The GC

The GC is nearly here!
It's the time of year when I'm holding my breath at the sound of a cough or a sneeze. I'm getting grumpy at my work colleagues for coming into the office with a virus. Tissues for toilet door handles, knuckles for pedestrian crossing signals, wash hands at every opportunity....
The GC is 'The' running festival as far as I'm concerned. 
The camaraderie and spirit, the quality of the fields , the fast flat course. Its so much more enjoyable celebrating after, if you feel you have given a good performance.
Last year I was in good shape for the 10km, this year my form has been patchy at best over the last couple of months. 
This will be my first go at racing a Half for 5 or 6 years, I'll go out hard and try to hang on as long as possible (which is really what I do in every race these days).
Tempo 10km on Saturday, 24km LSD on Sunday, recovery /rest day Monday, 10km this morning. Track closed with half term so will have to work an alternative interval session into this week, but really going to take it easy.

10 x 800 with 55 in 2;36

I think I got back to doing Nudgee track sessions at the back end of last winter so nearly a years worth of track in the bank.
It was 16 C according to my car at 6.00pm, so quite cool for a change and thankfully little or no wind. 
Trying to concentrate on 10K pace with short recoveries. 
Lost concentration on my third rep and couldn't remember for sure if I'd already run one lap or two! What was I thinking? Had to run another lap to be sure I'd covered the distance and sure enough ended up with a 1200m rep!
Had ongoing hip/pelvis issues through the session , a shooting pain from hip through to knee. Quite painful and feels as though my leg is going to give way/collapse which of course it never does. Maybe it is sciatica i'm thinking some acupuncture might be beneficial so will check it out.
In the meantime I managed to plough through my session alone again naturally. 
Average rep was 2;36 and average recovery was 55. Reasonable session considering had run 10km in the morning.

Ignore the distance column, it was 800 on the track followed by approx 100m jog recovery. Max heart rate seems to be diminishing from the days when I'd regularly get 180bpm but I suppose I am getting older.

David Heath M50 WR 1500m 3;58.26

David Heath set another M50 WR 3;58.26
He commented
"16 in the race. I started off near the back and had to speed up and slow down and run wide for the first couple of laps. 64, 2:09 and then I kicked in a 62 and hung on. Finished 5th - regional champs. Felt really good"

I bet it felt really good! 
A sensational time for a 50 year old. 62 for the third lap!! He has the 3000m M50 WR on his radar (he has already run the equivalent of 8;42 this Northern summer).

Caloundra Foreshore 10km 6th 34;50

I attended a 50th birthday party last night and had a few drinks, it was never going to be good preparation for racing the next morning!
I'd seriously considered not getting up at 5;00am and in fact did not set the alarm however I woke up at 5;15am and didn't feel too bad, no hangover and all my aches and pains in abeyance and what was the alternative - run 24km by myself around Narangba! 
I decided I'd give it a go. I knew Jackson Elliot was running and saw Cassie Fien and Tim Toner on the start line. I started off in second and Jackson rapidly disappeared off into the distance.
I was surprised to be leading a large group of runners through the first 3K's which was windy foreshore pathway lots of twists and turns which impacted upon my hip issue.
The group moved up past me and included Cassie, Tim and two others.
I just didn't have it today by 5km I was detached out the back of the group running by myself. The tough hills towards the finish provided extra hurt.
I jogged back to the start for 20km for the day.
Results are here;
http://www.racetecresults.com/Results.aspx?CId=7&RId=438&EId=2
Cassie is running fantastically at the moment and I suspect she'll be wearing green and gold again pretty soon.
We have to participate in the other parts of our lives than just running, I'd have rather stayed home and gone to bed early but that wouldn't be much fun for my wife. 
There is always another race.

Dehydration showing in the muscles

My homage to Robbo 13:22 (I really must have been still drunk!)

Masters 10km Road Race Record

14/4/06 Easter Orleigh Park 35;07
13/5/06 Corporate Games St.Lucia 35;54 1st
28/5/06 Caloundra Foreshore 34;49 2nd 1st
27/7/06 Jetty to Jetty 33;37 10th 1st
20/8/06 Noosa 34;02 5th 1st
8/10/06 Kingscliffe 34;35 3rd 1st
29/4/07 Mount Mee Hilly 37;22 2nd 1st
19/5/07 Corporate Games St.Lucia 34;48 1st
26/5/07 Caloundra Foreshore 34;22 1st
1/7/07 Gold Coast 33;16 18th 1st
22/7/07 Jetty to Jetty 34;02 7th 1st
19/8/07 Noosa 33;59 10th 1st
18/5/08 Corporate Games St.Lucia 34;16 1st
25/5/08 Caloundra Foreshore 32;58 3rd 1st
20/6/08 Jetty to Jetty 32;36 5th 1st
15/5/10 Corporate Games St.Lucia 37;18 1st
3/7/10 Gold Coast 34;32 41st 1st
18/7/10 Jetty to Jetty 34;48 8th 2nd
15/8/10 Lakes College 34;18 2nd
29/8/10 Bridge to Brisbane 34;27 21st 1st
14/5/11 Corporate Games St.Lucia (9.54km ?) 32;49 1st
22/5/11Noosa 33;45 8th 1st
2/7/11 Gold Coast 33;24 26th 1st
17/7/11 Jetty to Jetty 34;11 3rd 1st
11/9/11 Bridge to Brisbane 34;07 13th 1st
22/6/14 Caloundra Foreshore 33;36 1st
5/7/14 Gold Coast 32;58 25th 1st
7/9/14 Bridge to Brisbane 33;17 8th 1st
24/5/15 Noosa 34;02 4th 1st
14/6/15 Launceston 33;19 26th 
21/6/15 Caloundra Foreshore 34;50 6th 2nd
23/11/15 Otawara Japan 34:57 

