About Me

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The older I get the better I was... but after many years of idle burrowing the candle of desire is still burning and I have come to realise that running is as much a part of me as my heart and lungs... In Christmas 2008 I was 82kg and was not running a step..This is my journey , the journey of the wombat...Dogged...determined...persistent...and maybe a little grumpy.. but like the wombat my journey is territorial, its about running and I am going to work to protect it...Come along for the ride and see if I can become the wombat warrior. 2009 was a mixed bag for the wombat's journey.A top ten placing in both the Bridges and the City Surf brought a small sense of achievement but also a degree of frustration.... I think I can do better and better I will in 2010. A better run in the Busso Half iron man in support of TV in his swim and bike ride and that was about the extent of my racing. Lets see what happens in 2010 as "My journey Continues". Now in 2011 the wombat will continue his journey, but not alone the wombat has a youngling who knows how to dig. 2015 and its a new beginning , time goes on and the journey to the 2016 World Masters is under way.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tuesday for a lazy five...

An easy steady even run tonight.. Kept the pace constant heading up the rail trail from Glen Forrest. Felt a little average tonight which is more than likely a combination of the hard session from Monday and the longer run on the Sunday...All is good

barrel on Wombats...

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Wombat looks for the Zone....

Its like riding a bike, no matter how long you hang the shoes up for some things just come to you as second nature...
This Sunday is the Bridges Fun Run and while I have my own personal goals to achieve( which means the only pressure that exists is that which I put on myself. ) I am finding that 5 days out I am falling back into the routine that I established for myself many years ago prior to a race. Already during my runs I am running various race scenarios through my head and running dialogues of race outcomes. Last nights session was solid and controlled. At home I am withdrawing into myself and zoning in on running well with very little mental energy being expended on anything else.
Mrs Wombat has also noticed it and is finding that we sit in the same room and I don't talk. I am already thinking about my next run.
I can guarantee that Saturday night's meal will be ham and pineapple pizza, a garlic bread and 600ml coke. Friday and Saturday's runs will be very stead and a matter of going through the motions and Thursday's session will be sharp but very controlled.
It is important that you establish routines prior to racing, not routines that you are superstitious about to the point that if you don't do them you stress but more from the point of view that the routine helps you start to focus on the job at hand. The routine helps you focus your mind and clear the clutter. It is a time , like I have already started doing, to create situations that may occur in the race and run through ways that you will react to the situation when and if happens. This helps you to not panic when things in races do change because you are already , subconsciously anyway, prepared for them.....This is what makes the difference between a good runner and a champion. Look at Lance Armstrong face when he is zoned, Tiger Woods, the Shark, De Castella, Coe, Ovett , McCann, Saville, Deakes, the list goes on.. all these athletes had a game face.
Find your Zone Wombats Warriors its time to race..
Barrel on wombats...

Wombats do bounce back...

Yeah baby...fantastic session with great group....


Easy warm up with the group and felt good.... Tonight ran solid yet even. Started out with an approximate 1.6km sustained surge around the outside of Hyde park then a 90 second rest. This was followed with a sustained surge around the two lakes with a 90 second rest then finally a sustained surge around the smallest of the two lakes and then a 3 minute rest before repeating the set.

I felt strong tonight although early into the first rep I had a mild mental attack of wondering whether I could breathe or not. (the mind games after a scare) Once I got over this it was away..

The key to a session like tonight is making sure that the surge is fast enough to put you at your limit without going over and putting you at a pace that you can't maintain throughout the rep. Obviously as the rep gets shorter in distance then it also gets faster because you are able to maintain a faster speed over the shorter distance. The benefit also of working in a tight pack is that you can encourage each other to stay on the group and keep it honest.

you see if you train hard to stay in contact then in the race you know what you have to do to stay in contact and you will dig that little bit when you need to hang in there to get through a tough section of the race. If you don't do it in training how will you be able to prepare for it in a race. In other words you need to "PRACTISE THE WOMBAT".

Remember training is just that 'training' In other words you are preparing yourself for things that may occur in a race as well as getting fast and strong.
If you find that in training when you start to tire and let yourself lose contact with the group or your partner then that's the kind of mental state that you will take into racing.

If you practice being the wombat training then being the wombat in races becomes second nature.

barrel on wombats...

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Wombat is alive and smiling..... Damn its good to be alive

Bugga of a nights sleep. The wind, dust and dry air really have given me some grief, woke at one stage short of breath and had to go for the puffer again...

This morning all was good. Poked my head out of my burrow and was able to draw a full breath and actually felt like I could breathe.

