Another Year Begins ~~~

....but with no running - or blogging - for me until this wretched groin pain has gone!

Here's to a Happy and Injury Free 2013!

A Very Happy Christmas Day to All.....

From LL!

Workout #1....Track ~~~ Unfinished!

Well, that's done it!  With only six repeats to run, I couldn't complete the last one because of the groin pain in my left leg. And I mean serious pain, otherwise I wouldn't have given up. I don't think I have any choice now other than to stop running, do the RICE thing and hope it goes away in time to resume training for a 1 mile race on January 10th.

I used Radio Road beside the Highlands School :  very hot but some shade.

Program :
2km warm-up
Drills
6 x 150m 'flat out'
5 min RI between each.

I did the 2km warm-up + drills
5 x  150m....couldn't run flat out!
5min RI

Icing as I type!

I think I'll join them!

 

Sunday ~~~ Off.

I'm not running today's easy 5km; instead I'm resting/icing my left leg where I have some slight groin pain.  Awful nuisance with only three weeks to the 1 mile race in Canberra.

I've been waiting for this "Little Gem" magnolia to flower for quite a few years and now, right at Christmas, it's brought forth its first beautifully scented white flowers with several buds still to open.  DLT!

Saturday's Workout #3...~~~

Better late than never  ~~~

Program :  
5km HR Evaluation

Same course as for last several Saturdays : School > Renwick>School.

5km course - out and back.

Few drills to start
5km 'easy'
AHR 118 (75%);   MHR 128 (81%)
Avg. Pace 7:14m/k   =  7.6 x 118 = 849.6...up from previous Saturdays....not good!  I have some pain in my left inner thigh to take the blame!
 Stretches.

Saturday 5km

Workout #2 ~~ Track ~~~

I did tomorrow's training today as I won't be able to fit it in tomorrow.

Program  : 
2km warm-up
Drills
6 x 200m 'strong'
50 sec RI.
 
Once again a warm, sunny day for this session at Chev where I wanted to run on the grass track instead of another workout on the road.  CC for the warm-up; 211m track for repeats.

2km warm-up
1 set Magill drills (no strides)

Warm-up and Track.

1:00.6 (68-82%);   :59.4 (78-85%);   :59.3 (76-86%);   :57.8 (73-85%);   :59.6 (78-87%);  :58.5 (77-88%).

I ran these repeats 'strongly' just like the program said! 

Today 3.2km

Easy Day ~~

Glorious sunny day in the Southern Highlands after the odd mixture of the past couple of days.  Today's session was an easy 5km for which I stayed in the Renwick streets.  This way, I had a variety of hills...long and short together with some flat sections.

Easy 5km

Slowed down when heart rate climbed into the 80% range.

 Few drills
5km in 36:30
Avg. Pace 7:18
AHR 111 (70%);  MHR 125 (79%).
Stretches.

Today  ~~  5km 

Workout #1 ~~ Track

Across to Bowral and Chev track again for today's session. Weather the exact opposite of yesterday's, which was 30 degrees; today, very cool, light rain, so far only 13 degrees and the ranges covered in mist.  A much better day for a track session, so I'm not complaining.

Program :
3km warm-up
Light drills and strides
4 x 800m 'strong effort'...last 'very hard'
4-5 min RI

With the school closed for long holidays, I can run anywhere! For the warm-up I ran every which way around the school grounds using, ovals, roads, bike track and cross country......a very enjoyable way to start off the day.  I haven't looked at the times for 800m repeats yet, but I struggled in each of them so I'm not expecting too much in the results.  Sleepless nights - until one, two and three o'clock before sleeping and then waking up like a zombie - haven't helped my training at all.  Nothing good comes out of being overly tired when it comes to training on the track especially.

3km Warm-up

3km warm-up through Chev campus
4 drills with stride between
4 x 800m ~~  4:40 (77/85%);  4:36 (78/87%);  4:43 (77/86%);  4:36 (78/86%).
No cool-down .... home to change.

Today  ~~  6.2km

Workout #3 ~~ HR Evaluation Run

Same course each week for this session.  Today was overcast, few drops of rain, very humid and I was very tired!  Have been tired since my one day and one night in Sydney on Thursday!  Does this mean, and I fear it might, that I'm past having a night in the big city?  I thought Sydney looked very grey and tired...much like I do... and I wasn't the least sorry to leave and return home.  I did enjoy the night though!

Program :
5km...on the easy side.

Starting at the school :  Few drills
5km in 36:35
Few stretches

5km RS course.

 
Avg. Pace 7:19m/km
AHR 112 (74%);  MHR 127 (84%).
RS Scale ( Heart beats per km)  =  817 (down from last Saturday...  Whoopee!)

Today   5km. 
 



 

Thursday's Late Edition ~~~ on Friday!

