Saturday - 2 x laps of the white fence tempo + 2 x (3 x 150m hills, jog recovery) (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

Back to Centennial Park this morning, and a good turn-up. A lap of the white fence for the warm-up, followed by some strides. Then straight into a 2 lap tempo of the white fence, same as two weeks ago, anticlockwise (i.e. the slow way around that under reads the distance). Really happy with the effort, as I didn't really pay attention to the watch and ran on feel. Keith and Matt ran off into the distance, but I held my own. Each lap was run at 11:51/2, finishing in 23:42 - nine seconds quicker than a fortnight earlier. 3:17 min/km pace, so not too bad on a tricky and uneven course. We then crossed the road and finished off with some hill sprints. A lap of the white fence cool-down for just under 18km all up. Another 40 minutes planned before lunch.

Got out before lunch. Another 40 minutes in the bank. 8.71km at 4:36's.

Friday - 40 minutes easy + hill strides

Devastated! Had to forgo my traditional Friday rest and sleep in day! 40 minutes easy was on the plan, on top of what has already been a massive week! Went out and shuffled towards the lagoon, before syncing up with Justin on the way back past North Steyne. Turning around at Shelly, Darren joined us. Back to Queenscliff, then to Raglan St for hill strides. Nice and slow, holding 4:39's. 8.61km. 101.6km since Monday according to Strava. Still got two runs tomorrow and a long one on Sunday!

Thursday - 6 x 1km (4:30 cycle), 5:30 rest, 1km hard (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

The good news is that I didn't get 'caught out' by this session. I was wise enough (for once) to recognise that the typical rest period had been reduced by 30 seconds. This may not sound like much, but it totally changes the dynamics of the entire session (typically we run these off a 5 minute cycle). Psychologically, I didn't even consider the final rep until I got to that point - I simply focused on getting through the 6 efforts as consistently as possible. I was joined by Darren, Justin and Ben. We met at Manly LSC and ran these in the bike lane up to North Steyne for the odds, back to Manly for the evens. Once again, I didn't look at my pace once until the conclusion of the session. I solely thought about the effort I was putting in - going hard, but keeping it controlled. Just imagined I had Tom next to me to help set the pace. In the end, I was once again consistent - 3:08, 3:08, 3:04, 3:05, 3:06, and 3:05. Quite happy with that (we always want to run faster), especially considering the reduced rest period. At this point Justin and Ben finished up (the former really dug deep, which is great to see)! After a 5:30 rest and chat, Darren and I were off for the final rep. It felt ok with the extra rest between six and seven, but still in no way 'fresh.' Similarly, had no idea of the pace I was holding until I finished. Ended up with 3:04. Not super amazingly fast, but after the previous set I was satisfied. Anyway, I couldn't really stand after this, so I definitely dug deep. Darren got across the line in 3:26, which was essentially the average he held for his previous six reps. A nice easy 5km cooldown along the beachfront for just over 17km all up. Once again, another amazing sunrise!

An easy 8km along the beachfront again tonight. Amazing weather. 8.63km in 4:38's. No rest day tomorrow!!!

Wednesday - 80 minutes easy + hill strides

Had the luxury of a mild sleep in this morning. Met Ben and Clive (Darren was MIA) at North Steyne SLSC at 5:50am. Got anoth spectacular sunrise as we ran up to North Head. Really took it extra easy this morning, as my legs and body were still recovering from yesterday's runs. Got back and headed to the lagoon entrance before finishing the last bit solo to Raglan St. 4:36's for 17.39km. Finished off as always with some hill strides, feeling better than when I started - which is always the plan.

Tuesday - 79 minutes continuous (15 easy, 22 fartlek, 5 easy, 22 effort, 15 easy) (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

This is probably my most dreaded session. To make matters worse, Gary switched the order - doing the fartlek followed by the effort. A cruisy 15 minute warm-up before meeting Darren at Queenscliff SLSC ready to kick off the first part. The fartlek was 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1 minute efforts with 1 minute floats. I tried to keep the efforts around 3:15's, with the floats just under 3:50's. To my surprise, this went quite fast, and I managed to get out 6.61km for the entire 22 minutes - averaging 3:19's. Couldn't really believe this, as it felt like I was holding back with the knowledge I was going to have to do an encore set very soon after. It was true though, as I finished the effort at the top of the first little hill past Manly LSC on the way to Shelly Beach - exactly where I finished last time on the initial 22 minute effort (and I really went for it that day)! I turned around and caught up with Darren for the 5 minutes of easy jogging between sets. He was determined to keep both parts consistent, as he apparently blew up big time last time out. Commenced the 22 minute effort about 250m before having to turn at Shelly Beach. Decided to run this one purely on feel, with the average pace starting around 3:21's, slowing to a 3:23 by the end; 6.5km. This was hard, but by absolutely no means all out. I reckon I could have pushed a second or two per kilometer quicker, but might not have pulled up so well - especially as I think I will end up close to 160km this week. Need to play it smart. Really happy with the consistency between the two sets (3:19, 3:23 vs. 3:19, 3:27 last time out). A nice and easy 15 minute cooldown for 21.3km continuous, holding 3:43's for the entire session. A lovely way to start the day.

