Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Tomorrow I am on track duty so no racing. The following week will be the final ACTVAC track meet for 2013 before they rip up the old track and lay a new surface. I expect to run 3000m and a handicap 800mon November 7. Today I entered Zatopek 10000m lower grades on December 5 in Melbourne. That along with the Victorian 5000m Championships have been my major goals of the pre-Christmas racing block (along with ticking the One Hour box last week). I feel like I am ready for both events as things stand so it will just be a case of tightening some screws and shaving some weight...feeling excited already:-)

A hotch potch today...yesterday a rare day off...nothing... Today back into the groove. It was very, very windy. Helen and I the same set: 3 x 600m +200m...I did twice helping Helen. Me: 1:50,1:49,1:50,34 200m recovery    Helen: 2:19,2:17.2:17,42 same recovery. In Bega Keith on his own. In Canberra Steve on his own. In the bush Maria, Kathy and Tori 3 x 1000m hill loop. Only 2 weeks of Vets track left this year, I only get to race one and not this Thursday...may have to look elsewhere.

Friday only and easy 6km, Saturday easy 20km (12km+8km). Today a 100% effort in the 3.5km xc handicap at the Arboretum. It was the final race in the King of the Mountain series and I needed 1st or 2nd to win the title. I had to work very hard on all the ups and downs to have a chance. My first 2km was 6:52 including three big hills and flying down the other side. The final 1.5km included two really tough but short climbs and quite a few people were walking up them. I only caught GT & then KT very close to the finish. I never saw the winner finish but 2nd was enough. This afternoon a late loosener before getting into the groove of training again next week. The next big goal Victorian 5000m Championships on November 14. I am still unsure if Lower Grades Zatopek is on or not. That would be on December 5. I did enter 5000m and Half Marathon at Oceania Masters Athletics in Bendigo in early January. Also in January ACT Mile, ACT 3000m and ACT 10000m Championships. Keith did a sho...

A perfect evening for us all in the One Hour Run. Three times Helen has tried to break Ann Young's ACT W50 record, falling short both times by just over 100m. With a little, self belief help and encouragement Helen added 164.9 metres to that ACT record which has stood since 1988...awesome!! It was so cold I wore a tri-suit for my One Hour. Although it was windy in the back straight I must admit cold with low humidity suits me just fine. Another thing in my favour was only 9 runners being on track. That alone negated the wind. My plan was similar if not the same as Helen's. I found my steady state, got ahead of schedule and held it as best I could until the end. 17357.9 metres added 290.9 metres to my Australian M50 record I set last year. Helen, Steve and I finished on the exact same millimetre of the track by my design and luck. I had to rip it over the last 300m to catch them and then coast for two seconds. Big thanks to Steve for being a key piece of the plan and Minni...

Once again some excitement for our 7th consecutive journey to Tour de France in watching the launch this evening. As with 2013 we begin our journey on the Gold Coast with a Half Marathon (or Marathon). The course 2014 encapsulates many memories from all the years we have made the journey...so I add a few pictures. Nine sectors of cobbles, the first big test near the foret of Arenberg. Pla-D'Adet, not used since 2005 (see map TDF). Planche des Belle Filles...where I met Claude and Virginie. Gerardmer...I did orienteering there in 1986. I LOVE EPERNAY...who could not love champagne? Hautacam...let's forget the drug cheat Ricco and replace with??? Almost forgot I get to visit Paris and Arenberg in Avril for Marathon de Paris et Paris Roubaix...pour qua?

Yesterday an easy long run of 80 minutes to recover from the weekend. Today two groups: In the bush 3 x 1000m hilly intervals (Kathy, KT, Tori, Maria) On the track Helen 1600m at One Hour pace for W50 ACT Record and Steve and I: 4 x 100m, 3 x 600m with 200m recovery. Steve 151,151,149 & Me 146,147, 145.2 Our set the quickest of the season once again...still making good progress towards Victorian 5000m Championships on November 14th. Below: 2013 Weston Creek Fun Run + 1983 Mt Pritchard to Warragamba 34km

Today the Weston Creek Fun Run, my 6th completion of the event since 2007 having missed it last year when I was in Melbourne. Being held in October means I've often done a speed session on the day before. In all 6 events there has been someone faster than me on the day so my lingering memory is running that first 1.5km all up and chasing someone for the next 4.5km with legs full of lactate. Today I started slower than my previous outings and dropped straight onto my maximum threshold and stayed there all the way home. I was was my least painful effort, my equal best placing and a time smack in the middle of those efforts. My fastest 20:07 in 2009 when there was a small group at the front and I got a sit in until the last 800m. My slowest when I was least fit in 2007 and most fit in 2010 (4x 1km day before) with times in the 20:40s Jane ran with Steve along side her, winning W40+ and 2nd female overall. Joshua (14) and Nicola Torley (16) won male and female overall so a case o...

