Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Stromlo XC this morning was venue for the ACT XC Championships. The ACT Masters XC race was combined with Male 18-19. For me that was great being challenged and pushed by five young and talented competitors. Weather was cool and extremely windy at 35-45kph. Course used all the biggest hills. I had to survive all the big hills and hide from the wind as best as I could. Somehow I managed to get the better of all but one of my five much younger competitors. My race was solid from the gun with Callan solo off the front for 5.5km and bunch of 5 chasing including myself. The bunch split after 4km. I crossed all the gaps until Will(NSW)and I caught Callan (who pulled out soon after). Will surged, I found myself in 2nd place with a gap of 30-40 seconds back to three chasers from the original bunch. It stayed that way to the finish. I had a great run, hard to fault. ACT Masters had Gabe, Mia, Leanne x 2 and Melissa all having solid runs in the elements. Scott and Shane were 2nd and 3rd Master

A year ago my former training partner Bella passed away. A two day memorial took place on weekend past when all photo and some video were watched. We miss her. RIP Bella.

Cool, light winds for BBQ Stakes 6km XC at lunch. Today both Helen and myself ran as an intervals set. My set 12 x 90 second efforts with 30 seconds slow jog recovery between efforts. Helen ran as 3 minute efforts with 60 seconds jog recovery with a total time of 30:09. We are racing 8000m ACT Masters 8000m XC Championships on Saturday morning. Just easy running until then.

Cold in the late afternoon at Stromlo XC circuit. Nobody on track except Helen and myself. Hard to get warmed up wearing full cover head to toe. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 600m (2:01,1:51,1:48), warm down. Helen splits: 2:35,2:34,2:32. I would have liked another effort as I was just getting going...the light and cold was against us. Next set tomorrow with BBQ Stakes 6km XC handicap. I'll run the first and last parts solid, run the hilly XC section as intervals, faster than I would normally run. Saturday is ACT Masters 8000m XC at Stromlo. I'll have an easier day on Friday.

The cold mornings continue with minus 6 degrees overnight, minus 2 degrees for the start of the XC handicap. It was blue skies and sunny, no wind. Not too bad for running. The course extremely hilly throughout with a major climb after 7km followed by long descent to the finish. I started 45 minutes after the first starter, motored through the field near the end, caught all but Peter, finishing a step behind him. My result age standard 96%, 20 seconds faster than 2017, 20 seconds slower than 2016. Bang in the middle of what I expect in a heavy block of training as May, June and July always are. Helen 80.9% ast, Gabe also a top effort. Maria and Roget also on course. Next set on Tuesday with 600m XC efforts. ACT Masters 8000m XC Championships next Saturday at Stromlo. Video from the short 4.5km race.

This morning at Stromlo XC circuit very cold, frost and fog, no wind. Maria, Gabe, Roger (jogging) and myself. We all wore head to toe clothes. Start of set at 8:30am minus 0.9 degrees, finish set 9:30am minus 0.3 degrees. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 2000m (6:31,1500m split 4:42); 1500m 4:39; 1000m 3:08, warm down. Gabe around 4:20s/km, was quicker every effort. Maria very close. All efforts on undulating 2.5km or 2km circuit. First effort included two big hills, biggest hill to finish. This was supposed to be a light set today. On paper it looks hard but with long recovery not so hard in a cumulative sense. I felt great, splits are right up there all-time despite the frigid conditions. This afternoon an easy recovery run. Tomorrow 9.3km very hilly XC handicap. This morning Jen W60+ ran 24:08 in Parkrun 5km, yet another all-time PB. Steve ran Parkrun 5km 18:15 in Canberra, also very cold. Both Jen and Steve are running Gold Coast Half Marathon next weekend. Both look like t

Cool, sunny, light winds for my weekly lunchtime blast on the hilly BBQ Stakes course. Both Helen (30 minutes low) and myself ran as short intervals with short recovery after warm up on course. Last kilometre for me was full gas as I chased down Jeremy who started just over a minute ahead. He had a great run and we had a great race to the line. All good fun. Three seconds quicker than last week, 17 seconds slower than my best this year. I tried out different shoes today (my 10km/half marathon race shoes). They were no grip on the XC surface, I won't try them again at BBQ, stick with the old trainers. In the afternoon an easy recovery run to make 21km for the day, 130km last 7 days. Evening was spent with Deek at a screening of the Boston Marathon documentary. Saturday will be a light set of short intervals at Stromlo XC circuit. Sunday is a very hilly XC race of 9.3km handicap. I'll be going full gas out there.

Cold and sunny with snow on the hills at Stromlo this morning for a set of 4 x 600m efforts. Just Helen and myself. The set: 7km warm up including 5 x 100m strides, 4 x 600m efforts with 400m jog recovery, 2km warm down. Splits: 2:19,1:46,1:45,1:44. Helen: 2:36,2:35,2:29,2:24. My set the best since just before Australian Masters Athletics Championships in April and very near where I need to be again. This afternoon an easy recovery run to make 18km for the day, 130km last 7 days. Next set at BBQ Stakes 6km XC Handicap on Wednesday. I'll be running it as 2 minute intervals with 30 seconds float recovery.