From my diary entries in march you may notice that its slowly , slowly. Bearing in mind that back in 2000 I was covering 120 - 140 miles a week with three quality sessions a week I still have a long way to to. My main focus is to run every day regardless of how small just so that I train myself to get out there.

My diet is improving by itself and I have significantly cut back my alcohol intake as well as soft drinks without a significantly conscious effort. This has come about purely because as I get fitter and do slightly more work I don't want to spoil it. This is the reverse of the cycle that we get into where we do nothing, drink eat and feel miserable and because we feel miserable we eat and drink and do even less. (This was me through 2004-2008). For me it was a matter of getting my head right.

Current weight is fluctuating between 66.9kg and 65kg..(racing weight) now I only need to match the fitness levels with the bodies desire to race well and I'll be OK.

I will put up January's and February's training shortly so you can see the slow steady build up. For me this has been about reading the body and increasing as I felt that I could. If I go out and feel great I will run n longer, if I go out and really struggle then I turn around and go home.

Barrel on Wombats....

The Wombats March Training diary...



March Sunday 1st
2 miles
Monday 2nd
6 miles Strained calf during session of surges
Tuesday 3rd
2 miles
Wednesday 4th
2 miles (massage)
Thursday 5th
9 miles (1800m/500m/500m all with 1 minute rest then repeated. A 3 minute break between sets. X 3)
Friday 6th
1 mile
Saturday 7th
1 mile
Sunday 8th
6 miles
Monday 9th
9 miles (session alternating between solid lap and easy lap)
Tuesday 10th
1 mile
Wednesday 11th
6 miles
Thursday 12th
6 miles (2.6km surge/1x800/3x600/4x400 all with 1 minute recovery)
Friday 13th
6 miles
Saturday 14th
1 mile
Sunday 15th
7miles(am) 5miles(noon) 2miles(pm)
Monday 16th
6 miles (two laps hard 1 easy x four: sustained surge)
Tuesday 17th
3 miles
Wednesday 18th
7 miles
Thursday 19th
6 miles (6x400 hard with 400 recovery)
Friday 20th
6miles
Saturday 21st
2 miles
Sunday 22nd
10 miles
Monday 23rd
6 miles (surges laps of the lakes. Double easy through the middle then a figure 8 with easy through the middle each time, 4 x hill sprints)
Tuesday 24th
6 miles
Wednesday 25th
10 miles
Thursday 26th
9 miles (5x1000 with 500 float)
Friday 27th
2 miles
Saturday 28th
5 miles
Sunday 29th
15 miles (am) Asthma Scare
2 miles (pm)
Monday 30th
6 miles (1.6km/900/500 sustained surge with 90sec recovery. 2 sets with a 3 minute break between sets
Tuesday 31st
5 miles

Month's mileage 178 miles

Sunday Second Run....

Drove down to get dinner for the young wombats...While this was being prepared I covered a lazy 2 miles (16m 30s) for my second run. Still concerned with my breathing. this will be in my head now until I can block it out...Just another hurdle to get over. 17miles for the day.

The long run that went pair shaped...The Wombat learns a lesson...

Sometimes it’s the unexpected things in life that take the wind out of our sails and today’s long run did just that for the wombat… scared the shit out of me actually.

The following events are a timely reminder for all asthmatics to ensure they are following their Astham plan.

Met up with a small group at the bottom of the Helena road where the bitumen ends. Ingraham, Carter, Mackay, De Cruz (this was impressive a 400m runner out in the hills for a long run) and myself. The mood was jovial and the usual banter that accompanies any long run was soon entered into. The pace was steady but not taxing. I was feeling fantastic at this stage. At the 35 minute point of the run De Cruz turned for home (damn I was impressed by the fact he was out here).

At 42 minutes we reached the section where we leave the lower pipe and head up a 14 minute climb (12 minutes if you’re in very good shape) to join with the rail trail and come back down through mahogany creek , Glen Forrest, Darlington then through the quarry to get back to the start of the initial run.

Feeling the urge of the wombat I moved up with Mackay then onto Carter and past Ingraham. The climb was not taxing on the legs and I nutted it up over the sharpest and most taxing section before Ingraham came past me and we all settled into our own rhythms. Mackay was back from me. It was 4 minutes into this that the shit hit the fan….

