Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Arrived home late last evening, no sleep, same story as last year. Same course, same jet-lag, same result. Minnie 1st, myself 2nd on one of our toughest courses, relentless hills on a rough gravel surface. My splits: 3:26,3:51,3:54,3:56,3:51,3:49,3:29,3:16,3:57 for 33:31. Last year 33:24. Age standard was 92.7% adjusted for terrain. It was a King and Queen of the Mountain race. Minnie and I both lead the series female and male after 3 races. Minnie leads the pointscore, I am 3rd. Both after no sleep and 40 hours of travel. All up this morning 19km. A lazy jog this afternoon to loosen up. That followed by a nap and then back into the routine of life. Next set on Tuesday, 5 x 600m XC efforts at Stromlo. Keith in Bemboka 2000m 7:16, 1600m 5:52, 1200m 4:30, 810m 3:13, 420m 1:31. Looks like he has almost recovered from the epic long run last weekend. It's City2Surf 14km in a fortnight. If I can get in some sessions at the right pace I should go OK. It all depends on the weather an...

Last run in Paris this morning for the airport hotel. 12km on a full breakfast, 4 minute maximum threshold effort in the middle of run. Next up Sunday with ACT Masters XC handicap. Go Pro mounted on Renault Kangoo, Nikon DSLR in hand, helicopters overhead, riders coming past, let's get on TV again:-)

I've settled on Sutherland2Surf 11km road race as my final event before leaving to France for six weeks of adjusting to climate and final training. Basic plan is complete race, depart following day. Three weeks training in Saint Malo, Noirmoutier and Bordeaux including a couple of Parkruns. Last 3 weeks travel to French alps for altitude camp, another 1-2 Parkruns and final training. Travel to Malaga from Zurich (or Paris). Details to be firmed up as I book flights and entries open. Sutherland2Surf has around 4000 starters and enough competition to provide a good test. Tour de France start has recently been delayed by a week due to World Cup football clash. That means I'll be in France for the final week of the Tour but nowhere near the race. Most of my sessions in the first 3 weeks will be done on the hard flat beach sand at low tide. The brief altitude camp I did at Col du Galibier two weeks ago was beneficial for strength and power. Recovery from the two altitude climbin...

Steve today 3 x 6 minute efforts plus a 400m (sore calf). Splits: 3:42/km, 3:41/km, 3:41/km, 3:37/km. Keith still recovering from overdone weekend 20 x 200m efforts in pairs with 100m jog recovery. Splits as 400m: 75,74,75,75,75,74,74,74,72,71 Long run for me from hotel. Some drizzle about keeping things cool. The run through the airport service towns of Le Mesnil Amelot and Mauregard, mostly of agricultural country dirt roads. A similar run tomorrow if I wake early enough before the flight home at noon. ACT Masters XC handicap on Little Black Mountain scheduled for Sunday, hours after I arrive home. The start is a short jog from home.

On the worst track I have run on (Keith has run on worse), 3 x 800m efforts, 400m jog recovery. The surface loose gravel with potholes, a pile of dirt in lane 1-2 to negotiate, some patchy grass. Still I got some sort of session in, eventually at a decent pace. The pile of dirt has a metal tray next to it. I assume the surface ir repaired with the dirt and the tray pulled by tractor, like grooming a ski trail. Warm up along the river for 30 minutes, no strides with first two efforts as warm up. Splits: 3:00, 2:50, 2:40. Now on the way to Paris, stop at Chateau-Thierry for brunch by the river Marne. I'll get a run in later in the day either from airport or in Paris at Bois de Boulogne.

This morning Steve 5 x 3 minute efforts. Splits: 3:33/km,3:35/km,3:34/km,3:31/km,3:32/km. Another recent PB set for Steve despite sore calves. Keith is sore from an epic run to the coast with some mates. Rest required and easy running for Keith until he mends. Long run for me this morning up into the hills and vineyards around Epernay. Weather has turned mild and wet, not complaining compared to back home. We Aussies formerly abroad continue to arrive home. Helen is on the way. We'll be there soon.

