Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Today a run on the 2km XC to be used for the World Masters XC Championships on Saturday and Sunday. It's much more hilly than I thought. Weather not a cloud, full sun, hot. Today assorted qualification races for the main events on the weekend.

Early morning run including a set of 6 x 300m hills before I set off driving to Bathurst for the World Masters XC events. With extreme heat predicted over the weekend I was happy to see the organisers adjusted the race schedule giving us earlier starts...It will still be hot.  

Morning 11km tempo run through the golf course pushing all the hills, continuing the run to the swimming beach, quick swim (water temperature 22 degrees) and back up the hill to home. Low tide not until later in the day. Another run scheduled then. This morning Steve ran 3 x 500m efforts at Stromlo XC Circuits. Splits: 1:31,1:31,1:29. I've cut out most of the junk carbs over the last few weeks as I head towards race weight. I hit my goal weight today having dropped 3kg in 3 weeks. I rarely jump on the scales during the base training block. It's only in the last weeks before a major championships when I look daily. I'll carry this same weight through World Masters XC at Bathurst, Australian Masters Athletics Championships in March and possibly to a half marathon in May. So what's the advantage of losing a few kilos? I can't say for anyone except me and it's consistently been around 1.15 seconds per kilo lost, per kilometre run or around 17 seconds quicker for 5km...

Morning set for Steve of 4 x 200m in 32-33 seconds. My run at low tide down to the beach and back with the dog, 2 x 1km on the beach, 1 x 1.5km hill on the way back home.

Cool, cloudy morning run down to the beach and return including 2 x 1km intervals on the beach at low tide, return as a 2km Hill Time Trial. With such great conditions for running and hard packed beach sand no surprise I was running my quickest set of this type in a while. At half time in the Super Bowl an easy run as warm up for 5 x 300m Hill Intervals with jog back down recovery. Splits: 3:46/km,3:36/km,3:33/km,3:22/km,3:12/km. Happy days at full time of the Super Bowl, great game:-)

Morning 18km run and swim from Bar Beach to start the day. Sunny with some wind about. This week continue with long hill efforts and add in more leg speed intervals. I'll head off to Bathurst for the World Masters XC on Wednesday or Thursday. It looks like being very hot in Bathurst next weekend, 36 degrees.

Good running weather at Parkrun Batemans Bay, 1st in 17:52. Splits(500m)1:47,1:45,1:42,1:44,1:45,1:49,1:48,1:44,1:45,1:43. XC sections slow with storms in recent days, no chance to mow the grass. I took the dog to the beach to share my warm down. Steve ran a mixed effort session at Parkrun including a set of 200m(33-32), 1km(3:26) and 3km Tempo at 3:40s/km plus warm down, having raced 3000m on Thursday evening.

Sunny Morning run down to the beach and back including 2 x1km on firm low tide sand and a 1500m hill effort on the way home. At lunch a set of short leg speed strides. Saturday Parkrun. Lots of rain about, I doubt they will get around to mowing the XC sections of the course.

A late start to the day with rain,storms and wind passing through overnight and into the morning. When it cleared a set of 10 x 200m short,steep hill intervals with jog back recovery. It started raining again after I finished running for the day. Steve ran 3000m at track in 10:12, 2nd with a closing 77 second lap after a solid start. His poor weather was earlier in the day.

Late afternoon run with Broulee Runners Group, a 4km Time Trial at 3:29/km on a mostly flat concrete path with some small hills along the route. Not much wind. Headwind on the way out, Tailwind coming come. Splits(500m)1:47,1:44,1:42,(1:47,dead turn),1:45,1:45,1:45,1:13 for final 400m. I ran as I would in a race with World Masters XC Championships in mind. Steady for the first 50 seconds to avoid lactate build up, find my threshold pace and hold, strong finish. 15km for the afternoon including warm up.

Morning run down to the beach and back with the dog including 2 x 1km beach intervals and a 1.5km hill effort. In late afternoon a 4km time trial.

Morning set for Steve of 3 x 500m efforts. Splits: 1:32,1:31,1:28. Another 1500m Hill Time Trial for me, my quickest effort on record.

Entries closed, mixed relay teams sorted, less than 2 weeks until World Masters Cross Country Championship (short course) 2023 commence in Bathurst. Yesterday a 12 hour motor race took place on the hot mix circuit that encloses where our races will take place...it's all happening. Today a morning run with the dog down to the beach and back including 2 x 1km beach intervals plus 2 x 1.5km hill efforts to finish. I've lowered daily volume at 18km/day for this week and will maintain until I start driving to Bathurst just prior to the event. I won't fully taper until 1st March,10 days prior to my first race (10000m track) at Australian Masters Athletics Championships. 136km run this week.

Morning run through the golf course running all the hills before heading out to the beach for a quick swim, home via the bay and long climb to finish. A drive for coffee. Glorious day.

Cool to warm and sunny at Parkrun Batemans Bay. As expected some wind from the north west cooling the body and slowing the times in one direction, especially on the second lap. Splits(500m):1:44,1:44,1:43,1:43,1;43,1:49,1:47,1:43,1:45,1:42. At Parkrun Tuggeranong Steve 3rd in 17:45. Windy there too.