Looking Back Moving Forward.

Another hot and humid week.  Again i have just been putting miles in the bank and having fun.  On Saturday i decided to have a seriously flat run out at Nudgee.  Love running out along Jim Soorley Bikeway, which i call Jolly Soorelegs Bikeway on my Strava account.  Heee..hee..heee.

 Anyway, it is good ,sort of, that it wasn't my back that slowed me but my fitness.  I ran 10km in 42 minutes and then ran a solid 6km run where i just ran at a pace i think i can maintain for a at least two hours on fresh legs.   My heart rate was higher than i would expect and i put this down to the humidity and heat.  I also took a wrong turn on the way out to the course, which i have driven to a hundred or more times, and wasted about a half an hour (and a fair bit of mental energy reprimanding myself for being such a boofhead).

 I don't know if possible, but it would be good to get back to the shape i was in during May last year.  One can but try.  A lot depends on the cancer being kept in check and if my back holds up.  I ran a similar session back in May 2016 in preparation for Christchurch Marathon.   I ran 10k in 37:47 followed by two pace 4ks in 15:43 and 15;36.

Mind you, as an older runner, i don't think it a good idea to dwell on past performances unless it helps with future planning in some way.  Runners who have been running since way back can't lay claim to being " older yet faster" as some late starters often do, however, I guess long-term runners can, perhaps, lay claim to being  older but more efficient; more wiser; more experienced; more knowledgeble; we can, for sure,  lay claim to being more blessed for discovering the joy of running more earlier.

CLOSE TO THE TON & TESTING QUASIMODO.

This week was just more preparation and getting back on track.  I did introduce some trail 400s. (Quasimodo) to replace my Hillside Mona session..  I ran them solid, but was very careful because this is where I hurt my back this last time.  Anyway, I survived, and my back handled the session.  The other bugbear for running this week has been the heat and humidity. 

This week I also learnt that the Orange Marathon isn't going to be certified (supposedly because of road works).  I only found out when I checked back on the CoolRunning forum.  It seems to me that in Australia there are more road blocks than assistance for runners trying to achieve their goals however humble.  I am on their email list as an entrant but I incidentally found out when visiting a forum that I hardly ever visit.  So I guess I will just have to stick to my plan (Run Australia Day Marathon out at Mansfield for initial qualifier and then try for a better start zone at Orange Marathon) and hope the Comrades officialdom accept my times.  If not, I will run Canberra Marathon or perhaps the 50km. 

Gradually Developing a Strongerer Base, Sorting Back and Trying New Shoes..

Well this week I hit my sweet spot of 150 km or so.  I'll sit on that mileage, except for my Sunday long run, so as to get strong again.   Actually, I am not feeling too bad now.  However, that would change if I could do more intense fast running.  We'll see how I cope.

My physio visit again proved worthwhile.  Felt sore the day after from where he worked on my glutes but was great the day after the day after.   He also spent time mobilising my stiff joints in my back and this has been a really noticeable improvement.  I have also taken to having a hang on an inversion table that has been sitting in the corner for years.  I don't particularly like hanging upside like a vampire bat, but it seems to help.  It really freaks me out when my back cracks.  Something to do with a sort of vacuum between joints. 

This week I purchased some new shoes online.  I have no disclaimer to declare.  I know the local rep lives up the road but I have always liked Saucony and had decided long ago to try something else once my Nikes were finished (I purchased four pairs of the Lunar Spider LT,when I heard they were to be discontinued). For the past few years I have been doing my long runs in Nike LunarSpider LTs.  I was getting the LTs directly from Japan and anywhere I could find them on the net.  Best shoes ever for me. Anyway, I ran 36 km in my new Saucony Ride 9s pretty well straight out the box.  I don't know.  The shoes aren't as soft as I would like.  However, they don't go off at the end of the run like some  other brands.  Actually, during the last 10 kms I didn't think of my shoes, so that was a good sign.   I also found that when I upped the pace to over say 4:40 they felt a lot better.  I might be just running too slow.  Also, I have heard that Saucony are a narrow shoe so opted for a size 10.  So the shoes were a bit long.  The front of the toe box is wide but around the arch is fairly narrow.  I think the idea is to hold the foot, whilst still having room in the toe box for the toes to splay appropriately.   And the other thing is maaannn ...I was really leg weary after yesterday's hilly run.   Any shoe would feel extra responsive when the pins are feeling fragile.

Below is me wearing in my Saucony Ride 9.  It doesn't take much to irritate me when I am vacuuming, so, if they survive the housework,  they must be a half decent product.

Admiring my latest delivery.  The Kinvaras were on special.  Horrid colours for an old-school runner, but cheap, so..

The ultimate survival test for new footwear.... 

GREAT WAY TO KICK THE NEW YEAR OFF: PLUGGING AWAY FOR THE ULIMATE RACE.

This week's running has been relatively pain free with my back.  Still have to be careful.  For instance: on this mornings 20 miler it was so hot and humid and my strength is down that I was starting to lose form.  I had to really concentrate ,especially on the technical trails, to keep things stabilised.  Put a foot down a rut and I sure knew I was alive.  Actually, looking out over the hills is better much better way to appreciate being alive. I have also found that, if my back is giving grief,  it helps to stop completely and engage my glutes and feel my back with my hands until I feel my erectors spinae muscles relax.  And to finalise my coping strategies,  i must say that as we age it sure takes a long time to regain fitness.  All one can do is keep plugging away.

This week's training, and especially this morning's run, has bought home to me what a daunting task Comrades participants have ahead.  Maaaaann... at about 30km I was working one of the many hills on this particular run and my thighs were burning; my back was aching; the sweat was filling my shoes (59KG at start and 55KG at finish after taking on fluids) and I had mistaken the hill I just run up for a hill closer to the finish,  when i thought to myself: "If I feel like this at 30km at this slow pace, how the fudge am I going to handle another 60km in Comrades".  Daunting!!!

I tell you true, Donny Wallace used to run along these trails in his preparation for Comrades at a significantly quicker pace.  I ran with him a few times and his strength on hills is second to none.  His mental and physical preparation and strength has taken him, among other achievements, to two Golds and three sub six hours at Comrades.  And, as an aside, no one ever passed Don on the hills during the Comrades Marathon. This article below doesn't tell the half of it, but the photo is a great portrait of a Comrades Elite Performer. What an influence Don Wallace has been for hacks like me, local triers and elites alike. http://more.arrs.net/runner/13275

 Here's hoping all the good people in this world have a happy, healthy and the best possible new year.