North Face Week 6

Running along the Swan River in the city

The girl in the picture got away from me as I tried to get some Pictures

Monday always a sore day after the hard Sunday session.The legs were feeling tired . I ran at lunch time , running 9km along the swan River. It was muggy but not too hot and completed the run in an hour .In the evening I ran a further 6 km keeping the pace easy at about 6.30 and my HR stayed at between 120 and 130 .Did the 15km in 1.43 hr. The legs were tired but I felt fine.

Kings Park with my Tomassini

Tuesday .Decided to skip cross fit as the legs were still tired from the 2 days of running and climbing and just did an easy spin around Kings Park for an hour. Took my Roadie a beautiful Tomassini steel bike round the Park. Midland Cycling juniors were about but there was little traffic so it was an enjoyable ride .A good day for a cycle.Rode for an hour .

Wednesday. I had a really good nights rest with all the fatigue catching up on me. In the evening I ran to Mount Street near Kings Park and ran for 45 minutes up and down Mount Street. Basically 2 minutes up and 2  minutes down for 45 minutes. Then ran back to the office as a cool down. 70 minutes running about 8kms.It wasn't too hot but it was still hard running up Mount street.I estimated that the hill is about 42 m of elevation and I did about 32 m each time I ran so I did about 350 meters for the 45 minutes.

Thursday: Rode to cross fit on the steel bike and then we did Bring Up Sally Squat Challenge using 25kg bar (see video) and 3 exercises of 4 minutes.
A 5 Push press and 15 squats as many repeats in 4 minutes with 2 minutes break
B 1 Burpee and 5 slamballs as many repeats in 4 minutes with 2 minute break
C 5 sit ups and 20 mountain climbs.

Short session but the quads were hurting especially with Bring Up  Sally  .

360 Degree View  from DNA Tower at the end of the session

Looking down on  Boot camp training at the DNA Tower

Friday  : I was going to try and run in the morning but was just too tired .I did ride to work though.In the evening it was a 90 minute session with 5 minute warm up and then 35 minutes of walking up and down the DNA tower .I managed 19 climbs and then repeated it again. Total distance covered was only 4km but the elevation with 15m for each climb was 570m. There was only one boot camp trainer with 2 trainees and a few visitors for the 1.5 hrs . But on the other side of the Park it was packed with limousines and students going to various balls and people just taking in the view of the city from Kings Park. I have now spent more time at the Park then any other period in the past 20 years.

Saturday's WOD

Saturday .I was far too sore to ride so opted for a rest and in the arvo we did a half hour session called the ARIE . Starting with 75 squats then 25 Hollow-rocks and 25 clean/jerks burpees then followed by 20 of the 2 exercises , 15 and 10 and 5 finishing with a further 75 squats.

Sorento Surf & Life Saving Club Sunday Morning after the run

Sunday . Just a 2.5 hrs slow and easy walk /run on the coast . Probably the easiest Sunday run yet . Just the 2 of us for this as everyoneelse is in Bali and/or injured. Started with a walk and then a run and walk . I ran the last 18 minutes easy and the legs felt OK but I tried not to get the heart rate pumping too high .I also loaded up my pack so ran with a much heavier camel-back and it  felt OK.

At the heritage trail in John Forest National Park

Ended the day with an easy spin on the MTB with Jonathan just 10kms.

Run: 45kms or 7 hours
Bike: 90 kms or 3.5 hrs
Cross fit: 1.10
total : 11.8 hrs

NorthFace Week 5

Week 5 already and yet we have only just begun. I do feel like progress is being made and the weight is slowly coming off as well .After the 4 hr Sunday session , backing up on Monday was always hard but today I ran in the evening and felt pretty good.The legs were tired but I kept the HR under threshold and ran 13km @ just above 6.30 pace. The legs were fine but a little sore. Managed a 5.47 pace at the 9km mark and a few kms at 6min/km pace at the end .

Tuesday I did not make cross fit because of the heavy traffic so it was a rest day overall.

Wednesday .  Another warm day so I ran on a thread mill for 50 minutes .I had a 5minute warm up and then 3 minutes running up 10 % @ 7kph and then 3 minutes at 9.6kph flat for 3 minutes and repeated that 7 tines  dropping the speed a little to 6.5 at the end. Completed 7km . The legs felt fine but found the climbs tiring .

In the evening I did a 50minute sufferfest DVD session on the wind trainer.It was really hot and lost a ton of sweat . Did about 30km in 50 minutes so felt pretty wasted after that effort. Molly , Irondog , slept through the whole session.

