Monday, 13th May

Less sleep than previous nights after making the mistake of staying up for another F1 bore fest at the Spanish GP. As big a fan as I’ve been for decades, at this rate I’ll struggle to justify watching the remaining races live this season into the early hours of a Monday morning.

I circulated Dendy Park for a few tours, struggling to get out of first gear but in no hurry to push myself with all the hard work behind me.

AM

13.05 km – 1:00:12 @ 4:37/km

 

Tuesday, 14th May

I felt quite tired following work so I got straight into it, and with the quads lethargic as they’ve been for a few days, I was again content to coast along and tick the legs over.

PM

12.80 km – 1:00:03 @ 4:41/km

 

Wednesday, 15th May

There was a slight jump in pace to ensure I don’t become too accustomed to life in the slow lane, but it wasn’t anything onerous at any point.

It’s definitely becoming difficult to roll out with little on the cards, at this stage, I just want Sunday to arrive!

AM

13.55 km – 1:00:02 @ 4:26/km

 

Thursday, 16th May

Nothing to see today as I wound down the time on feet for a very processional fifty minutes.

Pleasingly, my quads aren’t feeling any lethargy after a few days of sluggishness, so they’re coming good at the right time.

AM

11.03 km – 50:19 @ 4:34/km

 

Friday, 17th May

It was a struggle to roll out of bed in some very fresh conditions.

As a result, it was difficult to find a rhythm between going fast to keep warm and the heart rate struggling to rise.

Despite that, I got into gear for some thirty second strides around 2:50 pace that felt tougher than they would have been otherwise.

The chill aside, I won’t complain if these conditions are on hand Sunday!

I pre-prepared a bolognese sauce for tomorrow evening to conclude the carb loading, whilst not holding back on the snacks through the day.

AM

9.35 km – 40:02 @ 4:17/km

 

Saturday, 18th May

I maximised time in bed ahead of tomorrow’s early rise, aided by chilling conditions similar to yesterday – “feels like 3 degrees” was all the incentive I needed!

Unlike yesterday however, I was able to feel in the groove much quicker, so when it came to another block of thirty second strides – this time just the four, I felt sharp.

The pace was closer to 2:40, and I’m definitely feeling the leg turnover is much more fluid than it was a few days ago.

Should conditions replicate itself tomorrow, there’ll be cause for genuine confidence!

I spent the afternoon whipping up banana bread as part of the carb loading, prior to settling in for Collingwood vs St Kilda over nachos doused in cheese.

Once again, the Pies were sloppy and under siege in defence. They managed to see off the Saints’ advances in the final term to make the result look like a blowout, when the reality is that there’s much improvement in store. Missing several players has to be accounted for, making it even more difficult to gauge what their ceiling is.

In addition to the generous serving of spaghetti bolognese, I chucked in a stick of garlic bread, which I proceeded to devour in its entirety. Fair to say I was bursting at the seams following this! I couldn’t have done any more to prepare in this regard.

I spent the rest of the evening taking stock of the surprise election outcome before turning in just after 9, lights out around an hour later, with the alarm set for 3:45.

AM

6.90 km – 30:03 @ 4:21/km

 

Sunday, 19th May

There were no struggles in adhering to the first alarm, and I was in a relaxed state of mind.

A coffee (my first in almost a fortnight – having trialled caffeine abstinence in the lead in to the race for a heightened effect) and peanut butter on toast, got the bowel moving as intended.

Mark Berry, who kindly offered to escort Dion and I to Lorne, arrived at 4:40, and once Dion surfaced minutes later, we hit the road.

Considerable fog once we reached the other side of Melbourne made for an interesting journey, though we were making good time as discussion centred on anything but the task at hand.

We arrived at Lorne almost exactly two hours after departing, some 70 minutes ahead of the start, allowing plenty of time to shake out the legs.

Another toilet stop and a ten minute warm up comprising of two 30 second strides had me switched on and in a very calm mindset.

I made my way to the start line, and after keeping an eye out for any familiar faces with some brief chatter, Dion and I wished each other well as we awaited the go ahead.

The immediate countdown was as relaxed as I’ve ever felt, and in many ways this manifested in my ultimate result.

A quick wave to Mark for the camera once we rounded the top of the ramp before he made his way inland to reach Apollo Bay (along with fulfilling other duties!), and it was underway.

I settled into an early third place with several others for company, and with five previous visits here, I wasn’t too concerned with protecting this position so early.

Thus, I was unconcerned when I fell to sixth within a kilometre despite maintaining pace at 3:34, as I kept those ahead in immediate sight.

Regardless, it did seem to take a while for me to find a rhythm – reflected in my heart rate, which took until the sixth kilometre to reach 160 bpm, and it was no coincidence that this was when I first felt truly comfortable.

I was soon fifth, and after a few kms biding my time riding out some of the early climbs – the eighth in particular, at 44 metres elevation (spiking my HR beyond 170, where it would remain for the balance of the morning), I eased into fourth.

By this point, third place had edged quite clear, 200 metres at minimum, so I was uncertain what my chances of reeling this gap in were. Which is what made it very satisfying.

I was also dealing with mild stomach cramping, so I had a bit of a balancing act to consider for a while. Pleasingly, this subsided around the ten mile mark and largely didn’t return other than a few fleeting moments late in the piece.

The constant rolling nature of the course made it difficult to grasp how much inroads I was making, but surely and steadily, I grew noticeably closer.

Consistent pace between the fifteenth and twenty second km, entering the back half of the race – ranging from 3:30 to 3:35, not that I was counting at the time, only taking a referential glance every fifth km, meant I was probably now within 50 metres of third.

What surprised me most was how much ground I gained on the descents, with dual drops around 40 metres at 25 and 28 km both registering 3:21, by which stage I was almost ready to make my move.

Following up with a 3:22 provided me with the impetus to strike, and if anything, I gained a second wind as I reclaimed the position.

My pace never reached those levels again whilst remaining steady, and everything was going swimmingly until the 37th km, when I seemed to hit a wall – also quite literally, as a headwind which wasn’t on the reservation made itself known.

It was also around this stage that I encountered the greater portion of half marathoners, and in equal measure between invaluable moral support from their cheers, and weaving around and between them, I was expending precious energy in the process.

I’d go so far to say that the final 8.5 km felt as long as the first 36. Everything really slowed from this point, and so it was by the 40th km that I dropped below 4:00 pace for the first time.

It was at this point that I became certain that I’d find myself falling down the field, yet I resisted the urge to take a glance behind and allow fate to run its’ course.

What felt like 5:00 kilometres amounted to 4:14 at its slowest, unlike previous years where I’d basically fallen off the map at this stage, so I had that going for me.

Soon after, I passed the marathon distance checkpoint to the sight of 2:34, and whilst the reading was short and my official time was a 2:35, it still represented a five minute PB and a ten minute course PB.

That was one obstacle down, but the familiar dread of needing to negotiate the final two kilometres was palpable.

I remained shocked that I maintained 4:10 pace to 44 km, as the finish line became visible. Even at this late stage, I was fully prepared to be demoted to fourth and potentially even fifth.

For some reason, I decided to put it all on the line, even if it meant collapsing metres short.

Until I entered the main concourse, there remained every possibility of this coming to pass, but the cheers which multiplied, coupled with the speakers announcing my arrival, provided me with a pivotal final incentive to will myself over the line.

I was in equal states of relief – that it was over, and disbelief – that I was third, as I stopped my watch and almost immediately into the path of a beaming Mark (who had his own tales to tell) for a jubilant embrace.

As soon as I stopped to consider what had just occurred and greeted Dion – who came home behind a victorious Nick Earl, I was gripped by a hefty bout of nausea and needed to get off my feet.

I was in zombie mode after that and waiting around for the ceremony, I had seen better days, but it had all been worthwhile for the result.

Five years after my first visit here, six and a half years after my first marathon and at my fifteenth overall, it was a surreal feeling to be called to the podium.

I know I was fortunate to catch a day where some established runners from past editions weren’t on hand, so it was great to capitalise, who knows when another opportunity might present itself?

Beyond that, it was vindication for putting the time in and embracing the grind which can sometimes feel difficult to justify.

On a personal level, this result instils belief that a sub 2:30 isn’t off the cards with a little more work, whilst anything else that comes my way like today is a bonus.

We made our eventual departure after a brief stop at a bakery, though I wasn’t in shape to contemplate food yet, instead opting for a Coke (which I wouldn’t touch any other time) to settle my stomach.

Despite this, some beverages were purchased for the trek home, with the ever hospitable Mark possessing the foresight to have an esky on hand.

