resting

Not much writing of much late, because there has been no running of late. I've wanted to rest my achilles as much as possible, just keep off it, with a hope that a couple of weeks rest (and perhaps a trip to the doctor) will start to see it right, rather than trying to run through it.

Here's hoping.

Nothing much else to report at this stage unfortunately.

the proverbial broken record

Let's get one, fairly simple thing straight before we go any further with this running blog thing.

I'm dumb.

I'm not unintelligent, at least I don't think I am. But as a runner, as someone who should know better and chooses not to - I'm a bonafide, grade A moron.

I know I have sore achilles, and I know this because my tag cloud to the right has the word 'achilles' in a font size three times bigger than any other. I also know it because my calves are quite sore two days after a long run, and because when I tried to do a speed session this morning, I struggled and had to cut it short early. I know because every running stride on my right hand side causes me to realise that my achilles is pulling a little.

At least I cut my run this morning short and didn't run through the pain. Well, I mean, I did run through the pain for 1km, but at least I stopped after that. Well, I mean, I ran a little on the way home, but that's not really running now, is it?

There is something strange about the human condition that allows/encourages us to ignore things that we know are simply bad for us. Like eating a cheeseburger. I run, even when I know I shouldn't - I just do it anyway. And what's possibly worse is that i know its bad for me. And yet, persistence is a virtue apparently. Part of it is not allowing weakness to creep in. You know the voice. "If you don't run today, all of your work from before will be undone" - if you can imagine the voice in a cheesy 50's sitcom ghost voice, all the better for you.

I will go and see a sports doctor. I will at least try to convince myself that running 11km on Wednesday if I am not 100% is a bad idea.

Then again, I'll probably just run anyway.

technical difficulties

Today was one of those days that I planned to go one way, and ended up going another. Not that uncommon I suppose, but when you are planning to go for a jog, you don't really expect it to deviate *too* far from plan. Right?


The run itself was not too bad, not great, but fairly average. Truth is, I can't really say whether it was a good run or not, owing to issues that I had with my iPhone app - RunKeeper. I think that I ran around the 20km mark, though I'll never really know for sure I suppose. And it doesn't really matter either.


My first issue came when E called from New York to tell me that she had landed (this wasn't an issue mind, I just want to make that clear). I now know that if your phone rings while you are running, the application suspends its GPS and ceases timing. I had managed to run about 1km in the time that I was speaking to E, so that was a fair chunk missing right there.


When I re-started the activity on the application, it then decided not to play music for me any more, and my headphones simultaneously conked out, so I could barely hear the application prompting me for distances and paces. Which meant that I was basically running with my phone for no reason at this stage.


Periodically I would take the phone from my arm to check distances in order to ensure that I ran around the 21.1km that I had intended to run, and that worked to a degree. At around the 17km mark however (a time at which I was tracking ahead of schedule to run a PB for the Half Marathon distance), I must have stopped the application, because it ceased timing again. 


So I don't have an accurate timing or distance measure for this morning, which made me kind of cranky; but it was user error I suppose. My achilles are feeling a bit sore now that I've had the chance to have a bath, stretch and Dencorub up a bit. My hips were quite sore as I was running, which is just another thing to keep an eye on. 


Strength session tomorrow, but beers in the meantime at the folks place.






Extra note: If to prove my point; I have a somewhat sore throat from screaming at my computer, owing to the difficulty in posting the map above. Technology hates me today. I'm not going anywhere near the washing machine. Sounds like a good excuse to me.

the bus that couldn't slow down

Great run this morning; feeling fantastic, and for the first time in a long while for this blog, I don't have to tag the word 'achilles', because it didn't cause any problems at all during the run today. (or do i have to tag it now that i have mentioned it?)


Today was the fastest run I have done since I began training, which I think reflects the faster pace I have been running recently. I jumped in the car and headed down to 'The Tan', a running track encircling the Botanic Gardens here in Melbourne. It is the place to go if you are a runner in Melbourne - the track record has been held by some amazing runners, including my two running heros, Steve Monaghetti and Craig Mottram. 


It was great if no other reason than to run with others surrounding me. I was able to focus on a couple of runners ahead and pace based on them, catching some and losing others. It was great just to be in a group running without the relative pain.


