Saturday - ParkRun + 6 x 30 seconds (on/off)

I had originally planned to run Mona Fartlek solo, but changed my mind late yesterday, thinking that it would be good to at least have some company - hence ParkRun. Went in with no expectations whatsoever, I simply wanted to bank a time to see where I was at (honestly, sub-17 was the best I thought I could aim for). Ridiculously humid today, I ran the warmup with my singlet in my hand, only putting it on right before the start. Was stoked to see some faster guys there today, which makes pushing hard all the much easier. Jake Stollery had turned up, and I knew he would be fast - I had just treated him a week earlier. Decided to run purely on feel, not looking at the watch once the entire run. Some guy in a blac singlet took off and led for the first 700m or so, before Jake and I kind of eased past him. Around the 1km mark Jake put the hammer down and I just couldn't do anything about it. I just kept my tempo the same and felt strong the entire way. Second place in 16:54. Nothing special by any means, but am really happy to get out there and set a time. Jake was just under a minute in front, sneaking under the 16 minute mark, a great time in those conditions. A few minutes break before I ran some 30 second efforts around one of he adjacent ovals. Then a nice scenic cooldown along the beachfront with Jake for the first kilometer. Just over 16km all up. A nice way to end the year. Time to jump into the ocean before trying to catch up with rest of the Manly crew at The Emporio following their long run.

Thursday - 40 minute tempo

Today was always going to be tough, given the forecast of 41 degrees. Met Barts, Robin, Scotty, Anthony, Sam, Ben and Toby (and Tom who came later) at the stone arch at North Head for a 7am start. At the start of the week, I had planned a 20 minute tempo run. But after talking to Robin on Tuesday, I agreed to join him for a 16km tempo instead. It seems that we were able to convince a few others as well. Felt really comfortable and controlled for the first 8km, then within a blink of an eye of was struggling. Got this sensation on the hill on the way back on the second lap of the North Head loop. Contemplated pulling the pin there and then, but this sensation resided as soon as it flattened out again. Once again, I found myself setting the pace. Then on the start of the third lap I struggled again. It was the inclines, they were killing me. Persisted for another kilometer, then looked at my watch. 38:30. Convinced myself to go for the extra 1:30. At this stage it was only Robin, Scotty, myself and Tom. Finished just near the start of the old Striders startline. 11km in 40 minutes, 3:36's at 288 watts. Slower than I wanted, but everyone was the same today - which is better for putting things into perspective. Tom stayed on slightly longer, with Robin and Scotty finishing at 13.8km. Good to see that I wasn't the only one struggling out there this morning. Continuing on would have depleted me for about a week I reckon! A nice and cruise cooldown back home for 20km all up. Time to go for a swim!

Wednesday - medium long run (20km) + hill sprints

My least favourite run of the week. Actually felt quite good today, after a few kilometers that is. Just stuck along the beachfront, keeping it flat and cool. Saw heaps of people out and about - Matt Bates, Alex from uni, my little sister, and Matty Abel. The 3 and a bit laps went surprisingly quick. 20km in 4:22's (240 watts). Hill sprints as usual up Queenscliff headland. Just making a fresh batch of granola - added a new ingredient, tahini! Should be interesting. Smells good at the moment. Time to jump into the ocean (no proper ocean swim today, unlike yesterday).

Tuesday - 8 x 1km reps (off 90 seconds)

Had planne do my tortorous hills session this morning, but was saved late yesterday by Tom via a WhatsApp message informing us all of the above session at Nolan's. Got over my OCD-tendencies and joined. A great turnout with Tom, Barts (and little Barts), Paul, Jamie, Erika, Elle, Robin, Darren, Ben and Toby. No one was particularly on fire today, with the exception of Robin, who admittedly was doing 5 reps (that's what I kept telling myself anyway). I think each rep clocked anywhere between 3:09-15, with the seventh at 3:07. Mostly shared the work with Barts and Tom, although the former did a bit more at start, with the latter finishing strong. I guess I was there in those middle reps. Due to the fact that it's such a long session, you really have to hold back - it was tempting in some of those middle reps to really put the hammer down - but very glad I didn't. The finish was hard enough in the end. A great way to start the day. A quick swim before meeting the crew up at The Emporio. 20 minute warmup and a 5km cooldown for about 18km all up.

Monday - 15km easy + hill sprints

Nice sand easy this morning, cruising along the beachfront. Keeping it nice and flat. Another glorious morning out there. 15km in 4:24's (239 watts). Finished off with the usual hill sprints. So tempting to go for another ocean swim down to Manly, but really want to get back into normal training this week, so want to conserve as much energy as I can. I'll just jump in instead.

