2007 in Review

We've had a relatively quiet Christmas this year, with the only family around being my Dad and Michelle's Nana. The rest of our immediate family are wide spread with M's parents in San Francisco at present, my Sister in England (expecting their second child any day now) and my Mum and M's Sister in Nelson.

Still we had a cool Christmas, just at home with my Dad and M's Nana coming over for Christmas lunch. They boys had a great day and were very grateful for all the presents they received. Favourites for Sam were a Star Wars Light saber and a Cricket set while Jack's favourite was a new battery operated train set. They each also got a new scooter each which are getting a great amount of use.



I had Thursday and Friday off work and they have been mainly spent relaxing at home though he weather has been good enough to get us all down to the beach on both days for a quick cool off in the water.

As we come to the end of 2007 I thought we would have a look back at year by delving into some interesting numbers summing up the past year;

319 - Miles run
39 - Hours run
421000 - Number of steps run ( based on 180 per minute)
1500 - Ice cubes melted icing shins
40000 - Meters swam
4 - Months I had off running
85 - Litres of Powerade drunk
100 - Hours of stretching (excludes any pre or post run stretching)
80 - Number of posts to the blog
85 - Weight at start of the year (kg's)
89 - Weight at end of the year (I put the increase down to less running in the second half!)
23 - Finish time in my first ever 5 K race back in April.

The Shin Report

The shin actually feels like its taken a bit of a backward step this week. I'm starting to notice it more in my last two or three runs. I had a check up with the physio on Thursday and she has given me some more exercises to strengthen abs, quads and glutes. Calf exercises and stretching continues. We are suspected possible weaknesses in those areas might also be a factor. I've had to basically write a training plan mixing all the exercises up over two days otherwise I would be at it for up to an hour a night.

Training this week has been as follows;

Sunday - Run 65 minutes (a very slow 10K had the boys tagging along on bikes for the first half).
Monday - Swim 30 Minutes
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Run 30 Minutes
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Run 35 Minutes

That's all folks, hope you all have a great New Year.


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Never to busy to Run

December is always a busy month isn't it with Christmas shopping to get done, Christmas parties and work functions to attend. It hardly leaves any time for training (or blogging). I think I may have just transitioned to a true running fanatic though as this week I have twice got up at 5 in the morning in order to get my training in.

I never thought I would be one that could rise so early just to go running. I have always loved my sleep too much for one and I also just felt the body would never be as 'loose' and warmed up first thing in the morning as it is later in the day. Now I've been converted and I admit to being a bit of a fan of my early morning runs. It can be a great way of starting the day and the temperatures are way cooler than the when running under the mid day sun also.

This week I had a session with a sports massage therapist at the Millennium Institute of Sport. It's the same place where I've been seeing a Physiotherapist about my shins. She had suggested a massage to try and loosen up my calfs some more and also a general all over leg massage. It was great to get some thoughts from another health professional about my 'weaknesses'. She picked up a weakness in one of my quad muscles (same leg as the bad shin) which is possible having some flow on effect on the shin and lower leg. I therefore now need to work on strengthening this area with some leg extension exercises. After massaging my calfs she also did not feel that I was suffering from any Compartment Syndrome, which is great news.

Here a wrap of my training for the last week;

- Wednesday - Run 35 minutes
- Thursday - Bikram Yoga
- Friday - Rest
- Saturday - Run 45 minutes
- Sunday - Rest, well played golf actually, shot 88 which is a continuation of my recent good form.
- Monday - Rest
- Tuesday - Run 35 Minutes
- Wednesday - Rest
- Thursday - Run 40 Minutes


I'm still taking some walking breaks, at the moment walking a minute after every 12 of running.

Since I've been back running I've stayed away from hills so as to not aggravate the shin splints. This week I felt it was time to take on a hill again (Bush Road hill in Albany for those that know it) and I'm please to say that I charged up it with no trouble at all. It was very encouraging. I was a bit worried that having done no hill work at all I would be a little bit under done to take on this relatively short (300 meters) but sharp hill.

The last couple of runs I've been really happy with my running technique also , its just felt smooth and natural. I think given the injuries I've had and with the reading I've been doing you can some times end up with just too much going on in your head, when all you really need to do is just go out there, relax and just run. This is how I've approached the last few runs and they've felt great.

I'm not totally out of the woods with my shin. It does flare up and feels quite tender at times but as lots of you will know there are always niggles and I just have to learn put up with this. It's not disrupting my running yet , so with careful management of it lets hope it stays that way.

Have a happy and safe Christmas everyone.



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Am I Ready to Race?

Another week has passed and here's this weeks numbers;

Monday - Run 25 minutes
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Run 30 minutes
Thursday - Swim 1000 m (30 minutes)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Run 35 minutes
Sunday - Rest

Am I having too many rest days? I should really try and do at least one more day of cross training of either biking or weights. I have both an exercycle and some weights at home but neither have been getting much use of late. The difficulty is fitting in one of these workouts into the weekly schedule. They would involve an early start to get the workout done before work as evenings are pretty much taken up by getting home from work in time to spend usually not much more than an hour with the boys before they are in bed then relaxing with M and then maybe some computer time before I hit the sack.

While I can handle rising early if it that's what needs to be done to get a run in, I'm not so keen when it comes to other forms of training for some reason. I guess the other reason is that other than aiming to get back to a reasonable state of "running" fitness, I have no other goal at present to aim for and thus motivate me to make time for an extra weekly workout.

One thing I have been contemplating is the Rotorua Half Marathon on March 16 next year. This is about thirteen weeks away and if I'm going to give it a shot I really need to start a build up for this now. Am I ready?

I've been back running now for two months and (touch wood) the shin splints have not got any worse. I still have some minor soreness but nothing so bad that it hinders my running and so far I have been able to control it with icing.

So with two months successfully behind me, what I have got to lose by aiming for March 16 as my comeback race? I have dug around online and found a twelve week half marathon programme which I will use as a guide. The programme does call for back to back runs on two days a week, something which I have not normally done due to my shin problems.

Maybe with the race in mind I will have the motivation to substitute one of those runs for some cross training?

Have a good week.





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Heading to America.

I've been a bit slack lately updating the blog and getting around to all yours. The reason for the slackness is that much of my computer time lately has been taken up by surfing the travel pages and hotel guides planning for our family holiday to the States and Canada which is happening next April.

This will be the first major trip my wife Michelle and I have done overseas, apart from crossing the Tasman to Aussie or up to Fiji. It's also of course the first major trip for the boys. All up we will be away for a month so it will be pretty big for us.

