BRRC 5Mile Championship 1st 27;53

The weekend saw temperatures in South East Queensland setting record highs (47 C out West!!).
For us runners it made for uncomfortable, tough conditions. 
I have to get up at 4;00am (instead of my standard 4;30am) to make the 6;00am start at trendy West End in the city. 
The club uses the facilities of the South Brisbane Sailing Club for registration/toilets etc. 
I ran a 2.5km warm up and we lined up for the race just after 6;00am. 
The temperature was 26 C with 84% humidity but as the course follows the Brisbane River I am sure the humidity levels there are higher. 
The course is built around a 5km out and back loop with a couple on inclines and falls to negotiate plus two 180 O turns per lap.
Clay Dawson and I had a little interchange during the first KM (3;14) before Clay stretched away over the 2nd and 3rd K's. 
Clay gapped me about 5 seconds as we completed the first shorter 3KM lap. 
On a slight decline Clay appeared to stub his foot on the tarmac as he then yelped in pain and stopped - his calf had popped. He told me to keep going which I felt uncomfortable doing. Clay did manage to get back on course and jog the remainder of the run. It left me out alone in front and I ran as hard as conditions allowed but it was really horrid and very uncomfortable. My K's dropped into the 3;30's and I finished in 27;53. It was interesting racing a 5 Miler/8KM, we very seldom race them these days but I am keen to try out these different distances and will be having a go at 15KM, 20KM, 25KM and may even do a 30KM in the winter.
Results are here
Mike Trees is staying with us for a couple of days next weekend (on a stopover from Tokyo to NZ). 
He is still recovering from a back operation and is hardly able to run which means I hope to be able to smash him at his 99th parkrun (North Lakes or Sandgate) on Saturday morning (I need to get some victories over him as our Head to Head is heavily in his favour).
I shall not be taking it seriously as Saturday evening is the State 5000m Championship.

you can see the 4x180 O turns

The first lap is a 3km loop with turn back at Davies Park the second lap is the  standard 5km lap

BRRC 15km 53;59 1st

Training has been going well over the last month, consistently covering 110 to 135km a week by going long on Sunday’s

and running 16km (Roo+Lake+Roo) instead of my standard 10.5km (Roo+Lake) and running some doubles.

I haven’t got back onto the track yet but have been doing some easy sessions on the grass.

It’s been incredibly hot and humid and at times running conditions have just been horrendous.

I have been sweating torrents, so much so that I regularly discard running in a top but this has the consequence of shorts getting saturated

– so I only wear the short shorts to stop the flapping of anything over a 1.5” inner seam.

I have also noticed how the sweat trickles down the legs to the socks and shoes, so it’s also back to short socks.

The body is holding up ok.

I have some soreness on the bridge of my left foot (metatarsal) but I have had it since before the Worlds

(I even took two days off when I first noticed it 6 months ago)

but so long as it doesn’t get too painful I will carry on.

The knees are also hurting – the left knee more than the right.

I think its tendinitis and cope with pain by applying  anti inflam cream in the morning and ibuprofen on a race day.

My back has not been the same since I injured it in October 2015.

I am getting regular massage to try and ease it and I use the hand held roller to trigger point release.

I have been eyeing off some of the other distances on the all-time Veterans Road Running Rankings.

http://arrs.net/VetRec.htm

It’s a great motivation. 

I would like to record official marks for M55 @ 5/8/10/15/20/25km (my Perth Half is listed).

I have joined the Brisbane Road Runners Club as they host races covering most distances on a 5km largely closed road course by the Brisbane River.

The lap has two 180 O turns and two short sharp inclines. Timing is done by chip and mat sensor.

For my debut I decided to try 15km. Three laps. Start time is 6;00am which requires me getting up at 4;00am.

My sleep had been further interrupted during the night with a couple of really heavy downpours but Brisbane city didn’t get any of that so conditions were incredibly humid at 6.00am (26 O C and 87% Humidity!)

A very casual start and about 150 runners head off (runners choose beforehand today's choice was 5/10 or 15km).

Some of Brisbane’s better quality road runners were tempo training including Clay Dawson and Aiden Hobbs , pushing his son in the stroller.

I was by myself from the 1^st KM in 3;23. At the time I wasn't aware that Clay had actually missed the start by 30 seconds and was charging after me, he was probably 10 seconds ahead of me for the first 2km .
The 180 O turns mean you get a good chance to see everyone.

I gave my run a real effort but with a big lead and horrendously arduous conditions

It’s hard to say I was flat out. My watch was showing consistent 3;35’s or slower if the inclines were included. I ran through the first lap in 17;35 which I was happy with.

My second lap was 18;07 as I tried to maintain a consistent pace. So 35;42 through 10km.

I lost sight of Clay at the turnarounds (we were lapping people) and I told myself he was catching me to help motivate my effort.

The third lap was covered in another 18;07 for a 53;59 result.

There is a nice big clock on the line which provoked a flat out sprint to get the sub 54 ;-)

I think I would shave at least 1 or 2 minutes off this time in the winter.

Here are the current rankings for the M55’s.

15 guys have run faster than me but I will slot in, in front of Bill Rodgers ! (for the time being).

Here are the first few 15km Men’s result;

Check the sweat flicking off my arms (just passed 2.5km turnaround cone)

Wearing the Newton Distance 1V