Back to the exercise after a nice relaxing week in Canberra. Bevin has also arrived, so I’ve been showing here around a bit. She’s off to get a surfing lesson today – brrrr! It was bloody freezing this morning, so I think I’ll have to get tights for the bike after all. I thought I’d be able to get away with shorts, but not any more.

Weighed in at 88.6kg this morning, which is a little heavy. I seem to be fluctuating around 87-88kg, so I’ll have to start eating lettuce or something to lose the rest of the flab.

B: 5km

Just got back from a bike ride with Greg, Niall and Tom and am feeling nice and refreshed, though I’ll probably be exhausted later on! We started from Hornsby and took the Old Pacific Highway to the turn-around at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River. We’d enjoyed a couple of downhill kms to the turn-around, and now it was time to work hard for a while. I thought that there was a cafe at the bottom, and that we’d have a rest, but it turned out that the cafe in question was at the top of the hill.

As is usually the case, once I got to the top the hill seemed a bit easier than I’d expected. It was a 4km climb, at roughly a 6% grade and I averaged 13.5kmh which I was pretty happy with. I stopped to lower my seat, as my lower back was a bit sore and I thought my saddle might be too high. Once at the top, Greg told me that it’s usually a sign of tight hamstrings and a bit of stretching should sort it out, so I needn’t have stopped at all.

After a pie and a coffee we got back on the bikes for the 20km back to the cars. I was feeling pretty good, so I tried to keep the pace over 30kmh (apart from the hills) for a while. I got away from the others for 10km or so, but Niall hunted me down. All in all it was good fun and a decent workout. The total distance was 46km, so I missed out on the ton for the week by 2km. I suppose I could cycle up the road a little, but that doesn’t really count.

B: 98km – R: 9km – W: 2 sessions

Went for my third run of the week this morning. I think that may be the first time I’ve run three times in a week. It was pretty uneventful, though my calves are feeling it now. Maybe I should have waited until this evening.

I’m off on a bike ride with Niall, Tom and Greg tomorrow. On-road this time, for 50km apparently, so that should loosen out the legs ready for some treadmill work in Canberra.

B: 52km – R: 9km – W: 2 sessions

My calves weren’t sore this morning, unlike after my run last week, so I hit the road again this evening. At the end of my cycle home I did a little measuring of the route I normally run using my bike computer, so at least I’d have some idea of how far I’m running. Turns out it’s around 3km in total.

This evening’s run felt good. Aerobically I’m fine, but my legs can’t really handle much more distance at this stage. I’ll have to ccontinue building up gradually to avoid injury. So far so good (says me after 3 runs ;-)

B: 35km – R: 6km – W: 2 sessions

Well I’ve gone and done it now. I entered The Sunday Telegraph 10k Bridge Run today & am bib number 10166. It’s being run on the same day as the Sydney Marathon and Half-Marathon. The course starts in North Sydney, crosses the Harbour Bridge, does an out-and-back loop through the Royal Botanic Gardens to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, and then finishes on the steps of the Opera House. At least this way if I get too knackered I’ll have a good view!

The wind was howling this morning, so I never made it out of bed early enough to go for a swim. However, I did get some weights and a run done last night, and since the wind seemed to have abated after my little lie-in, I cycled into work (via the ferry), so it’s not all bad.

The run last night went well. Aerobically I’m fine, in that I could run further, but I know if I do my legs will be wiped out. They’re fine today, but will probably be pretty sore tomorrow if last week is anything to go by.

B: 5km – R: 15mins – W: 1 session

Weighed in at 88.1kg this morning. Time to step up the training, and step down the eating for a few weeks!

Crawled out of bed again, and straight into my new winter cycling top, the Draft Dodger. It worked perfectly. Flying downhill on the way to the ferry at 50kmh+, my eyes were streaming and my legs were cold, but my torso had yet to realise I was out of bed! Great stuff. I got a swim in too ;-)

200 FS, 200 BC
3 * 400 Rev. IM on 8:00 (Avg: 6:30)
Total: 1600m

Update: cycled home too for another 10km.

B: 60km – W: 2 sessions – R: 15mins – S: 3200m

Decided to have a day off today. Went out for a few beers last night, as Lynn is visiting from the UK and my sister’s here from Ireland. Also, my calves are quite sore after my run on Tuesday. Got some cycling and weights in yesterday though, so this week is still going well.

My winter cycling top arrived this morning as well. It looks bloody toasty, so I’m looking forward to trying it out tomorrow.

B: 45km – W: 2 sessions – R: 15mins – S: 1600m

Got some good training done in the last 24hrs: cycling, swimming and running. Cycled home last night and went for a run. 15mins of total running time, with short walks interspersed. Felt pretty good, though we’ll see how my calves hod up tomorrow. Climbed out of bed at 6:45 this morning, left the house at 7:00 to get the 7:15 ferry from Rose Bay. Made it to the pool by 7:30 or so, got a 1600m swim in and was still in work by 8:30. A quick trip to Woolies to buy some fruit, and I’m now ready to fall asleep at my desk ;-)

200 FS, 100 BC, 200 FS
1000 for time as (200FS/100BC repeat) – 15:40
100 BR
Total: 1600m

B: 35km – W: 1 session – R: 15mins – S: 1600m