Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Another sunny day, light winds. In the morning a hill loop in reverse to normal making a very long first climb of the day. At low tide a set of 20 X 200m beach intervals. Next set on Wednesday, long intervals. Steve ran a 30 minute tempo run as long intervals, starting at a slow pace, quickest sector mid-session at 3:34/km. 

I'm now 18 weeks into this long base training block, a period lasting almost 12 months with a main goal of the Australian Masters Athletics Championships to be held in Sydney in March 2023. I completed all my initial selection of races even if City2Surf 14km was a failure. Sutherland2Surf road race was a highlight. I have no races scheduled for the remainder of 2022, just Parkrun events. If I see something exciting on the calendar I'll consider racing. In January I'll step up the intensity slowly with a peak in form for the Australian Masters Athletics Championships. A draft schedule for the AMA Championships has been out for a while. It reverts to the old program again with (for me) 10000m track Day 1, 1500m Day 2, 5000m Day 3, 8000m Cross Country Day 4. Being held in early March and away from the coast I expect the weather to be hot. Training for the remainder of this year will be simple. No more than 2-3 sessions mid-week including a selection of leg speed (beach inter...

A gentle run by the sea, a lovely day. Heart rate was in the 30s bpm this morning, not climbing crazily when I run. A couple of runs at lunch with dog to the beach and back and in the afternoon, solo. I expect to resume full training tomorrow and test myself at Parkrun on Saturday.

A personal worst time and place in City2Surf 14km mass participation road race. I suffered an ailment during the race much like the 2014 City2Surf and at Parkrun Ginninderra in 2017. On all three occassions an asthma type attack where my heart rate climbed over 200bpm and wouldn't come down for several hours. All three incidents have one thing in common, running in dirty air. In 2014 and today the attack started in the tunnel. In 2017 it was the morning after a thunderstorm which sent pollen and muck into the air, especially near reeds in a shallow lake we crossed on a bridge. I was lucky today in meeting a friend to stop, walk, talk and slow jog with to the finish. In the car on the way home my pulse came down to the the 50s bpm. It's now 44 bpm. I don't think any major damage has been done. I'll find out in coming days.

Perfect conditions for a pre-race cruise around Parkrun, 4th in 20:50. Now a coffee and drive to Sydney. Too wet for races in Canberra for Steve, all cancelled at Stromlo. Steve ran a solid hill tempo instead.

At the start of Heartbreak Hill in 2010 I had just caught up with the pack including the first female competitor. Her pacer said something like " I am done, can someone help her?" I couldn't help her much, lucky to hang on. I did get a lot of TV coverage though:-)

An easy run today of 17km. On Saturday only 6km including a gentle Parkrun on the way to Sydney for City2Surf 14km mass participation road race. I've been feeling good all week and looking forward to the race on Sunday. It will be the first City2Surf event since 2019 (Covid). I'm not sure what the final entry tally will be. I expect the numbers to be down. Weather forecast looks good.

Morning run of 10km over all the big hills. At low tide a set of 20 X 200m beach leg speed intervals. A cloudy and windy morning. Steve ran 4 X 500m efforts. Splits 1:37,1:36,1:33,1:34.

Only 4 days until City2Surf 14km mass participation road race. I've been doing the taper a little different this time. I started the taper earlier, kept the volume high on most days, had a low volume day once a week or so. I also had a whole week with no speed sessions. Today a hill loop in the morning, at lunch another maximum threshold run of 5.5km down to the beach and back, very hard on the final 1.5km climb. In the afternoon a short slow jog. From tomorrow I'll start to reduce volume down to 85km for the week after hitting 130km a couple of weeks ago. Just easy running and some short strides until race day.

Morning run of 15km by the lake for Steve. After a steady 10km Steve increased the pace over the final 5km. Splits: 3:48,3:51,3:46,3:43,3:37. Things looking good for his upcoming Half Marathon. I ran a solid hill loop followed by a 5.5km maximum threshold run by the ocean including a steep 1.5km hill to finish. An afternoon warm down to make 17km for the day. On Wednesday a set of long beach intervals at low tide.

Main session for the day done at lunch, a 5.5km maximum threshold hill effort down to and along the beach and back with Milli the Border Collie. I feel like I've done enough fast paced hills (both up and down) to be ready for City2Surf 14km mass participation road race this Sunday. In the morning an easy 7km. In the afternoon a short recovery run.

Road trip to Canberra this morning, a gathering of friends. Since I was already up watching athletics on TV at 3am, inspired to run for 17km before hitting the road. Only stop coffee :-)

Steve ran 18:20 at Parkrun Tuggeranong. Splits 9:12,9:08, Windy. I was Marshal at Parkrun Batemans Bay. A pre-event run included a set of 500m intervals, followed by a 5.5km maximum threshold run down to the beach and back with Milli the Border Collie,  17km for the day. 

Morning 17km run down to the beach and return with Milli the Border Collie. She is in peak form from high intensity beach intervals, a great training partner. We ran the first 5.5km at full gas, a return to race pace efforts again. I am marshal at Parkrun on Saturday. I'll run some long intervals on the course before the event. Steve ran 4 x 200m efforts. Rain and flooding expected to affect some Parkrun courses in Canberra on the weekend.

Not a great day for running as rain passed over us, some wind as well. Steve got out there in the wet for 13km. I bagged 17km in the afternoon. Not so wet down here during the day.