Adios 2014

End of another year, I am motivated and running well though of course injury is always around the corner or am I carrying something now? 

I had two weeks off with sore knees in March/April, I have left heel PF that I've been managing for the last 13 months and I've still got sore knees which I manage with the occasional anti inflammatory. 

I've had a great year better than I could have hoped for. 

I've had an OK track season so far but not close to my targets yet, hopefully 2015 will see me satisfy some burning ambitions. 

Highlights were some great parkruns, 32;58 at Gold Coast to equal Monnas M50 Course Record and 8th in Bridge to Brisbane (33;20).

I won about $1500 ($500 Gladstone $500 Caloundra $300 Maleny $200 Bridge to Brisbane), I ran the 500km Relay for Team Nike Victory and made a bunch of new running mates, I ran 16;02 for a 5000m by myself in extreme humid conditions. 

I ran a 33;46 10000m on a training run by myself. 

I've connected with a whole bunch of runners I may never meet and others that I still could. Running is an integral part of my life and I've loved sharing it with you.

Happy New Year!

QMA 3000m 9:26.5. 1st

Last race for the year , I had hoped to run sub 9:20 but conditions were not favorable (windy and hot) and had to settle for 9:26.
Dennis Fitzgerald provided some strong competition. My plan was to try and take the first K easier and then run hard for two K.
First lap was 72 , then 1:48, 3:06/7 for K but I had worked hard into the wind and was beginning to feel it.
Dennis came around and took the lead which I was grateful for, I tried tucking in but actually dropped off a bit and let him gap me about a second as he led through the 2nd K, into the 3rd and I caught and passed him, working to pass the lapped runners/ walkers.
I think I made the bell in about 8:15 and pushed all out on the last lap believing that Dennis would fly past me at any moment, for a seasons best 9:26.5. Dennis would have been better if he'd not contributed to the work 9:38 and Chris Bell looking on form to go sub 10:00 in 2015 with his 10:11 effort.
 Happy enough because I know that sub 9:20 will come in better conditions next year.

Long warm down with Dennis and Chris through Tooheys Forest.

Party Season

A steady weeks training and no racing.

Tuesday at Nudgee was interesting.
A storm was heading my way so decided to run the session in spikes ( prevent slippage on the track) and this was following Saturday's race which I also ran in spikes for about the first time this season!
Anyhow I got the storm winds and lightning but didn't hardly get any rain.
On my 800 reps I nearly got pushed to a stand still each time I headed into the back straight. I averaged 2:36's for 8 with 110m jog recovery (had to be worth 2:30's).
I felt my calves giving out from about the 3rd rep so was completely pulverized by the 8th.
It took at least 3 days of steady / recovery runs to clear the pain!

Today I contemplated doing a parkrun but couldn't get out of bed so left my run to an afternoon tempo around roo+lake 10.6km in 3:40 KM's on a very windy but cool and overcast day.
Its been so hot and humid recently that this cooler blast is quite extraordinary.

I'm weighing about 62kg so will have to be careful over the holiday season that I don't drink and eat too much because 60/62kg is about prime racing weight for me.
Next Friday I have my first party which will put a dampener on my efforts to run a last quick 3000m at Masters on Saturday morning.

QMA 5000m 16:02.46 1st

No wind and cloud cover greeted us at Memorial Day at Nathan on Saturday morning. 
It was 25 O C at 8;00am and humidity was into 90's %.
Alan Bradford and Col McLeod, two of the all time greats of Queensland Masters athletics were warming up on the track when I went for my 3km warm up around ANZ. 
In the car park getting out of his car none other than King Ronnie Peters!
Coach Pete would have been drooling at the sight of these 3 greats joining us for the 5000.

Some how I got missed off the start list and joined the walkers on the staggered start then got redeemed to the runners start.
I  planned to run easy first laps before applying some effort. 
The conditions were providing two out of three positives, no wind and cloud cover, 
how much does high humidity cost?

200m in 35, 1km in 3:08 , I was feeling OK and surprised at that 1st KM.
I put my head down and concentrated on the overtaking! 
It felt like I was overtaking some of the walkers twice a lap (is that possible?)

3000 in 9:38 was another good marker for me just 8 secs off pace and I'm not not on my last legs staying strong. I  continued to work hard.
I got to the bell with the line clock reading 14:48 and I'm thinking just a 72 for 16:00 but I don't give it everything until the final hundred so finish in 16:02.
I have to be happy with that as surely running an evening meet with the kids early next year should provide the opportunity for sub 16 and maybe even a crack at Bradford's Queensland record 15:51.
Results are here; http://www.mastersathletics.com.au/pdf.ashx?id=67