CT ~~~~~

Lovely, sunny day and I feel like I should be running!  However, the program says cross training and cross training it is :

Stationary Cycling: (from F.I.R.S.T. Training)
10 min easy
2 x (1 min hard, 3 min easy)
5 min easy.

Strength Exercises (from F.I.R.S.T. Training)

Track ~~~~~~

Late start.....again!  Actually, later than late :  11:00am! At Chev College.

2km warm-up
4 strides with drills

400m/2:55;  600m/4:25;  800m/5:43;   1200m/8:48;   800m/5:42;   600m/4:21;   400m/2:45

1km cool-down
Stretches.

Very pleasant morning, breeze and sun.  No lane to run on today! Used the rectangular markings of the football field.  Elsewhere the grass was too wet.  Had VP running, but I finished all reps ahead of him!!

Today :  7.8km

Cross Trainng ~~~~~

Yesterday :  strength exercises and walk dogs.

TODAY :  CT :  Stationary cycling

10 min easy
10 min tempo
2 min easy
3 min Hard
5 min easy.

....and took Amy and Oscar for a walk in the goat and cow paddocks.  Funny thing about Amy ...she's frightened of all dogs no matter how small, but with the goats she has no fear; wanders around in their paddock and even gets up close and personal!  They don't seem to mind her either; just give her a sniff and walk away!

Funny little thing!

Range Road ~~~ Long Run!

Well, if ever there's a test of fitness, or un in my case, it's doing a long run on Old South Road and Range Road!  F.I.R.S.T. programs put a lot of emphasis in running the 3 Key Workouts according to definite paces, each based on a recent 5km time.  At present, I'm using 40 minutes for 5km which meant the long run is done at 9:28m/k!!  Easy...until you try it going up steep hills all the way!

I haven't been on Old South or Range Roads in ages, but this morning I thought I was fit enough to scale the heights with ease!  WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! I walked most of the way until past the 4km mark, by which time I was right outside the new Abbey Nursing Home which, considering my condition at this stage, seemed an apt place to call into!  It hasn't been opened yet but at the front entrance the huge glass doors slid open and, before I knew it, I had stepped inside.

 It felt like I'd walked straight into heaven! "I'm in heaven!" I said in a faint whisper.  No one in sight as I crept over the plush carpet, past the state-of the-art Reception Area, along a brightly painted corridor, windows decorated with beautiful curtains, walls hung with large paintings; lounge rooms to lounge in, in super-large comfortable chairs, a modern library room.....no wonder I thought I was in heaven!  Closed doors along the corridors were just another temptation to peek inside...and I did.  Large, bright rooms as yet unfurnished, built-ins and best of all....a large bathroom and large, roomy shower. Ewen would have no reason to complain about this!  Views were onto either pretty water-fountain courtyards or overlooking the countryside.  Had there been a bed in any room, I think I would have stayed.....for the rest of the day at least!

Creeping out as stealthily as I'd entered, I met a work person putting some final touches before next month's opening.  No surprise at seeing me; chatted for a while before I was out the sliding glass doors, under the huge portico and on my way back to reality with another 2.5km uphill before turning around at Nanna's Lane.  Very pleased I made the detour (on left of map) and happy for those who will soon be transferred from the dreary old building to these bright new surroundings.

On the return down-hill section, I stopped to chat with a cyclist pushing his bike up Old South Road, too steep to ride.  He said I should try running up it, as I skidded to a halt beside him...the nerve!  I stuck out my chest and said disdainfully, "I've already done that this morning!" to which  he seemed suitably impressed! He'd cycled in From Robertson...about 60km all together.

Back at the school, I flaked out on the grass;  my quads and hip joints were screeeeeeming!  By tonight and tomorrow, I expect they will be screaming even more loudly.  Anyhow, the run was done one way or another, mostly 'another', and I was so pleased to be back in what I believe to be one of the most beautiful parts of my local area.  Unlike the new nursing home, it really is heaven!

