Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Another wet track, still getting wetter by the hour. Two sets: Set 1: 4 x 100m, 3 x 800m (2:26, 2:26, 2:29), 400m (71), 400m (70). 60 seconds between efforts. Set 2: 4 x 100m, 5 x 200m (34, 33, 34, 33, 33). 60 seconds between efforts, pacing Heidze....also Mia and Kathy same set, efforts in 40 seconds or better. On Thursday final race in the Pennington series. Best I can do is 2nd in the series and I have to catch both Kathy's...not an easy task. I will be timing my own race. It will have to be quick to win a crystal goblet...that's if the event goes ahead. 100mm predicted for Canberra with local flooding.

Curtin is both the easiest and shortest course ACTVAC has. Most of us quite tired from racing and training the last few days. Frylink 3km: Pete GOLD , missy 70.2%, kt 80.3%, sb 85.2%, george clooney 56.2%, heidze 76.1%, sk 70.3%, gt 73.4% Thomas 6.2km: Minnie 68%, michelle 74.8%, roget 69.4%, Janene 66.6% Today's brunch on top of Stromlo at Scope again. Quite misty up there. Of me: Splits: 331, 323, 321. Never looked like a top 10 despite running quite fast. Hope that means I move forward a group.

Pulled up OK after last night's race...both of us. Only pacing for me (that was hard enough) and slower long intervals for kt. Off the track: kt, sk, Janene, Tori, Kirsten, Minnie 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute on, 1 minute off. Roget 20 minute intervals. Mick the warm up. Pete just the brunch. On the track: Heidze 3000m of efforts at 1500m pace. All efforts at 20s per 100m except last two 300m at 18s per 100m. Paced by me. 60 second recovery between efforts. Kathy: 3000m of efforts at 3000m/5000m pace 800m, 600m, 800m, 600m, 400m (all at 24s per 100m). 60 second recovery between efforts. After brunch at Seasalt Dining. Tmoz: ACTVAC Handicap at Curtin. On Friday at Stromlo: Helen 3 x 1000m, 1 minute recovery. (3:53, 4:10, 4:08) On Thursday in the mile. Emma injured in the Pentathlon long jump (get better soon) Age Gp ID First Name Last Name Performance Age % W55  3657  Maria O'Reilly 6:10.33  88.6 W60  ...

Once again huge field of 35 toed the line, perfect weather and a top notch field. Cut to the chase: KT 19:45.04 ; SB 15:55.04...both elated Of kt: Stuck to the plan and had a great run. Aided by Mel driving in front, setting a strong pace, kt only dropped off in the last kilometre and only by 10 or so seconds. Well deserved after the Tuesday session on her own. That was a tough session which paid off. Of me: Got on the rails early, 72 second first lap which slowed to a 9:29 3km split. Had a nice bunch to follow until 3.4km. When they slowed by a couple of seconds on successive laps I attacked them and did the last 4 laps on my own. Fastest 5000m since my comeback in 2007. Nothing quicker since 1992...20 years!!! Results from Thursday to come.

After such a big few days for all of us not expecting too much today, but we all managed to achieve. During the day, kt 5 x 800min 2:56 or thereabouts with 66 seconds recovery. Before the track session, me 4 x 800 2:26-2:28, 60 seconds recovery. Heidze 1500m in 3 efforts, paced by me at 20s/100m. 1000m, 300m, 200m. 40 seconds recovery between efforts. Last 200 in 36. Mia and Kathy 4-5 x 200m in 40 seconds, 60 seconds recovery. Helen paced by me 4 x 200m in 40 seconds, 60 seconds recovery. Emma a cold, something light and speedy. Minnie 4 x 6 minute intervals, 1 minute recovery with the dirty dog. Just jogging and a few strides until 9pm on Friday ACT 5000m.

Yesterday an 11km warm down with friends, watching the Lightning Strike 10km and 30km races conclude. The atmosphere much more relaxed than the day before. A chance to chat, watch, check results and so on. 10km results: (three good friends) 1st Robyn ; 2nd Michelle ; 3rd Heidze Concluded the morning with lunch on top of Mt Stromlo in the old observatory cafe Scope with some of the day's winners and groupies.. Lovely views, nice and relaxed, spent some of my winnings on a petite cheesecake:-) This week the last of my taper. Only one session on Tuesday to prepare for the ACT 5000m championships on Friday. Otherwise it is only jogging and keeping the load at around 80km for the week.

