RIP Kerryn

As most of you no doubt already now, Kerryn Mc Cann lost her battle with Cancer today. Kerryns sister Jenny is married to my Coach Kim Gillard so even though I only met Kerryn on one occasion, tears have been shed.

The day I met Kerryn was the day of the launch here in Launceston of the 2008 Launceston Ten. Mona, Troopy and Kerryn were all in attendance to launch the event and afterwards we met back at Kim and Jennys place for a run. After the run I asked Troopy and Mona to sign some things for me but I didnt have anything for Kerryn to sign. The only magazine I could find with anything about Kerryn was an edition of Runners World. Given that the article was about Kerryns Cancer fight, I didnt feel as though I could ask her to sign it for me. A few months later, while searching thru a box in the garage, I found an edition of Run For Your Life with a full page pull out poster of Kerryn crossing the line in Melbourne at the Comm Games. Where was that when I met her???????

Kim and Jenny had to rush to Sydney last week so we knew that things werent good then. Mark Jackson (training partner and work colleague) told me just before lunch today that she had passed away and the rest of the day was a bit of a waste work wise.

The usual group run will take place tonight, minus the Gillards obviously, but I am sure there will only be one topic of conversation.

RIP Kerryn. I just wish that I had half the courage you had.

Run the Ridge

A solid effort last night in the Run the Ridge race. A tick over 33 minutes on a hilly course that was all off road.

Dave Thomas won the race in 30:30 and was never challenged. A group of us stuck together for about 5km fighting for 2nd spot before we lost a couple. Then there were 4. About 2km to go we split and it was every man for himself. I dropped back to 4th before making my way back to the shoulder of Matt Guy in 3rd. The race finished uphill and I was in no mood for an uphill sprint so I knew that I had to drop him before we got there. About a km to go I surged a little and got a gap which was enough to drop Matty. It wasnt however, enough to catch Pat Smith in 2nd. Both Pat and mat are 17 years old and running VERY well. With Mark Jackson taking 5th spot, it meant that Kim Gillard coached the first 5 placegetters. Theres more on Kim below!!!!

Ex Commonwealth Games 10k rep, Peter Brett, finished in 7th spot. Is that a scalp???? I'll take it but they guy is a gun and a good bloke as well.

Struggled thru 90 minutes this morning and was glad when it was over. It did however end another week of 100kms plus. Bring on Cadbury.

I arrived home from work this week to find the latest copy of Run For Your life in the letterbox. I mentioned in a previous post that Kim seems to get his photo in every edition so the first thing I did was turn to the "Race Reports" section. Guess what? On page 90, Adelaide City to Bay there he is. Off to the left, blue singlet, number 6.

Given that it is a small photo I thought that was acceptable, that is until I turned the page to Burnie Ten. Sitting mid pack, resplendent in his red and green Reeboks, seemingly smiling, is the man himself. Ryan Gregson looks as though he is struggling, and Kimbo is loving every minute of it. He did say the joy was short lived though!!! If only I could keep up with him then I might get my mug in a magazine!!!

What a week!!

111kms for the week and not a bad day to be found. Thursday I ran 10 x 400m w/ 200 recovery (60s) and felt a little tired but given I had run 90 minutes the night before I wasnt too fussed. I made sure I felt relaxed and got the session done as opposed to flogging myself for no benefit.The week was as follows:

Mon: 70min
Tues: 4 x 1600m (5min) w/ 2:30 rec
Wed: 90 min
Thurs: 10 x 400 (75s) w/ 200 rec (60s)
Fri: 40min
Sat: 10/20 (10min hard, 5min rec, 20minutes hard) over a hilly course
Sun: 2 hours

I would normally do the 400s on Tuesday and the 5min reps on Thursday but switched it this week. As a result the 400s were a little slower than previous times but like I said I wasnt too concerned about it. It is a session I would prefer to do with "fresh" legs but not this week. Last time I ran the 400s I averaged 69s.

If this sort of training can continue through to the New Year then Cadbury Half could be an interesting little experience. I have never raced a half before so it will all be new to me.

Speaking of Cadbury, I had an email from the race organisers this week offering me free entry. Obviously I took up the offer!!! I rang them to accept and they said they had a solid field booked in. They have a Kenyan running, Paul Martinico is coming over from Melbourne with a PB of 70:19, Kim Gillard is a possible starter, and another training partner, Mark Jackson is also entered. Jacko has PB's of 69 and 2:24 for the Marathon. Should be a good day out.

The race doubles as the Tas Half Marathon Champs as well.

An easy 70 minutes tomorrow to stat what hopefully will be another solid week. Saturday night I will be running "Run the Ridge". Its a 10k race thru a Winery just outside of Launceston starting at 5pm. Hopefully it wont be too windy like it normally is here that time of day!! Wait and see.

Just a short one

Another solid week entered into the diary. Had a bad day on Thursday and skipped a session of 1km reps in favour of an easy 35 minutes instead. Felt very tired and knew about 5 minutes into the warm up that trying to complete a session was only going to do more harm than good.

Cruised thru 2hrs and 10 min this morning. Well cruised thru the first 2hrs anyway!!! The last 10 minutes was a struggle and it didnt help that it was all uphill. I had a look at my reflection in a shop window and I swear I saw Cliffy Young. It wasnt pretty but the job is done and its yet another box ticked.

A short post because I cant think of anything else to write!!!!!

3 weeks 300kms

Things are back on track. 304kms in the last 3 weeks and things are back to normal training wise. Wednesday long run is back to 90 minutes and Sunday 2 hours.

The main aim now is Cadbury Half Marathon on January 4 and hopefully there will be no more interruptions to my training. Cadbury is also the State Half Champs and no medal means bad day at the office.

Ran for 2 hours this morning with the guys. Most of them only did 60 - 80 minutes but Jacko (Mark Jackson, 2:24 marathon man) and I ran for the full 2. We kept the terrain nice and flat for the first hour as most of the boys are coming back from some sort of injury or illness, but Jacko and I headed for the hills in the last hour. We left each other at about 1:45 and headed in our different directions for home. I went straight ahead and up yet another hill and Jacko went left and downhill!!! All I could hear as he disappeared into the bush was "woo hoo, downhill, yeah!!". Talk about rubbing it in, mongrel. As a result I have suspended his mateship. Makes it hard to run uphill when you are laughing!

