Sunday - 2 hours 10 minutes (solo)

Got a message at 4:50am this morning from Justin informing me that his lower leg is too sore, so he won't be running today. I messaged Hamish (my only other confirmed starter) to ren sure him that I was still running. Started at the pool at usual time of 6:15am, picking Hamish up almost immediately. Poor guy had been sick all week, and hadn't actually trained since last Sunday's long run. A slower run didn't bother me, especially following a solid day yesterday. However, as we approached Dee Why, Hamish's cough got worse and worse. He had to stop. He was extremely apologetic, but I was the one who felt bad. So there I was, 5km into my Sunday long run completely solo. The last time this was the case would have been back in February. Nevertheless, I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It was a magnificent sunrise, and mild morning on top of that. The crowds were down, so had plenty of time to think to myself. One random question came up - can vegeterian stop eat fish roe? Controversial topic that one! Anyway, got back to North Steyne, then did a lap around my block getting to 29.85km at the 2 hour 10 minute mark. The inner OCD in me decided to push on for the extra (what was 33 seconds) to bring it up to 30 on the dot. 4:21's, holding a very comfortable and conservative 134 beats per minute. Felt remarkably good this morning - I am starting to believe that the past few weeks I had been mildly anaemic. Nothing some liquid iron cannot fix (although I might have to purchase some straws, as it completely stains my teeth). 150.7km for the week! Next two weeks will be progressively less in the lead up to the C2S. Got some really sharp speed work this week - gotta try and recruit some starters for Tuesday and Thursday morning (Tom, Scott)!!!

Saturday - 4 laps of the hill loop + 1 lap of the white fence (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

Another cracking session this morning at Centennial Park. Great to see Neil Pearson back for a Saturday session - both him and Alex are always good to have there to keep me honest (Matt, Keith and Tom are light years ahead). A slight variation of the previous two weeks - but to be honest, one that I prefer. Only having to do one lap of the white fence after an extra lap of the hill loop was a good trade off in my mind. Went solid from the start this morning, but kept it controlled at the same time. Sat behind Alex for the first lap uphill, then took a lead up top, before Neil came flying downhill (the man is a demon on the downhills)! One lap down, three to go (plus a white fence). Sat with Neil until the start of the hill on the second lap, but felt good so took a lead. From then on I was able to gap Neil and Alex for the remainder of the effort, finishing it off completely solo. 9.45km in 3:29's. One more lap than last week, and 4 seconds per kilometer faster. Really felt strong and in control the whole time (must honestly be going back to the iron supplements as of Wednesday)! Then a quick regroup for a single lap (thank god) of the white fence. Again, ended up running this out the front solo, with a few turn around looks to check out where the others were. Could see Alex, but he wasn't getting closer. Had the heart rate monitor on, and tried to ensure that I kept it in the low 170's - above that is beyond threshold pace. Managed to mostly do this, finishing in 3:25's. Not too shabby after an almost 10km hill effort. Alex came in about 20 seconds after, then Neil about the same time after Alex. A great solid 13.2km of hard tempo running. Finished up with a 5km cooldown talking to Nick Seeto about this weekend's German Grand Prix. Just over 22km all up.

An easy 40 minutes this afternoon. Did the Nolan's/golf course loop to avoid the crowds along the beachfront. Took it super easy. 8.5km in 4:43's. About 31km for the day!

Thursday - Hills and 15 minute tempo (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

