No computer access for a while.....helping out with an ill relative in Sydney.

A Sad Day.

My little dog, "Amy" died suddenly on Thursday night, 22nd June, 2006....just 3 years old and very much loved.

Blog Break.

Away for a while.........

Day 11 - An Easy Day.

30 minutes slow run at below 75% of MHR. Gym treadmill.

Some leg press, leg extensions & hamstring curls.

Day 10 - A Hard Day.

Speed session:

Ususal 10 minutes warm-up. Stretches & Strides.

2 Sets of 100m, 200m, 300m 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m....with good form!

2:45 between repeats & 10 minutes between sets.

Set 1 = 31.3; 1:06; 1:43; 2:25; 1:47; 1:08; 31.5
Set 2 = 32.1; 1:08; 1:47; 2:24; 1:48; 1:07; 31.1

Warm-down & stretches.

Day 9 - An Easy Day.

No Running.

At the gym : 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer + leg extensions, hamstring curls & leg press equipment + form drills + stretches.

Day 8 - An Easy Day.

A "talk to the cows & take photos" day!

35-60 minutes easy, slow run at below 75% of MHR.

Felt good - a total of 78 minutes out & back along Diamond Fields Road. Walked 2 of the hills to keep HR below 75% of Maximum. 9km.

Glorious weather when I started at 11:00a.m! Cool & sunny skies.

Day 7 - A Slightly Hard Day.

..at the "grassy knoll" for hill repeats. After a lot of scouting around where everything I thought would be good for hill repeats turned out to be not so, Ewen decided this grassy knoll, whilst not 'perfect' would, nevertheless, do. It's at the back of the Mittagong RSL Club!

So....10 minutes warm-up. Stretches & a few strides.

12 x 40m hill. Slow walk down recovery. Do 3 sets of 4.

This was a good session - I wouldn't call it even 'slightly hard' - I think I should have done more repeats or the slope needs to be a bit longer & steeper.....will have to see what the coach thinks, but will be OK till he returns from the USA.

Day 6 - An Easy Day.

No Running! Some stationary bike & form drills... ........

A Hard Day.

Warm-up jog for 15 minutes. Stretches.

2 x 10 minutes of 'hard' running.
6 minutes slow walk between each 10 minutes & after the session.

As the title says, it was a hard session & by 7 minutes each time I was just hanging on to finish. HR reached 90 - 95% of Maximum.

I simply must be able to run out of sight on a dark night soon!

Rest day tomorrow. Hills on Saturday - first day on the "grassy knoll"!

Day 4 - A Moderate Day.

A Cool Runner spotted this morning at Renwick Soccer Field, Mittagong! I got no reaction at all when I called out, "Stop posing, you lazy sod!"


Slow jogging 15 minutes warm-up + 15 minutes of drills + Strides.

6 x 100m ...not sprinting... with walk back recoveries. 31.1; 28.7; 28.6; 28.7; 26.9; 26.8

.....and Stretches to finish.

Day 3 - A Hard Day.

10 minutes warm-up. Stretches.

5km at a 'hard' pace - 85-95% of MHR.

Short brisk walk warm-down. Stetches.

Lordy, this was tough this morning! Can't blame the weather either for my being 1 minute 30 seconds slower than the last Day 3, 5km TT. Beautiful morning - neither rain nor wind & I thought I was going really well until I saw my time; when heart rate was right up there with an average of 85% + a bit & a max. of just over 95%...according to the Polar - maybe it's a bit out. Anyhow, it's done now ...no aches or niggles....it felt better than on Sunday, but it was really a "Hard" session.

Day 2 - Recovery Day.

At 7:00am this morning it was zero degrees in Mittagong, said the man on the radio! That would mean -2 in Bowral & around -4 in Moss Vale!! Clear skies & sunny and a top of 10 degrees forecast. When I looked out the kitchen window - several hours later! - a pigeon was "skating" on the ice in the frozen over bird bath....I know this is a penguin but it will have to do...the real thing flew off before I could get the camera!

No Running! Stationary cycle for about 45 minutes.

Day 1 of 14 Day Program - 4th Series.

A Moderate Day!

I don't think we got anywhere near the predicted top of 10 degrees today! First in a long while that I can recall having to have the central heating on for most of the day - I don't mind the rain but the cold wind today was enough for me to decide on the gym at 3:00pm, the time they open on Sundays.

Day 1 (for the fourth time): 10 minutes jog warm-up. Stretches.

45-65 minutes at 75 - 80% of MHR.

Short brisk walk warm-down & stretches.

Late afternoons are simply 'not my thing!' I felt heavy & slow & both knees were aching....from what? Cold? Wear & Tear? Age?? Definitely not the last one! I couldn't get my HR up to the expected average, staying around 70% for most of the time. Not a good session; just did the time.

