Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

No club racing for the final three Thursdays before Australian Masters Athletics Championship, we have to make our own fun. The weather partly cloudy, warm, some wind. We warmed up in the forest and did some strides on track. Nine of us on track for the play race. We had Geoff the 400m specialist and Leanne the 800m specialist as pacers. I paced Kathy, Helen and Anne around for the first 2 laps at their pace before the rest of us started the 3000m (we had to lap the girls twice to claim victory). To make things more confusing I had assistance of pace makers on various laps. The pace was erratic but fun. Rough results in finish order: Kathy 12:58, Anne 13:10, Helen 13:15, Me 10:00, Steve 10:05, Dale 13:35, Geoff? My splits: 75,81 ,80, 79,78 ,82,82,41. Paced laps in bold. Lost count of the laps so no kick. Most of us did a warm down in the bush. A very low key training session with some times worthy of a proper race. That's end of month. 21km today, 120km last 7 days, average 1...

Steve today a short set to keep the 800m speed and lactate tolerance going. 4 x 100m strides (17,15,15,15), 4 x 200m with 60 seconds jog recovery (32,32,32,32) Not much from me. 18km mostly on trails, today a lazy 5km with the dog for the last part. Most of the DOMS have gone from the weekend, a little noisy in the right hammy. We are on track tomorrow for a 3000m hit-out. It's a session, non-club.

I'm still recovering from the 10km road race on Saturday. A chance to help pace the others. This afternoon at two venues, first Steve then Kathy and Helen. The set: Warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 2 x 200m strides. Steve on track: 3 x 800m (2:37, 2:37, 2:29 [last 400 72]) with 200m float recovery 60 seconds. Warm down. I paced until last 500m using beeping watch every 100m. Great set from Steve. Same set with Kathy and Helen on grass at Stromlo. 3 x 800m splits paced at 4:20/km, 4 seconds under schedule, spot on schedule, 8 seconds under schedule last 800m with Helen pushing on last 300m. Next set on Thursday, something longer on track.

Yesterday Steve and Jane 3 x 1000m at Stromlo with changing pace. At same venue later in the day Helen 2000m, 1600m, 800m, 1200m, 400m (got the intervals out of order:-). Later that day some pizza with friends. This morning 100 minutes in the Arboretum. A few sore muscles from all the down hill running at Beechworth. Next set tomorrow, some 800m repetitions at 2:32 or better (for the 5000m).

Weather sunny, very warm, no wind. The course truly brutal with a 2km slalom like bitumen descent to gorge below, climb 2km back up on bitumen and gravel, undulating and tricky 1.5km on golf course late in the race, remainder road. I missed the start by 10 seconds as the race started 5 minutes early. By 1km I had caught up, by 2km a was alone making a fast descent into the gorge (2:59 split), was very quick out of the gorge and up, I lost my rhythm when the surface changed to gravel and was eventually caught and passed near the summit at 4km. I was gapped to the highway crossing and under pressure. Leader was fortunate to cross before a land cruiser and caravan passed, I gave away 20 seconds or so, race over if it was not already. My last 3km split was 10:03, still moving strongly at the end. No idea overall time (34mins?) as the finish clock was not working, I started my watch at the 2km marker. All on slightly different courses, I was 4th in 1982 as 20 year old, 4th in 2008 as 46 y...

Conditions near perfect for the final night of track for the club. Cloudy, slight breeze, warm. Results: Steve 9:53.35 (all-time PB) ; Leanne 11:05 (SB) ; Kathy 13:01 ; Helen 13:09 (SB). There were a host of other great results and season bests. Nice to finish on such a high note. Kathy, Steve and I are the only ones of this little group to travel to Adelaide in a few weeks. We are all running great. Steve especially has had a huge couple of weeks. Of me: I decided to head south for a 10km road race in 2 days, today a chance to get in a set specifically for the 5000m. I turned up very early and did a set before the 3000m, continued the set into the 3000m. The set: Stretching and self massage. Long warm up. 5 x 100m (19,17,16,15,14.7). More warm up. 800m 2:29 (pacing session). Another warm up including strides. 3000m ran as 2000m in 6:24 (pacing session@3:10/km, held to 1600m before cracking a little), 100m jog, jumped onto the back of Steve for 600m until Steve cracked me, cruised h...

