Stocktake

Well, those interim goals have appeared, that's for sure. I'm turning 40 tomorrow, and while that seems to have spurred a bit of irritating introspection, it's also got me off my arse and entering some races. I've taken it easy over the last few weeks, I've honestly found the build up to my birthday a bit stressful this year. It's a milestone number, and my birthday is at an awkward time for celebrations, so it's easy to fall into the trap of not building it up so that I don't get disappointed when people can't make events. It leaves me a bit m'eh about everything. I had a good night out with a couple of mates, so there's nothing real to complain about. I have it pretty good.

So running and cycling has been a bit off recently. I did get to go for a really nice run through North Head National Park in Sydney a few weeks back. It was hot, but considering how much I'd had  to drink the night before, it felt surprisingly good.

I still cracked on and do a 23:15 parkrun last week, in brutal conditions (287 degrees and 60% humidity). Allegedly, that's gonna add about 4.5% to times, and as a run it sure felt much like a 22:15 did 6 months ago, though with more dry heaving.

I've also written down some goals. Sure, they're attached to some bottles of beer, but it is very, *very* nice beer.


So, where was I...

In the next few months, I've lined myself up for:

21/01/18 - Ipswich Trail Run Series #1 - White Rock
11/02/18 - Ipswich Trail Run Series #2 - Hidden Valley
04/03/18 - Ipswich Trail Run Series #3 - Castle Hill
25/03/18 - Up the Buff 25km
15/04/18 - Gold Run 5km
01/07/18 - Gold Coast Marathon

I plan to have a good crack at a sub-20 5km at the Gold Run, and in my head those trail runs should encourage a reasonably consistent preparation. A good crack at the Gold Run will then set up nicely for a solid build up to the Gold Coast. This year's goal should only be 3:45ish, maybe 3:30 depending, but the marathon is a harsh beast so plans are best written in the wind.

With a few weeks off work over Christmas, I should be able to work out a training plan and sort out some level of support. I bristle a bit at the though of paying to go for a run, but I think some sort of coaching could be valuable.