Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Great conditions for running this morning, so nice to see the sun. The track muddy and slippery in places for my poor choice of shoes. I ran absolute to my limit and felt great pushing very hard on the hills. 16th place the best I could do. The time 30 seconds slower than last year for me. Similarly as slow as yesterday, I will have to taper hard later this week. Didn't get much sleep due to watching TDF last night and Minnie off to Sydney at 5am. Will make up for it this afternoon.

Grey with a few spots of drizzle and above zero the weather. The set: 3 x 2.5km with 1 minute jog recovery for all of us. With 142km in my legs last 7 days I wasn't quick today although I felt quite good. Relative to me Steve and Helen trained at a better level. Both got quicker each effort. Splits: Me: 8:49, 8:47, 8:52 -- Steve: all low 9s -- Helen: 10:45, 10:33, 10:25 -- Maria: High 10s-low11s I paced Helen on her first two efforts but couldn't keep up on the third. 20km for the day and quite a big hunger flat after. Taper time soon, looking forward to that.

It's been a great week of training and racing. Over 140km done this week with all the sessions, a race and a few long runs. My last three runs through the arboretum have been 2 minutes quicker each run (88 to 84 minutes). I've lost 2.5kg and almost at race weight again. This weekend is hectic with a big session tmoz at Stromlo and ACTVAC XC handicap on Sunday. Tuesday will round things off with a final tempo run. Following that only easy days until the half marathon. Tour de France starts tomorrow evening. It will be strange watching the first week from bed at home for the first time since 2007. It will be a huge day next Sunday ith the Gold Coast Half and then immediately jumping on the plane to Paris.

Not pleasant with high winds and a gloomy chill in the air. I did my effort before the girls arrived. My first five laps were strong, the last three a real struggle in the wind. I paced the girls around their 8 laps in around 42:50 pace. Both Maria and Helen could have run faster if I had. 23km today for me and my first 120km week for a while. I will have to start my taper for the Gold Coast Half in a few days but nice for the head to get another big week in.

A twist of roles this morning with Minnie taking Bella for a 95 minute run in the forest while I made the house tidy. That left me with much running to do and nobody to do it with...bliss:-) I ran a similar run to last weekend through the Arboretum and including a few big hills. Almost 90 minutes at a good tempo and perfect conditions for running...cold. I felt surprisingly good after the race yesterday. A couple of sore spots and plenty of tape on those pesky heel blisters. Nothing to complain about really. My weight was way too high last weekend...almost 3kg above where it was in April. I halved the weight gain this week and should be back to 55kg in time for the Gold Coast Half Marathon. The next 10 days will include lots of running and making sure all the key sessions get done. It is always easier when I am on holidays,especially in winter. Once again I reflected on how well most of my friends are running and how hard they have worked these last few months. Four of us are a...

Well I didn't really expect a great result today having missed the Tuesday session due to hail. Talking to my friends they all made it up later in the week so I must be soft. A comparison of the Victorian and ACT results held on the same day makes me happy. In reality a similar course. Stromlo more manicured, Bundoora more chance of bog and long grass, Stromlo a more working course (almost never flat), Bundoora a lot of straight and non-technical sections. Pretty=  I was very proud of Helen, Steve and Keith today, very hard workers, ran excellent, very proud (I repeat). Next stop GCHM.

7th place 40:54 Splits: 8:05, 8:29 (16:34), 8:36 (25:11), 8:38 (33:50), 7:03, Weather: Cold, sunny, stiff breeze from the south west. Marty Dent and Emily Brichacek the open age winners. The race run very similar to last year with a quick start and strong throughout. The main difference was when I lost the lead bunch in 2012 I had a bunch of four triathletes pick me up and cart me around to the finish with a very quick last lap. This year I lost the lead bunch and ran solo to the finish chasing Nick who was always 70-110m in front. Very happy with my effort and under 34 minutes through 10km pleasing. Others: Girls 8km Helen, Emma and Maria all had solid runs.Helen 34 minutes. Boys 12km Steve and Keith both pleased with their superb runs in 45 minutes. I wonder how the Victorian Championships went being held on the same day.

