Looking to '06

Well, if I was to summarise 2005 in a phrase, it would be ‘unfulfilled potential’. After burning myself out with dietary issues which undermined my training for Six Foot Track, I pretty well spent March and April marking time until after the Canberra Marathon. Good results came from my work with Sean Williams’ squad, and after lowering my 10k time to 36:28 and a brilliant Sutherland to Surf, I was hit by a savage dose of the flu in the first week of August that continues to affect my training and race performances in December. I’m sitting here now awaiting a chat with my GP about the results of medical tests I had last week that will hopefully provide a light at the end of the tunnel.

Rather than review the year at a time when I’m a bit down on things, I’ll rather highlight the areas I need to think about and focus on for 2006:
- Get my health sorted out
Pretty obvious when you think about it, but so important. I really haven’t been able to string together more than about 5-6 weeks in a row, which is obviously of no help when you’re trying to make big improvements
- Be better on the diet front
I must confess I haven’t been fantastic on the food front since August, probably as much down to the breaks in training and general mental malaise. I need to focus on sticking to my dietician’s advice as closely as possible
- Consistency
Everything should flow once I get my health sorted, and I can string together a solid 12 to 14 weeks of good, intense training. I need only look back to the Striders 10k events in May (38:40 at North Head) and July (36:28 at Homebush) to see what happens when I get a good unbroken run going.

In the short term, I have the squad camp on the weekend of December 17-18. With a bit of luck I’ll be on the road to recovery health-wise, and can use this as a springboard into the new year. I also need to get back into the swing of long runs again, as they seem to have fallen out of the program over the last month or so.

Key events for next year:
- February Striders 10k at Lane Cove
I was hoping to run a 35:XX 10k here in February, but think I might be struggling to regain form quickly enough to do that. Something in the 36s would be good, and encouraging.
- SMH Half Marathon
A crucial litmus test for how things are tracking into the lead-up to the Gold Coast Marathon. I would dearly love to run a sub 80 minute time here, for two reasons. Firstly, it would mean my pace is close to where I need it, and secondly, it would give a preferred start for 2007.
- Gold Coast Marathon
The key event for 2006, sub 2:48 (4 min per km pace) is the target
- City 2 Surf
Redemption for the 2005 flu ridden debacle. I should have a sub 36 minute 10k by then, so should qualify for a preferred start. It’d be nice to take advantage of it.

No real plans after that, but I imagine it would be an easy couple of months before marshalling forces for Six Foot Track in ’07.