St Kilda

Very annoyingly, the injury to my knee reopened and I couldn't run for a week. I'd moved to 4 runs a week and was finding things getting more comfortable. I started back to running this week with a very heavy legged 10km. I started a bit fast and maybe over estimated how far I should have gone to start with. Probably an easy 7km would have made more sense. Anyway, I followed that up today with an easy 12km. After about 48 hours rest, the run today began with pretty stiff legs, but they soon eased and I actually found the run really easy. The plan is to build up to over 40km per week in the 4 runs I plan. I'm currently not working for 2 weeks so this seems plausible. When I get back to work it will be harder to maintain the enthusiasm!

Pigeons playing Pooh sticks

I ran along down to the bay and along to the neighbouring suburb, St Kilda. I'd driven through St Kilda a few days ago and saw a big tent on the waterfront so I went to investigate. Actually, it wasn't as exciting as I thought it might be. St Kilda is a buzzing sea front suburb in the summer but it becomes much quieter in the winter. The tent represented the winter festival and housed an ice skating rink. It's a nice idea, but Australia struggles to really "do" winter and to me it seemed a bit lame.

An empty St Kilda beach on a warm and sunny winter's day

St Kilda has is an amazing hang out for eating and drinking. Acland Street is full of cafes and restaurants, the Espy sits on the top of the Esplanade, which links Acland Street to the other major eating and drinking area in Fitzroy Street. In some respects, St Kilda comes across as Melbourne's version of Bondi in Sydney. Both areas have attracted bohemian and artistic elements, and now attract a young, party crowd. There is a European feel to both suburbs but a darker reputation also exists with drugs and prostitution linked to them.

Personally I can't stand St Kilda in the summer. It is heaving with people, the service in cafes is either rushed or unfriendly, and the suburb becomes badly littered. On the other hand, today in mid winter it was great. The beach was clean, the streets were litter free, and there was space to walk along the paths. St Kilda became a normal suburb, rather than a tourist resort. There were more families walking dogs than skateboard groups and St Kilda beach was beautiful on a mild, sunny day. In some respect it was a shame I was out for a run as it would have been great to hang out in St Kilda today.

Temporary ice skating on St Kilda beach

Spout

I have rather neglected this part of my blog recently. It isn't that I haven't had things to say, I just don't seem to have got round to writing things. So I'm going to make a big effort to post here once a week. So first on the issue of coffee, I have to admit to becoming pretty set in my ways. I have a number of cafes around Melbourne that it is always a joy to go to to have a coffee if I'm in the area: Artful Dodger in Elsternwick, Saloop in Gardenvale, Dundas Street Cafe in Albert Park, Old Paper Shop Deli in South Melbourne, Amsterdam Street Cafe in Richmond, Cafe Nova in Fitzroy, etc. But I'm always on the lookout for somewhere new. One suburb that has had a distinct lack of decent cafes since I've been living in Elsternwick is nearby Ripponlea, which is a big surprise as it is the home of the culinary delight, Attica. Apart from this, one of my favourite Indian restaurants, Bala da Dhaba, is also in Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea. So it was with great hope that I went to the relatively newly opened Spout cafe in Ripponlea yesterday. Spout has only been open 3 months and is basic from a decor point of view. The walls are brick and the chairs and benches have little or no padding. There were no pictures or photos on the walls, and I didn't even see a menu jazzing the wall space. However, that didn't belittle the place, but actually made it feel quite intimate, and didn't detract fromt he coffee or food. It seems that more and more cafes are going for this basic look, and it has something to be said for it, in my opinion.

Now, because I'd just pigged out at my friend's, Nick and Zoe (thanks for the brekky), just before going out for this coffee I didn't order food, except for a biscuit with my coffee. Looking at food being served made my mouth water though, which is a good sign. I'll certainly be going back to try either the breakfast or lunch, which had a middle eastern flavour to it. Also the menu wasn't too big, which makes me believe that what is on it will be cooked to a good standard. I always tend to be a bit dubious when the menu is massive and has lots of different influences. The coffee was excellent. My long black had quite a strong acidic hit initially, but then rounded out to a fairly earthy and smooth flavour. It was full bodied and maintained texture throughout. I'd give the coffee an 8/10 and say it was the among best coffees I've had for quite a while. I suppose the main criteria for judging how good a cafe is, should be how comfortable you feel in there. Personally, I found the staff friendly and helpful without being pushy and didn't feel overcrowded or in too open a space. So, all in all, I really enjoyed the ambience and had a great cup of coffee! I also had a melt in the mouth piece of shortbread that will take a few kilometres of running to burn off!

