RHR 44 And a 14.6secs 100m 14th Bridges in 48.35

Monaghetti the Marathon Master!



Somehow I managed to get at the front of the group next to Monas! in this photo.







I am 2nd from left in this one at the woodshed, where we were based for the weekend...unforgettable memories I'll always treasure...

Some promising signs this week, suggesting that things have moved up a gear, riding the wave of renewed motivated enthusiasm from the Monaghetti camp. Some more fantastic photos have surfaced from that on Biscuitmans strands.com profile. Many thanks to him for sharing those...Thankyou Monas!!! Raf, and everyone! I am still feeling really motivated as a result of that camp, a week later.

However its one thing to want to do better and another to actually do better, and as yet, I still am not really delivering the goods. I think I did a little better this week, and with the 40 miler only a week away, I am conscious of the need to avoid too many long runs, although I still failed to do the type of quality sessions i want to do. Once again way too preoccupied with work, and almost got psyched out of doing Bridges due to my injury niggles, but decided I was doing it even if I had to walk/hobble the whole thing, as I had to maintain my 14 year streak. I sat on an icepack on the drive into the city, and for once I got there 40 minutes early, didnt have toilet issues, found a good parking spot, and as I jogged across Langley Park, I had no problems running at a good pace, and I sensed that God was going to give me a good race today. Was not that nervous which is unusual for me before a major race. I guess the fact that I have not really put in any Bridges focused sessions at all this year, meant I didn't have any big expectations about this one.

Have not targeted the Bridges like in previous years, am more interested in building sustainable lasting forward momentum, getting a few solid races on the board, get past the birth of our second child (my wife is now up to 32 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow), enjoy the Australian Masters next weekend, maybe have another shot at the 40 miler on Easter Monday, keep my Perth Marathon streak going will be number 7 in a row if I get there this year, keep my Bridges funrun streak going did that with number 14 in a row today, and then get serious for the Melbourne Marathon, maybe use the City to Surf Marathon as training again. If training improves, maybe target the PB in the Perth marathon again, and I'd love to go do Gold Coast, but maybe another year would be better.

Had a resting heart rate of 44 on Wednesday, which is my best reading in 2010 by 2 beats, so I think I can thank the Mona camp for that small move up a gear.

Wednesday
Ran 3.5km tempo run in 16min 28secs HR 168.
5 laps of oval in 31 degree heat.
700m splits; 3.08/3.10/3.30/3.29/3.11
Very pleased with this run, which made me late for work by a few minutes, but confirmed to me that I have moved up a level just slightly. Faster by 45 seconds on last time, in warmer conditions, and with a slightly lower finishing heart rate.

Thursday @ Coker Park.
300m 47.6secs. Could have gone faster but held back a bit due to sore left gluteal...thought about dropping out but decided to try and hang in there...
then
600m 1min 57secs
200m splits; 32/41/44secs.
Sat right behind Sugar and VIS athlete Michael Mezzatesta? in the first 200m and felt like I could have challenged them, but figured I wouldnt be able to sustain it, so held back just a touch, which proved to be the right choice this time I think, as I was really struggling by the time I hit 400m in 73secs (my old coach told me off for looking at my watch at the 400m point as he reckons I cost myself about 1-2 seconds there in lost rhythm, I agree with him,and as a mark of respect I took my watch off altogether for the 100m, but reality is I wasn't even close to fit enough to challenge my 1.43 600m PB from 2004 this time...
then
100m 14.6secs.
Very happy with the 100m. First time I have raced 100m for many years, and I even did a crouch start. It felt good. Had a red-hot go at it. I'm about 2 seconds off what I did as a teenager, and 1 second off what I did as an 11 year old, but it was pleasing to dip under 15 seconds.

About 10min rest in between each race which I jogged some of and talked to my old coach a lot, so a bit like an easy reps session. Nice to see my old coach, Jane, Sugar, and Toni PHILLIPS (good name that) (who I don't really know, but I recognise her name from state teams and/or Perry Lakes track and field in the 1990's I think.) all doing well.