I was stoked to have Quentin join me this morning - thought I was going to be solo once again! We met at the bottom of Darley Rd at 6am (after a 20 minute warm-up) ready to go. The hills consisted of 1 x 4 minute (1st minute back hard), then 6 x 1 minute hills (the 1st and 4th with hard runs back down). A nice way to get the heart rate up! Just shy of 21 minutes all up, getting in just over 5km. A short break before hitting the dreaded 15 minute tempo (was tempted to ignore Gary's advise and do this first)! This is where having Quentin with me made the world of difference. Similar to last week with Tom, we were able to share the work throughout - making the effort psychologically that much more bearable. We kind of led a kilometer each. The first two kilometers were 3:19, 3:20, before hitting two slower splits of 3:28, 3:30 (I often wonder how much the GPS loses its bearings between North Steyne SLSC and Raglan St), before finishing with a 3:17 split for the final 400m. 4.42km all up in 3:24's. Not too bad at all considering the hills prior. Effort wise I really kept it 'comfortably hard,' averaging 163 beats per minute, maxing out at 168. The heart rate graph looked textbook! A nice easy cooldown for 5km bringing up just over 19km for the morning. A great way to start another stunning day. I'm going to give myself a few days off from the weights, as I have been feeling flat lately (although I think the last two Saturday sessions may have been more of a factor). Another easy 40 minutes planned for later today.

An easy 40 minutes around Manly this afternoon. 8.62km in 4:38's. Just under 28km for the day!

Wednesday - 80 minutes + strides

Up in the darkness to meet Ben at Justin for the traditional Wednesday medium long run. Justin had been running for 55 minutes prior to this, so took off like a rocket! Went and did the North Head loop, then back down for a few laps along the beachfront. Feeling tired this morning, running 27km yesterday probably not helping the cause. The heart rate was low, averaging 123 beats per minute. I need to keep a close eye on this, as if it stays low like this (especially in the harder sessions) then I need to take a few easy days. 17.24km in 4:38's. Finished off with some strides along Pine Lane. Another beautiful sunrise coupled with a balmy winter's morning.

Tuesday - 4 x (5 minute effort, 1 minute jog, 1 minute hard), off 2 minutes rest (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

The good news is that this morning I was able to identify my weakest link. My high end aerobic capacity (which admittedly hasn't really been targeted post-injury) is lagging all other areas of my running fitness. It's those 3-5 minute hard efforts that my body hasn't been exposed to in a while, and didn't I feel it this morning! Met Burkey and Justin at Manly LSC at 6am, the latter doing an 8km tempo effort. Wasn't too sure how to attack this, as 5 minute efforts are close to a mile - so as always, taking the relatively conservative pace initially is very important. Burkey went out bloody hard, as I kind of expected, and I would have been gob smacked if he was able to hold it. Let's just say I wasn't gob smacked. A slightly headwind running up to Queenscliff - meaning that both the first and third 5 minute efforts were directly into it, with the first 500m or so of the second and forth 5 minute efforts into it as well. The flip side was that each subsequent 1 minute effort was southbound with a slight tailwind. All-in-all, effort wise was certainly there - just the pace is lagging. I simply need more of these types of sessions (as I have been doing lots and lots of 3+km efforts with 7km tempos). 1.52km (3'17), 0.33km (3'02); 1.53km (3'16), 0.33km (3'02); 1.49km (3'21), 0.32km (3'09); 1.52km (3'17), 0.32km (3'06). All up averaging 3:17.75 min/km pace (didn't want to round it up) for the 5 minute efforts (1.515km). Did a similar session in November (5 x 1 mile, off 2 minutes) averaging 3:13's, so still a bit of improvement left. A nice and easy cooldown with both Burkey and Justin. Just over 18km all up. Going to hit some weights now, then an easy 40 minutes before lunch.

An easy 40 minutes around Randwick before a late lunch. Made the mistake of wearing the heart rate chest strap too high once again - but figured this out after about 7 minutes, so all good thereafter. 8.65km in 4:38's. Just shy of 27km for the day!

Monday - 75 minutes + hill strides

Out with Ben this morning for a spectacular sunrise and a beautiful crisp Sydney morning. Felt surprisingly good this morning, given that I had just run 62km since Satuday morning. Ben felt the same - must be the weather (or last night's paella). Did a lap of North Head, then a lap of the beachfront. 16.29km all up at 4:36's. Reintroduced some hill strides back into the program this morning post-run. So another kilometer on top. Feeling good, it's starting to come together again!

