89 seconds

I've just finished my first Interclub 3000 metre race for the season. I ran about what I expected – 13:28.37. It was a pretty lonely run. I started in last place and had this position well and truly secured after less than 100 metres! I was lapped by the entire field and twice by the leaders. The winner was Kale Symons, an under-20 Victorian who ran 9:05.

I need to find 89 seconds before March if I'm to run under 12 minutes for 3000 metres. I've taken a few positives from the race. These are simple facts to remind me what happened, as I hate making excuses... It was a warm and windy day, so conditions were less than ideal. I didn't bother with light shoes, so there's a bit of time there. I only started speedwork this week. I ran for 1 hour 46 minutes yesterday morning which I wouldn't normally do the day before a race.

In the comments on my last post, Tesso asked about my best 1k time. I rarely raced 1000m, so my good 1k times were run in training. 1000 metre repeats on the track were a common session we ran in the late 80s and early 90s. I can remember running 3:06 during a set of 3 x 1000m. On November 8, 1990 I was training with Speedygeoff's group on the 400m grass track at Bruce Tafe College (now Raiders HQ). I wrote in the diary: "4 x 1000m in 3:10, 3:16, 3:09, 3:15. 800m slow recovery jog in 5:54. Steady, felt good, chasing Robert Ey. Cooler, track good." If I can do a similar session, with 45 seconds added to the times, I'll be confident of achieving the 3000m goal.

How did I do that?

The running has been going well since I last blogged. No mooing at all from the calf, which has been a great boost for the confidence. I've managed two Saturday long runs with Steve's very sociable 6' group – 18.2 and 18.7k. In the first, I used the 2P 'distance extender' to good effect. In the second, I struggled on Mt Majura and Trent's Hill, but didn't mind as it was simply the most perfect morning for running.

On Thursday I did another 'Slow Race Test' for a slightly better result than the previous week – 16:51 for 3000m. I received an SMS from an excited Luckylegs yesterday morning after her good 1500 metre time trial. This news, and watching competition at ACT Interclub on Saturday afternoon, has inspired me to soon resume track racing.

I looked through my training diary from 1987. This was the year I ran regular track races on Thursday evenings at Hensley Athletic Field. I started on March 19 with a 3000m in 10:27. Thereafter, I had a goal of running under 10 minutes. The 3000s were held approximately every second week and my times progressed like this: 10:18, 10:16, 10:09, 10:15 and 9:56.5 on 11 June (which remains my 3k PB).

Training diaries from two decades ago can be quite sobering. I look at the sessions and wonder how I did them. I have the same wonder at times when watching the athletes who train at Calwell - especially the very young and 'slightly older' ones. The week of my 3000m PB went like this:
Sunday - 14k, first 10k a race in 37:12. Monday - 4x90m ave 13.7 + 2x200m ave 27.9. Tuesday - 15k at Lane Cove Park including 9.7 to top gate and back in 42:09. Wednesday - 7k easy jog through Chatswood west. Thursday - 3000m race in 9:56.5 (3:17, 3:23, 3:16.5). Friday - Lane Cove Park 9.7k easy in 43:45. Saturday - 5k including 5x300m Chatswood grass track, average 50.8.

These days I don't even contemplate training like that. It does however, reinforce the need for some 'speedwork' as well as some 'good' aerobic running if I'm ever to get near my current goal of running under 12:00 for 3000 metres.

The Slow Race Test

I'm excited! Since my 'gift run' on October 21, the renegade calf has been well behaved. Some readers, such as 2P, DJ and Tesso might even suggest it has been corralled. Last week I ran 42 kilometres, a rule-breaking increase in volume of 35% over the previous week.

Reading the blogs of Robert Song and Steve L has given me an idea for a fitness test. I'm calling it the 'Slow Race Test'. My usual way of testing fitness is to run as fast as possible in a 3 to 5k race. My Slow Race Test is to run a set distance (I've decided on 3000 metres) at a set average heart-rate and time how long it takes to complete the distance.

I've chosen a heart-rate of 138, which for me, is about 84% of my 165 maximum. It's easy, controllable running for speed and heart-rate. If you decided to try it, you'll need a flat course and 'normal' weather with no wind. It takes me 400 metres or so to gradually accelerate the heart-rate up to 138.

I did this test on October 12 for a 3000m time of 18:16. I repeated the test today in 16:57, which shows an improvement in cardiovascular fitness. I think it's a useful test, as it can be done at any time during the week (even on an easy day) and is less stressful than racing. Eventually I want to do the test during the week of a 'fast race' (if that ever happens), so I'll have an SRT time that indicates possible good racing form.

The Gift of a Run

I was particularly nervous before running last Saturday afternoon. It wasn't the edgy 'fear of impending pain' nervousness that strikes me prior to racing in the D-grade 800 metres at Interclub. It was just the 'running could make my injury worse' kind of nervousness.

