250 Ab c's n mini "dualathlon" n 5k race in 23min 26

1800; Ran 5km at Burswood twilight run in 23minutes 26 seconds, 4.41 per K Average, HR-186 at end. Temperature about 28 Degrees Celsius.

Drove like a maniac to Burswood, grabbed a number, paid my race fee ($8), and madly headed for the start line with less than 2 minutes to spare. Saw Radar, Ian, and one or two other faces I recognised, but looked like a small field. Was still a bit warm, but I was able to get off to a solid start, arriving at the 1km marker in 4min 06 seconds. Then I got passed by a few people (including two blokes pushing running prams!), and then settled into a steady position going along the eastern side of the Windan Bridge. Couldn't see any 2k,2.5k or 3k markers, but I arrived at 4k marker feeling the heat a bit,

--It was about 27-28 Degrees Celsius according to http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDW60901/IDW60901.94608.shtml...

and having lost momentum a bit in 18min 56, splitting the last 1k in 4.30 and passing one runner in the process. During that last 1k saw Radar doing his warm-down (He won in 16min 57), and he gave me a bit of encouragement. had a good chat with a HashHouse (Drinkers with a running problem, On, On, On etc) runner who was about 40 seconds in front of me after the race...He told me about the Kep Track which I have just found online @ http://www.keptrack.com.au/
So a very enjoyable little 5K to start 2008...Wore the new Nike top that my brother Tim sent over as a Christmas present the other week, and it was very nice to run in too.

Ankle was surprisingly not an issue, although the strapping tape may have given me a minor blister, although I did not notice it out there. The strapping tape could have been a significant problem in a longer race like a half marathon etc...
So a good run, a bit slower than I was hoping but the heat and lack of K markers made it difficult, and I guess I haven't done enough speed work yet, combined with my ankle problems in the last few days, so not such a bad effort to kick off my racing for 2008! Very happy I made it. Feeling a whole lot more positive about life, and the universe in general. Hopefully can improve my time lots! in my next race, which is likely to be the Matilda Bay 10k on February 17th, or maybe something else before that. If my training is going well I might get down to Coker Park or Perry Lakes to run some track races, or maybe a triathlon or two, but have to get the family finances back on track first, and make sure I get this ankle sorted out properly too...

Have just come across a Coaching service online called Front Runner Coaching here in Perth which provides training programs,goal setting,online support, and injury prevention tips from world class (14th in the world champs in 2007) Dualathlete Raf Baugh;
You can access it @ http://www.rafaelbaugh.com/coaching.htm



MIDDAY; Mini-Duathlon; 15min on bike/9 minutes (2km) running; Cycled for 15minutes on exercise bike, pretty relaxed and HR only about 105bpm. My 5 month old son Jacob was moving his legs up and down trying to copy Daddy (me)on the bike and smiling like a cheshire cat. Then bit the mental bullet, and gingerley tested out the still strapped ankle with a 2km run on my Hull Park course, which went really well, clocking 9 minutes 07seconds (4.33 per K)in the 25 degree warmth. Sweating like a pig due to the warm weather, and heart rate hit 165 BPM.

So now I am thinking I should run the 5km tonight as long as the ankle doesnt flare up again in the next few hours...If I do run, given that my ankle is not 100% I will leave the strapping on and try to be very careful not to reinjure it further.

Its not an incredibly important race in the master-plan for 2008 but it would be nice to get the year started with a solid race on the right foot, rather than start the first week of the year with a very mentally disappointing let down of another no-show after mentally psyching myself for this one all week long...


AM; 250 Ab crunches this morning. Ankle seems to feel better this morning should I risk running tonights 5k...last night I was pretty sure I shouldn't run, but now I am wondering....