Poor guy, we learned that he only had time to manage five kilometres once he reached Apollo Bay before having to blitz to the finish line in time to catch Dion and I.

Then that he kindly shipped some hapless foreign marathon participants’ gear on the journey, these individuals apparently nowhere near the start line after the race was underway when all of this transpired!

After a 20 minute wait for the main road to open, we were on our way, as taking in the final marathoners futile attempts to beat the pick up bus provided a sobering sight.

It took what seemed like record time to down my first beer as my stomach continued to languish, though it flowed much more freely once I reached my second.

Despite the fatigue setting in, the three hour journey passed quickly as everybody dissected the morning and pondered what lay ahead in the future.

We reached my place at 5:45. That’s some day that commenced thirteen hours earlier, and to consider that Mark, who now had to get himself home, was at the wheel for around nine of those, it was a sterling effort in its own right.

I can’t express how grateful I am for the ride and the support Mark! I hope to return the favour someday!

Dion and I congratulated each other once more before going our separate ways.

I had finally regained my appetite, so pizza (devoured in barely ten minutes) alongside an Italian red was a nice reward for the day’s toils!

The weariness came upon me fairly swiftly once I reclined on the couch, and by 9:30 I’d had enough.

I retreated to bed extremely content with a day that delivered big breakthroughs which have me steeled to take the next step.

AM

2.21 km – 10:02 @ 4:32/km

RACE: Great Ocean Road Marathon

44.5 km – 2:44:45 @ 3:42/km

42.2 km – 2:35:23

Max HR: 191 bpm. Avg: 172 bpm

Max Cadence: 204 spm. Avg: 176 spm

DAILY TOTAL

46.71 km

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

That box ticked, the clock is already counting down on Gold Coast, so a recovery week will give way to a concise block of training and the thrill of the chase will be upon me once more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 5th May

A final evening of birthday weekend imbibing on Sunday evening post work had taken its toll, so there were no expectations from today’s running.

That said, I was pleased to be well enough to make it out again in the afternoon.

AM

13.31 km – 1:00:00 @ 4:30/km

PM

6.54 km – 30:02 @ 4:35/km

DAILY TOTAL

19.85 km

 

Tuesday, 7th May

Trying to regain a semblance of a normal sleeping cycle, I failed in my effort to rise on the 6.30 alarm, although I was still up much earlier than previous days.

Despite remaining far from my best on the back of the indulgements, I was determined to get the most out of the final workouts before fully embracing the taper.

The first three 1 km reps were uncomfortable as I hovered around mid to low 3:20 pace, yet I found my groove into the back half.

Coming home with a 3:18 and a 3:12 remained slightly surprising, though it was the sustained pace on the threshold which I felt good enough to have a crack at, that I took more from.

Following a five minute recovery from the reps, I dug in on legs which were displaying signs of fatigue, so registering another 3:12 and rounding it out with a respectable 3:19 and 3:25 with nothing left in the tank was satisfying.

My heart rate reached a level it rarely has in the past, and again – on the back of the weekend drinks, it was a reassuring effort that preparations are on track for GOR.

A slightly faster shakeout completed a decent day detoxing from the alcohol.

AM

WORKOUT

6 x 1 KM ON A 5″ CYCLE INTO 10″ THRESHOLD

20.06 km – 1:17:20 @ 3:51/km

Fastest KM: 3:12

Max HR: 193 bpm. Avg: 168 bpm

Max Cadence: 193 spm. Avg: 175 spm

PM

6.10 km – 27:56 @ 4:35/km

DAILY TOTAL

26.16 km

 

Wednesday, 8th May

No midweek ‘long’ in any sense with the early start at work, regardless of being in quasi taper mode, I teed up with Dion for an easy hour ahead of his trip north – supporting Mario from last month’s Challenge (half) Triathlon, at a lazy double triathlon ‘Ultraman’ event this weekend…

Token shakeout post-work kept the legs spinning, I’m looking forward to ticking tomorrow off and the taper can sink in.

AM

14.05 km – 1:03:13 @ 4:30/km

PM

6.15 km – 27:57 @ 4:32/km

DAILY TOTAL

20.20 km

 

Thursday, 9th May

A minor sleep in continuing to recoup hours from the weekend wasn’t the end of the world, though the calves had pulled up slightly tender from Tuesday.

Nevertheless, as the final intended workout prior to locking down for GOR, I pushed forward to end preparations on a positive note.

Following a battle to cross Beach Rd, I made the most of the tailwind towards Sandringham, fully aware of what was in store once I commenced my reps on turnaround.

I’d outlined eight sets of two minutes on with a minute recovery, and courtesy of the resistance, I felt like I’d completed the lot after just two – each at 3:18 pace!

That was as good as it got, yet I was satisfied to struggle through the full workout, having seriously contemplated curtailing the session post fifth and sixth reps.

The two minutes on the final rep couldn’t have come any sooner, and with it, a relief that I won’t be putting myself out of my comfort zone for another ten days.

I remained 50/50 on a shakeout, ultimately deciding to give myself to the taper and afford the calves the benefit of the doubt, with nothing to be gained here on.

AM

WORKOUT

8 x 2 MINS ON/1 MIN OFF

18.06 km – 1:13:39 @ 4:05/km

Fastest KM: 3:31. Fastest Split: 3:18 (0.61 km)

Max HR: 191 bpm. Avg: 164 bpm

Max Cadence: 190 spm. Avg: 171 spm

 

Friday, 10th May

I felt well rested having skipped yesterday’s afternoon session, whilst conditions couldn’t have been more ideal.

The downpour had neutralised the wind, so it took no effort to roll along without being punished.

My intended shakeout was abandoned once the downpour resumed in the afternoon, though at this point, less is more so it was probably a blessing.

AM

16.11 km – 1:13:33 @ 4:34/km

 

Saturday, 11th May

Early rise for a pre-work effort, I was surprised that it wasn’t as cool out as it seemed the previous evening.

It amounted to sixty minutes at a moderate progression, with some mild quad latency that will appreciate the continued wind down.

I returned from work in time to catch the final term of Collingwood vs Carlton, and for a while it seemed that the Blues were set to cause a boilover.

The Magpies’ experience prevailed as they overturned a deficit with six minutes remaining, in another performance far from their best – which could be ominous.

Bolstered by the success, I trotted out thirty minutes afterwards in what will be my final double until GOR.

AM

13.60 km – 1:00:06 @ 4:25/km

PM

6.50 km – 30:13 @ 4:39/km

DAILY TOTAL

20.10 km

 

Sunday, 12th May

I again woke feeling fresh from another early night, and hope to keep a similar sleeping schedule through next Sunday.

Despite this, I felt initially sluggish across the first four or five kilometres, quite heavy in the quads and calves.

I found gear once I passed the Elsternwick Canal and reached the Bayside footpath, and from there I settled into a not quite steady yet still moving pace.

I probably reached a pace a little quicker than I’d intended, maxing out at 4:12, thereafter ensuring I kept it in check as it remained in the high 4:10’s.

With plenty in the legs and the taper in motion, signs are good for the big day.

AM

20.60 km – 1:30:05 @ 4:22/km

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

 

Looking back on my progress since Hobart in January, aside from the hiccup with the back issue in February, there’s been a lot of inroads made.

More often than not, I was able to bank 160 km plus weeks whilst retaining the quality, probably with a greater emphasis on the workouts and some bigger efforts on the long runs.

I’d be kidding myself to expect an earth shattering time on the GOR course, but a solid PB – both at GOR which I’ve achieved each time I’ve raced there, and overall, is the goal, so anything sub 2:40 would be satisfying.

Gold Coast and Melbourne are where some really ambitious times will be in consideration, but for now, I’ve done everything I can to have a good crack next weekend.

Bring it on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 29th April

Despite a late night wasted on another Mercedes procession/Ferrari flop in the F1 at the Azerbaijan GP, I rose shortly after 7 without too much difficulty.

I was surprised that I didn’t feel too sore following yesterday’s exploits, whilst remaining wary of greater discomfort in coming days.

My quads were the most notably tender alongside some mild tightness in my left hip, though the latter subsided once I warmed up.

I did feel a little sorer on the afternoon shakeout, but the beautiful conditions made it worthwhile.

AM

13.10 km – 1:00:49 @ 4:38/km

Fastest KM: 4:35

Max HR: 174 bpm. Avg: 141 bpm

PM

6.05 km – 29:18 @ 4:50/km

Fastest KM: 4:42

Max HR: 175 bpm. Avg: 136 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

19.15 km

 

Tuesday, 30th April

I knew before I even rolled out of bed that the soreness had doubled down overnight, so I was unsure what to expect once I got out the door.

