becoming a running Master!

Update;
Played some tennis with Dad and Brother at Whiteman Park Saturday 11/8, 200 Ab-Crunches 12/8, 150 Ab-crunches 14/8. Still trying to find good opportunity to do some cycling/running sessions, been a frustrating time lately. Feeling a bit tied down by work, lack of sleep and the whole newborn baby thing, but hopefully will breakthrough for some good sessions soon. Many time-consuming higher priorities lately, but I will get back into it soon.

Scored a free pair of new balance shoes from a blogging mate the other day, so that barrier to doing long runs has been removed! Thanks God, and thanks Epi!


Still waiting on tax refund to sort out my usual financial woes, but hopefully I can get past any other obstacles and start logging some long runs again, as it will motivate me to train for races again, knowing that I can do my long runs again, and see off my blistered feet issue, which has healed a lot thanks to 5 weeks off running, although getting wet feet in the rain doing meter reading work maybe hasn't helped in some ways although it has had the effect of washing the dried blood out, and helping me to identify the dead skin. With all the stuff that has been happening in the last few weeks with new baby, getting to the beach just hasn't been a good option, plus the weather has sucked a bit. However it looks like we may be finally settling into a more predictable routine with this newborn baby thing. We shall see.

In some ways its a daily thing, some nights everything goes well, other nights sleep gets quite chaotic and any chance of getting to a race or the hills group (for example today, and the Run for Gold last weekend) totally falls by the wayside. I don't mind that much cos Jacob, Kathryn, and our family life is way more important than my little races in the overall scheme of things, but I still want to race and run with the hills group or with others on long runs, although might have to accept that a better way to go is just to go alone when a window of opportunity opens up, which is the way my training setup has worked most of the time in the last 2 years especially anyway...There is something about running with a group which is very motivating, and while I don't need to do it all the time, and especially for intervals/reps I prefer to train alone, or not limited by a group, it is nice to train and race with others every now and then. After 5 weeks of not doing that, I am really starting to miss it, and am very keen to get out there again.

It would be very easy for me to retire from running altogether with the knee and back issues that I have, and have managed since 2000 (knees), and 1996 (back), as surgery is not an option I want to consider at this time, not unless my financial setup and family life stabilises, and improves considerably!!! So why don't I chuck it all in again like I have before??? Probably because I know with the work I've done this year I am on the cusp of some significant PB's and I don't want to stop until I have delivered on the times I know the work I have done this year and over the last few years since 2002, has prepared me for. Granted that last year especially, all I did was maintain leg strength enough to not lose the strength/endurance gains I made in 2002-2005, but this year, I have nailed a few reps sessions, and although I have had a shocking year on race days in 2007 I know from my training times I am capable of far far better than my race times indicate so far this year, with the exception of the Freeway Bikehike where I nailed a PB.
Bridges 10k of 49min and the Challenge 10k of 48min were mediocre C-grade times, while the Perth Marathon (4 hr 33) and Fremantle Half Marathon (2hr 11) which were major! target races for me, and looked very promising early on, were absolutely destroyed by the blisters fiasco, and the Marathon in particular was soooo disappointing as it was the main focus of my training for a few months, plus I was keen to nail that elusive PB after the last three years of getting slower as I adjusted to other things in life. I'm worried that now with the far more important priorities of wife, and newborn, plus maybe the clock ticking on my knees and back, and a third significant issue, that (a) the chance to nail some PB race times will pass me by in the next year or two if I don't maintain the training, and get it right on race-day soon. The other alternative is to drop everything and just come back to everything in a few years time when everything has settled a bit (I hope). But I don't want to do that because I know from 2001/2002/2003 how hard it is to comeback after a few years of doing nothing, and because it would feel like a waste of the training I have done since 2004, to stay in shape to run marathons, which although not indicated by my pathetic race times this year, in my opinion going on my training times is at my highest level of running training ever by far endurance/strengthwise, and is on par in that department with my best racewalking training years (i.e. the 50km walk racing years of 1998 and 1999). General cardio-respiratory fitness has been up and down this year, but on the good days although nowhprobably not quite on par with what I had in my better racewalking years (probably early 1990, 1992/early 1993 and maybe early 1996 and early 1998 were my moments of optimal fitness levels and best racewalking times), is still been very good at times this year. You don't get a resting heart rate of 43, like I did a few weeks before the Perth Marathon if it isn't. Its just so frustrating to go so close but so far from some PB breakthroughs in my opinion in races this year, which is why I don't intend dropping my bundle just yet. I really want to try and hang on for another year or two at least so hopefully keep things going until 2008-2010 and God willing get the PB's I think I have earned already this year, but have not been able to put on the scoreboard. Its a bit like my favourite team Fremantle Dockerss kicking for goal in some games this year, as a team they have promised so much, but failed to deliver often enough. The wins against Adelaide and West Coast in the last few weeks have once again shown glimpses of what they are capable of, but even if they can win the last 4 this year, finals action is not guarenteed, although it is still mathematically possible for them to finish 2nd, and a 6th to 8th finish is reasonably likely if they win all 4. In the same way I have had a dismal year with race times, but the potential is there in my opinion, to still salvage something from this year, and hopefully have a fantastic 2008, although the monumental stuff-up in the Perth Marathon this year has ensured 2007 will not be the highlight year I was hoping for (like 2004), unless I can somehow get to Melbourne Marathon, Sydney Marathon,Rottnest Marathon, etc etc. Some good Half-marathon times in the next few weeks would be a partial win for me, but about as hollow (although still a bit sweet) as Richmonds win last night.
The bigtime races I still want to nail are 6-foot (and 6-inch along the way)45km in March 2008 or 2009. A sub 3.30 (or even better a sub 3) Marathon anywhere. (i.e. Melbourne,Sydney,Canberra 08, Bunbury 08, Perth 08, etc etc. If my back and knees can hold together and I can juggle everything else (becoming more and more a near impossible ask the longer it goes, but God willing everything is possible), I will try again for another 2-3 years until my goals are achieved. If by 2010 I still have not got there, at 36 years young, I will take a break for a few years re-group and maybe have another go for my mid-life crisis at 40 in 2014...My racewalking goals (competing internationally like I sort of did (although representing the state, not a country), at the Sydney Olympic trials in 2000)still remain, although less important and cannot be considered until knees are fixed (pretty sure by surgery, although I havent had a proper medical opinion on it since 2000), would be much easier if I had the strength and fitness base behind me that I have been able to build in part during 2004-2007.
So thats the long-term hopes.

