MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 9 DAY 7 - LOFTY

So this week was really a total right off. I gave myself a couple of impromptu rest days after last Sunday's mini marathon. That turned into a rest week. Far too tired from work and just wanted to beat one with my couch. So this morning was lofty with Katie. Ignore the time, it said we got up there in 34 mins and it was only 2.8 kms (yet we had parked about 500 m away from the start), so who knows.
In any case with was a ripper morning (all be it hideously fresh at the bottom). Great view from the top and obligatory summit photo with my buddy :)
Back down and home by 10 am which was great.
Let's see how this weekend pans out. Tuesday will be the best day for a long run and the target is 14km (so waking up early on my first double days off in weeks).  7 weeks to go.

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 8 DAY 7 - ADELAIDE MARATHON DAY

Today, for some it was marathon day. For me it started as a 12km long run up to the city to meet Sam and cheer on the marathoners and the halfers. The day finished very differently.
Was up at 5:45 and out the door by about 6:20am. It was fresh but perfect running weather.
Sub 1:40 not a bad time for the 12km. Met up with Sam and we based ourselves at the weir for cheering. My friend Julia was running her first marathon and I had promised I would have a bit of a run with her each time she passed. This plan also finished differently. Like me she is a back of the packer. She had had a sprained ankle 7 weeks out on a 30km run. She came past me at 13 km and off we went for a bit of a trot, just 1/2km to get her under the bridge and on her way.

Good morning!

Not a bad time for a training run

Sam and I at the weir, preparing for cheering duties

After that, we waited for some people to come past on their way back around to the botanic loop. Steve Moneghetti was running and Sam and I managed to get this selfie as he came past.

Not sure why but I am all cross eyed. Sam, Steph, Ev and I!

So the girls had left and I knew that Julia would be coming around the weir again at about 27 km to head back up the hill to North Adelaide. She was in a bad way. There were tears and talks of pulling out. I wasn't having a bar of it. You can't come 27 km of a 42 km race and pull out. So we joined forces and we walked the next 15 km to the finish. Her ankle was sore, everything was sore. I get that, I've been there. Twice. If it never hurt, everyone would do it. The ankle was a bit of a worry but she wasn't limping and was still moving forward, so I was confident she would be ok. So for 15 pretty brutal km, we talked, we walked and we got to the finish. At about 38km we had got a message from Julia's husband who was at the finish that they had saved a medal (she was only a little over the 6 hour cut off). That was enough to spur her on to keep going as honestly, it's the bling that makes this idiocy that we put ourself through worthwhile. We got there, and so my day went from a 12 km training run to actually around 30 km ( if you count the back and forths from the weir to the oval and then my walk to Currie St). The bus was going to be 26 mins so I got a cab.

Today was one of the first times, since volunteering a year ago in NYC, that I have been able to give back to some one in the running community. To see someone become a marathoner for the first time is really truly amazing. It was a great day and topped off by Julia's daughter putting her medal around her neck as she came over the line. I only had one day off this week and I spent most of it at this running festival. Great, great day. 

So what you need to know is this entire day was fuelled by a honey stinger wafer and a medium cappuccino. I do not condone this type of fuelling for this distance, but it can be done. At no time was I hungry, AT ALL. Nor did I feel that I was lacking energy.

Needless to say though, I nearly cleared out the local supermarket of food and have since inhaled that and a piece of Red Square Cheese (cheese = protein).

I've had a shower and a snooze and am currently wearing all sorts of compression. 

My unplanned afternoon of compression

And hideous minutes on this tool of torture

This is me.

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 8 DAY 3

Long day at the office today so I have taken the night off from training. It's Wednesday and I worked. I don't work Wednesdays. Everything is not quite right!.

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 8 DAY 2

Well this one is even blurrier than the last one.
Legs are caning, glutes are tight and need some attention. Short walk today. Hoping for a run tomorrow.
Everything needs needling (this soon???).
Let's see what happens but it's a mental struggle at the moment.

