Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

Monday afternoon recovery run of 17km on forest trails. Weather warm, sunny, windy. I've started doing pushups (60) at the finish of my run. I'll include core strength work after the next long run. Next set early Tuesday morning, it will still be windy. The set 2000m,1500m,1000m,500m with 2 minutes jog recovery. Last evening was a Christmas party, lts of fun. Non-runners outnumbered the runners.

Sunday morning recovery run from home of half marathon distance. Wind was blowing a gale after last evening's storms. I rode the wind as far as I could before finding a sneaky way home through the forest with no wind. Next set on Tuesday morning at Stromlo XC circuits with 2000m, 1500m, 1000m, 500m efforts, 2 minutes jog recovery. I had my first 56.+kg reading after the run. It's fake because mostly fluid loss. I'll keep working those long runs on recovery days and try to control myself overdoing things at parties to get to a regular near race weight 56kg. There is another party this afternoon.

Saturday morning Parkrun at Gungahlin in 17:29. Weather warm, full sun, slight breeze. Splits(500m): 1:38,1:41,1:44,1:41,1:43,1:40,1:46(dead turn),1:47,1:50,1:43,0:11. Eventual winner M30-34 Jono(17:05) held back until the second half while myself M58 and 2nd place M35-39 Trent (17:27) tried to make it hard for each other. Jono put 20 seconds into us in the second half of the run, well paced. I ran from home as a recovery run, 21km for the day. Steve at Parkrun Noosa ran 6th in 19:00. Splits: 9:09(down),9:51(up). Weather hot 26 degrees. Keith back on line after a break in coms, House 4 Sale . Tuesday 5 x 600m, Thursday 5 x 800m, Saturday 5km tempo run in 19:10. Splits: 3:54,3:40,4:05,3:48,3:53

Friday evening recovery run of 10km from home. Lovely weather with no wind but for a cool light breeze. I finished right on dusk. Most of my friends out of town on Saturday, no group training at Stromlo XC circuits. I have my choice of Parkrun events, favouring Gungahlin this evening. I'll see how I wake in the morning. Weather expected to be cool with light winds, good for a faster time than last week's heat. Rain expected on Saturday afternoon. Announced today was Parkruns in NSW opening from December 19th. That's good news to take some weekend breaks a couple of hours drive away to find new courses. Also to be announced on Monday possibility of Christmas and New Year Parkruns. I've re-structured my structured training until February. With no track events Parkrun will be my main race day. Tuesday and Thursday long paced interval sessions. Sunday and Wednesday long runs. I'm still running at my bushfire/Covid weight which is 2-3kg above my race weight. At 3kg th...

My final track race of 2020 and what a joy it was to be part of it. An 800m handicap race with the very best athletes truly world class aged 35-70+. In the end 5 seconds separated the top five, just over two seconds the top three. I ran almost a perfect race, good enough for third. Steve who I train with fifth. Anthony who I raced with regularly this season fourth. Ken aged 35+ and John aged M70+(2nd Lyon WMA 400m,3rd Perth WMA 400m) 2nd and 1st with great runs. Next events for me will be Parkrun until I get my 50th event t-shirt (before Xmas, pic FT). With some good fortune Australian Masters Athletics Championships March 2021 in my home town of Canberra will be confirmed this month and I can continue training for events 1500m - 10000m + 8000m XC. Next event Parkrun Gungahlin? Saturday. Same morning Stromlo XC Intervals.

Wednesday lunch time run at BBQ Stakes community run. Weather much cooler than yesterday's stormy 35 degrees, 26 degrees today, full sun, some wind. I ran solid throughout, only catching a few people. In the evening 11km easy run on forest trails. Thursday evening track with ACT Masters, my last track races for 2020. In three weeks I'll take leave from work until February. It will be nice getting out of town, running in new places.

Tuesday morning session with Steve at Stromlo XC circuits. Once again completing the set before the sun rises with 35 degrees coming today. The set: 5km warm up, 5 x 100m + 1 x 200m strides, 4 x 800m efforts with 200m jog recovery, warm down. Splits through 500m: 1:42,1:40,1:39,1:37. I ran 15km on Monday evening finishing at 8:30pm (avoiding the hot sun). My legs had nothing to give for the 800m set, fatigued from a resumption of full training. Thursday evening track with ACT Masters. Saturday Parkrun Coombs. In a couple of weeks organisers of Australian Masters Athletics Championships (my club, ACT Masters) will meet to decide whether to go ahead with the championships in March. Hard to imagine them not happening as Australia has almost no Covid and none in the ACT. Domestic flights have resumed. Wait and see. If they go ahead I'll go into a committed structured training that will peak for the championships, the same training I'ved used since 2009 with success over 800m-1000...

