Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Short Road Trip to meet up with friends for lunch. Arriving early I ran 11km including 2 x 500m beach intervals on soft sand(3:30/km,3:20/km). In the afternoon another 11km run. Steve ran 4x200m efforts(31,32,31,29).

Delayed run today due to persistent rain, I headed to the Marina for coffee with friends instead. The run from home along the coast bike path, still raining, almost nobody about. Too slippery and dangerous to attempt a session. Late in the day the rain eased up, a couple of solid hill loops. Today I completed my 42nd week in this base building block, 121km past 7 days. Still a few weeks until I taper for Australian Masters Athletics Championships beginning on 10th March. I'll still be training solid through the World Masters XC Championships to be held in less than three weeks with just a couple of easier days prior to freshen up. Full taper for the AMA Championships will commence on 1st March, 10 days before my first event. End of AMA Championships will complete the year long training cycle and begin a new one including a couple of Half Marathon events in mid-2023.

Morning 20km run up the coast and return on bike path. Some strange weather about, lucky to get the run and swim in before thunderstorms. I got out for another run later in the day, raining.

Sunny, hot, light winds at Parkrun Huskisson, 1st 17:21. Splits(500m)1:43,1:43,1:44,1:45,1:43,(dead turn 1:45),1:47,1:47,1:44,1:39. Lots of walkers, dogs, bikes to avoid out there, all having fun. Despite sleeping in the car at night I had fast legs today. It did take 5km on the course and some hill strides in the shade to get loose. Running solo for the first half I had mostly clear air going out to the turn, then encountering many runners heading back in the second half. At Parkrun Bathurst Steve placed 4th in 17:53.

An early morning drive up the coast to the start location of Huskisson Parkrun. Grey with light drizzle along the coast, thuderstorms last evening. A steady run on the course, windy this morning. I ran a second run on the course in the afternoon including some 100m leg speed strides, still windy.

Morning run including a short progressive effort on a bitumen criterium circuit. Started the effort at 3:30/km increasing the speed to finish at 2:48/km. Steve ran at Stromlo XC circuit 3 x 500m (1:31,1:30,1:28). Parkrun Bathurst for Steve on Saturday, Parkrun Hushisson for me. Post set warm down at the beach.

Morning run to the beach and along the coast bike path. When fully warmed up a Time Trial at 3:14/km back to the beach and a quick swim. Later in the day a recovery run. Next session short intervals. Low volume run on Friday. Parkrun on Saturday.

Very early morning run to beat the rising tide. A run down to the beach, 2 x 1km efforts on hard packed sand with short recovery, a 1500m hill effort at full gas to finish. Warm down with the dog on a different beach. Sessions for remainder of the week short intervals or short timr trials. Parkrun on Saturday at a fast course. Steve ran some 200m intervals this morning and will also be making a Parkrun Road Trip.

Morning run to visit the seals with the dog to get warmed up, second run solo down to the beach, return back up the 2km hill at full gas, into the wind today. High tide early this week, no beach intervals, golf course instead.

Morning run from the beach along the coastal bike path, return via monthly market and Mill Bay Board Walk and two seals. In late afternoon a recovery run.

Cool to warm with a northerly breeze at Parkrun Batemans Bay, 1st in 17:48. Splits(500m):1:43,1:43,1:42,1:45,1:44,1:49,1:48,1:47,1:47,1:44. Again not flat out in the second half like last week. Steve 2nd at Parkrun Coombs in 17:44 (his new course PB). Next Saturday I get a Parkrun Age graded boost with my birthday on Friday. If all is good I'll head north to PR Huskisson where I've done a fast reccy a couple of months ago and will be my first legit PR on the course.

Early morning run down to the beach as a warm up, full gas 1500m Time Trial back up the hill home at 4:04/km (max HR 190bpm), among my quickest efforts on the climb. After breakfast an easy recovery run.

Rain about overnight and this morning, I got out there three times when I could. Main run from the beach up the coast and back on bike path with the dog with coffee van finish. In the afternoon an easy recovery run. Next set on Friday, short intervals and a short time trial. In the evening Steve resumed club track with a 1500m in 4:54, a nice start to the second part of the season.

Morning runs before some rain and storms. First run on grass through the golf course then return up the 1500m hill still on grass. Second run down to the beach and back including 2 x 1km efforts on packed beach sand, return on bitumen 1.5km hill adjacent to the golf course. In the evening a warm down run along the coast.

Morning set at Stromlo this morning of 2 x 200m(34,32), 3 x 500m(1:32,1:29,1:28). Low tide not for an hour here, I already ran a hilly 15km beach and short swim. In the afternoon a set of long intervals on the beach.

Morning run down to the beach and back including 4 x 1km efforts on the beach at low tide with 2 x 2km Hill efforts to finish. Weather cool and cloudy, a breeze on the coast to counter the humidity. At lunch a long recovery run. Today marks 40 weeks of base training in this cycle, 124km this week. It's my ON week with slightly lower training volume, lots of long intervals including hills. I'll see if I can run a fast time trial or Parkrun in a few days.

Early morning run down to the beach, through the golf course, unexpected jog with Ultra Mediocre Pink and Blue Matt, Swim at Beach with a Port Jackson Shark, Run Home, back to beach for coffee. Big Morning.

Warm to hot with full sun and some wind, 1st in 17:54. After a steady start I ran as intervals with short recovery. I got confused with the beeping watch on an 800m cycle with 220m recovery, eventually settling in for recovery on the four dead turns and faster in between. Steve ran 18:02 at Parkrun Coombs, looked like similar weather there, around 21 degrees. Optimal running temperature is between 7-15 degrees celsius from the studies I've read. Slower for every degree colder or hotter outside that range

Early morning run down to the beach and back including a 1500m hill effort to finish. Humid with a sea mist burning off quickly. After the run an outing to another beach with the dog. Saturday morning Parkrun as intervals (4x800m,220m jog recovery). Weather expected to be hot and sticky again.

While entries don't close for the World Athletics Masters Cross Country Championships in Bathurst until the end of this month already entered is an all class field in all ages, gender and nationality. It looks like being a special weekend event. I've had to juggle the training to avoid hitting a peak or injury while still maintaining good form. This week I ran five dedicated long power hill sessions and one long strength hill session. I still have time to fit in four Parkrun events to maintain form before a 10 day taper starting on or around 7th February. I've split the training into fortnight blocks. One week high volume with hill training (like this week), second week reduced volume training with higher intensity speed training. Only on the second week of each fortnight will I run a full gas Parkrun. The first week solid Parkrun or as an interval session. This week training volume is 133km. I'll reduce that to 120km by then end of January. The 10 day taper will reduce

Morning set for Steve on his patch of 4 x 500m leg speed efforts. I ran a 7km hill loop from home. A second run later in the day, short intervals.