Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Another Step in the Right Direction

So it has occurred to me that I'm not so good with this blogging thing. Not that I don't enjoy writing, more-so that I only write when I'm sitting down with some clear thinking space, which in the last month, has been few and far between. In fact, as I write this first blog in a month, I'm looking over a new package that I've just received in the post, courtesy of The Running Centre. I love getting mail!






 I've just started working my new job. 30 hours per week. 8-3.30pm. Monday to Friday. Day off Wednesday. Which is perfect for running. I get up at 6am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and put away an easy 8km run. The rest of the runs all take care of themselves in the afternoon. I've also started riding to work on Monday/Thursday and Friday. Not that a 10km return ride will have any benefit on my fitness. More-so to do with the wonderful toy Gemma bought me for an early birthday present!








In terms of running, things have been going from strength to strength. I've put together a month of 130-140km weeks, bar one week of sickness. The workouts have been great, and I've stepped up from 1h45m on Sunday to 2hrs, and 75mins to 90mins on Wednesdays. Steadily, I'm getting stronger. 


But the racing has also been going well. Two weekends ago we had the NSW road relays, 4 x 4km legs. Our team won by 1min50sec, and my second leg of 11min39sec felt really comfortable. Last week, the NSW short course XC. For those in WA, short course over here is actually 7.5km. Nothing like the fun 4km around the top of Perry Lakes reserve.


This race I was pitted against training partners Jeff Hunt and James Nipperess, plus a new and improved Brad Woods, Bradley Croker and James Kaan. Not wanting Kaan and Woods to be around at the finish, I picked the pace up between 3km and 7km, and by that stage, it was Nipperess, Hunt and myself fighting it out. The positions would end up that way, with a 6 second gap from Nipper to Hunt and another 8 seconds back to me. I was pretty happy, my first individual medal at a NSW champs.


Picture thanks to Gemma Lockley
                                                


So from here, its only 4 weeks to National XC. All that needs to happen is more of the same, and I think I will be in good stead to post a competitive race. Fingers crossed.  

1 comment:

trailblazer777 said...

Congratulations, hope there is many many more podiums ahead way to go! Sarah Jamieson is one ex-WA runner who eventually really hit the big time after making the move east.