Registered Canberra Marathon April 2011

Very excited to have just registered for my first ever full Marathon, in Canberra April 2011. I thought about it alot on todays 17km training run, especially as i finished. At the moment the idea of more than doubling it feels pretty tough but I am getting used to holding my planned 6min/km pace and you do get to feel a little like the Ever-ready battery bunny after a while...

I am now going on hols down the South Coast for 2 weeks where running will be picturesque..

Im planning to run trail and road though, and avoid the beach as Im abit concerned it will flare my sore ankle....plus the highlight will be a planned run up Pidgeon House Mountain...

Check you later in the New Year!

How to Bore Your Workmates and Friends

2010:1852 Kms of Happiness

2010 was my second ever running year and it's been quite an adventure. I ran in nine races including 2 half-marathons in Sydney, one hilly and one flatish and clocked 1852kms in training and broke 5min km times on two shorter runs.......its been a fantastic year of learning and friendship with fellow Warriors and one where i think I have learned to be a little less earnest about it all, stopping to enjoy it, taking my earphones out more, building in recovery runs and taking photos along the way...

The biggest lessons have probably been;

1. Posture: Learning thru injury how important straighter arm movement and core work are to mediate against overpronation and wear and tear on knees and ankles

2. Nutrition: After 20kg weight loss I have finally realised what normal eating is like (ie: alot less less food and alchohol)

3. Chilling Out: Ive figured out that sustainability and enjoyment and more important than chasing faster times

4. The Bush: did my first real trail runs this year and feel in love!

5. Flexibility: Learned to be flexible with when I run (but not how much) to make sure I dont prioritize it over other responsibilities every time

Generally I hope this all keeps me in good stead for next year's challenge; two marathons Canberra in April and Sydney in September...we are already 5 weeks into training for Canberra but still havent exceeded Half training distances....

I can honestly say that running has given me more pleasure than I ever imagined this year! Good luck to you all in your 2011 goals, lets keep on pounding the pavement (and bush).....keep on running!

Happy Trails: Mt Ku-ring-gai to Berowra

What a beautiful cool morning for a 15km trail run with the boys from Mt Ku-ring-gai to Berowra and back. We met at the entrance to the bush track at 530 am and commenced downhill for 2 or 3 Kms to beautiful Cowan Creek...

After stopping to look around we took off again for around 8kms along the river bank, followed at one point by a lone boat, hopping and skipping along a pretty technical track with lots of ups and downs..

Then a 2kms climb up past the F3 to Berowra station

..followed by 5km road run along Pacific Highway, pretty hard going by this point

All up a fantastic way to start the day..well done boys!!!

Notes to My Sore Knee

Did heaps of hill work this week, a total of 39km over four runs, each of which had significant hills......as a result my left knee pain has come back (only a tiny twitch at this point but i get paranoid) but i want to make sure I prevent it worsening....according to CoolRunning "runner's knee most often strikes as runners approach forty miles per week for the first time"...I tend to get it as i approach 40kms

Here's abit of my planning for the next week (Im blogging this so i remember)

Dont panic, its the most common injury for runners
Take smaller slower stride going down hills
Run two out of four runs in the bush where its softer underfoot
Dont get lazy about my posture, especially on longer runs..need to keep trying to prevent overpronation
Pick flatter runs
Dont run on banked road sides

Trail Running High

After a month or so of running trails I think Im finally getting the hang of it, especially on the more technical runs. It seems that the key is to step lightly and dance your way around the rocks, holding your body loosely...Im a pretty bad dancer but it almost feels the same, especially when you going downhill...I have read here how good it is for your body, including core, quads and feet....some other things i am learning;

1. Its Ok to walk uphills (there are some bastards near my house)
2. Some runners just dont like trails(recently took a group out and lots of worry about leeches and snakes)
3. Look ahead rather than at your feet
4. The right shoes make all the difference
5. Its Ok to stop and have a look at the view
6. It's a great thing to do when recovering from injury, no jarring
7. Times can be alot slower than on the road
8. Bird calls are better than music
9. It makes for much better blog-photos than the road
10. Running is back to feeling like an adventure not a chore!

There are lots of great videos on trail running technique..