Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Weather for Wednesday was closing in with rain from after lunch. I opted for the low key BBQ Stakes 6km hilly XC run to get the job done before the rain. Milli the Border Collie ran with me as a rare treat on that course...I had left my shorts at home, had to stop by and collect my shorts and her. Keith tested the Nike Dragonfly spikes out on the grass of Bega Track. His short strides set was 3 x 100m in 16 seconds and 400m in 75 seconds, followed by one mile on the road. 7pm it's still raining, expected to clear on Thursday morning. Track resumes on Thursday evening. I may drop by and run something or just take photos.

Tuesday morning set of 3 x 1000m for Steve at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather cool, light winds, magpie is still swooping. Splits: 3:16,3:17,3:11 With OK weather I got out there for a long run including 3000m on track. Only 2 days to go until the European Masters Athletics 3000m Virtual Challenge for September finishes. I had run 10:21 and 10:19 a couple of weeks ago and was going to sit on those. It looks like they will not be good enough to win M55 category, thus the run today. I may have one more run on Wednesday, the final day of the challenge. Splits: 1:38,1:38,1:42,1:41,1:45,1:38. Throw out the bad split to 500m to go and it would have been 10 flat.

Monday morning Keith received his pair of new Nike Dragonfly Spikes. I hope they propel M60+ Keith to a sub-5:00 1500m this summer. He is in good form already. After a trot on grass in the new spikes Keith ran in Nike 4% grass strides intervals of 150m-250m, a hilly rectangle circuit. Today a steady run on bike path from home. I'll get to the track to wake my legs up this week. Track resumes on Thursday, a come and try it evening. On the weekend I'll be on the coast with Milli the Border Collie to let her bark at some waves. We will do many runs on the beach. On Tueday next week I'll resume structured training. I'll need 6 weeks of high volume and all the sessions to get back on top of things. Around mid-November I'll hope to be posting fast times on track.

Sunday morning XC Handicap at OÇonnor Ridge, distances 4km and 8km. Both course hilly on gravel path. Weather cool, light winds. Keith was running the 4km as training (16 minutes) Keith splits: 3:57,4:13,4:13,3:35. I was doing the same in the 8km along with Helen (backing up from a trail half marathon day before). Keith wearing his anti-Magpie swooping kit.

Saturday morning session for Steve, step down from 2000m. Splits: 2000m 3:46/km,1500m 3:32/km,1000m 3:31/km,500m 3:14/km. Weather snow on hills, cold and windy, mostly affecting 1000m split. While others were running a trails half marathon at Goorooyaroo our group session was small. We ran most of the Stromlo Running Festival 10km trails course which is on 22 November.

Thursday morning session for Steve of 5 x 3 minute efforts, 1 minute jog recovery. Splits:3:30/km,3:35/km,3:33/km,3:33/km,3:38/km. Weather cool with some wind. A series of rain showers rolled through yesterday bringing much cooler temperatures. I ran 1 hour 50 minutes on forest trails, much of it out of the wind.

Tuesday morning set for Steve of 4 x 500m on bike path by the lake. Splits: 1:38,1:36,1:35,1:35. Weather sunny, 7 degrees, light winds. I ran late afternoon, another long recovery run. I'll continue steady running until the end of the month before resuming structured training.

Monday morning short interval sets for Keith done on rough grass track. The sets: 4 x 400m (80,80,77,78), 4 x 200m (38,39,39,39), 4 x 100m (16,16,15,15). Keith is training for 1500m later in the season. I ran on Monday afternoon in the heat and wind of the day, 90 minutes out and back on bitumen bike path. Big storms rolled through an hour later, thus my aim to get it done before the lightning and thunder. I'm aiming to get some longer runs in with this lull in racing before track resumes in October. No more Tour de France...three weeks of minimal sleep watching Tour de France.

Sunday morning run on track for Steve. Weather cool with persistent drizzle, rain either side of that. Milli and I warmed up with Steve in the forest before watching his effort on an embankment outside the track (no dogs allowed in). It was a blow out the cobwebs for Steve as all early track runs are. On a morning like this most would have stayed under the doona. Splits: 3:32,3:35,3:32=10:39 I ran again late in the day, after the rain had diminished. Sad I couldn't be in France this year to see Richie be on the podium in Tour de France after a great time trial on La Planche des Belle Filles. It's a climb I've run a few times over the years (2012,2014)and where I met some French friends on my first run. Virginie and Clause were making their only stage visit of this year's Tour, not living very far away. The diary says I was 33 minutes up and 29 minutes down in 2012. 27 minutes up and 22 minutes down in 2014. I climbed untimed the day after each timed runs. I met Claud

Saturday morning group session at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather sunny, warm, light winds. The set: 1500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 1000m efforts, warm down. Keith on Friday ran 8 x 200m hills. On Saturday morning a longer set with 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts during a longer run. Pace of intervals varied from 3:35/km to 4:10/km. I am expecting to run 3000m on Sunday morning. It may be raining.