Sunday - 2 hours 10 minutes

Quite cold this morning. Not a bad turnout - myself, Scotty, Barts, Justin, Hamish, Toby and Ben. Was more than happy to sit back and let the others lead today after a solid 32km in the legs from yesterday. Changed the route slightly by running the eastern side of the lake instead of the western side. No real difference in terms of distance. No fast finish (again, thanks to Barts), which was much welcomed. The extra 10 minutes didn't seem too bad either, just running back to The Emporium at 2:05:30, so continued on for another 2:15 with Barts to his car, then back once again to The Emporium where I met Justin. 29.58km in 4:24's. I think I wore the heart-rate monitor too high, as it stopped reading correctly after about 10km. Seems fine now that I have stopped and readjusted it. A big week done and dusted - 146.4km according to Strava. A bit of speed and hills next week - really looking forward to it!

Saturday - 3 laps of the hill loop + 2 laps of the white fence (aka. 2 x 7km tempo efforts) (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

Absolute madness this morning. Here we all were, recalling during the warm-up how insane last week's session was - before Gary let's us all know that we are about to do it again- but this time with a third lap of the hill loop! So in other words, 2 x 7.1km efforts. Once again, pacing was key! Keith went out hard and solo, and I simply hung with Alex for the first lap and a half. During the second lap on the uphill, I could sense that he was perhaps hurting - he went out fairly solid, and to be fair, this was a new course for him (as it was for me last week). He third lap I was completely solo, and started to gap Alex and Ross further. 29:05 for the 7.08km course, 3:33's. A quick regather before commencing the standard two-lapper. Was bloody windy today, especially so on the final kilometer of each lap. Simply ran on feel, as pace was not going to be reliable in today's conditions. 25:09 (3:32's) for the two laps. Nowhere near my best, but still a great effort - especially after running 7km of hills beforehand - and that wind, which appeared to get worse as time went on. I could have sworn it was a constant headwind as well! All up, an absolutely massive session - essentially a 14.2km tempo run. A nice and easy 5km cooldown chatting with Nat about veganism! Interesting conversation. Just over 23km all up. And another 40 minutes planned for this afternoon! Massive day (and a longer long run tomorrow as well)!!!

Mixed things up this afternoon by doing my weights pre-run. Felt really springy when I ventured out for an easy run. 8.74km in 4:35's. About 32km all up today!

Thursday - 12 x 500m (2:45 cycle) (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

Finally some speed! Great turnout this morning despite the pouring rain (which progressively subsided as we went along) with Tom, Ben, Charlie and Charlie's dog. Richard, Justin and Macca all made various guest appearances throughout, but none were hardcore enough for 500m reps. Tom and I agreed to share the load - I'd lead the odds (controversially into a headwind), with Tom doing the evens. Consistency was key, and we were on par, running them in 95, 93, 93, 92, 92, 91, 91, 91, 91, 92, 91 and 92 seconds. Although Tom gapped me on the final rep with 200m to go. Really happy with that, feeling much stronger than I had envisaged. Good to know the speed is still there! An easy 5km cooldown for just over 16km all up. Hitting the weights now, then a nice easy 40 minutes this afternoon. Looks like the weather is clearing up!

Finally got my Garmin back! The gentlemen in the shop were kind enough to let me exchange the Forerunner 225 for the Forerunner 230. I'm unimpressed with Garmin for misleading myself (along with others) that wrist-based heart-rate technology was currently valid and reliable. It was rubbish. So it was a no-brainer to revert back to the chest strap, which surprisingly was not uncomfortable this afternoon. Took it for a test run over an easy 40 minutes before lunch - and have some stats! 8.78km at 4:33's, average heart-rate of 122 beats per minute holding a steady cadence of 176. About 25km all up for the day. Rest day tomorrow!!!

