Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Maps and time schedules can be found for this years Tour de France if you know where to look. They won't go up on the official site until later in June and some souvenir official magazines have been sold. My first stage visit this year will be at Mont Ventoux. The daily run will be a 500m altitude ascension to 1900m and descend back to 1400m asl. The rocky trail from Mont Serein (the other side of the tour route)is shorter and through the forest mostly. The road route is longer but quicker. Both directions will not take more than 90 minutes up and back. A relentless 50 minutes up and 40 minute jog back down. It's usually sunny and windy in July. There are three roads that will take us to Mont Ventoux. Bedoin along the normal Tour de France route, the sometimes used route from Maulucene and the never used route from Sault (too easy). There are markets in all three villages with luscious produce. Today was a too easy 20km jog, mostly on soft surfaces. Next set tomorrow on trac...

Weather in Canberra cold, still, foggy. Weather in Merimbula windy and warmer. Callum Brae 8km: Top 4 places on handicap finished within 9 seconds. Helen was 3rd, I was 4th. Callum Brae 4km: Ken 2nd Course was rough fire trail with a major climb in the middle of each 4km lap. I hardly saw anyone on the first lap, almost everyone on the last lap starting as back marker 39 minutes after scratch. Splits: 3:24, 3:24,4:48(up);3:30(up and down),3:24,4:21(up),3:55(up and down),3:08 =29:35. Almost a flawless run, faster up the second climb and 3:08 last kilometre attempting to catch the leaders. Helen ran 37:25ish with 6:00+/km up the climb. In Merimbula Fun Run 10km Keith was 1st M50 38:39 (37:49 in 2015), windy conditions. Keith may have done too much carting wood yesterday to stay warm.

It's one of those days when the sun doesn't come out and the temperature struggles to get past 5 degrees. It was 3-4 degrees when we did our set. The set: 3500m warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 7 x 3 minute efforts at 3:10/km or better with 60 seconds jog recovery, 3500m warm down. None of the faster girls were there so I had to run faster and further retracing my steps to go back to the girls and count in the next effort. Brunch was a welcome relief out of the cold. I'll be resting inside until my 30 minute jog loosener unless the sun comes out later in the day. Tomorrow a cross country handicap around 8km. I'll be running very fast up the hills. It's a new course so I don't really know what to expect. Keith is racing his local fun run 10km. Good luck Keith.

Five months to go until my first event in World Masters Athletics Championships Perth. There are always ups and downs in any training cycle. I'm feeling very positive about where I'm at, still more work to do. I'd have to say I'm in better shape now than I have been since 2012. Better shape than in Lyon or Adelaide a month ago even. Only thing missing is leg speed which can be put back when it's time according to the periodisation I've scheduled. Average volume for May with be 125km+/week, in line with May 2015. The next two months will be similar. A reminder and update: Working backwards from Perth WMA in October November: The schedule for me there 8000m XC, two days rest, 5000m, two days rest, 10000m, a few days rest Half Marathon. I'll be using the current form I have to build into a preparatory period that lasts another two-three months long, broken up by the usual July holiday in France and concludes with City2Surf 14km road race in Sydney on August...

The last two days a little ugly for running fast. I ran the same long run on both days of 17km with two long climbs each day which were run at lower threshold. I won't do a session until Saturday (4 x 3 minute efforts on grass), Sunday is a hilly XC handicap of around 8km. I don't know the course but will push to my limit up the hills. Today Keith in Bemboka ran a 2km loop to avoid the mud. 2km warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 800m 2:38, 400m jog, 400m 73, 400m jog, 200m 33. Keith is racing on Sunday in a high profile local race. Good luck Keith.

Weather cool, very windy, set done just before sunset...running out of light with this set and will run out more until 25 June or so. At Stromlo once again, just Helen and myself. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100 strides, 4 x 3 minute intervals on the undulating hill and gully loops with 60 seconds jog recovery, 2500m warm down. Pace for me was close to flat out 3:10/km or better, around 4:10/km for Helen. I did manage a run at lunch and a short extra warm down in the dark with the dog. Next set on Thursday 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute intervals if the weather is kind. Keith in Bemboka found the winds down there tough as well.

