"Less Is More" Program

DAY ONE:



....here I am doing the first 30 minutes of today's 45 minutes brisk walking! It also gives a 3km flattish loop that I'll use on Fridays for Tempo Runs.











....and this is me doing drills and strides for 2.5km in 27 minutes on a gravel path at the side of the soccer field.......












....and here I am doing another 15 minutes brisk walking AND 3 x 10 seconds flat out uphill, 1.5km.



And, without the use of a calculator (Ewen take note!) here I am adding it all up to 7km!

I have to admit to finding walking pretty boring and being slow makes it even more boring, but that's what Ewen says so, well that's what I have to do, like it or not!

Can't wait for Wednesday though when I'll be on the track for some awesome speed intervals!!

Trying Something New....

For the next two weeks I'm going to try the "Less Is More" program, which means three days of running ALL at VERY demanding paces based on my present 10km time (63:20) and two days of cross-training.

I sent the program which is from Runners' World to Ewen for an OK or NOT and he returned it with an OK for a two week tryout. As well, with his usual consummate skill, he'd converted all distances, paces etc from miles to metric. Looking at the program, that would have been a very time consuming task. Besides, he claims my maths are not as good as my English!

The three days I've chosen for running are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Wednesday........Speed
Friday.................Tempo Run
Sunday................Long Run
Monday & Tuesday...Cross-train including stationary bike, brisk walking, some drills, a few hills and strides.

I'll start this trial program tomorrow and update here each day. I might have to eat humble pie at the end of the two weeks...... but nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Another Late Start!

Around 12:30 and it was already 28 degrees, but there was some breeze so off I went. Felt OK, bit tired after yesterday's track session and the hot day didn't help though there was a slight breeze and I tried to keep in the shade as much as possible. I used part of the Inkerman Road Loop.....and took a couple of walk breaks to cool down. Despite the heat and according to the effort I felt I was making, I was surprised that heart rate stayed low. I guess I wasn't trying hard enough though I made a point of running fairly hard up the hills and long inclines.

10km
Time 1:23
AHR 106 (67%); MHR 147 (93%)

After a few stretches in the shade of a large oak tree, I found a lower branch that was strong enough to hold my weight. I reached up and hung and swung back & forth for a short time. Very relaxing! No wonder monkeys do it!


Distance Today 10km

Track at Chevalier College

I changed Friday's session to today as I'll be in Sydney on Friday and I don't want to miss one of the most important weekly sessions.....track. As usual, a much too late start at mid-day and it was hot! One good thing about starting late is I get used to running in the hottest part of the day!

2km warm-up.
12 minutes drills & strides.

12 laps of lane 8 (0.84) timing each 2 laps. "Sitting on" heart rate 136 (86%).

2 lap splits = 5:28; 5:11; 5:09; 5:14; 5:24; 5:26
AHR = 83%; MHR = 97%
Time 31:52

Total distance 7km

This was a really, really hard session in the hottest part of the day but I always love doing a track session no matter what! 27 degrees today and heading upwards.

What a Difference!

.....a change in the weather makes! So far, two whole days this week have been cool and overcast with rain during the night.

After taking yesterday as rest, today I felt as sprightly as a hare....like one of the many who scampered from the side of the road to hide under bushes till I passed by!

I did what I've named the "Inkerman Road Loop", starting on the opposite side of Renwick in Bong Bong Road, down Mary Street, through some bush and then Inkerman Road to its end - where it becomes a dirt & rocky track down into a valley, where I daren't tread. All very well for mountain goats or anyone training for 'Six Foot Track'!

15 minutes drills & strides...beside the soccer field

7.5km. 53 minutes.
AHR 76%; MHR 82%.

I ran hard up every hill and incline....that's how good I was feeling!

SMC 10km Race #2

With 'TomTom' at the helm, a dream drive on the M5 and M7, leaving Mittagong at around 5:50a.m. 'TomTom didn't have to tell me to "Turn around when safe" not once! Not like last month!

On arrival, I did 2km warm-up, some drills and strides on the grass track just behind the canteen and then walked across the road to the start,

I had Virtual Partner on the Garmin programmed to get me to the finish in 68 minutes, same as last month; I didn't dare try for anything faster because of the recent heat and 40 degrees tipped for today in the Western suburbs.

The 7:30 a.m start was cooler then expected; I thought I felt a slight breeze, so decided at the last minute not just to beat VP but to give him a solid thrashing and bashing right from the start! As a result, there was no sign of him being in front of me from the very first step and he was somewhere near 500m behind me at the finish! Oh, what a feeling!!

Met up with lots of Cool Runners before, along the course and after at which point I was stuffing myself with cold watermelon, oranges, etc...

