first week back

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Back home and although 5kgs heavier I'm feeling fine. It was a great holiday and apart from the marathon in Townsville I was able to spend time with my Sister in Cairns, Dad in Townsville and a final week with my best mate Frosty in Byron Bay.

Haven't been running much the last 2 weeks, the last time was along the highway from Bangalow to Byron. I thought at that time, as the 40th semi-trailer speed past only inches away, that it would be my last run but managed to survive.

I'm going to catch up with what you have all been up to and then write and let you know my plans for future races. I have organized races until Xmas this year and just need to decide whether I should get a coach or nut out a program for myself. Whatever I decide, barring injury, I'm going to run more PBs.

The first run I had today, back at my beloved Sayama Pond, was the best I've felt about running since starting. Taking that as an good omen for the future.

I'll leave you with some photos taken last week and hope you're all well especially Robert Song. I've been thinking about you everyday and praying that you're getting through your treatment and are in good spirits.

PYRAMID 5K

I did the 5K I was talking about today and managed to run within 5 seconds of my PB with a 17:13. That is two minutes better than I did at this same race last year. 2nd in my age group. Actually it was the open division (18 years and over) I got second in and the guy who won this group was 18 and he did it in 14:45 or something ridiculous like that.

I came 4th overall. It is kind of depressing, to me, to have run my near best and still get beaten by one 18 year old, one 16 year old and a 15 year old. I turn 45 tomorrow, so this is perhaps the main cause of my melancholy, still I can't help thinking that I'm reaching the end of my PBs.

It always pays to be sanguine about these things and it was 30 degrees while we were running this so I possibly could squeeze some more time out of my 5Ks. Yes, it is not time to give up the PBs yet. I don't know exactly when that time will come but I think it will be around the time I stop wanting to beat, and believing I can, the type of young guys that whipped me today.

The video posted is of the end of my race today. Ignore the time on the clock as it was set to the 12K mountain race which preceded mine.

Fast 5K

I've been searching the Internet this last week looking for something/someone to give me the green light to run a fast 5K this coming Saturday.

Type in "Fast 5K 2 weeks after a marathon" and you don't get much relevant stuff or anything much that says what I want to hear, that: Running a PB for the 5 K so soon after a full marathon is not only possible but it's something everyone should try.

Mostly you will hear people poo poo the idea with all this "No speedwork for the weeks after the marathon" and "build up slowly unless you want to be sidelined with a prolonged injury."

Luckily for me I have irresponsible role models like Dave Criniti who after only one week and having run 50 or so Ks the day before raced the City to Surf with a fantastic result.

Yes, I hear you all saying "You're no David Criniti Scott" and I appreciate anyone telling me I'm a fool. But I did recover really fast after the Townsville marathon and I won't have a chance to race again until October so I'm going to run as fast as these old pins will take me.

Today I did 4 X 400 meters at a local grass track and the very fastest I could go was between 1:16 and 1:20 per 400 meters. It might be too much to ask for a PB but an age group prize might be in the offing. Just how many faster 45 year olds will be in a small North Queensland town for a race hardly anyone has heard of?

Let's just hope the answer is not "3".

Above photo: me and the madman David Criniti. Can you spot my cheeky son?

TOWNSVILLE 2009

I can't go into too much detail as I really wasn't paying that much attention. You all probably know what I mean by that. Anyway I think I'd better get what I recall down now while it's still relatively fresh.

The race started at 5:30am, it was pretty dark, I set off with a group of about 8 guys that kept together for the first 5K going through in just under 20 minutes.
Even at this stage Dave Criniti and Alan Mullen the first and second place getter's were way ahead of everyone.

Allen Mullen a previous winner(2004, 2:40:25)trailed Dave by about 3 or so minutes at this stage but Dave was really flying. (You really have to see this guy run, it is really something else.)This day he was to break the course record going under 2:30:00.

Anyway, by the 10th K or so there was a smaller pack, about 4 of us, following the leaders and we were all running comfortably under 3 hour pace. I mentioned to the guys around me that: "This race would be perfect conditions if it was just a little bit less humid." I got no response and these guys were sweating a lot so I took it as a sign that they were doing it a bit harder than me. Nothing like training in 95% humidity to make 75% seem cool.

By the 20th K there was only me and a fit looking thirty something local battling it out for third place. I started to talk to this guy and found out it was his first marathon. I said, something like "jeez you are doing well, if you run your first one like this you have a good future in this sport." Not long after I said this I pushed the pace knowing that if I didn't put a gap on him now he might very well hang with me and find his second wind.

Luckily for me and thanks to my high mileage training I was able to move ahead knowing with confidence that I could hold this pace. The last 10K I was easily holding 3rd place and the encouragement from Allen and Dave whenever I saw them on the turnarounds helped me to hold on and bring it home without any major dramas.

