Bugger - 7.6km, not 10km

I've just got the map & ruler out and discovered - to my horror - that the home-work run is a mere 7.6km, not the 10km I thought.

So my 42 mins time is not as amazing as I thought either - works out at 5.6 min per km. Which is still a bit better than the 6km per min I did for the Nike 10km run. Hey ho.

#3 - 1st decent run, 10km in 42 mins

103 days/14 weeks to go. Back in Sydney.

Today was the third training session, and the first decent run. Last night I slept for about 11 hours (jetlag) and woke feeling shit. Lots of phlegm and aches. Anyway - I'd decided I was to run to work today, to give me a benchmark for what I can do in training and to see if that's a viable way of getting the training runs in.

It's about 10km and I am feeling very pleased with myself right now - having managed it in 42 mins 31 secs. Especially given that before today the longest run I'd ever done was the Nike 10km fun run last October - and that took me 58 mins. The photo at the bottom is me last October.

The home-work run starts painfully, gaining height from Tamarama up to Bondi Junction. I did 9min 30 secs to the lights at the top of Bondi Rd. The next marker was Student Flights on Oxford St - 33 mins 30 secs. By that point the end was in sight and I started to feel pretty good - Oxford St is gently down hill for about 5kms so that probably helped with stimulate the elation.

I had no brekkie before I left - just 2 glasses of fruit juice, and no water while I ran to see if I could. Seems OK. Only problem is that my legs are bloody killing - especially my knees. The soles of my feet are also sore. While my hams are very tight - I couldn't touch my toes after the run despite 30 secs of stetching per leg.

Me and Z in the Nike fun run

#2 - Train in the rain Ireland

The second day of my training took me to West Ireland. Or rather I was in Ireland on hols, and decided that was no excuse not to get the training moving forwards.

Rocked up in Galway early evening so I decided to squeeze a run in before dinner. It was pissing down of course and we were in the centre of town but that didn't stop me, though I had second thoughts a dozen times.

Starting at Eyre Square I was to run down via the docks over the river, around the old harbours, back over a different bridge through town and return to the hotel. A funny run - in Australia there's many people running around, while in Galway I was certainly the only one willing to leave my Guinness for a while and get wet.

Nut a good start running wise - I feel unfit. I ran for 18 minutes and felt totally whacked. Very different to cycling - where I can go on for hours. I'll check the no. kms but can't be many.

(Subesquently checked and looks like 3 or 4 kms on the map)

Galway in the rain - keen audience

Marathon musings #1 - The beginning

My thoughts addressed to Ferg on 26 May, the day after my first session. I was in North Wales.

I'm getting excited...

..."training" began yesterday - with a c30-40 mile bike ride through the mountains with Nick - 40 miles might not sound much but we went over two very high passes - gainng 400 metres to the first one, then dropping right back down again to Lake Vrynwy (incidentally an amazingly beautiful area of the Wales and the world). Then gained 250m, and dropped down to Bala Lake. Needless to say I was quite chuffed about the whole thing, having not done a decent ride for a while, and had the wobbly legs to prove what a ride it had been.

Green green Wales

Right that's it - on track now, I'll get up early and go for a swim tomorrow and then a decent run on Friday, I thought.

Then I called Al to find out where he was watching the match (Euro final). About 20 pints and two double-vodka-redbulls, an amazing match, much jubilatioon, a couple of tequilas, and most of a pack of twenty later - I now realise the training thing is gonna take a lot of sacrifice.

Your writings on This Is 'Ull have added to the inspiration I've been seeking and is now building up to a commitment to do the 2005 Sydney marathon in under 4:30 in just over 3 mths time.

I'll keep you posted with my progress!

(15 weeks / 109 days to go)
Here's Ferg's account of his London Marathon experience: http://www.thisisull.com/sports/marathon/fergmarathon05.html