I have been experimenting with Gels during my last 2 Sunday runs. Never tried them before whilst running and I must say that downing a gel at the 60 minute mark of a 2hr run seems to be a good thing. Doesnt make the hills any flatter but does seem to make them more bearable.

I'm Back

It goes without saying that it has been a while since I last posted, yep, too long. However, I do have a valid excuse(I think so anyway!!).

I mentioned in my last post that I was pissing blood. Well, an Ultrasound showed an abnormality with my Left Kidney. The Doctor told me it could be one of 2 things. One was nothing to worry about and the other was most likely CANCER. FUCK!!!!!

He recommended I have a CT Scan just to be sure. If negative then all is good, if positive to Cancer then the Kidney has to go. The chances of survival are 90% + but it has to go.

Thankfully, no Cancer. I did however lose 4kgs, not that I could afford to!!

So, now I am back running about an hour a day and looking forward to some races. Given that I missed the Burnie 10 due to the little episode then I need another race in order to release some energy. Therefore Run The Ridge 10km on November 29 is it. 10km all off road thru Vineyards sounds like fun to me!!!

I am also looking to run the Cadbury Half Marathon in Hobart on January 4th next year. I havent nutted out the details with Kim yet but it sounds like a good idea. I have decided that the Track is not for me anymore. I had planned on trying to run sub 9 for the Steeplechase but then again maybe not. Theres probably only 2 chances to do it and both of those dont fit in to my schedule. Zatopek is too close now given that I have been unwell, and Sydney GP is on during my Honeymoon next year!!!!!

Headed to Burnie on Sunday to watch the Burnie 10 and watching Ryan Gregson win was awesome. 4 guys made the last left hand turn with 600m (all uphill) to go and Gregson ran away from them. Ben St Lawrence chased but to no avail. Marty Dent and Clint Perret sprinted for 3rd place with Dent getting up. A warm and windy day but enjoyable none the less.

We have the running joke in our group regarding Kim Gillard and the number of times he gets his photo in R4YL magazine or the local paper. On Monday there he was again, a nice big shot of him crossing the finish line in 11th place. Needless to say he copped it Monday night out running. You can see him on page 78 of the most recent R4YL at the start of the City to Surf between Marty Dent and Michael Shelley. He pops up in every addition.

Anyway this post has been rather long and I need to go for a run!!

Dodgy Kidneys

A week or so ago during my 90 minute Wednesday run I stopped for a pee. Nothing unusual here, most of us have done it from time to time. The only difference this time was the colour.......BLOOD RED. Faaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrkkkkk.

When I got home (had to finish the run 1st of course) I phoned the Doctor. He said to see how it goes over night then if it continues go to the Hospital.

Next morning was all clear. Lovely. That is until after my session that afternoon when it all went funny once again.

Off to the Hospital for tests and more tests and as yet I still dont know whats going on. I have been pricked and poked, scanned and xrayed yet still dont know what the issue is. All I know is that I have a Macroscopic Haematuria, which basically translates to blood in the urine. The Antibiotics have cleared up the colour but the test keep saying that there are still traces of blood present.

I have another load of tests tomorrow and a kidney scan on Wednesday. I havent been allowed to run for over a week and its killing me. I would almost sacrifice a Kidney right now just to go for a run!!!

Needless to say Burnie Ten is off the agenda. Bugga, was kind of looking forward to that one!!

Stay tuned for an update later in the week, and hopefully a run report!

Golfing with the Greats

Had the pleasure of playing golf today with 2 of Australia's best distance runners, Kim Gillard and Peter Brett. Despite the howling wind blowing off Bass Strait, an awesome day was had with the obligatory sledging and boyish banter flying thick and fast.

Yours truly took the honours by 1 shot from Kim.

Given that we headed to the Golf Course straight after our long run (2hrs) it was a very long day. By the last hole I had definitely had enough and could not wait to sit down and relax. Coffee was good too!!!!!!

Robbie and Jack have been in Melbourne since Thursday and return home tomorrow. One thing is for sure, they wont be flying Tiger Airways again. After arriving at the airport in plenty of time for their 11am flight last Thursday, they were told that there was a delay.........until 3:45pm. Not a happy camper.

The Darrell Lea Dads Bag full of Licorice that I received last Sunday has well and truly gone. Pity, it was quite yummy. Good for the digestive system too.

Training has gone well this week. 110kms all up. Ran a 10/20 session yesterday. A 10/20 is 10 minutes hard followed by 10 minutes easy, then 20 minutes hard. I have adapted this session to be a 3km followed by a 6km. Rep times were 10:09 followed by 20:39 with the last 3km in 10:06. Tough session.

Struggled big time today in the last 45 minutes. At one stage I turned to Kim and asked "is this what the last part of a Marathon feels like?" Kims reply, which was accompanied by a huge smile, was "nah, worse". Thanks mate, made me feel heaps better given that I am thinking of running the Gold Coast Marathon next July!! Cant wait now.

800 in 8

National XC was 8 weeks before Burnie 10. Given my showing at Nats and the reasons for it I decided that in 8 weeks I MUST run 800kms minimum in order for a decent showing @ Burnie. So far so good. The last 2 weeks have both been 100+ kms. More importantly, the sessions that I was neglecting previously such as tempo runs are now a priority.

It also helps that my Wednesday run is now 90 minutes and I am back doing a long run on Sunday of 2 hours in the hills.

Harder sessions have been going well also. I did an hour at tempo yesterday thru Trevallyn Forest which included some solid climbs and a track session last Tuesday that consisted of a km @ sub 3mins followed by rep 400's in 66 - 67 with the last in 63, all off about a minute. I did this session in spikes and had no problems at all in regards to soreness afterwards.

Fathers Day today and upon returning from my long run I was greeted with a huge brekky of bacon, eggs, sausages and toast. Just what the body needs after 2 hours in the hills!!!! Am I complaining???? HELL NO. It should be a regular occurence on a Sunday I say.

