
69.20
68.62
67.02
68.04
For the second week I joined a group from Moreton Bay Road Runners for a track session at Nudgee. They start at 5.00am so I'm up at 4.30 am to get there and only had time for one lap warm up so used the early repeats as warm up!. Warm and humid and no wind felt OK.
18.9 O c and 84% humidity.

20 X 400m 73.06

Went back to Nudgee this morning and ran half
Zatopek in hot windy comditions. Probably ave 73's with the wind slowing me. Ran in Adids Climalites (flats) but the PF in right foot hurts like a pig after.
in celebration of Movember I have been establishing some hair on my upper lip.
it is laughable ,very salt & pepper, and not at all like David Booney or Dave Bedford. Worryingly Natalie has said it is very Freddie! I am happy to publish a photo if you like? !


11.42 am / 26.2 O C / 47%.


73.15  137bpm
73.40  143
74.38  146
74.57  148
73.58  148
73.73  149
73.75  148
73.41  151
73.38  153
73.88  151
73.00  151
73.05  152
73.35  153
73.02  154
73.15  156
72.60  156
72.56  156
71.58  156
72.42  157
69.26  159

5000m 15m56:06

Conditions good not too humid not too hot cloud cover. I was well rested and sober! Felt ok from the off just some knee tendonitis pain that soon eased. The sun came out and I was cursing but clouds rolled back over. I ran through 3 k in 9m33 feeling ok but goal pace 3m10's had slipped and I was unlikely to get back on track so then it is just the mental battle goal gone but how hard can you still push it? Remarkably I stayed pretty much on pace and if I'd only been able to lift it 3 laps out, I might have got back onto 15m50 pace, saying that crossing the line in 15m56 having lapped the field wasn't too shabby.that time is 90.5% age graded and a ything over 90% is good. Hope that I can step up still further and run 15m49.

Grunting

Fri 5.19am 10.53km Roo+Lake  45m13 4m18 K's
Thu 5.22am 16.20km Roo+Lake+Roo 69m49 4m19 K's
Wed 5.17am 16.27km Roo+Lake+Roo 71m21 4m23 K's


One good reason not to wear an ipod is hearing the wild life and on Thurs mornings run I hear this strange crying I looked up and saw two Koala's in a tree just above my head. They were 'talking' to each other. I ran round the Lake got back to where they had been but they'd already moved on! Quick workers those.
Have a listen to an actual recording of a Koala 'grunting' here!


Running Masters Saturday - a 5000m. 
Hoping to run closer to 16mins if conditions are not too warm or too windy, but is that the first signs of a sore throat I'm detecting , will the PF in the right foot have other ideas or am I a hypochondriac?

5 X 800m @ 2m29.16 Chelsea 3 Arsenal 5

At last we can say 'OOOOH to be a Gooner' with pride!


Mon 5.15am Roo+Lake+Roo 16.29km 70m41 4m20 K's


Tue 5.06am Nudgee 5 X 800m 2m30 recovery
2m30:64 148bpm
2m29:68 152bpm
2m28:33 155bpm
2m28:80 157bpm
2m28:35 160bpm

20 X 400m @ 72.29

Half Zatopek 20 X 400 @ Nudgee 72.29 ave 110m jog recovery (75 sec?)

73.28 - 137bpm
75.80--143
74.74--145
73.86--148
72.88--151
72.20--152
71.37--154
71.80--154
71.55--155
71.52--154
71.87--156
72.07--155
71.10--156
70.88--160
72.60--158
72.26--158
71.36--159
71.83--159
69.20--161


Humid and warm at 1.00pm breeze on first bend swung around to back straight. After first couple vot me into the groove felt comfortable enough, concentrated on blocks of 5 and starting fast working into the wind staying relaxed upper body, breathing comfortably, good session. Met Mathew a Kiwi runner who was doing a few laps - might join his goup for intervals back at Nudgee 5.00am Tues!

3000m 9m29.76

Sat 8.00am Nathan 3000m  9m29.76


Attending the API property conference dinner Friday (Late night and lots of booze) was not ideal preparation for running masters early Saturday morning but I'm still glad I finally got to race a 3000m as a 50 year old.
Conditions were OK, not much breeze, cloud cover, warm 22 O C but humid as ever. Started well but maybe  a touch too fast for the first K was about 3m06, it is the 2nd K that is always the toughie and I must have run it in around 3m12 , bringing it home in 3m11 for 9m29.7. 
I feel the need to race myself into form and in the right race with the right preparation hope to run sub 9m19.
In fact my 16m08.41 a fortnight ago is worth a 9m10 on the same age grade % and 9m17 based on the equivalent VO2 max  see this web site. Or perhaps I am better suited to 5 than 3 as my speed ebbs away but my stamina endures.

Running with Koala's again!

Fri 5.20am 16.27km Roo+Lake+Roo 70m10  4m19 K's
Thur 5.13am 16.28km Roo+Lake+Roo 68m39  4m13 K's


I saw a koala running along side the path in search of a preferred tree. A rare sight these days and even rarer to see them out of a tree. Second time in two years I have seen one running alongside me!

I am down the coast today and tomorrow at Jupiter's for the annual Property Conference. I might still make it to Masters on Sat.

