6 x 1k Reps Centenial Park

I had been pretty good in terms of going out and socializing throughout the month of January in my quest to regain some sort of fitness, unfortunately that all got blown apart over the Australian Day long weekend, big parties to help celebrate this great Nations birthday on the Saturday then backing up on Sunday meant today’s  (Tuesday) first session back was going to be more then a test.

Managed to knock over my 20k on the Saturday morning that I was pleased with even if it was a slower pace then normal.

Beautiful day in Sydney first up this morning and it was very busy around the park, had a chat with C.T, then a quick yarn to PLOD who was flying by on his way to doing 30ks, Paulie “the Cement’ was on his bike hurling abuse my way and even saw J.Worsick doing the mileage around the white fence.

Today’s’ session was the standard 6 x 1k reps that I have been attempting of late, Goal again was to just try to keep them consistent throughout whatever the time was. Struggled along to be honest and blew out by 5 seconds overall from the first to the 6^th rep.

Striders 10k on Saturday, going to be ugly first race back but I’ll head out to Homebush to give it a go – I’ve always said you need to race to actually KNOW what shape you are in and hopefully I can at least draw a line in the sand and put something on the board.

Also good news over the weekend and that was I managed to get a story I wrote commissioned by the paper for publication. It was on the Berlin Marathon that the HuRTs team and I went on back in September/October. I think it read OK? But you can be the judge on that one J …..Happy to hear any feedback, good or bad.

http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/take-part-in-the-bmw-berlin-marathon-germany/story-fnjjuxwc-1226808392289

Hopefully it’s the first of many and will kick start any future stories that I have, I’ve just started a NEW one on the Munich Beer Festival that we attended as well so that could be in the pipeline for #2, C.T will be interested in that one ………….That way at least he can find out what REALLY happened there J

Cheers

A.B.C Pool Session.

You know that a 1k time trial is coming up when you rock up to the pool early and already find half the team in the water under the guidance of Super fish Elan, couldn’t believe it with Mikey in on the act as well as MrAce, The Champ and Brendan.

Set was 1 x 500, 5 x 200 and 5 x 100s, pace was good from the start once more , but I was feeling pretty strong from the get go today and despite holding back was still touching The Leech’s toes throughout. Pace picked up for the 200s all done around 3.10s and then the 100s were done even faster (1.30s). Think the Taffy Lad found the going tough and Mikey didn’t let the opportunity go to waste in telling him either for slowing down the lane at the 150 mark, He also got stuck into poor Leechy as well when he failed to swim to the wall at the end of each set …………… A wrap around the knuckles for the Leech and consider it being told…… and I thought he was going to cry at one point after the blast from our illustrious leader J

Once the 2k set was all done, Elan volunteered his services for an extra 10 x 50 metres helping with drills etc…. Couldn’t believe it then when EVERYONE stayed in the water, I managed a measly 2  more laps before cutting a forlorn figure out the pool whilst the rest of the lads tried to get those last minute tips in before next weeks T/T

Well pretty good weeks training , even if the times weren’t good in the running at least I managed to get through them all, Will be out in the morning to try to do 20ks as I know Sunday will be out the question as I have a big Australian Day BBQ Party on the Saturday.

No Premier matches this week either due to the 4^th round of the F.A Cup (unless you support Newcastle or Aston Villa), Stoke have to travel to Chelsea in a tough one BUT you never know what the magic of the Cup can conjure up?

Timmy’s Tip – Hate to say it but Chelsea 2 vs. Stoke 0

Have a great long Australian Day weekend, throw a snag on the BBQ, and have a frothy or two …………..It would  be UN Australian NOT TO J

Train well, stay safe

Cheers

HuRTS Hickson Road 1.2k Reps x 5

Rode into town today for my first HuRTS set of the year that saw us down for what is still considered one of the toughest and honest sessions on the program and that’s the 1.2k Hickson Road Reps.

Massive crowd and good to see Tucks back, as to Moosehead MrAce and there seems to be an increase in the female gender since my last visit as well, Split into 3 groups with Fats, Tucks Enda, and a few others leading the way whilst I was alongside Lady Laura, Angus, Mikey leading the following gang.

