Training Log Archive: shanel

Thought I'd pencilled in a 15km run this week, but didn't quite feel like doing that much as I needed to get home and get stuck into some pruning. So decided on 12km.

Headed to the southside to explore the urban sprawl, kept going past Abernethy Rd to new territory, lots of streets lined with builders dunnys and also so very nice reveg./streamlining along one of the creek lines and a park with a flying fox (might have to head over there extra extra early on day, so I can play without anyone spotting me).

Continued over to Briggs park, did a lap around the ovals, then headed home along the railway and Thomas Rd, was becoming obvious that I'd over explored, so took a direct route along Thomas Rd including running down the conveniently dry drain. Happy that I'd ended up just about doing 15km, until I eventually found my diary and discovered I'd pencilled in 20km, damn, need to rethink my build up now.

Getting pretty hot by the time I'd had breaky, got organised and started chainsawing, 40 degrees by the time I stopped mulching to have lunch then start on a couple of very painful days of stuffing around with ute wiring. Eventually managed to fit a socket to plug in an Engel, get power to the light in the back of the canopy (which still needs a new tube) and worked out that the problem with the trailer lights is that if you put on the park lights, it blows a fuse which also stops the brake lights on the trailer from working, but haven't had time to check/rectify my theory that it's a short in the trailer socket.

Despite thinking it was a long way to drive for a very early start, when I didn't have to work afterwards, I turned up anyway. Wally, BB and Karl along today.

Healthy easterly negated some of the benefit of sitting on the back. Just made a very token effort on the front near Dalkeith.

short easyish run round the flat bridle trails. New shoes seemed good.

Short, slow, easy Matilda Bay - Kings Park loop. Quads a little bit sore again after a while.

Wasted a heap of time this morning using garmin connect to find a nice route from my parents to work. Eventually got the course loaded into my GPS and got the kids to my parents, then headed to work.

Still a somewhat diabolical route, through suburban back streets to hit the Freeway at Parry Ave. And nearly as long as riding from home.

Took it easy all the way, except closing in on an oldie who was going the same speed as me just after Canning bridge, so I could sponge a free ride. Then a faster rider came past, so I sponged off him until he'd slowed to my original speed, so I eased past to take a token turn and he disappeared off the back.

Note: shorter 32km route planned for the return ride, via South Perth, Berwick St, back roads, Spencer Rd. Will see how well I remember the route without the GPS to "follow".

Claremont to Gosnells

Much shorter route back to Gosnells. Along Riverside Dr, causeway, cut through to Berwick, Chapman, cut of LeachHwy/Manning Rd, back roads/footbridge over to Spencer Rd.

Quads seem looser now, just tired, little hills on Berwick required a bit more effort than I really wanted to put in.

Easy warm up with Rachel, Wil, Andre, Ann and eventually Kirsten and friend caught up. Quads still feeling very tight, hoped the run would help get them going again, but might not have made any difference. Got back and I did some stretching and relaxing whilst everyone else did some intervals.

Contemplating riding to work after dropping the kids at my parents tomorrow, mainly to avoid peak hour traffic. So set the bike up on the wind trainer to see how the legs liked that, they didn't complain, so it will be and easy slightly shorter commute tomorrow.

Event: 6 Inch Trail Marathon
 

Went into the race thinking if I could average 6min k's, I could do about 4.5 hours, and I thought this might be achievable, so I went with that plan with some walking up hills to save the legs to make it through to the end.

Took it easy up the big hill at the start, with Dolf and Mark disapperaing off ahead and Juffy just behind or next to me early on and Phil Difty around as well.

After Whittakers Mill I settled in 20 or 30m behind someone who looked like they were going to keep a good pace, including the little old lady that Mark had said could kick arse. Also worked on slowly getting the average speed up to 10kph without going over 11kph.

Somewhere around 10-15k's I'd got the average upto 9.9kph, and Juffy caught me and eventually eased away around the far NE corner of the Turner Hill MTBO map. By this stage my quads were feeling tight and sore, especially and really hurting on the down hills, so I couldn't make any easy speed.

KellieW came past on the way to the first aid station. After coming into the aid stop with a huge crowd just in front of me, I grabbed half a bananna and a snake and everyone else had either gone straight through or were still faffing about, so I had a brief period with no one else in sight.

Eventually KellieW came past on the straight section parallel to the conveyor belt, and once over the highest point on the course she flew away down the hill. Spent most of the restg of the time yoyoing with the same few guys, walking up the hills, and grimacing every time I went back to a slow run.

Finally SophieG went past around the 2nd aid station. The last few k's seemed to take forever, maintaining a jog for a couple of hundred meters would seem to be ages, then a bit of a walk, then more painful jog. Eventually made it through to the end to find that I'd only just held off my ePhil nemesis by 18 seconds to take 64th spot, just below mid field.

Happy to have finished in a reasonable time, especially since I had very little time to build up the training again before the race. But disappointed I was beaten by nearly everyone I know and concerned that my quads got sore so early, when I was doing 24km runs a couple of months ago without much trouble (that I recall). Kinda wandering if running at an easy pace, below my normal cruising pace, may have contributed to the quads dieing.