Running

I definitely had a mid year lull to my running program. Earlier I had injured my knee which knocked the enthusiasm out of me. I then picked up a bit before the Puffing Billy Run, but it wasn't the greatest build up, and I didn't pick up my running program afterwards but made excuses to not run. About 3 weeks ago, I had a minor cold and was getting disgusted with myself finding reasons not to run. So I started again on a 3-4 day week running plan with the goal being a half marathon. My running program is not too stressful and I am not running to try to break records, but because I enjoy it! Of course, it is great to run faster, but I'm happy just to jog around and take in the sights as I go. Basically, my weekly plan is:

Saturday evening: long run 10-12km+
Monday morning: slow short recovery 5-6km
Tuesday evening: mid distance reasonably paced 7-9km
Thursday evening: mid distance steady 8-10km

Now my plan is to push these distances out a little. The Saturday run will hopefully get out to 20km. This week I did 15km for the first time and it hurt towards the end. The Monday run will stay where it is. I just jog to the bay which is a bit under 3km, take a break, and then jog back again. The Tuesday run will also probably stay the same as well, while I might try to push the Thursday run out to 10-12km as I get more used to the distances. Anyway, the aim is to run the Great Ocean Road half marathon next year so I will not only have to get used to the distance but I'll also have to get used to hills, as it is apparently a tough course. So there will be no excuses to stop me running. I have to go after work most days and if I'm feeling tired, then I'll just run less or slower. And the weather will be no deterrent. Today was a classic example!

Fog Shrouded Port Phillip Bay

Great Train Race 2012

Yesterday, Sunday 6th May, saw the annual Great Train Race held in the Dandenong hills. And it also saw me get up at a ridiculously early hour, to compete in my first race. The race starts in Belgrave and threads through the hills to Emerald. As an added bonus, a competitor in the race is the local steam train, Puffing Billy, though for me, the backdrop of the beautiful rain forest made the run pretty spectacular.

Rain clouds over the rain forest before the start of the race.

My build up to the race hadn't been too good. Earlier in the week I'd come down with a cold, and on Friday, I was seriously considering not running. But I decided to go along and see how I felt at the start. Well, with the adrenalin kicking in, my cold disappeared and so I decided to give it a shot. The race was seeded into different groups depending on a runner's best 10km time. I was starting near the back of the group and hoping to get around the 13.2km course in about 80 minutes. I travelled up to Belgrave with my good friend David who started in the group in front of me, and there were a further 2 faster groups as well.

David

Me

It was pretty cool at about 10C which was good for running as you were not going to overheat. There were some troubles with getting going for some runners, but from the back the big bunch kept us all fairly tightly packed. The course starts in Belgrave, and heads downhill for about a kilometre before the first of 2 pretty decent sized hills ending in Emerald with a couple of kilometres downhill at the end. I decided to take it very easy over the first downhill bit finding myself close to the back of the field, but then just kept a steady pace up the first hill passing lots of runners in the process. A lot of those runners then passed me back again on the next flat/downhill section which I took again quite steadily, before the second hill which is steeper and longer than the first. This hill took it's toll on runners at the back of the course with lots stopping or walking for a short while (me included) but once it was over, the race was fairly easy to finish even though there was still about 5 kilometre's left.

The buzz of running with lots of other people, and the cheers of encouragement from spectators helps you along, and of course there was the sound of the steam train tooting in the distance. There are 2 trains that race. The first will finish the distance in less than 1 hour which is out of reach of the majority of runners. The second train finishes around the 75 minute mark which is something to aim at (in fact, I will make an effort to beat this train next year). During the race there are a number of train crossings to pass, and as the race goes further the train becomes more of a factor. I was aware of the second train somewhere near me around 8 km into the race, and it passed me just before a crossing at the 10km mark.

