Goodbye 2007 Hello 2008!

Sunday 30th December 2007 PM!; Did a quick 10minutes on the exercise bike experimenting with different levels of resistance along the way. Enough to raise a sweat (just), and to bump the heart rate up to 123 beats per minute afterwards.

*******WARNING Very long winded,verbose, philosophising/thinking things through post below*******

Well its time to start getting serious about what my target races are for early 2008. The first one I hope to attack in 2008 is the 5k at Burswood on Sunday 6th January.

2007 weekly average stats;
*44 Sleep; 43.2hrs Time training; 123.5min** Sessions;1.4 RHR;49.80

**If I add my meter reading work time training would be an average of 1802min per week, which is about 30 hours a week of exercise...This is as much if not more than some Ironman athletes, and has to have some contribution towards the superior endurance base I have had this year, but its also wearing me out a lot, although its generally a much lower intensity than most of my running I think it has to be significant. If I did this for the 2006 stats also I would average 673min per week for that year. So my thinking is that I need to do more high quality training in 2008, and less meter reading work, but I think what I have done in the last year and a half or so has given me a very good base in many respects to build from.

Comparisons to previous years;
Well my sleep is well down! 43 hours per week is just a tick over 6 hours a night, which is significantly less than any year in my life so far I think, and my stats going back as far as 2001 confirm this with 2001-2006 being in the 45-49 hours per week range. The "JDP factor" (newborn baby) especially, my meter reading work, family responsibilities,internet interests, are the main causes of this I think.

Resting heart rate of 49.8 is not as good as 2006 or 2005 (48 & 46 respectively), or 2002/2003 (both 47.92) but is marginally better than the 50.19 in 2004, and similiar to the 49.61 in 2001.

Time training and number of sessions is well done to around 2001/2002 levels which was a time when I concentrated on my shift work job in the public service and lost interest in training. But this time I have compensated for that with my meter reading work, and making sure that I nailed some high quality sessions on the few occasions when the opportunity arose. There is no way I could run 4.10 for the Melbourne Marathon like I did in 2007 on what I did in 2001/2002...

So overall without considering my racing performances too much, I'd have to say that the stats suggest that training and general healthwise (on the indicators I am using which are by no means all-encompassing or exhaustive), in 2007 I hung in there and didn't lose too much ground, but did it on a lot less sleep, and the most physically demanding work year of my life by a long way.

Its hard to evaluate 2007 in full, and difficult to compare to past years due to;
(a)my new work setup for all of 2007, meaning less training required to maintain my endurance, and of course
(b) the "JDP Factor", the new baby in our family.

However just thinking about my racing this year, I can say straightaway that its been a mediocre year timeswise, although it has been a memorable and interesting, enjoyable! year for me in all things running. Most of all I should thank God without whom nothing good is possible. Secondly I should thank my wife Kathryn many times over, as many of the good things I am blessed with are greatly due to our marraige and the wonderful woman she is. Young Jacob (our new son who is 5 months young now) has also been an inspiration in many ways.

I very much appreciated the free New Balance shoes from Craig (fellow runner and blogger who is going places! in the world of running, and more recently on Mt Everest!), which allowed me to go straight into the City to Surf Half Marathon, and get some important long runs done, which in turn gave me the opportunity to have a successful Melbourne Marathon, which was arguably my best race for the year, and certainly my most special and memorable! I am now getting to the stage that I am going through 1 or 2 pairs of training/racing shoes per year. Probably my biggest obvious and most essential ongoing expense as a runner, although there are plenty of others.

I am also very appreciative of the comments from other bloggers, they are wonderful little thought provokers, and a source of motivation too, I learn a lot from reading these little perspectives from others. Plus what they do in their running,sporting, and general everyday life journeys is a major source of inspiration and I guess to some degree interaction for me. The three messageboards I am a regular on, in WAMC,RWCWA and Cool Running are also a real blessing to me!

I should thank my Dad for helping me out with the Perth Marathon, and Old Miler for assisting me with a drink at the Melbourne Marathon. Daves regular phonecalls to keep me in the loop of his and Nathans running adventures, and his encouragement and wisdom are also something I always look forward to, although its better when I have been racing or training well. I feel a bit guilty otherwise. My brother Tim in USA also has had some useful advice and info to share when we occasionally get to chat, plus some nice christmas presents too, like the very nice Nike shirt this yeathe Puma watch, the Nike gym bag and so on in other years. On the subject of Christmas pressies etc, have had some nice Reebok and Adidas gear from Kathryns mum in the last year or so too.

