Big Catch Up - Big Changes

I've been a bit pressed for time. Warning: this is an enormous post. Let's start with the training:

Sat AM: Ride, 26K in 1:10
Sat PM: Ride, 28K in 1:04

The tri club morning ride was a bit of a farce, and in the end we completed a measly 26K in a slow ride. I rode on Craig's bike.

After the ride I took my bike over to Craig's, and we had a go at setting it up so that I could ride it properly without buying a new seat post. I took it out for a spin in the afternoon, basically following the same route as the morning ride, and while I still felt a little cramped, and like I would like about one extra centimetre of post length, it seemed to be OK.

I also discovered that there is a magpie on this route that doesn't attack riders in group, but thinks that solo riders are fair game. She didn't hit me, but he gave it a good shot for about 500m.

Sun AM: Long Run, 19K in 1:50

Went for the same run as last Sunday with a little extra added on. Another glorious Sunday long run, but I did struggle a bit at the end.

Mon AM: Recovery Run, 3.4K

Having spent the previous night at a mates place watching the NRL Grand Final, I had the joy of a run in unfamiliar territory in Spring. About 1.7K in the thing I wasd fearing occurred and I was swooped by a magpie. Luckily she didn't hit me.

I fixed eyes upon her, knowing that they don't swoop when you are looking at them, and run straight back in the direction I came. This meant that I was running backwards for a couple of hundred metres until I felt safe and I ran back to my mates place.

I pulled up sore in the top of the left calf. This feels much like an injury that annoyed me so much a couple of years ago that I gave up running for a year. Needless to say, this will not happen again. It's not bad at the moment, so I'll keep an eye on it, and I booked a massage for Thursday.

Tue AM: Swim, 2K Time Trial, 51:20 (approx)

I decided to do a 2K time trial on Tuesday morning in the pool. I went to the Olympic Pool at Homebush and pushed myself for 2K. I felt good, but not great. The last time I did this was about a year ago so I was hoping for big improvement.

Unfortunately when I looked a the watch at the end of the swim a couple of the LCD bars had gone wonky - I guess the seal that has been fixed a couple of times is stuffed again. Soon after I touched, the "ten minute" number changed. I think this means that I did the swim in about 51:20. It was 58:00 last time. That's OK, but I know I've got a lot of improvement left.

Wed AM: Run, 8K in 40:39

I've decided to go faster on Wednesday's run. To start this I intended to go out for an 8K run at target half marathon pace (5:12). I went out too quick, doing the first four in 4:58, 4:57, 5:18 & 4:58. It was only after I turned around that I started to settle into a groove and did the next 3 in 5:13, 5:10 and 5:08. There is an ugly little uphill at the end, and I overcompensated for it and did the last K in 4:58. I was pretty stuffed afterwards, but I pulled up OK.

Thursday I had my legs utterly pummelled. I'll be taking it easy tomorrow, with an easy run in the afternoon.

Now for the personal stuff, and it's big.

I have split up with my wife.

This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't blog it for fear that people that should be told personally would find out by other means.

Initially I was going to continue to live at Windsor while we got the house ready for sale, but it became a bit too heated, so I have moved into a place my parents have at Homebush Bay. They are there about 25% of the time, so it will ease me into living on my own, and after the house gets sold I'll move into my own place.

How am I feeling? Strangely positive. Things have been tense for a while, so in a sense this comes as a relief. I'm certainly not going to miss 75 minute drives to work.