Added another 400m onto the circuit we were using for our hilly intervals and included an extra hill. We last used this loop back in 2010 so it was interesting to see that the times were very similar today. The loop basically all up, interspersed with some false flats and including two nasty climbs and some shorter or flatter pinches. Each effort was quicker than the last and the splits at 1km were the same or quicker than what we were running in previous weeks. First effort was 5:25 and the last 5:15 approx. Steve was hot on my tail today indicating very good things are coming his way soon. Some of the girls got lost and only did two efforts. Emma 2.5 due to the smoke haze from up north. Tomorrow a 6km fun run I will use as a threshold effort out at Weston Creek. Steve and Jane will do as well.

On Wednesday a long run as planned, around 80 minutes through the bush trails as it was very windy and warm. For track extremely windy and cold behind the front that had been coming during the day. 3000m: I was on pacing duties for Steve so through the first 4 laps running 79 highs until Steve found it difficult, lifted slightly over the last laps. Each week 10km pace gets more and more comfortable, even into the gale. Steve ran 10:16 (6 seconds quicker than Saturday and very near a lifetime PB. Keith ran 10:29 and was a lifetime PB. Helen ran 4:04 first km and suffered in the last 500m Pennington 1500m: Extremely cold and windy. I had no idea what time we ran and may never know. I had caught everyone with 450m to go and ran solid until the end. Kathy was 4th. With the program the way it is this may be my one and only Pennington race of the season...we will see. I still have 120km+ in the legs. Looking forward to this weekend with a good session on Saturday, play race (thresho...

Yesterday was a shocker. I had a huge hunger flat in the afternoon and dawdled on an 8km run at a very slow pace. Today was much better. The set: 4 x 600m, 200m recovery. Helen rabbit for Kathy, all efforts well under 4:00/km for Helen, a big step up again for Helen and Kathy. Me rabbit for Steve (with Garry as rabbit too), all efforts on or under 3:00/km (1:46,1:47,1:48,1:48) and Steve average around 1:52, his best set yet at that distance. This Thursday at track a 3000m similar to last week, starting at 3:20/km and staying there until close to the end. Following that a handicap Pennington 1500m. The yearly schedule for Pennington is crazy beyond belief for the last two races but I will do the first race just in case the race dates are altered.

Long run this morning on the Arboretum loop and a ploddle loosener in Aranda bush this afternoon. Another 25km for the day and back to 130km for the week. Down in Melbourne and Geelong it has been half marathon heaven. In Geelong the AMG: Mick 3rd M50 88, Kelley 1st W50 115 In Melbourne: Michelle 91 (just ahead of), KT 91 (3rd W45), Maria 100 (2nd W55), Tori 103, Juanita 106, Julia 135

Nice spring weather at the track today. It was a help the group day and a chance for me to recover from a busy week. The plan: For each individual a pace slightly quicker than current level over 2000m-3000m recently. Everyone managed to improve on that level so the next races should be a little better again following adaption to that stress. The set: 4x100m ; 3000m pacing Jane 11:50 (first 2000m 8:00, last 1000m 3:50) ; 3000m pacing Steve 10:22 (first 2000m 7:00, last 1000m 3:22) ; Me 800m 2:32 ; 2000m Pacing Helen & Chasing Kathy 8:20 ; 1000m Pacing Helen & Chasing Kathy 4:02 All up that was 20km this morning including warm up and warm down. 6km this afternoon as a loosener. Of me: Next goal is chasing the Australian M50 One Hour record I currently hold in a fortnight. I will continue to train as normal for this block but will not completely reduce the volume of 120km per week until just before the Victorian 5000m Championships on November 14 and then just before the l...

Yesterday an easy 85 minutes on the hilly Arboretum loop. Today a jog to the track, 3000m around 9:55, long warm down. 15k for the day. Helen 11:40s, Kathy 13s...both will improve over coming weeks. I set the watch at 10000m pace (3:20/km) and circulated at pace until 100m to go. Some wind and warmth, not that easy to maintain pace, especially lapping the runners in lane 3. Minor changes to the routine post AMG. Wednesday becomes second long run most weeks, no more than 90 minutes. Sunday long run most weeks longer than 90 minutes building up slowly. One more change to come, next post I will explain what and why. All is good.