Wednesday 10th December

Afternoon all,

Gobi:  I don't think you're doing that much wrong. 

Pammie:  Both Jones - Steve and Hugh?  Don't forget Greta Weitz - I think her achievements are under recognised.

FIN:  Clocking a serious double there. 

IM:  I commute over 65 miles each way every day ( except wenesdays ).  What with training, there's no day let to cut into

Well done to Wabo & dustin on the OU results.  I keep thinking I must redress my previous flirtation with higher education and do a degree, but there're only so many hours in the day .  Do they do degrees in Marathon Running?

I nominate NZC for the prize for best meaning of christmas. 

• What:  17m mid-week, medium-long run
• Why:  It's mid-week
• Last Hard:  Yesterday
• Last Rest:  15 Days

Have a good one!

AF - Many great athletes at one time or another have come down to run in N.Z. Grete was one of them. I watched her run on the track, she was like a machine, I thought more of an ice-maiden. She was of course running at the same time as our Alison Roe, who American's rated as a number 10 Alison did well, won both Boston and New York, and gave women here the confidence to have a go.

My husband told me to ask Alison's coach to coach me, just to see if he could work his magic with a good but not great runner. Lots of people here didn't give him much credit for her success. Anyway, I'd run in the 2.50s a few times, but couldn't get under it.

So Gary Elliott, was the one who got me to do it  - in 1981. It was all about power of the mind - Trini will understand. The long slow running was out the window, and it was speed, speed and more speed. I got my best time - 2.47.25, and that was by starting off at 2.37 pace! It was by unlocking any barriers you have of yourself. It was a shame that his motivational powers were lost to the sport, as his interests went other places.

I met Grete last year, at New York, where I lined up for her to sign  her new book written for new runners. I really didn't want the book, I wanted to talk to her and get her autograph. She said she had been battling cancer, so hope she is doing well. She was not an ice maiden at all - she was really lovely.

What: 6 miles flat with mates then time for coffee and chat - 6 miles not enough for us to get all our talking done!

Good running everyone.

Well done Dustin.

What - 7.25 miles steady.

Evening all.

Nothing doing here today. Was woken up at 6am with a ripping calf cramp in my right leg (assume it's down to the crutches and the right leg taking more weight), so figured that weights today probably wasn't a good idea...... however, things are feeling good enough that I'm intending to try either some aqua jogging or cycling tomorrow morning (assuming a lack of overnight calf cramp).

NZC - 2:47 after starting off at 2:37 pace? Nice!!! How was a typical training week structured?

Gobi - 4:15 is mad!

Tipp Topp - I only did 7 weeks with him prior to marathon race and a couple of them I was feeling sick or stuffed.

1st week -

Mon 8 miles easy

Tues 2 miles in 10.16 plus 1 mile 5.12 - (downhill miles)

Wed 30 min am  40min easy fartlek pm

Thur 35 min am 10 x 200m strides with 2mile wu/wd pm

Fri 30min am 30 min pm

Sat 10 miles easy

Sun 17 Waiataruas - hilly run - run hard.

Mon 30 min am 45 min easy pm

Tues 30 min am 10 x200 pm 3miles wu/wd

Wed 30min am 3 mile time trial - 16mins pm 1mw 4 m/wd  (downhill)

Thurs 30min am 45min pm

Fri 20min am 40mins incl 2 miles  of 50yd dashes pm

Sat 10 miles - middle 2 quick

Sun Waiataruas 17 miles

After 3 weeks of continually pushing myself, I had the Sunday off - vomiting all night. The 4th week I just ticked over. The 5th week I did a 36.39 10k and was sick most of that week. The fifth week I got a pb road 10k 35.51 and did a 10 mile time trial of 62.37.

The following week was marathon week which read like this

Mon 1hour easy

Tues 45 min easy fartlek

Wed 20 min am 30 min incl 10 x 100m strides

Thurs 1 hour easy 2x 200m strides at end

Fri 20min easy am 20 mins easy pm

Sat 20 mins easy 10 mins slow

Sun Marathon - Relaxed running - enjoy it. Get with a group doing around 6 min mile pace. Sit in the middle and concentrate on relaxing.

Spend 15-20min each day this week in a quiet place. Lie down and relax - Tell your self what you'll do in the marathon - I'm going to relax and float along - running smoothly - easily. I'm going to enjoy the run. My stride with be strong. I will hold 6 min miles for as long as I can without worrying about the end of the race - I'll be positive about my performance. I know I'm strong enough and fast enough to run a good marathon. I've done the work - now I'll relax and put it all together!

Evening

NZC - Thats fantastic reading well except for the vomiting bit. Ever thought of writing a book

AF - Yes Grete as well i meant to mention her then there were many great names around in the 80s (sorry don't remember the 70s not much. Except Ipswich winning the Fa Cup and some Ice skating sucess but thats about it

My only claim to fame athletics wise was meeting Verona Elder she was working in a local college i got the chance to hang round her a few hours one afternoon see what she did. This was when i was thinking about work in the Sports industry. However this was well before i got the running bug real bad, though i did run then but i didn't race. Oh if i was to met her now i'd have so many different questions to ask

Evening folks.

Wabo and Dustin - congrats to you both!

NZC - great reading.

Had an excellent track session tonight...session was a 10k parlauf...gave my partner the 13 x  400 while I took the 12 x 400...I managed reps of:

70.2
71.8
72.8
72.2
71.8
71.6
71.1
71.3
71.6
71.2
70.2
68.6

We ended up covering the 10k in 29.47. As has been the case in many sessions recently, I finished feeling really strong...had thought beforehand I'd do well to average 73/74 secs per lap, so well pleased to average 71.2, and feel reasonably comfortable doing so. Add in the fact that the track had a coating of frost and the air temperature was below freezing, and I'm pretty happy  )

Nighty night.