Training Log Archive: acejase

super commuting. was semi-planning to run home but legs felt tired so decided to ride.

super commuting. whatever the opposite of tearing up the track is thats what I was doing. It was also freezing with autumn kit very much on.

back into it a bit more this evening. painful glutes afterwards - the price for a couple of weeks of slackness.

Long ride with Andy. Cotter -Uriarra in reverse. Enjoyed getting out there again on the bike although it was tougher than I thought it would be. Struggled a bit on the climb out of cotter. Finished at two before ten with ripping bacon and egg roll.

C • medium 4

Need to be a bit clever through this period of training. I'm keen not to let my good fitness go and set some new goals so I don't really want to go into a plodding along training phase. But having said that while I was surprised how well I ran park run yesterday I was also surprised how tired I was from it and also that ride today was a bit difficult. Need to make sure I let my body have a bit of a rest and recover from 6ft ok.

Run down to Parkrun with Frogga and we picked up Stace and Julie-Ann along way. Bit nippy and wore jumper whole way down. Looked like Andy had bailed but he appeared at the start a few minutes after us so the 18.30 challenge was on for those guys.

Didn't think I'd have much in the tank as felt still recovering from 6 foot. Figured I'd set off and try and pace Andy for a while if I could. Sat behind him and then pulled up alongside on the bridge. Grant within sight but got a 50m lead or so. Feeling ok if not strong so about 1.5km mark pulled in front of Andy and tried to drag him along. Pace was sub-19 and I tried a few encouraging words. Andy started to drop off a bit as we approached Didhams Close (later found out his calf started to go) but I was feeling ok so figured I'd keep going at that pace. Finished well with last k, which includes the downhill off the bridge, my fastest k. Time of 18.49 first time on that course under 19 for about 2 years. Pleased. Think not going out too hard in first k (19.54 and my slowest k) was helpful as well as of course running with Andy. Could see grant finish and he got 18.24 and the chocolates in the Andy-Froggy bet. Andy dropped a bit in the last k with his calf going.

Jog home via newsagent with GM, Frogga (who had a spring in his step), Andy, stace and julie ann. Said g'day to GM Jnr at Two before ten before heading home.

Rob has lent me his old mountain bike which is a lot flasher than my mtb (even if its old for rob...). Took it out for a spin which was fun although will take a bit of getting used too with gear changers on the brakes and also just I haven't been mountain biking for such a long time (and was hardly Cadel Evans when I did....).

commute. first morning/day of nippiness for a while. wished I'd worn my spring tights instead of normal nicks.

Blobby morning run up Mt Painter and back home via newsagent. Bloody dark! Dawn when I was at top of Mt Painter with sun still not above horizon.

Mona fartlek. Felt pretty good but didn't have a gear above about 3rd. Quads still a smidgen tired but all other parts didn't feel too bad. Nice to get out.

Roe home via Dairy Farmers Hill. Hardly an epic training session but felt good on bike.

RITW

Last client was a no-show so quickly decided to run home. That was where the quickness ended as I ran home in a slug-like fashion. Did have a heavy back pack but probably done that run 10mins quicker! Ah well doesn't matter. :)

O Race at Arachnocopia aka Stromlo West. Ran about as well as could've been predicted by my preparation - no O for months, sinusitis and recovering from marathon. Actually legs felt pretty ok. Made a myriad of mistakes including getting stuck 2 or 3 times in sections of wild rose bushes (I think thats what they are called) where I wished I was a rabbit as I would've sprinted out of there, nice and low. Lost over 10mins in navigation and probably another few mins in rose bushes. Enjoyed running though.

Blobby run. Legs feeling goodish but had bad sinusitis last few days so head was not.

Shoulda done more stretching and exercises but was so amazed at how well Bulldogs were playing (admittedly in a preseason match...) that I couldn't look away from the tele.

RITW good to be on bike. Went in late after watching A&Z at school assembly. Very proud.

Ride home via Fyshwick to check out some kit at the mont shop. Sussing out some new running sunglasses. Sometimes I only run to buy gear.... although I still don't have anywhere near as many pairs of shoes as RobW or Frogga.

C • Buying gear 5

Earlyish morning jog/crawl into Cook and then down to news agency. Newsagent Graham was perfectly getting out of his car with the Ages so I didn't even have to go inside as he handed me one. Achilles/calves a little better today but still not up to anything much - dunno how GM did xc on Tuesday!

After school drop off I decided to head to Two Before Ten at Aranda Shops (not unusual) and had coffee (not unusual) and a bacon and egg roll (unusual!). It was magnificent - A-Baker bread, relish (not home made I don't think but could've been) and just great. Probably slightly too pricey to be a sleeper but difficult to resist when its about 150m from my house!

Started a new exercise regime including my vaguely newly purchased swiss ball. Couldn't roll my quads on the roller though - just looking at the roller made me wince.

