Christmas Eve Jaunt

It's been a while since my last run. A LONG while, if you don't count the two stress tests I participated in. (Nothing wrong with my heart - I was helping out with a study).
I have been a bit stir-crazy here in Calgary, but the snow & ice on the sidewalks was discouragement for me to run outdoors.

 Run outside? In this? No, thanks!

 

So today on Christmas Eve I decided that enough was enough. I convinced my Dad & sister - who didn't take much convincing at all - that we should go to the gym together.
So off we went. My Dad did his own thing on the hamster wheel while my sis & I ran around in circles together on a track. In truth, I don't think it was much improvement over the hamster wheel.
I didn't have much of a plan, I just knew I was too unfit to run continuously and thought intervals sounded like a nice lazy option*.
The intervals were as uncreative & lazy as they could get: 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 1k then pyramiding back down to 200m. My recovery was a solid 200m for every rep.
At the 1k I decided a time trial was in order. Yikes! While I could have gone faster if I had really pushed myself, I will still take the number as a baseline stat.
5.23min. Eek! My first 400m were doing well, but I faded rather quickly.

On the bright side, lots of room for improvement! I didn't finish the whole set - hallelujah! My family had finished their work-outs so I quickly used that as the excuse to finish mine.

I realized how much I'm used to running outdoors when I came very close to spitting over the side of the railing after my 1k time trial. I don't think anyone on the lower level would have appreciated having a wad of spit raining down on them, so it was fortunate I restrained myself. Eesh, all this new etiquette to learn when running indoors: stay in your lane, run in the correct direction, don't spit over the railing. It may very well be a long winter indeed.



*I will also use the excuse of my low red blood cell count having gone from sea level to a much higher elevation, which would have had an impact on today.

Social Fun

Social running is something I can never get enough of! In a world where catching up with friends revolves around food (coffee, snacks, dinner, etc.), it is so refreshing to simply catch up while going for an easy run.
I was really excited when one of my running friends suggested we go out for a run together before I leave. As we live in the same area, it was easy to pick a meet-up point and go for a run along the river.
This is my friend who has challenged me all year. We are about the same pace - some days she would be faster, and some days I would lead the charge. Together, we became lean, mean, running machines.
Sadly, the end of the year resulted in a small fizzle out for both of us. But at the end of the day it wasn't about anyone being stronger or fitter or faster. It was just about going for a run with a friend.
Our lofty aspirations to run such distances as 6 or 7k was quickly diminished when we mutually decided that we were too unfit to enjoy such a distance. So - with no pressure to push ourselves - we kept it to a gentle 5k.

Total distance: 5k
Total time: 29.33min

I'm happy to say that at this speed I am once again able to talk, rather than sucking in air like a fish on land.

500k Relay: Beached Pirate Day 3, Race #6: The Final Champion Run

A very fantastic team mate agreed to swap races with me in the afternoon to allow me to do one last "champion" run. I was thrilled!
The day was hot & humid. Really hot and really humid. A wise runner recommended I dunk my shirt in the eskie (cooler) filled with icy water and then stick it on me. I did that and d'you know what? I can't even say it felt cold. It just felt rather refreshing and helped to off-set the sensation of stinking hot.
As a final huzzah for us beached pirates, we played "pass the baton" with one of our pirate swords. So I tagged off, grabbed the baton, and set forth!

Do beached pirates have a theme song? I think at this point I was humming Star Wars to myself, but it's not quite pirate-themed.

Land Ho!

In next to no time I was passed by a runner who flew into the distance.
Then another runner passed me. This one I knew, as we occasionally trained together on Tuesday morning. I knew that pre-injury I was faster over short distances but she was able to out-endurance me. So as she passed I focussed on not getting too far behind.
And then a third person passed me. And man, I know it's hard to predict who's on what leg of the race and when they've tagged off, but one of my goals has always been to be that runner that passes others along the highway. And I was getting passed like a car in the slow lane.
But in a sense I was lucky. With all these runners around me, that meant their water trucks were around me, too. And did I mention it was hot?!
I took advantage of every offer for a spray and a drink of water. My water truck kindly sponged me with water but it was a mixed blessing. On the plus side, it was refreshing and kept me from over-heating.
On the minus side, my shorts were swimming in so much water I had to check to make sure they hadn't fallen off (I didn't want to give the follow cars too much of a show!). I don't know how it looked, but I felt like my butt had been surrounded by a water bed.
The second sponge down I accepted was even more risqué than the first, and once again I had to do a check to make sure my shorts were not sinking, since all I could feel was water. I wizened up by the third time and refused the sponge down, knowing that I was sufficiently saturated to last the final few kms.
As I was amongst the friendly water trucks, I watched the third guy who passed me also pass my friend ahead of me. He made that look really easy. I thought. I bet I could do that!
I checked my watch: I was 3k in to a 4.8k race (if the distance could be trusted). I knew it would be tough to pick it up enough to pass my friend, who had gained 30m on me at this point.
And yet, I couldn't help but remember this is my last chance!
I'm moving back to Canada before Christmas and it is unlikely I'll be able to do this relay again. It was - to use another cliché - now or never!
So I pulled out my inner speed that I always leave for the last 1k of the race and zeroed in on my target. It wasn't long before I'd passed her, but that wasn't enough. What if I passed her only to fail at the end? What if she sprinted the last 1k and passed me with 50m to go?
I knew two things:
1. That she would likely pick up her speed when I passed by her to keep up with me.
2. The only way I could beat her to the change-over was if I pulled so far ahead that she wouldn't be able to close the gap before the finish line.