Sure enough, the quads now carried major tightness, whilst my left hip was also very restricted.

Following the usual roulette with traffic attempting to cross Beach Rd, I gradually found my stride and decided to at least have a crack at a workout despite my reduced capacity.

Aiming for a five kilometre rep – and leaving the door open to a second off a kilometre float, the early stages of the first were nothing if not torturous.

It felt like 10 kg weights had been attached to my quads, even as I put a decent effort in, this wasn’t reflected in the splits.

It was only on the final km that I found any semblance of comfort along Beaconsfield Parade, recording a 3:40 having previously languished three or four seconds off, though it was a relief when the rep came to a close.

Despite the great temptation to jog for the balance of the session, I buckled up for the second set. To my surprise, the times immediately dropped as my quads finally loosened out.

It wasn’t a huge leap – a few seconds on the first rep, yet being able to run relatively unrestricted was much more enjoyable.

I felt good enough to put everything into the final km, which amounted to 3:29 whilst feeling like the effort of a 3:20, leaving me content with my resilience.

It certainly wasn’t a pretty workout, though I’ll take it.

With the long run this week – my final pre-GOR, set for Friday, all intervening runs will be quite restrained.

A decent length shakeout again saw the initially painful quads – smarting from the workout, gradually improve.

As the final day of April, it rounded off a solid month’s work at 707 km, whilst anticipation of the marathon will increase entering the month in question from tomorrow.

AM

WORKOUT

2 x 5 KM OFF 1 KM

21.10 km – 1:24:06 @ 3:59/km

Fastest KM: 3:29

Max HR: 169 bpm. Avg: 155 bpm

Max Cadence: 187 spm. Avg: 176 spm

PM

7.50 km – 35:39 @ 4:45/km

Fastest KM: 4:39

Max HR: 163 bpm. Avg: 136 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

28.60 km

 

MONTHLY TOTAL

707.6 km

 

Wednesday, 1st May

The recriminations from Sunday continued, as I struggled to get out of first gear in further unseasonably warm (and windy) conditions.

I did manage to pick the pace up a little towards the end, though I’m going to need all the time I can have to be recovered well for a decent effort at Friday’s long run.

I weighed up passing on a shakeout, though with relatively enjoyable conditions despite moderate wind, and with the forecast for coming days in mind, ventured back out.

There was a GPS glitch on the second kilometre, recording 2:43 – which would have been nice to claim as my own, alas not, forcing me to stop and reset my watch.

AM

16.12 km – 1:15:11 @ 4:40/km

Fastest KM: 4:23

Max HR: 174 bpm. Avg: 146 bpm

PM

6.20 km – 30:00

DAILY TOTAL

22.32 km

 

Thursday, 2nd May

Waking to the rain made turning back over for a few more hours extremely tempting, yet I forced myself into action.

It was immediately apparent that the DOMS had greatly subsided, my quads no longer posing constant discomfort.

Despite the downpour, the resulting humidity made conditions quite steamy and more akin to summer, so it didn’t take long to break into a sweat.

There was quite a traffic jam from Hampton to Sandringham courtesy of an accident, as though the regular flow along Beach Rd isn’t already severe enough!

I’m glad to be returning to normal service ahead of tomorrow’s long run, which will be at moderate intensity without running myself into the ground just over a fortnight out from GOR.

AM

13.30 km – 1:00:05 @ 4:31/km

Fastest KM: 4:20

Max HR: 176 bpm. Avg: 139 bpm

 

Friday, 3rd May

Another year older, and hopefully my 29th year brings some further progress!

The conditions were optimal for the long run, which I decided to knock off earlier in the week, before any celebratory drinks put paid to being in shape for it!

I was immediately plagued by GI discomfort, which persisted for the first 10 km before subsiding a little.

My initial plan to turn at Bay Rd in Sandringham and run towards Port Melbourne, was altered as I decided to encompass the climbs – which had nothing on Sunday’s effort at Lysterfield mind you, but of more benefit towards GOR.

I settled into a comfortable and consistent pace in the mid 4:10’s, before ramping it up gradually towards the eventual turnaround at Charman Rd.

From here, I kicked down again as I edged towards 4:00 pace, whilst putting my back into it the return hills surrounding Black Rock.

I took on my first and only gel shortly after 20 km, which provided an instant burst, and at that point I felt as though I could run all day.

Unfortunately, the GI discomfort resumed as I made my way past Hampton, creating a balancing act between increasing the pace for a strong finish and keeping the stomach in check.

I managed to go under 4:00 for the first time at 28 km, and despite pedestrians levels multiplying as I continued towards Elwood, my pace continued to increase as I attempted to ignore the growing stomach pain.

After reaching the Point Ormond lookout in the majestic conditions, I was glad to make the final turnaround and kick down with a tailwind.

It was a relief to click over 35 km and pull the pin whilst feeling far from my best, a nice way to round up my GOR preparations and of course, earn the drinks this evening!

I felt quite bloated from Chinese for my birthday lunch and ready for a nap, though I headed back out in the afternoon to loosen out the legs, ending with another day in excess of marathon distance.

Drinks at the local with Dad over the footy await, go Pies!

AM

LONG RUN

35.05 km – 2:24:34 @ 4:07/km

Fastest KM: 3:47

Max HR: 178 bpm. Avg: 156 bpm

Max Cadence: 179 spm. Avg: 170 spm

PM

7.70 km – 35:35 @ 4:37/km

Fastest KM: 4:29

Max HR: 154 bpm. Avg: 141 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

42.75 km

 

Saturday, 4th May

The head was a little sore following birthday drinks – over a Pies win!, so I didn’t surface until 8.30.

Nevertheless, the run quickly had me on the recovery trail. I wasn’t feeling too much from yesterday’s long, but I coasted along in refreshing light rain.

Again lacking motivation, I forced myself back out for half an hour in the afternoon, ahead of part two of the birthday drinks.

Fair to say I’ll be winding down on the booze following this weekend until the marathon is run and done!

AM

16.11 km – 1:13:57 @ 4:35/km

Fastest KM: 4:26

Max HR: 166 bpm. Avg: 143 bpm

PM

6:30 km – 30:44 @ 4:53

Fastest KM: 4:47

Max HR: Data inaccurate

DAILY TOTAL

22.41 km

 

Sunday, 5th May

I could have lay in bed all day after the drinks last night, but I somehow got up just before 9 and tried to shape up.

The spinning head was helped by a brief catchup with Dave Ridley, who is tracking very nicely following his effort at Tokyo.

AM

13.50 km – 1:00:43 @ 4:30/km

Fastest KM: 4:20

Max HR: 163 bpm. Avg: 147 bpm

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

 

The final downturn towards GOR will commence in a few days, with the training block over the past weeks consolidating a pleasing spell since my back injury in February.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 22nd April

I enjoyed a relative sleep in, not surfacing until 7.30 amid grey skies outside.

In better shape following yesterday’s recovery session, I enjoyed a relaxed hour capitalising on the last of the muted traffic.

A few 150 metre (and one 150 m) strides in the afternoon clicked the legs back into gear, whilst the traffic seemed to have ramped up – many ostensibly returning from their long weekends.

AM

13.25 km – 1:00:05 @ 4:32/km

Fastest KM: 4:25

Max HR: 161 bpm. Avg: 143 bpm

PM

6.70 km – 30:08 @ 4:30/km

Fastest KM: 4:19

Max HR: 162 bpm. Avg: 138 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

19.95 km

 

Tuesday, 23rd April

Conditions were ideal with minimal wind resistance, though the traffic was back with a vengeance. It could be worse, with many turning the Easter/Anzac double up into an extended break.

I didn’t waste much time getting into gear with a short warm up, but I didn’t feel as though I needed any longer.

My first of three reps was my most consistent – without being the fastest across the workout, yet that was understandable considering the focus was on my resilience following a short float cycle.

On a twelve minute cycle, an aggregate of 10 minutes and 20 seconds for the first three kms gave me 1 m 40 s to suck in the breaths. As ever, this recovery passed all too rapidly!

The second rep was my most impressive on that note, as I dug in despite my stomach starting to feel lactic, and by the final km I was doing what I could to hold on.

10:13 for this set afforded me a little more recovery time, but I was unsure whether I’d see the last rep through.

A 3:27 into some slight headwind resistance was encouraging enough, yet it soon became clear that I was fading, which was confirmed by a 3:34 return for the next km. I swiftly decided to conclude the workout, with 2 x 3 and 1 x 2 km still a solid effort.

Following an uncomfortable kilometre or so cool down with a painful stitch, it ultimately subsided. Brief consideration was given to an impromptu threshold, but I didn’t want to chance it, satisfied with the repetitions.