Thursday , managed a good nights rest and so no training in the morning .I rode to Cross fit and then we did a relay session with a series of exercises:

1. Over the box x 17
2. deadlifts x 7
3. Squats with 10kg weight x 17
4. slamball x7
5. sit-ups with wallball 7kg x 17 and
6. row 7calories worth 

Repeated as many times in 50 minutes in a relay of 6 in each group.I managed 4 rounds . Then rode home .Total ride about 1.20 hr and work out 50 minutes.


Friday: Up early for a change and rode to Kings Park at 5.30am and then did a 1 hour session of a 6 minute warm up and then 25 minutes of walking 2 steps at a time up the DNA Tower . I managed 13 climbs and then I ran for a further 10 minutes and did another 10 minutes of DNA Tower and managed 7 further climbs and a cool down to make it 4kms in the hour but 300 metres of altitude. Then rode back.During the session there was a group doing a Boot camp workout and the trainer came up to me and told me she had been watching my workout and thought I was a " Machine " Not so sure about the compliment but I was focused on getting the altitude climbing the DNA Tower..I also spoke to a runner who was going up the Tower a few times and she was doing a marathon called the Big5 in SA . The legs felt good and in the evening I rode home via Bassendean doing 20kms .

Start of the Memorial Ride for Tim Bromhead

 

On the Bike Path as we passed the Swan Brewery Building.Sky was overcast but great tail wind

At Applecross

Benny's Cafe Fremantle

 

The Giant Diver in the city .Waiting for the roads to open again.

Saturday: Again I got up relatively early to get to the UWA Boathouse where we were meeting for the Tim Bromhead Memorial ride to remember Tim with all his mates doing what he loved to do ...ride. There were about a dozen of us and we rode round to Mt Henry then on to Fremantle where we had coffee and then I rode back with Trev ,  Les and Ron to the Boathouse via Cottesloe and Nedlands making a complete river loop. It was a little dark in the beginning with some light rain but cleared to a beautiful sunny day. I ended back at the city and waited at the Office for the crowds to clear as the Giant Puppets were starting their walk through the city for the second day. Probably on the bike for 3 hours and did about 75km.

Saturday's WOD

In the afternoon did a crossfit session celebrating birthdays and 10 exercises with 32 reps and then 22 reps in 54 minutes .Didn't quite finish round 2 as I had 2 more exercises when we ran out of time.

At the DNA Tower at the end of the Session

 

Sunday. Up early at 4am for the long walk and run session at King's Park. We started at Jacobs Ladder which I found tougher than Kokoda . We walked up Jacobs for just over an hour .I managed 11 climbs .Michelle powered ahead . We then  went to Kokoda and started another hour . I finished 10 before we headed to the DNA Tower and I ran from the Tower to Lovekin Drive  and back and then did 10 climbs before running again and finishing with another 4 climbs for a total of 14 climbs up the tower . The total height we climbed would have been about 1300 to 1500 metres . I was pretty tired after yesterday's ride and cross fit session. Will putting more weight in the camel-back to start simulating the weight I will be carrying.

Nimal and I had coffee at Botanicals Cafe in Kings Park as everyone else headed to Georges at City Beach.

Run: 7hrs or 36.5 kms
Bike:  6h 40mins or 175 km
Cross fit : 1. 40hr
Total: 15hr 20min

NorthFace Week 4

Ultra-Trail World Tour 2014 by UltraTrailWorldTour

Running Buddy

Coming out from a long day on Sunday .The program was to back it up with a 12 km easy run on Monday.I ran 8km on a thread mill averaging the 8km in 6.3mins per km and then ran with Molly for the last 4km after work and she managed a hard and fast pace at the start with 2-3 stops and then ran on all the puddles and sat in one in the park and chased birds about whilst we ran back causing me to have to throw in a few sprints . the legs were tired from yesterday but felt better than the previous week . All in all about a 1.20 session of running

Tuesday .It was a stormy day and so I skipped Cross fit and riding in the wet. I visited Tim who is not well and then rode the indoor trainer for an hour doing 1 minute and 2 minute sprints.

Wednesday turned out to be a hot and humid day .I ran in the evening again at King's Park .I ran up to the DNA tower and then did 5 x 3min runs up the hill , 1 Kokoda track , and 2 runs up Lovekin Drive , a total of 8 runs up hill and then  a slow run back to the office. It was hot and managed 12.5km in 1.25

Thursday a relatively easier day. I rode to crossfit in the evening and then had a 30-40 minutes session with multiple workouts and then rode home early as the sky looked like it was going to open up.Legs were tired but I felt riding had become less taxing in the past 3 weeks so I think there are small incremental steps in the right direction.I weighed in tonight at just under 75kgs but the weight is fluctuating but generally dropping very slowly.

