Update

Haven't been able to run these past few days. Have been snowboarding and I was travelling all day yesterday. Today is Christmas eve so should be a laugh. Been speaking a lot of French so that's good.

200's

Today did 200m sprints. Woke up feeling tired. 2km warm up then started the session. I was running on a 200m stretch of road which inevitably had a hill on it. Started off in 32s then tried to figure out what the recovery should be. Went for 30 seconds for the 1st 3 and the next 2 times were 32 and 35. Then decided to do float recovery down the hill and do the sprint up the hill. The float recovery was about 75s. Did the remaining 7 in 35s and 34s. Not a bad session although felt pretty bad and the distance wasn't great.

9 min, 6 min, 3 min

Today did 9 min hard, 4 min recovery, 6 min hard , 4 min recovery then 3 min hard. Started off feeling good and trained well I think. It's hard to judge when not training with others.

Easy again

Another easy 5.4km today, but this time in 23:02. Also went paintballing today so that was a laugh. Got shot up a bit, but not too bad. Managed to hit a few others, it was fun. It definitely gets the heart rate up and adrenaline pumping.

Getting back into it

Had the last 4 days off because of sickness so yesterday did an easy 5.4km in 26 minutes. Felt great to be back running again so that's good. Back in Australia people have in running Pb's galore so very nervous that I'm going to be far behind when I return. Oh well, I guess we will see what happens.

Being Sick and feeling sorry for myself

Today and yesterday I have a cold and its a bit of a pain. Being sick overseas is always tough. I'm not running today because I just want it to go. I'll see what I'm feeling like tomorrow...

Easy 4km

Today did a really easy 4km, woke up really late this morning so really couldn't be bothered. Time was 20:30, happy to get the legs ticking over though.

3km out and back

Today did a 3km out and back. These out and backs I am not very keen on to be honest because it is so hard to judge your pace after running the same distance slow. Also quite tired this morning after not much sleep. Started off well, really nice weather this morning so that was good. Did the easy 3km in 15:10. Then came the hard 3km. I was running on a very hilly course again today. There isn't really anywhere flat around here which is good for training, but everything hurts much more. First km is always the worst and nothing changed today as I went through in 3:45. Tried to push hard this next k and managed 3:17. The end of the last km was up an enormous hill and I did it in 3:30. 10:37 the final time so not too bad. 6km in all.

Hard Hills

Today only had a half day of school in France so went for a run at around 2 I  the afternoon. Hills was the session today and right next to the house there is a massive one. 300m long with a 15% gradient this was a hard session. Normally when I do hills in Australia, they are not that steep so I can do a rep going down also. On this hill it was impossible to do that so I jogged down the hill each time for a float recovery. The recovery was always around 90s and the session went like this. Started off up the hill in 1:13 and  though that was pretty quick. I was right with the next 2 coming in at 1:16 and 1:20. Kept the rest in that vicinity except for the 10th which was 1:28. The 11th and final I pushed hard and managed 1:12 to finish. Pretty hard session in all, covering about 8.6km including warm up.

5 x 1200's

Today, in France, didn't have school as lessons were cancelled. Pretty chilly today, but no wind so that was an advantage. Haven't been able to run the last 2 days school finishes so late, by the time I get home it's pitch black and dropping below freezing. For my 1200's, I chose a 1200m stretch of road going past my French correspondent's house and ran back and forth along it. A really hill bit of road with a major hill and 2 medium sized ones going each way. Still haven't quite recovered from jet lag so woke up feeling pretty knackered already. Did a 2km warm up then got into it. First on went alright having to face the lesser of the 2 major hills on this rep. Managed 4:14 so alright. Next one was tough pulling a 4:19, but the next one I got a 4:12. Felt a bit sick by this time, the fatigue from jet lag taking its toll. Next was 4:22 so not great. Pushed on the final rep and got 4:17 so not too bad of a session on a very hilly route and starting tired. 1km cool down for 9k all up. This time next week will be over the jet lag and training might creep up to usual standard.

10km

This morning did 10k at a medium pace. 45:09 was the time. A bit warmer this morning which was good, but I'm still tired from the plane as the run was a struggle.

France Easy 6km

Today in France for the first full day. Good 11 hour sleep last night, but still feeling tired. Got out to go running at about 10 in the morning. Easy 6km, but the body wasn't liking it. Bones were sore, muscles dead, just felt exhausted. Really hilly around here also which didn't help. Time was 27:11, hope to be feeling a bit better tomorrow.

Easy 8.5km

Yesterday, easy 8.5 in about 37mins. Left for France immediately after so pretty stoked. Arrived in France after a long haul on the plane, but no worries.

1kers

Today went up to running club for my last session before going to France on French Exchange. I'll be staying in France for 6 weeks with a host family, going to school with a another guy my age. He came to stay with us for 6 weeks in July so I already know him. It should be a fantastic experience. I will continue to write my blog and train although I know it might be difficult to get some of the bigger sessions in. I hope to maintain my fitness as I have worked hard to get here. Anyway the session tonight was 1km reps. Started off solid in 3:09, but we then had quite a long recovery of 5 minutes. Next rep was 3:11.  The rep was slowed as near the end A dog jumped in front of us and we nearly fell. 3rd and 4th were great with 3:07 each, we then shortened the recovery to 3 minutes and I ran 3:09 which again I was happy with. Finished on a high with 3:04 so very happy with the session, about 9.7km all up. Wanted to say good luck to Haftu who is running in the National 3km event on the 6th of December, Good luck to Ryan and Nick also for breaking 2 minutes over 800m. Chris who has been out with injury, just started training again, good luck on getting back to full fitness. Good luck also to Tom and Julian in their triathlon ventures and I hope training goes well for everyone else in the group.

Easy 10km

Another easy 10 yesterday in about 47 minutes. Ran with flats to get used to racing in them so calves a bit sore, but no problem.

4km out and back

Today did a 4km out and back. This is where you run 4km really easy then turn around and run 4km back hard. The easy 4k came in at 21:01 no worries there. Turned around and upped the pace, but the first km was slow in 3:57 then pushed harder with the next 2 in 3:30. On the last pushed hard and did 3:15 which was good. Time was 14:12 which I felt was slow and I think it was because the slow first km. Next time try and push harder from the start, but it still wasn't a bad run.

Gurshler Fartlek Again

Today had my last exam which was English and by the end I well and truly had had enough of Romeo and Juliet. Think I went alright though so no worries there. Went to running club after school and did the same session I did on Saturday. 2.5km warm up before starting the session. I was training with Haftu, Tom and Xavier. Just to recap we were doing 30s hard, 45s, 60s, 90s, 2 mins, 3mins then back down again. At the start I stuck with the others until Xavier started dropping off at the third rep. I going alright keeping with Haftu although I was hungry. On the second 3 min I started dropping, but still pushed hard. By this time, I was hurting and needed a shit so that was a struggle. I slowly dropped off the others finishing about 30m behind when the session ended. About 11km in all, pretty happy after the disappointing training on Tuesday.