Going up another stage of the climb I noticed that my breathing was labored and I was not getting enough in, it felt like my chest was restricting, I had felt this before and instantly realized that I could be in trouble… I am an asthmatic and certain condition cause me a few concerns however only once before had I felt this and it was also at a time when I was exerting myself and really needing to draw in the air. I became light headed as I tried to get more air in but I could not get enough out and certainly was not getting enough in…

At this point Mackay drew past me as I slowed to a walk and asked if I was OK to which I replied.. “I could be in trouble” he slowed to help as I went down on one knee and said “ Na I’m in trouble” I got up and walked a little, very conscious of not panicking and making things worse for myself… I went down on one knee again as my throat felt like it was tightening also. It felt like I was drawing air through a bloody straw…

Standing up right I put my arms out to really try and open my chest area and slowly walked …(Felt like that poignant scene in Platoon) Mackay, who had gone on a little , turned again to check on me, at this point I had controlled my breathing and was drawing enough to stop myself from falling over, although I was very light headed and my lips were tingling as were my fingers… I continued to walk up the climb slowly, while getting bloody angry at myself for not following my asthma plan more religiously. ( the word ‘Dickhead’ ran through my mind several times and I was not sure if I was more pissed for letting this happen or because Carter and Ingraham had pulled away from me on the climb) I realised at this point that I am not 6 foot and bullet proof and that oxygen really is a vital element to life. (maybe the dinosaurs were asthmatic and a lack of oxygen and not a meteor wiped them out?)

The fogginess cleared a little and I started a very slow and deliberate shuffle. MacKay turned again and I gave him the double thumbs up… I slowly made my way to the top… eventually cresting the hill I went over the top and regrouped with the others who were waiting at the muster point of this run. (The rule for this climb is you run the hill as hard as you want but we regroup after that to continue). Told Macca as he waited for me that I was in trouble to which he replied “You didn’t look good” and gave me that dry smile before the laugh that is the Aussi way of saying ‘glad it was you and not me’

We then continued on to finish the run… Total time for me for the 15 miles, 1hour 45 minutes 48 seconds.

In all seriousness I think I was lucky today because I believe things could have gone severely paired shaped even further had I not realized what was occurring before it got to a stage where I was unable to control and settle myself. As Macca said on the run down the trail, ‘You could not have picked a much worse place for that to happen, in the middle of nowhere and a long way from help’

PS: All those people who say that your life flashes before you are pulling our chain, I was too busy trying to breathe and not panic to even take the briefest interest in my life flashing before me.

Saturday 28th March
Easy run from my burrow along undualting trails of bitument and gravel. Steady firn pace but very controlled. 5 miles in 35 minutes

Friday, March 27, 2009

The Wombat and the magic hands.....

The hands , not the hands, the elbow not the elbow....and the chase is on...Its the phone call that had to be made and with a tear in my eye I made the booking. I was sweating before I stepped in through the door... this time the wombat was taking his shirt off for the session, it was going to be tough an hour of blood sweat and tears.....MASSAGE TIME....


This element of running is so over looked by runners and massage is not something that should be considered and undertaken by only the elite. The massage provides a chance to get rid of knots and problems before they become a huge issue and sideline you through injury... As an older running wombat I see it as more important than when I was young and sprightly.

The Doig myster is always friendly and smiles when you enter the room but beneath that warm exterior is a man who knows his trade..."To seek out your sore spots and play with them until his fingers embed themselves up to the third knuckle".

Laying my battered warrior's body on the slab I felt a deep chill of dread creep through me .. The pleasure of the pain... but with the bridges coming up shortly this was the time to get the knots out , I would have a weekend to get the bruising out that comes with deep tissue massage and then hit my stride in the days leading up to the event with a renewed feeling of confidence... This boy was good , he knew it, I knew it and he knew I knew it but bugger me if I was going to let on that I knew that he knew that I knew it...

The legs felt better as he ran his bony phalanges through my slow twitch but this soon changed as the first knot was found and worked...I tried to relax and fought the urge to tense..there was dust in the room , my eyes were filling with water as I held back the tears, I needed to fart,I was sweating profusely (hey shedding weight, who needs a sauna just get a massage)..

At one point I opened my eyes and glanced at my torturer... he had his elbow in my hip , his feet resting on the widow sill as he appeared to be in the plank position for core stability work and he was SMILING.. do I stab him now?, ... No wait until he has finished his job then crush him like a bug... Removing himself from my leg a sense of relief washed through me... Damn this boy was good... I shook his hand (crush him now my brain screamed..no I would need this lad later if I was to continue my journey , the journey of the wombat warrior.) ... Instead I said thanks, see you again soon... I know , he knew I'd be back , I had enjoyed it in a sick kind of way..

Barrel on wombats... Look out Carter the Wombat Warrior is coming for you.......