Jacobs ladder , King's Park

 Friday , an easy ride to work and  a 1hour session at Lunch time running to Jacobs ladder as a warm up and then did 6 climbs up to the top and back and then ran back to the office.It was hot and humid and there were about 6-8 people working out. it was rather steep but it's not ideal as I nearly broke my neck coming down looking at cleavage rather than the stairs lesson learnt from Confucius " is small mounds more dangerous than steep stairs".

Saturday: A short spin around the river with Exceeders .Lots of new faces and I went with the slow group who weren't very slow so I managed to try and hang on till Canning Hwy and then came back into the city as they went on through Shelley and back to the city. I managed about 43kms .In the afternoon and it was hot again did a cross fit session with 2 rounds of cleans and jerks 5 reps for maximum weight the burpees and kettle bells for points in 4 minute stages with a 2 minute rest between .it was a really short session of 22 minutes but hard.Manages a maximum weight of 52.5kgs and about 28/29 burpees for each 4 minute session.

Saturday's WOD

Sunday at King's Park

Sunday: Another early start .Still not used to getting up at 4 am on a Sunday .I got to Kings Park at 4.50am and surprisingly there are people about in the car park.There is a total fire ban with temperatures likely to soar to 40c so all the trails are closed. we started off with a fast walk of about 4kms and then Kokoda for about 13-14 times and then to the DNA tower for 10 climbs and back to Kokoda for another 8 ascents before finishing at the car park.That took 3.50 and we covered about 14.5km and about 1500-1600m .It got really humid and hot after 8am and so everyone was feeling the heat in the last hour . Had a few issues with my camel-back but got it sorted .I had at least 3litres of water and 300 calories of infinite and lollies as well so did not have and bonking issues at the end.the heart rate remained lower than the previous week and I did have issues with my throat and breathing possibly because there was smoke and haze about even if I could not smell it , my throat was sensitive to the early morning air and anything that would aggravate it in the atmosphere.

The rest of the day was just trying to recover although I did take Molly and Jonathan to the beach. Backing up the session with a run on Monday will be the test.


Bike : 4.5 hrs & 122km

Running : 7.75 hrs & 43 kms

Cross fit : 1.10
total : 13.75hrs

Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

 “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
― Mahatma Gandhi



Whilst written by Jimmy Cliff I like this version of the song by Nilssson and produced by John Lennon

If we remember Robin Williams and the 90s movie Dead Poets Society, Robins character makes the famous speech to his students about Seizing the Day ...Carpe Diem.  It is later than you think (Sydney Morning Herald Editorial 3 January 2015)

After this week it isn't so much about seizing the day but enjoying the moment. It is never easy and we never quite understand , appreciate or think too much about death till it is at the doorstep knocking loudly.  There is tomorrow and then suddenly we ask ourselves where has all the time gone. For some it is a rich fulfilling life and a long one , and for others it is tragically short. There is no rhyme or reason , we turn to religion or philosophy , but ultimately there is a lottery and we have to accept it willingly or dragging and screaming. It makes no difference. Life is finite and death is certain.

My friend Tim passed away peacefully on 5 February 2015 .He had been ill for sometime but showed a resolute quiet determination to try and get well but when that wasn't going to happen he approached death as he did life straight forward with no complaint despite what it had thrown him .Pretty much the way he rode . I spent many a great ride with him and what keeps ringing in my ear is "Spinners are winners " and his other often repeated comment to me was spend time with your family . I suspect because he was far from his he valued his and having lost his wife , he knew the sadness that comes from losing them early .He couldn't fathom the hours of training I put in or possibly he did as he once would have spent considerable hours running in his earlier years( and was a good marathon runner running a 2.45 in earlier years) , yet he had reached that stage where he realized there were possibly more worthwhile pursuits in life. But these are choices we make.

Life is what you make of it and sometimes it does throw some really mean curve balls , but we just have to spin our way up and maybe we will make it  to the top of the hill and maybe we won't but if we have the people we love by our side and we do take the time to love and share and be part of their lives then there should not be any regrets. The journey is really what it  is . It is very much a first world problem as we have more distractions and we sometimes just need to de-clutter our lives to see what is important . Pretty much like cycling . The type of bike may vary but ultimately it has 2 wheels and you need to ride it and expend energy doing so.

As  2014 unfolded into 2015 , the tragedies of the past year drew this editorial piece  in SMH :

Life may be partly framed by its ending, but it is not defined by it. Life is precious. It is not a rehearsal. 
Religious beliefs to one side,  the soul does not leave by the back door, walk round the house, step over the welcome mat and re-enter through the front.

 Death may be a constant companion in theaters of war, but not in ordinary life. When death does come upon us unawares, it is a tragedy. It is cruel and unfair. 

