May 27th 2005

Running
Sat - Rest Day
Sun - Out the door at 5.45am . Alarm didn't go. No drama I was running for 75mins today instead of the usual 90 mins. A lot quicker than last week got to Queens Park in just over 35mins wheras last week I was there in high 37mins. It made a difference not doing a quality session the night before. 10.5mls
Mon - morn Queens Park did 2 x 2050m with 2mins recovery. Ran ok I was a little congested. Did 6.55 & 6.47. 8mls
Tues - Did a short weights session and ran from gym . I did 3 laps and 300m felt good . Did some strides after run . 8mls all up . 12k in 50mins.
Weds - Ran from work to Tunks Park and did a couple of laps there. Return uphill and ran a little extra near work to come up to an hour. Didn't feel that flash but didn't push pace either. 8.75mls 60mins
Thurs - Ran after work at Naremburn Oval . Did 7x400 60secs recovery . Dodging soccer balls. Felt good ave 71.95 s 73.3 f 69.4. Happy with session have improved ave 1.4 since my return from the States.7.25mls
Fri - Ran from gym and did Artarmon trails 3 laps . I was slow early then felt ok. Last 1.5mls was quick . I did afew strides when I got back. 48.57 for 11.5k - 7.75mls
Easier week did 2 quality session instead of the usual 3 and ran 15mins less on Sunday. Also weight sessions were shorter only 20mins in duration.50.25mls for the week.

Life
It is very quiet at work at the moment not much happening.Just an amusing incident regardind a case of mistaken identity by security.
More grief with the car . It is a licence to spend money. $735 on the power stiff a problem with the shift. $49 for the wheel alignment. The big red car is going back to the garage on Monday for fuel that is leaking. Talk about bad timing just back from a trip and forking out over $1k on the car. What more can you do ?
Had a good weekend with Kieran last week. We went to a steam train place at West Ryde. Which is open only every 1 in 4 weeks. The place was packed . We got there quite late as Kieran had a long sleep . He really enjoyed himself we caught up briefly with Sean and his kids. Sunday we went to the shopping in the morning and to the park in the afternoon. Kieran took a lot less time to settle down on Sunday as Amy was able to sneak out of the house for work before he woke up.
I spoke to my brother on Tuesday night and he is doing it a bit tough after breaking up with his wife.From talking to him he has made up his mind but it will tough on the kids. All 3 boys have split up now with their wives at various stages . Not good stats.
Watched State of Origin on Wednesday night . It was a great game but unfortunately Qld won. Kimmorley must be feeling as sick as a dog his performance was sub par by his standards.Newtown had a big win last win last weekend 64-8 v StMary's the biggest win in the clubs history. What a sorry weekend it was for StKilda they were were 5 goals up v Crows and lost by 44. I thought hey were on the verge of a great new era. Instead of going to the promise land it looks like more time in purgatory. All part of being a StKilda supporter. Never gets your hopes up to high. I will cop it at work on Monday if they lose to the Swans. People that don't follow the Aussie Rules at work give it to me if the Swans beat StKilda. Fingers crossed.
The movie never eventuated as Kieran found the tickets in Amy's purse and ripped them up.I will try go to the Ritz next week to see The Upside of Anger .
Got quite a busy weekend planned. A function at the child care centre tonight. A 2 yo birthday party at Coogee in the late. Newtown v Parra in the afternoon and catching up with Tim. Sunday another 2yo birhtday party .I might skip this one as overload on 2year olds an Amy is working all weekend. Dinner with mum Sunday night and also hope to get a present on Sunday morning for Amy's birthday next week.
Hoping to run in the Striders 10k next week and get back quickly for Amy to go to work at 9am. So far managed to ward off cold . If I do 35m 50secs I'd be pleased a bit tough belt out a hard 10k at 7am. Be good to have a race again.
Till next week