Do yourself a favour followers get yourself a massage, believe you me it works wonders and if it keeps you on the trails for longer and helps you cover the ground quicker then its gotta be good.

By the way I ran easy tonight, I was sore , knew I would be but I also know that coming out of the tunnel I'll be better off for it...

See you again soon Mr Doig.....and I know where you live (sinister smile and creepy laughing)

Go the Wombat and the shirtless wonders...

The scary thing about running around men without shirts is that if the weather suddenly turns cold someone is going to lose an eye... Lucky for me the session was hot.

Tough night for the warriors but an honest effort..1000m x 5 with a 500 float..Kicked off with a steady but firm 3.20. The adrenaline was pumping :) Settled into a small pack and barrelled along with this group for the night. We could see that pack up ahead and they were working honestly by staying up with one another and ensuring that if someone got slack and eased back there was another set of legs ready to take up the work.

back with the wombat we went through the first Km then hit the 500 recovery. Lost of talking and words of encouragement . Those with their shirts on were looking strong , those with their shorts off were shining. The 500 was a matter of getting your breath back ASAP then quickly settling back into a good rhythm and being ready to hit the next 1000m surge. This came around too quickly for my liking but with the grasshopper missing its was time for the 'WOMBAT'

The second 1000 was a more settled affair, adrenaline was gone and now we were working. The wombat was making sure that those behind him were not going to drop off and fall into a state of rut running by offer kind words of encouragement " Don't you let go" and "Come on slack arse get up here" maybe not Kevin Sheedy stuff but considering wombats don't actually talk , not a bad effort all the same. The next 500 was a sight to be seen and a quick glance around the group saw the shirts off virus spreading... I was a little concerned that the group would end up naked by the end of the session. As a visual learner I quickly wiped that thought from my mind...

The third and fourth ks passed without incident and the pace was consistent . The last once saw some digging and potential wombat material coming out of a few guys (with their shirts off) I noticed no one was smiling, me included. We went into the last rep with a feeling of mixed emotions , the last one, gotta keep it honest and so we did. The temptation to let myself and that of my semi clad companion slip into a just get this done state seemed such as easy option but this was not going to happen. The wombat never says never and tonight was not the night with Busso around the corner we were working. A call of get up here was replied with a grunt or single syllable reply, my companion was working and I was finding it harder to look good and smooth...When your a wombat appearances are everything... A hard left hander and down the final section to the finish post before the final 500 recovery... We made it and I had managed to keep my shirt on, others had not still l always be another time.

All in all a good night of running and I can write in my diary that I have completed the longest session of 1000s in many years.. Long Live the Wombat..and watch out grasshopper we are closing the gap :))

Barrel on Wombats.....

The Wombat takes on the Bitch....and wins


We runners do funny things. Some of my things is to give runs different names, give stages of runs different names, talk to myself while running and even practise how I would celebrate a win as I crossed the line...
The 'bitch' is the name that I give to the hill I have to run up if I head out to the rail trail at Druckers. From my burrow I have about four directions that I can head out to access a variety of runs.
One of my favourite trails to barrel along is the old rail trail that runs through Stoneville, Parkerville, Boya etc. however to get to it I have to run down a series of staggered hills. These are great going out cause your going down hill but they are a bitch to get up at the end of the run when your feeling tired , hence the name. ...Well wombat followers ,tonight I got up her without killing myself (feeling like my lungs were going to explode out of my mouth and my quads were going to spontaneously combust.) and I managed to negative split (got home faster that I went out )just. The run is 5 miles out and obviously 5 miles back. The pace was steady going out and I used the hill to warm up into a nice rhythm... I got out to the chair and table set in 35 minutes and 5 seconds and I got back in 34 minutes and 59 seconds for a total time of 1hr 8 min and 5 seconds(not that I was counting) well the fist was pumping as I passed the official finish line that runs (imaginary) from my letter box across the road to the cats eye on the road verge. (Ive beaten some of the world's best because they have not run through that line, more of that another time)
I saluted the crowd and signed autographs because I was pumped..man 2 and a half minutes quicker than a month ago over the same distance on the same course against a stronger field (imaginary of course).. No achilles niggle (the votaren and ice trick seemed to work).. All in all a great run...
Tomorrow night looks to be a big session of 1000s, hope I can hold it together...11 days until the bridges and the wombat will be looking for some scalps and some pay back....
Will the warrior get a sniff , time will tell....
barrel on wombats......

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

We got a Wombat Down....!!!