All that can be seen is the smoke going into the distance as Puffing Billy passes me.

I eventually finished the race in around 80 minutes, though I'm not actually sure of the final time. My legs were pretty heavy at the end, and I was pretty weak on the downhill sections of the race. But I was glad to finish and complete my first ever race. On completion there were free Gatorade for all competitors and free trips back to Belgrave either by bus or on the train itself. David and I decided to take the scenic option and went back on the train. This took the best part of an hour which is great for sightseeing but not so good for muscles seizing up while sat on the cold, open sided, train.

Puffing Billy taking runners and tourists back to Belgrave.

Puffing Billy

Taking part in the event gave me great satisfaction, and a great sense of achievement in being able to finish the distance. Today I feel a bit sore, especially my calves which are not used to hill running like they had to do yesterday. And I noticed a small piece in the Herald Sun today about the race. Forgive me while I try to work out how anyone can run 13.2km in 41 minutes 33 seconds....

...never mind, I'm planning to be back again next year to try to improve upon this year's performance.

Why we do what we do.

About 2 weeks ago, I tripped while out on a run and injured my leg. I had a big cut on my knee, and the knee became stiff and swollen. I had trouble both bending and straightening that leg for about a week, but then the wound started to scab and the leg and joint started to ease and loosen. For the past few days, while I've been driving too and from work, whenever I've seen people running I've thought to myself, "I wish that was me running".

My knee after my tumble 2 weeks ago.

While I've been unable to run it has allowed me to think at times about why I do run. That sounds a bit weird, but let me explain. In about 2 months I'm going to be running a race over 13km, and I had built a training program to help build strength, speed and stamina. But really, I'm not bothered about how fast I go, or even how far I go. To me it's just important to be able to go out and run, and I really enjoy it. So when I couldn't run I missed the actual physical workouts. I didn't miss running certain distances, or running at certain speeds, but I did miss 'just running'.

This morning, I ran for the first time in 2 weeks, and it was pretty tiring. I ran a very leisurely 5km and found my muscles were aching afterwards, and I was short of breath during the run. The knee didn't bother me, though I was aware of it. All in all, it was nothing more than a short, slow recovery run, and that is the way things will be for at least this week. And after this I have decided to reset my goals. Instead of going for longer and faster, I am just going to run, however far and however fast I want to. I have a general aim of running half marathon distances, but it's the actual joy of getting out and doing what I do that is what I get a buzz from.

My new goal is to run 4 times a week, though this might not happen for a couple of weeks while I recover fully.  I have also set goals in some other activities that I enjoy, but learning from this experience may alter those aims, as I try to work out what it really is I want from each thing I do. I think that a short period of being unable to do something that I really enjoy has given me a different perspective on why I do that thing, and sometimes we get so involved that with details that we lose the bigger picture.

Run faster? Run longer? Or just run and enjoy the glorious views along the way?

Running around work

I recently set myself a running program based on a workout every second day. This would give me plenty of exercise, and some rest days. Well, I have my work timetable and it's fairly long hours for 4 days (Tuesday-Friday 8am-7pm) and a whole Saturday 9am-3pm. So it has become harder to fit my running schedule around this. I have therefore decided to change it, and will now try to run 4 times a week. The workouts will be:

Tuesday steady 8-10km
Thursday steady 8-10km
Saturday long run building up to 20km
Sunday recovery run

The plan is now to get the miles into my legs, and not worry about speed. I want to be able to run a half marathon in 2013, though I'm just concerned about the distance, not any time. Maybe I'll enter the Melbourne Marathon which is around October time, though there are plenty to choose from.

In the meantime, the entries have opened for the Puffing Billy Great Train Run. My boss has entered the race already so I better get my act in gear. The race is over 13.2km of pretty hilly countryside which should be a big test. My longest run so far was just over 13km last week and that took me about 78 minutes which gives me a rough guide to how I'll run. Although the course is harder than what I normally run, I will be running with others, whereas I usually run alone. I'm guessing these factors will wipe each other out and anything under 80 minutes will be good for me. The race is on May 6th which gives me 2 and a half months to train for it. I will hopefully have a 15km run behind me before May!

