Riding in the dark

I acquired this lamp from Hong Kong on eBay for $30 inc postage, it is 1800lumens as powerful as a car head light!
Safety first I thoroughly recommend to all, you can even mount it on a head band ( included) and take it on a run! Rechargeable battery pack.

Ron Peters 1:15:52 Half Mara @ 60 years old! His Third Australian Half Marathon Record (+M50 71;32, +M55 72;19)

Tour de Narangba
I have set myself an arbitrary target of 250KM a week on the bike which I have managed the last two weeks.
Yesterday I also fitted in a run 10.6km Roo+Lake it seems like forever since I went for just a steady run and  loved going over my old course in 4min 26 K's. It appears that the cycling is managing to keep a certain amount of running fitness going as I do not expect to be able to run easy at that pace on no base at all. Some discomfort in the heel today as always following the run. 
Impressed by the space age glass and aluminium train station at Narangba.
It seems quite out of place in this old country town. The roads around there are shocking bone shaking lanes so will have to eek out other directions for longer rides.

In other news it was the Noosa running festival this weekend and congrats to Jackson Elliott on his 69min Half, possibly a debut Half for him at 31 years of age.
However what can you say about Ron Peters that hasn't already been said?
He must be pushing 60 this year and finished 5th in 75m52 Outstanding running!
Update;Ronnie is 60 and that was an Australian M60 Record by over a minute.

RESULTS

NOOSA HALF MARATHON 2013
Male

1. Jackson Elliott, 1:09:26
2. Adam Fitzekerley, 1:12:19
3. Brad Beer, 1:14:2
4. Stephen Jackson, 1:15:37
5. Ron Peters, 1:15:52
6. Paul Herlihy, 1:16:18

Female

1. Clare Geraghty, 1:16:12
2. Amanda Watson, 1:17:58
3. Melanie Panayiotou, 1:20:11
4. Aarthie Venkatesen, 1:20:57
5. Nerissa Campbell, 1:21:40
6. Clare Williams, 1:23:16

RESULTS
NOOSA 10K RUN
Male
1. Ryan Fisher, 00:32:09
2. Ron Darmon, 00:32:18
3. Craig Anthony, 00:32:23
4. Ben Macronan, 00:32:28
5. Paul Tucker, 00:32:32
6. Drew Williams, 00:32:49

Female
1. Tamlyn Mathiske, 00:37:4
2. Lilian Anderson, 00:38:17
3. Ainslie Bakker, 00:39:08
4. Andrea Appleton, 00:39:04
5. Peita Hynes, 00:39:16
6. Melissa Watson, 00:39:56

RESULTS
NOOSA 5K RUN
Male
1. Dave Kalinowski, 00:16:54
2. Drew Westbrook, 00:17:08
3. Christophe Manchon, 00:18:00
4. James Copperthwaite, 00:18:26
5. Alex Alesi, 00:18:38
6. Rick Rouse, 00:18:46

Female
1. Lilli Burdon, 00:18:20
2. Olivia Warnes, 00:20:53
3. Issy Burdon, 00:20:53
4. Victoria Royle, 00:21:25
5. Elizabeth Bell, 00:21:46
6. Taylor Chinn, 00:21:58

Riding Like a Bender

I have tried out my heel a few times over the previous weeks but I'm still getting a reaction so its been ride ride ride.
251km last week (6 days), 90km today, I have stopped trying to ride each ride like a race flat out in a constant attempt to eak up my kmph over 30KM, and am now just riding with the occasional attempt to improve a Segment time on my local Strava Segments.
Today I headed out to the Sea Side - Scarborough/Redcliffe/Woody Point/Sandgate. Which included the 3km long Ted Smout Bridge. On the way out South I road the road section which was a little scary as the traffic is going 80kmph and there is no bike lane! Realizing my mistake, on the way back North I took the safe option and rode the bike/run path.

I got caught up in Anzac Day Parade road closures and also got caught up in some traffic coming back through Redcliffe and Scarborough which slowed me down and pulled my overall ave to 29.6kmph (I'm happy if I can keep it over 30kmph). As this ride was easily going to be my longest ever I added some loops in order to round it up to a cool 90KM - for a runner that sounds monstrous and even for a cyclist it requires 3 hours on the saddle.
I feel more confident about going further afield because I now carry a spare tube and CO2 inflaters in case of puncture.
I thought that my route home as drawn on the map looks like Futurama's Bender but our Lily does not agree?
You might have to click on the image to see it!

"Maggie Thatcher! Maggie Thatcher! can you hear me? Your Boys took a hell of a beating!"

At this poignant  time I am reminded of this Norwegian commentators euphoria when Norway beat England.

