A New Program - Day 1 of 12.

My new program (from Coach Ewen!) (started today) is based on a 12 day cycle. This looks like a lot of fun on the way to becoming fast enough to run out of sight on a dark night! Off we go......

Day 1 : 10 minutes slow jog warm-up. Stretches. 45 minutes at 85% of Max. HR pace. Short, brisk walk for a warm-down. Stretches.

Results: Warm-up = 1km. Stretches on the grass in soccer field. 7km in 48:32 (4km out & 3km back) @ 85-90%. Warm-down = 2km. Total = 10km. Pilates video replaced stretches.

A good start to the merry month of May!

Guess What the Postman Left This Morning!

............for Ewen, Horrie & Chickybabe!






Now I have a matching pair at last!

Sunday Afternoon in the Paddocks With Dogs.

I took some photos of the dogs having their daily walk in the paddocks of what is called
"Renwick"........in Mittagong.


In the not too distant future all the land will be sold off for housing...about 600 lots!

The old mills will be saved!

I suppose it's called "progress", but a wonderful natural location will be gone .

I have tried to put in a link to "Renwick, Mittagong", because its history makes very interesting reading...but all attempts at a link- so far- have failed!!

Hours later! I think this works...sort of!!

http://www.renwickweb.com.au

Sunday Run - 10km

I took the high road to the right but I can no longer call Sunday runs long! And that I can live with for the rest of this year. So, starting late at mid-day when the morning had warmed up to a wonderful day, I set out once again on the road - first time since Canberra.

Diamond Fields Road is a dirt road so I couldn't wear any of my new trainers! Instead I dragged out the ones I'd used in Canberra for, very likely, nearly their last run!

Glorious day, not a sound...except for the occasional "MOO!"

Another 'Easy' Run

Treadmill again for 5km. Home for some core work, Pilates tape & now to walk the doggies!

The DS Trainers!

What an incentive new trainers are! Today, being very windy, I took the DS Trainers for their first run on the gym treadmill & they are so comfortable! An 'easy' 5km; HR between 75-80% of Max. & 2 very short hills set at 3-6%. I felt so good I could have run all day....or not! I might wear these for the SMH Half....but I hate getting the first dirty mark on new trainers!

Back in Business...Sort of!

I took the new MAgic Racers for their first run today on the gym treadmill & also my first jog since Canberra 50km. Ever so cool....the Magic Racers! An 'easy' 35 minutes, keeping HR around 75% of Max. Nothing more serious than this until after the SMH Half Marathon; then, I'm told, it's down to hard work! Can't wait to get back into it!

A Time & Place to Reflect...

Today is Good Friday & a week since leaving for Canberra...hard to believe that & also almost a week since the "run of my life"....the run I had when I'm no longer running!

I haven't run since last Sunday & not in any hurry to put the trainers back on again; not until after Easter at the earliest.

Still awash with thoughts & emotions about the day & I want to put some here as a way of letting them out! Not for responses really, just to let them go on out into space (or wherever thoughts go!) & leave only memories of the day with me:

- For months.. Ewen, sending weekly programs & commenting on each one.....what a friend I've been blessed with; and after the 50km, checking several hours later that I was alive (if not well!)...bringing something to eat & company for the evening...talking about starting up a new program in 3 weeks' time..

- Horrie's selflessness in giving up his own first Canberra 50km to run with me for nearly twice the time it might have taken him on his own.....will always love & owe him for that...so very different having someone to run with, not wondering am I on the right part of the cycle track where it's easy enough to take a wrong turn, until the relief of seeing a volunteer or an aid station ahead; not being completely alone with no other runners in sight...back or front!...

- The cheer squad & other Cool Runners giving much needed encouragement along the way & staying out there until I finished, forming a "guard of honour"! I don't know of anywhere else I would find such unbelievably supportive friends; they leave me completely humbled, & thankful that I've been fortunate enough to have them come into my life....late & all though it is!

EASTER SATURDAY...
- the 50km was the perfect run; only one other time have I been truly able to say that; twice in a lifetime of running is more than a lot of runners are fortunate enough to experience; not one part of this run would I have wished to be any other way; I really did feel strong, relaxed & in control; some fatigue in the lower back & hip area towards the end (as did Horrie), but otherwise I was calm & felt strong; confident that I would achieve my goal & that my dream would be fulfilled....& it was! In fact it was more than just fulfilled; it flowed over with an Australian Record & a PB of 23 minutes.