Indigestion made the shakeout quite uncomfortable, so I was happy to get through 30 mins.

AM

WORKOUT

3 x (2 x 3, 1 x 2) KM ON 12″ CYCLE

19.06 km – 1:15:03 @ 3:56/km

Fastest KM: 3:22

Max HR: 185 bpm. Avg: 160 bpm

Max Cadence: 189 spm. Avg: 174 spm

PM

6.65 km – 30:03 @4:31/km

Fastest KM: 4:20

Max HR: 165 bpm. Avg: 143 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

25.71 km

 

Wednesday, 24th April

I extended this morning’s medium long run on the fly, ultimately ending up with two hours.

The rolling hills provided enough resistance, though other than some light hip ant tightness, I felt great.

I picked up to a steady pace in the final kilometres, in tandem with some light downpour.

AM

MEDIUM LONG RUN

27.76 km – 2:00:02 @ 4:19/km

Fastest KM: 4:02

Max HR: 174 bpm. Avg: 151 bpm

Max Cadence: 179 spm. Avg: 168 spm

 

Thursday, 25th April

A semi sleep in/late start with my brother swinging through – having attended the Anzac Day dawn service, didn’t see me out until close to 8.30

I’d pulled up relatively well from Tuesday’s workout and yesterday’s long run, so I was keen for some more refined interval efforts.

It ended up being a book ended workout – comprised of twelve reps of two minutes at pace, followed by a minute float, that started and finished strong, whilst I held on in the middle portion.

The considerable turnout for local Anzac services – prominently at the Elwood SLSC, created some hazards during the intensive parts of the workout, so I swiftly switched to the cycling path.

Whilst my pace following a 3:05/km avg for the first rep wasn’t outright slow, ranging in the low to mid 3:20’s, I didn’t find my legs properly until the final two. 3:14 and 3:11 pace was a nice way to conclude.

I felt quite good, with little lactic resistance – unlike Tuesday, on the cool down instead of sucking in the air.

The Anzac biscuits were definitely much deserved!

Nothing to see with the afternoon shakeout, as glorious skies availed themselves ahead of the time honoured Essendon vs Collingwood clash to mark the occasion.

Go Pies!

AM

WORKOUT

12 x 2 MINUTES OFF 1 MINUTE

19.07 km – 1:15:02 @ 3:56/km

Fastest KM: 3:22. Fastest Split: 3:05/km

Max HR: 194 bpm. Avg: 161 bpm

Max Cadence: 191 spm. Avg: 172 spm

PM

6.41 km – 30:01 @ 4:41/km

Fastest KM: 4:33

Max HR: 152 bpm. Avg: 137 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

25.48 km

 

Friday, 26th April

Thankfully, a couple of beers over yesterday’s thrilling Anzac Day clash – with Collingwood somehow holding on despite some very ordinary football, followed by bottle of cab sauv, didn’t leave me worse for wear.

The conditions were a major about face on yesterday’s picture perfect skies, with wind and rain in the mix.

Not knowing what I’d encounter on the run, I set off, and ultimately got lucky with no downpour.

It’ll be an easier two days ahead of Sunday’s long run in Lysterfield.

I did well to avoid the elements once more in the afternoon shakeout – despite a brief gust of rain, which turned to blue skies five minutes later in typical Melbourne fashion.

AM

16.10 km – 1:12:00 @ 4:28/km

Fastest KM: 4:21

Max HR: 156 bpm. Avg: 143 bpm

PM

7.05 km – 32:46 @ 4:39/km

Fastest KM: 4:29

Max HR: 154 bpm. Avg: 132 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

23.15 km

 

Saturday, 27th April

Not much to report today.

Rising early for a pre-work run and with tomorrow to contemplate, I rolled out a no frills 10 km. My stomach wasn’t feeling the greatest, so this was tougher than it should have been.

I got out for another 30 minutes following work before resting up.

AM

10.05 km – 45:16 @ 4:30/km

Fastest KM: 4;22

Max HR: 177 bpm. Avg: 141 bpm

PM

6.43 km – 30:03 @ 4:40/km

Fastest KM: 4:34

Max HR: 181 bpm. Avg: 158 bpm (Both seem slightly inaccurate!)

DAILY TOTAL

16.48 km

 

Sunday, 28th April

I reluctantly shuffled out of bed at 6.40, ahead of a trip with Dion to the Lysterfield hills.

As a latecomer to the ‘Game of Thrones’ bandwagon, we chewed the fat on my progress en route. I’m currently midway through season five, so Dion bit his tongue on potential spoilers.

Arriving just prior to 8 am under fickle skies, it didn’t take long to realise the constant presence of the ascents. By the sixth kilometre, the both of us were breaking out a sweat despite a relatively subdued pace.

Shortly after, the first real variations of the run came to pass. A considerable descent caught me out as I tip toed my way down the narrow trail – carrying too much momentum for my liking, as I careered into the scrub on more than one occasion!

From there, some casual rolling gave way to the first sustained downpour – albeit light, of the morning, which was quite refreshing.

Before long, the toughest component of the run was upon us, with several climbs of varying length separating the wheat from the chaff.

My quads – with a dull burn already induced by the earlier hills, were the prime victim and perpetually thereafter for the balance of the run.

The most significant was undoubtedly an elongated spell between the thirteenth and sixteenth kilometres, with a scrabbly profile of rise upon rise, and blind crests revealing further climbing, just when it seemed like respite had arrived.

Returns of 5:06 with 35 metres elevation, 4:47 with 43 m, an outlier of 4:24 with the benefit of a downhill segment, and finally, 5:24 at a galling 84 m, spoke to its’ variation.

It was the push upwards to the lookout, which provides panoramic views of all corners of Melbourne – approaching ten mile distance, which required the most concerted effort, and the only time that I contemplated breaking into a walk!

A final uphill grind adjacent the quarry, and a 4:54 km at 37 metres as the rain returned – doubling down on its previous output, heralded the rest of the run.

Nothing subsequently came close to the efforts required in the first half, and it was the downpour – which had now settled in for the long haul, that presented the most uncertainty.

Devouring the first gel at 20 km provided an instant energy fix, whilst a brief diversion onto the road provided welcome relief to the quads.

By the time we returned to the trails, the rain had us soaked head to toe, though the end was now firmly in sight so there was a spring in our strides.

Having made the final cross to the main trail path, our pace increased decidedly, from 4:30’s and 40’s into 4:10’s.

The rain had appropriately subsided, giving way to blue skies and allowing us to thaw out as we drew nearer to completion.

Arriving at the central car park at 34 km, it was a nice feeling to know there was still more in the legs – notwithstanding the quads’ protestations, and so it was that we commenced the final push around the lake towards 40 km.

With it, an encore of the first climb of the morning finally tipped me into a state of weariness commonly associated with the dying stages of a marathon.

This made the final kilometres more satisfying as I avoided falling off a cliff figuratively or literally. We kicked down on a final teaser hill during the 39th km, and again, into sub four territory – with a 3:43, for the first and only time in the 40th and ultimate km.

Job done, that was some morning at the office!

Cheers to Dion for introducing me to such a majestic part of Victoria’s backyard, and a session that will serve me very well for the task at hand.

AM

LONG RUN

40.04 km – 3:00:49 @ 4:31/km

Fastest KM: 3:43

Max HR: 178 bpm. Avg: 154 bpm

Max Cadence: 191 spm. Avg: 168 spm

Elevation: 712.7 m (Garmin). 883 m (Strava)

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

 

Now just three weeks out from GOR, next week represents the final high mileage week – with a long run which will pale in comparison to anything in recent weeks.

Much confidence has been drawn from the previous fortnight on the back of the half triathlon, everything is coming together nicely for my best performance yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 15th April

I was up after the 6.30 alarm and quite surprised at how well I’d pulled up from Sunday’s effort.

I met with Dion for a steady comfortable recovery run, as we discussed our respective fortunes from the weekend.

Dion registered a 1:10 at the Canberra half marathon, which he was disappointed with. Most runners would die for that time, I’d certainly be ecstatic if I ever achieve this! This attitude is testament to his desire to be the best he can be every time.

This run also raised 2000 km for the year to date.

It was an extremely relaxed shakeout in the afternoon as the blue skies again presented a beautiful backdrop.

AM

15.05 km – 1:05:25 @ 4:21/km – 13.8 kph

Fastest KM: 4:12

Max HR: 172 bpm. Avg: 148 bpm

PM

6.10 km – 30:04 @ 4:55/km – 12.2 kph

Fastest KM: 4:51

Max HR: 159 bpm. Avg: 143 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

21.15 km

 

Tuesday, 16th April

A slight sleep in saw me rise at 7.15, to discover the DOMS – predominantly in the calves, from Sunday was more apparent than yesterday.