Christmas Day - 15km + 1km ocean swim

Felt great this morning! Don't know if it was the ocean swim I did yesterday afternoon (my first in a few years) or my massive omelette for lunch! Anyway, just stuck to my usual loop for one last time today. Fantastic morning! 3:53's at 270 watts. Felt much easier than yesterday as well! Got home, put the wetsuit back on, then swam solo from North Steyne (out the front of my place) down to Manly. That's twice in less than twenty-four hours. I'm becoming a fish! Merry Christmas! Time to start eating!!!

Saturday - another 15km

The usual North Head loop again this morning. Solo, I felt a bit rubbish to start with, which is not unusual following a rest day. But the pace and power were going well, so I just went with it. Once again, I felt warmed-up after about 8km. Had some fun trying to dodge some of the B&B swimmers - they have a tendency to forget that other people use the path out the front of Manly LSC. 15km in 4:04's, 259.5 watts.

Thursday - back to the same 15km

It's amazing what some good nutrition can do. Felt so much better today after totally mixing up my meals yesterday, as well as increasing the quantity. Almost effortless out there this morning. Just stuck to the usual 15km loop, 4:14's at 250 watts. Will take a rest day tomorrow before more of the same on the weekend. Want to keep my mileage to around 90km this week, so there will unlikely be any long run this weekend.

Wednesday - still 15km, but different

Massive crew this morning, just like the old days. Joined Tom, Sam, Richard Banks, Quentin, Justin and Darren outside Queenscliff SLSC at 6:15am ready for kickoff. Ran to North Head via a heap of random trails that I had never seen before. Back down the hill and about to pull off when we passed Pine St, but decided to keep going to get out the 15km. A bit OCD I know. Still feeling very ordinary though - perhaps I need some more carbohydrates. 4:36's at 233 watts.

Tuesday - same as yesterday (15km)

Just the usual North Head loop once again this morning. Nice and relaxed. Similarly, I started to feel better just over halfway through. Slightly quicker yesterday, 4:20's at 245.5 watts.

Monday - 15km

That was a real struggle this morning. Almost pulled the pin after the first few kilometers. But somehow managed to 'warm-up' at the 8km mark (the start of the Fairfax Loop up at North Head). Just one of those days I guess. Cruised home for a supposedly easy and relaxed 15km in 4:26's. 240 watts!

Sunday - 2 hours

I was very happy to have some starters this morning, initially thinking that I would be solo after last night's session at The Underground (the new 4Pines restaurant). Ben, Barts, Jerome, then Dicky (who came later) made for some great company. Complete change from yesterday regarding the weather, which was a much welcomed relief. Pace felt comfortable enough, but was much quicker than previous weeks. Went for two hours, getting just shy of 28km in 4:19's. A nice and easy week ahead before starting back into some proper training just after Christmas.

Saturday - Listen to Grandma!

The end of quite an emotionally draining week, so wasn't really feeling it at all this morning. Had planned for quarters with Scott, which is always a brutal session. In all honesty, I went out too hard trying to stay with him (which it turns out he himself went out too hard as well), getting a first kilometer split of 3:09! Halfway through the fourth rep I started to really feel the discomfort, which is to be expected. But just had absolutely no fight in me today, and waved the white flag just before the end of rep five. I hate doing this, and I am usually extremely hard on myself for doing so - but I just couldn't hurt myself today. My mind was having none of it (I think the body was ok - which is unusual as it is always the other way around). So 2.7km in 3:18's, fading heaps in the final 700m. Scotty continued on for 15:45, so not bad - but he was hoping for around 15:30. Just one of those days I guess. Anyway, have decided to take my easy week next week instead of the following week - as next week there is still a bit going on with the funeral, etc. Plus, this way I can sync my cycle with Scott - so it's win-win. Really looking forward to ending what has been a pretty ordinary 2016, and start-up for a great 2017!

Thursday - 20 minute tempo

Really happy with this one this morning. While definitely not a PB session, the perceived effort was much better this week. Felt ordinary upon waking this morning after a hectic few days, compounded further with the heat and less than normal amount of sleep. Met Scott and jogged down to Balmoral Oval for the tempo run, in light rain the whole way. Was non-committal to how long I was going for this morning, but set out for at least 20 minutes. I let Scott lead for the first half, but I kept finding myself eager to lift the pace - each time refraining due to the fear of regretting it later. But feeling surprisingly strong. Then I took the lead and really tried to keep a strong and consistent pace. Feeling really good, I decided to up the pace a bit (not too much) for the final two minutes. Got to the 20 minute mark covering the same distance and pace as last week - albeit much easier this time around. 3:25's, 296 watts. Scotty continued on for another five minutes, which was really solid. I felt that if I didn't lift for the final two minutes, I could have gone the extra few with him. Nevertheless, that was the first session back that I have felt really bouncy, speedy and racey - so a bit of milestone as far as I am concerned. A slow plod back to Cremorne for about 17km all up. Another solid week done and dusted - another week of consistency to go before taking an easy few days between Christmas and NYE. Just starting to feel good again, so taking that break will be tough, but I need to see the bigger picture.

