Down From the High

1k sprints this morning. I could feel the lingering bruises from my nose dive on Sunday's run (hello, hip!), but everything was in working order. At first I thought I could use it as an excuse to ease back on my pace, but it was evident during the warm-up that I wasn't really that injured.
There's not much exciting I can say about today. But hey, after such an action packed weekend I think it's time things settled down for me.
We were meant to start off 5sec slower than our 5k race pace and get progressively faster.
My set times as per my coach were 4.53 / 4.48 / 4.43 / 4.38.
My actual split times were as follows: 4.48 / 4.41 / 4.37 /4.50.
Yes, I admit I rather gave up in the last rep. I should've pushed it out...I could've pushed it out. But in my mind I was finished and my legs followed my mind. And looking at it, if you tweak the order of the reps just a little you can see that I really followed the program quite closely.
I'm still trying to focus on my form which I'm hoping is getting less disastrous with every run. I received a few kind comments from my coach along the lines of, "do you remember what I said last time about your arms?" so I guess most of my improvement was in my mind.

Stacked It!

Today marks the day where I have - like a lemur - followed in the footsteps of many a trail runner before me. That's right, I stacked it! Years of running has brought me close to the edge many times. I've tripped, skidded, stumbled, slid, and lurched my way along uneven (or even) surfaces. I've rolled ankles, and had the occasional contact of hand or butt to ground. But I have never before well and truly stacked it.

We started off as a group on Daisy Hill. The first 6k were going beautifully. I felt strong, felt good. Despite the much faster pace than last week I managed to keep up with the crowd. The day was cool, the sun was shining, and everyone was smiling.

You can't see the smiles from this angle, but they were there as we all started out fresh on the trail in the morning.

We turned off on a "single-wide" track designed for mountain bikes. I am slow on natural hazards - and hills, and flat surfaces, and long distances - so today I thought I'd push myself just to the edge of my comfort zone with speed. As I wound my way along the narrow, hazardous trail, I remember my foot hitting a tree root. Next thing I know, I was body surfing along the dirt. Luckily, my forward momentum was stopped short by a tree hitting my shoulder (or was it the other way around?)

I admit I got a bit teary - more from the shock than anything else. But before I could blink twice or register that I was planking in the middle of the trail, my fellow trail runners had surrounded me, helped me to my feet, and were using their water bottles to wash off the worst of the grime. I wasn't sure at first where blood ended and dirt began, but as the stinging lessened I realized the damage was not as bad as I thought. Everything was moving properly, so I set off again - more cautiously! - along the trail.

Innocent looking photos of the single-wide track, which bested two of our number today.

The best thing about trail runners is that almost everyone has stacked it at one point or another. So while they were quick to offer sympathy and anecdotes of their own misadventures, they also understood the importance of standing on your own two feet (so to speak) and didn't try to baby me.

We were only halfway through the trail and the quickest way back was forward, so onward I went! At about 8.5k into the trail I felt like a tire that had suddenly hit a nail: all the energy leaked out of me. When the group split into two, I opted to join the "return straight to carpark" group and left the 15k+ loop to other hardy souls. By the end of the run (~10.75km seemed to be the general consensus regarding distance), I was well and truly exhausted. But hey, everything was still working properly so  it could have been worse.

I wasn't the only one to eat dirt today. Two of my fellow trail runners came back from that trail with misadventures of their own - but that would be their tale to tell, not mine.

Showing off one of my "trophy's" at the end of the run.

