Tue 5.22am 9.50km Esplanade 38m31 4m03 K's
Settling into a pattern, running ok.
Sunny and 27 O C today.
I have two weeks work in Yarrabah.
You can see how close Cairns (in background) is in the photo above but in some respects it is a World away.
31 May 2011
Yarrabah
Tue 5.22am 9.50km Esplanade 38m31 4m03 K's
Settling into a pattern, running ok.
Sunny and 27 O C today.
I have two weeks work in Yarrabah.
You can see how close Cairns (in background) is in the photo above but in some respects it is a World away.
29 May 2011
Running from Crocodiles
Sun 10.22am 15.82km 67m49 4m17 K's
Decided to explore away from the well worn Esplanade pathway with all its distractions - the swimming lagoon and all those backpackers catching some sun. So decided to take a pathway that ran alongside a drain towards the Botanical Gardens. I say drain but in the UK we'd probably call it a canal! The drain led to a creek and as I ran I could not take my eyes off any submerged log or rock or set of bubbles I past and then I saw a sign warning that crocodiles inhabit the creek!
I did see some wildlife but it was mammalian not reptilian. At first I thought it was a platypus but it didn't have a shovel tail, it was hairy with a longish thin tail with lighter ring markings on the tip , more like a ring tailed possum but they don't swim around in swift circles and then run with agility up the bank do they?
I came out of the gardens and ran along Kamerunga Rd past Stratford and turned around on 35mins and ran back the way I came. I had a few excursions to see if I could take any of the goat tracks up the monolithic rocky outcrop which borders the gardens which dented my overall pace but was happy to plod along at around 4m10 pace for 16km's. Conditions sunny and warm - 28 O C today! - that's 82 O F, not bad for a Winters day.
Decided to explore away from the well worn Esplanade pathway with all its distractions - the swimming lagoon and all those backpackers catching some sun. So decided to take a pathway that ran alongside a drain towards the Botanical Gardens. I say drain but in the UK we'd probably call it a canal! The drain led to a creek and as I ran I could not take my eyes off any submerged log or rock or set of bubbles I past and then I saw a sign warning that crocodiles inhabit the creek!
I did see some wildlife but it was mammalian not reptilian. At first I thought it was a platypus but it didn't have a shovel tail, it was hairy with a longish thin tail with lighter ring markings on the tip , more like a ring tailed possum but they don't swim around in swift circles and then run with agility up the bank do they?
I came out of the gardens and ran along Kamerunga Rd past Stratford and turned around on 35mins and ran back the way I came. I had a few excursions to see if I could take any of the goat tracks up the monolithic rocky outcrop which borders the gardens which dented my overall pace but was happy to plod along at around 4m10 pace for 16km's. Conditions sunny and warm - 28 O C today! - that's 82 O F, not bad for a Winters day.
28 May 2011
Fast 10km
Sat 12.57pm Esplanade 9.5km (34m35) Plus 0.7km 36m54 3m37 K's
Went through what will be my standard 9.5km run in 34m35
and jogged on for 0.7km through 10km in 36m25 and 10.2km in 36m54, nice and warm conditions.
Went through what will be my standard 9.5km run in 34m35
and jogged on for 0.7km through 10km in 36m25 and 10.2km in 36m54, nice and warm conditions.
27 May 2011
26 May 2011
Cairns
Mon Rest
Tues 5.22am 10.72KM Lake+Roo 44m12 4m6 6K's
Wed 5.19am 10.64KM Lake+Roo 44m30 4m11 K's
Thurs 5.26am 9.53KM Esplanade 41m16 4m20 K's
I'm now in Cairns and will be here for about two weeks before spending a week in Pormpuraaw on the Western Cape (I didn't get the Torres Strait gig!) Still Yarrabah and Pormpuraaw are both incredible beachside communities! Must watch out for Crocs when running in Pormpuraaw!
