Braveheart

ian Cameron 17:24 age 61

It was remise of me not to mention Brave hearts superb performance on Thursday!
It was world class! It was funny Ian was running in the same singlet/vest as me the Queensland Masters top, I didn't realize it looks like a white vest from behind and I wasn't sure it was him. Anyway I managed to pass him and I hear this clatter as Ian stumbles against the metal rail marking the inside lane!
I'd like to think it was the sonic boom in my wake but much more likely I distracted him but glad he didn't take a tumble. The Robot will have his work cut out getting back up to Brave hearts fitness!
I had a recovery day Friday (it was a late night Thursday racing so tried to have a lie in but not much chance of that in our household! When I got home Friday evening I spent 2 hours doing the lawn! We don't have daylight saving here  (shocking backward I know) so it is dark at 7.00pm and I'm mowing in the pitch dark! At least it is not so hot then and gets one of the nasty weekend chores out of the way but no time!for a run.
So today I decided I'd head back to do a parkrun for the first time in a few months. Always intended to treat it as a training tempo run. Clare  Gerahty asked if I might make pace for  her but she had other help without me so I took off at the start and tried to run hard but comfortable never pushing too hard. It was steaming warm conditions with ridiculous humidity. 240 runners walkers dogs and prams made it tough as always overtaking on laps two and three so was happy to record a sub 16 15;56, Clare broke 17:00 too , so she was pleased.
Next up for me State 10000m on Thursday night.

Queensland Open 5000m Championship 13th 15;54.7

This race was postponed for a week because of Cyclone Marcia and the deep trough that rained down about 18 inches of rain on us over a weekend. Plenty of extra time to think about the race and what I wanted to achieve.
I again had a muted weeks training, an easier 20km on Sunday and shortened interval session on Monday (5 x 800) and then steady roo+lakes till Thursday. I'm most probably just like you on race days.
My competitive nature kicks in from a few days before I'm less able to speak freely, I am all consumed by  the race. I'm mindful of every niggle and sniff. I banged my 'oh so sore knee' on the door frame running out into the back garden to collect the clothes off the line when it started raining at the weekend. I was ready to throw in the towel as I howled like Sascha (our dog) in pain!
I'm in good shape and I felt reasonably confident that I could run a M50 Australian record 15;49.
Conditions were good , little wind, 24.4 0 C , but 72% humidity.
I'd planned to run around 9;20 for 3k and try to hang on. However, as ever the best laid plans fall to dust when the gun goes!
40 starters in two groups toe the line and I'm on the outside bunch running around the outside lanes for the first bend.
I smash the first 200m in order to gain position (silly mistake - should have just started steady and work my way through). Eventually I get to the inside lane and start to settle down, the lead group breaks away from me and I'm leading a secondary group. I passed 1km in 3;01 and that unfortunately caused the damage. It hurt! I suffered , I slowed, my arm carriage went high, and I tensed up. It didn't feel comfortable I went through 3km in 9;26 and I assumed my race was cooked, I'm only 4 seconds ahead of steady state schedule, how can I hang on for 2km if I'm slowing? so in my mind, records off and I'm having a bad run.

Remarkably however I did hang on, though the 4th km was ugly, the 5th km was ok, so at the  finish I was only 4 seconds off schedule.
If I'd have only lifted 800 from home (when Jackson Elliot cruised past to lap me) I'd have had a good chance, even if I'd have gone with 400 to go but I just hung on till 200 to bury myself to the finish.
So 15;54 is my best time as a M50, it bettered the  solo 15;55 and 15;56 I ran as a 50 year old. 
I loved the evening, all those nerves, warming up with Dennis Fitz and Jackson Elliot. Running a cool down with the boys through a pitch dark Tooheys Forest.
Banter on  'I was, or am a runner' group on facebook.
McMillian has the age percentage at 95%, I was happy to run sub 16 but gutted to miss Queensland and Australian marks. The opportunities to run with competition in good conditions are limited unless I travel interstate ( well actually I am going to Tokyo in November to run a 10000m on the track and a 10km road race!!!).

Open race results

U20's same race as Open

Started in an outside group and battled to get to the inside lane

Now what was I thinking? The runners skull in evidence here!

I'm killing myself but I love doing it!

Hornybrook

The Sandgate/Hornybrook/Brighton path

Last night did a set of 5  x 1km with 60sec recovery. The odds were into a headwind but had some (10m) down slope the evens conversely had benefit of wind but 10m incline. One 90 o turn run on cement pathway. I felt like I was working pretty hard but getting a heart rate reading of 194bpm must have been an erroneous reading!

 I don't know where my recovery went in between the penultimate and last effort (must have been erroneous reading) but I was pleased to see how swiftly my heart rate fell after the last K

I'm going to race the State 5000 on Thursday so some slight tweaking to my routine, not so long on today's run, just 15km but with yesterday's KM's still in my knees it was tough going.
I drove up to Sandgate and ran back across the Hornybrook turned around and came back up and past the Sandgate parkrun course.
On the turnaround at the bridge a female runner in a skirt running with a border collie was heading in the same direction.
It seemed to take an eternity to catch and pass her. I checked my watch and I was running 3:40km pace! Does anyone know if Cassie Fine lives over this side of town because whoever it was she was going hard at it as was her dog! (I later messaged and confirmed it was Cassie).
I will do a shorter interval session Monday night then take it easy till Thursday.

where I parked my car

Airia One

I was asked if I'd review a pair of Airia One running shoes. 

airiarunning.com

The day before I ran my 10.5km roo+lake I tried on the shoes and took them for a 1km spin around the block. The forefoot felt quite wide for my foot but otherwise comfortable enough if not a little unorthodox, the shoe last has the toe forefoot angled forwards presume to encourage toe or fore foot strike. The sole is firmer Vibram rubber than most shoes without too much cushioning.
It seemed to perpetuate a tippy tappy sound as they stuck the ground, perhaps more like a tennis shoe but runners who are used to the barefoot type shoes will be more accustomed to them than I.
Next morning I took them for a proper 10.5km run.
I'm normally a forefoot striker judging by my wear patterns so I suspect that the shoes were pretty much reinforcing my typical foot strike. After about 5km I was accustomed to them and didn't take much more notice.
I wonder if prolonged wearing of these shoes might benefit people with plantar fasciitus ? I had terrible trouble with my  right foot 2/3 years ago lasting about 18 months! I have been suffering with PF in the left foot for the last year but I have found over the last couple of months wearing the Stassburg Sock in bed overnight has had a very beneficial effect. The sock effectively pulls the toes up and is supposed to prevent scar tissue building up in the fascia overnight. It makes sense that running in shoes anatomically designed to hold the foot in a similar position could be beneficial.
Did they make me run any faster? Hard to say after a one off test but I did run faster than any other roo+lake this week!
New shoes = new touch areas, left me with a few blisters but nothing that wouldn't get ironed out in a couple of runs!
The funny thing is comparing them to my existing shoes.
My new shoes have only done about 70km whilst my old shoes ( now retired) have done 1200km and the thing is how my old shoes seem to have morphed anatomically into the Airia foot last! Look how the toe and has curled up!

Return of the Robot