Happy Running

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 8 DAY 1

So the physio is now on speed dial. Dry needling is coming.
After Saturday's MONSTER effort, the legs are saying "you are doing this again??".
That really should have been a slow slow run.... epic fail.
Sore to touch, the muscles on the inside of my lower thighs need a bit of waking up.
So spent this evening walking uphill to walk out the legs. Back to a run tomorrow.
Mr Foam Roller is back in my world. I have not missed it. Also got the stick out, one of the other tools of torture to give the legs some treatment.
And I love miscounting weeks until race day. It was 9 weeks yesterday..... yippee, I'm ahead (not really).
And after one week, I'm wearing my glutes as earrings.

#dasherlife

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 7 DAY 6

So solo Saturday turns into a PB Party.
Was sitting at homing pining for NYC. I had 10 km planned for tomorrow as my first long run for this half (leaving it rather late as we all know!). Was so bored I got dressed and headed to the gym just after 9:00 pm to do tomorrow's 10 today.
On the treddy by 9:20. Finished by 10:30. Ran on 0 incline (because I didn't realise I had forgotten to put it up until about km #5!!!
Fastest ever everything!!!

4k @28:49
5k @35:40
6k@43:10
8k @57:00
10k @71:10

Just goes to show when you think you can't, you can.
I ran this session on intervals again with the walks at about 6.3km/hr (0.3km/hr faster than last 2 sessions) and the runs at 9.5-10km/hr.
Walks were all 200m. Run intervals varied from 500-800m and I did run a 1km interval towards the start at 9.5km/hr.
Bear in mind, I have hardly run for 2 months and just ran a PB over every distance.
This is my 5th run this week. Definitely rest day tomorrow now.
Totally smashed it out of the ball park.
So all those time trials I talked about yesterday? #doneanddusted !!!!!

Happy running, enjoy your Sunday!



#dasherlife
#racefit

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 7 DAY 5

Sub 40 5 km time trial SUCCESS!!!
Ran the last couple of intervals on 9.5 and 10km/hr!

Still on the interval pyramid which I am liking for the moment.
200/200/200/500/200/600/200/800/200/600/200/500/200/500 (because I wanted my sub 40!)

Once again running on an incline and next week will up that 0.5 to 2.5 to further test my fitness.
Next goal is sub 60 8km followed by a sub 1:15 10 km
When I achieve those I will know I am moving forward to race fitness.
Hoping to get the 8km by 25 August and the 10km 10 days following that which will bring me to 2 weeks before City to Bay where I want to go for the sub 1:30 across the 12km.

Happy Running!

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 7 DAY 3

So 3 days in a row. I wasn't quite fast enough on the run intervals so missed my sub 40.
Ran on a mini pyramid.
200/200/200/400/200/600/200/800/200/600/200/500/200/300/200
2.0 incline. Used 5.8-6.0 for walk intervals and runs varied from 7.5-9.5
Its the best way to push up the speed and test fitness. I used to run on zero incline but now find I can do a slight incline with no trouble.

Had a rest day on Thursday.
Happy Running

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 7 DAY 2

And back again to the gym as weather was less than fabulous and once again hideously windy. To give my hip flexors a rest I did an uphill walk for 5 km on 11 incline.
So totally boring but just a necessity as we race towards Oct 18th.
Diet is back under control with ample boiled eggs and yoghurt. Madarins are on the menu as they are just AMAZING at the moment.
Still trying to reduce my sugar intake. I am at about 51g which is about 13 tspns a day (this has been the average for the last 2 days). This is double the recommended amount however, if I took out the sugar from Fruit and Veg then that accounts for 35.3g which would bring me down to 16g which is 4 tspns and below the recommended amount. So in the right direction.
Not sure of tomorrow's plans. It is back to work and it could be a loooong day.

MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON TRAINING: WEEK 7 DAY 1

So fast forward about 6 weeks and here we are.... 9 weeks until race day and hideously undertrained.
After nearly 4 weeks of travelling for work and pleasure I find myself in August. So Monday I took myself off to the gym (the weather is windy here in Adelaide and makes running on the beach just hideous) for some kms. I don't mind the treddy as I can control the incline and the speed which helps me with time goals.
So this week's session and my first session in weeks had me do 0.5km walk intervals on 9.0 incline at about 5.6 av speed and 1.0km run intervals varying from 6.8-7.7km/hr on 4 incline.
Felt good that I could still run and could get in 8 km on my first session.
Back again tomorrow for my last day of leave. I then have the challenge of only 3 days off for the rest of August.