Day 6 - Green is For Danger.....

...... how green is our valley & another storm looming!

This is part of a huge playing field in East Bowral & my 1500m Time Trial course is along the road beside these now green fields. A week ago everywhere was brown; after some good rain all is green again!

Program: Not the usual 1500m Time Trial!

Instead: After the usual warm-up, few drills & 3 strides :

3 x 500m on the 1500m course : aim for 2:42 & walk back to start for recoveries.

Warm & humid around 8:30 a.m. & hoping to finish before another storm let loose. It hasn't happened yet (at 1:00 p.m.) but still looks like more rain.

Times for 3 x 500m = (1) 2:24; (2) 2:32; (3) 2:26

I was pleased with these times....& so was Ewen!

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

.....The last "Whatever Day" for 2006!

I enjoy a 'Whatever Day" with no running at all. I have 2 every week.

It works nicely for me just to take a long casual walk with the dogs. It gives me a boost in anticipation for the next day's training.

Very soon, these wild blackberry bushes will be laden with the sweetest of fruit. The Rozellas & I have a feast!

Dark skies, storm coming.........time to go home......2007 is fast approaching & my hair is all lit up with copper highlights for another New Year!!

Day 4 - Stranded........

I had to leave the car at the local garage this morning, which meant I couldn't get to Chev track. Instead I went to Ironmines Oval - about 1km walk from the garage - for what was supposed to be a track session.

With Mr G-armin on my arm I paced out 150m down a white line & then took a wide curve to the right, marking this part with bottles & tins (left behind by soccer fans at the weekend).

The surface was a shocker to run on - clumps of weeds & sticky paspalum after recent rain. Some of the weeds even added a splash of colour!

The Program: Warm-up, drills, strides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m in 38 to 40 seconds with 2:20 recoveries.

Set 1. 45; 43; 41; 43; 42..

Set 2. 42; 44; 40; 41; 42....seconds rounded off.

Couldn't get under 40 seconds....in those conditions. Another Time Another Place!

Day 3 - "Ain' It De Truth"......

.........glad I wasn't jogging by when this old gum tree fell during the week! Now, ain' that da truth! Especially on such a good to be alive day as it is today : warm, sunny, cool breeze...perfik!

Program: Steady run 7 to 9km @ 'medium' pace.

Diamond Fields Road for a total of 9.5km. A very 'taking it easy' run, stopping for photos & a chat to one of the local farmers & his little dog when he pulled up beside me in his old truck & said : "Ya still goin'!!!"

He told me about another local farmer who used wave to me but who had died recently aged 86 years & who, whenever he saw me running past, would say to this other guy : "I might go out & join her one of these days!"

What a shame he didn't....we'd have made a very odd, but handsome couple!

And I thought later: We never know what other people's thoughts about us are as we jog merrily along our own way. I never knew his name & never had a chance to speak to him, but he always waved. For the rest of today...a little sad that I won't see him again driving his old rusty & battered truck with his 2 black kelpie dogs beautifully balanced on the back ....& his friendly wave.

Day 2 - Step Lively........

.....difficult to step at all after yesterday's Christmas lunch, of which the piece de resistance, with coffee, was caramelized orange slices, fresh dates & Belgian Chocolate Seashells! Oh My!!

However, next day : The Program continues...

Chev Track : Short Speed.

Warm-up 2km; some drills, rest & 3xstrides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m @45 seconds - 40 seconds between repeats & 5-7 between Sets. Warm-down 800m jog/walk.

Set 1. 42.1; 40.5; 39.6; 40.1; 39.3

Set 2. 39.6; 39.7; 40.3; 40.0; 39.4

This was a fairly good session; times much the same as last Tuesday - maybe a teeny weeny bit quicker for some - a cool morning but a fairly strong southerly which was a headwind when going in one direction & a tailwind on the return! Wore blue Frees ...still favourite for track. It was a hard session but since it's also a fairly short one, the pain is soon forgotten!

The silver rose bowl was a present from Santa........roses are from the garden.......>

Day 7 - It Rained on My Parade again.....

....but not before I'd slain Virtual Partner : score now stands at - 2 each!

