Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - AV Shield

Heavy legs from last night's LSD run did not bode well for tonight's racing. Still, I figured I was always going to have a lot of days like this where my training load with clash with race dates - particularly with the number of pro races on a Sunday (which is my preferred long run day)

Arranged to meet Joel Legg at Flinders St station at 5:30 PM. Got there just after, and waited until it was time to catch the train. Sent him a quick text message. Got to Aberfeldie to find him already there - he thought I meant catch the 5:30 pm train. Doh!

Mucked around where we usually sit and didn't really do a fair dinkum warm up. Put my name down for Shot Put and Discus before going over to the 1500 metres. Really wanted to do a good time - break 4:30 and be the quickest at the club for the season - and decided to change where I would set my own pace from the start. A promising 300 m split of 51 seconds (68 sec/lap pace) was followed up by a 72 second lap to go through 800 metres in 2:03. This was five seconds quicker at this point than the previous time I ran this distance so I was pretty hopeful of breaking through the goal time.

A shocker of a third lap where I was running out on my own into the breeeze and could manage a pedestrian 76 seconds. For f**k's sake I was doing that sort of lap rating through stages of my 3,000 metre races last year. grrr, bugger, drat!!! After hearing 3:19 into the last lap I managed a 73. While my time would have been good enough for second quikest this season, I got pipped on the line by Shane Jansen. He ripped out a 69 second last lap. Bloody great effort. So my time got shunted back down to the club's third best for the year

I really pushed this race and am getting a bit disappointed that I haven't yet broken 4:30. If I am feeling like I am almost racing at my maximum and still can't do a good time I obviously am either doing the wrong training or I have shitloads of work ahead of me (only been back in regular training for about four weeks). Perhaps fatigue from the long run the day before played a part, but I have been able to run well in the past under those circumstances

A lighter moment was provided in the 4 x 100 metres. I was shunted down to our third team, which didn't improve my sprits much. We had an awesome team that included Shane and Luong Dao with Philip to finish. In our heat we were against another Division 4 side and two U14 girls teams. When handed the baton we were level with one of those girls teams and to uphold the honour of the men I put in one of my best sprints for the year. Gave the baton over clumsily which costs us some time but we still had a ten metre lead. Because Philip figured we only need finish in front of our Div 4 oppoenents - and we were at least one full leg in front - Philip didn't go out hard and we got beaten by an U14 girls team. Oh, the embarrassment!!

I went over to the Shot Put to find my name was not on any of the sheets. I thought I had written my name down so put it on another sheet. Then it was time for the 5000 metres. I really wanted to do 17:30. Started off well enough - first km in 3:24 - but struggled through the middle stages despite being cheered by my teammates on every individual 12.5 laps. Thought that I ran the last kilometre pretty hard but had left my watch at home so no idea what time. Still waiting for the results on the AV website but about 17:45

Finshed off the night with the 400 metres and did a pretty slow time there too - 63.98, but I did kinda cruise through the first 200 metres. That's how it felt anyway

Home at 10:30 pm with egg and cheese on toast and Star Trek Next Generation to let my dinner settle before bed-time

TOTAL DISTANCE = about 8 kilometres including warm up