I wanted to cheer her on as she went by, but winning was more important (sorry!). So I saved my breath for the race and kept pushing through.
I never looked back to see how far behind me she was. I just didn't want to know. But I imagined she was right there and that if I slacked off for a second she would over-take me. So for once I ignored the pain, ignored the lungs crying out for oxygen, and ignored the smarter part of my brain telling me to slow down, stupid.

Total distance: 4.8k
Goal time: sub-27min (see race #4 where I ran the same distance!)
Total time: 25.25
Average pace: 5.19min/km

I tagged off at the finish line well ahead of my friend. (Later I was told I was ahead by at least 30m). After I'd stopped gasping like a fish, I went over to thank her. I would never have pushed so hard if it hadn't been for her.
And that's all well and dandy, but there's something else I feel the need to mention. My personal best in 1k repeats is 4.31sec. In the last 800m of this race, I was running at a 4.29min/km pace. Now it's not quite 1k so I can't quite call it a PB. But wow, was I steam-rolling!
I've done this relay for three years and every year I have found it challenging but amazing. I will sorely miss this run in future. But who knows? Maybe I'll do it again some day...

All the teams lining up to welcome the runners home on the sort-of-last-leg of the relay

500k Relay: Beached Pirate Day 3, Race #5: Toowoomba Cri

This was another race I had done before. But unlike Griffith Uni, I really like this one. The morning in Toowoomba was cool and the cri was a flat 3-loop course around the uni. There is a slight downhill going out from the start line and a slight uphill returning back, but hardly noticeable even for me.
I slept in until 3.40am today, but the big thing was that - unlike Friday night - I actually slept.
My legs were so sore and stiff from the day before that I told everyone that my warm-up would be in lap 1 of the race. But then I decided to bow to peer pressure and join the hoards of runners doing a warm-up jog.

Some of my fellow cri runners and I, all warmed up and set to go.

Waiting for the race start. We all looked like we had *bundles of energy and excitement*. It was there, but well contained at 4.45am.

We started off, and who did I see in front of me but the same gal from race #3. The one I'd passed in the second half of the race. As memory served, she was pretty fast in the start but burned out in the second half of the race.
But there was no time pressure on this race, and once again my Big Race would be my second race of today (and last race of the relay!). So I settled in comfortably behind her and kept my pace at "gentle".

At the end of lap 1 I was feeling pretty fantastic. So I kicked up my pace - just a notch - to pass the gal in front of me. I wasn't into the territory of "difficult" yet but I was feeling good and felt I could go a bit harder. It was a super short distance, after all!

My third and final lap I decided I was feeling terrific and I should just go for it. Again, not all out war against the race, but I could definitely kick it up into "difficult" for the last lap.

Total distance: 3.75km

Total Superhero time 2012: 19.04
Total Beached Pirate time 2013: 19.22

Average Superhero pace 2012: 5.04min/km (goal pace: sub-5min/km)
Average Beached Pirate pace 2013: 5.10min/km (goal pace: sub 5.20min/km)

But there is a difference between last year and this year. Last year I was going hard, trying to get a sub-5min pace. This year I was going easy, focussing on keeping the legs limber for race #6 rather than pushing to my limit first thing in the morning.
And this also marked the first race where my ankle didn't hurt at all. Not even a niggle to remind me it had recently been damaged!

 Flying into the finish

Going into this race, my coach told me this race would "make or break me". He was thinking about my injury and overall fitness, as was I. And I can say that it is absolutely true about this race. I had watched broken hearted over Friday and Saturday as some of my fellow runners struggled with injuries.
But I was one of the lucky ones. Day 3 found me getting stronger, better, faster.

Take THAT to my doctor who told me there was no way I could run this race. Take THAT to my little conscience of doubt nattering on my shoulder these past 7 weeks. It made me really confident going into race #6. There was nothing I could do about race #4 yesterday, but today had given me a fresh start and a fresh confidence.
For the first time since my injury, I had felt comfortable and confident running.

500k Relay: Beached Pirate Day 2, Race #4: The Champion Run

I didn't feel much like a champion as I dragged myself out of the car and to the start line. My legs were still exhausted from the morning's run. I was glad it wasn't too hot, but there was a really strong headwind.
I'm talking BIG AWFUL headwind.
I was really lucky at the start area, as there was a girl huddled in the shade with me who had done this same leg of the race last year. She warned me that while it is very flat, there is a nasty hill at the end.
"Push through", she encouraged me. "Don't stop on the hill because the finish is just over the crest of it."
I sort of wondered why the finish couldn't be at the bottom of it, but I bit my tongue and thanked her for her valuable advice.
I was tagged off and I pirated away!

Total distance: 4.8k
Goal time: sub-27min
Goal pace: sub-5.30min/km

The first 2k I managed to keep on my target pace. Barely.
By the start of the 3rd km I gave up all hope of meeting my goal time. I was running along a massive valley. The road was straight and a little boring. No curves, no trees, not even any hills!
I pulled my hat down lower over my face and to prevent it from blowing off (I did consider just holding it in my hand instead) and ducked my head into the wind.
And I slowed.
It felt like I was running through a jar of honey, where every step was an effort. My wonderful team mates had piled out of the bus on the side of the road to cheer me on. And for those few metres I felt lighter and stronger and faster. And then I passed them and I remembered that I was still fighting against the wind. They were even kind enough to say that I was looking really strong out there. Well, as long as I looked good...

Running past the cheering hoards of fans.



