Sunday, October 01, 2006
All good things come to an end (so does this blog !)
Thought i should officially finish off the saga of this blog with an update of my running since returning home to Australia.
Funny enough did not run at all my first week back (but still did 13K's a day simply walking to work and back), basically little stiff above the knees but otherwise fine.
Finally dawned on me that possibly in my slower state i'd be a better chance of reasonably consistent 24 Hour track race so enquired about The Adelaide 24 Hours the next weekend, ran to work on the Monday and Tuesday and thought that it was a serious option, also decided i had better do a real race over a distance i know well (and hence know what time i should do) to check out whether i was really race ready, so set out that night for the 5K Gunn Run http://www.heartnsole.com.au/store/default.pl
at Albert Park (and hopefully something close to my standard 20 minutes dead), well first K had bit of a twinge from the left hip then that went away and was feeling fine, all the way to 4K's and simply the back went nothing more complicated than that. Did a rather painful last K to finish in 20:37 (third place sounds better though :-)), and realised that it was going to be enough of a challenge just to make it through the Melbourne Marathon the week after. After plenty of manipulation by my chiropractor on Friday (i really do had the electronic version of acupuncture but it does appear to work), was feeling a little more confident that Melbourne would not be as painful, embarassing run as i thought but again thought it best to test it out on the weekend.
So off to Coburg on Sunday for their regular 12K Fun run
Well i could say i won first male (second overall as i had a lady in front of me) and actually got a very impressive trophy, but frankly 51:16 for the distance (25:46 for the first half and slightly faster the second at least) and again a sore back on finishing as well as lacking my usual "Raceday Mongrel" just seemed to prove to me that Melbourne Marathon is probably it from me for the year.
Not sure whether i can blame racing 18 days successively for my lack of motivation since, but as a man who's usually champing at the bit on raceday have had none of that usual "fire in the belly" the last couple of starts, so i think i'll just rest the body, get rid of the niggles and enjoy a non-competitive life for a little while (well maybe all the way till 2007).
I'd hate to think that now i've done my running ambition "A multi day Ultra across a country" i now lack motivation but at this moment i'm wondering whether that may be the case.
I'd be honest this next part of the blog is for me (who knows i may get the motivation and race day excitement back after doing Melbourne and actually want to know what is ahead !!).
So potentially the rest of the year is as follows
8Th October - Melbourne Marathon
I'll be there for my 21st Spartan Number S849 and probably the beginning of the long rest
14th October - Fitzroy Falls Firetrail Marathon (NSW)
Love this race and have done it 5 of the 6 Times it's been on, just can't imagine backing up 6 days later this year
22nd October - Brindabella Classic (ACT 54K's)
A great run back to it's original one way downhill course, having done it 10 times am dying to try out my permanent race number (13) who knows maybe i'll get there
5th November (Melbourne Cup Weekend)
Choice of
Portland Marathon (VIC)
One of the toughest and most scenic marathons probably why it's one of my favourites having won it in 2000 haven't been able to go as good or as fast in the years since so it's always tempting
Bright Alpine Four Peaks (Nov 4th to 7th) (VIC)
One of the most enjoyable long weekends you can have running, and i've been promising to come back since 1999 for my tenth start, certainly 4 runs totalling just 45K's no longer sounds daunting.
12th November
Again a choice:
Great North Walk 100K and 100 Miles (NSW)
Australias newest 100 Miler, never made it there last year so there is some sort of temptation but somewhere in the month before i would really have to have found that will to race again
Victorian 6 Hour and 50KM Track Championships at Moe
Again a regular race on my calendar and certainly less chance of being lost than at GNW
10th December
Kurrawa to Duranbah and back (50K) (QLD)
Possibly the race with the course most familiar to me, have run every year bar the first in 1997 and last year but basically Burleigh, Palm Beach, Currumbin and Tugun are so familiar it's like going for a stroll down the road (yeah maybe i have spent too much time on the Gold Coast) always a marvellous way to finish the year, but of course there's always the chance i may get serious and do
Coast to Kosciuszko (246K) (NSW)
An incredible run and an awesome experience, but i wouldn't be putting money on seeing me there this year !!
All the above i can't imagine doing at present (well except Kurrawa have to get up the Coast for Christmas), but who knows i may get that "special something" back when i do Melbourne Marathon i may not (i'd like to think i get it back sometime at least !!).
