Gentlemen start your engines!

Sunday 5th October 2008 AD;
Ran 15.5km in 91min 01secs. HR 132.
(5min 52 per km)

Splits; 6.75km; 36min.00/40min 12 (5min 20 & 5min57 per km)
last 2km 14min 49 (gluteal soreness and getting dark,cold, feeling unmotivated, so taking it very easy)...
Took it very easy with a very short stride, as keen to just help my prep for Melbourne after 2 weeks of NOT running without flaring up my still mysterious soreness/injury etc...Was fine until about 40min into it, when I started to get a slight twinge in the gluteal area, but not the thigh this time...which is good, maybe the rest from running, and/or shorter stride, natural healing of injury, or changing the way I stand and trsnfer weight, squat etc during meter reading this week, has made a difference to my biomechanical setup...

So a slow run, but should assist me to maintain my considerable endurance for next week. Hopefully some shorter runs maybe even speedwork in the final few days, but I will be proceeding with caution because I am still going to be aiming at beating that 3.55 PB on the day whether that is 3.25 or 3.45 its hard to say...I will have to see how I feel, and how things go on the day, think it over in the next few days.
I will be disappointed with anything slower than 3.54 though.

I think after Melbourne maybe I'll go see some Physios,Masseurs,Biomechanical,Dietician people if I am still having problems, as something still doesnt feel right. Could be something to do with my meter reading work is causing a problem, could even be my work shoes that need replacing, or maybe it will sort itself out with a few weeks rest...which I am due for anyway, cos assuming I get through Melbourne that will be 4 marathons, 46k in 40 miler, and stacks of training runs, half marathons, and over 2 years of meter reading, all with minor scoliosis and torn acl plus torn cartilage, so could be my time off from meter reading for all of December, plus all of my melbourne holiday week (the first major holiday from meter reading I have had for more than 2 years) and a break from running for a few weeks is what I need to get the body to recover and heal. Maybe a bit like footballers who get "general soreness"...Could be its time to consider giving running away for a short time, or a long time, or to get my knee operated on or whatever so some thinking to do in the next few months.

MELBOURNE 42k (12/10/08) ASSAULT;
WEEK 11 of 12 (29/09/08-05/10/08);

Volume; 91min + 18hrs MR work Sessions;1
Best RHR; 47!bpm Sleep; 42hrs (6.00hrs per night) *31

OD/LSD; 15.5KM 91min RUN OD style although LFDish almost for first 7k or so..., and very short by my long run standards.
Races/Time trials/LFD; Banned myself from running most of the week, too busy on weekend.
Reps; Banned myself from running most of the week, too busy on weekend.

5-point strategy measures;
1-long run/ride etc done?-Yes sorta 15.5km 91min slow OD style run.
2-2x reps/race/timetrial sessions done?-NO
3-Abs done- NO
4-cycling done-NO
5-swim done?-NO
Comments; My feeling is that I am still on track for about a 3.44 (5.20 per Km), with the original 3.24 target an outside chance perhaps, assuming all goes relatively well on race day, no more injuries or illness or other hassles stop us, and the gluteal/thigh area behaves itself throughout the entire race enough, for me to hit and maintain a good pace. I think I am going to have to focus on running efficiently, (and running with a pace group might help with that.), and avoiding savage acceleration or deacceleration. That may actually help me to a better time, as I am notorious for tending to waste energy going out hard at the start, and surging too much during races. Then again on the day everything might be feeling fine, and I'll just do what I normally do. Either way I will be treading cautiously, but I am cautiously optimistic that the big breakthrough PB run is still very much there for the taking. I'm probably more scared of breaking down and doing a DNF (which I havent done in any of my 7 marathons yet, a DNF that is) or blowing out the time very badly than ever before, but sometimes on those days you pull a blinder, and have your best run ever when you have serious doubts as to whether you really should be there. Whatever happens I will be happy just to be in the race and enjoy the experience, plus share the special times with my wife afterwards, plus catch up with a few Cool Runners. Those things, plus the chance to have a decent family holiday for once are in themselves worth the trip for sure. However I am seriously going into this race gunning for a PB, 3.39-3.49 is probably the most likely zone I hope, but I am tempted to keep the 3.24 or faster on the radar, if things feel good early on. Hopefully I dont blow up and do well over 4 hours. The last 3 weeks have been very topsy turvy and emotionally draining, and training has been as chaotic as usual, but I feel I am going into this one significantly better prepared than I was in July when I did 3.55 on a course I think is not as good as Melbourne for me.
I think weeks 8 (36k run) and 9 (Freo Half and 10k reps) turned some solid prep (e.g. City to Surf Half and Brooking Rd 27k) into something special by my mediocre standards in recent years. So despite week 10 being a total wipeout and week 11 being almost a total wipeout, and many other weeks being useless apart from my meter reading, I think I am still very much ready to go. Week 12 may still offer a few last minute opportunities to sharpen up a little more too, although a low priority now. My best resting heart rates in the last three weeks of 46,45 and 47 (this week), indicates to me that as long as I hold onto that I should be fit enough to run 10k in well under 50minutes (sub 5min per k or 3.30 pace), and I think my strength, ability to hold onto something close to that pace for the other 32k, should be pretty well prepared. Thats why anything less than a PB will be a failed mission for me, although not a wasted trip due to the other reasons for being there in particular the need for a good family holiday and the chance to share the incredible "Melbourne Marathon experience" especially with my wife, plus the added bonus of catching up with some Cool Running people...some of whom have shared in my running journey in very helpful and significant ways this year which I thank them for, and I hope they have gained as much enjoyment as I have...So yes I am nervous for lots of reasons, yes I will try to be focused and organized, and "get it right on the day" and hopefully God willing, it will be a great days running, with a PB, I can't see why not at the moment. Onward!