I was unable to write up Thursday's training because I made a very late decision  - while running truthfully - that I would get myself to this year's Cool Running Christmas drinks in Sydney.  I told myself - while running of course - that if I found accommodation for an overnight stay, I would be on the next train to Sydney, and I was and so very pleased that I made the effort to be there. The reservation was made at 2:pm. and I was on the 3:00pm train Sydney bound and ready for good night on the town...and it was exactly that!

I stayed as close to The Rocks area as I could afford!  That was Travelodge Wynyard, right by Wynyard Station and a short walk to Harts Pub where the Xmas drinks were being held.  It's some years since I last attended CR drinks and I couldn't help but notice how the numbers have become fewer than in earlier years.  Why have so many gone to Facebook never to return to Cool Running?  In years to come are we only going to meet friends and such like by looking at a screen and tapping away on a keyboard?  I don't know, hope not and won't be here to see it, thank goodness!  There's something so very special, I think, about being physically in the presence of family and friends, talking, laughing, sharing good food and drinks.  Pity if it goes the way of a lot of old, well-tried customs and the small screen and keyboard take their places...much as I love my computer, tablet and mobile phone!

Enough of these musings, but where else can I 'let it all out' if not here on my blog?  This way I don't have to bore or annoy others with my rambling thoughts.

Back to Thursday's run  ~~~

2km warm-up
Drills
6 x 150m 'all out' sprinting
5-10 min RI between each.

Renwick streets used :
2km warm-up + 6 drills
:37.9;  :38.1;  :40.8;  :42.7;  :40.9;  :38.3.
5 min RI
1km cool-down + stretches.

Now, if these weren't true sprints, they were certainly as fast as I could run and, at the same time, think about making important decisions like getting to Cool Running Christmas drinks! 

For Thursday....approx 4km.  ( Nil, today...in recovery mode!)

Another Easy One ~~~

I felt like a change of scenery today so I headed in the direction of Diamond Fields Road.....all stones and rocks as usual.  At 2.5km I was right outside the property where "Slipper" lives with his owner/rider.  I called in to find "Slipper" being put through his paces on the dressage arena.  I wished both a happy Christmas and started on my way back to the school.

Program :
5km easy or Rest 

Diamond Fields Road.. 2.5k each way.

I didn't feel any need to rest.....cool, cloudy morning.

Few drills
5km in 37 minutes
Stretches
AHR 111 (70%);   MHR 126 (80%)

Today 5km

Easy Day ~~~

Today's Program :
5km easy.

Easy 5km

Before running : 1 Set Magill Drills + Stride between each drill.
5km in 35:19
AHR 114 (72%);  MHR 123 (78%).
Finished with usual stretches.

Nice, cool morning; mostly overcast and breezy;  some sunny breaks.  Run seemed to go without any problems, but then, it not supposed to have problems on an easy day!

Today  5km.

Workout #1.. Track ~~~

Over to Chevalier College for today's session, the 2nd of 5 weeks' training trying to run faster.  It's back to winter here, cold and light rain. Crazy weather for December but I like it!

Program :
3km warm-up;  light drills/strides.
4 x 800m ...4-5min RI.....I took 4 min this week, 5 last week.
Cool-down. 

I ran 3km warm-up on what I thought was the CC course but, after talking to the groundsman, I learned that where I was running, after leaving the main grounds, was in fact the mountain bike course!  Now I know why there were so many huge humps and corners to manoeuvre in this section!

3km Warm-up. Lower left..Section of mountain bike course!

 So...3km warm-up

4 drills with strides between
 4:50.8  (118/130, 75/82%);  4:44.2 (119/131, 75/83%);  4>46.6 (120/123, 76/85%);  4:33.3 (123/136, 78/86%).
1km cool-down + stretches.

I felt these were fairly good repeats......tried to run strongly and put on a spurt to make the last one hard/very hard!

Today....7.2km 

Workout #3 ~ "Heart Rate Evaluation" Run ~

This run, done weekly on the same course every week, will be a guide as to how aerobic conditioning is holding up - depending on weather.  The number should stay the same or get lower over the weeks to follow. That's the theory and I'll be really interested to see just how this works out.

Program  :  
 5km....run 'by feel'; on the easy side.

Heart Rate Evaluation 5km

Few drills
5km in 34 min.
Avg. Pace 6:48m/k
6:59;  6:39;  6:43;  6:48;  6:52
Stretches.
AHR 121 (77%);  MHR 132 (84%)
HR Evaluation =  786.5....Oops!  Error Alert!  Should be 822.8

Run felt OK; hot and very humid morning; waiting for afternoon storm likely.  Began at the Highlands school and into Renwick for 2.5km; returned the same way, 2.5km.  This will be the course I use each week for a HR evaluation run.  Cool!!

For today    5km 




 

Workout #2 ~~ 200m Repeats

I really enjoyed this session, mainly because I love running downhill but, besides that, I believe it's good for the musculoskeletal system.  It was a superb day, all day, here in Mittagong  :  sunny, warm but not hot and a cool breeze.  The perfect weather and running downhill combined to make this a fast, fun workout!

Program  :

2km warm-up
Drills
6 x 200m 'strong effort'
50 sec RI
1km cool-down.