I felt surprisingly great this afternoon for my 40 minutes easy. Really bouncy and springy - much better than last Tuesday afternoon. Managed 8.88km at 4:30 pace. Just over 30km for the day!

Anzac Day - 75 minutes easy + hill strides

A nice sleep in until 6:50am this morning, a real treat for a Monday morning. It was a beautiful morning, crisp, clear with a moderate offshore south-westerly wind - making for amazing surf. Went out solo, kind of making up the route as I went along. Started off by heading towards Nolan's, then a lap of the golf course, before heading along the beachfront then heading to the wharf on my way to the start of the MSW. Then back to Raglan St for some hill strides. Nice and comfortable, 16.63km at 4:31's.

Sunday long run - 2 hours

I actually wore a shirt this morning, that's how cold it was! Well, that is how cold I thought it was when I got up. Truth is that is wasn't too bad - just getting soft as I get older. I met Ben, Scott, and Darren at the pool for a 6:15am kick-off. Picked up Toby at Dee Why as per usual. Felt amazingly good this morning, which was truly surprising after the long tempo yesterday. However, at about 17km I really started to notice the legs, and energy levels took a dip. The last 30 minutes from the lake back were simply just about getting home. Could have actually pushed it harder if I really needed to, but I actually now trust my body a lot more and knew that any faster was going to serve no benefits whatsoever. Scotty and I finished with a solid 27.95km, at 4:18's. So a solid weekend of running, on top of a relatively small week in terms of mileage - but a lot of pure speed. Just under 125km for the week. Next week looks intimidating!

Saturday - 16km tempo around the Bay Run

Probably one of my favourite sessions this one! Most people dread it (I'm looking at you Darren, who will go and enter a race in order to avoid these long tempo runs). The Bay Run is a great place for it as well, as you can simply put the hammer down and go on autopilot. Plus, the public show a general sense of awareness around this track - something that locals around the Northern Beaches could learn a thing or two from. Anyway, not the greatest conditions this morning - intermittent showers and a progressively increasing southerly wind that got worse each lap. Spoke to Gary beforehand and he suggested to run slightly faster than last time. So I did that, went out slightly faster than four weeks earlier. Got through the first 10km in around 33:53, and felt strong but definitely not easy. Still had a bit left, so really just consolidated until the 14km mark (a slow kilometer between 13-14km where you go climb up to the bridge) before really giving it a bit for the final stretch into a nice headwind. Finished the 16km right at the mark this time (I think I finished slightly short last time out) in 54:32 - 11 seconds quicker than last time, in much tougher conditions. 3:24's. Shuffled very slowly back to the car for 25km all up. Definitely no double today! A big week ahead, no rest day and 10 runs! A good solid hit out before two back-to-back races in early May. Getting my confidence back, and feeling strong!

Thursday speed - 8 x 600m (3:30 cycle)

No double today! Just the single speed session this morning. Psychologically this was more pleasant than Tuesday - well, that was before the session began. Likewise, the session looked relatively easy on paper. The flip side is that due to the relative short duration and longer than usual rest periods, the intensity is once again very hard. Met with Darren & Justin (Emma called in sick) outside North Steyne SLSC after a 20 minute warm-up. Ran the odds south, the evens north. As always, the first one felt horrible (and was relatively slow), then the second one was the quickest. Not bad in terms of consistency, struggling the most between 5 and 7. 1:45, 1:42, 1:44, 1:43, 1:46, 1:45, 1:47 and 1:45. Averaged 1:45's, which translates to 2:55 min/km pace. A bloody hard session in the end (those rests between efforts felt shorter with each passing rep)! I haven't done this exact session before, but I did a similar one in late November under Ken which was 10 x 2 minutes (off 90 seconds), where I held 3:03 min/km pace. So quite an improvement since then, despite today's session being slightly shorter. A nice and easy 5km cool-down between Shelly and Queenscliff. An absolutely amazing sunrise - a stunning day out there. Devastated to see that it won't last for the long weekend!

