Run Boy Three

Full week

2011-07-16T19:46:00.003+12:00

A better week with four runs in and one more tomorrow to bring up 50k for the week. Eased back in last week with a few gentle runs then picked up again on week 6 or so of Hal Higden's intermediate-II programme – 5k, 11k, 6k, and another 11k at pace. Went faster than necessary for the pace run averaging 4:36 instead of something closer to 5:00, but felt pretty good. (And there was a bloke in surf shorts I had to pass despite his attempts to keep ahead of me.) A 16k Sunday run tomorrow.

False starts

2011-07-05T21:57:00.002+12:00

Managed only my second run in a couple of weeks today. New job, sick father, and general colds and flus at home are getting in the way of finding the time and feeling well enough for it. Probably went too far and too fast for the first run in a while; lungs are mainly ok but the calves are feeling it, especially the left one. Haven't been doing any stretching either. Will have to find some time for that. Anyway, 10k in 48:44.

8k tempo run (by mistake)

2011-06-17T20:30:00.002+12:00

Was going for an easy run until some bloke overtook me so I made it a tempo run instead. Overtook him a km or so later, turning in a 4:06 and a couple of 4:30s. About 38 minutes all up.

Lungs still pretty tired from the cold earlier in the week but managed it ok. Legs still tight in the calves thanks to a lack of stretching in the morning. Must get back to that.

Hope to be back to the programme on Sunday with 17.5k.

Off sick

2011-06-15T20:26:00.002+12:00

First run for the week after a couple of days off with a head cold. Pretty easy 6k or so at a bit over 30 minutes. Started out too fast but managed to slow up on the way back. Lungs were feeling fairly tired and lower calves got a bit tight. Not sure whether to do hill runs or another easy run to get back into things tomorrow but will do at least something.

Slow Sunday run

2011-06-12T14:42:00.003+12:00

Finished the first week of training with a 16k slow run from Ngaio to Te Papa and back. Average pace of 5:13, though probably should have kept it to 5:30. Felt kind of sluggish most of the way, lungs a bit crap at the moment, and calves got a bit tight, especially outside of the left calf at about 11k.

But, some guy overtook me on the flat just before the Ngaio Gorge uphill so I folowed hi up at 6:00 minute pace and tracked him most of the way home. Extra speed seemed to stretch the legs out well.

Trying to be more active in running style, with higher knees and back kick, and more use of the glutes. Feels good when I remember to do it, though I tend to forget and slide back to a less focused style. Will see how that goes...

Total for the week:

Time - 04:13:00 h:m:s

Distance - 48.56 km

A few more days

2011-06-08T21:33:00.003+12:00

Day three, 8/6/11: Good easy run, with slow in-2-3-4 out-2-3-4 breathing most of the way.

Day four, 9/6/11: hill sprints up Hay Street in Oriental bay. It's a damn steep hill. Three times up, with a couple of kilometres at either end.

Day five, 10/6/11: pace run, 8k. Supposed to be at marathon pace (4:55) but averaged something more like half-marathon pace (4:40 or so). Felt good though, legs fine, and breathing in-2-3 out out-2-3 all the way.

Next run is the first longish slow run on Sunday - longish as it's only 16k. Today's run was supposed to be tomorrow but I can really only do one run a weekend with kids to look after, and I don't mind having a break the day before Sunday's run.

Day two

2011-06-07T20:00:00.002+12:00

The titles of these posts are going to get very dull at this rate, but anyhow, second day today and an easy run into work with a detour round the waterfront to make up the 8k at a bit over 40 minutes. Working on keeping the pace down to about 5:30 min/k, though the downhill Ngaio Gorge raised the average to about 5:13. Legs feeling good.

Wairarapa marathon: week one, day one

2011-06-06T18:10:00.004+12:00

Well that last post was a long time ago and the training never really eventuated. An autumn cold that lasted a month and a young baby who wasn't keen on sleeping killed that hope, but this time it's real...

Today was the first day on Hal Higdon's advanced level one 18-week programme. An easy start of 5k round the hills of Ngaio. Feeling good and looking forward to the Wairarapa marathon in Masterston in early October. Likely to be a small field in an apparently scenic two-lap course.

Training again

2011-03-18T21:48:00.005+13:00

Going to run the Wellington marathon again this year. Have been quiet on the running since our second son arrived in August; and quiet on the blogging since I got a Garmin GPS watch. So it's all logged and graphed and mapped to death over here.

Ran a half recently around the Wellington bays in 1:39:30. A slight improvement on the last half, and not bad given the lack of focused training. Should be able to go under 3:30 for the full marathon if I can stick to the training and avoid injury. Using Matt Fitzgerald's beginners programme on top of regular commute runs into work. (It's about 7k one way and I'm trying to do it five or six times a week.)

Done: 3:47

2010-06-29T22:49:00.007+12:00

So at last I managed to run a marathon. It's been no easy run, to make a pun, but on Sunday 27 June 2010 in a howling Wellington southerly I ran my first marathon, the Harbour Capital, in 3 hours and 47 minutes.

It was a far cry from my aim of 3:30, but with calf strains in both legs over the last few months and something dodgy with the tendons in my left ankle (all the way up to my hip at times), the training went fairly pear-shaped towards the end. Add to that my fall-back position of eating too much sugary fat and I was over optimistic to aim for 3:30.

In truth I also started to panic that I wouldn't make it. I'd done three 20-mile runs and a 22-mile. Two of the 20-miles took about 2:45; the 22-mile took 3:02; but the third 20-mile was 3:03 with pain and extreme stiffness setting in for the last mile or two.

So in the end, and with the rain coming down at the start, I revised expectations and aimed to finish. I also took on board advice from a good friend and keen runner to be careful at the 10km marker not to let loose. The worry at 10km is that you're feeling good and you let yourself speed up. As it happened, I was running with a group at that point all of whom sped up and gradually left me behind. But I kept on going and slowly over the second half of the race overtook at least a few of them.

I felt in fact pretty damn good and managed to enjoy the last 7km - I'd never run that far before and I was passing people all the way. Maybe that suggests I hadn't pushed myself enough, but for a first time out it was a good introduction. I'll be doing more, and aiming again for that 3:30.

Pic: me, far left, at about the 9km mark; taken from the Dominion Post, 27 June 2010, page 3 (see the second picture in this story in the online edition)

Heel boy!

2010-03-30T21:50:00.002+13:00

So, it's been a quiet last month on the running and blogging, but perhaps it's safe to say that I'm on the mend from the calf strain. Physio released me last week, but not without plenty of stretching, thigh and glute strengthening, and balance exercises (the latter especially round the ankle). Her take on what caused it was a combination of too much crossing over and using a front-foot strike.

