Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Keith Monday 3 x 3 minute efforts. Wind is picking up, temperatures cooling down again...not for long though. I ran on the flat Pipeline trail looking for somewhere with few hills, left thigh sore from downhill fast running yesterday. Wind strong on way out, huge tail wind coming home. Nobody in sight.

Sunday morning 8km XC handicap with ACT Masters Athletics. Weather warm, sunny, windy...typical of September which makes it a few days early. The course identical to the Longstaff 8km which is half on the manicured grass trails, the other half on single track and gravel roads. Both sections extremely hilly. On the flatter sections I was 3:16-3:18/km. On a couple of the gravel hills I was just over 5:00/km. There was a very long descent from that hill coming back to the grass, lots of fun. This week a session of 500m strides, a maximum threshold 6km XC at BBQ Stakes and Saturday long XC intervals at Stromlo. September is 3000m month with European Masters Athletics Virtual Challenge. I'll aim to get a few of those done until I am happy with the form. I have new spikes to run with, some of those 3000m will be done on a track.

Saturday morning sets in Canberra and on the South Coast. Weather glorious after a light frost. Full sun, light winds and warming up quickly. Spring appears to be here after snowing last week. Mount Franklin can be seen from here still covered in white. Helen and I ran 5 x 3 minute efforts, 1 minute jog recovery. We are both running ACT Masters 8km XC handicap on Sunday morning at Stromlo. Others were racing around the lake at the same time in a 16km (10 Mile) low key road race. Keith in Bemboka ran 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2-3 minutes recovery, 14km all up. Steve did a light 2 x 1km session early in the morning. Tour de France starts this evening. No doubt I will be staying up late.

Thursday recovery run with Milli the Border Collie on forest single track trails in the Arboretum. Weather sunny, cool, some wind...nice day for a run. Keith was also out there continuing his progress with a recovery run. Next set for Keith on Friday. I'll have a double session weekend with long interval group session on Saturday, 8km XC ACT Masters handicap on Sunday. Another recovery run on Friday. Tour de France begins on Saturday evening. I'll have to structure my training accordingly. It's either not so much sleep or holding out for the stage replay on TV. How many riders will make it to Paris?

Lunch time 6km maximum threshold XC run at BBQ Stakes handicap. I caught all but one runner today, a sign my handicap was spot on. The weather sunny, some wind, XC section still muddy with puddles to negotiate. My run equal to that a couple of weeks ago, my fastest two runs in 2020. Today would have been faster if not for a stiff headwind for the first 4km. Splits (500m): 1:44,1:48,1:55,2:01,1:52,1:53,2:01,1:58,1:52,1:48,1:49,1:34 Next set on Saturday morning, group session long XC intervals. Venue to be determined. Keith ran 3 x 3 minute efforts at just over 3:20/km. Nice set for Keith as he runs into form.

Lunch time set at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather sunny, windy, track good except for wet patches on top and bottom straight. The set: Warm up, 5 x 500m efforts with 500m jog recovery, warm down. Started at 3:08/km working down to 2:50/km. Splits: 1:34,1:30,1:28,1:25,1:25. A decent start to leg speed intervals. A much quicker set than I ran a week after the EMA One Mile Challenge. A post session warm down to make 17km for the day. Wednesday at lunch time a 6km maximum threshold XC run at BBQ Stakes.

Track resumes for ACT Masters Athletics Club on 1st October. That's great news for us all here. Given last summer was a torn thigh, bush fires, hail storm, cancelled so many events and the ongoing Covid I will be competing as much as I can every week. I want to challenge myself and post some fast times. I've been in great track shape all winter, I have new spikes, I can't wait. Today was a 13km hilly trails run over and around Mount Stromlo again, passing through the XC circuits. The surface there is still saturated from all the recent rain and snow. With a dry week ahead and some wind around it should improve quickly. The week ahead has a 6km XC handicap on Wednesday, group XC session on Saturday and 8km XC handicap at Stromlo on Sunday. I'll fit a session of 500m strides in also. Keith ran 5 x 1 minute efforts with 2 minutes float recovery. Keith also has some new shoes. He will be able to make good use of them over the summer.

Sunday morning run exploring new forest trails and snapping photo of fresh snow in the mountains. The trails were very hilly and I ran some off track when the trails disappeared.