I've been using 2 websites a lot recently to do with running. Endomondo is an app for your phone which has GPS tracking that can monitor your workouts. It has a whole lot more on the website, including challenges and a community based feel. As an example of a challenge, I've entered a challenge to run 1000 miles in 2012. I'm a little behind schedule, but I intend to pick up the training over the year. The other site is a forum which is packed with information. Coolrunning Australia, is where I found out about the Puffing Billy Run and I've seen much more, including other events, health issues, equipment discussions and good old fashioned banter.

Running Program 2012

It was my 2012 New Year's resolution to run some races this year with the first being the Puffing Billy run in May. So I've set myself a training program in blocks of 10 days running every second day. This should give me a chance to improve, time to recover between runs, and still fit around my work and the rest of my life. While running has become a very pleasurable hobby for me, I don't want it to take over my life and finding the right balance is important to me.

So the training program will look something like this:

1. 8-12km steady run
2. Interval training, either hills or speed work
3. Longer distance run, building to 20km
4. Interval training, either hills or speed work
5. 8-12km steady run

I have finished the first set of sessions now and feel really good. My first run was the day after I landed from New Zealand and I managed 10km but was painfully slow. I felt a bit stiff to start with, but ran this off, loosened up, but couldn't build to a decent rhythm. The second run I chose a hill near where I live and ran around the block going up the hill 4 times. The hill isn't too steep, nor too long, but I was breathing more heavily than usual at the top of it. The first couple of hills weren't too bad, but it then became tough going and the end of the fourth run was a real struggle. In hindsight I realise that I was trying to run the hills too fast rather than to take them at a steady pace and was therefore tiring sooner than I should have.

My long run was great. I felt really good, and ran over 11km (I'd previously only run 10.5km) in the same time it took me to run 10km a few days before. I fell into a pace after about 1.5km and held it through till about 9.5km when I started to tire. I then ran the hills again, but this time tried to run at a steady pace and managed 5 repeats of the climb feeling better than when I'd done 4. I was able to recover comfortably as I slowly ran to the bottom of the hill, and after the hills, I even did a 2km cool down run and was able to pick up the pace a little towards the end. The last run of this session was 10km, but I really struggled as it was terribly hot, about 27C when I started my run. I ran at a decent pace, but had to stop at about the 7km mark where there is a drink fountain. So it was basically 2 runs, one of 7km and another about 3km with a break of 1 or 2 minutes between them.

I'm pretty happy with this start to the year and hope to build from there. I want to build my distance up to 20km eventually, but in the medium term, I want to get 15km and get a few runs of that distance in before the Puffing Billy run. I'm not so bothered about my speed as I'm already running faster than I'd expected to, but I've got in my mind 10km in 55 minutes which is an average of 5.30 per kilometre. I'm not far from there, so I see it as an achievable target. When I hit that target I'll think about something else!

T- minus 10 hours

That's how long it is until we leave the house and head off on holiday! Caroline and I are flying to Queenstown, New Zealand, and then taking a trek around Milford Sound. We will be out of phone and internet range for 5 days, but hopefully will have some amazing memories and images to bring back with us. We have decided to go with a hiking company who will guide us through the fjords and mountainous regions that were the inspiration for much of the scenery in The Lord of the Rings films.

Lord of the Rings Country

It will be quite an effort as we have to average over 10 miles of walking per day, including a tough climb up to the MacKinnon Pass. But also included in the trip are boat rides on the fjord and a helicopter ride back to Queenstown.

Great views at MacKinnon Pass

Luckily Caroline and I have both been getting fitter, which should make the walks bearable. While she is cycling and plans to ride the Bay in a Day ride later in the year, which will be at least 50km, I have been running, and have some plans of my own. Since New Year I have run three times, a 7.5km run on New Year's morning, a 9.5km run that had to be split up after about 7km as I ran out of puff. Mind you, it was about 26C when I was running and I was probably going a bit quick. I actually thought it was cool because the temperature had dropped from the 40C day we had just before, but 26C is still too hot for good running. Then today I went out at a very conservative pace and ran 10km in 59 minutes. I ran a bit further, but 10km was the aim.

