Back to Work, Not Back to Run

Running:  Nil

I made the decision to give my taper a real chance by not running now until we have a few days on the Gold Coast before heading to Caboolture.
On the Gold Coast there are beaches. In Qld at this time of year, the sun is supposed to shine, and it might be a little warmer than here in the nation's capital.
The very last of the virus is almost gone, and I was well enough to have returned to work on Wednesday. If there was no big run coming up soon, I probably would have done 5 kms today. It was a beautiful winter's day at noon after a below freezing start to the day.
However, this is where a bit of mental toughness comes in, not running is as difficult as deciding wrongly to run.
Certainly, in August when winter may hit hard, the decision not to run will be really easy. It's going to be the rest & recover month before starting back once the weather improves. There are no big plans for the rest off the year, may be an off road marathon in October.

Another Sick Day

Running:   Nil

The bug/virus/lurgy...... whatever the little bugger is called got me this time.
I had the same thing back in early June & it took me 12 days to get over it.
Although this time there was no chest congestion, all nose & sinuses.
The lack of appetite from Saturday left me feeling weak & certainly not up to driving a big bus with passengers on board hoping to stay alive long enough to get to work or home again.
I may have made it through the first half today, but the second half would have been a big struggle.
I have over a year's sick leave, so I took another day off work today.
That's almost a career record here.
I'll be back at work on Wednesday, a 3 day working week. Then 2 weeks away in Qld where I hope the rain has disappeared. Almost forgot to mention a 2 day running race in there as well.

Knocked Down By A Virus

Running:   Nil

Knocked flat by a virus from Friday afternoon. I had to get a blood sample taken on Saturday morning, so opted out of my usual morning run with Softshoe.
From midday onwards went down hill fast, under the blanket on the couch or in bed now for 3 days.
Just didn't have the energy to get to work this morning, which was a good decision.
Given the need to be safe on the roads, I couldn't endanger other people's lives just to be brave or stupid driving in an unwell condition.
Loss of appetite has hampered recovery. Hopefully that will return quickly as the virus seems to almost gone. Then, I can really get into the food loading ready for Caboolture.

Was Today Part of Winter ?

Today:
Distance:   10.15 km
Time:  56' 51"
Rate:  5' 37" per km
Weather: sunny, mild, temp 15 degrees, humidity 50%, wind NW 20 kmph
Week:  30.85 km,  July:  154.8 km,  Year:  2755.15 km

It was a nice mild day around lunch time with a warmish NW wind blowing.
I was running home for lunch so had the wind behind me. Today isn't a performance enhancing day, just a run & this week, trying to keep the kms ticking over.
Saturday long running is now a short jog, getting closer to race day, so freshening up is the name of the game. Get it wrong next week, and all could be lost.
Bruny Is run this year is on Sat 1st Dec, email with entry form received today. Worth thinking about again, great event and I would like to have another go.

Just Before the Rain, Again

Today:
Distance:  8.8 km
Time:  46' 26"
Rate: 5' 16" per km
Weather: cloudy, temp 9 degrees, humidity 80%, wind calm, light drizzle late
Week:  20.7 km,  July:  144.65 km,  Year:  2745.00 km

Looked like rain all day,  so I took my chance just before noon on a lap of the lake. Hoping to get around and remain dry, I stopped for a chat on the way and that short delay was my undoing.
With about a km to go, down came the rain.
It wasn't that cold, but still I got wet. Oh well, it is winter, should really take the chances when you get them instead of waiting for better.

Just Before the Rain

Today:
Distance:  11.9 km,
Time:  67' 53"
Rate:  5' 42" per km
Weather: cloudy, temp 9 degrees, humidity 80%, wind calm, light drizzle
Week:  11.9 km,  July:  135.85 km,  Year:  2736.2 km

Rest day yesterday, a few things had to be done, so I called it a rest day. Plenty more of these coming up.
Today, I ran an easy loop around the local area, nothing special.  Just finished before the rain set in for the rest of the day.
Finished with a good 30 minutes in the gym, an area that I have let slip a little bit recently while trying to get good kms done.
Felt good, so all is on track, so to speak. Pun intended.

Caboolture

Today:
Distance:  9.2 km
Time:  46' 33"
Rate:  5' 03" per km
Weather: sunny, temp 12 degrees, humidity 55%, wind north 10 kmph
Week:  109.65 km,  July:  123.95 km,  Year:  2724.3 km

This is about as flat a run as I can do from home, there is only 75 metres of up hill.
A circuit on the bike paths, well the edge of the path on the grass, around the outside of Isabella Plains. A really nice afternoon, very enjoyable to be able to run at some kind of pace without going at race pace.
I have finally sent off my entry to Caboolture for the 48 hour run. Day 1, I think I can handle as I did the same at Coburg a few months ago. What happens on Day 2 is any one's guess.
It's only 3 weeks away, so taper time with this week cutting back, a few total rest days, and some short flat running days. Last 2 weeks will see many more rest days, and basically reloading ready for race day.