I was passed by a couple of very fast half marathoners and about five 10K runners in the last 8K, but this helped me as I was forced to wake from a little lapse in concentration and pick up the pace a little. I'm not sure whether or not I did pick up the pace, I was beyond checking K markers at this stage, but I didn't drop off significantly like I usually do and was very pleased to not only come in under 3 hours but to do it with a third place finish.

I'm in two minds now. One, I think I trained long and hard for a 2:56:00 finish, maybe I should have run faster and that is about all I can expect in the future. But that's what I said when I ran my first marathon in 4:10:00 something. And I'm thinking, now I can go faster and with you guys to help me I'll always be able to find ways to improve my trainng and times.

Thanks Dave for your support online and on the day, you are a true gentleman. As I have found of 99.9% of runners and bloggers. It may sound a bit melodramatic but I'm indebted to you all and grateful, more than I can say.

I'll leave you with some photos all pretty self explanatory.

Starting running and aiming for a sub 3 marathon has been a life changing experience. I have no regrets I did this. Now with a bit more balance and sense I expect it to continue to give. I will continue to do it as long as I believe it is worth the effort and is enjoyable. Frankly I can't see the day it won't be.

Thanks, again.

SUB 3

Glad to report things went well today. Yes, I finally ran out of excuses and under 3 hours. I will write more in the following days but just wanted to let you know my time and position. 1st in my age group, 3rd overall at 2:56:30. Dave Criniti came in first with a course record somewhere under 2:30! I go back to Cairns on Tuesday and I'll post photos and details then. Back to the beers, thanks for everything, I love you'se all ;)

HOME BOY

I've come back to Australia and starting to settle in for my holiday. We are back in Cairns staying with my sister and family. My wife and boys have been here already a couple of weeks and the kids are going to school here for the duration of our stay.

Next weekend we travel down to Townsville and I'll run the full marathon down there. I'm tapering pretty hard this week and only be doing runs under 30mins and a few sessions of 4X400s at marathon pace. I think I ran too fast and hard the week before the Hawaiian marathon and suffered because of it, besides I think I need the whole week to fully recover from a few niggles that have shown themselves due to my high mileage and sustained, 12 week, build up.

After a day off yesterday and a short sharp session this afternoon I'm not really feeling that confident as I have sore ankles and not much energy. But you know I always feel that way the week before and seem to come good on race day. I have to believe that all my good training is in there and ready to manifest itself come Sunday.

On the eve of , possibly, breaking 3 hours, I want to thank a lot of people for following my blog and making their comments. Comments that have indeed kept me going and had me smiling most of the time. But I think I better not get in front of myself. Post race will be a better time to express these sentiments.

For now I'll say thanks and see you on the otherside of 3 hours.

First Photo, me in front of a bus advertising "The Great Pyramid Race" held in my sisters home town on August 15th. While I'll be in no shape to run up that mountain I will do the 5K.

Second photo, my normal boy and retarded one get dressed for school.

COMPLICATIONS AROSE, ENSUED, AND WERE OVERCOME

Two weeks to go before my full marathon in Townsville. I'm pretty happy with the position I'm in this far out. Although there were problems during the build up the positives vastly outweigh the negatives so if there is any justice in this World I'll PB and have a good race going sub 3 for the first time.

I have put a lot more miles, and time into this training compared to the last two marathons so I expect, not unrealistically, to run better. I heard Steve Moneghetti once say that he was never nervous before a marathon as he was so obsessive about completing all his training as set "crossing all the Ts and dotting all the Is" that the result would more often than not take care of itself and he'd run a good one.

I feel pretty much like this but still I'm a bit nervous cause as anyone who has been following my progress up until this point would know if there is a way to mess up I can find it. The term "Maestro of the Fuck up" is an accurate description.But surely there aren't too many more stupid things I can do so one would have to take comfort in that.

I'll have to take care the next few weeks not to overdo it or under do it, watch that I don't go on a food and beer binge and/or slip on a banana skin but as simple as it seems it is going to take probably more effort than the previous 11 weeks of running myself silly.

Any advice would be appreciated but basically I will try to drop a few miles all the while keeping up the intensity and chill.

I'm in the best shape of my life. The other day while running past the plate glass window of a shop I caught my reflection and thought to myself "Wow you look like a bloody Kenyan" and as the saying goes if you look like a marathoner chances are that will run like one.

You know if I wasn't so worried about jinxing myself up I'd say something ridiculous like "Bring it on" ;)

BACK ON TRACK

Just a quick update to let you know I'm fine and back running to my marathon plan.

I went for a second opinion on my condition at another local clinic and the nurse said I had to stop wanking, when I asked why, she said, "Because I'm trying to examine you!"

No really ;) it has just sort of taken care of itself. I reckon it had a lot to do with too much too soon, running that is.

Anyway I'll let you know more on my training the next post. But for now I'd like to thank everyone for their great runs on the Gold Coast last weekend. Great work and very inspirational!

THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL

Thanks for your comments and concerns. I had a follow up appointment with the doctor this morning and he seems to think everything is fine with my head, he obviously doesn't know me too well. Still I don't feel fine. I've had some type of headache all week and if the muscle relaxant he gave me today doesn't work to relieve these headaches by Tuesday of next week I'm going to seek a second opinion.

Seriously, I'm worried as my mileage this week will be 60~70kms, if I get my long run done tomorrow, that is down from 140kms the week before. I've heard that if one can get in a long run then it shouldn't affect my overall fitness too much. Still I can't go on like this much longer as it will definitely play havoc with my marathon performance in August.

You know it is only when you can't run that you really appreciate just how lucky you are to be able to get out there day in, day out and run as hard and far as you please. I would just about sell my soul to have this over with and be back to running everyday. It would be bearable if I knew that it was say a hamstring that needed this much time to get over but this is bloody frustrating not knowing if the next time I run fast or make love I'm going to get an ice pick in the back of the head!

I guess that not being a "great" runner the world could live without me competing in a few races, but It would surely be loss to take me out of the love making game. I don't want to blow my own horn, so to speak, but you just have to read the back of the doors in women's rest rooms from here to Sydney to know that "IT" is legendary ;)

Don't get me wrong I'm not always "looking at the man in the mirror" Still "People always told me be careful what you do, don't go around breaking young girls hearts." I always tell them that it's "human nature." Anyway I guess you all "wanna be startin' something" so I'll "beat it."

Don't worry too much, really I'm alright I reckon I'll be back to it soon enough. But for you guys that are running healthy and heading up to the Gold Coast Marathon. I hope it's a "thriller" and my advice: "Don't stop til you get enough!"

Who's "bad???"

CLEAR

Just came back from doing a batch of tests including an MRI scan and the Doctor reckons I'll be back to PBing in no time. Well he didn't say that exactly but he did say I haven't got a rupture, any bleeding and or brain tumor.

I have to go back for "a talk" but no worries I'm good to start back training for Townsville as soon as I feel up to it. The pills he gave me seem to be lessening the headache but I'll have to break my streak of 8 weeks of running no stop everyday and rest up a little today and maybe tomorrow.

"Live long and prosper" or should that be "Run long and taper" ?

UPDATE

Well yesterday I did go to the Chemists, bought some aspirin and a packet of condoms while I was there ;)

Still, this headache persists. Did some more checking and found out that some of the symptoms I have, like loss of full movement in my neck, my age, and family history, (my Mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage), may mean I have the secondary type of exercise headache! You know the one that leads to death.

I'm going to the clinic this morning to rule that out, but wanted to post this as I thought it was a good chance to get sympathy comments ;)

REAL PAIN IN THE ........

I've found out about my headaches (saved by a google seach again). One of the common explanations reads.

"When you exercise, or exert yourself physically, the muscles of the head, neck, and scalp need more blood to circulate. This causes the blood vessels to swell, which can lead to a condition called exertional headaches.

Headaches that most frequently occur due to exercise or over-exertion include jogger's headache and orgasmic headache (sex headache). While these may occur in isolation, they are most common in people who have an inherited susceptibility to migraine (one or both parents have migraines). THAT IS ME

It has been found that most exertional headaches WHILE PRETTY BLOODY PAINFUL are benign and respond to usual headache treatments."

I have been getting these headaches with "other" activities other than running so I think this is what I have.

So the cure is don't "over-exert" myself and desist from activities that cause these headaches or take an aspirin!

I'm off the the drug store/ chemist/ pharmacy.

THEN THERE IS NO PLEASING YOU

Things are going well and I should be happy, but sometimes there is no pleasing me ;)

I'm on my 7th week of a 12 week program, running everyday, and even with the high mileage I seem to be not only handling it but feeling stronger. A couple of complaints though.

This morning I set off for a 3KTT but took off too fast and realised by 600 meter mark that I was not going to make the 3K so I just pushed it to the end of the 1st K and stopped to catch my breath. 20 seconds before finishing that 1st K I got a really strange/splitting headache and as I was walking around after I thought, if I do collapse and die I hope someone checks my watch cause I'd just recorded my fastest 1K effort at 3:10 (I've gone faster than that but only down hill).

Anyway I recovered and did another 12K with every 2K running fast for 1K to make it 4K all under 3:20. I'm disappointed that I couldn't/didn't finish off run through and try for a 3K PB but couldn't do it today. I suppose I wimped out cause I really didn't want to put up with the pain that would have caused me.

Another problem I'm facing these days is trying to control my massive appetite of late, that threatens, if not controlled, to destroy a lot of the hard work I've put into training. I'll write more on this next post but in a nut shell: I'm always bloody hungry, I'm a pig and find it hard to stop over eating and drinking. Perhaps some answers to this problem next blog.