The chilly Southern weather followed me up the coast so this mornings run was in about 14 O C which compared to the normal daytime low of 20 O C was pretty nippy!
24 May 2011
22 May 2011
Noosa 10KM 33;43 8th Open
Sun 8.15am Noosa 10km 33m43 8th Open 1st M40-49
It had pi$$ed down Sat eve and through the night and I thought we'd be running through puddles in the rain this morning but as night turned to day on the drive up to Noosa I was treated to a beautiful blue sky with hardly a cloud to be seen.
Ran about 3km warm up and toed the front of the start line and belted away from the gun. Jackson Elliott was a class apart in this field and he was starting to gap us at 1KM which I past in 3m09.7 (153bpm).
This is one of the biggest 10K races in Queensland and I was running with the young and gifted at the head of the field. Perhaps I was a little too exuberant as I pushed into 2nd place! during the 2nd KM 3m15.6 (166).
As early as the 3rd KM I was thinking that start might come back to haunt me as a group of 3 gapped me. I was now running in a group of 3 or so guys. Conditions felt really warm and was I running for the shady side of the road where ever possible as I started to suffer.The 3rd KM was 3m17.6 (170) , 4th KM 3m20.9 (172), 5th KM 3m20.5 (175).
I looked at my watch for the first time at the 5KM mark on the road and 16m40'ish had seemed like so much hard work, and slightly disappointing time wise. The group gapped me and I ran home in No Mans Land by myself. My pace evidently slowed up as I closed 6th KM 3m26.3 (176), 7th KM 3m27.1 (177), 8th KM 3m28.9 (177)
9th KM 3m27.8, I was closing in on 7th place but was not feeling hugely competitive and cruised in with the Garmin saying 10th KM in 3m24.5 (178) + 6.54secs (181).
Happy to have run under 34mins.
Previously finished 5th in 2006 34m02, and 10th in 2007 33m59.
Would like to be able to put together steady 3m20 K's sometime soon.
Glorious drive home along the Sunshine coast Motorway which hugs the coast between Noosa and Maroochydore beautiful surf spray and beach.
Results are up already here
I Got beaten by a 14 y.o.! There again the 14 y.o. me would beat me now as well!
David Scroope ran well in 36m07 to win M50's but got chicked by my neighbour Helen Stanton!! ; )
20 May 2011
Noosa
Thurs 5.19am 10.68km Lake+Roo 43m52 4m06 K's
Fri 5.20am 10.72km Lake+Roo 44m12 4m07 K's
I have decided to race the Noosa 10K on Sunday as I'm going to be missing some of my favourate races in coming weeks.
Fri 5.20am 10.72km Lake+Roo 44m12 4m07 K's
I have decided to race the Noosa 10K on Sunday as I'm going to be missing some of my favourate races in coming weeks.
18 May 2011
Torres Strait Islands and Cape York Peninsular
Wed 5.19am 10.68km Lake+Roo 44m56 4m12 K's
Tues 5.21am 10.70km Lake+Roo 44m37 4m10 K's
Mon Rest
I have always loved to travel. Perhaps that is one reason why I am living in Australia. An opportunity has arisen through work for me to travel next week to the Cape York Peninsular and the Torres Strait Islands for a month.This is a fantastic opportunity that money literally could not buy. Access to these areas is limited. I'll be carrying out condition assessments on Indigenous Community housing it is not my usual role but . Being away from the family for a month will be very difficult but this is a lifetime opportunity I simply could not miss. It will be fun blogging my training runs and I hope I can blog some Garmin maps to show you where I am and hopefully make you all very jealous! ; )
I'll miss a few races and wont be able to finish the SSCXC series but I wont mind saying goodbye to Lake+Roo for a few weeks!
15 May 2011
Source Code - A womans memory
Sun 7.00am Nathan SAF QMA 3000m 1st 9m26.6
69.14 136bpm
76.24 161bpm
77.21 162bpm
76.89 164bpm
77.06 166bpm
77.55 167bpm
76.17 169bpm
36.37 171bpm
With QMA putting on a very late season Track meet I thought it would be a good opportunity to see if I could continue last months form and run a quick 3000m.
