Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Some weather brewing, strong winds and 27 degrees. I ran down to the beach and back dead on low tide. During the run a set of 20x100m strides with 100m jog recovery. Extended recovery run with the dog after coffee, 21km for the day, 133km for the week.

Early morning run just on dawn and at low tide down to the beaches and back finishing with a coffee at the Surf Beach, 20km all up. This week a road trip planned to a new Parkrun for me on a fast course, just a couple of hours driving north. This week concentrating mostly of short leg speed intervals and a short time trial early in the week, an easy, low volume day on Friday to prepare for a fast Parkrun effort.

Sunny and very warm at Parkrun Batemans Bay, 2nd in 17:33. You know it's getting close to summer when a dead snake is in the middle of Beach Road, poor fella didn't make it to the surf. Splits(500m):1:44,1:40,1:40,1:43,1:46,1:51,1:46,1:45,1:45,1:42. Parkrun Batemans Bay is paused next week. I'm heading to a different Parkrun and hoping for a faster time on a faster course. I'm still 2 weeks away from great form with 4 high volume weeks done, I usually need 6 big weeks. In the afternoon at low tide a long run on the beaches, 20km for the day. Steve was 1st at Tuggeranong Parkrun in 18:01 Splits:9:04,8:58.

An easier day to recover a little for Parkrun. 17km solo along the coast, easy running. In the afternoon the beach at low tide for a set of leg speed strides.

Tide still coming in this morning, I skipped the beach until late in the run. Instead a steady run along the coastal bike path and return. Late in the run a 600m effort (3:18/km) followed by a 2000m hill effort to take me home. Only 17km scheduled for Friday including a short set of strides and a short time trial. Saturday Parkrun. Another 130km+ week. Steve's 2nd race of the season, a 3000m in blustery conditions in Canberra. Splits: 3:32,3:27,3:27.

Sunny morning run to the beach and back with Milli the Border Collie at fulll tide with the sea boiling, I split the day into two again with a set of 4 X 800m, 200m recovery at low tide.Long recovery run in the afternoon, another 20km day.

Morning set for Steve of 4 X 500m. Splits:1:35,1:34,1:33,1:34. I split the day in two. Morning run with the dog to the beaches and back. In the afternoon to the beach at low tide a set of short intervals, 10 X 200m, 2 X 400m, 1x2000m Hill, 20km for the day.

Early morning run in the rain (now sunny), a tradie expected mid-morning, I had to make the dog and I happy first. Run included 2 X 1km to end of 3rd beach and back followed by a 2km hill effort to home. A second session at low tide, jog to different beach, 10x 100m, 5x200m, both with jog back recovery, and a 2km climb back home. Long warm down later in sunshine, 20km for the day. I've now strung together 3 consecutive high volume weeks (132km,125km,132km) and this week adding in short leg speed intervals and short time trials again. I'll get an idea what my form is like at Parkrun this week. I think I still need 2-3 weeks before I'm in great form again.

Morning 20km run through the golf course, down to the beaches and back with a coffee stop at the end of month local market. Cloudy, no rain. Overnight I updated training, race and taper plans for my 2023 race periods, February to March. At the moment I've left off the World XC events in Bathurst 2023 until I see the organisers are taking masters runners seriously and communicating clearly what Masters races are available and when. Basic plan is continue to build training base until I need to commence a taper on 1st March 2023, 10 days before Australian Masters Athletics Championships which commence on 10th March 2023, running 4 events in 4 days. I will train through New South Wales Masters Athletics Championships which commence on on 3rd February, running 3 events in 3 days.

Humid, sunny, sticky at Parkrun Batemans Bay 2nd in 17:38. Splits(500m):1:45,1:43,1:43,1:45,1:46,1:51,1:47,1:45,1:45,1:41. Grass wet and lush after rain yesterday, no lawn mowing possible. After Parkrun a 10km warm down with the dog at the beach, 20km for the day. Some ACT Parkrun events were cancelled due to flood, others too wet to contemplate the effort. Sometimes it's just better to run from home in poor conditions.

Morning 6km run down to the beach and back before rain arrived. The weather improved enough to get out there for another short run, a much needed recovery day before Parkrun tomorrow. 10km for the day, 132km covered last 7 days.

Two 6km Maximum Threshold runs down to the beach and back. First in the morning, second run at dead low tide. In between runs coffee at a different beach watching whales leisurely pass by. Long warm down, another 20km day. Track resumed in Canberra. Steve ran a 1500m, 3rd in 4:54, a solid start to the season.

I went out for a walk along the coast before dinner, found a humpback whale mum and calf splashing tails close to shore, raced them along my street for 1km full gas and was treated to 10 minutes of nature from the One Tree viewing point, great way to start the evening. :-) 22km for the day.

Morning run down to the beach and return including 4 X 1km beach intervals + 1 X 2km Hill effort. Long warm down, 21km for the day.

Morning set for Steve at Stromlo XC Circuits. Part of the grass was roped off, Steve reducing the Tuesday set from 800m to 500m efforts accordingly. Splits: 1:34,1:33,1:35,1:33. I ran down to the beaches with Milli the Border Collie. It was her second run of the morning, it didn't slow her down. Tide wasn't fully out but still firm and fast, as was our pace and continued solid up the 2km hill back home. Long warm down solo, 20km for the day.

Morning set at low tide on the beach of 4 X 800m with 200m jog recovery. Sunny and no wind, hard pack sand made it among my fastest sets on my favourite training beach. Long warm up and warm down, 20km for the day. Yesterday afternoon I walked to the canal dug to open up the overfull lake to the ocean. The water is flowing both into and out of the lake freely, plenty of critters going in and out too.

Morning 20km run down to the beaches and back through the uninhabited golf course. Grey skies, some drizzle, lovely weather for running. Training Update: With less than 15 weeks until I resume track racing it's time to get more specific in the sessions I run and how to maintain high weekly volume until it's time to taper. First competition is expected to be in the first week of February with an 800m, 1500m and 5000m on track over 3 days. One month later at Australian Masters Athletics Championships competition schedule for me will be 10000m, 1500m, 5000m on track with 8000m XC on the 4th and final day. I'm into my 2nd week of high volume training since my last fortnight at work (now retired again) caused interuptions and my form went off the boil. I wasn't coping with the volume this week. That usually comes for me after around 6 weeks of high volume running. I'm still a month off great shape again. Last 2 weeks average was over 126km/week with a high of 130km+/wee...