sub 3.25 in Melbourne or bust!

Well I have posted 3.24.59 as my goal time for Melbourne Marathon on Cool Running. Its just a motivating trick at this stage, but I am very serious about wanting to be somewhere around that mark. I want that time. The desire is strong!
Many obstacles to overcome to get there, but lets set about trying to do it.

Sunday 3rd August; RHR 49;
PM; 10min ride on exercise bike. HR 126.

AM/MIDDAY;
5km ladder; total time 19min 56.55.
distances; 200m/400m/600m/800m/ 1km /800m/600m/400m/200m
rep times; 32!/1.24!/2.20!/3.28/ 4.24 /3.19!!/2.23/1.27!/36
heartrates;174/174/183/198! / 189 / 195!/192/198!/192

Felt ok, slept in a bit, but decided to try and salvage something from this weekend with a 5k ladder session. So I headed for Noranda, but but the council has covered the oval with sand, so went to Belmont (Gerry Archer) instead, which is a bit of a drive, but much better grass surface anyway than Noranda. Then realised I'd left my running shoes home, but my work shoes (Reebok Bisley, wife got 'em for me for $40 from Jim Kidds a few weeks ago) were in the car, so decided I'd make do with them and run in them instead, rather than go all the way back home get tied up with the wonderful Jacob again, get unmotivated to run.

Then had to go to toilet, and there was a soccer game on, and spectators sitting on one small part of lane 1 and 2, but figured there was enough track available for me to do my session. Had a few hairy moments dodging spectators and soccer balls, and used lane 3 for a lot of the time, but don't think it affected things much, still was able to shave 1 second off my total time for the same 5km ladder on 1/1/08 earlier this year, so a great mornings trackwork...Nowhere near my alltime best for this session from 28/3/06 of 18min 43, but thats to be expected.

After doing a pretty solid 600m (going up the ladder), I struggled in the 800m and had to sprint to the line to go under 3.30. Heart rate went through the roof with my first 198, so decided to back off a bit for the 1km rep, and just try and stay under 4.30...

I worked the last 800m rep and the last 400m rep (both going down the ladder) really hard!!! with "going for broke" sprints to the line, to make sure I went under 20minutes, which resulted in heart rates of 198 and 195 for those two reps, and me just avoiding throwing up, so that was hardcore, but overall pretty pleased with the run, just need to build some momentum in the coming weeks, and try and get into a much better state...

Flat speed felt very good!!! Reckon I could go sub 30 for a 200m with spikes and a crouch start the way I was feeling today...
Hammy was good, had a slight twinge in medial upper thigh almost groin area during cool down jog, but think that was a pinched nerve or something minor...so overall no real problems injurywise today...

Saturday 2nd August; RHR (resting heart rate) 51, Was hopint to do a longish run betwwen 15km-30km, but slept in and spent most of the day doing stuff related to celebrating Jacobs First Birthday, and then in the evening just wanted to recover, so watched footy on TV and did nothing. Disappointed in myself, but it was just way tricky...

Friday 1st August; RHR 48! Ate Subway for lunch. Looks like Gastro is pretty much over. Hope to run soon! Once again a tricky day getting my car serviced, getting help from my wife to get around and finally get some work done, then another trip to get my car from my parents place, and no time to train. Duh!

Thursday 31st July; RHR 51. Hammy seems to have settled, (the "hibernation" on the weekend where I slept 13 hours on Saturday probably helped, now theres something recommended by Percy Cerutty...) just waiting to see if my gastro? related diahorrea has cleared up and I can start eating properly again. Itching to put in some training this weekend...Very keen...

Wednesday 30th July; 200 ABdominal crunches to get me going in the morning.

Listening to my new Whitecross:Nineteeneightyseven CD, I was a huge fan of the guitarwork of Hammer and Nail as a 14 yearold back in 1988, and still now 20 years later, not many bands with as good as a guitarist as Rex Carroll if any at all...
Nagasaki is the main guitar solo on 1987, but heaps of other tasty bits in every song, remember hearing some of the songs on the now webcasting Sonshine FM's now defunct Solid Rock as a 14 year old...

