Tommy Conlon

Sunday 2.00pm 11KM Roo+Lake 41m14s

Not a bad return considering yesterday's blistering run left me aching badly today, so took a while to get going. 41m today makes me believe that yesterday was probably more like a 39m performance (close to a PB).

I once went to race the Irish CC Championship at Phoenix Park in Dublin, hoping to make the Irish Junior team for the World CC Championships in Paris that year (1979?). I ran crap and finished about 11th. A guy that I had beaten during the season, Tommy Conlon , ran a superb race (4th or 6th) and got in the team and bagged the beautiful Green vest with the Shamrock Tricolour that I so coveted! I was gutted but happy that fellow London Irish lad (Hern Hill Harriers) should achieve his dream.
Actually I did the Irish CC Championship once before when I was about 13 years old. It was at Tullamore, I think I finished about 17th in that race. A big adventure for me when I was very young, to fly to Ireland for a race . I went by myself but would have met at the Airport.

Nigel Stopps

Saturday 11Km Roo+Lake 40m00 est!

Only my estimated time as my timer conked out after 18mins for some reason! How cruel is that? I wanted to run as fast as I could as easy as I could over 'old favourite' and the bloody watch somehow stops half way round ! Very Frustrating, its like running in a race and not getting a result (Doomben 10K last year!). Knees still bad but I have a perception that they might not be as bad as say last week.
Spent this evening at Geoff and Nicole's (thanks mate!), I was very good and only had three bottles of VB.
Should be able to run that off tomorrow and then decide if I need to take some rest days and see if that does anything for the knees.

Jason Geraghty

12.00Noon 10.5KM Bridges 40m56 (medium steady)

Sarah Crowley

Thursday 1.00pm 10.5KM Bridges 41m38 (steady)

Running in Paradise Part 1297
Another cloudless Blue Sky Day in Brisbane, I'm truely blessed to be able to train in such conditions. It was 22 0 C at 1.00pm and it got to 24 O (check out the BOM link) !! warmer than a London Summer day in the middle of our Winter. Imagine the hardship of training in the UK Winter - sludge / mud / cold ! So I'll shut up about my Knees and get on with it!

Chris Rawling

Wednesday 1.00pm 10.5KM Bridges 42m31(easy)

On the way into work I stopped off at the chemist and bought some glucosomine tablets to see if they might assist in repairing the knees! These tablets are supposed to be for osteoarthritis but are also supposed to give temporary pain relief to joints - we shall see!
They did nothing for my run this arvo, again struggled for 2/3Km before they eased up.
Training feels like I'm only treading water at the moment ie no real training going on. Maybe that's not too bad as I taper down but it feels like I'm taking it too easy.

Andy Beatie

Tuesday 12.00Noon 10.5KM Bridges 41m22s

Still have issues with pain in both knees! Wore off after 2 or 3 K's, but noticeable walking to the station after work. Feeling like a should be doing an interval session or a long run but feel that will only add to the knee issue. Happy to reconcile that Sunday's race was 8 X 1KM in Ave 3m14 No recovery, was like a good session!

I found the results from Sunday here (I reckon the timekeeping is suspect! both my time and the gap between the winner and myself)

Chris Rawling the winner and Sam Betten third are as I suspected top Triathletes

(both ran 32m 10K's at the end of the Mooloolabah Triathlon see here)

I think Chris and Sarah who won the Women's event are South Australians.

Chris is the small guy in the photo from last years Noosa Bolt (running against some top quality opposition)

Guy McCullum

Monday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 48m28s

I'm not too worried by my slowest run of the year! It was very cold (11 O C) I wore a beaney for the first time this year and my knees again took some time to loosen up and allow me to run pain free. I think I shall train more in the arvos for the next two weeks as it will allow the knees to have eased up through the mornings.

David Thompson

Sunday 8.00am Spectrum 8KM 25m50s 2nd (No Cat)

I rested yesterday as I felt that I would have done myself more harm than good running.
Today I did a little warm up, the knees didn't feel too bad, so I thought I'd be OK racing.
Said hello to Helen Stanton at the start but didn't recognise many others here this year (my chance to win?)
Race started with some nutters and a few Tri guys going out fast. I slipped into third after about a K. The two Tri guys seemed strong but I told myself they would come back to me! However they went further and further away. Went through 3K in about 9m35 and 5K in 16m03. Finally the taller of the two guys who had got to about 150m in front of me, got dropped by the leader and started to come back to me. I reeled him in and was thinking that the first guy was too far in front say 100m and seemed strong. However, at 6K there was a small loop back and I saw him close up and he looked like he was struggling a bit. I was by no means flowing with joy but I thought it might be possible to catch him and snare the cash prize for 1st Only. He came back closer and closer but not close enough! By the finish he was about 3 or 4 secs in front! I'm slightly annoyed with myself for not giving it more. 25m 50 worth about 32m39 depending on which calculator you want to use!
Personally I think I'd have run the last two K in pretty much the same pace (3m14 per K) so 32m20 10K pace would have been a satisfactory result.
Didn't warm down as Oli had AFL , right knee has seized up a bit might try to put in a slow warm down run when Nat gets home (with Kate for Cheerleaders thing at the Entertainment Centre). Oli scored his first AFL 'goal' in a 86 - 6 Loss! Go the Redcliffe Tigers! - I love the team spirit and camaraderie they still show winning or losing.

