Monday Helena Pipeline Loop....

Ran the pipeline loop from the Victor Road Gate this afternoon.... Very little wind, no sign of rain.

Heading out from the gate I ran even and easy to warm up into the run. This course is all gravel and includes a big part of my Sunday run. Down Hamburger Hill and through the third gate. ( This is always open) 11min 11.55sec. Some big puddles today, in fact there was obviously some rain over night because there was more water around than Sunday morning. Ran along the lower pipe line and out to the second culvert. Time check (29min 9.05 seconds) ran over the (jumped) the water and onto the home trail that runs along the upper pipe. Worked the hills and established a good even pace. breathing was not too laboured and backed off a little so that it did not become a balls out run.

Back up Hamburger, up and over, down the dip then up again to the pipe. Pleased at this point as I was on the limit of easy hard run. Down past the pumping station and treatment plant. heading back towards the car and Victor Road gate the watch stopped at 55min16.52sec. (26m7.27s to get back...A good negative split of 3 minutes 2 seconds)

Stretching and home.. enjoyed the outing solo and to my own beat ... as odd as that may be.

Barrel on wombats.....

Sunday Helena Vally........My staple

We can all be the dragon warrior.......if you are prepared to believe and do the work...

Sunday 7.15am, Helena Valley from the primary school this morning. That is my staple Sunday, was again today. It used to be Fred Jacoby Park in my younger days. We used to run a 9 mile loop and do it twice or simply run out and back. There was a hill out the back of the Weir that makes Kelly's climb look like a speed hump. Personally I always felt that the Jacoby Park long run was tougher as the hills ran throughout the entire run not just the front section. Having said that if the Helena crew turns out towards Johnson's loop the terrain gets tough out through that way....

Anyway heading out from the school along the bitumen I think back to many years earlier that this surface was gravel from the school. It takes about 10minutes to get to the gravel along this road. Today it took 9 and a half. then across the creek , small stream actually, then up to the next car park area, right and this time a small two minute hiccup while I clamber across the water way. The water seemed a little lower today so it wont be long before I can jump it again. From this point it is up to the main pipeline service track and away we go.

This track is also the same course that the marathon club use for their 'King of the Mountain' race. 11 minutes later I was dropping down Hamburger Hill. At the base of this you could go right and head along the upper pipe trail. This track is a lot better in terms of the trail but I prefer to come back that way and head out along the lower pipe trail. This trail is a bit rougher in places, particularly after so much rain, but I actually prefer the feel that running through some sections of this trail gives me. (I sometimes come out and do reps along this bottom section with each rep taking roughly 5 minutes)

Still a lot of large puddles today but I managed to get around these without getting or slipping over. A bit rocky through the small humps but I felt good this morning so I surged everyone that came too. Working through a series of small climbs but always heading up I did a sharp right at the top of a short sharp climb and then headed down the worst section of the run. managing not to twist an ankle I shot along the bottom flat bit to the next cement culvert. This time I went right rather than heading further along the trail that ultimately leads to Mundaring Weir.

Now I am on the upper pipe and heading home. This section is fairly undulating but the surface is fantastic in terms of being able to run without worrying about going arse over tit. I checked my watch at this point (out of habit) and by the way still not happy with the watch. Used to have the Ironman triathlon that would store 50 times/splits what ever, the bonus was that I could do a warm up then store the time, do the session then store that etc... with the new one that replaces it it still stores 50 laps, splits BUT IT WONT ALLOW ME TO STORE LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE DOES......it shits me (just venting why do they change a watch the only thing wrong with the other one was that the band was an unpractical design in terms of durability)... Any way I digress.

My time out to the switch back 47 minutes, mmmm a bit slow this morning. Still I know it will pick up for three reasons. 1. I have warmed up. 2. The surface is better 3. Because I always try to wind it up coming home. Really feeling good today. Step up the pace and slip into my day dream mode of being the best in the world and just smashing everyone . I so do like to race imaginary competitors while I am out here. I think that is why I don't mind training by myself. Over active imagination.

Anyway worked all the hills today and even felt awesome heading back up Hamburg Hill. Heard a group talking on the other side coming back. may have been Courts and the crew on the other side. Could not see them though.

The run in felt bloody good today. This was one of those days you wish you could replicate while racing. back to the river clamber over the downed trees to get over it... and then back to the bitumen. Opened up over this and along it in 8.15. much quicker than when I headed out.

All up a great run today... Had to add on becasue I came home too fast 42 minutes . Only had to add on 1 minute to get to the 1.30 for this morning. Did a bit of a light stretch then headed home to get showered and warm before the run tonight..

Hope to see you all out there next week. Especially you young guns.... Patto that means you.

Barrell on wombats.......

From the Rabi.......

The world does not measure us by how many times we get knocked down but rather by how many times we get back up.... Can't wait to see what Courts does in his next outing....

The City to Surf brought a mixture of feelings once I crossed the line this year. I managed to scrap in for a top 10 finish, I could see the leaders for much of the run BUT I missed the sub 40 I had also targeted on the day... I was able to lead a small group for a good section of the race BUT when one of the group moved up to take over the work and call us through I was unable to kick down to step up to the pace despite feeling comfortable I was on the edge of my current fitness level.

I know that I definitely felt a hell of a lot better than the Bridges but the next level is going to take a little more work than I am currently doing. Even when I consider that a number of the group ahead of me have done a few more years of work than me over the the same time frame there is still work to be done...

The transition between winter competition and summer competition marks a period of break from formal, structured training sessions for many runners. For me and the athletes I help this marks a time of doing some serious mileage again prior to bringing back in structured sessions.

Under my current mentor nothing will change, my work load will build up again to pre -city to surf and I will maintain that for ever and a day. The structure is simple but works on strength and volume and incorporates all the elements of speed, strength, endurance and endurance strength work... The runs are every day twice a day 7 days a week BUT take the second run off during the week as either dictated but weariness or workload be that family commitments or professional.

Sunday is 2hrs (almost at 230) Monday is 8-10 miles with the last two miles winding up. Tuesday is a fartlek session, Wednesday is a tempo run, Thursday is a sustained 15 minute effort covering as much ground as I can, Friday is easy 8-10 miles and Saturday is a solid run over undulating terrain. Throw in the second runs and there it is. Simple effective and time will tell......

Barrel on Wombats.......

Back to the beginning.....

Time to refocus.. After the 2009 City to Surf the Wombat took three days off. Ran with no watch and did not care if I got out or not. In years gone by I would have continued to run and got straight back into the sessions. With my fitness levels at the stage that they are I felt that the " Take is nice and easy enjoy life" approach was more suitable.

As I reflect on where I have come from as a runner I noted that above all else my volume steadily increased over time. Possibly in some ways the increase was too slow and , in hind sight, may have hindered earlier results however ultimately it enabled me to build strength. Strength as a distance runner is the basic foundation along with endurance.

Too often I see young runners out there doing these mammoth sessions off very little base. Yes they do develop some great speed but when push comes to shove and the pace is on from the gun they have nothing to put down on the table. A great finishing kick with very little else.

The body needs time to absorb the mileage and adapt to the demands that a runner will put on it and to do this it takes time. Young guns don't be impatient, take the time to build the mileage. Put in the time, do the long runs, build up to running twice a day every day, 7 days a weeks, 52 weeks a year and you will get there in terms of reaching your own potential.

Barrel on wombats.....

Done and Dusted.....

