Two nice runs this week ...

Sunday was the Brisbane Roadrunners 15k relay - three runners per team, each of whom runs 5k.

The idea was that teams would be handicapped - but in our case, we were handicapped by the fact that we had two slow runners and one moderately quick one, rather than a quick, a middle and a slow.

I set off first for our team, setting a pretty creditable (for me) 29: 30(ish)

By now, it was 6:40 or so - and the second runner in my team (the guy I ran against at the Jacaranda 10k the previous week) was facing a bit more heat. He did it in about 32:30 or so.

Which left the final runner ... who did us proud, at 23-odd minutes. He managed to pass the second-last runner, and was closing on the third last when the finish line beat him.

So - a bit of fun (for me, any way) ... and a lovely way to spend a sunday morning.

I hate it when life gets in the way....

My plan to do the Central Coast half-marathon is toast. Ain't gonna happen. Grrr!

I had, as I've posted here before, intended to do the half on December 2 - about the only available half-marathon before my birthday in February next year.

The idea was that we (my wife, son & I) would extend our driving holiday to Sydney and the Hunter Valley by an extra day ... so instead of heading home from Pokolbin on Saturday we would swing over to The Entrance, stay there on the Saturday night, and I'd do the half-marathon on the Sunday, driving home that afternoon and evening.

Then I'd have a few days to recover, before returning to work.

Instead, I now find I am due at the office early the following morning, bright and early .. and we almost certainly wouldn't get home before around 10pm on the previous night.

Which just ain't gonna work.

So now I have to reschedule the half ... meaning that I'll not achieve that goal before my 50th birthday.

Sigh.

Instead, I'll aim to do the half probably mid-year (Brisbane? Gold Coast?) and the full in Hawaii in December.

I guess that gives me the aim of completing a Half-marathon and a full Marathon in my 50th year ...

So who's idea was this, anyway?

This stupid decision to train for a half marathon?

Oh. That's right. Oh well :)

I stepped up to another 13k run today - this time along the river from Toowong to the Story Bridge.

I was gonna do the run to New Farm (10k) and then run back 3k before catching the CityCat ferry - but decided if I did that, I'd almost certainly squib out, and catch the ferry from the turnaround point.

So instead, I ran 6.5k and then returned.

It was a slow run (at 1:40 mins almost) - but at least I did it, despite wanting to quit a number of times.

And although my legs are now sore, I know my stamina is building - and 21k will be possible by early December.