My wonderful wife and 1 year old son have also been unwell this week, so have been very aware of looking after them as well as myself this week, hoping Jacobs 1st birthday party goes alright on Saturday afternoon...If we dont all recover properly we might have to postpone it, but at this stage, I think its going to be a goer!

On Tuesday I actually did my "daily devotions" for once, (more like "monthly musings" in recent years...) read about King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1-11...reminds me of that old Grave Forsaken song "Back to Basics"...


MELBOURNE 42k (12/10/08) ASSAULT; WEEK 2 (28/07/08-03/08/08);

Volume; 70min + 19hrs MR work. Sessions;2 +MR
Best RHR;48 bpm Sleep; 41.75hrs (5.96hrs per night) *3

OD/LSD; NIL
Races/Time trials/LFD; NIL
Reps sessions;5km ladder 19min 56.

5-point strategy measures;

1-long run/ride etc done?-No failed

2-2x reps/race/timetrial sessions done?-halfway there 5k ladder...

3-Abs done?- Yes achieved.

4-cycling done-Yes achieved.

5-swim done?-No failed.


Comments;Second part of the week started to recover from Gastro, and get my strength back, good to get Abs done on Wednesday, and nice to see the RHR dipping to 48 on Friday. Very solid, pleasing 5km ladder, struggled with it, but came up with some ok times. Promising for future weeks.

I have got to start getting a lot more good sessions on the board in future weeks if I am going to make that sub 3.25 a reality..."Now or Never", "Do or Die" time not here yet but its fast approaching in the next few weeks...I am ready to go mentally, just have to try and find the opportunities to build some training momentum...I've got 10 weeks to do it so hopefully todays 5k ladder is the starting point and I can build volume and intensity steadily in the next 10 weeks until October 12th.

week 1 sore hammy

Saturday update;
now I have some sort of severe gastro bug I think so this weekend is over as far as running goes...

Thursday 24th July 2008 late PM; Mini-Duathlon; 10min ride on exercise bike HR-126, 5 min break, then 11min 11 secs 2km run (Hull Park course) HR 144...

Took it very easy as hammy was a little sore...maybe shouldnt have gone at all...
Its been a little bit touchy on and off for a few months now, although I had no problems at all during the Perth Marathon...

Tried out the new cardio CD I just got from Soundmass for the ride...Each techno track has a BPM (beats per minute) rating listed they are all between 128-144 bpm, and its NSOUL,Scott Blackwell stuff so thats always good...The music was quite decent Techno, although the company name sounds a bit "milk from a christian cow ish"(I have "The Sanctified Glory Mountain Revival Family" Hahaha *LOL* song
"Guilty by Association" on a cover album CD by mostly metal bands, its called "I predict a Clone"...) , I mean calling a company "faithfullyfit.com"!, and "Yo-Gal"!!!(to avoid the spiritual problems/baggage associated with Yoga, which is a noble aim I must admit...), hahaha *LOL* Still funny though... Could be worse I spose, and glad they are doing what they are...its a market that needs to be reached......Also got a Mortification compilation cassette tape for about $3!!! Has Scrolls of Megilloth etc...another Melbourne musicician; Paul Colman Trio CD for $10, Lightning Strikes Twice again(Retroactive records compilation includes Jimmy P Browns (Deliverance) sidebands Jupiter VI and Fearful Symmetry, an X-Sinner track and lots of classic christian metal that only a few have heard of),also Im feeling Moshtastic! about the Deliverance; Intense Live series, some of the standout tracks; "The Call"!!!,"Stay of Execution" etc...Also got EDL,Whitecross!!!(nineteeneightyseven),Tamplin/Shout,a Mortification sticker, and so on... Soundmass had a sale on...so all up not bad for $80 altogether...Target had a sale on yesterday too, so spent some time with my wife trying to get something good for Jacobs first birthday next week...

