Fairey Fellows Master Stroke

Tuesday 7.00am 64mins Hervey Bay Esplanade

I didn't manage a run yesterday but got out this morning for a cruise along the esplanade. Not too many other runners out there surprisingly. I ran through all sorts of stages of pain from acute to numb to dull ache! No chance of cross training up here , so just pushing myself to the limit. Sheer madness I know but got my Queensland Vest and shorts in the post on Monday and the wonderfully exuberant Maroon colours and design will keep me inspired until Melbourne.
Happy Birthday to my darling wife Natalie 42 years young today!

Misfire

Yesterday I ran 11KM Roo+Lake 43m44s



I'm in Hervey Bay for a few days R&R with the Family.

Tough going (Achilles)but at least I was able to get around.
More Ice more Voltaren.
Finnished the day with a few beers and felt rotten til about midday.
Went through Gympie and the Temperature was 37 O C!!

It's much cooler here by the Sea
Will try for a run shortly

Happy Birthday Sweet 47! Tenement Funster

Sat. 7.00pm 6KM Roo 24m44s

I forced myself to cross train yesterday. 10mins on the AirRower and 20mins on the AirBike (Biggest wheel, smallest cog);It's so boring but it does have the convenience of being done at home (can be done whilst looking after the kids!)
I'm resigned to the fact that cross training is the only option for me to maximise my current situation and to look after myself during periods where I cant run or have to limit my running.
I did get out in the evening for a steady 6K and the Achilles was accommodating but somewhat resistant.
Loved the Storm's performance against the Sharks Fri, Loved Manly's (My second team!) performance against Warriors last night. Decided not to get up to watch Arsenal V Hull - surely a walkover - just a question of how much we would win by?!!
But that's the thing about sport, a Super Goal by Hull to equalise after 60mins and then the sucker punch flick on at a corner for Hull City to be only the second team to EVER beat Arsenal at the Emirates! - oh well, I'll try not to let it spoil my day!
Sad news about Paul Newman , I was amazed to hear he was 83 years old!!! Then again, who'd believe I was 47?
Chow

Your My Best Friend

Friday 6.30pm 6Km Roo 25mins



Went out this evening hoping to make an attempt at restart training but can you believe it??? I'm stuffed! Started off and the old left knee was saying "hello" "don't forget about me ! I'm still here!" not really painful but just enough to cause doubts, and then the Achilles - yes I believe it is the Achilles shouts out "Your not going anywhere fast Fatboy!" . I started the run thinking I'll be safe and just run 6K but as the knee seemed to subside I thought well Melbourne is two weeks away I need to start thinking about getting the miles in , maybe I'll go full Roo+Lake 11K - no sooner thought than the R.Achilles starts to come on painful. How unlucky can I be ? 4 weeks off with still not totally cleared up L.knee and my R.Achilles gives me another problem. Maybe it's all connected, I've had a couple of ops on the right ankle so it is susceptible and with what appears to be a reliance on anti inflams to keep the pain away on the L.Knee - maybe that's my bodies way of saying Old Man, your too old, stop doing what your doing! Plenty more ice and Voltaren and it feels OK at the moment!

Nevermore

Another small improvement in the ankle / Achilles. I'm hoping to get back out tomorrow. Below is a short video clip I took on Sunday morning, listen for the Bell and Whip Birds - and my laboured breathing!!Pause music!

Lily of the Valley

Well two days rest and consistent Ice and Voltaren has seen the swelling in my ankle/Achilles come down and the pain whilst walking has gone this evening! It requires another day of rest. Very peculiar hopefully short term injury. Worrying that it should erupt twice in a month!
Arsenal (Youths) 6 Sheffield Utd (first team) 0

Lovedays Road

Mon  5.00am  6KM Roo - slow

I thought I might be in trouble as the right Achilles seemed pretty swollen - similar to when I woke up morning of Bridge to Brisbane. I iced it and went out for a run. Too painful to hobble along on so I cut 'run' short.

Iced it and rubbed Voltaren. Pain seemed to come and go through the day. I'm hoping it's just some kind of 'old man', 'freak', 'come and go' type thing! Will rest Tues and see how I feel.

L Traverse

Sunday  6.00am  30KM(??)  L' Traverse 2h07m

Got up at 5.00am  out the door at 5.30am, got to Mount Mee at about 6.30am and hit the trail.

The intention was run to top of L Traverse and see how I felt and either turnaround then or run on ! As I started I immediately had pain in the right Achilles (If its not one thing its another!!) but I thought I haven't driven all the way up here for nothing and so ran on hoping to run it off. L Traverse is not the sort of run you want to do if you've got dodgy this or dodgy that as it goes UP or DOWN the whole way!The Achilles seemed to ease up through spells good and bad the whole way. Had driven along the Mountain road accompanied by a rock Wallaby for a distance! On the run a pair of really beautiful Blue and Red parrots flew by.

