Dee Why STAR

I must say it is a luxury having a Striders STAR near home. Usually it is a 30-40 min drive to get there (which makes for an early start) and likewise on the way home.

The STAR goes past my place at the 23k mark. I thought I would take full advantage and run to the start which would allow me to run home and straight into the shower. I left home at 5:30am (still can't believe I did it) and after running for apx 30 mins, met the 6am group coming up Dee Why Pde - perfect.

I often feel a little guilty running in the 6am group (especially when people ask what time I am targetting in my next race), however from time to time it just works for me. I try and do some long runs VERY comfortably with no breakfast and no carbs during the run and this is what I was doing today.

Just on the Striders STAR groups - there really needs to be some slower groups than 6:00 min/ks. Some people who were running with us today were going way too fast for there level of fitness. No criticism of them - they can run 30k, it is just that there are no slower groups for them to run in (when there is no MTG). I do a 90 min half and there are alot of people in Striders who are much slower than that and it must keep then away from STAR's- anyway just my 2c worth for today.

Anyway,I really enjoyed the run today. We went through some streets behind Oxford Falls/Belrose that I had never been on. Walked some of the steeper hills. I had a good chat to Amjan amongst others. Before I knew it, I was back home. I did a quick 3k loop to make up the 30k. Heart rate was always under control throughout the run. I do't think I have ever done 30k with an avg HR so low.

30k in 2:51 @ 5:39 (144)

Really happy to do my 5th, 30k run in 6 weeks. One more next weekend and I am done for Cities!

Amazingly I was home at 8:30am. Had a shower, breakfast and then hit the hay until 11:00. A perfect morning.

86km for the week including 2 races and "pain in the domain" - no wonder I am tired!