Slow and a bit sore half lap of aranda. Achilles and Calves source of pain. not sure how bad rest of me is as calves and achilles wouldn't let me go fast enough to bother quads etc! Finished at two before 10 though so all good!

RITW and then the 5mins to the Allisons for dinner. Legs felt okish on bike but calves/achilles still super sore.

Calves worse than yesterday! Didn't super commute although partly as sorta needed car at work today.

Nice day with the kids round the house we had hired in Mt Victoria and at 3 sisters. Coffee in Katoomba was good. No chance of me running but I was moving round better than expected.

Event: Sixfoot track marathon
 

Six Foot Track 45k Marathon. Dropped by Emma on Great Western Hwy and walked to start with Rob, Spottage and Paul Imhoff through the eerie darkness to the lights and quiet humm of the start at the Explorers Tree. Got myself sorted amongst the hundreds and buses and on the start line probably 5mins before start. This was a good strategy as meant I was about 3 rows back at the start which was good.

Set off along the wider section of the track without trying to sprint and slotted into the single track well. Much easier going down Nellies Glen this year, presumably because I was in Wave 1, with plenty of space. Nellies Glen not as wet as last time I did it either. Chatting for a while with Julie Quinn just behind me and then onto the fire trail where I ran with Paul Imhoff and Shaun Creighton for a while before they left me going too fast for me. Was feeling just like a long run really - I wasn't feeling full of beans with excitement but pace was good and figured I'd warm up.

Crossed a couple of the creeks at the end of the fire trail and there was Shaun walking. thought he must've torn a calf or something but when I saw his face it was covered in blood from a gash on his forehead - he'd come-a-cropper in the creek. Walk-jogged with him for a while talking to him while he got his bearings and realised he was ok. Then he ran off on me. ;) I did see him again at next drinks station where he was standing in front of two firies who were saying "No I thought you brought the first aid kit" "No I thought you did...." hahaha. Shaun passed me again shortly after and never saw him again.

Started the single track section to Cox's and all of sudden was on my own. Noticed my watch split 7k and thought it felt like I'd run 3k so I figured that was a good sign. Got passed somewhere in here by a conga line of Wave 2 starters going like a bat out of hell, most of whom I passed later on the hills. Had to have a pit stop towards the end of the single track and rejoined just behind Julie Q again. By now I'd also realised I was going to get to Coxs at 80mins, about 5mins quicker than last time yet good thing was I didn't feel like I was racing.

Cox's wasn't flowing very fast as I waded across but ended up with a lot of gravel in left shoe. Had my 4th or 5th gel at Coxs (including one 10mins before the start). Started running up Mini Mini saddle and pulled ahead of Julie and many others. I was just jogging really (slower than I would go up Majura or Ainslie in a Cockies long run) but was v steady. Julie stayed maybe 50m behind me. Going down mini mini I got caught by some guys and Julie and upped the pace to stay with them. This wasn't so good as gravel in shoes went to toes and hurt and also my calf started hurting a bit. Just had water and rinsed some sports drink at drink station before Pluvi.

Up Pluvi and again the steady jog leaving people except for Julie who passed me with another guy after about 500m going up. To be honest this felt easier than Mini Mini saddle. Maybe after 2.5 hours and 25k I had warmed up. ;) Got to 26k about 3mins ahead of last time.

Along the Black Range and decided to try and keep Julie in sight. She said she had done 4hrs15 last time so I knew if I was close to her my sub 4hr30 goal was probably gonna be achieved. Get a steady rhythm and to my surprise Julie stayed in sight. If anything I gained a little which was encouraging. Ran for a while with 2 blokes from Hornsby, 1 of whom was doing his 12th 6 foot. They were asking about Jackie Fairweather as a few of us where wearing these Jackie tribute singlets. Black Range is long, about 8k, of gentle uphill and its hard work. Was very glad to see the end and had a bit more gel but by now was rationing the gels. Wanted to rinse some sport drink but they only had coke and I wasn't up for that.

Into the rolling, short hills of the deviation and I was starting to suffer, more on the downhills. Tried hanging on to Julie but she was leaving me too quickly and soon out of sight. Was pleased to get through section where I hit the wall last time and started to think I might get through this race without vomiting. Very pleased to see Caves Road crossing at 38k, a real marker as seems like all downhill from there. I was still going ok even if slowing down. I was sort of sucking on bits of gel by now with some water and sport drink mouth wash.

I didn't remember the steps/stairs between Caves Rd and the campground but geeze I remember them now! Only little steps mind but they were painful. Kept looking at my watch and it said I was doing 7min ks which I thought was rubbish, especially as I sped up in response and the speed got slower. I then flicked the watch over to this virtual racer screen which says how far behind or in front of 4hr30 pace I was and I had just fallen behind. I pretty much thought something wrong with the GPS but it wasn't encouraging! Passed Craney somewhere through here who was walking or at least doing some version of stiff legged walking. I gave him some encouragement and thought this will be the only time I ever beat Craney in a race!