I honestly thought I would miss this Championships, I saw the flyer today, checked out the logistics, booked a hotel...I'm IN. What this means in terms of periodisation...World Masters Athletics Perth Oct/Nov 2016 ; Jan27 2017 age 55 ; April 2017 World Masters Games Auckland NZ ; June 2017 Australian Masters Athletics Darwin ; June-August 2017 Tour de France / Europe. Well that's too much to take seriously all those events but makes for some nice holidays.

Weather cold to cool, sunny and no wind. I slept in. At 930am I ran down to the lake, along the shore passing stragglers in a half marathon. I peeled off at near their 17km mark, ran steadily up Black Mountain on the road (15 minutes all up hill) and made my way back down through the forest to home. In the afternoon a 20 minute loosener to make 125km for the 5th straight week.` The weather was nice for Keith too at Nimmity.

Weather cool, slight wind. Track firming up with land ropes up. I've been ramping up the 5000m paced intervals this build up period following on from Australian Masters Athletics Championships a few weeks ago. The 10000m and 8000m XC will look after themselves as I'll be racing twice a month at that distance all the way to World Masters Athletics Championships in October. Even though my best events will be 10km and XC I'm still looking to be in sub-16 shape by October. The set: 2500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 7 x 3 minute efforts (on undulating 2500m loop) with 1 minute jog recovery, 3000m warm down. Seven of us there this morning. Katie and Helen were best of the girls, no much separating them. Average pace for both was around 4:00/km, both looking very strong. Mia had the better of SK until the final effort. Of me: All efforts at 3:10/km or better. This afternoon an easy recovery run to make 20km for the day, tomorrow a long run in the forest. Next session on Tuesday...

Weather very windy, cool, sunny. I took a day off work to participate and had a much needed sleep in. I've won this race twice before (2010 & 2015). Not so today, 2nd place, lost by 1 second in a sprint finish. Great fun. May, June and July are always high volume months with longer type interval sessions and hills. The racing form is often good but hard going without any spring in the step. I usually start very hard in races and just try to hold on to the form. It was like that today. The course out and back on bitumen/concrete twisting bike path with a couple of sharp hills in each direction. I led solo from start to 4km mark, mostly into the wind. I sensed Dan catching me (I never had more than 70 metres lead), I dropped the pace, waited and forced him to the front. From that point the race became easier for me but the outcome a lottery. We duked it out over the final 70 metres on grass, I wasn't good enough. Splits: First 3km 10:15, second 3km 10:09 = 10:24. That's...

Nice to see Keith racing and training hard again after a break. The set: 4km warm up, 5 x 100m 18 seconds. 2000m 3:42/km ; 1600m 3:41/km ; 1200m 3:29/km ; 800m 3:25/km ; 400m 75. 4km warm down. Keith has a race in a couple of weeks. It will give a guide to where he is at. Nice set today.

Race from 2010 Australian Masters Championships 2010. Course, start and finish, registration point expected to be same. Course fast, some rough grass, no hills, 4 x 2000m laps.

Weather sunny (although late in the day), cool, some wind. At Stromlo the grass is dying off and getting firmer. A couple of frosts will turn it grey and quicken the surface up a bit. Lane ropes will be up most of the winter on the loop we were using making distances much longer than normal. The set: 30 minutes jog at lunch, 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 4 x 800m with 200m jog recovery, 2500m warm down. Just Helen (4:05-4:10/km pace)and myself (3:05-3:10/km pace). Of me: Sunday long run 95 minutes, Monday easy 17km, Tuesday 17km with 2km hill tempo paced by bicycle. Tomorrow an easy recovery day, Thursday play race of 7km. 125km last 7 days and for the month so far. That's in line with volume this time last year. The months of May, June and July are expected to be around that 125km volume before I start racing again in August at City2Surf 14km.