Weather warm and still, some burning off in the adjacent bush caused smoke enough to make it unpleasant to run, almost dangerous to health. Just Steve and I. We did this set a few weeks ago. Much better today. The set: 2000m warm up, 4 x 100m (19,17,15,14.8), 4 x 200m lactate (32.6,32.7,32.6,30.6 Steve/31.1 Me), 200m jog recovery 60 seconds, 2 laps walk jog, 1000m 2:59. Last time 200s were mostly in 31 with 90 seconds recovery, not 60 seconds. Last time the 1000m in 3:03 felt awful and Steve dropped off pace. This time it was with full control, no trouble maintaining consistent 72 second laps and could have run further at same pace. Steve same time as myself. Things are looking good. I did 4 x 100m strides and 2000m warm down with Steve in the smoke again, 1km with the dog and 10km in the bush with no smoke. Last track meet for the club on Thursday. I'll be using it as training for 5000m running the 3000m, 4 x 800m relay and Spiral handicap as intervals done at 3:10/km or quic...

Rest day for myself and Steve after 3 hard days out of 4. We rolled around Stromlo chatting mid-afternoon before the girls did their set. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m up hill (tail wind), 600m, 400m, 300m, 300m, 500m at around 4:00/km. Helen was better today having rested yesterday, Kathy a little fatigued. I did the pacing. Steve and I do our set tomorrow on track. Will have to see what the weather brings. Pace will be no slower than 3:10/km down to 2:40/km.

Weather sunny, cold to cool, windy with 30km southerly straight from the south pole. The course out and back for the 4km, twice out and back for the 8km. In the out direction it's tough, in the back direction it's brutal climbing all the hills that were designed to run down not up. Course is long on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th kilometre splits (45m each). Out and back also means running into people running opposite direction, shortest line not possible. Frylink 4km: Steve had a blinder with a very quick time and finishing well up in the placings starting off group 44. KT and SK out there as well, both looking good and finishing very close together. Mia started off an early group, still with a knee niggle, ran 5 mins/km. Thomas 8km: Minnie 18th across the line, 22nd myself, Shane, Gabe out there as well. Roget was on duty, Helen at concert, Emma running up Mount Canobolas trail mountain race. Of me: Worked very hard on first out and back, suffered more with the wind and hills i...

Stromlo this morning a crisp 6 degrees, sunny, slight breeze. We were greeted by a surprise balloon fest when 30 of them decided to use the criterium track as a take off pad. Jane started her set (6,5,4,3,2,1 minute intervals) before Steve and myself. Carol same set a little later. Steve and myself the usual set with tactics and change of pace scenarios used on the 1500m and 1200m intervals. Set 1: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 2000m (flat out)6:32, Steve 6:52 (equal PB), 1500m 5:13 (with frequent surges and change of pace on hilly loop), 1200m 3:55 (with fast start, moderate middle on down section, hard attack, flat out to finish), 800m 2:38 (cruise), 300m 54 (cruise), 1500m warm down. Set 2: (with Kathy, Helen and Gabe): 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 4000m out and back on hilly section with change of pace and short recovery, 1500m warm down. Tomorrow back at Stromlo for a 4000m (Steve) or 8000m XC handicap with the club. Today's variation to cater for that plus aid rec...

Yes the 800m & 5000m championships were on the same night, I would have liked to do both. Weather probably as good as it has been since October. Warm, a head wind in the home straight, moderate humidity, no threat of storms, just a drop or two that evaporated on the way down. 800m: Colin 2:22, Leanne & Shane near dead heat 2:28. Great race. Warm up: I did a full first warm up of 15 minutes run, 5 x 100m (17,16,15.0,14.8,14.1). The last 100m my quickest stride all season, not straining. A break then second warm up of 4km, 4 x 100m strides (not timed) then into the 5000m. 5000m: Process all year is to find some tempo, refine technique and relax. This week wasn't as good as last week's 3000m but was 2000m further. Lots of runners, lane 2-3 mostly. I sat on Results: Me 16:45, Steve a very solid 17:30 (was miles away up north earlier in the day), Kathy 22low (looked great even with head cold blooming),Anne 22low (after race walk), Roget 22:45 (SB), Helen 23low (splits ...

A run around the lake early this morning to watch the balloons. Too windy so they didn't get up into the sky...maybe tomorrow. In the afternoon 4 x 200m lactate intervals. Steve ran 32,34,33,32. I did mine by feel (no markings).

Weather warm, sill, humid and no sun (hadn't risen when we started session). Heavy dew on track again, it's getting slower every day. Just Steve and myself. The set: 2500m warm up, 6 x 100m (waiting for it to get light enough to run fast), 3 x 1000m, 1000m recovery, 1500m warm down. Splits (both same time): 3:13 (too dark to run fast), 3:06, 3:08. Late afternoon session with Kathy and Helen 9km including 4 x 100m strides, 600m, 500m, 300m, 300m, 200m starting at 4:10/km finishing at 3:20/km. It was windy, just after a passing storm. Racing this week 5000m on Thursday, 8000m XC handicap at Stromlo on Sunday.

