Day 4 - Rest.....

Ironmines Oval for : Easy jog once around the oval, some drills and strides.

Canberra tomorrow, ACTVAC, 7:00 p.m. 1500m AIS track...I think that's all I'm doing, but you never know...I might try some field events for the first time!

Have a great weekend, Bloggers; back on Sunday.

Day 2 - If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Chev Track....

....and no wonder I've already used 1 can of white spray paint, walked round & round, this way then that way, on the only closely mowed strip of grass i.e. the outside line of Lane 8, with Mr G-armin on my arm, in order to measure & mark 400m and 150m distances!

Program : Warm-up 2.4km @ 75% of MHR.

Drills, Rest, 3 x Strides.

2 Sets of 4 x 150m about 40 seconds each, with good form & no need to "bust a gut"!

2 minute recoveries & 5-7 minutes between Sets.

Then......1 Set of 2 x 150m...again, no need to "bust a gut"!

800m jog/walk warm-down.

So hot here today -35 degrees - I was out of bed at the ghastly early hour of 8:00 a.m. & on the track by the equally vile time of 8:30a.m. to avoid the worst of the heat to follow.

After the warm-up, drills, rest, strides :

Set 1. 42.08; 41.6; 42.5; 39.6

Set 2. 41.1; 40.5; 40.1; 39.9

Set 3. (2x150m) 39.1; 38.2

Warm-down : 800m walk/jog/SMS Ewen...I usually do!

No problems with this session/enjoyed it...I usually do!

After such an 'early' start & with most of the day still ahead, I sat in the shade of a long line of old pine trees for about 15 minutes....doin' nothin', not even thinkin', just watchin' the clouds roll by!

Day 1 - A Rest Day.....

....slept in till very late (i.e. 10:30a.m.!!), did some gardening & took the dogs for their walk.....and that's what I call a rest day!

Day 7 - Picture Perfect.....

.....the only way to describe the beauty of the Southern Highlands this morning....picture perfect!

Also the weather : cool breeze, cloud cover for most of the time....perfect!

Program: Easy long run 10 -12km.

That's what it was - an easy-paced, long(ish) run along Range Road towards Glenquarry.

Distance = 12.19km

Avg. Pace = 7:30; Max. = 14.9 (gotta' lurve them downhills!)

Avg. HR = 73%

Range Road is all up & down hills but this morning felt good & I didn't have to walk any part of any of the hills as I did last Sunday.

An interesting week ahead : Canberra ACTVAC, Thursday night; probably Customs 5km Friday (depending on recovery!).

Staying in Canberra this time, Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights to make sure I get time for a long awaited visit to the National Art Gallery on Saturday and then more tasty red wines on Saturday night over a meal with everyone who can make it!

Day 6 - The War Between Men & Women..Part 2...

....as usual, we set out as friends...or could it be heading towards something more than friendship?

I don't think so!

Program : Warm-up jog 1.5km
Drills, Short Rest, 3 x Strides.

New! 800m Time Trial....try for 4:36!

Virtual Partner : "Listen Sweetheart, that's reeeeel slow & I ain't havin' none of it! I'm goin' for 4:30 & you stay with me if you can!"

"Babe," I said quietly & secretly smiling, "just you leave it to Blondie!"

We were off reeeel quick, just like VP wanted, but his hopes were dashed as I pressed onwards with rapid strides & propelled myself over the finish line, while Virtual Partner was once again forced to"dance the back step", retreat, retrace his steps & go home!




Time : 4:13
Splits 2:07; 2:06

That might be a 800m PB...have to check with Ewen; I keep forgetting!

I checked : (1) it's a TRAINING PB because I've never done an 800m TT before!
(2) it's faster than the 800m RACE - ACTVAC Oct. 26 - but
(3) it's not a REAL PB until I do it in a race!

Day 5 - Whatever.....

With Mr G-armin for company, I walked & measured some distances on the track at Chev........ a lovely lazy day!

Day 4 - I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can.........

.........as well as runing as fast as I can!

Program : Chev Track .......

2km warm-up @ 75% of MHR.
Drills, Rest, 3 x strides.....................all done!

