Running and more running

Sunday just gone saw another early morning run with my sometimes training partner Peyton. She has just recently done the Melbourne Marathon and is a very strong runner of about my pace so it's always a good quick run. We are both aiming for Marathons next year (Probably the Brisbane Marathon in April and Gold Coast in July)so it's good to have someone to run with. We are also running a 50k relay in 2 weeks time on the Gold Coast which I am really looking forward to.

So for the run we had two domestiques (Lionel - Peytons dad) and Belinda my fiance riding their bikes to provide us water/food as needed.

A nice relaxing run of 20k as we were reaching our turn around point Lionel starting talking to another walker/runner who started to run with us and it turned out she had run the London Marathon before and was over here from England on holidays. Amazing the people you meet when you are out running. So the run was fair pace with Peyton pushing hard most of the way ended up around the 1hr 40 mark for 20k which we were both pretty happy about.

Always good to have someone to train with makes me get out of bed early to go run.

Been a while

Yes its been a while since I posted something but I have lots of excuses honest !

Anyway last weekend saw us at Noosa for the Noosa triathlon, I was in a team doing the ride with a mate doing the run and swim. Spent Saturday having a look around the expo there and buying some new gear which is always on sale there. Also enjoyed watching the elite womens and criterium around the circuit. A little disappointed there was less attacking than normal in both races but then I guess that is racing.

Sunday was race day an I had been feeling really flat the days before so was concerned about how I would go. My mate did an amazing swim and we were top twenty after his effort. On to the bike for me and I figured I best go as hard as I can and worry later about blowing up. Like everyone I guess I let my mind tell my body how hard it can go so my mind limits me sometimes. I had a great ride 1hr 7 mins rack to rack. By this stage it was thirty degrees and the humidity was massive. When I came back in to transition we were still top 20.

My runner set out and we ended up 37th overall in our category which we were stoked about. Now the goals are to do better at Mooloolaba and I will have to get myself some tri bars before then as 40k riding in the drops was not great fun.

Pounding the pavement

Today was long run day with a bit over 20 k on the cards. Off nice and early too start but it was already humid. I did the running whilst Belinda rode her bike and provided me with water and sustenance as needed. Belinda is just learning to ride and she would give me water etc then ride off on her own and come flying back past me with the biggest smile on her face. Awesome to watch someone having so much fun getting back in to riding as an adult.

So on to the ride it was as humid as it's been for sometime and my singlet was soaked in sweat in no time, but I felt good and maintained a good pace. For the men out there I had taped my nipples with band aids before starting but the sweat obviously caused them to come away so I finished the last have of the run with some fairly good bleeding.

As for the run it ended up being around the 22k mark in 1hr 45 minutes which I am very happy about as I didn't feel like I was pushing too hard. Have pulled a little sore this evening but that's to be expected. See how I fare in the morning.

So this week I have a run of about 1 hour and then a speed session Thursday which seems to have made a world of difference to the speed I do my long runs at. I aim to do these sessions on a grassed area to help the recovery and so that I'm not constantly running on bitumen.

Enjoying the goat track

The texts started early both Singer (aka Black Death) the hard nut training partner and Adam (Old Skool) asking if we were still riding with the rain pelting down. A quick check of the BOM website (gotta love that internet thingy) and hey lets ride. Early morning departure through Samford and just prior to the start of the ascent comes the first flat of the day for me. Quick tube change (not)actually needed to use a five dollar note to stop the cut from busting another tube and we are back underway (thanks for the tube Singer).

Old Skool was a virgin at climbing the GT and was spared actually seeing where we were going due to the low cloud around the summit. A quick snack at the bottom and we are away. For those that haven't ridden GT it is unsealed road with a 10% gradient and with the rain last night made for an interesting climb. Old Skool only has his hard man 53/39 whilst BD and I run compacts. So the climb was interesting to say the least for him. But he seemed to manage all the same. Yes he was dropped on the climb but he made it.

The descent back to the Gap via Mount Nebo was sweet with Old Skool pretending he was attacking ala Il Pirato (Marco Pantani) in the drops and in the dog (i.e. the big ring) over any little climbs the whole way back. Awesome ride even made the coffee at the Gap Coffee Club seem bearable.

Highlights included the number of cars using the goat track in the morning. What is doing there an ungraded road carrying so much traffic ? At least they were all courteous and left us enough road to get past.