The Storm that had moved through Brizzy last night (both NRL and Electrical variety!!) left some damage in the wake. NRL left me gutted Electrical left fallen branches over the roads. On the trail the thing were remarkably dry. Only a few puddles here and there. Got to top of L'Traverse and decided I wanted to go the full hour (another 20mins) before turning around.

Aside from the discomfort of the Achilles I fared remarkably well and coped with the TWO hours OK. I took the camera along but looking at the photos they don't do this run justice! I'll post up shortly.

Bolton1 Arsenal3 - We are top of the league I said we are top of the league!!

Mark Slowiskowski

Sat 9.00am  17KM Roo+Lake+Roo 67m21s

I had intended to run 2 X Roo+Lake but felt shagged knee was niggling  and cut my losses and ran 1 and a half laps instead.

Could have been dehydration (beers at work and whilst watching the footy last night) also yesterdays run might have taken it out of me. 

Plus it was really hot and humid too! 

Didn't want to overdo it if my body was saying enough. Thought might try a longer run tomorrow as well - might head up into the beautiful Mount Mee State Forest for a trail run. Actually the Mount Mee trail run is one I'm intending doing regularly next year in my build up for the City 2 Surf. It has some lovely long hills and is normally cool when Brizzy is hot and humid.

Steve Jones

Fri 5.00am  11KM Roo+Lake 42m47

I thought I'd try mixing it up a little this morning by putting in a few surges to see how I coped.

Felt OK. a guy came past me on a mountain bike (I don't like being overtaken !) so I worked hard and caught him on an uphill section - well it gave me great satisfaction! But it ended my surges as could only keep going at tempo after that!

Humid nearly raining conditions. Still icing the knee, will try to wean myself off the anti inflams in a couple of days.

Bernie Ford

Thurs 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake  44m36 - Steady

Felt good, not particularly suffering aerobically, able to push it through phases. 

I'm already at the point where I'm looking at the watch and comparing it to yesterday and racing myself!

Craig, Roo+Lake is just the name I give the course I run direct from my house around the path ways of North Lakes. Thanks for bumping Ronnie's performance onto CoolRunning where it has received the recognition it so richly deserves.

Here is a rough map; of Roo+Lake

Emile Puttemans

Wed  5.00am  11KM Roo+Lake  44m40

Moving quite smoothly for a morning run! Loving it! (though could be perfect it wasn't for  the midges that inhabit the  space about 5 feet above the ground, just as Dawn breaks and feel obliged to get sucked into my mouth leading to retching and sever pressure on my patched up hernia mesh!).

From my days at Loughborough (1980-1983) I remember during Exercise Physiology lectures that Performance (fitness) levels are  supposed to start dropping off after about 10 days of cessation of exercise.

Perhaps modern day sports science has refined this measurement but it will be interesting to see how much 4 weeks 'off' will have affected my performance. I believe the psychological affect (of not training) will have as much influence as the physiological affect.

Danny Carson

Tuesday 5.00am  11KM

A dog walker called out to me "I haven't seen you for ages!", 

feels like I've come home! 

Another steady run. 

Ultra Sound showed up nothing - good news, but they suggested for the knee it was a bit of a waste of time and if pain returns, get an XRay! (or a CT).

67kg after run,I've lost a kg!

I need to knock off another 4kg to get back to ideal running weight.I couldn't stop myself eating all things I would normally during my sojourn, ice cream and beer!

Steve Lowe

Sunday  11.00am  11KM Roo+Lake

Monday 5.00am(!!) 6K Roo

Still some discomfort but overall delighted to hit the road. This morning was the first time I got up early for a run in what seems like months. Too start a run and not be in pain is a joy , to hear the Dawn Chorus a delight - life is good again!

Ultra Sound on Knee this arvo.

Steve Harris

Saturday  2.00pm  6KM Steady (no time)

With great trepidation , I hit the road again! Was conscious of knee but wouldn't call it pain and towards the end eased into comfortable. Aerobically could tell I was rusty but the main point was to run and see the after effects of running. Well I got up Sunday and was still very happy with lack of reaction in the knee, some discomfort in the leg muscles but nothing like two weeks ago when I blasted out a 41min Roo+Lake not having run for the two weeks prior! I'll listen to the body today but intend to run an easy 11KM Roo+Lake.