And today was just a medium paced 6km to set me up for tomorrow's 20km long run. I would usually use that as an opportunity to run down to Mrs S's parents place (also known as E's parents place), but since E is jet setting her way to New York as I write, I haven't yet worked out where I am going to head tomorrow.

country town running

So, the problem with running in a country town is that, well, there's not much of it. I ran up and down the main strip of a town in New South Wales called Cooma this morning, and still had a few kilometres to make up, so I had to zig and zag through side streets in order to make up the distance. It was tricky, I gotta say.

Not a bad run, my achilles is still a bit sore, but not really too bad. I've reached a stage where I think I'll have to go and see a sports physio or something. 10km this morning though, and I really wanted to run it slow in order to preserve my energy for my first back-to-back 6km/20km coming up this weekend. I had also read on Cool Runnings, a spectacular Australian running messageboard about the benefits of running below goal pace. So I ran it at about 1:00/km slower than my goal pace, which felt comfortable pretty much all of the way, except when I encountered a few hills that made life a bit tricky.

All in all, a pretty comfortable run, though I really need to get this achilles sorted, because I am starting to sound like a broken record.

speed, speed, cepat!

First speed session this morning of the program, and I'm feeling pretty good. It took a bit to get going this morning (tying up your shoe laces with your eyes half open - always comedy gold), but once I did I felt pretty good. Pain was relocating all over my body though, moving from my chest (felt like woodpeckers were going to work on my breastplate) to my calves, to (surprise, surprise) my achilles, and even a recurrance of my old compartment syndrome symptoms. Fun and games.

I did four sets of 1500m at 80% intensity with a 500m jog in between this morning, and felt good to know at the end that I had run that intensity at above my 10km pace. I had meant to run at around the 5:10/km pace, and ended up running what looks like on average to be around low 4:50/km pace - a quicker pace than I have clocked through any of my running so far.

I was also silly enough (as you can see below) to include a slight inclining hill into my intervals, which made it tough finishing - but rewarding.

So, a day of stretching and resting, then another day off tomorrow, before my medium run 10km on Thursday. I'm travelling with work tomorrow, so I'll get to go-a-running in new surroundings on Thursday. Very exciting.

Power!

First day of the training schedule today, and feeling pretty good early on. I did some 'strength' training this morning in the lounge room of our unit; mainly body weight exercises like planks, squats and push ups. It was good, but my technique for calf raises needs some serious work.

My achilles was feeling fine until yesterday afternoon when I was sprinting down pit straight at the end of the Australian Grand Prix; I felt it grab a bit. I am still optimistic that it will be fine for tomorrow's speed session, but if it isn't, then the rest and rehab will have to continue for a little while longer.

Also discovered that adding milk to my post run protein shakes tastes much, much better than water. Plus, milk makes it look less like a glass of poo-water.

Anyway, until tomorrow when I am back on the trail...

Note: I finally got around to changing the title from 'From Nobby Hill to Nea Bakri', to 'From Prestons to Pallini' - bringing it in line with the change of marathon schedule. New image to follow when I get around to it.

All systems are go...nearly.

Quick post, because I have a busy Sunday ahead - but I did a short 3km run this morning which was supposed to be 6km, but I abandoned it in order to preserve my achilles. It didn't hurt, I just felt aware of it more than usual, so decided to take the cautious route and give it a rest. 


I have a strength session tomorrow morning and then another run on Tuesday; officially beginning my running program. Here's hoping the achilles feels ok.

the eternal wait

Short post today, because no running to speak of. Today was day o' other sports, as I watched my insipid Melbourne Demons get flogged against Hawthorn (Scully and Trengove highlights), and then watched Red Bull Racing go 1-2 on the grid in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.


I'm planning at the moment to have a 20 minute jog tomorrow in order to check the status of my achilles, just to ensure I don't really hurt myself. It feels ok, but pulls a little bit when I jog in non-running shoes.


Here's hoping.


I'm really enthused with running right now, particularly as I gazed up at the 1956 Olympic honour roll at the MCG today, and found myself staring at the Marathon winner, a French guy who I forget the name of.


A man can dream.

Break.

It has been a hectic past couple of days in the brain of mine; so much so that I even managed to forgo running and blogging for a whole 48 hours. Things have changed yet again, as I have withdrawn from the running coach thing - it is just not the right time for it unfortunately.

I figure that it will just make the end achievement all the better; done by myself with no help. I know I can do it, now I just need to go out and do it.