Part of the trip is to visit Michelle's parents who are in the States currently travelling in their RV. They left six weeks ago will be away for about 16 months all up. We will be meeting them in Vancouver at the start of the trip and spending five days with them there, before Michelle and I head down to the Las Vegas region for five days on our own. From there is back up to Vancouver for a few more days before saying farewell to M's parents and heading across to the Rocky Mountains and down to Calgary. We then jump on a flight to San Francisco for three days and then head down to LA via Yosemite. It's a pretty jam packed itinerary and only hope we can hack the pace. Here's my Yahoo Travel Planner if you're interested in the detail.

We've have got all the major stuff sorted like airfares and accommodation in the major cities. A few weeks ago I booked us a rim side cabin at the Grand Canyon but what was harder still was trying to find some accommodation at Yosemite National Park, and we're not even travelling in peak season. Finally we have decided on a motel about an hour out of the park in Oakhurst. It will make for a long day travelling from SF that morning but at least we will already be out of the National Park and ready for the next leg of the trip the next morning.

Recently I thought I would look into what the April temperatures are in places like the Grand Canyon and Utah. I was thinking like yeah it's spring time it should be quite mild. Then I find out the lows are still in the minuses (C) at that time of the year! I'll be making sure we pack heaps of warm cloths thats for sure.

Next on the list of things to organise are some B&B's in places like Jasper and Banff. We're not sure about booking anywhere in Utah and California and may just wing it and see what we find depending on where we end up.

How's the running going?

I had my check up with the physio last week after successfully completing my scheduled 50 minute run. She's happy with the progress and as said to keep slowly building up and to maintain my strengthening and stretching. She's got me doing these calf raises on the edge of a step, one legged. I have hold a weight (7kg) in one hand, rise quickly onto ball of my foot and then drop slowly and controlled to a count of ten. I do two sets to failure. As a variation of the stretching she also said to stretch on the step again by standing on the edge one foot at a time lowering my heel both with a straight leg and then bent.

I raised the numb foot/pins & needles thing and she thought this could be a case of Compartment Syndrome. On the 50 minute run I somehow managed to stave off the numbness for 40-45 minutes before stopping to stretch. I was taking smaller strides so I will work on that and hopefully that will help. Will just have to keep an eye on tha one. With the continued strengthening and stretching hopefully this will pass. I've also booked a sports massage with a massage therapist at the Millennium Sports Institute to work on loosening up the calfs /legs some more. I've never had a deep tissue massage before so this should be an experience!

Last weeks numbers;

Monday - 44 minutes
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - 50 Minutes
Thursday - Bikram Yoga
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 35 Minutes

This week is a cut back with three runs of 25, 30 and 35 minutes planned. Still taking walking break for one minute after every ten of running this week.

I know I've still got a long way to go but I have already had a look at a race calender and can see a Half Marathon in Auckland on March 2 and the Rotorua Half on March 16. Rotorua would fit perfectly before we head off for our trip wouldn't it?

Have a great week.



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Motuihe Island Restoration Project

This week I got to spend an awesome day out in the fresh air away from the office and I could hardly have picked a better day. I work for ANZ Bank and as part of its values of giving back to the community the Bank gives every staff member the opportunity to do community volunteer work for two days a year.

Our office has 'adopted' an island in the Hauraki Gulf named Motuihe Island, which after 100 years of various uses including farming through to being used by the Navy as a training ground and hosting a variety of introduced pests, it is now to be restored to its former state through an intensive pest eradication and re-forestation project.

All introduced pests and animals have been removed from the island and a replanting programme is underway and in about 10 - 15 years time the island will be a sanctuary for bird life and also day trippers to escape the city and enjoy the tracks.

It's already a great escape from the city with some great beaches to relax on and only 30 minutes by boat from the city.

Here's some pics


The boat trip out to the island.

My 'job' for the morning was to drive a tractor which was fitted with a tank full of spray and a couple of spray guns. Two others were walking behind me and scrambling down cliffs spraying any of the unwanted weeds or introduced and unwanted plants which if left unchecked grow into quite large tress which crowd out the NZ natives. I'd never driven a tractor before but really it's just like a car in a lot of ways so I had no issues with it at all.


On the island's tractor.


One of the island's stunning beaches.

Training this week has been a a little mixed. I felt I had quite a good 'recovery' run of 30 minutes on Thursday but Saturday mornings was a real struggle with the shin actually flaring up the worst since I've been back running. Add to that the numb foot thing that used to bother me looks like it has not fixed itself yet.

This week I'm back to the physio for a check up so we'll see what happens. I'm supposed to get a 50 minute run in beforehand and that is scheduled for Wednesday.

Here's the numbers;

Monday - Run /walk 40 minutes
Tuesday - Swim 1000 m
Wednesday - Volunteer day
Thursday - Run / walk 30 minutes
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Run /walk 35 minutes.
Sunday - Rest

Finally here's a pic from the Auckland Santa Parade held today, again in awesome weather and it's not even summer yet!





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Someone Tagged Me

Looks like I've been tagged. Here's the rules;

(1) Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

(2) Tag 3 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

(3) Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog:


My tagger: Robbrunner

1. I once had to be rescued from the swim leg of a triathlon as I was so under prepared for swimming (hence now I just swim in pools)

2. The one food I can not resist is ice cream (any flavour will do).

3. Two TV shows I will not miss are 24 and Lost.

4. I'm clueless when it comes to most techo gadgets including even IPODs.

5. I often miss place stuff and will tear the house down looking for something only to find it somewhere I 'looked' in the first place


I'm tagging, Ewen, UltraScott and Mike.

That's it.

Nice quiet 30 jog minute today. Feeling good.

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Still Running Six Weeks On!

I'm into the sixth week of my return to running after a four month break to rest and rehabilitate my ongoing nemesis, shin splints. I'm quite pleased with my progress to date and must admit to being a little surprised to have not having suffered a recurrence yet.

I guess after putting up with them for so long and having given in to them on several occasions before I was probably conditioned to the prospect of the shin splints again getting the better of me.

I'm certain the fact that I am still out there running is thanks to the work I've been doing during my time off from running;

- I've maintained regular stretching and strengthening of the calfs and feet.
- took a weekly Bikram Yoga class
- studied what I believe to be a safer running technique in Chi Running (which whilst I haven't fully converted to, I've taken some key points on board).

I've also tried to maintain my fitness through swimming and water running so the eventual come back to running was not such a shock to my system.

I also sought professional advice and was boosted when the Physiotherapist and Podiatrist gave me the all clear to commence training again. After all they're suppose to be the experts right and if they say its okay to train then who am I to question them.

As I said in my last post, I still get some aching in the shin here and there but it doesn't seem to bother me when I'm running which is the most important thing. My only lingering doubt is that as I gradually look to increase my distances the lingering pain will worsen and gradually interrupt my running.

