Secret Blog for Killing Track and Parkrun PBs

A soggy day, pleasant to run in at times. I got out on the forest trails and ran 24km. No point doing any sessions until the tracks dry up, too slippery and unsafe. Rain is expected for a few days or so. Kangaroos and ducks loving the wet grass.

Morning 3000m time trial for Steve in 10:12. Another solid run to back up a recent 10:10 and sign of good early season form. I ran a 17km recovery run on forest trails in the Arboretum. Lovely day, sunny, no wind, warm. 132km this week. Next set 4 x 800m efforts, short recovery. Yet another postponement of Parkrun, now until mid-December. I'll have to rely on running two 5000m races on track to get some competition in the legs.

Pre-dawn time trial of 5000m in 16:43 on bike path. Even at 5am a cyclist on the criterium track, I moved to a safer location. Weather ideal for running, 7 degrees, no wind. Splits(500m): 1:45,1:37,1:39,1:37,1:37,1:39,1:40,1:41,1:45,1:39. Steve ran 4 X 500m efforts, one of his best sets. Splits: 1:32,1:31,1:29,1:29

Cool,sunny morning set of 4 x 500m XC intervals at Stromlo XC circuits. Splits: 1:29,1:27,1:26,1:23. That's my fastest set of this type since January. Next set on Tuesday morning, a short time trial.

Cool, sunny morning for a recovery run of 20km on Forest Trails through the Arboretum. In the afternoon a 7km loosener, again in the forest. 121km this week. The week ahead preparation for a couple of 3000m/5000m races coming up soon. It looks like no Parkrun until first weekend in December. Next set on Monday, short XC intervals.

Steve up early for a 5km time trial on the Parkrun Tuggeranong course in 18:06. Splits 9:05,9:01. Weather cold, sunny, light winds. I was at Stromlo XC circuits for a set of 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 2 minutes jog recovery. Weather had warmed up, wind picking up by then.

Morning run of 17km including a set of power hill strides to finish. Hills were steep and run at a strong pace. On Saturday morning at Stromlo XC circuits a set of short and longer intervals. The Australian Masters Athletics Championships 2022 Draft Program has been released. To be held in Brisbane over 4 days from 1st April, the program is a depart from the stable format over more than a decade. It will barely make a difference to me. 1st April 5000m ; 2nd April 8000m XC ; 3rd April 1500m ; 4th April 10000m. The championships will be my first major peak for 2022 with a short gap to another peak in June/July for the World Masters Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland.

Pre-dawn 5000m Time Trial on the bitumen criterium track at Stromlo. Weather cold, 4 degrees, light winds from the north east. I had to run very early to avoid cyclists who have also been training early. I used the full 1300m loop that included an extended hill. After seeing how poor my splits were I reverted to the shorter 950m loop for the final 2km to the finish. Splits(500m):1:41,1:42,1:42,1:44,1:42,1:43,1:41,1:41,1:42,1:36=16:58. That's seven 16:something 5km time trials since Parkrun stopped due to Covid on the 12th August. I expect Parkrun will resume again soon along with track racing. Best time to train in summer is early. The early morning runs will continue. Next set on Saturday morning at Stromlo XC circuits, a mix of short and long intervals.

Wednesday morning set at Stromlo XC circuits of 4 x 800m efforts with 200m jog recovery. Splits: 2:48,2:33,2:31,2:28. Weather full sun, cool, light headwind from north east. Steve ran a 2000m Time Trial at the top of the lake in 6:47. Splits(500m):1:38,1:43,1:44,1:42. Next set for me on Thursday or Friday, a 2000m trial.

Sunny, cool morning for a recovery run of 17km in the forest. I finished off with some strides on grass of 4 x 100m, 2 x 200m and 300m. Next set on Wednesday, 4 x 800m with short recovery. Steve ran 4 x 500m with one eye out for a swooping magpie. Splits: 1:33,1:36,1:35,1:31.

After a few days of base training I am back into structured workouts again. Track racing is expected to resume in 10 days, hopefully Parkrun too a couple of days later. On track I will be looking to run a 3000m or 5000m as the final race of the meets on 11th November and 2nd December. I only expect to compete in 2 races on track this year as I build up to my 60th birthday in late January. Then I'll have a few age records I can chase. The set today was 4 x 500m with 500m recovery jog. Splits: 1:38,1:30,1:28,1:25. Weather sunny with a cool headwind from the south east. Next set on Wednesday with 4 x 800m, short recovery. 120km run last 7 days, 27th week of base building.

Sunday morning long run of 22km. Breakfast included a coffee and pastries from Cobargo, a lovely town devastated by the bushfires on New Years Eve 2019-20. I'd driven through before a few times but never stopped. I spent 30-40 minutes there wandering, listening to the artistic folk selling unique produce, many who also had a dog. One lady commented of Milli the Border Collie 'That's a nice person'. She is correct, many border collies are really people. Houses were lost a couple of years ago but not the house I considered purchasing. It was right near the bakery where I bought the coffee and pastries. Some of the photos below are sad but the people and town is not. It is still a beautiful town with charismatic locals. Small boutique businesses have in-filled where tragedy struck. There is plenty to see and do. Cobargo is still recovering.

Morning 5km time trial for Steve on the Parkrun Tuggeranong course. Splits: 9:07,9:09. I ran early along the ocean Bike path south for 6km, back 7km all at a fast tempo. No whales to be seen, there was a pod of 5 dolphins close to shore in the waves. Rest of the day spent sightseeing further south along the coast.

Road trip to the coast again. Lots of walking the dog before the tide went out far enough to make the sand runable. 6km warm up to the north on beach, return as 5km time trial, 1km walk down.

Thursday morning time trials over 1500m for Steve and myself at different locations. Steve at the top of the lake, myself at Stromlo. Goal was to complete preparation for a 5000m time trial on Friday morning. 1500m splits: Me(500m warm up 1:34)1500m 1:28,1:40,1:29=4:37. Steve(500m warm up 1:36)1500m 1:32,1:40,1:41=4:54. An afternoon 10km recovery run, 17km for the day. Photo: The garden blue tongue lizard is back from hibernation. He will be here until autumn eating raspberries, tomatoes and grubs.