I'll concede two out of three: yes my feet were crossing over a lot, and yes I was using a front-foot strike, but the front-foot strike isn't bad in itself, but it might be bad if you switch to it too quickly or don't have the bio-mechanical strength to support it. So I'm now back to a heel-to-mid-foot strike, which is feeling ok so far. Picking up the distances over the last couple of weeks and finding a 5-minute kilometre is currently pretty standard. Done quite a few 10km runs, some 12, and a 16 on Sunday.

Thinking now about the Harbour Capital run at the end of June; do I aim to do a faster half-marathon time or try to train for the full marathon? Is it too late to aim for the marathon? Maybe if I take the Hal Higdon novice approach and just aim to finish I could do it. It's about the last real chance to run a decent-sized marathon before the 40th birthday... The full marathon is the tempting option.

Still down

2010-03-08T21:26:00.002+13:00

Haven't managed to run properly in ages thanks to the calf strain. Have managed a few 30 to 40 minute runs over the last few weeks, but by last Wednesday permanent soreness set in. Took four days off and managed 20 minute run today. Stiff calf at 15 mins, bby by 20 I could tell it would get sore with more effort. Walked 10 mins then a further 5mins.

Bugger. Physio tomorrow then will aim for 25 minutes on Wednesday.

Thirty minutes

2010-02-21T12:32:00.003+13:00

Managed 30 minutes running today without ‘pain’ as such. Soreness yes, but pain, I'm saying no. Other than an even shorter run yesterday, it was my first outing since pain kicked in after 24km last weekend.

Saw the physio on Tuesday; she suggested perhaps I'd extended myself a little too quickly after the initial injury. Bad timing on my part as in the two weeks before that I'd been getting back into a really good stride. Here are a few of the times I managed:
1 Feb: 10km 46:30
4 Feb: 12km 58mins
7 Feb: 20km 1:42:12
9 Feb: 10km 45mins
13 Feb: 24km 2:05 – bang!

Not sure where this puts me back to. A marathon in Rotorua beginning of May seems far-fetched. Maybe Wellington end of June?

The professional

2010-01-31T10:25:00.004+13:00

Got in a couple of extras runs this week before the calf started playing up again: one on Wednesday of 40 minutes and one on Thursday, about 35 minutes. Sore by the end of the run on Thursday and saw a physio briefly that evening. Went for a longer consultation on Friday.

Consultation went well. Lovely calf massage, but more importantly the physio took a good look at general ankle and leg strength and stability. Talked about front-foot and mid-foot running, and it could be the truth that my overall leg strength isn't properly capable of running totally font foot. In fact, running on my toes might have stretched it too much and caused the current strain.

I'll be going back next week and she'll take a longer look at running style. She suggested running alternate days and gradually increasing duration. Good cues: run falling forward and landing mid-foot; long and short calf stretches throughout the day and dynamic ones to warm up.

Is this running?

2010-01-26T13:44:00.000+13:00

Slowly getting back into something approaching running with two short runs over the last three days – one on Sunday and one today, both a bit under 7km at 35mins. Stiff and sore after Sunday's run but feeling ok today. Muscle felt a bit tight early on but no pain eventuated.

Seeing a physio on Thursday so not sure how much I'll run before then. Tempted to try another slow but slightly longer run tomorrow. Will see, but still, feeling a lot more positive today.

Wimp

2010-01-22T19:55:00.002+13:00

Went for a run today at lunchtime, thinking I'd see how far I could go without the calf hurting. Managed about 1.5 paltry kilometres. Not exactly in pain, but the muscle was starting to seize up a bit and feel noticeably sore.

So I stopped running and walked for a bit, tried running again and gave up, turning to walk back to work. Worst of it is being overtaken by people I could outrun on a slow day, not to mention the pitying glances from the decent runners.

Can't help wondering if I'm being a wimp. Should I run through it and see what happens? Or maybe run more on my heel, which seems to hurt less?

One thing's for sure, I need to get some exercise so I might be dusting off the bike this weekend and giving that another shot.

Stand down

2010-01-18T22:15:00.003+13:00

Legs are going from bad to worse. The groin strain has started to clear up with rest and just a few runs, and thinking more about my left stride. But that's brought more problems: calf strain in the right leg.

Took an easy 7k run into work on Friday and the calf stiffened up in the second half. Thought it was just the lack of recent running and would pass. Nup. Went out on Sunday and it was stiff and sore within a few minutes; tried to run through it for 10 minutes but had to give up and walk home. Still fairly tight and a bit sore this evening.

Reckon it's in the calf rather than the achilles tendon, which is probably a good thing, and not major. But why's it happened? A few reasons I've found...

1. Too much running? Well no, not lately.
2. Too many hills? Maybe, I live in Wellington after all, but again, not much running of any kind lately.
3. Stride is off-balance due to too tight hip flexors in the other leg? Possibly, even likely, given the recent groin strain.

So I'm taking a week off to give both legs a decent rest. Not sure what this means for training or entering any runs. There's a half-marathon in Wellington in a month that I'd like to do, and there's still Rotorua in May, but for now I think I need to rest (and stop eating so much!).

Strain

2010-01-06T09:58:00.001+13:00

Feels very dull to say the groin strain is getting beyond a joke and beyond running through. But dull as it is, it is. Just went out for a slow 10km and managed about 4 minutes of painful running down the hill. Damn damn damn.

Ran 72.5km last week, mainly 10ks with 25k on Saturday. Oddly the groin feels better after about 10k so who knows what that suggests.

It's summer, and we're about to head off on our summer beach holiday, so maybe the next week is a time for swimming and giving the leg rest.

Sixes and sevens

2009-12-29T20:05:00.007+13:00

I'm following Matt Fitzgerald's training plan for the Rotorua marathon in May next year, using the intermediate II plan in Brain Training for Runners. Sometimes I think I've bitten off more training than I can handle with six runs a week; other times I listen to a friend who says sore, tired legs are unavoidable if you're training for a marathon.

This is week seven, with most runs being around 6 miles (10km). Yesterday's 10km on the flat was faster than planned at 46 mins. Should have been base pace at somewhere between 50 and 55 mins. Still good to put a bit of speed into it, including a fast finish. Today it was hill repetitions; hard work. Managed two at two minutes before dropping back to 1:45s for four reps. Apparently you're doing them right if you feel like chucking at the end of each one. I figure I got it about right.

Tomorrow it's another 10km. Plan to take it slow and work more on the stride. Still got a niggling groin strain on the left thigh. I don't want to stop running and am wondering if I've focused too much on getting the right leg stride right. Am I still landing a bit too much on the left heel? Well maybe... worth getting the landing right. Working too on shortening and quickening the cadence in general.