I managed a small PB in the Freeway Bikehike in March,(thanks mostly to a better bike, "the Red Baron" from Edwin, and a couple of sessions beforehand) and despite some good marathon training (especially long runs before the Perth Marathon) was unable to get it right on the day and go well under 4 hours in the Marathon for either the Perth in July (JDP's birth was looming, and my shoes and blisters issues destroyed any chances), or the Melbourne in October (logistically wasn't well prepared enough on the day had to rush too much on the day before,too many pressures at home to get an ideal preparation done), although my 4hours 10 minutes in Melbourne was my 3rd best marathon time of 6 done so far, and was only 15 minutes outside my PB, so it was a case of "close but no cigar" on this occasion, although it was certainly a highlight of the year, and one of the most special memorable races I have done in my life so far, I think ranking in the top 5-10 most enjoyable experiences ever for me since my first state championships medal in the little athletics U/13 1500m walk in 1987.

Other running related memorable moments include the Sarah Jamieson Breakfast at The Saint, and following Kelly Exeters progress towards the New York Marathon. I also enjoyed helping out the WA Marathon club as a marshal in two events as I am required to to maintain my membership. Perhaps I should do that Traffic Controllers course in 2008, that they are encouraging members to do. Some regrets for 2007 was include not running with steve P. much, and not joining Dave and Nathan on their running expeditions often enough.

Running the City to Surf inaugural Half Marathon was a fun race too, and the Perth Marathon and Perth Half-Marathons were also enjoyable days, as was my first run in the John Gilmour 10k track. This year I also did my first Challenge fun run 10km, and kept my streak in the Bridges (its up to 11 years in a row now since 1997) alive, as is my Perth marathon streak now at 4 in a row, and the Freo Half Marathon is now 5 years in a row.
Didn't get any triathlons done unfortunately, but I did run the first half (20 miles or 32km) of the 40 miler course this year, which was a positive. Also did my longest ever training run this year which was a 42km Darlington to Mt Helena and back to Darlington with the Hills training group in under 5 hours. Slept in a few times, and as a result was often late to the Hills group or didn't show up for races for example 6-Inch, (pretty terrible prep anyway) and Lake Monger 10k probably the two I was most disappointed about.

So a much better year than 2006 racingwise (and memorable/special momentswise), but no breakthrough PB's and still didn't really get where I wanted to, but well positioned for a big 2008! So right now I am thinking I want to extend my Perth Marathon streak to 5 years in a row in 2008 (will leave Gold Coast marathon for another year), and hope to do Melbourne or Sydney as well. So probably my big three main goal races at the moment would be;
Perth Marathon, Melbourne/Sydney/Alice Springs or Rottnest Marathon (choose 1 of these 4), and finally the 6 Inch 45km in December, God willing.

I don't want to lose sight of what life is about (which is primarily not just running, its about living for God, for that is what lasts for eternity), but at the same time, one of the best ways I can live for God is to use my running interests for His glory abd purposes, not by stopping running and retreating into some sort of church ghetto. Although the time may come when running is not a major part of my life, that time has not yet come I don't think...and it may not come, especially if my body continues to function well enough to do it. That said I do envisage spending more time hiking,cycling, surfing, camping and spending time with the family more in the future, so maybe thats when my running will become a much lower priority. Have to wait and see, mentally I am a lot more relaxed about it now than I was in the past, partly due to the many things God has blessed me with in my running journey so far.

Other races will be building blocks towards these big three, with Busselton Half Ironman,6 Foot, and Canberra Marathon the most likely other possibilities, but more likely in 2009. This is due to variables like available finances (currently very! limited), logistics (depe nds how good I get at training with young Jacob in the house now, obviously a higher priority is my little (5 months old) baby son and my wife Kathryn, they come a strong second on the priority list behind numero uno priority which is relationship with the Creator Triune God), and organising myself, work commitments and our family around races like these is not easy, and also how well prepared I am with a my weekend warrior + meter reading work in the week training and racing setup.

Have some unfinished business with 6 Inch, in that I want to go sub 6 hours! Then there is the Busselton Half ironman in May I would love to have a go at, although some major steps forward in many ways would have to take place for it to happen in 2008.
I'd also like to try and run the entire 40 miler (64km), and maybe the Bunbury 6 hour race if the opportunity presents itself. Obviously some major PB's would be nice; currently 5k;21.04, 10k 41.01, Half Marathon 1.41 and Marathon 3.55...

Adventure racing (e.g. Anaconda), along with Triathlons, 6 Foot and the Gold Coast Marathon are more likely in 2009. This is of course assuming my knees and back continue to be ok...and no major new injuries develop. Some big challenges for our family in 2008 in many ways and that will affect my running assault adversely in some cases...

So there we have it a snapshot of my thinking going into 2008, but still some stats dand more specific goal setting to do in the fulness of time...