2 Sets of 2 x 400m.
3 minutes between reps. & full recovery (I took 15 mins.) between Sets.

Warm-down : jog/walk 800m.

Advice from Ewen: "Start out fairly hard in first 200m of each 400 to test possible limits. Try for 2:10 or faster. I like this bit of advice... If you "blow up", recover & try again."

"Bloody hell," I thought, "this is "Killer McCoy" talking!"

Set 1. 2:10..7; 2:09.8

Set 2. 2:04.8; 2:05.4

I have never, ever run 400m in under 2:10 so I assume that is why I was "clinically dead" during the 1st minute of each 3 minute rest! I didn't "blow up", but I thought I was about to in the first 400m and there was a feeble jog to end that one. All the others were horribly hard, but I did exactly what Ewen said.... though I'd like to think..... "I Did It My Way"!

Day 4 - The War Between Men & Women!.....

...........War Between "Virtual Partner" & Me!

.....easy to see who won!

Program : 8km steady run at a 'medium' pace.
'Easy' at the start & build the pace if feeling good!

A sure way of 'building the pace' as well as 'feeling good', is to take Virtual Partner along for the ride.

He didn't much like it!

8km on the same course as for the last 2 Wednesdays - 4km out & 4km back.
Previous times on this course were 58:19 & 57:34.

Outward bound - he, Virtual Partner, was way behind! I was at the 4km turnaround in 28:08 & I'd gained 20m on him. Nevertheless, he had that certain sneer of confidence on his face, as if to say: "There's another 4km back, Sweetheart!"

That was all I needed to see & hear, nevertheless there was a little heart fluttering when I realized the way back was mostly uphill...and no down dale! But, to win ........... a Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do! So, with sword drawn & cloak flying in the hot dry wind, we set out on what was going to be a fight to the death ....no give on either side!

The beastly armour-clad Virtual Partner stormed away, leaving me standing there on the hill top with sword raised, hair flying & legs barely moving. Little by little I started to gain some ground and, seeing VP was hopeless on downhills, as soon as one came into sight, I flashed past him & at the same time, inflicted the first of two near fatal wounds by plunging the sword, fair & square, right into his butt!

From there on I sped along the road, while VP was dragging his sorry butt.... but still not giving up. One last hill lay ahead & suddenly he was right there beside me! The battle could be lost & so, so near to the finish!

Well, like I said : "A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do"....I ran the sword right through him.... "from fore to aft he could feel a draught!" I, on the other hand, took off & crossed the finish line ahead of him in 53:39... a good negative split to boot & a PB of 4 minutes for that particular war zone!

I stayed to take care of his wounds, we kissed & made up & live to fight another day!

Day 2 - Some Like It Hot......

.....but not 35 degrees as it is today!

The alarm was set for 6:30 a.m. after hearing what a stinker it was to be today. Up for a cup of coffee, then over to Chev track.

Program: 2.4km warm-up, Drills, Stretches, 3x Strides.

4 Sets of 150m (avg. 39 seconds).

2 minute walk recoveries & 5 minutes between sets.

Set 1. 39.6; 37.9; 38.3

Set 2. 38.7; 38.5; 38:0

Set 3. 39.5; 37.8; 38.6

Set 4. 40.6; 38.1; 38.3

Average = 38.6

This session was different from other Tuesday track days & Ewen had told me it was going to be a hard one. I didn't find it any harder than what I usually do at Tuesday's track, so .....either Ewen was trying to scare me or.....I didn't try hard enough! Time (i.e. later tonight) will tell.

The program Ewen has formulated for me & which he changes from time to time, sits perfectly with me, (my age!) and capabilities.....whatever they are! Six months, no sign of injury, always challenging, often tough; never having to do it half-heartedly or sloppily when difficulty & intensity increase (except once when he was watching sloppy drills and I felt the sting of his wrath!). At the same time I/we have proof in recent racing events that my level of running has improved markedly since the day he kindly "took me under his wing"! Thanks Ewen!

"With a Song in My Heart".......

..........and Flash Duck beside me!

Thursday, 16th November.....

AIS Track, Canberra, 7:20 p.m., 1500m Race where at long last I ran out of sight on a dark night!!