Well as I type this I am icepacking my hamstring, and hoping that the demise of Nathan Deakes (pulled out of Beijing Olympics due to persistent hamstring issue, when a gold medal chance for 50km walk), and Nathan Buckley (ex collingwood football captain who retired after battling hamstring problems for a long while), is not going to be my story this year...Sure thats a bit paranoid and negative, but thats partly what a blog is for isn't it, to type those worries away, until they come back another day, and in so doing with the help of God, and often through the help of other bloggers, rise above normal unhappiness to see ways forward, and hope for the future. That said I think when "injury: an athletes worst nightmare"

(a quote I picked up from one of those very melodramatic USA NBA basketball commentators, from one of my brothers old basketball videos which he left behind when he moved to USA to play college basketball, and now coaches, has a family there)

rears its ugly head, its easy to think this is the end... Someday it maybe too, but in the meantime, as long as one can, one must do what one can to combat the inevitable 2nd law of thermodynamics, ie. entropy (decay) increases, (theres my "mad"? scientist side coming out) or as Romans 8:21 puts it "creation is in bondage to decay", until the return of the Christ...to make all things new...

I'm pretty snowed under with work issues (50-60 hours a week of it), trash(acid) head at callcentre job (hope he drops out or stops being a trash head, cos it would make my life and everyone else at work a lot easier), and rain mucking up my machine with the meter reading...Also have some wrist soreness (icepacking that now too)...
Hammy is main concern just now, it gets sore when I am sitting down doing callcentre job sometimes, and Deakes had same problem when he was sitting down studying...

So what does one do, one prays, trys to take positive steps to avoid or treat the problems, and find ways forward...One of the things I have noticed with my meter reading and a lot of things, is that you put in the hard slog and it feels like you are going nowhere, and then after a good nights sleep you come back go again and before you know it you have achieved something...its those times, where not much seems to be happening, that you need to persist and not "drop you bundle" as my old racewalking coach used to say...I heard he is still cranking it up out on the roads at 80 or 81 years of age now, have to try visit/phone him sometime...

I think I may have to go visit a Dr so I can go see a physio soon if the hammy doesnt come good soon, its been sore too many times in the last week or so especially...
But then again the same thing happened about a month ago and it came good, so a bit of icepacking may be all I need...

I like the sound of Nathans Stirling Ridge Assualt idea...I belatedly (2 years later!)got our photos (from our half ridgewalk for my bucks weekend) online recently they are HERE

So with the Melbourne Marathon less than 12 weeks away, I am keen to try and get something going again this week...so see how things feel in the next day or so, hopefully I will be good to go this weekend at some point, but if the hammy continues to flare up I will have to wait until it settles, or until I can afford to see a physio...my meter reading work should keep me primed to get back into it in any case...
I feel better mentally already now that I have typed out my mental baggage...
Hopefully can start the charge towards Melbourne on 12th October in earnest soon...



MELBOURNE 42k (12/10/08) ASSAULT; WEEK 1 (21/07/08-27/07/08);
Volume; 21min + 23hrs MR work. Sessions;1 +MR
Best RHR; 50 bpm Sleep; 51 hrs (7.35hrs per night) *42
OD/LSD; NIL
Races/Time trials/LFD; NIL
Reps sessions;NIL
5-point strategy measures;
1-long run/ride etc done?-No failed
2-2x reps/race/timetrial sessions done?-No failed
3-Abs done?- No failed
4-cycling done-yes achieved.
5-swim done?-No failed

Comments;...

race# 1583 for Melbourne Marathon

Well I have done it, I have confirmed my entry for another Melbourne Marathon.
My race number is 1583. I am a fool. Maybe...

If you go to Melbourne Marathon website click on EVENT INFO, then 2008 ENTRANTS, then CONFIRMED ENTRANTS, you can try and find my name which if not HERE, is about page 7 in the P's but that will change a lot in the coming 3 months, expect they will easily get to the current race numbers limit of 3500...

I can still pull out anytime I want to, but thought I should get that done, so I have something to try and aim for in the next 12 weeks if all goes well.
see what happens, hopefully I can build on my 3.55 in the 2008 Perth Marathon the other week, and last years 4.10 in the 2007 Melbourne Marathon. I am hoping that my wife Kathryn and young Jacob (will be 1 year old in a few days time) can come too this year, if we can afford it.
See HERE for last years race report.

Video from Perth Marathon 2008

My first attempt at posting my own video online;
Its pretty short, just a 7 second section from my Dads digital camera, nothing Like Nates epic 100k hilarious! :-) mini-movie, (see HERE) but nice to have some actual motion..., to see how my running style (Or lack thereof?) looks...



