HuRTS 45 Minute Fartlek

Small group today with most recovering from the Half Marathon or some such. I was close to the lead group at Farm Cove but they sped up a bit after that and left me running alone the rest of the way. Felt a bit tired early on but was pushing 4:00-4:10 on the ONs and 4:30s for the OFFs thinking Ill have to slow down. I'm not fit enough etc etc. Made it to the bridge (5.25k) 4:17 average and just tried to keep it honest. Was surprised to make it back with 22 seconds to spare for a 4:13 average journey home.

10.5k in 44:38

12.5k all up.

Warrior Triangles.

Felt very good today and was happy that my fitness wasn't too bad. I ran past plenty of people I had been lagging the past few months which was a good sign I can build a base from here. The body wouldn't quite go when I wanted it to, but that will come.

Blue Mountains

Up in the Blue Mountains to crew for Ferg and Heidi at the North Face 100k this past weekend. Had a really good time, especially helped by the fact that we were all done by 8:45pm.

Watched the dynamic duo take off at 7am and then had some breaky before heading down to checkpoint 3 at Megalong Valley Rd (54k mark) where I challenged myself to run up Nellies Glen. Despite almost coughing up a lung I made it up to the Explorers Tree in about an hour. On the way back down I passed all the front runners like Brendan, Vajin, Tucks, Rob Walter, Johnathon, Chris Truscott and plenty of others. It was great seeing who was strong and who was struggling. Andy Lee looked like he wouldn't finish (he did) and CT looked terrible (but also finished). I saw JW at the checkpoint when I got back, looking like he was at a mates bbq, totally relaxed drinking and eating anything in sight.

Checked my phone and found out Ferg's Achilles had blown and he dropped at CP1. That was 2 hours before and I was supposed to pick him up (great support crew!). He managed to hitch a ride to CP3 so it was all good.

The rest of the day was spent watching my pocket rocket sister-in-law smoke the race and just get fast and faster. Her first 100k and she ran it like a pro, going out conservative and blowing through CPs in 3-5 minutes. It was impressive. I told her she should run 15 hours beforehand and she finished in an amazing 13:46. 21st women so a great result.

Had time to watch the finish and snapped this photo of Tucks who came home in third

Brendan Davis ran a course record 9:16 (previously held by none other than Kilian Jornet) three weeks after running a 100 mile trail race in Japan, 2 weeks after setting a PB at the Bathurst half marathon (72 something) and 1 week after finishing well up in a 12 k trail race at Bobbin Head. He ran 45 minutes faster than last year. Quite an extraordinary month of racing.

AntiBionics

I have been on the antibiotics since Monday (or AntiBionics thanks Steve Austin) and stopped running with the aim of getting this thing cleared up for good. Felt pretty crappy all week but managed to get out for a very easy jog with Jesse, Biggsy and AM-B around the Domain Ovals.

One of the mums snapped this picture of Harry scoring his very first try in u7 rugby on Saturday. Notice the intense focus and perfect ball carry.

Fatigued

Hardest run in ages with Joe, Dr Skins, Youngy, Josh, The Nemesis and Guy. Legs were fatigued from Wednesday and 1.5 hours of tennis last night against Andrew. I have never run so much in a tennis match.

We just did the McMahons Point loop but I was crap from the Bridge onwards today and just hung in there until the run back over the Bridge where everyone just took off and left me doing 6++ minute Ks.

10.5k in 58 mins - super slow but some steep hills and stairs.

HuRTS Wednesday

Caught up with MC, Mr Ace, JW and Aiden at MMC stairs as they were doing MC's new waterfront route. We did the usual Farm Cove, OH, CQ, Hyatt section and then ran around the wharfs on Hickson Rd and then through Darling Harbor and all the wharfs in Pyrmont before heading back via the Darling Harbor bridge.

I cut short at Margaret St for 16.5k all up.

Felt alright despite coughing my guts up in the change room.

Cross Country Champ

Alec showed his win in the cross country last year wasn't a fluke by winning again this year. He lead for 90% of the race but had one guy pressuring him most of the way. I was worried however because he looked like he was really struggling most of the way. He has a great determination and that is probably what got him through, it certainly wasn't his fitness. All his exercise comes from Rugby training once a week and one game a week, the rest is surfing, which probably doesn't do much for his running.

With 16 days until the district cross country I took it on myself to take him out this morning for a run. A fairly steady run to Shelley with some efforts along the way followed by 5 hill repeats of about 250m from Shelley up past the car park. We did them in 37-40s and it was pretty tough with a steep section to negotiate. We then jogged easy back home for around 6k all up.

Alec struggled but he will improve very quickly I think.