Wednesday - 20km + hill sprints

Yes, it was hot this morning, unbearably so. Solo for a few laps along the beachfront - figured that it was simply going to be hotter elsewhere. Erika joined me for about a kilometer halfway through - she was feeling the same. 20km in 4:37's (228 watts). Almost pulled the pin on the hill sprints, but pushed through them. Came home and had some hydralytes. Time for a quick swim!

Tuesday - 8 x 1km (off 1 minute)

Running on fumes this morning following the sudden (albeit peaceful) passing of my grandmother last night. Very lucky and grateful to have the support of Scott, Jerome and Jeet there this morning to take my mind off things. A tough session in the best of times, the key is consistency, especially with the large volume and short rests. Scott and I alternated leads for the first four reps, but I didn't return the favour for the sixth and eighth reps. Stayed on his tail for the ones he led, but he took off for the final rep (I think he ran a sub-3)! Not sure exactly what pace we averaged, but 3:11's sounds about right. The power meter was reading between 315-25 watts, so that seems spot on in terms of intensity. A big session of about 21km all up (warm-up and cool-down included), and very happy to get it done - as it is going to be a scorcher out there today.

Monday - 15km + hill sprints

Had some company with Tom this morning, making the run much more enjoyable. Met at the lagoon, ran to Shelly, went back to Nolan's and Passmore, before heading back down to Manly LSC solo. 15km in 4:32's (234 watts). A strong northeasterly kept the temperature down (and kept me out of the water post run). Then to Queenscliff for the usual hill sprints.

Sunday Long Run - 30km

Felt good today, the best I have felt on a Sunday for a few weeks. Met Erika, Tom, Justin, Ben and Scott at the pool at 6:15am. Only Scott and I made it past Narrabeen though, the rest turning early. Looks like we backed the pace off a bit after this (not that it ever was fast anyway), but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Happy to get through a solid full week of training, maxing out at just a fraction under 125km (including two speed sessions and a threshold run). 30km this morning at a nice and easy 4:36 min/km pace (averaging 231.7 watts). Debating whether to jump into the ocean - its pretty windy out there. Got some granola in the oven right now, so am very excited!

Saturday - 4 x 1 mile (off 90"), 5 min jog, 4 x 60 sec (off 60")

Back to North Sydney Oval this morning, where we had a third starter in Jonathan Fenton. A bit of a crowd this morning at the oval, with a few people setting up for a game (I think the women's Big Bash League starts today). A nice tough session this one. Reps one and four were tough, the middle two felt easy. The clock supports this, with the reps getting done in 5:07, 5:07, 5:11 and 5:04. Sat in Scott's shadow for most of the session, but got dropped ever so slightly after a kilometer into the final rep. By this stage we were told to leave the oval (despite the game not starting until 10am, with absolutely no sign of any players at all - it was about 7:20am after all). Did a five minute jog before running some 1 minute efforts around the bowling club. Again, just tried to stay as close to Scott as I could - he was strong, but didn't really get dropped too much; better than last week. Jonathan was solid as well. A nice easy jog back to Cremorne for just over 20km all up. A great way to start the weekend.

Thursday - 20 minute tempo

My favourite session of the week. Met Scott and jogged down to Balmoral Oval for the session. Stayed just on the outside of the final lane of the grass track (I think each lap from that position is 370m). The plan was to slow the pace down by 2-3 seconds per kilometer, but run for an extra five minutes. We did the opposite - ran slightly faster than last week, and kept it at 20 minutes. According to the GPS, we held 3:24's (although this generally underestimates the speed when running anticlockwise loops). Regardless, it was 4 seconds per kilometer quicker than last week. Although I felt it, wasn't keen at all for another five minutes at that effort. Scott was happy to stop there and then as well. Going beyond that would have been possible, but it would have been beyond the planned intensity. A nice and easy jog back for just over 17km all up. First time I have put three solid sessions together in a week for a long time, so very pleased with that. Looking forward to rest day tomorrow!

