Snakes Alive!

.....thank God this one was dead! Someone had run over its head. Any herpetologists to identify it? This is the only snake, dead or alive, I've seen since living in Mittagong....& I hope the last!

Program: Easy low HR Run 30-40 minutes.

I ran keeping low HR (avg.119bpm) for 58:29 - a little longer than the program, but I was enjoying it, especially having to pick up the feet to get back before the impending storm broke. I did...just! (7.6km)

After an early (!) start at 10:30 a.m., the run took 30 minutes out, turn around & 28:29 back!

Overcast, humid & stormy skies. A good run though!

Long Run......

....Program : Long Run 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.













Ran keeping low heart rate, for 2 hours through this wonderful part of the Southern Highlands : cool morning, creeks overflowing....beautiful!

I'll Be Seeing You......

.....is what I called back to Virtual Partner, as I hurtled down the street during this morning's Speed Session.

Program : 4 x 500m (on the Time Trial 1500m street course in Bowral). 2:50 minutes for each repeat & walk to the start for recoveries.

I set Vritual Partner for exactly 2:50 & he didn't catch sight of me from start to finish for each of the 4 x 500m! I've been beside myself with excitement for the rest of the day! Of course, he didn't know I had an old nag standing nearby, but all's fair in love & war....and this is war on a grand scale!

Results: 2:41; 2:38; 2:36; 2:31

Ever so pleased with myself!

I'll Do Anything......

......just about anything to get ahead of Virtual Partner whom I used as competition today during a track session!

Program : Track at Chev. for 2 Sets of 5x150m in 39 seconds.

I used VP only in the 2nd set because I didn't think of it till then! He was set to finish in 39 seconds, so the race was on!

Warm-up 5 laps of lane 8; a few drills, 3 x 100m strides.


Set 1. 38:04; 40.02; 38.69; 39.24; 38.97
Set 2. 38.60; 39.00; 39.67; 37.80; 37.91

Just once did he manage to get ahead of me in the 2nd set & that's OK...keeps him on his toes & there's nothing like a bit of competition to keep me on mine! A Good session!

Blue, White & Perfect......

.....blue skies, "white"/easy training & perfect weather. I'm sure Autumn is hiding just around the corner!

Program : Easy, low heart rate run, 30-40 minutes.

....and that's what I did!

Big, "black"/hard day tomorrow. I'm ready!

A Touch of Class.....or

.....a touch of Autumn in the air this morning?

Perfect : sunny, cool breeze, quiet trail run & everything's green again!

Program : Easy, low heart run, 40 to 55 minutes.

Results : 58 minutes, 7.4km; HR around 112 bpm (except on hlls!). Perfectly lovely running!

Rest and........

How Green Is Our Valley......

......very green! What a difference a little rain makes.













Two weeks ago this creek was completely dry....

Program: Long Run 1 h0ur 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes....low heart rate.

To keep a low HR I walked the hills & jogged the rest of 14km on Diamond Fields Road. I was quite sick on the way back & for the rest of the day - I assume from drinking water from the tap in the old cemetery on the way out & back! I've used it plenty of times before without any problems though. Inksey Winksey at work in his water spout?

Almost 2 hours to cover 14 km on an otherwise perfectly lovely day...with the usual curious onlookers!

A Walk in the Sun......

.....jog/walk keeping a low heart rate for 40 minutes. A very easy/'white' recovery day..... maybe that should read 'green', after all the recent rain!

Slew the Beast......

.....and then barbecued him!

...... 1500m Race, ACTVAC, AIS Track, 15th February, 2007!!

..women/woman 75+ yrs to go off first!
Program: 1500m Race against the Beast, Virtual Partner.

Based on recent, not-so-fast times in training, Ewen decided on a finishing time of 8:23 - and Mr G-armin was set accordingly. But this time, I kept a close eye on the bastard & he didn't get a look in until the second lap when I saw he was 1m then 2m ahead of me. I let him stay there for ever so brief a time just to tease, and then decided it was time to go in for the kill, passing him to finish in an unofficial 8:18.4. Splits approx. : first 300m = 1:42; 400m =2:16; 400m =2:12; 400m =2:08

This is 3 or 4 seconds slower than my Age Category ACT Record for 1500m on November 30th 2006. When the official results are up on the website, I'll show the correct time for last night's race. But how can anyone lose a couple of seconds...easy! Just a teeny bit faster would have been a PB & new record! ... I tried my best!