Heart Thumping

I thought I'd give the heel a try out and to see if it reacts to a run.
I did get some reaction but then if you havent run for 4 months you can expect that.
Probably still too early to be getting back into it;

Strava Strava Strava

My foot slipped off the pedal as I was trying to clip in whilst racing a segment my Strava course. Thought it was just a graze but two days later it was throbbing and I was limping thinking Gangrene had set in and I needed amputation. Thankfully the swelling has subsided and the angry redness gone but the delightful seepage has started.

Mastered by Mr.Bont

The weekend before last was yet another Wet Season deluge here in Brizzy , I have taken the soft cyclist option of not riding when it is wet because of safety considerations. As the heel had seemed to be on the mend I thought I'd much rather run 6K than spend an hour on the stationery cycle trainer. Felt OK and surprised myself to run at easy 4m17's (not having run for about 5 weeks) however clearly my heel still is not ready for it as I had an adverse reaction.
So it was back to on the bike when the rain cleared up and hammered it on the bike. I paid the price one morning when there was a particularly strong headwind , my quads were leaden after two hard mornings. Out of the corner of my eye a spy a cyclist behind me. I gave it all I had for the next two K to prevent myself from being overtaken but it was no use. The whirl of his wheels sounded the death-nail for me and he rode along side smiled and wished me a good morning and continued past me. Only this chap had silvering hair and at that moment my brief belief that I could make it as a Masters cyclist someday was shattered! If I cant be the Master of my own course what chance have I got?
In my defence, he looked pretty professional, I noticed Bont cycling shoes and a Trek bike, possibly a Trek Madone, with tri bars as he tucked into an aerodynamic position.


This weekend I increased my distance to 40KM and on Saturday managed 32.3kmph a PB despite strong headwinds. Sunday I think I was suffering the consequences and the wind was hitting me on different sections than the day before - the Hills. I rode the same 40K 3mins slower for 31kmph. More incessant rain Monday and Tuesday provided more rest days. When I look at my Garmin HR profile for Saturdays ride I am getting it to look for me,  more and more like a run profile. 154bpm average with a max at 172bpm says to me I was working my ar$e off!

I hadn't noticed this Garmin split report before, I like how it show the elevation gain and loss K's and the corresponding effect on speed. Click to large it up!

Spending two and a half hours on the bike over the weekend gave me a cycling tan on my arms!

Martin Disley

New PB on Saturday 31.3kmph even in windy conditions.
Feeling less pain in the heal but reckon it will be some time yet before I'm pain free walking
Never thought I'd say it but really enjoying the cycling and it is giving me something to concentrate on whilst I'm unable to run.
During the week I caught up again with Mr.Crewe Alexandra = Martin Disley.
I rode two laps with Martin for a total 40km, funny how even riding side by side  and chatting we kept the pace over 30kmph.
I harvested the pineapples today, I feel a Castaway moment and the desire to draw faces on my twins :-)

Crewe Alexandra

Rain on the roads this morning but not enough to keep me off the bike. Took it slightly easy as I didn't want to risk a spill.
On my second lap of three I spied another cyclist about to join my course. I didn't want to get overtaken and put the hammer down thinking I'd shake him, 3k later I glanced around and he was just 50m back. I put my head down again and pushed hard as.
Another 3 k later sure I'd dropped him but then heard him change gears right behind me.
He took a turn and the ease of drafting behind someone becomes so apparent. We got talking and it transpires he was a footballer who used to play for Crewe Alexandra, (Northern English town famous for having a large railway junction pass through it) he had moved to New Zealand got citizenship and played for the All Whites! Knee issues saw him retire and take up cycling.

Isle of Wight

Bali

Happy with this ride done in post Oswald windy conditions with a lot of debris on the roads (fallen trees) and still managed to equal my PB 30KM @ 31KMPH a good workout according to the heart-rate too.

Oswald

It seems to have been raining non stop since Thursday. I think getting out on the bike for any serious exercise is a bit too dangerous so nothing much by way of exercise for the last 4/5 days.
Did one hour on the stationery trainer but it is so boring and so sweat inducing in these humid conditions I can't face it.
I did some exercise on the weight bench which got packed away on Boxing day but might be about the only exercise I can do.
Continuing to Stretch the heel which is  marginally better for not having run for two weeks.
Ex Cyclone Oswald dumped huge amounts of rain up on the Cape early last week before turning into a deep low/trough line moving South and dumping further huge rainfall totals in Central Queensland during the week and hitting the South East of the State Saturday. It is being fed by the warm waters of the Coral Sea and caused flooding in Bundaberg Brisbane and Ipswich. Only two years on from the great floods of 2011.
I had to use tap water two weeks ago to top up the pool but now the pool is filled to the brim and the water tank full again.

