Sunday, July 03, 2011

Waving the flag: red, white, and blue

I'm excited! Two things: a couple of runs this week harked back to my 2008 (M50 PBs) fitness levels, and pretty soon I'll be downing a few Old Speckled Hens with upover mates Joe, Flo, Julie, and TK in NYC.

With the running, I'm still striving to perfect my 'both feet in the air' style of movement. As can be seen in the latest photo from the Vets' West Stromlo race (brilliantly timed again by John Kennedy), I have work to do. My head is down, spotting the landing. I need to look up and run tall!

About those two training runs this past week... I ran my 10k course in 53:36 with an average HR of 130. This works out at 697 heart-beats per kilometre, the easiest my heart has been working on such a run for a very long time. That was Tuesday's run. On Thursday I ran my 8k course pretty much exactly the same as I did in 2008, the day before I ran 12:16 for 3000 on the track. The 8k was run in 42:24 with an AHR of 130. In 2008 I ran the 8k in 42:31 with an AHR of 130! So, I'm fit (for 5k racing at least). My first session of hill repeats on Wednesday (5 x 400m) were revealing in that my legs have quite some way to go in terms of gaining strength and speed.

It ain't me, it ain't me, I'm a fortunate one. For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out, at the old ball game!

Run tall Ewen, run tall!Running with two feet in the air - no joke!

22 comments:

Jog Blog said...

Woo Hoo .... well done on your recent good run times @ low HR. It's nice when expectation start to be met. But Ewen ..... you need to change your expectations re: the price of hair cuts. $30 is a total bargain!! Add another $100 and you'll be getting closer to what most girls expect to pay.

Grellan said...

Way to go rodeo star - nice job on airbrushing out the horse.

Good to see you coming into form.

Girl In Motion said...

Yay on the excellent progress, that's really exciting, Ewen. Super duper massive Yay on getting to meet you soon! :)

Lize Brittin said...

Awesome photo! :D

It's great to hear that things are coming along so nicely for you.

RICK'S RUNNING said...

Hey Ewen I'm excited for you, hope the good form converts into some M50 P.B.s
And keep working on the levitating, you're soon be a 'floater'!

Thomas said...

That's an old one - the song, I mean! Say, what were you actually doing in that photo?

jen said...

Great runs indeed! Glad to see your hard work paying off. Love the picture!! :)

Ewen said...

Jog, I beg to disagree. The $15 haircut I had in Melbourne last year was a total bargain. And the hairdresser even gave me a scalp massage!

Thanks Grellan. Wish I owned a horse - I'd surely break 20 for 5k then.

Flo, thanks. Hope ya'all don't have any trouble understanding our accents.

Thanks Lize. I'm building a collection of those type of photos :)

Thanks Rick. Not sure that I want to be a 'floater'!

Thomas, I like running photos with both feet in the air. My usual photos show me with feet planted on the ground, looking like a race-walker.

Thanks Jen! When you can have fun with running it doesn't seem like hard work :)

rinusrunning said...

Thats goor and you go faster en better, more PB!.
Dutch song about the red,white, blue flag!.
Rood, wit, blauw
de koning en zijn vrouw
de koning en zijn dochtertje
rood, wit, blauw
nu kies ik lekker jou!

Red, white, blue
The king and his wife
The king and his daughter
red, white, blue
Now I choose you enjoy!

www.rinusrunning.nl

Ewen said...

Thanks Rinus. Great Dutch song! If the king's wife is as old as our Queen Elizabeth I think I'll choose the daughter... or the granddaughter ;)

Samurai Running said...

Things are quiet in the blogosphere thesedays.

You hypnotised by your Twitter timeline too?

By the way, don't let Rick get away with calling you a floater!

Ewen said...

Scott, getting organised for the trip to The Big One and being as busy as a one armed taxi driver has cut computer time this week.

Twitter timeline not too bad. Don't know how people following 200-plus accounts do it.

Sling Runner said...

Good to hear that you are improving aerobically. Hopefuly, we'll see you racing close to your best soon.

Jog Blog said...

Hey, what's happened to the link to your training log?? It seems to have disappeared ....

Ewen said...

Jog, I removed it temporarily. Page still there if you do a search.u do a search.

Ewen said...

Actually Jog, there's still a link down the bottom of the right column.

strewth said...

Thanks Jog - I was looking for that too! Found it under 2011 at the bottom. Ewen, have a ball over there in good ol' US of A. Have a great run round Central Park. Give my love to NYC:)

Ewen said...

Will do Strewth.

Sling, thanks. I feel like there'll be some good racing once my lets come around.

Black Knight said...

Very good runs in different conditions: track, road and trail.
This is a complete training to get other PBs.
This is the right period to race because you are in good shape.
I like the CCR, John Fogerty was here last year.

kevin f forde said...

Keep up the good work

Jog Blog said...

Have been following your training diary. Central Park, around Jefferson Memorial ...... sounds so story book/movie like. Lucky you!

Ewen said...

Thanks Stefano.

Thanks Kevin - have your blog on my reading list, but not much time for reading blogs while we're in the US - will catch up with how you went in Sacramento when I get home.

Yes, it's good fun over here Jog - especially the warm weather and new sights. Computer time is very limited though :(