Thankfully, I loosened up quickly on the warm up, with the intention of six 500 metre reps, settling on a minute’s float.

By the third or fourth set, there were some doubts that I’d even reach that figure, as I told myself that even five would be acceptable. Sitting at 3:16 pace seemed to be my ceiling as I approached the turnaround.

At this point, I thought, one more can’t hurt, so I geared up again, and it did hurt! Yet for some reason, I decided to squeeze out another two. Then a further two so I’d have 5 km under my belt.

I was surprised to see the pace drop by the tenth rep under 1:40, which seemed like a nice place to draw a line.

Nope, the idea of one more to push the workout cycle towards 8 km took hold, so I went around again, shaving another second off for a 1:38.

Something didn’t sit right with me completing an odd amount of reps, and twelve sounded better. Despite feeling like the quality was fading, I again squeaked in under 1:40, my heart rate having passed 180 bpm in those final kilometres.

It was massively encouraging to pull through this just two days following a major run, when I’d previously require the best part of a week to bounce back.

The shakeout course was identical to yesterday’s, albeit at a slightly faster pace. At 30 degrees in mid April, there was sweating despite averaging only 4:40 pace.

AM

WORKOUT

12 x 500 M OFF 1 MINUTE

18.05 km – 1:11:24 @ 3:57/km – 15.2 kph

Fastest KM: 3:29. Fastest Split: 1:38 @ 3:12/km

Max HR: 190 bpm. Avg: 162 bpm

Max Cadence: 191 spm. Avg: 173 spm

PM

6.05 km – 28:24 @ 4:41/km – 12.8 kph

Fastest KM: 4:35

Max HR: 160 bpm. Avg: 143 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

24.10 km

 

Wednesday, 17th April

The midweek long proved to be quite a slog, with some general tenderness from the past few days to deal with.

The wind gusts increased from around the 12 km mark, and combined with the already warm conditions, it made the balance of the run quite uncomfortable.

I battled through some mild stomach cramping from 15 km and legs which wanted to stop after about 90 minutes, so it was nice to push on for an even two hours – again without any fuels.

My left achilles – which has presented mild discomfort in the past week or so, and heel, were slightly sore on the shakeout. I briefly considered calling the run early, though it gradually improved and I’ll monitor it in coming days.

If anything, the solid load – including Sunday, needs to be dialled back a little, and if necessary there’ll be a couple of lighter days ahead of Saturday’s long run.

AM

MEDIUM LONG RUN

27.50 km – 2:00:04 @ 4:22/km – 13.7 kph

Fastest KM: 4:11 

Max HR: 173 bpm. Avg: 152 bpm

Max Cadence: 175 spm. Avg: 169 spm

PM

6.10 km – 30:08 @ 4:56/km – 12.2 kph

Fastest KM: 4:49

Max HR: 150 bpm. Avg: 136 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

33.60 km

 

Thursday, 18th April

There’s no doubt the past few days have caught up with me, as the usual suspect quads and calves were DOMS addled, and thus a workout was off the table.

Instead, I settled on a recovery run, which ended up being ten miles without breaking into a stride.

My left heel/achilles again presented some awareness, and considering my issues with plantar fasciitis last year, I’m wary of it manifesting in anything serious.

HR remaining in 130 bpm territory for the majority was a pleasing takeaway.

I didn’t have any issues in the shakeout, only dodging the masses of cars making for the highway to commence their long weekends, and to stock up at the supermarkets for the coming year ahead of tomorrow’s closure.

Again, my HR – this time sitting in the 120’s, was encouraging.

AM

16.12 km – 1:15:18 @ 4:40/km – 12.9 kph

Fastest KM: 4:32

Max HR: 151 bpm. Avg: 137 bpm

PM

6.08 km – 29:49 @ 4:54/km – 12.2 kph

Fastest KM: 4:47

Max HR: 173 bpm. Avg: 129 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

22.20 km

 

Friday, 19th April

As ever, it was a nice feeling waking up following a Collingwood victory, having overwhelmed the Lions in their most convincing performance to date this season.

It was also a nice feeling not having to dodge the hoards of traffic, with most holiday makers already at their Easter break destinations.

With all eyes on tomorrow’s long run, there wasn’t much incentive to push myself. Despite the noticeable population reduction, Dendy Park multiplied in canines between my first, second – and ultimately, fourth tour. Thankfully, I escaped without incident.

I struggled to get out of gear in the first half of the run, sitting in the mid 4:40’s, though I managed to bump up the pace a little in the final kilometres into the low 4:30’s.

My achilles/heel was again niggling without hurting outright, highlighting its temperamental nature.

It’s hard to gauge whether it’s a recurrence of the PF I alluded to in yesterday’s entry, my original Flyknit rubber being past its’ use by date – now in excess of 650 km (I do try to extract as much mileage as possible out of my shoes), or something else entirely.

Picture perfect conditions for the shakeout were ideal, and other than the aforementioned issue, I feel well recovered from the tiredness I felt on Wednesday for a decent long run tomorrow.

AM

12.93 km – 1:00:07 @ 4:39/km – 12.9 kph

Fastest KM: 4:31

Max HR: 174 bpm. Avg: 136 bpm

PM

6.21 km – 30:02 @ 4:50/km – 12.4 kph

Fastest KM: 4:43

Max HR: 144 bpm. Avg: 128 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

19.14 km

 

Saturday, 20th April

I woke to A1 conditions despite the reasonable chill, whilst the still air was encouraging for an enjoyable morning at the office.

I started at a comfortable progressive pace, working my way into sub 4:10 territory by the fourth kilometre. By the ninth, I entered sub 4:00, where it’d remain for the balance of the run.

Once I cleared the final true ascent of the session adjacent to Brighton Beach, I put the foot down a little, only falling into 3:50 km’s a few times there on.

Soon after, I encountered Michael Kernahan, followed by Danny Cohen, on their respective sessions for the morning.

Aside from one spell where I felt a bit stuck in gear around St Kilda, I again lifted on the sprint towards Port Melbourne, past the Spirit of Tasmania and the turnaround at Williamstown Rd.

Having resisted my gel until then, I relented nearing 25 km, which provided an instant boost as I looked to dig in for the home stretch.

After a consistent block either side of 3:45 past 30 km, the time came to get a little out of my comfort zone.

I must say that last Sunday’s Challenge Melbourne half marathon (close enough!) hadn’t quite left me, so the push towards 3:40 proved tougher than it might have been otherwise.

Nevertheless, I dipped below this threshold at 33 km, hovering on or just below the mark through 37 km, by which point I was willing for the end.

A final effort on the climb up Dendy Street, having been forced to continue along Beach Rd courtesy of traffic, had me on fumes, but it allowed me to reach a satisfying two and a half hours on the feet.

The initial objective of 36 km was satisfied, so 38.5 km was a pleasing return.

Even more encouragingly, the achilles and heel discomfort of previous days seemed negligible in my newer Flyknit’s, suggesting that the diminishing durability on the previous set had a large hand in the flare up.

As it stood, with a couple of runs to come, this was shaping as my biggest week by a considerable margin for the year.

Despite my natural fatigue, I got myself up for a shakeout, which was surprisingly not as much of a slog as I’d anticipated.

Besides, the conditions remained glorious, so I floated along just under 4:40 pace.

Ultimately, I spent three hours on my feet for the day clocking in at exactly 45 km, one of my biggest daily hauls in recent memory.

AM

LONG RUN

38.57 km – 2:30:03 @ 3:53/km – 15.4 kph

Fastest KM: 3:39

Max HR: 179 bpm. Avg: 161 bpm

Max Cadence: 185 spm. Avg: 173 spm

PM

6.43 km – 30:07 @ 4:41/km – 12.8 kph

Fastest KM: 4:37

Max HR: 162 bpm. Avg: 142 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

45.00 km

 

Sunday, 21st April

I resisted the urge for a deserved sleep in, and rolled out for an easy recovery.

All lower extremities were tender to commence, though it was mostly localised to the quads once I warmed up.

It was nice to absorb a big week without any frills, with the pace only dipping below 4:40 for several kilometres. Even so, I was glad to wind up at 90 minutes, which dragged on past the hour mark.

My achilles/heel provided only mild residual discomfort, this time in the SP’s.

At 184 km, this was far and away my longest return to date in 2019, coming at a time when the final touches are being applied to GOR preparations, with just a fortnight until entering taper mode.

Time to enjoy some hard earned chocolates!

Happy Easter!

