Chris Truscott – On Track for GC Half

These last two weeks training have been quite solid even with a couple of races and a short-lived head cold thrown into the mix. The first of the two races over one weekend was the State 4x4km cross country relays. Set on the same tough (but dry for once) 2km loop around Miranda park, it is always a great spectator event. I raced the first leg battling it out with old rival Robin Whitely most of the way, even pulling ahead on a short uphill before he crawled his way back and got the better of me over the last 400m. I ended up with 12:48 for the 4km and our over 35’s Sydney Striders team (Tom Highnam, Tony Fattorini, Keith Bateman) won quite easily. We even came close to 3rd outright.

My 2nd race the very next morning was more a long run and one I’ve done many times. Called the Great Nosh Footrace, it’s a tough 16km trail race from Lindfield to Seaforth via the bush with many short sharp and twisting climbs and scrambles over rough rocky terrain. Great training ground for those that can’t get up to the mountains for North Face training. I needed to do a long run so I parked at the finish, ran 12km to the start (cut a few corners) then raced it. The first 5km went well as I battled it out for the leading position but I soon drifted slightly as the sharp inclines came along. The toes over the rough stuff weren’t as nimble as years gone by either. And by 12km I was cooked. The weekend had caught up with me. With that, fellow strider (and also a Miranda relay competitor) David Tonge cruised past to claim 2nd spot with me soon after in 3rd. Congrats to my wife Greta who took out the female gold with fellow Rejoov runners Beck Munro in 3rd overall and Kerrie Otto DeGrancy soon after.

All in all a tough but strengthening workout and a solid weekend’s running. I am feeling stronger and a little quicker with each week and my target of low to mid 71’s for the Gold Coast Half is on track at this stage.

Mon 26/5: AM 8km. PM 11km
Tue 27/5: 10 x 3min efforts (approx 950m) total 16km
Wed 28/5: 19km easy
Thur 29/5: AM 9.5km. PM 12.5km steady pace
Fri 30/5: 7km easy
Sat 31/5: Miranda 4km relay race – total 10km
Sun 1/6: Great Nosh Footrace 16km trail race + 12km warmup. – 28km
Total: 123km

Mon 2/6: 7km – no time
Tue 3/6: 45min tempo 12.5km – total 17km
Wed 4/6: AM 8km (client coaching session)  PM 17km Wagga
Thur 5/6: 7km easy – head cold
Fri 6/6: 8km easy
Sat 7/6: RejoovFitness Monna Fartlek session: Centennial Park 6.1km (20min). Total 16km
Sun 8/6: 25km @ 4:15’s around Woy Woy / Pearl Beach.
Total: 105km (a little down on what I wanted but the quality was there still despite a cold).