Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Weather warm to hot, windy, sunny. Track hasn't grown grass in the last week, a sign it is drying out and getting quicker. No rain on the radar for the next week. The set: 2000m warm up, 4 x 100m, 4 x 500m, 2000m warm down. Recovery was longer than normal to flush lactate and increase speed. The longer recovery worked. Splits: Helen: 1:55, 1:55, 1:54, 1:48. Me: 1:29, 1:27, 1:26, 1:25. Felt great again. An easy recovery run in the afternoon. Two recovery days to follow, the second with some 100-200m strides. Track on Thursday will be an 800m handicap followed by a 3000m handicap later in the evening. I'm in better shape this year than last for the 800m. If I get out quick it should be sub 2:15 from lane 2, although it could be windy. That's it for November, another 120km+ weekly average, 11th consecutive month 110km+. I had a slack weekend of training and glad of it.

Final event of the series for 2015. Long morning with presentations, speeches, free beverages and a very short race. It was delightful weather. The course: Out and back on undulating, twisting bike path. SK, KT, Helen, Roget, Gabe, Mia helping and myself out there. Results below. Of me: 3km 10:26. First kilometre 3:12, stuck in people traffic next kilometre to 3km turn and back. Both runners and walkers fighting for space, unsafe to run quick. Last kilometre better. This afternoon an easy loosener when it cools down. Will back up for a short lactate set tmoz.

Bella the Border Collie is aged 12 in February 2016. In 2012 I looked out the bedroom window and saw a similar scene as I did today. This is our fun and our art.

The weather cool to warm, windy, some cloud. Grass was cut a few days ago, it has been cored and surface covered with layer of sand. During the week some trucks installing a fence around the dam created some ruts. They are less obvious now. Surface similar speed to last week. Steve still with a hammy issue, I started late. Only one set today, all in together with Gabe, Mia, Helen and myself. Pam was doing 1000m intervals before we started. The set: 5000m warm up, 4 x 100m, 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2 minutes jog recovery, 1000m warm down. As usual the girls were all close together. Helen and Mia very hard to split. Of me: No pacing the girls today, I was at maximum threshold from the start and over maximum threshold for the last three efforts. In the 6 minute effort I was through 1000m in 3:12 which is six seconds better than last week. I felt great again and now running at 3:10/km or so through the whole set, quicker at the end. Physically I'm getting there. I will wait ...

Lats night it was all about Pentathlon Octogenarians. Consie I've helped prior to World Masters Athletics in Lyon with some sprinting sessions. Gwen I am locked with in battle for age graded winner in the Frylink XC handicap for 2016 (to be decided this Sunday, I prematurely congratulated her last evening). Last night 3000m: Me 10:00, Keith 10:33, Kathy 13:18. It was cold and windy. Our start was delayed due to pentathlon events. No warming up. I cruised around.

Weather warm, windy, sunny. The XC track is green and lush after recent rain, freshly cut just before we ran. Still on the slow side. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m, 600m, 500m, 400m, 200m, 1500m warm down. Helen and I started together. Minnie ran later. My splits: 600m 1:49, 500m 1:34, 400m 66, 300m 55, 200m 30. Recovery was 60 seconds jog 100m. Much quicker splits to last week and felt great. Wind helped the 600m and 400m, hindered the 500m and 300m. Helen splits: 600m 2:17, 500m 2:02, 400m 88, 300m 75, 200m 41. That's Helen's best lactate set this year. Thursday at track will be a 3000m / 5000m around dusk. There could be some wind but fine otherwise. I'll give the 5000m a crack, won't expect too much. See what happens. Yesterday was a lower threshold 22km run in the forest, my 6th long run in 8 days. Still sitting on 140km last 7 days.

The weather cool to warm, windy, some cloud. Grass was cut a few days ago, is now long again. Track is getting slower by the week. I was a later than usual starter, Steve has a hammy issue. Only one set today, all in together with Minnie, Gabe, Mia, Kathy, Helen and myself. KT, SK, Missy were out there doing own thing. The set: 5000m warm up, 4 x 100m, 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2 minutes jog recovery, 2000m warm down. As usual the girls were all close together. Mia ran 5km road on Tuesday in 22 minutes, was the quickest in the first two efforts just in front of Helen. Helen quickest in the remaining efforts with Kathy equal to her on the final effort. They all seemed to be running very well. Of me: No pacing the girls today, I was at maximum threshold from the start and over maximum threshold for the last three efforts. In the 6 minute effort I was through 1000m in 3:18 which is quicker again on the previous week. My last effort was 400m in 70 seconds, into a block head wind....

