Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Cool, sunny morning for a recovery run of 20km on Forest Trails through the Arboretum. In the afternoon a 7km loosener, again in the forest. 121km this week. The week ahead preparation for a couple of 3000m/5000m races coming up soon. It looks like no Parkrun until first weekend in December. Next set on Monday, short XC intervals.

Steve up early for a 5km time trial on the Parkrun Tuggeranong course in 18:06. Splits 9:05,9:01. Weather cold, sunny, light winds. I was at Stromlo XC circuits for a set of 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2 minutes jog recovery. Weather had warmed up, wind picking up by then.

Morning run of 17km including a set of power hill strides to finish. Hills were steep and run at a strong pace. On Saturday morning at Stromlo XC circuits a set of short and longer intervals. The Australian Masters Athletics Championships 2022 Draft Program has been released. To be held in Brisbane over 4 days from 1st April, the program is a depart from the stable format over more than a decade. It will barely make a difference to me. 1st April 5000m ; 2nd April 8000m XC ; 3rd April 1500m ; 4th April 10000m. The championships will be my first major peak for 2022 with a short gap to another peak in June/July for the World Masters Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland.

Pre-dawn 5000m Time Trial on the bitumen criterium track at Stromlo. Weather cold, 4 degrees, light winds from the north east. I had to run very early to avoid cyclists who have also been training early. I used the full 1300m loop that included an extended hill. After seeing how poor my splits were I reverted to the shorter 950m loop for the final 2km to the finish. Splits(500m):1:41,1:42,1:42,1:44,1:42,1:43,1:41,1:41,1:42,1:36=16:58. That's seven 16:something 5km time trials since Parkrun stopped due to Covid on the 12th August. I expect Parkrun will resume again soon along with track racing. Best time to train in summer is early. The early morning runs will continue. Next set on Saturday morning at Stromlo XC circuits, a mix of short and long intervals.

Wednesday morning set at Stromlo XC circuits of 4 x 800m efforts with 200m jog recovery. Splits: 2:48,2:33,2:31,2:28. Weather full sun, cool, light headwind from north east. Steve ran a 2000m Time Trial at the top of the lake in 6:47. Splits(500m):1:38,1:43,1:44,1:42. Next set for me on Thursday or Friday, a 2000m trial.

Sunny, cool morning for a recovery run of 17km in the forest. I finished off with some strides on grass of 4 x 100m, 2 x 200m and 300m. Next set on Wednesday, 4 x 800m with short recovery. Steve ran 4 x 500m with one eye out for a swooping magpie. Splits: 1:33,1:36,1:35,1:31.

After a few days of base training I am back into structured workouts again. Track racing is expected to resume in 10 days, hopefully Parkrun too a couple of days later. On track I will be looking to run a 3000m or 5000m as the final race of the meets on 11th November and 2nd December. I only expect to compete in 2 races on track this year as I build up to my 60th birthday in late January. Then I'll have a few age records I can chase. The set today was 4 x 500m with 500m recovery jog. Splits: 1:38,1:30,1:28,1:25. Weather sunny with a cool headwind from the south east. Next set on Wednesday with 4 x 800m, short recovery. 120km run last 7 days, 27th week of base building.

Sunday morning long run of 22km. Breakfast included a coffee and pastries from Cobargo, a lovely town devastated by the bushfires on New Years Eve 2019-20. I'd driven through before a few times but never stopped. I spent 30-40 minutes there wandering, listening to the artistic folk selling unique produce, many who also had a dog. One lady commented of Milli the Border Collie 'That's a nice person'. She is correct, many border collies are really people. Houses were lost a couple of years ago but not the house I considered purchasing. It was right near the bakery where I bought the coffee and pastries. Some of the photos below are sad but the people and town is not. It is still a beautiful town with charismatic locals. Small boutique businesses have in-filled where tragedy struck. There is plenty to see and do. Cobargo is still recovering.

Morning 5km time trial for Steve on the Parkrun Tuggeranong course. Splits: 9:07,9:09. I ran early along the ocean Bike path south for 6km, back 7km all at a fast tempo. No whales to be seen, there was a pod of 5 dolphins close to shore in the waves. Rest of the day spent sightseeing further south along the coast.

Road trip to the coast again. Lots of walking the dog before the tide went out far enough to make the sand runable. 6km warm up to the north on beach, return as 5km time trial, 1km walk down.

Thursday morning time trials over 1500m for Steve and myself at different locations. Steve at the top of the lake, myself at Stromlo. Goal was to complete preparation for a 5000m time trial on Friday morning. 1500m splits: Me(500m warm up 1:34)1500m 1:28,1:40,1:29=4:37. Steve(500m warm up 1:36)1500m 1:32,1:40,1:41=4:54. An afternoon 10km recovery run, 17km for the day. Photo: The garden blue tongue lizard is back from hibernation. He will be here until autumn eating raspberries, tomatoes and grubs.