Almost Watchless: A Tale of a PB

I received a challenge this past week: run my next race sans watch, and instead only focus on running the whole thing as hard as I can. The theory is that my race strategizing - in other words, how fast I think I should be able to run - is slowing me down. I admit, for my next 5k I had a plan: run the first 3k at a 5-min pace, then pick it up as much as I can the last 2k to finish with a sub-25min (my goal was to get around the 24.50 mark).
But I couldn't not accept this challenge, especially since I was so curious as to how it would turn out.
I rejoined New Farm Park Run, because it's flat and I like the course. The start was narrow but the volunteers facilitated this as much as they could by having sub-start groups. I wormed my way into the sub-25 running group, feeling a bit like a pinball as I bounced around my fellow runners politely jockeying for a good position.
I had decided to run this event sans watch, but in the end I just couldn't do it. The thought of finishing my race and not knowing how I did for hours (when the results were emailed out) was just too much. So I just made sure that my watch screen was set in such a way that even if I did look at it, I wouldn't see how I was going.
Off we went! I had made it my goal to run past "comfortable" and into "uncomfortable" for the duration of the race to see how I went. I know that this made my first km waaaaay too quickly, which I suffered for as my breathing soon caught up with me.
So I settled into a pace that pushed myself but that I felt was maintainable for the next 4k.
At the 3k mark I was dying. There was a little bit of a headwind that I would have rather had on the way out than the way back. Plus, I normally plot my race strategy as I go, but without the data I normally use I didn't know what to think about! How could I keep pushing myself hard but take my mind off the discomfort of doing so? The not knowing was frustrating. Should I be picking it up more? Could I pick it up more? Was I going to make it with a pb???
I tried mantra'ing to myself. But that got old really fast.
So I started singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" to myself. I had gotten to 92 when I remembered one of my coaches instructing me on singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" to control my breathing.
Alright, Mary. You and me, let's go!
At the same time, I also tried to focus a bit on my form. Not so much to correct it (I was racing, after all!) but I wanted to increase my awareness of how my running technique is during a race. Head up, back straight... arms moving across the body wildly and shoulders too engaged. Check, check, check, and double check!
At about 1k to go I accidentally sneaked a peek at my watch - habit. It was more of a am I sure this race isn't over yet when will this pain end disbelieving sort of look than a time-checking look. Luckily I had pre-empted the strike by changing screens at the start, to avoid accidentally seeing my time. But despite this, I still felt strongly I wasn't going to make my sub-25min goal.  I was deflated. After going so hard I wasn't going to make it! I saw all these fit young runners - and old runners - breeze past me, I was very demoralized. I felt slow and unfit. How could everyone else make it look so easy when I had been struggling almost every step of the way?
But then I decided that - as much as I wanted to - I couldn't quit now when I was so close to the finish! At the very least, I wanted to get in the ball-park range of my last pb (25.23). And who knows, maybe I would finish in 25.22 or something. How could I slow down if it would make the difference of a new pb or not?
Around the corner, to the finish line, stop the watch...

24.40min
What??? Had I just nailed a new pb by nearly 45seconds? Did I just run 9seconds faster per km than any other 5k I've done??? 
Apparently, yes. Woohoo! Mission accomplished. And hey, I even got a Top 10 finish for my category. Success! Special thanks to my coach for setting me this challenge, and for Mary and her little lambs.

Pride Goeth Before the Fall

I used to think running was a dumb, boring sport. Seriously - how hard is it to put on a pair of shoes and run? Some people trained harder and had better running genes and therefore were faster than others. It seemed so simple in my mind. Running form? What was that? Lots of runners use different forms and it doesn't matter, right?

Well, today we focussed on running form during 200m sprints. I had thought my running form was "near perfect", but I quickly learned how wrong I was! We were given a goal pace (mine was 54sec) and told not to run it much faster than what we were told.

As the focus was on form rather than speed, I did the sprints at...okay, at too fast a pace (around 45-50sec rather than 54sec). But I did focus on my form! I kept my head up and my shoulders back and my feet in perfect rhythm. At least, in my mind I did. For all I know I looked like Igor running after the Monster. But I admit I rather thought my coach would take one look at me and use me as "the example" for all the other runners. (Not that I thought they were worse, I just thought myself to be need nothing that needed readjusting). I know, I know, arrogance is unbecoming and pride goeth before the fall and all that.

But back to the story.

So, my coach ran along beside me as I pushed hard during a 200m sprint. After gently rebuking me for going too fast (oops!), he showed me how when I push myself really hard or when I fatigue, my shoulders do a lot of lateral movement as I move my arms across my body, rather than straight out and back. Huh. I had never really thought about it, but now I know why my shoulders & upper back are often stiff after a long run or race!

Deflated, I asked him if that was my only problem, to which he responded, "I want you to focus only on one thing at a time." Not the most encouraging answer for my ego (maybe I look more like Igor than I thought...). But fortunately I am never too proud to take on good advice - especially when I know it will benefit my running.