10km easy

Today had 2 exams, science and maths and went for an easy tenner after they were finished. Nice weather for running today a bit chilly but not too bad. Time was around 47 minutes, but I still felt tired from studying and doing exams all day. I expect it will be the same tomorrow as I have an essay to write. Doing a fartlek tomorrow so hopefully won't be too bad.

Spud Session

Bit of a terrible session tonight, I have exams at the moment so I pretty tired from studying. I didn't sleep well either last night which didn't help. Really hot also and probably a bit dehydrated. We did 3km, 2km, 1km tonight, but I only did 3km, 2km. 3km in 10:34, then 2km in 7:08. Threw up a bit after that and decided not to do the last rep. Exams end in 2 days so looking forward to that. I then go to France on French Exchange for 6 weeks. I will still train in France and try not to loose much fitness...

City to Sea

Today I did the city to sea with mum. Massive race this one with over 13 thousand people running. Dad is injured at the moment and he was enrolled in the race. I needed to do a long run so I took his place, but ran with mum, not racing myself. Perfect weather for running and mum started off well going through the first km in around 4:20. We then picked up the pace a bit and did a couple of 4:12's and 4:15's. We then slowed a bit at the 9km mark going back down to 4:28's. We kept this pace for a until the 11th km where mum was struggling a bit. Couple of people went past us with 1500m to go, but when we hit 1km to go mum upped the pace again gaining back all the positions and more. Finished with a time of 1:01:24 so big Pb for mum. 430th overall and 48th woman. She seemed pretty happy so that's good. 16km all up including warm up then I went on to play a futsal game so plenty of exercise today.

Gurshler fartlek

Today did a fartlek session, the reps went 30s hard, 45 hard, 1 min hard, 90s hard, 2 min hard, 3 min hard then back down again with a 1 minute break in between each. Felt pretty good and ran well doing about 11km in all including warm up and cool down.

400's + Tabata

Today at running club started off with 3 400's training with Haftu, Nick and Ryan. First one was really slow coming in at 83 seconds. We then sped up to 73s on the second and 72s on the third. We then did 2 Tabata laps with a 4 minute break in between. Pushed these Tabatas a bit more than we did on Tuesday, but I am still not keen. Then 3 more 400's coming in at 69s, 65s and 67s. Then 2 last 400's on the track in 64s and 65s. Pretty happy with that session as the last time I did 400m reps they were much slower then that. About 9.5km in all.

Beep Test

Yesterday was the beep test challenge at school so I did this instead of my run. We were 2 lives which meant we were allowed to miss the beep twice. If we missed it a third time we were out. Easy until about 12:5 when it started to hurt a bit. It was Matt Mahoney (24/7 teammate), Harry Amner (24/7 Teammate), Nic Chapman (24/7 Team manager) and Will Ockendon and I all still going strong at this point. Matt then dropped out after a huge PB of 13:4, Will then dropped out at 13:10 and then Harry, Nic and I carried on until 14:1. We missed 14:2 then missed 14:3 then I don't really know what happened, but I think I hit 14:4 then turned around to go back then the teachers said stop. Harry  dropped out then, but they said it was a 3 way tie because the end of lunch bell had gone so we had to go back to class. Ah well it was a good race so I'm happy with the end result.

Tabata and 1200's

Today went up to running club and after a warm up we did a different type of training. It's called Tabata and its 10s easy 20s hard. We did 3600m of this but after every 1200m we had a 5 minute break. I didn't think it was that difficult because of the such long rest after only 1200m. We then did 2 hard 1200m reps. Felt great on the first one, but didn't kick as I wanted to save some for the second. Did the first in 3:49 so that was good. On the second, stuck with Tom for the first 600m before slowing down a bit. Kept trying to push on and ended up doing the exact same time. 2.5km cool down for about 11km all up.

15km Long Run

Today weather was great not too hot or windy. Did 15km easy. Its been a big weekend so muscles felt really sore on the last 3km. Time was 1 hour 11 minutes. Happy with that but feeling pretty sore at the moment. 62km for the week.

Double Session

Today did an easy 5km in the morning and an easy 10km in the afternoon. This morning the weather was terrible pouring with rain and windy. Did the 5km in 23:13 and felt good after. The weather then brightened considerably and I did the 10km in 46:47 which was good also. Felt amazing after the 2 runs like I hadn't even stepped outside. Went for a drive with my Dad for the first time in a carpark and that was pretty fun. Learning in a manual so its difficult to get started but I feel I'm improving a bit.

Kenyan Fartlek

Today cycled up to running club for a tougher session. Kenyan Fartlek I quite enjoy, but the speed and distance does take its toll. Kenyan is 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy which equals 1 rep. We did 8 reps then 8 reps of 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy. Started off strong and felt ok. It was Ryan, Haftu, Tom, Nick and I training. Kept the pace strong on our hard 2 minutes before picking it up a bit on the 5th and 6th reps. We slowed a touch on the final reps of the 2 minutes, but still feeling tired on our break between the 2's and the 1's. The 1's started off slowly but we slowly picked up the pace going quick on the 5th and 6th reps again. We kept a solid pace for the 7th and really gunned it on the last. I went out quick, but Ryan and Nick came flying past me. I managed to stay ahead of Haftu which was great. About 14km in all and a 5km bike ride.

Easy 10km

Easy run after school today. Felt awful all day, I think I have a bit of hay fever as the warm weather is coming. Going to try and drink more water as I felt dehydrated on the run. Ended up doing 43:34 so happy with that as I felt I was cruising.

Tough 1kers

Today was Melbourne Cup day so we all had the day off school which was a bonus. Cycled to running club before doing a warm up. Felt fatigued during the warm up and I wasn't looking forward to the hard work. Quite hot today and as usual Haftu, Tom and Ryan were flying. My times were these: 3:10, 3:07, 3:10, 3:12. Felt awful really tired, I didn't sleep well last night. Got exams in 2 weeks so getting into studying. Easy run tomorrow and Fartlek on Thursday, looking forward to doing some quality training.

Easy 13k

Long run yesterday about 13.5km. Felt really good and picked up the pace a bit at halfway and finished in 58:05. Listened to music while I ran and that was pretty good. Really enjoyed it and looking forward to training tomorrow.

