Track begins...

Another busy week at school, but an ordinary week of training with a clogged head robbing me of two days of work (yay!) and three or four days of training (boo!). I have the wind trainer set up so two of the days (including today) involved 30-40 minutes of spinning (5 min x 8 gear ratios) in the big chainring, followed up by a run of 30-40 minutes (either outside or on the treadmill). It's producing a lot of sweat and it's something different, but I'm unsure on the benefits other than low-impact high intensity intervals on the bike.

Rode to and from Aberfeldie on Saturday (about 30kms all up) and ran an 800m in 2:16:40. Not fast, but not the end of the world as I'm not fit and my head's clogged with snot. I'm looking forward to a reduced school load when the Year 12's leave so I can increase my training and work towards the 2009 Canberra Marathon and a sub 2:48. (Yes, it's online so now I can't chicken out and must work towards this religiously...ooh ah!).

Jen and I saw Burn After Reading - funny film, very enjoyable, the actors all looked like they had a blast. For the lads who read this I ask this - will our "dear other half's" permit us to do what George Clooney did post-sex? Yes boys, the deed's done, let's get in a recovery run!!! ha ha ha ha!

Now we have a starting point...

After probably eating and drinking too much at the Mexican restaurant with Jen and her friends last night, I ran the Melbourne Marathon 10K today in 36:28. I'm none too thrilled with the time but happy to get in a tough run, but it's telling me that there's work to do and gives me a good staring point to eventually take 90 seconds from that before I run a marathon next year, and enables me to plan my assault from here on end. The conditions were funny - great for hayfever, with swirly winds and mild-to-warm weather, but so-so for running (especially those poor marathoners). The split was something like 17:55/18:33 which indicates a lack of endurance, so back to the drawing board from here. Young Luke Searle ran a solid 34:2X, which sounds strong but is not a real indicator of where he's at. He and I ran our cooldown along with Adrian Jeffkins who was toughing it out in the marathon - well done mate, with the body not agreeing with you for an hour or more, you showed some real toughness in grinding it out.

Training seemed a bit directionless - probably because school's back, probably because of daylight savings and a wedding robbing of time and motivation but probably because of a lack of direction more than anything else.

Let the training begin.

All good things must come to an end...

F#$kin school holidays man - why so short?

It's been a good week - got some school work done (not enough to avoid Sunday night panic), some good training (good speed sessions, some hills, just good really!), Jen and I got to the NGV's Art Deco on Wednesday night among the arty types, caught up with my mate Phil who duly gave me his entry for Sunday's Coffee Club 10K and overspent on a pair of Nike Lunaracers - wow, so light, yet so cushioned. They'll only be a racing shoe for track & short road stuff up to 10K as they're not too stable, but they're fast! As modelled by Kev and Jeff...

Off to my brother's wedding down on Ocean Grove, should be an interesting weekend...than back to the f#$kin' job!

Just a good week really...

This is how 9 days away from work is supposed to be (including 2 weekends!).

Solid training week - ran everyday except for Saturday (went out on the bike instead for 2 hours), a couple of those up in Bright, have made some progress with the back (so the physio says), had a couple of good days away with Jen and had a good night Friday with quite a few drinks at a friend's birthday and oddly enough, our friends Andy and Marita presented us with a gift - 'ow bout dat? A much sought after Inner Health Plus dude, a cult figure of the airwaves, seen here pictured with Jen and I left.

I feel better now about making an assault on track season with another week of solid training (bar Saturday, my brother Jarrod is getting married), but with the school week starting next week, let's reserve judgement.

XCR08 ends, Term 3 ends...time to chill and regroup!

The term's over - YAY!! No more children to deal with day-to-day for another two weeks - YAY!! Geelong beat the Bulldogs - BOO!! Still injured but survived the Tan run - BOOYAY!!

After some sage words from Dave T after I carried on like a girly-man (basically said HTFU and stop your carry-on, all with a laugh through!) about my back/cockyx injury, I made it to the Tan relays and thankfully was not running first, but the pressure of running last was somewhat eased by some really good runs by the previous four runners, and my 13:14, which, under the curcumstances was OK, but 30 seconds below what I'd run healthy and in peak nick. The team gets promoted to Div 2, and will need vast improvement from the mid-tier runners plus the young guns running U20's to step up and compete with the oldies.

A few drinks last night with Clare, Dave S, Dave's mate Lucas, Dave T & Nicole really capped off a good day (Clare and I even saw Leigh Matthews, though he pretended not to recognise us!). A massage and 14kms + gym were today's order, no real difficulties with the back to speak of.

Bring on holidays, fitness and training!!!

injured list...

Since Sunday, I've either been too scared, too busy or too lazy to test the back. Since the physio though the pain is really quite pronounced and there is jarring when I walk and discomfort when doing quite a few menial things. Work and parent teacher interviews have been quite demanding of my time this week which doesn't help the running when you've got a race on Saturday and you're expected to be a major contributor towards said race. Maybe it's the body's way of saying "serves you right for being a fuckwit when out bowling" too. Anyway, the last five days (Sunday included, but did an hour and a half on the bike) have been run free and I'm none too thrilled.

There's a window for some light work tomorrow so let's see how that goes before Saturday's race.

so promising, yet so f$%kin' stupid.

Boys will be boys. Boys will injure themselves. Boys will jeopardise progress with their injuries.

A really solid week of good temp0/speedwork, nice recoveries and a 2hr bike ride to replace a recovery all get panned as a consequence of a bit of childishness on my behalf. Beer and bowling are a fun mix, but not when you slip over on your arse and do some potentially serious damage. End result was a half-marathon completed in totally unnecessary pain about 3 or so minutes slower than expected and some serious soreness lingering afterwards.

Another consequence will be a visit to the physio, who'll probably prescribe some non-running.

Shit!!