13 Hilly Kilometres with a look in The Abbey.

: 13km
Stretches (from F.I.R.S.T. Training) at finish.
Avg. Pace 10:28m/k!!
Avg. Heart Rate 118/75% 
5km splits : 57:59;   46:45 ( 31:17 3km)

Going Up!

Top of first hill her

Heavenly Changing Autumn Colours!

At the "Abbey"

Around the Abbey

Across the Fields on Range Road

Turn Back!

Down hill at last!

Going Down!

 
For this week, counting only the 3 Key Workouts : 27.6km

The Day 'OFF' ~~~~~

That's what my half marathon program says : Friday, "Off".  Nevertheless, I did a brisk 4km walk on a surprisingly cold morning.  Also went through one set of the recommended strength exercises in the F.I.R.S.T. "Run Less Run Faster" book, revised edition.

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Another very warm day...warmer still by the time I got out at 10:30am...nice breeze.  Don't know why I keep thinking today is a Sunday?!

Tempo Run : 10km
3.5k easy
5km (based on 40min 5km..8:10m/k)
1.5km easy.

From school, Renwick and back.

5 of 10km

  5km in 38:31
7:26;  7:49;  7:49;  7:48;  7:31  (finished ahead of VP!)
F.I.R.S.T. stretches 

Today : 10km

CT and Odd Jobs ~~~~~

Cross Training : Taken from F.I.R.S.T. Training Programs

Stationary Cycling :
10 min easy
3 x (2 min hard, 2 min easy)
10 min easy.

Odd Jobs :
Mowed the front lawns
Spead wood shavings over the floor of the goats' house
Fed goats, cows and calf
Baked batch oatmeal and Raisin Cookies
Walked Amy and Oscar

Showered and sat down for the first time today now at 4:00pm to enjoy cookie and chocolate milk!! 

Tomorrow....tempo run.

    

Back to Track ~~~~

At Chevalier College, Bowral, the only mowed sections were the markings for the soccer field, so I did  the warm-up on the rectangle as the rest of the oval was damp and the grass long.  Almost finished the warm-up when the groundsman arrived on his mower and offered to clear a track for me to use.....I accepted gladly and he mowed a perfect 400m track!  So good of him!

Program for Today :
10-20 min warm-up
4x400m in 3:03 (for now based on F.I.R.S.T. 40 min 5km time) 
10 min cool-down

Having returned to a slower 5km time for now, these repeats were not too difficult, but after a week or more off with shingles, 4 repeats were quite enough!

My 400m track.

2km warm-up + 4 strides with drills

2:36;  2:39;  2:36;  2:31......90 sec RI between each.

1km cool-down + stretches  

For Today : 4.6km 

 

