BEAST OF BURDEN

Tomorrow night I'm headed to Australia. The kids and wife are already there I just had to finish up my commitments with work here first. It's not easy by yourself rushing to finish things off. Still got to be grateful that I can get the time off at all.

Anyone who thinks that this is the chance to come over here and break into my house has another thing coming. The in-laws are looking after the place so if you don't mind spending sometime with them come on over ;) Who am I kidding not even the poor and desperate are reading my blog these days. Going to have to start doing something interesting. Or buying some stuff worth stealing!

As for the running, just two weeks until the marathon and I'm starting my taper. I'll have done around 150K by tomorrow afternoon to round off the week and then start to drop the Ks to around 100 for the remaining 2 weeks. If I'm still not feeling recovered by mid next week I'll drop the Ks some more.

The last two weeks will be used to get my body used to marathon pace and faster. I tried a couple of speed sessions last week but they didn't workout so well. I pulled my hamstring on the right leg and aggravated my Achilles on the left, and I wasn't able to run my target times for the session. I think I'm too tired from the accumulated training the last 12 weeks but I should come good and be chopping at the bit come race day.

The main goal from now is get to the starting line with no niggles with or without the speed. I always race better than I train. I can pick my pace up in races as long as I go in without injury. I expect my high mileage training to get me through to a new PB. So how low can I go this time? I'll talk about this more in a post from Australia.

Take care all.

I'M ALMOST THERE!

I'm almost there, at the end of my marathon build up. Tired but putting on the finishing touches, which I'll blog about shortly. But all it might take is a dab or two of "Old Spice." What do you think ladies: Fantastic!

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Hope everyone is well. I'm fine, battling with the heat and humidity but getting through my runs. You know it's hot when you come back from a run and your hands are white and wrinkled just like they look when you come out of a hot bath. Just dripping sweat on most runs the last 2 weeks.

Anyway what I wanted to write about was my experience with my long run today. I took the advice I read in "The Lore of Running" by Tim Noakes and had some walk breaks on my run today. I was doing 30 mins runs and walking between sets of these for 5 mins! I ended up doing 38K in 3 hours, not counting the walk breaks, and surprisingly the old pins feel refreshed and good to go now. I did have a swim this afternoon so it might be that also but what do you think? Is this a good idea or do you think I need to run the whole session without any significant breaks?

Interested to hear what you think, as always.

Happy July 4th to the Seppos and congratulations to all those that raced in the Gold Coast this weekend.

TERRY TATE

Well, I guess you're not Ali fans, but you have to like "Terry Tate"!!!

ALI

Uploading some clips with Muhammad Ali. If ever there was an inspirational man and story, it is him and his!

UP DATE

Marathon build up COUNTING DOWN


Week 10 ending June 4th. 60.8kgs, 13.5% Body Fat, Stomach 74cm, Mileage 173km

Week 9 ending June 11th. 60.5kgs, 15.0% Body Fat, Stomach 73cm, Mileage 204km

Week 8 ending June 18th. 59.5kgs, 14.3% Body Fat, Stomach 73cm, Mileage 203km

Week 7 ending June 25th. 60.3kgs, 13.7% Body Fat, Stomach 72.5cm, Mileage 173km

So here are the stats for the past 4 weeks. What amazes me is that I can run close to 800kms and still only be basically the same weight. That shows that I either eat or drink enough to compensate or I'm such an extremely efficient runner that I hardly burn any calories when I run! I'd prefer to think its the later but sadly it's not, I'm a bit of a pig when it comes to the chow!

On with the training and fingers crossed I can get through to the marathon starting line in one piece.

The link is a clip is of Japanese kids enjoying their World Cup success. There were a few empty looking classrooms in Japan yesterday, I'll give you the drum!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh1jMatjfsY&feature=player_embedded

SOCK PROBLEMS

I'm having some problems with my socks of late. It's not just because of the high mileage even in normal situations I have a knack for putting holes in socks. I really go through the blighters. Seriously, I took my last two pairs back the the shop after less than two sessions running. Even when the nails are trimmed I still put holes in them.

If I buy really expensive thick winter type ones they will last but I'm looking for thin summer type ones that last!

Do you know of any?

While this problem is annoying I have taken to making "sock puppets" out of the broken ones and it has, in fact, helped me to break the ice with strangers ;)

An unrelated but equally effective way to impress....

SO TIRED

This high mileage is starting to take its toll. You know it took me three tries to even get that last sentence out right. The First one read: "This high molage is strating to take its troll." So I'll keep this short.

201Ks this week and coming on the back of 200K + last week I'm shafted and I think it's time to back off a little before something breaks. While I have been handling the runs and have in fact had some beauties in the last month, the good runs are getting fewer and farther between.

Today I did 16K in the morning and 22K in the afternoon. Before both runs I felt hobbled like the guy from the movie "Misery" and although I did come good at the end it was just too hot, 32 degrees today, and now I have a thirst I just can't quench! A sure sign that I'm overdoing it.