I got a Subscription to R4YL and a Darrell Lea Dads Bag so whos a happy runner????

Awesome effort by the Western Aths runners at todays Vic Half Marathon Champs. By the sound of it a few Premierships have come our way. Our way??? Yep, the way things are going with Aths Tas I may soon be registered in Victoria once more. I sent them a nice little email over a week ago and do you think I have a reply?? Shit no, that would be too easy wouldnt it? If anyone wants to read it I am happy to email it to you.

A major overhaul is required at AT and the sooner the better. Can I do a better job? Mr Magoo could do a better job me thinks, as do a lot of others. I just found out that our selection trials for the Pacific Schools Games are being held AFTER the closing date for PSG entries!!!! FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK ME.

Too many clowns and not enough circuses.

Enough for now, I can feel my blood pressure rising.

Nats

Well, cant say I was rapt with the effort. Although the course didnt look that tough, the hills really got to me.

In the end theres not much I can do about it. The last 5 weeks training has been up and down. I had 2 weeks off with an Achilles problem and then the last 3 weeks have been a struggle to find any rythym.

My times was 6 seconds off what I predicted before hand, yet my place wasnt even close. I guess you cant have your cake and eat it too.

Had some "discussions" with Aths Tas regarding the non existance of uniforms and the poor fitting of the ones that were available. Some interesting comments made by our Team Manager who said that "even the Olympic team have uniforms that dont fit". Is that not the biggest load of frogshit you have ever heard??

When our Team Manager discovered that I didnt have a uniform, he asked what I was planning to wear. When I replied "red Saucony singlet" his response was, "do you think thats appropriate?" I wont publish my response.

Aths Tas have some serious issues that need to be dealt with. Priorities are all wrong for a start. The refuse to pay the "All Schools Levy" which meant that any Tassie All Schools competitor was not eligible for a medal if they placed in the top 3. That being the case, why spend thousands of dollars running the "Tas All Schools Champs" when really its just a waste of time. All the Tassie kids running at Nats were really just there for the hell of it because if they had won (we had one top 3 place getter) they would have got no recognition for it!!! BIZARRE.

The best part is that AT made all the parents pay the All Schools Levy as part of their entry fee yet AT arent a member of the All Schools. So where does this money go????? Hmmmm..... one wonders.

Enough AT bashing for now, Im sure there will be more to come.

Count Down to Nats

A week to go until the mud flies!!!

The last few weeks I have been feeling pretty flat and havent really done a session that I have been happy with. I guess since the Launceston 10 when I started having Achilles problems, training hasnt been as solid as I would have liked. 2 weeks off with the Achilles and then the last 2 weeks of feeling tired and sluggish.

Still, the Nats are a week away and a lot can happen. Hopefully some improvement.

I emailed Aths Tas earlier this week about getting a State Uniform and I am yet to get any response. I requested that one be sent ASAP so that if it didnt fit I could send it back for a different size, but no love has come my way. I guess the Saucony kit might get a run after all.

I fly to Melbourne on Thursday afternoon and then on to Geelong on Friday morning. 3 of us all booked flights seperately for Thursday and all ended up on the same flight!!

My little man Jack turned 2 last weekend and we had a house full of kids with bellies full of sugar!!! Still, it was a good day and my little boy is growing up very quickly.

Dilemmas and Decisions

Got an email from Athletics Tasmania today regarding the National XC Champs. Their dilemma is that they have 7 guys available to run Nats and only need 6 to fill a team. No problem really as Kim Gillard wants to run as an "individual" competitor in order for someone younger to get a guernsey. Awesome, it means that I will get a run as a Tassie representative.

I have now represented Victoria and will soon represent Tasmania.

My dilemmas are as follows.

I wanted to enter as an individual competitor, hence the reason I did not nominate as being available for selection. The reason for this is simple. Saucony have been very good to me and I wanted to wear the Saucony kit at Nats. However, by accepting to run on the State team, I lose the right to wear anything Saucony except for shoes and socks.

What to do????

I guess I could compromise by getting the Tassie uniform and then getting a Saucony logo attached!!!!!! Sneaky but I cant see anywhere that says it cant be done.

My 2nd dilemma is this. My Achilles is now fully recovered thanks to an awesome Massage Therapist with "Magic Hands". After 90 minutes of intense pain (she found knots in the knots) I am pain free. So, to wear spikes or not to wear spikes??

Given that my spikes have a fairly large heal, which I have modified to make higher, I am leaning towards wearing them. I guess a final decision will be made upon seeing the course and the condition its in. After 8 or 9 races prior to ours it should be soft enough to warrant spikes. I definitely cant see it being rock hard so we will wait and see.

Achilles Issues

My Achilles has been sore for over a week now and forced me to take 3 days off this week.

My first run back today and I only mangaed 47 minutes. While I can run on it without too much discomfort, it isnt getting any better and there is still some swelling.

At this stage I wont be starting in the State XC Champs next week. Geelong? Well we will just have to wait and see.

Launceston 10

A mixed bag this week.

My Achilles pulled up sore after Tuesday nights track session and has gradually got worse throughout the week. I took yesterday off as a precaution before todays race and was seriously considering not starting today.

When I woke up this morning I did my normal 20 - 25 minute easy run and it felt OK once it warmed up so the race was on!!



I decided to start conservatively and build into it and it turned out to be a good plan. Through halfway in 16:45 and back to the finish in 33:45 passing about 6 guys in the last 5km.

A strong run from Marty Dent to take the win in just under 29 minutes. A nice headwind on the return trip no doubt affected times. The first 5 guys sub 29:30 and top 8 sub 30.

Very disappointed to see that some of the main attractions didnt make the trip. Lee Troop and Scott Westcott to name a few. Obviously they have their reasons for not being here but they missed a good opportunity to run a fast time.

In the end I think I was 30th overall and about 7th Tasmanian. I was pretty happy with the run given that I really didnt back off at all training wise this week (apart from yesterday) and still covered 91km in 6 days. Had I not have had the day off then it would have been another week over 100.

The Achilles is VERY sore now but its responding to lots of ice which is a good sign.

State XC in 2 weeks down in Hobart so looking forward to that. Was hoping to give the spikes a workout but not too sure now, time will tell.

