Long, Freezing Cold Run! ~~~~~

I've never felt so cold as I was for the entire distance this morning!  If I've ever been as cold, well I simply can't remember when or where or why!  I wore a warm beanie, long sleeve top and long tights ... and never warmed up from start to finish. I was so cold!

I ran on Diamond Fields Road, usually a pretty shade lovers dirt road but today it was a bleak, sunless wind tunnel; no one silly enough to be out except cows lying contentedly in their paddocks.  Alright for the cows who were lying in the tall grass chewing and munching whatever it is they chew and munch when resting, looking warm and cosy huddled together.

D.F. Road is tough at any time, manoeuvring rocks and ditches; lots of short steep hills and long inclines, one of which is 2km from bottom to top.  In spite of the atrociously cold conditions, the turnaround point is worth getting to, not just because it means I'm soon on the way back, but because of the sheer beauty of the setting :  the Nepean River reduced to a trickle flowing over branches, rocks and the spillway where I stood in the freezing water (didn't cover my shoes) to listen to the silence, think about how good it was to be alive and well, take a few deep breaths of scented gumtrees... and some photos ... and begin the trek back in a calmer, but still cold, state of mind!

Back home : I was so cold I felt like crying!  (For Pete's sake, toughen up! This is only Week 4 of Half Marathon Training Program); turned the heater on high and just stood there hoping to thaw out; into a hot shower and stood there hoping for the same miracle; back in front of the heater wrapped in heated towel, thawing process beginning at last; dressed at speed of light into warm clothes and ready for something to eat (but first, put on CD of Simon Tedeschi playing "Gershwin and Me" at high volume!) : 2 poached eggs, straight from the nest, on 2 slices of toast, followed by a large mug of steaming milk coffee and slowly but surely the blood starts to flow and all's well and warm again! By this time, Simon Tedeschi with full orchestra has begun the last track which is "Rhapsody in Blue"  and when this wonderful music soars up to heaven, I go with it and forget all about the discomfort of a long, cold run.

Long Run :  15km
2 hours 10 minutes
Heart Rate 66%-75% of Max.
TE (Training Effect) 1.5 > Minor!!  You're joking!

15km on Diamond Fields Road. You can just see the Nepean River in bottom right corner where I took pics.

Bowral Parkrun #35 ~~~~~

I thought I might be in for a PB this morning but, instead, I was slower than last Saturday!  I felt OK, no walk breaks and even hurried back up the soggy, boggy, hill only to find I was quite a bit slower today than last week's Parkrun in Bowral.  Strange that another runner thought she would have run a PB also but, like me, was way off! 

Just Singin' and Dancin' in the Mud!!

It was the bleakest, coldest and dullest morning so far this Autumn and has remained so for the afternoon.  We had a slight change in the start/finish area due to that particular section of the grass being a mudslide.  Nevertheless, there were the usual muddy patches in the first 500m and a couple of large puddles on the cycle path.  Only 24 turned up!

Today Bowral Parkrun 5k in 36:08
7:07;  7:18;  7:25;  7:18;  7:17
TE 2.0 >  Maintaining!  (which is better than 'Minor'!!)

A Tempo Run ..... Not!

From the cycle path.

Never noticed this little bridge before .. cute!

8km Bowral Parkrun Course & New Loop!


 

I was still wary of hamstring so didn't worry about pace; some walk breaks.  Took an exit from the cycle path and made a very scenic loop that brought me to where the cycle path ends.  From there, back to Briars Inn from where I started.

8km .. just under 2 hours
TE 1.5 ...  Minor again!!  Better get my act together soon!

Track ~~~~~ Missed!

I didn't do my track session this morning because my right hamstring is still a little painful.  I don't want an injury just as I get into my half marathon training ... and my entry for Blackmores half is already in.  I'll wait till Thursday for a tempo run.

Took Amy to see the twins who are doing well, growing each day and  accept Amy as just another baby goat!

Long Run ~~~~~~ With Hills.

16km Old South & Range Roads.


 

My half marathon program said I was to take today's long run easy!  No set pace, 16km easy running and with that in mind I made the decision to make it a difficult and hilly course which could be none other than Old South and Range Roads.  I started from the school, after saying good morning to the twin baby goats, and from there straight up Old South Road for 3.5km ... one big, long steep climb which I walked.

Left at the roundabout into Range Road where the climb continues for about another 1km before settling into a succession of short and long, steep and not so steep hills! It was a tough jog/walk, but feel sure it must do some good : my hamstrings and lower back started to ache long before the turnaround at 8km and the toes in my right foot went numb!