Well I saw a bit of the wombat this Sunday. For me the journey was tough over the 12km.. The difference between the Bridges 10km and Sundays' 12km is that in the 10km race my legs gave out before I was completely smashed. On Sunday my legs felt strong and I sensed that it was an overall lack of strength that was letting me down.

Getting to the top of Selby street hill I had that wonderful dry reach feeling that feels like you backside it going to come up through your mouth...

The overall race was solid and I really enjoyed the competitive nature of the group I managed to get in with. Watching Raf disappear up the hill and the group of chasers following I was quick to settle into a rhythm and climbed through the mad minute group. Around me was the impressionable Doig, Lajos, Dymnicki and Bailie. Over the hill It was easy to see those who would pay the price later and at this point I was around 18th place and fairly comfortable. I lenghtened my stride and let the hill do the work going down the other side. Lajos tucked in behind along with a few others. For me this was not a problem, I felt good and was happy to work. I figured if I was strong enough I would beat this pack anyway.

As we moved through Hay street our group slowly picked up the stragglers. We told them to try and tack onto our group, some did some didn't. Going up Selby Street Hill, Lajos came through and called me on along with Dymnicki and Bailie.

The pace was solid and everyone seemed to be moving well as we crested the hill, at which point I dry reached a couple of times, (gotta love that feeling) gathered myself and chased.

Bailie pulled through the group and began to tussle with DeBoer leaving Dymnicki, Doigy , Lojas and myself to sort things out. High 5s to some of the kids on the sideline as well as giving away my sun visor to a small child got a few cheers. Turning into perry Lakes our group had a solid advantage over the boys we were chasing. On an open road you run the race line which we did, the others stayed well left. A course is measured along the race line...

We turned onto Oceanic Drv (the three sisters, a staged hill) Someone shouted "Go the wombat" at which point I moved past two more competitors as we climbed. Caught and passed Doigy and began to chase Lajos however to his credit he also kicked down..

Bailie was winding up and looked to have covered DeBoer while Dymnicki , with cracked ribs was running a blinder. Coming onto West Coast highway I chased Lajos but the little bugga held me off. Doigy also came past in the closing stages to get both of us... Gotta watch these AFL umpires.

A very happy wombat in terms of placing (10th) but a little disappointed with the time (41m4s) still lots of work to be done for 2010 and " Every Journey begins with a single step".

Congratulations to everyone who competed and a big thank you to all the volunteers on the day.

Barrel on wombats....

when all is said and done well done is better than well said...

The 'Bradbury principle' has become an accepted Australianism and the wombat for one will be putting that to the test on Sunday....

Bradbury , and alot of people did not realise this, took a very long time to come to terms with his victory and the fact that he won a gold medal at the Olympic Games. He felt that he did not deserve the medal, that athletes better than him should have won... The bottom line is that he toes the line, he got himself firstly to the Olympic games and then finally to the start of the Olympic final... I remember watching the skating and thinking " Bloody hell... you legend" , each time he made it to the next round. He kept putting himself up there and just kept going forward... To me watching this was the living example of " you gotta be in it to win it" and win it he did.. While the other skaters went down in the final Bradbury , the reluctant hero, came through , on his feet, and won the gold...

Maybe what he did not think about at the time was the work that he had put in to get to the games in the first place. The sacrifices that he had made to get to the games. If I saw him today I would say " You deserved it, you did the work and you put yourself into a position to win, and win you did, you did not cheat, you did not take drugs .. you simply won"

To everyone who is running the marathon , the half and the 12km... well done you have covered the ground, you have done the work... Will you win? time will tell... But one thing for sure unless you get to the start line you don't have a hope in hell of finding out..

Like me you will be hoping to see if the Bradbury principle can work for you..... good luck

Barrel on wombats...

Bugger........

" To be a great champion you have to believe you are ..... if you can't , pretend." At the moment I am pretending.....

The last few weeks have been tough, even for a wombat, with Grandmother wombat suffering a fall and then going into hospital before passing away I spent a great deal of time at her bedside for extended periods. obviously training took a severe hit as did my sleep... No excuses I got through it but the confidence has been dented at a time when I need to be strong both physically and mentally.....

This week I have begun to establish some sort of routine again and have got my head back into a good space....

Spewing about the City to Surf, entered on line but not early enough to get my pack sent out to me so I have to make a trip into the convention centre in the lead up to pick up my race numbers .. bugger... The wombat has managed to jag an A start.

I have concerns about the starting format as it appears to be very messy with us all assembling on the esplanade then moving up to the start line.... Time will tell I guess.

And the Kenyans are in Town , young Courtney Carter seems to be on fire and has been running with them for a number of his sessions which has shown he is in outstanding shape. Running 8x1000m off a 200m float and leading this group was something to behold....

Well followers and occasional readers I will let you know how the wombat fairs in the next few days in an effort to get back on track.... My focus for the next few weeks will be long sustained running again with more of a sustained endurance approach to enable me to maintain a steady and even pace throughout the 12km City to Surf journey.. I have set some personal goals for this event and I have stated publicly that I am not there to make up numbers but then that goes without saying.. I mean anyone who toes the line does so with the belief that they are in with a chance.... " To be a great champion you have to believe you are......" Well I will be pretending and that's all part of the journey.....

Barrel on Wombats..

Niggle, Niggle, Surge...... Niggle, Niggle, Surge

This seems to be the pattern at the moment. A couple of days with

some niggles then a day where I feel like I can take on the world.... I guess that's running...

Last week was another good one having shaken the bug that plagued me for a couple of weeks (Not the wombat flu thank goodness). The long runs are going well and continue to give me a sense of strength that I hope will serve me well over the 12km journey in about 5 weeks time.

The rain was incredible and at one point during my Wednesday run I could not help laughing at the stupidity of running in torrential rain and wind. Having been to Vic Nolan's Funeral earlier I headed out from Kings Park just for something different and was nearly drowned. I was very moved by the efforts of Doigy and Watto's efforts in putting together Vic's funeral arrangements. He will be sadly missed by those he coached but I feel pretty certain he would have been extremely proud of the young men that these two guys have become.

Monday's run was done is hail and having run past a polar bear at one stage I was beginning to sense that I was in the wrong continent. Got even more confusing when a troop penguins slid past me a a lengthy down hill section of my run.

Thursday was a corker and the session confirmed for me that I am regaining some of my endurance strength. managed to get up to Raf for a few short moments and feel that in a few more weeks I may even take it up to him. This will do the confidence the world of good ( mine not raf's). Hopefully I can string another couple of 130km weeks together.

I am concerned about my lack of racing fitness, but with the junior football season still trudging along and my two young wombats participating I can't see a way around this one. Time will tell I guess.

Saw Darryn S at Peak Podiatry and had my inserts slightly adjusted, Mr Magic worked my ankle to try and improve mobility, but with one leg longer the they other, as he pointed out, I need to work hard to make sure I don't end up running in circles.

I have acquired a slight niggle on my outside left knee however this feels like an overuse issue and is something that I will be managing over the next few days. Seems to warm up and OK but gets a bit stiff when I have been sitting for a while. mmmmmm I will watch this one...

Have had some late nights with the Tour on SBS but loved every second of it, team Astana was awesome , shame about Contador on the hill climb and his surge that dropped his own team mate... Despite the press I still got the sense that there was little love loss between him and Armstrong. Disappointing for Cadel but there are certainly some very talented young riders out there..

Well followers there is the situation from the wombat for this week, until next time..