I'm doing everything I can to try and make sure that doesn't happen;

- I've adopted a slow build up utilising the run/walk method,
- Small increases in weekly distances
- Shoes have been given the okay
- Icing

I can only hope that Ewen's comment that the shin splints will gradually dissappear is correct, or maybe as Tesso suggests, I just need to stop thinking about them so much?

Here's the numbers for last week;

Monday - Swim 1000 m
Tuesday - Run /walk 28 minutes
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Run/walk 32 minutes
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Run/Walk 36 Minutes
Sunday - Rest / Golf (Shot 94 at Formosa and it was a rest as I took a golf cart)
Today - Run/walk 40 minutes.

Today's run was walking one minute running nine x 4.

The plan for the next ten days is to build up to a 50 minute run which the Physio wanted me to complete before our next meeting, next Wednesday.

Therefore the plan is something like this;

Wednesday 30 minutes
Saturday 36 minutes
Monday 42 Minutes
Wednesday 50 minutes

As you can see, I've not recorded any distances above as I'm not really interested in distance at present, its all about time. I would guess I'm running on average mid 5's to 6 minute Ks.

If I can get through the next ten days then it might be time for a cut back week as it would have been seven whole weeks of building up.

Wish me luck.



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Progress is Progress (and my golf is improving also!)

Three more runs under my belt last week;

Monday - Run / Walk 28 Minutes (run 6 & walk 1 x4)

Tuesday - Swim 1200m (30-35 minutes)

Wednesday - Run /walk 29 Minutes

Thursday - Nothing

Friday - Run / walk 32 minutes (run 7 & walk 1 x 4)

Still no noticeable discomfort while running which is good. I had some tightness in my right calf but nothing too serious.

Saw the Physio on Wednesday and she is happy with the progress also. She wants me to continue with the gradual increases over the next two to three weeks and has given me the task of completing a 50 minute run by the end of the month. That is a little sooner than the schedule I had mapped out for myself, but with a wee bit of rejigging it I've worked out a new schedule will see me achieving that goal.

The odd thing is that the shins are still slightly tender when I'm not running which is a bit annoying. I'm starting to come to the realisation that perhaps I need to accept that this is just part of running and comes with the territory. I just need to manage them sensibly, ice them when needed and if they start troubling me while running then its time to back off the training.

I would be interested in what others think about this. Is some constant mild shin discomfort to be expected and something that we runners must put up with or should I be aiming to be totally pain free 100% of the time?

I've just had two days away at a work golf tournament in Matamata. Matamata is a small town in the central North Island, which is now famous due to the Lord of The Rings movie being shot in the surrounding countryside. Tourists still flock to the to see the movie sets where the hobbits lived. The golf course is a great little country course, and though it may be short it can still be a good test of golf.

This was my fourth Matamata tournament in three years and I'm please to say that on both days I registered a PB for the course, a 92 on Saturday followed by a 91 today for a net 73 and 72. This was some of the best golf I have played this year so I'm reasonably pleased with the result. Brought home a $60 Briscoes voucher for my efforts.


8th hole at Matamata


Par 3 11th hole

This weeks training will be another 32 minute run on Tuesday, increasing to 36 minutes on Thursday and 40 on Saturday. I will also fit a swim or a yoga session in somewhere.

Have a great week.


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Cautiously Optimistic

Another week has gone by and I have managed another three runs. The walking intervals are gradually getting further and further apart and so far so good. Here's how the week panned out;

Monday - Run/walk 21 minutes

Tuesday - Swim 1200 m (35 minutes)

Wednesday - Run/ walk 24 minutes

Thursday - Golf at Takapuna. Shot 93. This was a practice round for my 36 hole tournament in Mata Mata next weekend. Quite happy with the round particularly after my last two outings which were less than impressive.

Friday - Nothing

Saturday - Run / walk 25 minutes.

Still icing the shin , mainly on run days. Stretching etc is still a pretty much daily routine also.

Have another check up with the physio this week to check on the progress. Might see if she can recommend a sports massage for the calfs to loosen them up some more. This has been suggested to me previously as an option to loosen tight calfs. Now that I'm running (sort of) i might look at say a monthly massage.

This week I will be maintaining the gradual increase in time on my feet. Since I'm going away next weekend I will run on Monday (28 minutes), Wednesday (29 minutes) and Friday (32 minutes). Walking breaks will be every 7 minutes by Friday.

Thats all for now.



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Training last week;

Tuesday - Swim 1200 m

Wednesday - Walk/ Run 17 minutes

Thursday - Bikram Yoga, thats the last one of these classes for a while. I will have a look around for something to replace this workout. I definitely got some benefit from these Bikram Yoga classes being some added strength and flexibility but the extreme heat that you must also deal with in the 90 minute class makes for an exhausting workout. After seven classes it's now time to try some other form of yoga based training. May be aPilates class?

Friday - Blank.

Saturday - Walk/ run 20 minutes. Walking one minute out of every five. With every two runs I'm adding a minute to the run portion each run, thus the next run will be four sets of walking one minute and running five.

The runs are pretty slow and I'm just trying to focus on a couple of form and technique key thoughts. Main ones being maintaining a correct landing position for my feet (so the point straight forward). A have tended to be a bit pigeon toed in the past which has been a contributor to my injuries.

Some Chi Running focuses I'm also thinking about being light on my feet, trying to keep my lower legs relaxed and lifting the foot rather than toeing off too prominently.

I'm still experiencing some general shin soreness but not while running. The physio seems happy with the progress and was not too concerned about the ongoing shin pain. As long as I maintain the slow build up and stretching and so long as the shin doesn't start to interfere with my running then I should be okay.

Physio also suggested some gel heel cups to put in my shoe to add some more cushioning to help with the heel bruised heel. This seems to be working also.

Finally all the best to fellow Kiwi blogger Kate who ran the Auckland Marathon this morning.

Have a good week.




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Easy does it

Last week I continued my slow and easy progress back from injury. The week went something like this;

Monday - Swim 1200 m

Tuesday - Walk/ Run 14 minutes

Wednesday - Bikram yoga. Despite missing a session the week before due to illness, I went okay. I've got my breathing under control now not like the first class I did when I was puffing like a 100 meter sprinter.

Thursday - Walk / Run 15 minutes

Friday - No training

Saturday - Walk / Run 16 Minutes

Sunday - Nothing

Monday (today) - Walk /Run 16 minutes


The shin is feeling okay when out running. No noticeable soreness. Still have some slight aching afterwards but nothing too serious. Am continuing the icing to be safe.

Heel problem (bruising) is perhaps more of a concern and ached a bit on Saturday but wasn't so bad today.

Have another check up with the physio to week.

Have a good week all.



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Run, Walk, Run

Last week I has my appointment with the Podiatrist. My shin seemed to be taking soooo long to come right I just wanted to get a 3rd (Podiatrists) opinion.

