Wednesday update

This morning was an early massage from the Myotherapist to get my glutes worked over. She also did some dry needling too.

Walked out feeling really well worked and went to work. Physio was at 3:30 and he worked my S1L1 joint which is causing the problems. Afterwards we could not reproduce the pain so he suggested a small (3k) run this evening to see how it felt. Not good is the report I'm afraid. I got to about 1.5kms and the pain was back so I tried the hip tilting exercises he showed me and it worked for a bit but was quickly back and wouldn't stay away. I ran slowly home with Holly thinking there is just no way I could do this for 42kms.

I'm sitting here contemplating my options at this point - my physio said to call him tomorrow if the pain returned so I will do that and see what he recommends.

I still have about 10 days to be right I guess....

Injury update

Accodring to my physio the massage therapist was right about what was wrong. No running for me until the weekend at best. I have a massage booked for Wednesday AM for my planned pre-race massage and PM for the serious physio work-over. The physio is "hoping" to have me right by Canberra but its too early to tell and very tight time wise. What's worse is that Ibuprofen or Celebrex won't work on this injury! Serious lower back stretching three times a day. Not enough core strengthening work apparently.

The good news is there is still hope. I guess I also have a good excuse if I can't start (or finish). After all the training though I just want to do it!

I remember very clearly running the Melbourne half in '03 with a little calf injury and made that so bad I couldn't run for three months. I don't think I will be going back there in a hurry!

Sunday Sri Chinmoy 5k

Since Tuesday, I have run a whopping 14.4km. The intended 10k race this morning was cut short as my lower back pain returned with a vengeance. It originally occurred appeared last Monday while on my long run and until now I have been nursing it hoping it would magically heal given some rest and ample quantities of ibuprofen.

My 10k race started really well and I was though the first km in 4:19 and running in a small group and feeling comfy. By the time I reached the 3kms marker (13:47) even though I was feeling strong and my breathing was well controlled I was enjoying these weird shooting pains through my lower back and left leg. The pain in my back was growing to a point here I needed to modify my stride a little every now and then in an effort to avoid some pain. Thankfully this race is on a 5km loop and at 3.5 k I knew I was in trouble so I put the foot down a little and headed for the 5kms finishing chute.

I'm very happy with my time (Garmin boy says 23:07) but the clock was saying just over 24:00 I think. Whichever it was, each split except the second (4:52) was under 4:45/km pace and I was feeling comfy.

The helping hands massage girls didn't have much of a line of people waiting so I high tailed it over to them and got a good rub down.

Seems like I may have developed a problem with my quadratus lumborum and hip flexors. Or at lest that is what the massage therapists thought. Apparently they need plenty of massage and a bit of rest (well a bit, in so far as that is all they will be able to get for the time being). With the Canberra Marathon just 13 sleeps away - I have most things crossed and am very comfortable about my preparation I just need to get over this lower back thing!

The week ahead is going to be spent on massage tables I suspect. Things could be worse! In the mean time I think I might go and check out the medicine cupboard for some more serious anti-inflammatoryies.

Wednesday update

Thanks everyone for your birthday wishes!

I had an easy pace 9.4k loop planned this morning as my legs are still a little weary from my 30k run. It was far from easy though. Most of the way I felt like a little old man shuffling along with little energy to call on. I managed to run the whole way though so I suppose that's good.

An interesting side effect of this marathon program has been my weight loss. I expected to drop maybe 1kg of 2 but I only lost 1kg until two weeks ago and since tyhen I have dropped 2kg more in the last 14 days. I have had to use the next hole on my belt which has never been used before. Best I start eating more again as I dont really want to drop any more! What do others reading experience?

The training tale (mosty for Coach Tim) so far looks like the graphs below.



I am considering a 10k race on Sunday or maybe a 20k long run with half at marathon pace. Not sure which yet but the race will be a social thing only if I do it. Anyone need a 5:00 - 6:00/km pacer?

CCT - Long and ugly

I haven't been sleeping well lately (pre-marathon nightmares) and Sunday's early start and long run quickly disintegrated into a couch potato kind of day with some odd jobs thrown in while the ads were on. I soon talked myself into a day off and then suffered guilt for the remainder of the day thinking this was the first key run I had missed in my marathon program.

I quickly devised a strategy to run today instead, so I have fudged my weekly totals so my training graphs don't look silly - it is only one day, right?

So on my 45th birthday what would be a good thing to do? The Capital City Trail of course! Today was weird - firstly as I started at 1:30pm (normally its at 6:30 or 7:00am and secondly as the Yarra and Docklands were packed with Commonwealth Games spectators. As a result I "show-boated" a bit early (pretending to be a faster runner than I am) and ended up paying for it over the last 10k where I walked, ran, rested and ran. The last 5k were pretty ugly but I made it around in a reasonable time, getting good time on my legs and can now tick off my last long run before my debut Marathon in Canberra (just 19 more sleeps away)!

During last week I got in all scheduled runs despite shuffling rest days around a little.

End of week: 11/14
Scheduled 55.5kms
Run: 55.9kms
Shins: playing up a bit lately
Mood: happy

In a moment of weakness..

Poor Mrs Wobbly is laid up with a nasty virus at the moment and as a consequence I volunteered on Monday to do the weekly shopping and in a moment of weakness she agreed. No "Biggie" I hear you say?

Well let it be known that I am not then right person to send to do the shopping. Perhaps this is why Mrs W happily does it and rejects any offers I make. She normally says "Its okay I'll do it, how about you just fix the ....and do the ....this weekend" (insert any household breakables and gardening chores) - even though I generally don't have a clue on how to fix/replace/prune/transplant most of them.