Result: ( official time) 8:24.65 ......a new 1500m ACT W75 Record, taking approx. 1 minute 15 seconds off the existing record.

No wonder there was a "Song in My Heart" as I finished.......... & it's still there 48 hours later!

On the 1500m road course on a street in Bowral where I'd trained for this distance, I struggled to go under 9 minutes & succeeded in 8:45 just a week before Canberra. Ewen had said he'd be happy with 8:30 on the night of the 16th - & I thought he was being funny - so to get below that time was something I'll never forget....I'm becoming not so slow at long last!

(Confirmation still to come for ACT W75, 800m Record, Thursday, October 26, 2006.)

Friday, 17th November, Canberra "Customs 5km" Race:

Since I was right there in the vicinity, I might as well have a go at this one too!

A 5km PB!! 31:08 ............ speedygeoff ran this with me for very obvious reasons : I'd have had search parties & sniffer dogs out following my trail to Cooma & beyond! Thank you for taking me through & especially being so willing & cheerful about having to "Go Slow" to stay back with me! You're a gem!

After the previous night & then this event, I was way, way up high & getting higher & higher! We (Flash Duck, Peter, Ewen & I) decided to celebrate by enjoying a great meal at an Italian restaurant & cracking a bottle of glorious red which I got stuck into before anyone else & before the wine glasses were placed on the table.... showing an appalling lack of good manners by pouring the wine as fast as I could into my water glass! Even worse, I suggested the waiter uncork the bottle which he willingly would have done, except that it was a screw top!

We finished the night back at the motel for more coffee & peering over Flash Duck's laptop to see if Thursday night's results were up on the ACTVAC website, checking the latest news on Cool Running & me still laughing & clowning around like a harum-scarum wild woman!

Now, Saturday afternoon, & back in "downtown" Mittagong, I don't know what to say about the last 48 hours : Firstly : How effective for my running in every way it has been to take a stab at training for middle distance running over the last 6 months, thus having a break from years of training for long distances, marathons, etc. I believe there's been nothing lost, but a hell of a lot gained by training to run not so slow!

Many thanks to Flash Duck for staying on my heels & seeing that I didn't falter or slow down too much on the track (I will improve that on the curves, FD!) & for "looking after" me on Friday night! To Ewen : everything meaningful has already been said, so again to everyone for everything!

Training resumes tomorrow with a "long easy run" & a return to
Canberra on Thursday, November 30th. Odzookins!! Life's Good!!!

This Woman Is Dangerous.......

............ when let loose on the track!

Chev Track : Short Speed


Program : 2.8km warm-up at 75% of MHR.

Some drills, Rest, 3 x Strides.

2 Sets of 4 x 150m.
2:00 minutes between repeats.
5-7 minutes between Sets.

1 Set of 2 x 150m.

Warm-down : 800m jog/walk.

Perfect day : cool, sunny, breeze (later in the day windy).

Set 1. 41.7; 40.1; 39.0; 38.3.

Set 2. 39.2; 38.2; 37.9; 39.5.

1 Set of 2 x 150m.

2 x 150m. 39.3; 38.1.

Ran like a bat out of hell to get under 38 seconds today & made it for just one repeat in 37.9 seconds!

"Whatever Day" tomorrow; Canberra on Thursday...report on Friday!

Getting Away With Murder.......

........maybe not murder, but making sure no one gets away with that trophy before I reach it!

Fisher's Ghost 10km, 12/11/2006.

Fisher's Ghost 10km

....friendly ghosts & friendly runners!

10km Fun Run : (Stop Watch Time)
1:06:03
about 30 seconds faster than 2005 & 90 seconds faster than 2004.

I know I say it every year, but it's one hell of a tough & hilly, 2 lap course! Well organised, plenty of drink stations - thank you to the many volunteers who were spread out just about everywhere along the course.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1623273

Cloud cover gave some relief from the heat, but the flies!! And they've become immune to all insect repellents!

I didn't win one of the 4 mountain bikes, but I was lucky with the random draw prizes : a large Asics over-the-shoulder duffel bag with various goodies inside, including 2 pairs of Asics socks, size 12+! ........they'd fit a giant; I'll take them to Canberra on Thursday & give them to coach, Ewen. What a lovely surprise for him!!