Easy 70 minutes tomorrow.

Lazy Bastard

Ok, so I have been slack and not posted here for a while.

Apart from that things are going well. The Launceston 10 is on this Sunday and whilst I am looking forward to it, it will be nothing more than a solid effort. Yes, I will be going hard but I wont be backing off beforehand. Why? Bigger fish to fry later on. Im expecting to run around 34 minutes, hopefully just under but we shall wait and see what happens.

Last year it was 2 degrees and VERY foggy. Fingers crossed its not so bad this year. Being an out and back course, wind could play a part but Im hoping the 10am start means that the wind wont have had a chance to pick up before the race starts. The 10am start also means a slightly higher temperature thatn an 8am start!!!!!!

The plan is to still cover over 100km this week as has been the case for the last 7 or 8 weeks. 110 last week in fact.

Ran 10 x 400 on the track tonight and averaged 69.9s. The last being 66.8. Recoveries were 200m jog.

Things are travelling nicely and more importantly I am absorbing the work load.

Confidence Booster

Ran 10 x 1min w/ 1min float out at the Uni last night and went thru 5km in 16:50. Total distance for the 20 minute effort was 5.9km.

Considering it was a windy night, each lap of the circuit contains a hill and half of the session is a "float" as opposed to being flat out, I was very happy with the run.

The course we use is the same course that Athletics Tasmania used for last years State 5km Road Champs. Its just over 3 laps of a 1.57km circuit, so basically you run 3 laps then another 290m. The hill isnt steep but enough to do some damage once you start to tire. Its just a tad over 300m and about as steep as Punt Rd heading North toward Bridge Rd. Solid, but nothing if you're feeling strong.

Its 3 weeks this Sunday until the Launceston 10. This year it is also the Tas State 10km Road Champs. AT and the race sponsors have also organised some prize money for the State Champ placegetters. $1000 for 1st, $500 for 2nd and $250 for 3rd. I like that idea!!!!!

The race schedule between now and then looks something like this:

Sat 28th June 6km
Sat 5th July 12km (Solid Tempo but not all out)
Sat 12th July 5km

Hopefully this will sharpen things up a little for the 10km. I wont be backing off training wise but still expect to run some good times.

Bring it on.

Tas Junior Road Champs

Down the highway to Campbelltown today to watch the boys in the Road Champs. As I said last entry I was expecting Jake and Pat to have a win and I was correct. Jake took out the boys U/14 4km in 14:03. He was aiming for sub 14 but just missed out.

Pat ran the U/18 6km and had an easy win in 19:59. He achieved his aim of breaking 20minutes but it wasnt easy. There was a pretty strong headwind on the way home which slowed things down a little. Still, a very good effort by the boys.

Did my long run this morning before the trip to Campbelltown and felt good for about 90 minutes. The last 30 minutes (uphill) wasnt pretty but I guess results matter more than looks.

Did my monthly track session last Tuesday and was VERY happy with the times. 10 x 400 w/ 200m rec all sub 72 with the last one in 66. We do quicker sessions Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday but all of them are off road. This one is done in week 3 of our 4 week cycle so it only gets done once a month. I guess this will change closer to track season.

Another week of 100+ kms. The last 4 have been 99 (6 days running) 108, 106, and 104. I guess thats consistency!!!! This week should be about 110 if all goes to plan.

Feeling good and the body is coping with the workload which is handy as this time last year I was struggling with a calf injury which really didnt bugger off until about November.

Touch wood it stays that way

Long Long Run

Out with the boys this morning and given that they are either injured and just coming back or only running 80 - 90 minutes I decided to do a bit extra before meeting them therefore getting in extra in order to get out my 1 hr and 45min.

All good in theory but by the time Kim and I had cruised back thru the Gorge and I had got home my watch was saying 2hr 13min!!!!! Add to that the fact that my last 30 minutes is all uphill and you have a tough day out.

At the end however I was still feeling pretty good. Even picked up the pace a little for the last 10 minutes.

4 out of the last 6 weeks have now been over 100kms, the last 2 being around 110.

Heading to Campbelltown next Sunday to watch the Tas Road Champs. There is no Senior race as this will be incorporated into the Launceston 10. A few of the juniors in our group are racing and I reckon they will be frequently visiting the podium afterwards. My tips are Patty in the U/18 6km and Jake in whatever age group he runs (U/14 I think). There will also be a few others filling placings too so overall it should be a good day out for the boys and girls.

Had to work yesterday so not too happy about that!! The upside is they now owe me some time off which will come in handy around about the 23rd of August when I head to Geelong for the Nat XC.

June Already

This year has gone so so quick. It feels like only yesterday that I had sun burnt feet after a day at the beach!!!

The best part about it is that track season is not that far away. Pretty soon the tights and gloves will be in the bottom of a draw somewhere. Cant wait.

10 x 1min w/ 1min recovery tonight. We do them along a bike path were we have measured out a 400m stretch and we run up and back each time seeing how close we can get to 400m. Tonight was a lot closer than normal. We were covering about 360 - 370m. Not too shabby off a minute recovery.

As usual we run the full 400 for the last one and see how quick we can do it. Tonight I ran 64s. Moving nicely thank you!!!!

Jack and Robbie are in Melbourne until Saturday so I guess I'm fending for myself for a day or three. On the menu is pasta and more pasta. Exciting hey?

Long runs are starting to feel comfortable again and are increasing. 1 hr 45m last Sunday. I have also started running from home to our usual meeting spot which takes about 20 minutes. Why? Because then when I run home at the end its ALL UPHILL. 30 minutes worth in fact.

Hopefully come August when the State XC Champs are on there will be a pay off for all this effort!! Time will tell.

Over and out.

City to Casino

Enjoyable weekend in Hobart last week.

Finished 6th in the Opens Mens 7km event, and 7th overall. Donna MacFarlane made an appearance and finished in 4th spot.

Happy with my run. Very strong last 2km where I made up a heap of ground on Patty Smith whom I train with in Launceston. Patty, who is only 17, had about 150m on me with just over 2km to go and only beat my by a couple of seconds in the end. Another 500m or so and I had him.