Rossano Altini

Friday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 47m10

Ohh the knees! First two K's took 9mins!
Knees seized up over night and took at least two K's to run pain free.
That really is enough mileage for me and doing twice a day is not sustainable on a 46 year old body. I can now taper for GC - though I'm worried about Tom H stealing a march on me!!

Craig Welch

1.00pm 10.5KM Bridges 39m05 (flat out Fast)

8.00pm 11KM Roo+Lake 43m56 (medium easy)

I gave this run perhaps 97.5% Effort.
I really must look like a lunatic pelting at full pace through the busy restaurant precinct and along the boardwalk through to the Botanical.
No run this morning as Lily yet again had the vomits! She covered her wall/bed and our door on the way in to us! Of course I went downstairs to try and get some sleep but ended up on the sofa for a very disturbed nights (couple of hours at best) sleep!
Might get out again when I get home but this arvos workout will have me hobbling like 99 year old!

Well I did get out and was happy with my run!

Pascal Fetizon

Wednesday 5.00am 11KM Roo+ Lake 45m51

A long lunch (Pier 9 and then the Irish Club) meant no lunchtime run and Natalie going out for a 'Girls Night' the moment I got home, meant unable to get out for any other session today (my knees are thankful for the 'rest'! :)

Alf Mignot

Tuesday 5.00am 11KM 45m54s (medium effort)

1.00pm 10.5KM Bridges 41m14s (medium effort)

Running to catch the 5.06pm at Central my knees felt rubbish, but after 200m start to feel OK.
There is no way I could stick in a third session in the evening!
The actual results from Sunday showed I was only 10secs behind Benny Holland in the 12K and nearly broke 10mins in the 3K.

Arthur Kendall

Monday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 46M20 Medium effort

Running 15KM Cross Country in spikes left its mark on my calf muscles this morning!
In some ways I enjoy the masochistic pain of having worked hard yesterday.

Harold Ashton

Sunday 8.00am Sunshine Coast CC Elizabeth Daniels Park Budrim

12KM 41m14s (2nd & 1st)

3KM 10m08s (1st & 1st)

Even after yesterdays hard work out I had one aim today, improve upon my course record.

Beautiful morning, sun beaming down, typical start with young guys racing off and me trying to chase them down. Ben Holland , Tim George and Neil Labinski(only doing 6K -2 laps) pulled away. Peter Bock came past me (as standard) in the first couple of K's. I felt OK and managed to maintain good momentum got back past Peter and covered first lap in about 10m10. Neil managed to pull away from the 12K boys on his last lap and I seemed to catch Tim George without trying to - more a case of him moving backwards! Then I noticed that Ben Holland seemed to be coming back to me! Went through 6K in about 20m20 and 9K in about 30m50.

I had hoped to be a little closer to the top guys and was very happy to get within 100m of Ben Holland at the finish. I must have been putting in extra effort as for the second time in this series I experienced a wretch out on the course as got to the top of the hill!

So I 41m14 broke my course record (M40) from 2006 by just under 2Mins!

The 3K was again charge of the Light Brigade as all the Male runners started together. I noticed during one particular sharp downhill section how Jordan Pearce managed to gain 30m on me - he seemed able to fly down it where as I was more circumspect. I caught him back up on the long hill section but he was doing his best not to let me move ahead of him. Finally got around him as the hill took affect and really put the effort in from there (felt like I was sprinting!)

I finished in approx 10m08 for a M40 Course record.

Loved the Series as it is better than training and helps toughen you up. Certainly felt that the extra mileage I've run paid significant dividends - I'm still flying (comparative to last year).

Andy Gilham

Saturday 3.00pm 11KM Roo+Lake (!) 39m15 (!) (Fast pushed hard)

Nat wasn't going to allow me much spare time today so 'Old Faithful' it was.

Cold day today only got to 20 O C but lovely and sunny (Cold Southerly),

Hit the ground running, nicely limbered up from mowing the lawn (gulped some petrol in a vain attempt to get mine going - didn't so borrowed neighbours).