I ran the first 3 x 200m from the car and down a gentle sloping road in the new Renwick development which seems to provide all I need for running purposes : no traffic, uphills, downhills, long and short stretches of new bitumen roads and no one to observe my strange antics especially when doing drills!  Because I finished each 200m further ahead on the road, I ran the last three on a downhill footpath at the other end of the development.  55 seconds RI...jog back for that time and take off again!

First 3 reps here...

2km warm-up
Drills
0:58.0;   0: 57.4;   0:55.7;   0:53.7;   0:56.2;   0:51.2
1km cool-down + stretches. 

Last 3 reps. here.

For today....a lovely day!  :  4.2km

Another 5km ~~~

What a gale we have blowing today.... and a cold one at that!  A couple of sections I had to walk into a headwind that had me tripping over my own feet!  All things considered, it was a better run than yesterday.  Not exactly the same course.

5km Easy Running.

5km

Couple of drills
5km in 35:06
AHR 113 (72%);  MHR 137 (87%) 
Avg. Pace 7:11m/k
6:58;  6:51;  7:05;  6:58;  7:11.
Usual stretches.

For Today....  5km

Easy Run? ~~~

After yesterday's track, an easy run sounded good, so why didn't it feel all that easy?  One reason could be a bad night's sleep :   until around 9:00pm last night I was so tired I felt like I couldn't wait to get to bed, but from then on, to my surprise and horror, the fatigue lifted bit by bit, more and more wide awake so that by  10:00pm when I went in, sleep had deserted me altogether.  The hours ticked by and I saw 3:00am, then 4:00am on the clock before I finally dozed off for a couple of hours.  I hate nights like that because I know how the run next morning is going to feel....not easy!

Program :  4 - 5km easy

5km through Renwick

Renwick streets :
Few drills.....I knew immediately how the run would be so stopped after two...
5km in 35:16
AHR 113 ( 72%);  MHR 126 (80%)
6:40;     6:37;     7:11;     7:15;     7:31  ......slowing progressively with each kilomotre
Usual stretches. 

Other than lack of sleep, it was very windy and that didn't help at all.  Another easy 5km tomorrow before a hard day on Thursday and I hope that 5km will feel easier than did today's.

For Today....5km

Track ~~ Workout #1

Glory be!  This session was very, very hard work this morning!  Temperature down to 20 degrees from previous days of 35 but it was extremely hot and humid and the grass track very wet from overnight and early morning rain.  Nevertheless,  I had to give this first day of training (for a 1 mile race) my best shot no matter what the conditions.  And give it my best, I did!

Program : 
 3km warm-up
Light drills/strides
4 x 800m 'strong effort' ...first one slowest, last very hard.
4-5 min RI......I took 5 min.
Warm-down + stretches.

Rather than do the 3k warm-up in the 210m lane I decided to run a section of Chev's CC course and enjoyed it a lot, even though I had to about turn when I almost ran into some cows resting in the shade under trees.  Gave me quite a fright!

A Section of Chev's CC Course.

 On the Track :
 4 drills + strides

4:42.1 (129-140, 82-89%);  4:40.2 (129-141, 82-89%);  4:41.9 (129-140, 82-89%),  4:37.6 (130-145, 82-95%).

1k cool-down + stretches.

For the last repeat I couldn't have taken another step without falling over...legs lactic and came to a stop right on the 800m mark!  

This first track workout was a really tough one, so thank heavens for an easy day tomorrow!

For today ...7.5km

Another Goal ~~ 5 Weeks to Go!

Starting tomorrow, Monday, another change of program.  With help and good advice from Ewen regarding training, I hope to run a 1 mile race in Canberra on January 10 which gives me 5 weeks to be ready to fly!  This will be quite a challenge, however there's nothing like a challenge to stir and renew enthusiasm!

The new program is mainly geared towards speed so I'm in for a whale of a good time as of tomorrow when I begin the first day's training on the track at Chevalier College!

More stories to come over the next 5 weeks!

Day By Day ~ A Look at This Week ...

Four days off and it felt a little strange starting the engine back up again!  The plan for this morning and the next short while is some aerobic running each day for time, watching heart rate, but not distance.  I think this will be a good preparation before tackling a definite program for a specific race which I don't even know of yet!

I found a quite lengthy article by Pete Magill called "Solving the 5km Puzzle" which he wrote for Runner's World and Running Times.  At the conclusion of the article he gives a pattern of workouts for (1) Base-Building Phase and (2)  Race Phase.  It's the Base-building phase that interests me short term and a complete change from previous training for the "Glorious 5km" in Canberra last week!

So, off I set this morning, the weather hot, humid and stormy, and ran a Medium Run (60-80 min)  ...  I did 60 minutes and immediately my heart rate soared to the upper 80% of Max.!  To stop this happening, I walked a few steps whenever I saw high readings and until HR dropped into 70- 75% range.

Today : 60 min (turned out to be exactly 8k)
AHR 70% (110);  MHR 87% (138)

60 min aerobic run.