Never before have we had the chance to compete on equal terms with the best in Australia...today was that day. Keith Bateman, Lara Tamsett, Moneghetti, Marty Dent...the list goes on. Deek doing the MC work. As a team we were out of the prizemoney. We had fun, all did well, shared a nice lunch at Rocksalt straight after the race. What a great day. Roll call Maria, Pete, Kelley, Kirsten, KT, SK, Minnie, Helen, Heidze, Roget, Janene, Emma the coach and cinematographer, our social friends Kathy, Geoff and Michelle. Maria was first off, Kathy Southgate not long after that. Then more of the cast of hundreds of stars past, present and future. Of me: Woke again unable to walk. Almost in panic mode with only an hour before the start of the race, had to get Minnie to do deep tissue massage, rolling pin, anti-inflams just to free the shin and foot up. Somehow got it all working again...sigh The race a panic as well. A constant stream of passing people on that tough purpose built XC cir...

What a funny day. Woke this morning and couldn't walk a step, sore ankle. Had to work out what was going on there, muscles in the shin pulling on the top of the ankle. A lot of self massage of the muscles and ankle, ibuprofen, ice...voila I can run again. Just fixed that up, walked barefoot into the laundry, glass in the other foot, couldn't walk on that one. Tried to dig it out, nup, it's still in there...not even Minnie could get it out. Then a line of thunderstorms came past just an hour before start of track, the dog going crazy, looks maybe like a washout...then clears just before 6. Sigh. 800m: I've never been more sure Heidze would do a PB tonight...she rocks!! 67 first lap, felt the pain in the 2nd, 2:28. PB by 4 seconds, much more to come. Mia has just been ticking away at the 800m. None of us have started those very hard sessions yet. 2:50 a great result, season best, much more to come. Kathy S (the one I don't help) had a great 2:41. Someone for Mia to c...

A light session today, only for the 800m runners on Thursday. Mia and GT 4 x 200m, Mia 0n 39-40 with 60 second jog recovery...GT 35 seconds with 70 seconds recovery. Both well within their limits. Emma, Heidze and the rabbit 3-4 x 300m on 52 seconds with 52 seconds recovery. Emma an extra 300m (her 4th), but on her 2nd session for the day a little slower as you would expect. About 2:21 pace for Heidze over 900m.

The final two videos from the championships. Women 55+ 5000m You can see how windy the day from Kathy's hair. Men 35+ 5000m

Good conditions on the track for some tempo intervals, last hard session before the ACT 10000m championships on Thursday. The set: 3 x 2000m with 5 minutes recovery between efforts. All roughly at race pace. Everybody working hard and looking great. kt 8:10 ; 7:57 ; 7:58 helen 8:40 ; 8:20 ; 8:20 janene 9:00 ; 9:00 ; 9:00 sb 6:39 ; 6:38 ; 6:26 Minnie on the bush tracks 4 x 6 minute intervals. Roget also on the bush. Heidze: 600m (1:45), 500m (1:32), 400m (73), 300m (53), 200m (33), 100m (15) all with 1 minute recovery between efforts. Very impressive solo session. Looking great for a significant set of new PBs After brunch in a new cafe, sk joined us after a sleep in. Of me: Found that session tough going. Not recovered properly from last week yet. Only easy running and strides this week. Stop press: Kathy 1st in 1500m in Oceania W60 5:42.22 ACT Record. 1st in Medley relay, her 800m split 2:50

Not sure if the weather will close in before track this evening so took to the bush for a tempo run, 5km in just under 20 mins. If track is on I will do the 3km in 10 minutes exactly. The focus next Thursday the ACT 10km Championships and following Friday ACT 5km Championships. Will keep the mileage low interspersed with a few key sessions and some easy running in between races. Did the 3000m around 9:54 or just over 33min 10km pace. kt 11:35 ; roget 12:04 ; missy 12:52

Male 8km some thoughts: hmmm on the warm up lap tested the left ankle over the steeples...I won't be bothering Tevor Jacob's 3000m M50 steeple record as the ankle popped twice...thus the hands over the barriers in the real race...on the last hurdle I did a 360 to check where bw was...I kicked hard from that point on Female 8km W60 800m W60 1 6021 Kathy Sims Australia 2:53.96 ACT Record 2 6027 Barbara Patrick New Zealand 3:11.42 3 6017 Irene Davey Australia 3:29.13 W65 1 6511 Lavinia Petrie Australia 3:01.14 R 2 6519 Jean Hampson Australia 3:35.26 3 6514 Margaret Fraser New Zealand 4:04.28 4 6503 Fay Riley New Zealand 4:37.51 some thoughts: hmmm Lavinia I always thought you were magnificent...awesome in both the 800m and the 5000m M60 800m 1 6312 Ian Carter New Zealand 2:18.41 2 6306 Neil Fowler Australia 2:21.59 3 6315 Geoff Sims Australia 2:23.45 4 6320 Mike Weddell New Zealand 2:24.36 5 6307 Allan Mayfield Australia 2:25.01 M50 800m 1 ...

