Friday, August 31, 2012

Short and Snappy Session ~~~

I've made a late decision to run the 5km event at "Westies Joggers", on Sunday.  I usually do their half marathon, but right now I'm not in a half marathon frame of mind!

 I thought I'd better to do something to get myself in a 5km frame of mind, and so I went to the final week (Week 12) of the 5km program that I intend to start next week at Week 1 and did the Week 12 track session this morning.

400m street/track

I did a few drills and 1 km warm-up (incl. getting 400m 'track'.)
6 x 400m (2:17)
1 min RI
1km cool-down and stretching.

2:19.2;   2:16.6;   2:14.6;   2:14.6;   2:11.9;   2:07.6

The 1 minutes recoveries were new and kept me in 'puff mode' for the entire session.  Day off tomorrow, early rise Sunday.  Should be a fun day!

4.4km today




 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Easy 10km Running

Not a nice day outdoors :  very windy, but always mindful that good health and life can be often so suddenly taken away, I should be saying : today is a like every other day that I'm able to get out and run...it's  a very good day!

10km 
 For a change of scenery and some shelter from the wind, I ran along Diamond Fields Road which is in need of resurfacing; right now it's a mass of stones, rocks and ditches....everything that's needed for a bad face-plant!  I stopped at around 3km for about twenty minutes to call in on friends just returned from the London Olympics and then on my way again to 5km and a turnaround.

The run was OK but I didn't need to go any longer  -  my calves are quite stiff from yesterday's hills!

A couple of drills as usual before starting
Easy 10km in 74 minutes...stopping again for a couple of photos
Stretches after.


Inquisitive Locals!

Anyone home at the wombat hole?
  • 10km today.




Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Another Easy Day.....Long Hills & Easy Run

Not as nice a day as yesterday : cloud cover most of the time with just a few peeks at the sun, but all good just the same.

Today I decided on doing some long hill repetitions as outlined by Pete Magill in his article on hill running.  He suggests timing the first rep and then that becomes the finish line for all following repeats; no need to time any but the first.  This is what I did :

The Hill...30 sec to the top.
10 min warm-up
8 x 30 sec repeats
Jog down, walk around for a minute or two
And up I go again...8 times!

Followed by:
5km easy running
36:39
7:34;  7:23;  7:28;  7:15;  6:57
Plus 700m back to the car!

The Easy 5km.


Total:  5.7km today.

I'm enjoying this easy week and doing whatever I want before the hard yards to come when I start the 5km training program next week!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Spring Is In The Air!

...and all around the house.

 Very much like summer today!.....And so it was time to put on the runners and get started after a lazy, do-as-I-please week.  For the remainder of this week though I'll just do drills, hills - short and long - to wake up the body, followed by some easy running and then start the 5km program from F.I.R.S.T. aiming for Fishers Ghost 5km in early November.  That's the plan for now.

Today  :  Renwick street, 80m
1 set Magill drills & Strides
5km easy in 36:22
7:28;  7:20;  7:00;  7:14;  7:18
Avg. pace 7:16m/k......I said 'easy'!
Plus 500m return to the car.


Easy 5km


I'm so pleased I took those first easy steps this morning after a week without any runs, although I did walk (the doggies) each day, but there's nothing quite like putting on the runners and running!  Beautifully warm, sunny day and a slight breeze to make it just about perfect!

5.5km today

 

Monday, August 20, 2012

ACTVAC Half Marathon ~ The Story!

  Maybe 'virtual reality'. True 'Reality' was difficult for the first 5km running beside LBG which, like the rest of early morning Canberra, was completey enveloped by a heavy fog.  I've never run in such a fog and the front runners were out of sight almost immediately. Different, and one step further to the right disaster waited!  I could have made headlines in the news :  "Elderly female runner disapppears in heavy fog - last seen falling into LBG!"

The Lake is on my right....somewhere!
The start was from Stage 88, Commonwealth Park, 8:00am.  I drove to Canberra late Saturday afternoon and stayed at the Mercure...as close to the start/finish as I could get. 

Breakfast at 6:00am....2 baked potatoes and 1 hard boiled egg!  This works like magic and I've found it to be a super energy meal before a long run, usually hot, but pre-cooked at home this time and had to be eaten cold as there were no facilities in the room for heating food.


Even having 'Tom Tom' in the car, before I threw him to the floor cursing and swearing in frustration, I managed to use up some of my warm-up time going round in circles on the way to Stage 88!  Plenty of time, however, for registering, some easy running, a few drills and strides and a small sports drink.