Enjoy this last entry as my journal of the trip and before and after is now complete.
Kelvin
Funny enough did not run at all my first week back (but still did 13K's a day simply walking to work and back), basically little stiff above the knees but otherwise fine.
Finally dawned on me that possibly in my slower state i'd be a better chance of reasonably consistent 24 Hour track race so enquired about The Adelaide 24 Hours the next weekend, ran to work on the Monday and Tuesday and thought that it was a serious option, also decided i had better do a real race over a distance i know well (and hence know what time i should do) to check out whether i was really race ready, so set out that night for the 5K Gunn Run http://www.heartnsole.com.au/store/default.pl
at Albert Park (and hopefully something close to my standard 20 minutes dead), well first K had bit of a twinge from the left hip then that went away and was feeling fine, all the way to 4K's and simply the back went nothing more complicated than that. Did a rather painful last K to finish in 20:37 (third place sounds better though :-)), and realised that it was going to be enough of a challenge just to make it through the Melbourne Marathon the week after. After plenty of manipulation by my chiropractor on Friday (i really do had the electronic version of acupuncture but it does appear to work), was feeling a little more confident that Melbourne would not be as painful, embarassing run as i thought but again thought it best to test it out on the weekend.
So off to Coburg on Sunday for their regular 12K Fun run
Well i could say i won first male (second overall as i had a lady in front of me) and actually got a very impressive trophy, but frankly 51:16 for the distance (25:46 for the first half and slightly faster the second at least) and again a sore back on finishing as well as lacking my usual "Raceday Mongrel" just seemed to prove to me that Melbourne Marathon is probably it from me for the year.
Not sure whether i can blame racing 18 days successively for my lack of motivation since, but as a man who's usually champing at the bit on raceday have had none of that usual "fire in the belly" the last couple of starts, so i think i'll just rest the body, get rid of the niggles and enjoy a non-competitive life for a little while (well maybe all the way till 2007).
I'd hate to think that now i've done my running ambition "A multi day Ultra across a country" i now lack motivation but at this moment i'm wondering whether that may be the case.
I'd be honest this next part of the blog is for me (who knows i may get the motivation and race day excitement back after doing Melbourne and actually want to know what is ahead !!).
So potentially the rest of the year is as follows
8Th October - Melbourne Marathon
I'll be there for my 21st Spartan Number S849 and probably the beginning of the long rest
14th October - Fitzroy Falls Firetrail Marathon (NSW)
Love this race and have done it 5 of the 6 Times it's been on, just can't imagine backing up 6 days later this year
22nd October - Brindabella Classic (ACT 54K's)
A great run back to it's original one way downhill course, having done it 10 times am dying to try out my permanent race number (13) who knows maybe i'll get there
5th November (Melbourne Cup Weekend)
Choice of
Portland Marathon (VIC)
One of the toughest and most scenic marathons probably why it's one of my favourites having won it in 2000 haven't been able to go as good or as fast in the years since so it's always tempting
Bright Alpine Four Peaks (Nov 4th to 7th) (VIC)
One of the most enjoyable long weekends you can have running, and i've been promising to come back since 1999 for my tenth start, certainly 4 runs totalling just 45K's no longer sounds daunting.
12th November
Again a choice:
Great North Walk 100K and 100 Miles (NSW)
Australias newest 100 Miler, never made it there last year so there is some sort of temptation but somewhere in the month before i would really have to have found that will to race again
Victorian 6 Hour and 50KM Track Championships at Moe
Again a regular race on my calendar and certainly less chance of being lost than at GNW
10th December
Kurrawa to Duranbah and back (50K) (QLD)
Possibly the race with the course most familiar to me, have run every year bar the first in 1997 and last year but basically Burleigh, Palm Beach, Currumbin and Tugun are so familiar it's like going for a stroll down the road (yeah maybe i have spent too much time on the Gold Coast) always a marvellous way to finish the year, but of course there's always the chance i may get serious and do
Coast to Kosciuszko (246K) (NSW)
An incredible run and an awesome experience, but i wouldn't be putting money on seeing me there this year !!
All the above i can't imagine doing at present (well except Kurrawa have to get up the Coast for Christmas), but who knows i may get that "special something" back when i do Melbourne Marathon i may not (i'd like to think i get it back sometime at least !!).
Enjoy this last entry as my journal of the trip and before and after is now complete.
Kelvin