Into the pink

The pf in the heel was causing me to limp through the day and that for me is the point where I draw the line and stop running again until the pain has gone. I'd become very lazy about doing any of the pf 'treatment' regimes but i'm back onto the stretching exercise about 6 times a day.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/heel-pain-treatment/3360656#transcript

So that means it's all about the bike.
30K's in the morning, just cant get to 30km per hour but steady 28/29ave pace.
This afternoon with a fully warmed up body I managed 30.8kmph  even on a very windy very warm day (32 O C).
Garmin Connect shows Cycling as pink on the calendar hence my blog title.
Click on to enlarge

Your welcome to look at details here

I could not let the LA confession pass without comment. I never thought I'd see the day he'd come 'clean' and admit to cheating. If we ever had faith or trust in our sports heroes and politicians we sure aint now.
Of course Lance was very strategic in what he admitted to, seems like just about everyone miraculously gave up drugs in 2005. What is the Statute of Limitations?
So much for being clean in 2009
My favourite photo to sum it up;

There is a part of me that hopes that Lance may one day be allowed to compete again because even though he is 10 years younger I'd love to come up against him in a 10K or a Half! - Damn I'd even run a debut Mara to kick his ass!

USSR

Day off running today as my heel has flared up. However there is no problem cycling so got out for 30km this morning.
There is a huge fire up the coast from us at Bribie Island State Forest causing ash to rain down on us and polluting the atmosphere with a smokey smell.
The temperature today got to 32C and is due to get to 36C for the next few days. I will enjoy riding the early mornings when it is a cool 24C.

Marathon in a Suit

Click to enlarge;

I saw this clip on Fats' blog and just had to share it in case you hadn't seen it;



Here is another video that I saw on facebook, complete madness but looks awesome!
Extreme downhill mountain biking in Rio

2012

This was 2012.

Back in January I was still running interval sessions hence up to 75 running activities in the month. 
This year saw a solid amount of cycling though mostly as a result of running injuries. The cycling accident at the end of June caused a big dip in all activities though I have been slowly on the up since then.
A Queensland M50 3000m Record 9;13 in January and a 15;57 5000m were my only track races.
Two parkruns two victories 16;30 and 17;18 and three Sunshine Coast Cross Country races and that was my lot racing wise. As we head into 2013 I look forward to meeting you on the start line once again and in the meantime enjoy every run, savour it as if it was your last. Cheers

Running Roo+Lake

Just my routine daily run but with a camera on my cap!


Watch this here or big it up Part 1 at ; http://youtu.be/SjIFi5OREZQ

and Part 2 here; http://youtu.be/-fkSne3aaW4









Details are here;


I met a running buddy Geoff Holmes at 6.00mins and stopped for a chat!

Cecilia your breaking my heart, your shaking my confidence daily

Christmas Day

Click on image to enlarge.

I live nearly next to a golf course and my daily run skirts around the outside but Christmas Day is the special day when the golf course is closed and I can run up and down the fairways on pristine grass getting lost with just a few Plovers crows and ducks for company,slow going as I never knew where I was running circling around the greens looking for the next tee. Also like the last two weeks it has been super hot and humid.
I run  everyday for the last six or so weeks, looking forward to laying off the beer in a weeks time , slimming down and trying some interval work, who knows might even race :-)
Happy Christmas everyone!

4 X Half Marathons

I have raced 4 X Half's in my career;

17/6/1990 Borehamwood Half Mara 71;17.0 1st Age 29
2/9/1990 WMUH Half Mara 71;35.0 1st Age 29
1/6/2008 Queensland Half Mara Doomben 72;12 3rd 1st Age 46
6/7/2008 Gold Coast Half Mara 72;26 27th 1st Age 46

Back in 1990 I was enjoying a good run of fitness having returned from two years in Oz the previous year and putting some consistent solid months of training into the bank.
The Borehamwood Half was pretty local for me and in  my training diary I noted it was a hilly course and a hot Summers day!
I ran my PB 10K road time 2 days after this 30;45 @ Tring suffering blistered feet from the Half.
The West Middlesex University Hospital Half was run somewhere around Twickenham, and in my diary I noted I got miss directed and added 200m to the distance. I ran through 10Miles in 54;30. 2nd place was two minutes behind me and I won GBP125 a very tidy some back then. I also got vest/singlet that I am wearing right now sponsored by BMW and Cooper Car dealership.
18 years later I ran my third Half at Doomben on a flat course with lots of switchbacks.
The Gold Coast performance was supposed to improve on the previous effort but the wind after the turnaround up the coast put paid to what could have been :-)