AM

19.11 km – 1:30:02 @ 4:43/km – 12.7 kph

Fastest KM: 4:36

Max HR: 147 bpm. Avg: 137 bpm

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

 

Four weeks…

 

P.S. Shout out to Mark Berry on a new PB at the Nagano Marathon, in 2:51:20, sterling effort mate! Your impressive training block following Hobart has paid off!

Also to Warwick Peter-Budge and Greg Watson in 2:52 and 2:54 respectively, you’ve all earned drinks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 8th April

I had no such troubles waking this morning following a solid night’s sleep in the renewed early sunlight.

Some mild DOMS – predominantly in the calves from my weekend’s output, and a slight blister from the new shoes, caused slight discomfort, though the moderate pace on the Bayside trails provided some nice respite.

I’d considered not heading out in the afternoon feeling generally fatigued, yet I rolled back out for very easy 30 minutes.

An 85-90% workout awaits tomorrow before I double down on resting up ahead of Sunday’s half marathon.

AM

13.15 km – 1h 0m 01s @ 4m 34s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 26s

Max HR: 148 bpm. Min: 126 bpm

PM

6.10 km – 30m 2s @ 4m 55s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 51s

Max HR: 128 bpm. Min: 116 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

19.25 km

 

Tuesday, 9th April

It was a struggle to get out of bed on the 6.30 alarm despite the sunlight after the cool change had swept through, instead relenting just after 7.

I quickly discovered that the wind was having one of its’ days, as the warm up was an immediately blustery affair.

The traffic was also making itself known – undoubtedly a consequence of the holiday train line disruptions, as I was again stranded along Beach Rd for a long time, and I had to double back to finally cross onto the bayside footpath to commence my workout.

There wasn’t much choice on the timing, with the wind seemingly a factor in both directions, alongside a considerable crosswind.

Therefore I was surprised that my first kilometre rep, with six set down on a rolling five minute cycle, was 3m 18s despite the resistance.

This grew fiercer on the second and arguably hardest rep as I battled to remain upright, thus 3m 34s was a respectable effort.

Whilst the third and final rep on the way out was slightly less formidable, the first of my return leg – with considerable crosswind around the St Kilda Marina path adjacent to Dickens St and towards the Point Ormond lookout, was another test of resilience.

I finally enjoyed something akin to a tailwind on my fifth rep and accordingly, I set another 3m 18s, though I was made to work on my final rep.

Some more crosswind ‘qualities’ had my quads feeling like they were being torn apart, and I glanced eagerly at my watch several times willing the mileage to tick over.

Finishing with a 3m 20s was satisfying, there wasn’t much more I could have given the conditions.

Looking at the raw stats on Garmin and Strava didn’t do the workout justice, I feel as though it was one of my better efforts and it leaves me with a lot of confidence ahead of Sunday.

Now I’ll be looking after myself until the morning in question.

AM

WORKOUT

18.90 km – 1h 15m 02s @ 3m 58s/km

Fastest KM: 3m 18s

Max HR: 175 bpm. Min: 120 bpm

 

Wednesday, 10th April

It took another effort to rouse in the chill, and upon peering outside, the incentive to lie in bed all morning was strong.

That said, conditions for the run were ideal despite the grey skies, and wind resistance was minimal compared to yesterday.

I managed a consistent pace slightly above 4m 30s/km, only dipping below once on the return leg on the descent towards Sandringham.

Another very relaxed shakeout in the afternoon left me feeling fresh.

AM

16.50 km – 1h 15m 14s @ 4m 34s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 28s

Max HR: 148 bpm. Min: 130 bpm

PM

6.10 km – 30 m 03s @ 4m 55s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 52s

Max HR: 154 bpm. Min: 131 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

22.6 km

 

Thursday, 11th April

After toying with having the morning ‘off’ ahead of work, I decided that something was better than nothing.

It was only 30 minutes, though it was a decent little session having to move in the peak hour rush, with a nice progression towards four minute pace.

After a tedious day at the office which seemed to drag out forever, I was unleashed into the glorious sunshine.

Without overdoing it, I enjoyed a solid mini tempo, before settling into a steady four minute pace on return into a reasonable headwind.

AM

7.05 km – 30m 01s @ 4m 15s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 03s

Max HR: 156 bpm. Min: 136 bpm

PM

15.05 km – 1h 0m 08s @ 4m/km

Fastest KM: 3m 44s

Max HR: 162bpm. Min: 128 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

22.10 km

 

Friday, 12th April

I was blasted awake by the chill before the 6.30 alarm and the first steps outside were quite numbing.

It subsequently took a while to warm up on the run, so I incorporated some strides in quite early.

I met up with Dion, who is preparing for the Canberra half marathon on Sunday, and discussed Collingwood’s chances of redeeming themselves for last week’s poor showing in this evening’s contest against the Bulldogs.

I concluded with some more strides, with no session this afternoon despite the beautiful conditions which emerged from the icy dawn.

No Friday afternoon drinks at the local or even a short shakeout in the glorious sunshine proved difficult, though pizza whilst viewing a forgettable game of footy – with a positive outcome, was a decent compromise.

AM

13.25 km – 1h 0m 03s @ 4m 32s/km

Fastest KM: 3m 42s

Max HR: 146 bpm. Min: 137 bpm (likely inaccurate – first two km’s recorded 172 & 156 bpm…)

 

Saturday, 13th April

Despite the temptation for an extended lie in, I was up just after 7.

I barely got out of gear on the run despite a reasonable pace in the low 4m 20s range, complemented by some 150 metre strides in the final kilometres.

I feel primed to give it my best tomorrow despite the relative unknown of the triathlon format. All I can do is give my best for the team and it’ll be nice to lay down a solid PB in a distance which has been something of an enigma to me over the years.

The afternoon hours resting up were whiled away viewing Formula One practice and qualifying for tomorrow’s Chinese GP, which doubles as the series’ 1000th World Championship event.

AM

10.50 km – 45m 04s @ 4m 17s/km

Fastest KM: 3m 42s

Max HR: 157 bpm. Min: 121 bpm

 

Sunday, 14th April

Despite the task at hand, I was afforded a very leisurely start to the day – not rising until 7, with the triathlon swimming and cycling legs giving me plenty of time to be on hand.

I fuelled with my staple peanut butter (Pic’s Crunchy all the way!) on toast and Rooibos tea, prior to making my way in shortly after 8.

Having not met either team-mate in person provided an amusing backdrop to the event, though it presented no issues.

A fifteen minute warm up, culminating in some strides, had me primed for action, and it was only a matter of waiting for Mario on the bike to enter the transition area.

By now, the sun was truly making itself known, and it was a different atmosphere waiting to commence a competitive run at this relatively late hour.

I conversed with Emily – who had earlier completed the swim leg and admirably stuck around for the hours after, in the meantime, as Mario arrived shortly after 10.

Following the briefest introduction whilst switching the ankle strap, I was on my way. Mario had unfortunately received a five minute time penalty for a contentious overtake, so I had extra incentive to bring it home for us.

Without knowing it, I settled into an immediately rapid pace, my first three kilometres 3m 28s, 3:29 and 3:27 respectively, as I made ground on a swathe of competitors.

I took the foot off slightly for the next few kilometres – sitting around 3:31, with an outlier 3:37 on the seventh km after the Elwood turnaround.

Seeing this split had an effect, as I responded by returning to sub 3m 30s territory for the subsequent four kilometres, as I completed the first lap with the temperature ever increasing.

I committed around now not to take on any fuels, as per my training philosophy – despite the temptation for an electrolyte infusion to counter my intense sweating. If it were any longer, there certainly would have been consideration, but I stuck with what had served me well and backed myself.

By now, my quads had started to speak up, and this was reflected with a few slower kilometres. I pushed on, and despite pedestrians and slower competitors proving frustrating obstacles, managed to register three consecutive 3m 30s from the final turnaround.

At this point, the finish was in sight as I passed the Point Ormond lookout, and I was also driven by a desire to reach the shade asap with the sun inflicting some major overheating.

Imagine my surprise when my nineteenth km read 3:26, yet I could really feel the legs’ urge to give way as I approached the Stokehouse boardwalk.

By the time I entered the gravel rotunda section at the Catani Gardens and a 3:27 20th km, I was on fumes, so rounding up several more competitors was pleasing.

Reaching the shade for the final push up the path was satisfying, as I crossed the line absolutely spent. Having not looked at my overall time at any stage, I was shocked to see a recording of 1:11:39 (“28 officially after starting the recording a little hastily at the transition).

The only slight frustration was the course’s renowned short changing on the distance, which came in just under 20.4 km – a not insignificant 700 metres short of the symbolic 21.1 km.