Was keen not to go out too hard today and settled comfortably behind Laura on the first working just over 3.30 pace, picked it up slightly on the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th reps but still wasn’t good enough to get past the front runners Angus, and Laura and Mikey was even coming past me each time around the 850m mark, Could feel MrAce and Pete Walker breathing down my neck on everyone that kept me more then honest as my legs were pretty much gone once the 4^th was complete.

Tried just to get the last rep done and kept Pete and MrAce at bay once again till the 1k point before they came by for one final time

Times for the day were 4.10. 4.06, 4.04, 4.07, 4.12

All done under 3.30 pace except the last one (3.31) so pretty happy with that especially after a busy couple of days and will now take a rest tomorrow and only do the swim squad at lunchtime with the boys.

The front runners were going well, especially Mr. Stankard who was knocking them out in times of 3.48 ….. Impressive, can’t believe he was even ahead of Tucks, what’s going on there?

Great to see Phil Dove make a return to the group  after a 6 year break – looks like he’s let himself go a little over the time as well with him putting on about half a gram of fat ……Jeez, I think he needs to go on my diet J

Had a good chat again with Lady Laura before/during/after the session as she continues her fine form, I am getting slightly worried mind you as she seems to be spending a lot of time with J.C, Enda , and Damo with extra sessions around Centennial Park. Now, for those that don’t know Laura – she is a class act not only on the running field BUT off it as well, very mild mannered, modest and not pretentious in any way. Anyway I think the 3 amigos (J.C, Enda and Damo) may be corrupting our Laura into all sorts as her mannerism, loutish behavior is getting out of hand and may need Chairman Tommy H to have a quiet word.  Normally her fashion sense is spot on but this photo was sent to me of her on the way home back to the ‘Shire’ only last night. Tells me that J.C has taken to co-coordinating her new wardrobe these days?

Lady Laura seen here heading back to the Shire with her NEW Tan Leggings that J.C , Enda and Damo brought for her to wear around 'Northies' for Australia Day.

Cheers

Getting the Head Down

Missed the BRAT Hardmen that go around on Wednesday mornings due to work, and did hear that HuRTS Lady Laura has been attending lately that not only gives the motley crew abit of class but also glamour these days (wouldn't be many in that group who would be able to run with her mind you)

Stayed in the park after and just decided to do 2 x 3k tempo sets around the flat loop with the remaining 700m metres easy.
Again never felt comfortable to be honest but it was a case of just getting the head down and once more getting through them best I could.
Did a 6k warm up to start so a solid 13.5 ks in total for the day.

Had Enda been pestering me again NON stop over the past 24 hours - wanting to get a bet on against me for the upcoming Striders 10k race at Homebush. More then happy to oblige, although my form is going backwards and told him we will just go off the last race (that he actually won) to determine the handicap.
Think it was well over 4 minutes (closer to 5) but told him I will settle with the 4, and he is trying to rort me (as always) and come back with a measly 2 – he’s got to be having a laugh surely?????

Cheers

6 x 1k Reps

Bloody awful, the less said the better. Running into a headwind on the 1st, 3rd &5th reps just made it even worse.
Only positive is that i did the 6

Cheers

'A Game' at the A.B.C

Another humid day to start the working week for the Monday HuRT swim squad, Brendan introduced a NEW member Emma to the group and boy is she FAST (what is it with the name Emma and good swimmers?), good to see Julia return as well although not sure of the flippers and snorkel she dons whilst swimming J

Set was 2 x 300, 4 x 200 and 6 x 100s

I was complaining about the pace being TOO SLOW on Friday and in particular singled out The Leech and Taffy James, well today it was anything but, with both bringing there ‘A Game’ and really turned the heat up on us. So much so that poor Brendan, QLDer Dave, The Champ Cialis and I were unable to stay with them and in turn meant that we actually had 3 groups splintered throughout the lane.

Knew it was all on during the first 300 when I went through 100m in 1.27 (What?) hung in there but with a  heart rate hitting 385 I knew it was impossible to do the remaining 1700m at that kind of pace. Pretty much just shared the leading duties after that with the much improved Cialis and was happy enough with the following times.

