Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Really enjoyed watching and cheering on today with so much great racing in all the ages and sexes. For me the Women younger ages was a highlight with such talent and determination across the board. Conditions were great early again with very cool and still conditions. As usual by 10am the breeze was blowing, in the back straight this time. I would say it didn't really slow me down until 3000m (9:38) but then I started losing 3 seconds a lap. Of us: Maria, Kathy and Helen all in the medals and all season bests. Helen had to wait 4900m to catch third place after being down 100m at one stage. Steve and Keith both ran strongly with a PB and very near PB. There were plenty more great times by ACTVAC runners. Our great friend Michelle was awesome in 19:09. Emma 4th in the 400m to go with Gold in the 800&1500m. I will try to post a video of the race by the younger women. Great to witness. Tmoz the cross country at Stromlo. I hope M35 Darren Peacock from NT runs so I can race him

An easy day for me...jog to the track from home to watch the 1500m under near perfect conditions. The M50 race a sit and kick with John Jago setting most of the tempo. Allan Cook exploded away with 250m to go. Our women well up in the placings again. Emma gold, Kathy and Maria silver, Helen 2seconds faster than her 2012 Nationals (as was her 800m), a season best and within a second of her all-time PB

Cool, sunny and no wind for the start of the females race. The breeze picked up half way through and became a stiff breeze with stronger gusts by the younger males race. Very nice conditions for running even with the wind. ACTVAC had plenty of medalists among the females and some with some quick times. My race had Brendan Whelan as a threat although he hadn't been doing much running since January (told me before the start of the race). I wasn't sure if he was fibbing so I decided to lead from the gun but not go out too hard. It took me 3000m to drop him by running a solid even tempo. I held good form and pace to 6km before the wind started to get the better of me. 33:48 is identical to what I ran last year in similar conditions. I ended up lapping Brendan with a lap to go and third place twice...can't really complain about that. Later a jog back to the track to watch the girls run their 800s and some very exciting racing. All did well. Helen 2:51 a near PB and s

The last two days just some easier runs. 13km yesterday and 7km today. The legs felt pretty good this morning and I've managed to keep the weight on target at 55kg. As predicted a cold front is crossing the ACT, a little sooner than I expected earlier in the week. If the 10000m was on today it would be as unpleasant as it was last year in Melbourne. It should be close to perfect by tmoz and for most of the weekend except for Sunday...we will see. This AMA Champs may be the end of an era for me with the 2014 version to be held in Hobart over 3 days and not at Easter. Who knows how that affects the program?! 2015 in Sydney I will possibly miss as I plan to do Marathon de Paris and the World Masters Athletics in Lyon. Results from the last four years. At a glance my 10000m gets slower each year, the cross country quicker and the 5000m roughly the same. Can't argue with numbers except my two fastest 5000m runs post 2008 have been in the last 12 months. I haven't broken 33

On track this afternoon all completing our final session before nationals. First up Keith and I a 2000m tempo run at 5000m pace with chasing start of 40 seconds. I only caught Keith with 100m to go. 6:59 for Keith, 6:16 for me. Next up the girls 4 x 100m, 3 x 200m @ 800m pace, 600m paced (by me) tempo @ 800m pace, 2 x 100m strides. Not much to do now except a couple of light jogs.

A delayed start isn't a bad thing on a perfect autumn morning. Several of us out there for a final test with somewhat tapered legs. My quickest time ever on the circuit was only good enough for 8th place on handicap. Really felt great today...nice and light and with loose legs which will only get better later in the week. 2013 13:39 , 2012 14:27, 2011 13:50. I had Steve (group 41, 15:00 net) to chase starting 1:45 ahead of me but never looked likely to reel him in.

This morning at Stromlo a 2000m tempo run at 5000n pace followed by a set of lactate intervals, 5 x 300m with 25-35 seconds recovery (depending on speed, group on a 1:30 cycle). The track closed for little athletics today, would rather have done there. Tmoz back to Stromlo for the ACTVAC XC handicap 4km. Of me: Have dropped the volume down to 100km, will decrease to 80km by Wednesday. Will do my last semi-hard session on Tuesday with a 2000m tempo run in around 6:15. Looking ahead to Easter, looks like a cold front will pass through ACT on Thursday evening or Friday morning.

Woke up this morning, out to Stromlo XC Circuit, after a 4km warm up still felt awful so went home...some rain, wind, 10 hours later and a change of venue (but not friends) found ourselves at Bruce Ridge just after the rain had passed. 6km warm up, 4*3minute intervals, 1 minute recovery, slow enough that Bella could keep up...glad we all did that. Otherwise a waste of a day. Saturday turns into the last hard session before nationals...on the program 2000m time trial then 5*300m with 100m jog recovery. That accomplished only one lactate session and one tempo run before AMA Championships...all is good.

Back at Stromlo again for the final YMCA summer series race. For us we were using the race as training incorporating 3 minute intervals into the 5km with 1 minute float (200m for me) in between efforts. I did 5 efforts, 6 efforts for the girls. For me it was great training running with the lead runner, giving him 70-100m during the recovery float and then trying to catch him again. I caught him on all but the fifth and last effort to the finish line (16:36). The intervals made it faster than would otherwise have been race pace on the efforts but less accumulated fatigue at the finsh. Helen and Maria helped push each other with a finish time of 21:49, Maria 21:52. Kathy 24 mins. KT and Missy were there as well 20:00 KT, Missy 23+.Janene?