In the short-term I need to get training going again before (by August or September at the latest) I lose too much of the strength gains I built up for Perth Marathon 5 weeks ago. Chatting with Epi the other night he mentioned that a few of us blogging runners are looking for extra races as the best of the WAMC program for 2007 is starting to wind down a little. he mentioned the Masters program and since we are all over 30 we can all join the Masters if we wanted to.
Program is here....They also have an all year round track racing program at Cannington on Thursdays 6pm, something I have been aware of for many years.
So I may try and get to some of that too. For example there is a 10k and a 5k at Bassendean on Sunday 9th September, which is quite close to me.
Rob who was also disappointed in his Perth Marathon is going after an eastern states marathon in a few weeks, (which I would do if I can find the money, and cope with the logistics of a newborn as well, which realistically I probably can't this year, and is now beginning to pose a threat to my original 6-foot 2008 plans, which may have to be postponed until 2009, especially with my failure to deliver a good Marathon time, it seems maybe 2008 is the wrong timing...) Other races coming up are the City to Surf half marathon (26/8), the Perth Half Marathon and 5km (2/8 and same weekend as Australian racewalking champs (mens 30km walk starts at 8am) and Australian X-country champs both at Perry Lakes), the Lake Gwelup 10k/5k at 0730 on September 16th, Fremantle 5k/10k (23/9 and same weekend as Sydney Marathon), Esperance Half/10k/5k (30/9) (same weekend as Black Stump Music festival In NSW wheer Grave Forsaken and Scourged Flesh will be sharing the bill with Mortification, Fearscape, and Paramecium (what a lineup!!!!!!!)...) Melbourne Marathon is 7th October same weekend as Dave and Nathans 50miler/100miler race, which if I am not going to melbourne (its highly unlikely I will be going to Melbourne this year) or occupied by baby/family stuff I hope to get along for a bit of night support running...although a training run situation for me, and I don't plan on doing more than 20km-40km at the most. Then there is Rottnest Marathon,10k and 5k October 21st, there is a small chance I may do the 10k or 5k there. Then there is 6-inch 45km on December 16th 2007. Hopefully I can have a few breakthrough races and finish off the year on a better note in the next few months, plus have a good foundation for 2008. We shall see. Whatever happens at the end of the day, God rules and cares, and running PB's although important to me is only one part of my life, and nowhere near the most important, so if nothing goes to plan I will cope.

The other thing that occurs to me is that fitness/recreational cycling and hiking/slow walking, catching a few waves at the beach, is something I want to do for a lifetime, so while I may never racewalk again or stop once I have competed internationally a few times, and I may one day stop doing many competitive running races, those things I hope will never cease as long as I live. Thinking about those fun things I'd like to wish Epi all the best in his plans to climb to Base Camp on Mt Everest in Nepal (i'm not joking, he really is planning on it!) later this year.
Another reason for me to get some good times on the board because after he does that "altitude training" at 5500m (more than 5 times the height of bluff knoll), he is likely to be significantly fitter and faster physiologically, and many of us bloggers are a competitive lot. Speaking of mountains I also hope to get to the Stirling Ranges once or twice this year, have not done my annual trek to Bluff Knoll yet this year, and I'd like to take Jacob there one day to visit the place where his parents shared some very special moments in the last two years...so exciting times ahead no matter what happens....