About Me
- The Wombat Warrior
- 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.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday Helena Pipeline Loop....
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.....
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Sunday Helena Vally........My staple
Friday, September 11, 2009
From the Rabi.......
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.....
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.....
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Done and Dusted.....
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....
Thursday, August 27, 2009
when all is said and done well done is better than well said...
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...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bugger........
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..
Monday, July 27, 2009
Niggle, Niggle, Surge...... Niggle, Niggle, Surge
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wax on Wax off........
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......
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
City to Surf...... lets roll.
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...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
City to Surf..... Get a woggle on...
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 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...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tempo on the Trail...
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....
Monday, June 29, 2009
Man that was hard....
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....
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Solid 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...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Long Distance Runners...Long is the key word
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...
Sunday, June 21, 2009
State Half marathon....
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....
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday Long Run...
Monday, June 8, 2009
The winds of change bring a new smell...
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....
Friday, June 5, 2009
A tough week nearly gone...
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, May 28, 2009
Thursday controlled session......
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Don't under estimate the long run.....
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...
Friday, May 22, 2009
Smashed...
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...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wombat shivers...
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...
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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Wombat's Mornings have started....
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
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wombat's next challenge...
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
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
How important is self belief ?....
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...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Solid Night for the wombat....
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....
Monday, May 4, 2009
May's Wombat training diary...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Wombat Achieved the goal...1hr 20m 18sec
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...
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A real Wombat Warrior.....
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A Followers Feedback......and he was one TSOB.
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...
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Wombat is stoked...
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...
Friday, April 24, 2009
The wombat eases back with a PB....
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...
" 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."
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Where will the journey lead us?...
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...