Queensland State Champion !

Queensland State 10,000m Championship 1st 33;43

I get to the car park at SAF and saw an exact replica of my car (same make model class and colour) but with the rego 
JUICEE, 
it was a prophetic sign, sent by the Robot to inspire me (he has often written about LUSTY Lucy but a JUICEE  Lucy will do).
The conditions were ridiculous. 
I sat for half an hour in my car in the car park with the air con blowing and the outside temp showing at 34 O C and it was windy as too!
I cut down my warm up to 2km and even then got back sat down and the sweat poured off me.
I felt awful and didnt feel like racing at all.
All up about 20 runners started and I for once didn't go for time, 
this was only ever going to be about the race. 
I tucked into a group of about 6 of us, Dennis Fitzgerald did all the leading, Mick O'Shea, Clay Dawson, Patrick Hagan and Michael Colston (along with me [Sweeney] this race could have been in Ireland!).
The heat and wind were oppressive and I did well to tuck into the inside lane except during the multiple lapping scenarios. 
Early on I didn't feel great and there was a point where the group very nearly dropped me.

The guy in the orange vest Siune was a PNG runner who ran about 65 on the first lap (!!!) he hung with our group for a while but I ended up double lapping him!
His name is a pigeon version of mine!!
Soon after the 'near dropping', the pace slowed and I started chopping my stride to stay at the back of the group. It felt very easy and we carried on like that for 15 laps!
I went through 5000m in 16;33. 

Are you looking at me??

Patrick Hagan was the class of the field, not sure what time he's run for 10KM but he's about a 30 minute guy easy. With 10 laps to go it looked like Patrick was going to make a break as he pulled wide but he actually dropped out! But as I was covering his move and pulled wide and decided to keep the momentum and make a break with 10 laps to go!
What was I thinking??

I gapped the field immediately, we'd dropped from running steady 80's 81's to mid 80's and I reckon I must have gone sub 80 for 2 laps. I was convinced that I would be caught but managed to work hard and hang in there. At the bell I realized I had it won because the bell wasn't rung again till I had passed 300m to go! 
Wow  I was going to win the State title at 53! 
It was definitely worthy of a finish line salute!

Ronnie won the State a few years ago so I wont claim to be the oldest ever State track Champion but nevertheless it was a tremendous thrill for me and I was chuffed to bits! 
Of course in many ways my victory is a damning indictment on the state of 10,000m running in our State but in truth you have got to be seriously motivated to race 10000 on the track in our conditions. My time was shitehoussen but I'd be a minute quicker on a calm cool day.

Bronzed Lasse Golden Bazza

The great Finn, Lasse Viren seen here holding a limited edition bronzed statue of himself. 
He also has a life size statue erected .
We should celebrate our champions and immortalize the greats.
Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp have their statues at Arsenals Emirates Stadium. The King (Wally Lewis) is immortalized at Suncorp. 

Which running Gods in Australia deserve to be immortalized?

North Lakes parkrun 1st 15;56

Colourful start

Clare had help pacing her under 17mins!

The loneliness of the long distance runner?

It was not very comfortable heat and humidity

OK so you can see my dilemma on laps 2 and 3 when you come up to lap groups, inside blocked and dogs on leads, I'd have gone wide right onto grass. 

I was about 200m from the finish when I lapped a guy and I hear him say to himself "I'm not having that!" and he took off to try and unlap himself but I say to myself "Oh no you dont! I'm in sprint mode and your not going to pass me!"

I've got a bet on with a mate to see who can go the longest not having a hair cut! Its starting to show!

Effortless tempo training run finish! Garmin Pose!

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

Oh so humid!

I got out this morning - Australia Day, for a recovery roo+lake and stopped three times for water, it continues to be oh so humid! ran topless, which is par for the course this summer-  I'm an old git who just doesn't care and it feels so much better than having a vest weighing 2kg by the end of your run! mind you, the shorts have to pick up the sweat but even there I have reverted to running again in short shorts, none of those 5 or 7 inch type which just soak up even more sweat!

Next up is going to be the State 5000m Champs in Feb and 10,000m in March [open]. Will be keeping the long interval sessions going till then.
Long run Interval session race and recovery sums it up.

Queensland Open 3000m Championship 20th 9:16.98

Warm (28C) and humid but wind dying down.
Second heat with about 25 runners , my seed time was about 20th in the heat.
Boom the youngsters leave me standing at the start but I still run 70 first lap. Up ahead I see Dennis Fitzgerald back from a fortnight at altitude where he ran 280km and eased back this week to just 80km , and he is flying.
I'm starting to move through the kids , annoying not to have a clock on the finish line and I can never read the watch when racing (eyesight) but feel like I'm working hard, had difficulty getting around two kids running side by side and in no time I'm reaching the bell lap, try to read the watch and work out I'm on for sub 9:20 goal.
Happy to bring it home , great racing with people , happy with time , still believe I'd run 10secs quicker in cool conditions (10/20C). The results combine the 3 heats and filter runners by age group so 20th Open place for me.
Ronnie's son Johnny looked very impressive taking out the first heat, he ran away from the field with 4 laps to go!
Nick Toohey also did very well for 2nd in 8:31 after injury put his program back about 6 weeks. Look out for him over his distance 1500.

I remember getting blocked by these two for a while as I rounded a bend went past them in the back straight

This is the finish line, had a battle with the guy on the inside (I lost!), but not far off some other youngsters

I beat those quads!

Hollow faced skull , looking old but not feeling it on the track!

Pleased to run sub 9:20 on a hot night but worked hard for it!

I was 14th in my heat and 20th Open Cat

Got out today for a 23km trail run , it was 30C and humidity sky high. I took a big drink before start but didn't carry any! By 45mins all I could think about was water! Well water and praying there were no snakes on the trail!
Some very muddy sections because of high rainfall recently!
I got so delirious that I stopped and asked some 4wheel drive guys for a drink! They had a fridge on the back of their truck and gave me an ice cold bottle of water! Godsend!
Got me through the last 5km though I was so weak I couldn't hold myself up and stumbled splashdown into a waist deep pool of water! Really didn't want to get up but had a km to go! Reckon I lost 5kg body weight out there!
Crazy won't do it again got to get a new camelback!

QMA 3000m 9:31.9. 1st

3km warm up = 3 x around ANZ Stadium.
It was hot humid and windy the trifector!
Planned my now traditional easy first km and the work hard.
Today I really felt like I managed to implement it.
200 in 34, 600 in 1:48 1000 in 3;08 and felt like I actually lifted in the 2nd km and again in the 3rd.
My Garmin had me running 2nd km 3 or 4 seconds faster than the first and the 3rd another second quicker still.
My heart rate got up to the high 170" s for the last lap (180 is about my max).
I've probably put on 1 or 2 kg over Christmas and been lacking the speed work a little so still have work to do.
3000m feels more and more like a speed race rather than the  endurance of a 5000 but I guess that's part of aging.
Looking forward to racing open comp soon.

Phil ran in these glaringly bright calf guards!

I am alone in running with bare calves these days!
With Phil Paul and Con.

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