Weather cool, no wind, some fog and a slight frost overnight. Track soft and wet with land ropes up. The set: 2500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 7 x 3 minute efforts (on undulating 2500m loop) with 1 minute jog recovery, 3000m warm down. Eight of us there this morning. Emma and Helen were best of the girls, no much separating them. It was hard to re-group with reduced recovery. Minnie did set on her own 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts. Of me: All efforts at 3:10/km or better. This afternoon an easy recovery run to make 20km for the day, tomorrow a long run in the forest. Next session on Tuesday, probably on track. Racing later in the week so the session will be light.

Weather cool and windy, no good for the track. Headed for the hills. The set: 50 minutes warm up, 4 minutes all up hill at 15% gradient, 40 second stride up hill, then 3 x 1:40 hills with equal recovery, similar gradient, warm down plus jog with the dog. All up 86 minutes, 130km last 7 days. I've managed to fit in 3 sessions a week in the last month covering 5000m speed, 10000m speed and strength hills with an average of 125km+/week. That's a typical build up block except I haven't cut the 5000m pace session and replaced with longer intervals. Next set Saturday with 7 x 3 minute intervals on XC surface at 3:10/km, 60 seconds recovery. I will have a play race of 7km or so next week. I'll give myself an easy day before the race to freshen up.

Got lucky with the weather this afternoon, a cold front with rain and strong winds passed through just before start of session. The weather sunny, cool and moderate winds, almost dark by finish of session. The set: 10km warm up, 4 x 100m hill strides, 3 x 3 minute efforts at 3:10/km or better on undulating XC surface, 1 minute jog recovery, 5km warm down. Just Helen and myself. Sitting on 130km last 7 days. Next session on Thursday either hills or efforts similar to this session. I'll be having a play race in a week or so, will back off the volume after the weekend.

Drizzle in Canberra for the Mothers Day Classic Fun Runs of 5km and 10km. I didn't see either race but wasn't far away after skirting the lake and Black Mountain on a long run of 105 minutes and 130km last 7 days. Keith in Merimbula had a return to running in the 10km event with a speedy 37:53. In Canberra Helen ran 21:46 in the 5km event.

Perfect weather again, still, cool, the same nine that ran same session last week. Once again we used the hilly 2500m loop, lane ropes up making the loop much longer than normal. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2 minutes jog recovery to re-group (fastest jogs back, slowest jogs forward, everyone meets in the middle), 1500m warm down. Of me: My first 6 minute effort covered 1900m which is quick for me. I maintained that pace throughout the session with the final two efforts being faster, last minute covered 350m. The others were also quicker than the previous week. Helen ran only a 1000m tempo as she is racing Mothers Day 5km tomorrow. This afternoon another run to take volume last 7 days to 126km. Tomorrow a long recovery run. Heavy rain expected. Next set on Tuesday with short XC intervals at 5000m pace. It's getting dark much earlier now. Might have to move to a lit track the following week.

Weather sunny, cool, no wind. Track starting to brown off but still soft at this stage. Lane ropes are up with school XC carnivals in full swing. Distances on the 1000m loop much longer than normal. The set: 1000m warm up, 4 x 100m, 5 x 600m (153,152,152,152,147) with 400m float recovery, 1500m warm down. Another 45 minutes recovery run this afternoon makes my third 120km+ week since Australian Masters Athletics Championships. Very happy with that set this morning. Tomorrow with be a longer step down set, same as last Saturday. It is expected to rain on Sunday, not good for those doing Mothers Day Classic.

Yesterday a long run in the Arboretum including ascent to Dairy Farmers Hill. Today long run in the Arboretum racing cyclists up Bindubi Street Hill (wind in their faces, make nice wind breaks). Postponed fast paced session until tomorrow morning, I'm having a no work day. 10 years ago today I wasn't running at all, a cyclist instead. I made a solo trip to Rottnest Island (my second visit) and had a beach escape. That trip eventually lead Minnie and myself running the Rottnest Marathon on almost no running training, the resumption of my love for running. I'll be there again for taper week in the World Masters Athletics Championships in October. Below some images from all my trips there from 1993, 2006, 2007 and soon 2016. By coincidence Rottnest Marathon is on there again when I will be there, maybe do the 5km fun run? " style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">