Tempo Run ~~~~~

It was blowing a freezing wind on Bowral parkrun course this morning and, even with a thermal top and a woolly pullover, I was still cold. I ran poorly too; can't workout what's wrong lately; getting slower and slower and has nothing at all to do with age, so no one need tell me it is, thank you! This morning I had VP running a 7:00m/k and I finished way behind.  I suppose I can only keep on doing what I'm doing and hope for improvement when the weather changes.

Program:  Tempo Run
1.5km easy
7:00km @ 7:00m/k
1.5km easy.

Results:
7:00km in 56 minutes
7:23;  7:50;  8:19;  8:01;  8:14;  8:09;  7:56

I ran on the alternate Bowral parkrun course and had to splash through a large ankle deep freezing puddle and then on the return came face to face with 7 large black cows on the path.  We all pretended we couldn't see each other!

Track at Chev. College ~~~~ not a good day!

 

Struggling at Chev oval!

I don't seem to be able to do the paces for track and tempo sessions at all!  I'll have to consult my friend, Guru Ewen, and see what can be done.  I had to run just inside the outer fence of the oval where, unfortunately, it was rough paddock and a couple of muddy patches.

Program:
10-20 min warm-up ....  I did 15 min + couple strides.
2 x 1600m (11:00) based on my 35 min 5km time.
2 x 800m (5:22)  also based on latest 5km time at Bowral Parkrun
10 min cool-down ...I did just a few stretches.

2x1600m ~~~ 11:54.1;  13:17.1

2 x 800m ~~~6:16;    6:21

Once again, I wasn't able to keep paces;  this is so frustrating!  I will consult with Guru Ewen tonight!

Long Run ~~~~

Most unpleasant morning: cold, but worse than the cold was the raging wind. Diamond Fields Road again this weekend.

15km ... some walk breaks where it was just too windy to run.
TE = 2.2 Maintaining.



Diamond Fields Road

Bowral Parkrun #43 ~~~~

I loathe getting up when it's still dark but I did, reluctantly!  Not so cold this morning but the wind was something else, blowing across the open paddocks, on the left going out and then on the right coming back to the start.

Parkrun #43:

I did 20 min warm-up, few strides ... and thought this is my day for a PB;  I've done everything right this time: pasta last night; good sleep; coffee & banana, warm-up, strides etc... and I'm again disappointed!

I got so out of breath....again!  I had to stop a couple of times... again! I really don't know what's wrong with me! I'm finding it so hard!  I'm very cross with myself and disappointed with my run this morning.

5km on alternate course

5:0km in 35:27

7:02;  7:07;  7:12;  7:04;  6:57

TE 2.1 ... Maintaining!  The only good news!  That, and 35 minutes today is better than 37 minutes last Saturday but still 2 minutes  slower than my PB 33:43.

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Bowral parkrun alternate course.

Tempo Run
1.5km easy
3.0km @ MT pace (7:20m/k)
1.5km easy
3.0km @ MT pace
1.5km easy

3:0km in 21:07 (7:08;   7:10;   6:48) TE 1.5 = Minor
3:0km in 20:53 (7:06;   6:56;   6:50) TE 1.7 = Minor ...again!

No one out on the course this morning at all while I was there.  Started at our parkrun alternate course at Cecil Hoskins Reserve and was able to run out as far as the large puddle on the stretch leading to the old turnaround point.  Waved to the boggy hill each time I passed!  Did better today than last Thursday.

Track on Road ~~~~~

All grass areas seem to under water locally.  Chev, track for sure would have been so I didn't go there.  Instead I used a section of quiet road just past Renwick and only about 5 minutes from home.  I've used this before and measured out 400m.

The program was :
10-20 min warm-up ..... I did 25 'cos I was felling lethargic!
2 Sets (6x400m) in 2:39 based on 35 min 5km recent time.

Scarlett Street

I DID ONE SET ONLY! That was sufficient for me; too hard!!

6 x 400m :  2:16;    2:22;    2:11;    2:11;    2:10;    2:10

Short walk cool down.

Beautiful day here in Mittagong :  plenty of sunshine, no wind, no snow and no rain!  Who could ask for anything more?

Long Run ~~~~~ and Podcast!

I had Leah for company this morning which was a good thing for both of us since we'd planned a longer run than what we've been doing up till now on Sundays.  Started at the Highlands School where I arrived early to let the chooks and goats out first!

Diamond Fields Road gave us a perfectly beautiful stretch of quiet country road.  To get the extra distance in we took a couple of side roads: Buckmans Lane and another leading to the Diamond Creek Estate winery. Lots of hills, muddy in parts from melting snow but always a lovely, quiet and scenic run.

The morning was just right too: light, misty rain kept us cool, keen ... and enthusiastic!

Long Run today : 17km .... didn't bother about pace or time; aim was to increase distance now, leading up to ACTVAC Half Marathon in August and then..... Blackmores Half Marathon as part of the Sydney Running Festival in September.

A week or so back, I was contacted by 2 runners from Sean Williams' group (Dean Degan and Andy Reid) to do a podcast for radio called "Run With Sole ... Everyday Hero."  I was tickled pink to be asked especially after hearing the title of the program!  I was also surprised and a little amused, but still secretly pleased, that anyone would be interested in what running I do at age 85!  I did the podcast this afternoon. 
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Frunwithsole.libsyn.com%2Fpodcast&h=QAQECuNfw


Seems like some good listening to be had from these people ...

https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/runwithsoles-podcast/id989654399

Bowral Parkrun #42 ~~~~~

Martin Dent from Canberra ran our original course this morning in 15:19; through large, deep, icy puddles on the cycle path and the hill a quagmire from start to finish!  I wonder what he thought of the course!! 