The hill at the end nearly destroyed me. I didn't walk, but it was such a crawl I might as well have been walking. The water truck volunteers were very, very kind to me at this point. I think they knew just how hard I was struggling. They had parked their truck halfway up the hill. The husband met me at the bottom of the hill and jogged with me to the truck, and then the wife took over to encourage me to the top. She was amazing!
She heard my erratic breathing and told me to follow her breathing pattern as she took deep breaths. It helped a lot.

 Tagging off to the next runner. The white van in the distance marks the top of the hill.

I got to the top and did my best to surge to the end. But I don't think it was a surge so much as a stagger. I didn't make my goal time, or my goal pace. It was a tough race. I think the pic above pretty much sums up how I felt.

Total time: 27.22min
Average pace: 5.40min/km

500k Relay: Beached Pirate Day 2, Race #3 - The Time Cooker

The plan today was the same as yesterday: take the first run easy, go harder in the second run.
But.
But.
I was looking at the run guide for the first race I had on schedule and I saw in big bold letters 30 minute time limit. And the distance? 5.5km! For those of you that haven't calculated this out instantaneously, that is a strict 5.30min/km pace.
Could I do it? Quite possibly. If it was flat. If it was going to be very hilly...yikes!
The night before I had expressed my concerns with our fearless leader, but he shook off my concern with a hand wave. "You'll be fine! You'll do it easy."
Riiiight. "Easy".
I swallowed my concern so that it sat in my stomach like bad meat and let it percolate over night. Since I couldn't sleep, it was a long night of percolation.
My leg was second one of the morning, so the only good thing was that I didn't have long to wait. For this section of the race, it was all mass starts (aka, we all started together). There were two runners from each team to make 32 runners in each section. The first group ran from Point A to Point B. My group started at Point B and finished at Point C, where the third group started from. And on it continued.
No individual follow vehicles on this section. Instead, there was a police car leading and - even worse - a police car following. And just in case I wasn't worried about that, a pick-up vehicle ominously creeped in front of the police car to pick up runners who were just too slow to make it to the finish within the time limit. As the time crawled to an end, one of the marshalls yelled out at the last stragglers, "30 seconds to get across the finish line! Less than 30 seconds to go, hurry up!" To be fair, he may have yelled this for about a minute, but boy, it's tough with the next batch of racers all staring at you and waiting anxiously for you to cross the finish line so they could start their race.
I immediately scrapped my plan to take this race easy and the second race hard. This race would be about 3 goals (in order of importance):
1. Do not under any circumstance get picked up by the pick-up vehicle to be shuttled to the finish line.
2. Do not be the last person. The thought of listening to the car stalking me the entire 5.5k was enough to make me shudder. And if I went to slow, would they nudge me on the back of my legs to hint that I needed to pick it up?
3. Come in well enough under 30min so that I'm not yelled at to hurry up and cross the finish line.

Any repercussions from these goals with regards to my afternoon race would be dealt with in the afternoon race. At least there was no time limit in that run!
As I waited at the start line I eyeballed the other 31 runners from my group and what I saw was not encouraging. Those that I knew were all much faster than me (it wasn't hard to be faster than me!). Those that I didn't know looked like lean mean running machines.
Oh boy!
The gun went off and we all surged forward, jostling for a good position. The first few hundred metres were slightly downhill and I took full advantage. Anything to not be in dead last! I glanced at my watch in the first 500m and saw I was running at a 4.45min/km pace.
And the group was pulling ahead. Seriously? Everyone was running at a sub-4.45min/km pace? This was not encouraging. I pulled back a little to avoid burn out in the 2nd km. I didn't hear the police car behind me but I was afraid to glance back and see how far back the last runner(s) sat. Was I second last? Third last? Was the person behind me 10m behind or 100m behind?
I didn't really want to know. I set my focus on forward and kept pushing through.
The morning was cool. The road was thankfully flat with a few small rolling hills. But it felt like it was going downhill more than uphill, so I was extremely grateful.
One team supplied a water vehicle at the halfway point and as I passed them I offered a smile and thumbs up - which is not exactly how I was feeling. I hadn't gone far past them when It Happened. I was running up another of the small rolling hills when I heard a car pull in behind me. Ulp!
I couldn't look, but I could feel flickers of heat race to my cheeks. This is it, I told myself. The runners behind me have all been picked up. I'm the last person now. Woe to me!
As I crested the hill the vehicle passed me. It was the water truck, not the pick up vehicle! Oops. Had I not been running in the middle of the lane the truck would have easily passed me. There I was feeling a tightness in my chest as I assumed it was the police car, and the poor water truck crew was probably cursing my stupidity going, "move to the side of the road, idiot! Can't you hear there's a car right behind you?!"
At least, that's what I imagine they were thinking, but I don't know because they were all politeness when they passed me. All I was thinking was, "Oh thank God, oh thank God! Oh thank you that it wasn't the cop car!"
At the 3k mark I passed one of the girls I'd been following, and I felt a little more settled knowing that she would have to pass me once again for me to be last. And since my racing strength is in the last 1k of the race, it was unlikely I would fall into last place at this point. And I was especially grateful when I looked at my time and saw I was within my target time.
I crossed the finish line without getting picked up, without being followed (aka, last runner), and without being yelled at to hurry up and finish because there were only 30 seconds left. Plus, it was my fastest pace since I've been injured. I call this race a success. Beached Pirate Race #3 Goal Achieved!

Total distance: 5.5k
Goal time: sub-30min
Actual time: 29.33min
Pace: 5.21min/km

And with the knowledge that this was the only race where I had a time limit, I could breathe a sigh of relief and look back to see in the end just how close I came to being the police car's front bumper decoration.
After the girl I had passed in the second half of the race, there were three others behind her, which made me 5th last in a field of 32. I don't care. 5th last is a far cry from last last.