An "English" Country Lane in the Southern Highlands.



From Range Road

Over the top of my top I wore my bright yellow fluorescent safety vest, bought especially for this road where drivers and bikers speed like idiots round the many bends and just inches off the backs of each other!  I make sure they can see me coming as well as moving as far to the side as I can without sliding into the ditches.

16km jog/walk in 2hours 25 minutes
TE 1.7 =  MINOR!!  WHAT??

Bowral Parkrun #34 ~`~~~

It was a mud bath and what better way to start the weekend!  Don't answer that!

"Mud Ahead!"

On Thursday I thought the conditions pretty average, but after 24 hours of steady rain Friday, we had a battle on our hands this morning.  Water on the cycle path wasn't too bad, but 500m of  muddy grass slope was something else, especially having to slog through it twice! Nonetheless, no one complained, no one turned back and only the front runner came a cropper, sliding through the mud over the finish line on his side just seconds ahead of the 2nd runner!

Swinging around the turnaround!

My run was average, I suppose; still way slower than my PB of 33:43.  I got there early and did almost 3km as warm-up, but had the disadvantage then by starting at 8:00am with soaked, muddy shoes and socks. 

5km in 35:46
7:10m/k
7:05;     7:03;     7:09;     7:04;     7:22

TE 3.0 ~~~~~ Improving!  Surprise, surprise...at last!

Tempo Run ~~~~~ Parkrun Course.

5km tempo run -- Bowral Parkrun Course

Today's Tempo Run:

Bowral Parkrun course :
3km easy
5km @ ST pace 7:23m/k (using 36min time for 5k)
1.5km easy.

5km in 36:36
Avg. 7:18m/k ...finished just ahead of VP!
HR 71-79%
Splits:  7:26;     7:06;     7:30;     7:05;     7:19
TE  1.5 ..... Minor again!
Total 9.5km

The cycle path is still wet and muddy in a couple of sections, as is the grass slope, which I ran uphill at the finish despite the fact that I was in the final "easy" 1.5km!

Track ~~~~ Awful Weather!

It was cold, raining lightly and the grass soggy at Chevalier College track this morning.

Program :
10-20 min warm-up ....I did 13 min + few drills & strides
6 x 800m in 5:32 ... based on a time of 36min for 5km ... will get an up to date 5k time at Parkrun on Saturday.
10min cool-down ... I did a few stretches only.

5:47;     5:49;    5:47;    5:36;      5:41;    5:25
TE 2.4 = Minor!

I ran just inside the oval fence..no lanes marked.

Miserable weather at the track today.  Glad to get home and into hot shower!

Garmin Forerunner 620 measures almost twice around for 800m.

Long Run ~~~~~

What a glorious day here .... and I suppose just about everywhere! Leah and I started from the Highlands School at 9:00am and headed for Diamond Fields Road which, as always, never disappoints.  The dirt road was in fairly good condition but care needed running over stones, rocks and ditches. We took many walk breaks but ran every hill ..... long or short; mostly they were long! I depended on Leah to take the lead when approaching a hill and, with encouragement, to keep me honest all the way to the top each time!  We ran as far as what is in fact the Nepean River where it trickles across the trail in a wondrous bush setting where the only sounds are those of the birds and the water cascading over fallen trees and the spillway.

I carried water today to see if being dehydrated has been the cause of this dreadful dry heaving I've been getting in recent months.  Pleased that I didn't have a single episode, so that might have been the problem.  I googled "dry retching/heaving" recently and most responses mention making sure of adequate hydration before and during run. I might have to take water for Parkrun's 5km because the 'retching' happens in short distances as well as the longer ones.  It's worth a try because it brings me to a heaving halt whenever it occurs.

Today :    15km in 2hours 10 minutes.  Slower pace than program which had 8:15m/k, whereas we were 9:11m/k.
5km splits :  46:29;   44:47;    46:03; 
TE "Minor" .... What?? ..... it felt 'major'!!  Does now especially, at 2:00pm ...I'm as stiff as a ramrod!

15km Diamond Fields Road ... out and back course.

Bowral Parkrun #33 ~~~~~

I was meant to run this morning but Thursday night there was  'help' call for a marshal at the turnaround so I was volunteer again this week.  Actually, I enjoyed it .... seeing  smiles etc.(!) on faces as they made the turn back home.  I took some photos and they're up on Bowral Parkrun Facebook page. 