Given that my training is mainly strength based, the race showed that it is all working pretty well. Throw in some speed work later on and look out.

Poor old Patty learnt a valuable lesson on the way to Hobart last Saturday. Never fall asleep in the car when I am driving. The little bloke got the shock of his life when in the middle of his slumber I jumped on the brakes and screamed NOOOOOOOOOO at the top of my lungs waking him up. Poor guy thought we were about to get acquainted with a truck or something. I nearly had to pull over I was laughing so hard. Needless to say that was the last he slept in the car!!!

I think Pat set a new World Record for number of SMS sent during our trip. On the 2 hour drive home on Sunday he sent 62 of them. Thats one every 2 minutes. Add to that the replies he got and its one every 60sec. The young lady he was chatting to must be OK. Ahhhhhh young love.

Back into training again for a while now. No races planned until the Launceston 10 in July. I may run the odd club race but it will only be as a training effort.

Cheers

Meeting the man!!

Last Friday I finally met the man who spent my teenage years plastered all over my bedroom wall.


Steve Moneghetti was in Launceston for the launch of this years Launceston 10 Race on July 20. He was joined by Lee Troop and Kerryn Mc Cann. Check out www.launcestonten.com.au

Not only did I meet him, but I also trained with him. We started at Kim Gillards place and headed up thru Trevallyn State Forest. Incidently, Kim is married to Kerryns sister Jenny. The last km or so of our run was up a nice steep hill and watching Mona and Troopy run away from us up this hill was awesome. Scary part was that I doubt they were even trying.

Afterwards we all had our photo taken with Mona and the obligatory autographs. Mona sign my copy of his book and wrote "enjoy the Marathon read". I didnt have the heart to tell him I already had..... about 4 times!!!!

Troopy signed a pair of his custom made Racing Flats that will be given to some lucky Junior runner as an "Encouragement Award". See Pic.

Clocked 110kms last week. This was helped by the fact that I ran 70 minutes on Friday instead of the normal 40. I wasnt about to say to Mona and Troopy, "sorry guys I have to stop now" was I????

Heading to Hobart this weekend for the City to Casino. Have decided to run the 7km event as opposed to the 11km as I feel that I would be more aggressive over the shorter distance. Im not too confident in attacking an 11km race from the gun just yet.

A solid week.

The week thus far:

Mon: 70 minutes
Tues: 10 x 1min w/ 1min float (Covered 5.8km in the 20 minutes)
Wed: 60 minutes
Thurs: 10 x 1min w/ 60s rec (walk/jog)
Fri: 45 minutes
Sat: 5km Race (80 minutes total for the day)
Sun: 90 minutes

Happy with the week. Felt strong during yesterdays race but lacking speed in the legs. That will come. Missed my target time by 8 seconds so my expectations were pretty close. It was tough in the middle stages trying to run solo but I guess thats whats happens in handicap races, its not until the end that you start to pass people and if you're lucky, get a second wind.

My time showed that I am in pretty good shape. Of course there is still a heap of work to do but its on track.

My 90 minute Sunday runs are a bit of a struggle. 6 - 8 weeks ago I was running 2 hours and doing relatively easy. Now its a battle to get out for 90. Go figure!

Next weeks Launceston Athletic Club event is over 12km which I will use as a tempo run. The course is known as the "Gutbuster". Why am I not looking forward to this one???? Target time 45 minutes with a HR of around 165 - 170. See how we go.

Backing off a bit

Training has been scaled back a little in the last week or so. Due to a week feeling absolutely knackered with nothing in the legs, including one aborted session, Kim suggested I cut my long run back from 2 hours to 90 minutes. In fact this week I have cut all my easy runs back. The k's for this week are around 80 instead of the usual 100.

I ran a 10k tempo yesterday and felt very strong. HR was spot on where I wanted it to be, and the time for a very tough course was about 39:40. I ran my tempo as part of a race and most people were about 3 minutes off their PB times. Allowing for the toughness of the course and the fact I was cruising, I think I am in pretty good shape at the moment. A few little things to sort out but otherwise all is good.

Finally received the new Saucony Grid Type A2 racers during the week. Very light, and in my opinion, not suitable for much more than a 10k. They remind me a lot of the Nike Air Streak racers. Looking forward to a hit out over 5km next week to get a feel for them.

Training so far this week has looked something like this:
Mon: Easy 50min
Tues: 10 x 400 w/200rec ave 70s
Wed: Easy 35min
Thur: 4 x 5min w/ 2:30 rec
Fri: Easy 40min
Sat: 10km Tempo
Sun Easy 90min

Will kick it back to about 100k next week, but still keep the Sunday run at 90min and see how things pan out.

Helping those less fortunate.

Friday night I headed out with the Minister (Ric) from Robbie's Church to hunt down some of the Homeless people who call Launceston home.

When I say "hunt down" I don't mean literally. Armed with flashlights and backpacks each containing a Thermos, some food and blankets, we hit the streets just before midnight to offer some support to those less fortunate.

We decided to check out the old Hospital building. This building has been unused for years and is due to be turned into a high rise apartment building.

For legal reasons we were not allowed to enter the building itself, but instead checked out the surrounding area.

Unfortunately we found no one at "home", but we did find plenty of evidence that many people do in fact "live" here. Mattresses, blankets, alcohol bottles (empty) syringes and other bits and pieces all pointed to the fact someone has slept here.

I have no doubt that people were in the building whilst we were hanging around. If I put myself in their shoes I wouldn't exactly be coming out to say hi to some complete strangers wandering around in the rain after midnight with flashlights either. Next week we will leave flyer's around so that they know we are only there to help and that they have nothing to fear.

Getting to bed at 2am didn't exactly make the best preparation for the race I ran yesterday. Lets just say I crashed and burned. 8km in just under 30 minutes was a long way from what I was expecting. Still, it was all for a good cause and yes, I would do it again. Maybe not before a race but will definitely go out again soon. At least I get to sleep in a warm bed each night.

6 x 3min w/ 2min float

Another good session tonight. 6 x 3min w/ 2min float recovery.

As always I went out and back and missed the start point by 7 seconds on the return. Close but no cigar!