C • Good work 5

Event: MetrO 11-12: Leeming
 

Resting up for Sun. so didn't ride to work. Was going to do a short easy Kings Park run, but realised it was a good chance to get my follow up cholesterol test done so did that instead. Now I can eat bad stuff over the weekend.

C • You're going to eat the Devil? 3

BB, Jake and I joined by wally making his debut.

Fine conditions, not much wind, road a bit wet from overnight rain.

Took a token turn along challenger, then settled into taper mode. Resisted temptation past the Dalkeith tennis courts, but was feeling a bit too rested approaching Andre's place so smashed it up the hill until Jake and BB came past approaching the top. Sensible again the rest of the way after that.

C • Debut 2

Long warm up with Rachel, Fenry, Andre, cricketk and Ann, followed by some drills and strides.

Then some of us did some of Rachel's session of 4 x 1km around a double loop of the concrete paths near sticky beaks (carefully measured out by Craig), with 90 secs rest. I did the first two and it felt quite comfortable at Rachel's pace, 4:11 for the first, 4:09 for the second.

In the name of tapering I left Andre to slug it out with Rachel for the last two.

Event: MetrO 11-12: Mindarie
 

Crazy wallyised shenanigans. Kids playgrounds, waterslide, basketball, digging in sand to find a map. Riding crapping old bike I've had since I was in year 9, chain had a mind of it's own finding all kinds of ways to come off and get tangled up. Paddling and drinking.

Darling Down to Claremont +

Tried to get out started a bit earlier today, so that 'd be able to add a bit of extra distance in, so I'd do a ride that actually "counts".

Easy and boring with everyone else heading south till Canning Bridge, where I hopped in behind cyclerama, who'd just come over the bridge, with another couple of faster lookin guys coming off the bridge just behind me.

Appraised the situation behind cyclrama, before deciding he was going a smidge slow, so eased past and he sat in behind. After a while Mr Yellow and Mr Green eased past and then cranked up, so I sat behind them at a nice speed (40+) without feeling like I was working too hard to hold on.

Mr Green let a gap form heading onto the narrows, so I got onto Mr Yellow, and gave him a quick thanks before continuing past.

Decided to do the reverse Renegade from UWA to the roundabout at CCGS where I doubled back to work, only to see Mr Yellow and Mr Green not far along and Cyclerama soon after.

Rolled out with BB, Fletch and Danger, with Jake waiting up ahead at the roundabout.

Jake and BB did most of the work. I spent most of the time on the back and didn't really feel like pushing up to the front, since it was already hurting to keep up whilst Jake and BB chatted side by side up front.

Some fast guy who'd been sitting just behind us for a while came past near the cop shop and Danger dropped off for a rest.

Stayed on through the bottom section of the water tower climb, but still off the back for the second half and devils elbow.

Eventually put in a short effort around the Dalkeith tennis courts.

C • That should read... 4

Started off with Wally and Andre (in Maffetone mode). Kirsten joined us at the end of our first rep and did the shorter, sandier, but firmer loop from last week.

4 x 1.65km with 4 (or 5) mins jog down recovery.

7:14, 7:09, 7:18, 7:09

Wally eventually called it quits at the end of the 3rd rep after hobbling through for a couple of reps, hopefully before he did any real damage. Andre was unsighted for most of the session as he chugged around his own route staying under 140bpm.

Very happy to put in a good final rep without pacing off Wally.

With Juffy and Mark Imbert having other commitments this morning, Dolf met me at my place and we drove out, left my car at North Spur Rd/Scarp Rd intersection and drove back to the start.

We started out at what we thought would be a sustainable pace, walk a bit up the first hill. We didn't quite take the right route through Whittakers Mill, but we just ran down the road 50m further on instead. Once past the first hill the rest of the hills aren't too big individually, but the legs were starting to feel the effort around Turner Hill and we started to walk more of the uphills. Some very nice tracks along the way including some single track.

Will change the approach a bit for the race and walk more of the hills early on to save the legs for the last 10-20km. I should have taken something other than water to test out my hydration and nutrition, so will have to try some shotz and stuff during the next 2 weeks.

Event: MetrO 11-12: Swan View
 

Melville to Claremont

After picking up my new(er) ute yesterday, I didn't even get home before the engine light came on. So since I didn't want to go to the end of the earth (Wangara) for the third time in 3 days, I took it to Melville.

So I only got to do a short commute, but included a short warm up to kill time till 7:30 when the service place opened.

Looks like ute has a minor problem, which just happened to occur within hours of picking it up, and it should be set to go again later today. Still need to get some new roof bars so I can go paddling some time. I wonder what Tooms has on his Triton?

C • Racks 1

Claremont to Melville

Into the wind to the narrows, into the wind to Canning Bridge, then random route back to get my car. Made a couple of bad route choices and ended up going over the top of Wireless Hill. Got back to get my car 2 minutes before they shut.