Six Inch 2010

Woke at 2:30am ready and raring to go. I must admit to not being totally focused on the race this year, with lots of work stuff on. I was over the training and talking and just wanted get out and start running. The massive increase in numbers this year meant that I had a few others who were looking at sub-4, namely Big Kev and Brett.

Heading up Goldmine hill I was feeling great. As usual I was passed by quite a few in the first few hundred meters of the climb, but I pulled them all back not long after as I worked into it. Summitted in just under 10 minutes and only about 15mtrs behind Kev and Brett so jumped on the 'sub 4 Bus' without too many issues. We ran together until whitakers where we were joined by Nathan Doig and Ray Lampard who almost got lost and decided to stick with us for a while.

The group set a cracking pace, going through 10.5k in 50:02 and not really slowing much. I was feeling good but had the sense that we were going a little too hard too early. Crossing Del Park I decided to easy off a little and Brett and Kev got a 15-20mtr lead on me. Running into Aid #1 I had a well thoughtout plan ditch my hand-held bottle and pick up a fresh one. This all took about 1 second and I managed to pass Kev and Brett and get about 100-200mtrs on them. I wasn't too fused as I knew they would catch me as I was really starting to pay the price for the early pace.

I decided to take it easy and try to recover. I started to have some stomach problems and was forced into the bush just before the conveyor belt for a toilet stop. I lost almost 3 minutes here but immediately felt better. I was 30 seconds down on last years time at the conveyor belt (2:17.30) and I started to get concerned that my sub 4 chances were gone. I decided that I would take it easy through Oakley Dam (a tough part of the course), focusing on running strong and not spending too much energy. I continued to run strong, ignoring my pace and found myself at Aid #2 in the same time as last year 2:58.30 but in much better shape. This is where the race begins.

The equation was simple run the last 11k in less than 1:01.30 and I'd go sub 4. I was nervous, knowing what happened last year, but i kept telling myself that I had saved myself for this section. Interestingly enough the gradual downhills were the toughest as I couldn't generate too much pace on them due to my legs being sore. I was climbing well and running the flats ok. I knew that if I just kept running, I'd be able to go very close to 4hrs but it was always going to be tight.

Arrived at Marrinup in 3:33 and I knew there was about 4.5ks to go and I had 27 minutes to do it. The mantra 'just keep running' was echoing through my head constantly as I thought about my push to the finish. I knew I had a kick but was very wary of going too soon and blowing up. Should I go 2k? 1.5k? No, I was confident in my pace and decided to save my kick for the last 1k. My left foot had been threatening to cramp for a few k's and I was a little concerned that if I went too early it would cramp and ruin my race.

I had been deliberately ignoring my watch for most of the last 11k and had a quick glance with 1k to go, this was the moment of truth. 3:54.40ish - I had 5:20 to make it under 4hrs. Great, I was confident as I picked up the pace for final stretch. As usual the last k goes on forever and the foot spasm became more and more frequent. The cramps would last only about a second or too but enough to keep me concerned. I was glad to emerge from the trail and started to sprint, not leaving anything to chance. Appoaching Del Park road the marshalls told me to stop for a car, like hell I was stopping!!!I motioned to the car to keep going as I sprinted up the road and around the back of him. That cost me at least a few seconds and made me really angry. 'If that damn car cost me a sub 4hr finish I won't be happy.' Put the foot down for the last 100mts and crossed the line in 3:59.33 to run 7th, running the last Km in about 4:50. I was spent, and knelt down by a BBQ to catch my breathe and you guessed it my foot cramped up Big time, but that was ok now - had finished.

Hard to express the relief of finally going sub 4 at Six Inch. I ran 4:00.34 in 2008 and was on target last year before really struggling and this year I finally managed to hold on despite spending too much in the first 23k. Incidently Kev and Brett went on to run 3:51 and 3:52 respectively.

My race was not perfect and I know I can go faster. The key for me is working on my 5/10k speed so that I can match it with the sub 3hr marathon crew. The race was a huge success with 80+ finishers and course records falling all over the place. I'll definitely be back next year, hoping to lower my time and maybe even dip under 3:50. Until then it's recovery time!!!