There now: therapy session over, the thoughts are 'out'; but that's all looking back & now it's time to let them go, tuck the memories away, recall them whenever I want to think of a perfect run on a perfect Canberra day; an incentive to start again - taking 3 new pairs of Asics (the 2110, DS Trainers & Magic Racers ..for the track!) out of their boxes & arranging them on the top shelf of runners & start to plan for goals for the remainder of the year....that's what Easter is about...new life & so it will be for Chickybabe!

And nowit's Easter Sunday!

Canberra 50km, 2006

.....this photo tells the whole story! I finally got to finish the correct course for the Canberra 50km....with a whole lot of help from some extraordinary people in this Cool Running family
of mine..... but I never dreamed of a guard of honour finish!

I think that Saturday afternoon at the 5km & 10Km races is always the best fun of the weekend; gives an opportunity of meeting up with interstate as well as local Cool Runners ....great to meet all those whom I've never met in person before (too many so I won't mention names); too early for race day tension to have kicked in & still relaxed enough to laugh, enjoy each other's company & encourage the runners; I love race day eve!

We, not just I, had a brilliant run on Sunday! The Cool Running community, Ewen, Horrie & me...we did it together! Mine was the easiest part of this collaboration...I had only to keep putting one foot in front of the other until the finish line! After months of coaching me to "start to run out of sight...day or dark night", Ewen devised the race day plan which exactly took care of every minute, in blocks of each 10kms in a run/walk program ranging from 23-22.5 minutes running/3:40 to 4 minutes easy walking & to finish 50km in a time of 6 hours 35 minutes. He had settled on this run/walk program in view of an injury I had during the 3 weeks leading into the run &... did it work? You bet it did!

I have never ever felt I'd run what I could call my 'perfect race', but without any doubt, this was it! With the programme carefully in hand, Horrie's part was to see that (1) I didn't get lost (again!) & (2) to time the run/walk segments exactly, giving neither more nor less than what the blueprint said! He did this to perfection, even warning me before each run segment that we had 10 seconds to go! He gained a 3 minute lead on the set time within the first 10km & we kept that right to the end, finishing in 6 hours 32 minutes. It shouldn't surprise me then, that I felt strong, confident & relaxed for the entire run & without any thoughts of not finishing, but I was taken aback by finishing more than 20 faster than the time I set for the W70 Australian Record way back as a youngster of 74 in 2004!

Can I ever adequately thank both Ewen & Horrie? Or those who ran part of the course with us on Sunday? Or those who waited long hours for me to finish? Of course not! But deep down in my heart is a "Thank You" which I hope they all know is there. The same for the CR bloggers who gave such encouragement over recent weeks/months.

For the remainder of this year? A big change which I'm so looking forward to : trying to become faster over shorter distances & then, come October/November trying out for these distances in Canberra with the ACTVAC. I can see no reason for not becoming faster..even on a dark night....if I keep trying!

"The Monkey Is Off My Back!"

...and back from Canberra this afternoon; tomorrow, I'll have some thoughts & feelings about a great day, Canberra 50km Road Race, 2006!

Last Run!

....except for turning over the legs for a couple of kms on Saturday.

4km today : 2/3 @ 8m/km;
1/3 @ 8.5km increasing to 9 to 10km/hr.

Is is really another year since finishing the last lot of training for Canberra 50km? I guess so, especially after looking in the mirror this morning..... !!

Blog reopens after Canberra; 'bye for now from Chickybabe!

Thank you, every blogger, for every comment that has helped me get from last year's Canberra event to this one! CB

Only 1 More Training Run To Go!

This morning, 5km : two-thirds @ 8km/hr pace; one-third @ 8.5 km/hr pace.
36 minutes. Shorter run tomorrow. Last massage this afternoon; leave for Canberra mid-day Friday.

6 Days to Canberra, 2006.

Yesterday, Sunday, I didn't run at all....bit of a tummy bug! Great time to hit, (don't you know, God, you're supposed to be on my side?) but better than next Sunday!

So today, feeling good......30 minutes (4.2km) with 2/3 of the time at 50km goal pace & remaining 1/3 a stronger/faster finish!




CB & Horrie next Sunday!!!...................