Wednesday - Medium long run (20km) + hill sprints

Four seasons this morning. Started to pour down with rain about two kilometers in this morning. Was planning to just run some laps of the beachfront, but got bored (and actually felt fine), so decided to include the North Head loop. Switched the Garmin settings so I could have a look at some of the power meter metrics - interesting stuff. Seems mostly reliable. It will be more telling after wearing it for a few weeks to establish some normative data. 20km nice and easy in 4:37's. Finished off with some hill sprints at Queenscliff headland.

Tuesday - 10 x 800m (off 1 minute) (lap jog after 5th rep)

First run with new power meter this morning. Haven't had a chance to look at the data yet, but it seemed to work perfectly. Met Scott at his place and jogged just over four and a half kilometers to Rawson Park. The session was 10 x 800m reps (off 1 minute), with a lap jog after the fifth rep. The key today was consistency - it's a long session, so it's important to nail the pacing. The first couple of reps felt too easy, but by the end this pace proved to be perfect. I wanted to step up a bit today, so I led the odd reps, while Scott led the evens. Psychologically this makes the session much more bearable, as in your head you feel as if you are doing one rep 'on,' one rep 'off.' Really happy with the consistency - the reps were slightly longer than 800m (each lap is 410-5m). 2:40, 2:42, 2:38, 2:38, 2:37, 2:39, 2:39, 2:39, 2:40, and 2:43 (average 2:39.5). Couldn't hold onto Scott for rep 10, but the former nine were on the money. Really happy with that. A nice and easy jog back to Scott's place for about 19km all up. Much nicer today, but still bloody humid!

Monday - 15km easy + hill sprints

Out solo this morning in what was initially rain. This quickly cleared for an extremely humid morning. Took it nice and easy and kept it flat along the beachfront. 15km in 4:36's. Finished up with some 10 second sprints up Queenscliff hill.

Sunday Long Run - 30km

Another solid turnout this morning. Coped some flak for being the only runner without a top on (no, Justin wasn't there this morning), but I feel as though I definitely had the last laugh with the humidity doing its job. A very nice and slow pace today, which was just what was needed after yesterday's solid run. Just the usual run from my place to meet the others at the pool, followed by the conventional loop cutting the caravan park out. Finished just shy of North Steyne SLSC with Richard. Bumped into Jamie (and little Jack) on the remaining walk home. Poor guy's been out since April with hamstring tendinopathy and has tried every treatment under the sun! Hopefully he will be back sooner rather than later. A solid 114/5km all up this week. 4:35's today, which is the slowest for a while (which is a good thing).

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minutes (off 1 minute jog)

First time doing this session, and it was solid. Met Scotty at his place and jogged (about 6km) to Middle Head Oval (I had looked this up on mapmyrun.com and it seemed like a proper 400m Oval with a line to follow). We got there to an awesome oval with an amazing outlook - but no line. Didn't matter, as the session was time based. Due to the fact that we had been running anticlockwise for most sessions lately (and my left plantar fascia was noticing it), I suggested we run clockwise to balance it out. Started strong and worked together. Actually, I mostly shadowed Scott for the first four reps - then he made me lead for the big rep, number 5; the five minute effort. I was pretty much shattered after this, but held on strong for the four minute effort. The last three reps I was in survival mode, and wasn't able to stick with Scott who came home strong. But really happy with the session nonetheless. Not sure about paces, etc, as my GPS tends to overread if I run clockwise (to prove this, at the end we both walked a lap anticlockwise - measuring 420m; then did the exact same lap clockwise, measuring 450m - definitely not OCD). Scott led the way back cutting off about 800m for a solid 21km (approximately) all up. Not sure about a swim now?

Thursday - 20 minute tempo

Great session this morning! I usually don't push it the morning after a massage (which was amazing by the way), but agreed to meet Scotty for a 20 minute tempo run. A long and hill 5.6km warm-up down to Balmoral where they had a little athletics track marked out - we struck gold! 20 minutes running anti-clockwise around that. Not as boring as it sounds. I just sat behind Scotty and stayed there the whole time. The pace was absolutely spot on for a tempo effort, 'comfortably hard.' My downfall previously was running these Thursday sessions too hard. 3:21's for the 20 minutes, leaving us just fractionally shy of 6km. The good news is, we could have probably gone further or faster if we needed to. The same hilly run back to Cremorne for just over 17km all up. We should get onto the new Northern Beaches Council to mark out an athletics track at Nolan's; wouldn't cost anything and it doesn't interfere with any of the other sporting fields. Time for a quick swim and some freshly baked granola for breakfast!