A need for speed

Had a bit of a breakthrough last night. Spur of the moment decision to do a 6k tempo last night. 10min warm up then 6k on a squarish course with 2 U-Turns. It was very windy and I knew I had to go out hard as half of the run would be directly into the wind, 1st k in 3:48 and 2k 7:43, wanted to really push the 2nd lap and the 4th K is always the slowest on this course as It is directly into the wind for most of it. 2nd 2k in 7:53 with the 4th k in about 3:59. Happy with that lap and really tried to hammer it home over the last lap, which I managed in 7:48. Total time was 23:24 for 6k (29sec PB) and 19:27 for 5k (26sec PB).

This was the run I really needed as after about 6 weeks of speed training I wasn't seeing the results I had expected. Turns out all I needed was to test myself during a rest period. Very confident now that I can go sub 19 in a 5k race with good conditions and these times will just continue to go down as I get more speed work in.

Very Happy
Nate

It's been a while

Well after a few months absent, I decided it was time to update the blog. Training has been geared towards Six Inch for the last 5 months or so and I'm now in taper mode. I am feeling really good about how things have gone over the past few month training with some really solid sessions.

Speed work is becoming a big part of my training and after Rotto in October I decided I needed to work on my 5/10k speed. I am now doing 2 speed session per week, with 1 track session (400's) and also a tempo session (currently 6k @ 4min/k or less). I really notice the effects on the days after the speed work when I just don't have the zip that I usually do, but I know that come January, the effects will be seen.

Long runs have been consistent and generally much faster than previous years. Been hitting the trails hard for about 6 weeks with the highlight being a new PB for the Jarradale to North Dandalup run on the Munda Biddi. This is a very hilly 35k and I stopped the clock at 2:57 to knock 17 min off my previous PB. I am very nerrvous about Six Inch this year as I know I'm in sub 4hr form but very wary after last year. Six Inch is really all about the final 11k which will make or break your race. Last year I left the last aid station at 2:57, needing to run 1:03 for the last 11k to break 4hrs and I missed it by 11 minutes!! In the end I know my training has been good and I just need to pull it all together on the day.

2011 I'll be returning to the local races that really helped me develop as an Ultra runner. Speed will continue to be an important part of my training and I look forward to some good performances between 50-100k.

I'll post again after Six Inch, hopefully with good news

Nate

Another Good Week

Another good week this week, cracking 100k for the first time since February. 4 Solid 1hr runs and a 30min run during the week had me well poised for a good total. After 2 weeks of fast long runs, decided to head for the hills for some strength and endurance training. Ran the 40k from North Dandalup to Kingsbury Rd return 40k in 3:45. I have a feeling some re-routing has made this run more like 41k and it is probably the hilliest 40k on the Munda Biddi. Felt good throughout, struggled up some of the hills but still ran the entire way, pretty much and even split so didn't slow down at all. Was planning on a negative split but the knees started to get a little sore hammering the downhills so eased off for the last 12k or so.

With 360k done in the last 4 weeks (80, 90, 90, 100) it is time for a rest week. I pulled up pretty sore after the long run this week so a rest week should do me good. Will continue running through the week but probably no long run as I'm heading to Geraldton on Saturday for work. Will focus on getting some speed in the legs this week in preparation for the Perth Half in 2 weeks.

Great to be stringing some good weeks together.

Build-up Continues

After setting new goals for the year the training continues for the City to Surf Marathon. Another 90k week last and I am starting to see some real results. Decided to be conservative during the week as I pulled up a little sore from last weekends running, so only managed 43k. I've transitioned to morning running again as things too busy in the afternoon with feeding and bathing Noah. So my days now begin at 4am when I'm up and out the door in 15 minutes.

A sleep in on Saturday saw me up at 6am and off to attempt another solid 32k run in Kwinana. Wasn't really expecting to beat my 2:25 from last week but wanted to go close. From the outset I was trying to make up time wherever I could. 12k in 54:28, then my 8k loop in 35:40ish had me 2min up on last week. I had run 52:45 for the final 12k last week so I knew that it would be tough to beat that. Pulled out something special to go sub 50min for the final 12k to finish in 2:20.07 for a massive 5 minute PB. Absolutely stoked with the time as I was on track for a 3:02 marathon on a fairly hilly course. The 3k warm down was tough as I'd really pushed it towards the end.

Pulled up fairly sore on Sunday and just ran an hour recovery to finish the week with 90k. Looking to crack 100k this week with a longer run out in the hills to get some strength and endurance.

