2017

2017 age 56 in September

3000m 9;36.2 QLD M55 Rec

5000m 16;37.60

parkrun 16;21

10000m 33;56.26

10km 34;33

15km 53;59

20km 73;57

Half Mara 73;13

25km 1;30;46

30km 1;51;36

The 9;36 3000m was OK and nice to add an M55 to my Queensland M45 and M50 Records however the rate of decline is somewhat disappointing. I believe that if I can get running well again I should be able to still run sub 9;30 and maybe even sub 9;20 with some concentration on the shorter distances.

Queensland Masters Men's 3000m Records

Similarly the 5000m 16;37 was only just about acceptable. I believe that at Perth in Nov 2016 I was in 16 minute  shape  but didn't get the conditions to find it. 
I ran 16;22 subsequently but felt capable of better. 
Into 2017 and  I had a go at 5000m at Queensland Open Championships after doing a 17;43 parkrun 'stroll' in the morning. I struggled around in 16;37.
Not very wise preparation for a Masters athlete but you learn by your mistakes.

I ran a 16;21 North Lakes parkrun in April and a 16;23 Sandgate parkrun in May which were decent performances specially considering the season. 

From December 2016 I had started to ramp up my mileage to levels never before reached as a Masters runner 100-130km a week with a view to nailing a Half Marathon at the Gold Coast at the beginning of July.

I had also joined Brisbane Road Runners Club and competed regularly in the Championship event and some of the other non championship races 25km and 30km.

Back in January I ran 53;59 for 15km in stinking hot conditions, I was convinced come winter I could knock a minute or two off that time but I never managed to.

I managed to hold around 60kg for the first half of the year.

In March I managed another sub 34 minute 10000m to finish 3rd in 33;56 in the Queensland Open Championships. That time ranks me =3rd in the World Rankings for the year.

Hot humid conditions for Qld 10000m Championship

In April I ran 75;22 at BRRC Half Marathon Championship. At the time I didnt think too much of the performance but in hindsight when I consider the course with 10 x 180 o turnarounds and Brisbane Autumn only Clay Dawson for company at the start and solo for 99% of the race. I ran through 5km in 17;04 and 10km in 34;36 and 20km in 70;44 averaging 3;32K's.

As we headed deeper into winter I managed to get the weekly mileage closer to 130km per week with 30km long Sunday runs some double days and regular 18km morning run and one interval session. 

I had run 2724km by June 1st.

In May I decide I would have crack at the BRRC 30km but remember being slightly concerned it might affect my July 2nd Gold Coast Half performance.

I ran 1;51;36 for 30km averaging 3;41 K's by myself.

In June we had the BRRC 10km Champs where I finished 3rd in 34;33. The time was only 3 secs quicker than my 10km on the way to the BRRC Half Marathon in May. I wasn't quite firing on song for some unknown reason.

2nd July the Gold Coast Marathon Weekend and the Half Marathon for me. I was chuffed to have a little chat with Monna's before the start and interested to hear him complain about two of my current injuries the tops of the feet and the hammies. This was my big race for the year.

My aim was to run with the leading women but Sarah Hall was way too strong for me early on and then a big group of ladies passed me at about half way when I was fading. I went out too hard 16;38 for 5km was quicker than half my parkruns! 33;48 at 10km was Qld M55 Best Performance! 

51;56 at 15km was still on track for an Australian M55 record held by Ronnie Peters however the final 5km my wheels were coming off as I went through 20km in 69;04 and finished with a 73;13 net.

I was disappointed to be 50 secs off Ronnies time but that performance was still good enough for 2nd best Australian M55 ever (just in front of John Gilmour's 73;16) and 11th man in the M55  World All-Time Rankings.

21.1km in ave 3;27 K's. M55 Bruce Graham ran 74mins and M50 Monna's 75mins.

My cap behind Harris

Flying at the start

World All-time M55 Rankings

Later in July I was thrilled to win the award of Male Athlete of the Year for my Masters club Queensland Masters Athletics


In August I ran the Australian Half Marathon Championships for Queensland held in conjunction with the Sunshine Coast Marathon festival. The course wasn't the fastest but my 22nd place and 76;05 timing confirmed I'd gone off the boil. I was beginning to suffer a number of niggles. My hammies were painful and I noticed my stride length was shortening. 
Early onset decrepitude was beginning to take hold!

A shortening stride length was a major feature in 2017; 76;06 my official time at Alex Heads

For the rest of the year I struggled with my hammies, feet and back.
I took two months off in October and November in an attempt to fully recuperate. I piled on 8kg before I recommenced running. Then I hurt my back again (probably trying to crank start a whipper snipper) which has severely limited my ability to stride out. 
I am going to keep jogging until the pain subsides and (if) the form returns. 
With the back being an issue I have decided to stay off the bike.
Mike Trees (due here in February) would have me prancing around a pool or worse, swimming. He has set himself an interesting challenge to run 10mile in sub 55 at 55y.o. I ran through 10miles (16.1km) at the GC in 55;10 
He had a back operation in October 2016 and hardly does any running training but lots of swimming, stretching and drills. I shall endeavour to do more stretching and core work during 2018

Injuries update

As you might have guessed, that limping I mentioned in my last post following the BRRC 15KM Champs did not bode well.
I limped for the rest of the week and decided to take time out as I had a number of other niggles that I thought could do with the rest.
The idea was to come back fitter and stronger after a few weeks off. The M55 BRRC 5km Champs came and went and the foot didn't feel any better. Maybe I should have got it property diagnosed but it just wasn't that  important to me.I had  no massive goals or targets on the horizon. I was happy to wait it out.
I thought maybe I would cycle in the interim but after just one ride I decided it wasn't enjoyable (everything still hurt). So I sat back for 8 weeks and did nothing. Well I might have walked the dog and drank beer to drown my sorrows. Very quickly the weight piled on, 8kg in fact!
Enough was enough and so a couple of weeks ago I started back out on the road. The first two runs were a pathetic 2.6km loop I used to do with my dog Sascha = a very reluctant runner (whom I named the Strava segment after). Boy did my hammies hurt like I'd been kicked by a scalded mule.
Determined to actually build, I increased the distance to my Roo 5.6km course.  My hammies seemed to have shortened 3" during my sabbatical - really painful.
The right foot is still not 100% either.
The weekend before last I did my back in again whilst gardening (probably whilst unsuccessfully trying to crank a Whipper Snipper into life) . I managed to run the following day but had to take the next day off. I have since been able to resume my 5.6km shuffle jog. The pace has been so slow that I have not taken my Garmin out to record the ignominy of it all.
I thought during today's run that the hammies were marginally improved and with the major limiting issue being my back.
I have been trying to stretch the hamstrings before runs (air strides) and after (stretching on my back).
When the back allows me, I will try and improve the distance maybe as far as the old faithful Roo+Lake 10.6km) and pick up the pace.
I have given up beer 😞 and started to be watch my diet 😢. I may even start wearing the Garmin again and start looking at Strava to see what  everyone else is up to 😇
I have no targets other than to get back to the fittest I can be and 60kg by May 2018 (attending my nieces wedding in U.K.).