 As I finished, the rain began and more humid than earlier.  After the run I probably had about 1km walk back to the car and that replaced stretching.  I thought I was going to feel today's effort more, but I didn't, mainly because it was slow I suppose!

WEDNESDAY  ~  NIL

THURSDAY  ~   Drills/Short Hill Sprints.  Renwick :  Warm-up jog; 1 set Magill drills with stride between each; 8 x short hill sprints/walk down; easy running.  All up, from start to finish, 65 min. Very humid in spite of nice breeze; heavy clouds kept the sun out of sight. Looking like more storms - poor little Amy terrified by thunder and lightning!

FRIDAY  ~  Medium Run.   Renwick.  11:00am start.  Awful heat and humidity.  35 degrees.  Walk/Jog 60 minutes.  Long run with hills tomorrow, but will probably run this on Sunday as hot conditions lasting till then.  Felt bad during run...and have stayed that way ever since.  Too hot to be out.

SATURDAY  ~  Nil.  Too hot for me to go out.  35 degrees.

SUNDAY  ~  Short Run.  40 minutes.  Surprised still very hot even with some shade on Diamond Fields Road.  I don't much like these hot nights either; sleep difficult resulting in tiredness next day.

....and that's it for this week!



 

5000m/ W80 Australian Record. Woo Hoo! ~~~

Now, if I could just get the hang of this track running, I might stay with short distances -  with the occasional half marathon  -  for two more years and have a crack at the W85 World Record which is somewhere around 32::xx minutes!  Another two years of training should see me in good form to make an assault!

I've run on the AIS track twice before and that was about 6 years ago, so I've no experience of track running at all.  This might be why I found it much harder running 5km on a track than I do on the road or on grass as I've been doing over the past 12 weeks in preparation for the record attempt.  Nothing to relieve the monotony of going round and round, no ups and downs, no corners at which to change direction, so how some people run long distances, hour after hour, day and night, on a track is beyond me!  It's a technique requiring lots of practice! I think, had I more track experience to call on, I could have worried less and run faster!

By 7:00pm on Thursday night I was at the track warming-up with Ewen and Ruth.  I kept moving - short strides and easy drills -  pretty much up until the 3km and 5km races were called.  When the gun was fired I took off with the others and that was the last I saw of anyone until those speedy youngsters blew past me like a southerly wind, lap after lap, so  that I began to look forward to the whir and reverberation of their approach as company, even though it was just a brief second or two and they were gone again!

Eventually, everyone had left the track and I was out there under the glaring lights all on my own except for my good friend, Ewen, who ran the 5km some distance behind me in lane1 for company, to call out the laps and to see that I wasn't bowled over by other runners.  To show how much a novice I am at track racing, Ewen had to explain even where I should stand and run from the start.  The finish was another matter!  I had no idea I had to run out of lane 1 and head towards yellow cones to my right.  If I hadn't heard Ewen calling out to me several times, to move over, I would have gone straight ahead and made a mess of everything.  What a hullabaloo!   I've a lot to learn about this track caper before I try again!

For my run...... I knew the previous W80 Australian record was 36:xx min. and I'd run 31 twice in recent months - Bankstown and Fishers Ghost - so I felt confident of doing better than the record.  I intended running much as I do when training  : not start off too fast and, most importantly, keep an even pace from start to finish and make a dash for the finish line!  I think this is the best way to race, for me anyhow...even kilometre pacing.  I felt quite good the entire race; a bit of puffing the last couple of rounds as I tried to speed up for a grand finish!  I had a wonderful night; it was lots of fun and I've discovered, be it ever so late, that I like track racing.

  One thing I'd like to mention about Thursday night that other runners might take for granted.  Because I always train alone, not by choice, it's just how it is, what a joy it was for me to be surrounded by other runners, both on and off the track; the sounds of laughter, shouting and excited voices, the pit-a-patter and drumming of fast feet on the track; watching others, young and old, race, jump, hurdle and throw equipment and themselves into whatever they were doing!  Rad, at 85, sprinting all the short distance events. I needed to see and hear all of this to be reminded that, though I train by myself, as a runner I need never feel lonely or alone.

AIS Track, 5000m

OK....here we go for the statistics!

Distance :  5000m
Time :  31:11.58
Splits  :  from Garmin 6:09.1;     6:08.0;     6:06.0;    6:07.6;     6:17.3**
Avg. pace :   6:09 m/k 
AHR  :  135/85%;     MHR  :  144/91%
W80-84 Australian Record and ACTVAC Record.
Age% = 95 

**Splits not accurate; will update when I can.


 It was a very good night and I enjoyed every bit of it

I did it!

With my friend & supporter, Ruth!

...not completely on my own!

Lucky Last!

The last of 12 weeks training with a short and easy 4km this morning!  If the Canberra weather tomorrow is as cool and overcast as it is here today, I'll be most pleased!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's 5000m but always feel a bit nostalgic when a period of training comes to an end; don't know why, it's just the way it is!  And where do I go from here?  Not to heaven just yet, there's too much running still left in my lucky old legs!

