Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

The temperature 5 degrees and very windy for the handicap this morning. The track was mud slippery in places, especially around the start/finish. Often I chose to run on the grass instead of the fire trail. I did feel good out there after a 7km warm up. The time 16:24, only 9 seconds slower than last year despite the mud and drizzle cold. I seemed to be picking up my competitors quicker than usual out there. 6th place from group 45. Not sure how many in front were ineligible. ACT Veterans Athletic Club or ACT Masters Athletic Club. I think it has been 4 years since we last voted on the issue. I have no view on the name but a do hope we get a more stylish race singlet out of this. It won't be long until we are forced into affiliation with Athletics ACT. That will really test the strength of the club. An afternoon 10km easy made it just over 120km for the week. A mini taper this week should have me firing for the Gold Coast Half Marathon. While I haven't even raced since Austr

Keith did his work in Bega. With his track out of use did 6 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minutes hard with a jog recovery in between. Helen and Kathy did the same session at Stromlo in the wind. For Jane, Steve and myself 2000m warm up, 5 x 100m, 2000m, 1500m, 1200m, 800m, 400m with 200 metre walk recovery. 4000m warm down. Jane ran around 4:05/km for the early efforts and as quick as 3:40/km in the kick down phase. Steve and I a similar cumulative with me ahead in the early efforts and Steve ahead in the kick down phase. My splits: 2000m 6:53, 1500m 5:04, 1200m 4:04, 800m 2:33, 400m 68. Last week my splits: 2000m 7:01,1500m 5:13,1200m 4:12,800m 2:38,400m 74. A substantial improvement this week. Last week also the splits on track: 2000m 6:38,1600m 5:18,1200m 3:58,800m 2:33,400m 72. We have almost caught up to our track form of last week. Track compared to Stromlo is approximately 10 seconds per kilometre quicker at the moment. It is a little slower this week

Keith got his session done first to set a benchmark. 5 x 800m (2:44, 4:43, 2:39, 2:38, 2:39)with 5 x 100m start and finish. It was windy. Steve and Jane completed 5 x 600m at AIS track with 200m jog recovery. Steve averaged his target of 76 sec/400m. Jane also managed around 88 sec/400. I had a sore foot after the first 600m effort in 1:53. It took another 10 minutes to get the foot going again and had a bitsa session and 12km all up, only 1000m of real work. Did a 2km with Bella as a second warm down, no problem with the foot. Tomorrow a run to work and back. Saturday the usual Stromlo session. Sunday the ACT Masters xc handicap. On Tuesday the taper for Gold Coast Half Marathon begins. Currently sitting on 130km for the last 7 days.

The weather a wee bit better, I can see blue skies. Today a run from home to work and back day. On the way to work 20 minutes warm up, 3 x 5 minute intervals with 30 second jog recovery.

All the hills around Canberra have snow...not that you can see the hills. The next week will be much of the same with a series of cold blasts, maximum temperatures below 10 and strong winds. That's why we spend July in France every year. Today the core group all got out in the elements of their own free will. Bravo to all. Minnie ran with Bella at 5:30am. Steve and Jane did 5 x 5 minute efforts at 3:45 and 4:08/km respectively. Keith in Bega did his efforts in the force 10 gale. I ran another 10km with Bella before adding 4km solo with 4 x 1 minute power hills, 2 minutes recovery. Bella was the only idiot to train twice.

This week has been lower volume than the previous five. It was unplanned as the dog Bella got very sick and needed nursing. Bella is all better now for the rest and so am I. This morning cold, still, blue skies. My usual 90 minute out and back through the Arboretum. After a five minute warm up I felt surprisingly good, ran the next 10km in 38:50 to the turnaround some 4 minutes out further than normal. The return 10km was mostly up and included 4 x 300m power hills making it 77:58 for the middle 20km. I did the last 1km down the hill as warm down and another 1km with Bella (her first run in a few days). It will be 110km for this week. I will do a loosener run this afternoon. I didn't do yesterday. In two weeks is Gold Coast Half Marathon and also leaving for the annual Tour de France same day. That means one more 120km week, the following week a taper down to 85km for the race. Next weekend is the ACT Masters xc handicap 4.5km. I sure hope it is better than my effort last month.