Barrel on wombats.....

Wax on Wax off........

I remember the karate kid " Wax on Wax off".... and the question that he asked in relation to the relevance of waxing a car and learning karate... Once he was shown it made sense. Its the little things done over and over again that sometimes collectively make the biggest impact...

I reminded myself of that this week. Since last Saturday I have had this bloody head cold and I can't seem to shake it. Initially, under Mrs Wombats insistence, I backed off. I still got out each day. My frustration came On Tuesday when I was out doing my session and moving along well. Wednesday morning I wake to feel like crud. Thursday I put together a fantastic 17.5km session and Friday I am shattered, Then again today , my breathing is fine but I'm hot and cold and ordinary.... Whats the point of the token runs... Then I remind myself ..its the little things we do that sometimes have the biggest impact.... If I don't run I will beat up on myself, if I at least get out the door then I am winning the head game. I also say to myself that I feel sure one of my competitors would not have trained today so that puts me one up on them... even if I have only run a mile then that is one more mile than them... each step takes me closer to the starting line putting me into a position to have a crack at my goal... Each run is one less excuse that I can offer myself when I do stand on the line and each time I get out of the door I have beaten that little negative voice that each of us has which so often creates the doubt that causes us to stop doing something.....

Wax on Wax off...... funny how things trigger a thought pattern,mind you when you run for 2 hours you gotta think about something....

" I can because I believe I can".... " I did because I believed I could".....

Barrel on wombats......

City to Surf...... lets roll.

Don't stress too much about the speed work for this event just yet. A runners focus who is just beginning would be to start to build up a base on which to work with... Aim to get out every day and if need be take the Friday off.... Some simple plans would revolve around walk one day, run the next then on the walk days introduce some running sections.

For an intermediate runner spend the next few weeks (July) building on you ability to run , at pace, over the 12km . this could involve run steady state for 5 days of the week and incorporating 2 tempo runs into the week where you wind up over the distance. Basically just run and don't get too caught up in the sessions..

The City to Surf starts at the bottom of a hill, in fact a significantly long and steep hill. This can be daunting for any runner but it is only an issue if you have never run up a hill or you go out like a mad man/woman at the start of the race and then spend the next 11km wondering who poured concrete into your legs?

At the end of the day we don't plan to fail, we simply fail to plan.... Go one just get out there and run and enjoy being outside.

Barrel on wombats...

City to Surf..... Get a woggle on...

The hype has started and the bets have begun.... For those who have made the "one beer too many" bets its time that you actually got outside and put one foot in front of the other in rapid succession.. This is called training and will give you at least a realistic chance of covering the 12km....

If you have done no training what soever and when attempting to get out of your chair to look for the remote causes you shortness of breathe I STRONGLY DISCOURAGE you from even thinking about running the half or full marathon distances.

Start with a walk each day before introducing any form of running and eventually swap a walk day for a run day.. you may find that what you begin to do ( as I like to describe it) is "woggle" or "woggling" (This is my term for a pace that is faster than a walk, just, but slower than a jog, just.)

Woggerling could sometimes be seen as moon walking forwards. The feet give the appearance of not actually leaving the ground yet the body is moving forwards. Woggerling is not to be confused with the "Cliff young Shuffle" This action is deceptively quick and resulted in Cliff winning the prized ultra run.

Anyway enough of the banter, if your going to do the 4k, or 12k then its time to start getting ready for the big day..

Barrel on wombats...

Another page in the book....

I remember talking with 'Deek' when I was a wee little wombat, well is was more of an awe inspiring stare and an occasional squeak on my part, but one thing I recall often from this conversation was him saying to me that each day you train you add another page to your book until eventually you have a very thick book or in a runners case a very good base...

I was watching Lance Armstrong last night in the team time trial and the commentators were saying how he has slipped back into the fold with relative ease. Now I am pretty sure that along the way to slipping "back into the fold with ease" he has done a bloody great deal of work to get back such a high level of fitness.... The other thing that he has done, or got, and that the younger riders don't have is years and years of riding behind him. This base of riding which he is able to draw on is something that the body remembers...

This is also something that the wise old wombat ,who is guiding me at the moment, also said.." Don't worry too much about the volume initially, the body will remember" having just completed another week in the 70 mile region I am beginning to understand. While my first 2 hour run killed me and I was left weary after the second I am finding that I have begun to run efficiently over the ground again. Yes there are things that I need to work on, like running up hills and retaining my form but, as I regain my strength I believe this too will return.

Already the Wednesday tempo run feels like a more controlled affair even though the pace is still increasing, and will do so for many weeks. But the bottom line is that all that work (those pages in my book) which I put in over 20 odd years of running has not all disappeared, the body is remembering...

This week was tough. The end of term and the start of school holidays brought with it the dreaded cold and sore throat. taking advice from Mrs Wombat I backed off for four days with easy running over 3-4 miles, ate copious amounts of raw Italian garlic (home grown) avoided any vampires in the process and have eaten enough oranges, lemons, and mandarins to feed a small country. The end result was a fast recovery and fresher legs.

The next two weeks will provide an opportunity to increase the mileage, volume and establish a new routine before returning to work. Hopefully this will allow me to carry the new routine into term 3. Again time will tell.

Barrel on wombats...

Tempo on the Trail...

Tonight was on of those runs when you wish there was a starting line and a finish line... Did some light stretching then headed off up the trail into Mt Helena and Chidlow.. Started out steady and slowly built the pace to the point where I felt comfortable.

Nothing hurt tonight the old wombat seemed to flow, it was definitely one of those runs that you just want to savour. had to run late due to the young wombats sport commitments so I was running in dusk/dark. Thankfully the moon was up and it was a pretty clear night.

Turned to come home and just cranked it up a little more to see how comfortable I could keep it... Covered the 16+km in 65minutes... Gravel track and bitumen road sections at times...

Barrel on wombats....

Man that was hard....

Sunday's run was harder than the average run.... My third week of a 2hr run and I really struggled from 45 minutes on... last week I did the long run in the afternoon. This came after an hour of football umpiring for the Parky JFC and an easy 3 miler. This week I went straight from umpiring to Helena for the long run so I guess I was actually running for 3 hours. Regardless it was 2 hours of head games over an undulating, wet , muddy and heavy track.

The evening was a very, very, very lazy 3 miler from my burrow.

Over the next two weeks I will build the run up to 2hr15minutes and then ultimately sit on 2 1/2 hours there after however I don't expect to be up to this stage for another 3-4 weeks. I am hoping also that by this stage I should be into the full swing of the new program and locked into the good old repetition that so many runners find hard to do....

Barrel on Wombats....

Solid week.......

This week has been a tough one which saw me clock 70miles for the week (approx 112km).... A big chunk being quality in comparison to the week before. I also had to be careful as I broke the 10% rule this week with a leap from 53+ miles last week.

Sunday started out well and I ran for 2hr through Helena Valley (18 miles) this was done after an easy 3 miles in the morning which came on top of an hour of Junior football umpiring. Starting the run at 3.30pm meant that I was coming home on dusk and in some places the footing got a little dodgy.

Monday was a solid 10 miles , the majority of it being done around Hyde Park and I made sure that I was coming home solid over the last 2 miles.

Tuesday (8miles) was another late run this time from Steel Blue oval in Bassendean. It rained hard for most of the run which I did not start until 7.30pm and by the time I got home I was smashed. This run incorporated a slightly modified mona session and I felt strong throughout.