I guess that's it for now and will report back sometime Friday night.

Lining Up in 2007 & same place Thursday night, 2012.

Time Is Running Out!

So, off to Renwick streets for the second last little bit of training before Thursday night ~~~

1 set Magill drills with stride between
Easy Run around a few blocks
Stretching.

35 minutes.

1st Workout ~~~ Track

It was very cold, very windy and very wet when I did this morning's training at Chev track.  Immediately I reached home, the sun came out and has remained so ever since;  I can't believe how quickly it changed!
This is the last few days of  my 12 week program...sad it's coming to an end in a way;  I love the training more than the event I'm training for!  In this case, 5000m track in Canberra, Thursday night.

Today's Program  :

10-20 min warm-up
6 x 400m 2:20
1:00 min RI
10 min cool-down

In pouring rain, windy and cold conditions.....
1km warm-up + few drills & strides

200m lane Chev, track

 2:23 (76%-78%);  2:18 (73-80%);  2:20 (71-80%);  2:19 (73-80%);  2:23 (72-80%);  2:24 (72-79%)

1km cool-down + few stretches.   

Not an easy session; felt I had to try harder than expected but suppose it was an OK session for the last week of the program and the bad weather.

Today 4.4km

Workout #3 ~~~ Long Run

Just two more training sessions and the 12 week 5km program will have come to a happy end!  Thursday, I drive to Canberra, run 5000m at night and drive home Friday.  No idea at all what I'll do after that....some new direction will come to mind, it usually does.  After reaching one goal it's never too long before another presents itself.  I know I'd like to do more short distance training.....something will turn up!

Today's Program :  10km. @ 6:41m/k....I did 11.8km by the time I finished visiting people!

Diamond Fields Road, 11.8km

 I called in on some friends on two properties in Diamond Fields Road.  Everyone was home in both places so I spent nearly as much time talking as I did running.  At my first stop I got to meet Patricia's new dressage horse, a very friendly black beauty called "Slipper", just 3 years old.

"Slipper" & Me

I found the run hard and slow today.  The hills were taller than last time I ran there, and if that's a lie, the surface was truly terrible and that's no lie at all; a real rocky road on which I did not want to fall....again!

For today  :  11.8km
For the week : 3 sessions...27.6km

Update on Fisher's Ghost 5km Results

From the website...  

Due to a technical malfunction the times for the first 159 runners in the 5km fun run were unable to be recorded. 

This issue also prevented the placings from 116th to 147th to be confirmed. Competitors placed 116th to 147th completed the 5km fun run in between those places but unfortunately the exact placings cannot be confirmed. 

The malfunction prevented all the category placings from being awarded. 

The event organiser Campbelltown City Council, sincerely apologises for the inconvenience.

I guess that's that!  I'll take my Garmin time of 31:56!

Tempo Run ~~ Workout #2

This week is week 11 of 12 training for 5000m track race in Canberra, 8:00pm, Thursday 22nd.   Almost there and how quickly these 12 weeks have passed!  And all for one race, one night and one attempt at the Australian record W80, 5000m.  The remaining two sessions, after Saturday's long run, will be easy so in actual fact it's just about all over....not completely though... 'till the fat lady sings"!

I've very much enjoyed 5km training for the past 11 weeks and would like nothing more than to continue with the same program and do more short distance track events over summer;  however, travel, distance,  time and overnight accommodation from here to anywhere makes that extremely unlikely.  So, for today.....

Program :
 1.5km warm-up
5km @ ST pace (6:10m/k)
1.5km cool down.

I drove across to Chev track for this session; decided not to run on the 211m lane, and chose to keep just inside the oval fence, avoiding the wet section at the north end of the field.  The ground is quite uneven and makes running just that much more difficult...but fewer circles to run around.  Weather great, but hot and sweaty when running, especially in the last kilometre and finishing 60m ahead of VP who was running 6:12 m/k!

5k Tempo Run at Chev. track

 Drills + strides
1.5km warm-up

5km in 30:38.3  My best so far!

Splits...  6:09;     6:14;     6:11;     6:03;     5:59  

Avg Pace 6:08 m/k

AHR 80%;     MHR 87%  

1.5k cool-down + stretching. 

For today....    8km 

Cross-Training ~~~~

Walking briskly pushing a lawnmower and swinging an edge trimmer.  No, not both at the same time!

At least 1 hour.

VP Wins, I Lose Workout #1 ~~~

No surprises this morning at Chev. track for me, but VP must have known what was coming!

Program  :  10-20 min warm-up
3 x 1600m 9:23 (5:49m/k)
1 min recoveries...I needed 1 hour!
10 min cool down. 

(1)  I hadn't changed the Garmin pace from Sunday's 6:24m/k pace
(2)  Took a wild, totally mad guess that it would be 5:37m/k for each 1600m
(3)  Wrong!  Wrong, on both counts!
(4)  I was way too unrecovered for this session....so,
(5)  Not surprisingly VP was laughing all the way to the finish!