4.45, 4.57, 3.14, 3.13, 3.16, 3.23, 1.33, 1.35, 1.32, 1.33, 1.35, 1.35

So tired at the end I was barely able to get out the pool

Walking around the Domain at the end I see a fast Johnny Bartles (Barts) out doing his secret training – Gave him some abuse as he went by and told him he was wasting his time as the TRUE #1 Tucks is back and will be putting him in his place once the Striders races come around J

Huge Congrats to POD on the weekend who absolutely smashed his way around the 70.3 N.Z Ironman course with a blistering 4.08:36 to finish 25^th overall and winning his age group ( not to mention 1^st Irishman ), Even run a 82 minute half after cycling 90ks

Also well done to my old training mate Richie Palmer who also had a cracker with a 4.26:17 – don’t know how he keeps doing it, brilliant effort

Not so well done was old Champagne Charlie who unfortunately didn’t finish due to stacking his bike, The aim is normally to go AROUND the bollards, but Charlie decided in order to save 2 seconds to go OVER it, resulting in ……….Race Over and one busted shoulder L.

Just when he was starting to get some good form back as well – wishing him a speedy recovery. Looks like he’s due a stint at the Angry Boy School of Bike Riding in the coming weeks

Special mention also to Pete Walker and The Champ who were in the Nations Capital on the weekend for the Olympic Triathlon, Pete taking out the age group win with a 2hr.10 and The Champ 8^th …………Well done boys

Big week coming up on training with a couple of tough sessions on the horizon – first up is the 4 x 2ks tomorrow

Cheers

Sunday Long Run with a Big Crew

Massive turnout for the Long Sunday run around Centennial this morning (someone did actually remark that it was because Enda was away?), with everyone there including the likes of Fats, T.B , C.T, Lady Laura, Leech, Pommy Paul, ShireBogan Damo, Jeet, Jonathan W, BenTen,  and a host of others.

Very warm and humid to even start and the pace was more then honest as we set about the first 10k loop, Came around just over 44 minutes at 4.30 pace, wasn’t feeling that great even then despite running from the front for most of it with C.T and Laura.

Set off on the 2^nd loop and straight away I was struggling as the guys were already about 10 metres ahead after the first 1k, thought at that stage I would be doing well to even get back to the café and considered pulling the pin at 14ks. That was until Pommy Paul called out to me that we should continue but stop at the 8k mark instead of going up the hill for the regular 10k.

The paced dropped pretty dramatically to be honest as we BOTH battled it out and tried to help each other just to get back; it seemed the longest 36 minutes in history as we toiled at 4.42 pace before the café appeared.

A quick drinks break and then I decided that I had to do a further 2ks and would do them at pace. So I convinced Pommy Paul to do the same and unbelievably I actually run better and it felt so much easier? Did a 3.49 for the first one then a 3.46 for the return.

20ks all up in 90.11 average pace of 4.31 per/k – so despite feeling like crap for large parts of the run it wasn’t too bad when I look at the overall picture.

Most of the guys called it quits on 20ks although Laura, went on and did 30ks, and I think T.B & Fats did likewise but pushed the pace on even faster.

Good chat with everyone at the end, and we had a nice surprise when Damo brought his oversized Esky out and produced a box of the ‘Shire’s finest Fruit for the team, He even brought out some ‘Ham and Pickle’ Sarnies at one point.

Just about to jump in the motor at the end and who should come running around? None other then the ‘Flake’ himself Paulie Brunning, good to see him out doing his long run. Of Course I had to have the customary weather check for the day, not to mention a full report on what Tommy H and Kanser were up to over the weekend J

For the record, it was a HOT 29 degrees, and high humidity with NO sign of any rain.

Good weekend had running wise ( not so the footy ), and think I’ve earned myself a nice beer or two – might head down to watch those English blokes that are impersonating cricketers down at the S.C.G for a few hours and might see if I can see Pommy Paul who is also down there.

Need to get back out in the morning for an easy 10ks

Cheers