It was a good training run; I thoroughly enjoyed it; no problems at all during the race & managed a good sprint to the finish line! I was tickled pink to defeat the VP bastard again but, more importantly...Ewen was terribly pleased with my run & this gives me so much confidence for the Mile race on March 8th. It's amazing what a difference it makes (to me anyhow) when you finish a race &
see a big smile on the coach's face & then get a bonus hug as well! Cloud 9!! I was passed in the previous lap by the runner in the background, but I waited & waited & waited for the final sprint!

Later in the night I took part in another event for the first time - a Six Lane Spiral Race & I loved it, had a load of fun & ran quite well!

There's always some humour attached to my track races & just as well that I can appreciate the joke because it's always on me!

I didn't know the 'gun-man' was going to have a practice shot of the pistol to see if it was working at the very instant I was lined up first to go off in the handicap 1500m! All fired up, the shot sent me bounding off, faster than a speeding bullet, only to be called back to a crowd of very amused & experienced runners!

And then....at the start of the 6 Lane Spiral Race, again the first to go off after the walkers, someone (Gary, I think!?) called out "Go Norma!". This was meant as encouragement from one of the others waiting their turn to start, but again the reflexes just sprang into action & I made another lurch forward towards the start line! Oh well, it gave some light relief to the other runners, so that's something I suppose!

I made a truly superb sprint (! I wish it could have been captured on camera!) to the finish in this race going 'neck-to'neck' with another male runner, who as soon as I got level with him got such a shock that he blasted away making sure this old girl didn't pass him at that late stage! It was good fun; I couldn't stop laughing at the surprised look on his face as I levelled with him. We shook hands at the finish....still laughing. Ewen said he is one of the very good Six Foot Runners (4.5hrs.?), so he must have been very tired last night! I think he'd run just about every event on the program before the Spiral.

A great night & thanks to CRs AKI.....a cheer squad of one! Strewth, Peter & all who always make me so welcome.

Short & Sweet....!

Program : Easy, low HR Run 30 -40 minutes.

40 minutes with HR between 110 to 120bpm.

Driving to Canberra tomorrow, Wednesday, for ACTVAC 1500m race on Thursday night!

If it's 95 degrees again...I ain't running nowhere!!

"When It Rains......

.......it always rains pennies from heaven!"

No pennies, but plenty of mud & more rain today made the dirt roads unattractive for running. I went to the gym & used the treadmill.

Program : Long Run - 1 hour 15 minutes.

On the treadmill, 1 hour 15 minutes is excruciating, especially when the batteries in my CD player were flat & I had to listen to the cacophonous, relentless thump of what passes for music!

Results (apart from headache!) : 1 hour 15 minutes low HR Run.....109-120bpm. 9km.

The Rains Came.......

........and played havoc on the dirt road that they had spent all week levelling!

But what a wonderful morning to be out for a run in the rain with thunder rolling along the ranges! I loved it & felt the best during the run than I have in a long while.

Program : Easy low Heart Rate Run. 20 - 30 minutes.

Ran for 41 minutes with low HR.
Avg. 101 bpm; Max. 120 bpm. 5.3km.

It will be good if the weather stays like this for tomorrow's long run ....in the rain I'm hoping!

Beat the Devil.......

.....I didn't! The bastard won .....by 10 seconds!

Program : 'BLACK'/HARD TRAINING....not 'white' & certainly not 'grey'!

1500m Time Trial in 8:35.....on 1500m street course in Bowral.

This was going to be fairly easy, I thought. I've done 8:24 on the track, but the last 1500m TT on this street course was an excruciatingly slow 9:15.

Today was embarrassing because I was sure that, having Virtual Partner set for 8:35 as per program, I would finish well ahead. But no! He was in front all the way and, though I did make up some time in the last 500m, I didn't feel I had a chance of winning right from the start...some days it just happens like that & I was disappointed in the time. Nevertheless it was still good, hard training!