Wednesday was a junior football meeting so again it was a late start from Steel Blue oval and again in the rain. I started out easy and soon established a good pace which I managed to sustain throughout the run. (10miles).

Thursday (10miles) was back at Yokine with a large group and after a good warm up we hit our straps with a solid session for the evening. Pleasantly smashed for the night and spent it chasing the younger runners.

Friday (3miles) was a little week but as I left the burrow I noticed that I was rooted. Already well up on last week in terms of mileage I backed off significantly and just ran through Kangaroo rise..

Saturday was a bastard, left the run late and stepped out the door into torrential rain and wind. Ran 8 laps of the block ( just over 1700 per lap) The block is an undulating loop and I worked the pace from steady even to solid. Initially 7 minutes per lap, this was down to 6min 20sec by the last lap as they steadily got faster. I felt strong throughout and left the run with a great sense of achievement.

This is my biggest mileage for a long time but the hard bit now will be to maintain it. I am hoping that my strength will develop through the program which will compensate slightly for what I have lost in speed over the years. I am constantly telling myself that it does not have to happen over night and this is something that I need to be wary of so as not to get into injury trouble....

Barrel on wombats...

Long Distance Runners...Long is the key word

I have been asked a number of times about the necessity of doing a log run and how far is far enough? Should a 10km runner run for 2 hrs should a 1500m runner run for 2 hrs?

My answer to this is, and will always, be yes..

Sebastian Coe a brilliant miler, 1500m and 800m runner in his book talks about doing long runs. Herb Elliott did long runs and ended his career undefeated over the 1500m distance. Ron Clarke did long runs and set world records for 5ooom and 10000m , his Australian records have only , in the last decade been broken by runner who do long runs. Emil Zatopek did long runs Lasse Viren did long runs. I could go on for hours with the names of runners both middle and long who do and did long runs.

You see the wombat believes that it is no good being the fastest in the field if you are not strong enough to be there at the end. The long run builds strength it builds endurance... Just ask Courtney Carter, Mona, Deek, Birmingham, Tucker, Troop and Mottram. Not only do some of these runners have good marathon times (those that have run them) but they have bloody fast 1500m/5000m and 10000m times too.

The long run(and I am not talking about just plodding along but rather running at a steady even sustainable pace) and the tempo run help to build a solid foundation on which to run fast times. Simple example. Lets say that I am a runner who can run fast over 1500m along with another runner who can run just as fast over 1500m. When we step up to 2000m or 3000m both our times drop off. In other words neither of us can sustain the pace that we need to hold . Its not that I can't run fast its simply that I can't run fast for a long time... How do I get stronger then...? Easy I run further so that I can develop the strength to maintain this speed for longer.....

by running longer the body learns to be efficient, it learns to burn fuel , it learns to function under fatigue put simply it learns.... When I took my big break its not that I got any slower I could still run as fast as I used to only I could only do it for 30m before I feel into a hole... I got on the track the other day and guess what ????? I managed a 60second lap. It killed me.... 4 months ago this would not have been possible...why? no strength or fitness. as I get fitter I get stronger as I get stronger I can run further for longer at a faster rate.

Again two weeks ago I ran for 2hours and it smashed me... I ran for 2hrs this week and it felt easier because I am getting stronger, fitter, the body is learning to cope with the strain.....

No there is an argument that you wont get any faster by running for 2hrs and doing tempo runs . This is correct to a point... if you run 3minutes for 1km and that is as fast as you go then you wont get any faster however if you can run 3minutes for a km why do you run 6m20 second for 2km and 36minutes for 10km???? because you are not strong enough to run 3 minutes for 10km.. It is a very real possibility that someone who can run 3minutes for 1km could potentially run 30 minutes or at the very least 31 minutes for 10km.....

That's the wombats thoughts anyway....

Barrel on Wombats...

State Half marathon....

Courtney Carter ran a massive solo Pb in the state half marathon championships.... 67m20s, negative split and well over 2 minutes clear of second. Well done Courtney.

The wombat warrior didn't get to the start line due to a communication break down with the minister for housing so instead went for a solo 2 hour run through Helena valley following the lower pipeline gong out and coming back along, eventually the upper pipe... Pretty pleased actually due to the fact that I got out to the turn around point that I sued to get to as a young wombat.... Moved well and felt good for my second two hour run this year and for many years before... covered a lazy 3 miles this morning after junior football umpiring and then helping the young wombat peddle up to Chidlow with the local cub group. Set out for the 2 hrs at 3.10pm from the Helena school.. Cold and a little wet under foot but a nice run at all the same....

Barrel on wombats....

Sunday Long Run...

Man it was tough mentally and the head games were on after 45minutes.. In some ways the two hours this Sunday was tougher than last weeks hour and a half.. My legs actually felt a lot stronger than last week (May have had something to do with the fact that I had not done an hour of junior football umpiring prior) but I was weary and a part of me kept shouting to turn back every 5 minutes. Ultimately I did make it out to the hour turn around point and got back but the bitch of a hill was ugly running.. not pretty at all I mean parents were pulling their kids off the streets.. This run for me marked the start of the week and tonight's surge session already puts the wombat at 28 miles for the week so it looks to be a heavy week of training to come if I can maintain the effort,,

Last week was solid with Sunday long run sessions on Monday, Thursday and Saturday despite a bout of a stomach wog and I finished the week on 50 miles.. Again this is a long way from my target but its heading up and that's important.

The wisest of wombats has provided the paving stones for my journey and I am sure I will get there but his words of wisdom call for 4 months of base building prior to any significant changes. In this time my long runs will build and be sustained at 2hr 30min and I will need to pay considerable attention to my tempo but one must be patient to be a good warrior... For the time being I am happy to be still on my feet and moving quicker than three months ago

Anyway gang i hope your journeys are going in the right direction and remember not to be to hard on yourself when things get tough .. just take a big breathe and plough on in...

Don Brooker you are a legend.... Anima Sana In Corpore Sano.... Only time will tell.

Barrel on Wombats...

The winds of change bring a new smell...

Us Wombats like to sleep and eat and in my case run.... Sibo not Berlin 1990 try looking back a little further to 1976 and 1980 and you can probably work it out from there...(There is you hint)

My new program looks good on paper and my legs are telling me that looks can be deceiving but I am sure they will adapt... It is funny how when someone tells you to do something or helps you are more likely to do it than if you suggested it to yourself, especially if you respect the person who is providing the information in the first place.

last night was solid but even at Hyde Park and tonight looks tougher due in part to the fact that I have to do it from my burrow. This means running down the bitch to warm up and then ultimately coming back up her to cool down..not something I enjoy doing for a laugh...Still what does not kill you makes you stronger... time will tell... Stay tuned and I will let you know how the week panned out.

By the way Courtney Carter ran a solid 30m15sec 10km Road Race at Sandown in Victoria for a fantastic PB...This young buck could be the one to watch in the West if he can keep a calm head and continue to build on what appears to be a good base....

Barrel on Wombats....

A tough week nearly gone...

That "I'm rooted" feeling never seems to take long to come back once you begin to establish a routine... This week has been pretty solid by comparison for the wombat and although the distance is down the quality went up.....


I am finding the hardest thing to do is get back to the stage where I can cover the ground quickly and efficiently. I know it will eventually come but boy oh boy I can't wait until it does. on any and all of my runs at the moment if I come to a hill, which is not hard to do up here in Wombatsville, I am lifting the pace to get up and over.

