First Run for 2010!

Phew!! Made it through to another year!!

.........and began with a reasonably tough 8km Tempo Run! The morning was hot and humid with storm clouds gathering. The aim was to run 8km at 6:29 to 6:32 min/km based on my 10km time of 63:20 at SMC in November, 2009.

The course was hilly but I tried to run at the 'effort' required for the pace if the course was flat; in other words, the average pace was slower than for a flat course. So, here's the results of my first run in 2010 :

2km warm-up in Radio Road.

Drills & strides; a drink of water & off I go...alone, leaving Virtual Partner to sleep off his New Year's Eve hangover!

8km tempo run
Time...53:20
Avg. pace 6:39 min/km; Best 4:59min/km ...downhill!
AHR 132 (84%); MHR 142 (90%)
1km splits...... 6:22; 6:34; 6:28; 6:27; 6:38; 7:10; 7:06; 6:30

2km very slow warm-down in Radio Road.

This was a hard session - as it is supposed to be - in uncomfortble conditions. I was well and truly tired by the end of 8km and tempted to skip the warm-down, but I gritted my teeth and did it so as to get off to a good start in 2010!

I finished off the session by putting my head under a cold water tap in the school yard! Oh, what a feeling!

For today, and to begin another year of running and having fun.... 12km.

On Track at Chev.

Lovely day here : warm but with a nice breeze..... and my last day of training for 2009!

At Chev track:
2km warm-up
Drills & strides

10 X 400m repeats with intervals of 100m walk, 200m jog, 100m walk

I had Virtual Partner set to run at 2:17 i.e. 5:43 min/km, based on my 10km time of 63:20. I stayed with him for all except the last couple when I decided to leave him in the dust! He wasn't smiling as we walked off the track!

2:15....Avg/Max HR 78/86%
2:18....78/87%
2:17....76/85%
2:19....76/85%
2:17....77/85%
2:17....78/88%
2:16....80/88%
2:15....80/88%
2:12....82/90%
2:05....83/94%

I felt OK with these times & finished feeling that I could have done a few more repeats if I'd had to! Good to get back 'to work' today as I haven't done any training for the last couple of days and should have been doing some cross training.....but I wasn't!

Sunday Long Run

Medium, rather than long; very slow instead of 'quite quick'! I had 16km to run @ 6:57 to 7:06 per/km, finishing in 1 hour 54 minutes. I did this 3 weeks ago with no trouble. Today, though, I wasn't in the mood and I had too much Xmas pudding and delicious trifle at yesterday's long lunch with friends at Robertson! The morning was cool enough but quite humid after several days of good rain.

So, I did 16km in 2 hours 07 minutes.
Avg. pace 7:58; Best 5:49.
AHR 107 (67%); MHR 127 (80%).

Christmas Day....and a Tempo Run

A very happy Christmas Day to all who stop by here!

Someone I know had a very good start to the day....my often times running buddy, Virtual Partner!


No scowling this morning; instead, a cunning smirk on his face and a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he ran off and finished 500m ahead of me! Oh well, every dog has its day..and this was his.

5km tempo run in 34:55.

Track at Chev.

Late start and hot! No whingeing...if I don't get up early, just put up with the heat...that's what I keep telling myself.

2km warm-up
Drills & strides
3 x 1600m @ 5:55 to 5:58 perkm.
Full recoveries between each... i.e. slightly less than running time.


I set Virtual Partner for 5:55 per/km pace and stayed slightly ahead of him during each repeat. This pleased VP no end and today he ran with what he would call a 'smile'!

1st 1600m in 9:29
Avg. pace 5:55
AHR 126 (80%); MHR 134 (85%)....full recovery

2nd 1600m in 9:29
Avg. pace 5:54
AHR 130 (82%); MHR 139 (88%)...full recovery

3rd 1600m in 9:27
Avg. pace 5:54
AHR 135 (85%); MHR 144 (91%)...10 minutes walking.

Pacing pretty good, thanks to VP's company! Before starting I had thought 3 x 1600m wasn't much at all; by the time I'd finished.....it was quite enough!

Back to the car....and it wouldn't start! Bugger! Bugger! Bugger! I was hot & tired & not smiling; looking more like VP! About 20 minutes wait for the NRMA sitting in the shade of some big pine trees.....good! Flat battery.....bad!

I learned something that I'd never heard before from this mechanic with a nice Scottish accent : never leave your keys in the ignition. I had, because I'd parked beside the oval in the shade close to the track. He said doing so for any length of time could leave something turned on or might not be fully turned off, resulting in a flat battery; I'd never ever heard or thought of that. Lesson learned! Very nice man too!


Distance today 8km

SMC Half Marathon, Sunday 20th December.

A bit late with this report, but I was waiting for the results to come up on the website. I now have my official time of 2 hours 24 minutes 53 seconds. From the website.