Wednesday - 60 minutes easy + hill strides

Shorter than usual for a Wednesday! So I took the opportunity for a sleep-in - got up at 6:05am! I met Erika outside North Steyne SLSC and we headed leisurely towards Shelly, then the now-ritual MSW along West Esplanade. Hopefully Tom (podiatrist) can sort her foot out today - although it does warm-up when she runs, which is always a positive. Ended up getting out 13.14km at 4:34's. Finished with some hill strides at the bottom of Raglan St. Once again, another amazing morning - although today it looks like it will remain.

Tuesday speed - 3 x (1000m, off 90 secs, 400m) 10 minute cycle (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

Again, another easy looking session on paper (or on Training Peaks, to be more specific). Once again, nothing could be further from the truth. The low volume coupled with the long rest periods ensures the pace is bloody hard! Met with Darren and Richard at Manly LSC where we agreed to run the session in the bike line parallel to the main walkway. First and third reps we headed north towards Queenscliff, the second south towards Manly. Overall, was very happy with the session - even more so after the cool-down when I first saw the splits. 2:57, 66, 2:57, 70, 3:03, 68. Stoked to average under 3 minute pace for the 1000's - it's always hard to do on the beachfront (much more so than on the oval). In particular, the third (and slowest rep) was a surprise - I honestly felt like my legs were lead and ran like my grandma for that one, so to see a 3:03 is quite encouraging. Couldn't have gone any harder at all - absolutely spent by the end! A nice and easy 5km cool-down for around 15km all up. Another beautiful sunrise (not that I paid too much attention as I was in a world of hurt); hopefully today it will stay out.

Snuck out before lunch for some laps around Randwick. Nice and easy 40 minutes, holding 4:34's for 8.76km.

Monday - 75 minutes easy + hill strides

Solo this morning for a run to North Head. Hadn't been up there for a while - didn't really miss it though. Got to see a beautiful sunrise (the forecast was wrong once again). Took it very easy. 4:34's got me to 16.44km. Another kilometer of hill strides to finish off. 123 beats per minute.

Long Sunday - Two Hours

Managed to completely avoid the rain (which has still not presented as I am writing this now). Met with Scotty and Darren for a 6:15am kick-off at Manly Pool. Hamish joined in about a kilometer later, with Toby appearing at his usual location at Dee Why. Scotty and I probably pushed the pace more than usual - especially early on in the run. Got through the normal lap of the lake - my first in three weeks. Darren and Hamish peeled off midway through the lake to continue back along Pittwater Rd, with Toby turning around at Dee Why. Downhill for he final 20 minutes saw the last few kilometers low to sub-4 minute pace. Pretty much got to the start of the lagoon for 27.77km, averaging 4:19's. A comfortable 129 beats per minute, I actually felt remarkably good given my 148.6km week (my longest under Gary's guidance). Looking forward to a very relaxing morning of not much at all!

Saturday at Centennial - 2 x laps of the white fence tempo + 8 x 150m hills (jog recovery) (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

Probably the easiest session of the week - not that that is saying much, as the last week has been brutal to say the least. Two 3.6km laps at tempo pace in the anticlockwise direction was first up. Like always, anticlockwise reads short on my GPS (about 100m) - so I knew the pace was going to read slower than it was. Didn't bother me to be honest, as I purely ran on feel. Ended up getting it done solo out the front in 23:51 - just under 3:19's, so perfect pacing. Felt tough, but (just) manageable. Walked over with the others to the hill just opposite the cafe for 8 reps. The usual 5km cool-down for just over 18.4km all up. Just saw next week's program - looks much more respectable. A speed week, with only one double run. Still got to get through this afternoon and tomorrow first though.

It's definitely quite humid for this time of the year. Got out just before lunch for an easy 40 minute run. Decided to avoid the crowds and headed towards Nolan's where I ran along the path, a lap of Passmore, a lap of the golf course and back along Queenscliff. Nice and easy, 8.71km at 4:36's - holding 119 beats per minute. Looks like I will fall just shy of a 150km week after tomorrow's two hour run.