Time = 60 minutes
Distance = 7km

...feeling like a jumbo!

A brief email from Ewen this morning from Vancouver to say they didn't have the internet whilst in LA but all was going well; more details tomorrow...which I'll pass on here.

Day 14 of the 14 Day Program - 3rd Series.

An Easy Day!

No running. I can do some stationary biking if I feel like it. Some stationary form drills are compulsory ...so that one day I will not be so slow!!

Still raining lightly on & off....everything is so green again!

Day 13 - A Hard Day...(Track)...3rd Series.

"Singing in the Rain", "Dancing in the Dark" or just trying to run out of sight on a dark night!

No choice but to go to the track : Rain, mist, cold, waterlogged shoes & socks.

Track (Chev. Bowral): 10:00am

10 minutes warm-up, Stretches & Strides.

2 Sets of 3 x 400m

3:30 mins. between repeats & 7 mins. between sets.

Set 1. 2:14.7; 2:16.2; 2:21.6

Set 2. 2:22.1; 2:16.6; 2:14.9

Since Ewen wasn't here to say differently, I used the MacMillan Calculator to try for 2:01.3 to 2:15.9 for each 400m repeat. That's what it says for an old plodder! I'd have been given a good clip over the ear or six of the best (as Ewen often says!) for sacrificing 'good form' for the sake of 'speed'...if it can be called that, because 'goofy form' it was in the last 50m of each repeat..... over the line huffing, puffing, grunting, gasping for air & quads just about killing me. That's one reason it's so good always to have this oval to myself...enough to frighten away any animal or person predator!

This was a really hard session & I couldn't wait to get to the car, take off sodden shoes & socks, race home & into a very hot shower followed by a very large bowl of vegetable soup & a very big bread roll!

...a lonely backpack marks the start/finish of a tough day for Chickybabe! Why am I doing this? ...Because I love it!

Day 12 - An Easy Day...3rd series.

No running!

Stationary cycle for 45 minutes. Pilates & Form Drills....but not the military kind!

Day 11 - An Easy Day...3rd Series.

Cold and more rain; gym treadmill for 45 minutes slow run at below 75% of maximum. I'm thinking I might do the fit ball class there next Wednesday...looks interesting!

Day 10 - Hard Day...3rd Series.

Speed Session...Chev. Track, Bowral.

Managed to do the session in between showers - perfect for track work.

10 minutes jogging warm-up; stretches & strides.

2 Sets of 100m, 200m, 300m, 200m, 100m.

2:45mins. recoveries & 5mins. between sets.

Set 1 = 29.7; 1:01.6; 1:34.9; 1:01.1; 29.2

Set 2 = 28.7; 1:01.7; 1:34.3; 59.2; 26.2

Warm-down, etc.

I think Ewen would be satisfied with Chickybabe's effort!!

Day 9 - An Easy Day...3rd Series.

The weather is falling into place nicely for An Easy Day! Wet & very cold!

No running; some stationary bike.

Tomorrow...track session - rain, hail or floods etc..!

Day 8 - An Easy Day... 3rd Series.

The rain & wind have stopped, the sun's out & it's a perfect Southern Highlands morning!

Slow run for 60 minutes at below 75% MHR along Diamond Fields Road....

Day 7 - A Slightly Hard Day...3rd Series.

This should have been Hill Repeats on the 'grassy knoll' that Ewen chose as the closest we could find for length, incline that he wanted for a hills session. A little bit like the pic. above! Took a look this morning & it was strewn with branches & quite slippery after so much rain & wind, so plan 2 swung into action:

Gym treadmill : 20 minutes easy jogging; 5 minutes hard running; 6 minutes brisk walking.

I was disappointed to miss the hills session; it would have been the first time on the "grassy knoll" & I was looking forward to seeing how tough it was going to be. Ewen is calling in this afternoon on his way to the USA! He too was interested to hear about it. Oh well, Day 7 will come round again...and again!

Ewen, Joy & Mal via Mittagong to the USA!

I will miss him, but he said he won't miss me...not at all surprising!

Day 6 - An Easy Day....3rd Series.

Very windy, very wet & very, very cold!

Perfect for no running, but good for cycling through the countryside........on a stationary bike!

Day 5 - A Hard day...3rd Series.

The First Day of Winter!



Warm-up, stretches & strides.

2 x 10 minutes of "hard" running.
6 minutes slow walk recovery between sets & at the finish + stretches.

"Hard" running took heart rate to 90-95% of Maximun.

No running tomorrow...HILLS on a "grassy knoll", Saturday!!!