Easy 6.5km

Yesterday was rest day and today an easy run. Really hot and windy today though, Summer is coming. Did 26:59 so no worries there. Long run tomorrow so hope it's not too hot.

350m Reps

Today was one of the toughest sessions I have done in a long while. It was Tom, Haftu, Nick, Duggie, Ryan, Jackson and I training tonight. 20 360m reps up and down a hill. The hill goes on for about 100m so the rep starts about 250m in front of the hill. We do one rep up the hill then one rep down the hill. We had a 30s recovery at the bottom of the hill and 90s at the top.We did 2.5km warm up then got into the session. We started with an up the hill rep and did it in 75s. The 2nd rep which was down the hil we did in 1:08. We steadily got faster as the session went on. Getting around the 1:10 mark for up the hill and about 1:06 for the down hill. For the majority of the session. At around the 12th rep mark I tried sitting in the middle of the pack towards the hill then pushing hard up the hill. It worked well and I finished first on a couple of the reps. After that it was really hurting and I pushed hard and stuck with the pack. On the last rep I was really hurting. I decided I would put it all out there and go for it. I set off really quick and kept it up until 50m to go. The lactic really hit me then and I slowed a bit. Ryan and Haftu caught me, but I still managed to run 58s. So really stoked. Tough tough session, about 11km all up.

20 Minutes Hard

Pretty hot today, did a hard 20 minutes. Ended up doing 5.75km went through 5 km in 17:45 so really happy. Feeling pretty sore afterwards though so not as good. Doing a tough session tommorow so hope I'm feeling better.

3k, 2k, 1k + Speed Work

Yesterday went to running club for training and after 2.5km warm up we got into the session. It was Haftu, Ryan, Tom, Julian, Jasper, duggie and Dean training. First was 3km. Felt pretty good on this rep stayingup with Tom and Haftu. We did it in 10:21. Next was the 2km. I led the first km, but it was windy and I think it took its toll. I dropped back about 10s and finished the rep in 6:45. Then the 1km. I dropped off at the start, but held my position and slowly caught up with Dean. Then surprised myself with quite a large kick and came home in 3:04. Pretty happy with that last rep as I thought I had broken on the 2km. The training is obviously helping. Next we did 3 70m sprints on the track which felt strange. I found myself struggling to slow down after each rep and afterwards my legs felt like jelly. Anyway, great session, about 10km in all.

All Schools Victoria Championships

So this weekend was the big weekend. I was racing in the 1500m on Saturday and the 3000m on Sunday. The track was Lakeside Stadium next to Albert Park, a really nice track. Chris and I were running together in both races and the 1500m was up first on Saturday afternoon. After waiting in the call room for 20 minutes the officials called us out on to the track for some last minute strides before the event. We started and I sat back just wanting to run a Pb on not wanting to go too hard in the first km. I was feeling pretty good and I kept the strong pace up and we went through the first km in 3:02. My goal was to go through a bit faster but I pushed on through the next 100m. I saw Chris drop off the front pack and slow down a lot and I overtook him on the back straight. He spurred me on and I ended up with a 8 second Pb of 4:36 so really happy finishing 10th overall. Chris injured his Achilles which has been bothering him for a few months. He was feeling a bit better on Sunday, but decided not to run in the 3k. The next day was the 3km in the morning. At the start I just sat in last place. I didn't want to go out too hard again. Went through the first km in 3:10 and was feeling good. The second km is normally when I loose most of my time so I tried to push it a bit and ended up overtaking 4 people. I kept working and all of a sudden it was the last lap. Immediately someone went past me and I tried to stick with him. He was 10m ahead at 100m to go and I pushed on. I didn't catch him, but I ran 9:49 so a 14 second Pb finishing 14th and I am very happy with that.

Taper session

Today went up to running club to do a Taper session before the big races this weekend. We did a 1k, a 600m and a 300m. Felt pretty good and started off with the 1km in 2:52. Really stoked with that a Pb for me. Then did the 600m rep in 1:36. On the 300 the wind had picked up and ended up running 46s. So alright on the last rep not the best, however I felt like I should've pushed harder with 200 to go. About 5.6km in all.

Easy 6km

So Monday was my rest day and yesterday was meant to be a training session but it got cancelled because of the weather. Today just did an easy 6km with Chris while Haftu tapered for his race on Friday. We all have All-schools races this weekend. I am racing with Chris on the Saturday(1500m) and the Sunday(3000m). Looking forward to it especially the 1500 as I haven't done a 1500m race without having a race before on the same day in over a year, so hoping to run a pb. We are just having a bit of a taper week before the races.

Long Run

This morning did an easy 12km. Really hot and quite windy today. Got some blisters at about halfway also which was a pain. Did it in about 58 minutes so no worries there. Rest day tomorrow as  running club training has been moved to Tuesdays and Thursdays. Got All-Schools races next weekend so looking forward to that as well.

Update

Just a bit of an update here, on Friday I did a hard 6km, but I didn't get a time as my watch kept on playing up which was a pain. Really hot and really windy though, we are getting into Summer. Today I did a Gurshler Fartlek session which is (each rep fast) 30s, 45s, 60s, 90s, 2mins, 3mins then back down again, between each rep is a 1 minute recovery. I was doing it by myself which felt a bit strange as there was nobody to compete with. Quite hot again this morning but I felt pretty good. The second 3 minute rep was tough but I pushed through. Made me feel a lot better doing some hard fartlek after that despondent session on Wednesday. About 9km all up, feeling happy.

Awful Kenyan

Today decided to train with Nick straight after school. The wind today was by far the worse wind I have ever trained in. I felt pretty bad from the start and managed 4 reps before packing it in. Not good.

1200's

Yesterday did some 1200m reps with the group. I was still feeling a bit sore from the 10km race the day before so I decided to take it a bit easy. Did the 4 reps all in 3:59 so feeling pretty happy as I felt like I was cruising. This training is definitely making an impact as 2 months ago was struggling to do 4 minutes for the 1200m. About 8.5km in all.

Melbourne Marathon 10km

Our Internet has been pretty dodgy recently so I that is why I haven't posted about this race sooner.  So yesterday I had a 10km race which was part of the Melbourne Marathon Festival. In my last 10km race I ran 39:11. In that one I think I went out too fast and paid for it in the last km's. This time I decided to start at 3:45's and see how I went from there. The start was a bit of a nightmare as my watch played up right as I crossed the start line. I fixed that by about 20m into the race and set off at 3:45's. I went through the first km in 3:48 and the second in 3:45. I then settled in with a guy who I thought was going about the same pace as me. He was going to slow though and I went through the third in 3:58. I surged on and ahead and got back on track taking the next k out in 3:40. I was feeling good flying through the 5km mark with a 3:43. I then caught up to a guy who I had run the park run near a week earlier. I stuck with him up until the 8.5km mark where there was quite a large hill. I slowed down a bit up the hill but accelerated down the other side over takin the park run guy. I went through the 9th in 3:51, but I kept pushing. The course had a great finish ending up inside the MCG. I  pushed around the outside and end up with a time of 38:08. Really happy as I beat my PB by a minute. Great run an looking forward to doing the same race next year.