Felt good , most niggles and pains pushed from my mind. Didn't look at my time once through the whole run ! Might have gained another twenty five secs for a PB if I'd have known I was that close but I was mindful of Racing tomorrow and the need to conserve something.

So as it ends up today's run goes down as about sixth fastest ever on my daily course! Good going!

How do you like the Gooners new Kit for 2008/09? No wonder Rebel were selling off the 'old' kit for $100! (Still too expensive for me!)

Laurie O'Hara

"ooh to be a Gooner
ooh to be a Queenslander"

Friday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 45m38

I know Roo+Lake! Well I said it would be hard to tear myself away from a routine! The knee wasn't so bad this morning.
Another thing the Urban encroachment of our suburb has shifted the Roos elsewhere! Haven't actually seen one in weeks, though have seen some signs of their grazing in the grass!
When I was a lad I remember Laurie running around the track as a 'Vet' for Belgrave Harriers.
Now I've reached the age he was when I was a lad I'm blown away by the times he was actually running! As a M45 he was running 5000m in 15m05! (Bloody Hell!)

Chris Sly

I forgot to say;


"OOh to be a Gooner,
Ooh to be a Queenslander!!!"


Thursday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 45m30

1.00pm 10.5KM Bridges 42m33

This extra mileage has started to take a toll on me. My knees in particular are giving me grief as I start every run and it barely wears off through a run. Might reconsider the twice a day routine in order to preserve my body or see if I can tear myself away from Roo+Lake to do a longer run - it will be tough I'm so set in a routine. Perhaps skip the cooler morning run and concentrate on the afternoon run where the warmth of the day nicely limbers up my body.
We'll see.

David Beaver

Wednesday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 44m40s

4.00pm 11KM Roo+Lake 40m50s (Medium effort fast time)

At home today looking after Lily and Kate. Lily definitely has the Vomit Virus,
Kate - I'm not quite so sure!
Felt good in my afternoon run. As if the morning run works out as a warm up.
Beautiful afternoon, 23 O C and sunny skies. Might seem boring to run the same course twice in a day , however, the morning run is in pitch dark with heavy dew on the grass, the pm run is vest weather, with all the beauty of nature visible.

Mark Cursons

Tuesday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 46m11

5.00am on a Tuesday morning! I must be motivated!
I thought it was Monday as we had a holiday for the Queens Birthday.
Max and Lily both had the Vomit virus this morning! Vomit and runs!
My normally cast iron stomach was feeling queasy this arvo.......

Patrick Nispel

Monday 3.00pm Nudgee 16 X 400m - 120m jog recovery
Ave 71 secs - finished with 66;88

Awesome session!
Got wet from a shower during warm up but then it brightened up and though it was a sodden track , was great temp for working out. No real wind. Ran with spikes. Put my head down and ploughed through this session. Hot on the hills of yesterdays long run and last weeks high mileage I'd have forgiven myself for running 74's. Winter season and running like Summer !
I felt real strong and comfortable through out the session. Not the normal mental torture or anguish I experience in these long sessions. Going off this form it feels like another step up.
Next race Sunshine Coast CC at the weekend.
Watched 'I am Legend' last night = great film, I love that genre but Natalie doesn't.

Gerard Gosens

Sunday 5.00am Peninsula Run 17.68Miles (28K's?) 1h50m45

Got up at 5.00am ,out of the house at 5.35am to drive to Clontarf and started running just after 6.00am. For a change I decided to take the camera along and took some pics along the way(small camera these days easy fit into palm of hand). Felt remarkably good though did feel tired towards the end.

Alan Bradford

6.00pm 11km Roo+Lake 43m02 (medium/hard effort)

I could never do Alan Bradford's achievements in Athletics justice. He has achieved World Class performances for thirty odd years. When he was M45 he was running 1500m in 4m05. He has set numerous World and National Records have a flick through the All Time World Rankings here for 800m he holds the current World Record for M60 2m10 or for other events check here .
I'm proud to say he is a Brizzy Boy (and another former Pommie)

Col McLeod

Friday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 46m04 (Steady)

12.30pm 10.5KM Bridges 42m06 (Medium Effort)

Running in Paradise!
A winters day and the temp in sunny Brizzy was 26 O C- Just beautiful and for any former Pommies it's like running in Paradise.
Morning run was a bit of a slog to get out of bed and back up after previous evening, but afternoon run was gorgeous along the beautiful Brisbane river.
Met up with Andy Cl owes along the way - he's suffering some type of injury but his Iron Man mentality still gets him out for a run.
I was feeling remarkably OK for my third twice a day run this week! I don't think I'd be able to keep it up for more than a few weeks but I'm enjoying the experience of really pushing myself (which actually I don't really believe I am!!!).
I had four beers after work (1 X Steinlager 1 X Tui's and 2 X Crown)

Tom, I got a Seeded Entry for C2S!!!
So have entered the race now to convince Natalie!

