Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Yesterday Steve at Stromlo ran 4 x 600m efforts. Splits: 1:53, 1:53, 1:52, 1:50 Keith in Bemboka ran 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts. Pace was 3:38/km-3:48/km on the long efforts, 3:20/km on the final effort. Helen and I are both having an easy week tending to niggles. Hard training and racing is on hold until those niggles are resolved.

This morning I was on duty for ACT Masters XC handicap at Weston Park. Fine early, then torrential rain. It was a washout, made way to coffee near by to warm up. 20 minute jog at lunch. Keith in Bemboka a 95 minute run in much cooler conditions. The fun of the Winter Olympics concludes today. I enjoyed the snowboarding the most...I've never done it. During the ice hockey I mashed together my bobsled run from 1996 when I was in Lillehammer for the World Ski Orienteering Championships. It was a great couple of weeks, exactly 22 years ago.

Stromlo XC Intervals this morning. Steve an early session solo. Later set with group. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 1200m, 1000m, 800m, warm down. Splits Steve: 1200m 4:20, 1000m 3:18, 800m 2:35. Splits group: Shane quickest with 1200m at 3:45/km. Emma 1000m 4:08, KT 4:14. I jogged at back of bunch with slowest on each effort, 11km for the session. Keith in Bemboka on Thursday 1500m, 1500m, 1100m, 1100m, 1500m. Today Keith 3 x 1000m at 3:40/km with 400m float in 4:00/km. Tomorrow a long run before ACT Masters Handicap, I am officiating. Brunch today was at a new venue.

Thursday night on track we had Steve and KT making their season debut, Kathy, Helen, Roget and I were also on track. The series over three races of 800m, 1500m and 3000m, I had won the first two already. Maths said Kathy W65 could still finish ahead in the 3000m with a 3:24 head start. It's always been a big ask over the years. Kathy W65, Helen W55 and KT W50 are often the best in the ACT for their age cats. My achilles didn't like the run, I'm on light training for a week or so. Results:

This morning with Helen 3 x 1300m XC intervals. It was very windy all day. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 1300m efforts with 1200m jog recovery. Helen ran all 3 hard having not run day after Sprint Marathon Relay. Her last effort was her best. My last effort easily the quickest at 3:20/km, very good in the conditions. In the afternoon a 5km jog where I saw Kathy doing 3 x 300m efforts. Steve did 3 x 600m efforts in 3:20/km. Still very windy. Keith on soft grass in Bega also 3 x 600m efforts. Splits: 2:11, 2:08, 2:06. Also windy down there. All up 18km for the day and 123km last 7 days. I am feeling very tired with 3 sessions in 4 days and 4 consecutive months of 120km+/week average. March will be around 110km/week average. Looking forward to that. Thursday night at track will be 3000m handicap and maybe a loosener track run later in the evening.

Nine evenly matched teams of six runners all abilities running flat out in the forest for a couple of hours. To keep the team in contention for the finale all efforts flat out under a hot sun. The event 4 x 1km, 2km flat out with 2km float to finish. Hard to describe how much fun this event is and how sore afterwards. All up 15km of running this morning, a loosener jog in the afternoon.

Stromlo XC intervals this morning in two sets, First with Steve, second with Gabe, Helen, Mia, Roget, Kathy and KT. Sets were identical with 2500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 1200m with 1000m jog recovery, 2500m warm down. Splits: (with Steve)(3:19/km, 3:13/km, 3:13/km). Steve was close behind. With the girls: Gabe 4:22/km, KT 4:03 and 4:05/km. KT missed the first effort. All up 20km for me this morning. Tomorrow is Sprint Marathon Relay, a cross country fun teams event. It will be 12km all up for me at full gas, several intervals of 1km, 2km and a longer effort to finish. Next set is on Tuesday with 600m efforts. Keith ran a 5.1km time trial on a country road. Time of 19:25 shows Keith is still in good shape.

Steve this morning ran 3 x 1000m XC intervals, his best set for the season, all efforts around 3:15 and a big improvement week on week. Looks like Steve is ready to step up and race on track in coming weeks and run some quick times. Keith this morning in Bemboka ran 2000m 3:30/km, 1500m 3:40/km, 1100m 3:48/km. Surface was undulating country road. Keith is hoping to get back on track for our 5000m championship in a few weeks time. Later in the evening I ran 10000m track. Weather mild 25 degrees, low humidity, 30kph wind in back straight. I fought the wind through 3000m 10:09 before slipping into cruise mode, turning back on with 3 laps to go. Time 35:22, last lap 71 seconds, similar time to my last 4 years in this club event. Lapped field twice, often in lanes 2,3,4 passing some I saw every lap.