Twenty-eight

2009-12-26T21:12:00.003+13:00

Ran 28km today, longest run ever for me. Exhausting. And probably wouldn't have made it without the constant ministrations from my running partner: Powerade, water, oaty bars. Took 2:36; big jump up from last longest run of just 3km less. Rest day tomorrow and recovering at the moment with TV and beer.

Blowin’ in the wind

2009-11-04T13:57:00.003+13:00

It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks with not much running. I was trying to run my way through a nagging cough until I finally gave up the ghost the day before I was planning on a 27km run - it would have been my longest effort to date. But the cough got me. I managed an exhausting 15km at the weekend and went out for a fairly slow 40min run in a howling northerly, made worse by my calf muscles cramping up a bit after so little running.

I'm trying to decide which marathon to aim for next year. It'll be my first so doing the one in Wellington makes sense except for the threat of wind like today's. so maybe Rotorua, which despite being a little hilly in the middle wouldn't have the wind. Flip side is it means driving a long way and running a course i don't know. Decisions, decision. Must decide soon though as training should start in a week or so if I choose Rotorua.

Either way, it's time I eased my way back into regular running.

Picking up

2009-10-12T21:22:00.006+13:00

I took a few weeks off after the last half-marathon but have been picking things up again over the last few weeks.

I'm currently trying to work my way up to 70 or 80 kilometres a week and have gone from 50 to 57 to 68km in the week just ended. Ran my first 25km run at the weekend as well. Will try to cover about 40km over 4 or 5 weekdays and then build up to running the balance at the weekend – a main run on Saturday and a possible recovery run on Sunday. Will cut back this week to about 60km with a 20–22km long run at the weekend before building up again for a couple of weeks.

Worked out a good 12km run late last week up to the top of Mt Victoria via Carlton Gore Rd, up to Alexander Rd, then a loop around the lookout and back down the same way. Can cover it in about an hour or so. I've finally managed to impress one of the hardcore lunchtime runners who I've been running past for months and never managed to get so much as an eyebrow raise. Finally at the top of Mt Vic he's giving me some respect!

Image above is taken the top of Mount Victoria a few years ago, 'Cityscape at Twilight' by flickr@Glutnix, http://www.flickr.com/photos/glutnix/5158360.

Marton half

2009-08-31T11:23:00.006+12:00

Ran my second half-marathon at the weekend in Marton. It was a small field, but a good local run around the gentle hills of Rangitikei. The results are available here (though I timed myself at a minute slower than the official time, as did the runner who came in first).

My plan was to run 4:45 minute kilometres on the way out and aim for a negative split on the way back to come in under 1:40:00. I stuck fairly close to a guy from Palmerston North, chatting a bit on the way out and then managing to keep him in view on the way back in. The lack of km markers made pacing a bit tricky and the sun was pretty high in the sky so more water stops would have helped.

The heat wasn't such a problem on the way out thanks to a northerly breeze (pretty stiff at times), but the wind meant a slightly slower first half than I'd planned. That said, it was slower by seconds rather than minutes and with the breeze behind me and a gentle incline back to town, I ran the second half around 2 minutes quicker.

Official time: 1:38:56 (my time: 1:39:53)

Wellington Botanic Garden

2009-08-18T15:04:00.005+12:00

This is an aerial view of the Botanic Garden in Wellington. It's about two minutes run from my office but I haven't really explored it lately. Years ago I used to run there a bit but recent training has meant I've concentrated on running flat over measurable distances.

Yesterday I went round the gardens with a guy from work and was reminded what a great place it is for aimless and unstructured running. Lots of it's hilly and on well-maintained tracks and trails, and you can criss-cross back and forth for a session of any length.

I was there again today getting slightly lost. Good stuff.

Rotorua course

2009-08-18T10:31:00.004+12:00

The course is mapped over on Map my run and the elevation looks a bit like this (click for bigger version):

(I'm not sure why it records a bigger min and max altitude than the race page – a difference of 80 metres compared to 50 or so. Odd.)

More routes coming up

2009-08-17T09:56:00.003+12:00

Been thinking about what else to run in the lead up to the Rotorua marathon (if I do it). I've also been advised by a friend to do some shorter runs and concentrate on speed before starting to train for Rotorua. So here are a few local events:

Wairarapa Country Marathon, Sunday, 11 October 2009
Great Forest Events, Saturday 10 April 2010

Both offer 10km and half-marathon options, as well as the marathon. Thinking that Wairarapa would be a good 10km and either a 10km or a half at the Great Forest.

Marton half-marathon route

2009-08-16T22:35:00.003+12:00

Click the map for more info

And here's the elevation (click to enlarge):

Wind

2009-08-01T23:07:00.007+12:00

Yesterday was a day of vicious northerlies – not ideal for a pace run with the wind at my back for part of the course and then head-on for the return. At one point I thought take-off was imminent; at another I was running on the spot. Still, managed a 46 minute 10km out to Greta Point and back; 22 minutes out and 24 back.

Followed that up today with an early rise then out for 2 hours, slowly covering the 20km or so to the Brooklyn wind turbine and back. Most of it was by road except for the final 2km up to the turbine, which was steep, craggy and slippery dirt track. Fun though, and will, over the coming months extend the route to carry on around the Karori sanctuary route, home to the Gutbuster.

Image credit: Brooklyn Wind Turbine by flickr @Br3nda, http://www.flickr.com/photos/taniwha/74648380/. (Sadly the weather wasn't quite as good as this today.)

Cadence

2009-07-30T13:11:00.004+12:00

View Larger Map

Yesterday's run was a quicker than expected 10km. Despite keeping my breathing down to a fairly regular Breathe two three, out two three kind of pace I ran it in 50 minutes or so. It was one of the first times I've run very far and kept my paces quite short, which I've heard means with each step you face less resistance and overall it's less tiring than taking longer strides.

A useful analogy is the way a cyclist will change down to a lower gear when going uphill: more revolutions with less resistance is less tiring than fewer revolutions against more resistance. It's called cadence and I mention it briefly at the end of this post that I wrote for work.

Training - part two

2009-07-28T20:28:00.006+12:00

Started back on the training yesterday with a slow run out around to Balaena Bay from Queen's Wharf then back via the hill and Oriental Bay. Took around 45 minutes with a friend from work to cover the 8km. Went out alone today and ran a slow five minutes followed by a quick 10, repeated, then finished with another slow five. All in all running for 35 minutes, covering slightly over 7km.

The waterfront route that I usually run has a few leftover kilometre markers so I was able to time a kilometre today at the faster pace. On the way out and back I ran it about 4:20. Translated using the McMillan running calculator makes that pretty much a 1:30 400m. I'll use that as the basis for some of the speed training I'm doing in the weeks ahead.