It was a choice between racing the Pennington 8km or 16km xc OR doing a session today. Both were at the same venue at the same time. It was extremely foggy, cold and frosty. Keith, Maria, Kathy, Gabe and Roger all ran in the 8km race. Steve, Jane, Helen and I cheered them on (along with many others including Marty Dent). They all looked to be running well. Maria had a lace problem. Keith improved his time from a fortnight ago on a tougher course today. Steve, Jane and I did our Training Block 2 Saturday set. 2000m, 1500m, 1200m, 800m, 400m with 200-400m jog between efforts. Like the Tuesday set on track we hold maximum threshold for the first three efforts, accelerate in the fourth and again in the fifth. The set establishes good race practice by not starting too fast and finishing very strong. I must admit most of my races aren't run like this (more of a steady time trial). The 5000m AMA race in Hobart was one of those times I needed it. I had raced 10000m the day before at max

A continuation of our 5000m pace set. The three of us there again. The set: 2000m warm up, 4 x 100m strides, 4 x 800m with 400m jog recovery, 2000m warm down. Jane on her lonesome, a consistent set of around 3"00 for each effort. Steve forgot the spikes, two good efforts on target before the lactate levels went through the roof (not easy running fast in training shoes. Of me: 2:32, 2:31, 2:31, 2:31. Very consistent set, always in control and relaxed...I did have both spikes on for the first time since the achilles injury in that 10000m over 3 months ago...they made a difference this evening. I did contemplate an XC race on Saturday. Instead we will do the 2000m step-down set at the same venue early.

Three of us there for our first key session of the new training block. The set: 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m with 200m walk recovery between efforts. All three had beeping watches each 100m to guide us through. Steve and I had the watches set on 20 for the first three efforts, 19 for the 800m and 17 for the 400m. Jane had her watch set on 24, 23 and 22. We were all able to get through the efforts 1-2 seconds ahead of schedule early. Steve and I missed the 800m by 1.5 seconds (2:33) but were spot on for the 400m. My set in numbers: 2000m 6:38,1600m 5:18,1200m 3:58,800m 2:33,400m 72 or roughly a deconstructed 16:20 5km (basically the same as Steve). My numbers three weeks before 2014 AMA Championships 2000m 6:20,1600m 5:08,1200m 3:49,800m 2:33,400m 69. My numbers at 28 September 2013 (the end of this training block): 2000m 6:33,1600m 5:15,1200m 3:56,800m 2:32,300m 50...that's what we are aiming for! It's a slow patient progression. Jane had around 19:40 for her set. We are a

Another Sunday 90 minute run from home, the usual out and back to the end of the Arboretum on the flatter trails. I met the girls briefly after 20 minutes running in the opposite direction. Pace for me was around 4:10/km once I got warmed up. I did 5 x 150m power hills in the last 5km and then jogged home the last 1 km. Next session on track will be 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m with 200m walk recovery. I'll be looking for 3:20/km or better for the first 3 efforts, 2:32 for the 800m and 72 seconds for the 400m. I've done this session loads of times so will have a good idea where I am at on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Mostly alone at Stromlo this morning. It was drizzling, the track wet and slippery. Chose to do the session as a long run, incorporating 4 x 100m strides, 2 x 2000m (7:07, 7:07) and 3 x 1000m :93:19, 3:18, 3:19) into the session. I had already done 16km when the girls arrived so the last 7km was done with them including another set of strides and the 3 x 1000m. The girls all run between 3:50-4:15/km. In Tuggers Steve and Jane also did some 1km intervals. Steve similar to my 1km efforts. Jane average in the high 3s In Bega Keith working on the new set that starts from this weekend. 2000m 7:23, 1600m 5:44, 1200m 4:19, 800m 2:44, 600m 2:01, 400m 77. Looking forward to starting this either on track or Stromlo in coming days I will do a late loosener 4km this afternoon and a long recovery run tmoz. That will make it the last 5 weeks average over 120km. The new training block? It starts from now until end of September and is a lead in to track racing. Key sessions are: On track: 2000m, 16

A rare rest day for me. Keith 4 x 800m (2:40, 2:36, 2:37, 2:34) Steve 4 x 800m (2:31, 2:32, 2:32, 2:34...bombed by bird) Miserable weather due on the weekend. Will see what we can do with it!