Sounds like a movie title...We Got a Wombat down" however unlike a downed helicopter no one is coming looking for a wombat.
As mentioned in my previous post I had a tough session on the Monday, Well it seems that I am paying for it a little. Headed out the door (Tuesday) for a lazy 7 miles around my own burrow...Noticed a little niggle in the right Achilles. This stayed for the whole run and annoyed me most of the evening.
Kept the pace steady throughout and even though it was an easy run I made sure that I kept the pace the same going up the small rises that make up this run. This did mean working a little harder but hey this is how we get better....stronger...faster....
Stretched and iced the Achilles.. soaked a gauze in voltaren gel and secured it to my Achilles over night. Woke this morning and huge improvement. Don't want this too slow what I have started so I will monitor this closely. Throughout the day today I also had a gauze on the Achilles under my sock.. The things we do for the sake of staying on our feet.
Barrel on Wombats...

Monday, March 23, 2009

Monday and the Womabt barrels on....

Some sessions you just love to hate and let me tell you wombat followers this is getting to be one of them...A good group down for the commitment run after the Darlington half which was great to see... Just for the uninitiated the commitment run is what Mona refers to when he talks about the run, the day after the marathon...Now research tells us that running the day after is of as much benefit as not running the day after a marathon., but the commitment run is not about research, its about the "Head game" ...you don't want to do it, your body does not want to do it, your legs ache , you have blisters on your blisters but you just gotta get out and do it because you rule your body not the other way around...

Ok back to tonight...Once again the grasshopper, sorry praying mantis, was out in front smashing us all. this is good because he should be in the frame of mind before his big trip but what he does not know is that wombats have a great sense of smell and guess what??? ... I got a sniff tonight and for the briefest of moments I was on him like a fridge magnet.. To the bystander it may have looked like I was hanging on like a three year old looking for a toilet block but let me tell you from where I was "I WAS ALL OVER HIM" for the briefest of moment...beware grasshopper the Wombat is coming ...and like Po in the Kung Fu Panda "I believe"

The session tonight involved three laps warm up but I got an additional 2 in prior to the group starting . The we did a whole lap of the two lakes at a sustained solid pace before cutting through the middle of the two lakes and running easy..(did not feel like it) then a hard half lap before going easy through the middle again and then a hard half a lap around the other lake then through the middle and some short hill sprints.(Could feel lunch trying to make a guest appearance)... a short break then we repeated the process again...

All in all a top session and that's what group training is about everyone trying to bring on their own wombats. Finished with an easy 3 laps of the two lakes to cool down.

Tomorrow easy day if there is really such a beast.

Barrel on wombats.... See you out there

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sunday afternoon Token...not recorded but done... Plus the balance

The morning run was fantastic as reported ..the afternoon run was PATHETIC... ran for a little over a mile, did not record this in the diary but had to make sure I got out there so that my body did not win the argument it was having with my head...

Spent the day doing work around the house and by the time it came to getting out I was rooted...no excuses but just thought I would share it.

Just read a comment from Trailblazer in relation to the balance issues involved in our lives and getting everything to fit and keeping things in balance. I agree with his comment about including the spiritual element in our lives too...Regardless of your beliefs the spiritual element is an important part of the whole picture of our being...

While I do not follow any religion in particular I feel that there is something there be it a god or the likes. For me I like to believe in the star wars philosophy that there is a presence that all life depends on and that it is an essential part of everyone. For me this spiritual side comes when I run alone in the bush or by myself late at night because it gives me a time to reflect on the things that are important to me... I can't do this during the hard session because I am too busy trying to breathe or trying not to throw up what I had for lunch..

Ultimately the biggest trick of life is getting that balance right or at the very least making sure we get the priorities right when we need to...

Barrel on.... and I'm sure I'll see you out there somewhere...

Friday, March 20, 2009

Sunday Long Run

Yes...Yes...yes...The wombat has just done another meat and potatoes run.Distance running is about covering distance and I always have said that the Sunday run is the crucial run to covering the marathon distance. (Not that I am covering these at the moment).

Headed out to Helena Valley, a favourite stomping ground for fellow 'Wombat Warriors" and enjoyed a traffic free early morning romp through the bush. Absolutely magic morning and despite the crisp air the scenery was superb. Had some good company this morning with Suiter (former 1500m state track champion) Carter (current 5000m , half marathon and state short course champion) and Macca (state tri champion and all round tough nut). ran from the bottom of the road where the gravel starts then out along the lower pipeline before turning right at the second crossing and coming back along the upper pipe with Suiter,. Carter and Macca continued on to head out and up Kelly's climb to join the old railway line and get 2 hours in..
Suits and I slowed the pace a little so we could breathe and talk once the young guns turned off and continued to re-live the glory days.. The return journey was a lot easier as the upper pipe is a smooth gravel service road with several easy undulation. The other bonus of this route is that if you know where to look there are a number of tapes coming off the pipe (not that we needed them today) where you can get water.
Finished the run feeling bloody magic and dreaming of racing well again one day... headed home for breakfast and a day in the garden before contemplating this afternoon's run..