It was not to be!
Conditions were not ideal though I had hoped the cooler conditions and much reduced humidity would be beneficial, however, I found the cold a real problem.
Only about 6 runners in the field and I might have at least double lapped them all, so pretty much me by myself. I just felt the cold get into my hands and into my arms and felt as if I tied up (a problem I regularly suffered in the UK). A cool (Antarctic like breeze) didn't help.
So it was pretty much a case of going through the motions - now I feel I probably should have run the Sunshine Coast XC. I wore the heat rate monitor and hit the lap button on my Garmin!
I had a late night on top of yesterday's early start as Natalie and I went the cinema to see Source Code.
It is pretty rare for us to go by ourselves but the three younger kids were all on sleepovers so we grabbed the chance.
Natalie wanted to go see 'Paul' - the comedy alien film with the guys from 'run fat boy run'. This really is not my cup of tea and I persuaded her to see the Sci Fi thriller Source Code. It took some persuasion - she countered my "I would enjoy it much more" with "the last time you chose was on our anniversary that war movie that went on for 4 Hours!" I was thinking bloody hell what movie was that? Then it came to me - 'Saving Private Ryan' on our 1st Anniversary 20 years ago!!!!! I was able to counter with the last time we went to the movies by ourselves was her choice the Chick flick 'The Devil Wears Prada' ( yes we really haven't been to the movies alone for about 6 years!! Needless to say I got my choice! even though it meant getting to bed at midnight and getting up at 5.00am for this mornings race!
As you know (see profile) I like Sci Fi and Source Code was excellent go see it. Great story and some great aerial cinematography of Chicago.
69.14 136bpm
76.24 161bpm
77.21 162bpm
76.89 164bpm
77.06 166bpm
77.55 167bpm
76.17 169bpm
36.37 171bpm
With QMA putting on a very late season Track meet I thought it would be a good opportunity to see if I could continue last months form and run a quick 3000m.
It was not to be!
Conditions were not ideal though I had hoped the cooler conditions and much reduced humidity would be beneficial, however, I found the cold a real problem.
Only about 6 runners in the field and I might have at least double lapped them all, so pretty much me by myself. I just felt the cold get into my hands and into my arms and felt as if I tied up (a problem I regularly suffered in the UK). A cool (Antarctic like breeze) didn't help.
So it was pretty much a case of going through the motions - now I feel I probably should have run the Sunshine Coast XC. I wore the heat rate monitor and hit the lap button on my Garmin!
I had a late night on top of yesterday's early start as Natalie and I went the cinema to see Source Code.
It is pretty rare for us to go by ourselves but the three younger kids were all on sleepovers so we grabbed the chance.
Natalie wanted to go see 'Paul' - the comedy alien film with the guys from 'run fat boy run'. This really is not my cup of tea and I persuaded her to see the Sci Fi thriller Source Code. It took some persuasion - she countered my "I would enjoy it much more" with "the last time you chose was on our anniversary that war movie that went on for 4 Hours!" I was thinking bloody hell what movie was that? Then it came to me - 'Saving Private Ryan' on our 1st Anniversary 20 years ago!!!!! I was able to counter with the last time we went to the movies by ourselves was her choice the Chick flick 'The Devil Wears Prada' ( yes we really haven't been to the movies alone for about 6 years!! Needless to say I got my choice! even though it meant getting to bed at midnight and getting up at 5.00am for this mornings race!
As you know (see profile) I like Sci Fi and Source Code was excellent go see it. Great story and some great aerial cinematography of Chicago.
14 May 2011
5 out of 5
Sat 8.00am Queensland Corporate Games 9.54km 32m49 1st (+1st in M50 Cat !)