Looks like it was taken about 18km into the race as I can see the Raffles Hotel (which is just right of the Canning Hwy Bridge) in the background top left corner of start picture...
So I was running ok at this point, probably at about 5min 30 per k at this stage, maybe closer to 5min flat per km...

photos of my 3.55 2008 Perth Marathon

Perth Marathon 6th July 2008

Jonathon runs 3hrs 55min 10;
Official results HERE

Here are some of the photos...A few more to come later...including two from Fuse photography, my race number 477...see HERE



Not sure where this is, but I am running on the grass to avoid that pounding concrete...


Missed the bus! Duh! Sub 3.30 bus is long gone by now, near the halfway mark, losing the plot, trying to keep jogging, find a toilet stop spot, and probably taking on too much Gatorade, the section of the race I was most disappointed with...





Above and below, trying to get going again on one of the nice fast bitumen sections, after 2 quick toilet stops, and losing my ryhthm, motivation...about 12-15km to go?...





Waving to my Dad, the cameraman for the day near Como Beach, my last Gatorade for the day, less than 10km to go, just trying to hold onto sub 7 minutes per km on the long stretch from Canning Hwy to the Narrows Bridge...Swan river in background...


Trying to find some sub 6minutes per km splits in the last couple of km...Dranka few mouthfuls of Pepsi aroundabout here trying to find a last kick for home...pushing hard, knowing a sub 4 was in my grasp, and the P.B. an outside chance...



Sprinting for the finish line a few hundred metres away at Burswood...
Heart rate in the 190 beats per minute area as I fall an agonizingly 8 seconds short of my 2004 P.B. ...

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Mixed emotions afterwards, despite the disappointment of that elusive P.B. again acting like a fish that nibbles at the hook, and then slips away, I am very happy and satisfied that I turned up and "had a go" despite the chaotic last few weeks, and especially last few days, and snared my second sub 4 hour marathon in 5 Perth Marathons, and 7 Marathons altogether. First 14k until the 3.30 bus passed me, was excellent, a good run for sure! Feel like my perseverence to hang in there in the last few years has paid off a little with this one...

Massive thanks to everyone who has commented on my blog, especially this year, plus to all my running mates who understand and share in "runners world"...Your feedback and encouragement is appreciated! Hopefully the journey continues...


Hope for the future! is strong after that solid good run. Thanks God! Maybe we might get that big breakthrough next time, if I can crank up for Marathon attempt numero 8, perhaps in october this year, assuming I can stay motivated,get the training done/improve fitness more, keep things ticking along financially, and juggle everything else successfully. Hopefully not my last marathon, but if it is, it would be a good time to finish with...So hopefully its "bring on Melbourne Marathon, October 2008! "


My Dad also has some video of me passing some people in Melville?...May try and get that online if I can (a) find the time to do so, and (b) figure out how to get a video online, as I haven't really done that before...

So big thanks to my Dad for providing some visual snapshots of the race...also to WAMC(click on WAMC for official results) for putting on a wonderful 30th Perth Marathon, and my wife Kathryn for helping me get drinks in the day before, and looking after Jacob as usual!

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Congratulations to Dave (2.59! PB),Nate (3.10! PB),Clown (3.09! PB),Epi (3.19), all the 6-inch people like Colin (2.56),Rebecca (3.57) Kaye (4.11) Cherie (4.11), all the Hills group/Comrades people I have done long runs with this year, many of which were in the race, and to all the debutants like John Worsfold (3.29)(click HERE for photo and details), and Hunna (3.53) to name two...

3hrs 55min in my 5th Perth Marathon

Sunday 6th July 2008 A.D. Ran Perth Marathon in 3hr 55min 10seconds. Heart rate 195 at end, due to sprint at end trying to snare PB, and cranking it up over the last few km.

Missed PB by 8 seconds...DUH!!!!!!! I was 196th of 366.

Pretty happy with an excellent run, although was hoping to go closer to the 3.30 mark, was pretty happy to go sub 4 hours for first time since 2004!