Drove from Beaune to Epernay this morning. Long afternoon run of 80 minutes included 5 x 3 minute efforts, 60 seconds jog recovery. Here for another 4 nights before heading home. Next set 4 x 1500m efforts in a couple of days.

This morning along velo trail in the vineyards of Beaune 19km at a nice clip. Weather was cool after some more thunderstorms last evening. Steve 4 x 600m with 400m jog at Stromlo. Splits: 1:55, 1:57, 1:55, 1:53. Another recent PB set. Keith yesterday a long intervals set, recent PB set for him as well. This morning a long run to the beach, the end of a very big week. Next set for me tomorrow morning 5 x 3 minute efforts along the undulating velo trail again. Later in the morning moving camp to Epernay for another three nights.

Some sort of timetable is up for World Masters Athletics Championships 2018 Malaga Spain. I can rule things in and out to train for based on that timetable. Out is 800m. I am not 800m runner anyway although I like it (heat,semi-final,final,hamstrings!!). In surprisingly is 10km road. It fits the schedule. 1500m and Half Marathon can't be both. I enter and train for both. My favourite event cross country is first, BIG TICK. Train for hills. I think that also decides when I travel to Europe. It's either straight after Gold Coast Half Marathon weekend early July or City to Surf 14km weekend early August. Four weeks is not long enough to recover from flight virus. Leaning towards Gold Coast and July, especially if 1500m is a fun event. Is there a tasty race week before Gold Coast? I can still make Tour de France start in Noirmoutier. Leave around 28 June? Mull it over.

Parkrun at Chateau de Pierre de Bresse this morning. Three laps of the wooded grounds of the chateau on single track and paths with loose stones, many corners. Each lap started with a 1km rise to the top of the course and a slow, winding descent back to the finish. The course measured 5060m on garmin, all due to not taking the best lines on laps 2 & 3 when lapping runners. We had a nice brunch at the local PMU of brioche and petit cafe. 10km this morning including Parkrun and warm up, 10km this afternoon in the vineyards of Beaune after the Tour de France time trial in Marseilles finished on TV. Tomorrow a longer run in the vineyards.

Steve this morning 4 x 6 minute efforts with 2 minutes recovery. Splits: 3:44/km, 3:41/km, 3:38/km, 3:41/km. That's another recent PB set. The numbers improving every week to follow his other sets. His average rate for this set has gone from 3:59/km to 3:41/km in three sets over two weeks. An easy 40 minute jog for me this morning, an easy 45 minute jog later in the day at Beaune. Risks of hail all around. I've been scouting venues for training in August next year, preparation for World Masters Athletics Championships Malaga in September 2018. Albertville is firming as a venue along with Annecy, altitude camp on Col du Galibier, Lyon for access to synthetic track for speed sets. Image from the venue this morning in Albertville. The bike path along the River works for 600m-2000m efforts as well.

Today on bike path by a river 6 x 600m efforts. I did this same session four days ago. Today the set much better. Surprising given the last two days of mountain climbing at pace. Splits today: 205,156,155,152,154,151. Splits 4 days ago: 208,206,159,201,158,155. I am running Parkrun on Saturday. Tomorrow and this evening will be easy running to aid recovery, still holding around 130km last 7 days. I expect this Parkrun to be a little snappier than last Saturday.

A few days ago after the Tour de France start in Laissac a very long drive to Bourg d’Oisans, foot of Alpe d’Huez. Morning run at Oissans included 6 x 600m efforts. Splits:(208,206,159,201,158,155). Shortly after a drive to Col du Lautaret, foot of Col du Galibier. We spent 3 nights here and on the other side waiting for Tour de France to catch up. I waited 24 hours to acclimatise before a serious running climb from Col du Lautaret 2060m asl up to Col du Galibier 2642m asl. Official climb in this direction is 8.7km. Gradient varies between 5%-8% with steeper pinches and switchbacks at 9% near the summit. The run steady at just below threshold. Many vehicles and cyclists on route. The road was closed later that evening, a day before the race came. Roads were also closed between Bourg d’Oissans to Grenoble and Briancon has been closed to through traffic for days. As always it’s a logistical challenge. The climb: Warm up 3:07, Official Climb start at 8.7km: 8km: 3:31, 7km 4:59, 6km 5:...

