A 2 run day with 2 days to go...

the rumour was close, it was about 4k (not 5k) run for the Meteors this morning...finished with a stretching/abs session...next week will probably be 5k...

Jackie, our English fitness chick, gave the group a 30min limit (!)...i didn't push myself too hard as i was saving it for Customs...after finishing the run (in the chatty company of our assistant coach Mark), i had a quick drink then headed back out to finish with the last two (Jackie was with them as well, geeing them up)...the group was quite spread out & these last two finshed just outside the limit...

i don't think the players have quite grasped the fact that having a good base of aerobic fitness will enable them to better execute their skills at the end of a tough match...unfortunately i think a lot of them don't do any fitness work outside of this session (& i think a 2nd session may be added simply because of that)...

Jodie finshed after three players & the two (male) coaches and was quite pleased with how she went - she did a lot of encouraging as well of the players (something she wouldn't have been physically capable of doing before she got into doing more running)...she even did some little sprints to catch up to people as well to spur them on...she also doesn't normally run that early but enjoyed it so it'll stand her in good stead for her 7.30am start on sunday in the Family Fun Run...

and so to Customs, another big turnout & i managed to get there on time!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 20.6/31%
start time: 12:31pm
total distance: 5.05
total time: 23:03 (a PB for this variation!)
avg pace: 4:34
total calories: 375
avg HR: 175
finish temp/humidity: 20.1/88%

1k splits: 4:15, 4:55, 4:38, 4:44, 4:30

i find the short sharp uphill (leading into the 2k mark) after the tunnel really hard, as you can see my pace really drops there as it does with the Museum Hill (leading into the 3k mark, the Museum slope is not as steep but longer)...so improving on those will be my next goal...

started reeling in the earlier starters just before the halfway mark...set my sights on a gent in pink shorts (who seemed to get faster the further we went!) & finally caught him on the uphill into the finish...turns out his name is Bob Chapman & he's in his early 70s, not that you could tell by looking at him!...definitely a fit bugger...

i have another remedial massage appointment with James this afternoon - i've still got faint remnants of a bruise on my right glute!...my leg has certainly been feeling a lot better this week...

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Jodie & i will pack tonight before heading up to Sydney around 8am tomorrow morning...we've got a couple of stops on the way before we check into the Vibe in North Sydney...then going we are going to attend Gordon cricket training (somewhere between 2-5pm, probably from about 3pm) at Chatswood Oval before relaxing and having a nice dinner before the big day!

yee haa!