Nate

A Renewed Vision

After an injury hampered 3 months I am finally back running well. I have decided that I need to not run anything over 100k for the next 18 months and work predominantly on my speed over shorter races (marathon to 100k). I am really enjoying running quicker at the moment and focusing on the City to Surf Marathon at the end of August, hoping to go sub 3hrs. Things are progressing well and I am happy with my speed and endurance.

After the City to Surf marathon the rest of the year is pretty solid with the Dwelliingup 50 miler (80k) at the end of September, Fremantle Half Marathon and Rottnest Marathon in October, a few shorter races in November (5k, 10k) and then the 6inch Trail Ultra (46k) in December. Looking forward to posting a few PB's between now and the end of the year.

Training-wise I am almost up to 100k/week which is where I want to be for the next 5-6 weeks. Long runs are up over 30k again with last weeks 32k completed in 2:25.08 and then a 3k warm down (35k in 2:40). Excited about the rest of the year and will be posting updates regularly.

Nate

A Change of Plans

After a slow week last week with only 54k and still feeling sore on Sunday I have decided not to run the nationals in June. I simply won't be ready and the last thing I want is another disaster like last year. Caboolture 24hr is now my focus although at the moment I'm probably only about 70% chance of running it.

This quad soreness is taking some serious time to heal and I am taking a complete week off this week to try and speed things up. Bunbury 50k is also out of the question as I really just want to get back into some decent training and racing will just set me back even further. April will be a complete right off with only about 150k, but I'm hoping that by resting now I will be able to resume training in May - giving me almost 3 months to get ready for Caboolture.

On a separate note, Dave ran an unbelievable 223k at Coburg last weekend to book himself a spot on the Australian Team for 2011. There are now 5 runners with 220k+ distances in the last 12 months so the team is filling up fast and the standards are sky rocketing. I can't run 220k at the moment, I feel that 210k would be my limit if I had a good race so I'm certainly not expecting to make the team any time in the near future. 200k remains my goal for the year, I just hope I can get back into training soon. The up side is I get to focus some more time on completing the first unit of my Masters, which is certainly much more intense than a bachelor degree.

Nate

Slowly but Surely

Recovery is going well, although taking longer than expected. The problem turned out to be some deep tissue soreness in my quads and that means massage - painful massage. Dave tendorized me a few times last week and I have had a few goes on the massage roller. Seems to be helping as I managed 54k last week with 2 x 1hr runs on the weekend with minimal soreness. Will be doing 1hr every 2nd day this week with a 1/2 hour in between. Pulled up a little sore after yesterdays hour in my left quad sore punished it with a rolling pin for an hour or so. Seemed to work well so might keep doing that.

I am confident that I am slowly on the mend, but I will need to focus on working my quads for the next few weeks. So long as I keep massaging them, they should come good eventually and I can continue to build up slowly. Bunbury 50k is the next race however I need to get at least 2 x 50k training runs done before I'll race it. Not going to do anything that might jeopardize the 24hr race now. I made the decision last week that if I don't feel 100% ready for the Nationals in June then I have the option of skipping them and aiming for Caboolture instead, which is about 5 weeks later. This decision will probably need to be made by the end of May.

In the mean time I'll just continue to do what I can, run every day and massage, massage, massage.

Nate

Still recovering

80k last week and started to feel a bit better towards the end of the week. No long run, just ran every day and sometimes twice a day. I am really wishing I hadn't done any speed work the other week as I seemed to be recovering well until I did that session. 40 miler is now definitely out of the question.

Went for a 15k run today and quads were sore by 9k and slowly became worse even though I slowed to what felt like 6min/k. This is really getting beyond a joke now! with barely 300k in March and still not back to any decent training I have starting to think that my 24hr prep is going to be affected. I mean I haven't run over 3hrs in 5 weeks since the 12hr so strength and fitness will be suffering. I can't believe this might be happening 2 years in a row.
Not happy right now!

Long Road to Recovery

Haven't posted in a while, work has been pretty busy and I haven't really done much to be honest as I am still trying to get over the 12hr race. 15k the week after the race and then started to build again with 83k the following week including a 2hr run on the weekend, which I pulled up really sore from. Ankle seems so be recovering well but I just get so sore during my runs. Last week I thought I was getting back on track with a couple of great 15k runs, one of which was 1:07.40 (32:26 second half). I think this actually made things a lot worse as I was sore the following day and sore during my 3hr run on the weekend.