Came into the cabins/campground area and was slowing on the downhills mostly as it was so painful in the butt muscles but was also looking forward to the 3-4k downhill to go. Kept pushing looking for markers I could remember like the last knoll. About now I decided to look on my watch at actual time and it was just ticking over 4hrs. You might think that would be depressing but it wasn't - I knew there was no way even at my slow pace that the remainder would take half an hour! The GPS must've missed some bits in the trees/cliffs at various spots and I figured I was a fair chance to beat my 4hr30 goal.

I was pretty slow through this section getting passed by a few dudes and generally going downhill like a grandma. Butt muscles had given up the ghost and everything hurt. Was begging to hear the announcer from the finish line and eventually heard some cheering. Some bloke told me 500m to go and then I reckon 500m later another bloke told me 500m to go. Was incredibly pleased to hit the concrete path section that winds down to the finish and started running more like a hip replacement patient than a grandma. Turned the final corner and even had a bit of a mini-fist pump before "sprinting" to the line in 4.22.37. Well ahead of 4hr30 goal and way better than PB of 4hr36. Found Belinda and Zoe and was quickly back slapped by Julie and Dave Baldwin which was nice. Just really pleased if exhausted and sore.

Sat down for a fair while afterwards feeling nauseous and watched other finishers before dragging myself off to get gear, shower etc. Managed to see most I knew with Spottage finishing better than last time but a little disappointed, Rob not quite his usual self, GM looking buggered and SwissMiss doing it in her stride. Blair seemed pleased to have finished but it had been a struggle.

Nutritionally I had 8.5 gels (including the 1 before the start) and lots of water and sports drink mouth wash which is all way more than my past marathons (maybe 3-4 gels max before). I also probably learnt a bit about when feeling on the edge of nausea to back off a little and digest a gel or sport drink or something rather than pushing on and hitting the wall. The carbo loading presumably helped too.

Overall very pleased and feel like hard work paid off - not something that always happens! I normally finish my reports with a summary of cafe eating but I felt on and off nausea for the rest of the day so no cafe this time. The fanta about an hour and a half afterwards was great but that was about it!

PS - Apologies for the epically long report but I did realise in preparing for this race that looking back over my race reports is useful!

C • Congrats 19

Looks like carbo loading is loading!

C • Bon chance pour le weekend! 4

Short trot with spottage from accommodation down to nearest point/lookout. Cool and misty rain. Plenty of banter.

A few laps at Manuka Pool during a day of trapsing round Canberra doing various chores. Beautiful old pool I've amazingly not been to before and beautiful day to be cutting a few laps in the sun.

C • Nice 5

Bit ocer stretching and exercises. Don't reckon I'll be too many of these sessions next week!

super commuting. cruised home.

10 * 30s on 30s float around Deakin ovals. Got up a fair head of speed by my standards. Felt good to push it while worrying about overdoing it!

Down at Wandillagong (near Bright) for weekend. Not easy to rest/taper/take it easy with so many runners and particularly riders around. This was my designated run while BA ran up Mt Buffalo I ran some tracks between Lake Catani and the chalet. Surged from something called the underground river to Chalet car park. Great views and some great runs up on the plateu I'd like to do when I'm not tapering.

C • Was this 2

really long and good stretch and exercise.

Morning blob run with Frogga. Discussed strategies for his 18.30 challenge with Hoggster. Tricky.

ride from Mitchell where I'd dropped car for a service to work. Accidentally dropped in at Lonsdale St Roasters for a coffee on the way and had my first dud coffee from them - too hot and burny. Big HR spike when started riding - something about bike top material and not enough moisture on the HR sensors.

3 * 1km intervals at lunch round edge of lake with 2mins rest. Fairly quick by my standards although legs felt a bit funny after a couple days not running. It was fairly warm too.

Straight from running and onto bike to ride to get car from Mitchell. Still warm.

super commuting. wanted to run today but work was too busy to get out.

super commuting.

Longish run with Spottage from Womens and Girls Fun Run where both our wives were running. Ran with water pack in an effort to drink lots of water - more 6 ft practice. We went round edge of Lake from Stage88, over Black Mtn and together to the Cork Forest where we both headed for home - him to Weston Creek and me over Aranda Hill. Didn't feel great with nerve pain in leg. Helped me decide definitely time to ease/taper off so when it was only 86mins to Aranda Shops I was happy to stop. Ian Warren and Kate van den Berg where at 2B10 so had great coffee and ripping chicken and avocado toastie for brekky. Whats more the place was packed so great community vibe.