Program : 800m Time Trial.

Usual warm-up, few drills, strides & "take your mark...."

My Goal was to better last time of 4:13....kill or be killed!

Everywhere here was covered in thick fog when I got over to the street course in East Bowral this morning & I depended on Cool Running colours to highlight me against any traffic that could be around at 8:30a.m.! After finishing & making it back to the car, the heavens opened & down came a deluge of wonderful rain.

On Ewen's advice, I started hard, but running by how I felt rather than closely watching VP as I usually do, until at least half-way where I saw he was 10m ahead! The poor bastard didn't know what had hit him as I tore past, thrusting my dagger right through him as he fell to his knees begging for mercy! None given!

Time : 4:10.......(by 3 seconds a training PB for 800m.)

Ewen said it was a fantastic victory to finish the year with & he should know - He got me there!

.....To All Bloggers!

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

....mostly nothing!

.......read the 'Australian Masters Athletics Handbook, 2006-2007' that came in today's mail.

....a little bit of gardening....some back stretching afterwards!

....took the dogs for their ramble in the paddock.

....that's about it!

Day 4 - Chev Track......

....for medium speed session.

Program: 2km warm-up @ 75% of MHR.
Drills, 3 x strides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m 'hard', 38 - 40 seconds; 2:20 between repeats; 5-7 minutes between Sets.
Warm-down: 800m jog/walk.




Set 1. 38.5; 38.7; 39.0; 38.1; 37.3
Set 2. 37.8; 37.7; 37.9; 37.8; 38.1

Weather : overcast & a little windy, otherwise OK. Wore Frees.
I enjoyed the session even though it was a hard one. Times improved on those from last Thursday. Happy!

Day 3 - Rain Drops Keep Falling.....

Rain all day - a marvellous sight - even the local bears are smiling!

Program: 7 to 9km steady run at a 'medium' pace.

Instead....I went to the gym for the first time in months :

Elliptical Trainer 45 minutes @ 75% of MHR.

Treadmill 20 minutes (1% incline).

I could easily have gone out in today's misty rain, but I didn't!

Day 2 - Ten of a Kind......

Program : Short Speed, Chev Track.

Warm-up : 2km @ 75% of MHR.
The "Magnificent Seven" drills.
Rest. 3 x Strides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m @ 45 seconds with 40 seconds between repeats & 5-7 minutes between Sets.

Warm-down : 800m jog/walk.

Warm-up, drills, etc.......done!

Set 1. 43.8; 42.6; 43.1; 43.5; 41.7

Set 2. 41.2; 41.4; 40.1; 40.8; 39.6

Warm-down : walked, no jogging, 800m

The morning was perfect for this session : very cool (after yesterday's 28 degrees); early start (8:30a.m.) in case cricketers showed up; overcast skies & a good breeze.

I thought the session was a good one. I was pleased with the improved times from last week & not a niggle from my knee! I'll continue to ice several times each day after every run & keep up the strengthening & stretching.

Day 1 - Rest OR.....

...but no running!

Day 7 - On a Clear Day......

....you can see forever! So the song says & could truly be said of today : sunny, cool breeze, clear skies, millions of flies....a perfect Spring day in the middle of Summer in the Southern Highlands!

Program : Easy Run, 10 to 12km.

Range Road out & back : total of 14km.

I turned around at the top of the hill that leads down to the little white church at Glenquarry -

I didn't much fancy the climb back up!

Day 6 - Damnation Alley......

.....where Virtual Partner wins again!

Program : 1500m Time Trial (try for 8:35).

Time = 8:48

Best time on this course (a road in Bowral) was 3 weeks ago : 8:45 & I don't seem to be able to get that again, let alone 8:35! Damn, Bugger and Blast!

I'll have to cook up a new spell if ever I'm to vanquish Virtual Partner again!

A very cold, misty & windy day ...not excuses, just fact; still, I should have been able to better the 8:45 of 3 weeks ago considering the speed work I've done since then.

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

.....Cold (top 12 degrees) & wet, after yesterday's 31 degrees!

Ewen stopped off on his way to Katoomba via Mittagong for lunch at Gilberts.