Photos on the post above, and also two @ see FUSE Photography, my race number is 477.....
The splits;
Half marathon splits 1.46.25/2.08.45
14k splits; 67/82/85

5k splits;
0-10k; 22.55/24.31/
10k-20k; approx. 25.20/27.20
20k-30k; about 29min/about 32min
30k-40k; 32.25/29.36?

1k-4.20 3k-13.18 4k 18.06 5k 22.55
Ran at the back of 3 hour pace group from approx. 500m-1500m.
Saw Nathan (3.10),Clown (3.09) and Epi (3.19) go past soon after I let them go.

***OPPORTUNITY ONE (if extremely well prepared, should have stayed with Epi or Nate a bit longer...

6k-27.47 7k-33.35 10k-47.26 (fastest 10k this year)
Hitting about 4.30-4.55's...
12k-57.06 (fastest 12k this year) 13k- 62.10 14k-67.11 (fastest 14k this year)
settled into about 4.50--5.10's...
Got caught by 3hr 30 pace group (including gunner) just after 14k, and lost touch with them at my first major drinks stop at Como Beach, someone said "stay on the bus"...but I had to deal with my drink and gel, and coudlnt do it, and after that I knew that a sub 4 was going to be more likely today, despite a pretty good start hitting the times I wanted no worries at all...

***OPPORTUNITY TWO lost to do better (if I had been better prepared), should have gone with Gunner and the main sub 3.30 group then.

Struggled to get going after that, and after the Raffles/Canning Bridge, my rhythm,motivation etc went down the drain, as usual in the concrete section towards the turnaround and back to Raffles, which I dont like running...although some of the Tompkins park bit is ok...
16k-1.18 20k-1.40.03 21.1k-1.46.25
Finding it hard physically and mentally to stay motivated from there on, but tried to work hard through Tompkins Park...
24k 2.03 25k 2.09 28k-2.29 30k-2.41.11
got going at times, but took two toilet breaks...pretty trashy...

***OPPORTUNITY THREE; needed to work harder in this tricky concrete dominated section and should have tried to go with Gary Carlton (This legendary Marathoner and last years Pres, and regular Comrades runner did 3.38, despite very bad injury and Comrades a few weeks before) when he went past at about 24k, as one astute hills group runner suggested to me at the time...Again concentrating on my drinks, and poor prep meant it slipped away.

32k-2.53.15 (fastest 32k this year) 33k-2.59.57 34k-3.06.46 35k-3.13.36
getting sore, and struggling to get uner 6 min per k. left hip and knee soreness, worked through it, and hung in there, hoping to hold onto the sub 4 and maybe a PB...
Saw Hunna go past during this bit, found out later she was one of the regular posters on WAMC this year...during the race it was just another of the many people who said hello, some I knew, some I'd not met before in person, or didn't recognise...


Waving to my Dad near Como Beach my last Gatorade stop for the day...

***OPPORTUNITY FOUR; If I had done more long runs, had better lead in in the last few days, I would have been able to go with Hunnas little group, and staying with them to the finish would have snuck me under the PB just...

So these lost opportunities are things to remember if I race again, to try and recognise and capitalise on next time hopefully...

36k-3.19.10 37k-3.25.08 38k-3.31.11? 39k-3.37.10? 40k-3.43.12?
pushing hard to try and get under 4 hours, and give the PB a shake...hurting!
Going ok though, starting to get some 5.50-6.10 per k stuff going...
had drunk all 3 gatorades, and 2 of my GU's, plus some pepsi (at coode st) which gave me a good kick in the last few km, by about 39k...

41k-3.49.11 42k 3.54.26
last 195m in 43seconds...
Surged for a 5.59, and a 5.15 as I tried to force my tired,stiff legs, to go for broke to the finish line..and tried to ignore the fact that I felt like I was about to pass out...



I know I gave it a good hard go, cos the medical people asked me if I was ok at about 35k, and then again after I finished...

Had a chat with Macca afterwards a bit, and various others.

