20-Aug-2011 Sutherland Half Marathon

We picked up Kody from a friend’s in Maianbar where she had a sleepover then we went to Audley for the Sutherland Half Marathon. I mentioned a couple of weeks back to the kids that it was on and they were all mad keen to run – Kody 1km and her friend, Chelsea the 2km, and Jaz the 5km with me doing the half (21.1km). The weather on Friday night was really bad, very stormy with a lot of rain. I figured it would be cancelled but Saturday was bright and shiny. The weir was flooded and I thought it would affect their numbers but it was still quite busy.

Kody and friend came 3rd and 4th in a dead heat, Chelsea came approx halfway down the field as did Jaz. I came 97th from 135 for 2hrs 3min 19s which sounds very slow but tis a tough little course and was very muddy. I ran well and beat Gary Keir (Loneranger on CoolRunning) and Bob Fickel which hasn’t happened for a while so have not lost much fitness. I really enjoyed it. Just rocked up and ran – I really hate setting expectations. In fact all the kids enjoyed it.

We popped back home then picked up a friend of Chelsea’s for a sleepover.

6-Aug-2011 Reboot

I had a quick read of coolrunning this evening, must have been the first time in ages, like a month or so.I feel like I have just dropped right out of the running scene since Six Foot back in March. But even before then. I don’t regularly run with any one, or even a group (although I pin the Bushies colours on when I do run a race). Being injured doesn’t help.

But overall, I feel like I need a reboot – take a year or 2 off, get out of the scene and re-find myself & re-charge my batteries. I am refining my diet and my training and feel a lot better for it. My injury is not totally healed but good enough to run enough without any issues. So much so that I am actually enjoying it.

Just need to ensure that I don’t go off and over-commit in my usual way and go and spoil it.

I am particularly enjoying just getting up and doing what strikes my fancy (running, swimming, yoga, paddling, stand-up paddling, surfing, cross fit) and depending on what  the weather / conditions best suit – no expectations, no promises, just go with the flow.

Ultimately I have been running for 30 years, 27 since my first marathon, so the running habit runs very deep, and I will always come back and do more but I think that as an exercise routine running alone is not enough- you need to do other activites for all over fitness.

Today I did an 8km run, with fully-clothed and shod swim. 50 pushups, 50 kettlebell swings (16kg), 50 medicine ball wall throws (9kg) and 2 pull ups.

Last night I did 90mins advanced bikram yoga. I am still shite but at least my core is getting a bit stronger.

6-Aug-2010 Letting go

I had to be at work today at 7am, so I got up at 4.40am. Made it to my desk at 6.45. Unfortunately by the time I got home it was approx 8.45pm (had a couple of wines at a work function that finished late).

This is a big weekend coming up – 12 Foot, City to Surf, and there is a big Yoga clinic/seminar at Darling Harbour with Bikram’s wife. I also got invited to a fancy corporate smooze with the Sydney Swans, but have knocked it all back as I’d just prefer something quieter.

I feel a bit the same about CoolRunning, there are some threads that are really turning me off :

• I ran 10km and need a hug
• What socks to wear for the City to Surf

As I said to Diane (Paul Every’s partner) – it’s like the Pink Floyd song where the band I am in are playing different tunes and its just time to move on and let go.

5-Aug-2010 Drinks Night

Digger from CoolRunning (Brisbane) was in town and April Palmerlee had organised a “come and run comrades” night given that Digger is Chief Australian Fan (or similar). Of course I am interested in running Comrades but cost/time and getting fit are probably all beyond me at the moment. However I figured going along for the evening would be good fun, and its right next to Town Hall where I catch the train so its not out of my way. It was a good evening and had a good chat to Luke Palmerlee about summer runs in the RNP, Paul Every & Diane (I bump into them at every social occasion …)

Also there were Viv Kartsounis & Nick Drayton – we have been discussing their Shoes for Planet Earth program and possibly merging with CoolRunning’s own “Recycled Runners“.

It didn’t finish too late and was home by approx 9.30pm.

2-Jun-2010 CoolRunning Meeting

I met Sook54 after work tonight in a funky old pub in Glebe and we had ciders. Here are the 4 things we discussed for action:

1. download photos and get rid of gallery links – put on thumb drive and give to chilliman
2. find some service for moving static html pages to wiki format
3. complete retirement of old ad system
4. investigate invision hosted service for better integration with other social media, mobile phone version and keeping up to date with patches etc so we can concentrate on content side of things

also discussed:

• having a face-to-face CR brainstorm/working bee/future planning by getting interested staff together (putting some CR$ towards it) – getting Ellie to facilitate discussion
• paying someone to fix whatever is wrong with the forum/wiki integration (maybe superseded by 4)
• getting more forum people involved in gear update etc (NOT to be managed by us)

17-May-2010 Monday blues

Today I just feel kinda knackered and busy at work. Here are somethings I have read:

• http://www.elephantjournal.com/
• http://fearlessstories.com/
• http://www.themiddlefingerproject.org

I was also quoted in the financial review – not for an financial wizardy (obviously ….) but for a very quick phone interview I gave about running.