Once at the supermarket the kids got sent on timed "search and retrieve" missions for the items on "mum's list" with the not entirely unexpected consequence of nearly bowling over a few frail people. We supplemented the missions with a little education on the economies of buying bigger rather than smaller. Despite many explanations however, wobblette #2 (6yo) still doesn't quite understand why the round crumpets were better value than the square ones. (hmph, women!) We also now have about a 6 month supply of toilet paper filling up two cupboards. :)

Suffice to say we enjoyed our shopping trip and I am happily enjoying all sorts of snacking stuff I don't normally get. Eg Snakes, chocolate, smoked oysters, dips, dill pickles etc etc.

Oh yeah, I also ran an easy 6km recovery run on Monday and 9.6km this morning. This morning's run was at 5:25/km pace.

Kangaroo spotting

I haven't run at Churchill Park before, so a new place to run is always fun. With the temperature forecast to top 36 degrees here today, Cato picked me up at 6:00am and we headed East to the foothills of the Dandenong ranges in the dark. On the way out there Cato did a great job of describing what a great pace to run it is with dozens of kangaroos and wallabies to be seen but conveniently omitted to describe that the beautiful bush trails were rarely flat and most hills required some walking. Needless to say my legs feel very worked right now and I am looking forward to a restful afternoon followed by a couple of beers with some salted cashews. I think (I know) I need to do more hill work - its just that its soooo hard - so I avoid it like the plague!

Today: 23.5kms of hills in 2:35:41 A really hard workout but I finished strongly again but this time without a (silly) sprint finish.

End of week 10/14
Scheduled: 65.5kms
Run: 62.3kms
Shins 1/5
Toe Nails: getting another black one
Mood: Happy

A quick note of congratulations to all of the Cool Runners who completed the 6ft Track yesterday! I also hear the Cool Running Cheer Squad out-did themselves again! Huge congrats to you guys/gals too - you lot make us all proud to be cool runners!

Midweek update

Monday's 6km recovery run was tough. I reckon it felt harder than the 34km run on Sunday. I didn't look at my watch at all, instead I ran at an easy pace without feeling like I had pushed hard. Turned out to be 5:45/km pace which surprised me. I don't think I have felt so dead-legged before during a run.

Yesterday was a 7km run along the Yarra river and part of the Tan over lunch. The Yarra river is looking a fantastic with all the Commonwealth Games fish and loads of people about having a good sticky beak. Even the graffiti has been cleaned up this week.

This morning was my usual Wednesday 9.4km loop with the apprentice. I started slowly with some lower leg niggles but they seemed to work their way out after a couple of kms. Surges up all the inclines and home in 52 mins meant a good 5:33/km pace - faster than I thought as the first couple of kms were slow.

Holly the ever happy lab is fast asleep on her mat right now. I love the way she curls up into a ball, she looks so content with her world

Capital City Trail + The Tan

This morning's long run was my longest run to date and I approached this one with a little more caution and preparation than normal (good diet, good sleep, good hydration and 2 x Gu safely packed into the fuel belt).

Cato and I parked at Como landing and headed toward the city where a lap of the Tan was needed. No problems with that, so we followed the Yarra down past the Commonwealth Games fish and past the Casino where we bumped into AndrewinOz who was also doing the trail but in the opposite direction. A quick hello and a pat on the back and Cato and I set off to enjoy the sights of a photo shoot happening down in the park at Docklands (looked like a Penthouse shoot or something).

Gu #1 (chocolate) was popped at 15kms when we crossed the Tullamarine Freeway as we plodded along at about 5:45 pace. A pace that is a bit fast for me and probably a bit slow for Cato. Gu #2 (banana) was popped at 25kms. I was still feeling strong at that point but I was practicing my Marathon strategy and wanted to see how it went - no problems. :)

We bumped into AndrewinOZ again near Dight's falls and stopped for a slightly longer chat/drink. Once we saw the boat house (where I had parked) I knew I had the run in the bag and was feeling strong enough to put in a fast burst (3:37/km for a couple of hundred meters) without any problems.

In summary, another really rewarding, confidence boosting and undulating 34.6km run. I forgot to restart Garmin Girl midway though the run but I am sure the time was good as most of the time we were a bit below 6:00/kms.

End of Wk 9/14
Planned 65.5kms
Run 70.5kms

This afternoon we are taking the kids to the beach for a picnic dinner and a couple of drinks - I can't wait. Hopefully a brief "nana-nap" will be enjoyed first though.

Oh, for those that have been busting to know more about that aweful sculpture for a couple of posts back, here is the plaque that accompanies it. Need I say more?

Friday's negative split

As most of you know I am a relatively slow runner and now that I am in the last 6 weeks of my Marathon program I have decided to get more serious about doing more quality work. The hope being that I have made a good stamina cake and now need to ice it with some speed work.

This morning was a make up run for Thursday's sleep in and missed speed work (too hot - sorry coach Tim). I got up, got ready and then slipped back into bed (in my running gear) and then realised this would be my first missed key run if I fell asleep, so I hauled my butt out of bed again, grabbed Holly the ever happy lab and took off into the dark (5:20am).

I managed to negative split by 2mins 19secs over the 13k so I'm happy. Very happy actually as its more uphill on the way back.

34k planned for Sunday - Capital City Trail clockwise this time (plus a lap of the Tan)

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy those long runs!