After such an intense race this morning (Warwick to Killarney), I was happy to roll my worries & tight hamstrings away and chill out in the playground in Killarney with my fellow runners for breakfast. 

 Getting ready to watch the start of the next section, with the police car all set to send the runners off. (He wasn't following them in this section, as there was no time limit to be enforced!). And oddly, this section used a different route to go from Killarney back to Warwick for lunch!

500k Relay: Beached Pirate Day 1 Race #2 - The Champion Leg

In all, this second race of this first day was not particularly memorable. I was very lucky in that my race was a bit later in the afternoon. The intense heat and humidity had just died down and there was even a bit of a breeze to circulate the air nicely.
The hills were rolling but nothing horrific. Being my last race of the day, I wanted to do a kick-ass time but had to settle for an okay time, as I was pretty tired even despite keeping my morning run slow & steady. And I couldn't help but just enjoy it. The scenery, the friendly water truck bearing a sign that encouraged me on and offered me liquid gold every km, the cheering hoards of runners packed onto team buses as they rode past. What's not to enjoy?

Me Enjoying Life.

Total distance: 4.4k
Goal time: sub-24min
Actual time: 23.56min
Average pace: 5.28min/km

So I kicked in under my sub-5.30min goal. I even kicked in under my sub-24min goal. But I wouldn't quite call it "kick ass". I pushed hard for the finish - as I like to do - and tagged off to my next team mate who pirated away.
But no rest for the wicked! Just as I was sucking in air I saw the dubious vision of the car meant to be picking me up pulling away! So off I sprinted just a little way down the road to make sure I caught my lift.
Later, I would feel silly over my panic at seeing my team mates nearly forgetting me (and just after I'd finished running, too!). Although I did catch them before they left, I realized as I jumped into the car there were about 5 other team cars there and I could have just as easily jumped in with one of them to get a lift into Boonah. And also, it was only 2k into Boonah so it's not like I couldn't have run it either.
I blame the lack of oxygen.
And to be fair to my team mates, it wasn't that I was "forgotten" it's just that of the two potential team vehicles available to pick me up, both assumed the other would be bundling me into their transport.

Below are some other pics I took photos where those of us not currently running were cheering on team mates who were currently running - in our minds if not out loud. (Fortunately, we did get better at the out-loud cheering as the day progressed.)

 Our awesome team mate reminding us that cheering needs to be done out loud not in our minds. Oops!

Why yes, it was hot. Too hot to be dusty, because dusty implies that there would be wind. You don't get wind in an oven.

 Changeovers.

500k Relay: Beached Pirate Race 1 - The Griffith Uni "Special"

Despite the name, there is nothing "special" about it. Two races, each with 7 runners per team. You run three laps around Griffith uni. It is like any other race one does on a Friday morning at 4.45am...no costumes, no craziness. Just tired runners who woke up at 2.30am to arrive at the start on time, and the road under our feet. The only reason for this race is to make up distance on the relay (7.2k x 14 runners = 100.8km)
Originally I had been put in the first race and had psyched myself all up for it. Then I got switched to the second race. At first I was a bit grumbly about being switched (only because I was really looking forward to getting it done & dusted), but I resigned myself very quickly and was even grateful when I discovered the second race would be done in reverse direction this year. This meant that instead of a short, steep uphill and a long gentle downhill, we'd have a long gentle uphill and a short, steep uphill.
Many a runner thought prolonging the uphill section was worse, but I was happy. When it is too steep, I lose my pace, lose my stride, and struggle to regain it. When it is less steep my breathing & heart rate is far less erratic and I'm able to recover more quickly at the top. Plus, the steeper downhill is
fffffffff
           uuuuuuuu
                           nnnnnnn
                                         !!!!!!!!!!

Weeeeeeeee.....

In 2011 I ran this race in 43.03 and learned my lesson about bringing my own breakfast to eat before a race. 2012 saw me push hard and get in at 40.22, just missing my goal of sub-40min.
This year I did consider pushing for a sub-40 run, which I felt was well within my grasp. But...it wasn't my "focus" race of the day. And I've done no hill training since my injury. So I downgraded my goal time.

Total distance: 7.2k
Goal time: sub-42min
Actual time: 40.16.
Avg pace: 5.37min/km

Woah! I guess you could say I got a PB on this race...and I was trying to keep it slow & easy! Kick ass!
The best part started just at the end of the first lap, when one of my fellow teammates caught up to me.

"Last hill!" He puffed to me happily as we ran up the hill on the second lap.
"No," I gasped out in correction. "One more after this."
"But it's...only...two laps!"
"No...three laps."
I think that stunned him into silence, as we didn't talk much for the next 1.5 laps, but it was still companionable. We discovered that we were an equal pace. He would get ahead...then I would get ahead...but never by more than a couple of metres!
Coming around the last corner of our last lap, we were still on pace with one another.


"Shall we finish together?" I asked my team mate cheerfully (we had just come to the bottom of a hill, so I had my breath back).
"NOPE!"
Riiiight. It's on. But despite what his response implied, he was still an utmost gentleman and allowed me to finish first.

Grim Determination

And my fellow Intraining runners were there to snap happy some photos, for which I was grateful. A camera is something I don't often have when I run and I love it when other people are more proactive in taking photos than I. Plus, it's a great way for me to check up on my running form/technique. (Namely, how much am I swinging my arms/shoulders...apparently a lot still, as the pictures prove).

 Spider hand, spider hand. Does whatever a spider can!