Wednesday morning fartlek session to keep the legs, heart and lungs ticking over as some poor weather passes. I have rescheduled a 5000m time trial for Friday. The fartlek today 2 x 90 seconds, 4 x 60 seconds, 4 x 30 seconds, 4 x 15 seconds all with same time recovery. Following that a recovery run to make 17km for the day. On Thursday a short time trial to construct the same three day plan of short intervals, short time trial, 5000m time trial which usually leads to a fast time for me. Then days of recovery and repeat when ready.

Tuesday morning time trial over 1500m at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather sunny, light winds, dew on grass. The set: Warm up, 500m 1:32, 500m recovery, 1500m 4:36.53, warm down. Splits: 1:27.13,1:40.55,1:28.84. That's my fastest 1500m since February this year. Splits then: 500m 1:27,1500m 4:35.0(1:27.4,1:38.1,1:29.5). In the afternoon a long recovery run. Next set a 5000m time trial later in the week. Steve ran 4 X 500m efforts on bike path. Splits: 1:35,1:34,1:32,1:30 plus an extra 500m as a warm up.

Monday morning run up and back Mount Painter summit 5km with the dog. After that watching Marathon de Paris on delayed broadcast via the satelite dish from New Caledonia. It turned out to be a great race to watch. Congratulations to all who ran. Such a long time ago I entered and cancelled way back at the start of Covid. I will need to run another marathon when I turn 60 in a few months, who knows where.  In the afternoon a longer run including 4 x 500m XC intervals with 500m jog recovery on Stromlo grass. Splits:(1:46,1:30,1:26,1:25). After 25 weeks of solid high volume training, this week just 102km. Next set on Tuesday a short time trial. Later in the week a longer time trial. Track racing isn't far away and Parkrun should return too.

Morning run down the coast and back of 10km. Like yesterday plenty of whales can be seen on their migration back to Antarctica. Lovely day for spotting.

16km Saturday morning pacing a friend on a 10km time trial. Mis sion made good, a recent PB. Now a road trip. Keith ran a set of 5 x 100m (19,18,17,17,16) and 5 x 300m (59,60,58,60,58) all on the Bega grass track.

Friday morning run for Steve of 10 x 1 minute efforts. Speed 3:14-3:30/km, average 3:21/km. Weather grey, cold and uninspiring. I ran 17km on forest trails, wet under foot. On Saturday morning I am pacing a friend on a 10km time trial, saving myself for that.

Rain and thunderstorms overnight and into today. This morning a 17km recovery run on bike path, everything else is too wet. This weather will likely last until Saturday although I should be able to fit a couple of sessions in, possibly not and grass at Stromlo for a few days. Keith managed to squeeze in a session of 4 X 2 minutes, 4 X 1 minute.

Steve out early for a 3000m time trial in 10:10. Splits:(out 5:00,back 5:10). By the time I got going at Stromlo it was raining. I changed the course to use the big loop that included four extra hills (one each loop). The short circuit turn I usually use was too slippery to run at pace. Shoes got saturated after 2km. Splits(500m):1:39,1:42,1:39,1:42,1:43,1:46,1:45,1:42,1:44,1:40=17:06. The groundkeeper yesterday was putting down fertiliser pills on the grass. He knew rain was coming!

Short interval Tuesday for Steve and myself. Steve early, cold with some wind, 4 x 500m efforts. Splits: 1:35,1:36,1:33,1:33. I was at Stromlo for the same set. My 1st effort straight into the wind before moving to a shelterred location, same wind direction just less of it. Splits: 1:46,1:30,1:29,1:28. Wednesday is time trial day. I'll be up early to get a run done in the best weather. Keith on grass ran 5 x 100m,200m,800m all around 3:20/km.

It's almost 5 years since the World Masters Athletics Championships 2016 were held in Perth, Western Australia. Following is a diary of my taper for those championships. I had run 22 consecutive months with an average volume of 118km/week since January 2015. I hit a weekly peak of 154km on 8th October 2016, 17 days prior to my first race, the 8000m XC. I slowly reduced weekly volume by one-third and maintained intensity throughout the taper which mentally started after the 15th October. 8th October: Track session 2000m 6:34,1600m 5:19,1200m 3:57,800m 2:34,400m 73 (4 min recovery) 11th October: Morning XC 75 min incl 6 x 3 min + 1x4 min, 1 min recovery. PM XC Session 5 x 500m, 500m recovery (1:28,1:27,1:26,1:25,1:23 Day volume 26km, Week volume 149km 13th October: Track 5000m 16:34, 800m 2:32 Day volume 18km, Week volume 145km 15th October: Track session 2000m 6:34,1600m 5:17,1200m 3:57,800m 2:33,400m 70 (4 min recovery)Day volume 20km, Week volume 140km 16th October: XC Stride...