I left Mittagong just after 5:00 a.m. (up at 4:00a.m!) so as to be at Rosford Reserve, Smithfield in time to do a 2km warm-up, a few light drills & strides before the start at 7:00a.m.

It's a fairly tough course....I thought anyhow! The morning was blessedly cool and I really enjoyed the run; for one thing, the course is very much like what I train on at home : hills, long inclines and a few very welcome downhills. Faultless organization by everyone working to make this possibly the best series of runs over the Summer months and into June of next year.

21.1km
2:24:53
AHR 82%
5km splits ....36:01 (avg. 7:12p/k); 34:34 (avg. 6:54); 34:25 (avg. 6:53); 32:31 (avg. 6:30) 1.1k in 6:32 (avg. 11.16).

My program was for a long run of 20km so SMC half marathon fitted in nicely. I was able to upgrade from the 10km races I've been doing each month to the half marathon. Probably back to 10km next month, but good to be able to change around so easily.

An extremely loud shout of "Go Luckylegs!" from Cool Runner Thomo at the start got everyone off with a laugh!

It's Cool Again!

And even some lovely light rain. Now, if we can have this again on Sunday....!


Today a Tempo Run....should have been 11km; I did 9km.

2 x 4.5 loop BongBong Road & Mary Street.

1st 4.5k loop in 32:06
AHR 112 (70%); MHR 121 (76%)
Avg. pace 7:09

2nd 4.5km loop in 32:05
AHR 111 (70%); MHR 123 (78%)
Avg. pace 7:06

Tomorrow a day off and then SMC half marathon on Sunday, starting at 7:00 a.m.

Today 10km (incl. 1km warm-up, few drills & strides)

Track at Chev...Hot!

I got to Chevalier College track around 11:00a.m and it was HOT! 34 degrees here today & the same for tomorrow...my day off! The session was tough and the heat only made it tougher, but we, that is Virtual Partner and I, got through it and did the repeats just about perfectly!

2km warm-up
Drills & strides.

6 x 800m @ 5:52 to 5:49 per/km

I set VP for 5:49 per/km and today I didn't try to race him, but to stay with him but with one foot out front! Today, he was the perfect coach!

Results are:- 6 x 800m with 400m walk/jog/walk intervals between each repeat.

4:39 avg. pace 5:48
4:39 avg. pace 5:48
4:47 avg. pace 5:54
4:38 avg. pace 5:44
4:39 avg. pace 5:48
4:41 avg. pace 5:48

A few stretches in the shade before leaving for home.

Distance today 6.5km

Mostly Drills & Hills.....

Today was cross-training so, to start with I did 15 minutes jog warm-up. Followed this with 31 minutes of drills & strides in the soccer field; 8 short hill sprints on a steep grassy slope and finished with 26 minutes light jogging on BongBong & Mary Street loop.

Cool, breezy day & hope for the same tomorrow for a track session.

Distance today. 7km

Sunday's Long Run

It seemed like I'd never get to the finish! I did though, by walking the last two painful kilometres.

20km @ 6:57 to 7:06 per km.

Sounds easy enough and it was for 15km but from then on I just got slower and slower and slower until finally walked the last two kilometres. Not good enough! Took me 2 hours 35 minutes. Just one of those days....moving on!

20km
Time 2 hours 35
AHR 75%; MHR 85%

Tempo Run

Today I had an 8km tempo run on the program, to run at 6:29 to 6:32 pace.

3km warm-up, drills & strides in the soccer field.

Virtual Partner was with me again & I'm enjoying having someone to run with for a change! He was to run @ 6:32 pace to finish in 52:18

Today, I allowed VP to get ahead up to 30m for most of the time so as I would have something left to overtake him towards the finish! I did....just!

I think VP is a good tool for race training in not going out too fast & 'busting your guts' at the finish or worse...at half way! Just let him have a small lead but keep within striking distance!

8km in 52:14!
Avg. speed 6:31; Max. speed 5:18
AHR 124 (78%); MHR 136 (86%)
1km splits..... 6:34; 6:41; 6:26; 6:29; 6:32; 6:35; 6:31; 6:22

Distance today 11km

Track at Chev.

...this was the first time I've run 1200m repeats.....and it wasn't at all easy! Harder than expected, in fact. Easy enough for the 'spring runner' on the left, but I don't have springs like that to run with! It is, however, very much like the way Virtual Partner runs trying to catch up and pass me; today he lost again; I was well ahead for every interval!

Usual 2km warm-up; drills, strides.
I had 3 minutes walk/jog/walk recovery between repeats.
1km warm-down.

4 x 1200m
(1) 7:06 AHR 80%; MHR 84%. Avg. Pace 5:54
(2) 6:56 AHR 81%; MHR 87%. Avg. Pace 5:45
(3) 6:44 AHR 83%; MHR 92%. Avg. Pace 5:35
(4) 6:56 AHR 86%; MHR 95%. Avg. Pace 5:43

I was really, really tiring by the fourth repeat and I don't think I'd have run well or even finished a fifth one if I'd had to do it!