The course for this mornings race usually starts on the track at St.Lucia, for a 300m circuit before heading off onto the foot path beside the Brisbane River for an 'out and back', flat 5K lap then back around the track and out for another lap. With the Floods we had in January the just laid tartan surface got ruined and had to be pulled up leaving the track today an uneven concrete oval! The track could not be used and a circuit was marked out on the field next-door. The 5K race went off 5 mins before us in the '10K'.
We had to run two circuits of the field before getting out onto the path.
Conditions were warm and sunny, a fantastic Brisbane Winters day!
Not a cloud in the sky.
The grass field was damp from morning due and though I flew out into am immediate lead I seemed to keep missing the correct bollard to aim for and ran wide or even off course a couple of times around the 'circuit'.
The race organiser had said this years course was 400m short and what with the off course shenanigans I got a feeling today was not one for really racing my hardest - besides I am going to race hard on tomorrow.
The other thing about this course is the river footpath was rolled firm dirt for about a K which was good to run on and after was loose cinder/dirt. Not very conducive to fast times. I caught the tail-enders of the 5K within a K (!) and had to dodge and weave for most of the race. I felt comfortable and was able to see I had a comfortable lead because of the out and back nature of the 5K loop.
Garmin details
3m16
3m28
3m26
3m23
3m23
3m28
3m35
3m29
3m28
1m50 (538m 3m26 pace)
An 'open win' is an 'open win' ! - pretty rare at 49 years of age so to be treasured for sure!
In fact, as the age Cats for this race are calculated as your age on 31st Dec 2011,
I won my first ever M50 Cat !!
This victory made it 5 out of 5 outright wins in this race which was also pleasing.
2006 1st 35m54
2007 1st 34m48
2008 1st 34m16
2010 1st 37m17
2011 1st 32m49
The race in 2010 marked my comeback race after 18months out injured.
I know I do this blog and am happy to enthuse or commiserate myself about my racing and training but in my working life I don't discuss running/racing much (Robbie Lofthouse is the only other runner/racer at work and I always have a brief chat with Robbie when I see him). I think this is because I don't want to be known as just 'the runner' or to bore people with the essential details that WE really feel is necessary when discussing Racing and Training - can you imagine me trying to explain how today I wasn't really 'full on' because;
1, I knew the course was short and my time would never mean anything.
2, The surface wasn't fast
3, Why the surface wasn't fast
Never going to happen and if someone in my immediate team does ask if I raced at the weekend all I normally give is - yes I had a win, yes I was happy and the time was OK.
However, I have come to realise that discussing my running in a wider sense is not necessarily about me but about running and if I can promote running and get even one person to 'give it a go', that would be a good thing and so with that change in my mindset I agreed to do a small piece for our work magazine.
Front Cover - OK! photo of me running ("can I supply you with some I already have?") No they have to take it - OK cant be too difficult! Turns out the Photographer and two PR officers have an 'image' in mind!
We meet up and they explain they have a finish line tape/confetti/and poppers can I run through the tape with my arms aloft in victory salute whilst they lob confetti at me in a park on a Tuesday arvo in Brisbane!!
Too late to get out of it, so here is my front cover and another photo for inside (guess what I was thinking? = 'What have I got myself into!')
Maybe my Blind Jack glasses are sufficient disguise and no one will recognise me?
Cheers!
The course for this mornings race usually starts on the track at St.Lucia, for a 300m circuit before heading off onto the foot path beside the Brisbane River for an 'out and back', flat 5K lap then back around the track and out for another lap. With the Floods we had in January the just laid tartan surface got ruined and had to be pulled up leaving the track today an uneven concrete oval! The track could not be used and a circuit was marked out on the field next-door. The 5K race went off 5 mins before us in the '10K'.
We had to run two circuits of the field before getting out onto the path.
Conditions were warm and sunny, a fantastic Brisbane Winters day!
Not a cloud in the sky.
The grass field was damp from morning due and though I flew out into am immediate lead I seemed to keep missing the correct bollard to aim for and ran wide or even off course a couple of times around the 'circuit'.
