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Ran through Elizabeth Quay which is relatively new to Perth, less than a year old. Nice bridge to run over and great views of the city. Will see if I can manage another run after work.
I run a lot and have for many years. This has resulted in improvement in all distances but a lot has to do with just improvement over time, over distance. i.e. keep running and building on your foundation fitness and you’ll keep improving…. until…you reach a tipping point where either age beats you or your training stagnates and your times stop improving. This happened to me in 2014 after a stella 2013 where everything went right.
I decided in 2015 to talk to Raf Baugh, the owner of The Running Centre (TRC) in Perth and he gave me a program, my first training program and coach, at 48 ! It was a shock to the system but I feel his work laid the foundation for the great year I’m having in 2016. Raf is infectious and in his eyes age really is just a number. He opened my eyes to all sorts of different terms and running pace, tempo, threshold, VO2max, recovery; etc. Before I was just running, no real goal, just running. This new approach has set me up for another tilt at the sub 2:40 dream. Thanks Raf, you really are a legend.
So the reason behind the post, if you feel you have plateaued go jog down to your local running shop and ask about a coach or group runs. It’ll be the best thing you ever did, period.
Even had had a bit of rain to keep me cool. Jon took a short cut to get this photo. 
Big effort to get out of bed but went with the theory I’ve never regretted going for a run. Rewarded with a wonderful sunrise over Star Swamp. Outstanding run and feel ready for a 16k tempo pace double bridges at noon. Bring it…
I understand the professional athletes run twice a day but in-between they would do very little. The Kenyans would just sleep in-between runs or eat. Unfortunately not sure the boss would take too kindly to me having a power nap after my lunch time exploits. The curse of the part time runner. When you have Kings Park and Star Swamp to play in though it ain’t really that bad and Perth’s temperature is purpose built for running.
The odd power nap wouldn’t go a miss though, someone pass me a pillow.
Recognize the signs and take action otherwise golden rule number 3 will be broken, don’t get injured. Signs may include restlessness, sleepless nights or interrupted sleep and generally not feeling that great. Your runs will feel laboured and you’ll certainly notice a drop in performance and a rise in your average heart rate.
As for distance being the key to performance I am very much in the Matt Fitzgerald camp of 80% easy pace and 20% speed work; but with a good dose of distance. Compare this to the experts at FIRST who are very much “less is more” advocating three pace sessions and two cardio a week. In the end it’s what works for you. If you are susceptible to injury with high distance go for quality over quantity.
This recipe was from Runners World so it must be good…Pancakes the perfect fuel. Thank you Pam Anderson.
MAKES: 16 pancakes
SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup each: cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, and old-fashioned rolled oats
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk
½ cup low-fat milk (or water)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing the griddle
1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS: Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over low heat. Mix flour, whole grains, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Note: white flour is included to provide fluffiness. If you don’t have all three whole grains, pick one and use the following ratios: 1:2 whole wheat to white; 1:1 oats/cornmeal to white. Microwave buttermilk and milk for 30 seconds in a 2-cup measuring cup. Whisk in eggs, oil and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry; whisk until just mixed. Return batter to measuring cup. Increase heat to medium and brush skillet with oil. When oil starts to spider, pour batter 1/4 cup at a time. When pancake bottoms are golden brown and tops start to bubble, after about 2 to 3 minutes, flip pancakes; cook until golden brown on other side. Repeat, brushing skillet or griddle with oil. Serve hot.
KILOJOULES PER SERVING (two pancakes): 1240
CARBS: 26g
FIBRE: 2g
PROTEIN: 8g
FAT: 6g
10 Super Spins On Pam’s Recipe
1 MUSCLE MOTIVATOR
Bake in dates, raisins and cinnamon. The potassium in dates and raisins gives you protection against muscle cramps. Anti-inflammatory cinnamon reduces soreness.
2 STOMACH SOOTHER
Mix fresh apricot and fresh ginger into batter; top pancakes with honey. Fibre from apricots, slow-digesting honey, and ginger can help calm an upset stomach.
3 CRANBERRY OAT
Mix ground oats with white flour (1:1 ratio); add oatmeal, dried cranberries and orange zest to batter; top pancakes with cooked cranberries and cinnamon. Oats provide good-for-you fibre, while vitamin C in cranberries can help convert fatty acids into energy.
4 ESPRESSO DELIVERY
Sub espresso for half the milk; mix cocoa powder and hazelnuts into batter; top with raspberries. Caffeine reduces the brain’s perception of exertion, improving performance. The B vitamins in hazelnuts help your body process energy more efficiently.
5 PB BOOSTER
Use only whole-wheat and white flour (1:2 ratio), mix bananas into batter; top pancakes with peanut butter and apple slices. Whole wheat and peanut butter combine to make a complete protein with all the essential amino acids needed for muscle repair.
6 QUIRKY QUINOA
Mix quinoa and white flour (1:1 ratio); add lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and blueberries to batter; dust with powdered sugar. Quinoa is a quality protein because it contains all essential amino acids, ideal for vegetarians.
7 GREEN MONSTER
Mix chopped baby spinach leaves into batter; top with strawberry puree and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, and spinach provides a heavy dose of vitamin K for bone health.
8 GUAC IT OUT
Mix corn kernels into batter; top pancakes with homemade guacamole. Avocados contain good fats to lower bad cholesterol. Corn’s high fibre and B-complex vitamins have been shown to help regulate blood sugar.
9 AZTEC WARRIOR
Mix chilli pepper, unsweetened cocoa powder and chopped dark chocolate (70 per cent cacao) into batter. Chilli peppers contain capsaicin, which can relieve a stuffy nose. The flavonoids in dark chocolate can help lower high blood pressure.
10 FIG & PEAR FIBRECAKE
Mix figs, pears and walnuts into batter; top with vanilla Greek yoghurt. Figs, pears and walnuts pack in the fibre, while protein-rich Greek yoghurt satisfies your appetite.