Xmas Period Training

WOW, how time gets away over the festive season?  A busy period since the last entry as I've been battling away trying to maintain a level of fitness despite the excessive eating and drinking that comes with the territory at this time of the year.
I'll do my best to recap.

Christmas Eve.  St Peters Park Run 18.24
Over to St Peters and had my young client (Noah) aged 15 lining up for his first Park Run, I'd been going OK for the past 2 runs and thought I'd break the 18 minute barrier unfortunately once again that 4th Km was to absolutely smash me and once that happened I couldn't even be bothered to push the 5th and ended up coming home in 18.23 for 8th overall. Good run from the young bloke though who got himself a podium with 3rd in 17.40
Out with Birchy, his folks (who are in town visiting on hols) and The Love Doctors' for a fun evening spent in the English boozer 'The Lord Dudley' with the carols and plenty of dancing.

Christmas Day - Annual Xmas run meeting at Cloey Beach for the trek to Bondi and back. Lined up Jeet, Jac and Neil P with Birchy missing, too tired from all that singing at carols (bless him). Easy pace out and back and enjoyed a swim to cool down. The Mince Pies that followed were well worth the 10ks with a  hangover.

Tuesday 27th December.  Early start and called for a 1600m session in the park, Nice little team with Birch, Jeet, Marko Branagon, Frenchie Jerome, Taffy Jimmy and Young Noah. Once the warm up was done I led out the first rep (more that people weren't sure of route) and was happy enough to hold 3.30 pace for a 5.41 finish. Marko smashed the 2nd rep (and himself at the same time) as Jeet and myself repeated the same. Told young Noah to push the 3rd and with Jerome helping him he did just that (5.19) as I was starting to feel the efforts of all the Xmas cheer with a 5.43
One to go and I was happy to let Jeet do all the work for the best part of 1500m before a final kick down to stop the clock on the 4th in 5.44
Shattered once done and with the humid weather it made for a bloody tough session.
Great afternoon spent over at Manly with good mate Sammy Agnew back in town. Manly Wharf bar was the venue with a good 8 hours spent catching up and giving him loads about his beloved Crystal Palace trash.

Sammy Agnew back in town, and YES it was starting to get late.... Tommy H's eyes were starting to go at this stage.

Thursday 29th December.  A hot day and as early as 7.30am the heat was going to make for a tough set that we planned.  3 x 3k with 700m floating recovery, not for the faint hearted and it was left to Jac, Birchy and Noah to do the hard yards. Aim for the day was to get faster on each rep, so really had to hold back for the first of the three.
Just run with Noah on the first and held 3.54 pace to stop the clock in 11.46 but knew that was difficult enough and was already worried about what was to follow. Quicker on the 2nd holding 3.45s and just had enough left in the tank to complete the 3rd leg even quicker in 3.41s
Times were 11.46, 11.15, 11.04
If Tuesdays session was tough this one was a killer and reckon I must have lost about 2 kilo in sweat alone, thank God Taffy, Hardman J.C or Kanser weren't running.
Enjoyed a well earned coffee with the team post run and was delighted to get through another set.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas with the loved ones and all the best for the New Year.

I will do the year in review and my predictions for the big year ahead in 2017 over the next couple of days.  Until then
Cheers