Apparently I have a pretty neutral foot position when standing and a mild to healthy amount of pronation (some pronation is good apparently!).

I took along the Chi Running book I'm reading as I wanted to get his thoughts on that subject too. He had heard about it, and Pose Method also, an in fact referred me to an interesting Sports Science Blog which debates the whole topic very thoroughly.

While he understands that these methods work for some people, he wants to see me retain a heel striking / toe off gait, which off course is the total opposite of what Chi Running is about. How's that for successfully managing to put myself in a conflicting situation then!

He picked up that I'm tight in the calf and Achilles region though was happy with my hamstrings. Orthotics could be an option still on the table but before trying those again he has given me some heel pads which slip in under the inner of my running shoe. These just raise my heel about 6-8 mm and take some of the pressure off caused by the tight Achilles. The good thing is though he thinks my shoes are okay.

He's given me the okay to start some gentle running to see how these things go. Therefore yesterday a went out for a 15 minute run/walk in which I ran for a minute then walked for a minute etc. Its the programme suggested by Mark in this article. It's real back to basics stuff, but I guess anything is something and I don't want to repeat past mistakes of too much too soon.

If it goes well it won't be too many more weeks before I'm running a respectable distance. I must admit to having some apprehension about how long I will last though. The shin pain is still hanging around and I can't really see how starting to run while this still hangs around will be of any good. Shouldn't I be holding off till I don't feel any pain? The Podiatrist didn't seem to think so and is keen to start a slow build up. I have had three months off after all, how much longer do you stay on the sidelines?

So the run felt okay. The danger of reading too much though is that you have too many thoughts floating around in your head on all different matter of techniques and focuses. Hence the run was one of constantly reminding myself of the different focuses I've been reading about but at the same time try for the heel toe gait the Podiatrist is looking for.

I'll have three more run/walks this week then report back to the Podiatrist with my progress. Another Physio appointment booked for next week to go over any other stretching / exercises I could be doing.

Have a good week.



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What to do after watching your national team self destruct?

Below is my first attempt at posting a video from You Tube. Perhaps check it out then return to this post.

So to what do after watching your national team self destruct?

Being the last day of the school holidays we had a nice family day out and headed for the beach and then followed that with a little bush walk. We visited Wenderholm beach, about 25 minutes north of us. It was a beautiful day, quite warm considering it is still spring. They boys played in the sand and paddled in the water while I lay on the beach taking in the suns rays while contemplating how on earth we could have lost that game.




When we were done at the beach having polished off one of Michelle's great bacon and egg pies, we headed for a bit of a walk in the trails nearby.

Here's the start of the trail and a Maori carving at the entrance to the trail. No the trail is not all this smooth!







Taking a rest half way up the hill....



and another rest at the top.




But what about the view!




The trails in this regional park would make for some great trail running and I hope to be back some day to run them. The full trail is just short of 5km so two laps of that would see me doing two decent climbs and almost 10km.

That's all from me, hopefully we will be able to bounce back after our disappointment of today, but I expect to encounter a fair amount of depression in the next few days.

Happy running and have a good week.

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New Zealand Mourns World Cup Defeat

New Zealand is mourning today after the shock defeat by France in the quarter final of the Rugby World Cup, in Cardiff this morning.

Heavily favoured going into the game the New Zealanders again failed to produce thier 'A game' when it mattered the most. They were out passioned by the spirited French side and despite having a huge possesion and territory advantage, they could not turn that advantage into points.

There will be those that lay the blame with the inexperienced English referee, who made it must be said made some 'interesting' decisions and seemed very lenient on the French around the rucks and mauls. The All Blacks simply did not dominant the game sufficiently to put it out of reach of the French, something they should have been able to do after being up by 13 - 3 at half time.

Sadly the team will now no doubt have to endure more 'choker' tags from a dissappointed public. Not since 1987 has New Zealand won the World Cup and for a country which lives and breaths this sport this Cup has become an obsession, one which now must be full filled when New Zealand hosts the next Cup in 2011.

The public will be looking for scape goats and we will be left wondering how this team, which was touted as the best prepared All Black team of any to visit the World Cup, could be exiting the tournament at such an early stage.

All Physio's must be Optimists!

I went to the physio yesterday to get some professional advice on the shin problem. I chose the Health Zone at the Millennium Institute of Sports as I'm hoping that with all the facilities and health professional at the one facility they will be able to help get me back running.

She was pretty quick to identify that my Achilles/calf region is very tight, something I'm well aware of. I have been doing regular stretching of this region for ever it seems for not much improvement.

When I try squatting on one leg my heal lifts of the ground before I even move a quarter on the way down. She seems pretty sure that that is a likely cause of my problems.

She also suspected a weakness in my glutes. The physio I saw last year also said this but I had expected these would be stronger from the exercises regime they put me on last year.

This new physio also seems to be an advocate for orthotics to solve my problems, even though I told that I was not convinced that these were the answer following my previous experience with them. When I told her the name of my previous Podiatrist she commented that they had heard some mixed feedback about him.

She is recommending that I see the Institute's Podiatrist and get fitted for some Orthotics. She reassuringly advises that every one she has referred come away happy with the result.

She didn't like my shoes either and said she would like to see me in some Asics or Brooks shoes.

A sceptic might say that they are just after my money, and that they were always going to refer me to the Podiatrist and recommend new shoes, but she does seem confident that they can assist me and agreed that I shouldn't have to put up with shin pain. At this stage I'm willing to give them a go and see where it ends up.

My cross training continues to be a bit sporadic. I never made up the weights session and these seem to be harder to fit in. At the moment I am maintaining two swims a week and the yoga so that might have to be enough for now.

We're on day light savings time here now so that must mean summer is around the corner. Can't wait for that and hopefully I will be able to enjoy the warmer weather by treating myself to some nice long runs.

I'm half way through the Chi Running book now and can't wait to get the all clear from the Physio to go out and try this technique.

Have a good week and all the best to those racing this week , including Thomas.




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The last week and the week ahead.

What's happened this last week?

Thursday. Swim, not quite a 1000 m. Goggles giving me problems still.

Friday. Auckland v Otago rugby. Auckland got up for the win by 11 points. Game was a bit flat, poor crowd and not much atmosphere. A typical Auckland crowd some might say.

Saturday. No training, enjoyed a meal out with friends to this place. Heaven for meat eaters with a continuous supply of meat being served at your table. I had two cuts of beef, lamb, sausage, chicken, pork ribs, salmon. No I didn't have desert.

Sunday. Golf at Pukekohe. Another poor round, 100+, lost an incredible eight balls. I'm not playing enough to be consistent. Would rather be running honestly.

Monday. Another swim but goggle problems see me finishing short of the 1000 meters again. Should I just get some new ones?