Word has it entries for World Masters Athletics Championships Malaga 2018 will open late February. I'm looking forward to that and finalise arrangements. All flights and hotels are booked. Training plan is settled. Not much to do but enter and train. Here's the plan so far. Direct Preparation Period 1 `15th February to 25th March : ACT Masters Club Championships over several weeks. Events 10000m, 1500m, 800m, 5000m and 8000m XC handicap at Stromlo to finish off. Training continues after club championships. Ten day taper begins 17th April. Competition Period 1 `26th April to 29th April : Australian Masters Athletics Championships over consecutive days. Events 10000m, 1500m, 5000m and 8000m XC to finish off. Preparation Period 2 1st May to 30th June: High volume, long intervals, maximum threshold runs, power hills, some races. Direct Preparation Period 2 1st July to 12th August : High volume, target races, maximum threshold runs, long and short intervals. Target races wil...

Pitch black for warm up this morning, a sign summer is ending soon. Weather warm, some wind from the east. Steve and myself this morning. Set similar to yesterday, holding back today with a 10000m track in a couple of days. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 4 x 600m efforts with 400m jog recovery, warm down. A short jog in the evening made 13km for the day. Volume will be just over 100km by tomorrow evening. I was feeling very good this morning. Splits: 1:58, 1:54, 1:53, 1:47. Steve similar for the first efforts, I slipped away in the final 200m of the final effort.

Yesterday an 18km lower threshold run on soft lush grass (needs a cut), just over 4:00/km. This morning 3 x 200m, 3 x 600m efforts, a day earlier than usual due to 10000m track race on Thursday. Volume down from 142km to 120km, everything is much easier at this level. I'll be down to 100km by Wednesday afternoon. The set: (with Helen) Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 200m strides, 3 x 600m efforts (last 2: 1:46,1:43), warm down. An easy jog this afternoon to loosen up. Similar set will be repeated tomorrow, I'll just go through the motions.

This morning at Stromlo XC Circuit 2000m hill loop plus 3 x 600m. Weather sunny, warm to hot, no wind, wet grass from overnight watering, heavy wet shoes, 7 in group. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, Malaga 2000m (6:27, PB is 6:17), 3 x 600m (1:52,1:48,1:45), warm down. KT was again best of the girls, everybody was quick today. That was a great set from me. Volume reduced to 125km, lighter on the feet with more power. Felt great on the hills. I used the Malaga 2000m hill loop for the first time since August. It will be a staple again over coming months. An easy 20 minute recovery run this afternoon on grass. Tomorrow a 90 minute long recovery run in early morning. Next set on Tuesday with 600m efforts. Steve at Parkrun 5km on coast ran 18:47 on grass with last kilometre in 3:39. Ewen posted a video from Thursday track 1500m. Thanx Ewen.

This morning Steve 3 x 1000m XC intervals at Stromlo. Splits: 3:18, 3:19, 3:16. The set 1.6sec/km quicker than last week. This evening ACT Masters Track with a 1500m 4:41 and 2070m handicap at 3:18/km. Weather was very hot with some wind in the 1500m, slightly cooler with less wind in the 2070m handicap. Warm up included 8 x 100m (fastest 14.4) and 3 x 200m (fastest 30.5) Helen also ran both events, 4th across the line in the 2070m at 4:33/km. Kathy ran the 1500m finishing ahead of Helen. First race on the program was a 3000m or 5000m, far too hot to contemplate. All up 11km for the day 131km last 7 days. I'll have it down to below 100km by the ACT Masters 10000m Championships next Thursday. Next set on Saturday, long XC intervals.

Early at Stromlo XC Circuit two sets. First with Steve. Second with Helen. Weather 13 degrees, cloudy, no wind. Set 1: Warm up, 5 x 100m, 4 x 600m with 400m jog recovery, warm down. Splits: 1:54, 1:49, 1:43, 1:48. Steve: 1:57, 1:54, 1:52, 1:51. Set 2: Warm up, 5 x 100m, 3 x 1000m with 1000m jog recovery. Splits: 5:05, 4:26, 3:10. Paced Helen first two efforts. Chasing start on the last effort (finished together). Keith in Bega on grass track 3 x 400m, 200m, 400m. Splits: 79,37,78,78,38,79,78,36,76. That's Keith's first since niggle free. Track on Thursday 1500m and 2000m handicap. 21km all up today 142km last 7 days.