The race organiser had said this years course was 400m short and what with the off course shenanigans I got a feeling today was not one for really racing my hardest - besides I am going to race hard on tomorrow.
The other thing about this course is the river footpath was rolled firm dirt for about a K which was good to run on and after was loose cinder/dirt. Not very conducive to fast times. I caught the tail-enders of the 5K within a K (!) and had to dodge and weave for most of the race. I felt comfortable and was able to see I had a comfortable lead because of the out and back nature of the 5K loop.
Garmin details
3m16
3m28
3m26
3m23
3m23
3m28
3m35
3m29
3m28
1m50 (538m 3m26 pace)
An 'open win' is an 'open win' ! - pretty rare at 49 years of age so to be treasured for sure!
In fact, as the age Cats for this race are calculated as your age on 31st Dec 2011,
I won my first ever M50 Cat !!
This victory made it 5 out of 5 outright wins in this race which was also pleasing.
2006 1st 35m54
2007 1st 34m48
2008 1st 34m16
2010 1st 37m17
2011 1st 32m49
The race in 2010 marked my comeback race after 18months out injured.
I know I do this blog and am happy to enthuse or commiserate myself about my racing and training but in my working life I don't discuss running/racing much (Robbie Lofthouse is the only other runner/racer at work and I always have a brief chat with Robbie when I see him). I think this is because I don't want to be known as just 'the runner' or to bore people with the essential details that WE really feel is necessary when discussing Racing and Training - can you imagine me trying to explain how today I wasn't really 'full on' because;
1, I knew the course was short and my time would never mean anything.
2, The surface wasn't fast
3, Why the surface wasn't fast
Never going to happen and if someone in my immediate team does ask if I raced at the weekend all I normally give is - yes I had a win, yes I was happy and the time was OK.
However, I have come to realise that discussing my running in a wider sense is not necessarily about me but about running and if I can promote running and get even one person to 'give it a go', that would be a good thing and so with that change in my mindset I agreed to do a small piece for our work magazine.
Front Cover - OK! photo of me running ("can I supply you with some I already have?") No they have to take it - OK cant be too difficult! Turns out the Photographer and two PR officers have an 'image' in mind!
We meet up and they explain they have a finish line tape/confetti/and poppers can I run through the tape with my arms aloft in victory salute whilst they lob confetti at me in a park on a Tuesday arvo in Brisbane!!
Too late to get out of it, so here is my front cover and another photo for inside (guess what I was thinking? = 'What have I got myself into!')
Maybe my Blind Jack glasses are sufficient disguise and no one will recognise me?
Cheers!
08 May 2011
Mothers Day Classic
Sun 5.27am 16.35km Lke+Roo+Roo 71m53 (4m24 K's)
Natalie was up at 5.am to get to the South Bank for her first ever race! The Mothers Day Classic - she's going to do the 4KM. So I thought I'd get a run in whilst the kids were still asleep and my time was not taken by being a dutiful husband on Mothers Day. It felt really cold by Brissy standards - probably about 14 O C (57 F) so I wore a singlet[vest] under my long sleeved top! Crickey I'll be wearing a beaney (hat) next! - actually I did have a cap on!
Must have been the cold and the K's from last night still in my legs as I struggled to get going but then it was similar pace to the rest of the week.
07 May 2011
6 X 1000m 200m jog recovery (>2 mins) Nudgee
Thurs 5.22am 10.67km Lake+Roo 46m17 4m20 K's
Fri 5.23am 10.66km Lake+Roo 46m21 4m21 K's
Sat. 5.34pm Nudgee 6 X 1000, 200m jog recovery less than 2mins.
Spent the day doing the lawn and then tried to play a little street tennis with Lily. I had to make a real effort to try and run to the ball rather than more usual walk. In normal life I am so stiff and lazy!