So for the next few weeks, I am going to focus on my arm & shoulder movement until it is near perfect at every speed! ... And then I might hustle back to my coach to get some more readjustments and helpful tips.

We finished the session off with a 1k time trial. After 10x 200m sprints, I was beat. I had nothing left! So I focused on keeping my arms as perfect as I could manage, and finished in 4.57min. Not too shabby.

Healing Mantras

This morning it was high time for me to return to the Brisbane Trail Runners group. I had fallen off the wagon with my attendance...first there was vacation, and then "off season", and then I feared I was too unfit to participate appropriately.
But what I failed to remember is how much this group has exploded in numbers since I first started with them! Suddenly, I have a much greater chance of running with fellow runners who are around the same fitness & confidence level as me.
There were 3 groups: the walking group set off first, while the 6k and 10k "run/walkers" banned together for the first 4k, then we'd split into the 6k and 10k groups.

The Brisbane Trail Runners group! I'm in the back on the left, wearing a red cap.

At 2k I was feeling good, feeling strong, and ready to conquer the hill.
At 3k we reached the top of a big hill and I was exhausted. I told my good running pal Barry that I couldn't possibly do 10k - I was going to call it a day at 6k.
At 4k we reached the bottom of a big hill where the 6k runners were splitting off, and I was torn as to what to do. Barry encouraged me, "do the 10k. You'll feel better for it after." Another day, he would have been right.
At 7k I was feeling good - more or less. I was slow and steady. My muscles protested me going any faster than slow, but I still had energy to run up the hills. I was glad it was only 3k to go!
At 9k I stepped funny on my left ankle, and it started twinging. Not horribly - but not great, either. I took slow, short steps and mantra'd to myself, stronger, stronger, stronger. At the same time, I mentally channelled strength and healing energy into my left ankle. It worked! I gingerly finished the last few hundred metres, but with no further mishaps or twinging.
My muscles were as fatigued as if I'd run for two hours rather than 70min, but I still had to bolt to make it to my 2 hour yoga workshop. I had been worried that the 10k would have taken too much out of me right before my workshop - and I would have been wrong if I'd fueled properly post-run.
Alas, the results of poor post-run fueling were not pretty! If I had been thinking more clearly, I would have used my stronger mantra. Instead, my mantra became don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out. And hey, I didn't pass out! So maybe I should put more thought into my mantras, as they seem to be working pretty okay.

Pace Setter

Yesterday Chris & I went to the Southbank Park Run for the first time. There, we met another friend who was participating in his first Park Run. The day was surprisingly cool but the sun was out.
It was fun to try a new 5k course. The route was hillier (we went across the river and back in a loop, which required going over two bridges) but it was also a bit less busy, with wider paths.
I was the pace setter for the three of us. Suddenly I felt like my role had gone from "personal trainer" (when I was just with Chris) to "pace runner" (when there were now two sheep in my flock). It was a bit of a challenge for me and I was rather sporadic with my pace, but Ben & Chris were very good natured about it. It made me really appreciate how tough a pace runner has it. They are first and foremost setting the pace. All the chit chat and friendly banter has to be second to that. Of course, it was a slightly different situation for me as the pace I set remained dependent on Ben & Chris' ability to keep up. Where's the fun in setting a pace that they couldn't maintain?
We had one period of walking to the top of the second bridge, but even with this we finished in a time of 35.01min. And the best part was all the smiles at the finish line!

Me, Ben, & Chris finishing our race.

Where's Waldo?

Another Park Run photo from today - group stretch at the beginning. Yes, I'm in this one too. So see if you can spot me in the crowd. White shirt, red hat. Good luck!

Proud as a Peacock

Another day, another Park Run completed! This was my 4th Park Run and they seem to be getting better. I'm meeting more fantastic runners every week and maybe soon I'll even start recognizing people from week to week. It's flat, it's relaxed, it's free, and we always get photos. What's not to love?
Now that I have a clearer picture in my head on how my training is supposed to go, I know I can take it easy on most of my Park Runs. My goal is to run a 5k at race pace about once a month. Which means that this week I could run at an easier pace. I love easy runs!
So today I ran with Chris. The nice part about running with Chris - besides running with Chris - is that I get to relax a bit. So what if I haven't slept well the last few days and was half asleep at the start? No pressure to go fast, as it's all about setting a reasonable pace for Chris to hold on to. It was a bit of pressure in a different way for me - not falling to my default pace. My default pace is a bit faster than Chris can maintain and I caught myself every now and then creeping forward into that pace. Fortunately Chris was there to prompt me to reign myself in, even as she kept up beautifully to the ever changing paces.