Sunday: 6 miles around Wedgetail Loop and Kangaroo Rise.
Monday: am 3 miles along Kangaroo Rise
pm Hyde Park Session 3xfigure 8s moving from half marathon pace to 5km pace then 3 x hill sprints. Ran 2 sets of these with a 90sec recovery in between the two sets (3m55s) (3m52s)(3m54s)(3m52s)(3m53s)(3m50s).
Tuesday:1 mile
Wednesday:3miles cold wet and windy.
Thursday: 8 miles at yokine W/U then 3x1.3km circuit involving 120m hill climb, 340m hill climb and 25om surge broken up with float in between x 2 sets. (Absolutely smashed)
Friday: 6 miles Along Wedgetail loop and Kangaroo Rise
Saturday : am 6 miles Along Wedgetail loop and Kangaroo Rise
pm 3 miles

Weight is fluctuating between 66kg and 67.5kg. But I think this will flatten out once the routine is well and truly established. On Monday I put the feelers out for some help from a very wise and crusty old Wombat Warrior and was stoked this Friday when he responded that he would help give me some more direction in terms of building up and stabilising my program.... Its a long and winding road but he aint heavy he's my brother... Time will tell if I am worthy of the old wombats words of wisdom..

Barrel on wombats

Thursday controlled session......

Ouch tough night. A steady 3km warm up around Yokine then some light stretching.

Went into a solid session (for me anyway)

1500m (4m59s)then a 2 minute recovery

1000m (3m8s) then a 1 minute recovery

500m (1m24s) then a 3 minute recovery

1500m (4m55s) then 2 minute recovery

1000m (3m12s) then 1 minute recovery

500m (1m25s)

Easy 3km cool down.

Felt solid tonight...Breathing was a lot better but really notice a lack of fitness in the latter stages of the 1500 and 1000..... A lot more to do....

7 mile night

Don't under estimate the long run.....

I believe the long run is one of the meat and potato elements of a solid running program , especially for the distance runner. It is the staple of marathon runners and for anyone who followed Coe, Snell and the likes both these middle distance legends Incorporated the long run into their program.

For me I see it serving a number of purposes. The first, in the marathon runners case, is that it provides you with a chance to spend time on your feet. This in turn teaches your body to function efficiently over a sustained period of time as well as, in the latter stages of the long run, understand a little about running strong despite feeling weary. lastly it helps build endurance strength.

How long becomes the ultimate question and I guess ultimately this depends on what your standard run is and what you are preparing for in the first place. An ultra runner would run substantially longer that a marathon runner who in turn would expect to cover more ground that a 400m runner. The main aim though is time on your feet to build strength.

From the wombats experience when I was running at my best I was doing regular long runs and even at times when my training suffered it was mu long run that I kept as a constant and in doing so this allowed me to retain a significant degree of strength that I may have other wise lost.

I know this sounds logical however I have beaten runners who were faster than me but not as strong and in turn I have been beaten by runners who I was faster than but not as strong as. The strong runners are usually the guys who make the long run for home when the kickers are happy to wait and not waste strength on a long drawn out battle..

If you are not doing this in your program then it is something that you need to consider....

Barrel on wombats...

Peaks and troughs...

Sometimes I even annoy myself with the small ways in which I manage to avoid doing something mildly unpleasant...

Got home Thursday night after a smashing session (see previous rant) to find that the power was still out, this had been down since 11am, so showering was a very cold bucket over the head. (You see up here where the wombat lives we have tanks to store the rain water and without power we wombats can't get it out because the pumps don't work)....anyway the rain continued most of the night and Friday morning my alarm went off (I use the mobile phone for this) at 5.30am.. it is pouring down and guess what?...still no power.. OK old wombat I ain't gonna run this morning because I wont be able to shower before work and I don't wan to come in from the run freezing cold then not be able to warm up prior to going down the hill.... OK we will run after work and increase the distance a little....

So I go to work looking like a scruff...

Come home Friday afternoon and Mrs Wombat calls to say bring home pizza the power is still out and the family is at the neighbours because they have organised a generator and so are able to run a few lights and more importantly Mrs Wombat and the younglings can shower..shit..shit..shit... OK hold off on the run until after the pizza. This means running with a stitch... that's cool I can deal with that..

Dinner and a chat at the neighbours , still no power, we drive around the block to home put the young ones to bed and I suit up for a run... I step out the door and the heavens open up...bugga... OK token gesture and around the block we go.....

Dry off and into bed cold...

Woke this morning and yes you guessed it, still no power. Not bad for a so called developed country.. I know what you are saying, my choice I live in the hills...Maybe you wont be smiling if the sea levels rise in which case I will have coastal views... pack the car with all the equipment and head off to the local oval to set up for the Auskick program that I run at 9am.. oval under water..OK its 7.45am make a decision time do I start ringing parents and call it off of run with it...n on news, another cold front with showers allegedly coming through... start making calls to give parents the heads up...Sorry guys Auskick cancelled for today try again next weekend. happy to play in the rain but the oval is soaked and possibly another front coming up the hill...

Drive home and the sun comes out and it does not rain again until my evening run... Bugga , live with a shitty decision. Still it could have gone the other way .. comes with the turf.

Power came back on 11am .. ran for 3 miles and enjoyed the wind and the drizzle and the constant mind chatter of "GO Home, Turn around its cold"....

Looking forward to tomorrow and the start of a new week...Just over a month to get into gear for the half ... go baby go..

Barrel on Wombats....

Smashed...

Tough night.... Thursday 21st Easy warm up 3km around the reserve. The session tonight was 1000m 60 second recovery 500m 60 second recovery 500m 60 second recovery 1000m 2 minute recovery 500m 60 second recovery 500m 60 second recovery 1000m 60 second recovery 500m 60 second recovery 500m Then 3km cool down (12km total session)

Really tough tonight and found a few times that I was really at the limit by the end of the rep.
1000m (3.12) 500m ( 1.33) 500m (1.28) 1000m ( 3.17) 500m (1.33) 500m (1.31) 1000m (3.17) 500m (1.31) 500m (1.27).

Barrel on wombats...

Wombat shivers...

Out of the Burrow this morning and onto the track...Cold, wet miserable and windy and I LOVED IT!!!!!!!...

The rains have finally arrived and already the air smelt better this morning. Covered my usual 3 mile Kangaroo Rise Circuit this morning. Quads are a little sore but other than that moved well.

Barrel on Wombats.

Wombat works the week...

OK I am smashed... two runs in a day during the working week. Its been one day and I am already wondering how in the hell I did this all those years ago. I guess I did not have kids but I was still working like the majority of the planet... Its that feeling of waking up tired and going to bed knacked that I seem to have forgotten...

if I had my time again I would not have stopped running (training) in the first place.. The brain gets used to ignoring the body and the body gets used to just going out there and doing it. After a prolonged break the body obviously realises that there is another side to life............ Guess what I would not change it for the world..

This evening I covered another 3 miles at a steady state..

barrel on Wombats

The Wombat's Mornings have started....

AHHHHH!!! for the past two mornings I have woken up and sat in the dark in my burrow pondering about running and preparing to start running so that I can get 2 runs in a day... As a wombat I rally hate the morning , I mean its snug and warm and cosy under my sheets and outside its cold, lonely and bloody dark....