Next week I'll back off a bit and try to get some more sleep but the "World Cup" in Sth Africa isn't helping matters. The games are all on from midnight to later in the morning here and I do like watching sport ;)

Just as well I don't have "Direct TV" or Cable were I'd get all of the games. I'd have to watch every game and "that would be painful!"

RUNNER'S DIET

Just read the interview with Keith Bateman that Rick put a link to on his blog. I was interested in the following comment

"I have consulted a dietitian to make sure my diet is tuned to distance running"

What does it mean exactly, a diet tuned to distance running? If you can help make that a bit clearer for me please do. I'd be interested to know specifics like what kind of food you should be eating daily, while training etc.

Anyway if you can shed any light on this subject I'd appreciate it.

Another old song. You are going to have to humour me in relation to 80s music but it seems I have a penchant for it these days. And this song also alludes to another 200K week under the belt! "How long can you stand the heat?" ;)

THE BEST THING

This song is dedicated to "running" but you're allow to think it's about you.

I'M RANKING!

Relaxing on the floor watching TV this afternoon when my wife walks in and says "You're ranking!" I responded "Alright, I'll just finish watching this and go take a bath" No sooner had I said that when I was struck in the back of the head with the new edition of "Japan's Marathon Yearly, top 100, Rankings."

Seems like I'm 21 again! That is, I ranked 21st on the list of top 100 hundred 45 year old marathon runners in Japan, last year! The number 1 ranked 45 year old who raced a marathon in Japan last year did it in 2:29:57. With my new beard I'm going to go gunning for that fella ;)



Having trouble scanning this book but when I do I'll show you some of the stats, really pretty interesting.

BEARD

I'm thinking about growing my beard long. Somewhere between the "Alpha male" short trimmed one I have now and a "Hobo" transient crazy looking one. I want my competition at the next marathon to be thinking, as I shoot past them, "Hey now that looks like a guy that likes camping....wait a minute! Why is he running so fast!!!"

Should be sufficient to blow a few minds and give me a competitive advantage. Still there is also the danger that I will come off looking like a pedophile rapist but I'm married and not looking to impress the ladiez!

GET IN EARLY

Had my boy's school's sports day last weekend. Enjoyed that and I'm please to report that although they both came last in their 100 meter races they were only last by a few feet not the long last that they usually are! Doesn't take much to make this Dad proud ;)

Had to take a day off yesterday due to work and frankly feeling spent. The ankles and Achilles are tender and sore to the touch and I've been avoiding hungry cats, small children and shopping trolleys, basically anything that might inadvertently rub and/or bump them.

This week will be just over 170K, down from last week still on track and higher than this time last marathon build up. One thing, if you want to run high mileage I'd suggest you always get in a good run before breakfast. If you miss that one it is hard to make it up in the evening and I find, more often than not, that if I miss the morning run I will take the day off altogether, rather than try to make it up or just do a short one.

Anyway back to work. Uploaded are some photos from the kid's sports day.

Hope you're all well.

THE STORY SO FAR

Here are some stats related to my marathon build up. Some interesting numbers. A couple of things stand out for me. One is that despite the amount of Ks I'm running the weight is remaining stable although the body fat is coming down as it should. Sometimes there is a lag with my weight loss, it may start to drop in a couple of weeks.

And another thing is the 203km week! My most Ks run, biggest week to date. Very pleased to know that I can now handle this kind of mileage and not breakdown. Expecting a letter any day now from Haile Gebrselassie with instructions on how to recognise other plus 200K runners in the secretive "High Mileage Club" ;)

What do you make of these figures? I want to do 5 200K plus weeks before my marathon, this will either break me or make me, we will see.

Marathon build up COUNTING DOWN


From Week 14 ending May 7th. 62.3kgs, 16.9% Body Fat, Stomach 77cm, Mileage 104km

Week 13 ending May 14th. 61.1kgs, 17.1% Body Fat, Stomach 75.5cm, Mileage 138km

Week 12 ending May 21st. 61.7kgs, 16.9% Body Fat, Stomach 74.5cm, Mileage 170km

Week 11 ending May 28th. 61.1kgs, 15.6% Body Fat, Stomach 73.5cm, Mileage 203km

A LITTLE MORE ACTION

Satisfy me

Wow! Really wow!! Just had a run that was like no other I've ever had!!! Hence the unscheduled post. Friday night after a long week at work and a longer week of high mileage I thought I'd just fit in a quick slow 10K to wrap up the week and...

Started out feeling like shit. Basically hobbling the first K but by 3kms into the run I was feeling loose and when this song, the one I've uploaded, came on my Ipod I was cruising. I was running into traffic, people coming off the Friday night train, and I felt like I was floating, really very strange! No effort but I was flying for 2K at least! Really the best I've ever felt running. What was that? The song? My fatigue causing the high? I don't know but, I do know that even if you feel like death warmed up give your run a chance, don't not go for a run because some of the best runs I've ever had came on the days I first felt I couldn't take another step!

Elvis rules!!!!!