Getting Better

To big runs this week.

1st Speedwork at PCRG, felt good and not the usual slow down on the third repeat. Was able to hold my place with only 2 or 3 runners ahead and quite a few that I am usually behind were behind me. No hamstring issues for the first time.

Wednesday Ali wanted 20k at 4:30 to 4:40 pace ... but she actually had 10 x 2k reps in her program and just couldn't face it. First 2 k's were 4:30 and then I bought it down into the 4:20's. We saw some buddies ahead and Craig and Gooner joined in where we hit sub 4:10's although Gooner dropped out after about 2 k's and Craig turned back a little later. We turned and had a gel break at a little under 9k's and finished 17.5k's avg 4:19. I picked it up over the last k's and Ali dropped back a little way. That won't happen often. HR in the 160's so that is also really good.

Just an very slow easy 7k this morning, perhaps close to 6:00 min/k.

On target for 75K's this week

... Coot-tha for 15k and then Clairie's birthday run added another 27K and I was able to practice an exercise for sections of it that my physio has me doing. The final 10k recovery run on Sunday gives me about 87k which is better than last week since there was alot more speed in it.

Feeling warm and a lot like I felt last Sunday ... ready for a new week.

95k this week

Sunday night and I have warm happy legs with no hammy whinging. I'm happy to be running good distance and have healed the hamstring as tightness and pain is coming from other places now. Lower back aches in the morning, hamstrings seize after running sometimes and there is some "tingles" threatening at speed work. This is combatted by a tennis ball and good awareness of my body and feeling what is happening most of the time.

To get 95k in for the week is great and gives me confidence that I have enough endurance to tackle a string of half marathon's ahead of me. Although most of this was at an easy pace.

Running 6K (of 14k) down the coast a week ago at 3:50, 3:39, 4:00, 4:01, 4:04, 3:56 also makes me think I am capable of running at 4:00 per K for a half. HR sat around 180, which is high but a great sign of being able to push hard (enough to dry reach). Sorry, I should have warned you.

Driving down the coast I just couldn't wait to run. It was a perfect day, the music was cranked and I sang at the top of my voice. Inviting waves rolling onto the beach promised a post run dip to finish the run off with a smile. I love running ... even when there is nothing special about it and I might be the only person in the world at that time. Sadly the feeling goes or is shattered with a message or thought bursting the bubble until the next time.

The hammy is improving but will tighten and threaten to tear with speed work, so I have back down early at Pats. I do more exercises than before and constant trips to physio. Peter Stanton agreed that getting Jodie to massage has probably kept me able to run more this year than I have before and she is back next week, hooray. Peter has had to realign hip/pelvis, work on problem places and find new places to inflict pain (he's got a million of them, I'm sure).

The cautious news is that nerve messages aren't always what they should be to my calves and hamstrings. This has been the cause of many tears over the years and stems from the lower back. This area is still not working and as strong as it should be when I run. Better technique will help whilst I now have to learn to turn on the inner core muscles before the surrounding ones. I don't know how to do this. I do know I have to keep my pelvis even running, not curve my back to the side, avoid twisting the back through the shoulders (swinging my arms and not rotating shoulders). It's a journey.

The races ahead are

Sydney Sept 18
Melbourne Oct 9
Port Douglas Nov 12

and then ...