Weather at 6pm...32.3 degrees, sunny, wind 22-30kph, tail wind in home straight. Great for the sprinters, a write off for 3000m. Results: Me 9:57, Keith 10:23, Shane 11:0?, Dale 12:??, Helen 13:0?, Kathy 14:??, Minnie 14:?? A look at the splits from most of us 2nd and 3rd 1km splits 10 seconds or so slower than first kilometre. I think Keith had best run of night. Started fast and felt in control. Next week 3000m or 5000m is at 8pm. Looking forward to that.

Two weeks active recovery reduced the niggles to none. Two weeks high volume followed, now sitting on 145km last 7 days, expect to average 130km+ for month of November and hopefully December as well. In three of the next four weeks I have access to some track races of 3000m-5000m all at the right time of evening, around 8pm. They should get me fired up for an OK Half Marathon come January 10. The course is similar to the old course I ran in 2010. The new version should be quicker as they have taken out the horrible hill in the last 5km of the race. These are my splits from 2010: Cadbury Half Marathon 73:04 (3:20,3:22,3:18,6:29(16:31 5km),34:27 10km ,18:09 5km split to 15km, then up awful hill now deleted, 2.1km 3:56 to finish, 3rd overall...it's still up a steep hill last 400m. My last month before 2010 event below. Same process is work very hard to New Years Eve, taper to Half Marathon. Six years is a long time between Cadbury chocolate, let's see how it goes.

Final preliminary program has been updated...no major changes. I would have liked the women to have an extra day break between the XC and 5000m. There is plenty of rest elsewhere in the program. I've booked all accommodation and flight there up to the 10000m. In a few days I'll book a flight home and work out what I'm doing in between the 10000m and half marathon. 1500m is a possibility for some fun. Alan and Robert would both be up for that in M50. Yesterday a certificate came via email from WMA in Lyon.

Weather very warm, some wind from the west, sunny at midday. The XC track is green and lush after recent rain, freshly cut just before we ran. Still on the slow side. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m, 600m, 500m, 400m, 200m, 1500m warm down. Helen, Kathy and I started together. Minnie ran later in the day. Steve sometime during the day. My splits: 600m 1:52, 500m 1:37, 400m 68, 300m 54, 200m 30. Recovery was 60 seconds jog 100m. Similar splits to last week, could have been quicker with Steve to chase. Wind helped the 600m and 400m, hindered the 500m and 300m. Helen was next in the pecking order all efforts, Kathy not far behind her. I did my set after having run for two hours in the morning. It wasn't planned. I was relieved of community service which would have been a 4 week nightmare just before the session. That makes 80km last 3 days, 143km last 7 days. So no 5km road event for me on Tuesday. It will be hot for the 3000m track on 6pm Thursday and probably windy. The followi...

Track wet and slow, drizzle most of session, cloudy, cool, humid, just a breeze. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m, 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute intervals, 1 minute jog recovery (2 minutes for 2nd set), warm down. I ran with Steve on set 1, Gabe, Helen, Kathy, Mia on set 2, Minnie ran on her own in between sets. Set 2 began at 4:15/km, increased in final three efforts to well under 4:00/km. Set 1 started at 3:20/km, held that pace until final effort of 400m in 69-70 seconds. We finished the set with brunch after a change of clothes and shower. Keith in Bega warm up, 5 x 100m, 1200m 3:58, 830m 2:43, 1000m 3:20. It was Parkrun volunteer day for Keith. Of me: My set done 10 seconds/km quicker than last week. A slightly sore calf from Thursday on track, nothing to be concerned about. Track next Thursday is 3000m and 1500m. I'll probably only do the 3000m. I may run a 5km road event on Tuesday. Long recovery run tomorrow.

The weather started wet and got more wet but never a deluge like last week. Some wind but not really windy. It was cool and humid. All up not bad for running. Worst was the wet track making heavy shoes. All but two of the starters were from our little group. Results: Me 9:49, Steve 10:10 (season best), Anthony 10:18, Rod 11 mins+, Kathy 12:49 (season best), Helen 13:24(ill), Dale 14 mins?, Minnie 14:28 (season best). We did a warm down on track. Didn't stay for later events, all clothes saturated. Of me: 17km for the day. No niggles during race, knee was great. I didn't do strides quicker than 18 seconds and not running hard at any point of race. I'm ready to start moving forward again. Keith in Bega the usual warm up and warm down with strides. Set: 1300m 4:19, 200m 37, 1500m 5:10. Track was boggy with the rain. Next week 3000m early at Woden. Kathy and I will have collected 4 good runs if we both participate, 5 to count of 9 in series. After that I can start building...