For me, this morning was a waste of time and energy; mud and icy water flowing after the snow and splashed knee high was just too damned cold and has taken me 2 hours so far trying to get warm.  Why we didn't use the alternate course this morning of all mornings, I don't know.  Too much for me anyhow and I don't think anyone (of 22 runners!) would have enjoyed it much if at all.

5km in 37:35
TE 2.0 ~~  Maintaining!

Tempo Run ~~~ Bowral Parkrun cycle path ~~~~~

Cold, windy and bleak describes what it was like this morning on Parkrun cycle path. Nevertheless, I write a report on the course for the coming weekend at parkrun so that everyone knows where to go on Saturday: the initial course or the alternate course depending on the water and mud present!

Tempo Run:
1.5km easy
8.0km @ MT pace (7:20m/k at the moment based on 35min 5km time)
1.5km easy.

Out and Back Course

8km in exactly 1 hour!
HR 71-77% of max.
7:30;  7:21,  7:22;  7:48;  7:41;  7:33;  7:33;  7:44
TE 1.8 =  MINOR!!

Total 11km.

Track at Chev.~~~~~

The oval was wet and muddy near the fence area, so once again I had to make do with running where the soccer field markings were, but even there it was slippery mud on one of the longer sides.  Once again, it was not the session it should have been and I cut it short rather than push on and get even slower and muddier than I already was to start with.

10-20 min warm-up ... I did 10 min + few strides/drills
6 X 800m in 5:22 (6:42m/k) ..  I did 4

5:35;    5:34;    5:30;    5:44

Few stretches to finish ..... with mud caked almost knee high on both legs!

Long Run ~~~Didn't Happen!

Too Darned Cold!  2 degrees at 10:00am, cold winds blowing .... Run?  Not Today!

Bowral Parkrun # 41 ~~~~~

Let's talk about a frustrating week!

 

Second thoughts : let's NOT talk about frustration!

The week ended, except for tomorrow's longer run which will surely be a disaster like all other sessions this week, with the worst Parkrun time EVER, and that's all I'm going to say about it!

37:31 ... Incredible!!

Tempo Run ~~~~

Not good again today!  Not a good week so far really.  I was slower than my program's pace of  a 7:00m/k for 3km and if I can't do that for 21.1 km in Blackmores Half Marathon in September, I'm going to be pulled off the course.  This is becoming a worry!

Tempo Run:
1.5km easy
3.0km @ 7:00m/k
1.5km easy
3:0km @ pace
1.5km easy.

By mistake, I ran 3.5km each time instead of 3km, but the times below are for 3km:

22:32;     22:39

I used Bowral Parkrun course again plus another loop, and the last 1.5km included jogging up the grassy hill.  Happy to hear we are returning to our initial course this Saturday, with only one puddle to manoeuvre. 

Track Abandonned!

No idea why!  Track was dry but I just couldn't breathe! I thought the session would be OK when I finished the warm-up but it was so bleak and cold I couldn't get moving at all.  Hoping it's just the cold day responsible. I did 1x1200m instead of 2; then I should have done 4x800m but after 1x800m I was gasping for breath, stopping and starting and gave up!

I know how it feels!

Now that I'm nice and warm at home, after a hot shower, the heating on and brunch with 2 poached eggs on toast, I feel good and wonder if I should have pushed on?  At the time though, I couldn't!  Hopefully, I'll do better with Thursday's tempo run.

Longer Run ~~~~~

For today :  10km on Diamond Fields Road.  Intended to do 14km but felt tired and turned back after 5k.

Bowral Parkrun #40 ~~~~~

Alternate 5km Course

 

It's not just me! Everyone was doing everything and anything to get warm this morning while waiting for our run to start and the heavy frost did nothing to help either.  I tried warming up for about 1km but it was just plain, mean cold and left me gasping for breath.

5km in 34:32
HR 79%-89%
TE 2.2 Maintaining!
6:51; 7:01;  7:11;  7:02;  6:21

Looking forward to getting back to our initial course; doubling back half way today, I didn't much like; prefer the old course even with its hilly finish!

Not a PB today, but getting closer (to 33:34) and a better time today than in some recent Parkruns.

Tempo Run on Bowral Parkrun Course ~~~~~

I nearly froze to death! Thermal top, beanie, gloves, woolly jacket, long tights did little to keep out the bitterly cold wind this morning ... and that was at 10:00am!  I wanted to check out the initial Bowral Parkrun course to see if it would be fit to run this Saturday, but the grassy hill was still muddy in patches and what I'd call a small lake was blocking the cycle path.  Undaunted, (or demented), I tried to warm-up (1.5km) from Briars to the start of the cycle path under the Moss Vale Bridge; run cycle path from start to finish and splash through "lake"; detour at end of path up Sullivan Street; back on path, splash through "lake" again, back to start of cycle path; cool-down (1.5km) back to Briars Inn.

It was a bitterly cold, windy morning ... almost blew me off course in places!

10 of 13km

Freezing water in this 'lake' came up over the top of my shoes!

Tempo Run
1.5k warm-up
10km @ 7:40m/k ...based on 36min 5km
1.5km cool-down.

10km in 1 hr 18 min.
Avg. pace 7:57m/k
HR 71-79% of Max.
TE 2.1 'Maintaining' ....Just!!

Total :13km

Knowing how cold and windy it was going to be, I had a choice of cutting the distance short and running faster (hmmm!) OR doing the distance and running at a slower pace.  It's obvious I chose the latter!