Result : 8:45

500m splits 2:55; 3:05; 2:45


http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2055396

Rest or........

....nothing strenuous! Pilates DVD, some stretching & took the dogs
for their walk.

With nothing better to do, I decided to try CJ's method of displaying photos!

Some were taken in Central Park, others at the 'Friendship Run" for overseas entrants only (12,000), from the UN Building to "Tavern-on-the-Green", Central Park, the day before the New York City Marathon, 2003.....except for the first one which is 'at home'.

Got it, CJ!

A Good "Black" Training Day.....

...with Mr G-armin, I marked out 150m along this strip where the grass had been cut, probably lane 8 when its all up & 'running'....the watering system was on one side of the oval, so that's a good sign. I ran clockwise to get a bit of a tailwind!

Program : A Hard/Black session at Chev. track, Bowral. No 'Grey" allowed!

The usual warm-up, some drills, strides.

2 Sets of 5 x 150m in 40 seconds.
2:20 between repeats & 5-8 minutes between Sets. Usual warm-down.

Set 1. 43.6; 42.3; 39.4; 38.3; 39.4

Set 2. 39.1; 39.6; 39.5; 38.9; 39.5

Not quite, but nearly, back to where I was : 37 seconds from memory. Anyhoo (as 2P says!), I ran as hard as I could (for an old girl!) and with 'goof' form. Next Thursday, 1500m AIS track, Canberra....2nd last run for the track season.

After that, I feel I'm getting"a call" back to the long stuff!

Whoopee! Another "White Day".....!

.......and still ahead of the "Sweeper"!

Program : Easy, low HR Run.... 30-40 minutes. Include some strides.

Very overcast & storm threatening; cool & good weather for a "white" day's training.

Results : 40 minutes. HR at avg. 112bpm; max. 130bpm on hills. 5km. Forgot the strides, but ran fast downhills, so that should do!

I must ask Ewen if I should walk the hills if I'm expected to keep a low heart rate...or maybe it doesn't matter. I'll find out before the next 'white' day.

Well, speak of 'the devil'! An email from Ewen has just come through about today's run, telling me to keep HR below 120bpm & walk the hills if needs be! Who says there's no such thing as ESP?

"A Black Day" tomorrow.......!!!

"Black and White".......

....that's what I've called the new programme : "Black & White".

BLACK sessions are hard...e.g. track, long runs, time trials.

WHITE sessions are very easy....e.g. all other runs.

Program for today : WHITE! Easy low heart rate run 40 - 55 minutes.

Results: Avg. 107 bpm (higher on hills). 53 minutes. 7km.

Lovely cool morning, overcast skies, good breeze & nowhere near the 27 degrees forecast for today. Diamond Fields Road is being resurfaced & this meant I had to stay ahead of 'THE SWEEPER'!

A New Programme......

........starts this week!

To the End of the Line......

...

Program : Long Run - building to 2 hours 15 minutes.

Today : 2 hours.

A late start 10:15 a.m. & hot.

walked up the hills.......

...and ran down the other side.

....this little fellow always trots down to the fence for a pat!

I was out for 2 hours & only covered 14 km...how slow is that! I wore trail shoes because my 'good' shoes were getting dirty from the dust & rocks but they felt like lead weights on the way back...walked all of the last 2km.

Heavens Above.....!

....I beat the bastard, not once but thrice this morning!

Program : Usual warm-up, some drills, strides.

3 x 500m (on the 1500m street course in Bowral).

Each 500m in 2:48...but 3 minutes will do!

I set Virtual Partner for 3 minutes & at the end of each repeat he was forced to admit: "You won!" He didn't get a chance to make a single appearance on the screen!

2:53; 2:51; 2:51.....which isn't 2:48, but close!

A hot morning & running into a fairly strong breeze. Paced out 500m with Mr G- armin on the flattest section I could find.

A "Whatever Day......"

On a 'Whatever' day I can do as I please! I decided on a looooong walk at 'talking to the cows' pace, taking some photos on the way.
No running.

.....: I don't know this breed of cattle, but they are black & have a wide white section around their middle...very cool!

The way back across a dry creek bed......overcast skies, cool breeze, not a sound!