Today Keith the usual warm up and warm down with strides, then into the set. 2 x 1500m 4:54, 4:54. Judging by that session he is still in top form, will have another crack at an ACT M55 in coming weeks I am sure. Keith is giving me a challenge in the Geoff Moore 3000m series this season, as he did last season. In nine seasons of masters athletics I've only ever been challenged by one male in the series. Kathy is usually ahead of me on ast as leading female in the series. Today another 80 minutes steady, no pain at all. It's only full gas sprinting that causes concern so I'll try to rest up a little until the Saturday 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute session. Sitting on 130km this week.

Weather very warm, no wind, sunny even in late afternoon. The XC track is green and lush but still quick on the inside line. It will slow up in coming days. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m, 600m, 500m, 400m, 200m, 4000m warm down. Steve, Kathy and I started together, Minnie a little later as we warmed down. Helen ill, a lergy. Kathy slight muscle strain upper thigh. Steve and I basically same splits: 600m 1:51-1:52, 500m 1:34-1:35, 400m 69-70, 300m 53-54, 200m 29-30. Recovery was 60 seconds jog 100m. Steve was 4 seconds up on previous week, my knee managed to keep up. It's not ready yet for full training, some ice post session, will be good for two recovery days. Weather looks bad for Thursday track, I expect 3000m around 10:00 only, no One Hour?.

Stromlo this morning (and Helen on coast). Warm, humid, just a breeze. No magpie swooping (that's it until next spring). All the same set. Steve and I early: 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 60 seconds jog recovery. Started at 3:30/km for first effort, held same pace for next two efforts, reduced down to sub-3:00/km for final 400m effort. Next set 15 minutes later with Kathy and Mia, I accompanied the quicker of the two during the intervals, Kathy starting fast, Mia with a fast finish. Minnie did same set on her own. Pam there also TT work on criterium track, did warm up with us. Helen same set on coast. Keith at Parkrun Bowral 5km in 18:19 2nd. His son Andrew 1st in 17:20. Of me: After an easier week niggles are gone. 24km today, 130km for the week. I said two weeks easy so won't push things until Thursday at track. At this stage it will be a solid 3000m early and One Hour run late. I will assess when I see the weather forecast and how I feel on the day. Next set on Monday...

1500m at 6pm: Steve 4:47 ; Minnie 6:57. Both were first male and female by more than the length of the straight. Steve ran consistent 76 second laps roughly. He looked great start to finish, as did Minnie who dropped another 5 seconds/km for the third consecutive week. Walk events 1200m to 10000m at 6:15pm: Only 10 minutes until the rain came, basically the end of the night. As meet director I couldn't call it as such with plenty out there going for ACT records and qualifiers for World Junior Championships. I had tablet in tune to weather radar. The nearest storm passed over the top of Black Mountain around 15-20km to the north. If the meet was held at AIS it would have been called off mid-race. As it was some lightning and much delayed thunder. Nobody was threatened although it was a very wet singlet competition. Calls were made for the 60 metre sprint during the walk but there were no takers. As soon as the walks were finished the meet was called off. Four days of 80-90 minutes...

Yesterday Keith the usual warm up and warm down. The set: 2 x 1450m in 4:45 + 200m in 33 seconds. I'm into 5 days with new shoes, most of the niggles from running in old shoes have gone away. Last two days just running to work and back in the evening, 18km each day. Tomorrow on track duty. I may run a 3000m late before handing out place cards...let's see if the weather holds up first. Regardless I'll do 15km or more in the morning before heading out to track.

Change of venue, back to the grass, swooping bird gone. Weather warm, some wind, not too bad. Two identical sets, first with Steve, Emma also did as warm up, second with Emma and Helen, Minnie started 4 minutes later on 1km loop, circulating near us one lap behind. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m, 600m, 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m with 60 seconds / 100m jog recovery, 2500m warm down. Steve quick again, Emma best in set two, Helen and Minnie similar. I slotted in behind Steve and Emma during set 1 & 2, never pushed things during this get rid of niggle fortnight. I felt very good. Keith has some niggles, the knee during runs with hills? I'm sure he will sort things out. I am officiating at track this week, may run the 3000m late. Others will do 1500m, 3000m or 5000m. Some will do XC race tomorrow.