Tuesday. Slept in and missed my weights workout. Hate those early starts , if I've been up too late then these are almost an impossibility. Will postpone it to Friday.

Tomorrow. Bikram Yoga. Still get that nervous feeling before these classes like when you know you have a really challenging workout ahead of you and you just hope you can get through it in one piece.

Thursday. Will aim for the 1000m swim again. Am seeing a physio just to get my shin / heel checked out and find out if there is more I can do to speed the recovery along.

Friday. The weights session I missed.

Chi running update. Haven't gone too much further with this yet but I am starting into the technique. Practicing some of the technique in my every day walking around just to get a feel for it. Feels like I'm prancing around a bit but apparently this is what it is supposed to feel like?

Happy running all.



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Learnings, Thoughts & Quotes from Chi Running

The book Chi Running by Danny Dreyer arrived over the weekend and I thought I would post a brief summary of some key thoughts and quotes from the first three chapters.

The first three chapters have been devoted to explaining how Danny came to discover the ancient Chinese martial art of T'ai Chi and how he as been able to take what he has learned from T'ai Chi and adapt it to his running, thus developing Chi Running, which offers an alternative and safer approach to running. With the help of his Chi Running method Danny has raced in over thirty ultra marathons since 1995, winning his age group in fourteen of them and placing in the top three in all but one.

So here's some key thoughts / quotes that I've taken from the book so far;

Fundamentals of Chi Running
- Great posture
- Relaxed limbs
- Loose joints
- Engaged core muscles
- A focused mind
- Good breathing technique

Benefits of Chi Running
- All the above

- tilt forward and engage the pull of gravity thus eliminating the need for you to push with your legs.

- use your ligaments and tendons instead of muscles.

- looser joints have less injury potential.

- all movement in your body originates in your center. Learn how to run from your center and the less you will need to use your legs.

- by forcing our bodies against natural laws, our forward progress will be met with resistance in the form of injury, fatigue and disappointment

- focus, body sense, breath and relax.

You might get the idea that it's been all theory to date and that is important I guess to set the scene for whats to come. Next up, learning the technique ...

Training this week;

Monday - Swim 1000 m - A good swim , best I've done in quite a while.

Tuesday - Weights - whole body , light weights high reps (my home made Pump Class if you like!

Wednesday - Bikram Yoga - It's not getting any easier, dealing with the heat is the tough thing. The stretches and poses I think I'm doing okay with. Getting several dizzy spells a session meaning I need to sit out the odd pose to get my breath and just take a minute to chill. Four more weeks of this to look foward to LOL.

Thursday - Has been my aqua run day but I might make this another swim day. I feel that will help retain/ maintain my aerobic base better.

Friday - Rest - Going to the Bank's corporate box for the Auckland v Otago rugby game. Lucky me. Go Auckland!!

Saturday/ Sunday - Rest or maybe a bike ride Saturday, golf Sunday.

Have a great week.




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Is Chi Running the Answer?

I was looking around on the web the other day and came across the Chi Running site. I had heard about this style of running before. Some long time readers (six months ago) of this blog may recall I was experimenting with the Pose Method for a period which bares some similarities to Chi Running. I suffered a calf strain in March however due to the added strain this method places the calfs under and I never really gave Pose a second chance.

Chi Running promotes a mid foot landing as a means of staying injury free, rather than the traditional heel strike that most runners naturally adopt. I like what I've read so far on the web site and I think this approach to running to have some real benefits for me.

I'll do all I can to learn this method and take the time needed to learn it properly rather than the approach I took with Pose which was just to read a few articles on the Pose site and try to teach myself from there.

I've ordered the ChiRunning book and this should arrive any day. I think that the lay off I'm in the middle of now combined with this new approach to running will hopefully pay dividends later on.

The last two weeks I've been more positive about my cross training.

One swim, one aqua run per week combined with weights and the Bikram Yoga I posted about last week. Yes I took another class last night and signed up for five more. That's my new goal for returning to the road. Five more weeks.

Hopefully by early /mid October , I will be ready to go.



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Bikram Yoga - One Tough Workout

I finally took that Yoga class I've been talking about for months. I attended a Bikram Yoga class this week and I have to say it rates pretty high on the scale of toughest workouts I've done.

The first thing that strikes you as you enter the studio is the oppressive heat which is set a 38 degree C /100 F (something Chad in Arizona may be use to be not this boy). Ninety minutes in this heat alone was going to be a challenge.

The room is silent. It is almost as if we are preparing ourselves to go into battle, with ourselves.

The Body Balance classes I had been attending at Les Mills may have been a nice introduction to Yoga but from the moment the Bikram Yoga class got underway I knew I was in for a different experience. For a start there was no pop music and the instructor meant business, perched on his stool, barking out instructions faster than an instructor at a army basic training session.

We started with some really deep breathing before launching into the whole range of stretches and poses. I was able to competently do most of the poses though clearly I still have a lot of room for improvement judging by the flexibility some of the students displayed.

I had no watch so had no idea of the time but by about the one hour mark I was almost totally spent. Every part of me is saturated with sweat and I am breathing harder than I ever have after a hill or speed session on the roads. I am almost finished my powerade.

We hit the floor. Surely this must mean we are nearing the end? We may be lying down now but the stretches are not getting any easier. I almost feel like I'm about to pass out. I get a cramp in my lower back at one point. I just lie there and skip one of the stetches while I try and regain my breath and some composure.

After a few more poses we are left lying on the floor as the instructor makes an abrupt exit after wishing us a good night. It's over.

Though I'm absolutely exhausted I am one of the first to rise and exit the room, trying to escape the heat and find some water to replace the copious fluids I have just lost.

Afterwards, the instructor complements me on my effort and seemed a little surprised that it was my first class. A few guys congratulate me on completing my first class and encourage me to return. I must admit, at that stage I'm not so sure I want to put myself through that pain ever again. As with most things, the memory of the pain passes with time and I will make this a weekly addition to my training for the next three months, at least while I'm not running heavily.

I was reading during the week an article on cross training for runners and while yoga is a recommended activity the article mentioned that rest days from running should involve a relatively low intensity workout. I can't imagine mixing one of these Bikram Yoga classes into a busy, mid - high mileage training schedule as it hardly counts as a rest. I wonder are the other forms of Yoga any less intensive and would these be better for a runner to incorporate into their training routine than Bikram?

Any other Yoga attendees have any thoughts on this?



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Boys Weekend

It's not what you think.

Michelle was in Rotorua over the weekend (Thursday Night thru Midday Sunday) with her Netball team for an end of season tournament. By the sounds of it there was more partying than Netball, but I guess that's what happens on Netball/sports tours right?