For the training I'm basing it on the Runners World programme, starting at week 4 of the intermediate programme. Expect I'll be running slightly more than the distances in the programme but will stick to the overall shape.

What next?

2009-07-27T01:41:00.002+12:00

So it's been a while since I ran the half and am now wondering what next. For starters I'm probably joining a friend for another half in Marton at the end of August, part of his training for the full Berlin marathon in September. I best get back to some training for the next half, and less biscuits and lala-runs round the waterfront. That said I've been running fairly regularly with a good long run every weekend somewhere between 1:30 and 1:55, and some shorter faster runs during the week (an 8km in 36:30mins is my best pace to date).

But it begs the question of when I'll be running that marathon, how I'll prepare for it, and what I'm aiming for. The last question's the easiest one: 3:30. It should be possiblem but I've got to take it seriously and allow enough time to get properly in shape - physically but probably more importantly mentally.

The Auckland one sounds a bit full on and in any case is sold out (and is too soon - November). I've heard there's one in Wellington over the summer, and keeping local would be good, though I wonder if that's enough time to prepare. For that Rotorua looks like a good option in May 2010, with plenty of time. So maybe that'll be the one...

Meantime I'm reading Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and so far it's really good take on what drives some people to spend hours alone running.

Speed and sprint training

2009-07-02T20:57:00.004+12:00

Last post on the types of running outlined by Greg McMillan*, this time on the effects of speed training and sprint training. Speed training is a step up in pace, around a 3000m to 5km pace. Sprint training is as the name suggests, sprinting, or around 800m to 2500m pace (not that I could sprint for that long).

Speed maximises some of the physiological effects of stamina training:

better fuel extraction
coping with lactic acid more efficiently
improvements in fast twitch action
better extraction of oxygen from the blood
overall efficiency of movement and breathing

During sprint training there's not much room for any physiological changes as things like breathing, heart rate, oxygen consumption, etc, are all at their maximum. There are two key benefits:

neuromuscular changes where groups of muscle fibres get in sync and start firing en masse; the body just gets better at moving your legs faster and faster
at this pace there's lots of lactate acid so training at this speed trains the body to deal with it and remove it as efficiently as possible

On top of that there are more improvements to the feel of your run - it's smoother and more efficient and employs more of the body (from the torso down) to generate more power.

* The information on the benefits of different types of running in this and a few other posts is cribbed from Greg McMillan's Six-Step Training System, Step #2: The 4 Key Training Zones - Endurance, Stamina, Speed & Sprint. For others, see posts tagged Greg McMillan.

Recovery

2009-06-30T22:07:00.006+12:00

Took a slow run out to Point Jerningham at lunchtime thinking it'd help the recovery. That was the theory anyway. Wondering now if I should have left it another day or two.

But here's a pic of me coming up to the finish line on the Fran Wilde Walk by the Westpac Stadium.

Talked to a bloke on the train yesterday about the course. He had a few (probably) legitimate grizzles about it, namely the way 10km walkers tend to group together on the way back in just about the time a lot of the half-marathoners are coming through the last two or three kilometres. Makes for a lot of ducking and diving and means you can't take the inside channel round the waterfront, where the course is typically measured.

Of course the front-runners would have been on the inside earlier but they're racing for course records, so that's fair enough. As for ducking and diving, it's not a bad diversion for the mind.

Today's run: 6km, 36 mins

One-four-oh

2009-06-28T17:56:00.005+12:00

Surprised myself, as well as family and friends who turned out to cheer me over the finish line: planned on a 1:45 and ended up coming in around 1:40. Still waiting for the site to update with official times but the clock was reading 1:40:20-odd when I went over the line. Surprised and elated, and surprised some more.*

I started out ahead of the 1:40 and 1:45 pacesetters at the start line and can't remember seeing either of them the entire race. Hit the turn point at pretty much exactly 50 minutes and knew then I was in with a chance of somewhere around 1:40. By the 16 km mark though I wasn't feeling so confident. I had to take my polyprop off and lost my stride for a bit and was wondering if I'd blown the whole thing.

A few people were starting to drop off. Focused on the 17 km mark, knowing it'd only be 4 kilometres or so to go at that point, and with drinks not too far off. Energy drink at Oriental Bay then picked up the pace a bit for the penultimate kilometre, then some more for the last kick along Aotea Quay and up the ramp to the stadium walkway. Partner and son, mother-in-law, and a friend, all waving madly and cheering me on. So pleased to them.

--------------

Really well organised event - pretty much everything taken care of at the start/finish point, good drinks along the way, and great support from the marshals and other people en route. True we were lucky with the weather (cool breeze but no rain and no sign of the Wellington gales), but I can't recommend the race highly enough.

*Half marathon: 1:40:22 (unofficial)

Last one

2009-06-27T23:09:00.002+12:00

So, the night before the race. Have done a few runs in the last week but nothing major and haven't done a thing since Wednesday night. Did I feel a twinge in the right ankle? And were those calves aching after some steep hill climbs? No matter, it's only hours away and kind of too late to pull out.

Have just read some more of the pre-race info and realise a) I haven't got a pre-pay parking voucher or b) any energy gel packs. Both are good - wouldn't want to be totally prepared.

What to aim for? Hmm, will try to keep up with the 1:40 pacesetter, at least initally, but have wristbands with 1:40 and 1:45 even kilometre pacing on them, so will try to keep to some kind of pace in between.

Nervous, but looking forward to it. And looking forward to a large cold bottle of lager for lunch.

Stamina training

2009-06-20T21:49:00.007+12:00

From a lot of the reading I've been doing, if I'm going to run a full marathon anytime soon I'm going to need a heart-rate monitor (so no more sneering from me at technophile-runners if I go that route). Stamina running is defined by Greg McMillan* as when you're running "between 30K and 8K race pace... [and] your heart rate is between 83 and 92% of its maximum." Well yeah, guess I'll need a monitor sometime if I'm to work out when I'm in that kind of zone.

The skinny on this kind of training is what it does to your body's ability to deal with lactate and hydrogen ions, which join together to make lactic acid (before splitting apart again for some reason that's not too clear to me). Light exercise produces lactate in low levels. Your body deals with low levels by moving it around the body where it can be recycled as fuel (called "shuttling").

There's a maximum level at which the body can deal with lactate before it starts to accumulate in the muscles and cause fatigue and tiredness. That's your lactate threshold. Stamina training works to make the body more efficient at processing and shuttling the lactate and thereby raises the lactate threshold.

A similar process is at play with that hydrogen ion, which again can only be precessed by the body to a certain point. Once reached, acid accumulates in the body and you find yourself feeling damn tired.

According to McMillan, "that the speed at your lactate threshold is the most important factor in distance running success (5K to marathon racing). Push your lactate threshold faster and you will race faster over all distances."