Distance today 8km

Two Days Cross-Training....

Monday : 45 minutes on the stationary bike, reading a book.

Today :30 minutes brisk walk from home to the soccer field.........2.5km.

40 minutes drills & strides on the shady side of the soccer field.....3.5km.

30 minutes brisk walk home, doing a few hill sprints along the way.....3km.

Total Time 1 hour 40; Distance 9km.

Tomorrow, something completely new on the track..... 4 x 1200m repeats....I hope I don't get lost!

Long Run......New Program.

This morning's long run was the first of the long runs in the "Less Is More Program" (3 running days), which, though it's much more demanding on distance/pace than I've been used to, I'm liking it so far. That's only one week though!

Today I had to run 16km @ 6:57 to 7:06 per km....i.e. finish 16km in 1 hour 54 minutes.

So....I ran 16 km and finished in 1:54.07!

Avg. pace = 7:07; Best 4:45.

AHR 118 (75%); MHR 132 (84%).

I ran what I call my 'Inkerman Road Loop'. Perfect morning : cool breeze, warm but not at all hot. Bitumen road all the way, very quiet, no traffic and a very pretty part of Mittagong. I felt the pace was comfortable and was running 6:? for most of the time except for where the hills and long inclines slowed me down in spite of making a big effort not to. At least I did put in the effort!

So that's one week's trial of running three days only. I've liked it so far and no problems with each of the three sessions...yet! I guess I might be of another mind after weeks 2, 3, 4 and more with distances and paces increasing each week!

Anyhow, it's a trial program and all's good so far.

Tempo Run Against Virtual Partner...

There he was again! Same ugly, snarling expression as I sped away on today's 5km tempo run!

What I had to do was :-

Short Tempo Run 4.8km...I changed it to 5km.
Pace 6:20 per km (10k race-pace)

2k warm-up. Light drills and strides. Lastly, 1km warm-down.

Virtual Partner is such fun to run with, especially not letting him get a look-in again today! In fact, I finished 50m in front. This wasn't an especially difficult thing to do, given that I was running only 5km at 10km race-pace; it felt quite comfortable actually, so VP should have known to get out in front from the start and hang on to stay there. Instead, he let his anger and frustration get the better of him once more and thus wasted effort and energy he should have been using to beat me!

I'll need to be vigilant though as the distances on each of the 3 running days increase week by week. It could get nasty!

So...results are: 5km
Time 31:17
AHR 127 (82%); MHR 133 (84%).

1km Splits = 6:08; 6:20; 6:14; 6:17; 6:17

Whether or not I should have run faster - I could have - I've yet to find out!

Distance today = 8km

A Day Off...

......cut the lawns; no running today.

On Track.

At Chevalier College around mid-day. Nice cool day, no sun, good breeze. I think this was a very good training session!

2km warm-up
Drills and Strides.
8 x 400m repeats @ 5:46 to 5:43 per km.

Results: 2:03.42; 2:05.80; 2:05.90; 2:07.86; 2:04.40; 1:59.50; 1:57.80; 1:56.85.
So, right around 5m/k pace.

Recovery between each repeat : 100m walk, 300m jog to the start & off again!

2km warm-down.

I had Virtual Partner programmed for 5:46per km and I finished each repeat way ahead of him every time! I left him behind by anything up to 65m maximum! I was determined that the infamous VP was beaten every time so I ran as hard as I could and left poor old VP struggling in my wake!

...this is VP showing how he felt seeing me take off!

I enjoyed these 400m repeats though it was hard work and lots of puffing & grunting, but I felt fine after finishing and now.....a day off tomorrow; I told Ewen I don't know that I deserve a rest day, but I'll take it anyhow and be rested for Friday's tempo run.

Another Cross-training Day

I did a variety of things in cross-training today. Here they are....but not in order of importance.

(1) Went to 'Home' hardware and bought 3 bags of potting mix and 1 bag of 'Dynamic Lifter'.

(2) Dug up a huge rhododendron that was just about to 'hit the wall' from dehydration.

(3) Planted the poor thing in a huge pot with 2 of the bags of potting mix; soaked it with water & left it close to the house with a smile on its face.

(4) Threw Dynamic Lifter (12.5kg) over the gardens and lawn..... just threw handfuls up in the air and let it land wherever. Terrible stench outside now!

(5) Made the Christmas pudding.....wonderful aroma inside as it simmers away on the stove for 5 hours.

(6) Took the dogs for their walk through the paddocks.

AND......

(7) Did 45 minutes on the stationary bike at the same time reading another Reginald Hill crime novel : "The Death of Dalziel".

What a great cross-training day it has been....every muscle did something!

Now, I can't wait to get to the track tomorrow! I always get so excited whenever I'm going to try something new in training. In this case, 8 x 400m intervals super-fast!