May 20th 2005

Running
Fri - Rest Day
Sat - 530pm Centennial Pk path hard dark 2 laps - 1st lap up tempo 2nd lap hard 14.31,27.31 . Happy with session.
Sun - 530am Beaches to Tamarama and then 10k in Centennial Park when it got light extra when I got home . A bit tired but been worse - 91mins - 12.75mls
Mon - Aft 420pm Hills x 12 Centennial Pk Cafe. Getting dark but managed to finish session . Did a good session ave 41.1 quick start 1st rep 40.7 s 42.0 f 39.5 . Big improvement. 8.5mls
Tues - Ran before work from gym . Did wts and just tried torun easier as tough of days. Didn't have a very good nights sleep. Did 7.5 mls in 52.04 plus strides . Trails a bit wet
Weds - morn Queens pk 2x2k,1k,400 2min rec and 90 secs rec for 400.Ran ok ground a bit damp and ropes up for football fields.Did ok 2k 6.57,6.50,1k 3.18.9,400 70.9. 2K is 2050 1k is 1025m . Good
Thurs - Ran at lunchtime from gym . Did wts beforehand. Felt really good laps of trails were so much faster than Tuesdays run. 59.15 - 8.75mls
Fri - morn bikepath Centennial pk 2 laps . alap 1 uptempo 14.04 2nd lap hard 13.00 - 27.04 . Good improvement. Would have like to break 13mins for 2nd lap but still happy with run.
A good weeks training. Improving again. 54Mls
Life
We are back into the routine again from holidays again and it has been a bit of a culture shock.Amy will be working both days on the weekends and starting at 8am which means a 715am departure. This does not make the little man happy . He does enjoy his time in the bed with mum in the mornings. So he is not a happy camper when she leaves. It also means a very early start for my runs on the weekend . So it is dark when I leave. Oh well we have to pay the mortgage somehow.
Last Friday night was a rough one for me. The Super 12 Rugby was on at the SFS . So their was a massive traffic jam . Kieran was crying for the whole 75min trip home.When we got home he was still worked up and only after I put him in the pram and walked him did he setlle down. He just hates sitting in traffic and not moving. Amazingly 13hr plane flight was not a problem. I suppose he could move around and mum and dad were there the whole time.
He still get anxious when I leave him at the childcare but the childcarers tell me he is great during the day.Hopefully he will settle back when I drop him off soon.
I missed out running the xcountry race last Saturday . Just not practical to hand Kieran off to a parent while I run. He did not want to let dad go . I could get away with it last year as Kieran was not aware of what was going on but now he is getting older he is so much more alert. I'm hoping to do a Striders 10k in early June because Amy starts work that day at 9am . I still hope to do the City to Surf but hopefully can do 2 races beforehand to prepare for it and will do plenty of tempo run type session to compensate the lack of races.
Tomorrow I have an outing with Kieran planned riding the trains . So that should be fun. This afternoon I'm taking a 1/2 day off to go to a movie with Amy while Kieran is in daycare. So that is a bonus.
Both Kieran and Amy have colds at the moment . I hope they get better soon.
Must win game for Sainters this weekend.
Better go till next week. See ya.

May12 th 2005

Running
Thurs - Ran after work at Gore Hill did 2x3,x2,2x1 laps with 90 secs recovery . Laps are 450 approx as AFL Oval. I wasdodging kids kicking footballs around but still ran ok . 3 laps ave ave 4.22 2 laps 2.51 1 laps ave 1.20 - 8.75mls
Fri - wts rest day running
Sat - morn long warm up. I was going to run with Sean W group @ Queens Pk but only two kids turned up. So I did 10 x hills @ Centennial Pk and was quiet pleased with session ave 41.8. Last rep 39.0 good. - 9.25mls
Sun - morn by self did 90 min in Centennnial Pk 2 laps of 6.2k course . Felt ok ran extra k near home - 12.75mls
Mon - Ran after work Centennial Pk did lake , 6.2k course and fence plus strides . Felt ok - 7.75mls wts lunchtime
Tues - morn intervals Naremburn Oval 9x400 1min rec ave 72.95 . First rep was very slow but then ok.
Weds - lunchtime wts and did 4 laps of trails Artarmon from gym felt good - 8.75mls - 59.30
Thurs - intervals lunchtime Gore Hill 2x4 and 2x2 laps 90 secs rec. Dodging footy and soccer balls . Felt good ave 5.53.8 4 laps 2.50.1 ave 2 laps. - Tough session especially by yourself - 9mls
A good weeks training . I was surprised how well I have comeback after long trip home. In a routine again which can make a difference. I hope to run a 5k xcountry this weekend depending on the weather.
Life
We have settled back into life pretty well. Although I must say that Kieran has found the task harder than Amy and myself.He has got used to having Mum and Dad around and his trips to the Childcare have been difficult for him. He has been feeling a bit under the weather having a chesty cough that he cannot shake. I'm hoping that he gets used to going back to the Childcare again soon. Once he is there he is fine but dropping him off is tough.
Amy had a look at a place that we keen to buy in Clovelly 5 years back and missed out on. It has been renovated and the price went up dramitically. Oh well I'm happy where we are.
Work has been very quiet the computer records management system has not been upgraded as expected when I was away on leave. So I had work piling up to do which has now been done.
Went to Mum's place for dinner on Mother's Day and she seemed failrly subdued. Kieran vocabularly has improved dramitically and that entertained Mum. Amy feels a little down about the fact that Kieran is starting to pronounce words correctly instead of his own tilt on words.
Kieran and I went to the footy last Saturday.He enjoyed it yelling ball when we got into the ground and sat their quietly while we watched the first half. At half time we kicked the ball on the ground aonly problem here was I could not get him off the ground when play resumed. Luckily no harm was done as he did not get close enough to the playing filed for it to be a worry. I finally threw the ball back over the fence and he finally followed me. Newtown won again 5 straight wow. Had a chat with Steve Helmich who I used to run against at Interclub years ago.
Nothing much else to report. So till next week. Cheers.