Friday 3rd October 2008;
Well I went to to Doc today and the bone scans came up ***NEGATIVE*** (apart from my L5 slight scoliosis, which has been with me since at least 1996, and I've managed successfully for many years now)...So no stress fracture, and no hamstring tear! YAY! Hip Hip HURRAY!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!

So very good news...This means I am good to go for Melbourne Marathon barring any other major illness,injury etc in the next week or so...YAY!

My wife Kathryn will also be walking the 5.5km, so we both get to finish on the MCG about the same time I suspect. So looking forward to sharing this special moment with her this year!

My Cool Running hat came in the mail this week so I will wear that (probably backwards "Leighton Hewitt style") and the same black Nike top I wore in Perth Marathon 2008 this year, race number 1583, so come and say hello if you spot me out there. Just makes it all the more fun and memorable to catch up with a few people, especially away from home in Melbourne.

So now I can get back to psyching up for the race to awesome tunes like "vengeance is mine" from Final Axe., "One last time" from Royal Anguish, "I'm Back from Mars" by Jupiter VI, "Lead us" by Fearful Symmetry, or "Distorted" by Living Sacrifice & Scott Albert Project,(all tracks off my Retroactive records "lightning strikes twice again" CD), and the awesome guitar work of Mike PHILLIPS in "The Call" from the Deliverance Intense Live album.

Maybe even a bit of "moving like Christopher" is called for to celebrate when I get to Melbourne, see vid clip from Ewens blog HERE

Saw a cool map which shows where visitors to your blog,website etc are from at
MAPLOCO on the Royal Anguish website (maybe I'll have to get that Mysterion album), its done by funkyllama productions hahaha *LOL*...

However the mystery of the thigh pain is still unresolved, for now my best guess is maybe severe ***cramping*** of hamstring muscle.

Doc thinks I should get a regular programme of sport massage, and if that fails see a dietician. Ive never had massage of the legs before, although I have heard of many elite and some sub elite athletes using it, and there was some after the Perth Marathon, so is a bit of an unknown area for me, but I guess particularly with my meter reading work and me getting older (35 next year), perhaps I need to investigate that option even though its another cost. I think I will be ok in Melbourne as I won't be reading meters on the Friday or Saturday before the race, so legs should be freshened up enough. Powerade and Gu's etc should take care of the rest. So hoping I won't have any major issues on the day, and am going to try and ease into some running in the next few days, though no big long runs, as it is well and truly taper time now...Going to have to be careful with speedwork as I don't want it to flare up. If it does I might consider trying to get some massage, and will have to look into that option after Melbourne. Hopefully that will be enough to knock this monster on the head.

Melbourne Marathon Cool Running threads section @ HERE
confirmed entrants; here
Cool running;
MM08 entrants, melbourne runguide...
link from CR to this price comparison site;
adioso
although i booked my flights months ago as soon as i got my tax money...
might be handy in days to come, the late hotel room sites in the style of need it now, hotelclub etc are always very handy plus give a better deal than most travel agents.

Hope to ease back into some light running in the next few days as the finalw eek before the race begins...

So as far as the melbourne Marathon goes for me in 2008, as they say in the american INDY500, one of the greatest motor races in the world, its a case of; (Ladies &) Gentlemen staaaart youuur ENGINES!!!