Start for the women just after dawn on a challenging, technical course. One major hill and two steeples to negotiate each 2km lap. A race of attrition and lactate management.
 Sally Gibbs again outright and W45 winner in 31:48. Of us: Minnie 1st W50, Anne Young 1st W75 
Men same course. 5000m winner Brendan Whelan led lap 1. I let him run away twice before catching him on the first climb. Let him run away again, reeled him in 800m before the end of lap 2, gained my breath and attacked him. From that point on I ran at my tempo and slowly built my lead up to 25 seconds, held the same margin all the way home. Sb 28:25 bw 28:50 
Back to Canberra this evening.

800m: 
Kathy all the way win 2:53.98 ACT record
. Geoff well fought race between three. 67 second first lap, faded to 3rd. Probable season best 2:22ish.
SB caught leader after 300m, pace slowed to 65 second first lap, both relaxed cruising, kicked with 90m to go, lead change, lead change again at 40m. 2:13.4 Andrew Stark SB 2:13.8 2nd, 6th fastest time of day...Suzy Coles W40 would have finished between us based on times
 Crossy tmoz, only Minnie and SB running, then home.

5000m Sally Gibbs 16:53 W45 1st after an incredible 68 second first lap. Kathy Sims 20:55 W60 1st New ACT and Oceania record. Great race with Anne Ryan W55 and Laviia Petrie W65 Minnie 22:45 W50 4th Men Brendan Whelan 1st M35 15:57 ; sb 1st M50 16:20 (Consolation: New ACT record by 29 seconds from Trevor Jacobs) The race: Erratic splits in the first km killed me (33,39,37,35,34). I really struggled in the wind and sun solo in the last 4km. Brendan held 3min kms for 1500m? before struggling just as much. Competitors not helped by being held captive in a hot tent with 20-30 male competitors and no water for 20-25 mins. Saw 3 competitors pass out in 3 separate 5km races (including my own race). Next day's tent experience for the 800m was much kinder with a smaller wait in the tent and longer outside time.

I left early last night before seeing the 1500m and 3000m/5000m. Results haven't been posted yet so can't say a great deal about the races except Maria ran 5:45, Janene just over 6 for the 1500m and kt in the 11:30s for 3000m...all great runs in the conditions. In the early race is was bleak. An umberella blew onto lane 1 just before the start with a big gust of wind. It was gone by lap 3. Drizzle, wind and a wet track made things slow going. The bottom of the track had puddles as usual. Didn't affect me much as I was in lane 2 for much of the last 4 laps. Of us: Missy (12:48?), Kelley 13?, Janene (training) and Roget (arrived late) ran. Unlike M45 all the M50 ACT records are within my reach from 800m up. A tempo 9:30.3 took 17 seconds off the old mark set by Bernie Millet 21 years ago. Ran even 3:10s all the way although the last 2 laps was a real struggle with the wet shoes, so much so I went lactic at the top of the home straight when I hit the wind for the last tim...

I remember the day of the 1984 Canberra Marathon was windy with drizzle, cool, bleak...not unlike yesterday. I was watching from the sidelines. It was the olympic trial for Los Angeles. Of the leaders, those who tried to leave the safety of the pack suffered later. Garry Hand aged 38 was one of those who tried. Lisa Martin cruised through in 2:35 to qualify. The real story is that 434 people broke 3 hours that day...another 20 or so finished just over a minute later. Even though Deek didn't run that day he was mainly responsible. He inspired the nation and especially it's capital with his marathon exploits. I remember those 20 mile mass pack runs in Stromlo forest with his disciples, many of which regularly churned out 100 mile weeks. From all that hard training came a standard and mass of masters runners in Canberra that we may never see again. Most of the ACT M45 track records were set in 1985 when Deek's influence was at it's greatest. I couldn't break one of ...