Combined the minimum long run (75 minutes) with a track session today. Accordingly I jogged between my strides and wore training shoes, full tights and long top so I didn't fluff about...very cold. The set: 4.5km warm up, 4 x 100m jog between (last three 17,17,16), 4 x 800m with 400m jog recovery (2:31, 2:33, 2:35, 2:35), 7km warm down. Warm up and warm down just below lower threshold. I'm almost training at 5km pace now, racing flats would have put me there today. Still much work to do but all the bits are starting to fit together week by week.

Watched Steve and Keith have a lash around Telopea Park this morning. Both ran strongly. A 19km recovery run and 4km loosener yesterday for me. A couple of light runs today. Next session depends on the weather and track availability.

A short first session with Steve and completed my set with the girls later on. It was minus 2 overnight, there was frost (like snow) clinging to the bottom of our shoes in set 1, very slippery. We saw the sun come up. Quite warm by the end of two sets. Jane jogged, recovery from virus. Set 1: 2000m warm up, 4 x 100m, 2000m(6:50), 4000m warm down. Steve and I same time. Training PB for Steve. Set 2: 2000m warm up, 4 x 100m, 3 x 2000m(6:58,6:51,6:55) with 200m recovery, 2000m warm down. Maria roughly 8:45 each effort, Tori a little slower. Of me: My training form today is as good if not better than this time last year. It's taken a lot of discipline in not rushing things and then hard work to get back here. My best effort over 2000m at Stromlo last year was 6:37 in late August (equivalent to around 6:15 on track). That will be the next training goal to tick off but probably not until I return from France. To have Steve running as quick as me will help both of us get to that lev

Keith in Bega continues the hard work. On grass 4 x 2500m (9:26, 9:27, 9:28, 9:38). Me also on grass 5 x 800m, 200m jog recovery in 1 minute (2:45, 2:44, 2:42, 2:42, 2:42). No hills this week. From the Merimbula Furn Run, Keith 1st M50

I had Steve for company this evening and we met Maria, Gabe and Tori on the warm up in the bush (doing their tough hill loop just before dark). For Steve and I it was on track: long warm up in the bush, 4 x 100m, 4 x 800m with 400m jog recovery, 1600m warm down. It was much colder and more wind than previous weeks. More like a winter should be. Average was 2:36, the quickest 2:34. Lost a couple of seconds on each effort fighting into the wind. Steve and I finished all efforts together. Of me: That's the best I've felt since Australian Masters Athletic Championships. It was easy dropping onto 76 second laps from the gun and always finished the efforts off strongly into the wind. Next session will be on the hills.

90 minutes out and back to the Arboretum, drizzle all the way. That completes my third consecutive 120km+ week. The weeks before that were 5, 13, 22, 56 and 94km post marathon making it four missed weeks in total and four good weeks following. May was an average of 106km per week. I'm feeling pretty good in training. The achilles is no problem doing steady running. It is sore during the faster track sessions I've none during the efforts themselves but not sore at all after. What's missing now is training at the paces that will help me get back down to low 16s 5000m & low 33s 10000m (and some race fitness). All being good I will start to hit those times on Tuesday with 5 x 800m, 2:35 or better but aiming for 2:32 on at least one effort. When I can run at 3:10/km for 800m comfortably I can start working back up to 2000m efforts at the same pace. That will begin to happen in the next training block starting June 16. With Gold Coast Half Marathon in a few weeks and a t