Wednesday - 80 minutes

No one from Manly Softcore joining me this morning, so was solo in the rain. The only benefit is that the start time is a more humanely hour. My new typical Nolan's/golf course loop got me through the first half - despite some moments of (almost) swimming; the drainage around that area (in particular, Passmore Oval) is terrible. Then got along the beachfront and it was bliss! No one about, minimal surf at high tide, and a nice offshore breeze keeping it that way. Had no choice but to stay and do laps along here for the second half. Nice and slow this morning, getting out 17.3km in 4:37's. So excited about doing some proper speed tomorrow morning! Hopefully I can recruit some starters!

Tuesday - 10km continuous (3km effort, 500m jog, 3km effort, 500m jog, 3km fartlek) (am)

A tough session this morning, made even more so due to the fact that I was solo. At least the weather was amazingly warm, getting to enjoy an amazing sunrise. Completed the session in the bike lane parallel to the beachfront - and apart from running into a dog during the first effort (and subsequently getting told off by the owner), all was okay. One of those sessions where the volume is quite intimidating that you have to be on your best behaviour to hold back, especially early on. Very happy with my first effort, getting it out in 9:53 (3:28's). The fastest I have run that in a long time. A slow 500m shuffle then back at it again. Similarly, the effort was hard but not all out (bearing in mind that another one was to follow). Slightly slower this one, in 10:07. Another 500m shuffle before punching out the final effort as 300m/150m effort/float. Not much left in the tank for this one, but it was a nice way to break up what was rather a monotonous session. I expected this one to be slower overall, given the nature of the effort - and right I was, finishing it in 10:23. 35:40 all up for the 10km, so not too bad - especially with at least one kilometer running at 5:10's (plus another 900m of floats). A nice and easy 5km cooldown for just under 20km all up. Changing things up by doing some weights right now, as I will run out of time otherwise. Will get out for an easy 30 minutes at uni before lunch.

An easy 30 minute run around Randwick - haven't done this one in a long time. Nice and warm. 6.46km in 4:39's.

Monday - 70 minutes

A late night realisation that my car battery was flat meant I could sleep in this morning! Not a bad compromise. So sleep in I did, waking up at the leisurely time of 7:20am. It was foggy this morning, which lifted about halfway through the run uncovering a beautiful winter's day (hard to believe that it is actually the middle of winter). The downside is that it is Monday! Typical! Anyway, a nice and cruisy loop around Nolan's, Passmore and golf course - where I bumped into Macca and had a runny buddy for a kilometer or two - then back along the beachfront for two laps. Too irresistible to run elsewhere. 15.63km in 4:28's.

Sunday - 2:05

Sunday long run, my favourite of the week. Quite a good turnout this morning - myself, Barts, Scotty, Craig, Justin, Macca, Ray, Hamish, Ben, & Toby. Quite a bleak morning, drizzling most of the way. At least it wasn't cold. Really feeling heavy in the legs from yesterday, so was happy to run in the middle of the pack and chat. At Narrabeen, Justin, Macca, Toby and Ray all took off - planning a fast finish. The rest of us held a constant easy 4:25-ish for the remainder of the run. Two hours got us a little bit shy of the usual spot between Bike Addiction and the bridge, so, due to the damp and wet weather, Scotty and I ran the extra bit back to The Emporium - taking it to two hours and five minutes (sorry Gary) - 28.3km in 4:25's. A nice chat with Craig, Justin and Macca while watching them devour their breakfast and coffees. Finished a solid week, just 400m shy of 140km! Right back into normal training next week - really pumped for it now!