Which is difficult right now, and has been for the past couple of days as I have limped as I go. My achilles has taken a couple of days to settle down, and I want to give it a couple more before I hit the road again. I am going to devise a schedule to run to, and aim to be fit and fighting in time for the M7.

Here's hoping.

If it's not one thing...

it's another.

So, i've finally managed to overcome the tightness of the hamstrings and calves, yet lo and behold...my achilles is quite sore. I rested it for a couple of days, and did a very casual 40 minute run this morning, but I had to ice and raise it once I got to work, so it's not looking particularly exciting at this stage.

On the positive side though, I love that I have again reached the stage whereby a 40 minute, 7km run is 'easy' and a relaxing session. I felt good, a little heavy in the legs, but good nonetheless, and feel like I am progressing quite well. Now that I have a new marathon in my sights, I am just itching to get out and run, and frustrated at this bloody achilles!

I also broke new running ground for myself this morning by trying a protein supplement to help repair muscles and generally up my protein intake. I tried the supplement with water, which unfortunately made the glass I was drinking from look like it was full of shit water. Furthermore, it tasted like shit water (I am aware of the fact that it sounds like I know what shit water tastes like), so I will have to try perhaps a milk based product next time. I rushed to get some cereal afterwards to get the taste out.

                     Above: Said poo water.

Another couple of days off I think, and then short run Friday, followed by 1 hour on Saturday.

The times, they are er, becoming quite different.

I love that Mayor Quimby quote.


So, my running world has indeed been flipped upside down somewhat in the past 24-48 hours. I've changed tack and decided to *not* do the 2010 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, owing to financial reasons. Instead, I will be having a crack at the 2010 Westlink M7 Cities Marathon in Sydney. This, in the least, means I need to find another two places in both Sydney and Greece which begin with the same letter in order to continue the positively delightful alliteration. 


I've also gone all out, and joined a running group. I'll be working with the team at Sporting Spirit in order to not only make my goal distance, but do it in less than 4 hours. I've got two sessions a week (I hope) - a speed session in the city (at a relatively famous running track known as 'The Tan') on Tuesdays with a group, and then long runs on Sundays with another group, changing locations from week-to-week. It's very exciting, they're writing me up a training program with strength work, and intervals - here's hoping.


I'm also aiming to run the Geelong Half Marathon on the 11th April in order to tune up for M7. Which, again, costs money, so its all making me very poor.


And to top it all of, my achilles is still quite sore from Sunday's run, so here's hoping two days of rest will enable it to stand up to an easy run tomorrow morning. Here's hoping.


The times, they are becoming quite different!

*twwwwwang*

Back at the work desk for another week, plugging away, attempting to not spend money as much as possible. *sigh* This is what I have become.

Do you want the good news or the news that is not terrible, but hardly good? Good news? Ok - my calves and hamstrings feel great! The three sets of stretches that I did yesterday afternoon really did the trick, so it's nice to know that one more issue is (somewhat) out of the way. The other news is that my right achilles tendon is pretty sore, and the rear side of both of my groins are a bit tender. I swear to god; if it isn't one thing it is another!

I tried some Musashi recovery energy drink yesterday which was lemon flavoured (and encouraged an old lady at our local shopping centre to give me a long winded speech on how much she prefers lemon flavoured soft drink to coke - joy.), and that didn't seem to have much effect. Nothing that a good hearty dinner and a troubled sleep couldn't fix, as far as I'm concerned.

Also a little disappointed that despite a number of handy runs coming up (Sri Chamoy Williamstown, Great Ocean Road Half Marathon, Geelong Half Marathon) in the next month, I'm not going to be able to run them owing to lack of funds. I can achieve the same goal by running the streets of Prahran, but it would just be nice to run a competitive run, since I haven't run one since late 2008, and I'm itching to get back into it.

Anyway, wasted enough work time now - back to it.

Sunday is Funday.

Sunday is long, slow run day - the best running day of the week. It's the time for breaking distance barriers, pushing myself, and, most of all, having more than a little bit of time to get into my own head and just get out there and run. Today was great.

Today was my 90 minute run according to the program I am using, and I went 16.01km at an average pace of 5:48/km, though this would have been much higher had I not run a 7:09 last kilometre. Stop lights are the bane of my running existence, and I got whacked with a particularly big one during my last kilometre. Seemingly, my iPhone application didn't pick up on me jogging back and forth and just kept the clock running. Oh well.

