Died and gone to running heaven

That’s how I felt after last weeks fun run.

I was standing in the hall at the presentation for the race. I thought this is a great little running community that I am part of today.

The miracle of being able to run has brought me into this community. The positive atmosphere of people enjoying a common passion, running, was inspiring.

Who would’ve believed three years ago that I would’ve been standing there in that hall for a presentation after coming 9th in a fun run.

Three years ago I never dreamed I would run again.

Have I died and gone to running heaven? It feels like it.

Blaze

I’m getting so blaze about training sessions that I’m not even entering them in on this blog.

Like two 12km runs on the Coffs Creek trail one in 64:08 the other in 64:24.

Two tempo runs. One was 8km (38:17) with 5km tempo @ 22:00 minutes the other 10km (49:15) with 6km tempo @ 27:10.  I warm up for two kilometres then do the tempo run, and then cool down for the rest

This morning I ran a cruisy recovery 12km in exactly 70:00. It was so easy it was almost effortless. As I ran I just zoned out into a run that came from a comfortable and strong place.

My calf/achilles was hardly noticeable. There was dew on the grass and low mist blanketed the field at eye level. The drain around the field was full with water, which smelled awful. I shared the morning with a group of people doing exercise with a personal trainer. They are there most mornings doing exercises on mats, under the shelter of a facilties block. They leave at 7:00 am; my run didn’t finish until 8:10 am, which doesn’t leave much time to get read for work after getting home.

Seaside Scamper 5km Race report

Last night I lay awake feeling nervous. Thinking do I really like racing? Do I really want to go hard and hurt during tomorrow’s race. Because it will hurt I know that.

Driving to the race, I thought, I like racing if I go well, I don’t if I have a bad day at the running office. But that is the pay off isn’t? The risk you take by training hard and racing hard. If it was easy and every race was an automatic easy PR, and there was no risk of injury or mishap, then where would be the challenge in running?

The race. The race started on the beach, there were 73 starters. I started like I had lead in my feet. I felt a twinge in my achilles. Across the sand I find my self back in twenthieth position or worse. I know the first kilometres is mainly uphill to the Woolgoolga lighthouse. I’m cruising and I feel all the training I’ve put into my legs driving me along. In that first kilometre I move easily up into the top ten. I feel like I am really running. After the ligthouse the race turns downhill back into town. I am catching a tall young blonde fellow, wearing compressions tights. Out on the Lake road I run neck and neck with this gangly runner. Every time I try to past he surges on me. I go around the loop at the end of the lake and head back onto the biutmen back into town. I pass the young fellow, but he surges again. I try to imagine this is one of my tempo runs where I push the final kilometre. With a kilometre to go I hear the heavy breathing of someone coming up behind. A guy with a dark singlet and a tatoo on his shoulder goes past. There’s probably only 500 metres to go and I’m fighting hard. We go neck and neck along the footpath. I turn the corner and sprint the last 60 metres and beat the tatooed runner. The young blonde fellow is only 5 metres head.

The Wash up. I finished 9th/73 runners, 2 in my age group. My time was 20:34 for the 5km. This is also a old guys PR. At the presentation I win a lucky dip prize. I choose a 50 dollar massage voucher. I’ll need it with my achilles being a little tender. Looking out over the Pacific ocean, I think does it get better than that? How good is it to be able to run? And I am improving. On the drive home, I think to myself. I AM A RUNNER, that is who I am. It is one of the better parts of me. I give myself a pat on the back.

Three days in a row

That’s right. I ‘ve run the last three days. First time I have run on consecutive days since October last year.

Friday: 12km (64:37) (5:44, 5:32, 5:23, 5:26, 5:22, 5;27, 5:02, 5:21, 5:17, 5:24, 5:32, 5:05)  

Didn’t fade too badly the last 4 kilometres.

Saturday: 8km  (40:35) (5;38, 5:07, 4:58, 4:54, 4:53, 4:58, 5:06, 5:01)  Was planning a pool run, but felt fresh, so I decided on a land run. It turned out to be a moderate effort, without any injury ill effects. It was still like summer out there on the grassy field. There were people out line marking the soccer fields.  

Sunday: 16km (89:35) (5:51, 5:45, 5:22, 5:16, 5:20, 5:24, 5:24, 5:39, 5:27, 5:28, 5:30, 5:53, 5:55, 5:49, 6:17, 5:15).

Ten miles along Coffs Creek.

Slowed down the last 5km more than I would’ve liked. Considering that I didn’t eat dinner  and could hardly sleep after a stressful few days, it is no wonder that I slowed down on todays run. The situation has resolved postitively.  

I ran past one of the real gun local runners today, twice. She beats most of the blokes in the races she goes in.

Bundagen Littoral Rainforest

I spent the most enjoyable day out in the bush yesterday.

One of the sites was magic.

5km tempo run

8km 38:17 (5:18, 5:05, 4:27, 4:28, 4:25, 4:24, 4:17, 5:54)

The first two kilometres were a warm up, then I did 5km tempo, and one km to warm down.

I was very happy to get all the kms down under 4:30. I did the tempo 5km in 22:00.92. If I’d known I might have sprinted the last little bit to go under 22.

I pulled up pretty well afterwards. I have to say I didn’t really enjoy the tempo run. I much prefer the longer more comfortable runs of 12 to 16km that I have been doing.

In the Bongil Bongil Survey I recorded two threatened species. Rusty Plum and Slender Marsdenia. I didn’t any photos that day. It was really raining  heavily so I didn’t take the camera out with me.

Recent photos are of a common ghost crab and Brush Cherry.

Who knew?

My darling

who knew?

Pink

I like that song, it’s like she is singing to anyone who has gone through a private battle on their own.

Another 12km run this morning. That’s forty kilomteres in 5 days.  I went easy and comfortable until the halfway mark. I tried to push harder on the way back but didn’t speed up much at all. My calf felt a bit stiff and sore.

This evening there is no pain at all. And for the first time I feel like I could back up for another run tomorrow. I find that I really enjoy running at that comfortable pace.

12km 65:45 (5:50, 5:35, 5:25, 5:23, 5:23, 5:24, 5:18, 5:21, 5:37, 5:43, 5:33, 5:14)

 

Here is an iamge of me and the other contestants in the Woolgoolga 10 000. Jeez, I’m a daggy looking character.

Going long mid week

12km on the bicycle path this morning. It rained heavily overnight ruling a run on the grassy field out.

It was still cool and drizzly, conditions which I like.

12km 64:14 (5:26, 5:10, 5:10, 5:14, 5:17, 5:27, 5:12, 5:25, 5:41, 5:30, 5:20, 5:21)

A very evenly paced easy/moderate run.  

I think I am getting to the stage where I would be able to run on consecutive days. If they were both easy runs.

Tonight there is no pain in my calf/achilles. There is some stiffness in my left hand side quad.

Last night I did 15.5km on the exercise bike.

Last Sunday I did a 16km (93 minutes) on the grassy field. I slowed down very badly in the final 8km. The surface and the heat really knocks me around on that course.