Having said that, the week started a little low as I found myself in the middle of the Coogee Bay Hotel 2-up pit for most of the afternoon. Good news is I came out ahead.
Mon 25th April: 12km quite slow around the beaches
Tue 26th: HuRTs 2 x 20min session. Ran these as a progressive for both mostly with Nick Roberts and a new Hurts member Jordy who runs very well. Managed to average 3:30 for the out (but this included running into a dead end at Mrs Macs chair and double back getting stuck behind everyone) then 3:23 on the way back. Total 18km incl warm up etc.
Wed 27th: 20km easy paced around the park. Last few kms home were a struggle energy wise. Approx 4:30-35pace
Thur 28th: AM: 8km easy to Maroubra and back.
PM: 14km incl 6x3min efforts (3:15 pace) with 30secs jog recovery between each.
Fri 29th: 13km steady - felt ok. 4:20's
Sat 30th: St. Peter's Park run. Ran over from the park with Ruth McGuiness who is running in great form at the moment. Good 8km warm up. The first few hundred metres is always a sprint of sorts but I found myself chasing a young guy up the first slight rise. Thinking I would tack on, I was surprised to see him surge so soon and gap me by 10metres. I went through 1km in 2:58 maybe 20m behind and thinking "that's it, it's on today". The fact he was so young (found out later he was 18yrs old) was motivating me and actually made me happy for the sport to see. I was there doing that seemingly yesterday (actually some 20yrs ago). Still I wasn't going to hand it to him. I started pulling him back as we approached the 2nd km which is always slower for some reason - 6:15 and maybe 10m behind again. We hit the big steep hill and he pushed away again opening up what would be a winning gap but I battled on and hit 3km in 9:40, 4km in 12:58 and this is where it always feels like you're running forever over that last km at St.Peters. It's a long drag up a slight hill and just a never ending last few hundred metres and again I was still a bit dismayed despite feeling stuffed, to have run a 3:30 to finish with 16:28. The young fella matched my course PB of 16:11.
Greta finished just over 19mins which is pretty solid and sets her up well enough for the Sydney 10km next week. Ruth was running her long run but still managed a 20:30 ish time so not bad inside a long run. Nick Roberts was doing the same and put down a 17:30 with Mike Litchwark not far behind. Other Rejoov Runners also out in force so well done Julie, Emma & Jo. Total for me 16.5km
Couldn't run Sat afternoon as I played Golf. Thought about running the par 5 and counting it as mileage for a second though.
Sun May 1st: Met the Rejoov and HuRTs crew at Narrabeen Lake in the midst of a thunderstorm but not a lot of rain. The weather was actually quite nice for a few laps of the 8.5km lake I had run the week before. Deano and Jules turned up, Pete Walker and family, Belinda and Phil, Mark Ashworth, Brucey Lambert, Greta of course, Renaud, Jeet, and Michael - another HuRTs member who had seen my illegal email sent out a few days prior.
Well the runs of the day went to Bruce Lambert and Julia in my book with Mark Ashworth a very close 3rd. Bruce was setting the pace early and never gave it up. We brought it down quickly under 4:30's then under 4:20's and eventually averaging 4:14 for the 3 full laps. He even managed to pull away over the last lap with the bit between his teeth. Hope his legs have recovered ok. Mark, Julia and I finished soon after with Jules continuing to make up a few extra kms which I also needed to reach 130km but couldn't due to commitments with my mate/babysitter who was waiting for us. Better to run a solid 25.5km at all than nothing so I finish the week with 127km (close enough).
Sydney 10km next week but I am hoping to still run close to 130km including this race. Big track session tonight with Eloise which is making me nervous already.
Beer of the week: Anchor Steam Pale Ale (San Francisco)
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