Seems fairly important then!

*The information on the benefits of different types of running in this and a few other posts is cribbed from Greg McMillan's Six-Step Training System, Step #2: The 4 Key Training Zones - Endurance, Stamina, Speed & Sprint. For others, see posts tagged Greg McMillan.

Sprints and hills

2009-06-20T18:08:00.004+12:00

Back on the schedule and spent lunchtime yesterday jogging out to Point Jerningham and back. All up 35 minutes but included 30 second sprints at 10, 12, 20 and 22 minute marks. Didn't make the back feel much better – the opposite in fact – but the legs felt great.

Took a 10km run round the local suburbs today with lots of hill climbs and charging downhill and legs have definitely benefited from the sprint and fartlek work. (Back pain cleared up about 5 minutes in today as well.)

Recent runs
Friday 19 June: 6.5km, 35 mins
Saturday 20 June: 10km, 53 mins

Today's route

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Endurance training

2009-06-19T20:30:00.010+12:00

In my mind these are long slow runs. Greg McMillan* defines it as between 30 seconds to 2 minutes slower per mile than your average marathon pace. So go figure what that really means (I have no idea). Key benefits are:

Increases stroke volume (i.e., the amount of blood pumped by each heart beat) while in in the muscles there's a increase in the number of capillaries that the deliver blood. The net result is more blood pumped and delivered to the muscles more efficiently.

The body also becomes more more efficient at using fat as a fuel source so there's less reliance on limited carbohydrate stores (muscle glycogen). Conversely it stimulates the muscles to store more glycogen, which can then fuel long or high intensity workouts.

Changes to the nervous system include much more efficient use of slow-twitch muscle fibres (helps improve running economy) and some re-orienting of fast-twitch fibres which become more "endurance-like".

*The information on the benefits of different types of running in this and forthcoming posts is cribbed from Greg McMillan's Six-Step Training System, Step #2: The 4 Key Training Zones - Endurance, Stamina, Speed & Sprint.

More training needed, damn you lad

2009-06-17T22:07:00.006+12:00

Have been playing catch-up all week to get back to the training schedule. A couple of slow runs out to Point Jerningham and a decent 60 minute run to Greta Point and back. Starting to look ahead to the next half-marathon and might do one in Marton with a friend who'll be out from the UK.

Meantime I've got some reading to get to soon:

this for some different takes on how to run: Inner GPS Training Program, and
re-read the McMillan's Six-Step Training System to remind myself of what different running styles do for muscles and recovery

Recent runs
Monday 15 June: 6km, 33 mins (slow to Point Jerningham and back)
Tuesday 16 June: 7km, 37 mins (slow to Point Jerningham and back up Boulcott St with AJ)
Wednesday 17 June: 11.5km, 59 mins (Great Point and back Terrace) - close to 12km

Backing up

2009-06-14T21:35:00.004+12:00

Missed a couple of runs with back pain and hoping it's gone after a few days off. Will try tomorrow with a gentle run and some fartlek if possible.

Recent runs
Monday 8 June: 8km, 40 mins (fartlek)
Tuesday 9 June: 6km (?), 35 mins (with sprints)
Wednesday 10 June: 10km, 46:45 mins
Thursday 11 June: 7km, 41 mins

Practice run

2009-06-06T19:48:00.004+12:00

Went out from Ngaio today as far as Balena Bay and back, covering 21km in 1 hour and 50 minutes. Run included a couple of hill climbs (including Old Porirua on the way home) so I'm figuring I can get that time down if it's all on the flat. Felt kind of sick from exhaustion, but maybe that was lack of food beforehand or mowing the lawn straight after?

Pretty much followed the training schedule this week though still having problems running slow (egoveride kicks in whenever I'm overtaken...). Thursday was fartlek day and I almost did two full repetitions of the 4+2, 3+1.5, 2+1, 1+1 fast and slow routine. (OK, so the second 4-minute fast section wasn't a total success, but got back into the swing of things for the second 3-minute fast section.)

Recent runs
Wednesday 3 June: 7km, 35 mins
Thursday 4 June: 8.5km, 40 mins
Friday 5 June: 6.5km, 35 mins
Saturday 6 June: 21km, 1 hr 50 mins

Over done

2009-06-01T21:49:00.002+12:00

Forgot to check the training schedule for the last couple of days and have over done the running, compounded by a public holiday today that let me run too far this afternoon. Yesterday's scheduled 35 minutes turned into a hilly 50 or so while today's rest day included 1 hour 35 minutes to Aro Valley and back. Will try to take it easy tomorrow and get back to the programme.

Recent runs
Sunday 31 May: 8km, 51 mins
Monday 1 June: 17km, 1 hr 35 mins

Hills and harbour

2009-05-30T22:03:00.003+12:00

Took the Skyline track out to Karori today, coming down at Parkvale Rd and then back through the cemetery and Otari-Wilton Bush. Hard work and slow but good to be up on the hills, looking out over Makara and the wind farm across Cook Strait to the South Island. On the other side, suburbs, the city, harbour and heads, airport: the whole of Wellington. Followed another runner for a bit about halfway along the track who chased a small herd of young bulls. Rather him than me.

Thursday's run was a good fastish run from town out to Hataitai Beach. Covered a bit over 12km in an hour.

Recent runs
Wednesday 27 May: 6.5km, 35 mins
Thursday 28 May: 12.5km, 60 mins
Saturday 30 May: 14km, 1 hr 47 mins

Double-up

2009-05-26T20:19:00.003+12:00

Second fartlek session round the waterfront today, running a 10 minute warm-up then two cycles of the 4 fast + 2 slow, 3+1.5, 2+1, 1+1. Covered 8.5 km in 40 minutes. Yesterday's run was slow and miserable in a wet southerly.

Recent runs
Monday 25 May: 6.5km, 35 mins
Tuesday 26 May: 8.5km, 40 mins

Falling off the wagon

2009-05-25T11:03:00.002+12:00

Well, it wasn't quite falling off the wagon but I've missed a few runs in the last week and missed a blog post or two as well. Overall though I'm keeping the mileage up with a decent run home last week (The Terrace to Ngaio) and then the longest run I've ever done (Ngaio to Pt Jerningham and back), in a southerly gale at the weekend to boot.

Missing Thursday's run was unavoidable after being called up for an unscheduled work trip to Auckland while yesterday I succumbed to a cold and not wanting to be out in the southerly again. Will go out for a gingerly run today.

Recent runs
Wednesday 20 May: 6km, 37 min
Saturday 22 may: 20km, 1 hr 53 mins

I still can't say it without giggling...

