Southern Highlands Challenge, 2015.

6km

6km event started at 11:00am this year; last year it was 8:00am.... so there was time for a nice sleep-in before Leah picked me up for the hour drive to Wingello State Forest where we followed directions to a far off fire trail for parking.  A real god-send this year was a shuttle bus to the start which was several kilometres away!  A much bigger event this year; seemed to be endless fire trails filled with cars and hundreds of people milling around the stalls, BBQ, donkey rides...tempted!; animal farm and lots more.
I haven't seen such superb organization of cars, people, runners of all different distances from ultra down to 4km, SES and volunteer fire fighters at every one of the hundreds of crossings through the forest and they were there from dawn and, I guess, to almost dark! 


Trails were in excellent condition especially after the recent heavy rain throughout the Highlands. Weather, the best.  The hills, and there were plenty of them, I walked!  Chatted with some Bowral parkrun runners and had a good run through some really spectacular forest scenery.


6km in 43:39
Avg. Pace 7:36m/k
Splits:   7:55;   7:47;   7:50;   7:15;   7:31;   5:18!!!  downhill!


..... and best of all results :  TE 4.3   Highly Improving!

Just Strides ~~~~~

Today:
10 minutes easy jog
5 x 100m on incline
10 minutes easy jog.

In an effort to awaken my dead legs, I drove through Renwick, parked the car and jogged to the same incline I used last time I did this session.  I hope that helps for tomorrow's park run and then the Southern Highlands Challenge on Sunday where I'm doing just the 6km fire trail run.

Parkrun Course under flood!

A Decision Made ~~~~

.... and it is that last Sunday's ATVAC Half Marathon is the last of any long distances for me!  I didn't pull up as I'd expected and, in fact, I was quite surprised at just how unwell it left me feeling for most of this week : constant headache and nausea for 48 hours at least.  In the past a half marathon left no ill effects at all and I was always ready to resume running immediately.  Not this time!  And so, after some serious talking to myself and a good friend, I've decided to concentrate on 5km distance in the future. I've also changed from running the Half Marathon in September's Sydney Running Festival to the 9km Bridge Run.  I think I will enjoy that and, when all's set and done, enjoyment is and should be what it's all about.


This morning I went across to our Bowral Parkrun course and found it and the surrounding countryside almost entirely flooded from the Wingecarribee River overflow.  The grassy hill also was the worst it's been, soggy even in the upper sections and flooded in the lower.

Bowral Parkrun Course, 27/8/15

40 minutes easy run.... where it was dry!
My legs still feel like wooden planks; hoping a few strides tomorrow will bring some life back.

ACTVAC Half Marathon ~~~~~ 23/8/15

A Flying Finish!

The Start

Lake Ginninderra

On the way...

Three times around Lake Ginninderra ... and glad there wasn't a 4th!




In the lead up to Blackmores Half Marathon on September 20, the aim yesterday in the ACTVAC Half Marathon was to finish under 2 hours 45 min and to get an idea of how much work I needed to do in the next 4 weeks ... I finished in 2 hours 42 minutes and I know what I need to do ...  !!




Three times around Lake Ginninderra was an up and down, giddy experience!  I don't know that I like this sort of course, preferring the former course of out and back. The run went according to plan even though I'm somewhat the worse for wear today!  My body is tired and my mind is tired! Nothing that a few rest days and another night's sound sleep won't cure but I feel as weary today after 21.1km as I used after 42.2km!  Recovery time at 85 seems to take much, much longer now than it did after running the same distances 50 years ago and not much I can do about that!  So, after Blackmores half I think I'll have had enough of these long distance events and will be quite happy to concentrate on and improve my 5km times.




Here are the details of the ACTVAC Half Marathon, 23/8/15:

Time: 2:42:09
Avg. Pace 7:43m/k
5km splits:  38:18;  38:26;   38:31;   39:20 and last 1.1km in 7:30mins.
Training Effect: 4:0 ... Highly Improving!!

A bossom at 'Home Sweet Home!"

Before ACTVAC Half Marathon ~~~~

  Leaving at around 5:00am tomorrow for Canberra.  I have a head cold starting up so I'm sipping a hot drink of lemon and honey (minus the shot of scotch!), right now at 8:00pm whilst sitting up in my bed!
 ......... I hope not!