Cutting Back

Friday:
Distance: 6.25 km in 35'55" at 5'44" per km
Weather: sunny, cold, temp 9 degrees, humidity 50%, wind SW 10 kmph
Today:
Distance:  35.3 km
Time:  4 hrs 6  ins 42 secs
Rate: 6' 59" per km
Weather: very cold, sunny, temp range - 6 degrees to 11 degrees, humidity 90% down to 45%, wind calm
Week:  100.45 km,  July: 114.75 km
Year:  2715.1 km in 27 weeks at ave 100.56 km p w

Friday was an easy day with a run home from work at lunch time. It was cold again with a big frost overnight and a low temp of - 6 degrees. Fairly typical of winter in the national capital. As usual we get a nice sunny day, even if it doesn't get very warm.
Today, I ran/walked with Softshoe to Woden and back from home. I big loop course through Gowrie & Fadden to the underpass at Yamba Dr. Then through Farrer nature park to Mawson, down to Woden town centre, through Lyons to Oakey Hill, and then following the Tuggie Parkway to the Tuggeranong town centre.
A detour behind Bonython to Gordon and home to get the desired 35 kms for the day.
A good training session with some good walk breaks as will be required at Caboolture.
Finished feeling good, a little tired but that's all.
This will be the last longish run with only 3 weeks to go. Cut back the distances now with some rest days in as well and taken if the weather looks at all unfavourable. There is rain/showers predicted for Tuesday/Wednesday next week.

Midweek Company Again

Today:
Distance:   18.9 km
Time: 1 hr 48 mins 10 secs
Rate:  5' 44" per km
Weather: sunny, cold, temp 8 degrees, humidity 65%, wind southerly 25 kmph
Week:  58.9 km, July:  73.2 km,  Year:  2673.55 km

Same as last Thursday, I had the company of Princess Muscles today.
We ran from work to Kambah Village, then left on to Boddington Cr in Kambah to Learmonth Dr and back to our start.
She is in recovery from a good run ( Pb) at KOM at Kangaroo valley last Sunday. Also, she had ran 7 kms early morning so a great effort for the day. But, at 12.3 kms, that was enough especially after turning south after Kambah Village and heading into a very cold & strong southerly wind.
I went inside at work to get another jacket for my next 6.6 kms, my arms & hands were very cold.
A loop around the back of Bonython, over to Pine Is and back to work. Most of the run was able to hide among the trees for some shelter from the wind.
It is character building, not nice, but job done.
Thanks to Elle for the company again this week. Not sure now with school holidays, then my trip to Qld, when we can again run together during the week.

Easy, Almost Rest Day

Today:
Distance:  6.3 km
Time;  36' 24"
Rate:  5' 46" per km
Weather: sunny, temp 10 degrees, humidity 50%, wind cold SW 10 kmph
Week:  40.00 km,  July:  54.3 km,  Year:  2654.65 km

Into the last few weeks before Caboolture, so every second day is an easy recovery day. Sometimes, I may not run depending on the weather. The guru of ultra running has suggested next to nothing in the last 2 weeks, eat properly & get plenty of rest & sleep.
Today, a cold start to the day again, but Ok around midday as I ran home.
Nothing special about the run, except it was into the cold south westerly, so a little slow.
Usual, for this week, a nana nap at 4 pm in Belco, just enough to keep me awake long enough to get back to the safety of the south side.

Mt Taylor

Today:
Distance:  20.00 km
Time: 1 hr 59 mins 7 secs
Rate:  5' 57" per km
Weather: nice sunny winter's day, very cold overnight - 6 degrees, but noon 11 degrees, humidity 45%, wind calm up to NW 10 kmph
Week:  33.7 km,  July:  48.00 km,  Year:  2648.35 km

I've ran to the top of Mt Taylor from work plenty of times. It's a run I like apart from the boring part around the lake.
I had seen no one when I was close to the base trails, but on getting near the top, a group of school kids were on their way down. Great to see so many happy faces considering the effort to get to the summit in the first place.
Then on top of the mountain, a man had come up from the Woden side for the very first time. He was buggered, sitting on the seat but so happy as well to have made it. The views were great today, perfect conditions with no breeze at all.
A good faster trip back to make up for the slow pace going up. There are tracks repairs near the top, so a short diversion to get to the trig near the towers.
I went back down on the newest Torrens side track. But, that has taken so much traffic, it's as bad and dangerous as any mountain track around. I'll run up this track in future instead of risking life & limb going down.
Otherwise, a great day out in the nice sunshine. A 25 minute nana nap later in the afternoon topped off a good day.

Another Monday Recovery Day

Today:
Distance:  13.7 km
Time:  76' 17"
Rate:  5' 34" per km
Weather: sunny, temp 11 degrees, humidity 45%, wind cold WSW 15 kmph
Week:  13.7 km, July:  28.00 km,  Year:  2624.35 km

Whatever happens today doesn't really count in the performance improvement stakes. It's just about allowing the legs to roll over at the easiest pace possible. Sometimes it's a little faster than other days.
Today was Ok, I didn't have to push to maintain a reasonable pace and slowed down as the cold wind at times held me back.
Nothing else to report, I ran home from work at lunch time and back again.
A nice nana nap in the afternoon with time gained by having no kids on my school run. Some schools get 3 weeks of holidays.

Front Gate to Front Door

Today:
Distance: 14.3 km
Time:  80' 15"
Rate:  5' 37" per km
Weather: sun/cloud, temp 6 degrees, humidity 65%, wind cold NW 10 kmph
Week:  130.7 km,  July:  14.3 km, Year:  2610.65 km

We lunched at Fyshwick markets today and I intended to run home from there. But, rain meant I wasn't going to risk a couple of hours of being miserable & cold.
On our way down the Monaro Hwy, the sun came out and the clouds parted just enough. We stopped at the AMC jail front entrance gate and I ran home from there.
I went down Isabella Dr to the top of Lake Tuggeranong, along Ellerston Ave and home.
A cold wind, not very nice at all, but a few more kms done.
Legs Ok, left leg still tender from the bruises coming out after yesterday's fall. Otherwise, all is good.