My Masters 10km Road Race Record

14/4/06 Easter Orleigh Park 35;07
13/5/06 Corporate Games St.Lucia 35;54 1st
28/5/06 Caloundra Foreshore 34;49 2nd 1st
27/7/06 Jetty to Jetty 33;37 10th 1st
20/8/06 Noosa 34;02 5th 1st
8/10/06 Kingscliffe 34;35 3rd 1st
29/4/07 Mount Mee Hilly 37;22 2nd 1st
19/5/07 Corporate Games St.Lucia 34;48 1st
26/5/07 Caloundra Foreshore 34;22 1st
1/7/07 Gold Coast 33;14 18th 1st
22/7/07 Jetty to Jetty 34;02 7th 1st
19/8/07 Noosa 33;59 10th 1st
18/5/08 Corporate Games St.Lucia 34;16 1st
25/5/08 Caloundra Foreshore 32;58 3rd 1st
20/6/08 Jetty to Jetty 32;36 5th 1st
15/5/10 Corporate Games St.Lucia 37;17 1st
3/7/10 Gold Coast 34;32 41st 1st
18/7/10 Jetty to Jetty 34;48 8th 2nd
29/8/10 Bridge to Brisbane 34;27 21st 1st
14/5/11 Corporate Games St.Lucia (9.54km) 32;49 1st
22/5/11 Noosa 33;45 8th 1st
2/7/11 Gold Coast 33;24 26th 1st
17/7/11 Jetty to Jetty 34;11 3rd 1st
11/9/11 Bridge to Brisbane 34;07 13th 1st

1993/ 2004

0 Races

2012

Age 50
11/1/12 3000 9;13.52 QA Qld Champs  22nd 1st Qld M50 Rec
21/1/12 5000 15;57.66 QA Qld Champs 15th 1st
2 Races

2011

Age 49/50
23/1/11 3000 9;19.33 QA 4th 1st
2/4/11 3000 9;30.00 QMA 2nd  2nd
21/4/11 10000 32;53.23 Nationals Brisbane 1st
23/4/11 5000 15;50.18 Nationals Brisbane 3rd
15/10/11 5000 16;08.41 QMA 1st
29/10/11 3000 9;29.76 QMA 1st
5/11/11 5000 15;56.06 QMA 1st
12/11/11 5000 15;55.34 QMA 1st
19/11/11 3000 9;15.96 QMA 1st Qld M50 Rec
26/11/11 5000 16;04.84 QMA 1st
3/12/11 3000 9;23.57 QMA 1st
4/12/11 MILE 4;44.  QMA Gold Coast Qld M50 Rec
17/12/11 1500 4;22.15 QMA 1st
13 Races

2010

Age 49
30/10/10 3000 9;33.55  QMA 1st
13/11/10 5000 16;28.08 QMA 1st
21/11/10 3000 9;33.01 QMA 1st
27/11/10 5000 16;02.65 QMA 1st
4/12/10 3000 9;18.6 QMA Gold Coast 1st
18/12/10 3000 9;32.4 QMA 2nd 1st
6 Races

2009

0 Races

2008

Age 46/47
5/1/08 1500 4;18.30 QA 10th 1st
12/1/08 1500 4;19.05 QMA 1st
19/1/08 3000 9;09.13 2nd 1st
25/1/08 3000 8;56.46 QA 3rd 1st Australian M45 Rec
6/2/08 5000 15;42.82 QA 12th 1st
15/2/08 1500 4;20.38 QA 1st
23/2/08 5000 15;58.51 State titles 1st
9/3/08 3000 9;26.66 State titles 1st
21/3/08 10000 33;28.56 Nationals Sydney 1st
22/3/08 1500 4;23.56 Nationals Sydney 3rd
23/3/08 5000 15;58.31 Nationals Sydney 1st
30/5/08 5000 15;41.44 Maunsell Distance Classic 9th 1st
12 Races

2007

Age 45/46
13/1/07 3000 9;14.2 QMA 3rd 1st
10/2/07 3000 9;06.4 QMA 2nd 1st
21/2/07 5000 15;29.6 QAQld Champs 8th 1st Qld M45 Rec
26/2/07 5000 15;48.1 State Titles 3rd 1st
2/3/07 3000 9;02.58 QA 1st
4/3/07 3000 9;08.36 SE Qld Champs 2nd 1st
18/3/07 3000 9;06.26 State Titles 2nd 1st
6/4/07 10000 32;12.27 Nationals Hobart 1st
6/4/07 800 2;10'?? Nationals Hobart 2nd
7/4/07 1500 4;19.48 Nationals Hobart 3rd
8/4/07 5000 15;46.38 Nationals Hobart 1st
8/6/07 5000 15;41.66 Maunsell Distance Classic 8th 1st
16/11/07 10000 33;25.82 QA Qld Champs 4th 1st
24/11/07 MILE 4;52 QMA 1st
30/11/07 3000 9;22.54 QA 8th 1st
8/12/07 5000 16;07.71 QMA 1st
15/12/07 3000 9;15.01 QA 2nd 1st
21/12/07 5000 15;53.07 QA 3rd 1st
18 Races