Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

A long day as I drove to Canberra and back to return work laptop as I commence Retirement#2. The drive was easy with not much traffic until hitting the coast again, sometimes heavy rain. I delayed the run until the deluge stopped for a bit. Milli the Border Collie and I raced each other for 3km on the beach (she always wins) with a warm up and warm down on forest trails. Tomorrow is Parkrun, I am marshal, no racing. I'll get a mock Parkrun in before the event. Rain is expected. From Monday I'll have plenty of time again for training after leaving 'work from home' behind me. I've already pulled the bike trainer out for the very wet days. On the good days I'll do some bike riding on paths by the coast as well as running...more whale spotting.

Steve ran a set of 4 X 500m this morning. Splits:1:29,1:33,1:33,1:33. I ran 18km steady, very windy with rain at times. I'm not running Parkrun this week, marshalling instead. Weather not much good for interval sets outdoors. If the weather doesn't improve I'll do a set indoors on the bike. An update to my racing schedule came through yesterday, NSW State Masters Athletic Championships for early February followed by Australian Masters Athletics Championships in early April Both events to be held in Sydney. Also a possibility of World Masters XC event in February to be held west of Sydney. Australian Masters Games later in 2023 to be held in Adelaide.

Morning jog to the beach and back for a set of 5 X 2 minute efforts with 30 seconds jog recovery.  Rain at Times...

Morning set for Steve on hi local Parkrun circuit of 4 X 200m, 2 X 500m. It was wet after overnight rain. Same weather on the coast, now cleared off. I ran 18km to the beach and back with the dog including a solid 2km chasing Milli. At lunch a second set of 4 X 800m with 200m jog recovery. Milli still won.

Most distance runners would be aware of Eliud Kipchoge smashing his own world record for the marathon yesterday. I watched it all on youtube before coverage was cut off in the final minutes, then scrambled to see it on a different site. It was another amazing run. I've only been to Berlin twice, one day in 1986 and three days in 1990 and checked to see if I had run anywhere near the course except driving past the Brandenburg gate in a BMW hire car (sadly not). I've kept a diary for most of my running life and boosted my memories with some photos. 1990 was most memorable as the Berlin Wall was still mostly in tact. I remember taxis driving in no man's land in between the walls and people stealing electric components from the wire fence. I also got booted out of the camp ground I was staying in right on the wall as a Contiki group was moving in that evening. I simply moved my tent into the forest on the East German side, my friend and I slept next to a bomb crater with a bott...

Last Sunday of the month means Market Day, Pizza and Coffee...obvious place to start and finish a long run from. Through the golf course then forest trails to the beaches and back, all the time looking for whales heading south. I did spot a couple but no smashing tails in the water like I've recently seen.

Lots of rain overnight with storms at times, I wasn't sure the run would be on. As it turned out the weather cleared just before start and late just in time arrivals swelled the numbers. I couldn't get warmed up properly despite being an hour early. I found fellow masters runner Shane from Victoria and we had a chat for a bit. Jamie from Victoria was also there, another runner I'd crossed paths with during my decade in Melbourne. I did warm up enough in that time of chatting to get moving ok. Matt had cleared off running 16:45, a recent PB on the course in his 50th Parkrun, congratulations. My Splits(500m)1:49,1:54,1:57,1:44,1:44,1:46,1:45,1:47,1:47,1:45=18:12. After the event a 6km run with Milli the Border Collie to the beach and back at dead low tide. I found some creeping saltbush berries. Sweet to start on the palate with a grassy finish. I am volunteering as marshall next week. This week will be an opportunity to train hard with high volume. I will most likely run a m...

A low volume day to freshen up for Parkrun. The run down to the beaches and return, 12km including a few sharp climbs on forest trails. A grey salty spray morning after overnight rain.

A day of mourning across Australia in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II (no work). Milli the Border Collie and I ran down to the beaches including Glasshouse Rocks, returning back up the 2km climb home. Lots of overnight rain, today cloudy and humid, otherwise a nice day. At lunch a set of short intervals followed by an extended warm down while humpback whale spotting off one tree point (tail smashing spectacle), 18km for the day. Steve ran a set of 4 x 500m at reduced speed due to a niggle. Splits: 1:43,1:39,1:40,1:36 with 2 minutes recovery.

Warm, sunny morning run to the beaches and back including a 2km hill effort to finish. Warm down recovery run before rain, 18km for the day.

Work all morning, then a drive back to the coast. All I managed was 2km of running to the work location and walk back to the car via Sushi on the go. Easy to have a light day as recovery from a strong session at Stromlo XC Circuits the night before. May was my last session at my old training venue. Session splits confirmation of great running form again. Rain coming in the next few days, I'll see what sessions I can fit in around the weather. It's nice to be home.

Late afternoon set at Stromlo XC Circuits. I'm back in Canberra for two days at work, cold, sunny and very windy. Can't wait to get back to the coast. Set was 5 X 500m, 500m jog recovery starting at just under 4:00/km, working down to 2:50/km. Splits:1:58,1:34,1:29,1:27,1:25.

Morning run to the beaches and back, just in time for motivation training watching the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Marathon TV coverage with dog on lap. Moses Kibet the winner 2h07min03sec. Fastest marathon on Australian soil. Sprint finish with 5 seconds between top 3. Girma easy winner in the women. 2h25m 

Sunny, Windy morning at Parkrun Batemans Bay, 2nd 17:30. Splits(500m): 1:42,1:43,1:39,1:40,1:46,1:51,1:47,1:43,1:42,1:42. Directly into the wind four times, 6 seconds/km slower into wind than with a tail wind. Steve had similar wind at Parkrun Tuggeranong, 2nd,18:30.

Salt spray sunny morning after overnight rain. 12km all up including a full gas 2km effort. That's it for the day. More rain expected this evening, hope it clears up for Parkrun.

Morning set for Steve of 3 X 500m at 3:36/km. I ran 18km including a tempo run along the beach and up the final 1500m through the bird calls rain forest to home.

Morning 18km run from home winding my way to the beaches, then a 2km maximum threshold hill effort back home. I did sight my first humpback whale breaching repeatedly, a long way out. They'll get closer to shore as they migrate south again. Some rain about in coming days, it's sunny now. I'm hoping the rain will stay away for Parkrun on Saturday. Next sets short intervals, just enough to keep sharp. I think I'm on for a recent course PB at Parkrun.

Morning 18km run including 4x400m beach intervals and 1500m full gas on bike path. Steve ran 3x800m on his patch, splits2:41,2:43,2:43. Next set for me on Wednesday, longer time trial.

Morning run on a hilly loop to warm up followed by a fartlek session on the beach and extended warm down, 18km for the day. Next hard effort on Tuesday, a short time trial at race pace.