Well, it's been a great weekend : Saturday - my best Time Trial ever over 1500m and today, Sunday, my best time in 3 years on the Fisher's Ghost 10km course.
Making the day even better was meeting CR never gives up & family; also Superflake .......here we are clutching our age-category trophies!


Next up........
Canberra ACTVAC on Thursday night where the main event for me will be the 1500m track race!

Day 6 - Holy Smoke!.........

..........I ran under 9 minutes for the first time over my 1500m course!!

Program : Time Trial over 1500m course (road in Bowral) in 9 minutes or faster.

Warm-up : jog 1500m, Rest, 3 x Strides.

Warm-down : jog or brisk walk.

Time = 0 : 8 : 45
Pace = 5.51
Avg. 88% of MHR
500m Splits = 2:51; 2:58; 2:54

Started at 10:15 a.m. & already 28 degrees & a westerly blowing.....this did not look good!

Mr G-armin was programmed to have Virtual Partner running at a 6mpk; that way, if I could keep ahead of him, I'd make it in 9 minutes....and that would be a first!

At the start I looked VP straight in the eye & said out loud: "This time I'm going to stay ahead of you, you so-and-so!" And I did, making sure I was at least 20 metres ahead most of the time. How good is it not to see that lower half of the screen turn black!

0:8:45....and I didn't find it nearly as hard as I have on other days over the same course & that was an even bigger surprise than the time. The quads started to 'shout' a bit with about 15 metres to go, but I turned a deaf ear to them & pushed to the finish!

What a satisfied & smug smile I gave Virtual Partner then!

Day 5 - Rest........

Some drills. Pilates DVD. While walking the dogs, 4 strides across the paddock.

Day 4 - Smart Girls Don't Talk.......

..........but they do ask questions! Mine being : why do 400m repeats get faster while 800m repeats get slower?

Program : 2km warm-up at 75% of MHR.

Some drills. Rest. 3xstrides.

4 x 400m HARD...... with 3 minute walk recoveries.

Full Recovery.

1 x 800m HARD.

800m walk/jog warm-down.

Warm-up 2km, drills, rest, strides -- all done!

4 x 400m = 2:07; 2:08.6; 2:02.0; 2:14.9 then......

Full recovery? I'll check with Ewen if the following day would be too soon!

1 x 800m = 4:58 (miserably slower than 2 previous weeks).
400m splits = 2:34; 2:23

Warm-down...OK

The day was excellent: cool, overcast again, dry ground but rough surface. I wore my favourite old, torn-at-the-heels Nike Free trainers. The 400m repeats were faster this week than any other - that was the good news; the 800m was slower than any other - and that's the bad news!

A Satisfying, Steady Run........

........with the occasional hill or two.

Program: 5-8km at a 'medium pace'.

The best running weather today : mostly overcast, some sun, cool & no wind - Perfik!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1608371


Out & back, total of 8.4km mostly on Diamond fields Road.

Avg. HR 75% of MHR; Max. 89% of MHR.

The surprise about this run was to find it so much easier than at other times, especially following yesterday's track session, after which I'm usually feeling a bit stiff in the legs, etc.... But not today - it was far more effortless than usual....so, I liked it a lot!

Hoping for similar conditions for Sunday's Fisher's Ghost 10km!

Situation Serious - but Not Hopeless......

Short Speed at Chev. Track :

Program : Warm-up 2.8km @ 75% of MHR.

Drills, Rest. 3 x Strides.

3 Sets of 5 x 150m @ 40 seconds or faster.

2 minute walk recoveries between repeats & 5-7 minutes between Sets.

Warm-down : 800m jog/walk.

Perfect weather for track work : 11:00a.m. start; cool, overcast most of the time, dry ground in spite of all the recent rain; slight breeze; no one else there! Only drawback was the rough grass surface : plenty of chances to trip (nearly did once!) or worse, twist an ankle.

Warm-up : 22 minutes @ 75% of MHR....felt very comfortable.

Drills; Short Rest; 4 x strides.

