Up to date

I've been quiet for the last few weeks (months!) but i've not been sat on my ass the whole time.
  
After taking nearly a month off after the 100k I got back into a short intensity block.  After catching up with coach Dave (HPU) in early April we made a plan.  A short intensity block through the end of April and early May before a run block up to the Gold Coast Marathon (3rd July) and then a 3.5month block up to Hawaii.

The intensity block fell nicely with the disappearance of the sun in New Zealand so although it was fun to be doing something a bit different I struggled with motivation.

However, now I'm a month in the swimming is starting to get back to where it should be, the biking is ticking over and I'm start to get the running to where it needs to be.

I've been playing at a few running races, for motivation and to mix things up as much as possible, as well as some decent off-road strength endurance runs and the odd bit of speed work.

Nothing flash in the races but the post-ironman puppy fat is shedding and I'm hopeful of being in pretty good shape in 5 weeks time for a PB course marathon at Gold Coast.

Munter Recce

Saturday morning Wellington turned on Autumnal charm and eleven of us headed up the coast to run a recce of the Mukamuka Munter course.

It had been in the diary for a few weeks and to get such clear still skies was lucky to say the least.  I billed the run at 29k but the Garmin is saying it was more like 33 and with a 600m ascent of the Southern Saddle and the terrain you have to scale a steady 5hrs doesn't seem too bad.

There are a bunch of pics at Flickr -   but here are a selection.

Warning: Exercise may cause premature ageing

Voseller Shield (the most hideous 10k in the World?)

 face of an 80 year old...

After vowing never to do this race again, I was talked into having another crack at the Vosseler Shield a few weeks back.   Ten tough kilometres and 280m of vertical ascent on a bush clad hill (Mt Vic) in Wellington. Last year I managed to complete this run w ascent in a terrifying 51 mins, this year I pulled some faces and dragged my not quite race weight body up and down to a long 47.  Pretty good improvement but still a long way to go.