So that meant it was a boys long weekend at home with me firstly taking Friday off to drop Jack and Sam off and pick them up from school/pre school. In between those duties it was back home to tidy the mess that had been left then it was down to check out the brand new Westfield Albany mall that opened last week just up the road from us. It's your standard shopping mall and wasn't there to shop, just curious that's all.

It was then back home to mow the lawns and do a bit of section tidy up before I was out the door again to pick the boys up.

Saturday was a quiet day mainly at home though we ventured out for a couple of hours around to M's Nana's old unit which she has recently vacated for a retirement village. M's parents needed some help around there moving some stuff. It was then back home and we biked up to the local playground for a bit of fun on the slides, then back home for some computer games. M's parents had kindly invited us over to their place for dinner which was gratefully accepted. I am fortunate to have a good relationship with my in laws and they of course love to spend time with the boys too.

We were soon home and boys were in bed by 8pm (a little late for them) and I settled in to watch the New Zealand Warriors seal 4th spot on the premiership table with a 24-20 win over Penrith in the NRL thus also setting up a home semi final next week.

Fathers day Sunday and the boys brought out their presents (some much needed clothes)and then set out to make me some breakfast (toast) while I was laying in bed. I could hear the toaster was getting a bit of a hammering so while the thought was nice I sort of took over at this stage and ended up making toast for them.

After breakfast it was time for another big clean up, clearing up two days of mess before M was home. Boys were a little scratchy today obviously still tired (Jack just can't sleep past 6 AM it seems). Fathers Day lunch was up at the retirement village with M's parents and Nana and M turned up a little early than expected so was able to join us for lunch as well. Boys had a swim in the complexes indoor pool which they loved. The swimming lessons we have enrolled them in since they were toddlers are really starting to pay off. They both have great confidence in the water.

M's has nothing but great stories about the girls weekend and is already talking about next year. Now when was that next golfing weekend of mine? November i think!

Training remains uneventful. Only a swim, aqua run and body balance class last week.

Some slight improvement in the shins/ heel bit it remains slow. I'm still doing a range of stretches 3-4 times a week so I don't lose any flexibility I have. Now that my one month LMI membership is up I'm going to attend a weekly yoga class to keep working on the flexibility. The class i've settled on is a Bikram Yoga class near my work at this place.

I haven't been doing as much weight training as I intended so this week I will get back to that also aiming for one morning a week.

The slow progress is a disappointing so if there not much more improvement by the end of this week I will go back to a physio to seek some more advise. I might try the Millennium Sports Institute on the North Shore this time, which seems to have a range of health professionals all at the one facility.

Finally, just an update on Jack's Soccer season which finished last weekend. Of 14 games played they won 5, lost 5 & drew 4 scoring 20 goals, conceding 16. After a shaky start those five wins came in the last eight matches. Not bad for a rookie coach eh. Jack didn't make it to the score sheet but is never the less enthusiastic. Everyone seems keen to keep the team together next year so hopefully we will be a stronger unit for having our first year behind us. It's also been said that once you start coaching kids sport you won't be allowed to give it up!

Have a good week.

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The Ultimate Goal

This last two months off running has not been without its frustrations. I would give anything to be able to be out there running again injury free. I just have to remain positive and look forward to the day when I will be able to do just that.

I still don't feel that I'm ready to start back running. I'm still carrying a bruised heel which I think I picked up when I was trying out some exercises to strengthen the ankle/shin muscles.

I may have been guilty of slacking off slightly from the routine which I set for myself at the start of this rest period. Going away last week put a dent in the routine also and pretty much wrote off that week. The weights workouts have tended to be one a week rather than two, I've opted for stationary bike ride in the weekends rather than getting out on my mountain bike and I've missed a couple of pool sessions. I have enjoyed the Body Balance classes I've attended at the gym and this has given me incentive to look for a yoga room to attend once a week now that my one month gym membership is up.

What I have been able to do over the last few months is continue to catch up on your blogs which helps to keep me inspired and gives me hope that one day I will be able to achieve what some of you do (well if I can even achieve half of what the likes of Eric and Rob are doing then I'll be happy).

The terrain that these guys run in is amazing and has really got me interested in the idea of running trails. We've got some equally amazing backcountry trails in New Zealand and the idea of running some of these really appeals. Even in the Auckland region we're blessed with Waitakere Ranges, less than 45 minutes from my home which has trails galore.

Undoubtedly some of the best scenery and back country trails are in the South Island and that is where most of the classic adventure races and trail races are held. As far as trail running is concerned two races that are right up there are the Routeburn Classic and the Kepler Challenge.

The Routeburn Classic is a 38 K mountain/trail run along the popular Routeburn Track, which has traditionally been one of the country's most popular 2-3 day hikes located in the Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks.

Perhaps even more testing is the Kepler Challenge a 60 K mountain run which funnily enough, follows the Kepler Track, near Te Anau, Fiordland.

These two runs would represent the ultimate goal. Let me say right here that I would love to one day run these races.

I know that I've got a long way to go before I could even rightfully take my place at the start line for one of these events, but its big goals like these that will hopefully keep me motivated and on track to getting injury free and running again.

Happy running.



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Still waiting to Run

The long wait continues as I am still not ready to lace up the running shoes, well not to run anyway. I won't go on about all the boring details but let me just say this rehab thing is a slow process. Nothing happens quickly.

I started the week with two nights down in far south of the country in Dunedin and Invercargill, two cities I had never been to before so that was something a bit different.

The temperatures down there were verging on zero, a good ten degrees C lower than what we usually get up here in Auckland at this time of the year. On my drive down to Invercargill on Monday afternoon the roadside and surrounding hills were blanketed by a good covering of snow from the night before. Here are a few photos from the trip.



Tahakopa Bay, Southland. Almost as far south on the NZ mainland as you can go. Looks perfect but imagine it at almost zero degree C with a brisk southerly blowing (read northerly for any northern hemisphere readers).



Catlins River mouth, Southland.

My only workout this week has been while in Dunedin on the hotels elliptical trainer and bike.

Monday night I saw Die Hard 4 in Invercargill. I always have been a keen Bruce Willis fan and this movie didn't disappoint. Lots of action filled with unbelievable stunts.

Tuesday afternoon /evening I was stuck at Christchurch airport for five hours after Air New Zealand decided to cancel two flights back to Auckland. Eventually got home at 10.30pm.

Wednesday night Michelle and I watched a movie at home, Michelle's choice this one, The Holiday with Cameron Diaz & Kate Winslet. Not quite Die Hard but it was okay I guess.

Thursday slept in so missed morning workout then left my gear bag at home so couldn't swim at lunch time, not that I was too fussed to be honest.

Today, another rest day.

The weekend, I will go to the gym tomorrow. Not sure yet whether I'll do Body Pump, Body Balance or just go on the bike. Sunday I'm playing a game of golf.




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Heading South

I have not done much in the way of training since my last post. Just a Bodypump class at the gym on Thursday morning.

