13 days to go

This weekend just past was a good trainning seesion, with a 20km run on Saturday (including a very slow 6km run into the city) and a final long training run on Sunday of 35km around the city legs of the course. I completed the 35km in just over 3 hours which Iwas really happy with. I set my pace to between 160 and 175 bpm, settling at around 165bpm comfortably.

Last year I ran at a much slower heart rate mainly because I didn't know if I could do the distance. Now I know that I can finish I can afford to push a bit harder. If I can keep that pace up to the finish line then I can definately beat 4hours.

Me vs the bird

I am off to go for a run now. I am debating whether to do my normal 10km city circuit that takes me down Pitt Street because there is a nesting black bird that has attacked me ever time I go down there. Over the past week it has gathered even more interest from the local community to the point of making it to the TV news last night.

When it attacked last time (I omitted this from the previous post) I wanted to go back and strike it down out of the sky. After having it swoop at me and forcing me to duck for cover I thought "to hell with this", and turned to face the wretched thing.

I looked back up and spotted it in a tree, it's beady yellow eyes staring down at me. I met its gaze.

Dropping from the branch it was perched on it's unfurled its wings and set its path for me. Our locked stare didn't waver. Like a missile it targeted me and beat it's wings to gather speed. As it closed in I pulled my arm back, full water bottle in hand, and at the last moment hefted my only defence at it. Expecting an impact and, hoping for supremacy I was dismayed to see the bird twist in mid dive and turn 90 degrees to avoid it's doom.

Cautiously, I moved down Pitt street out of the bird territory, fending off attacks in similar fashion a few more times along the way.

25 days to go

I had a quick indoors run at the gym yesterday. The worst part about training inside is that there is no airflow so I jump off the treadmill absolutely dripping sweat. Drenched. It would be great it they could get a fan in there or something.
Anyway it is better than running outside at the moment. The weather is miserable which isn't actually a bad thing since we really need the rain, but it makes outside running a really crap experience.

Distance: 10km
Time: 46min 35sec
Course: treadmill set at incline of 2
Target Heart rate: 175-180bpm
Average heart rate: not measured but would have been around 178 - 182bpm
Weekly total Km's: 10km
Notes: It was a good cardio run and fairly relaxed. Following last Sunday's long run I have decided that if I am running so hard that I am not enjoying myself then it is time to ease up a bit and enjoy it.

Remembering the fun

I think I have been getting stressed out about the Marathon that is now only 27 days away. I really do want to beat the 4 hour mark but I have been feeling a rising tension and dread about the run.

To ease this feeling I decided to just have a fun run yesterday. It was 22km in about 2 hours and 5 mins, running from home to the city (about 6km) then a lap of the 1/2 marathon course, and finally back home. It made a big difference. My rate was slow but very comfortable and time wise actually not too shabby.

The main thing though was that I had fun. I didn't push my heart rate, I didn't push myself and I was back at home feeling like I could have easily kept going for another 10km at least.
It reminded me of the reason that I called my other blog 'idleminds" because of the way my thought are freed to roam as I run.

It is that meditative, relaxed state that I run for and I have been missing it. I thought for a while that is I had been using running as an escape from unhappiness at work, and for sure it helped me then, but I wasn't pushing myself for a fast time. Nor was I getting very close to the day of the run. I thought that since changing to a job that I am enjoying more that the wandering thoughts had left me.

Now I actually want to get out there enjoy that freedom. I'll let the time take care of itself on race day. If I beat 4 hours then good. If I don't, also good. This running had to be about doing something that feels good. Otherwise it will just become one more thing that I do.

City to Surf result

I just checked the city2surf website to check my official time. Happy to say that it is even better than I thought.

Time - 65:47

Place - 2481

A personal best!!

There and back again

I ran the Sydney City to Surf On Sunday. It is a 14km event and in the lead up to the marathon in just over a month I consider it to be a fun training day. Last year I ran back to the city, without really planning so this year I had it in mind from before the start.

I pushed myself throughout the fun run and finished at just over 66minutes which was a personal best for that run for me, so I was pretty happy. My heart rate was steady at around 178-183bpm which is higher that I would be running a longer distance, but because I knew that the course was well within my distance range I just set my upper limit at 185 and went for it.

On the way back though I took it a bit easier, but still wanted to keep the pressure on, so that I ran at around 10 bpm slower. Still, I think that the return path is about 10km and I ran back in 47minutes. Not bad I thought. Of course if the distance is only 8.5 km then I am just kidding myself. Oh well the self confdence will have to do me for now.

Good night

42 days to go

Although I had a great run today it was the first one in too long. The weather in the last two weekends has been pretty average so I haven't been out. I have to really step up the training from here on in.

Yesterday I ran my local 11 km loop, but it was pretty slow. If i want to hit my 3:50 time then I need to be averaging 4min 45 secs. My pace yesterday was just over 5min per km. I can probably blame some of that on traffic lights but still a long way short of my target time.

So today I did my long run and it felt good. I did feel the change over in my body as my physical energy level started to fade. I think that was at around the 20km mark. After that it was a real struggle, not the least because the last 4km are all uphill.

It told me that I need to eat more before a run and carry the carb gels with me to get me home. Thankfully this afternoon we feasted on curries and carbs. Yum. Tomorrow have a day off so I have another run planned for the morning.

Distance: 25km
Time: 2hrs 23min
Course: Home to the city 'to Centenial Park and around the 5km lap and then back home.
Target Heart rate: 165-175bpm
Average heart rate: #bpm
Weekly total Km's: 36km

Next Sunday is the City to Surf so that is the run I am going for this week. I think my last years time was around 68 minutes. Maybe I can beat that this year.