1600m repeats Chev. track

2km warm-up + 4 drills with strides
1600m (1) 9:35/5:59mk  76/82%;     (2) 10:10/6:22mk  77/81%;     10:10/6:22mk  77-80%.
1km cool-down + stretching

For today  7.8km

Fisher's Ghost 5km ~~~~~

Perfect weather, far more welcome than the usual high temperatures we have for this event; even the hordes of flies seem to have moved elsewhere.....northwards I hope!

I enjoyed a great run, ran as hard as I could on such a hilly course and finished feeling not as wasted as I've done in previous years on what I think is a very tough course.  In fact it was a PB for the 5km which I've been running there for the past three years!  Joy, Oh joy!

Having said that, I'm somewhat disappointed that I have no official time yet.  It was explained that the computer system crashed at some stage....actually it seems to have fallen apart just after the W69 age category got through!  After that....no one, which goes to show that computers are human after all and subject to the same good and bad days the rest of us have!  Hopefully, it can be fixed manually before results are published.

My plan :
VP set to keep running at 6:24 m/km
Me, to finish in 31:??

The outcome :
My Garmin time....31:56 ....no official times for 5km due to equipment breakdown, BLAH!!!
Avg. Pace...6:24 m/km

How funny is that? VP with me crossing the finish mat at the same time, together, friends for the first time after months of serious rivalry!

5km Fishers Ghost Course in University of Western Sydney.

 2.5km warm-up + usual drills & 5 short strides
Time....31:?.... Garmin time until corrected.....last year I finished in 33:33!  I must be getting faster as I grow older!  Or is my friend on Diamond Fields Road correct when he says :  I'm getting sillier the older
I get!

Splits ~~ 6:51;  5:58;  6:20;  6:39;  6:07
Avg. Pace 6:24 m/km
AHR 84%;   MHR 87%

Today 7.5km with a 5km PB!

11 days till 5000m track, Canberra.....serious days ahead for me and VP!
 

Easy Running ~~~

From the 5km program, I took the last training session from the last week before a 5km race :  Fisher's Ghost 5km on Sunday.

Program :
1.5km warm-up
5km easy
1.5km cool-down.

After the 1.5km warm-up I stopped the Garmin, BUT forgot to turn it on to start 5km!!  I'd probably run at least 2km before I realized I'd had, what genteel folk might call "a senior moment", but which I'd call a  stupid lapse of memory - turning the watch back on...clean forgotten!  I started the 5km again because I wasn't going to count guess work in the total!

Renwick streets  :

1.5km warm-up
5km in 35:56
6:48;  7:11;  7:24;  7:34;  6:58
1.5km cool-down

AHR 75%;  MHR  80%

Today's 5km

 Reminding myself of the hilly run on Sunday, I took in nearly all the hilly streets in Renwick.  Only things missing were heat and a million flies! 

For today ~~  8.00km

So that's it, from me, Oscar and Amy, till after Sunday's Fisher's Ghost 5km! 

 Edit : 40 minutes brisk walk today, Friday.

1st Workout ~~ Track

Chev. track again, round and round 211.5m!

10-20 min. warm-up
Program :  6 x 400m in 2:15 (5:37m/k)
1 min RI
10 min. cool-down.

I chose to do the program of the week leading into a race which is Fisher's Ghost, this coming Sunday 8:00am, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown.

My 211.5m track!

2km warm-up + few drills & strides

2:14 (76/85%);   2:15 (76/84%);  2:14 (75/84%);  2:14 (77/84%);  2:17 (78/85%);  2:14 (77/88%)

1 min. standing recoveries!


1km cool-down + stretches. 

Oh boy, was it hot and humid on the track this morning!  Shorts and singlet soaked!   Maybe we'll get the forecast storms later this afternoon and rain for the rest of the week.  I thought this was meant to be an easy session; instead, it was hellishly hard, probably to do with the heat and humidity.  Importantly though, I did stay ahead of VP for the session!

5.4km today.

3rd Workout ~~~ Long Run

After not having run for two days, my legs were feeling quite sprightly this morning...a welcome change!  Normally, my long run would have been yesterday, Saturday.  Instead, I worked on my vegetable patch, ripping out old spinach and planting two different varieties of tomatoes, lettuce and sweet corn.  There's still space for more but I don't know what I want yet; baby spinach is good in summer salads.  I'll have a look around tomorrow.

Today's program :  11km (6:41 m/k)...I did 12km

I ran entirely in the Renwick streets which meant running up and down, across and back every single street and hill.  Great morning to be alive, out and about! 

 A group of about six teenagers, dressed in what I'd call rags, but which were probably the height of fashion for them, were taking advantage of the long downhills on their skateboards  As I approached, they with downcast eyes and frowns,  might well have been thinking :  Here comes an old spoilsport who's going to try moving us on.