I really love this course : first 5km in the fog was fun; through the cool, shady pine forests, beautiful scenery all the way and I felt terrific, mostly running as I felt, but with half an eye on the Garmin to make sure I kept the pace I wanted in order to finish with a nudge at my 2010 record time of 2:17:12 and 2011 time of 2:20:27.

Finishing!

 At 10km I started to eat pieces of an energy bar, thereby committing the gravest of all sins : eating something that had not been previously tried in training....and I paid for it...big time!  Nausea followed by vomiting for all of the next 3km!  I thought the energy bar would be good because it had "used by Cadel Evans" printed on it!  As an old bushie living here said to me one day when he came across me running in atrocious windy conditions :  "...the older you're getting, the sillier you're getting!"  Truer words were never spoken!

I repeated this throwing-up performance for the benefit of runners who passed me, on and off for the next 3km.  Each one stopped to see if they could be of assistance and told me to walk, not run.  Strangely though, after each bout of vomiting I was able to get back into top gear and proceeded to thunder past the very runners who had passed me!  It was embarrassing really to keep passing them, as I thought they'd think I was playing some psychological game aimed at destroying their morale!  Sick one minute,  pale and wan on the side of the road and the next minute to go flying past, repeated over and over!

With the seventy-fivers!


I wasn't at my best from 10km to the finish but just the same I ran and ran all round the dam, uphill, through the pine trees and downhill as fast as I could go to finish very close to my 2010 time.  Here are the details......

Time :  2:18:42 (Garmin)

...2010 ~ 2:17.25;    2011 ~ 2:20.27
 and Canberra HM in May 2012  ~  2:24:48

5km splits....32:48/6:34m/k;     32:39/6:32m/k;    33:48/6:46m/k;     33:59/6:48m/k.....pretty even!
Avg. Pace 6:40m/k.

Truthfully and secretly, I thought I was brilliant!

~       ~      ~     ~      ~      ~      ~      ~

Drove home after presentations and meeting up with Ewen, Ruth and others.  Stopped at McD in Exeter for a cheese burger and fries....I was travelling on empty and fully recovered!

And now....what's ahead?  Well, after some thought I know I need a change from half marathon training : 18 weeks lead up to HM in May and another 18 weeks same program for Sunday's HM.

So....I've decided to try the FIRST 5km training program for the next 12 weeks with the thought in mind of maybe doing a 5km track race when the ACTVAC track season gets under way.  This should be fun doing something not tried before and I'm already eager to start the program next week.  In the meantime....some walking and reading to catch up on.

With 85 year old Rad.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Special Event : ACTVAC Half Marathon.....

The Course.....

The Runner!  ........

The Age Category Winners.....80 with the 75s!















.......here we are again, happy as can be ('cos I ran the fastest time!)

Best Performance on the Day Male and Female A/G%...with Perpetual Trophies...3 consc.yrs. for me!

Finally....the happy couple!


The Story  :  Tomorrow!  Tonight, I'm too tired!  and happy!  and relieved;  and wondering what to do next....?

Thursday, August 16, 2012

18 Weeks Finished!

Eighteen weeks gone, just like that!  Time was, the weeks dragged but not any more, and so the last run today before the ACTVAC half marathon on Sunday.  This half marathon is special for several reasons, not the least of which is that it gave me an age category (W80+) Australian Record and here goes another attempt at getting near the 2:17:12 in 2010.

Program:
5km easy & relaxed.

Relaxed 5km


 1 set Magill drills/strides (before run)
5km in 36:16
7:10;  7:17;  7:03;  7:11;  7:32
Stretches (after run)

Clear skies, warm sun, no wind......just right!  Soon, i.e. after Sunday, I'll have to work out where I go from here.....what to do next?  Heaven knows!  It's about moving on, keeping going and change.

 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Almost There.....

After today's track session, there's only an easy 5km to do before Sunday's half marathon in Canberra, but I'll probably do some drills tomorrow to keep the legs alert and a brisk walk another day. Being tired is the thing to avoid this week.

Program  :

10-20 min warm-up
6 x 400m in 2:17/5:42m/k
10 min cool-down.

Street/track...400m


2km warm-up incl. measuring 'track'  +  4 strides
2:14.5/5:36;     2:11.4/5:28;     2:09.7/5:24;     2:11.9/5:30;     2:08.0/5:20;     2:06.6/5:16
1km cool-down + stretches.

No problems with today's track; strange sort of morning :  quite warm but heavy clouds; heralding a storm, I wonder? 