Thursday madness - 10 minute effort, 10 x 400m (2:15 cycle), 10 minute effort (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

This was psychological torture. Just reading the session itself was intimidating. Met with Darren, Burkey and Ben on the Balgowlah Rd entry into Graham Reserve to start the first effort. We agreed on an anticlockwise loop around the golf course - in other words, the slow direction. As I have done this numerous times now, I know what to expect number wise on the Garmin (when it works). Set out at a solid, yet controlled pace. To my surprise, I set a new benchmark for the loop (something I wasn't actually aiming for, given the duration of the session yet to come) holding 3:14's. Tough but not too taxing. About a 5 minute break regathering everyone before we set off for the 400's on Graham Reserve, alternating between anticlockwise and clockwise laps. Burkey was great company for the first 5 reps, really setting the pace nicely. However, the remaining 5 I was solo out the front, although he did make a brief appearance for the first 200m of number 8. I was happy with the consistency, perhaps slightly too fast for the first rep (I'll blame Burkey for that) - 69, 70, 72, 71, 72, 72, 73, 71, 72, 72. That was it for the others (very jealous at this point in time); I was just as spent and couldn't fathom the thought of another 10 minute effort. After much deliberation and convincing myself that this will do wonders for my stamina, I was off. Middle kilometer uphill slowed the average pace somewhat, but managed to finish strong - averaging 3:19's. Very happy with that! Exhausted, I managed at 5km easy cooldown along the beachfront. Just under 20.5km all up. And another 40 minutes easy planned for this afternoon. Thank god tomorrow is a rest day!

Did the 40 minutes along the beachfront at Manly. Felt nice and relaxed, with an average heart rate of 118 confirming that. 8.68km at 4:36's. Just over 29km for the day!

80 minutes easy + hill strides

It looks as if Gary is progressively returning me back to the traditional Wednesday morning medium long run. Another 5 minutes this week over the previous 75 minute Wednesday's. Joined by Erika, Justin, and Ben (Bourkey came in towards the end). Really made sure I took it easy this morning after a massive 29km of running yesterday. This involved doing a few loops here and there to ensure that I didn't pull away from the others. But the pace was actually perfect - just what I needed. Ran along the beachfront, West Esplanade, back to Shelly before returning to the lagoon and finishing at Raglan St for some hill strides. All up, 17.18km holding 4:39's. The heart rate averaged 116, but going on its track record, I am not sure whether this is reliable. It felt nice and easy though.

Tuesday - Broken 10km (4km, 4 x 1km [off 500m jog]) (am) + 40 minutes recovery (pm)

Only myself, Darren, Erika and a broken Jamie this morning. It was wet and miserable. I decided to complete the session on the approximately 1.7km concrete path loop at the edge of Nolan's Reserve, while the others opted for the grass. So essentially a solo session. Held a comfortably hard 3:10 pace for the first 3.2km of the initial 4km effort before my GPS annoyingly lost signal at the eastern turn of the loop and started saying 3:40's. Pissed off, I ran the last 800m harder than I probably should have, finishing the last kilometer in 3:21 (which was over a kilometer). An easy 500m jog followed (about 4:50 pace) before kicking off with the 1000m reps. Not super fast, each with the slow eastern turn right in the middle, but I think I got out 3:08, 3:11, 3:10 and 3:07. Again, I ran these on feel more than looking at my watch. This seems to allow me to run more consistently, and generally sees myself pushing the last rep out as the fastest - something which was never possible in the past. I saw that both Erika and Darren had opted for the footpath in the back half of the session (good call). A nice easy 5km cooldown along the beachfront for just over 19.6km all up. The GPS doesn't seem to like the inclement weather - it did this a few Tuesday's earlier when I ran solo loops of the golf course. Doesn't matter, the effort was definitely there. At least I can back up the claim by looking at the pace analysis section on Strava - a nice random dip on the blue graph just after the 3km mark.

Again, more issues with the GPS. Looking at the map view of my afternoon run, it was all over the place. At one point, it even had me holding 1:05 min/km pace! Really dissatisfied with Garmin - it appears some others on Strava are having similar issues. Anyway, supposedly ran 8.86km at 4:31 min/km pace, holding 121 beats per minute. The latter is the only one I trust at the moment. I would say it was closer to 4:40's. Anyway, just shy of 29km of running for the day - not bad!

75 minutes easy with hill strides

Had to be up earlier morning, so got out 30 minutes along the beachfront before meeting Tom at the lagoon entrance. Ran to Shelly Beach then slightly along West Esplanade before heading home. 16.66km in 4:30's, a very comfortable 121 beats per minute. Finished off with some hill strides.