Off to the track this afternoon for some 5000m pacing and to get the feel of a track devoid of slow runners. Dropped straight into rhythm at 19 seconds per 100m with a beeping watch. Held that pace comfortably for 2000m (6:17) although I had to work harder into the breeze which was shifting about. Walked 200m then another 1000m in 3:07, same story. Ran another 400m in 76 only because my usual Monday set has been 4 x 800m and didn't want to do less than that. Not going to Melbourne to race, the weather dodgy. Tmoz a 5000m XC race at Stromlo I will use as training...some 3 minute intervals with a 100m float...should be able to squeeze five in.

This morning the same big set we have been doing for 5 weeks now. On the XC circuit at Stromlo 2000m (643), 1500m (441), 1200m (353), 800m (229), 400m 69. The cumulative total of the session now a full minute quicker than 5 weeks ago with the same recovery of 5 minutes...Feeling stronger each week. Four of us did the set at 7am, the rest at 8am with me pacing. Everyone looking really fit and not fatigued at all from the 5000m on Thursday. On Thursday in the 5000m a large bunch turned out for the final track meet. I did the first 4 laps on pace before running the rest of the race in lane two. No chance of a quick time untapered, some wind, lapping all the slow runners and so on so treated as training. Built up a lead of 200m on second place and then watched the others race as I circulated. Some strong performances out there by our group and others. So...unsatisfied with the Thursday effort I hope to travel down to Melbourne on Thursday for a Victorian Milers 5000m race where I don&

Perfect conditions again, for us all an 800m @ 5000m tempo. I paced Helen & Maria @ 20:38 pace, then Kathy @ 21:28 pace, then myself @ 15:38 pace...just to get the feel of the track again. In two days the ACTVAC 5000m championships and a good tester for nationals. Still lots of kilometres in the legs, 114km in the last 7 days for me, will be down to 105km by this Thursday, only half a taper. Sometimes an injury can be a blessing...since the purchase and week long use of new shoes and a subsequent shoe related injury I've had to take stock and had to go back to basics. Then along came S&J at exactly the right time. I remember at Tilleys Devine Cafe the question 'what would you do to get ready starting from blank 6 weeks out of Nationals'? For me: 'Back to basics and build again'...for them pretty much the same. The last three Saturdays have been awesome training. 6 km of work each Saturday, every week better, you can read in previous posts, back to where I

Another perfect morning. Last week a similar session on track, today 3 x 800m, 200m jog recovery in 1 minute splits: 2:32, 2:33, 2:32. Much harder efforts on grass as to the track and with a 200m hill in the middle, happy to be able to maintain the same pace. A couple of lighter days and hopefully a 5000m on track this Thursday. Still planning on leaving the taper until 10 days before nationals as usual practice.

17km in the morning (I had to return the dog home after 3km as Bella was too slow), then another 6km in the evening. Poor Bella looks so tired, she needs a few days off running...not easy to keep up aged 63.2 This might have had something to do with it??

Third consecutive week using this set with S & J...yet another week of improvement from all of us. 2000m (6:48),1500m (4:43),1200m (3:54), 800m (2:31), 400m (70) with 4 minute recovery between efforts. Cumulative time for the sets is 46 seconds faster than in week one. A perfect morning, balloons aloft.

Brief results: Emma low 5:20s ; Helen 5:48 ; Maria 5:42 ; Me 4:32. For all of us within a few couple of seconds away from last years peak form and already in contention for a podium. Kathy did 2 x strong 3000m and a slow 1500m (due to post tib issues from strength training). Of me: 125km in the legs for the last 7 days, ran to the track and back as warm up and warm down, only had time to fit two strides in, was in bed watching tv (Grand Designs) 30 minutes before start of the race...low key:-) We all did a 5 x 300m lactate session on Tuesday with 1 minute recovery. Some a little fatigued from that last evening. Next Thursday my final track race before nationals with the club 5000m championships. I will not be tapered so nothing under 16 minutes I expect. The other factor with club races is lapping all the runners...I lapped 4 in the 1500m last evening, it only gets worse with longer it gets.

A blessing of not having raced for a few weeks has been bumping up the volume and completing more hard sessions. It's been 3 good weeks of an average 115km per week, maxing out at just over 120km. The Saturday session has been great running with athletes closer to my level who can push me late in the session. The set is at Stromlo: 2000m, 1500m, 1200m, 800m, 400m. Times for the last 3 set efforts have been near times I would do on track despite the howling wind and drizzle. The Tuesday session has been done alone at Stromlo or today at AIS for the first time. 4-5 x 800m with 200m jog in 1 minute. Today all the efforts were in 2:32 or better. I've usually been squeezing in two of these sessions each week at Stromlo in lieu of not risking short lactate intervals. Tomorrow I will attempt 5x300m with 100m jog recovery. After that session I will know what I may or may not race on Thursday. Hopefully it will be the club 1500m championship.

Girls with talent should be mentioned...Over 1000 entrants. Kim 1st, Michelle 2nd, Kathy S'g 4th, kt 5th, emma 6th, belinda, deb, helen 10th, maria, kelley, kathy s, sue, janene, juanita, julia, kate, ruth, marg, missy...think I counted 11 ACTVAC runners in the top 20 so well done all. Below Kathy 4th and Michelle 2nd 400m from finish.