Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Steve at Stromlo this morning for 5 X 600m xc efforts with 400m jog recovery. Splits 1:58,1:58,1:58,1:54,1:53. Weather cool, almost no wind. I ran a longish recovery run of 90 minutes n the afternoon, mostly on single track through the forest. Something similar on Friday morning.

First BBQ Stakes 6km hilly xc threshold run in a fortnight as I was on timing duty last week. Weather warm to hot, sunny, light winds. It was my 5th solid day consecutive (Parkrun,7km XC,500m strides,800m intervals). I was feeling good, no injuries although a little mentally stale. I'll have two easy days until Saturday morning set. Taper will begin on Monday after completing this 10 week build up. Splits: 3:47,3:51,3:41,3:55,3:19,3:34. A good day looks like this run a few weeks ago: 3:41,3:48,3:31,3:48,3:14,3:31. Saturday set will include some long XC intervals if the weather is good.

Another pre-dawn set at Stromlo XC circuit with Steve. Weather cool, dew on grass, no wind. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 4 x 800m+ efforts with 1:35 jog recovery, warm down. Splits: Steve: 2:45,2:41,2:41,2:40. Actual distance is over 800m, Steve comfortably under his target of 3:20/km. Me: 2:40,2:35,2:34,2:34. Tomorrow at lunch the BBQ Stakes 6km XC threshold run.

Afternoon session at Stromlo XC circuit including strides session with Helen. All up 17km. Weather warm, light winds. The set: Warm up 5km, joined by Helen +1.5km, 5 x 100m strides, 4 x 630m strides with 450m jog recovery, warm down. Splits: Helen 2:39,2:36,2:32,2:32. Me: 2:57/km,3:02/km,2:55/km,2:56/km, warm down. Next set with Steve Tuesday morning pre-dawn 4 x 800m+ with 1:30 jog recovery. Wednesday BBQ Stakes 6km threshold XC run.

Today 30km of running including 10km with Millie the Border Collie, 9km including 7km ACT Masters XC handicap and an 11km warm down. I've taken my running weekend to 20km on Saturday 30km on Sunday. Today completes week 9 of this base building training block of 120km+ per week. One big week to go before a taper to Canberra Times Fun run 10km and One Hour on track. This week no track meet. Monday is a strides session at Stromlo to flush out the slow kilometres from today. Tuesday 4 x 800m with 1:30 recovery, Wednesday BBQ Stakes 6km XC threshold run then easy running until Saturday.

Premiere event for Wagi Bridge Parkrun on Saturday morning. Weather cool and very windy (30km/h gusting to 50km/h). Course challenging (undulating to hilly,almost no flat). I have been chasing these small events in recent weeks in preparation for Canberra Times 10km Fun Run and One Hour track in a fortnight. I had some competition early with a couple of runners doing 3:10 for the first kilometre and late in the run Jono backing up from a 34 minute 10km in Burnie last week. I was solo after the early pace died off at around 1200m. Splits: 3:16,3:27,3:26,3:24,3:26. I had plenty of friends out there. All ran well although a little slower than their home course of Ginninderra. On Thursday evening ACT Masters had two 3000m events on the program. Weather was hot for the 3000m handicap event (I ran that). Steve ran in the later 3000m event. I had to dash immediately off to a party. Steve ran 10:28 (3:33,3:29,3:26 with last lap 78sec). I ran 10:05 without kick, thought I had a lap to go. T...

Pre-dawn session at Stromlo XC circuit. Weather cold to cool, much dew on grass (soggy shoes), no wind. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 4 x 800+ metres with 1:30 jog recovery, warm down. Steve averaged 2:41(sub-3:20km, circuit long). My splits: 2:41,2:37,2:36,2:34. Around same splits as last week, except final effort today 2 seconds slower than last week.

Afternoon XC session at Stromlo. On the warm up first sighting of a snake this summer, red bellied black just as Helen and I were talking about snakes. Weather very warm, sunny and some wind. The set for me was a shakeout of the long running yesterday. The set: 1500m warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 5 x 500m strides with 500m walk, jog and drink recovery, warm down. Splits: Helen last 4 efforts 4:06-4:08/km. Me: 4:00/km,3:20/km,3:06/km,3:02/km,3:16/km. Tomorrow morning a set with Steve at Stromlo with 4 x 800m with 1:35 recovery, set average target 3:10/km. 3:20/km Steve.