Sunday 90 minutes easy

Well, that's the last run of my 'recovery' week. 90 minutes, and I can honestly say I am glad it wasn't a minute longer. Felt stiff and sore walking to the pool where I met Barts and Ben. Tom joined us about 30 seconds later. It was my last chance to run with Tom and Barts before they both head to London where they are doing some sort of race over there in 14 days (never heard of it)? The first two kilometers were barely under 5 minute pace - but definitely felt harder effort wise. We progressively picked up more people as the run progressed - with Toby and Emma joining us just before Brookvale, then Tim not long after. Strict instructions were 90 minutes, so I turned just before Mactier St - but this week I had Tim and Ben to keep me company; the latter also running 90 minutes. Tim is actually running some unheard of race in Boston in 8 days, so just a short run him as well. After Mt. Dee Why I was solo, but at least it is all down hill from there on in. Picked up the lace naturally to finish the 90 minutes with 20.75km, averaging 4:20's. Might miss the ocean swim, it's slightly cool outdoors. But will definitely head up to The Emporium with the others. A nice day ahead of not much - looking forward to it. Some legend told me that I need to 'relax' - so I am going to try my best to achieve that!

Canberra 10km

World record conditions for the Australian Running Festival, kicking off with the Canberra 10km. Got out of bed just before 6am and was greeted by a very chilly 6 degrees Celcius. Jogged to the start line, and tried my new warm-up. This consisted of 15 minutes easy, followed by 3 x 60/60 on/off. Felt alright, but hard to tell as it was bloody cold (I'm from Sydney, so am allowed to whinge)! Lined up and was ready to go. Had a quick chat to Ken Gibson on the start line, where he told me he was aiming for 32:30. I thought he was on drugs - either he was disillusioned or he had actually improved significantly. The thing about this course is that while Canberra is predominantly flat around the CBD region, the course designers must have managed to find very possible hill available and put it into the 10km course! Anyway, my race plan was to hold a comfortable pace from the start, and then really put the hammer down at the 7.5km mark (thanks Tom). This worked quite well. The first kilometer is straight uphill - I didn't freak out this year as I did last year when I saw 3:30 on the watch. Nevertheless, this year was a much more palpable 3:22. I relaxed on the downhill, hitting out two successive 3:14's. From here in in, it is undulating - very similar to a roller coaster. I think I was sitting in a lonely 7th at the 5km mark where I hit 16:31. At this stage, I knew a sub-33 was going to be a massive ask. Got through the horrible 5-6km mark where there was another nasty hill (all the memories from last year came streaming back). Then it was just a matter of consolidating until I got to 7.5km. At this stage, I could still see 5th and 6th. Knowing that one of them was Ken, I knew that at this point I had to put the hammer down if I was going to reel him in. Caught him just after the 8km mark. Went past him with a mile to go - and this is where the nasty final climb begins. I just wanted to finish now! Held on for the last kilometer to record a not too bad 33:25 to finish 6th outright. By no means a PB, but a 30 second course PB (from 2015), so definitely satisfied with that. Like always, you I want to run faster, but I will definitely take this well - as it was a hard fought run on a tough course. It also puts me in a good position heading into May. Ken finished 6th, and Christian ran an impressive 34:10. I joined the two of them for a nice lap around Burley Griffin (Ken took us on the tourist route). Now heading to Ken's famous Canberra Cafe called Stand By Me where I am faced with a first world dilemma - should I get the ful medames or French toast (apparently they are famous for the latter - but believe it or not, I have actually never had French toast)!

Taper session - 41 minutes continuous (15 easy, 6 x 60/60 on/off, 15 easy)

My first proper taper week comes to an end. The good news is that I feel a million times better right now then I did before the session this morning. The shortness and sharpness of it was just what I needed. Ended up getting up later (630am), which was a massive bonus. Ran along the beachfront where there was a massive southerly. Ended up doing the first and last two efforts into the headwind, the second to fourth with a massive tailwind. Comfortably held low-to-sub 3:00 min/km pace. The 15 minutes at the end felt ridiculously easy, but to my surprise I was holding four minute kilometer pace. Perhaps a strategy to adopt in my warm-up on Saturday morning. 10.17km all up, averaging 4:02's.

60 minutes easy + hill strides

Another amazing sunrise today. Got out for a quick lap up to Manly LSC before heading towards Queenscliff where I met up with Erika, Darren, Robbie and Tom. Nice and easy this morning, we ran to Shelly Beach before heading along West Esplanade towards the MSW. 13km exactly holding 4:37's. Finished off with some hill strides, topped off by jumping into an amazingly warm ocean! It's like a bath!