I thought my calf was on the mend. On Wednesday I ran 11.7k with Chris, pushing at times to keep up with his occasional 5:40 kilometres. The calf was fine during the run, but I was devastated to find myself walking around like John Cleese for the next two days. On Saturday there was still a little tenderness happening, so I debated with myself the merits of trying to run, or settling for a mountain bike ride. Finally, I laced up the Brooks and shuffled, Cliffy style, down the street, with the promise that I'd stop at the first sign of pain.

I made it to the edge of Theodore. This was looking good, I thought to myself. There was a lightness in my stride as my shuffle expanded to accommodate a few 5:20 kilometres. I continued along the banks of the 'Melrose River' (actually a stormwater drain into which it flows). A small brown snake slithered from my path towards the trickling stream. I was happy to be running without pain – just the normal stress of a neglected cardiovascular system.

After covering 6 kilometres in 33:46, I was back home, very happy in the knowledge I had given myself the gift of a run. It very nearly didn't happen.

A big number

I'm very happy to be back running again after taking three days off last week due to calf soreness. I put my lameness down to an excess of enthusiasm the previous week when I ran six days out of seven.

In the two runs I did last week I managed a grand total of 15.7 kilometres. On Saturday I ran two laps of the Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin. This is the best 'dead flat' scenic course in Canberra with about one third of the 5.1k lap being on gravel paths. The calf remained niggle-free throughout.

Before I drove to the lake I did something foolish. I jumped on the bathroom scales and was confronted by a big number – 80 kilograms. This is close to a PB for heaviness. When I had my heel injury over a decade ago I briefly made the scales struggle to 82 kilos. I know 2P will consider this nothing to worry about, but I'm feeling all this extra weight.

Although at the time, friends said I looked "in need of a feed", I'd like to approach the 71 to 73 kilos I was in my thirties. I always remember a small article in Runner's World about weight and VO2 max. It was a university study of a group of runners which came up with the result that a loss of one kilogram of excess body weight reduced the time for a 10k race by 30 seconds. Perhaps, but I think the best reason to lose some weight will be to regain that light feeling on my feet which should make running more enjoyable.

Life in the slow lane

My calf problem came back towards the end of this week. I'm hoping it's only a strain. I've run 126 kilometres during the past four weeks but I'm still a long way from being fit for racing. Then why race? I just wanted to see how bad I was. I've done two 5k races in the past two weeks, both at the Customs handicap, for times of 27:13 and 27:00. This is nowhere near a goal I had for this year of running 5000 metres in 19:59. This goal won't happen. The challenge will be to get somewhere near the 22:30 I ran back in May.

In my 27:00 Customs 5k I did feel more comfortable than the previous week. It was strange running flat out yet falling away from Bob and Colin who were jogging along having an animated conversation. My average heart-rate was 153 – a little below my usual racing heart-rate of 155 to 158. The race showed my lack of fitness. Earlier in the year I was running 4:44 per kilometre pace at this heart-rate rather than 5:24s and I wasn't fully fit.

Feeling like I do at the moment in races gives me a real appreciation for the struggles that beginning runners and novices go through. I also have a greater understanding about the long road back from injury or illness.

Many years ago there was a young runner in the group that Geoff used to coach. She had been injured and was doing her first Sunday long run for a while. We ran a course of 17 kilometres out around the Corkwood plantation and back through Stromlo forest. She kept dropping back from the group and would breathlessly catch up when we stopped for a drink or to open a gate. She was clearly out of shape but completed the run. Years later she ran in the trial for the 10,000 metres at the Sydney Olympics.

Running in circles

Thankfully my calf injury seems to be progressing well. After a worrying run on Saturday where it started to tighten up after 5k, I managed an easy 7.6k on Monday afternoon with Geoff and Alan. It was all good.

Last Monday night at Speedygeoff's group dinner the subject of running on the track came up. One of the ladies said "I don't like the track – all that running in circles. I'd rather be out on the trails". At the time, I didn't quite know what to say.

I love trail running, but I also love the track. You might have noticed that I've only listed my track PBs on this blog. They mean the most to me. Here are my ancient non-track PBs: 36:25 for 10k road, 53:33 for the 14k City to Surf, 81:38 for the half marathon, 1:48:57 for the Cotter 15 mile and 3:11:02 for the marathon.

The track PBs mean the most because I can compare my modest achievements with those of the best distance runners in the world. They've all raced on the track – Paula Radcliffe, Meseret Defar, Benita Johnson, Haile Gebrselassie and Craig Mottram. Even marathon runners such as Steve Moneghetti and Kerryn McCann. I can remember 'racing' Rob de Castella at the old Bruce Stadium many years ago in a 3000 metre event. I was lapped twice. The 400 metre tracks in Canberra or Wollongong are just as fast as the ones in Rieti or Hengelo. No two marathon courses are the same.

The other good thing about the track is how training on it can help you to run faster. A 400 metre track is a great venue for speedwork (especially if you can find a good grass one). It's nice and safe. You don't have to worry about cars, bikes, dogs or falling branches. When you arrive at the track you are thinking about doing purposeful fast training. You run exact distances and can relate the time that you've run for those distances to your race goal time.

