Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Weather very windy, cool to cold with wind chill. Just Helen and myself. Kathy and Geoff earlier. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 600m efforts with 400m jog recovery, warm down. Splits: 1:57,1:47,1:46. Happy with that given the wind. This afternoon an easy recovery run, 17km for the day.

King and Queen of the Mountain race on one of our toughest courses held on very hilly rocky fire trails. Weather cool and very windy. Gabe, Helen and myself backing up from a very hard session yesterday. We crossed the line within a minute of each other on handicap, all with solid runs. I felt great out there with good rhythm, strong on the hills, cautious on the rocky descents. Next set on Tuesday, some 600m efforts at Stromlo XC circuit. Steve ran a 10km road race in Sydney in 38:05 as part of his preparation for an upcoming half marathon.

Weather cold to cool with no wind at Stromlo XC circuit this morning. Eight of us there for a solid set on the hilly 2.5km circuit. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 60 seconds jog recovery. Warm down to make 15km for me. Pace was 3:20/km and reducing to 3:10/km in the last two efforts. An easy 6km recovery run in the late afternoon made 21km for the day, 131km for the week. Tomorrow morning a 9km hilly XC handicap event.

It's less than six weeks until World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga. Volume has remained at 125km/week since the beginning of May, higher volume than May, June and July 2015. My third race last weekend was better than expected (10km 33:38) despite a head cold. The last three races were done with no taper, just an easier day prior to event. It will remain that way until after City2Surf 14km when I leave Australia for a taper/climate camp in Paris. City2Surf 14km will be a key race with a top class field of 85000 and super hilly course. Sunday's 9km hilly XC handicap and the following week hilly Parkrun 5km will be an ideal lead up. Direct Preparation Period 2 continues: 28th July to 12th August: High volume, target races, maximum threshold XC runs, long and short intervals with lift in training intensity. Final target race is City2Surf 14km Road 12th August. Climate and Taper Camp 13th August: Leave for France. Sessions include long runs, long intervals (1000m and

Yesterday Steve ran 4 x 3 minute efforts as a lead in to a 10km road race on the weekend. Splits: 3:40/km, 3:36, 3:29, 3:26. Steve has been steadily on the improve since running the Gold Coast Half Marathon earlier in the month. For me a long hilly XC runs of 18km yesterday and today, timed to re-watch the short 65km Tour de France stage from Bagneres de Luchon to Saint Lary Soulan, today for the sprinters. The stage yesterday was of interest to me as I have on different years ran many runs on the mountains around Peyragudes, Peyresourde and Saint Lary Soulan. Tomorrow an easy set at Stromlo XC circuit. I may ease my way back into some 600m efforts. On Sunday a 9km XC handicap on the trails I ran last evening. Very hilly and rocky.

Strong winds, sunny, cool for the BBQ Stakes Maximum Threshold 6km XC at lunch. Time of 21:52 is back into my good zone considering the elements. Helen ran as intervals with a 10 minute warm up. Next set on Saturday, a short set with faster paced intervals and strides. Sunday is a very hilly 9km XC handicap. I should do around 125km for the week.

This morning Steve ran 3 x 1500m efforts on the same loop we did last week. Splits: 5:22,5:20,5:21 which was 3 seconds better than last week. Yesterday Helen and I ran 7 x 90 second efforts with 30 seconds jog recovery at Stromlo. It was also windy, a series of cold fronts passing by. Pace for me was around 3:20/km. Today was a half marathon specific session of 18km on hilly terrain and sandy forest trails out of the wind. Tomorrow 6km XC maximum threshold effort at BBQ Stakes.

Weather for Sutherland2Surf 11km cold to cool, sunny, no wind. As in 2015 when I ran it last a fast start and spending all my pennies by 10km to find form for the World Masters Athletics Championships which in 2015 were in Lyon. Today the 10km split 33:38, 30 seconds jog recovery, solid to finish. Splits: 3:15,3:04,3:08(9:28),3:13,3:30(16:12),3:32,3:27,3:33,3:31,3:22=3:38.9 I was not so good on the rolling hills from 4km on, coughing up 10 seconds or more on each of those hills. The result today my quickest 10km since 2015. This afternoon an easy recovery run making 24km for the day, 110km last 7 days after only 8km yesterday. Next set on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on recovery. Next Sunday is a hilly 9km XC handicap. Yesterday Steve ran 5 x 3 minute efforts. Splits: 3:36/km,3:34,3:27,3:34,3:26 with average of 3:31/km. Helen ran the same set at Stromlo, having been snow skiing for 3 days.

Weather at BBQ Stakes today cool and windy. I did most of my warm up during the run and was working hard over the last 3km. In the afternoon an 11km warm down making 18km for the day, 136km last 7 days. The next few days will be easy running with a few faster paced strides. I'm racing an 11km fun run on Sunday. Volume will be down to 110km for the week by then.