I must also admit to starting to get a little lazy with my stretching routine. I seem to have dropped the daily stretching in favour of two to three times a week, plus the Body Balance class.

I would estimate I'm still several weeks away from running again, so I can pick this up again later if I feel more is needed.

This morning started with a fine 2-0 win for Jack's Soccer team. The team has really come on strongly in recent weeks. From out last six games we have four wins, a draw and a loss. We have scored ten goals and conceded two. Overall for the season to date we have played 13, won 5, drawn 4 and lost 4. It's amazing the improvement some of the kids have made since our first few outings. From starting out with two or three stand out players we now have a team where everyone is contributing which I think has been the reason for the success in these last six games.

Today Michelle has left for a bit of a girls weekend with her mum and some work mates to Waiheke Island for the night. After seeing her off on the ferry the boys and I went up to Mairangi Bay beach for a picnic before heading home for the afternoon.

Tomorrow afternoon I am heading off to Dunedin on a work trip for two nights. I've never been to Dunedin before so it will be a good chance to have a bit of a look around. I have meetings Monday morning but the afternoon will be spent driving the Southern Scenic Route to Invercargil, the southern most city of New Zealand. Again I've never been this far south so I hope to take in a bit of the scenery on the way.

Again, as with my last trip, I will hopefully be making use of the hotel's gym facilities.

Have a good weekend.

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Training this week

Here's what i have done this week;

Thursday - Bodypump
Friday - Swim 1100 meters
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Stationary bike 50 minutes
Monday - Elliptical trainer 40 minutes
Tuesday - Swim 500 meters (goggles must be getting old and could not fit them so they wouldn't leak).
Tuesday PM - Bodybalance

Two more weeks of 'rest' before i contemplate running again. When/if I do it will be short and slow to start with probably with some walking breaks also just to ease back into it.

As i said last post my shin still doesn't 'feel' 100% right so i might even end up extending this rest period until I'm totally satisfied that it's okay. No point coming back too soon is there!

The knee pain i mentioned last post has gone. I'm thinking i must if hurt the knee when doing one of the exercises aimed at strengthening my shin/ankle muscles which involved rapid jumping. I stopped that last week and within a few days the knee came right.

Later.




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Injuries, Beach Fun and Sick Kids

It's three weeks to go until I even contemplate running again and to be honest I'm not even sure that I'll be ready then.

My shin still doesn't 'feel' 100% right. I'm sure you will know what I mean when I say that. Some how you just get that feeling that it's not fully healed yet. I've also got the slight bruising on my heel and somehow I've picked up a bit of a knee strain, I'm guessing through the increased weight training I've been doing in recent weeks as there's nothing else I can really put that down to.

It seems I'm going through more ice than ever before on the heel and knee together with the shin when that flares up. How ironic. During my rehab I manage to pick up more injuries!!

I know they're only minor annoyances that I probably shouldn't bother too much about (who doesn't carry injuries right?), but I would have liked to come out of this period injury free if at all possible. My one major goal remains to get on top of the shin splints as I know that once I've beaten that anything else should clear up in time.

Here are some shots of Takapuna Beach taken on the weekend. It's a superb beach right in the heart of Auckland's North Shore great for walking, running or just lazing in the sun. The weekend brought us two contrasting days from a mostly fine Saturday to Sunday when the wind and rain got up. It didn't stop the boys though from having a great time playing at waters edge chasing the waves. The island in the background is Rangitoto an old extinct volcano that last erupted around 600 years ago.







This week both the boys have been home sick. Michelle took Jack to the doctor today and evidently he has a swollen ear drum which was very close to bursting. He's on antibiotics now which will hopefully settle that down.

As a result of a few unsettled nights I've missed my early morning workouts. I did make it to Body Balance last night however and am loving that. It's a mixture of Pilates, Yoga and core strengthening and I can really sense the benefit I'll be getting from it.

Monday lunch time I got to the pool running session and tomorrow morning hopefully I'll be up early and into the gym for Bodypump. Friday lunch time will be a swim.

Have a great rest of the week, happy running.




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Injury & Rehab Update

I'm in week five of the eight week rest and reconditioning period I set myself as I try to overcome the shin splints that have been dogging me for most of my running 'career'.

The last four weeks have seen me biking, aqua running and swimming once a week, with two weight lifting workouts a week also. I'm also stretching and doing strengthening exercises on the muscles around the shin/ankle area.

Occasionally my shin still reminds me that its not 100%, so I know more rest is still needed. Somehow I've bruised my heal however and I think I did this while doing the shin strengthening exercises, one of which involves standing a foot out from a wall on your heals while flexing the fore foot up and down. I'll play it safe and keep clear of that one.

Last weekend while at soccer (which we won 3-0) I was given a prize for referee of the day which entitles me to a months free membership at our local Les Mills gym. What perfect timing I thought. Four more weeks of rehab and I get landed with a one month gym membership!

So I was right in there on Monday morning trying out the elliptical trainer and bike. Tuesday morning I did a Body Pump class and Tuesday night I did a Body Balance class.

Wednesday is my rest day but I'm out of the house and into work early so I can get off early to take Jack's Soccer practice.

All these early starts mean I don't see the boys in the morning and it is amazing how you miss them when you only see them for an hour or so in the evenings before they're in bed. Michelle said the boys really miss me in the mornings too.

So today I went for a swim at lunch time which means I can stay home a bit later and see the boys. It was worth it too as Sam came up and gave me a cuddle this morning and said he loved me. It's really nice to hear them say things like that.

I've only got three more weeks at the gym though and really mornings are the only time I can go (the gym is not near my work so I can't go at lunch time). Evenings are out as that just means I won't see the boys at night. I'll go for two morning workouts a week, plus the Tuesday night Body Balance after they're in bed. That leaves me one early morning weight session in my garage and a swim one lunch time and the weekend bike ride.

As you can see I'm definitely not resting up, I'm just not running!!



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2006 Auckland Half Marathon - Race Report

*** FLASHBACK *** *** FLASHBACK *** *** FLASHBACK ***

Just in case you missed the previous post, I'm posting a belated race report on my maiden half marathon which was back in October 2006. If you did catch the last post , thanks for your patience, here's the report;

After first setting my sights on the Auckland Half 18 months earlier, the day had finally come after much frustration and uncertainty along the way. It was a 6.30am start down at beautiful Devonport on Auckland's North Shore. I was running it with one other work colleague and we caught one of the buses the organisers put on from our local bus station. The bus was full of excited runners and trip to Devonport took about 20-30 minutes dropping us off right by the start. We dropped our bags at the bag drop and headed for the start line.

