Catch Up....

A few changes for this week. ...I was feeling tired & somewhat low-spirited!

So....a 2 hour run 2 days (Tuesday or Wednesday) and another 2 hour run on Saturday or Sunday.

Other days....brisk walking, easy drills & a few strides....no running.

Monday : drills in the soccer field, followed by 1 hour walking, followed by 4 x 100m strides.

Tuesday : light drills, 40 minutes walking, 4 x 100m strides.

Pic of a weeping cherry in the front garden......away with melancholy!

Catching Up.....

Not much happening........ An easy 6km Thursday. Easy 12km today.

At the soccer field......

Today's Session : I made it easier than what it would have been by omitting the 2km warm-up & strides. Instead I did some light drills - about 20 minutes - followed by :

16 x 30 seconds strides. ABA Format ( Sart at A, run hard 30 seconds, stand 30 seconds (B), run hard 30 seconds back to start at (A). Repeat until 16 strides completed!

This felt OK, so I presume I've recovered from Sunday's disaster in time to prepare for Melbourne Half Marathon, 12th October.

Recovery Run...

After sleeping most of yesterday, I got out this morning for a short, easy 6km run & started some antibiotics to rid myself of the 'bug' that wrecked Blackmores Half marathon last Sunday!

Tomorrow : back to normal training!

If Only I'd Known......

...how the day was going to take shape, I'd have gone to Aldi & looked for something like this.............

or something with a more feminine touch of pink like this...my funny little dunny with a lid on the top. No need to say more about Blackmores Half Marathon, 2008! What cruel torture!

One More Day......

....short run & a few strides this morning. Train to Sydney tomorrow morning.

Another Rest Day.....

...no running, but.....as fast as possible up & down the supermarket aisles!

Rest Day..

No running today......just took my dogs for a long walk through the paddocks.....very overcast & rain on the way.

Taper...cont.

Short run 4km..... AHR of 69%; MHR 77%. Time = 25:56

Taper Week....

90 minutes @ AHR 75%. Knee ...keeping it taped; some pain on the return 45 minutes. Walked all hills & inclines . Ran on the softer dirt surface of Diamond Fields Road. No magpie attacks, no fire engines thundering through; all peaceful & quiet!

Very warm & very windy morning.

Nothing Doing Today...

I didn't run at all today because (1) My right knee has been painful for a few days. (2) I woke with a bit of a sore throat. (3) It was raining heavily. No further excuses needed before curling up under the covers again!

I must get out tomorrow though & see how my knee feels. I'll stop if it gives any trouble after the first kilometre.

Recovery Run....

Recover from what? I didn't do much yesterday!

6km @ AHR 75%......Lower Aerobic.

This was OK. No sitting down & crying like yesterday, though I did get a fright when 2 fire engines came roaring up behind me, sirens blaring! Grass in one of the paddocks near the airstrip had caught fire...smoke everywhere. A hot, windy day didn't help....27 degrees according to the Garmin.

Distance = 6km

AHR = 70%; MHR = 77%.

Day 1 of the 'pushups" thread on the Cool Running main message board...done!

Chev Track.....disaster!

....I always enjoy my track sessions, in fact it's just about my favourite training day. So what went so terribly wrong today?

I had 12 laps (about 5km) to run at heart rate of 85%, gradually raising heart rate during the first 2 laps, after a 2km warm-up, some drills & strides. Time each 2 laps.

Warm-up fine - except for an attack from a magpie - drills, strides, short break for a drink......all good, out onto the track & off!

After 6 laps I couldn't take another step, so I sat in the middle of the track & cried - out loud - with frustration & disappointment that I could run no further. This has never happened before, why now? Time to take up synchronised knitting? I cried & worried all the way back to the car & then sent Ewen a text message telling of my plight & looking for explanation & consolation!

I wonder if stress can sometimes have a negative effect on running performance? We've had a week or so with some stress due to a neighbour reluctant to co-operate in repairing a common dividing fence. I'm finding that the older I become, the more these sorts of things impact on well-being than they did when younger & took things less to heart & more in our 'stride'.

Anyhow the miserble results were 2km warm-up + 3km on track = 5km

Time on track 20 minutes. AHR =76%; MHR = 82%.

Each 2 laps = 5:16; 5:16; 5:44.

Lower Aerobic Day...

10km @ AHR 75%.

A warm Spring day....19 degrees! A few warm-up drills first then Old South Road, 5km out & 5km return. A few strides between posts again on the way back.

AHR for first 5km = 65%; MHR = 78%.

AHR for second 5km = 69%; MHR = 79%

Track tomorrow .........!!!!!!

Recovery Day...

6km @ AHR 75% - lower aerobic....... recovery.

3 km out & 3km back in 52 minutes.

AHR = 71%; MHR = 79%

OK run. Felt a bit tired after yesterday's effort. Perfect Spring morning!

"Upper Aerobic" Run...Hard!

7km @ AHR 85%.

I used the gym treadmill for today's run because I knew it would be the only way I'd keep running "hard' without backing off!

A few warm-up drills first....using the vacant creche while a class was using the main floor space.

Treadmill @ 7kph for first 2km, then 9kph to 10 - 11kph. AHR = 78% ; MHR = 88%. Time = 43 minutes.

Dripped my way into the shower! Really hard work...I just can't run fast enough to get an average heart rate of 85%. .... but I did the best I could!

Week 2..of a 3 week cycle.

This week the mileage drops, but the workouts are at - or as near as I can get to - threshold pace & effort to increase endurance.

TODAY.........A REST DAY!

Medium Aerobic Long Run...

...from railway bridge, Aylmerton

....the road back.....

14km @ AHR 79%. Negative split this - easy first half, harder second half.

7km out from Mittagong to Aylmerton...time 59 minutes.

AHR = 71%; MHR = 73%.

7km return...time 54 minutes....negative split = 5 minutes!

AHR = 71%; MHR = 83%.

To hurry things along for the 7km back because I was getting tired - Aylmerton was all uphill - I decided to alternate fast strides with slow jogging from each of the white posts (pic above) along the side of the road! At a guess, they are placed roughly every 100m or so, some longer, some shorter & that's how I got the negative split for sure!

This session finishes Week I, which has the highest mileage (of a 3 week plan) that I repeat over & over!

Distance for the week = 62km

Recovery Run....

Light rain! But what the heck...just get out there & do what you have to do.....I said to myself as I lay in my warm bed at 9:00 a.m.!!!

6km Recovery Run/Jog. AHR 75%....lower aerobic.

A few light warm-up drills before starting & then 3km out along Old South Road & 3km back into a misty headwind. AHR = 71%; MHR = 78%.

Indulgence.....

I've been far too indulgent by posting only when there's been good news, so now I'm going to resume daily blogging...for the time being!

This week, so far :

Monday: 12km @ AHR 75%..Lower Aerobic.

Tuesday: 6km@ 75%..Lower Aerobic Recovery.

Wednesday: CHEV TRACK...2km warm-up, stretches, drills, strides & then

16 x 100m strides (with slow 100m j0g recoveries between each.

Thursday: 6km @ AHR 75%..Lower Aerobic.

Friday: 12km @ AHR 82%..Upper Aerobic.

Today, Friday, it's raining heavily. I went to the gym & used the treadmill for the above session & I found it so hard I tought I might die there & then! And on my 79th birthday too! Every so often I had to hop onto the sides to catch my breath. 12km upper aerobic run on a treadmill is enough to kill off the the toughest! However, I live to tell the tale & celebrate my 79th birthday....I can't believe it!