Last of the Easy Runs!

Next week the plan is to start the FIRST Half Marathon program, the same one I've been using for some time now ...more about it then.  For this week, continue with low heart rate runs beginning with today.......:

Monday    :    REST!  only it wasn't real rest; I cut all the lawns and trimmed the front hedge that was growing furiously all over the place; altogether about four hours and far more exhausting than running!

Wednesday's Happy Cows!

Wednesday's unhappy 10km

Tuesday    :  Nil Running.  As this is the last easy week I had no qualms about going out to lunch instead!  Truth is, I'm still aching from yesterday's overly ambitious garden spree!

Wednesday  :  10km....Jog/walk; very humid; thunder means storm on the way. Felt very lethargic...too much lunch yesterday?

Thursday     :    6km ..December 1st

Friday   :    8km 

Saturday:  Nil running.  Spent the whole day lopping branches with my trusty chainsaw and in the process just about wrecked myself! 

Sunday a.m.  ...clean up backyard.
             p.m.  ...out to lunch.

This Week's Total =  only 24km!  Oh well, I'm hoping for serious running in the coming weeks and months!

Sunday's Sunset!

Sunday's sunset

...if only the trees hadn't been blocking the big ball of fire!  Nevertheless, the orange glow inside the house made me look outside at what I first thought might be a distant bushfire.  Instead, a magnificent sunset, though the photos don't do the sight justice.

This week : more easy, low heart rate running :

Monday    :    6km easy

Tuesday     :   6km + few drills

Cows sleeping in the rain!

Wednesday  :After listening to the 'bad me' for two hours moaning "it's raining, it's too wet and misty, I need a rest day,  how much nicer to curl up with a book etc. etc", the 'good me'  gave  'bad me' a resounding whack over the head and that's how we both got out at 11:00am and did today's run in a fine, misty rain, enjoying it as much as did these cows with their calves in the paddock!

9km....Yeah, did it!

Thursday:   6km...and a good soaking in the rain!

Friday    :    8km.....hills hidden behind a screen of mist and light rain; perfectly lovely weather for a run!

Saturday  :  6km.....fine and sunny for a change. 

Sunday     :  12km.....sunny and windy.

Total for the Week  =    53km.....even if I say so myself..... for me this was a very good week!

More Aerobic Running......

First run of the week

Much the same as last week :  Short, easy runs.....Tip from Greg McMillan :


"Your task, then, isn't to spend hours reading opinions on running form and footwear. Your task is just to think about running tall over the next week. This doesn't mean running stiff. It means simply holding your body in a relaxed yet balanced position. Once you achieve this relaxed, balanced position with your body, then the rest of your form is pretty easy to correct."


Monday:         4km easy.  AHR 76%.  School/Renwick/School.  Hot & windy.
Tuesday:         6km easy.  AHR 77%. 
Wednesday:   8km easy.  AHR 72%.  Cool morning; lower heart rate = fewer walk breaks!

Thursday:    Rest Day... went out for lunch.

Last run for the week

Friday:         Drills + 4 km easy.
Saturday:    6km on Diamond Fields Rd for shade...very hot; walk breaks to lower HR.


Sunday:       12km.  Started at 8:00a.m!  Google Earth update shows a new look for maps!


Total for the week = 40km

Fisher's Ghost 5km....

Not a disaster at all but slower by about two minutes from the last time I did Fisher's Ghost 5km in 2009.  I was happy with my time considering I've only been doing easy runs for the past two weeks.

Conditions were unusually good : cloud cover but still quite hot.  I had a free massage after and that was a very pleasant way to finish, plus 1st place in 70+ age category in which to my surprise this year there were no other competitors!  Perhaps that's why my age category wasn't called at the presentations until I reminded someone that I really was there and had run the 5km event!  I felt embarrassed doing this but what the hell....I had run!

5km in 33:33!
Avg. Pace 6:42
AHR 89%. 
257 of 464 finishers.... (44.6%)
117 of 256 Female finishers....54.3%

Sunday's 'Long' Run and the Week Ahead......

In today's heat 10km seemed a long run!  Ran on Diamond Fields Road where there was plenty of shade;  took walk breaks when heart rate started to go through the roof! Still wheezing from bronchitis and breathing somewhat laboured.

Sunday:      10km.  AHR 74%

Monday:     Rest and GP check on bronchitis. OK.

Tuesday:    Warm-up followed by Magill drills followed by :
5 hot km on Diamond Fields hot hills without allowing myself any walk breaks uphill as prep. for Sunday.  Oh boy, was I sweating at the end of this 5km!!
AHR 78%;  MHR 87%


Wednesday:  Woefully hot, humid and slow run/walk! Renwick 8km.  AHR 74%;  MHR 89%!


Thursday:     Took a Rest Day.

Friday:          On Radio Road :  6 x 400m in 2:19 (5:37m/k).
                       Results =  2:15;  2:14;  2:14;  2:16;  2:11;  2:14


Saturday:      5km 'easy'.


Sunday:    Fun Run : Fisher's Ghost 5km....Possible disaster, but I have to start somewhere!