Medium/Long Run.....Lower Aerobic.

Program : 12 - 14km. Try for a negative split!

6:45 a.m. start....can't remember getting up so early! But it was the best time of the day.... later the temperature climbed to 30.5 degrees. Cool, shady & rocky on Diamond Fields Road & not even the rabbits were awake & out of bed! Felt good for this run, pushing the pace up on the return....as I was told to do! Quick chat to two of the locals out walking for morning exercise..it's catching on!

14km Run:
1st 7k 'easy' in 61:29. AHR = 102 (69%); MHR = 117 (79%).
Laps : 8:21; 7:52; 9:21; 9:11; 9:17; 8:34; 8:48

2nd 7k 'faster' in 56:25. AHR = 111 (75%); MHR = 124 (84%).
Laps : 8:52; 7:34; 8:08; 7:47; 7:32; 8:34; 7:26

Negative split .... 5:04!

Today's Distance 14km.

888

I've just noticed that's the number of posts to my blog....888!

Program : 5 - 8 km 'easy' run.

10:00a.m. start was too late; it was already 28 degrees by then...some shade on Diamond fields Road, so it was OK but I'll have to make an earlier start for tomorrow's medium/long run. 7:00a.m. should do it!

4km out in 33:32. AHR = 111 (70%); MHR = 121 (80%).

1km laps 7:31; 847: 8:33; 8:45

4km return in 31:17. AHR = 117 (79%); MHR = 125 (84%).

1km laps 6:49; 7:47; 7:40; 9:13 (uphill all the way!)

Negative split 2:12

Distance = 8km

Week 13 of 23 to Canberra Marathon

Program : Rest!

Long Run/Walk

Sunday's Program : Long Run....26 km or more if you feel like it!

I decided to do 30km 3(2 x 5) out & back from the car on Diamond Fields Road. This way I had access to water, sports drinks, gels etc..after each 10km. Start 7:00am while it was still cool. The temperature climbed to 28 degrees before I finished. I walked all the hills after the first 10km......more & more walking as the day wore steadily on almost into night!

30.68 km in 4 hours 33 minutes
AHR 97 (65%).
5km laps = 46:28; 44:59; 45:34; 44:27; 45:05; 42:47

This was my longest run so far in the lead up to Canberra Marathon & it wasn't easy!

Distance for the Week = 61.2km

Chev Track....a tough one!

...probably the hardest track session of all!

Program :" 1.5km warm-up

Drills Strides, etc.

16 laps lane 8 'sitting on' HR 123 (83%). Time each 4 laps.

Warm-dow as you feel.

I was exhausted by the end of today's track session & at one stage I felt like 'pulling the plug', but such is my fear of Wombats, I did the full program.

1.5km warm-up in 14 minutes.

14 minutes drills, strides, etc.

16 laps, timing each 4 laps = 11:27; 11:28; 11:39; 11:43

AHR = 121. MHR = 126.

Time = 46:19.........3 seconds faster than last Friday!!

A warm sunny morning at 25 degrees; grass cut & soft; #3Frees; slight breeze. Conditions were good, but I was dog-tired & ready to drop by the finish.

No warm-down!

Total Distance = 8.2km

Back to the Seat of the Crime.....

....but I didn't trip over this time! Running is much more fun when you don't fall into a muddy puddle on a gravel road! And so I found out today :

Program : 12 - 14km medium/long run, 'lower aerobic' averaging HR 108 - 112.

On Diamond Fields Road : 14km in 113 minutes, AHR = 106 (72%), MHR = 119 (80%).
7km out in 56:26. AHR = 101 (68%); MHR = 120 (80%).
7km back 56:34. AHR = 110 (74%); MHR = 119 (80%).

Distance for today = 14km

The Glass Ball Warned....

....... me to stay away from Diamond Fields Road today & I did!

6 - 9km 'easy' run.

I ran on Old South Road to avoid the pitfall of Sunday!

Total 9km in 69:51 . AHR = 109

4.5km out in 33:48. AHR = 105. MHR = 119.

4.5km back in 36:03. AHR = 112. MHR = 117.

This was a fairly good run & no problems from scabby knees, though the right one is still a bit sore inside. Cool, overcast morning 20-21 degrees, breezy on the return section also with long inclines. Felt OK.

Distance = 9km

Week 12 of 23....to Canberra Marathon.

Program : Rest for scabby knees!

LaDiDa!

....jogging along nicely & thinking to myself : Gee! You could do a lot of damage if you happened to trip on any of these rocks or stones that are all over Diamond Fields Road....and just as that thought ended......down I went on all fours into a large muddy puddle!! Nothing serious, just badly grazed knees & palms of hands! LaDiDa!!

Program : 24 km lower aerobic run.

Lower aerobic? Couldn't get much lower as I lay face down in a mud puddle! I had decided to do the 24km as 2(2 x 5km) + 2 x 2km. Maths OK, Ewen?