1-May-2010 Not going to the gold coast marathon

I turned this down, I have a yoga injury I am sure – in my hamstring insertion area. But also I just am trying to be less committed to things.

As a dedicated runner, active blogger and founder of www.coolrunning.com we would like to extend to you an invitation to attend the Gold Coast Airport Marathon as our guest.

The invite includes:

• Return airfares to the Gold Coast
• 2 nights accommodation at The Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise
• Race Entry to any desired race at the event
• Inner Muscle training kit
• Top Impact Line racing kit

There will be further inclusions, all of which will be outline in a detailed itinerary for the weekend. This will be sent closer to the event date should you accept this invitation. The dates for the event are Friday 2nd- Sunday 4th July 2010. As a pre-requisite for accepting this invitation ASICS would request the following:

• Road test the ASICS Inner Muscle apparel range for the 4 weeks leading up to the event and post a blog about your experience for each of the 4 weeks.
• 1 blog post each day of the event about your experience at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
• 1 blog post after the event about your experience competing in the Inner Muscle apparel range.
• The above totalling 8 blog posts. Should you have a Facebook and/or Twitter account we would also love you to replicate your blog posts into these accounts.

26-Oct-2009 Previous Blog Efforts

I used to have a blog here from Jun 2006 to Oct 2009.

But have sort of discontinued it.

I will try to import the posts over to here.

22-Oct-2009 Update

I have been running a storm – mainly at the weekends. really hard runs sat and sunday and a few midweek runs too. Usually 2hrs hard and I mean really hard. Beating the missus type hard – and if you know her then you’ll appreciate that’s hard. Obviously all runs are in the RNP. Also swimming more in both pool and sea. I am hoping that the manly to the bridge 11km swim is on again this year as I will do that. and the odd kayak. Also done 10 bikram yoga classes in 20 days (a class is 90mins). I love that. I think its making me stronger article1  and article2.

Obviously been too stuffed to do anything else much. But the six foot ball is rolling again for this year – handover to Colin going well. He is a good bloke. I am putting everything I can in a sub-5hr finish then I will see about some longer ones next year. I pretty much quit coolrunning, but still not sure how it will all pan out.

15-Sept-2009 Ups & Downs

Well it’s been a while since I posted. I have been doing lots of runs at night 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, midnight etc. Its a bit like when I first started running as a 15 year old – out every night in the dark running around in my soccer kit. Took me a year to buy proper running shoes, and another year before I read a running mag or did a race. So I’m keeping it old skool – lots of sweat and no fancy stuff.

Ups
Went running in the blue mtns a couple of weeks back. Went from Woodford to Glenbrook, not quite where the race goes as we ran back out thru the causeway and up to the top by the toll booth. I wrote it down as 30km. Started 10pm after catching the train from Glenbrook. Was a bit fazed by the fit looking bunch but I seemed to run ok, most of the way with Mister G. They chose the night as it was a full moon and mostly could run without a torch as it was firetrail and it had recently been graded. Also Mister G’s torch was bright enough for everyone ! Amazingly I even ran up from the causeway all the way to the top, finished approx 12.30am. Hung around for a drink and a chat etc then ran the last 1.2 km back to the car. Home by 3am, then I had a batch and went to be at 3.30am.

Also been doing a lot of running with the missus most weekends. I feel like I am getting fitter etc.

Downs
But clearly not fit enough. I went for a 32km run with a friend in the RNP last weekend but only made 27km. The weather was scheduled for an unseasonably hot day (29C). I started off strong, possibly too strong – a common failing of mine. I guess I started to sag approx 20km but to be honest I just ground to a halt almost completely. I’d been making jokes before about lying at the side of the track waiting to die but that was pretty much how I felt about an hour later. There was just literally nothing left. I wonder if its because I have done very few runs over 2-3hrs and so that’s exactly how long I can run for. I have just been taking a handheld and no good but I don’t really think that was the cause. Could have been though – 2 bottles in 4hrs ? I walked more or less from Marley almost to the trig point and then abandoned my mate (who had to run back to Audley) and I hitched a lift back to Bundeena (incidentally by a guy that used to run Six Foot who recognised me!) I felt pretty bad about not being able to finish a run (an excellent course I must admit), pretty bad for leaving a mate, and of course I was so buggered I could barely stand up straight. Still I managed to run 11km the next day in 28C with the missus. She caned me. Looks like I need to go out for longer and harder more frequently!