When I get back from new Zealand, I am going into heavy training mode in an attempt to develop longer distance runs and more stamina at faster times. But I'll start to think about that when I've finished trekking in New Zealand!

New Year's Resolutions

It's the last day of 2011 and about 35C outside, so today I've decided to stay inside, try to stay as cool as possible, and work out what goals I should set for next year. Most of these are to do with running, but I'll get some others out the way quickly.

1. Play more chess and push my rating towards 2300. This is what I need to become an FM titled player. I have about 140 points to rise, but at this level that is very hard. I will have to up my game, which means putting some work in :(

2. More coffee!! My best coffee of 2011 was probably at St Ali's in South Melbourne. Unfortunately, St Ali's is always packed and the service is always stretched (don't get me wrong, they're really good in there, just always rushed off their feet). So I'm on the search for more good coffee places, and I'll no doubt hit some bad ones around the place.

3. Running. So here it is. What are my goals for the New Year? Well first, as far as this blog is concerned, I'm not going to post about every running session. I've decided to break my training into 10 day blocks and I'll blog about my sessions rather than each individual workout.

The sessions will consist of 3 long runs, 2 of 10km and one longer. There will also be interval training, speed and strength training as well. OMG, this sounds serious! Actually, it is pretty much the same as what I'm doing now except each run is targeted at improvement, even if only a small bit.

And the reason for this is that I don't want to make a complete idiot of myself when I enter some runs this year, which I am going to do!

Puffing Billy Run: I became aware of this after joining an Australian Runners Forum, CoolRunning, and the more I think of it, the more it appeals to me. So I am going to work towards running this race which is about 13.2km and I'll be happy to complete it in anything under 80 minutes which is roughly 6 minutes per kilometre. It's on 6th May so I have 4 months to prepare for it and as I'm already running 10km, I should be able to handle it....I hope!

De Castella Run: this is one I saw a flyer for in 2011. Unfortunately, it was about 3 days before the race was due to take place. The Rob de Castella run is a 15km run for a cause which is quite important to me, mental health research. My wife has been a mental health nurse for about 15 years so this seems an appropriate run to aim for. The de Castella run is on 26th August, so there is plenty of time between Puffing Billy and this one for me to train and try to improve more!

The big goal for 2012 is to push my running out to 20km. Then I will consider a half marathon for 2013, and maybe even take on the marathon distance in the future.

Running Diary Boxing Day 2011

I now know that running on a stomach full of Christmas goodies is not the best thing to do, but it certainly helps to keep trim. On Christmas Eve, I did a 10km run. I had learnt from the run before to wait until a little later and when I went out it was pretty warm, but nowhere near as hot as in the middle of the afternoon. I was able to run my 10km (actually I did just over 7km, stopped for a drink and then finished the final 3km) at a reasonable pace of less than an hour, and didn't fade towards the end. I also started very conservatively and then speeded up a bit after 2km to run at a pace I felt pretty comfortable at.

A hazy, warm evening overlooking the bay at my 7.5km drinking stop.

Although it was hot, I paced myself and managed to run the distance comfortably. I now want to run the distance a little quicker. I have set myself a target of 55 minutes for 10km, and I also have decided that I should try to run further so I am going to try to move up to 15km. This, however, will not be an overnight thing, and if it takes me 6 months to get to 15km, then so be it.

Today, I was feeling rather stuffed after overindulging in the Christmas spirit yesterday. A combination of too much rich food, and beer and spirits made me feel pretty yuck today. But it didn't stop me from going out to run, though I was careful to listen to what my body suggested. In fact, almost as soon as I left my house, I just felt like opening up and going quite quickly, so it was soon decided that I was going for a short, sharp ride. The conditions weren't bad at about 18C, though it was quite windy. I got into a rhythm at a faster pace than I'm used to and ran about 5.5km. My slowest kilometre was 5.36, which is pretty good for me and my overall time for the 5km was 25 minutes, 56 seconds. I have a target of 25 minutes for 5km which I'm not really training towards at the moment as I'm going for longer distance stuff, but runs like this are quite encouraging. If nothing else, it shows that the longer distance workouts are helping me keep a decent pace for longer times now.