I want to do it but I ain't looking forward to it.... well this morning I did it and after the usual mental abuse that goes on in my head I was out the door and into the dark...My first 10seconds reaffirmed why I did not enjoy running at this time ..It was dark , it was cold, it was slightly windy which was making it colder and more importantly it felt hard because I was stiff... Still if you want to be a wombat you gotta nut it out and nut is out I did. Along the trails, over honky nuts , along fences over the hills and through a mob of kangaroos I trudged on.. the tempo lifted as I warmed up and suddenly the beanie I was running in was not such a good idea because I was getting hot...
Still I battled on, through the cold and the negative self talk and eventually I was 500m from my burrow I had just about completed 11.4km for a midweek morning run... I had beaten myself and gotten out the door and covered the distance.... yes 46min 16seconds of running 4m3s per km. nothing to set the world on fore but another step in the right direction...

AHHHHH could I do it again tomorrow that is the next challenge. (Wonder if Carter was running this morning?)

Barrel on Wombats

Wombat's next challenge...

Sibo in answer to your question after the Busso half the wombat's next challenge will be the Perth half marathon.

I feel like I have made a good recovery from my breathing issues, I covered the Busso half and achieved my goal off an interrupted last week and a half lead up so it is now time to up the anti and start to play in Carter's back yard... They say (not sure who they are) that we older wombats lose some of our speed however we tend to maintain an ability over distance in terms of endurance fitness. Well I think I need to try and step up to the plate again and be a fly in the ointment. This gives me a little over a month to toughen up and get some more tempo runs under my belt as well as get back into the hills (along with my puffer)......


I have managed to get back into the routine of getting out every day despite some of the outings only being 1 mile but at the end of the day I still got out there. I plan to get out twice on day on some occasions which will really test the old constitution.... lets see if the shoe fits you out there.

Keep the comments coming and remember the next time we race the feeling that someone is chasing you may just be the wombat getting ready to "Barrel On by" ..Look out Carter I'm chasing!!!!!!!
Barrel on Wombats

How important is self belief ?....

Sometimes even warrior get stuck with the house choirs and this little black duck is not immune. In an effort to keep Mrs Wombat happy and score some brownie points that will allow me to train after work I trudged through a mountain of ironing last night. The trade off for me was I put a DVD on... One of my favourite ones is "GATTACA" starring Jude law, Uma Thurman and Jude law.

What I like about this movie is that it highlights the importance of self belief but more importantly the the role that desire and passion plays in our every day lives. Any of my followers who have seen this film (released in 1997) will know what I am talking about. To anyone who hasn't then it could be worth a viewing ...and its not a running movie.

Without spoiling it for those who may yet want to see it essentially it explores the realms of genetic engineering and parents pre-ordering DNA to assure their children of success. Of course the main character played by Ethan Hawke is one of the last children born without such fortune and later he has a brother who is.

For me the film high lights my deep held belief that desire and passion more than talent are the essential ingredients to achieving success in anything that we choose to do. I have long said that those of us who may be slightly less talented have to work harder than those who are and because of the fact that you have to work for something you tend to appreciate it a lot more that someone who just gets to take something for granted. Now I don't profess to be talentless as an athlete however at the same time I am by no means the most talented athlete around. I will say that I am prepared to work hard to achieve success or more importantly achieve the goals that I set myself. (some may refer to this as a good work ethic). I have raced against and beaten athletes who I consider to be much more talented that I but when the going got tough they found it too hard. For me on the other hand , well I knew what it meant to push... again I am not saying that I was the guts and glory of the running world...nor the wombat world... but the majority of successful people , athletes , business people etc have all had to work hard to get there...

A person who relies purely on talent , as a general rule, tends to take things for granted , they may not necessarily work as hard as the less talented individual so they don't' face hardship in the day to day struggle of their chosen field and so have difficulty in meeting a challenge of blocker when it appears. .. The battler , the person with desire and passion, the one who has to work understands what it takes to get their,they know what hardship is, they understand struggle so to them when the going gets tough its business as usual...

We have all seen both types of people in our travels, this little wombat could share many stories that highlight this point...

What is hard as a wombat warrior is overcoming the prejudices that people demonstrate towards us when they feel you may be exceeding what they perceive as our limits. They feel the need to place their limitations of their expectations of you onto you despite the fact that you may not place the same limitations on yourself....

While one person sees failure as a reason to give up another sees it as a learning opportunity to improve himself... I mean if someone long ago did not have the courage to set sail in a boat despite the fact that many thought the world was flat where would we be today... It is that sort of courage that each of us must find within ourselves to ensure that we reach our full potential as human beings...

A wombat warrior learns not to listen to the restrictions that others may place on us, unless of course that means they are in a car with a siren and we happen to be speeding, because more often than not others try to restrict you because of their own fears of failure...

I have found that if you don't set goals then you never disappoint yourself and if you never disappoint yourself then maybe your just not working hard enough...

Life is not easy , and it is not made easier by the knockers, but sometimes all it takes is a little self belief , a little self confidence and the courage to step out of your comfort zone for you to achieve great things. .... why not give yourself an opportunity to show the world your wombat and set a goal today......

Amazing what you can think about while doing the ironing and watching a DVD isn't it...

barrel on wombats...

Solid Night for the wombat....

Yeah baby its good to be moving semi well again...

Easy warm up around Hyde park tonight, a lazy three laps of the two lakes followed by some light stretching. A small group for the session which was not a concern because they were all about quality. It was noted prior to the session that a small but rowdy group of drinkers had settled in the park and were preparing to cheer us on. Their words of encouragement , although slurred, were almost inspirational however despite their desire to fornicate with us, something that they expressed rather loudly at times, we all remained focused on the job at hand.

Tonight was about endurance. We were given 3 minutes to run the two lakes and cover as much ground as possible. The first lap was used as a bench mark. At the end of 3 minutes we had 90 seconds recovery. For some this involved a light jog to get back to the initial starting point. For the wombat , well I managed to make my way around the lakes in the time and spent 90seconds sucking air. The aim of the next 5 reps was to cover , at a minimum, the same distance that was covered on the first rep. Obviously as you get tired it becomes harder to maintain the pace and so you work harder to cover the distance and bugger me if the recoveries did not seem to get shorter. It was a tough night..Felt like I coughed up a lung at one stage but it wasn't , only my spleen.

Easy three laps cool down.... Top session of running and things are looking up again.

Barrel on wombats....

May's Wombat training diary...

Fri 1st 3 miles The Loop

Sat 2nd 13 miles (Busso half : Quads are smashed)

Sun 3rd 3 miles The Loop

Mon 4th 8 miles

Tues 5th 1 miles

Wed 6th 3 miles

Thur 7th 7 miles

Fri 8th 1 mile

Sat 9th 3 miles

Sun 10th 1 mile

Mon 11th 6 miles

Tues 12th 3 miles

Wed 13th 1 mile

Thur 14th 2 miles

Fri 15th 3 miles

Sat 16th 1 mile

Sun 17th 3 miles

Mon 18th 6 miles (6 x 1000m surges gradual build in tempo. 2 minute recovery after 3)

Tue 19th 3 miles

Wed 20th am 7 miles pm 3 miles

Thur 21st am 3 miles pm 6 miles (1000/500/500/1000/500/500/1000/500/500)

Fri 22nd 1 mile

Sat 23rd 3 miles

Month Total 94 miles

The Wombat Achieved the goal...1hr 20m 18sec

The goal was set prior to my health scare but a wombat is reluctant to back away and once the vet (GP) gave the all clear the feet hit the ground, albeit it gently and tentatively...