The most important thing I suppose to me today was that though I am aiming to run at a marathon pace of 6:00/km, I quite comfortably ran at around 5:45/km for the majority of the distance without feeling the need to lift up or slow down. It felt great. I really feel right now that a sub-4 hour marathon is within grasp, even though I know I have a long way to go (about 26 kilometres!).

Injury watch went well, with the only issue being that the calves were quite tight over the first few kilometres, but settled down after that. By the end, I was cruising, and could have gone for a fair bit more, but after my adventures during the week with running hard, I didn't want to push the risk of an injury. So, smart running will get me to the finish line at Southport - not hard running.

I also stepped up another gear in my running craziness by buying some protein powder from a health food shop to help with recovery. I'm so lucky to have such a supporting wife (who should be being supported by me, given she is doing a Master of Arts by research), who insists that I buy things like protein powder and looks after my nutrition. I'm a lucky, lucky guy.

Tried something new with the music situation today, to assist in avoiding any more white guy rap moments that may cause some further undue embarrassment. I went with a bit of movie score action for early on in the run (the first 5km), opting for 'The Gladiator Suite' by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and then 'Duel Of The Fates' by the indefatigable (great word) John Williams. Worked well, and 'All These Things I've Done' by The Killers also went down great. I'm starting to get my music groove well and truly spot on.

I'm disappointed to say that I won't be undertaking any competition runs any time over the next three weeks or so, owing to lack of funds. I really wanted to run the Canberra Half Marathon, or perhaps even the Geelong Half Marathon - but it looks like I am going to be dirt poor over the next few weeks, so I shall behave myself instead.

Well, the next week shapes up to be rest week according to the program, so I have to resist the urge to push on, lest I hurt myself. Sunday 6th June is what it is all about in this training, I can't wait to go the 3 hours (which at my current pace will be around 32km) and be ready for this thing.

*snore*

I'm listening to an immensely boring lecture at home today, resting and relaxing before my long, slow run tomorrow, which at this stage looks like will be to Monash University.

I'm happy to say that my right hamstring has calmed down significantly today, which is great news. My theory is that the rest and ice was good for it, and it was just a matter of time. Ellie thinks it is because we had a bottle of wine and a beer last night. Both are just as likely to be right.

I also discovered a blog called 'Run Like Crazy', located here. He is running 52 marathons in 52 cities in 52 weeks; it's great stuff that I would never have thought to do. A fantastic achievement at the end to tell your kids about.

I'm going to go back to trying not to nod off on the couch, and keep thinking about how much I am looking forward to this run tomorrow.

What this is about.

I know. One more.

This is what its about. It occurred to me while watching the video above that I have never said to anyone why I'm doing it. It's so I can tell myself I can. I want to push my body to the limit, then go further. I want to feel the pain, put myself in that place where I have to make the decision whether or not I will go any further - and then do it. I am running for the t-shirt, the medal, the right to say - I did it. Not for anyone else. For me.

Ye Olde McMillan

I promised myself I wouldn't post twice in one day, particularly early on - I know that I won't be able to keep this up as the running goes on. But I wanted to record this. I've been looking at the McMillan Running calendars recently to track where I am at approximately on my marathon time, and worked out that I will (apparently) need to run a 51:00 10km in order to break 4:00 for the marathon. *phew* This is going to be a struggle.

p.s my hamstring feels better. Sunday looking good.

Dencorub on face.

I'm currently sitting at my desk at work with tea towel full of semi-frozen ice cubes under my right hamstring. I think I may have progressed from 'tight' to full blown 'strain' this morning, and with a (hopeful) 1 hour 30 minute run on Sunday to come before week o' resting, I'd like to be up for it.

I set my alarm for 5:55am last night, with a hope that I would roll out of bed in a sprightly manner, whack on the shoes and bound down the round with the vigour of an 8 year old on his way to football training. Alas, it was not meant to be, and while I staggered out of bed ok, I didn't leave until 6:25, owing to my iPhone deciding to be retarded and not sync up with my computer in a remotely timely fashion. (Visual: I am now stroking my iPhone gently so it doesn't think I don't love it anymore).