Saturday - 2 x hilly loop + 2 x white fence (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

That was brutal! After a typically slow Saturday morning warm-up, Gary had as walk towards some hill loop that he had come up with. Nice to do something different. He explained that each lap was about 2.5km, and we were to do two laps, then a slow jog to the cafe (only about 100m) before doing two laps of the white fence. Figured that pacing was key - as the session was going to be volume heavy. A great turnout today - with Matt, Tom and Keith pulling away (as expected) from the get go. I then had Brad, Ross and Jackson come past me halfway through the first lap of the hilly loop - decided to stick to my own pacing and let them go ahead. This paid off nicely, as I progressively pulled them in over the second lap. 3:27's for the two laps (about 4.77km). A walk to the cafe (the three in front walked, so I did as well) before starting a dreaded two laps of the white fence. I was solo from here on in. I could always see Keith though, who had been dropped by Matt and Tom, so just focused on staying steady and not letting him out of my line of sight. He progressively pulled further away, but not at an alarming rate - which was nice. In the other respect, I turned my head to ensure that Jackson and Ross weren't catching me. To my relief, they weren't. I knew that I wasn't alone in the pain chamber! Finished the double lap in 24:22, 3:25's. Happy with that, as that two-lapper was torture after the hilly loop! We all regathered before heading out for a 5km cooldown. Just shy of 21km all up. A solid start to the weekend. Another easy run planned for later today, should bring the mileage to just under 30km for the day.

An easy 40 minutes around the Nolan's loop before lunch. 8.6km at 4:39's.

Thursday - 90 minutes with a 20 minute effort (am) + 40 minutes easy (pm)

My call out to any starters were unsuccessful, and who can blame them. This one is a pretty antisocial session, unless you run with someone who is pretty much at your pace. The upside was that I was able to push the snooze button not once, but twice. Got out of bed just after 6:10am. Freezing and windy - at least it was clear and beautiful, much more appealing than last Thursday. Similarly though, I knew actual pace would be compromised somewhat due to the wind, so again just ran it on feel. An easy 20 minutes then straight into it. Along the beachfront, never looking at the watch until about the 19 minute mark - and that wasn't to look at the pace, it was just to see how much bloody longer I had left! Very solid and controlled the whole way, got out 5.87km in 3:24's. A bit of an improvement from last week, but still some way to go. Although the wind would likely have 2-3 seconds per kilometer (perhaps)? Then up to North Head to finish the remainder of the run. Absolutely stunning morning, minus the wind and chill. Saw the same Daddo brother with his wife and dog - we're good pals now! Star struck once again! 21.7km all up averaging 4:09's. Second last cycle this afternoon, then hopefully back to some doubles next week.

Couldn't stand the thought of another stationary bike session (and over paying $20 for the pleasure). The weather is superb (bit cold still), my Achilles is feeling completely normal - and I miss running. So, went out for an easy 40 minutes. 8.71km in 4:35's. Finishing off with some deadlifts and cleans. Nearly 31km for the day - massive volume!

Wednesday - 80 minutes

Slight sleep in this morning, joining Darren outside North Steyne SLSC at 6:30am. Took him around my Nolan's/golf course loop, which kills about 40 minutes. Ran towards Shelly before Darren's 60 minutes had elapsed. A solo 30 minutes (Darren had already run 10 minutes before I had met him) at the end, just sticking along the beachfront. Too cold and windy to venture towards the wharf and harbour. Ran into one of the Daddo brothers again when I finished, he was walking the do with his wife and daughter. Asked me all about my running and upcoming races. Really nice guy. 17.75km in 4:30's.

Tuesday - 3km, 3km, 2km (13 minute cycle) (am) + 40 minute cycle (pm)

Quite a big session this morning - so pacing appropriately was key. Massive turnout this morning - Erika, Richard and Justin! That meant an early start, but always worth it. Met at Manly LSC warmed up and ready to go at 6pm (pitch black). Very warm today, both myself and Justin going shirtless (we weren't the only ones). Quite happy with the first effort, finishing in 9:55 (sub 10)! Big improvement since two weeks earlier (was the same session, minus the final 2km effort). Simply tried to run comfortably hard. Second effort felt much slower, but was only fractionally - getting across the line in 10:02. The final effort, although shorter, was a struggle. Simply wanted to just get it done. 6:48, so slower than the first two, despite being a kilometer shorter. So all up, quite satisfied. Showing progressive improvement, which is encouraging. Best of all, I am pushing it hard without killing myself (like I used to). Joined Erika and Justin for an easy 5km cooldown along the beach front then through some random streets around Stella Maris as Justin found his way back home. Just under 18km all up. Final week of cross training (I hope) instead of doubling up for a second run (please Gary)!!! The Achilles? I can't even remember which side it was on!