2009-05-19T21:11:00.003+12:00

First fartlek run since I started training. The first section went ok, felt all right; second, yeah, still coping; third, well, lucky it was only two minutes, and as for the last one minute section, I could barely move. Was overtaken soon afterwards by a couple of runners so kept pace with them back to town just to make sure I made it.

The run was an easy 10 minutes, then hard for 4 minutes with 2 minutes recovery, then repeating it with 3 + 1.5, 2 + 1, then a final 1 followed by 15 minutes or so back to town.

Today's run: 8km, 41 mins

More slowness

2009-05-18T20:02:00.001+12:00

Cold day in town, and wet for most of it too. Dodged the rain and get round to Pt Jerningham and back, taking it fairly slow.

Today's run: 6km, 35 mins

Lennel Road

2009-05-17T19:40:00.003+12:00

Took a run round from Ngaio to Wadestown then back via Crofton Rd. Toughest bit was heading up Lennel Rd to the Wadestown shops. Hills are definitely getting easier.

Saw some sights I've not known about, including a street called Goldies Brae, and a house known as 'the banana house' – apparently one of the best examples of environmentally-friendly concrete architecture from late 19th-century New Zealand. Who'd've thought!

Today's run: 10km, 57 mins

Suburbs to city to sea

2009-05-16T22:49:00.000+12:00

Foul weather so had to abandon plans to run over Kaukau and around Ohariu Valley - will keep that run for next weekend, fingers crossed. Could barely see the tops of the hills for low cloud and rain but it was the gusty wind that really put me off heading up to the summit.

Settled instead for suburb-to-city-to-sea run, 16.5km round-trip through Kelburn, the university, down to the waterfront, back to Kaiwharawhara and home via Old Porirua Rd. Hadn't quite counted on how hard Old Porirua would be after more than an hour's running but took it slow and got to the top just fine. Will aim for an abbreviated Kaukau run tomorrow.

Today's run: 16.5km, 98 mins

Steady state

2009-05-14T18:58:00.000+12:00

Had a good longish run out to Greta Point and back covering 10km in under 50 minutes - the fastest 10km I've done since before my son was born. Back then I managed 46 minutes on a slow undulating course in Berlin (coming second in my age group! First place ran about 40 minutes, third place was a pacesetter for some local teenagers and dropped out, and that was the size of the field in the 30 to 39s), and a 45:16 at Victoria Park in London.

If I put 45 minutes into the McMillan calculator it estimates that I can do a half-marathon in 1:40:08. So maybe something around the 1:45 mark isn't totally out of the question... Noticed on the race info page that there'll be pace-setters running the half at 1:40 and 1:50 pace, and a few others, but no 1:45.

Today's run: 10km, 49 minutes

Kaiwharawhara

2009-05-13T17:02:00.002+12:00

Easy run down to the traffic lights at Kaiwharawhara. Nothing special, just chatting with a friend as we ran.

Today's run: 7km, 40 mins

Tinakori Hill

2009-05-12T20:59:00.005+12:00

Went up to the top of Tinakori Hill today, not just for the first time running but the first time ever. Steep. From Tinakori Rd up St Mary's St and then on to the Tinakori Ridge track is a 250m ascent over about 1.75km. (And ok, I walked a bit, but only a minute or so!)

Tracks in pretty good condition, muddy in places, and stretches that seemed — at the time anyway — virtually 1:1. The route is saved at Map My Run.

Found myself at the Northland shops again but this time kept to the ridge and headed round to Kelburn before sprinting down through the University. Good to stretch the legs though the average overall pace was still only about 6:30/km.

Today's run: 7.5km, 49 mins

BIB# 3581

2009-05-11T14:07:00.003+12:00

I've now officially signed up for the half-marathon in June! So now it's real. In a little under 7 weeks I'll be running 21km round the Wellington waterfront. 21km! Must be possible...

Got fairly engrossed in the McMillan six-step training system last night. I winced a little whenever he referred to 'casual runners', and by the end of the read was fairly sure that yes indeed, I am one of them. The key to identifying us is that when training we tend to skim a few books or magazines or even just download some training plan off the internet and use that.

That aside, while McMillan is aimed at serious and competitive runners, there's still plenty to learn about the effects that different styles and paces of running have on the runner's physiology (not to mention their psychology). I'll stick to the current schedule but will try to fine-tune it a bit using some of the techniques from McMillan. Once I've got an official time from the half-marathon I'll plug it in and see what kind of training schedule it comes up with for the next challenge. Full marathon, anyone?

On that note, I kept the run today light and easy though I still ran at pretty much the training pace for long and easy endurance workout paces. I'm not sure I can run any slower, especially considering I was barely keeping pace with a walker at one point. (He was a serious walker, mind you, all the gears and the funny hip action, not just some dude out for a stroll.)

Today's run: 6km, 35 mins

Slow hills

2009-05-10T20:21:00.006+12:00

I've started to diverge a bit from the training schedule: Thursday's 45 minutes turned into 50, yesterday's 70 into nearly 80, and today's 35 into a 75 minute hill run up to Kaukau and then onto the Skyline Track. Good running, taking it slow and carefully on the hill tracks. The ascent had to be the biggest challenge – roughly 18 minutes uphill slog, but managed it with only a brief bit of walking when it got really rough and steep. Stiff southerly on the summit too.

Today's run is the first I've mapped using Map My Run, which you can view here. (I did embed it in the post but it reloaded every time I viewed the page and just started to piss me off.)

Oddly enough I feel like a turncoat for not using Google Maps, which has been my mainstay lately. Google Maps aren't as useful, though, for off-road routes and the little elevation widget on Map My Run is kinda handy. On that note, the ascent to the top of Kaukau is roughly 280m over about 1.5km.

Today's run: 10.5km, 75 mins

Northland shops

2009-05-09T22:47:00.004+12:00

Took a long slow run round the back way and up to the Northand shops, over the top of the ridge and down through Thorndon. Back along the key and up Old Porirua Rd.

A friend in the UK was in touch to stress that I need hill running and a weekly long long run so today's run covered at least the hilly angle and is a good starter for building up to 1.5 to 2 hour runs. He also sent through a link to the McMillan running calculator, that lets you input a sample time and it'll work out optimal times for all distances as well as different training paces.

Based on the 50 minute 10km I ran earlier this week, the calculator thinks I should be able to run a half-marathon in 1:51:16. Something to aim for at least; certainly want to be under 2 hours and the closer to 1:45 the better. Here's the full race times and training pace summary:

Today's run: 13.5km, 78 mins

The slow and the fast of Greta Point

2009-05-07T15:19:00.000+12:00

Joined up with a friend from the Waitangi Tribunal and ran a 10km route out to Greta Point and back. Took 27 minutes to get out there an 23 to make it back. Here's the run:

View Larger Map

Today's run: 10km, 50 mins

Slow run

2009-05-06T13:43:00.000+12:00

Managed to keep it slow out to Point Jerningham and back. Sky tried to rain at the start and end but otherwise good conditions. Still manage to overtake a few runners even when going slow.