Stromlo XC circuits closed due to saturation, prevention of gross damage to surface. That means no ACT Masters XC Championships on Sunday. Our Saturday morning group session went ahead near the Australian Institute of Sport track, in the forest on muddy fire trails. It was snowing on us as we ran the session and after set at home. The set: 8km warm up, 3 x 1km hill efforts with 500m jog recovery, warm down. The 1km hill sector was undulating featuring a couple of sharp climbs, final 500m all up. My Splits:4:10/km,3:52/km,3:40/km. We've used this hill many times up until around 2013 when we moved to Stromlo. Very promising my final hill matched times back then. The girls were evenly matched, pushing each other. Ten of us there for the set and coffee. We all had a joint August birthday party the night before that went very late. Keith ran a 10km scoping out a possible training loop. Sunday morning a long run somewhere.

Friday morning run for Keith on undulating gravel road. Keith ran a continuous out and back effort as 5 x 100m with 100m jog recovery, 5 x 200m with 100m jog recovery, same set from turn around. It's very cold and windy everywhere, snowing already and expected to very low levels tonight. It has snowed in Canberra every few years (2015,2016,2019 the last). The biggest fall I remember was in May 2000, just after I moved here. Yesterday and today 5km recovery runs with Milli the Border Collie. ACT Masters XC Championships on Sunday afternoon.

Wednesday weather was cold, windy and wet everywhere near here with worse to come including snow to very low levels. That made training difficult. Steve ran a solid 4 x 500m strides in a 4km run. Steve and I are both in taper mode for the ACT Masters 8000m XC Championships on Sunday. Keith ran 2 x 2500m efforts with 4 minutes jog recovery on rolling hills. Splits (1km,1km,500m): 3:43,4:10,1:51 and 3:47,4:21,1:45 I ran BBQ Stakes Hilly 6km XC as long intervals, pushing the climbs and recovering on the down hill muddy sections Just easy runs with some strides until the ACT Masters XC.

London Elite Marathon 2020 Shoes...which shoe will the male and female elite runners wear?...or??

Morning run for Keith of 15km including 100m strides at 3km,5km,8km and 12km marks. Pace of strides working down to 3:15/km. I ran 8km from home, 4km up to Mount Stromlo, 4km back down. Weather looking ordinary for a few days with cold fronts moving through, snow down to very low levels, strong winds. If I can I'll gt out to BBQ Stakes Wednesday lunch for 6km XC done as long intervals, 1 minute recovery jog.

Monday session for Keith on Bega Parkrun course of 6 x 400m with 200m jog/walk recovery. Splits: 84,82,84,82,81,80. Windy again. I'm six days away from ACT Masters 8km XC Championships. Hilly 13km runs early in the week. Wednesday BBQ Stakes 6km hilly XC done as long intervals. Thursday to Saturday easy runs, some with strides.

Sunday morning race for Steve by the lake in the Sri Chinmoy 5 Mile. It was his fastest time in the event of 30:29, 1st M50-59 and 4th overall. Keith ran a virtual Parkrun on the Merimbula course. It was his first run in three days having been bogged inside his property due to rain. Splits: 5:17/km,4:48/km,4:23/km,4:06/km,3:39/km. It was a windy day both in Canberra and on the coast. I got out on some forest trails for 30 minutes with Milli the Border Collie. Not a great choice of venue with many dogs and horses about. Very nice to have some sun shining on my head. I've had a series of late nights getting my French cycling fix. Criterium du Dauphine is my favourite race with small crowds and easy to get close to the riders. It's been centered around Ugine and Megeve / Sallanches for the final two stages. Annecy and Ugine are linked by a long bike path. Just up the road Albertville is a great base to get into the Alps for a run and day trip. Loads of memories, sad not to be ...

