ZONKED & VONKED

I don't need to look up the definition of self-indulgence to realise what that three day comedy cruise has given me. Fun at the time but WHOAH! what a hangover. I wasn't my complete self until Thursday this week and well - serves me right really. You put it out there, you pay the price.

So Mon - Wed were basically a write off. I wanted to take days off but as Tom hadn't paid up yet, I was still committed. After many many years of running and training hard, these instances of self-indulgence whilst may make me feel slightly guilty afterwards, really don't shift the balance too far in the whole scheme of things.

Post cruise: Mon/Tue/Wed - hungover basically. Still worked but feeling very lethargic and not at all interested in running.

Mon: 10km at who knows what pace. I'm probably still out there...........
Tue Mar 1st: 12km: Monna Fartlek. the same I have been doing for years in Cent Park. 2 laps of a 3.1km figure of 8 on grass in the middle of the park. Felt okay early on but faded as usual and ended up nudging 6.05km for the 20mins.
Wed Mar 2nd: AM: 5km slow Coogee coast plus ocean swim
          PM: 11km feeling dizzy / no energy. Felt like walking around the Bay. Supposed to run 15km, wanted to pull out at 2km so 11km was okay at 4:45 average in the end. At this stage - not racing Sat.
Thur Mar 3rd: AM: 8km with long time running client Jenny Q. Great hill session for her.
          PM: 7km along the coast. Decided to tempo it sort of at 3:55's for the quite undulating course with stairs and many many bikini clad South Americans to dodge. First world problem I know.
Fri Mar 4th: 7km bare minimum 30mins for basically a rest day. Who knows what tomorrow will offer up based on my crap preparation. But I've raced for years, so just turn up and let it flow. How hard could it be?????

Sat Mar 5th: NORTH HEAD STRIDERS 10KM:
A tough line up as we straddled the large speed hump that now acts as the official start line for what is the hardest of the many Nth Head incarnations of this supposedly fast course. I was up against Tom once again but also Barts, Neil, Lewis and Robin Vonk who I have been coaching now for well over a year. Was this to be the day where protégé beat coach? Would I hold him out and back up my recent 25km training tempo with a strong performance??

In short - 'computer says no'.



This Pic shows us moving through the 6km mark and the moment I drop off the strong moving pack.
Lewis would soon join me as the other four (Tom,Barts,Neil & Robin) gradually moved away from us. We had recorded 16:07 at the 5km mark (10secs slower than the garmin as usual up there) with Robin exclaiming to us all "that's a 5km PB". No applause from us but on the inside I was fascinated as to whether he would hold it.

The song ALL BY MYSELF comes to mind.

Robin and Neil battled it out right through to the finish as they trailed a fantastic 1st from Tom 32:27, and 2nd Barts 32:40. Robin ousted Neil in the last 400m to record yet another 26sec PB 32:59. I trailed Neil by 10 secs or so in 5th 33:17 which wasn't too bad considering the week I had had.

 

A happy Robin Vonk who is quite clearly on a fast track to further success after beating coach for the first time. Had I mentioned that yet?? I'll get over it.........

 

........eventually!

 

Of the top 7 runners in the 10km, 4 were in the 40-44 age group. Wow what an age group.

 

North Head is no longer easy. My 31:36 in June of 2008 feels like a parallel universe compared to today so start nominating me everyone for the HuRTs "living off past performances" award.

 

POST RACE:

 

 

A picture usually says a thousand words and these are fairly straight forward. Tom lost the bet for our continuous running streak, Tom finally paid his bet, and Tom enlisted some real emotional sympathy from some random guy behind us.

 

Sun Mar 6th: Easy 16km taper run with the SOTB crew. We cruised past the Mardi Gras after party trying to spot Timmy Lindop as we were worried about where he was. Apparently we found out he was further south doing a triathlon with a 9.3km finishing run.

 

The group was quite popular this morning. It's really the only day of the year where a bunch of skinny well maintained distance runners can be well appreciated by the general public. Even Enda in all is unfit glory received a few wolf whistles.

 

 This beer is for the hardened drinker. Tastes like a stout, offers up unsubtle smoked aromas and really delivers with a punch. Not one for my own taste but I could well see the attraction for those used to that indoor winter beer. 4/10.

 

I'm contemplating a day off tomorrow! Stay tuned.

 

CT