My mileage was considerably down in the days leading up to the event however I was covering 3 miles well enough to think that the additional 9 miles would only add a degree of discomfort to my legs rather than any other real problems... The bags were packed and the drive to Busselton began. (For my International followers this is the Southern region of WA and if you ever travel to the state strongly encourage you to explore all that the South has to offer.)

Traffic was a nightmare and I made a mental note to investigate having a small missile launcher attached to the front of my car to blow up those drivers who drive at 90 in a 110 zone then accelerate to 120 in the dual overtake lane so that you need to be doing 14o to get past them. If you can't get past them in the short time that the dual lane operates then you get stuck behind them and they slow to 90 again..... Such a relaxing drive..

Had a dinner of champions at the Placid Ark Road house, Steak burger , Chico roll and a coke...
Through Bunbury and into Busso to catch up with Carter and his mum. Not happy to discover that CALM has completed a controlled burn and smoke has engulfed the town...A quick suck on the puffer. (mental note , don't panic) Pre-race meal of Ham and pineapple pizza then drove out to Dunsborough where I was to stay with Carter's family. Way to go Mrs C , beat sleeping in the back of the car and I could make a coffee in the morning...

Race day arrived and the wombat was restless.. Would I make it? Would I break down? would my breathing play up? Could the Docker's win? So many questions to consider over my morning coffee...

Drove with Carter back to Busso and watched the swimmers come in... Waited for Trevor to finish his swim. He had phoned to tell me he had placed the race number and bag next to the medical tent. I soon discovered that someone had moved it... So much for that plan. Cruised around and organised new number and wrist tag for myself...

Now the waiting game, Trev was 38 minutes in the water and was expecting a 3 hour bike ride so there was no reason to rush my prep.. I decided not to warm up due to my daily runs being only 3 miles . It would mean that not only was I running 9 miles further than I had previously covered in the last 18 days by warming up this would add more mileage to the day and I needed every bit of energy that I had to get through the run. No warm up I would do that on the first lap and ease into the run over the course.. Drank a bottle of Gatorade then lined up for the toilets (too much fluid)...

Walked around the run /bike transition, the sun was up and so too was the temperature, wombats don't like the sun.... Trev came in 3hr 3m for the ride , almost spot on his prediction... Now it was my turn..My goal was to better the 1hr 27 minutes I took last year...

Out the shoot and the nerves were gone, found a rhythm and settled in, waited for breathing issues ....nothing happened, good that side of me should be OK... moving past the field easily, bearing in mind that most of them had already swum and ridden so make a mental note not to tease anyone because they are a lot more tired than you wombat......

Moving well and catching Colin who went out 5 minutes ahead of me... also, mental note keep and eye out for Greg and Jo , mind you Greg would be on his second lap by the time I catch him and Jo will be tough she left well ahead.) There's Colin.... annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd gotcha Colin, quick yarn, some verbal jousting and back to it.

Feels like I could be moving to fast , should know by the time I hit the mat...24m28s first 7km, (3m29s/km) shit too fast.. back off a touch...no bugger it just keep with the pace that you lock into.. Grab some water, damn more up my nose than in my mouth. (mental note, fold cup over next time to limit the pour area. funny used to just do that without thinking.) Heading back down to the far end of the course. past Kathy taking photos (mental note, wonder how long she will sit there for?)
Shit should not have looked up the breakwater does not seem to be getting any closer....bugga.. don't look up.. yeah and don't think of a red elephant.. good one plonka.. Ok back into steady state running...Quick body scan , feeling good, legs (check) arms (check) Quads (ouch) hang in their guys.. hey there is Greg, bugga he is on his last lap, try to catch him anyway, gotcha Greg quick banter then move on...

back up towards the jetty, man this is so tedious up, back up back,, pass a triathlete who looks to be in trouble , poor bastard that is doing it tough " hang in their champ no far"

OK across the mat again, 28m 55s, (4.07/km) shit too slow don't settle into a rut... lift, lift... Look good for the crowd, low five to the little dude with the hat... and back out to the other end again.. you can go under 1h27m... man is this stretch taking long, don't look up...ahhhhh you looked up..
Quads getting heavy, lift again..beauty back to it. Hey there is Jo, keep working and you can get her.

Past Elvis, round the turn and go go go... closing on Jo, keep chasing annnnd gotcha...Jo is stoked well on her way to a PB and less than 2km to go... Move past her and onto the finish. Quads are screaming and basically feeling rooted... maybe not as rooted as he looks but tired just the same.. past Trev down the chute and yes goal achieved 1hr 20 minutes 18 seconds ..(last 7 km in 26m35s 3.47/km) into the queue for food and a hat....

Very pleased with myself , quads are damn sore but calves are brilliant and my breathing caused me no grief..
Next challenge drive home without my legs cramping ... now where is that missile launcher?

Well done to all those who competed on the day some of you really showed the wombat within yourselves and lived to tel the tale.

Barrel on Wombats...

A real Wombat Warrior.....

Sometimes it is in the most unlikely places that we are able to draw inspiration... There are not many reality TV shows that I actually get into but the Australian biggest loser series has been one...

I have watched with up most admiration the struggles of Bob and even went as far as picking him as the winner. What drew me to this guy, what did I see that so many other Australians also saw in him?

It was not his size, although that was the reason he was on the show...

It was not his smile, which apart from when he was busting his guts, was never far from the surface..

It was his down right wombat determination, his never say die attitude and his ability to push himself time and time again...

This series had a few people like that but is was Bob's down to earth approach that won me over. I would sit down with my two young wombats and say to them "this guy is a wombat warrior, he digs deep when the tank is empty and he keeps getting up..."

This series had a number of people that anyone could draw inspiration from and even this old wombat found it fantastic to see people achieving goals each day..

That's what life is about , getting out there and giving it a go... I know I don't want to just have life pass me by, I want to be able to actively participate in it, give it a go so that when I pull myself up onto one arm and say to my mates who have gathered round me that they can "tan me hide when I've died" that it will be something they will be proud to do cause it will be a tough hide not a powdery puff soft and fluffy never been ridden hide...

Anyway I digress... Covered 4 miles tonight and felt pretty good in the process, tomorrow will be a lazy 3 miler and then the Busso half on Saturday which will only mean I am running 9 miles further than I have run in the past 20 days... Should be an interesting outing when I am also keen to do better than the 1hr 27minutes I ran last year... maybe even take Carter on over the distance... BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!

Set yourself a small goal every day and work to achieving it...

Those who can't....try

those who try.... can

those who can...do

Or as Bob said on the biggest loser " There is no try , only do"

Even Yodi said " Do or Do not there is no try"

Barrel on Wombats....

A Followers Feedback......and he was one TSOB.