....barrel on wombats.

Footnote
Macca (Paul Mackay recently won the sprint triathlon in Waikiki with a devastating run leg. he is back in training again after a bad break to his right arm. This young is one tough little nut and when he races he gives 110%.He will stick to others like a fridge magnet to stay in contact and often looks like he is in pain from the moment he starts to race...Never under estimate this guy when racing him, he only needs a sniff to be considered dangerous in the closing stages of a race... Great to see you out there again Macca.
This link will take you to the article on his victory.
http://kwinana.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-sport/Mackay-tears-up-the-track/7517160/

Saturday's Token Gesture

Spew..have had a great week of running , feeling like a runner again and only manage to go out for 2 miles tonight...Spent all day at the caravan and camping show with the little wombats and wife wombat and was just rooted... maybe not up to scratch as much as I thought...

regardless another day another run...Barrel on Wombats

The wombat gets a soaking

Its been a bloody long time since I have run in the rain and last night was I was soaked. The rain came down in bucket loads. Donning my running gear and leaving the warmth of my burrow is not something that I have done since my younger glory days but after the first tentative steps into torrential rain I was soon back into the zone. This was a run I did not have my heart in and the first 2 miles was a mind and body battle. By the time these two celestial beings had stopped arguing I was already well into my run and I soon settled.



Felt like crud as I said earlier and was surprised to see the time at one of several small points I occasionally use as reference checks to gauge my pace. Even though this was an easy run I made sure that I kept the pace even and solid through any of the 7 climbs that come up on this course. No-one else was out and about, not surprising in the torrential rain , so I was happily to lose myself in waving to the imaginary crowd and practise finish line celebrations..This is something that , I believe, is underrated by many runners. It is important that everyone has a finish celebration routine that they can fall onto should the occasion arise. many times I have seen runners passed in the closing stages because they were trying to work out how to acknowledged their win only to be past by another runner who knew what they were doing...

Finished the run very pleased with myself and happy in the knowledge that it is another tick in the diary.

...Barrel on Wombats

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thursday fartlek

Another solid session last night. happy with the warm up around Yokine before going into a 6 x 400 hard 400 easy session. chased the grasshopper for the whole night and I think its about time I tried extra hard to catch him. (Few more sessions yet) Going into the first 400 felt good and I worked to keep it controlled without being stupid about it. At the end of the this I dropped quickly into the recovery , got my breathe back and then got back into a steady pace as soon as I could. This felt good and reminded me of the old days when the whole session was just a cranked out effort. The next 400 was at the same pace as the first and this seemed to remain the pattern for the whole sessions. it did require a lot more effort over the last 2 reps to keep the intensity their but hey... that's running.

Really pleased that there were no niggles with either calf...THANKS DOIGY....(I'll be in again next week so you can continue to work your painful magic)..

Finished off with an easy cool down before heading into a light stretching session while I watched Carter doing core stability work..

Barrel on Wombats...

After thought.
Just read one of the comments left by a follower and blazer makes a valid point...Juggling all the balls between work and family and sport is really hard but it is a necessity of life.What I have observed more often than not is that when a person drops one of the balls it is usually the self time before work and family. To be a complete person people need the me time and the family time is also extremely important . These two should come before work which is easier said than done because work brings in the money that pays the bills and puts food on the table. The problem is though if you don't unwind you end up not being able to perform at work or provide for the family with emotional support because you are end up a basket case too.

The Wombat Warrior has seen too many of his friends die young while missing so much of what life has to offer...Do the things you enjoy and do them with your family and enjoy your life..

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Mild Tempo ...At last

The small celebrations make running all that more enjoyable despite the lateness of of the run....last nigh only highlighted the difference between being a young single wombat or a married wombat warrior against a married with kids Warrior Wombat....Running can be a selfish sport if you want to achieve your goals and fitting it around family life so that you don't end up single is an important element of running with a family. Even if that means running at midnight.


Got home from work and started dinner, yes I cook occasionally which does please Mrs Wombat... left the house at 6pm to get to the Auskick meeting at Subiaco oval for a 7pm start. (had not had tea only cooked it for the family)...Meeting finished 9pm, drove to Burswood , changed into battle clothes and started running 9.44pm.. ran from the Burswood and got onto the Bridges course. Covered the course in a steady 40 minutes with the total run time for the 7miles being 47m 48s...

