Hawaii count down is now really on. The race is 5 weeks on Saturday and we fly 4 weeks today. Since my last post I had a serious dose of man-flu; 16 days off training was a bit of a confidence knock.
However, the last couple of weeks I've concentrating on getting stronger every day doing a little more. I'm starting to feel ok again now, 20 decent hours last week and i'm closer to where I'd like to be.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
T - 86 Days
With the big run block done it's into a solid build phase to Hawaii.
86 days to go is pretty terrifying. Especially, as this was the week when Wellington decided the mildest autumn / early winter on record should come to a stormy end and she's throwing all sorts of horrid dark weather at us. Well me.
Thankfully I've secured the hire of a Taxc Fortius VR (wind) Trainer. It was cheaper to rent this for 3 months than buy a bottom of the range turbo and frankly it's got enough bells and whistles to almost make training indoors fun. You can even steer it!
Thank you to Elite Race Rentals for the quick and efficient service.
So this week the hard bike miles have started. I'm not feeling as weak as I was worried I would, so there is a little confidence I can be in pretty average shape in a month or so. The swimming has been ticking over on 2 or 3 swims a week and the running, although no fast, is feeling good.
So actually, with 86 days to go, I'm shaping up ok to not embarrass myself too much out in the sun with the best in the world :p
P.s If anyone has a Fortius and can give me tips on how the hell it all works, please get in touch!
86 days to go is pretty terrifying. Especially, as this was the week when Wellington decided the mildest autumn / early winter on record should come to a stormy end and she's throwing all sorts of horrid dark weather at us. Well me.
Thank you to Elite Race Rentals for the quick and efficient service.
So this week the hard bike miles have started. I'm not feeling as weak as I was worried I would, so there is a little confidence I can be in pretty average shape in a month or so. The swimming has been ticking over on 2 or 3 swims a week and the running, although no fast, is feeling good.
So actually, with 86 days to go, I'm shaping up ok to not embarrass myself too much out in the sun with the best in the world :p
P.s If anyone has a Fortius and can give me tips on how the hell it all works, please get in touch!
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Gold Coast Marathon
Not the best day, but a great reminder of just how tough it is to race a marathon.
Flying out of a cold and damp Wellington it was a very pleasant surprise to see some sun and experience Gold Coast winter. Longer days and 20 degrees in the depths of winter, no wonder it's such a popular winter retreat for athletes and everyone else.
Mel and I were lucky enough to be put up by her cousin Cam and wife Emma - thanks guys. Cam, along with his training mate Justin was also racing. After a lazy Saturday chatting running and watching movies it came to light the three of us were gunning for 2:40 to 2:48 pace. It was going to be fun.
On the back of my legacy marathon PB I'd scored a priority start, this I thought would at least give me a few seconds on Cam and Justin. I was wrong. We all lined up together and it was worthless, apart from the extra weight of the sticker on my number! Gold Coast is a pretty decent marathon, 5000 runners and a cracking flat fast course. I decided to take the first 5k steady, the plan was to run 39min 10k's (3:54 k's) and see how I was doing at 30k, if I felt average or better I'd try to push on and dip under 2:45, otherwise I should at least hold on for 2:48.
Within a k Justin caught me off the start and we watched Cam trot on up the road. He was hoping for a 2:39 so I was happy to let him go. Justin and I went through the first 5k in 19:30 and the same for the next. This was a little behind the pace I was hoping for, but it felt about right and we had a decent little group. Plus the first 16k of the course were into a light headwind, so I though I'd let it fly and maybe pull back a few seconds once we turned and had the wind on our backs. The next 10k was slightly slower but still I was very happy to go through half way in 1:23 and small change This put me on for a 2:46 and I still thought a negative split could be possible.
Unfortunately, the wheels started to come off pretty quick after halfway. I'd mentally prepared for it being tough from 30k. But battling for 4k pace from the 24th kilometre wasn't what I was expecting. At 30k I was still holding a fair pace; 2hrs for 30k was still 4min k's and I was hopefully I could hold on for a 2:48 and I'd be happy enough with that. But I'd done too much to hold the pace to that point. With the heat coming into the sun I was really battling. Once I crept over the point that 2:50 was lost I relaxed and pretty much jogged it in.
The last 10k still hurt like hell but I knew I’d easily get under 3hrs, so I rolled it home for a 2:58 and third place of Cam, Justin and I!
A coke and a brief collapse and I hauled myself into the stands to watch Mel finish. After a confident start she too faded slightly in last 10k but still ran a great race to finish her debut marathon in 4:16. Sub 4 is in the bag next time Mels xx
Flying out of a cold and damp Wellington it was a very pleasant surprise to see some sun and experience Gold Coast winter. Longer days and 20 degrees in the depths of winter, no wonder it's such a popular winter retreat for athletes and everyone else.
