Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Morning set of 4 x 500m leg speed intervals for Steve, all around 3:00/km. I ran down to the beach with the dog at low tide for 2 x 1km intervals on the beach, a 1500m hill effort to finish the set. A long warm down and 300m strides in the afternoon..Started slow, working down to 3:00/km.Splits(min/km) 4:22,3:30,3:21,3:00. Next set on Wednesday, short intervals. On Friday a road trip south for a solo training camp. Parkrun on Saturday.

After 11 months of base training and very few proper races it will be time to taper for Australian Masters Athletics Championships on 1st March. This will allow 10 days to maintain key session intensity and slowly reduce training volume to around 85km/week just in time for my first Championship race on 10th March, a 10000m track followed by 1500m,5000m,8000mXC on consecutive days. This morning easy running down to the beach and back at low tide with a 1500m hill effort to finish. Key sessions this week will be 300m intervals or a 1km time trial. Parkrun this week will be my final very hard effort before the Championships and likely I'll head to a fast course.

Morning run from home taking in all the sights, beach run, a swim, finish at the monthly Sunday market. In the afternoon a set of 8 x 300m intervals but not before a short trip to La Galette in Tilba for some French snacks.

Sunny and warm at Parkrun Batemans Bay 1st in 17:53. Splits(500m)1:49,1:44,1:42,1:46,1:45,1:49,1:48,1:46,1:47,1:43. Still quite a few people around at the coast. Long wet grass slowed the course down. It will speed up in winter. Steve ran at Tuggeranong Parkrun, 4th in 17:22, another update to his course PB. Both of us headed to Sydney for Australian Masters Athletics Championships in a fortnight.

Early morning run down to the beach and back for a set of 2 x 1km and 8 x 200m beach intervals. Return home included a 1500m hill effort.

As planned a 2nd session in the afternoon to prepare for track at the Australian Masters Athletic Championships in a couple of weeks. The set: Long warm up, 8 x 300m efforts starting slow and building the speed through the session with 15 seconds standing recovery between efforts. Splits(min/km)(4:18,3:34,3:34,3:20,3:17,3:07,3:03,2:53). A better than expected start for fast work again, a confidence booster for a decent 1500m race that slots in between my 1000m and 5000m races and an 8km XC to finish off 4 consecutive days of racing.

Morning run down to the beach and back with the dog including 2 x 1km beach intervals, 1 x 1500m hill effort. Beach was firm packed sand, fast at dead low tide. Post run coffee at the Marina. Steve ran 2 x 1km efforts at Stromlo XC circuits. Splits:3:07,3:06.

Rain overnight and in the morning delayed the running. When it cleared a 10km run down to the beach and return with the dog, nothing intense with eveything still wet and windy.

Normal training resumed this morning running with the dog including 4 x 1km Beach Intervals and a 1500m Hill effort. Warm and very humid, grey skies, no wind. I went down to the bay after for breakfast post run. Tomorrow short intervals will resume aiming to get comfortable at running 3 minutes/km again. Reflections from the weekend gone...Firstly a great social event. Mixing masters racing with all the other events from children to elites was a huge success attracting greater numbers and vibe. Many conversations. Thankfully we were able to maintain our identity as Masters and acknowledged fully. The event attracted many athletes to our Masters races for the first time. Parents of children competing saw that there is a pathway where families can play together despite the age differences but in different races. Those parents and children cheered us on as we did for them. For me it was my 4th World Cross Country Championships, normally mixed in with a Masters Athletics Championships. Ind...

I left Bathurst just after midnight and took advantage of near zero road workers and cars on the bitumen back to Goulburn for a car sleep. A couple of hours later I made my way back to the coast and home. Today an easy jogging recovery day after re-watching all the XC action from Bathurst on TV. Tomorrow I'll see how the body is and plan some sessions for the short period leading up to Australian Masters Athletics Championships.

Overnight storms left a softer xc course with more water in the bog hazard. We had to navigate it 3 times today. It was hot and tough going again, pace on from the start that included all male and females aged 35-69...I finished 2nd M60+ behind Steve Moneghetti. 3rd was Gary Mayor rounding out the podium. In M70+ Yassine 2nd to John Bermingham.

Hot and windy today at World Athletics Masters Mixed Relay XC Championships 2nd. A stacked field of elite masters athletes racing in male and female pairs representing Australia on a super tough course. Extremely happy with the result and loud support from the crowd and most of all my racing partner for fighting until the end. Up north in Parkrun Kawana Steve ran a Quick 17:34, 1st. Things looking good as he builds the form towards Australian Masters Athletics Championships in a couple of weeks.

Today races to enable the top non-selected open runners passage to the grand finals on Saturday. Some great runners made it through.