This event is one of the best organized I've attended thanks to the organizers and the many volunteers.....can't be very nice standing in the sun for several hours at the water stations.. Sachets great! Fantastic event in all respects & I wish I'd been a member years ago.


Results: 10km

Time : 63 minutes. 5 Minutes PB!

Negative Split 1 minute

AHR 89%; MHR 96%.....big effort towards the finish!

1km Splits 6:29; 6:21; 6:39; 6:22; 6:30; 5:54; 6:22; 6:11; 6:20; 5:51

I was thrilled to get a PB of 5 minutes! Now, can I get faster for next month?

Just Drills.

As tomorrow is SMC 10km race, today is an easy one.....but still hot! We got some good rain after yesterday's heat when it stormed in the late evening and hope there'll be more today.

I set off to Renwick soccer field for a drills only session. I ran the warm-up on the grass...hot! and used the shaded gravel path again for drills. All OK but came home with perspiration soaked shorts and top. I had an almost completely cold shower to recover....felt lovely! Now to rest and keep hydrated today for tomorrow.

15 minutes warn-up.

30 minutes drills.

About 3km.

Another Hot One!

I missed running yesterday thinking it was far too hot, but today was even hotter! I waited until around 4:p.m when thunder began to roll in and set out hoping to get caught & cool down in a nice shower of rain. It did rain but only for about a minute and it wasn't much cooler after. I needed the water I was carrying and as well had the good luck to be given a wonderfully cold glass of water by some people as I passed their property!

I ran on Diamond Fields Road hoping it would be cooler. It wasn't! But the run is done!

12km (upper aerobic).
AHR 75% : MHR 84%

Speed in the Shade.....

I used the gravel path that runs along the side of Renwick soccer field for today's shady, speedy session. Warm day, not too hot, nice breeze & plenty of shade.

2km warm-up on grass in the soccer field.

Drills 15 minutes on the path.

16 x 100m with slow jog back between each : 30 minutes.

Today's Distance 6km.

Recovery....

....from the heat. Today, cool breeze about 10 degrees down from yesterday. So you'd think I had an easy run. well, my legs felt bad; heavy; lethargic, walk breaks... etc. etc.. and on such a perfect day for running. A few drills to begin with. A few strides towards the end...to get back to the car quicker!

7km (program is 6km)
Old South Road.

AHR 68%; MHR 79%

Distance Today : 7km

Catching Up....

Four days to account for!

Friday and Saturday I didn't run at all. It was too darned hot!

Sunday : 10km 'easy' run.
I did this in the cool of late afternoon.

Monday : 12km

Hot day again...34 degrees. I waited until 5:00p.m before starting out today and it was still very hot. Thunder & lightning soon after, followed by a brief 30 seconds downpour. Lovely while it lasted, but not enough to cool the roads down; steamy conditions for the remainder of the run.

The Day Off.....

I took today instead of tomorrow as a rest day. I'm still feeling the aftermath of yesterday's session in the middle of the day heat. Silly girl! I should know better!

Tomorrow I'll do something short and easy before Sunday's longer run.

Horrible!

I couldn't get out before the heat and couldn't bear to think about late evening when I like to relax, so, stupidly out I went in the middle of the day, on a day when the temperature was 32 degrees! Some shade on Diamond Fields Road didn't seem to make much difference and it was a struggle just walking back to the car.

No need to say that I walked about half of the distance, stopping at a tap to splash water from head to toe and refill my bottle so as to keep pouring cold water on my head and neck on the return. I can't remember a run as horrible as this one! And tomorrow down to 22 degrees!

11.5km
AHR 114 (72%); MHR 132 (84%)...even when walking, heart rate was up.

A Horrible Walk/Run!

Leaden Legs!

Noting 'lucky' about how my legs felt this morning! I took Monday and Tuesday off because i was feeling very tired; does it really take that long to recover from a 5km race? Although I did, as Ewen noted, 'bust my guts' at Fisher's Ghost 5km race on Sunday. The older you get......etc. etc!

No wonder that I felt so awful for this morning's training which was:

13 minutes warm-up
13 minutes of drills & strides
30 minutes easy running, including 3 x 60 seconds uphill/jog down.

It was very hot & I was glad to finish, go home, shower and lie down....again! The enticement to putting my feet up in the afternoon is that I'm reading another of Reginald Hill's crime novels, "Under World", and I can't wait to see how it finishes!

There goes the housework for another day! They say housework can't kill you.....but why take a chance!

Today: 6km

Fisher's Ghost 5km

I had a very good run yesterday! I ran and ran and ran and didn't stop for drinks, hills or kiddies! This was my first 5km road race and on a tough, hilly course and I couldn't have run any faster for quids!