Finishing marshal duties

 

Tempo Run ~~~~~ 9.5km

Bowral Parkrun course for today's tempo run; bitterly cold wind; took ages to thaw out! Large areas of water on two sections of the cycle path, but at least it was less windy than coming down the grass slope to start. I was way off pace -  nothing felt easy this morning - and VP finished over two minutes ahead of me.  Nevertheless, it would be difficult not to enjoy running, albeit slower than expected, on such a peaceful, scenic course.  If only my running was as pretty!

 Tempo Run:
1.5k easy
8km@ 7:20m/k
1km easy.

8km in 1 hour 1 min.
Avg. pace 7:42m/k.
HR 71-79%
TE 1.8 ~~~~ Minor!!



Tempo 8km ..... (of 10.5km)

Track at Chevalier College ~~~~~

A beast of a day!!  It was so cold and so terribly windy, I don't know why I stayed!  But stay I did and battled in deep anguish(!) all the way through to the bitter end. At home, in catatonic state of frozen, dived into a hot bath, splashed around until I felt limbs start to defrost and blood cursing through veins again.  This, immediately followed by two poached eggs on toast, a mug of coffee and I was ready to look at the damage on Garmin Connect.

Here it is:

The Session:
10-20 min warm-up .... I did 13 min + couple drills/strides
400m    2:39 ... 2:44
600m    4:00 ... 4:12
800m    5:22 ... 5:33
1200m  8:09 ... 8:27
800m    5:22 ... 5:33
600m    4:00 ... 4:20
400m    2:39 ... 2:43

400m RI  between each rep.

TE 1.3 to 1.6 = Minor!!  What??
Stretches to finish.

A worse day I don't need  ~~~~~  Biting, blustery and bleak!

Long Run ~~~~~

So cold and windy this morning! I hadn't run on Diamond Fields Road for some time because of damage by heavy rain.  It was OK this morning but needed to be careful not to trip on the stones.

At the turnaround, looking down!

At the turnaround looking up!

 It seems to be a pattern recently that I start to dry retch about half way into a run.. This morning, at around 7km it started and I was forced to take walk breaks from then to the end.  Googling talks about dehydration, so I'm going to make sure that I drink more before setting off on longer distances.

Today 12km
TE 2.3 = Maintaining

Tempo Run ~~~ On Parkrun Course

Two or three of the big puddles were still there this morning on Bowral Parkrun's course, the grass slope was boggy in the lower sections, so another splashing good session!

The largest puddle!

 A cold and strong wind blowing, otherwise a pleasant, sunny day.

3km easy
5km (7:10m/k)
1.0km easy

5km in 35:07
HR 76-82%
TE 2.0 'Maintaining'

7:0;   7:18;   6:53;   7:00;   6:55

Total : 9km

Track ~~~~~1st Day of 12 Week Half Marathon Program!

It would've been pointless driving to Chev track today; the oval would have been very soggy at best.  Instead I had the bright idea of using a quiet, level road, measuring the required distance and doing the track session there.  I drove through Renwick to Scarlet Street, parked at the side, jogged 400m, the distance I was to use, and had the road all to myself.

The Session:
10-20 min warm-up ...... I did 12 min incl. few drills and strides.
12x400m (2:39)  .... I did 8! Hope to improve!
90 sec RI .... I did walk around recoveries.

2:30;  2:35;  2:20;  2:36;  2:21;  2:36;  2:34;  2:19

For a first session, I guess this was OK;  finished at 8 repeats 'cos I was just about out of puff!  The road was good, possibly easier than the same session on the grass track.  In any case, it served its purpose better than a soggy track would have.

Bowral Parkrun #31 ~~~~~

Surprised to see the sun was shining this morning and, considering recent rainfall, the turnout was more than I expected.... 40 runners, down about half.  However, the cycle path and grassy slope were in an even worse state than when I ran there last Thursday:  the grassed areas were muddy bogs and on the cycle path the flooding was deeper and more wide spread.  Nevertheless, I didn't see even one runner slow down; all splashed on regardless!

My run was OK; not a PB and there weren't too many at all this morning ... 3PBs.

5km in 35:54 (33:43 is my PB)
Splits : 7:02;  7:04;  7:11;  6:55;  8:09

Another muddy mire!

HR 72% - 89%
TE 2.4 = Maintaining! (About time!)

Enjoyed the run  immensely despite the conditions; chatting before and after to people I didn't know before I joined .... not difficult to love Parkrun no matter the conditions!