Nothing like a run to clear a headache

After having a headache all day I left work to run home and felt much better. 13km in 56 minutes. Good breaking fast at sundown. Today it is more bearable, and might sneak some hill reps in around home.

weekly summary

Fri pm - 8km around home.
Sat am - 8 by 1 mile with DB and Tanc around Centennial, averaging 5:10 per mile with 2 minutes rest in between. Very happy with the session.
Sun am - 1:45 felt lethargic for 25km on the Buffalo Creek loop. Walked the last hill.

Fasting starts today and at 9:37 after eating 4 bowls of cereal this morning at 3:45am, just feel a little tired and needing coffee. The plan is to run home from work when it is not too hot. When it is hot run later at night. Plans are just plans though.

Keeping it up

Well the fasting month starts on Sunday, so keeping things going whilst I can and then a forced recovery of sorts.

Thurs pm - ran home from work, 13km through the bush in 58 minutes
Fri am - 35 minutes = 8km with Physiocise class. Have decided to continue with Term 4 semester as I will be racing less and need forced strengthening and stretching.

At this stage it is looking like Lake Biwa early March will be the next Marathon, or maybe Tokyo, with 2-3 weeks of altitude training at Falls in the lead up.

Recovery...oh its so easy

Even though the legs feel buggered.

Tues night a very slow 13km through the bush home, in 60 minutes.
Wed am - 11km with Dennis, Chris Hall, Clayden and DB around the Bay.

A nice photo taken from a work collegue.

A huge mixture of emotions...

Obviously thats what you get with Marathons.

Was a tough day out there from early on. I had the eventual 2nd place guy surge past at about 4km, then come back to me in the domain. I was either blind or delirous but only saw the km markers in Centennial park, missed 20km, Halfway, 25km, 35km. Between 15km and 16km I ran a 3:02, the next K a 3:3x, either I was doing fartlek or something else. Really started to hurt coming back up Anzac Parade climb as both Kenyans had past me like I was standing still. Wouldn't it be nice to live and train fulltime at altitude like these blokes.

It felt weird going zig-zagging through the city, up then down hill, then opening up to the expanses of the City West link made it very hard.

Great support all the way around Centennial park with Seans squad cheering at about 5 vantage points, the Cahill Expressway should be renamed the Coolrunner Expressway as it gave a big lift to the finish.

Splits
5 km 16:38
15km 32:30 (49:08)
30km 49:55 (1:39:04)
Finish 2:22:52

Can remember the finishing area well, as the commentator said I outkicked the 4th place runner in the last k. Actually I didn't see him over my shoulder down Hickson road, so he must have been close!?! He blew my ears out crossing the line with massive speakers in my ears.

Finishing a marathon, you have a mixture of emotions, heres just a sample.

Could I have paced it any better?
- Would have been good to be closer to 2nd place. Did I go out to hard? Should I have stuck with the Kenyans early and then increase the tempo with them?

Can I run any faster?
- I found out some weaknesses in my body that have been plagueing me since Berlin, with weak left hand side + sciatica. Something to work on. I would definitely need some extended altitude training to have a crack at a marathon. Also felt like I had a lack of speed b4 the marathon!

Which one next?
- In the next 4 weeks, will focus on removing injuries strengthening weaknesses and do some fun shorter stuff, 200m and 400m reps.
- (Feb-Mar) Beppu, Biwa or Tokyo or (Apr) Rotterdam or London. Still deciding.

mini mona fartlek

Thurs lunch - easy 30 minutes from the training course I am on George St, around Opera House, farm cove up and back domain. 7km
Thurs pm - Up to North Head, 20 min WU, Mini Mona Fartlek, 2 by90, 2by 60, 2 by 30, 2 by 15. Covered 4km in 12:30 and felt good, even though last 2km into the wind. 20min WD. Covered 14km for the session. Off for a massage with Kirsten.
Fri am - 33 min around home on the flat where possible, 8km. Missed physiocise class. Decided to sleep in a bit and have a good brekky at home instead, starting to carbo load.

wed trundles

Wed am - 46 minutes around the Bay down the canal, over the bridge 3 times. about 11.5km.
Wed pm - 67 minutes casually around north ryde and marsfield because thats the most grass I could find and I wanted to beat the traffic home from the city. 16.5km

tough session

Mon pm - 52 min around home
Tues am - 33 min, 8km around home with 20m core strength, 20m stretch
Tues pm - 5 by 1km at Wentworth Common. 2:53, 2:54, 2:56, 2:58, 2:55. 90 sec. Nice and soft on the tan track around the common after the rain. Good for the legs.

Dodgin the rain

Sat am - 4 km WUP, 12km Tempo, 4km WD, around the bay. Running about 3:20, 3:30
Sat pm - 33 m, 8km around home
Sun am - Buffalo Ck star, taking a few short cuts. 25km in 1:40

177km for the week, 1 week out, feeling good at the end of the week. Normally sore, but the lack of distance on Sunday makes a difference.

Mon am - rest.

Maintenance Window

Feels good to be tapering, lots of stretching, shorter run, less guilt when you don't get out for a run.

Thurs pm - Mona Fartlek in the howling gale at North Head. Only managed 6km, but went through 1st k in 3:30.
Fri am - 40 minutes = 10km up and back to Physiocise class. Going tommorrow as well for a makeup class, which should be good. Lots of stretching and glute strength today.
Fri pm - 45 minutes = 10km through the bush around work just b4 dark.

stiff neck

Well looking forward to the massage tonight after developing a stiff neck during last nights run. 1:26 for 22km around Centennial Park. Will be taking the morning off running, which is good for the taper to concentrate on a good Mona Fartlek tonight at North Head, if I don't get blown away.

Mid-week wrap

Feel a depleted with Iron so trying to fill up as the marathon gets closer.

Mon lunch - 58 minutes around Chatswood in Frees, ~15km
Mon pm - 45 minutes around home, 11km
Tues lunch - 32 minutes around work, 8km
Tues pm - 20 by 1m on/1m off around the Bay. 21k all up.
Wed am - faster run than usual around the Bay with the boys in 44.10 for 11km.

sat avo and sun long run

sat pm - 53 min run through the bush near home.
sun am - 1:58 for 30km Buffalo Creek loop, started at about 10am, so was warm and good to get under the belt. A little flat towards the end because of the big head wind, but a good hit out. 183km for the week and two weeks of speed work to pump into the taper, reduce the long runs to get the legs ready for Sydney Marathon.

north head

well warmer than expected, ran through first k in 2:57 and 2 in 6:05, 3, 9:17, 5, 15:37. then knew that it was more a threshold session. couldn't get the legs ticking over for some reason.

Freshening up

Thurs pm - 2 laps of the Bay in 46:48.
Fri am - 40 minutes running from Work to Willougby, and Physiocise class, then followed by Physio to clear some sciatica on my left side.

Looking forward to Sats 10km. Will make the watch beep every 3minutes.