Training Log Archive: Craig

Wanted a longer sub threshold run today so decided to do the old MAF test route down to Tawarri and back. Thought I might as well strap the HR monitor on as well to distract me from thinking about pace.

Saw Helen's group heading out of KP as I headed in and there were more women running past on the path in the park. Saw a faster looking guy out of the corner of my eye off to my left as I turned right. I expected him to catch me quickly and was contemplating lifting to go with him. He caught up pretty quickly and as I started to lift the pace I realised it was fletch. This didn't totally shock me as something about the little glimpse I got when turning had made me think of him.

He was planning to run down through UWA and around the river as part of his long run so he was happy to join me and we ran together all the way down to Tawarri and back. I watched the HR a bit but I didn't really try to lock into 140 as I figured talking a lot was going to be pushing it up and I originally planned to start out a bit easier and finish a bit harder anyway.
Time went a lot faster with company and made it a very enjoyable run.
Thanks Steve.

Lesson with Shaun.

Up the broadwalk, 7 hill reps in the botanic gardens then back to the tennis club to pick Liam up after his lesson. Crossed paths with Ivan half way through the 6th hill.

Up the broadwalk and around the top of KP. Feeling a bit stiff and tired.

Lesson with Shaun, mostly working on volleys.
Need to try to move forward more and keep wrist firm.

Pennants vs Bayswater on their synthetic clay courts.
Won with Brad 4-1 4-2.
Won with Rhett 4-2 2-4 4-3 coming back from 0-3 down in the third set.
Won singles 4-2 4-1.
Quite good fun sliding around on the clay.

Long run in KP with Rachel leaving the kids at home watching youtube. Rachel set the pace for the first hour before suddenly deciding she had had enough and was walking home. I turned up the hill and had to pick up the pace for a while as there was a bike just ahead going about the same speed. Felt quite good up the hill but didn't quite catch the bike.

Event: Churchlands (Metro Series)
 

Gentle hit with Rachel while Amy had a lesson and Liam matchplay.

Warm up for metro with a few laps of the oval. Pretty certain of my first control after seeing 26 on the drive in and running past 28 several times. Decided to go 28 first as 26 couldn't be much extra to do as an out and back at the end.

Churchlands Metro Series.

Could see Sten lining up on the East side at the start so I knew we would be starting out the same way and I stayed close behind down to 20. I wasn't sure where you could get through 18 so when Sten attempted a direct option I decided to follow rather than risk losing ground if he got through. When he turned back I followed at first then decided the wall looked crossable and there was no rule against crossing it so I jumped over gaining about 80m on Sten.

I wasn't sure what to do through the SE corner so ran a little slower through 21, 17, 11 as I tried to make a plan. Sten caught me just before 5 where he turned back towards 4 and I went on to 14. As soon as we split I started thinking I had made a mistake and then I couldn't remember what my plan had been. I ended up going 14, 1, 15, 16, 2, 24, 4, 13, 12 but the whole time I was very unsure of myself and getting quite negative feeling as though I had blown it again.

Once I got out onto Pearson St for the run to 25 and 10 the rest of the course seemed to fall into place and I started to feel a bit more positive again and thought maybe my route wasn't so bad after all. I tried to take advantage of the simplicity of the rest of my route and run it hard thinking maybe my route would be a bit longer but faster running. I felt really tired across the grass from 7 to 3 and expected to suffer up the climb to the finish but once I got onto it I actually felt quite strong.

I hadn't seen Sten at all since we split at 5 so I was assuming he was out in front and expected to see him as I ran past the finish to get 26. When I didn't see him I still thought it was most likely that just meant he was a long way ahead but then he came in about 45 seconds after me. My route was shorter by about the distance I gained jumping the wall so from the split at 5 we must have run almost the same distance but I was a little faster. Nice to get my first win at the last event of the series.

C • High wall 4

Lesson with Shaun.

Found some mail on the ground in the laneway so went via Cullen St to deliver it on the way into KP for some easy hill reps in the botanic gardens.
Feeling better at the end than I did at the start.

C • Mail 1

Found myself bounding out in front out of the start today and Kate came with me so it was pretty much a tempo effort down through UWA. Kate was starting to drop off a little by the time we turned back into KP and I went proper hard from there to the war memorial. Passed all of the short course runners along the way and came in about two minutes ahead of Kate.
Tried to take it easy heading back but I wasn't enjoying it so from Hale oval I went hard up the hill to close the 100m gap to Kate and Daniel, had a little recovery and then ran away from them on the downhill.
Shattered now. Don't think I got above 10km/h at all on the ride to work.

Lesson with Shaun. Mostly need to work on getting into position with the racquet back earlier so I can get my weight going forward.

Pennants vs Mt Lawley at home.
Played terribly in the first doubles with Daniel losing 2-4 1-4.
Played much better with Rhett winning 4-3 4-1.
Tight match but I let my chances slip in the singles losing 3-4 4-2 1-4. Had 3 set points in the first set tie-breaker.
Overall won 4-2 which should keep us on top and guarantee a home semi-final.

Over to Reabold and back with as many hills as I could fit in while I was there. Felt quite good once I'd done a couple of hills.

Doubles with Daniel, first against Laurens on his own then against Laurens and Zak.

Around KP, mostly at a tempo effort.

Trying out a few hills in Kings Park. Kokoda was busy at 6:15am and I don't really like the steps. Water garden pavilion up to road was nicer (and easier).

Decided not to run with the group as I walked/jogged across Rosalie Park but I came out just in front of them at the end of the sand track near UWA so joined in for the rest. Feeling pretty good by the end.

vs Kings Park at Kings Park
won with Daniel 4-0 4-0, with Brad 4-3 4-2 and singles 4-0 4-1
Lights went off halfway through Brad and Daniel's last doubles match which probably cost us one point but I think we'll still go to the top of the ladder.

Old 90min loop from Bailey Rd with Rachel. Felt good on the hills and looped back a few times.

Event: Sorrento (Perth Metro Series)
 

Sorrento Metro Series long course.
Screwed up at the start when I chose a silly first control to avoid running with Sten who was heading towards my first choice. I thought it was a reasonable option at first but quickly worked out I was going to have to run back past that control at the finish. Got a bit flustered by that and made more mistakes when trying to work out a way to salvage it.
Decided to just run hard anyway and make the best of a bad route. Felt as though I hit the wall about half way through when I had to turn back up the hills and into the wind but Cameron followed me for a while here and kept me pushing. Ended up 4 minutes behind tRicky and 2 behind Sten running about half a km further than them. Probably should have just run with Sten as I ended up running slightly faster than him.

Afternoon run finishing at tennis club to pick Liam up after lesson. Included once up Kokoda. Too crowded for my liking.

Ran with the group just because Daniel encouraged me after tennis on Monday. Pushed the second half of the hills hard to restore the group's honour after another runner overtook earlier.

Top of the table clash with Mt Lawley at Mt Lawley.
Won my singles just in time to clinch the tie for us before the thunderstorms got too close.

From Bailey Rd out to Little Possums and back through Strettle Reserve with Rachel.