Day 4 - A Pain in the A.......!

I had completed 1km of the warm-up when a coach load of young cricketers descended on the oval....my oval!

No choice but to go onto the soccer field which is a level above the oval & track.

Program: Medium Speed.

Warm-up : 2km @ 75% of MHR. Some drills, Rest & 3 x strides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m 'hard' : 38 to 40 seconds. 2:20 walking recoveries. 5 - 7 minutes between sets.

Warm-down : 800m jog/walk.

I finished the warm-up, drills & strides well out of the way of flying cricket balls!

The only way to run the repeats was to use Mr G-armin & pace out, back & forth for accuracy, a distance of 150m. I didn't do this well at all & found, after starting to run, that there were 2 sharp corners where there should have been 2 well-rounded curves!

Under these less than perfect conditions : rough ground, no lanes, probably inaccurate distances & already nearing 33 degrees...

Set 1. 42.2; 31.1; 30.0; 39.5; 39.9

Set 2. 39.6; 38.9; 39.3; 39.8; 39.0

It was the best I could do ...!

Day 3 - The Odd Couple......

.......I don't think they're a 'couple' at all! I took photos of several horses during this morning's run - all very friendly, enjoy a chat & bits of apple that I sometimes bring them.

Program : 7 - 9km steady run at a 'medium' pace.

8.2km mostly along Diamond fields Road. Good cloud cover & cool breeze.

....the apple eater!

Day 2 - On Dangerous Ground....

........with eleven cones to trip on or over! At the end of the session they're good shot-put practice seeing how close to the fence I can throw them!

Program: Short Speed.

Warm-up 2km @ 75% of MHR.
Drills. Rest. 3 Strides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m @ 45 seconds with 40 seconds between repeats & 5-7 minutes between Sets.

Warm-down : 800m walk/jog.

Yesterday's temperature was 35 degrees C; today 15 degrees ....and what a difference that makes! It was cold & damp on the track at Chevalier College even at mid-day.

Set 1. 43.0; 44.3; 43.9; 44.8; 44.6

Set 2. 43.1; 43.6; 43.6; 44.0; 39.9 (for good measure!)

This felt a really easy session.....the combination of a cold day & hopefully, getting the hang of these 150m repeats, although I notice there were 6 repeats in each set last Tuesday & 5 today. Wore Asics 'Magic Racers' - the grass was too wet for the 'Frees' to come out! Even so, my socks still became soaked. I taped the right knee before starting.....no niggles; will keep icing etc. to make sure nothing develops.

An acceptable session!

Day 1 - Rest / Pilates or......

Day 7 - My Friend Flicker......

...that's what I call him. He's the friendliest of horses & loves to be patted & when I leave he trots along beside the fence till he reaches the end of the paddock.

Program: 10-12km @ "talking to the cows/horses" pace....nice & easy.

Just over 13km to the end of Diamond Fields Road & back, for shade & off bitumen surfaces.

Great place for a quiet jog...not another human in sight.

Cool & misty to start, but hot & dry coming back...I've never seen this usually green area looking so brown, dry & dusty.

A niggle in my right knee on the return caused me to walk up the hills....will have to keep an eye on this. Iced & Voltarin during the day.

Now....I must take a look at what Ewen has 'cooked up' for this week.........!

Day 6 - What's the Worst That Could Happen?

.... Being thoroughly thrashed by Virtual Partner!

PROGRAM : Time Trial over 1500m course....try for 8:35 a PB.

So VP cheated & set himself up to go out for an 8:30 finish without telling me anything about it!

Not for 1 step of the way could I get even with, let alone ahead of VP who was waiting at the finish bloated with pride, while I tottered over the line in the worst of all possible times : 9:21!!

I was brow-beaten & in fear of my life knowing I had to tell Ewen about my outright defeat in the ugly face of the enemy. Next time, I'll give no quarter!

One of THOSE runs it was! Did the warm-up, few drills & strides, but from the first step I knew I was gone.. the worst sound hearing your shoes slapping the road at every step...it can only get worse after that happens & it did...I was breathing like a dragon!

Very disappointing especially when, prior to the start, I saw the run unfolding from an entirely different angle: