Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Morning run on forest trails of 17km. Cloudy and not so cold, light winds. I'm now half way through this base training block which will last until beginning of October. The last 3 weeeks I've added strength hills into the mix and upped my speed endurance sessions a little. The training will evolve through to October when I begin racing on track again. I won't begin to hit my peak until late January when I turn 60 and can go about setting some new age PBs and records through until April when track concludes. I am hopeful Australian and World Masters Athletics Championships will go ahead in 2022. I'm not convinced they will. Setting new age PBs and records, finding some decent races when I can may have to do.

Tuesday morning set of 5 x 3 minute efforts with 1 minute jog recovery, pace solid. Steve ran 10 x 1 minute efforts with 1 minute recovery, pace 3:15/km-3:35/km depending on terrain. Easy running on Wednesday for me, another 5 x 3 minute effort session on Thursday. Parkrun Saturday. Gold Coast Half Marathon on Saturday was cancelled due to Brisbane Covid lockdown. Next race for me on Saturday 10th July Runners Shop 10km in Canberra. Today Keith in Bemboka ran 3 x 4 minute efforts on gravel road.

Cold Monday morning run on forest trails of 18km. I couldn't resist another climb to the Dairy Farmers Hill summit on the steepest section of the bitumen road, just for the view. Pace was easy to allow recovery for Tuesday and Thursday sessions of 5 x 3 minute intervals with 1 minute recovery. Today concludes 10 weeks of this base building training block, 124km this week, looking forward to Gold Coast Half Marathon on Saturday and two easy days prior to that. Last evening a sit by the fire pit to warm up, another cold evening.

Sunday morning run to the lake and return including 6 x 6 minute efforts with 1 minute jog recovery. Cool day with some wind, sunny with views of snow on Mount Franklin in the distance. I'll do 3 minute intervals on Tuesday and Thursday to sharpen up for the Gold Coast Half Marathon on next Saturday.

Cold, cloudy morning, light winds at Parkrun Coombs. Course in OK shape, just a few puddles left after the rain overnight and yesterday, cautious on the slippery sections. With some good sessions this week 17:29 is an improvement on recent weeks. Splits (500m): 3:17/km,3:33,3:22,3:23,3:30,(dead turn)3:41,3:32,3:25,(dead turn)3:40,3:26. A good hitout a week before Gold Coast Half Marathon. On Sunday a lap of the lake including 6 minute efforts with 1 minute recovery.

Morning run down to the lake and return on bike path. Everything is still soggy after the rain yesterday, Stromlo running circuits are closed. On leaving the lake and returning back up the bike path 4km climb I incorporated a fartlek session of 90 seconds x 2, 60 seconds x 4, 30 seconds x 4 and 15 seconds x 4, all with equal duration recovery. Warm down to home followed the session. Saturday Parkrun, Stromlo circuits are closed due to excessive rain. On Sunday a 17km run including a set of 6 minute efforts, 1 minute jog recovery. It will be my last very hard session before Gold Coast Half Marathon next Saturday.

At 3am on 25 June 2017 Bella died. Just hours earlier we were at a local coffee shop. She had been my running partner for more than a decade. On 25 June 2018 Milli was born on a farm 250km to the north. Border Collies make the best running friends.

Just the bare minimum of running this morning on soggy a bike path in between the rain events. 17km all up plus some indoor biking to warm down while watching distance athletes compete in their Olympic trials in Kenya, USA and Ethiopia (at a track in the Netherlands). Friday should be better, another easy day of running. Parkrun and a session at Stromlo XC circuits on Saturday morning. In Bega on a grass track Keith ran two sets of 4 x 300m. Splits: 1. 61,61,62,60 ; 2. 56,57,59,57. Keith just had his 64th birthday. In a years time he will aim to set some new M65 records, especially over 1500m.

Morning run of 18km including ascents of Mount Painter and Dairy Farmers Hill, all done before the rain arrived. Dairy Farmers the most intense, steep gradients but only 1.5 km long. Mount Painter was 4km long and the highest at 750m asl. Great views from both summits. Very wet on Thursday, I will see what I can fit in.

Afternoon set at Stromlo XC circuits of 2 x 500m strides with 500m jog recovery(1:39,1:33) and 3 x 800m efforts with 200m jog recovery (2:40,2:38,2:32). Left leg a little sore from a fall yesterday, I jogged 10km after the session to loosen up. Rain coming tomorrow afternoon, I'll get something solid done in the morning then easy running until the rain passes in time for Parkrun Saturday.

Afternoon run mostly on single track and grass at Stromlo of 21km. I was feeling good until a stumble and hitting my chin on a small stone. Not much pain, lots of blood. At Stromlo no wind as opposed to 40km/hour yesterday. Next session probably on Tuesday after it warms up, long intervals at race pace. There will be rain late Wednesday to Friday. This is the end of week 9 in this base training block, just 113km this week after a couple of easier days on Friday and Saturday. Gold Coast Half Marathon is less than 2 weeks away. I'll have a couple of easier days prior to that too.

Cold and very windy for ACT Masters XC Championships. The course undulating to hilly, biggest obstacle was the wind. The Masters race was combined with Male 20yo. Top 3 Masters settled in behind top 3 Male 20yo and that's the way it stayed the gaps grew bigger. A day for runners who could push into the wind blowing at 40km/hour. Alistair M45 1st Masters, Craig M50 2nd Masters, Me M55 3rd Masters. Melissa 1st Female Masters, Catriona 2nd Female Masters. My time 29:42,8.38km,3:33/km. My Splits: 2000m 6:26,3000m 10:09,5000m 17:18. After the race off to a bush picnic. Big day.

Parkrun Coombs on a cool and windy morning. A tail wind out to the 2.5km turn, head wind on the way home. Being the day before the ACT XC Championships I had to save some energy and muscles. I felt great on the way out with the tail wind sitting in with a bunch of four as best I could. On the return into the wind I sat until the challenging 300m hill and got clear after some persistence. From there on my splits were similar to the previous week, I was working hard. Splits:1:49,1:55,1:51,1:45,1:52(deadturn),1:50,1:45,1:45,1:52(deadturn),1:44. The session at Stromlo was 5 x 3 minute efforts with 1 minute jog recovery. I ran with Gabe. Following that was coffee, nice in the sun, nicer out of the cold wind. All up 15km for the morning, 11km previous day, 120km last 7 days. On Sunday ACT Masters 8km XC Championships at around 10:40am. I will be racing some 20 year old males. Elite male and females start earlier in the morning. It will be cool and windy on a course comprising a flattish 1k...

Friday morning light set of 4 x 500m strides with 500m jog recovery starting at 3:12/km working down to 2:50/km. Splits: 1:36,1:30,1:29,1:25 Grass track was still wet from a deluge 2 days ago although maintaining it's speed. Weather sunny, cool, light winds. I expect to run well in the ACT Masters 8km XC on Sunday. Saturday morning easy Parkrun (19mins) plus jog warm down and coffee at Stromlo.

Morning Tempo Run for Steve of 40 minutes. Pace ranged from 4:39/km to 4:29/km. His border collie Sanji herded a chicken home. I ran 17km on Forest Trails in the afternoon with Milli the Border Collie. She is now a beneficial training partner as I try to keep up with her.<br><br>

Wednesday afternoon session on bike path, it was raining. The set: 2500m warm up, 4 x 1300m race pace efforts with 200m jog recovery on hilly bike path, long warm down including a 3km ascent of Mt Stromlo, also on bike path, warm down. Next set on Friday, 500m leg speed intervals. On Sunday ACT Masters 8km XC Championships at Stromlo XC circuits. Good news yesterday, City2Surf Fun Run may return in October, fingers crossed.

Tuesday morning set for Steve of 5 x 3 minute intervals, 1 minute recovery with an averager pace of 3:28/km. Splits: 3:24/km,3:30,3:29,3:27,3:33. I ran 18km with Milli the Border Collie on undulating to hilly forest trails in the Arboretum. Milli is loving the cool weather, now approaching 3 years old is in peak form. Next set on Wednesday where I will run BBQ Stakes XC run as an long interval session pushing hard on the long hills and recovering on the down and flat sections.

Afternoon session at Stromlo XC circuits, specific session for ACT Masters XC Championships to be held on Sunday next. 20km all up including 4 x 500m strides (1:45,1:38,1:29,1:29,1:26)with 500m jog recovery starting solid then under race pace (3:30/km to 2:52/km), followed by 5 x 3 minute efforts done at race pace with 1 minute jog recovery. Sets the done on the undulating 2000m circuit wearing XC shoes. I ran a warm down with the dog. Next set on Wednesday, hilly XC intervals. Today concludes week 7 of this base building training block, 120km for this week, average 117km last 7 weeks.

Sunday mornning recovery run in the Arboretum on hilly forest trails with Milli the Border Collie. Being cold Milli was full of beans and running with pace. It turned out to be a nice day in the sun and out of the wind. Monday is a public holiday. I'll run some long intervals at Stromlo XC circuits. Next Sunday is ACT XC Championships at Stromlo XC circuits over 8km. I'll be training for that event this week with a couple of easier days prior to the event. .