Mel and I were lucky enough to be put up by her cousin Cam and wife Emma - thanks guys. Cam, along with his training mate Justin was also racing. After a lazy Saturday chatting running and watching movies it came to light the three of us were gunning for 2:40 to 2:48 pace. It was going to be fun.
On the back of my legacy marathon PB I'd scored a priority start, this I thought would at least give me a few seconds on Cam and Justin. I was wrong. We all lined up together and it was worthless, apart from the extra weight of the sticker on my number! Gold Coast is a pretty decent marathon, 5000 runners and a cracking flat fast course. I decided to take the first 5k steady, the plan was to run 39min 10k's (3:54 k's) and see how I was doing at 30k, if I felt average or better I'd try to push on and dip under 2:45, otherwise I should at least hold on for 2:48.
Within a k Justin caught me off the start and we watched Cam trot on up the road. He was hoping for a 2:39 so I was happy to let him go. Justin and I went through the first 5k in 19:30 and the same for the next. This was a little behind the pace I was hoping for, but it felt about right and we had a decent little group. Plus the first 16k of the course were into a light headwind, so I though I'd let it fly and maybe pull back a few seconds once we turned and had the wind on our backs. The next 10k was slightly slower but still I was very happy to go through half way in 1:23 and small change This put me on for a 2:46 and I still thought a negative split could be possible.
Unfortunately, the wheels started to come off pretty quick after halfway. I'd mentally prepared for it being tough from 30k. But battling for 4k pace from the 24th kilometre wasn't what I was expecting. At 30k I was still holding a fair pace; 2hrs for 30k was still 4min k's and I was hopefully I could hold on for a 2:48 and I'd be happy enough with that. But I'd done too much to hold the pace to that point. With the heat coming into the sun I was really battling. Once I crept over the point that 2:50 was lost I relaxed and pretty much jogged it in.
The last 10k still hurt like hell but I knew I’d easily get under 3hrs, so I rolled it home for a 2:58 and third place of Cam, Justin and I!
A coke and a brief collapse and I hauled myself into the stands to watch Mel finish. After a confident start she too faded slightly in last 10k but still ran a great race to finish her debut marathon in 4:16. Sub 4 is in the bag next time Mels xx
Sunday, 26 June 2011
One week to the Gold Coast Marathon: Stick or Twist?
Just a week to go until the Gold Coast marathon and although I'm really looking forward to racing again I'm not sure what to expect.
The last two months has seen some of my most consistent quality running in a couple of years, in fact since my marathon PB in Barcelona in 2009 (2:44:44), but I feel I might be missing some top end. I've not been doing the regular speed session which have been a significant factor in all my previous good spells of running so it'll be interesting to see what decent volume and tempo running will generate.
Over the previous 3 weeks I've done two 10k time trials to try and gauge fitness and have been pretty disappointed to be struggling to get under 37mins. Yet during my long runs I've been comfortably doing multiple sets of 5k's at a marathon race pace only slightly slower than that 10k speed. I'm happy the strength endurance is there, so next week will highlight what the lack of top end means.
I'm not confident to make a prediction. Sub 2:50 and something towards the PB would be great as a confidence boost heading into my pre-Hawaii block, but of course you always want to break the PB and Gold Coast should be a quick course.
Maybe it's time to take a risk and dice with a melt down!?...
more this time next week
The last two months has seen some of my most consistent quality running in a couple of years, in fact since my marathon PB in Barcelona in 2009 (2:44:44), but I feel I might be missing some top end. I've not been doing the regular speed session which have been a significant factor in all my previous good spells of running so it'll be interesting to see what decent volume and tempo running will generate.
Over the previous 3 weeks I've done two 10k time trials to try and gauge fitness and have been pretty disappointed to be struggling to get under 37mins. Yet during my long runs I've been comfortably doing multiple sets of 5k's at a marathon race pace only slightly slower than that 10k speed. I'm happy the strength endurance is there, so next week will highlight what the lack of top end means.
I'm not confident to make a prediction. Sub 2:50 and something towards the PB would be great as a confidence boost heading into my pre-Hawaii block, but of course you always want to break the PB and Gold Coast should be a quick course.
Maybe it's time to take a risk and dice with a melt down!?...
more this time next week
Monday, 30 May 2011
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.
Saturday, 28 May 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Warning: Exercise may cause premature ageing
Voseller Shield (the most hideous 10k in the World?)
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| 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.
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