So a successful race, and arguably my best of 7 marathons (including the last 5 Perth Marathons)...Didn't get deep into 3 hour territory like I have been aiming all year, but the last few weeks have been to chaotic, and especially the last few days...Working 1800-0200 on Friday, and 1600-000 last night (callcentre night work),and the last two nights having 5 and 4 hours sleep respectively, is less than ideal prep, but you get that sometimes...

and I am very happy I did not succumb to the thoughts of not showing up for this race...
Update 8/7;
I was very sore on Monday, walking up and down stairs and hills was agony during my meter reading work, and I had no energy so I dont think I replaced glycogen properly afterwards...
Tuesday, I have the energy back again, and fast movement, but stairs still a problem a little especially going down...But should be fine by Wednesday...

Some awesome runs by many people looking at the results today...Nates 3.10 and daves 2.59, plus Clowns 3.09, Hunnas 3.53(at first attempt!) all very impressive! Epi's 3.19 on poor prep very gutsy, Worsfolds 3.29, and many others really very good results...

update 8/7;
Official results @ HERE
Lots of 6-inchers in results, Colin 2.56, Simon 2.59, Dave 2.59, Nathan 3.10, Craig 3.19, me 3.55, Rebecca 3.57, Kaye 4.11, Cherie 4.11...

Also a stack of the Comrades/Hills Group runners as usual, its a monumental effort how the Comrades runners can back up for the Perth Marathon a few weeks after the 89km Comrades in South Africa...

40 miler legend Mick Francis did a 2.53, for yet another sub 3 marathon this year!


A very good run for me the 3.55, but the sensational PB smash will have to wait for another day if I can manage to get myself up for another marathon...

Left knee a bit sore at times, and I am very sore/cripple like (lack of long runs in recent weeks partly the culprit, but my guess that my meter reading work (and fortnightly long runs from March-May, especially 46k in 40 miler race in March) combined with losing 6kg in weight this year would give me a good shot at a sub 4 proved to be correct...Considering the larger amount of much more focused training I did in 2004, this is arguably a better run...

Have to see now how I can adjust my running plans to my new job if it lasts, but Melbourne Marathon (have to try and beat Guy McKenna ex West Coast Eagles preiership player and Assistant coach with Collingwood these days), and Sydney Half Marathon, perhaps 6-INCH are all high on my wish list for 2008....

Be nice to beat West Coast Eagles coach John Worsfolds stunning debut marathon of 3.29 too...
See HERE for photo and full details...

Thankyou! WA Marathon club for a sensational 30th Perth Marathon experience, and to everyone who ran or said hello, or watched, you all help to make this event into a wonderful experience for me today...

Also big thanks to my wife for Kathryn for helping me get my drinks in yesterday,and minding the fort at home as usual, my Dad,Mum and youngest sister for being there....
Also thanks to the lady at work who agreed to do my 1800-0200 shift last night..

Hopefully some exciting times ahead...Maybe Melbourne Marathon in October my next PB smash attempt...

19hours b4 perth marathon

Im wearing race number 477, and black TYR hat,black nike top and dark blue nike shorts, in my 5th Perth Marathon tomorrow (Sunday 6th July), which starts at 0730 and I hope to finish well before 11.30am maybe b4 11am...

So come down if you can and say hello...
Burswood clubrooms (Camfield drive behind the Burswood casino is the start and finish) Turnaround is at Troy Park, near Burke Drive and east of Pt Walter, good spectator points at Causeway,South Perth,Narrows Bridge,Canning Hwy bridge/Raffles Hotel...If you feel like a run you can stillenter the 42.2km, or get a few people together and enter the relay 4x approx. 10km...

There is a 3.30 bus this year (dark blue tops), and a 3hour group with Cota (red top), and Dave K. (groomsman at my wedding in 2006) in that one...

Nathan (also groomsman at my wedding in 2006) is also planning to be there also..., also Clown and Epi will be there probably around that 3-3.30 time...

I hope to be somewhere between 3-4 hours if all goes well...but 60 hour weeks at work, and no training has affected my prep...so not too sure how it will go...hope to see lots of people out there I know...

managed to change my shift at work tonight to a 1600-0000 (it was 1800-0200 same as last night), and may ask if I can go home early...watched my video of the 2004 Perth Marathon at about 0400 this morning before I grabbed some sleep....that was the year I did 3.55, and Phil Webb did 2.59...

race report on this blog soon after...

Bring on the 30th Perth Marathon!!!!!!!!!!!