Tuesday night was also a good session. 10 by 400 with 1min rec. Finished running very strong. Actually felt stronger as the session went on.

Daylight savings throws a spanner in the works running wise. Its now dark by 6pm and will only get dark earlier from now on. Makes it hard to do some of the sessions that we do given that we try to do most of them off road and away from what traffic there is here. Very few bike paths have lights and we aren't blessed with a "Tan" track like those who live in Melbourne.

Still there are some benefits of Launceston. Very little traffic for a start. It doesn't take me an hour to get to work here!!!!! Did I mention the cafes? A good coffee is the best way to finish a long run.

Running another LAC race on Saturday at Evandale. 8km out and back course. It will be interesting to see what the handicapper gives me. Cant wait for that!

Was hoping to have the new Saucony Grid Type A2's for Evandale but they have been delayed and wont be available until late next week. Still, better late than never I guess. As long as I have them before the City to Casino that's all that matters.

Keen to Race

Training is going well now that things are settling down a little. New job is going well and the new house is starting to feel like home.

The only bad thing happening is little Jack having Pneumonia. Poor little fella is in a bad way. He's tough so no doubt he'll be back to him self soon.

Got out a 2 hour run on Sunday and threw in a nice little climb about 1hr 45m in to it just for fun!!!! Must say that I didnt enjoy it all that much. Might have been quicker to walk up it!!!

Heading to Hobart on May 18 for the City to Casino. Hoping to cover the 11km in around 35 minutes, or at the very least secure a top 5 spot. Kim Gillard (won last year)is planning to run as is Grant Page (2nd last year)and Mark Jackson (2:24 Marathon). Should be a good day out.

Received some new clothing from Saucony late last week and must say I am impressed. Red is the go for 2008. I also ordered some new Racing Flats (see pic) today and cant wait to test them out in Hobart.


Check out www.saucony.com for all the new gear.

Its been a while!!!

The last 3 weeks have been hectic to say the least.

I have moved house, started a new job, battled the Flu and taken a Holiday in Sth Aust.

Not much running happened over this time but I did get out this morning for 2 hours so I guess the break was a blessing.

Spent Easter in Mt Gambier for my Uncles 50th birthday. Was very good to catch up with everyone over there. I guess living in Tas means that we wont get over there all that often now. Its no longer a 5 or 6 hour drive but you gotta add the plane trip too!! We flew out of Launie at 6am Good Friday and arrived in Mt Gambier at about 3pm, a bloody long day. Luckily Jack was well behaved and slept a fair bit.

Had lunch with Kim Gillard, Mark Jackson and their families this morning after our run. It was good for Robyn to finally meet the guys I had been talking about so much. Jack spent most of the time throwing things at Kims little bloke Hunter. Thankfully Hunter is easy going and didnt retaliate.

World XC tonight and my prediction is that Buster wont finish inside the top 15. If he does then I owe Kim Gillard a carton of Corona. Fingers crossed.

1st LAC Handicap for 2008

Another steady week under the belt with the only bad day being Wednesday when instead of getting out for 80 - 90 minutes as planned I ran for 12!!! Some more stomach problems put paid to any chance of getting in my 2nd long run for the week. Again, it had disappeared by Thursday so I have no idea what it is.


Launceston Athletic Club held their first Handicap race for 2008 yesterday over 5km. I started 3rd scratch, 1 minute ahead of the back marker. I knew the BM would come home a lot quicker than he went out as thats how he likes to run. Given that, I decided to let loose from the start and gain as much time early on as possible. I went out so hard that the guy who started 60s ahead of me was behind me inside 2kms. I lost some time over the last 2km but still managed to take out the 2nd fastest time for the day.

Cruised around for 2 hours this morning and felt OK but for the last 30 minutes which was tough. The quads had had enough and decided that they werent going to cooperate too much. Still, after a cold bath and plenty of fluid they now seem to be back to normal. I guess an easy 70 minutes tomorrow will tell me for sure.

SNAKE!!!!!

How dare he? A big fat black Tiger Snake laying right where I was intending to step!

I was cruising thru Trevallyn State Forest today when I jumped over a clump of grass covering the track. No big deal, I do this heaps of times each Sunday. The only difference this time was the snake. As I cleared the grass I looked down to see where I was about to place my foot and there he was, about 3 foot long, jet black with a yellow belly and as fat as my arm. And, I was about to stand on him. Some quick thinking saw me avoid him albeit only just. I didnt miss him by much and my foot wasnt on the ground long enough to take measurements, but it was close, damn close.

In trying to dodge the snake I managed to trip myself up in the process. When I got up and turned around he was still there looking at me with his head sitting about 4 inches off the ground.

Even though he was now about 6ft away I was too shit scared to move. After he disappeared it took me about 10 minutes to regain my composure and continue running.

The rest of the run was a write off. I was constantly jumping at shadows and thinking every stick was about to move. Thankfully none of them did.

Every time you run in the bush you take that chance. Who knows how many Snakes you pass but dont actually see. Maybe thats a good thing. Every time I have seen one, it has ruined my run. The HR goes thru the roof and trying to relax is not an option.

Thankfully it was only a close call, but it was way too close for me.

Hornii Body Tonic

Spent today in Hobart with the family and returned with some good news.

Myself and Kim Gillard have been discussing getting a Development Squad up and running here in Launceston to assist Junior Athletes in funding trips away etc. I have deliberately not mentioned it on here previously due to the fact that some of those Juniors read this page!!!

Today I spoke to Ivan Harbottle, the "Hornii Man", and he has agreed to come on board as a Sponsor to this program.

Hornii Body Tonic at first glance is none to different from Red Bull etc. HOWEVER, the big advantage that Hornii has over its competitors is its ingredients (see below). Unlike other so called "energy drinks", Hornii contains only natural products such as B Vitamins. More importantly, it contains no Caffeine, Taurine or Guarana, all those things that give you the kick when you drink that other stuff.. You wont get that high you get with Red Bull or V, and you certainly wont get the low that will follow when the Guarana, Caffeine and Taurine have worn off.

