Another day, another bout of humidity

So, third day on the trot for running, and yet more unbearable humidity. Today's weather report... 24 degrees and the highest yet, 94% humidity. So did a 7 mile recovery run just before some drinks at work, and went round in about 59 mins. Didnt time it as such, just know from looking at my watch before I went out, and when I came back again. But the key thing is that I felt better as the run went on. Started off pretty slugish for the first 3 miles, but the last 4 were good. There's a stretch on my run, between 4-5 miles where I just glide. It's probably the flatest part of my course, but I just seem to get in a zone whereby I run like a demon. There was a guy around 40 metres in front of me when I just started the stretch, and within 200 metres I overtook him, not through the want of trying, but just gliding along, and the run from there was easy for the last 3 miles.So all in all... a good last 3 days of running, coming in at 27 miles, but in probably the hardest conditions I've ever run in. I dont think I've ever run in such humid conditions as this week, averaging arond 83%... but all good. whilst it's been hard, it's be a learning curve, and one from which I'll get better...

Hopefully, the humidity will drop this weekend so I can get a good 15 mile+ run in Saturday or Sunday... bon chance mes braves...

Pole, pole

Tanzanian for slowly, slowly... and boy was that true tonight. The intention was an 18 miler, the reality was conditions similar to last night. 26 degrees Celsius, and 79% humidity and a slow 12.25 miles... going round in 1hr 45 mins. Slow, but hey, considering I was going to bail at 9 miles, I'm fairly happy I did over 12. Quite simply the weather is horrible. I'd rather it was 30 degrees and hot than the humidity we've got here at the moment... but hey, gotta get through it all! Will have another crack later this week when its not so humid!

Back on it

Well, back on it again... went for a 4 mile interval run last Friday, which took last week's miles up to around 39... so so for the week, given i only trained 4 days last week. After a weekend away from it all in Melbourne I got back on it tonight with the usual 8.25 mile loop. The humidity here in Sydney was once again unbearable, and my legs felt a little heavy towards the end of the run. Just checked the temperature, bearing in mind its now half ten at night and its still 25 degrees and 89% humidity... gives you an idea of what i was running in! However I still went round in 1hr 10 mins, so not too shabby...

Tomorrow is the big one... well hopefully if the humidity stays away :)

Strong like bull!

Well another day, another run. Decided to up the ante from last night's 'recovery run'. So increased the weight in the backpack to around 4/5 kgs (am only planning on taking 7-8kgs for thee real thing)... and it was a good run. Plan was to start out steady, and then increase speed for the final two miles, so a good workout all in all. Despite the increased weight I went round the 8.25mile loop I do in 1hr 9 mins, so pretty pleased with that.

As is usual, first mile is always quick, and then it settles down, but the last 2 miles I did around a 7:15 min miles, which ain't too shabby. So now up to around 36/37 miles for the week. One more run tomorrow, between 8-10 again, and then I'm going to have 3 days off as I'll have trained solid for 4 weeks now, so a nice bit of recovery will do me good, although I find it so hard not to run.

I'm off to Melbourne for the weekend for a bit of partying, but will probably take the trainers and go for a gentle 4 miler or something :)

Recovery Day

Well it was quite an easy run to be honest. I did set out pretty slowly (didnt want to over do it on the back of Monday), but although i didnt time it, I went round in approx 1h 13mins ish for 8.25 miles. Although untimed I know it was around that as I listen to a particular mix on my ipod and i know that it's exactly 1hr 17 mins... so know it inside out now :)

All in all, it felt very good... in fact so good that on some of the hills I did some hill sprints, and the workrate required overall to do the run was pretty low... can certainly feel the difference in fitness... key is to keep it going now. Feel like I'm on a high at the moment, and am going to have the weekend off this weekend, as I'll have done 4 weeks of pretty intense training (for me that is), and i reckon my body could do with the rest :)... then after that i'll be stepping up once more into Feb, with 2 months really hardcore training ahead of the Canberra Marathon where I'll tapper down first week of April...

Laters...

Rest Day...

I should run 18.5 miles most days... it makes the logic for rest days easier to come by when you're battling against whether or not to go for a run or not. To be honest, I felt good after the run yesterday, and if push really came to shove, I could have gone out and done a nice 8 mile recovery. However I'm glad I've rested as I feel even better today and ready to do an 8 mile recovery... however I've got to go and do it first, so we'll see how we go.

Who's ya Daddy?

Well i focused on it all day. I took myself into the corner and had a word with myself, beating myself up about how weak I was and how I have to focus on the running. (I seriously think I'm becoming obsessed).

I was so pissed off with yesterday (again! But i really didnt need to be!). So I told myself, tonight is the night I break the back of this training and push myself into new realms. Two and a half hours running, thats what i told myself... no less. I had to do it. 18.5 miles was the course, well over 2 and a half miles more than id ever done.

Job done. 18.5 miles in 2.5 hours... I'm a happy man...


I really feel like I'm getting somewhere now, and a 3.45 marathon looks very realistic given that I'm currently running up and down hills on my route. But you can't say it until youve done it. I hit a bit of a wall at 16 miles and the legs felt very heavy, but thats because ive never run that distance before... however I really dont feel all that bad now. But it's amazing what an extra 3 miles does. I've done a good half dozen runs at the 13/14 mile mark ow and I'm fine until then, but it's a case of getting half a dozen runs in at 18/20 miles now... thats the key. The hardest one is done... more of the same please!