Got home and had dinner at 10.30pm, rest of the family in bed.


After thought
I know why wombats like the dark...you seem to feel like you are absolutely flying at night...I do know that coming out of the underpass I surged past Gabriele S and out a good 30 seconds into him over 1km while holding off a last minute attack from Collis Birmingham...Love the escapism that a run provides at times...


Barrel on Wombats...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Man oh man... If i could ever give one piece of advice to any up and coming athlete that would be "Never stop doing what your doing" I took a break after 2000. This was mainly because I missed a major goal that I had set and then went off the rails a little. on top of that I let some niggles go which ultimately became an injury. from then on everything just became a struggle and I lost sight of what it is that I actually enjoyed doing...and that was running. I ran not because I was good at it , I ran because I simply enjoyed the freedom that it gave me and because I enjoyed running I did it more and then I eventually became good at it. Then I threw it all in and ever since I have been trying to get it back...My arse keeps hanging out on runs and just like the wombat's arse its gonna get hard.

So any young runners out there never stop doing what you enjoy most....

Another token run tonight.. left the burrow and ran close to home cover a very token 3 miles. This gives me a grand total distance for this week so far of 24 miles. hardly the breakfast of champions but at least its another step in my journey....and I have run every day since new year.

Barrel on Wombats...

Monday, March 16, 2009

Why is it that the things that hurt the most are often the best for us??

The Wombat ran with the front runner group tonight, (I am happy to use the term wombat on myself at the moment because during these hard sessions it is constantly hanging out). Hyde park and a smaller than usual group. Easy warm up then into the session. One large lap around the two lakes at a steady pace then one faster lap around only the top lap. Did this 4 times. Raf smashed the session tonight and it was great to see the sort of form that he will travel over seas with.

Found the going tough and seem to be able to maintain a steady solid pace however the varied pace causes me a little grief. Still a long way to go but every day is a step in the right direction.
Completed an easy cool down. Covered 6 miles for the night.

Run on Wombats...

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Well wombat followers a week end of mixed success, however even through a pathetic effort on the Saturday I can still officially say that I have not missed a day's running since new year. (One small consolation).


As I said in my Thursday post the magic hands of Nathan Doig have done their work and I feel freer and smoother than I have for a long while. I Know that I will have to visit Mr magic fingers again soon because there are still many knots still to go but I have made a start.....


OK back to the running... Friday was down to Perry Lakes to see Courtney Carter win the state 5000m track title in 14m53s, very comfortable and very smooth. managed to get in 1 mile prior to the race, then finished of with another lazy 5 miles by colling down with Marc S, Courts and Ethan. Actually did a wombat and snuck onto the new track and ran a lap of that setting an unofficial track record for the 400m That should stand at least until someone actually races on it. :))))


Saturday was my pathetic bit and hardly earns the right to call myself a wombat.. Ran 1 mile... yes I know , why bother putting the shoes on, but simply by getting out the door I won the mind game battle that we all go through when trying to establish a habit.

Watched "Fire On The Track" The Steve Prefontaine Story while doing the ironing (yes even wombats need to do the chores) Now this is one guy that actually earns the title "WOMBAT WARRIOR"


Sunday was significantly better. Morning run with David Suiter of 7 miles through Helena Valley,steady Pace and steady run. Shot over to Perry lakes to watch the open men's 1500m final. Great race.Marc See Won in 3m50s with Courtney Carter going 3m54s (64/64/59/47). ran another 6 miles with Courts through and around Perry Lakes and up Reabold Hill. Steady and even again. felt good and very smooth.

Evening run from my burrow.. a lazy 2 miles to turn the legs over. This gives me a 15 mile day and I still feel good...maybe just maybe things are coming good...

Still doing exercises that Doigy gave me...MAN I HATE STRETCHING AND ADDITIONAL EXERCISES other than running.

Well for anyone following this... Barrel on...and SHOW US YOUR WOMBAT.

Friday, March 13, 2009


The Year was 2008 and the wombat was trying to emerge.

I started the year with good intentions and had hoped to be back racing at least on a state level. Instead I only managed to clock a mere 754 miles for the year. 173 for January, 186 for February,261 for March, 78 in April, 13 in May and 45 in July. The year started out slowly initially with 1 mile a day then 2 miles then 3 and then two runs of 3 miles a day. long runs of 10 miles crept back and I began to feel like a runner. I introduced one session a week in February and continued this into March.