Regional Athletics

Yesterday had my regional athletics 3km and 1500m race. The 3k was first and I started off great went through the first k in 3:15. Then I think I lost concentration, I slowed down without realizing it and I couldn't make up the time in the last km. I ended up running exactly the same time as my last race 10:03. I had the 1500 in the afternoon but wasn't feeling particularly confident. They leaders went off quick and I decided to hang back and conserve my energy. I slowly worked my way back up to the leaders with a bit of a surge from the 800m to go mark. Passed the guy who beat me in districts and ended up running 4:43. Happy as I had just run 3km. Also quite confident that I can run 4:30 at all schools if I keep up the training. Today went to watch Chris and Haftu race. Haftu ran 2:08 for 800m and Chris ran 4:14 for 1500. Fantastic races from both of them.

Fantastic Session

Today went to running club after school. Ate some cereal after school and while we were doing the 2.5km warm up I wasn't feeling great. I was going to taper as I have a race on Friday, but nobody else was tapering so I just decided to join in with the other fellas. They were doing Kenyan Fartlek( 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy) on the first rep Chris was flying ahead. I stayed with the group and on the second rep I stuck with Chris. On the third I just stuck with the main pack while Haftu went ahead with Chris. On the 4th rep I decided I would stick with the group for 1 minute then surge ahead to catch Chris and Haftu. Worked well and I was feeling great. After 6 reps I had a break as I was meant to be doing an easier session. After 5 minutes we then started the 1 minute reps. I was still feeling good and so I led the pack for 3 reps before pushing really hard on the 4th and ended up about 20m in front of the others. Really good session, about 11.1km in all.

Easy 8km

Today really hot, but not windy which is a good thing. I was dehydrated, but I didn't realise until halfway through the run. I didn't have any lactic and I was breathing hard, but my legs felt week and my stomach was cramping. I ended up running 34 minutes for 8.5km( 4:00's)so I was happy with that. Got some water in slowly after the run and have been sipping it all afternoon.

Hard 1kers and 400's

Not feeling the best tonight, but I heard we were in for a hard session. We did a 1km rep, with 1 minute recovery, then a 400m 3 times. I was running with Haftu and Tom. First 1k was in 3:01 and I was feeling ok, then the 400 and I did it in 67s. Next 1km did it in 3:10 and by this time I wasn't feeling great. Next 400 was in 70s. Again wasn't feeling it. Next 1km I just broke, I ran a 3:15. Haftu ended up running a 2:55. Great session from Haftu. Me, I just want to focus on beating some PB's now. I'll try and put in some hard work in now. Looking forward to racing soon.

10km easy

Today just did an easy 10km. Decided to try and run with an ipod, but it ran out of charge at the 3km mark, bit of a pain as I had to carry it the rest of the way. Did it in 40:14 so quite pleased as I wasn't working too hard.

5km and Mile race

Yesterday morning had a 5km parkrun race. These parkruns are in parks all over the world and they are growing bigger and bigger all the time. They are completely free and I suggest you have a look into them as they are a great way to get involved with the local running scene. Anyway really windy yesterday morning and I woke up and wasn't really feeling it. Didn't have time to warm up either but it wasn't a big deal. going well until I hit the wind, slowed down a bit and ended up running 18:51. Pretty disappointed, however the conditions took a toll on the time. Later that afternoon, had a Glen Huntley Athletics Club open day. Just a bit of fun. The club was divided into four teams and members competed in different events. I ran in the mile race and ran 5:21. Again disappointed, but it was still incredibly windy. Hopefully the wind dies off soon. I have 5 races coming up soon. I am racing in the Regional Athletics(3km and 1500m), the Melbourne Marathon 10km and then the All Schools Athletics (3km and 1500m). Looking forward to racing soon as now I have a bit of experience, I can race more tactically and faster.

Hot Friday

Yesterday had a rest day and today did a 4km out and back. It was really hot today, the hottest it has been all winter. Also a bit windy though not as windy as Wednesday. On the way out(the easy 4km) felt pretty good and did it in 16:32. On the way back the wind was in my face, but I still managed to run 13:53. Happy enough, 8km in all.

Big Kenyan Session

Today went up to running club at 8 in the morning. It was just me and Chris today as we wanted to watch Haftu race after we had trained. We decided to do a Kenyan Fartlek session, so after a 2.5km warm up we got into it. We were running around the outside of a big grass oval for a bit of a change so that was good. Kenyan Fartlek is a group of 2 minutes hard then 2 minutes jog reps then a group of 1 minutes hard then 1 minute jog. We did 8 reps of the 2 minute groups(32minutes) then 10 reps of the 1 minute groups(20 minutes). Started off and felt good, we took it in turns to lead each rep. The wind, however, was disgraceful. 120km per hour gusts The fifth 2 minute rep felt tough, but I pushed through and the next 3 felt solid. After a 4 minute break we started the 1's.  Felt good again, but occasionally we went into the wind for a whole 1 minute which was tough going. Finished the session and did a cool down. About 15.5km in all.

Easy 8km

Today did an easy 8km with a couple of mates. It was Connor, Bryan, Matt and I and again the weather was awful. It was very windy and also raining when we started, but by the end the sun was shining. Talked for the first 4km before picking up the pace a bit. At the 5.5km mark. Bryan dropped out because of a sore knee and groin. He walked back to our finish point while the 3 of us continued running for the last 2.5km. On the last km Connor and I picked up the pace a bit and had a sprint race to the end. I finished in 35:03, good run, really enjoyed running with some mates.

Windy 400's

Yesterday went up to running club in the morning as it is school holidays at the moment. It was only Nick, Liam and I as the rest of the club had done 1200m reps earlier in the morning. Liam is a new member who is a 100m sprinter and runs it in 11.5s. We started with a 2.5km warm up before getting into the session. This week has had some pretty terrible weather and yesterday it was the windiest I have ever run in. We were doing the 400's around a 1200m track. The first one was up a hill and into the wind which was pretty killer. Nick took the lead and we ended up doing it in 69s. The rest of the times were: 70s, 68s, 75s, 65s, 70s, 65s, 66s. Pretty happy with the session, Nick I think, deserves a special mention as he managed the last rep in 59s. About 5.7km in all + a 5km bike ride.