Back in the late Seventies and early Eighties Steve Harris ran for Borough Rd College and for a period ran for Shaftesbury. He had the BEST running action I ever saw! He was smooth, effortless, his face the picture of inscrutability, in complete contrast to my mask of PAIN. He won National Junior CC title and was a full international.

Blackburn 0 Arsenal 4

Jay Twist

Just got back from day in Bundy with a side trip to Hervey Bay.

On Sunday when I woke up wanting to run B2B I hopped out of bed and felt my right ankle was really sore! No reason why it should be, it's not as if I've been training hard! By Monday the ankle had swollen and I was limping from the left knee and now the right ankle! Felt like a really old man hobbling around at work everyone asking me if I'd run B2B and I couldn't even offer any explanation for the limp!. I mentioned it to a colleague and he said maybe Gout!! By Tuesday the swelling was going down but I went to see the GP and explained that the only thing that appeared to help the knee pain was the initial batch of anti  inflams I had back in July and since then the problem had appeared to come back.

He prescribed some more anti inflams and having taken them on Tues eve and Weds a.m. I immediately feel better. The pain is significantly down in my knee even when I bear weight on it - I can even walk down stairs with no pain now! The ankle has cleared up. I shall be getting an ultrasound as soon as I can fit it in on both the knee and the ankle to see if that shows anything up. 

The Doctor also asked did I have a family history of  Gout!!

Anyone would not be unreasonable to consider me a 'hypochondriac' when I mention that I have for two years suffered a frozen left shoulder now hopefully coming good but am going into the early phases of frozen shoulder on my right!!

My ankle was operated on about twelve  and fifteen years ago.

So today at last I can feel positive that I might get back into training soon - might leave it to the weekend and then try some very easy running (Not faster than 46min Roo+Lake).

Have seen the B2B results and speculated where a truly fit performance might have placed me.The most recent race measure was Vlad Shatrov beat me at the City 2 Surf by a second or two, he finished11th in 33m25.

The times seemed slow by comparison to others. Scott Westcott 30m45 (expected to go under 30) Courtney Atkinson not having swam 1500m or cycled , ran 31m36 and Chris Reeves to run only 32m06. Hintsa 4th in 32m11 must have had a good battle with Chris and Jay Twist 5th 32m13. I cant imagine the course was that hilly but perhaps it was long?

Last Weekend Ron Peters ran the Half Mara in Melbourne in 73m05, to add the M55 Australian Record to his M50 ! Hats off and congratulations Ronnie, Brilliant!

Scott Westcott

Very difficult for me waking up at 6.30am and thinking the B2B is going to start in 30mins ... can I make it to the start? Well it is Fathers day!! so it was still a joy to have Max and LILY give me their gifts and cards ( you come to realise that Kate @ 12y.o and Oli @ 14 y.o. have lost their conception of Daddy's Day love!). Had a lovely day, tea in bed then Breakfast at the Golf club then lunch arvo at the Beach at Sandgate.

Had a few beers but aware that I need to mindful of weight whilst not training!! There is possible light at the end of the tunnel that things may be starting to improve on the knee but there again I may be deluded!!

I was really pleased to get selected to represent Queensland in the Australian Half Mara Champs in Melbourne in a months time (Travel , race, and accommodation paid!). I will be 47 years old, and can't believe that I'm still competitive in Open competition!. Of course I'll be hoping that I can get back into training in order to be competitive asap.

B2B was won in 30m35 by Scott Westcott, well clear of Courtney Atkinson 2nd in 31m26 and Chris Reeves 3rd in 31m56. I'm looking at those times and thinking blimey! If I was fit, I might have made top 15!!

Eamon Martin

Ian Stewart (2nd)

Monday 6.00pm 11KM Roo+Lake 48m58s !

Really tough going, with still a combination of Saturday's run , which really did a job on my quads and the knees. I was hoping to see if I could get the pain out of my quads in order to determine just how painful the knees are by themselves in order to make a call on racing on Sunday. Though my heart wants me to run my head is telling me not to bother. Without a doubt I would only put in a below par performance and I'd only be dissatisfied with that. My heart is saying its the last race of the season I can afford to take a good break after. It's a new course - well a shortened course to 10K and I'm excited about the prospect of it producing fast times. I didn't race a 10K on a really fast course with lots of competition around me, all season. Another reason why I should follow my head and not my heart is I've packed on 4KG in my three weeks off!! Currently 67KG !!

Ian Stewart (the 2nd) was a champion runner from Luton who was a couple of years older than me. He posted times comparable with his older Scottish International namesake. I read a fantastic chronological collection of newspaper articles on Ian here . He ran 3m53 for the Mile! Photo shows Ian leading Steve Ovett. Ian was a genuinely nice guy.