Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Thursday morning at Stromlo XC circuit Steve ran 3 x 1500m efforts. Splits: 5:10,5:10,5:09. Weather was cool and still, track not cut for a few days. I was there warming up with Steve, jogging plus 5 x 100m easy strides. Wednesday was another up tempo 17km run on forest rails, very quick last 8km. 132km last 7 days. I ran at 3000m in 10:06 at Woden track on Thursday evening. The 5000m was cancelled due to time restrictions with Pentathlon. Splits: 39,79,80,80,81,83,83,77. I lost concentration with 3 laps to go and picked it up again on the last lap. Not flat out again. More like a tempo run. Short warm up without strides.

Early morning session with Steve at Stromlo this morning followed by a 65 minute run with Helen. All up 26km for the morning, 132km last 7 days. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m easy strides, 4 x 600m efforts with 400m recovery in 2 minutes, warm down. Splits: 1:52,1:56,1:55,1:49. First effort was a little quicker than I found comfortable. Final effort of 1:49 was good enough to say I am back to a normal level. No niggles touch wood. Keith in Bega ran 2 x 3 x 400m. Splits: 85,81,84,84,85,85. It was his first set in 10 days. If I pull up from this set well I will run track on Thursday.

Sunday morning spent at Isaacs Ridge for the ACT Masters XC handicap 7km. Course was mostly flat along an aquaduct with 3 sharp climbs, two steep descents (one rocky, near un-runable) plus some concrete ditches that needed caution. I ran the course twice, first in 4:00/km, second near flat out in 24:48 and 95% age standard. Jogging in between 7km laps made 15km for the morning. Easy 6km recovery run in the afternoon. Once again no niggles and feeling very good out there. If I pull up well from this I'll be able to resume sessions and track racing in the next week or two.

Saturday morning session at 8am. Weather warm with some wind. Five of us out there. With an ACT Masters 7km XC handicap on Sunday morning a reduced session today. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 1 minute jog recovery, warm down. The set for me went well, getting my hips in the right place from the start and running strongly with no pain. No flat out running yet. I may return to track next Thursday if all goes well. This afternoon and easy recovery run. Sunday morning 7km out and back XC handicap, mostly on pine forest trails. In Rosebud (Vic) Jen ran a Parkrun course PB. On the coast Steve ran 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 1 minute recovery. Speed reduced from 3:41/km down to 3:23/km.

Thursday morning at Stromlo. Weather cool, slight breeze, big moon. My first faux set with no pain or niggles, no strides in warm up, going through the motions of a set with no real effort. The set: Warm up, 4 x 600m efforts, 2 minutes recovery, warm down. Splits: 3:58/km,3:48/km,3:32/km,3:20/km. Steve and I warmed up together before we separated into our own sets. Steve 3 x 1500m efforts. I ran with Steve for my final 600m effort on his first 1500m effort going through 600m in 2:00. Splits for Steve: 5:09,5:10,5:09. This afternoon an easy 40 minute jog to make 18km for the day, 132km last 7 days. Friday long run. Saturday XC session. Sunday 7km XC handicap.

Two weeks ago I took to a mid-season re-boot just when I was showing great form again...much the same as last year. The rationale this year was a postponement of the ACT Masters 5000m Championships by 7 weeks and a couple of niggles. Last year I resumed structured sessions in the first week of March. Within four days I was posting season best sessions and built on that form up to the Australian Masters Athletics Championships in Perth. I hope to repeat that again this year for the AMAC in Melbourne. Over the last two weeks I've had 10 long runs, most of them up-tempo (maximum 28km), average week of 130km+, biggest week 142km. No sign of any niggles at present. I'll have to build into the sessions slowly if I want to keep it that way. Today was a 17km tempo run on wide forest trails. It was very warm and windy. 132km last 7 days.

This morning at Stromlo Steve ran 3 x 1500m XC intervals. Splits: 5:12,5:11,5:12. Keith from Bemboka ran 3 x 90 sec, 4 x 60 sec, 5 x 30 sec intervals with equal recovery, speed quick and variable due to terrain. I ran an up tempo hilly 6km with Millie the border collie very early. At 8am 8km tempo with Helen and Maria at Stromlo. In the afternoon an easy recovery run. Tomorrow a long recovery run.

Thursday morning Steve ran 3 x 600m XC intervals with 2 minutes recovery. Splits quicker than Tuesday, average around 3:12/km. Weather cool with dew on grass. Keith in Bemboka ran 2 x 1000m on hilly gravel road with a headwind. Splits: 3:31,3:27. Steady long runs for me most days this week. Times have been my quickest on record although nowhere near flat out. Less a sign of racing form, more running efficiency at around 3:50/km. If all goes well I'll begin structured sessions again in early March, run 3000m handicap on 7 March and 10000m 14 March (both on track). Friday morning an up tempo run of 18km including 6km being towed by Millie the dog. In the afternoon a 35 minute recovery run. 142km this week.

Yesterday very windy with raised dust storms. Not so in the morning when Steve and I did our running at Stromlo. Steve ran 3 x 600m efforts with 2 minutes recovery in 1:57. I ran 17km including a 3000m tempo run. In Bemboka Keith ran 4 x 250m hills in the worst of the weather. Splits: 59,57,55,53. We will be skipping track this week to do a session or long run on Thursday morning.

Track on Thursday evening at Woden gave Keith an opportunity to post a time in his 2019 event 1500m. Result was a clear win in 5:05 and within reach of his goal 4:59. I ran an easy 3000m in 10:24. Steve is in recovery mode from a 10km road race last weekend. Light sessions on Thursday and Saturday at Stromlo. I ran a steady 28km on Saturday morning at Stromlo with Jen and Steve. Gabe and Maria ran 5 x 3 minute efforts with 1 minute recovery. I was pacemaker. The postponement of the ACT Masters 5000m championship has enabled Steve and myself to reset the program again with a peak planned in April. February will be mostly high volume, low intensity.

Early morning set with Steve at Stromlo. Weather cool to warm, some wind from the south. The set: Warm up, 6 x 100m strides, 3 x 600m efforts with 2 minutes recovery, warm down. Splits: 1:54,1:50,1:47. An identical set to 5 days ago, quicker on all the efforts without straining. First time this year all the efforts 3:10/km or better. First time a single effort under 3:00/km. Just easy running until Thursday at track and either 3000m or 5000m.

Early morning session at Stromlo XC circuit. Thunderstorms all night made the going slow on a wet track. Very humid. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 5 x 600m efforts with 2 minutes float recovery, warm down. Speed started at 3:30/km in the dark, working down to 3:08/km. An afternoon recovery run to make 17km for the day, 120km last 7 days. Track for me resumes on Thursday evening with a 3000m or 5000m. There is a 5000m championship at the end of the month. I will be looking to run in the mid-16 minutes as a first flat out effort for the season.

Steve on Saturday ran a hilly 10km road race in 38:59. 5km splits 19:20, 19:40. Final 2km in 3:40 and 3:30...nice way to finish. Keith ran a 16 minute tempo run at 4:03/km. Keith is starting to find good form. I skipped the Saturday session with most people away. Today was a 28km run in the forest with Jen. I'll schedule a session tomorrow or Tuesday, either 3000m or 5000m at track on Thursday evening.

On Thursday Steve and I ran 3 x 600m XC intervals at Stromlo with 2 minutes recovery. Splits: 1:55,1:52,1:50. Keith in Bega ran 800m 3:01, 1000m 3:43, 800m 3:01 on grass track. Track resumed with ACT Masters as well. I was on duty helping out.