You can do your speedwork at venues other than a track if you don't have access to a good one. A flat smooth gravel trail for instance, or a large well grassed park, or a quiet bikepath can work well – that's if you really do hate running in circles.

So Far Away

I started running again on Tuesday. I was probably more nervous before this run than when lining up for an 800 metre race at Interclub. Thankfully the calf was okay although the session was incredibly modest: 2.5 kilometres of alternating one minute jogs with one minute walks. I averaged 7:01 per kilometre, which is quite a respectable average pace for the Six Foot Track, but very slow for normal training. Nevertheless, I was extremely happy to be back running.

Since the City to Surf I've had a total of 26 days off. This is my biggest break since a bout of plantar fasciitis in the early 1990s which needed cross-training to overcome and led me to a brief, uninspired career as a triathlete. Good fun, but not what I love doing.

Coming back after such a break makes me appreciate the difficulties beginners go through when learning how to run. It's a slow process. I feel so far away from the runner I was in 2004. The funny thing is, back then I didn't realise that 42:20 for 10k is quite respectable.

I'll miss the Canberra Times Fun Run on Sunday because it clashes with the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival. I've decided not to start in the 9k Bridge Run. It's a shame, as running over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is such a buzz. I'm driving up to Sydney on Saturday, perhaps singing one more song about movin' along the highway. I'll be watching the events, which also include a half marathon and marathon, from somewhere near the finish. Good luck to all CoolRunners and bloggers!

Tell Me Baby

I'm injured. For some crazy reason I decided to sprint at the end of the City to Surf. During this frenzy I did something to my right calf. I rested it for five days and then ran. It was still sore. After another six days off I ran on two consecutive days. The next day I could hardly walk. After another seven days off I can now walk without looking like John Cleese.

I haven't been doing long runs on Saturday mornings so I sometimes watch Rage. Last week I saw this great video clip by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I thought Dani California was pretty cool, but Tell Me Baby was both inventive and stunningly familiar. The video features singers and musicians who have come to Los Angeles to try and fulfil their dreams. They are interviewed before singing and playing with the band.

It reminded me of most of us. We're never going to score the running version of a recording contract or make a living from what we love doing. That doesn't mean we aren't dedicated or don't love it as much as the Mottrams and Johnsons of this world. We get to 'play with the band' every time we run in something like the City to Surf.

The first three lines of the chorus go: "Tell me baby, what's your story; Where you come from; And where you wanna go this time". I read blogs because I'm interested in how and why people run. Some of these bloggers train as hard as those few runners who are lucky enough to fill that rare piece of road or track at the front of races. Every one of them has a story to tell.

Now I know the way to San Jose

I've been back in Australia for six weeks. During the second half of our trip I gave up on the idea of updating my blog. Various things have conspired to keep me from blogging since I've been home. One problem was the large number of photos I took - 1,723 in all. I've finally edited them down to the manageable number of 48 for viewing on this web page.

The trip had quite an affect on me. America is a beautiful country. We drove over 3,000 miles after picking up the Ford Taurus in Portland, Oregon. We arrived there travelling by bus from lovely Vancouver to Seattle then train through picturesque and green southern Washington.

We enjoyed wonderful hospitality at Joe and Deb's in Kings Valley, Oregon. Here a hugely fortuitous decision was made to drive to San Francisco via Crater Lake rather than visit the home town of Steve Prefontaine at Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast. I haven't space to describe the beauty of Crater Lake. Snow was abundant for our visit on a perfect day.

I'd received an email from Sarah with some tips on what to do on the way down to San Francisco. When we arrived at our B&B, I couldn't contact her for our planned Golden Gate Bridge bike ride due to a phone number mix-up. From San Francisco we drove south on highway 101. Fifteen miles north of San Jose we turned east on highway 84 and drove to Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite has huge rock formations and waterfalls and, as it was the holiday season, lots of tourists. The road from Yosemite over Tioga Pass at 9,945 feet had been open for just over a week after being cleared of snow. This was a spectacular drive as was the trip south on US 395 to Lone Pine. On June 27 we drove east through the fascinating and hot Death Valley to Las Vegas.

Joy loved Las Vegas. I think she'd have happily spent the remaining 9 days of the trip right there. Instead we drove north-east travelling briefly through Utah, arriving at the Grand Canyon on July 1. We were only there for 5 hours. Our original plan was to stay at the North Rim the previous night but bushfires had closed the only road to our lodge.

I want to return to the Grand Canyon. Looking out at that vast space which had it's beginnings 20 to 30 million years ago makes you think about all the beauty in the world. Theodore Roosevelt said "keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see." I think every visitor to America should see The Grand Canyon.

In Flagstaff, Arizona, we stayed at a motel on Route 66. Our drive continued to San Diego through some more spectacular and varied desert landscapes. Only too soon it was time to head north. We escaped from the hectic 6-lane Interstate 5 and followed highway 101 with it's Pacific Ocean views. We passed through Carlsbad, San Clemente, Laguna Beach and Long Beach, arriving at LAX with four hours to spare before our flight home. Thanks Joy and Mal for a great trip!