Feeling the residual fatigue from this morning's session, so really took it easy on the bike. 18.8km. Didn't increase the weight either, only then realising that I accidentally went 5kg heavier than planned with the cleans on Saturday! That may explain why I felt slightly flat on Sunday morning at the beginning of the long run!

Monday - 70 minutes

Another mild morning. 70 minutes solo, heading for a lap of Nolan's and the golf course, before heading past the wharf up to Fairlight/Balgowlah. The first half felt slow but easy, the back half warming up and feeling like I had some more spring in my legs. 15.65km at 4:28's.

Sunday - Two hours

A relatively mild morning, meeting up with Robin, Justin, Scotty, Ben, Craig and Toby for the traditional Sunday long run. A few puddles here and there following the down pour last night. Felt fairly average for the first half, but progressively woke up in the back half, ending up finishing strong with Scotty. Got 27.65km at 4:20's, so the last few kilometers were quite quick (not too sure how fast), as at Mt. Dee Why the average was 4:27's. Caught up for a good chat over coffee and breakfast at The Emporium with Craig and Justin - topics ranging from greyhounds to pork knuckles. Another solid week done and dusted, 115km. Playing with the idea of taking training back into my own hands in the not too distant future.

Saturday - 1 lap of the white fence, hills (400m, 300m, 200m, 100m, jog recovery), 1 lap of the white fence (am) + 40 minutes on the stationary cycle (pm)

Back to Centennial Park this morning with the squad. Not as cold as last Saturday, but quite muddy after two days of rain - making conditions slightly heavy underfoot, dodging puddles here and there. A solid session, as you can see from the heading. Got the first lap done in 11:52, holding 3:19's. Solid, tough, but holding a bit in reserve. Matt was way out in front, and I had a new runner (another convert from Sean's squad) in Jackson keeping me honest, which was great. Headed across the road for some hills. 400m up, 300' jog recovery, 300m up, 200m jog recovery, 200m up, 100m jog recovery, and 100m up. Gary definitely gets full marks for creativity. Jogged straight back to the start line for another lap of the white fence. Never a nice feeling with the previous two-thirds of the session in the legs. Quite happy with this, as it was only fractionally slower in 12:06, 3:23's. Better was the fact that just about everyone else was quite a bit slower in the second lap, so the endurance is still there (I think). A nice and easy 5km cooldown and chat, just under 19km all up. Planning the usual 40 minutes of cross training this afternoon, followed by the first official 'Pork Knuckle' night with the Manly Running Crew! I'm tapering already!

19km on the stationary bike, followed by deadlifts and cleans.

Thursday - 90 minutes with a 20 minute effort (am) + 40 minutes on the stationary cycle (pm)

Same session as last week, albeit in testing conditions this morning. The dreaded three elements were all at play - darkness, rain and wind. In line with my new philosophy, I ran the effort purely on feel - only looking at the watch towards the end. Wasn't overly concerned about the pace, given the conditions. Effort wise it was spot on. 5.8km in 3:26's (although I reckon it was slightly further and slightly faster than that, given where I finished in relation to where I started. No Quentin this morning, so definitely tougher out there. Still had 50 minutes to spare, so ran up to North Head where the wind was magnified further. By this stage the intermittent showers had all but disappeared. Nice and easy back home for 21.5km all up. Not as quick as last week, but definitely felt strong and still happy with the run, especially given the conditions. A bit of cross-training this afternoon is the plan.

20.4km in the stationary cycle in the gym this afternoon, out of the elements. Finished off with some deadlifts and cleans, avoiding the low intensity plyometrics as a precautionary measure as my Achilles felt slightly tight both yesterday and today after initiating them on Tuesday. No rush on this front.