Below is what you will find if you check out their Website:

Hornii body tonic for men and women provides a premium blend of nature’s ancient herbs and essential nutrients to assist in the rejuvenation of the senses and improve performance during strenuous activities.

natural citrus flavours • natural fructose (low gi) • siberian ginseng • panax ginseng • schisandra • ginkgo biloba • damiana • vitamins b3 b6 b9 b12 • magnesium • l-arginine • no caffeine • pasteurised • lightly carbonated • refreshing taste • leaves a crisp feel in the mouth • the NEW standard!

This stuff tastes good, and I am not being biased when I say this. I have had the pleasure of consuming 1 or 2 (slabs) and its very easy to drink. Not too sweet which is always a good thing.

But wait, theres more...... ITS A TASMANIAN COMPANY. Tasmanians supporting Tasmanians. Thats the spirit.

Does this Blog entry sound like an ad for Hornii Body Tonic? I hope so.

Get it in ya.

The Week Til now

Sundays Ab problem disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Got out just over an hour on Monday night without too many problems. In fact the only problem was tiredness. It felt as though I did race on Sunday when in actual fact I had the day off!!!

Tuesday saw a rep session down thru Tail Race with Tim Garrett (2:48 marathon). Again, I felt sluggish and stopped after 8 reps, deciding against the last 2. Times were OK, but I just couldnt get the legs going.

Headed into Trevallyn Forest last night and rolled out 90 minutes feeling good. A nice change from the previous 2 days feeling flat. Some nice hills up there which certainly gets the HR up, and adds a burning feeling to the Quads.

Tonight I ran 4 x 5min with 2:30 rec on the Golf Course. Didnt go all out but did feel strong. I thought I might have been tired after last night but not so.

Currently waiting on the 2008 Saucony clothing to arrive. I have had a sneak peak on the Net and I am looking forward to getting out in the gear thats for sure.

Bed time......

10 mile DNS

Woke up this morning ready to run a solid 10 mile. Got dressed and headed out the door to do an easy 20 minutes or so to wake up the legs and lasted 2 minutes. Had a sharp pain in my upper abdominal area that felt a lot like a stitch but wouldnt subside no matter what I did.

Still, I headed out to the race hoping that by the time I got there and warmed up it would be gone. WRONG.

I couldnt run more than 100 metres without it returning.

So the results will have a DNS next to my name. BUGGA!

I have no idea what caused it, I certainly didnt feel it yesterday during my easy hour thru The Gorge. Hopefully things will be ok tomorrow and I can continue training as things have been going very well of late.

Wait and see how things go.

Confidence Booster

2 good sessions this week that leave me feeling confident that the new program is working well.

A rep session on Tuesday night was the start of things. All efforts were about 3 or 4 seconds quicker than last time.

Yesterday we did the 35/25 session again, and my time for the trip back (8km) was 1min 40s quicker than last time. 26:51 for the 8km.

An early start this morning for our long run. 2 hours starting at Kim Gillards place. A good run thru the bush with the only problem being the fact that Kim lives at the top of a bad arse hill which we had to negotiate on the way home. Climbing a 1km hill that is steeper than Anderson St at the end of 2 hours is not exactly my idea of fun. But it didnt kill me therefore I guess its only made me stronger, right??????

A 10 mile race next Sunday which I am now looking forward to. This week has given me a lot of confidence.

Back to Normality

Have been feeling flat all week but started to feel good again yesterday.

Ran a 10km tempo effort @ Heritage Forest (15km all up) and was very happy. Felt strong and relaxed, and the HR was lower than normal for a tempo run.

Today was another 2 hours thru Trevallyn State Forest. Didnt push too hard but instead just concentrated on getting out the required 2 hours. In the end I did it quite easily. I missed my long run last week so I was too keen on missing another.

I had run some 1km reps on the track (400m rec) on Thursday night and felt flat so I am glad that I got a good weekend out.

Tomorrow is the start of the 2nd 4 week cycle in my training program. The program repeats every 4 weeks and is based around getting and maintaining some fitness. A sample week is:

Mon: 70 minutes easy
Tues: 10 x 400m with 200 rec
Wed: 90 minutes easy
Thursday: 6 x 3min with 2min float
Fri: 40 minutes easy
Sat: 10 mile Tempo (10 mile includes wu & cd)
Sun: 2 hours easy

Each of the 4 weeks in the cycle has different session on a Tues, Thur & Sat to avoid boredom. No hard session is done more than twice in the 4 weeks so you can still monitor progress.

Approaching a race the program can be altered to suit whatever is approaching, ie adding quicker stuff if aiming for a 1500m.

For now I am just sticking to the program as I have no real races scheduled in for a while. I am running a 10 mile fun run in 3 weeks but I will do my 2 hours on Saturday and the 10 mile as my tempo run on Sunday instead. Simple.

Til next time.

Lingerie Party!!!!!

Robbie is hosting a Lingerie Party at our place tonight and as a result I have been banished to the Dining Room. I did offer to model but my kindness was very quickly rejected. Probably a good thing, wearing womens underwear can never be a good look for a bloke.

I cant see whats happening in the next room, but I can hear what they are saying, and let me tell you, the mental images are killing me. Next time I will have to make myself scarse, I am too young for this crap. I am not looking forward to the nightmares..............MUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMYYYYYYYY!!!!!

Jacko had the right idea, he went to bed nice and early. Smart cookie that little man.

Easy 30 minute run tonight feeling as though everything is back to normal. No calf soreness which was a bonus.

Bring on next week.

This week has been one of mixed happenings.

Rocked out 10 400's on Tuesday at the track and then spent the rest of the week in bed.

Came home from work on Wednesday night and went straight to bed. Eventually woke up at 12pm Thursday arvo. Not too bad hey????

Cant say anything exciting has happened since then. Just feeling very lethargic, not too mention stiff and sore.

I started to get my appetite back yesterday and today felt well enough to pull on the runners. Cant say I got far though, 10 minutes in and my calf started to tighten up. I thought that problem was solved.

Still, tomorrow is a brand new day.

Float like a Butterfly and stung by a Bee!!!

A weekend spent in Melbourne catching up with family and friends.

Headed to Jells Park on Saturday to do my Tempo run and cut it short after 13 minutes. Feeling very flat I figured by finishing the session I was only asking for trouble later on. I felt terrible in the warm up and worse in the effort.