Easy Run ~~~

Just 5km easy on Bowral Parkrun course this morning and what a glorious morning and day it is here!  Difficult to think about Canberra being wet for Sunday's ACTVAC Half Marathon.  Oh well.....might be more fun in the rain 



... and slower!!

Track at Chev. ~~~~~

A narrow 400m lane has been mowed on the oval and, according to the ground's keeper, it's going to be kept there. Good to know!

10-20 min warm-up .... did 15 incl. 4 strides/drills
6 x 400m (using 6:30m/k) in 2:46
400m RI
Cool-down.

2:37;    2:43;    2:28;    2:27;    2:25;    2:27

Glorious day : slightly windy but warm and sunny on the oval.

Bowral Parkrun #46 ~~~~~~

NO PB this morning!  Not even close!  Heavy fog and frost but quite warm along the cycle path.

Time : 35:29  Waaah!!  Boo Hoo!!!

6:53;   6:59;   7:05;   7:18;   7:08

... pleased that's over!

BUT ... TE 3.7 = IMPROVING!

Tempo Run on Bowral Parkrun Course ~~~~~

Biting, cold wind while running down the grassy hill this morning but it has, at last, dried up the muddy patches completely and the cycle path is completely clear of water, so all good for this Saturday's 5km run.

My program : TEMPO RUN
1.5km easy
8.0km @ MT pace
1.5km easy

First 4km OK and then got slower and slower!  So I was ahead of VP (6:52m/k) for the first half and behind for the finish! The reverse would have been the right way to go!  Anyhow, despite slowing down, I forced myself to do a non-stop run back up the hill.

8km in 57:53

Avg. 7:15 m/k

HR 75-84% of Max.

Splits: 6:53;  6:39;  6:52;  7:06;  7:14;  7:07;  7:52;  8:10!!

TE 3.7 = IMPROVING!!

Total 11 km

Change From Track ~~~~~

Still a bit weary this morning so did some strides instead of a harder track program :


15 mins easy
6 x 100m strides on incline .... same place as last week.
15 mins easy.

Same for tomorrow and then tempo run on Thursday.

Long Run with Leah ~~~~~

Started at 9:00am from school, Diamond Fields Road, back to school.


15km of rolling hills and inclines.


4:30pm now and I'm so tired I could fall asleep right where I'm sitting!

Bowral Parkrun PB ~~~~

I wrote all about this earth-shattering effort on Bowral Parkrun FB and I'll leave it there!


Time : 33:34 (with pacesetter Peta Davies)
9 seconds PB (from 33:43)  ..... all 3's and 4's!!
TE 4.3 ~ Highly Improving!






I should buy 3 or 4 lottery tickets!

Strides ..... Again & Again! ~~~~~

15 minute easy here, and



2 x 80m strides here!

Tomorrow at Bowral Parkrun I'm going to try for a PB or as close as I can get to 33:43!!

Just Strides... Again ~~~~~

15 minute warm-up here and.....

 

 

4 x 80m here on slight incline.

 

 

Just Strides ~~~~~

15 minute warm-up easy running.
6 x 80m strides with full recoveries.

DONE!

Track at Chev. College ~~~~~

Did 20 min warm-up + few strides
Program:
4 x 1200m (2 min. RI) in 8:31

8:23 (TE 2.6);  8:32 (TE 2.4);  8:37 (TE2.4);  9:16!!! (TE 2.3)

Usual problem running out of breath and stopping.
Chev oval like last week: muddy on the shady side of oval.  Stayed close to outside fence.

Long Run/Jog with quite a few Walk Breaks! ~~~~~ with Leah

8:00am start from school, 5km around Renwick Street loop, 14km out and back on Diamond Fields Road.  Seemed to take all morning!  TE 2.1 Maintaining!

19km!
 

Bowral Parkrun #44 ~~~

While I was running, I was just about certain I would run a PB : did 20 min warm-up, and felt like I was running really fast from the start!  Not fast enough!  Missed out on a PB and was very disappointed!  I don't think I could try any harder than I did this morning.  33:43 seems out of reach!

5km in 35:04 official; 34:58 Garmin

7:15;  7:07;  7:02;  7:03;  6:28

HR 78% - 85%

The good news is TE was 3.8 ... Improving!  At last!