I'm into week 9 of this base training block. I've made good progress in that time regularly hitting my training and racing benchmarks. In two weeks I'll begin a taper for Canberra Times 10km Fun Run 10th November and One Hour track run 14th November. Until then business as usual. Sunday long runs have increased from 20km to 28km. I'll 2km to next Sunday's run and settle on 30km when I resume after my taper period. The long run has allowed me to schedule in an easier volume day on Wednesday each week. Weekly volume has been a constant 120km+. After 8 consecutive 6km threshold runs at BBQ Stakes on Wednesdays I will miss this week. After winning last week I am on timing duties. 3000m track handicap will replace that on Thursday evening. Two XC sessions have been normal with a focus on speed in shorter sets and speed endurance in longer sets. All sets have shown steady progress. Tomorrow morning my 800m set with short recovery should average at 3:10/km. I've al...

Saturday morning Parkrun to celebrate 100 runs for Jen. Weather cool and very windy. I passed up running track on Thursday hoping conditions would be better today. They were marginally. I ran solo from the start pushing into the wind to the half way dead turn and worked just as hard on the way home. The split at half way dead turn was the only kilometre over 3:20. 16:46 added 2% to my lead on the age grade table. Training form for eight weeks leading up to this has been great. We had a very social morning to celebrate Jen 100 runs, Gabe new house. We had bubbles, picnic and coffee. A lovely morning. All my friends had solid runs. An afternoon 80 minute recovery run as best as I could find out of the wind on forest trails. Elsewhere Helen was at Stromlo running 3 x 1000m efforts all in the 4:20s. Steve had a solid set of long intervals. Splits: 3:45/km,3:49,3:36,3:32,3:31,3:25. Tomorrow 2 hours+ of running. Next set expected on Tuesday with 600m-800m efforts.

Thursday morning session for Steve at Stromlo XC circuit. Set 5 x 600m with 400m jog recovery. Splits: 1:57,1:58,1:57,1:57,1:55. Conditions cold and windy. I skipped track that evening due to poor weather conditions. Friday 18km steady on soft surface, much better weather. Saturday Parkrun Ginninderra expected, joined by Gabe and Jen on her 100th Parkrun. Steve will run long intervals close to home.

Regular Wednesday 6km XC threshold run at BBQ Stakes. Weather very warm to hot, low humidity and strong head winds. I was looking at the splits every kilometre and only getting negative feedback, my legs were good, conditions not so good. I guess the bad conditions allowed me to finish first on handicap. Afternoon run was only 3km, cooler and raining by then. Track begins tomorrow evening. I'll run 3000m as a training effort. I'll ensure I get 15 kilometres done before track.

Pre-dawn session with Steve at Stromlo XC circuit. Weather cool, light winds. The set starting at 3:13/km working down to 3:03/km: Warm up, 5 x 100m strides, 4 x 800m+ efforts, 1:35 jog recovery, warm down. My splits: 2:43, 2:37,2:34,2:33. Steve a touch quicker than his set last week with an extra effort today. All up 9km in morning set, 8km with Milli the Border Collie in the afternoon. Wednesday is a 6km threshold hilly XC effort at BBQ Stakes.

I'm into week 8 of high volume training. Week 7 completed with 132km in total, the largest of this training block. Yesterday was 24km on single track or forest trails including 9km with Milli the Border Collie. ACT Masters track begins this week. I'll use this as training for the last 3 weeks of my base building block. In a couple of weeks I'll run a Parkrun event to test out my legs on a new course. After finishing Week 10 I'll begin a taper for Canberra Times Fun Run 10km and One Hour Track which are four days apart. In mid-December I'll begin a new base training block which will last until late February. Track racing un-tapered will continue throughout this period when track resumes after the Christmas holiday season. Next set is Tuesday morning with some 4 x 800m efforts, 200m slow jog recovery.

Stromlo XC Intervals on Saturday morning, a few of us there. Weather cool, cloudy and some wind. The set: Warm up, 5 x 100m hill strides, 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2 minute recovery reducing to 1 minute for last four efforts. Speed started at 3:23/km reducing to 3:02/km for last two efforts. Afternoon recovery run made it 18km for the day, 123km last 7 days. Tomorrow a long steady run of 2 hours+. Eliud Kipchoge and friends are in Vienna Austria to make another attempt at breaking 2 hours for the marathon. Congratulations Eliud