Sunday was a trip to the You Yangs for my long run. I managed to get out the required 2 hours but made a few trips back to the car for water. A very warm day.

Today was another right off. An easy 20 minutes that felt more like a cool down run after a tough session. Robbie woke up sick this morning and maybe I had some of what she had.

Called in to see a mate today whom I havent seen since I moved to Tassie. His son, Lachlan, warned me as we headed out the back to watch out for Bees. 5 Minutes later I felt a sharp pain in the bottom of my heal....... BEE STING! Could have been worse however, earlier in the week they found a 5ft Brown Snake in their yard. Give me a Bee anyday.

On the track tomorrow for some rep 400's.

Going Long

The k's are starting to stack up a bit.

1hr and 50 minutes on Sunday followed by another 60 minutes Monday night, Mona fartlek last night and 70 minutes tonight.

The best part is I am feeling strong. As with all my fartlek sessions I ran Mona last night out and back, turning at 10 minutes, and making it back to the start point with 10 seconds to spare. It seems I am making a habit of getting back with 10 seconds up my sleeve. The last 3 or 4 sessions have all been back within 10 seconds. Spooky.

I was planning on running the State 3000 on Feb 9, but I think I will bypass it and concentrate on getting some miles in the legs and building a base to build on later. Still undecided about the State 5000 in March but will see how training is going a little closer to the date.

Off to Melbourne this weekend and hoping to catch up with a few people. Planning on doing my long run at the You Yangs on Sunday morning. I have never run there and definitely looking forward to it.

35/25

Suffered a bit this morning.

The rules of the game were: you run out in one direction for 35 minutes, then turn around and try to come back in 25. There is actually a marker at the turning point so the time out can vary a little. Its 8km in each direction.

I made it back in 28:26 with a very bad patch about half way back. Finished with very tight calves and heavy legs in general.

I was driving home thinking about it and realised that all of my sessions have been over within 40 minutes (15-20 min WU and then session). So to run for 35 minutes and then start the hard part was always going to be a shock to the system.

Still, a very good session for gaining some strength and next time should be a little quicker.

Will do an easy 20 minutes later today to keep the legs loose before tomorrows long run (1:40).

Off down to the bakery now for a coffee and a feed and a read of the papers.

4 x 3min w/ 2min float

Another solid session tonight.

Covered 5.5kms in 20 minutes (about 21:50 6km pace) and felt strong.

As I was warming up I saw a guy on a Mountain Bike coming towards me so I moved over to the left of the path. As he went past I heard him say "Hey Willo". The mountain biker was none other than Steve Brown.

Father Steve is here on holiday and is competing in the Wildside Mountain Bike event on Tassies West Coast this weekend. He was heading up into The Gorge for a ride and luckily we crossed paths.

Looking very fit the boy is too!!!!

Hopefully we can catch up before he returns to Melbourne at the end of the month. Lots to talk about.

8 x 400m w/ 60s rec

Back on the track tonight.

8 x 400m with 60s recovery.

Times as follows:
71.9, 71.5, 69.6, 71.9, 70.4, 69.4, 71.9, 66.5

Very good session. Felt strong the whole way thru which was surprising considering I cut short an easy run last night due to fatigue. Was meant to do an hour and only ran for 43 minutes. Didnt back up too well after 90 minutes in the hills on Sunday.

Another hour tomorrow night and hopefully there wont be any problems from tonight. Quads were a bit tight during the cool down but plenty of stretching should fix that pretty easily.

Tonight was definitely a good confidence booster.

Long run in the hills

Decided it was time to broaden my horizons and explore Launceston some more.

My long run has gone well over the hour now and I was starting to get bored with the regular Sunday running route so I headed for the hills around Trevallyn Dam and Hoo Hoo Hut.

90 minutes after I started I found my way back to my car feeling awesome. Felt as though I had only been out for about 30 minutes.

The last 20 minutes or so was all down hill and I thought that was a bit of a waste, but then I realised that if I was running down hill back to my car then at some stage I had obviously spent a bit of time climbing!!!!! Not such a waste after all!

Its been another good week. The k's are steadily increasing, with 88 travelled this week.

I ran a 10km tempo yesterday and was pretty happy with my time. 37:30 to be precise. Average HR was 172. Felt comfortable which was the main thing.

Robbie heads to Melbourne on Thursday for a couple of weeks, and I will head over for the long weekend. Other than that its all pretty quite in Tassie town.

Cadbury 5km

A mixed bag in Hobart this weekend. Happy with place, but disappointed with time.



The start of the race was pretty quick and I settled into the 2nd group which contained 3 of us. The 2 leaders were way out of sight by the km mark. About 1.5km in, one guy shot off and I tried to go with him but couldnt. I settled into 4th about 30 metres behind 3rd place thinking my training would help me come home quick over the last k or so. I eventually moved into 3rd place with just under 2km to go and held it to the finish.



In the end I was 62s behind 1st and 40s behind 2nd place.

My feet were good during the race, but VERY sore afterwards. Standing still was not an option as the throbbing in my feet made it feel like someone was dropping sledgehammers on them. At least Im back on the move.

Had a good time in Hobart with Jacko and Robbie. Stayed in a "Cosy Cabin" out in Bowen, which as we found out when we arrived was directly over the road from Risdon Prison home to the likes of Martyn Bryant and once home to Chopper Read!!!!!

A very warm night saw very little sleep had by all. In fact I was still driving around at 11pm trying to get Jack off to sleep. Poor little bugga, he would go to sleep then wake up in a pool of sweat 5 minutes after we put him to bed. I think I slept a total of 2 or 3 hours myself. Had to take my little man for a walk at 6am this morning so his Mum could have a sleep in. Very uncomfortable night.

Cruised up Mt Wellington this afternoon before we came home. A few cyclists out and about and given the descent down the mountain I am not surprised. Looks like a ripper!!! Still, given my form, a Paramedic would need to follow me down just in case!

5 weeks now until the State 3000m Champs and I am very much looking forward to it. Some speed work on the track between now and then should see an improvement in form.

Fingers crossed.