 I wasn't and I didn't!  Instead I chatted about how impressed I was with their speed compared to mine etc.  Immediately, they were all smiles, told me about the falls they'd had and all the amazing things they try with their boards.  When they were leaving they gave a big wave good-bye and called out : "Have a good day!"  Never judge a book by its cover......how true!  They were nice kids just having fun.

12km run today.

12km in 84 minutes
Avg. Pace 7:00 m/k
7:02;  7:07;  7:08;  6:48;  6:43;  6:59; 7:12;  7:16;  7:07; 7:06;  7:05;  6:51 
AHR 76%;  MHR 85%.....finally replaced a broken strap!

For this week's 3 key workouts....26.8km (excluding XT)

Next Sunday....Fisher's Ghost 5km!  

Then, at 8:00 pm Thursday, Nov. 22 in Canberra, I'm running a track 5000m, optimistically hoping for a new Australian record W80, 5000m.  Cheeky!

2nd Workout ~~ Tempo Run

I checked before leaving this morning that the Garmin was fully charged......  I hate guess work!  Chev. track for the tempo run :

Program :
1.5km warm-up
5km @ ST Pace   6:22 m/k for me.
1.5km cool-down

The grounds keeper came across the oval to measure the lane with the wheel.  I was curious to know how it compared with the Garmin......and the results were :

Wheel.....211.5m
Garmin...206m  ~~  quite a difference!  The wheel would have to be correct......interesting!

5k on 211.5m  lane!

1.5km warm-up + few drills

5km in  31:37.0  ;  Avg. Pace 6:20

Splits ~~  6:32.4;  6:17.4;  6:20.3;  6:09.4;  6:17.5

1.5km cool-down + few stretches.

I have to say that going round and round a 211.5m lane for 5km is nothing short of cruelty and enough to drive a person crazy!  I changed direction after each kilometre and  had auto lap set at 1km so I didn't have to work out distances.

I tried as best I could for even pacing, (secretly) hoping to outdo Ewen's recent incredibly even pacing in a 5km track race!  I tried but didn't even get close, even though I thought my results quite acceptable!  It was reasonably hard work I must say, with quite a bit of audible puffing in the last 2 kilometres.  I'd love to run 30 min or just under; won't happen at Fisher's Ghost...much too hilly; but Canberra track?  Wouldn't it be wonderful!  Today, I finished about 40m in front of VP!!

For today  :  8km

Cross-Training ~~~

Not much to say about today's training  :

Brisk Walk  -  40 minutes exactly.

I don't much like walking;  I get so bored!  I did get a bit of a puff up though on the way back on a couple of hilly parts. 

In the middle of tomorrow's tempo run I have 5km to run fairly fast (fast, for me!) and I don't wabt to mess that one up.  VP watch out!

I thought I was wonder woman....How slow my HM time in 2006!   2012... 2:18:?

Track ~~~ A Mess!

Full of enthusiasm, I drove across to Chev for this week's first workout; ready to warm-up, pressed the 'power on' button of the Garmin.......flat battery!  I could have sworn I recharged it yesterday after Saturday's long run.  What a mess : no GPS,  no stop watch or any kind of watch to let me know distance, pace or even time!

Program : 10-20 min warm-up
4 x 1200m in 6:57 (5:47m/k)
400m RI
10 min cool-down. 

The best I could do was assume the lane was 200m and run like mad for 6 laps to make approx. 1200m reps.   There's no doubt VP would have won each and every one today!  I did try as best I could but  I just couldn't put it all together, so it's probably a good thing I have no record of the session to haunt me further!

Between now and Fisher's Ghost 5km, 11 days, I'll concentrate mainly on the 3 key workouts, making sure I run at the paces set out in the program and just do some walking as cross-training in between.  I hope never to be so disorganized again!

Approx. 6.8km......I used the last 1200m as the cool-down!

Drills without hills...

I didn't run yesterday.  Instead I did lots of work in the garden : transplanting, spreading mulch and lopping off branches from a too large camellia ....and walking Amy and Oscar of course!

Today :

A street in Renwick, about 80m
1 set Magill drills + strides
Lunges + walking lunges
Easy run to finish......about 8 min.

All up 40 minutes.

Long Run ~~ 3rd Workout

It's the best of all possible days here in the Southern Highlands :  only 11 degrees, cool breeze, blue sky and not a cloud in sight.  If there was ever a day to run hills, this has to be it!  Sadly, I didn't make it to the top of Range Road without a break as I'd hoped to do.  Old South Road is what kills me!  It keeps going up and up, getting steeper all the way, so I ran for only 10 minutes there and just couldn't breathe and had to walk a few steps before beginning the charge uphill again!

Old South Road & left into Range Road

  After 2.5km there's a leveling out for about 200m, after which I turned left at the roundabout into Range Road and the climb began again, straight up for about another 1.5km before reaching the crest. After that it's all rolling hills that I can run without stopping .....  feeling like I'm in heaven and could run forever!  Uphill,  57 minutes out/48 minutes back, mostly downhill!