Seriously I am over winter this minus 5 hail rubbish, in Spring in step as of today, Summer in two weeks. Missed one session this week due to hail, feel ready to take on the next big thing...and Bella is super fit!! Step 1: Train arse off (for 10 days) -- Step 2: Gold Coast Half Marathon -- Step 3: Train arse off (in France) -- Step 4: City2Surf No work now until August, will be able to train in the middle of the day until I go away.

Delayed training until 11am today to use the 8km XC race at Stromlo instead. I was solo in the lead for 3km until the blister that gave me grief last week in the 16km erupted. Took a detour into the blackberries to adjust the sock and relieve myself. Another stop at 4km to change shoes, another stop at 6km to remove shoes and run barefoot the last 2km. The splits without stopping the clock: 6:47, 7:21, 7:57, 7:27=29:32. Even with stops that's a useful training session and not really that different from what we usually do. Quicker for 3 of the 4 laps with around 15-40 seconds recovery while I changed shoes and so on. The break is usually 1 minute. I was feeling fatigued from the 16km last week. Steve 2 laps 7:30s, 2 laps 7:50s for a solid effort. The course today 4 laps of the 2km in reverse. Last evening I supported Helen at Stromlo. 2km, 2.5km, 1km all around 4:20/km. This afternoon another 10km to loosen up. Tmoz looking forward to a long run with some threshold interva...

Yet another 8 lapper on Tuesday. The long weekend spent in Bright after the race I clocked another 40km for weekend, 62km in total. Today a little fatigued but not as slow as after the half marathon with 10:34 and solid all the way through. Felt good for 5 laps and not as fresh the last three. The girls all ran very well. All put in best winter efforts with Helen well under 43 minute pace. From the weekend:  Crowd with cow bells and cheering on Col du Brimbank Grant Morgan (2nd in shot) leading John Meagher on the final climb

Straight after the race yesterday I jumped in the car with Bella, drove to Melbourne airport to collect Minnie, up the Hume and Snow Road to Bright. Three hours in the car driving is not a great way to warm down. This morning I got my warm down. First a stroll into town for coffee and bakery treat. I returned back to the ranch, change clothes and out along the Ovens River and back. No road crossings, almost no people, just pleasant winding trails through the trees by the water and plenty of water for Bella to splash in. I stopped at 75 minutes with Bella, Minnie did another 15 minutes. Since nationals I've been doing a Saturday session with Steve and following that with the girls designed to get me a decent half marathon and some good cross country results for all of us. The Saturday session has been all about running at steady state threshold (minimal lactate production) and doing enough work to get through the longer events. Yesterday I held back just a little at the beginn...

I drove all the way from Canberra to Melbourne to test myself against great competitors and a great course. Brimbank Victorian 16km XC Championships has been held since the 1890s. 4km not flat, 2 x 6k including a very steep climb with cow bells and hundreds of people yelling, mud, grass, technical descents, stone walls. So today 54:52 30th place. My diary reads: 1991 56:16 ; 1994 57:39 60th? what is going on? Unknown chip DT 6G BVK...couldn't think of my name so they gave me a number:-(

All four of us on track this evening and running well. The air clear, crisp and still...gloves, tights and a singlet the attire of my choice. The legs didn't really get warmed up. Kathy finished off with a burst of speed and her best effort since the chest infection. Maria and Helen pushed each other with 90m the gap after all 8 laps. Helen around 42:40 pace. Of me: One second slower than last week (10:32) but my second best effort. Pretty much even paced throughout but didn't feel as good as last week which was in warmer weather. The next weeks will be hard week, easy week with three races to come. This week in Melbourne 16km XC, next fortnight the ACT 12km XC, following fortnight Gold Coast Half Marathon.

A warm 10 degrees today...much nicer than last week until the drizzle came. The early set same as last week: 2.5km (8:24, 8:25) x 2 with 1 minute recovery then 1km x 2 (3:21, 3:19) with 1km jog recovery. My long efforts quicker than last week. The short efforts slower as I held back a little with a calf niggle although still worked hard. Steve just over 9 for the 2.5s, just behind me in the 1s. By the second set the drizzle had set in. Helen, Emma, Kathy and Maria all 2.5km x 2 with 1 minute recovery. Emma quick on the first effort, Maria and Helen (10:39, 10:41) solid.