Update

 So I have been sick the past week and only started running again on Saturday. Just did an easy 6.5km just to get back into it. The time for it was 27:52 so no worries there. Then yesterday struggled out of bed at 7 in the morning after a party the night before to go up to Ferny creek with the running club. There was a huge group of us yesterday Me, Haftu, Chris, Corey, Luke, Julian, Nick and Jasper. Pretty good run, I felt pretty tired, but the huge hill didn't seem as bad as before so that is a bonus. 9.5km in about 54 minutes.

Being Sick

Been sick the last 3 days, really frustrating as I want to train hard for some upcoming races. Hopefully I'll be able to run tomorrow.

Sick 1kers

Today I had running club, but I was still feeling under the weather. Did 2.5k warm up then did the 1k's. Started off with a slow one before picking up the pace. Reps in these times respectively: 3:21, 3:09, 3:07, 3:06. Felt pretty awful, looking forward to getting better and training harder.

10km race

Today had the big 10k. Been really looking forward to this for a while. Woke up and had a really bad sore throat. I decided to do the race anyway, but I had too high expectations. After a solid warm up I went to the start line and the gun went off. Started really nicely just the way I wanted. Went through the first km in 3:35 a bit faster than the plan. I felt really good then, but then the cold kicked in at about 3.5km and I started to slow. I went through 5km in 19 minutes. I was started to hurt at around 6km , but I kept pushing through. Ended up with a time of 39:11. I was very disappointed when I finished as I was hoping for a faster time. The cold I think took it's toll. At least now I have a bench mark to work up from. I think I will sign up for the Melbourne Marathon 10km and try to beat that time then.

Couple of Rest Days

Just a couple of rest days before a big 10km race tomorrow. Still feeling a bit sick so hopefully that goes away over night...

3km reps

Yesterday wasn't feeling great, had a bit of a sore throat and a headache. Got some mates and we did some 3kms reps. It was me Matt, Bryan and Tim running. We started with a 2.5km warm up and then did the reps. We did the first one easy, the second one hard and the last one medium. The easy one was in 12:25, the hard one was on 10:25 and the medium one was in 11:44. Felt pretty bad during it but it was fun running with mates. 11.5km in all.

Shermy Fartlek

Yesterday did a Shermy Fartlek session named after our coach who invented it. It goes 30s, 45s, 60s, 90s, 2 mins and 3 mins with a 1 minute recovery jog between each rep. 3 minutes walk then repeat. It was only me, Nick and Chris training tonight as Cheyne (Coach) wasn't coming down and the weather was awful. Started with 2.5km warm up, then some drills before getting into the session. We ran in a line to try and take a bit of wind off those who were in the back. We took it in turns to each lead a rep. Felt pretty crappy to be honest, but it was alright. I led the first 1 minute and the first set and I settled in after that. Led the 3km also and that was good. On the last rep for the last set, Nick surged very quick and I couldn't keep with him. I stuck with Chris and managed to overtake him in the last 50m. Pretty happy, about 10.7km in all.

3km Out and Back

Yesterday did a 3k out and back. The day before, running club had been cancelled because of the appalling weather so I ran on Tuesday instead of Monday. The 3km out and back starts with an easy 3km which I did in 12:15, before going on to a harder 3km. Because I had a 3km race the other day I wanted to try and get my time up. In the race, I think I went out too fast so I broke earlier. Today I went out a bit slower and kept the pace for longer and I managed to run a 9:55, so I am pretty happy, since that was on a training run also. I think I have to run my races a bit more tactically if I want to get a good time.

Ferny Creek

Today went up to Ferny Creek to run some trails with the club. It was me, Haftu, Chris and Jasper running. 2 minutes in to the run Jasper fell twisted his ankle, and decided not to run. He headed back to the car while we continued. It is quite difficult running on trails as you always have to pay attention to the track. You can't settle into a rythm because the trail is always changing from rocky to muddy then to hills. It is good training though. We did the same route as last time so that included a huge hill. That was killer. Really tough. We were all together up the hill until about 50m to go when Haftu surged ahead. We rested a bit before continuing with the run and we finished it no worries. Really enjoyed it, a nice easy pace, did 11km in 60 minutes.

3km Race

Today had a 3km race at a Private school practice meet where all the private schools in the area have a track and field competition on most Saturdays during track season. I don't go to a private school, but I was invited along by my running coach who coaches running at one of the schools. I was running in an open 3km race and Haftu, who I train with, was also in it. We started off quick going through the first km in 3:05. It was me and 3 other runners at the front and after 1500m they dropped me. It was gradual they slowly crept away from me and it was incredible frustrating. They finished the race about 150m ahead of me. I ran it in 10:03 a PB for me, but I was expecting more of myself. I was hoping for about 9:45. I have another 3km in a few weeks so I will try and get under 10 minutes then.

Taper Sesh

Yesterday just did a taper session as I have a race on Saturday. Did a 1km, a 600m and a 300m. I was running by myself which wasn't as good but it was alright. Started with a 2.5km warm up then walked to the 1k started. Felt good, but not super quick. Got a time of 2:59. After a long recovery was the 600. Did that in 1:36. After another long recovery was the 300. I decided I would focus on technique on this one and I did. Did it in 46s. Then did a 2.5km cool down. 6.9km in all. Tomorrow I am racing in a 3km on track and a 1500m. Looking forward to it.

Kenyan Fartlek Again

Yesterday went to running club again, the weather was almost perfect for running aside from a bit of wind. After a 2.5km warm up and some drills, we started the session. I was training with Chris, Haftu, Duggie and Jasper, so quite a small group. Started with 2 minutes hard then 2 minutes easy and we did that 4 times. I led the second one and it felt good. No niggles from the 24/7. After the third one Jasper dropped out I think he had an injury, but I don't know for certain. We completed the fourth one and then had a 4 minute break before starting 1's. We did 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy 6 times. I led the first and 4th one, but by then it was only Haftu , Chris and I running so each of us led 2 reps. Finished the session no worries and I really enjoyed it. First proper training after the 24/7 and it felt good. About 9.8km in all including warm up and cool down.

5k Easy

Today did an easy 5km. Just a run after the last 2 days of resting after the 24/7. It felt really strange running on concrete after so many kilometres on grass. Did it in 23:41, calves were a bit sore, but it was expected. I'll go to running club tomorrow.