Today's run: 6km, 32.5 mins

Weka Bay, quicksmart

2009-05-05T22:00:00.004+12:00

Ran out to Weka Bay again, starting this time from the office and heading down The Terrace to Woodward St before getting over to the waterfront. Fifteen minutes jogging, then 20 minutes faster running before slowing up for the final 10 minutes. Covered a bit over 9 km and despite the exhaustion at the end of the fast section the legs are feeling pretty good. (Didn't feel so good yesterday and wonder if starting and finishing in slow motion helps.)

Today's run: 9km, 45 mins

Not so fast

2009-05-04T13:28:00.002+12:00

Ran round the harbour again out as far as Point Jerningham and back. The run was supposed to be a 30 minute jog but I have real difficulty slowing it down to that sort of pace for any length of time. And it gets worse when someone overtakes me – damn I hate that. (I made him work for it though, heh heh.)

Today's run: 30 mins, 6km

Ngaio tracks

2009-05-03T18:07:00.001+12:00

More running round the hills of Ngaio but this time split it between roads and bush tracks – one down from Odel Reserve to Old Porirua Rd and another from Silverstream Rd up through Huntleigh Park. Again, not sure off-road running is good training for the half-marathon but good getting to know the neighbourhood. All told was on the go for about 45 minutes but a good chuck of that was bush walking.

Today's run: 30 mins, 6km

Hill running

2009-05-02T17:36:00.000+12:00

More running on the summit track yesterday, this time via the Chartwell substation and up the track through the horse farm. Didn't see any horses and was buggered by the time I made the Skyline. Not sure hill running is ideal training for the half-marathon – it's going to be flat and on the road, unlike the hills. The hills are hard work after a 25 minute slog to get to the top – you're physically done-in and all you really want it a nice smooth flat path so you can catch your breath for a while. Instead you get rough, bumpy, stony, up-and-down tracks. Rough.

Today's run: 10km (?), 65 mins

Silver light of rain on water

2009-04-30T22:12:00.002+12:00

Ran from Queen's Wharf out to Weka Bay and back, catching a drizzly shower to start. Wet pavements, grey sky and hills around the harbour in dark blue. Witnessed the first splodge of this going up, sadly not an April Fool. Why mess with simplicity? Anyway, rest day tomorrow.

Today's run: 8km, 40 mins

Blue sky

2009-04-29T13:21:00.002+12:00

Blue sky seen for a brief moment while I headed out to Oriental Bay again. Pretty much a re-run of Monday's jog to Grass St and back. I may be imagining things but it feels like I overtake more than I'm overtaken. That feels good.

Should also note that I'm feeling good despite not stretching anymore; going on the theory that as long as I start slowly and warm up my muscles will stretch to the right amount just through running. Running's what I want them to do after all, and it's not like I'm trying to be some kind of contortionist. I'll probably come back to this at some point when I've had more of a chance to read and think about barefoot running.

Today's run: 5.5 km, 25 mins

Clear air

2009-04-28T14:07:00.003+12:00

Fastish run round the point as far as Balena Bay after a frustrating morning in the office. Getting out and running is such a good way to clear the head, especially when there's a force ten northerly to battle into on the way back.

Today's run: 8.5km, 41.5 mins

More soaked than stoked

2009-04-27T21:51:00.002+12:00

More wet weather; rainbow over Newtown but hard rain in the harbour. Very wet and kind of miserable, in an invigourating way... Made it as far as Grass St before turning back. That's when the real fun began – a head wind most of the way back. Tomorrow's the week's big run and the weather is set to get worse, all in time to come down with swine flu.

Today's run: 26 mins, 5.5km

Clouds

2009-04-26T21:04:00.003+12:00

Wellington was besieged by clouds today. When it wasn't raining a steady drizzle enveloped the hills and harbour, clouds gently drifting across the city. Went on a 20 minute run round the local streets just after dark. Was running pretty well full-on but a few longish and steep uphill stretches kept the overall pace down.

Today's run: 4km, 20 mins

Karori cemetery and up, up, up...

2009-04-25T19:01:00.006+12:00

Took a long run today, much longer than expected to be honest, from Ngaio down to Otari-Wliton Bush, through to Karori cemetery, then up the Skyline Cemetery Link track. Had been running for 45 minutes by then so took a breather before heading up the Skyline track for another 15 minutes. Alternated walking and jogging for the rest of the trip to Bell's track and down to home. All told I was out of the house for about 90 minutes, and only 10 or 15 minutes of that was walking, though some of the hill running was pretty slow and included a few wrong turns (not to mention dodging cowpats and bulls!).

Big uphill slog to get from the cemetery to the Skyline but felt good to get there, and great views out over Makara to the South Island. Got a good view of the new turbines for the wind farm on the Western Hills as well. I wouldn't have found the track up to the skyline without the help of a site that a mountain biker I know vaguely through Twitter put me onto. If you're looking for walking, running or riding tracks round Wellington check it out at http://tracks.org.nz/. Not sure how far I ran but for pride's sake I'm claiming about 12kms (might have been more, might have been less).

Today's run: 12km, 90 mins

Balena Bay

2009-04-23T13:22:00.003+12:00

Ran as far as Balena Bay, doing my best to keep up with some blokes that looked a fair bit fitter than me. Left them to carry on south towards the airport and turned back, returning to Queen's Wharf. Thought I'd be slower without the blokes to use as pacers but managed about the same pace.

Today's run: 35 mins, 7km

Japanese Fisherman

2009-04-22T13:44:00.004+12:00

Slow run with a friend from Wagamama to the Fisherman's table and back. Talked digital publishing, career prospects, lack of career prospects, and the debilitating nature of aging.

Today's run: 30 mins, 5.5km

Up tempo

2009-04-21T13:10:00.003+12:00

Five minutes warm-up, then stretch. Ten minutes jogging followed by 20 minutes up tempo. Five minutes jogging, very slowly.

Not sure I've mastered the meaning of up tempo – I just set off as fast as I thought I could run for 20 minutes. The training guide ranks it as the middle pace (jogging, steady, up tempo, hard, sprints) and defines it as 'conscious of your breathing and difficult to talk'. I was on my own so I wasn't trying to talk but think I'd have had a hard time. Maybe 'breathing laboured and impossible to hold conversation' (hard) is more appropriate.

Today's run: 40 mins, 8km

Training

2009-04-20T14:06:00.000+12:00

Today's the start of training for the half-marathon in June. I was pretty confused by the various bits of terminology on the training schedule - today is a jogging day, tomorrow it's up tempo, and later in the week it's steady. Fortunately the PDF version linked at the bottom of the page has the full key.