(Seriously, not sure what is going on with my right hand in this shot)

 PS - and for those wondering why these race updates are coming in more slowly than my usual post-run blogging, the answer is threefold:
1) I'm now in OFF-SEASON, BABY, so I'm in no rush.
2) I'm moving to Canada in less than 3 weeks, so my non-running life is a bit hectic at the moment
3) I'm allowing myself to gather intel (aka, photos) from my fellow team mates so I can post more photos of the race on this blog.

Even Beached Pirates Need a Plan

This marked my third - and quite possibly final - year running on the Endeavour 500k relay. I was on Intraining Team 3 for my second year (yes, it's so popular in my running group there are still three teams entered!). It was weird being one of the more "experienced" relayers on the team, having done it three years in a row amongst a bunch of first and second timers.
My team was pretty good though, and put up with all my "back in the day" stories and "last year blah blah blah". What was really exciting for me was that out of the six sections I was running, four of them were brand new to me!
Okay, okay, I know there are 71 sections in total, but there is one section where most of the team (14 out of 17 runners) are required to run, and a few others that are "required", so really, four new runs is pretty darn good.
Now keep in mind that my last 5k time trial was on Monday, where I ran a 5.21min/km pace. As such, I didn't have high expectations for running in peak condition over the weekend. It's always good to have a race plan, so before the weekend came I scrutinized all my races.
Last year our theme was the epic SUPERHEROES. This year we couldn't decide between "pirates" or "beach", so it sort of became "Beached Pirates".

The Pirate Plan: pick one of the two races on the day to focus on, and allow myself to run easier on the other run. As it turned out, before the weekend I had selected to focus on the second race for each day. This had nothing to do with it being the second run and everything to do with the type of run it was - the Hero Leg! My favourite run! Which meant that my first race each day I would hold back - just a little - so I could pour more energy into the later race. Easier said than done! I find it hard not to give 100%, but it was practical. And good experience for me if I'm going to return to longer runs where I need to focus more on pacing than on racing at the start line.
However, I didn't want to completely "throw" my first race each day and I also didn't know how my fitness would hold up, so I mentally picked an achievable goal time for each race and stuck to it. My goal time? A humble sub-5.30 pace! Keep in mind this slow pace was also to account for heat, hills, humidity and other unknown factors that may or may not start with the letter "h".

Now for the weekend that would - as my coach put it - "make or break me". And since my plan was set, I could spend the weekend focussed on more important things than running...

...Such as stuffing my face with food...

    
             ...hanging with the locals...

                               ...and designing my "Beached Pirates" costume!

Changing Expressions

Another day at speed session! Sadly, after many a 4.50a.m. wake up on Tuesday mornings, I think this has marked my last Tuesday speed session in Australia.
I honestly didn't think much about it at the time, as I figured I would keep going so long as I had a car to get me there. So I listed my car on a trusty website this morning and sat back to do other things...and it sold within a few hours!
If I had known this would happen, I would have made a bigger deal about today being my last session. But you never know...maybe I'll convince someone to give me a lift to next week!
The morning started out great. 6x 200m reps.
The goal time given to me was 52sec/200m. B.I. (Before Injury) I was laughing my way through these and would often get between 50-52sec, easy.
A.I. (After Injury) I am still struggling with fitness and clocked in at a 53-54sec average. I know it's not that much slower, but think of how 2-4sec slower per 200m can add up over time! That's between 10-20sec slower on just 1km...and about 1min slower across 5k!
Funny we should talk about that, since at the end of the 6x200m repeats there was a 3k time trial to slog through.
One of the girls cleverly spoke up to say what we were all thinking: can we go in the opposite direction to hit the uphill part only once instead of twice?
This may be confusing for some of you, so let me lay out the floor-plan of the loop we do:

X ...........[flat]............START/FINISH..............[mini-hill]............X

Now, imagine that "X" marks the turn-around point 500m from the start/finish line, so going out to the X and back is 1k. To get 3k, you would start in one direction, turn around at the "X", then go all the way past the start/finish (1km) to the other "X", then again past the start/finish (2km) back to the first "X" and then finish (3km). Confused yet?
Traditionally, we always started in the direction of the mini-hill, and end up hitting it twice. It is tough every time, but one really feels it on the second loop! Which is why I know I wasn't the only one excited about the prospect of running the hill only once! This may be a new trend. Even among us keen runners, laziness prevails!
Deep down inside I was hoping to make it in under 16min. My start was strong with a 5-min pace at the 500m marker. And then I realized I was being ridiculous since I was too exhausted to hold that pace.
So I dug deep, stared at the back of the gal in front, and focused on not falling too far behind her.

Total distance: 3k
Total time: 16.10min
Average pace: 5.23min/km
Split times: 5.10/5.30/5.30

Siiiigh! Even in the 3k I'm averaging similar speed to what I did in my 5k (and slightly slower, if that).
I know lots of people have been telling me how wonderful I'm doing considering I'm bouncing back (?staggering back) from an injury, but there is a quote I remember from junior high that really resonates with me right now:
"It's not good enough to be great if you have the ability to be better"
I feel like I have the ability to be better...but most of the improvement seems to be in my mind!
But then the little Jiminey Cricket sitting on my other shoulder reminds me of one of my other favourite sayings:
"If plan A fails, there are still 25 more letters to the alphabet. Stay cool!"
Maybe I should focus on this second motto for a change, and let the first one go.