3 Sets of 150m :

Set 1. 43.4; 43.2; 42.4; 40.6; 39.4

Set 2. 39.9; 40.5; 38.9 (fastest); 39.5; 39.1

Set 3: 39.2; 39.5; 39.7; 40.2; 39.2

I wanted to get under 38 seconds, but needed someone there to shout at me to go faster & then I would have!

Warm-down : 800m walk the curves; jog the straights.

I always enjoy track work especially when I have the whole oval to myself. All the grunting, puffing & swearing falls on deaf ears! It's tough trying to lower times by even a second or two....but I think it was a 'goof' session nevertheless.

Day 7 (of 7) - Don't Rain on My Parade....

......"My Parade" today being Range Road, Mittagong, where it was dark skies, cold, wet & windy...it's not often I'm bowled over onto the grass by the wind, but it happened this morning!

Program : Long Easy Run.

10-12km (95 minutes max.) ...this used be called a short run!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1594430

This finishes the first week of the new program that Ewen has worked out for me & has involved an increase in volume & intensity of training. It has included 2 Track days, a 1500m Time Trial, a short steady run (5-8km), 1 long easy run (10-12km) and 2 "Whatever Days" that incorporate Pilates, drills & strides.

At the end of the week I can say it has been satisfactory on the whole! I don't feel any the worse for wear at all & no different from any other end of week feeling.....this is either a good sign of fitness or......that I've been secretly slack!

Sunday, 12th November, 8:30a.m., 'Fisher's Ghost' 10km at Campbelltown (Uni of Western Sydney).

Thursday, 16th November, (7:00p.m.), 1500m AIS Track, Canberra.

Day 6 (of 7) - This Time I almost Made It....

Program : Time Trial over 1500m course in 9 minutes or faster ( fast as possible)!

Warm-up : jog 1500m. Rest. 3 x strides.
Warm-down : jog or brisk walk.

Cool morning for 9:00a.m. start; misty rain & a not too bad southerly.

1500m course out & back - some ups & downs - on either side of a fairly new road into East Bowral, accurately measured by Ewen!

Time 9:02 (nearly made it!); a few seconds faster than the previous TT.

Pace 6:05

Avg. 85% of MHR. Max. 90% of MHR .

Under 9:00 coming up.."with a little bit of bloomin' luck!"

Day 4 (of 7) - Spice World

Today I had a taste of the 'spice' in the new program, which I've named "Sugar & Spice"....sugar looks a bit light on it though!

Program with 'mixed spice' added :

CHEV TRACK.....

2km warm-up @ 75% of MHR.

Drills, Rest, 3 x strides.

4 x 400m HARD! 3 minute walking recoveries.

Full recovery, then.......extra 'spice'...

1 x 800m HARD! Rest.

800m walk/jog warm-down.

Prelims all done!

4 x 400m....2:15.0 (went out too hard in first 150-200m & legs seized up before finishing!); 2:20.9 (over compensating);
2:14.2; 2:11.9

I wasn't happy with these times, but a good experience for the future as to how to pace these repeats.

1 x 800m.......4:40 (10 seconds slower than on the AIS track , last Thursday night!)

I wasn't very happy with this either.


I started just after 8:00 a.m. after hearing the weather forecast for today : hot, 28 degrees & smoke filled skies from a bushfire; could hear the choppers overhead as they tried to monitor the blaze started by lightning last week in inaccessible ranges, somewhere between here & Katoomba.

I thought that getting up early, after an early night, might enable me to pull out a wonderful surprise for myself & Ewen! It was a surprise, but not quite what I had in mind!

Tomorrow, 'a spoonful of sugar' - rest!

Saturday, 'heavily spiced' program - 1500m Time Trial!

Day 3 (of 7) - Road to ......?

............Road to Rio? I wish!
This morning's run.

Program : A steady run 5 - 8km @ a medium pace.... building the pace a bit if feeling good.

Stretches at the soccer field.

4km out along Old South Road & stop for photos! Turn around here.....

4km return. 8km...........58.19 Avg. 82% of MHR. Higher on the hills.

A bit windy, fairly hot; hills in the last 1km made it tough going!

A stretch-out/cool-down on the grass at the soccer field.