Taper session - 5 x 1000m (off 5:00 cycle) (am) + 30 minutes recovery (pm)

A massive turnout this morning at Graham Reserve for some 1km reps. At the starting line were Erika, Darren, Jamie, Quentin, Burkey, Tim, Justin, Emma, Charlie - and Tom (who came fashionably late after our first rep). It was so nice having both Quentin and Tom to share the lead with - it really saves some mental energy not having to look at GPS and worry about pacing. Unfortunately the famous white line used for the cricket field has been replaced by two soccer fields - so the accuracy of the 400m lap was not 100%. Although having run it a fair few times, I have a pretty good idea of the line to follow. If anything, each rep was just over one kilometer. We mixed it up, doing the odds anticlockwise, the evens clockwise. This confuses the GPS generally, with the former under-reading, the latter over-reading. Nevertheless, it's fair to say that the reps were in the low 3:00 range. Each rep generally started with Quentin going out strong, me sitting his tail, with Tom kicking through at about 400m, then myself trying to bring it home for the last 200m. Felt great throughout, finishing the session with some left in the tank - the perfect way to complete this session. Actually wanted to do a final rep with most of the others, but stuck to Gary's plan. A nice cool-down saw more laps of Graham Reserve before running back home. Just under 16km all up. A beautiful looking day ahead!

Got out just before lunch for an easy 30 minute run. 6.5km at 4:36's.

Monday recovery - 30 minutes easy + hill strides

Should have gotten up earlier! Treated myself into a (relative) sleep in due to the fact that it was only 30 minutes of easy running this morning. Got up, looked outside - it was cloudy, but no signs of rain. As soon as I laced up, it poured!!! So an easy 30 minutes along the beachfront in the pouring rain - at least it was light. Felt fine, held a very comfortable 4:28 pace - just over 6.7 km. Heart rate monitor was on drugs again this morning - giving readings well into the 200's. I am seriously unimpressed with Garmin; their customer service is unfortunately no better. First world problems! Finished off with some hill strides in a very light drizzle. I am actually more hungry now than usual - and I've barely done anything!

Sunday recovery - 70 minutes

The start of my first proper recovery week. Not used to these, and deep down I am not a fan. But being a realist, not implementing these in the past has been my big downfall. Anyhow, decided to still meet up with the Sunday crew - and it was a huge turnout today. It got to 12 (including myself) at one point. Tom, Macca, Scott, Barts, Jamie, Tim, Toby, Erika, Lucy, Darren and Craig! Was keen for a chat with most people, so had to do the rounds quickly as I was only with them for the first 35 minutes. This got me to Long Reef Golf Course. Turned around and ran solo back home. Pushed the pace ever so slightly (low to sub-4's), nothing to strenuous by any means. Got back to North Steyne SLSC for 16.56km. 4:14's average. Feel extremely guilty for completing such a short run (especially with Tom and Barts running 38km), but that is what Gary has written on the program. Another very short tomorrow as well. Didn't manage to get back dry, a sudden downpour for the last kilometer!

Saturday at Centennial - 3 x 3km (off 600m jog)

So much for avoiding Lane Cove for something easier in preparation for Canberra 10km next Saturday! As usual, Gary announced the session about 30 seconds before we started. He pointed out everyone who was racing either the half or 10km next Saturday and told them the run 2 reps this morning. However, he looked at me and said 'I don't like the Canberra course, it's rubbish! So three reps for you!' Haha, I don't disagree with him - Canberra is not somewhere to go in order to run PB's; it's hilly, windy, and tough. So 3 x laps of the white fence (3km of it), with the remaining 600m as a 'slower than 5 minute kilometer pace jog' between. Probably did the first two efforts too quick - averaged 3:10's (which I was stoked with) and 3:13's (which I was still stoked with) for the first two reps. Paid for this on the third rep, with Hamish coming past me about halfway through. Still managed to hold a half respectable 3:19 pace for the third rep, so not too bad at all. I must say that my stamina is definitely improving under Gary - which has always been my Achilles heel, especially at 5-10km pace (half is ok). Averaged 3:30 for the 10.8km (including the 600m jogs). A nice easy 5km cool-down (another lap of the white fence) for 20km all up. Now for a well earned recovery week starting tomorrow with a 70 minute 'long run.' Not usually a fan of recovery weeks, but I now know that they are essential to getting faster!