Chris in pink in the middle, me on the right of the frame in the white shirt & red hat. I need to start running in brighter colours!

We were faster than ever today, running at an average pace of 6.41min. When we hit the 3k mark and Chris was still breathing easily, I knew we could make it the whole distance.
So I set one goal for Chris: do not stop.
And she didn't!
I was surprised that we ran the first 4k at an even 6.41 pace. Not because I didn't think we could maintain the pace, but because I am an erratic runner and find it hard to settle into a consistent pace. The last 500m we picked up the pace to a much faster 5.30, but even at this speed Chris dug her toes in and stayed right on my heels.
We flew through the finish line at a beautiful 33.22min. That's a massive improvement from last time! Well under Chris' goal of a sub-35min. AND the farthest she's ever run without taking a walking/drinking break. I was as proud as a peacock. Pretty soon she's going to have to pace for me. 

Training Explained

Another set of 1k reps was on today's running menu. This time we were meant to start off at a slightly slower pace and pick it up 5sec faster each time. 1k recovery jog in between.
My first set time was 4.55min. The people I normally pace myself with weren't here today, but fortunately I found someone else set at my pace. The nice thing about running with other people is that there is almost always someone who is at my pace.
Lap 1: 4.58 (goal: 4.55). I was off the time in the second half of the rep and didn't realize it until too late.
Lap 2: 4.51 (goal: 4.50). Happy with this round!
Lap 3: 4.36 (goal: 4.45). I made the mistake with about 250m to go of convincing myself that I was off the pace and going to slowly. I guess I wasn't, because I finished this rep way too quickly!
Lap 4: 4.39 (goal: 4.40). Happy with this round. I was down for 5 reps so I didn't quite give it my absolute all, but I came pretty close. When it turned out that I didn't have time for the 5th rep, I wasn't disappointed.
My coach had cautioned me last weekend that I might be doing too much. Lazy creature that I am, I was eager to find ways to cut back on training - without cutting back on my improvements.
After the session we had a long chat about my training. Some of the things he said made sense (e.g.: not running a race - even a 5k race - every week), but other things cut against what I had believed (e.g.: not running at tempo speed for more than 5k) so I ended up asking lots of questions.
We chatted through my goals and my proposed running schedule and he tweaked it here and there for me to ensure I wasn't over-training. I am the sort of person who needs numbers and game plans in my running. So I was anxious to absorb as much as I could from my coach. I trust his knowledge and experience to get me where I want to go. Which is, to say, faster!
Here are the things I learned:

Speed work:

• Speed work should be done at the distances my coach proposes, but I can choose to go faster.

Tempo running:

• My tempo run should be 10sec slower than my 10k race pace.
• I am mentally & physically faster than last year. This means that this year's tempo run should be last year's 10k race pace - which puts me at a tempo run of 5.20min/km.
• I shouldn't do the tempo run for more than 5k at a 5.20 pace because I am not training for any half marathons or marathons. For the shorter race distances, 5k at tempo pace is the max I should hit. The rest of the tempo run should be slower than that pace. It doesn't have to be super slow, but I shouldn't be struggling for breath, either.
• Tempo runs should be done every fortnight rather than every week.
• If I'm stiff 2 days after the tempo run, I've gone too fast.

Easy runs:

• There is no problem with me doing trail running or another easy run (e.g. Park Run with friends!) on the weekend, even if I've already done the tempo run on that week.

Races:

• I can race a 5k once a month if I choose, but it's best not to do it more frequently than that. 
• All 5k races should be proceeded with a 1-2k jog.
• I should back off on training 5 days before a 5k race. So if my race is on a Sunday, skip the Thursday run. If my race is on a Saturday, ease off on the Tuesday speed work as well.