Thanks again Ewen

Weather warm, no wind, sunny after the sun came up. Track cut 17 days ago, rain on Thursday and heavy dew overnight slowed the grass up, shoes water logged as the set went on, no hard line, bugs in eyes and mouth everywhere...the track is slow. Jane (6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts) was out there with us. Kathy and Helen arrived after Steve and I did our set. The set: Steve and myself 2500m warm up, 5 x 100m, 2000m 6:29 (Steve 7:01), 1500m 4:49 (Steve 5:00ish), 1200m 3:53 (Steve 4:00ish), 800m 2:27, 400m 69, 2500m warm down. Steve led the 800m and 400m efforts, finished a step ahead on each, same time. Once again Steve pushing me last two efforts. Splits were much quicker than last week even though the track is slower. 2000m top loop PB effort of 6:29 compared to 6:37 on the hilly loop we had been using. Another great set. No risk taken with the final 400m. Of me: The set equal to my best ever set done in March 2015 and quicker than my last pre-World Championships set done in June 2015 a...

Weather warm, very windy in the home straight, cloudy. Big enough field to split into two races, around 5:40 the cut-off. 1500m Heat 1: Steve 4:37.1, Me 4:37.4, Colin 4:54, Leanne 5:05, others 1500m Heat 2: Others Low 5s, Kathy 6:09, Helen 6:34 Summary Heat 1: Steve led first 200m in 34, hit a wall of wind in home straight, I led next two laps, Steve took lead with 300m to go, we raced it out in the home straight. Great fun. Of me: After the 1500m ran 3000m at 10000m tempo, comfortably at a little quicker than 3:20/km, around 9:55. Wind had died down by then. Helen 13:42. Next set Saturday Long XC Step down intervals. Keith was ill tonight.

Steve's turn this morning. At Stromlo on the grass the usual warm up, 4 x 100m (17,15,15,15), 4 x 200m (31.5, 31.3, 31.9, 30.7). It's not easy to get the speed up out there as compared to the synthetic track so that's a good set from Steve. We've both made some improvement on our leg speed as the set numbers have shown over time. Below a guide as to what sessions we will be doing leading up to Australian Masters Athletic Championships in a few weeks. The loose guide is based on the 2009 AMA championships when I was doing similar sessions, the venue is the same, the timing is the same which means the lead up races are the same. We'll have to make up our own races as club track racing closes down a couple of weeks before the championships.

Weather hot, some wind, sunny. The set: 4.5km warm up (jog from home), 5 x 100m (18.6,17.0,16.3,15.1,14.9), 4 x 200m (30.57,30.36,30.24,30.57)= 2:01.74, 9.5km warm down (jog home+jog with dog). I've gone back through the diary since I started back as a masters athlete, I haven't done this set as quick. The closest was in March 2010 when I ran a 2:11 800m solo and 1500m with competition 4:22 on same weekend. Set cumulative at that time was 2:02 for the 800m set and 4:03 for 5 x 300m with 100m jog recovery in 60 seconds. I'll have to confirm in coming weeks that I can do similar for the 1500m set and have confidence I can go in the low 4:20s again. I did this set in October a few months ago of 5 x 300m but with 100m walk recovery (47.97,47.71,47.25,47.22,48.09)= 3:58. I picked up a thigh niggle in the process as I was running my last effort a child played chicken with me in the home straight. Had to call a pause to the season until I sorted it out. 131km last 7 days. Next ...

Very early at Stromlo XC circuit with Steve. Very dark in the warm up, some fog and dew, no wind. Track in lush and soft with the dew. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m, 1500m pace set: 600m 1:45,500m 1:30,300m 51,300m 53,200m 29 with 90 seconds recovery between efforts. 3000m warm down. 600m and 200m quicker than last week, second of the 300s 2 seconds slower. As usual for the last few weeks Steve and I have been pushing each other on for all the efforts. Not quite racing but not far from it. Thursday an option of 1500m or 3000m / 5000m. If the weather allows I will do both the 1500m and 3000m or 5000m. Once again it will be hot all week. This is very not normal for March. In the afternoon another set same venue with Helen. 3 x 600m at 4:00-4:10/km but main focus on running technique. No Australian Masters Athletics Championships for Helen but will do Worlds in Perth. Plenty of time for some minor tweaks. Keith on the River Road 800m 2:38, 600m 2:02, 410m 79, 240m 41. Wind and ter...