Meant to do the 2km run as well, but I forgot to bring my running shoes, and didnt want to do it in spikes, so by the time I got back from the car I had missed the start, so had to watch. So mucked up there.
Still a good nights speedwork, which should help my Australian Masters 1500m tilt next weekend.

Sunday;
AM;
Bridges 10km 48min 35 secs. HR 180 at end.
5km splits; 23.03/25.32
1km splits; 3.59/4.37/5.05/4.39/4.43/
4.42/5.31/5.30/5.06/4.37
2km splits; 8.36/9.44/9.25/11.07/9.43
Saw Sugar and Biscuitman beforehand warming up, had the usual motivational chat with Big Kev and Coops. Thanks guys, Big Kev your words helped me to hold it together in the last 2km and stay under 49 min for a 1minute better effort than last year.
Started strong for first 90 secs, was 20metres behind the leading bunch at one point, then tried to settle into a sustainable pace. So wasnt as PREish as usual time...Very happy with the 3.59 1km split as it felt very easy... the 2km split of 8.36 is also a fair bit faster than I usually get to 2k in. So good signs. Lost the plot a bit over the causeway (hate the concrete,and being jammed up with a crowd), after the really nice first 2km along Riverside drive with the new course for the first 2km. However 13.41 for 3km is still 29 secs quicker than my 3km split in the 10,000m race last week. I knew it was time to step up the pace a bit. Right on cue, CoolRunner Martin (aka 20thcenturyboy...blog is here) passed me and I knew this was a signal that it was game-on, and time to attack a bit, make him earn it. We see-sawed a bit and swapped leading each other with a good battle for about 3km, which got me past 5km in 23.03 (my quickest 5k this year I think, and only a few seconds off my quickest in 2009), and to 6km in 27.45, and was hitting about 4.37-4.40's per KM pretty consistently...The 6km split is about 46minute pace for a 10km so if I could have held on from there it would have been a major improvement. However I lost the plot badly after Martin got away near the ferry terminal in South Perth. Ended up just going through the motions with rubbishy 5.31 and 5.30 1km splits. Pulled it back a bit as we got over the Narrows bridge with a 5.06 K split, and then I wasn't sure where bthe finish line was with the new course, so didn't really finish very well, but it was nice to get some encouragement from Mighty Mick, and to hear the new WAMC President Evan (and a bloke I ran against in state schools crosscountry in 1991, he was 3rd, I was 16th, Todd Ingraham won it, and Raf was training with me at school a bit in those days) call out my name as I crossed the line with a 4.37KM split to finish off... So a solid run, heaps better than my 2009 effort of about 49min 54 secs.., my best Bridges time since 2006 see here for my 14 year history in this event... but the last 4km was a bit disappointing...

Good news is my bruised gluteal muscle??? is not affecting my running much at this tsage and the strained chest muscle? I had the last few days seemes to be healing as well...not sure how I got these injuries, maybe climbing fences or trees at work to get meter readings..., maybe I tweaked the gluteal in the 300m at the start on Thursday night, not too sure...

PM; Ran for 60min 52 secs to north east corner of Kogulup Lake and back, road and trails mix.
A junk miles easy run, but felt much better for it. HR 144 at end, but a bit elevated due to the steep ascent on the road to our house, probably more like 120's most of the way.

Weight still hovering around 79kg, so no better but no worse.
Did 50 hours at work this week. slept for 4 hours this afternoon. Lack of sleep a problem towards the end of this week, too many 4-5 hour nights.

So some good running, but nothing I can punch my fist in the air about and go whoa! about...
Feel like the momentum is building in the right direction just need to crank it up a lot!
A bit like the Freo Dockers right now, smashing the living dead of Adelaide (never live in Adelaide its a hole) tonight by 56 points...some promising signs, but when the real challenges come along the real questions of are we getting anywhere will be posed, in Freos case against better teams, in my case when I peak for some bigtime races......