Memories of the pre start are pretty much limited to the long ques at the portoloos and thinking how are all these people going to make it to the start line in time. I fortunately found a quick moving que however my mate had a longer wait and we of course got separated. I will also remember the images of men standing at the waters edge relieving themselves straight into the harbour in order to avoid the long waits for the portos (I'll also say it wasn't just the men who took the beach over the long waits on land either!).

I took the chance to do a few stretchs while waiting for my mate some 50 meters back and to the side of the start but he was not to show up. The gun went. I was not too worried about starting near the back of the field as I had my race chip and it was the chip time that I would be taking as my race time in any event. Expectations / hopes were for a sub two hour run but I was really thinking that a 1:55 would be a realistic time also.

The course takes us Northwards from Devonport toward Takapuna before crossing the northern motorway and turning south heading for the Harbour Bridge before ending at Victoria Park in the city. It is a predominantly flat course with the only notable climb being the harbour bridge.

So I started near the back and remembering the advice of my more experienced colleagues I just took it pretty slow from the start for the first couple of miles. I soon got into a good steady pace and I was feeling comfortable though the first hour. I don't really know what pace I was running at and I hardly picked up any distance markers either so it was pretty hard to judge how I was doing pace wise. I just had to go on feel and from my training experience in which I usually ran around 5:20 to 5:30 k's. I wasn't consciously running any quicker than I would normally so I was guessing the first 10k would be covered in at worst say 55 minutes.

At around the half way point my left foot was feeling quite numb and I stopped to stretch my calves. I must have lost about five minutes here and I was definitely a little concerned about the time that I was losing and whether the foot would hold up enough to get me across the bridge and to the finish.

I re joined the race, we crossed the motorway, ran past the netball courts and turned south back towards the city. It was comforting to have reached this point knowing that I was now actually getting closer to the finish instead of running away from it.

At around the seven mile point when I looked across and saw my mate I'd been separated from earlier. We ran together for the next mile or so chatting about how we were each holding up. Neil was in good shape and gradually I let go and by the time we got to the bridge I was starting to lose sight of him.

Running over the harbour bridge was an experience. Definitely something that not many people ever get to do. I drive across the bridge virtually every day so the view was nothing new but you certainly get a different perspective. The climb up the bridge would be almost a kilometer and coming at the 14 K mark it was reasonably testing. I had done a fair amount of hill work in training though and got to the top quite comfortably.

The foot was holding up well and though I felt some slight numbness it didn't seem that this was going to be a problem. Down the other side of the bridge and we still had over five k's to go but I knew this area well, it is all flat, and I didn't expect it to pose any problems for me. I was feeling okay and was still running at a comfortable pace that I felt I could sustain.

Coming past the Westhaven marina we had about four K to go and I was starting to try and lift the pace knowing that it would soon be over. I finally saw a distance marker at 19 K and I thought that with only two K to go I could definitely afford to pull out all stops now and put the foot down so to speak. I managed to find some extra speed in the legs. I was passing quite a few runners at this point and still feeling okay. I eventually ran out of gas with around 500 meters to go, slowing to a jog but by that stage I was just soaking up the atmosphere of the finish and thinking to myself that I had made it.

It was a sweet feeling and the relief was enormous. I had put so much time and effort into preparing for this and as I was rounding the last corner near the finish my emotions almost overcame me as I realised I had accomplished something that had for so often seemed so far away.

I was very happy and a bit surprised with my time of 1:49. Had it not been for a stop to stretch it could easily have been sub 1:45.

Here's the finishing shots.




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2006 Auckland Half Marathon - The Build Up

*** FLASHBACK *** *** FLASHBACK *** *** FLASHBACK ***

If you're a bit confused by the title for this post, don't be. I'm taking the opportunity while on this enforced injury break to write a report on my first ever race, the 2006 Auckland Half Marathon held last October, before all memories of it are long forgotten.

To set the scene I will first go back even further to mid 2005 when the thought of running the half was first mentioned by some enthusiastic lunch time runners I work with. There was a group of four or five of us who took up the challenge and even though I was in no shape back then to even be contemplating a half as I was the youngest I thought I would look pretty soft if I didn't accept the challenge.

I trained for several months before succumbing to the dreaded shin splints thus I failed to make the start line in 05. I did end up carrying the drinks however and it was hugely motivating watching all the finishers and I was even more determined that I would make the start line in 06.

In 2006 I had more time to prepare and my base fitness was generally way better than a year earlier. After two or three months of training the shin pain was still hanging around and rather than just give in to it as I had the previous year, this time I sought out some advice and treatment. My pyhsio gave me a range of stretches to do to improve my flexibility which I still do to this day. I also saw a podiatrist and got some custom fitted orthotic insoles. I took a four week break to rest the shins during which time I kept up my fitness with swimming and biking. It's amazing how effective these activities are for maintaining ones fitness when you can't run.

Six weeks out from the half I was back running. It was a quick fire six week half marathon training programme which involved a four week build up phase followed by a two week taper. At the end of week four I successfully completed a 19k (11.8 mile) run in 1:33 and at that point I was confident that I would make this distance.

I was still just running three days a week and combining that with one swim a week as well as a bike ride some weeks too.

The shins were holding up nicely but around this time I started to experience the other issue that still frustrates me today, the numb foot after about 30 minutes of running. Back then it didn't seem to be every run so I was never quite sure when this thing would pop up.

However, I was now certain that I could make it to the half and I was ready for the big day.

Stay tuned for the Race Report.


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Sam's Birthday

Here's some shots from Sam's fourth birthday party yesterday.



The kids loved the bouncy castle we hired from this place. It was great entertainment for the kids. We were so lucky with the weather as only 36 hours beforehand we had a big storm come through with winds approaching 200 kph in parts of the region. Fortunately all that we last was a lemon tree.



Sam has been counting down the days with much excitement for about the last ten days. He would proudly come out of his bedroom each morning announcing how many more sleeps till his birthday. He's so excited to be a big four year old now. It must be a big thing for a kid to no longer be a little three year old!



After the party we had a relaxing afternoon at home, putting together all the new lego. We ended the day by deciding to go out for a meal to our local Speights Ale House. The boys ordered fish and chips and by the time Sam had finished his all he wanted to do was sleep. We were not even half way through our meals and Sam was asleep in Michelle's arms. It was enough for Michelle to shed a tear or two as she could not believe her baby was now a big four year old.

Here's one more shot of the boys that I love. Jack had a crazy hair day for the last day of the school term the other week and Sam thought he would join in the fun. Jack's fat lip is the result of a collision at school with another kid.



Week three of my recovery programme as been a little uneventful. I missed my Thursday aqua running session due to the party and then decided on a sleep in this morning rather than my weights, opting to make up for it with the aqua running at lunch time today.

Looks like it will be a frosty start to the morning for Jack's Soccer tomorrow.

Happy running, have good weekend.

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