Friday, January 27, 2006

Australia day run

 
 Posted by Picasa
Fireworks at Lake Burley Griffin - Australia Day


 
 Posted by Picasa Photo taken last year when travelling across the Nullabor.






There was an organised fun run on yesterday, the Medibank Private 8km/4km fun run/walk but it was a little exie so decided to follow my program instead.

Week 8 of 18 weeks - Easy week
Day 4 of program

Time/weather - 9.28am / sunny, warm
Workout - easy run
Distance - 10km
Time taken - 1hr 3.50min
Av pace - 5.19min/km
AHR - 157; MHR - 173
Calories - 659

No problems getting out of bed and running this morning because a) it was a holiday and b) I got to sleep in. I also did something I don't usually do for shorter runs and that is eat before I run. I did this for 2 reasons - one, I had the time and two, I had read an article in the latest Runners World magazine, which suggested that eating before a workout results in a better quality workout. Lately my morning runs have been a little lacklustre, or more precisely, I have been a little lacklustre so I was interested to see whether eating prior to running would make any difference. It was suggested that a low fat, carbohydrate-based snack would boost my blood glucose and ensure I got the best from my workout. So I had toast with honey and then waited for about an hour before running out the door on my 12km run.

Did it make a difference? Probably too early to tell but I think it did. I certainly started faster and with more oomph, and lasted the distance without feeling blah, but that could also be attributed to not having to get up at some ungodly hour to run. However, I will persist with toast and honey before quality early morning workouts, so this will mean getting up a bit earlier.

Later that day Mr CJ and I had lunch with Strewth and Mr B in Kingston. Then later that night we went down to Lake Burley Griffin to watch the fireworks.

Today's run
Week 8 of 18 weeks - Easy week (I love it!)
Day 5 of program

Workout - Fartlek session
Time/weather - 8.44am / 23*C when I started, felt a lot hotter by the time I finished
Distance - 12.42km
Time taken - 1hr 4.55min
Av pace - 5.14min/km
AHR - 162; MHR - 178
Calories - 723

The fartlek bit consisted of:
(2 x 60sec / 60sec float; 2 x 30sec / 30 sec float) x 2 - the program said to do this on flat terrain so ran this part on the local oval.

Wore my red/white DS trainers so obviously felt like I was running faster. Oh, and I had eaten again before venturing out so was fueled up and ready to go. But oh it was so hot and the sweat was pouring off me. What's that saying - men sweat, horses perspire and women glow?! Or is it horses sweat, men perspire....? Anyway, my point (yes, I do have one!) is that I wasn't glowing, I was literally dripping sweat! Whoever came up with stupid saying anyway? Obviously not a woman who runs!

For the 5km out and back warm up I ran on the cyclepath and it took me underneath the cover of shady trees. However the fartlek session on the oval was out in the open and even though the grass looked very very green, it felt very very hot. I don't think I was very consistent with my pace for the fast bits - my fastest time for the 1min efforts was 4.23min/km; the slowest effort was 4.48min/km. For the 30sec efforts it ranged from 4.21min/km (fastest) to 4.56min/km (slowest). I think next time I have a fartlek session I might run the efforts over a measured distance for the set amount of time. Anyway, I finished the session running another 5km out and back underneath the shady trees again.

8 comments:

Toasty said...

All that sweating and those sayings do not apply to running .... it's a time out. You can glow after the running.

Cliff said...

I like a banana in the morning before any type of training. Maybe this is to feed the monkey side in me.

Hilda said...

I ate an oatmeal bowl because of that too and made me feel good, I think there is a difference.

You are still doing a great job despite the sun. I stopped complaining about it because now the weather is perfect here -well compared to the summer-, but only the think of those hot days scare me. It is not because you get use to it, but because you have to, that the run goes.
But I think we should look for advise with 2p, you know he says he loves the heat... well, you know he is 2P.

E-Speed said...

I need to start eating before workouts too. Uggh to waking up earlier though ;)

Katie said...

Good running there CJ! I am having an easier week this week too... kms wise that is. I agree with you about the $$ of the Oz day run... thats what was irritating me when I mucked it up on the day- $30 to have the shits with your self (haha)

Keep it up! Looking good!

2P said...

Nice couple of sessions CJ - well done! Glad to hear you are entertaining 6' thoughts - I've posted some pics on my blog that may cure or alternatively addict you to your thoughts ;-)

Tesso said...

Isn't it "women glow and men chunder" ;-)

I took note of that Runners World article too and I trialling it. I very rarely eat before a training session or race but did so before the Aus Day fun run and the CR 5k Challenge and I think it helped - I certainly ran better times than I expected. What I had was about 1/2 a Power Bar and about half a can of the black V.

Anyway, keep up the good work. Catch ya in a couple of months.

Rae said...

Beautiful fireworks pics! Great job with your running, too. I had a neighborhood girl tell me the other day (after a tough 6 mile run) that I look so much better when I'm wearing make-up. I really wanted to kick her!!

So do you not eat anything before long runs?