Wednesday - 70 minutes easy

Started at a much more respectable hour this morning, getting up at a leisurely 6:50am (another late night at work). Not as cold this morning thanks to the cloud cover. Took it really easy (more so than usual), the legs slightly tired from my first proper speed session yesterday (combined with introducing some low intensity and volume plyometrics). Headed to the lagoon, before turning and running up to North Head. Three laps of the Fairfax Loop got me just over halfway, then headed straight back home along the beachfront. 15.11km in 4:38's.

Tuesday - 5 x 1000m (5:00 cycle) (am) + 40 minutes stationary cycling (pm)

Forgot how tough these intervals are. Haven't done anything this short post-injury, as most efforts have been between 3km and 20 minutes. So there was the obvious temptation to go hard and blow up, which I refrained from doing. Up early as I had a starter in Richard. Out and warming up just after 5:40am, meeting Richard at North Steyne SLSC at 6:05am ready to start the first rep. We ran these between Manly and North Steyne in the bike lane - in the dark and drizzle. Kept the whole session consistent, with a slight headwind running north accounting for the slower even reps. 3:11, 3:14, 3:09, 3:18 and 3:10. Obviously not as fast as pre-injury, but not too bad considering. Initially thought (yesterday, that is) that five reps was going to be too little - was tempted to either increase the distance or the quantity. But stuck to the plan, and glad I did now. A nice and easy 5km cooldown, 15km all up and home before 7am and sunrise (not that there was really one this morning). Will hit the stationary bike and some weights later today.

Weighs, some plyometrics along with an easy spin on the bike before lunch. 20.4km.

Monday - 1 hour easy

Really took it in how lucky I am this morning. Got to see the most magic sunrise, and more importantly, I'm completely painfree (apart from obvious residual soreness from the weekend's training). Ran to Nolan's, around the golf course, back along the beachfront, then past the wharf up to Fairlight, before retracing my tracks back home. Kept it nice and easy, 13.2km in 4:32's.

Sunday - 120 minutes

First two hour run since mid May! Got through it in one piece! Met Macca, Justin and Ben at the pool at 6:15am, before picking up Hamish, Toby and Tim at various points along the route. First time I have been around the lake since the now infamous East Coast low - not looking too much different. Pushed the final 15 minutes or so (not overly), finishing in 27.33km, holding 4:23's. Met up with Justin at The Emporium to discuss all things running related, ranging from LCHF (low carb, high fat) to the Gold Coast half results (go Barts)!

Saturday - 1.5 laps of the white fence (off 4 minutes), 1/2 lap (am) + 40 minutes recovery in the stationary cycle (pm)

Wish I was at the Gold Coast! Well done to both Tom and Scott up there this morning in the 10km, fantastic times and extremely well deserved. Not sure how everyone went out at Homebush for the Striders 10km, but all I can say is that it must have been cold! Back to the squad for me this morning, which I was very happy with. Not a bad turnout at all, especially considering Gary and most of the squad are up north of the border. A nice easy clockwise lap of the white fence plus a bit extra (20 minutes) warm-up discussing Formula 1 with Nick (it's been a while). Then off for the session. The first few kilometers were the toughest as we continued in the clockwise direction for one-and-a-half laps. But then felt strong and controlled midway through - I reckon the weights are making a difference here, similar to how I felt on Thursday. Got the first effort out in 17:39, averaging 3:22's. Happy with that, especially considering the past few weeks of injury. We regathered, caught our breath, walked around before heading back anti-clockwise for the remaining half lap. Got this done in 5:34, holding 3:18's. I was pretty gone for this one - but so to was everyone else. Over the moon to be back running hard again, and the pace is coming back nicely. Finished off with a nice easy 5km cooldown with Brad, Nat and Sam - this time talking politics. Who will it be - Beazley or Howard?

Down to the gym for an easy 40 minutes on the bike. 20.5km. Followed by some weights, which are feeling lighter each session, despite incrementally increasing the load.