B-Goal Begotten (Barely)

After Saturday's time trial fail I just couldn't resist...I had to give it one last try. To gear up for today's 5k time trial, I even took a rest day on Sunday. Every athlete needs a couple of those!
I woke up to rain last night and was not looking forward to running in the rain this morning, but fortunately Lady Luck was on my side and it wasn't raining at all...it was, in fact, nice and cool. Perhaps not race day conditions, but I wasn't going to complain.
From the start I was feeling a bit better than Saturday, but that feeling quickly faded by the 2nd km.
Once again,
A-Goal: sub-26min
B-Goal: sub-27min

Unlike a murder mystery novel, the title of my blog often gives away the ending. Yes, I squeaked in under my B-Goal.

Total distance: 5.0km
Total time: 26.45min
Avg pace: 5.21min/km

At the beginning I decided to vary my route slightly to put my last 300m up a very slight incline. By the time I hit said incline I was cursing my stupidity! I know the race will be a lot hillier, but today was about proving to myself that - despite the major set-back from my sprained ankle less than 8 weeks ago - I was fit enough to participate in the relay.
I'm too hard on myself to say I'm super proud of this time. But I'm satisfied. I set myself a pretty tough goal when I started back to running just 3 weeks ago - to drop my 5k time by an average of at least 20sec/km. For the mathematicians out there, I managed to drop 24sec/km.
With only a few days to go, I know I won't be as fit as I wanted to be for the relay. But I'll be as fit as I can be, which will have to be enough.

Fantasy World

This morning I felt it was time to do another 5k time trial to see how I'm gearing up for the relay in T-6 days.
I matched relay conditions as close as I could:
-I ate nothing but junk food yesterday (I couldn't help it! Between a farewell morning tea, pizza courtesy of a friend, & a games night featuring lots of desserts, I was fighting a losing battle)
-I started the run with sore legs from working out last night
-I ran later in the morning so it would be warmer

It may not have been a deliberate set-up for relay conditions, but it is what I expect will be happening next week, so take advantage! With the exception of heaps less sleep and heaps hotter weather. But it's the general idea.
A-Goal: sub-26min
B-Goal: sub-27min

Actual time: 27.08.

In the 2 weeks since my last time trial I have barely knocked 95 seconds off my time. For the mathematicians, that's 19sec/km. Considering that last time I held myself back for the first 2.5k & maintained an easier pace, it really isn't much improvement at all.

I guess I can say that my legs weren't shattered as much as they were at the end of the last time trial and that my ankle held up fine. But in the end, I was really disappointed. I had hoped to come so far so fast in building my fitness back up, but now I wonder if I was being realistic with my goals, or if I was living in a fantasy world. If only my dreams could match reality! In my mind, I am such a fast runner...

And also in my dream world, rainbow-powered electricity saves us all from the effects of global warming.

Building Slowly

On Friday I had a pretty busy day on the Gold Coast between work during the day, then an evening of fun out with co-workers. In between I had a couple of hours to spare. I brought a book down with the intention of maybe reading a book on the beach, but with a weekend away and the upcoming race, I decided to spend the time going for a run rather than resting up for a weekend out. I stopped at the beautiful Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast and did 7k on the beachside boardwalks and around the little park area & look-out. The trail was uneven and parts were hilly, which was a good test for ankle endurance. It was hard and I even had an ankle roll - but thankfully it was my left ankle so I was up and running by the next step.

A gorgeous day and a gorgeous trail. I shoulda coulda woulda gone harder, but that wasn't my goal of the day - my goal was to up the distance and just finish it.

Total distance: ~7k

Total time: ~45min

Back from a weekend in Melbourne where I ate lots and lots of high quality chocolate (yum!) to a humid Brisbane morning. Everyone was feeling the heat & humidity today as we groaned over the 3 x 2k reps on schedule [with a 1k recovery jog].

The goal time my coach had me down for was laughable given my lack of fitness - 4.48min/km! Considering last Tuesday I was hovering between 5.15-5.30min for 1k reps, I was hoping to go around 5-5.10min/km for this week.

First rep splits: 4.58 / 10.09 >> Goal achieved! Although I slowed down the second half, I was still happy with this overall.

Second rep splits: 5.35 / 10.55 >> Goal not achieved. But at least I did pick it up in the second half of the rep.

Third rep splits: yeah, right. I was dying and my ankle was starting to hurt, so I did stretches instead and tried not to feel too guilty over slacking out of the last rep. Fortunately my fellow runners were very supportive of my decision, if not a little jealous.

It's getting into crunch time leading up to the relay! There's only so much training I'll be able to fit in over the next 7 days and then I need to take a bit of recovery before hitting the relay. My speed is not where I'd hoped/wanted it to be, but it's building slowly, as is my endurance. The true pressure cooker test will be the relay itself.

The Laziest Option

I was faced with a couple options on my run today, both with benefits and downsides.
Option #1: run at 5.15am with the group. The bonus: I'd likely go faster & push myself harder
Option #2: run later in the day by myself. The bonus: sleep in! Plus, it meant I could run a bit later in the day when it's hotter to acclimatize myself to racing in the heat.

Celebrating a friend's birthday last night quickly eliminated Option #1, so I woke up late. As I was dragging on my running clothes, another dilemma occurred to me. Since I wasn't letting the group decide where to run, that meant I would have to decide where to run! Which left me with two more viable options.
Option #3: run around Anzac Park a couple laps to make up 5k. The bonus: it would get me back to running hills (which the race will have plenty of) and it's the closest to home option
Option #4: do a 5k time-trial along the river. The bonus: see my improvement since Monday!

Laziness prevailed, so around Anzac Park I went. I knew I wasn't pushing myself when I caught myself reflecting on life rather than focusing on controlling my breathing to control my heart rate and check my watch to see my speed/time/distance while keeping good posture and placing my feet just so and checking my watch again to see when I can stop running and...you get the idea.
All up, I did 5k in around 30min. Considering it was all hills and I wasn't pushing myself, I call this a success! And I even had energy to spare at the end. I know, I know. Naughty me kicking back when I'm so close to the race. But...well, my mind was in such a tizzy over life stuff that I really did need the space to think.