It's cold and miserable in town today but I set out for the 20 minute run wrapped up warm and ready to get on with the training. Twenty minutes didn't seem quite enough so I thought I'd start with 5 minutes warm-up, then stretching, then the actual run. All went well. Finished the warm-up just this side of Te Papa, stretched a bit, then headed out to Oriental Bay and around nearly as far as Point Jerningham before turning back. Running slow, as instructed, until the southerly brought the rain in and I had to pick up the pace and kept running well past the 20 minute mark. Probably running for 30 minutes all up, including the warm-up.

Today's run: 30 mins, 5.5km

Ngaio Gorge

2009-04-17T20:06:00.002+12:00

Did the Ngaio Gorge run home for the first time in a while - kept going the whole way up but noticing some niggling on the shin. Curiously it's the other one this time, but I'll take it easy for a few days. Will be out and about tomorrow anyway so will make it a rest day. Bought new jeans today so had a full backpack to carry too. Thought I'd run fairly slow but given uphill bit on the Ngaio Gorge it can't have been too bad.

Today's run: 7km, 41 mins

Waterfront lunch

2009-04-16T13:38:00.003+12:00

Took a quick run round to Point Jerningham – fast out and slow back. Might have pushed it a bit hard given I was planning on a slow run on the flat after the hill running earlier in the week. Hoping that I didn't notice a niggle in the right shin.

Today's run: 6km, 30 mins

Home run

2009-04-15T22:10:00.007+12:00

Ran home from work, down The Terrace and up Molesworth St. Stopped on the way round the back of Parliament Buildings to stretch and wondered if the backpack made me look at all suspicious – a sweaty bomber round the back of parliament? Clearly not. Took the bridle path up to Calcutta St again and figure it's steepest at the bottom then starts to, not exactly level out, but certainly get easier. Makes me wonder what the inverse ratio is between speed and gradient – is it linear?

Today's run: 5.5km, 34 mins

Old Porirua Road

2009-04-13T18:12:00.004+12:00

Fantastic run to the bottom of Ngaio Gorge via Crofton Rd (uphill), Old Porirua Rd (down, down, down) then back up the bridle path to the top of Culcutta St. Not very fast but the stretch to Calcutta (pictured) was about 13 minutes of solid uphill.

View Larger Map

Good running down Old Porirua Rd taking it easy. Wonderful views and not a car the entire stretch. Sort of place I could imagine living but know the isolation would get to me in the end - you can walk or drive but don't bother waiting for a bus. That and the possibility your house might fall down the cliff. Houses perched above slips, letter boxes propped up by the side of the road and rough paths disappearing into the bush.

Today's run: 7km, 43 mins

Otari-Wilton's Bush

2009-04-11T16:24:00.006+12:00

Didn't make it up to the Skyline Track after all - I didn't fancy the thought of the northerly up on the tops. Took and out'n'in run down to Otari-Wilton's Bush instead: 15 mins on the road mainly downhill, then 10 mins up the bush and 10 mins out again, a bit over 15 mins home on the uphill. Would like to think I'd covered 10km but suspect it was more like 9km.

Realised once I got home that I must have nearly made it to Karori Cemetery - will save that for next weekend. Great tracks through the bush so will be heading back there as I increase the length of my runs. Also keen to see where the bush tracks join up with the Skyline Track for a decent circular track.

Today's run: 9km, 50 mins

Suburbs

2009-04-10T20:24:00.005+12:00

Short slowish run today, down the hill to Crofton Downs then back up again. Left an extra minute for the return journey but kept to the breathe-two-three pace throughout. Good to be running on hills again for the first time in a while and am planning a decent 50 minutes tomorrow. Might head up the Bell Track to the Skyline Track, and head back towards Karori for a bit.

Today's run: 4km, 20 mins

Breathe two three, out two three

2009-04-08T13:51:00.003+12:00

Took a slow run out to the Point and back, pacing myself by breathing in every three paces and out every three paces. Pleasant way to run and gives you a good chance to look around and enjoy being outside. P-class yachts out on the harbour in a mini-regatta looked like fun, and I noticed Martin Bosley's restaurant again. Tempting...

Might make it my default pace, at least as long as my back is giving me problems. Beginning to suspect my body is telling me to go back to smoking, drinking and lounging – first shin-splints, then a cold, and now the back. Is there no end to this misery?

Today's run: 6km, 35 mins

Playing catch-up

2009-04-06T15:47:00.009+12:00

Missed out on a run over the weekend but got in an 11km cycle ride to the bike shop and back instead. Not much of a distance for a seasoned cyclist but that's exactly what I'm not - I can count on one hand the number of times I've cycled in Wellington and can honestly say that my body is not used to hills.

Started today's run with a minor back ache and ended it with a worse one and stiff calves after running out to the Point from Queen's Wharf. Probably took it a bit too fast but it felt good to be running without shin-splints or tired lungs. Now just need to sort out the back...

Have downloaded the intermediate training schedule (warning: loud inane music) for the half-marathon in June and will start on that in about a fortnight. Leading up to that I'm planning on three or four runs a week, mainly around 30-40 mins but hoping to do 50 mins or more once or twice over the coming weekends.

Today's run: a little over 6km; 30 mins

Sunshine on the waterfront

2009-04-03T13:23:00.007+13:00

Ran down to Wagamama and met up with a running friend and headed out to Point Jerningham and back. Cool but sunny early afternoon with lots of runners out. Sometimes Wellington just really works.

Fairly slow but with a few faster patches along the way.

View Larger Map

Today's run: aprox. 7.5km, 38 mins

New route

2009-04-01T21:32:00.008+13:00

Spent two days in a workshop (information architecture) and seminar (digital publishing) and followed today's seminar with a run home through town, along the waterfront for a bit, and then out to the Hutt Rd. Checked out a new route from the bottom of Ngaio Gorge up through the Nicholson Road bridle path.

View Larger Map

Ran the flat and downhill but walked the bridle path (uphill). 50 mins in total, probably running for about 30 mins of that.

Today's run: 5km flat, then 1.5km downhill at the end

Back on

2009-03-30T12:19:00.007+13:00

Went out today for the first time in over a fortnight, having been laid low with a cold. The shin-splints are gone and I've got a new pair of shoes, Brooks Adrenaline 9 GTS, care of the Shoe Clinic on Willis St, Wellington.

Light run, 30 minutes out to the far end of Oriental Bay and back. Shoes were good but could still do with a new pair of lungs.

Have decided I'm going to do the Wellington marathon, well, half of it, in June and will begin training once I'm up to speed again. Would like to think I can do a 1:45 or close.

Today's run: 5km, slow