This afternoon a race to get the run in before dark. It was cold and windy. The run same hilly 17km out and back on sandy fire trails I've been using regularly. Today I ran as intervals after a 10 minute warm up. Intervals were 6,5,4,3,3,7 minute efforts with 30 seconds jog, warm down to finish recovery. Pace was high 3:20s/km for the intervals and a PB for the 17km. Steve at Stromlo XC circuit ran 3 x 2000m efforts, all just over 7 minutes. Similar conditions for Steve with cold and wind to deal with. Tomorrow a 6km maximum threshold XC effort at BBQ Stakes.

Entries have closed for World Masters Athletics Championships to be held in Malaga, Spain in 7 weeks. 8100+ competitors so far, mail entries may trickle in over coming days. In all ages, male or female, competition is super tough. Medals won't come easy and places will be contested at an awesome level. I can't rate between Lyon and Malaga as yet...I'm carrying all my memories of how hard I had to fight in Lyon and Perth on my training runs between now and then. I've done a brief fly pass of my competition in the M55-59 middle and long distance events. I am looking at facing 20-25 realistic challengers for a run in the 1500m final. In the longer events I can see between 7-12 realistic challengers for a medal. No need to alter training plans as I'll be ready for everything should I stay injury free and in good health. Over the next month I'll run three or four races on road and cross country to prepare myself for 5000m to Half Marathon events. When I get to Pari

With Steve and Kathy this morning at Stromlo XC circuit. Weather frosty, extremely cold (minus 7 degrees overnight), sunny, light winds. Set done with Steve. Kathy ran 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute intervals. Gabe ran Parkrun 5km 23:55, nice run in the cold. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 3 x 1500m intervals with 300m hill finish, 500m recovery, warm down. Splits: 5:08 [1k split at start of hill 3:21],5:01[3:16],5:03[3:16]. I've used this circuit for other length intervals. 1:45 for the 500m stretch from start of hill to finish on 2nd effort today is the fastest I have on record, others very close. Steve is in recovery mode after running Gold Coast Half Marathon. Today he was coasting very nicely and not far back. Afternoon recovery run of 11km making 23km for the day and 134km last 7 days.

This week was a consolidation week with few sessions and mostly half marathon type sessions of around 75-95 minutes. As the week went on the long runs became quicker without trying, more fluent and stronger. Of the last 7 days 6 were long runs incorporating two light sessions of 2 minute intervals. Volume is 131km last 7 days. Session based training begins again tomorrow with long XC intervals at Stromlo.

Stromlo XC circuit the venue again for a repeat of the Saturday session. Weather sunny, cool, light winds. Pace was faster than on Saturday but not at full gas. I picked up a head cold on weekend, just rotating through long recovery runs and light speed sessions until this virus clears. Today a long recovery run of 75 minutes through forest trails. Volume is down although still over 120km for this week. Hopefully resuming intense sessions on Saturday. Entries for World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga close tomorrow.

Cloudy, cold, windy at Stromlo this morning. Cold enough to incorporate the strides into the session to get it over quickly and avoid cooling down during the warm up. Six of us there for the session. The set: Long warm up including 4 x 100m strides with 100m jog recovery, 4 x 2minute efforts on hilly to undulating loop with 60 seconds jog recovery, long warm down. All up 15km for morning session, 11km afternoon recovery run to make 124km last 7 days. Next session on Monday with 600m efforts. Wednesday maximum threshold 6km XC. Tomorrow long slow recovery run on forest trails out of the wind.

Sunny, cool, light winds for a lunchtime maximum threshold XC run over 6km at BBQ Stakes, time 21:47. Hamstrings still a little sore from race and a session in the freezing cold morning over the last week. This afternoon a recovery run to make 19km for the day, 125km last 7 days. Next session on Saturday will long XC intervals. If the weather is good I'll lift the intensity a notch.

I have completed week 9 of a 12 week general preparation period for World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga. Volume is over 127km/week for the months of May and June, highest volume since May and June 2015. I completed two races in the last fortnight. First race was a very hilly handicap XC event where my age grade standard was 96% and I caught the entire field. Seconds race was ACT Masters and 19-20yo combined XC Championships where I raced 5 very good young athletes and placed 2nd overall, defeating all Masters by over 2 minutes. These races were done with no taper, just an easier day prior to event. There is a three week training period before my next races. My 600m XC effort session has been great weekly despite the cold and windy winter weather. I am ahead of schedule for this session. Today splits were: 1:55,1:52,1:49,1:45 with 400m recovery. Temperature for the session was 2-3 degrees with light winds, frost on grass. Times will improve as the weather warms up in August

Gold Coast Marathon weekend has concluded. Some great results across the distances and ages. A little sad I missed it, just didn't fit into the schedule. Steve ran even splits with a strong finish taking six minuted off his Canberra run in May. A top effort. Jen had some issues on the day (humidity etc) but still placed highly in her age. Incredible her rate of improvement in 2018. Even superstars can't do PBs every week. Jen did a PB last weekend over 5km. New PBs will come again soon. Plenty of friends also did well over the weekend. A long recovery run of 17km this morning for me, followed by a shorter up-tempo run of 11km this afternoon. Next set tomorrow with some 600m efforts.