Launceston 10km 26th 33;19

I jogged up to the Town Hall from the Hotel to pick up my number at 8.00am and 
it was -1 O C !
It was eyeball freezing cold and no, I am not used to it, having grown up in England because 11 years in Queensland has softened me. 
What to wear? 
I'd miss placed my running gloves and only had my everyday cold weather gloves (from the UK), better them than nothing! a full long sleeved top and a beaney! 
Even with all that the temperature was a real shock to the system.
Line up a row back (respectful distance considering the quality of this race), off hard to beat the hordes to the first left turn and hang on. 
I dont check my watch, as I cant read it any more, but go through 1km in 3;00 ! 
That of course made me suffer and I followed it with a few 3;16's.
Tom Highnam and John Bartlett cruise past me at 2km. I thought they were up ahead and realized I must be going ok as these guys would be running 32 pace. They went off into the distance but another group caught me at 4km including first female Eloise Wellings, Quentin Reeves and my team mate Dennis Fitzgerald. 
I was able to hang with these guys for a few K's, passing 5km on my Garmin in 16;06 (which impresses me). 
The course is pretty much straight out and back. 
Not much protection on the way back from a slight headwind that seemed to slow everyone up. I dropped to 3;26's and was gapped by Eloise (an Olympian) and Quentin. I still had two boys to run home with. 
Up the final stretch I was caught by Jess Trengove and was determined not to be 'double chicked' so put the effort in to keep her behind at the finish.
33;19 official time which I was happy with. 
My hip/pelvis pain was 'apparent' over the first half but less so over the second half. 
The results initially excluded me but I reckon our team Garmin Lama (Jackson Ashkettle Sweeney Fitzgerald) triumphed over Tommy Highnam's HuRTS squad by a second! 
128;30 us 128;31 them!
Later on Sunday I toured the James Boag Brewery (my absolute favorite beer is Boag's Premium - so I was in heaven!) I bumped into the HuRTS squad on the tour and completed a pub crawl with them after. Monday I spent the day with Dennis and Janine touring vineyards and waterfalls in North East Tasmania - truly  beautiful countryside
before heading home that evening.

The Launie 10 is a bucket list race you must do. 
7 guys 30.00 and under makes it one of the fastest in Australia.

First team - Garmin Lama

Yellow shoes white long sleeve with black gloves and hat - freezing cold

Tom and Barts group heading back at the 6km mark, those at 4km check them out

I couldn't hang on to her!

I ran 5km with these two lads but they got away at the finish 

Like this shot of the HuRTS boys having given their all . I hung on the funnel fencing for a good minute at the end.

Organising a piss up in a brewery with Tommy

HuRTS Squad guys forced me to drink James Boags Premium (Barts, Criniti, Jeet [crouching],Chairman, Pommie and LJ

M50 World Record 1500m David Heath 4:02

Tom Roberts an Aussie ran 4:05 in 1984 to set the previous mark that has stood the test of time. 35 years hugely impressive record.
Now David Heath has run 4:02 an incredible feat!
Anyone know what Tom Roberts is up to these days?
Appreciate he'd be 85 but someone needs to ho shake his hand and tell him what a terrific achievement his record was.

B.F.G.

On Sunday I went to bed at 10.30pm and got back up at 2;30am to watch Arsenal win the FA Cup for the 12th time in a match that had none of the usual angst I suffer thinking 'we might get beaten!' it was just so comfortable and 4 - 0 probably flattered Villa. Of course Alexis screamer of a goal was the highlight but I also enjoyed the moment when Per Mertsacker made it 3 - 0 to Arsenal and Laurent Koschelny (The Chairman) had his shirt turned into a hoody by the Villa defender, Laurent had his arms outstretched appealing for the pen while the rest of the boys were celebrating the goal.
So I got to bed again at 4;40am and then got up again at 6;00am to get up to the Sunshine Coast for the 5th in the series XC 12km at Ben Bennett Botanical Gardens.
The conditions were unseasonally warm even with much of the course was in the shade of the forest, some muddy sections, some inclines, but much kinder than a fortnight ago at Mooloolah. 
Like last time I had Satoshi Ashida for company till halfway. 
Satoshi ran well at Noosa doing the Half in 74mins . So he certainly kept me honest. 
He just dropped off enough for me not to hear him and feel comfortable however on the last lap , ever diligent, I did take a look over my shoulder with half a KM to go and saw he was a lot closer than I expected so more hard work up the final incline to finish just 12 seconds in front.

I went to see my consultant on Thursday last week as I had been suffering pain/ache in the hip/pelvis and decided to have it checked out. 
Had an MRI and the result was all good!, remarkably good looking pelvis for a 53 year old which gives me a lot of comfort to plough on but perhaps be careful about any off road deviation in my training. Also talked about the benefits of some alternative cross training like cycling and aqua running. I will no doubt get coached in the drills for aqua running when Mike Trees Mike Trees  Mike Trees  gets to Brisbane in October.
Mike was kind enough to send me two pairs of his Newton Shoes which I have been testing over roo+lake.







So look out for Laurent getting his top pulled over his head and the German commentator explaining what  B.F.G. stands for!