24/7

Yesterday was the start of the 24/7.(Read previous post for explanation).We got to the school oval at 7:30 to collect our registration packet and to start setting up our tents. The registration pack included: Electronic bib tags to record our laps, Dinner cards and breakfast cards that we had to hand in we had those meals. We set up our tents then waited for the speeches before the actual race. A representative from the chosen charity explained what the money we raised would be used for. Then the coordinators of the challenge told the starting runners to line up at the start and then they were off. The clock started, and it was very fast. Harry went out quick to avoid the wave of slower runners behind him that would block our way. The track was a 550metre loop so our team would be over taking people all the time. We were going fast at the start, but we all feeling good. There was one problem though and that was that the score board wasn't working and it was giving teams laps when they hadn't done them. Because of our pace and the fact that nobody was overtaking us it was obvious that we were first, but the scoreboard said we were ninth. We slowed down a bit not wanting to use lots of our energy if it was going to be wasted. Each of us had 4 half an hour breaks during the race and one 3 hour sleeping time during the night according to my schedule. The race started at 10am and by 5pm we were ok. Some of us went to get dinner and food while the other kept running. The scoreboard still wasn't fixed although the technicians were working on it. At 9pm 2 people had their sleeping break and I had a half hour break. I was starting to hurt. My knee was starting to click and my calves felt like someone was slowly pulling them apart. I kept going. In the dark at 11 at night. You are just running and you are hoping its going to end soon. You have no hope as the clock says you are only just past halfway and everything hurts. They whole 300m is just a wave of pain until you hand the baton to the next person and you collapse in a chair. By 1 in the morning you are hurting even more. I couldn't bend my knee well and but I was pushing through. My calves were awful and the tendon behind my knee was killer. The scoreboard however was fixed, but we missed out on some of our laps because the recording system had broken as well. To make matters worse the team behind us was slowly gaining. We continued and found ourselves 10 laps ahead of the second place team and it was staying at that interval. At 3 in the morning it was my 3 hour sleep time and I collapsed in one of our tents. Before I knew it I was asleep and was woken  up at 6 in the morning to start running again. I shuffled along when the baton was handed to me trying not to let anyone pass me. The sun was starting to come up now and this gave us more energy. We extended our lead to 12 then 15 laps. I was still struggling  however and I just wanted it to end. When there was only 3 hours left I tried to push on. I did, picking up my pace a bit more every time it was my go to run. With an hour left we were going alright. We had a 20 lap lead and wanted to extend it. I was absolutely spent, I was struggling through. It wasn't like I was gasping for air. I felt like I was just breathing normally but my legs were wrecked. The pain was awful. When it finished I was so happy. We listened to some after speeches and we had to go up on stage because we won. The scoreboard only counted the last 15 hours of the challenge and it missed the start when we were really moving. I reckon I ran about 45km in all. Next year I'm going to do it, but walk it instead of running. I think I will be sore for about 4 days after this.

24/7 Explanation

Rest day today as I have a huge race tomorrow. This is not a normal race. It is a 24 hour relay style race. Teams are made up of 7 members, who take it in turns to run for 24 hours. It is to raise money for a charity. This year the charity is State Schools Relief, who provide aid for those who can't afford to go to school. This event is run by our school and about 900 kids are participating this year. This is how it works. Students will run around the oval with a baton. Each lap is about 550 metres long.  Each team member has a microchip on their number bib and as the student crosses the lap start and finish line the machine records a lap. Only one student is running at a time. They can run for however long they like, but it is recommended to have a plan and not just wing it.

This year, we have gathered the fittest year 10's in the school and we are going to try and win. The winning team is the team with the most laps recorded. Our team is called A.S.A.D.A Approved.( Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency) We did this last year and managed to pull and incredible second place, but this year we are going for gold. Our team is made up of these members: Me. Harry Amner- A Sprinter who can run 100m in just over 11 seconds. Also a very solid 400 and 800m runner. Matt Mahoney (Mahone)- An extraordinary cyclist for our age, who often rides 70k a pop on the weekends. Willem van Denderen (Vandend)- A huge sports fanatic, who follows and plays most sports. Jonno Krieger- An athlete who recently trained for the state cross country, pulled a ripper 17:30 for 5km, loads of natural ability. Tim Dobson (Dobbo)- An exceptional hockey player (last year in this event, Tim pulled us through the night with his non-stop effort). Karl Wegman- A want to be Air Force officer and the best cadet you can find. He often does huge hikes with weighted backpacks and army equipment. Nic Chapman (Chappo)- Our team manager and PR representative. He unfortunately isn't able to do the challenge with us this year due to sporting commitments.

Our team has a very organised 24 hour schedule thanks to Matt and our plan is to run half lap increments as we have learned through experience that this is the most effective way to tackle the challenge. Really looking forward to it weather it looking to be ok. I have plenty of food and clothes as it is going to get pretty cold. Should be incredible.

Race + Kenyan Fartlek

Yesterday had the next round from the school athletics. I was running the 1500m. Alright day for running, good temperature, but very windy. The race started and I led. I have almost no experience in this race so I didn't know what to do. Just kept running at the same pace with a tall kid from another school and one of my mates behind me. Went through the first 400 in 73 seconds. Continued at the same paces until 800 where I considered kicking but decided not to. I am not a very good sprinter at all so I should've kicked at 800. I continued like this feeling great. Went through the 1km mark in 3:17 and just kept the same pace. At about 250m to go. The tall guy behind me just went. I tried to continue with him, but I can't sprint. He beat me by about 20m. I ended up running a 4:42. I had recovered in 2 minutes while the leader continued breathing hard for another 2 minutes after. I made poor decisions and therefore lost the race. After a talk with Cheyne (running coach) I now know what to do.

About 5 hours after the race I had training. We weren't doing a hard session as most of us were racing tomorrow. Just 2 minutes fast, 2 minutes slow 4 times. Then 1 minute fast , 1 minute slow 4 times. Felt really good, despite having raced. Did the session no worries and about 9.3km in all.   

400's

Today went to running club and after a 2.5km warm up we got down to business. Perfect weather for running, no wind and not too cold. We did the 400's in sets of 3. I was running with Haftu, Dean and Duggie. For the first set we had a 1 minute recovery between each, but the reps were to be slower. The times for the first set were 76s, 72s, 74s. The 400's also were not on the track. They were on a gravel path which is a 1200 metre loop. The loop also has a hill in it so the first rep of all the 3 sets was always the slowest. After the first set we had 3 minute break and I was feeling pretty good. I have done quite a lot of 400's in the past so the lactic didn't hit me as hard as the others. For the second set we had a 2 minute rest in between each one, but the reps had to be a bit faster. The times were 72s, 68s, and 70s. We then had another 3 minute break before starting the next set. For this set we had a 3 minute break in between each one but the reps had to be faster still. The times were 72s, 66s, and 64s. Really good session, feeling a bit sore in the calves, about 7.3km in all.

