Oddly, Wellington city doesn't have a Park Run.  Hash would need a 30 minute drive to either the Porirua or Hutt Park Runs.

 

I'm hoping that the Wellington Waterfront 5km Series might be back soon.  It's been mainly absent the last few years due to Covid restrictions, but it was a Tuesday ~6pm race through all daylight savings, fast field, and when not a northerly a fast course.

Piwi - Yup, Watson is correct. And also Sat morn is my club track morning, so I can't break that routine! There are a few chances to run a 5km throughout the year, but I'm not too fussed as it's not really a goal distance for me.

Watson - Given that the Wellington Waterfront 5km is run by our enemies from across town, I'm limited to their first run on the year (which is free entry). Can't be seen to be supporting them, you see!

Fred - Definitely DO NOT leave those shorts in your closet gathering dust! We will now expect regular photographic proof that you are busting them out...

 

Piwi - Why, thank you! I do possess a great range of humours, though don't typically display most of them so as to not offend either delicate sensibilities or my online running friends.

 

Hmm something I need to learn

Fred I had an old photo from about 30 years ago when I had a brief foray into running wearing the loudest shorts ever. Luckily I can't find it 

Yesterday I was running behind a courier/delivery van when it started backing out. I was running as fast as it was reversing with one arm pushing against the van.

I don't think she ever saw me and I was wearing a bright orange shirt. She was parked over the footpath.

I really like those Rebels Watson. I'm a US 10. I still have a pair which I rotate with my 50 other running shoes 

Good luck Mark, and good to hear about another forum meet up.

Just had a look at the Wellington forecast and it doesn’t look great in terms of the wind. I guess you’ve had plenty of practice this winter. Hopefully you find a group willing to share the work.

It was a tough and very windy day out there, ended up 34:13 official but good for 4th M40-45 and we (Auckland) won the overall teams award for M35-49, pretty tough to beat Wellington on their home turf with the depth they have. 

Still a bit annoying to not be able to take down that 10k road PR (33:15) as I know I’ve got a lot of good training in the bag but today was unquestionably not a PB day, most runners were a lot slower than at their respective regional champs (up to a minute!).

Met Hashiritai as well so that was good!

Great job Mark. I see Hash got 10.34 and you 9.9kms.

That should get the short course theorists going 

Oh it’s even better than that… my watch had it at 9.99km lol. But most had it between 10.1 and 10.4.

Marky you are a course cutter, admit it!!! 😁 ( let us know which one you prefer to stick: short course runner, downhill PR counter, or course cutter 🤣)

Congrats on a great race,  keep doing you!

 

Oh it’s even better than that… my watch had it at 9.99km lol. But most had it between 10.1 and 10.4.

Fred- I've never had the hiccups while running, and I hope I never do.  That sounds miserable and awkward.

James - it's very good to see you putting in a solid week.

Marky_Mark - just keep racing well and that PR will come.

Watson - looks like you are hitting a peak with 2 weeks to go - that's a very good thing!

***

My week:

72 miles running, 2 hours pool-running, and ~1500 yards swimming.

M: 6 miles very easy (10:16), plus drills/strides
T: 11.5 miles, including a track workout of 400/800/1200/1200/800/400. Splits were 1:43, 3:25, 5:07, 5:01, 3:16, 94. Recoveries were 75 seconds after the first 400, and 2:0x-2:4x after the 800s and 1200s. Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.
W: Streaming yoga and 10.5 miles very easy (9:36).
Th: 2 hours pool-running and upper body weights/core.
F: 12.5 miles, including an 8K track tempo in 34:55 (7:10/7:05/6:58/6:55/6:47), followed by six 1:00 hills (two cycles of easy, moderate, hard). Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.
Sa: 11 miles very easy (9:39) plus drills and upper body weights/core.
Su: 20 miles progressive, split as first 7.5 miles averaging 9:45 pace; next 6.5 miles averaging 8:23 pace, and next 6 miles averaging 7:30 pace. Followed with injury prevention work and 500 meters recovery swimming.

Yes, it looks like a big bump in mileage this week, but that's really only because I did my long run on Sunday, rather than Saturday, and so my pool-running recovery day will fall on Monday instead of Sunday.

I was pretty happy with this week - we got a break in the humidity on Friday, and so I took advantage and did a longer track tempo which went really well for my current fitness.

I haven't been doing progression long runs during this cycle - instead I've been doing a Friday track workout and then a long run Saturday morning (mostly easy, but with surges in the second hour).  This has been partially to mix things up and get a different stimulus, and partially because it's hard to do long progression runs effectively in July and August.  I was thinking that this weekend would be a bit better weather-wise, so I decided to try a progression 20.  Of course, it ended up heating up anyway (since this is the weather whining thread I'll note that it was 80 degrees with a dew point of 74 for the marathon pace section), but despite that the progression went pretty well.  So things are definitely on the right track.

This was my last 20 of my will she/won't she Chicago training cycle.  I have a marathon pace workout next week, and then a half-marathon the week after. (so yes, my last 20 is 5 weeks before the race, but I don't think that's an issue - I've done that before).  And then I think I'll take a shot at Chicago, since it seems like I should be able to get the work vacation issues worked out.

Also -CK - I thought of you today when I considered naming this morning's long run "one snake, 2 deer, 3 used condoms, and 5 discarded gel packets."

The deer were...disturbingly comfortable with people.  I was running on a 10 foot wide paved asphalt trail, and a deer was just casually trotting down the trail towards me, as if it was an approaching jogger.  (I stopped and got off the trail to give it some space).  About 5 minutes later, there was a second deer doing the same, but this one left the trail before I got too close.

My sig other suggested that it might be deer rutting season, but apparently that's not until October and November.