I was very proud of my run this morning, less for what I did, and more for what I didn't do. I had my PB time for 10km in the back of my head for most of the run this morning, and ran the first 7km or so as if I were trying to break it. At that stage however, it occurred to me that I am training to run 42.2km, not 10km, and backed off to a more reasonable pace. I am still running a fair way above my 'marathon' pace of 6mins/km, in order to finish under 4 hours (I'm running at around the 5:35/km mark pretty consistently over the 8-10km range) which is nice, but not the be all and end all. I will break that 10km (that I set at the Nike Human Race in my first fun run nearly two years ago) in the course of training, but it doesn't have to be this week.

In the meantime, I reassure myself with the knowledge that someone on the streets of Melbourne this morning most likely got a view of a pasty, short, bald man in a singlet rapping out loud about the vagaries of life being a Maori rapper from South Auckland, confused by my enthusiasm for 'representing my crew'.

Word.

You can't spell 'rest' without...'r...est.' Dammit.

Rest day today, and boy my body is glad for it. Ellie and I went for respective massages last night, so I got the backs of my legs hammered for 20 minutes by some girl in a strange hat. My shins feel much better today, as do my hamstrings, but my calves are still a bit tight. I've still got until tomorrow morning for the calves to calm down a bit, so we'll see how I feel.

I've also been surfing around blogger, trying to find like minded, running individuals - the closest I have come so far is a bunch of blogs about cats. Hmm.
(apparently, to buy a siamese cat is to buy a 'real' cat. I'm sure my family's moggie will appreciate being known as a fake cat.)

And the middle toe on my right foot is still a bit sore, but recovering. It will get better in time.

I bought the April 2010 edition of Runner's World today at the newsagent, which officially means that I am back where I was in 2008 when I was madly hurtling towards the Melbourne Half Marathon. There is some good information in there, mainly about nutrition and injury prevention; two things I am not particularly adept at.

Anyway, 50 minutes to report on tomorrow, at an easy, around 6mins/km rate. Hopefully.

Run - 17th March, 40 mins

This was really irritating to do, because I had to copy a URL into the blog page. *sigh* We'll see if it works, and if it does, we'll see if I do it again.

In the beginning.

If you've come this far, it means that you have most probably done one of two things:

1. Read all of the (hopefully entertaining) posts above in reverse order to find out how the story began.
2. Scrolled down to the bottom to see how the story began because of some kind of possibly perverse need to see things in order.

Either way, I have to say - thank you, but, really? It's probably not that interesting.

The title of my blog is 'From Nobby Beach to Nea Bakri', which is because I am hoping by the end of 2010, to have run two marathons. Which is two more than I have currently run. I am hoping to run the Gold Coast Airport Marathon in July (hence Nobby Beach), and then run the 2500th anniversary Athens Marathon in late October (and Nea Bakri). Neither of those places are major markers on either of the marathons, I'm just a big fan of alliteration in titles.

I hope to list my trials and tribulations here in this blog, tracking the ups and downs of the experience, so that at the end I can select all of the entries, paste them into a Word document and print them off to be placed in a box somewhere at home. Don't ask me why I don't just write into a Word document. I wanted to start a blog, ok?

I began running in earnest last week to prepare, about 16 weeks or so out from the Gold Coast. While it may seem a short preparation period, I felt I had a pretty good base, since I have just returned from time spent hiking in the Himalayas, so it's not like I've been sitting at home eating potato chips.

I ran about 15km last weekend, and I've done two 40 minute sessions over the last two days. I ran 7.8km for both runs, and felt pretty good, though not great. One involved a PB for 5km (25:20), which I was very proud of this morning. I'm hoping to crack 25 minutes for 5km, so I'm pretty close.

I also want to document an injury watch - I've had problems with possible compartment syndrome in the past, so I want to keep an eye on it. I figure this is a good way. This morning's run was pretty good (a rare occurance), although I am very tight in the hamstrings and calves, so I may head off and get a massage later this week. I also have a blood blister under my right foot, middle toe-nail, which has actually grown so big that it is peeking out of the side of my toe-nail. My wife, Ellie popped it for me last night and put some disinfectant on it. Now that, my friends, is love.

Well, I think this will suffice for the time being. I have a rest day tomorrow, then 50 minute run on Friday to round the working week out. I feel great, I'm loving the run, and feel confident that I can pull this off. For now.