Easy 12km

Today did an easy 12km with dad. Hot and windy, so not the best conditions. Still a nice run though. Dad stopped at 9k to drive the car home that he left at a party. I finished the last 3km off. Picked up the pace a bit, but not much. Ended up with a time of 53:51(4:48's). 59km for the week.

Hard 5k

Today did 2.5k warm up followed by 5km hard then 2.5k cool down. Amazing weather today, best we have had in months. Warm up was really nice, saw a mate out for a ride. Then started the hard work. 4 laps of a 1.25km track that has a bit of a hill in it. Started off strong did the first lap in about 4mins. Then slowed down a bit as I hit that hill again. Kept pushing through the rest of the run and ended up with a time of 17:47. Happy enough, would've been better if a had someone helping me push, but pretty tired after. Really slow cool down, calves were a bt sore. About 10kms in all

3k Out and Back

Today did a 3km out and back which is when you run 3km out easy then 3km back hard. I meant to be doing 3km easy with a few mates, then pushing hard it on the way back by myself. I got to our meeting place, but nobody showed up. Ended up waiting half an hour in the rain before deciding just to do it by myself.  I chose a 3km loop so I just did the loop twice. The loop was actually 3.3km and it had 3 major hills so I was expecting the second loop to be quite difficult. On top of that it was pouring down with rain and it was incredibly windy. The first easy 3.3km time was 14:01. By the end of this loop I was completely drenched and feeling pretty irritated. I tried to push the second loop but it was a pain. I could barely see, it was slippy and hilly. I ended up doing the harder loop in 11:34. I was pretty disappointed with the time to be honest, but I think the conditions held me back. 9km in all including warm up and cool down.

Hard 300's

Today went to running club today and after a 2.5k warm up we did 16, 340m intervals with a 1 minute recovery. I was running with Duggie, Nick, Haftu, and Tom. I didn't eat enough after school so I was feeling a bit hungry to be honest, but it wasn't too bad. We were doing the reps cross country, not on a track, and the 340metres was up hill to make it harder. The first 10 were alright and I had taken the lead for a bit on the 3rd and 4th one. After that it was a bit of a struggle but I still kept up with the others, until the last rep where Haftu and Tom managed to run it in 46s. I pushed it hard as it was the last one and managed to do it in 51s. The slowest one was 57s and the fastest was 49s. Really tough session, but felt good afterwards. Did 1.25km warm down, about 9.1km in all.

10k

Today did a 10k with some mates. We are training for a very long distance race that I will talk about more in the near future. As we are just training for stamina we didn't push it really hard. It was Matt, Tim, Bryan, Karl, Jonno and I and it was a really good run. We did it in 49:31, under 50 minutes so everyone was happy. Great conditions for running getting a bit warmer down here so that is good. Feeling a bit sore behind the knee so I will ice that tonight, but other than that no worries.

1200's + 300's

Yesterday went to running club again. Started off with 2.5km warm up then stretches then we started the session. We did 3, 1200m reps with a 3 minute break in between each one. The first one felt really good. I was running with Nick, Haftu, Julian and Dean. Cheyne, the coach, had told us each to surge at a different point so that nobody knew when your time to surge was, and they had to try and keep up. Nick surged at about the 500m mark and  he just flew ahead. Haftu, Dean and I reeled him in after about 200m which was okay. I surged in the last 200m and broke about 5 metres ahead of the others. We finished that rep in 3:51. The next one was a bit faster and wasn't as comfortable at the start. Everyone surged on this one except Nick and I and we finished the rep in 3:48. The next rep was a bit slower coming at a time of 3:56.
After that we did 5, 300m sprints. It was only Dean, Nick and I doing the 300's, the others did 200's instead. We took it in turns for the lead and the reps were decent. They went in order from first to last- 50s, 51s, 49s, 48s, 46s. Good session for the evening, pretty tough, about 8.7km in all.              

Easy 14k

Today did an easy 14k with the parents. Went to a forest trail and ran through the forest which was nice. Great conditions for running, only a bit windy still though. Ran with the parents for the first 7k before breaking off going a bit faster. Did it in about 1hr 3mins. Really enjoyed the run, 54km for the week.

3k, 3k, 3k, 3k

Today did 4 3k's each with a different level of difficulty. The first one was the easiest, a bit like a warm up. The second was moderate, the third really hard and the fourth was easy to moderate. I chose a 3k route, starting and ending at my house. The first rep, the warm up, was good. Slow, but steady. Did it in 13:37. The second one, moderate one, was good. I did it in 11:30 and I was a bit sore after this one . The next one, the tough one, I did in 10:30. Pretty happy considering I had previously run 6km. The last one started off really slowly but sped up and I ended up with a time of 12:16. Tough run, but ended up with some solid times- 12km in all.     

Easy 8k

Today did an easy 8k with some mates who are just starting to get into running. Started with a 2k warm up really slow, then did the 8k. We did it in 32 minutes (4:00k's) with 2, 2 minute breaks. A nice easy run. Good fun since it was with mates, rest day tomorrow feeling quite sore in the calves. 10km in all today.

Yesterday, I played futsal for the school all day. We played four 20 minute games in all so at the end of the day, I was pretty tired. I still had running club to go to though so I didn't think that I would go too well. We started with 2.5k warm up then did 4, 1km intervals, and the times were 3:16, 3:02, 3:06 and 3:08. I ran with Haftu as most of the other people were away. It was very windy and very cold so the first one was a bit slower on purpose. The other 3, I was happy with although I was definitely struggling in the last 100 metres on the last rep. We then did 3, 300 metre sprints. With the track season coming up, we are doing a bit more work on the track. The times for the 300's were 48s,49s and 46s. Felt pretty good for the 300's as I managed to beat everyone on the first 2, then Haftu came flying past me in the last one and beat me by about 2 seconds. Really good session considering I had been playing soccer all day. Definitely feeling sore now. About 9km in all.

Kenyan Fartlek + 200's

Yesterday went for a run with the club. Started of with the familiar 2.5k warm up then did 4x2minutes with a 2 minute jog in between each rep. Then we did the same again ,but with 1 minutes instead of 2. We started off as a group of 7, but we dropped 3 people by the end of the 4th 2 minute. I was running with Haftu, Dean, and Duggie and we took it in turns to lead each rep. We then did the same for the 1 minutes. After that part of the run we took a 4 minute break before heading onto the athletics track for 200m floats. Floats just mean that you jog around the track for 200 metres as your recovery before you start  the next rep. This was a new experience as I had never done 200's before and it was good. I kept with Haftu and Dean again and the times were 31s, 32s, 30s, 28s. Really good training, did something new 10.9km in all.