Regardless, this amounted to a huge PB. My previous best was a 1:17 (and still is officially!), so an estimated 1:13… had the course run the distance, after aiming for anything sub 1:15, is very encouraging.

It was great to learn that we had finished second in the mixed category, and that the time penalty hadn’t cost us any positions. Our overall time across the 1.9 km swim, 90 km cycle and 20.3 km run was 4:12:23.

A hard earned beer was enjoyed – not that Pure Blonde is my preference, but it tasted great all the same after that effort.

We figured that as a team we don’t stack up so badly, and formative discussions have already been had about combining again at a future event with the hope of going one better!

Once I got home around 1.30, the fatigue had set in as I got stuck into the refuelling. I barely made a dent in the six pack of beers I purchased, quite probably feeling dehydrated from the sun exposure.

The Chinese GP later in the afternoon was a letdown following the hype of the occasion, but it was nice that I didn’t have to stay up until the late hours to witness a procession.

I retreated to bed around 8.30, very content with the day’s exploits.

AM

WARM UP

3.40 km – 15 m @ 4m 24s/km

RACE: Challenge Melbourne Triathlon – Half Marathon

20.4 km – 1h 11m 39s @ 3m 31s/km

OFFICIAL: 20.3 km – 1h 11m 28s

Fastest KM: 3m 26s

Max HR: 182 bpm. Min: 158 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

23.8 km

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

As a notional ‘recovery’  week, it’s now time for a final block of solid training for the next three weeks prior to tapering for Great Ocean Road. Five weeks…

Monday, 1st April

Having slept in (7.45 being late by my standards these days!) after rising at 2 am to view the F1 – which delivered a disappointing outcome despite being an entertaining race, I felt quite foggy.

A straightforward hour sitting just above 4 m 30 s/km towards St Kilda and back was my lot for the morning.

I subsequently set to work on my latest F1 article for The Roar, concerning the Bahrain GP run hours earlier.

Later, I commenced a belated recap for the previous fortnight, after a steady block of work following my commitments at the Australian Grand Prix which had kept my hands full.

I rolled out a very subdued shakeout in the afternoon as I grappled with the fatigue.

Somehow, I managed to complete said recap in the evening feeling re-energised from dinner, content with my day’s output despite the lack of sleep.

AM

13.20 km – 1h 0m 23s @ 4m 34s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 31s

Max HR: 144 bpm. Min: 130 bpm

PM

6.50 km – 32m 11s @ 4m 57s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 50s

Max HR: 132 bpm. Min: 125 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

19.7 km

 

Tuesday, 2nd April

Despite turning in early, I struggle to rise on the 6 am alarm or any of the subsequent reminders at fifteen minute intervals.

It quickly became apparent that I wouldn’t be running this morning in the extremely narrow window at my disposal prior to an early start at work.

This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as I didn’t have to rush my preparation as I normally do on a tight turnaround, so I arrived at work just after 8 in a relaxed mindset.

Deliveries moved the morning along nicely, though by the time I clocked off, it seemed that Sunday had caught up with me, at least in the quads – which felt like lead.

I decided to scrap the workout and instead soak up the resurrected autumnal conditions following a few days where winter had arrived prematurely.

I was initially going to run for an even 60 minutes, though it was such a beautiful afternoon/early evening that this was extended to 75 and an even ten miles.

PM

16.10 km – 1h 15m 18s @ 4m 41s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 32s

Max HR: 154 bpm. Min: 126 bpm

 

Wednesday, 3rd April

Feeling fresher for Tuesday’s ‘easy’ day, my intended midweek ‘long’ felt a little repetitive on paper, and with some sprightliness back in the legs, I decided on incorporating a progressive into the run.

The conditions were ideal and the gradual speed increases didn’t feel taxing as I dipped below four minute pace for the final five kilometres.

An unusually busy midweek afternoon at work despite the grey conditions kept me honest.

AM

MLR/PROGRESSIVE

22.05 km – 1h 33m 52s @ 4m 15s/km

Fastest KM: 3m 54s

Max HR: 169 bpm. Min: 124 bpm

 

Thursday, 4th April

It was nice to ease into the day ahead of the track workout as I marvelled at the ever increasing morning darkness. At this point, daylight savings’ conclusion can’t come soon enough to reclaim the sunlight!

I took stock of some new Nike wheels from Dion before heading to Edithvale. Plans were changed when we arrived to discover a local school was holding its’ athletics carnival on the primary oval, relegating the group to the adjacent  – and not so oval shaped, soccer square.

The fartlek session was short yet sharp at 4 km, with undulating grass providing some resistance on the 100 metre surges – the distance altered according to the pitch’s dimensions, whilst the corresponding 80 metre floats seemed to pass by rapidly.

At ten miles encompassing the warm up and cool down it wasn’t the lengthiest hitout, though the rapid fire turnovers meant plenty was gained from it.

The legs felt a little heavy on the shakeout, when I debuted my new Nike Fly Zoom SP’s, branching further out from the erstwhile stranglehold Mizuno had on my feet for many years.

They provided plenty of pop and my initial impressions are positive, I’ll put them through their paces soon enough.

AM

WORKOUT

16.10 km – 1h 08m 40s @ 4m 16s/km

Fastest KM: 3m 17s

Max HR: 183 bpm. Min: 129 bpm

PM

7.05 km – 32m 35s @ 4m 37s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 21s

Max HR: 146 bpm. Min: 112 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

23.15 km

 

Friday, 5th April

Despite a solid night’s sleep, I failed to stir following the 6.30 alarm, instead rising just before 7.15 feeling well rested.

Traffic was having one of those manic days as I ran for kilometres along Beach Rd without catching a break, ultimately having to pause at the lights on the Bay Rd intersection for several minutes to access the bayside footpath.

It was an otherwise uneventful hour at a comfortable pace as I absorbed two steady days ahead of Saturday’s long run.

The wind had picked up significantly into the afternoon, so my shakeout was quite uncomfortable in warm conditions as I broke in my new Nike Zoom Flyknits which were acquired alongside the SP’s.

AM

13.30 km – 1h 0m 06s @ 4m 31s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 25s

Max HR: 141 bpm. Min: 123 bpm

PM

6.07 km – 27m 40s @ 4m 33s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 22s

Max HR: 152 bpm. Min: 117 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

19.37 km

 

Saturday, 6th April

A couple of quiet drinks at the local on Friday evening didn’t get the better of me as I managed to rise before the alarm went off at 6.30.

I was glad to have Mark Berry’s company on the morning for his final long run prior to the Nagano Marathon in a fortnight. Based on his training – culminating in an extremely promising final workout during the week, he’s tracking very nicely for a PB.

Mark was plagued by a cough from the five kilometre mark, so it was a great effort to battle through the balance of the session at 32 km.

The pace out was in the comfortable low 4m 30s/km into a moderate headwind, though with the assistance of the tail on return, this dropped into 4m 20s/km territory quite rapidly.

We managed to finish quite strongly with the final km dipping below 4m 20s, whilst my heart rate pleasingly remained in 130 bpm territory until the closing stages.

If I don’t catch you before the big dance Mark, good luck, you’ve done everything that’s been asked of you so you deserve a great result on the day!

Having not eaten much through the day, I was happy with a 5.5 km shakeout followed by a late lunch prior to heading into the city for the Collingwood vs West Coast Grand Final rematch with Dion.

Sadly, despite snaring some great seats, the result was a fizzer, as the Magpies were found out after quarter time. Some dubious umpiring didn’t help the cause, though the Eagles’ frenetic pace couldn’t be tamed and a late fightback was quelled as I made an early exit.

This has been a recurring theme against the Eagles in recent encounters. We both attended a home and away game at the MCG last season with a similar outcome, there was the qualifying final, and one other encounter that I don’t care to remember…

AM

LONG RUN

32.10 km – 2h 24m 01s @ 4m 29s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 18s

Max HR: 142 bpm. Min: 127 bpm

PM

5.5 km – 26m 04 s @ 4m 44s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 32s

Max HR: 132 bpm. Min: 114 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

37.6 km

 

Sunday, 7th April

Daylight savings’ conclusion spared my blushes as an 8.30 wake-up in reality became 7.30.

I hadn’t pulled up too badly from yesterday’s long run, so I had some spring in the legs on a beautiful morning despite the crisp air.

I eased into a steady pace, and with the benefit of a tailwind once I emerged from the Elsternwick Canal onto the bayside footpath, I managed to kick into gear for a solid 9 km block. My biggest obstacle were the great many pedestrians taking advantage of the conditions!

