WEEK 47

Yes it's week 47 in this year 2012. While we here in Cape Town are still getting ready for Summer, never seems to want to get here...

So what have I been up to in this week post my Marathon:

Unlike all you good guys out there who listen to their Coach!!! who have taken the whole week off, yes just imagine 7 days without running... (my eyes are closed and I'm trying) No I can't!!! I was out running on the Sunday. Now because Dawn had been on the road supporting me I popped on the bike and went for a ride with her, as nice as it was to be out on the bike, I don't really call that exercise, so I went for a little run later in the afternoon. No, I'm not mad it was 5.5km easy.

Monday, again I tried to be clever and sent the boys off on there own easy 10km forest run and I stayed at the track to run a couple of easy laps. I am after all recovering for a marathon. Ms 310, you evil little lady you... I just had a little look at her sleek lines and I saw the forbidden numbers 4:07 / km oh dear!!! I was planning of an easy 5km on the track to stay away for any hills...

Was I really running at 4:07? As I past the 500m mark I look at the time the running time 2:06, so what must a boy do? Up the pace a little and run at 4's... It felt easy as the laps ticked by I was able to 'float' around the track, I really wanted to keep the run easy, so I moved off screen 1 and onto the one that shows my heart rate and it was in the 140's so that was easy enough... I don't know what happened over he next couple of km but the HR was now in the 150's and climb, so I changed screen again and did a bit of maths, I was running to fast (don't you just hate it when that happens?) I was still a long way of 20min, but 5km was approaching all to quickly.

I stopped the clock at 18:01 and walked across the field back to the club house Oops!

Tuesday I got myself back under control with a slow 5km and a quick 500m on the track to stretch the legs.

After Wednesday's easy run 10km on the road I was ready to train again so Thursday saw me back on the track hammering out a couple of fast 400's. No more messing around I want to be fast again...

Friday was amazing and I was up at 05h00 for a run around the block, I'm going to be enjoying these morning runs more and more, its so much easier to get out there in summer than in the cold dark and wet of winter...

Saturday, Can you believe I stayed away from the race, but it was out at Mitchells Plain and I need to get on my Mountain.

Sam joined me and the 2 of us head off from the Nek at 07h30 I do like to sleep in now and again... lucky for us it had rained overnight and was cool with a couple of clouds on the mountain. (We would meet them later.) I had a nice little route planned and we set off round with mountain on the not so flat contour path to the block house.From there it was the gravel road through to the back end of Tafelberg Road. This was meant to be easy, but we were now running into the wind! A wind that had cleared the over night rain, and Sam summed it up well; it's like running on a treadmill!!! and that it was...

The mountain lay ahead of us!

After 1h32 this little climb lay ahead of us, and as we started I told Sam we would meet at the top... I always race the clock on climbs I've done before and it's a good tester to see if the legs are working... It a short run 2.2km with 660m climb!!! The aim as always is to break 30min, but I'm off my game, I'm getting old and fat,
it took me 31;38...

Waiting for Sam at the top

Nearly there...

Yes the clouds had now moved in the the run over the top was cold and wet, did I say cold? Yes Very cold, I bet around the zero mark with wind chill!!!

That's what Ms 310 tells us!

Some 3h21 (28km with 1285m climb) and we were back at the cars, and ready for the rest of Saturday...

With another Cycle and short run on Sunday I was ready to start training on Monday... The aim, to see if the little legs can still run fast!!! (although I might run this route again and have a crack at that sub 30, there is a straight race up with a record of about 27)

Happy training
Coach