First 10km ....fine; sports drink & gel at the car & off for the second loop. At about half way I tripped & toppled over in a not too pretty fashion! Picked myself up, couldn't do anything about all the mud, wiped some of the blood off & continued on to where I knew there was a tap at which I could wash myself down. However, walking towards me with her dog was the owner of that very property ...first time I've ever seen anyone else on this road who wasn't in a car!

As luck would have it, she is also a "Wires" volunteer, so she's had plenty of practice treating wounded animals! Back at her house, out came the First Aid Kit & knees & hands cleansed in no time, while I hosed off the mud from my top & shorts. What this lady didn't understand, when all was done, was why I intended finishing my run instead of allowing her to drive me back to where I'd parked the car!

I limped off but after another 5km or so, I was back at the car, still had 4km to do but decided to call it a day & slowly lowered my, by this time, stiffening knees into the car & drove home. The shower stung like a million bees!

Distance today = 22km

Distance for the week = 68.7km

A 'Goofabulous' Track Session!

.....'Goofabulous' is much much better than 'good' though I'll settle for it if I have to!

Program : Chev. Track
1.5km warm-up.
Same time as warm-up for drills, strides, rest.
16 laps Lane 8, time each 4 laps (4 laps approx. 1.68km) sitting on HR 123 (83%).
Warm-down as you feel.


Conditions were just about perfect....all except that the oval was being used for cricket when I arrived! Luckily, half way through a cross-country warm-up, the rain settled in, though very lightly & the cricketers bundled up their gear & left. After all, it is my track on the oval that they were using!


1.5k warm-up in 14 minutes.
Drills, strides etc. & a few minutes rest in 14 minutes.
16 laps timing each 4 :: 11:34; 11:34; 11:34; 11:38.
AHR = 122 (82%)
Time = 46:22
Distance = 6.7km
Warm-down 1.5km


This was my best sesssion of this type that I've been doing for many weeks now & I was very pleased with myself! Conditions all came together to make for a good track workout : cool, very light rain, no wind, short grass, #3 Frees & I felt good throughout the whole session, quite easily watching heart rate sitting on 123 the entire time.

Total Distance = 9.7km

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4800733


Coach Ewen was forced into giving me 99.1%!! Praise indeed from The Master!

Getting Up Early......

I can't do it! That is , " get up early"! It was already very hot when I started out at 10:30 this morning. I finished feeling more dead than alive!

Program : 8 - 10km 'lower aerobic'. AHR 108-112.

I used Diamond Fields Road in spite of the rough surface because it offers lots of shade.

10km in 1:29. AHR = 106 (72%), MHR = 120 (81%).

1st 5km in 44:48. AHR - 105

2nd 5km in 44:58. AHR = 107

Today's Distance = 10km

Recovery........

Program : 4 - 5km Recovery Jog.

5km easy jogging. AHR = 95 (64%). Legs stiff to begin with but improved over the distance. Cool (nowhere near 25 degrees forecast...more like 15) misty morning....if only it would stay like this right through Summer training!

Stormy Weather....Week 11 of 23.

Feeling back to 'normal' this morning, I was able to do yesterday's long run today.

Program : 20km. Start easy. Record AHR but don't worry about it.

Yesterday's top temperature was 35 degrees, today's... 15 degrees! No sun, some light drizzle & I felt fit enough to do the full distance I should have done yesterday : 22km.

Recent storms had washed away the top dirt & gravel on Diamond Fields Road and adjacent lanes, leaving rocks & stones of all shapes & sizes to manoeuvre around.... a couple of fallen trees didn't make it any easier! Trying to run on this surface was hard on the legs, especially knees which, eight hours later, are still aching! During the return section I could feel the stones through the soles of my shoes at every step. I stopped to drink from 2 taps & ate half a Power Bar at half way.

11km out in 1:35 with AHR 100, MHR 111.

11k back in 1:39 with AHR 104, MHR 115.

Total Distance = 22.2km. AHR = 102 (68%). Time = 3 hours 14 minutes = long time on feet = productive session!

Didn't Make It This Morning.....

Program : Long run ...22km

Started out early at 6:30a.m. to be back before the hot part of the morning. Not feeling 100% to start with & by 3km decidedly unwell. I walked back to the car, drove home, showered, back to bed & slept until almost mid-day. I'll be making another early attempt at 20km tomorrow, Monday!

Distance for today = 6km!

Distance for the week = 46.4km

Track....and Trouble with a capital "T"

ot at Chev Track this morning. "Upper Aerobic" Session.

Program : 1.5km warm-up
20 laps, lane 8. Time each 4 laps. AHR = 120 (80%)

On Motion Based the AHR at the finish showed the average higher than what it should have been. ...120; instead, the average was 125 (84%) & heart rate went up as far as 135 (90%) by the finish. I should have slowed down. Conclusion....a pointless & unproductive session....and I should know better!

2km warm-up in 20 minutes.
Time for each 4 laps = 11:51; 11:29; 11:50; 11:56; 11:34

AHR = 125 . Time 58:38

Total Distance for the day = 10.4km

A Day Off...

.....for Rest!

Out & back on Diamond Fields Road from one end to the other is not exactly a flat course!

Program : 12 - 14km 'lower aerobic'. AHR 108-112.