This morning the weather awful with strong winds, cold, snow on surrounding hills. With most of my friends busy I opted for a maximum threshold effort at Parkrun Coombs, the slowest I've run on (being hilly and all XC) but the closest to my home. 8am Parkrun start allowed me to still make it to Stromlo to continue the morning of running with our normal training session at 830am. I had just 6 minutes warm up and started slow. Early leader was running too quick for me until 2km when I'd warmed up enough to lift the tempo to 3:20/km, take the lead and hold at my maximum threshold all the way back up to the finish with a sizeable gap. Course was muddy in places, some puddles but not as bad as it could have been. After warm down I found myself at Stromlo for a 5km XC fartlek session with Jen who was moving along nicely at around 4:30/km. It was just as windy out there. We cheered on the 16km Pennington XC runners on our warm up and warm down. All up 19km for the morning, an easy

Cold and windy for BBQ Stakes at lunch today. I wore full tights and long thermal top for the first time at BBQ this winter. The XC section wasn't as bad as I've seen it after rain...just a few puddles and softer under foot. 21:53 a full 20 seconds slower than the previous week, still very solid off 130km+ last 7 days. More bad weather coming soon. I won't schedule a session until I see some weather reports.

Cold at Stromlo XC circuit this morning. Started the set at 2 degrees, finished at 4 degrees. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 5 x 600m efforts with 400m recovery, warm down. Goal was sub 3:10/km average. Splits: 1:55,1:51,1:49,1:48,1:46/ Average: 3:03/km That's my best set of this type since Australian Masters Athletics Championships 6 weeks ago. I have two XC races at the end of the month. During those weeks the weekly maximum threshold session on Wednesday with be replaced by two 600m sessions on Tuesday and Thursday as I build up the form and lighten off the load a little. This afternoon an easy recovery run to make 20km for the day, 136km last 7 days. Next set on Wednesday maximum threshold hilly XC 6km at BBQ Stakes. Steve and Jen ran an 8km fun run this morning as a hit out for Gold Coast Half Marathon. Steve splits: 347,344,348,348,346,348,347,338 or 3:46/km average.

Rain overnight, drizzle and cloudy in the morning, Only Helen, Jen and myself at Stromlo for 6 x 3 minute efforts with 60 seconds jog recovery. Pace for me was around 3:20/km on undulating 2.5km circuit twice. Helen and Jen both similar pace putting in a solid set. We all did brunch locally after session of 14km. 11km in the afternoon made 136km last 7 days. Steve on the lake ran 5 x 3 minute efforts, Splits: 3:51/km,3:44/km,3:41/km,3:40/km,3:35/km. Average speed was 4 seconds quicker than last outing. Both Steve and Jen expected to run a low key 8km on Monday in preparation for Gold Coast Half Marathon in a few weeks. Both are running well. Long run of 90 minutes or so tomorrow, Next set on Monday will some 600m efforts at 3:10/km or better.

BBQ Stakes in reverse order today being first Wednesday of the month. It's not my preferred direction although times suggest there is little difference. Times over the last 3 weeks after AMA Championships were 21:35,21:34,21:33. Times before AMA Championships were 21:59,21:46,21:48,21:47. There was a jump in form coming from the AMA Championships and it continues to improve very slowly. This afternoon an easy recovery run of 45 minutes to make 130km last 7 days. Next set on Saturday at Stromlo with long XC intervals. Steve today a 14km half marathon paced run finding his groove for the Gold Coast Half Marathon. Splits look promising. Next like effort over 16km.

This morning Steve ran 3 x 1500m efforts at Stromlo with 500m jog recovery. Splits: 5:12,5:13,5:11. Goal for Steve is Gold Coast Half Marathon in a few weeks. This afternoon I ran another 18km up-tempo run on wide forest trails aiming again to finish before dark. I felt good again just running by feel, moving along nicely. Tomorrow is a maximum threshold 6km XC run at BBQ Stakes.

This morning 11km including a set of 4 x 600m XC efforts. Session clashed with primary schools carnival on the main circuit, adjusted start and finish accordingly. All efforts had an uphill finish. Still got the job done. The set: Warm up, 6 x 100m strides, 4 x 600m efforts with 600m recovery, warm down. First two efforts in training shoes, last two in 5km racing flats. Splits: 1:57,1:56,1:50,1:47. Helen: 2:36,2:35,2:33,2:29 (no change of shoes for Helen). An easy recovery run this afternoon to make 130km last 7 days. Next set a maximum threshold XC run of 6km at BBQ Stakes. I have 3 weeks until my next series of races.

Keith today turning back the clock with a life time PB of 36:38 in a Melbourne 10km Fun Run...age almost 61. Congratulations Keith. Splits: 342,341,340,343,342,341,343,343,347,315

This morning at Stromlo a set of 3 x 1500m XC intervals with long recovery. Weather cool, sunny and very windy. Five girls out there this morning plus Roget and myself. The set on undulating course which included a 600m long hill to begin each effort. Wind was difficult to run against in parts. The set: 3500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 1520m with 1000m recovery, 2000m warm down. Splits: 3:42,3:36,3:35. Helen (6:28,6:19,6:35)shared the best of the girls with Gabe who ran similar similar times. Of me: I started wearing my 5km racing flats again last week in training. I'm back near peak form again after 5 weeks of hard training since Australian Masters Athletics Championships. In the afternoon a 30 minute recovery jog to make 20km for the day, 126km last 7 days. Tomorrow a long run of minimum 90 minutes. Steve this morning a light session of 4 x 3 minute efforts by the lake, still recovering from the half marathon last weekend. Splits: 4:00/km (up),3:41/km(down),3:46/km (headwi

I made entry into World Masters Athletics Championships this week. No surprises what I did enter. 8000m XC ; 10km Road Race ; 5000m track ; 1500m track ; Half Marathon. There is a clash with the 1500m and Half Marathon. I'd rather run the 1500m to be held in the main stadium. It all comes down to the final schedule on 16th September and whether 1500m final will allow me to catch my plane and whether Half Marathon starts in the morning. Regardless I'm training for both. Today it was training for Half Marathon. I've done 7 half marathon specific sessions since Australian Masters Athletics Championships a few weeks ago. Today was a PB by 5 minutes on the same out and back 17km course, mostly off road. Tomorrow long XC intervals at Stromlo.