Saturday morning group session at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather drizzle to rain, no wind, track saturated and slow. With the weather poor I ran the session as an 8km maximum threshold run to get out of the wet and cold. I used the same hilly to undulating course as the ACT Masters XC Championships in a week. Roger ran 8km solo. Helen and Gabe ran as long intervals on the same course, each loop of 1000m, 2500m x 2, 2000m done with 1-2 minutes recovery. Mia ran 1000m intervals. Splits (500m): 1:37,1:45,1:46,1:41,1:42,1:51,1:47,1:48,1:43,1:43,1:57,1:52,1:51,1:44,1:55,1:49=28:38. If the track is wet next Sunday I will wear spikes, very slippery out there. I wore a GoPro on the head during the run, a Hero8 Black I've had since late 2019. I've recorded a few of my regular runs in different places, many with Milli the Border Collie. I put the video in an editor and convert to 6x speed. Nobody wants to look at a 28 minute run video, not even me. But when I am running near full gas, ...

Next Sunday 23rd August is the ACT Masters XC 8km Championships. That's the main focus for the next week. The following weekend is the only opportunity I have to complete a time for the European Masters Virtual Half Marathon Challenge. That's two big weekends of racing, I won't need many sessions to get me through the next fortnight. Today was another 13km hilly trail run from home around and over Mount Stromlo. Saturday morning group session at Stromlo XC circuits, long XC intervals. The track was feeling less wet today, although it's raining again now. The magpies are swooping, I will probably switch to the higher trails away from where they feed to avoid a bloody attack on the ear. It happens every spring. Less scary than the brown snakes which will be active in another month.

Thursday afternoon run around and over Mount Stromlo. Having eaten nothing but some coffee and cake all day I was feeling flat at half way. Water is still flowing off Mount Stromlo, all heading across the trails. The road from my place is cut off from my place to the north as the crossing across the Molonglo river is shut, has a pile of logs on it and the Coppins Crossing causeway rails detached. Must have been a huge flood at it's peak. Nest set on Saturday at Stromlo, long XC intervals. The surface is still saturated. Rain expected again from Friday afternoon.

Lunch time low key community run BBQ Stakes used as a hilly 6km maximum threshold XC run as I have over the last few weeks. Today 30 seconds quicker than recent efforts which were all within 5 seconds of each other. All the long hilly runs and intervals made a difference. It will be my last big effort until ACT Masters XC Championships on August 23rd. I'm back in good form again. Splits (500m): 1:53,1:52,1:59,1:55,1:46,1:54,2:02,2:00,1;36,1:39,1:48,1:42, Keith ran 8 x 1 minute efforts, 1 minute jog recovery on gravel road. Weather down near the coast was similar to here with cool temperature, some cloud and wind. Joy oh joy, some cycling on TV with Criterium du Dauphine beginning this evening.

Tuesday afternoon trail run over Mount Stromlo towards Brown Trig and return via Stromlo XC circuits. The run added in some additional hills into the run and reduced the junk kilometres at the end. Weather cool, some wind, mostly sunny. Water still flowing off Mount Stromlo everywhere. Wednesday at lunch will be BBQ Stakes 6km maximum threshold xc run. In the morning Steve ran 12km inclusing long intervals at 3:40/km Keith ran 13km attempting to avoid the flooded valley near Bega.

Monday set for Keith of 4 x 400m (83-80), 4 x 200m (38-37), 4 x 100m (18-18) intervals on gravel road. Windy and cold. I ran my set late afternoon in similar weather. I ran from home to the summit of Mount Stromlo on forest trails as 7 x 1km with 1 minute jog recovery. Warm down was by the road down and through the Stromlo XC circuits. The circuit is still saturated in places, dam overflowing. Next set on Wednesday with 6km maximum threshold XC at BBQ Stakes community run. I have entered the ACT Masters 8km XC Championships to be held on 23rd August.

I waited all day for a weather window to get out there for a run and got caught in a rain storm mid-run. The course from home, all up on bitumen bike path for 3.5km, down 2km, undulating 4.5km on the Stromlo Criterium track and home to finish. The weather should be OK from tomorrow afternoon. Dams are full, some towns flooded, especially on the coast, lake spill way in Canberra is overflowing. Next sets on Tuesday and Wednesday, whatever I can fit in around the weather. If strong rumours are correct (I am convinced), the London Elite Marathon will comprise 19.8 laps of St James Park and feature a direct match between Eliud Kipchoge and Keninesa Bekele (I am excited). Since both are sponsored by Nike I expect they will be wearing identical shoes. Probably a new or updated shoe, Alphafly is too heavy.