Goodbye Cushy Butt, Hello Fatigue!

The vacation is over.
As horrible as it is to get injured...there is a little something nice about it. That something nice is guilt-free days of not setting the alarm clock for 4.50am, and the way ones butt begins to carve a perfect shape into the couch after one has parked it there for many weeks of lazy bliss.
And then the other something nice is that return to training. That careless, "I'm taking an easy day" excuse one throws out to fellow runners and coaches alike when there is something hard coming up. 3k time trial? No thanks, I'm still recovering from my injury! I'll stick with my 200m reps and then walk back to the car.
But then there comes a point where one has to face the music. That day was yesterday, when I learned that fitness was having a greater impact on my run than my ankle. No more excuses! It's time to let the couch cushions resume their normal shape and get my cushy butt back to training. It's time to remind my muscles what it feels like to get fatigued after a hard work-out.
This morning we had 3-4 1k reps followed by a 1k recovery.
The pace my coach set me was 5.30min/km to start, progressing 5sec faster each time. Seeing as how I finished at a 5.30 pace yesterday, I was pretty sure I could do it.
I find it hard to pace slower, so I joined up with a gal who was set to go at 5.15 and planned to keep track by going just a bit slower than her.
Somehow that fantastic plan didn't quite work, and we ended up pushing each other! I ran until there was nothing left in my energy reserves. But the good news is, my ankle is holding up beautifully, even if my endurance is not.
First 1k rep*: 5.10min (and only because I slowed us down on the second half of the run, after seeing our time at the turn-around!)
Second 1k rep*: 5.12 (this was a push for me)
Third 1k rep: 5.28.

*I should also note that even in the recovery 1k jogs I could feel my heart rate was elevated. I probably should have taken a slower recovery! That is the bittersweet result of running with friends...they push you wonderfully in the reps, but sometimes also push you too hard in the recovery!

As you can see by my rapidly dropping 3rd rep, I was at my absolute limit. There was an option to do a fourth rep, but I was so exhausted I walked back to the car instead. Yep, I WALKED back.
Because sometimes running is over-rated. Or maybe it's just that my endurance is ridiculously non-existent.

Hitting the Moon

The goal: 5k time trial to see how my ankle holds up
The thought: I was rather nervous of this "time trial", as it would test me to see whether I had it in me to continue forth with my goal of being in the relay or not this year.
The reality: my fitness gave out long before my ankle

My second official run back since end of September BI (Before Injury). I was a bit nervous as last week I could only handle a walk/run of about 3k total.
But I know that my ankle has been improving every day, so I was hoping to run a 5k non-stop. And (truth be told) I was hoping to run a 5k under 30min to prove that my fitness wasn't completely shot after so much time off my feet.
I started with a really long warm up that included stretching, strides (5x50m) and calf raises. Gone are the days when I could just start running and not worry about it! Oh, carefree days of injury-free bliss, how I miss you!
The first 2.5k I kept to a strict 6min pace. No sense pushing it, and if I needed to slow down, well...I'd slow down. The second 2.5k I decided to push it out as hard as I could, to see what happened and how I held out.
As mentioned, my fitness gave way long before my ankle. My treasured ankle hovered on the pain scale between 0/10 to 2/10 the entire run. My fitness levels were less accommodating, and it was all I could do to hold a 5.30min/km pace the second half of the run.
I ran to exactly 5k and pulled up with a time of 28.45min. I felt like I had just run a big race...my legs were absolutely shot at the end and I was sucking in air like a fish out of water. But I was not unhappy with my time.
I hope to get down to around 26min for 5k before the relay on November 22nd. So I have about 18 days to knock just under 3min off my time (that's about +30sec/km). Yikes! While this may be "to dream the impossible dream", a part of me also wants to misquote someone famous;
"Shoot for the stars. Even if you miss you'll land on the moon".

At least now I believe I'll actually be able to compete in the relay. It has been a stressful 5 weeks of wondering if I could still compete in my favourite race of the year...and wondering if I'd be brave enough to pull out if necessary.

Shuffles

I've graduated from "Hobbles" to "Shuffles". Today I had my first real run since The Injury of '13. What a great feeling that was!

This is how I felt. It may not have been how I looked.

I started off slow, as per my trademark. When I say slow, I'm talking S-L-O-W. It didn't take long for the group to leave me in the dust. On the warm-up!
The plan was to do 5x 200m sprints followed by a 3k time trial. Ha!
That was other people's plan. My plan was to walk/jog as many 200m sprints as I could before my ankle started to ache, and then shuffle back to the car and put my foot on ice.
Initially I thought I could focus on superb form since I was stuck running so slow anyway. But after two steps it was very clear that a shuffle was the best I could do. And since it felt silly to use the shuffle-style of running for my right leg and the cycle-style for my left leg, I stuck with shuffle-style all around.
After 3 reps of 200m shuffles (with a 200m walking recovery) I was feeling okay. The 4th one was definitely at my limit. My body wanted to limp but I sternly told it to go slower than the 8min/km I had been doing to prevent any limpage from occurring. I have learned the wrong way that limping should be avoided at all costs if one wants a speedy recovery without any complications.

I'd like to think I'm of the category of "Runner stops running until injury goes away" because that seems like the smartest category. But I look at myself - at the runners around me - and notice how we all get up before 5am multiple times a week to run before work, and I don't know that I can classify any of us in the "smartest" category.