5.4km today. 

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Dead Beat!

.....powerless, weaponless, defenceless and every other 'less' against today's wild wind!  I was shattered and exhausted long before I finished what is my last long run before next Sunday's ACTVAC half marathon.  To put it mildly, it would have to be one of the worst and wildest days I can recall.

13km @ 6:49 m/k

Needless to say, I didn't bother looking at the pace....too busy trying to stop myself spinning like a top as the wind whirled in every direction around me.  On a couple of sections the wind was behind me and at such speed, I felt I was on a launch pad and on my way to Mars!  On all other roads when I wasn't 'heading for Mars', I was completely rudderless!

13 windy kilometres.



13km in 1:37:40
37:10;     37:35;     3km in 22:56


 A couple of drills before and a few stretches after, at the school...... in a sunny, sheltered spot!


ACTVAC 21.1km Course, 2011
 This is the course I hope to run again next Sunday......but, dear God, do let it be a nice, calm morning!

3 key workouts 31km.

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Windy and Cold Tempo Run.....

Try as I might, there was no escaping this morning's cold wind, although I did manage to run the middle part of the run outside of Renwick streets where there was some protection, be it ever so little.

Program : Tempo Run
3.5km easy
5km @ ST pace (6:16m/k)
1.5km easy.

Before starting, as usual I did a few drills.
   
3.5km easy...out of Renwick

5km in 31:30.6.......thought this a good 5km time!

6:27.9;     6:25.6;     6:17.1;     6:27.0;     5:53.0.......under 6:0 m/k!  

For me, to run the last 1km under 6 min is very unusual! In fact, unheard of! I was very pleased with this 5km in spite of the cold wind and a few steep inclines along the way.

5km tempo run

 Total 10km.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

When the Lights Go on Again.....

A popular song during WW2 was Vera Lynn singing "When the Lights Go On Again".  To be able to remember it and still know all the lyrics, a person has to be my age, a little younger or a lot older!

I was reminded of the title when I woke this morning and the little dull light came on in my head to startle me with the realization that the ACTVAC half marathon was just two weeks away and not three as I'd thought!  Now, I'll have to skip a week's training in my program so that I have only one more long(ish) run to do this coming Saturday.....frustrating to make such a miscalculation but at least the light did come on in time!

Program  :  10-20 min warm-up
 5 x 1km (5:49)
 400m RI
10 min cool-down.


I didn't have the car today......it's in need of an overhaul...like its owner!

1.5km brisk walk to Renwick + measure 'track'...approx 310m around 2 blocks.
 4 strides along 1 side of the square.
5 x 1km =  5:50.7;   5:48.9;   5:46.9;   5:49.4;   5:44.3
RI walk back around the track.
Stretches + 1.5km walk home. 



Street/Track
 
It was just a perfect day : no cloud in the skies, no wind on the ground and a sun full of warmth!

Today....8km


Saturday, August 04, 2012

Talk About Windy!

It was horrible running today!   The wind was fierce no matter where or in what direction I ran.   Never so pleased as to finish!

Program : 16km @ 6:48m/km

A windy 16km


16km in 1:52.11
36:33/7:19;    34:36/6:55;     34:21/6:52;   1km in 6:40

Today's 16km felt much harder than last Saturday's 24km. None of it was easy with the last 500m uphill and into the full force of the nasty wind and complaining loudly :  "I really don't want to do this!"   I had a bagel with peanut butter about an hour before leaving so I thought I was off to a good start, but the fierce wind had me tired in no time and I couldn't wait to get home and into a hot shower and then some hot soup for lunch.  I'll try and trick Amy and Oscar into not going for their walk this afternoon;  I don't think I could face any more outdoors today.  Sufficient for the day.......

Only 1 more long run before the ACTVAC half marathon!

36.5km for 3 key workouts.

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Tempo Run.....

Except for the cold wind, a really nice sunny day here.

My program....  Tempo Run  11.5km

1.5km easy
3.5km @ MT pace (6:25m/k)
1.5km easy
3.5km @ MT pace
1.5km easy.

I ran what I felt was quite hard for both 3.5kms and finished ahead of Virtual Partner...not just once but twice! Hee-hee!  Started with a few drills.

3.5km in 22:31
6:17;  6:19;  6:42  + 0.53 in 3:11

2 x 3.5km
3.5km in 22:08
6:15;  6:29;  6:18  + 0.53 in 3:14 

Finished with a few stretches in a sheltered, sunny spot.

11.5km total