Thursday morning session for Steve of 4 x 500m leg speed intervals. Splits: 1:35,1:36,1:31,1:28 I ran mid-afternoon again, long run to Australian Institute of Sport Track, mixed session to get my legs turning over at 3:10/km again. Efforts 200m,700m,3 x 400m. Easy running on Friday, Saturday morning group session at Stromlo XC circuits, long intervals.

Wednesday afternoon repeat of yesterday with a long run incorporating 3000m Tempo in 10:21 at Australian Institute of Sport track. Weather sunny, very warm, strong winds. Like yesterday using early part of the 3000m as a warm up before finding my groove. Final 1000m was 3:08. Keith ran 1500m 5:48 and 2 x 800m 3:14 and 3:04 on hilly gravel road. Similar weather down south for Keith. I'll be looking for another 3000m on Sunday morning at track although rain is expected. A couple of shorter interval sessions before Sunday.

Tuesday morning for Steve at Stromlo XC circuits of 3 x 1000m. Splits: 3:18,3:14,3:08. Nice set, similar splits to a week ago. Keith ran 10km in 48 minutes. I ran after work a long run to the Australian Institute of Sport Track and back including a 3000m tempo in 10:19. Nice track with identical blue surface which would have been used in the cancelled Tokyo Olympics. The Nike Dragonfly spikes suit it well, very bouncy. I bought a pack of 7 track tickets. They will get me through until the end of the month when ACT Masters track resumes. I'll fit in some assorted sessions at 3:10/km or better and see where I land with performances before the end of 2020.

Sunday morning run on the Pipeline Track West of 18km. The track will soon be closed before work commences on environmental work. Weather cool, wind increasing quickly making a nice tail wind coming home. Monday afternoon another recovery run around and over Mount Stromlo, 17km. An assessment on whether I have recovered enough from the 8km XC to resume sessions will be made on Tuesday. Keith ran 8 x 300-400m hills, plus one 800m hill. Hot day. Last evening was Tour de France finish up the lacets to Grand Colombier. What a great stage to watch and great memories from 2016 when I ran up the finale a couple of times from Culoz.

ACT Masters 8.3km XC held in conjunction with the Open age and junior athletes. Weather partly cloudy, cool to warm to hot, light winds increasing to moderate with strong gusts through the day. ACT Open 10km race held at 9am, ACT Masters held between 11:30am and 2pm, two races. My race started at 1:15pm. Steve in the morning ran 5km on a local Parkrun course in 18:33. Keith ran 7km after an easy week. I spent my run chasing three under 20 year old males. The course included the steep hill extension twice which made the distance longer than 8km and very tough. At the bottom of the course I was swooped repeatedly by the resident magpie. Having previously lost much blood to this family of birds I was waving arms above my head frantically while trying to run fast. As far as I know I was the only runner swooped. I was a long way ahead of the next place behind me. As a lumpy course, exposed to strong winds from the north, the splits vary, the last two laps of 2.5km included that big hill.

Friday afternoon easy run at Stromlo XC circuits with stretching and two 500m strides. Splits: 3:20/km, 2:58/km. Loads of kangaroos lying on the grass staying in the sun, out of the wind. Tomorrow early afternoon ACT Masters 8km XC Championships. We will be running with the 20 year olds again!!

Thursday morning leg speed intervals of 4 x 500m from home for Steve. I ran at Stromlo XC circuits in the afternoon 3 x 500m starting at 3:08/km working down to 2:46/km. My splits: 1:34, 1:30, 1:23. Easy running on Friday. Saturday afternoon ACT Masters 8km XC Championships.

Cool drizzle at BBQ Stakes low key hilly 6km XC handicap. I started out of group running some of the hills solid and all of the down hills easy. 4km warm up and 1km warm down made it 11km for the day. Next set on Thursday afternoon 5 x 500m strides. Saturday afternoon ACT Masters 8km XC Championships. Last evening Tour de France made it's way from Ile DÓleron to Ile de Re. Lots of memories from 2011 having stayed in the region for a week. Highlight of course was a run along the beach with views of Fort Boyard from the famous TV show.