There wasn’t any real structure to this extended ‘tempo’, though I found the Zoom Fly SP’s were in their element as the pace increased.

I brought it home at a comfortable pace for a square 90 minutes.

Rounding out the week with an easy 30 minutes for a third consecutive circa 160 km haul, a recovery week is in order ahead of the final push towards Great Ocean Road, which now lies just six weeks away.

AM

22.10 km – 1h 30m 03s @ 4m 04s/km

Fastest KM: 3m 39s

Max HR: 170 bpm. Min: 134 bpm

PM

6.30 km – 30m 02s @ 4m 45s/km

Fastest KM: 4m 40s

Max HR: 135 bpm. Min: 126 bpm

DAILY TOTAL

28.4 km

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

Having considered the Geelong half marathon next Sunday, I’ve taken a left field decision to compete in the Challenge Melbourne half triathlon running component, where I hope not to let down the team’s hard work across the swimming and cycling legs.

The latter disciplines are uncharted territory so being able to concentrate on what I know best, whilst experiencing the adrenaline rush and accountability of a team environment is appealing.

Competing in a triathlon proper in my own right is definitely something I’ll consider down the track, though I have a lot of unfinished business in running before I broaden my horizon!

This will provide added incentive to look after myself in coming days and absorb my most consistent block of training for the year.

Friday 22nd March

Work roster reshuffling meant my long run was bumped up to Friday.

I was greeted by the humidity which lingered for the best part of a week, though I pushed ahead with plans for a steady outing, having had a few weeks since a proper effort following the Grand Prix.

Dropping into sub four pace quite swiftly, I sat comfortably at low to mid 3 m 50 s kilometres before upping the intensity around mid distance as the heat increased.

I felt comfortable with the progression, settling into low 3 m 40 s and finishing strongly in the high 3 m 30 s after passing 30 km.

It was a nice confidence boost to address an area which was formerly a weakness, though I won’t be repeating this intensity too frequently with plenty of time until GOR.

AM

36 km. 2 h 18 m @ 3 m 50 s

A token 30 minutes or so for the afternoon shakeout on tired legs brought up the symbolic 42 km for the day.

PM

6.4 km. 31 m 31 s @ 4 m 55 s

DAILY TOTAL

42.45 km. 2 h 49 m

Saturday, 23rd March

Nothing much to the morning with the early start for work and feeling pretty second rate after yesterday’s effort, so it was a very easy hour.

AM

12.2 km. 60 mins @ 4 m 55 s

I managed to roll back out after work despite a lack of food, comprising a few strides after which I was cooked.

PM

5.2 km. 25 m 25 s @ 4 m 53 s

DAILY TOTAL

17.4 km. 1 h 25 mins

Sunday, 24th March

Feeling a little more rested, I was able to complete a solid if unspectacular workout despite some mild soreness in the quads.

Coping with the shortened float of 500 metres around four sets of two kilometres was pleasing, even if the outright pace at a peak of 3 m 22 s was middling and ultimately fading.

I was happy to get the job done and bank a solid week rebounding from the limitations of the previous.

AM

22.6 km. 1 h 30 m 20 s @ 4 m

WEEKLY TOTAL

163 km. 11 h 45 m

Monday, 25th March

There wasn’t much to see as I rolled out an overdue trail session at Dendy Park for an hour, followed by a token 30 minute afternoon shakeout.

AM

13.05 km. 60 mins @ 4 m 37 s

PM

6.05 km. 30 m 20 s @ 5m 1 s

DAILY TOTAL

19.1 km. 1 h 30 mins

Tuesday, 26th March

I was met by stern winds which had been largely and gladly absent in recent times, so the workout was reshuffled on the fly.

After a slightly extended warm up which was a steady effort itself into the headwind, it was a fairly straightforward block of 2 x 3 kilometre tempos off one km enjoying the assistance of the tailwind.

Hitting a top of 3 m 15 s was a solid effort though the times were skewed in the conditions, so it was more about sustaining the intensity in the gusts which tended towards a crosswind in certain sections.

I couldn’t replicate the consistent low 3 m 20 s pace on the second rep which coincided with the exposed area adjacent to the bay towards Hampton, so I was glad when I completed the set.

AM

20.05 km. 1 h 18 m @ 3 m 54 s

Wednesday, 27th March

Similar to Monday, there wasn’t a lot in today’s output, chatting about Collingwood’s prospects against Richmond on Thursday evening with Dion around Dendy Park.

The legs were a little fatigued from the cumulative efforts encompassing the 36 km and workouts in the previous five days, so I capped the midweek ‘long’ at ten miles ahead of another early long run proper on Friday.

AM

16.10 km. 1 h 15 m 37 s @ 4 m 42 s

Thursday, 28th March

I rolled the legs over with an easy hour before work, getting out of bed proving the hardest component in the ever later morning sunrise.

Again the afternoon session was a token effort having eaten little through the day so 30 minutes was enough with the long run in the morning.

AM

13.2 km. 60 mins @ 4 m 34 s

PM

6.2 km. 30 mins @ 4 m 57 s

DAILY TOTAL

19.4 km. 1 h 30 mins

Friday, 29th March

It’s always a satisfying feeling to wake up in the knowledge that your team won the footy the night before, so Collingwood’s victory over Richmond definitely set a good mood for the task at hand.

Unlike last week, this long was conducted at a leisurely wick, which was arguably tougher than moving at the steady pace of seven days earlier.

I maintained a consistent pace straddling either side of 4 m 30 s, and it was a good sign that I barely raised a sweat until the sun emerged in the later stages.

Over two and a half hours on the feet was one of my longer outings in recent times.

AM

34.05 km. 2 h 33 m @ 4 m 31 s

With the ominous change rapidly arriving, I was glad to head back out in the afternoon for a shakeout that was amusingly more challenging than the morning’s haul. The wind wreaking havoc, but I pushed on for 40 minutes to accumulate another marathon distance for the day.

8.15 km. 41 mins @ 5 m 03 s

DAILY TOTAL

42.2 km. 3 h 14 mins

Saturday, 30th March

I somehow forced myself from bed in the darkness despite extremely unappealing conditions outside, managing an hour relatively unscathed from intermittent downpour.

The noticeable temperature drop provided instant relief to the ease of running in lieu of the thick, humid air which had been the norm.

AM

13.05 km. 60 mins @ 4 m 36 s

Returning from work, a double hung in the balance as the heavens opened at regular intervals, so I was pleased that I snuck out in a break and managed some decent strides ahead of the morning workout.

PM

6.10 km. 28 mins @ 4 m 36 s

DAILY TOTAL

19.15 km. 1 h 28 mins

Sunday, 31st March

Focusing on shorter repetitions off an even shorter break – a department I need to address more than others, Sunday morning was an encouraging workout.

After toying with various float intervals, the most extreme which quickly became apparent was delusional, I settled on a three minute cycle for my 500 metre reps, with a dozen planned.

Again finding the cooler conditions beneficial, I enjoyed a steady warm up which never felt onerous and set me up nicely for the effort ahead.

The fastest speed I reached was just shy of three minutes per km at 1 m 33 s, yet most pleasingly, one of my better efforts came on the gradual climb from Sandringham towards Black Rock.

Most reps sat in the mid to high 1 m 30 s window depending on wind and elevation factors, so my float was generally 1 m 25 s at a lick over 300 metres.

I also contemplated a full kilometre float at mid distance to take stock, and/or capping the workout at ten reps, though I committed to pushing on as I returned past Sandringham.

My resilience was immediately tested by some stern wind resistance in the exposed area I alluded to earlier in the week, and my splits accordingly suffered – falling to 3 m 17 s.

It came as a massive relief once the final rep arrived and I was able to conclude on a strong note at 3 m 05 s pace courtesy of some descending towards the Dendy Street intersection.

The session was rounded out by a chance encounter with Dion who’d been keeping busy with physio course updates over the weekend (and month).

AM

23.05 km. 1 h 32 m. 3 m 59 s

Work mercifully moved at a faster rate than Saturday’s glacial pace.

Whilst the temptation was there to crack open a can – ACT product BentSpoke ‘Crankshaft’ IPA, selected taking the newfound chill into account, as soon as I returned, I followed through with a shakeout to cap another steady week and month.

PM

6.40 km. 30 mins @ 4 m 43 s

DAILY TOTAL

29.45 km. 2 h 2 mins

 

WEEKLY TOTAL

165.5 km. 12 h 20 mins

MONTHLY TOTAL

689.2 km

 

It was nice to piece together consecutive weeks in excess of 100 miles for the first time in a while, as well as finding a nice rhythm in the 160 – 170 km window where I still get the most out of myself.

Seven weeks until GOR…