Watson - Allyson Felix is definitely very impressive, but I would've preferred a little more tv coverage of other competitors at our trials and a little less of her daughter.  That said, the broadcasts overall were very good, & I can see how she's an appealing and safe story for the network, as she was very likely to make it to Tokyo (and do well there) in at least one of the 200/400/4x400 relay and also much less likely to be caught doping than so many of our other competitors.  

Me - Got in the miles again this week, but I was tired most of the time for one reason or another.  Staying up past 1am last Sunday night to watch the U.S. trials didn’t help, but it was worth it.  Was still sluggish at the end of the week, so I shortened my last two runs.  Am surprised that my tempo pace hasn't improved and if anything is getting slower after doing five tempos of 3.5-4.5 miles over the last six weeks.  My lungs seem ok, but my legs don’t have much energy, and I’m slowing down during the tempos.  Doubt it’s the heat, as I should be acclimated by now, and my best run of the week was on the only really warm day.  Think I’ll keep shortening my recovery & easy runs and maybe try some gentle speedwork and hope my hamstrings can handle it.

Sun - 11.6 miles (2:01) easy on treadmill

Mon - 9.3 recovery (1:39) on treadmill, TDP 146 (gym A/C broken)

Tues - 9.4 in park @ 8:31, TDP 155

Weds - off

Thurs - 7.7 in park including 4.1 @ ~7:05/mile, felt ok but slow, TDP 146

Fri - 6.3 recovery (1:07) on treadmill

Sat - 6.3 in park @ 8:46, TDP 145

Total - 50.6 miles

YTD average - 48.2 mpw

Piwi - haha our battle continues, you won this week.  Anyway I see all sorts up at the track near me, some fast, some slow, some walkers, all sorts, I really wouldn't be too self conscious about it!

James - I have no chance of staying up that late to watch sports these days!  Good week, hopefully the energy levels pick up.

Me - another week done and dusted.  Comfortably the coldest week of the year here, I mostly enjoyed it but it did get to the point where it was just cold enough that it was harder work to turn the legs over.  Might look to have a down week this week then 3 more weeks to build towards the half in early August.  Also went to visit coach again today, she has a good 12-18 months rehab ahead but all going well she'll be out of hospital and back home on Wed (after 2 x 4 hour surgeries!).

Weekly for period: From: 28/06/2021 To 04/07/2021

Total distance: 92.67km

DW - Once that happened to us, I remember on the second day people were congregating at the supermarket to charge their phones (They had a generator).

That time was tough cause the power came back but the internet didn’t. It turned out the wind had dropped the internet wire on the street, some dudes came up with a pick up, cut the cable and went away. Everybody thought they were from the internet company, it turns out they were there to steal the wires to sell the copper.

Piwi - Dad is fine, thanks for asking. One could write a book with the stories from my dad and his side of the family. I won’t go into details cause this is the inter webs after all.

We were waiting a long time for covid to end so we could safely come here. It turns out it didn’t end so we had to come anyway.

Covid did a number to Brazil, mom and dad lost 6 friends to this horrible virus.

Huge week by the way.

Watson - the driving exam is quite difficult. You need to demonstrate ability to park on the street, then come back in reverse into a garage, then go to the street where the exam taker will make you stop in a hill to make sure you don’t let the car die or use the hand brakes when starting again. In the 3 times I went to the testing place, around 50% of the people failed the exam.

I believe most people who drive would fail the test if they weren’t told the details to watch for.

 it’s been amazing to watch your come back, already 70+km in a week.

James - nice week. Have you heard about the Strength Training Club®?

Mark - Big week, all the best to your coach!

me - Huge week. Legs felt like jell-o during the week but got it done.

I'm happy to be running this kind of mileage 3 months before the race.

Thursday's workout was tough. 1 mile @ 6:00 + 4x400 @ 1:23 + 1 mile @ 6:00 + 4x400 @ 1:23 + 1 mile @ 6:00.

In the end the miles were closer to 6:15 and the 400's closer to 1:30 but such is life.

Weekly for period: From: 28/06/2021 To 04/07/2021

Total distance: 97.86km

Watson - bummer on the trail closure.  Nice week though.  I chucked some extra hills in my LR on Sunday but still couldn't quite top your elevation.

Steve - funny when the recovery weeks are at the same volume that the build weeks were not so long ago!  That's progress I guess.  Anyway I'd say definitely take it easy if that's what your body is telling you.  You have a great platform for SI HM and a day or two on the bike sounds like it would be a good thing.

Flavio - nice week.  Hope the body is OK with the temps and humidity now you're back in Brazil, that could have been a shock to the system.

Anyway coach is back in action on training programmes this week.  She's given me a down week, which was what I was going to give myself anyway after a couple of pretty solid weeks.  She's also given me hill repeats, which I would never have voluntarily put in there myself (but which I will admit are probably good for me).

1080 is poison for rats, stoats and possums.

piwi - I usually leave work early on a Wednesday and start at Hagley (from close to the corner of Park and Harper) at about 4:30pm.

I've got a fairly decent workout planned, which may change depending on how the niggles pull up.  4km warm up, 3 x 3km @ HMP (mine not yours, so pretty easy for you), 500 metre slow jog recovery after first 2 sets, then easy 2km.

If I'm still a bit sore it might be shorter and easier which is always better for catching up, but I'll make the call on Wednesday morning.

Steve sounds great @16 kms if my math is right. Will confirm by text on Wednesday

watson - Make sure you check out https://www.windy.com/ for your weather obsessing.

piwi - I talked to my coach last night and he's concerned that doing a fairly hard workout will aggravate my knee.  So at most I think it will be 10-12km easy, which is better for socialising anyway.

It feels fine today and was improving all of last week when I did easy runs.  It was the Saturday workout that stirred it up a bit.  I definitely want to be cautious to avoid losing all this fitness.  I'm hopeful I can do the South Island Half but I may not get the speed work I need.  I'd rather miss that than lose all the hard work I've done (especially given it didn't even get used in a race).