In April I lined up for the Bridges and felt confident...On this day the wombat came out to play and cost me dearly. Selecting to run in racing flats rather than trainers and a savage 3.04s first km say the arse of this little wombat beginning drag. Holding position through to 6km my right calf cramped badly and I pulled up, some light stretching and back onto the path but the damage was done.. The calf bruised the wombat deserted me. I nursed my calf home worried about tearing it only to have it cramp again in the final km. There were no excused I toed the line and was beaten soundly finishing in a solid 34m3s but disappointed in myself.


The lip dropped for the next few weeks and token runs began to fill the diary. A token run for the wombat warrior is 2 miles or less and let me tell you I did a few of these..(reminded me of the time I ran on the spot in my bedroom just so I could say I had not missed a day's training.)

Committed myself to helping a mate out in the Busso Iron man in may and tried to get focussed again.

Covering 56 miles in the time between this run and May 2nd I covered a piss poor 56 miles.. not nearly enough to run a half marathon. A trip across Australia in the car and a spasmed ham string only added to my depression and after the may race the towel was thrown into the ring....

A brief stint in in July then not another step until a race in the blackwood marathon and then finally the wombat went back into hibernation....

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Massage...Oh the pain!!!!


Even Wombats cry...at least this one did on Wednesday... I paid for the pain as well...

Visited Nathan Doig at the 'Body Station' for some desperately needed muscle care.

Now I had meet this young runner come boundary umpire many years earlier when he was a young cub who was looking to the stars, even today he still rates himself as a runner above that of a boundary umpire which is great to hear because he always had that raw speed...Nathan was one to bring out the wombat often as he dug deep and pulled out the tough runs when he needed to. Anyway I digress.. He is now a masseur with magic hands and while I squirmed more than a 2 year old eating broccoli he still managed to follow me around the table. I'd seen him the week before and he had hurt me but Wednesday was a whole new level. He got in deep and really worked out six years of knots...If I had been in the bush I would have lured him into a burrow and crushed his skull against the tunnel roof , as we wombats do, but I wasn't and I was paying for this privilege...Still he does a bloody good job and I know that this old wombat will be much better off for the treatment... For an hour we tried to out manoeuvre one another but with ever move that I made to escape he countered, he even apologised for hurting me at one stage but I could tell by his tone that it was superficial he loved doing it to me...I think I lost 2kg in sweat on that table that day but it was worth it...and just for the record I only ran 2 miles that afternoon...why ?? becasue I was sore... Even Wombats cry and on this day I did... Thanks Doigy.. and by the way I am doing the exercises that you gave me every day....

Ouch!!! Big session last night with the Front Runner group... Warmed up around Yokine reserve then into a sustained 2.8km surge..Chased Raf's arse for the surge. Called on the wombat but was already digging deep to find any additional speed. Took a 1 minute recovery before going into an 800m then 2x600m and 4x400m. All with a 1 minute recovery. I definitely felt the wombat tonight with my arse hanging out for the entire session. nearly got to see what I had , had for lunch. easy cool down of 3km before stretching and heading home to my burrow...

Wednesday, March 11, 2009


Why the wombat...Its Australian... Roy and HG made the wombat a world wide name when they first introduced Fatso the fat arsed wombat at the Olympics in 2000. The battler's prince... The wombat exhibits traits that many distance runners would aspire to....Perserverance...Doggedness...but to me personally its not a day person , it likes its sleeps and it likes its food and if it gets annoyed it gets grumpy and more importantly it is a tenacious little bugger who will fight for its territory... I like that in a wombat... The resilience of the little bugger...I think that if a wombat was a distance runner it would never give up and to beat it you would have to be prepared to die doing it...



Be The wombat....or better still maybe our cry to the Australian athlete who is going into battle should simply be ..."SHOW US YOUR WOMBAT"....Barrel on...

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Christmas 2008....

I will start near the end and work to the back before coming to the now.

Christmas 2008... I was larger than what I was in my previous life as a single bloke without kids and even as a hitched bloke without kids... I had gained considerable weight in relation to what I termed a racing weight of 65kg... In fact I was , for me anyway, a heavy 84kg.

Running was non existent and I had made spasmodic attempts to get back some form since 2002 with limited success and limited motivation.

What was it that changed then...Put simply my attitude to both physical activity, drinking and eating... But above all I wanted my kids to see that I was active and could be active with them...

The Journey started somewhere...Usually with one step.




Why Billy Mills....Why RunningBrave...? Because he over came the odds to pull off one of the great Olympic victories in distance running that is now part of folk lore...