Slowly slowly, running again

Hi all,

I have been absent for what feels like ages. It has taken a long time to recover from this tendonosis. I didn't run for 3 months, I did try a few times but it was far too painful to continue. Since the injury back in July(was it that long ago?)I have run about 10 times. I am now able to run 50 mins every other day, but very slowly and carefully. It still hurts a little bit, just enough to remind me not to push it. Afer Sacha's awesome effort here in Melbourne the pressure is on me now to get back into my training. I am going to aim for the Gold Coast marathon in June 2011, hopefully the training will go well without more injury.

Team Ryco have now decided to aim for Boston 2012 (or are we now considering NY or Tokyo??).

Sorry this is a boring post without graphics but for some reason I can't upload photos at the moment...one more thing to sort out....

[Ry]

Yep - Its Flat

[co] Done and dusted!

3:29:47... so sneaked under my goal... but not quite my secret goal (we'll leave that hanging).

It was a great day as the gun went off... nice and overcast, as 4,500 of us got underway. Managed to find a good pace to start - felt 'quick' but decided to run by feel and the reality is I was going to fade (it is a marathon after all) and might as well bank time away if its feeling good.

So my strategy was keep it nice and relaxed - for as long as possible.

This lasted till kilometer 25... when the legs started to feel like they were cramping, but actually it was just the quads protesting to the fact it was a pretty flat course and they weren't happy... but kept it up till about kilometer 28 when went over the 5 min/km mark for the first time.

From there it was a battle of wills (with myself) to keep it up... make the goal.

At kilometer 29 I heard a massive stampede come up from behind, as the 3:20 pace group went past.. I tried to hang.. but to no avail...

Kilometer 35 (in the 'tan' - thats the botanical gardens for the non locals) sponge bob took me down... yes a chick in a sponge bob outfit... that one stung a little...

(can see here how it all started to go a bit downhill at 28 kilometers)

and then the slog into the MCG... but it was worth it (I think)... as I hobbled around for the rest of the day...

so:
good news: under the Boston qualifying time
bad news: Lisa was injured so only ran the 10 km
good news: still going for Boston - but 2012
even better news: my time counts for next year... so i don't need to do it again!

So Team Ryco on a little break... will update when we get back in training for 2012.

Till then 'over and out'

Nearly There...

[co]... little smurfs!

Okay into taper before the big day! Do I hear a 'yay'?

Taper is always a little weird - you look forward to it, love it, but in other ways it brings a strange slowing down of the body... that makes you feel raring to go and all sleepy at the same time... as well as the mental expectation of the big day!

Its always an interesting place to be for a few days. But have the plan and really until Wednesday the weeks pretty much standard... and then Friday off to Melbourne. So only a few days to worry... and that's more about making sure I am comfortable with the plan around pacing and eventualities (that will occur - its the way of the world)and making sure I get some shopping time in Friday before Saturday as official 'do nothing, hit the couch' rest up day... I know I can do it if I stick to the pre race plan...

So a marathon doesn't feel too big a deal these days (it is all relative)... but still its about the expectations (and i am fully aware that running this will actually be hard... and new for me), which are:

Goal one: run hard
Goal two: under 3:45
Goal three: its a secret

Now we all have secret times we set... so do I... so hence not telling... will keep you updated if I achieve it (I think thats fair).

Let the HTFU run training experiment commence!