Program :  11km...I did 14km
Pace...I didn't bother about; survival was my only concern!

14km in 1 hour 45 minutes
Avg. Pace 7:30m/k

For the weeks 3 key workouts ~~~  32.8km 

On Range Road you can see forever.....
  

Somewhere in the valley is Diamond Fields Road & Sydney over the horizon!

A Day Off Running ~~~

Nevertheless, I wasn't idle!  I didn't run today for two reasons, the first being that I want to do my long run tomorrow up to the crest of Range Road which means twelve kilometres of hilly terrain and I need to be fresh for that especially when I hope to get to the top without a walk break! 

The other reason is I needed to do some more outdoor work around home, which was to cut down some heavy branches from a too large camellia tree.  Firstly though,, I climbed into a weeping cherry tree to break off masses of dead branches so as to let the light in...the tree looked very happy when I finished!  I was also happy that I didn't fall out of the tree!

With the camellia tree in mind, at about11:00am I hauled the ladder from the garage and armed with my trusty chain saw (gulp!), climbed the ladder and plunged the saw into the heart of tree until limb after limb came crashing down. Thankfully I didn't come crashing down with them!  Everything then had to be raked and tucked away till the handyman makes a trip to the tip.  A thoroughly worthwhile, outdoorsy day!

That was five hours of what I'm calling 'cross-training'!

Tomorrow looks like being a cool day, much like today, and I do so hope I can do my run without a walk break on the hills. At the top is permissible if necessary, but not on the way up!

Another look into the past ~~~

Fisher's Ghost 5km, 2010

A Tempo Whirl! ~~~

Round and round, like a horse in a mill!  I ran today's tempo run on Chev. track in a narrow lane, guessing about 40cm wide and, according to the Garmin, 194m around...calling it 200m for convenience sake, which means that for each 3.5km, I ran around 17.5 times!  It wasn't rollicking fun but neither was it as frightening as I'd anticipated!

Program :

1.5km warm-up
3.5km @ ST pace (for me 6:22m/k)
1.5km easy
3.5k (6:22m/k)
1.5km cool-down

It was a good day for such a challenging event!  Very warm but thick cloud cover and breezy.

The Hurdy-Gurdy!

A few drills 
1.5km warm-up

3.5km in 22:13.4  /  6:28.6;  6:12.6;  6:22.9;  500m 3:09.3

1.5km easy

3.5km in 22:21.3  /  6:23.8;  6:18.7;  6:21.3;  500m 3:17.5 

Usual stretches.

I was chatting to the ground keeper after I finished.  He wanted to know what on earth I was doing! Poor man must have thought I was completely unhinged!  Must admit I was feeling a little brain-sick after running around the track 57.5 times! (Hoping my Maths are correct!!).  I changed direction every 3 - 4 rounds so that I didn't become giddy and go heels over head!  The ground keeper is going to measure the lane with a wheel and let me know next week what the exact distance is; it'll be interesting to compare with the GPS.

For today :  A remarkable 11.5km!  And I'm quite tired!

I'm Calling It XT! ~~~

Cross-training it was, two hours of upper body work, hard work too!

The truth is :  I had a huge load of soil delivered to top dress a section of the front lawn where trees have been cut back and which had stopped the grass from growing over a large area.  After it had been unloaded, my job began.....shovel and rake, shovel and rake till it was all evenly spread.  That was an upper body workout if ever there was one! Tomorrow, I'll throw seed everywhere and hope that, with some TLC, it will grow into a lush, green lawn....or just lawn will do!

Today : Cross-training the upper body!
                                    
I'm trying to decide where to do tomorrow's tempo run.....on the streets or the 240m track at Chev.  The latter could drive a person crazy...10km total going round and round....I don't think I could survive that!  I'll have to think about it.

 Fisher's Ghost 10km, 2006.  Next one only 2 weeks away!

2nd Workout ~~ Track

Over to Chev. College where a narrow strip had been mowed in the centre of the oval by a kind grounds keeper.  It was just wide enough to run on and by my GPS measured 204m.

Program:
10-20 min warm-up
6 x 800m (4:43/5:53mk)
10 min cool-down.

And so I ran around and around and around and a bit more for 800m repeats!

On Track.....240m

 1.5km warm-up + 4 strides with drills

4:49;    4:41;    4:40;    4:39;   4:39;    4:41 

1km cool-down + usual stretching.

No problems except having to hurry up a few times as VP got a little too close!  Lovely warm, sunny day with a good breeze.

For today :  7.3km

  

An Easy Day ~~~

With track tomorrow, today was a very easy session......just stretching the legs!

Renwick ...80m on road.

Another trip down memory lane.....Gold Coast Half , 2009.

 Short warm-up around a couple of the streets
1 set Magill drills + strides
Cool-down jog + few stretches.

About 35 minutes total.

Weather not the best :  cold, windy and a few drops of rain.  At home now and the sun is shining brightly......good time to get Oscar and Amy out for their walk before more rain arrives.