Running Diary 22/12/2011

Hazy day by the bay today.

Actually, 'running' diary is stretching things a bit today! It has been very warm today, and I went out to run earlier than I should have, at about 5.00pm not waiting for the day to cool down. This proved to be a mistake. I was planning on running 10km today, but struggled to loosen up in the first kilometre. After 5km I decided to have a break. I was very hot, and puffing badly so I walked for maybe 200-300 metres, before trying to run again. This time I managed a bit under 3km before my legs told me that was enough for the day. It left me with about a kilometre to walk home. This is a bit longer than I usually leave myself, but I feel pretty good now, so it wasn't a bad thing.

I know the dangers of hot weather running, but didn't fully prepare for this run and chose a bad time to go out. Even now, the temperature is about 27C outside so it hasn't cooled down much from the top temp of 27.6C. All this can be checked out on the excellent weather site, BOM. But really, you only need to look outside, and step out the door to know if it's going to be painful training.

You don't need the weatherman to tell you it's hot!

Running Diary 20/12/2011

I felt tired before running today. I didn't sleep well last night. So I decided to take it easy and run as far as my body would allow. Actually, the run kind of energised me, and soon into it, I felt pretty good. In the end I ran just short of 9km and was running quicker at the end than at the start. The conditions were better for running as it was only about 18-20C when I went out. There was a bit of breeze but that didn't really bother me too much, and it wasn't coming off the sea towards me so my bayside part of the run was really good.

I have also recently got some running gear. I now have shorts and shirts made to keep me cooler during my workouts. To be honest I don't really understand the technology and am happy just to go with the flow. But what I do know is that if I sweat less, I will be able to run more efficiently as I will not be heating up so much. Actually, the choice of clothing and the technology used is pretty amazing!

A great motivator is having other people training with you, or around you. Recently my wife has started cycling, and is rapidly increasing her speed and distances. We now spur each other on and support each other. Having a training partner, or a person who can act as your conscience when you don't feel like training is an excellent motivator. It works both ways. Today it was Caroline's birthday (Happy Birthday Darling!) and after work she was quite tired. However, when she saw me come in from work and get ready to run, she perked up and got herself ready to cycle!

My beautiful wife, Caroline, is also getting fit!

Running Diary 18/12/2011

Today, I decided it was time to try to put into practice some of the things I've been looking at. My main focus today was on my breathing and my upper body tension. I ran a bit under 6km, and at the end of it I felt completely exhausted, worse than if I'd run 10km. The effort it took to correct my posture and regulate my breathing was more than I could cope with. I now have to ask myself whether I am to continue trying to correct my faults or just to run naturally. I guess I will have to alter my running style as it was causing me pain. The good thing about today's run was that I felt virtually no tension through my arms or shoulders. I was running loose and felt pretty good at the end of it.

So I wonder how long it will take for me to be able to 'run tall' and still get the results I was getting through my natural style? I will continue this experiment and see where it takes me. I'm rationalising it by comparing it to golf. Most players get to a certain level with their natural style, but to get better they often have to unlearn some things and relearn a new style. Perhaps the same could be true for running. I have no intention of ever racing, but I don't enjoy pain that can be avoided, so I feel that changing my style to help me achieve more comfort through my workouts must be good.

Another alternative that I'm seriously considering is to start yoga and upper body strength exercises. I'm not talking weights, but more balance type exercises, and stretching. Again, a simple search on line can bring up a number of workouts and exercise plans. I might get on the wii and follow the yoga exercises, and some of the balance games. This could be a good workout during my non running days.

Running Diary 16/12/2011

Another hot evening run, but this time I ended up with a bit of a headache probably from dehydration. It was about 27C when I was running, and I went a little below my usual pace for just over 8km. This is a good workout for me, but might have been pushing it in the conditions.