I will be unlikely to start in the 40 miler now as I know I won't be ready to race the distance and if I'm not racing, I don't see the point. It will probably just take another few weeks to recover and that will seriously affect my 24hr preparations. I have just done 2 x 10k runs this week and although I am pretty sore after them, I am confident of gradually getting over the soreness.

I suppose the up side of taking so long to recover is that I and really looking forward to getting back into some good training. The first 3 months of the year have been quite solid and I should end up with roughly 1300k at the end of the month. This gives me a solid base to work with and then really pick things up over the next 8-10 weeks.

Nate

12hr Race Report

What a day!!

Arrived at the track at 7am and began setting up PA system, clock, food, drinks, shelter - there certainly is a lot to set up for a track race. Thankfully with some great help that was pretty much all done by 8:30 and then I had a chance to focus on my race. The day hadn't started great with me forgetting the ipod (with the 14hr race playlist), my handheld bottle and making some questionable driving errors on the way to the track. I was grateful for the chance to sit down and get into race mode.

A quick bite to eat and we were off at 9am. I had chosen to wear my long sleeve cricket shirt for the race as the forecast was 36 and I didn't want to be putting sunscreen on every hour or so. Ultras always have a pretty low key start and although Susannah settled into her own pace, the rest of us just cruised around together. Not much happened in the first few hours, the temp was ok and the breeze really helped. I found the going was tough along the home straight but apart from that not too bad. 3hrs in and I was still feeling good. I was gulping the sustagen at a rate of about 800ml/hour and also having the odd cup of water so hydration was going well. At around 4hrs I noticed that I had a few laps on Dave and I went through 50k first in 4:51, Struggled a little after 5hrs and managed to get to 60k in 6:00.36 so pretty much right on target.

The next few hours felt tough and the lap sheet reflects that. I was just feeling exhausted, not sick, just really tired, so I had a few minutes sit down and occasionally walked a lap. 70k in around 7:30 and I knew 120k was gone now - no drama, my goal was always 110k and I had anticipated a slow down over the second half of the race. Battled on trying to focus on continuing to drink and eat. Didn't feel like much to each but the oranges seemed to go down nicely.

At 9hrs I had done 83k and Mick told me I needed 27k in the last 3hrs to make 110k. My heart sank as I knew I was gone, 9k/hour doesn't sound like much but I had been runing less than that for a few hours now. Between hours 6-9 I had covered only 23k. I set my sights on holding my form and getting 105k. Kate had a chat to me and tried to convince me I could do it but that didn't work. Then Mick had a brief word to me and I was still convinced that I couldn't do it but decided that I still had something left. I had always intended to smash myself at this race as it was a good test race for the nationals in June.

This is where I got angry - not at my crew or the other runners, but at myself. Ultra running is a very personal sport - the atmosphere is great and a real sense of community and of course you need a team of people supporting you. But you get to a point where you need to go inside yourself and find something. I felt like for the first time in about 18 months I was able to go inside and find something. All of a sudden I was pulling out 2:20 laps, then 2:15, then 2:10 and then 2:00 min laps started coming. I was tired and hurting but I had to go for it.

10hrs down and I now only needed 8.5k/hour to get 110 - down from 9k/hour @ 9hrs. This made me feel good and I started to think that I might be able to do it but I knew I couldn't relax yet. A lot can change very quickly so I continued to push hard. Although I did come to my senses and stop running 2min laps, I knew that if I kept a good, sustainable pace going I could get 110k. I wanted to leave myself as little to do in the last hour as possible to account for any mishaps. I went through 100k in 10:48.33 and had 71:27 to do the last 10k. It was great to have only 10k to go and I was confident in doing it.

11hrs done and only 8k to get in the last hour, so I eased off a little to try and ensure I lasted the hour, lap times were still between 2:20-2:30. I was starting to feel the effects of really pushing it for the past 2hrs and as I came around the bend into the home straight on lap 259 I sensed I was in trouble. I moved to the outer lanes so as not to impinge the other runners and the stopped. I felt a little dizzy so knelt down to steady myself and then just collapsed. The last 2hrs of pushing hard caught up to me and I found myself gasping for air. I was exhausted, fighting back tears and could barely breath. It wasn't long before my faithful crew and some runners were on the scene and after a few minutes I got up and they walked me to complete the lap. I was very aware that I didn't want them to carry me or physically support me in any way.