Geoffrey Berkeley

Thursday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 44m15 (fast)

6.30pm 11KM Roo+Lake 43m24 (Medium hard)

Phil Parry

Wednesday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 45m11 (solid)
13.00pm 10.5 KM Bridges 40m24 (fast)


I was 62KG after my run this morning, in my diary I noted I was 64KG this day last year, 67KG the year before that and would you believe in June 2004 I was a very chunky (beer gut) 82KG!!!
Tom - thanks for your advice, I sent an email yesterday requesting priority/seeded start!
Not yet OK'd by Natalie ("Natalie in the next three weeks I've got to travel to Townsville, then Cairns, then Mount Isa for work, then I'd like to go to Sydney for a race!"- Stay tuned ! and yes the perfect come back race for whoever should lose GC. Though lets be fair, your the out and out favourite whatever the race, whatever the distance.

Noriyuki Ueda

Tuesday 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 46m29

Sunday's results are http://www.queenslandmarathon.com.au/Doomben2008Results.htm
Still in recovery mode from Sunday so no second session till tomorrow.
I'm thinking that I might try and build my mileage a little in order to prepare for GC Half.
I feel that I have been racing well recently and was happy with 32m58 10K , 15m41 5K and 72m12 21.1K. I guess other than those races and the very lonely Corporate Games 10K I've only really been racing CC. But it feels like I've turned a bit of a corner a lull in my performance since running 15m42 the week after 8m56 at the end of Jan.
I had the stomach virus and heavy cold at the Nationals and on the whole ran fairly average. So what is the answer training progress (the 22K runs)? Biorhythms? Not really sure just happy that I'm moving forward.
Goals are now to set a PB Half 71m17 (I think) though 70m15'ish for an Australian M45Record would be outstanding. But running 33m30 + 33m30 and 3m15 final KM looks completely beyond me. Also I was thinking about doing the Oceania Masters Games in Townsville but I'm beginning to doubt the level of competition available (other than in the Half Mara which is Open). So I might see if I can talk Natalie into letting me go to Sydney again for the City to Surf. That would be serious fun (and competition!).

Daniel Moore

Monday 5.00am 11KM 47m06

I carried a slight strain in my left calf through half of yesterdays race.

I massaged it through the day and it didn't feel too much of an issue this morning.What did slow me down was the rain! it was chucking it down through the whole run.I didn't see a single other person outside during the whole run - that made me feel good!(for getting out and doing it when your brain is telling you - leave it till lunchtime, the rain will have stopped by then - it didn't, or till this evening - it didn't!).

In the States this weekend a New World Record was set in the Men's M45 Mile by Tony (Forever) Young who is 46, recording 4m16;09 !!! To beat the old mark of 4m16;75 by Kiwi David Sirl. Pete Magill also M46 finished 2nd in 4m21;34 Wow these guys are flying.

Chris Truscott

Queensland Half Marathon Championship Doomben 3rd 72m12

5mins before the start it was chucking it down! I stayed in the car and kept dry!
Dark rain clouds meant I decided against sunnies but did wear 'plonker' headband.
As it turned out should have worn sunnies and pleased I did wear headband (don't call me Olivia). Race started in a reserved fashion with top four breaking away in first K (3m10),= Chris Reeves, Chris Truscott , Aidan Hobbs and Me!, 2nd K was 6m25 and
3rd K was 9m36. I had the attitude go out hard and hang on! However 3K was as far as I could hang on to these three before the elastic snapped and I drifted back into no mans land. Ronnie Peters and another guy were running 5th and 6th. I think 5K was about 16m10 and after that kept a steady pace. The course felt like you were running an E shape - lots of switchbacks so you could gauge progress on those up front.
10K was 33m30 and I was impressed with that as it was close to 10K race pace!! Now to hang on! I noticed that Aidan had been dropped and slowly but surely he was coming back to me. I never felt like I knew where abouts on the course I was but it was marked out very well with K markers.We started to run through the 10K racers and the 5K racers and I was worried that I might get misdirected like last year but no problems thankfully. I caught Aidan at about 19K and went straight past. He has had a busy campaign recently and it must have been difficult mentally running with me catching him up! So I brought it home OK in 72m12. Of course it would have been nice to dip under 72 but maybe that can wait till GC. My naivety in racing a Half will be lost and I might be a bit more respectful (or scared to go out so hard!). Chris Reeves was clear of Chris Truscott in first and second place, I have no idea what times they ran. I didn't wait for presentations, as Natalie is not well so jumped straight in the car and got home by 9.00am.