5am run from home of 22km to avoid this weekend's heat wave. I started in the dark before entering the forest with cool temperatures until the sun popped up. I was on duty helping at ACT Masters XC handicap a short drive away. Helen ran her 100th XC handicap event and was presented with a red t-shirt. I ran a short run in the afternoon to loosen up. Next set on Tuesday morning with 800m efforts, 200m jog recovery. Thursday track racing with ACT Masters. I've resumed full training volume again, 120km+/week. I'll sit on that level until February including all the sessions and Parkrun events. There is no point sleeping in now. Get the running started before the sun comes up. It's not even December.

Saturday morning sessions including Parkrun Coombs followed by group session at Stromlo XC circuits. Weather hot, light winds getting stronger through the morning. Parkrun Coombs splits (500m): 1:42,1:47,1:44,1:41,1:44,1:51,1:48,1:42,1:50,1:44,0:06. Starting only 12 hours after the 3000m last evening I felt strong, splits show I was a little tired throughout. Group session at Stromlo XC circuits was only 10 minutes after I finished Parkrun. Session included 5 x 100m strides and 4 x 500m with 500m jog recovery and lots of water on head and consumed. It was very hot and later windy, full sun. Helen and Emma best of the girls. Helen started at 4:05/km working down to 3:58/km. I didn't time my efforts, around 3:20/km. Steve ran a faux Parkrun on his own early in the morning, just over 18 minutes, an improvement on last week now showing solid form. Next week my final track race for 2020 on Thursday night with 3000m/5000m or 800m handicap. I'll prepare with a full set of 800m eff...

Friday evening 3000m ACT Championship races. Weather was hot, no wind, low humidity. Fields were packed with class of all ages (12-58yo). I was the oldest runner there. The races were great to watch and run in. More than a few from over the border New South Wales. All the races followed the same plot with fast early pace, field splits up especially when the body core temperature peaked out. My splits (500m): 1:35,1:35,1:39,1:44,1:46,1:39. I had two very bad splits when my core temp over-cooked, otherwise OK. Saturday morning Parkrun Coombs again. I'll see how I pull up, I'm not sore this evening. I only need to get one more Parkrun closer to my 50th event. I may run hard anyway. Stromlo group session warm down after that.

Thursday morning set with Steve before sunrise. A short set to prepare for the ACT Masters 3000m Championships on Friday evening. The set: Warm up including 5 x 100m strides plus a 200m stride, 2 x 800m efforts with 200m jog recovery. Pace was 3:20/km or better. On December 3rd a 3000m/5000m is late on the program. I may run an 800m as warm up prior to the 3000m/5000m. It will be my last track race for 2020. Following that I'll commence my second build up phase of high volume and all the sessions. I'll resume running track races again in February with a peak at the Australian Masters Athletic Championships in March, assuming they go ahead. We have no Covid in Canberra. It will only be interstate outbreaks that stop the Championships.

Wednesday lunch time low key handicap run at BBQ Stakes. I ran before my handicapped time and had a steady run around the course chatting to folk along the route. In a couple of weeks is the BBQ Stakes Relay on the same course in pairs (half distance each). I'll have to lock in a partner for that to get my hands on a winning prize (it's guess your team time, no watch). After the event is pizza and cool beverages. Next set for me on Thursday morning with 2 x 800m strides, 1:30 jog recovery. Friday evening is ACT Masters 3000m Championship. I'll run Parkrun Coombs again on Saturday morning get get one run closer to a lifetime 50 run t-shirt this year.

Tuesday morning set for Steve of 4 x 500m. Splits: 1:35,1:34,1:33,1:31. I ran my set in the afternoon allowing for more recovery time. I was still a little sore in the afternoon, good enough to do the set with a slow first effort to warm up. My splits: 1:34,1:27,1:25,1:22. I may be even more sore tomorrow. I'll wait and see. This week will be about recovering enough to race on Friday evening in the ACT Masters 3000m Championships while still keeping my good race form. I'll do a couple of 800m strides on Wednesday or Thursday morning if I am feeling OK. Not much volume.

I woke a little sore from all the fast down hill running in Stromlo Trail Running Festival 10km. I did some stretching, long walks and a couple of jogs just to keep things ticking over. I won't resume full training until I feel OK, it may be tomorrow! I have entered ACT Masters 3000m Championships on Friday evening...I am hopeful. Summer is here soon, heat wave coming Thursday through Sunday, only in the mid-30s but a big shock from recent weather. I've already adjusted to running early mornings when I can. Last evening we had a birthday party for Leonor. Always fun when only runners (and partners/friends) are at the party. Runners are special:-)