Walked over the line and all I could think about was how much time that little hissy fit had cost me and that made me angry. So I poured some cold water on my face and started to jog again ever so slowly. Bernadette accompanied me for a few laps and eventually I asked how many I needed for 110. Only 10 laps was the reply, 4k and I had 33 minutes to do it, this brought a smile to my face as I thought I had more than that and I knew at that moment that I would do it comfortably. I continued to just cruise around the track, not pushing, just cruising and eventually went through 110k with 3 minutes to spare. Later realised that a lap was missed so my final total was 110.848k. Stoked with that!

Pack up was painfull as all I wanted to do was lie down. Eventually headed off around 10:45 and once in the car I must admit I shed a tear or tear, mainly relief that everything was done. I pulled up pretty well after 7hrs sleep, my ankle was really sore but seems to be getting better. Played some basketball on Monday and might try a short run on tuesday. Thanks to everyone who helped me out on the day, especially Kate, Mum, Pete and all the race volunteers. I couldn't have raced/directed without your help

The Taper Begins

A solid week with 115k. Worked up the daily runs to 18k this week to give 72k during the week. Decided against a 50 long run and opted for just a 31k cruise on Saturday arvo which I did in 2:31, not fast but comfortable. Sunday was 7k in the morning and 5k in the evening all easy running, played cricket in the afternoon too.

I began the taper on Friday and It occured to me that the only way I can improve my performance on Sunday now is to rest up. Averaged 111.6k/week over the last 8 weeks, which includes a 69k week for the half, so I am confident in the training that I've done. I know I'm not in the best shape of my life but I'm happy with where I am at this stage of the year.

Looking at the forecast it's 41 for Sunday! I'm sure it will get cooler as the week progresses but regardless it WILL BE HOT so the race changes dramatically. The day is all about survival and hopefully pick it up when the breeze kicks in and the sun goes down. I think the IM Marathon last year will help me out as it was about 40 that day out on the course and I felt that I coped alright. The mantra for the day will be HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!!! Can't wait.

Nate

A good week

Not a bad week this week with 127k done after the HM last weekend. Had a few easy runs early in the week and my attempt at a speed session was fairly average mainly because I was still sore from the half. 8 x 400 w/ 200 float done in 20:05 (4.8k) so not quick but it was my first real speed session in about 7 months. Was lapping in about 90s.

Thursday's 17k was great, running to netball to watch Noah while Kate played. Got to the court (8.5k) in 37:05 which I was happy with and then just an easy run home in 41:xx. This will be a regular session I think so I look forward to reducing that time in what will be a true tempo session.

Sat long run was a shocker. Worked all day and was on my feet for most of it. Arrived home just after 6pm and left about 6:30. I hadn't had a lot to eat but was trying to drink plenty of sustagen during the early stages. Ran to the track and found it had to get going and my stomach wasn't feeling great. As the sun went down I decided that I didn't really feel safe running around a public oval in the dark in a dodgy area so put the foot down and focused on knocking out 20k on the track then head home and off on a trail run. I was so exhausted that by the time I got home (26k) I knew I had to eat something. Sat down for 25 min and wolfed down some food and then headed out for another couple of hours. The last 21k wasn't my best running but I survived to finish the 47k in 4:26 (not including the break). Backed up with 10k easy the following day.

I want another 130k+ week this week then a taper for the 12hr of 30min a day. Will look to do a lot of circle running this week to get some last minute prep for the 12hr. I want a minimum of 100k during the 12hr and really I'd like to post 110k+, but I'll just try and keep moving and see what happens. Details for the week are below

Rest week/Taper

I felt I needed a rest week after a pretty solid 3 weeks and that was good as it coincided with the Busselton 1/2 on Sat. A few shorter runs during the week and a good run in Kings Park on Wednesday morning. Had an average race on Saturday, started right on pace for the first 5k and held a good pace to half way. I just seemed to fade over the last 10k and couldn't really get going as the legs felt pretty heavy. Finished in 1:26.15 which is 2 min down on last year.