It is great to read the comments from followers of the "Wombat Warrior" From time to time I read one that reminds me of Christmas past and today I did just that. I have placed it on this post for all to read however before I do that I should say that the comment came from a runner who I always thought of as tough as nails, when you raced him you were in for a fight....He himself has faced the struggles of coming back from injury and a period of lay off but each time he has given 110%. He was from the era of Jim Langford, John Hambleton, Graham Clews, Ivan Shatford, Clive Hicks and Martin Asmussen to name but a few of the tough bastard brigade... When this crew raced it was blood sweat and tears, it was on for young and old and as a junior they were my inspiration to achieve better results by being able to race them..... I had the pleasure of running often on a Wednesday night with some of this crew, along with Alan Thurlow, for a tempo run and the pace towards the end of the night, as we headed back up ANZAC Bluff to the top car park at Kings Park, was gut wrenching. These guys always made it look easy........SHOW US YOUR WOMBAT

He writes below:

"Wombat The trials of an aging running can be far more arduous than that of the young elite athlete. The hopes an aspirations for future glory can be one hell of a motivator. While the trials and tribulations of a body that just doesn't respond as well as it once did, or a body that has had injuries and problems over many years that are now restrictive, creates a completely different mind set!BUT as long as WE know where we are at and where we want to go there is no reason why we can't be just as focussed and committed to improvement!! The wombat is and has always been one tough little bugger and the latest obstacles won't slow him down for long. The wombat is a champion. This old 'almost was' is still motivated and on his 54th come back after injury. To be or not to be a runner? The answer is simple- To be!"

Thanks for the feed back and input followers be you anonymous or identified...Remember each of us has the wombat inside of us it just needs the right circumstances for it to shine in all its glory...

Barrel on wombats...

The Challenge is always there....

Everything is a challenge....Very pleased with the fact that I have got out every day since starting up again after getting the clearance with blood tests but still feel that something is not quite right, you know that feeling you get just before something goes wrong.... yeah no neither do I.

Regardless my runs are better but I still get short of breath when I need to work a hill and its not the feeling of " This is tough and I'm not fit" its a feeling of " Why can't I draw a full breath" .. I am running over the top and down the other side then using the down hill to get the air back but it really puts me under for 5-10 minutes...

Anyway ran steady last night very late due to the young wombats football training , then it was my turn to cook so I headed out the door at 7.45pm into the dark abyss...

Tuesday was a solid 3 miler again around the Wedge tail and Kangaroo Rise....

The Busso Half will be interesting. Now that I am clear to run I can fulfill my commitment to a fellow athlete and complete the running leg after he has done the swim and the bike.. My goal , apart from finishing is to make sure I beat the 1h27minutes that I allegedly ran last year over the same course.. Time will tell then I can tell those of you who happen to want to read these ramblings of a wombat warrior.

Barrel on Wombats...

The Wombat is stoked...

Another two runs and going well.

Sunday's run was a late one because I had to take the young wombats to the movies, holiday promise (Monsters V Aliens 3D), anyway this meant running three laps of the 1700m block loop so that I could see in the dark... I know that I could have run in the morning but it would have to have been very early with junior football starting for my oldest.

Tonight was a session at Hyde park. I simply ran with a few surges and covered 4 miles with no hiccups...

I am really enjoying running again but I can sense a little drop in fitness..

Barrel on wombats...

The wombat eases back with a PB....

yeah I know the doc said gradually build up however " A field that has rested gives a beautiful crop" and I have most certainly, albeit stress fully, rested...

My second run since starting up again and a few niggles that will eventually settle down I am sure. Ran the usual 3 mile loop (actually 5.2km circuit) around my burrow and again after a shaky start I soon settled into a good running rhythm. Breathing was very good today and the less I thought about it the better it was.. Like I said yesterday it will take a while to get the head right but every good run will build on the next.

Got up both rises without any real concerns so just continued at the pace I set.

Covered the 3miles in 19m 36s (3m46s/km)

I am hoping that I can at the very minimum maintain this for the Busso half where i will be running the 21.1 running leg for a fellow wombat who is doing the swim and cycling leg..

barrel on wombats...

The Wombat takes a tentative step...

Tonight I took my first tentative Steps in 9 days...I made it back alive and I'm writing this so things are looking good. The problem that I found was that for the entire 3 miles I was fighting with myself in my head. The self talk went a bit like this;

" Feeling good, steady , steady don't over do it ..... Am I breathing? Yeah things seem OK....Shit a little breathless... no its in my head... you are you're head you idiot... no really listen to me, I feel a little breathless.... Yeah OK your right not fantastic but moving and feel in control... how far do you reckon you've gone...800m ... oh boy this is gonna be a long run.... stay focused , you knew it would be a fuzzy start, always is after an injury and this is like an injury... Harden up!!!
OK here comes a hill now don't push it just get over it... not great but did not stop... up and over well done, .. Bugga still not comfortable in drawing a full breath , just does not feel right.. come on see it through."

At this point I had made it well past halfway and was on the second last climb of the run where I got half way up and had to back off: (the head talk continued)

"What are you doing soft ?#@$.. you don't stop on a hill... you do if you can't breath... yeah but you can breath...well it feels like I can't, no your right keep going up and over, don't let the sle ftalk defeat you... see you made it, piece of piss nearly home"

Got home and felt OK but nothing flash. I know that this will be a long journey and once I get my confidence back I'll be fine.....

He's back

3 miles 20minutes 22seconds.

Barrel on Wombats...

Where will the journey lead us?...

Reading the comments that came back after my last post it seems that many of us have been in or know someone who has been in such a situation...

Life is a bit like this picture in that we can see that the track goes off into the bush but after that who knows where it will lead us.

In lance Armstrong's book he sought many opinions until he found someone who was prepared to try alternative procedures and the rest is history. Now I am not saying that we are all Lance Armstrong nor am I saying that all outcomes will be as fortunate but the point is that if you are not happy with something then you need to look for an alternative solution. This is very true when it comes to diagnosis of issues that we will all face from one time or another.

I have seen athletes perform well above what people thought they were capable of just because they decided that today was the day. Life is like that and running or sport in general for that matter is one big example of life. In my own case running taught me about work ethic. What you put in is what you get out. That is if you don't run you don't improve (simple version)

I know that it is a cliche but at the end of the day we are not on the planet for a very long time so I feel it is important that we enjoy life and work to achieving what ever potential we have in what ever pursuit we choose to follow. Find your passion and pursue it. That alone takes great courage because along the way you will always find someone who is prepared to knock what you are trying to do or put up blockers for you. At the same time there are people who want to come along for the journey because it looks like it could be fun and they want to be a part of it.

I always try to surround myself with positive people and people who are about having fun ( not at the expense of others or others rights but fun in the sense of they are getting on with life ) and in this way when the going does get tough I can use some of their energy to get through the tough patches and visa versa I can feed them when they need to be propped. I remember talking with Deeks once and he spoke of there being three kinds of people:

• Floaters


• Suckers and


• pumpers.

The floaters are people you spend time with who are nice to be around you can be with them for a whole day but not really get anything out of the encounter while at the the same time the encounter does not take anything out of you. The suckers are those people that draw the energy out of you , you spend an hour with them and it feels like you have been with them for a week, they just drain you. Then there are the pumpers, these are the people who you spend time with and come away from the encounter feeling like you could conquer the world...

When I was a young wombat and only starting out as a runner I was told by a person, whom shall remain nameless, that I would only every make a good club runner and not do much more, poor form wrong style. Fortunately for me I enjoyed running so continued on my merry way and went on to represent my country in the very sport I was told I would not do well at. (passion more than talent are the essential ingredients to achieving success). Fortunately also I met a person who gave me guidance and a program that let me develop myself and from that I progressed. In other words they gave me the tools to reach my potential but the rest was up to me in terms of doing the work....

Charlie Brown once said "The heaviest burden in the world is great potential"

Each of us has potential and its up to us to realise that potential in our own way , at our own pace and in our own time. What that actual potential is or what the ceiling on an individuals potential no one knows but hey, I bet it would be fun trying to find that out , isn't that what life is all about?

Barrel on Wombats...