After Easter ~~~~~

~~~~and after shingles!  Back to where I left off on my half marathon program, which seems to be nothing much more than start, stop, start, stop, start!




Today,  Cross Training  : Plus   11 "Key Strength Running Exercises", F.I.R.S.T. Half Marathon Program..




30 min Stationary Cycling :
10 min easy
10 min tempo
10 min easy.

"The Goat House"....Finished!

This morning I helped Steve (teacher at school) finish the goat house by drilling in the last few bolts!

Here it is : 

Awaiting new residents...."The Goat House"...completed 15th April, 2014!

Shingles!

Yes, Shingles!!  Awful thing and very painful! 


Nearly 14 years ago I had the first real attack of shingles and ever since, every now and again, it flares up most horribly!  The past 2 weeks has been one of those times and probably one of the worst recurrences....stabbing, burning pain in my right upper arm, armpit and shoulder blade.  At night it has been intolerable and the only relief has been from holding ice cubes against the skin to reduce the blood flow and consequently the pain.


This morning I sought advice from the pharmacist and now have an ointment which should give some relief.  It's called Xylocaine and I've used it years ago, but didn't know it could now be bought without a prescription.  Hopefully, tonight will be better than last night when I sat in bed, holding ice cubes to the area till around 2:00a.m.!


I can't run until this episode clears.  'Someone' is against me lately!

I did find time, in spite of shingles, to help with stage 2 of The Goat Shed!

Apprentice builder on The Goat Shed!

The Rain Stopped ~~~~~

.....just long enough for me to walk to and back from the school this morning.  Now, at mid-day, the skies are darkening and raining very soon.  Went into the classrooms to wish all a happy Easter and then the same for the goats and cows!

 

A shelter is being built for the goats and the kids that will be born mid-winter and I'm helping by encouragement and holding posts steady and tramping in surrounding earth!  Next time, I'll take a photo of the 4 posts that now stand as testament to my efforts and then the various stages of construction! 

Today :  4km

 The start of The Goat Shed!

This is 'Mara' and that's the sound she makes!

That's 'Daisy-May with her calf 'Missy, almost as big as her mum!

"Anyone Home?"

Peek-a-boo!

I call her "Old Sheep"

Time Trial....Supposedly!

The less said the better! 


I was carrying bag of potatoes on my back......no, for sure.


I was raining, but that's no excuse.


I did too many drills yesterday.....I don't think so.


I had too large a Thai meal last night.....I'm sure so!


..I walked half the distance and that's all I'm saying!


The program was;
2km warm-up
5km...@ 7:23m/k
1km cool-down.

For today:  8km...jog/walk

5k of 8km

Not Just Easy ~~~~~

~~~~~  very easy!   Has to be extra easy if I'm to do any good at all in between two hard days :  yesterday, track; tomorrow, tempo run.


This morning at the school soccer field I did a short warm-up followed by 1 set of Magill drills with a stride between each drill, over a distance not quite 100m; short jog cool-down followed by a visit to the cows and goats!  I sat for a while and watched the calf hungrily taking in a flat white happily provided by her mother, Daisy-May!






 It's good to sit sometimes and do nothing, absolutely nothing.




In all :  3km

Track at Chev College

An overcast and humid morning.  The grounds at Chev muddy from soccer matches.  Ran on the least muddy section..i.e. where markings were for the outside of the soccer field...a rectangle!

The Program was :
10-20 min warm-up
400m (2:44);  600m (4:08); 800m (5:32); 1200m (8:23); 800m;  600m;  400m...times based on 36min 5km F.I.R.S.T. training.
10 min cool-down.

With increasing difficulty, I ran following times:
2:44; 4:04;  5:28;  8:19;  5:34;  4:06;  2:38  (1.5k warm-up + strides; 1km cool-down)

First running in a week, so no wonder I felt like I was about to collapse!

I can't transfer my map from Garmin Connect to Google Earth...something has gone wrong and I can't fix it!

For today : 8.3km

Feelin' Better!

Should be good to trot by tomorrow.  This reaction to flu shot has been very unexpected and annoying!

Feelin' Fluey!

Earlier this week I had the flu shot...like I always do around this time of year but for the first time I've had some side effects : headache, sore throat, tired etc. and sleeping like a log!  As a result, I didn't get to do the usual tempo run on Thursday or today's longer run. 

Will write the week off and start again on Monday.

Half Marathon Training Begins ~~~~~

   Sixteen weeks to Southern Highlands Challenge where I've entered the half marathon on August 31st.

Not having run for the past 2 days might have something to do with finding today's track session tough...very tough!

The program for today:

10-20 min warm-up....I did 1.5k + strides
12x400m in 2:44......based on F.I.R.S.T. 5km time of 36min.
90 sec. Recoveries
10 min cool-down....did 1k, exhausted!!

The oval had been marked out for soccer and I couldn't find MY little track!  Instead, I ran along the rectangle mowed low for soccer, while the rest of the oval was wet with some long, sticky grass.

2:47;  2:45;  2:39;  2:42;  2:43;  2:43;  2:44;  2:46;  2:44;  2:47;  2:48;  2:48....slower and slower!

I can't easily recall a training session like this one.....completely done in!

For today:  7.3km