I decided to have another rest on Sunday as I had to work in the morning and I know the next 2 weeks will be pretty big leading up to the 12hr race on the 28th. It's getting darker in the mornings now so it's that much harder to get up at 4:30 now, just gotta push through. Weekly log is below:

Weekly/Monthly Summary

129k this week so my biggest of the year (by 2k) so far. Weekly runs were fairly non-eventful although I seem to be getting faster in the mornings which is good. 14k with Dave on Tuesday was tough but felt stronger for it. 60k long run at Perry Lakes was good. First 10k in 52:45, 2nd in 50:30, then eased off a bit to save the legs. Struggled at about the 40k mark and wanted to stop at 50k, Dave told me I had run the 10k between 30k and 40k in 50min, which may have contributed to me feeling bad. I slowed down and that seemed to help, finished in 5:59.30, would have been about 1 minute quicker but a blister burst with 3 laps to go which was pretty painful. Happy with the way I handled the track, although I need to remember to run slower.

535k for the month is a solid start to the year and a 5k and 10k race kept things interesting. I'm feeling stronger and seem to recover well from the long runs which is a good sign. Feb will be a big month with Busso Half marathon and 12hr race, can't wait. Detailed training week below

Weekly Summary

A solid week with 4 good 15k runs during the week with the last one done slightly quicker (1:07). Rest on Friday and then 56k long run on Sat. Ran to Perth and then along Stirling Hwy to Cottosloe Beach for a swim and breakfast at C-Blue. Felt good covering the first 11k in 1hr and then once I hit the Freeway I picked up the pace. Eventually reaching the Narrows Bridge (45k) in 4:04. Eased off a bit after that as I didn't know how far it would be to Cottosloe but ended up covering 56k in 5:10 - and the swim was awesome!

Sunday I drove up to the Matilda Bay 10k and was tossing up whether to do the 4k or the 10k. Kept chopping and changing my mind and then I found myself running straight past the 4k turnoff so my decision was made. 4k in 16:36 then struggled for the next 3k before putting in a finishing kick with 2k to go. Ran 4:15 and 4:00 for the last 2k so happy to finish in 42:45 given the run the day before. I'll have to rock up fresh to one of these 10k runs one day!

Aim is for about 50k on the track this weekend with Dave before heading to the Ultra Seminar. Feeling really tired although getting 7hrs sleep a night (Friday was only about 5hrs), just all the early mornings are killing me so might have to schedule a PM run this week and sleep in till 6am one morning (as opposed to 4:30). Weekly Training log is below

11th-17th Jan

New Ultra in WA

I can finally confirm that I am holding a 3/6/12hr track race on Sunday 28th Feb this year at the Ern Clark Athletic Track in Cannington. This is basically to replaced the 6/12hr race that the Bunbury Runners Club held until a few years ago.

Details can be found on the WAMC Message Board and Coolrunning or just PM me. The 12hr will start at 9am, the 6hr at 3pm and the 3hr at 6pm.

A New Year!

Well another year is here and with it comes a new set of challenges and goals. My main focus for the first 6 months of the year is to get some consistent training done in preparation for the National 24hr track championships in Brisbane on the 20th June.

This year I will do lots of racing with the WAMC (mainly shorter events) to give me some speed and racing practice. I think this will help strength and condition my body for the major goals I have for 2010. So what are those goals? Well they cover a broad range of distances
5k - Sub 19:00
10k - Sub 40:00
21.1k - Sub 84:00
42.2k - Sub 3hrs
100 mile trail - Sub 24hr
24hr track - 200k+

Major races on my calendar are as follows
Busselton half - Feb 7
40 Miler
Bunbury 50k
National 24hr (Brisbane)
Dwellingup 100 mile
Six Inch
This is just the major races, will be racing every second week or so with the WAMC for shorter races and may do some half's and marathons in their as well. Sub 3hr goal I hope to achieve at Bunbury 50k. Also trying to get a 3/6/12hr race started up late Feb at Coker Park. Was originally going to Coburg 6hr but decided that I really wanted something over 100k so the 12hr is the way to go.

Training wise I want to be more consistent this year and not look to push things to fast. Last year I ran over 2000k in the first 4 months of the year and only 2000k in the next 8 months, so injury took its toll. I just completed a 110k week with some quality sessions and will be looking to post 120k this week and probably hold that for the rest of January. I don't really want to go much past 150k/week before the 24hr. So long as I am getting some good long runs in (50k+) I should be fine. Much more training will be done on the track this year.

All in all very excited about this year. After a shocker in 2009 I have learnt a lot about myself and training. I feel better prepared to tackle the 24hr distance now (although I need some training) than last and I'm still convinced I have my best running ahead of me. Bring it on!

Nate