Tim Sweeney

Wed 5.00am Roo+Lake+Roo 16.27km 70m41  4m21 K's
Tues 5.32am Roo+Lake 45m46 4m21 K's
Mon 5.57pm Roo+Lake 10.53km 4m26


My youngest Brother Tim's 49th birthday today! Happy Birthday Bro x

Wild Horse Mountain

Well I chose the wrong option on Sunday, had a lie in, gave Masters a miss and headed up to the Uni of Southern Queensland at Sippy Downs in the arvo. Magnificient sporting facilities there but sadly very under utilised. That goes for the track and the meet! I entered the 3000m last event of the day, did a warm up in the grounds of the uni and got back to the track and noted how few athletes were around . Did a few strides and still no sign of other runners and no starter or timekeepers! They had decided to cancel the event as I was the only entry! Wish they'd have told me and even given me the choice of running by myself! 
Hey ho my debut as a 50yo 3000m runner can wait another week.
I pulled into Wild Horse Mountain on the way back and did a hill session.
The track to the top from the gate on the pathway is signed as 700m but my Garmin had it at 665m, with the climb aprox 75m according Garmin. Doesn't sound much but it is a real killer 3m50sec for the first rep so you can tell just how hard it was! I wish I had my heart monitor on as the BPM would have been off the scale! The hill has a real nasty kick at the 2/3 mark, jogged back down in 4m10 and back into it for 3m46sec of agony and had just enough left to finish another in 3m42.
It worked parts I dont normally touch so quite a bit of pain today and could only hobble around 10.6km Roo+Lake in 46m30.
I intend to put in a mid week session and increase the K's but that will have to wait another day till I'm properly recovered from Sunday.

3000m

Do I race 3000m @ Masters on the Gold Coast on  Sunday morning or do I run with the kids at a QA Meet. on the Sunshine Coast  Sunday  afternoon?
Each has their merits, Masters starts at 7.30am so no wind likely but also no competition, QA on Sunshine Coast could throw up some good young guns and my body is normally more awake in the afternoon. Hmm not sure yet~!

Gary Artuso - Gold

Sun 12.55pm 10.54km Roo+Lake 45m46 4m21 K's Really hot day
Mon Rest
Tue 5.22am 10.56km Roo+Lake  44m50.39 4m15 K's
Wed 5.24am 10.55km Roo+Lake 44m50.55 (!!) 4m15 K's


My friend Gary Artuso got me into John Stewart by singing a Gold - only his lyrics have rather a different flavour!
John Stewart is yet another rock/pop/folk star who has sadly passed away.
Always loved Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham too.
One day I'd love to be driving over Kanan...


There's people out there turning music into gold!

5000m 16:07.93

I woke at 5 and it was pi$$ing down and thunder was rolling a repeat of last week! I switched off the alarm and tried to get back to sleep another session at Nudgee and debut as a 50yo would have to wait! Woke again at 6.30 and the rain had stopped I got up went downstairs, knocked Max off Mineshaft to have a look at the BOM radar, to see the storms heading out to sea. So headed down to SAF @ Nathan.
3k warm up= 3 laps around QEII, or ANZ.
plan was to run even pacing rather than the normal fast/slow down.
72 first lap, 3m10/11 at K,9.48 at 3k no wonderI felt good!conditions were warm about 22c and very humid as the sweat poured off me.
I seemed to pick it up over the last 2k and hit the bell 14.54 and finished with only a 74 for 16m08.41 official 89% age graded.
happy enough considering the humidity and early season, it felt quite easy and I lapped the field including Peter Reeves.
Garmin readings were;
3:09
3:11
3:10
3:05
3:06
+ 25s @ 2:49 pâce - 16:07.93 on my watch.
5Km warm down with the boys, Peter, Phil and Con.

Insomnia

Tue 5.37am 10.60km Roo+Lake 44m46  4m13 K's
Wed 5.42am 10.60km Roo+Lake 43m44
Thu 5.39am 10.56km Roo+Lake 44m08 4m11 K's
I really should try and add some variety but at the moment I feel like I am still just holding it all together.
PF in right foot is an issue, knee and hip are acceptable/ok.
So just steady running and a race or track session a week.
This morning was really humid and may need to swap from tee to singlet pretty soon -  was wearing long sleeves only last week -  Summer is settling in.


Tearin' off tights with my teeth

the boys are back in town

And that time over at Johnny's place
Well this chick got up and she slapped Johnny's face
Man we just fell about the place
If that chick don't want to know, forget her




Thur 12.36pm Brisbane River 11.76km 47m59 4m06 K's
Fri 5.38am Roo+Lake 10.57km 44m23 4m12 K's
Sat Nudgee
Sun 2.36pm Roo+Lake 10.48km 44m12 4m13 K's
Mon 5.57pm Roo+Lake 10.62km 43m18 4m05 K's

washed out!

i was up at 5am to properly wake myself up for my first race as a 50 year old. Masters @ SAF Nathan, a 3000m at 8.00am, left the house for the drive down wearing sunnies but sky was getting darker and befkre the Gateway Bridge the rain had started! Warmed up with 4k in the rain but as the thunder and lightning increased so did the wind and at start time a full own storm was turning thr track into a pool with the wind knocking over wheelie bins and obviously preventing set up.
Nat was doing a pump class at 9.30 and I needed to be home so I pulled the pin at 8.10am.
I got out to Nudgee this arvo, remarkably the weather had completely turned around and it was hot (humid) and sunny!slight wind but not like last weekend.
Ran 3000m,2000m,1000m with 400m jog recovery:
9:31.98 168bpm
6:29.97 172bpm
3:07.26 168bpm

Conditions were too warm for a long interval session, either that or old age is getting to me!

Here are my predictions for the RWC Quarters about to kick off;
IRELAND
AUSTRALIA
FRANCE
NZ

Hope you enjoy the games, I certainly will.
Cheers