May 5 2005

Running
Mon - - morning 7am Dirt Road 12x280 1min rec bette ave 48.8 fastest 42.2 slowest 50.7 slightly faster than last time - 8.25mls
Tues - morn 7am Brownsville Vermont on dirt road 55mins felt ok
Weds - morn Brownsville on dirt roadreturn 55mins plus strides - 8.5mls
Thurs - morn Old Hyde Rd 5x1040 90secs rec some of the reps were awful but flew on the last rep s 3.39 f 3.17.1 ave 3.31.4 slightly faster than last time - 8.5mls
Fri - Godrey Rd return morn run - 7.75mls
Sat - Rest day lost day travelling back from the States
Sun - Rest day arrived back in Sydney
Mon - Morn ran from home did 10k course then home plus strides . Felt surprisingly good loop 42.01 50.30 all up - 8mls
Tues - Aft Naremburn Oval 8x400 1min rec ave 73.35 ok gluet & ITB twinge
Weds - Aft trails Artarmon work x 5 felt ok twinge not as strong 55.41 plus strides - 8.5mls
Life
If you don't update your blog regularly it all becomes a bit of a blur.The last few days in the States were tough as Peter's father died a few days before we left and the funeral was on the morning of us leaving. I did not attend as I looked after Kieran.Gerry was a lovely guy.
I didn't make it to NY as intended on the second last day. Seem more practical to spend more time with the family . Amy spent most of the aftenoon returning and buying last minute clothes.
We went up to Brownsville Vermont to spend two days with Amy's friend Ann and her three kids on the farm. It is quite a logistic nightmare to organise four kids to go on long car trip. We finally got there after getting a little lost right near our destination. Brownsville is very quiet and dirt roads . Great for running it was a hilly area and barely saw a car. It was great for the kids but wow it was a little noisy at times with 7 kids. Kieran enjoyed having the animals around but thought he was not quiet old enough to ride a horse. He cracked me up when we were watching yet another Wiggles dvd on the TV. When he turned the TV off he walked over from the TV to me on the longue and said Dada ohoh.
The trip back home is always tough for Amy especially in the circumstances. A few tears were shed. She is at a different stage of life than what she was came to Australia 15 years ago. Now that her parents are getting older and she has a lot more in common with her sisters as the all have kids . She thiks about returning to the US. Her sister Nancy was applying the pressure to make the move. So the next few weeks could be tough.
Kieran's behaviour on the plane was exceptional.We had some trouble getting the plane from San Francisisco to Australia. As we only had 1 hr stopover from the flight from NY . Unfortunately the flight was running late and only left us 30 mins to get the connecting flight and the airport staff were hassling us about boarding passes. We finally got on board but when we arrived at Sydney two bags were missing. After negioating the low queue at customs and the long line for taxis . We arrrived hoem to a glorious Sydney day.
As soon as we got Kieran started playing with his old toys and kicking his Wiggle ball around. It was amazing how much he has come on in his month away spending time with his cousins. He talks so much more and is more co-ordinated when kicking the ball and even wanted me to run with him . He just seems sharper. He slept for over 13 hours the first night we all went bed at 730pm after our long journey.
I have been back at work for 3 days and the computer record management system is being upgraded . Mind you this was supposed to be done while I was away. so the first few days back have been spent twidling my thumbs. Kieran has been back at the Childcare centre for two days and has been upset when I have dropped him off but apparently he was fine during the day. Before we left it was not a problem leaving there in the morning. He is finding it tough not having mum on call but hopefully he will settle back into the routine again quickly.
I'm excited about going to watch Newtown play f or the first time this eason on Saturday at Henson Pk and will take Kieran along and hopefully go with another mate . While Amy visits a friend who lives at a house overlooking the ground.
Better go.Till next week.