I am actually writing this the day after the run, and I can say that I am completely recovered now. My legs feel great, my head is clear, but my shoulders ache a little. I have been taking the strain from my runs on my arms and shoulders, and their is some residual aching. So now I am feeling more comfortable with my breathing, and my muscles are coping and recovering well, I need to find some technique to avoid this tension. Funnily enough, whenever I think of one of these things, I check it out online and it has been dealt with before. This is pretty comforting and also extremely helpful to new runners as we can draw on the experiences of those who have gone through these things themselves. To avoid the slack, I'm going to try to 'run tall', as advised by head coach of UCLA track and cross country, Bob Larsen.

I had another groan moment, as I was approaching exactly the same point in my run where there had been a police road block before.

More flashing lights cross my path on a run.

This time I saw flashing lights again, and dreaded the detour which would make me run further than I had to. In fact the lights this time were from a fire engine, but I don't think it was an emergency as there wasn't much activity. This means that I've had police, an ambulance, and a fire engine all with their lights on cross my running path over the past 2 weeks. Hopefully these things will come in threes, and the sleepy suburbs I run through will revert back to normality.

Running Diary 15/12/2011

I woke up this morning and got myself ready for an early run. Actually, I forced myself out this morning, as last night I had got home later than expected and felt exhausted, so I opted out of the scheduled run. It has been a beautiful morning, so it really wasn't difficult to get myself going.

A run of 2 halves

The first part of the run went at a decent pace. I ran a steady 3km to the bay, stopped to take a photo and then started back again. But at one of the main roads I have to cross, I was waiting for the lights to change and a woman on a bike rode into the back of a stationary car. There was quite a bit of blood, and the woman was pretty badly shaken (didn't seem to have any broken bones), so I waited with here, as did a few other people until an ambulance came. They made sure her her head and neck were secure before taking her off to hospital, and I gave a statement to the police, though to be honest I didn't really see that much.

After this, I still had about 2.5km to run home, but my heart wasn't really in it. I lost focus and basically jogged back. It was still an ok workout. I hope the woman is ok, and just remind all my cyclist friends to be careful when they're on the roads. This woman was wearing a helmet and there was still quite a bit of blood around her head.

Glorious Port Phillip Bay on a sunny, blue morning.

Running Diary 12/12/2011

I have had a few days off from running due to a weekend working away in Tasmania so felt I should go for a decent length run today. For me, that is about 10km now, which has taken me a while to get to. You can see some earlier posts concerning running on my old blog.

The weather was good today, with little wind and quite cool for Melbourne, being about 17C/18C when I went out. I didn't feel so great at the start, and was puffing quite a bit early on, but then settled into a rhythm and really enjoyed the run. This was the first time I had managed to run fairly even paced for the whole distance. Usually, I tire towards the end and the last couple of kilometres can slow down considerably, but in fact I ran the second half faster than the first which felt really good.

I'm tracking my workouts with an app for my phone which uses GPS tracking. It is linked to a website called endomondo which stores my workouts and lets me analyse them. Endomondo is a fitness community and by joining this I have been inspired to run more regularly and further. At the moment I don't have a clear aim of where I'm going with the running as I've sort of reached the things that I thought I might be able to do. So I've got to set some new goals, which I'll be doing over the Christmas break.

My new blog

I've been writing a blog for quite a while now which has had many aspects to it. I've found that bit confusing so I'm compartmentalising my blogging life. This blog willl have no chess on it at all, while the other will be completely chess based. This blog will be primarily about coffee, running and travel. I am an avid coffee drinker, living in a city full of barista's so I'm in coffee heaven. Of course, I'm always looking out for new places to have a coffee.

I've also become quite an avid runner and I'll be keeping a diary of my running here, partly to inspire others, and partly to inspire myself! I've become interested ina number of issues to do with my health which I guess has to do with quickly approaching 50 years of age!

I also love to travel. The author G. K. Chesterton once said "They say travelling broadens the mind, but you must have the mind". Hopefully I can still see wondrous things and meet wonderful people around the World.