Raining everywhere near here since Friday. Most surfaces saturated and unsafe for sessions. We all got out there to do something. Keith on Friday before the rain a fartlek 90 seconds,60 seconds, 45 seconds, 30 seconds, 15 seconds, 60 seconds. On Saturday 15km in the rain. Saturday morning Steve ran on soggy bike path 3 x 3 minute efforts at 3:30/km. I ran 5km with Milli the Border Collie on a muddy trail, very slippery on Friday. Saturday 5km with Leonor at Stromlo and muddy trails. Stromlo XC circuits were mostly under water. We went exploring the MTB trails, very few bikes. Active recovery until the rain stops. On a positive I have upgraded my track spikes for summer to Nike Zoom X Dragonfly. These spikes were designed for 5000m and 10000m track at the postponed Tokyo Olympics. They have already been used successfully over distances 800m and up. They sold out here is most sizes within minutes. I look forward to racing in them.

Thursday morning set for Keith of 2000m (3:52/km),1500m (4:10/km-3:52/km). Windy for the last few days. Today less so. Rain coming for the next few days. I ran in the afternoon, similar weather. The usual hilly loop around and over Mount Stromlo, adding some extra loops at the end to make 18km for the day, maintain 120km for the week. With the rain coming I'll take it day by day.

Lunch time 6km maximum threshold run with BBQ Stakes, a long time low key community handicap gathering. Weather very windy, cold and sunny. A series of cold fronts rolling through bringing snow at low levels, turning to lots of rain by Friday. Too late the snow for Victoria who have abandoned the ski season due to Covid. My time of 22:46 very similar (within a few seconds) of my previous runs done in early July. First 2km up hill into the wind. Last 1500m down hill on bike path. Middle 2.5km rolling XC terrain. Worst wind today, I felt great throughout. Splits(500m):2:04,1:50,2:06,2:08,1:58,1:52,1:48,2:04,1:54,1:37,1:38,1:39. Warm up and warm down made 17km for the day.

Tuesday afternoon 13km trails run. So windy I didn't want to get out there. I convinced myself it would only be 4km all up straight into a 50kph+ gale and the sun was shining and got out there. I had a whopping tail wind for the final 4km :-) Snow on the nearby ranges and freezing mornings to come, then rain. I'll take it day by day. We were swooped by a plover on Saturday morning at Stromlo, I can confirm that the Stromlo magpie is still alive, swooped near his tree near home. Mild winter, early babies.

Monday morning set for Keith of 6 x 300m on a new training patch. Splits: 62,62,62,61,61,59. Looking good for a sub-5min 1500m later in track season. Steve easy running and long run 18km on the weekend. Today 4 x 500m efforts at around 3:20/km. An afternoon loop on forest trails around and over Mount Stromlo of 16km, my first 120km+ week since early July when I was shifting gears towards a fast Mile. Next set Tuesday afternoon, short leg speed intervals (500m).

Sunday morning 22km run on the forest trails of Mount Stromlo. Pea soup fog and cold again, cleared to full sun around lunch, well after my run. Milli the Border Collie joined me for 6km. There should be good weather for a few days. I'll aim to get in a couple of sets before the bad weather rolls in on Friday.

Open EMA 1 Mile Challenge is over. Three of us submitted times for the challenge. Results were good. Leonor suffered from shin splints and Helen to the lure of snow skiing in the final fortnight. They both relied on their backup times. I was happy with my time and submitted early, just as I did in the 10km challenge. My time was bettered in the final week by M55 Neill Cookson, a well deserved win. Results: Leonor W55 6th 8:56 ; Helen W60 7:02 3rd ; Me M55 2nd 4:52, Aged graded overall 3rd 93.15% behind two amazing females Pauline Moran W60 99.64% and Dorothy Kesterton W65 94.79% Open European Masters Athletics Challenge for August is a Half Marathon. I'll run this as soon as I can. H

Saturday morning group session at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather cold, pea soup fog, track wet and slippery. The set: 2500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 2000m,1500m,1000m,500m with 2 minutes recovery. Speed started at 3:28/km working down to 3:02/km. Gabe, Helen and Mia all pushed each other throughout. I ran solo. An easy recovery run to make 17km for the day. Sunday morning a long run on forest trails.