I did 14km in 114 minutes. AHR = 108 (73%).

7km out in 55:23. AHR =104.

7km return in 58:38. AHR =111

Since 'time on feet' is what counts, I shouldn't worry about taking so long to complete today's run. By contrast, any hills in Canberra shouldn't be a worry either!

Today's Distance = 14km

good run this morning! Cloudy, no sun, humid, felt OK.

Program : 7 - 10km 'lower aerobic'. AHR 107 - 110(74%)

10km in 86 minutes. AHR = 107 (72%)

1st 5km in 43:47. AHR = 105
2nd 5km in 43:05. AHR = 109

Negative split 42 seconds!!

Today's Distance = 10km

Here We Go!......Week 10 of 23

The first week of "real" marathon training!

Program : Rest or 4 to 6 km of very easy jogging.

I did 6km "recovery" jog.....

Time = 55 minutes. AHR =67%; MHR = 72%.

Distance Today = 6km. Felt OK but 4k probably would have been enough!

Long Runs Getting Longer.....

As of today, the "long run" each Sunday will be gradually getting longer & longer!

Program: 18 -20km AHR 114 (77%).

I used Range Road for the first time in a long while because I felt I needed to do some running on a sealed road, on which Canberra Marathon will be run....all being well!

No breakfast as usual, just a mug of coffee. I had 2 taps for drinking water - out & back, took a gel at half way with water & drank 500ml of Poweraid at the finish.

Accompanied both ways by hordes of flies, I'm sure the hills are getting steeper every time I run this course, so it was a dismally slow 10km back up Macquarie Pass (Tourist Road). 10km out was OK, but I didn't give much attention to heart rate today (i.e. getting it up to 114). It was sufficient, I felt, to just complete the course without too much stress, sweat & strain! It was hot at 25 degrees, very humid & no shade.

10km out in 1 hour 22 minutes. AHR 105. MHR 118.

5k laps : 41:02; 40:56

10km back in 1 hour 32 minutes (!!). AHR 108. MHR 122.

5k laps : 46:50; 45:15

Total Distance = 20km (AHR 107) in 2 hours 54 minutes...how slow is that, but it was the best I could manage until I get used to hills again as the Sunday runs get longer.

Thanks, Ewen, for reminding me to soak my aching legs in cold water!

Weekly Total = 56.5km

Chev Track.....

....by 10:30a.m. a delicious misty rain was falling in Bowral & continued for the entire session.

Program : Chev Track:

4km warm-up.

8 laps, lane 8, AHR 127 (85%).

Record times for each 2 laps.

I ran every which-way through the grounds of Chev for 4.4km warm-up.

Recorded times for each 2 laps = 5:31; 5:32; 5:32; 5:31.

1km walking warm -down.

AHR = 124; MHR = 131

Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed this session though it meant keeping up a steady effort at this heart rate.

Total Distance = 8.7km

Lower Aerobic Run....

Only better than nothing...this morning's run!

Program : 10 - 12km with AHR 110 - 115 (74% - 78%).

A very ordinary, lumbering, unlovely run...not to be expected after a rest day, but there it was! No explanation as to why I felt it so hard. I did the distance, kept the heart rate, but had to tough it out for the entire run. A fairly warm morning (25 degrees), humid & rain promised though not here yet. A session at the track tomorrow might be a convivial change!

1st 6km in 49:15 with AHR = 114
2nd 6km in 50:55 with AHR = 111

Distance = 12km AHR 113 (76%)

Rest & a Movie

Program : See a movie!

We saw ...."Atonement".

4.5 stars (out of 5) from me & 4 from Jim (who has just finished reading the book).

2008 - First Run!

Tuesday's training changed from road running to Chev x-country + track, but basically the same session just a change of course. Up till now, it's been 4km warm-up & 3km back at AHR 127 on Old South Road.

Program : 7km
4km x-country warm-up.
8 laps of Lane 8 with AHR 127 (85%). Time each 2 laps.

I won't try to work out how anyone -i.e. me - could mess up such a session but I did. Usually I have 'auto-lap' turned off & use the lap button at the appropriate times, but today I must have set the monitor for something else as well as lapping manually at the end of each 2 laps. The results on Motion Based might just as well be written in hieroglyphics for all I could make of them!

By using the Motion Based "Map Player" & watching the red dot race round & round, I was able to work out times for each 2 laps but I wouldn't swear to their accuracy. I also did one extra lap by mistake!!
Anyhow, here they are :

4km warm-up through the very quiet grounds.....good!
8 laps...time each 2 laps : 5:47; 5:59**; 5:47; 5:41
AHR 124; MHR 130.
Distance = 3.4km. Time = 23:14

**Slowed down here to listen to a reply text message from Ewen because I'd forgotten what heart rate to use!! This is a truly sad start to the New Year!
Counting the extra lap, warm-up & 8 laps, Total Distance for the day = 7.8km

2008!!!!

....to all who stopped by during 2007 to read and/or leave words of encouragement...especially when I've been so slack doing that very thing myself!

Thank you ! LL