It was another late start at Nudgee, the sun had set and night was falling, only one fellow at the track (sprinter Joe Beggley) and he was just finishing his warm down and I was focussed on my warm up so I didn't have time to stop and ask how he went at Nationals.
Standard warm up 2km, 4 strides and into it.
Wore spikes, conditions cool for Brissy and no wind - good!
Session went;
#1
3m07.18
72.76
77.17
37.27
#2
3m09.02
Forgot to take splits!
#3
3m06.69
73.51
76.08
37.10
#4
3m07.59
73.34
75.65
38.60
#5
3m07.75
73.69
75.87
38.19
#6
3m03.63
72.12
75.92
35.59
A pleasing session as I felt comfortable and my recovery was pretty swift, shame I didn't have the heart rate monitor on.
Fri 5.23am 10.66km Lake+Roo 46m21 4m21 K's
Sat. 5.34pm Nudgee 6 X 1000, 200m jog recovery less than 2mins.
Spent the day doing the lawn and then tried to play a little street tennis with Lily. I had to make a real effort to try and run to the ball rather than more usual walk. In normal life I am so stiff and lazy!
It was another late start at Nudgee, the sun had set and night was falling, only one fellow at the track (sprinter Joe Beggley) and he was just finishing his warm down and I was focussed on my warm up so I didn't have time to stop and ask how he went at Nationals.
Standard warm up 2km, 4 strides and into it.
Wore spikes, conditions cool for Brissy and no wind - good!
Session went;
#1
3m07.18
72.76
77.17
37.27
#2
3m09.02
Forgot to take splits!
#3
3m06.69
73.51
76.08
37.10
#4
3m07.59
73.34
75.65
38.60
#5
3m07.75
73.69
75.87
38.19
#6
3m03.63
72.12
75.92
35.59
A pleasing session as I felt comfortable and my recovery was pretty swift, shame I didn't have the heart rate monitor on.
04 May 2011
Freddy Ovett
Wed 5.22am 10.66km Lake+Roo 46m44 (4m23 K's)
Tues Rest
Mon 3.43pm 10.60km Roo+Lake 42m09 (3m59 K's)
The Results from Sunday's Sunshine Coast Cross Country came through today (here)
After I had finished the 12K (and yes after another 7 News interview!) I was chatting to 2nd place finisher Peter Bock (A sub 3m50 1500m guy!) when a lad came up and chatted briefly with Peter. A tall slim dark lad who I then 'raced' in the 3K.
I say 'raced' but he took off at the start and I didn't see him but for the turnaround section of this lap course. Anyhow, I see in the results it was Freddy Ovett ! (Steve's son) he has inherited some of his dads supreme talent.
It was back to work on Tuesday after what seems like two weeks off but was actually 11 days.
I deserved a rest day and as it was pouring with rain that is what I got.
Today I got up at 5.00am for my morning run and it was tough going. Much cooler than it has been 17 O C - I ran in a long sleeved top (a mistake) and darkness lasting much longer into the run.
Tues Rest
Mon 3.43pm 10.60km Roo+Lake 42m09 (3m59 K's)
The Results from Sunday's Sunshine Coast Cross Country came through today (here)
After I had finished the 12K (and yes after another 7 News interview!) I was chatting to 2nd place finisher Peter Bock (A sub 3m50 1500m guy!) when a lad came up and chatted briefly with Peter. A tall slim dark lad who I then 'raced' in the 3K.
I say 'raced' but he took off at the start and I didn't see him but for the turnaround section of this lap course. Anyhow, I see in the results it was Freddy Ovett ! (Steve's son) he has inherited some of his dads supreme talent.
It was back to work on Tuesday after what seems like two weeks off but was actually 11 days.
I deserved a rest day and as it was pouring with rain that is what I got.
Today I got up at 5.00am for my morning run and it was tough going. Much cooler than it has been 17 O C - I ran in a long sleeved top (a mistake) and darkness lasting much longer into the run.
01 May 2011
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