Friday, November 28, 2008

Touch and Go

My right knee has been niggling a bit since the weekend. I first felt it climbing a ladder to change a light bulb on Sunday. It's the same knee that gave me grief a couple of months ago. Very frustrating - A worry given I've got ADRA scheduled on Sunday!!!

Went for a careful 6km yesterday and a 6km this morning which were pain and niggle free. That was the acid-test whether to pull out of Sunday - although that said I don't think its 100%.

My strategy at present will be to run very conservatively with an aim to just finish the course.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Run to Work via Westhaven

I liked the last long run around westhaven marina I decided to run to work this way on Friday morning. Mapped it up in mapmyrun and it works out to be bang on 12km.



First 8km rolling terrain and the last 4 flat around westhaven marina. Passed two runners on the flat which I guess that's race craft. Westhaven marina is a nice stretch to run through.

12km in 52:44 (4:22min/km) - trying to keep on PHMP (projected half marathon pace) or just under. ADRA is largely along the coast so put the waterfront runs down to getting used to the conditions.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

3016

My number for the ADRA half came in the post today. 3016 as per the below - cool :)



Run home from work on Wednesday - but seemed to catch a lot of traffic lights. So the run was quite stop/start intervals. Did the 6.66km in 28:44 (4:19min/km) running it pretty hard indeed.

I'm going to try an alternative run to work tomorrow morning - 12km so longer but more scenic through Westhaven. Should be something a bit different as the sun is coming up.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

A long run

Summer has really hit Auckland this weekend. Lovely weather.

Before it warmed up too much I went for a long run (started at 8:15am) - I planned to run a Half Marathon distance at a "comfortably hard" training pace and as an excuse to take in some areas of Auckland I hadn't run to before. Aiming for endurance rather than speed.

I called this run "Waterfront Expedition" - because it was a trip to part of Auckland's harbour. Here is an lovely photo from Chris Gin of the Westhaven Marina (around 8.5km into the run).

Did the 21.14km in 1:39:46 for a 4:43min/km pace. It was harder than I thought toward the end - tough work with no aid stations although I did chance upon a water fountain near the viaduct harbour (America's cup base when it was hosted in Auckland). Did I mention it was warm?



Marked a few points on interest on the elevation map:



Some highlights for future reference

- At 3.6km crossed the North Western motorway on a foot bridge off Haslett Street.
- At 4.8km went through Western Park off the Eastern side of Ponsonby Road.- hadn't been through here before - quite nice under the trees.
- At 6-7km went through cafe and restaurant strip of Ponsonby. No time for latte today though.
- 7-8km was a long downhill towards Westhaven Marina and the start of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Running alongside the water was nice (and different). Most of my routes are in suburban streets. Stunning views.
- 8-10km. Went under the bridge and along Westhaven drive. Dead flat and lots of boats to look at.
- 10-12km went along the Western Reclamation better known as the "Tank Farm". Something a bit different with the industrial setting.
- The intersection of Gaunt Street and Hasley street brought back memories. This was the start line of the Auckland Quarter Marathon which I did in 2007.
Felt quite thirsty about that point and lucked out with a drinking fountain down the road! I'll have to remember that for the future!
- The run then started to head uphill proving that what comes down must go up again. Started up Albert street and passed my work building on the right.
- 15km hit the bottom of Myers park and the stairs alluded to in my last post. After the stairs the rest of the run my pace dropped quite a bit - could feel it.
- 16 through to 21km was fairly familiar territory up past Mt Eden and back towards home. The up hill section was pretty tough but a second wind of sorts on the downhills.

Felt good afterwards and pretty pleased to clock a sub 1:40 for the training run. Have to admit I was pushing hard towards home to come in under 100 mins.

Rest day tomorrow! ADRA half in 2 weeks so am going to wind back the running distances a bit (i.e. taper)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Run to/from Work

Last week I tried something new. Thursday morning I took a spare change of clothes to work and my running gear. Work has lockers and showers so there is really no excuse to give it a go.

The plan was to run home Thursday and then run back in Friday morning. The route is 6.69km - slightly detoured from the most direct way to take in two parks. Centennial Park very near home and Myer's Park in the city. I find running through parks is a good way to break up a running route with a little nature diversion.

The most interesting part was a run through Myer's Park. Very pleasant to run through during the day - although I certainly wouldn't venture in after hours. This page has plenty of historical information which is quite interesting. The

The top end of the park has a number of flights of stairs - I counted 141! - continuing up into St. Kevin's arcade up to Karangahape Road.



Here is a photo from the other direction coming into work this time - nice stained glass sign:



The stairs really took the starch out but must be good training.

Run home: Thursday 13 November - 29:47 - 4:28min/km pace. Had to wait at a couple of traffic intersections to avoid cars.

Run in: Friday 14 November - 28:57 - 4:19min/km pace. Not sure the faster time was just the downhill stairs but also running in the morning is a better time to go running.

This might become a regular Thursday/Friday thing - well semi-regular as I'm sometimes off site for work.



Elevation graph:

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Electing to Run

Our New Zealand elections were this Saturday. I voted early in the morning (9am) at Maungawhau Primary and then went for a 5km hill climb run at around 11 in the morning. It was hot!

Saturday : 5km in 23:30 for 4:42min/km.

Then I did two hills on Sunday. I call this route "Two Ticks" as a nod to our Mixed Member Proportional system here in NZ.

Sunday : 17.1km in 1:25:36 for 4:58min/km.



Here is the elevation - not getting tired of the nerdy graphs (yet). Mt Eden is still the toughest hill around these parts - the view is magic once you get to the top. "Big" King is a baby in comparison.



I kept it slowish on purpose. Got a small cut just under my big toe on my right foot that niggles a bit. I think it made me favour my left foot ever so slightly. I might have to tape it up to help it heal.

3 Weeks until ADRA (i.e. 2 weeks of more focused training to peak for it and then one week of tapering). Feeling pretty comfortable about it.

In other running news:

I've entered Run Auckland 2009 (5 x 10km and one half marathon). They are doing an early bird special where you get a free 2XU running shirt. The price is pretty good too $90NZ for the 6 races. Thoroughly enjoyed Run Auckland 2008 this year. My little sister T has entered as well.



Also nearly finished a book called "Through the Wall" which I'll be posting a review on shortly.

Weigh In - 9 November 2008 (Sub 85!)

Better progress this week - my average weight sneaking under 85. Diet has been pretty good.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Training Montage

OK so its 1980's cheesy flag waving type stuff but I always thought the run up the mountain was pretty cool. He lost some time stopping to cut trees down...needs to work on race craft.



At the end of any hill climb its perfectly acceptable to punch the air like Rocky (as long as no one catches you doing it)

:)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Sunday Morning - Weigh In and Run

Weigh In - 2 November 2008



Too much red this week. No doubt eating too much for the level of exercise I'm doing. Pretty simple really

Tiki Tour

A good day to go running. Nice and cool in the morning - congratulations to all those running in the Auckland Marathon today. That'll be me next year...

Around 8:30am I went for a relatively flat course of approx 14.5km - I call this the 14km Tiki-Tour. It takes in Mt. Eden, Sandringham, Three Kings, Royal Oak, and Epsom South.

Did this in 1:03:30 (4:22 min/km pace). If runs were curry that would be mild/hot but still edible :) I ran the same course back in June in 1:05:41 (4:32 min/km) so definitely some improvement there.


Nerdy elevation graph:


It was a good blow-out of a run. Felt great afterwards!

4 weeks to go until the ADRA half. Really looking forward to the race!