We came, we sore, we conquered.

Gnome has instructed me to do the blog tonight as he's tired and sore and is off to bed.

As Gnome said it was 3kTT at runclub on Thursday. I hoped to take off 10-15 secs by slightly increasing my pace but even though I tried to pull back in the first k I still went thru in 4.26. As I went past Tim, he muttered 'Awesome Sue' but I knew it was dumb. Next k was 4.45 so was lucky to reel in the last and PB by 5 secs for 13.55. I need to work on pacing.

After a rest day Friday, today was Striders 10k. I guess I was a bit scared of this course because everyone said it was hilly. Tim talked me thru the course and suggested I really try to work the downhills. We had done a session a few weeks earlier on down hill running and I'd found it good at the Half. He also said Lane Cove's not usually a PB course but he thought I might do one. Argh the pressure!!

This morning was not as cool as expected and we did a k warmup and some stretches. I was not feeling great and found most of the first half hard. Despite this we averaged 5.10/k for the first 4k but I was slower on the long uphill. A quick drink at the top and I told myself I had to stretch out and pick up the cadence for the downhill. Usually I mentally drop off somewhere round the 6-8k but today I just got stronger. My run over the last 4k's was great. Gnome commented to me later that in the first half I was always behind him but after the turnaround I often pulled away from him.

He also said that at the 6k point he thought to himself that he didn't think we could break 53min. By the 8k he thought 52 something was possible and at the 9k he remarked to me I was looking good for 52.10. He said he was wondering when to suggest the pickup in the last k when I started to pickup then and there. He was scared I'd blow out but I kept going and all of a sudden we were looking at sub 52. So with a 4.42min last k we came home in 51.48, a new 27sec PB!!!!!!!!! Felt awesome and jelly legged all at once.

We then completed our day doing shared boundary umpiring at MicroTA's very close but won game and tonight the 3 of us went out for tea and saw "Hell on Wheels". It's a fascinating doco on a team in the "Tour de France" and although it goes for over 2 hours it went as quickly as the riders in it. Go and check it out.

I've got a very easy week coming up. My shoulder is ok but the physio has limited weights for a week so Tim suggested I take the whole week lightly and even cancelled today's PT. At this stage I'm not racing again till late July as we will be in Tas. when the next Striders is on. TA