Long Run

Today did 13.25k with Dad. Got up at 8 and we were out the door by quarter past. We ran down to the beach then along the beach for a bit before coming back inland. Didn't push it too hard as it was a long run and I was still sore from yesterday. We did it in 60:28 (4:30km pace). Still very windy and I'm hoping it will calm down soon, because it is a pain training in the wind. About 55km for the week all up.

20 minute out and back

Today being a Saturday I had a bit of a slow morning and I left for the run at about 9:45. I was doing a 20 minute out and back, which is where you take it easy for 20 minutes and then step it up on the way home. The way out was nice and easy and I did 5.65km in the first 20 minutes. Then pushed it back on the way home and did the same distance in 17:28. Pretty happy, however it was very windy so I think I might have been able to go a bit faster had the conditions been better. Having said that this is the best weather we have had in Melbourne in a week. 11.3km in all, good Saturday run.

10km Run

Today feeling pretty good so after school I ate 2 croissants before going on a 10k. I said to myself beforehand I was going to run 4:15 km pace, but about 1km into it I was feeling good so I thought, might as well and pushed on a bit. At around 5km still feeling good running at about 3:55 km pace and kept that up until 1.5km to go when I stepped up the pace to 3:50. Finished with a time of 36:52, really happy as I still felt I had something left in the tank.

3k, 2k, 1k

Yesterday went to running club after school again. Did the normal 2.5km warm up followed by some drills and a last minute shit. It was Chris, Haftu, Tom and I doing a session, then Duggie and some others doing an easier session. We were a doing a 3k, 2k then a 1k all pretty speedy. We started the 3k and Chris took the lead. I suggested a peloton style running thing where each of us took the lead for a couple of minutes as it was really windy and that's what we did for the first 2km. Then Chris took the lead for the last 1k and we finished in a time of 10:03. Pretty happy with that. Next was the 2k and Haftu lead the first 800 ,then I took over for the next 400 and again Chris finished us off. We ended up with a 6:43 for the 2k. Finally it was the dreaded 1km rep and we started off with Tom out the front. I just behind him, but then he surged and I couldn't stay with him. Haftu and I stayed together until the end and ran a 3:11. Good session, pretty tough, but I enjoyed it. About 9.7km in all.

Hard Session

Yesterday went to running club after school for a tough session. We did 2.5k warm up really slow then stretches. We then did Pyramid training. That is 1 minute 3:15 km pace and then 1 minute slow jogging. Then 2 minutes hard, 1 minute slow, 3 minutes hard, 1 minute slow, 4 minutes hard, 1 minute slow and then back down again. There was a big group of people last night so the atmosphere was really good. We all started the session together, all 9 of us and by the end of the 1st 2 minute hard rep we had dropped 3 people. It was Chris, Haftu, Tom, Dean and I up the front. We took it in turns to lead for each of the hard reps. I pulled the short straw and was given a 4 minute interval to lead. I pushed quite hard because I was nervous of going to slow, that probably didn't help. Kept up with the others until the 2nd 2 minute rep and was about 5 metres behind when the clock stopped. On the last 1 minute rep we pushed really hard they dropped me again and ended up about 15 metres behind with Dean. Very hard session as the recovery wasn't very long, but it was good. It was about 10.8km in all.

In the Forest

Yesterday, went up to the Dandenongs (mountains) with the running club to go on a long run with lots of hills in it. We were running through the forest on a small muddy track. There was rocks everywhere so a couple of us took a fall. We went slowly the whole way around and ended up doing 10.6km in 48 minutes (4:52 km pace). There was however, one hill which was so incredibly steep that nobody was going faster than 10 minute km pace up it. That hill took a lot out of you as it stretched on in all for about 400m. The run however was actually quite enjoyable as the forest was all around us and we weren't pushing it that hard.

Update

Thursday- On Thursday I was feeling sore after Athletics Day so I did an easy 5k. Felt sore throughout the whole run- calves felt especially tight.

Friday- Didn't do anything on Friday as I had to get up at 3 in the morning to catch the bus with the school to a Mount Buller for a snowboarding camp. I was snowboard for the first time and it was incredible. I was pretty awful at the start, and only really picked it up at the end of the day. Went quite fast and took some pretty rough falls, but I really enjoyed it and hope to do it again soon.

Saturday- As a result from the rough falls on Mount Buller, I was feeling very sore. I woke up and could barely move my neck. Quads were very tight and my knees and back were coved in bruises. I decided not to run as I could hardly walk.

School Athletics Day

So school athletics day so just a fun day not very serious races. The first race I did was the 1500m, so of course there was the kids who decided to sprint for the first 200 metres for a laugh and that's exactly what happened. I stayed in about 7th while the sprinters went off, then they got tired and I overtook them all by the 400 mark. From there I continued at the same pace slowly getting further and further away from the second and third runners. I finished the race with a time of 4:48 and first place and a bit disappointed to be honest. I didn't surge at all so I think that took a toll on the time and there was no one running leading with me to help push the speed.
The next race was 800 metres in which I placed 2nd with a time of 2:15. Harry, the leader went out and stayed about 5 seconds ahead of me throughout the entire race. Again, a bit disappointed at the time, but happy at the position.
Next race was 400 metres. I placed second, losing to Harry again. I ran 1:01 so I was happy with that time.
The final race was the 4 x 100m relay. Harry, was on our team so I was feeling pretty confident. I started off the race keeping up with the fastest runner on the opposition team. Handed the baton onto Chappo who ran another solid leg, but then there was a bad baton change so we lost about 2 seconds. Connor ran the third leg before handing the baton to Harry, who was 15 metres behind the leader but still managed to bring home the victory.
Really happy with the day over all, it was a bit of fun. My first real track races and I think I prefer longer distances, but I still enjoyed it.

Rest Day

Just a rest day before a couple of races tomorrow. The school athletics so it should be a bit of fun. Thinking about doing a 1500m a 400m and maybe an 800m if I am feeling good. I'll post about the races tomorrow.

First Post

This is the first post to my running blog which will just be about the runs that I do for those who are interested. It will be like a running diary so I can track my improvements over time.
Today was a light session because of an upcoming race on Wednesday. We did a 1 km, 600 metres and a 300 metres.

 Times: 2:57(1km), 1:33(600m) and 42 seconds(300m)

It was very windy today so that affected the times a bit. Was about 5 seconds behind Haftu and about 7 seconds behind Nick in all of them. On the 300m I was particularly happy as I managed to beat Haftu (an extremely rare occurrence). Bought some new shoes yesterday, switched from Nike Freeruns to New Balance Minimus. Seemed ok for the time being, the Minimus are a bit more like track spikes than the freeruns.