I drove to Campbelltown in plenty of time to pick up race bib etc. and then do a 2km warm-up and the usual drills and strides. The morning was the coolest I've experienced at this event where I've always run the 10km race.....very overcast, a few sprinkles of rain and....no hordes of flies! Reading on Cool Running, some seem to have found it a humid morning but can't say it worried me at all. I just didn't have time to think about it as I hurdled over speed humps and stormed down the hills! The up hills were bad but each one had a great roll down the other side & I love running downhill. So, the official results.....

Distance 5km

Time = 30 minutes 35 seconds. PB for 5km!

(How good was this to see on the clock when I'd hoped to do 33 minutes!)

AHR 142 (89%); MHR 156 (98%)!!

Splits : 6:38; 5:38; 6:07; 6:25; 5:41

1st Place Age category 70+ (with the 'youngsters') ... 2nd place was 47:38 & 3rd, 48:24.

Today, Monday, I feel ever so weary and quite 'done in'! Doing nothing but lolling around reading and snoozing. However, tomorrow......on the road again!

A Rest Day

Nothing much until tomorrow's Fisher's Ghost 5km. I've always run the 10km in previous years, but since I have monthly 10km runs at SMC, this is a good opportunity to have a go at 5km. Apart from 5000m on the track at WMG Melbourne 2002, I haven't run a 5km race since.

3km across the Renwick paddocks and a few strides on Radio Road....and that's it from me for now!

Another Cool One!

If only this weather could last over the weekend! Cool, same misty rain as for the last two days. A very easy jog before Sunday's 5km.

15 minutes warm-up
Light Drills
5km very easy.

Barefoot on the Track

I didn't bother taking shoes to Chev track today. I knew the grass would be very wet, just right for bare feet. I did only half the usual session because of Sunday's Fisher's Ghost 5km race. I felt really good for this session.

2km warm-up
Drills & strides

6 laps @ 130 (85%), timing each 2 laps....0.84m

AHR 128 (81%); MHR 134 (85%)

Distance 2.5km
Time 14:36

Each 2 laps ...4:48; 4:50; 4:57

Distance today = 5.5km

What a Difference!

Yesterday 30 degrees; today 19 degrees! Now that's my sort of running weather: the very slightest of misty rain, just enough to brush against the face, no wind, no sun...perfect!

6km
Time 49:01
AHR 107 (68%); MHR 76% (120)

Now if Fisher's Ghost can give us a day like this on Sunday, all will be well!

Distance today 6km

It Was Hot!

I didn't get out today until 2:00p.m. and it was blazing hot and windy but reluctantly I did what I had to do!

7km @ around 80% of MHR.

AHR 74%; MHR 84%.

I didn't enjoy this run at all; it was too hot and windy and I was thirsty! Also I had to take walk breaks to keep my heart rate down. I hope the weekend will be much cooler.

Around the Roundabout..

Top photo : last climb before turning back.

Middle photo : I would have loved a swim with this duck family, but take a look at the colour of the dam water!

Last photo : the infamous roundabout.



Long, tough haul this morning! So much so, that anything Fisher's Ghost run next Sunday might throw at me will seem easy; well, that's what I'm hoping!

Knowing Fisher's Ghost runs are notorious for their hills, I decided to put myself to the test by taking a right turn

- usually I go left downhill - from Bong Bong Road into Old South Road where I was faced with 2km of winding uphill road. It really is a shocker & a test of anyone's health and sanity!



The road then levels out for a few hundred metres to the biggest roundabout in the world, I think! For those driving past as I staggered & panted my way up for 2km, I thought it would impress on them just how insane a runner can become by running around the roundabout on the cement strip before going left up more hills into Range Road! I ran around the roundabout on the return leg as well!

After reaching 8kms, all the while telling myself how wonderful it would feel to roll back downhill for the last few kilometres, I turned around and began the run back. I'd also decided before starting, that I would run the last 5km faster no matter how 'dead' I was feeling....and I was feeling half dead when the Garmin said I'd run 11km and was now time to step on the gas...or what was left of it! Talk about downhill racing! I fairly flew just about the entire return.

I hadn't carried water : silly, and it was a hot morning, but back at the car I downed 500ml as if I'd been wandering a desert all morning! I did crawl with some effort under a fence on the way back where there was a tap & drank from that knowing it was probably bore water, but who cares when you're dying of thirst anyway!

Today: 16km
Time 2:09:40
AHR 111 (70%); MHR 131(82%)

Out in 1:11:19
Back 58:21

Negative Split 12:58.....pleased with that one! Thanks to the downhills, of course!

This Week : 51km