Steve 5 x 3 minute efforts, his 4th and best set of this type in this build up (consistency rocks!). Splits: 3:37/km, 3:34/km, 3:35/km, 3:32/km, 3:30/km. He has taken his average from 3:45/km to 3:33/km in four sessions. Still a way to go yet. Keith 8 x 400m efforts. Splits: 78, 76, 80, 78, 80, 80, 80, 81. Keith has been training hard for weeks now and in good shape. Still a long time until he can use that from to break some records. Staying injury free, listening to the body, not overtraining, being patient and consistent will get him to October and track season. Keith said in snowed in Thredbo. Hope it's a good snow year. few days ago Keith in Bega ran 3 x 1500m (5:14, 5:14, 5:19), 400m 88, 600m 2:07. Recovery was 300m jog plus 2 x 100m strides in 20 seconds. 4.5km warm up, warm down plus 5 x 100m strides in 17 seconds. Keith says snow is on the way. He was right.

Yesterday at the stage finish of Tour de France in Rozez some walking to and from 4km to go into stage finish and back. Last 2km I ran as a hill effort, max threshold. Recovery run was in Laissac, start of the stage today. This afternoon a long recovery run. Steve today at Stromlo 3 x 600m XC efforts, his first of this type in a while. It should speed up the progress to a quicker 10km and 5km. Splits: 2:01, 1:57, 1:56 Next stage of Tour de France may be over Col du Galibier. Briancon is such a pain to get through and our next Parkrun to the north is better accessed via Albertville. I'll check the maps. Play of the day in Rodez was Michael Matthews winning the stage ahead of Greg Van Avermat. Looks like MM knew his target from this snap I took with 4km to go.

This morning a stop off at Parkrun La Ramee in Toulouse, not far from the Tour de France start in Blagnac. The course mostly cross country on grass, single track, forest paths, two sections of pavement, two non-identical laps. I had someone to chase all the way which was helpful as the course route is complicated. A small field of mostly ex-pat Brits and a few French. Weather very warm and humid (nice:-) 17:11 for me, Minnie 26:47. It was a fun morning. We ran the two laps plus a bit more as warm up. I was full gas the whole way except first 500m. That's about all I can expect on 130km+ last 7 days. Next stop Rodez for the stage finish of Tour de France. Keith in Bemboka 2000m 7:53, 1700m 6:14, 1300m 4:55, 850m 3:24, 300m 65

Today 17km recovery run to Foix and back for the Tour de France stage finish. Tomorrow is a Parkrun near Toulouse if all goes well. 128km last 7 days.

Yesterday Steve ran his 4 x 6 minute efforts, another recent PB set as he builds his form up again after base work and a short break. Splits: 3:44/km, 3:41/km, 3:41/km, 3:46/km. It's only taken two weeks for Steve to get back into solid form again. I'm based in Foix for three days waiting for Tour de France to come. I've always use a small farm road for my sessions whenever I'm here, six visits in the last ten years. There is no flat and some serious hills. Today's set 6 x 1-2 minute Power Hills all close to flat out. I'm running a low key Parkrun not far from here on Saturday. It should be fun. We made TV in Bergerac again, not that you can tell from a helicopter. I am red, Carol black, car black. Keith 5 x 400m (84,82,82,83,84). He is feeling tired from a hard week.

This morning an early 60 minutes including 600m 1:45 and 2 x 2000m, both 6:50. This afternoon an easy recovery run after another 4 hours of driving. Steve 5 x 3 minute efforts (3:37/km,3:35/km,3:38/km,3:34/km,3:39/km). Three weeks in structured training and another recent PB set. Yesterday in Tour de France around 5km from the finish in Bergerac. Today watching the start at Eymet. I think we are missing the stage but you never know.