I called it a day after my 4th 200m rep that and shuffled back to the car. On the way I had the blessing of introducing myself to one of the most cheerful men you will ever meet at 6am. Every early morning walker & runner knows this cheerful bloke who greets you every day with a big smile and a jovial "good morning! It's a very beautiful morning today!" But as I am always running, I don't really have the time to stop and chat. Until today! I'll let you insert your own thoughts about training hard & fast vs stopping to say hello. I certainly have my thoughts.
So after I chatted with my new friend for a bit I continued to shuffle back to the car. All up, I only walk/ran about 3k. I iced my foot as my kind but stern running pals all told me to do, but I think it was alright. I hadn't pushed myself hard and - while a part of me is wondering if I could have pushed a bit more - I'm satisfied with this first run back post-injury.
So far I've been seeing almost daily improvements in my ankle. Let's hope it keeps happening in this fashion!

Water Running

I have returned to running! Okay, not really. It's actually running in the water, but that's pretty close, right?
I haven't done water running for years, and last time I did it I could actually touch bottom because the pool was so shallow.
To help me with my rehab, a friend lent me a flotation belt to use for water running, which I fastened to my waist and set up right underneath the starting block.
On your marks...get set...don't go!
Man, was I slow. I went with a friend, which was great as I might not have dragged myself out to the pool without her encouragement. And as she lapped me again and again, I ever so slowly "ran" through the water. Geez, I thought I was slow at that land running stuff. I had it easy, running above the water mark.
After two laps of painfully slow "running" I gave up and went to kicking rather than running. Easier, but a few laps later my ankle started to ache a bit.
So I went to 'arms only' front crawl with the floatie belt on my feet. Geez, that's hard. I have always struggled with the highly sophisticated breathing/head turning pattern required for the front crawl. So as I result I would breathe in water and then be too flustered to breathe out at the right time, only to breathe out when I was supposed to breathe in and...well...let's just say I finished off the 100m of that as fast as I could and decided to return to water running. Slow, but preferable.
I'm hoping to be back on the roads shortly. I'm happy to report that I am still seeing improvements every day and I'm looking forward to getting back out there.

Update: Return of the Ankle

Wow, I didn't expect to garner as much sympathy and concern as I did with my last blog entry. Thanks everyone for being awesome! I loved the advice and sympathy and kind thoughts and offers for help. 

Okay, so a non-running update on my foot. At first my physio told me it was an itty bitty Grade 1 sprain. While I was mucho grateful that it was the mildest sprain possible (which means the quickest recovery!!!) I was a little bit sheepish about making such a big deal about it.

But sadly it's not healing as fast as it should be for an itty bitty Grade 1 sprain, so it's been downgraded to  possibly a Grade 2 sprain. Or it could be an itty bitty fracture that didn't show up on the first x-ray.

Fear not, faithful readers! Trust me that it's feeling heaps better and the swelling and bruising have gone down fantastically. I'm pretty confident it's not a fracture. 

And since I can see the progress of my foot much easier than anyone else, I thought I'd put everyone's minds at ease by posting the pics from today comparing the range of motion of my two ankles. Notably - I have an ankle again! My faithful ankle has reappeared. 

I've been doing the typical physio exercises of strengthening with a band and increasing range of motion by pretending to write the alphabet with my foot. Today I even succeeded at some lateral movement. I don't think I'll be writing any recognizable alphabet letters with my toes any time soon, but at least my "O"s don't turn out like "I"s.

I hope to be back to running soon (this isn't a blog site about injuries, thank goodness!). But as a wise person told me, "worry about walking first", so hopefully I will be back to walking extra soon. I like walking. Walking is good.

 

 Left! Left! Left right left! Left!

 Not up to ballerina toe-point juuuuust yet.

Sidelined

When I was younger I grew like a weed. Seriously. I'm talking over 12cm in the course of 1 year. So as joints moved around, I was bound to sprain something. As it turned out, it was my left ankle in the school's long jump sand pit.
Because I didn't know about things like "physiotherapy", it never really healed properly and I sprained it another two years in a row in basketball.
The end of my basketball career was when I stopped spraining my left ankle and broke an ankle instead. My right ankle.
But I stopped growing, joint strength improved, and I have been ankle sprain-free for a beautiful 11 years.
Until last week.
Yep, I have been sidelined with an ankle injury. After all my twisting of feet on trail runs, I sprain it with a personal trainer doing step-ups. I told people it was a bench to give them better imagery, but I was actually doing step-ups onto a big truck tire (the same height as a bench). My left foot was on the tire and I was tapping up and down with my right foot as fast as possible. As I fatigued my left foot wobbled ever so slightly on the tire, causing me to lose my balance just a little.
That just-a-little loss of balance caused me to step down awkwardly, and over my ankle went. Instant pain!
My PT was not just any PT - he was an awesome PT. As it turns out, he had a spare pair of crutches in his house (hmm, I wonder if this happens a lot?) which I am still using a week later. He then drove me home in my own car so I didn't have to worry about trying to pick it up the next week.
An x-ray the next day revealed no broken bones. Just a "lateral ligament sprain". I felt a bit lame about the whole affair (har har).
I was on a trip to Uluru with a friend and I managed to do it all on crutches - nothing is impossible! I'm off to the physio today to hear the rehab plan and I'll keep you posted. But for now, I guess it means I'm sidelined for running.
For your entertainment, pictures of the injured site! See if you can figure out which foot is swollen. (Hint: It's the one with the weird stripes on it from the compression sock I was wearing.)

 Where'd the ankle go?

I don't remember hitting the tire when I collapsed, but the bruise on my shin tells me I must have.