Though our allotted lifespan is unknowable,  the impulse, indeed the pulse, of existence is to pursue, as much as one can, a life worthwhile. More than 2000 years ago, the Roman poet Horace declared: "Carpe Diem" (seize the day). 
Less well-known is the conclusion to that phrase, which roughly translates as "for one cannot trust in tomorrow".
One could interpret this to mean live every day as if it is the last – party like there's no tomorrow! Sydney Morning Herald ...Its later than you think 3 January 2015

I think Horace , the Roman Poet really meant what Tim meant , its not how hard you party but it is how you have loved life . And he did .

Week 3 NorthFace

Picture Northface 100 in 2011 from Running Beyond Blog

Week3 and it is starting to get a little more serious. The week started off easy with Australia day and 2 days of running or walking nearly 4 hours behind so Monday was a light day. I swam with Trevor and Les at Cottesloe .First swim since IMWA and managed 8 laps of about 200m   .It was a magic day with beautiful weather and calm clear water. We had coffee and muffins at Daisies and met up with Tim and his sister over from New Zealand. Lisa and Jessie , Trevor's wife and daughter joined us later . Unfortunately as Tim is not well the gathering was great but tinged with the sadness of how fragile everything is .

Tuesday and I rode in the evening and whilst it was muggy it wasn't as hot .Then a 30- 40 minute session of crossfit .  Rode home spinning in the small gear.

Wednesday I rode to work via King's Park to do a 30-40 minute run session on Forrest Drive. I saw a few runners and lots of riders especially the fast Brad hall girls team riding around.

Map Of King's Park

It was again pretty hot so I was pretty tired at the end of the session .I did not manage a full hour as I was just running out of time and tiring rapidly with the heat . Rode down to work . Rode for about 50 minutes and ran for about 30-40 minutes.

Thursday, I did an hour session of riding at Kings Park climbing lovekin Drive 4 times .Again another hot day and no one around late afternoon. I then went fro cross fit .We did a 45 minute session with 7 stations of exercise of 5 minutes with a 2 minute recovery  . Was a hot session.

Friday. I get to sleep in but did a run at lunch time .It was far too hot outside so I ran on the treadmill for 1 hour starting with a 10 minute warm up and then 10 x 3min @ 6kph on a 13% gradient with 90 secs recovery and then cool down. managed about 7km in total and some altitude .

Saturday .I did an indoor wind trainer session on the bike for 1 hour with sprints.That got the heart pumping and the body sweating.In the afternoon a 40 minute cross fit session with strength work.

Sat's WOD

Sunday was the long training day with a 4 hour session at king's Park. I managed to get some sleep having to wake up at 4am .Got to Kings Park just before 5am. Not many people about at that time. It was still dark so we ran 4kms first and then started to do the Kokoda Trail. I managed 8.5 laps before we ran to the DNA tower and did 10 climbs up the DNA Tower .Then back to the track for another 12 climbs before heading to the DNA Tower and running down to Lovekin drive and back to the Tower and 8 runs up the Tower and back to the Car park at Frasers . We managed it in 3hrs and 52 minutes.

Pictures of the track from the wayfaringfox blog

Picture of The KOKODA TRACK at Kings Park

At the end of a 4hr run at Kings Park

 

NorthFace Week 2

Video clip of start of NorthFace 100 @ Katoomba


Week2 and it is starting to get a little more serious. The week started off easy with a 30 minute run and about 5km.

Tuesday and I rode in the evening and whilst it was muggy it wasn't as hot .Then a 30- 40 minute session of crossfit .  Rode home spinning in the small gear. Total of 35 km and 1.20hr with 40 minutes at cross fit.

Wednesday I rode to work an easy ride the long way about 15km and then in the evening I ran to King's Park  and back to the office .Not too much elevation accept for 3 walks up the Kokoda trail at Kings Park . I managed 10kms in 1.20 Hr.

Thursday. Rode again to Cross fit in the hot evening and a Cross fit session and then home . Friday rode to work and did not actually run . 30 min on the bike .

Saturday ,instead of a bike we all started a run session at King's park at 6am and did a 2.5 hr session with 12 x Kokoda trail and 18 x DNA tower.The Kokoda Trail is about 65m in altitude and the DNA Tower about 15m so we did over 900m of altitude but about 12km of running . It was hot and humid by the time we finished . In the afternoon another hard Cross fit session of 45 minutes .The legs were sore by then.

Sunday I backed it up with a 10km run @7min pace . Caught up with Tim who I cycle with from time to time and came down to Cape to cape last year with me.

Total ;
Running: 5hrs and only 37kms
Crossfit: 2hrs
Bike: 4hrs or 95km
Total: 11hrs