Starting Some Track Sessions ~~~~

Weather cooler today; still very warm but overcast, some breeze; had shade on Scarlet Street.

10 minute warm-up

6 x 400m in 3:03 (7:38m/k) ....... 

based on recent parkrun time of 40 minutes!  Shame on me and about time I did some serious running to improve that disastrous result from last Saturday! 

Today:    2:34;   2:30;   2:34;   2:32;   2:34;  2:33

400m RI jog/walk between each.

I was happy with this workout.  I wasn't pushing very hard but still stayed ahead of VP!  Enjoyed getting back to some speed work.

Low HR Run ~~~

So hot!  Not out till around 11am; partly shaded road, but still way too hot to do much more than  jog/walk when HR became too high.

30 Minutes (Scarlet Street) 3km

AHR 106bpm;  MHR 144bpm

74%  -  100% (?) 

TE   1.9  =  Minor

An earlier start tomorrow as I want to start some track sessions on Tuesdays.

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

My 73rd parkrun and I walked as much as I ran; hot and humid and breathing difficult even with a puffer for company!  Hoping for better next Saturday. 

41:52

AHR 120bpm;  MHR 134bpm
83% - 93% of max.

TE   2.3  Maintaining

Rest/Magill Drills/Strides~~~~~

Yesterday, Thursday, I took a day off; this morning, Friday, a few drills and easy jog in the school soccer field.  Bowral parkrun tomorrow looks like being a jog/walk ... emphasis on 'walk' until my breathing (post bronchitis) returns to normal!

Parkrun Course for a Low HR Run ~~~~

Re-acquainting myself with our Bowral parkrun course before Saturday, having missed the last 2 weeks there.  An unexpected cool morning breeze made a welcome change from the recent hot days and nights!  Started and finished at the bottom of the hill where the grass is 'as high as an elephant's eye', and then finished by storming (I wish!) up the hill to remind myself of what to expect on Saturday! 

Even though conditions were extremely pleasant, I had difficulty breathing; out of breath even with low heart rate so I can't be completely clear of bronchitis yet.  Balderdash to that! 

45 minutes
5.27km

AHR 106bpm;  MHR 117bpm
74%  -  81% of max.

TE   1.8  Minor!!  What?  After all that effort!

Straight Ahead!

I might take that invitation one day!

Took the Detour from Cycle Path

Short Tempo Run ~~~~~

A 2.5km ST run is scheduled for each Tuesday; same flat course each week.  Today I still have some bronchitis hanging around and forgot to bring my puffer; there was a hot wind blowing and I struggled to keep up with VP who was set to run at 7:35m/k based on a finish time of 37minutes for 5m .. roughly where I'm at with parkrun right now.

2.5km
19 minutes

AHR 132 bpm

92% of max.

Avg. Pace 7:40m/k

500m splits:  3:49;  3:32;  3:43;  4:07;  3:50

TE  3.1    IMPROVING!      Amazing!

Inkerman Road/Scarlet Street ST Run

Easy, Low Heart Rate ~~~~~

I had trouble with the Garmin's erratic heart rate to start with but eventually the silly thing got it right.  I need to disregard the high readings; they couldn't possibly be true!

I ran from the bottom of the hill near school to Diamond Fields Road and back; turned Garmin off at 50 minutes and walked 1km uphill to where I'd parked the car in some shade.  Hotter than yesterday but a breeze made the jog enjoyable.... even on the hills!  Some walk breaks.

50 minutes
(5.28km)

AHR  114bpm  =  79% of max.

TE  2.0  =  Maintaining!

5.28km from school and back

"The Glass is Refillable" ~~~~

.... half full or half empty!  It doesn't matter!  Thank goodness there's always somewhere to start and this morning I found it after two weeks off with a second bout of bronchitis since the beginning of this year.  Not the best start but.... a start is a start!  The glass is refillable!

A very easy start it was too, keeping heart rate low and between 105 and 115 bpm.  A very pleasant morning with a good breeze even though I was late out as usual!

Low Heart Rate 40 minutes

40 minutes
(4.33km)

AHR 107bpm;  MHR 127bpm

74% - 88% of Max.

TE  2.1  =  MAINTAINING!  Phew!  Bit of luck there!

Another Head Cold! ~~~~~~

I'm guessing the higher heart rate and need to walk on Thursday, could have been this heavy cold coming on, the second one in the past few weeks.  Anyhow, it's forced me into another 'time out' but hopefully not resulting in bronchitis this time round.

Missed run yesterday, Friday; parkrun this morning and probably the rest of the weekend.  High hopes for another start on Monday.... till then:

Low HR Run/Walk ~~~~~

Quite a few walk breaks this morning, more than usual but I started late morning and it was hot in spite of a cool breeze.  Heart rate kept climbing in latter half; stopped at 45 minutes and walked to car.

45 minutes (4.75km)

AHR 109 bpm;  MHR 141 bpm
76% to 98% of max.

TE  2.2  = Maintaining

Through Renwick

A Messed Up Short Tempo Run ~~~~~

Really cross with myself!  I seem to mess up just about everything I do lately.  Out late and it was hot even though I had a shaded road to run on.  I looked at the Garmin and thought the distance said 2.6km and I'd run too far; instead it was 1.6km!  How could I be so bloody stupid?  Started Garmin again but I was so annoyed at having spoilt the session I stopped after another 0.5km.

Supposed to be a ST run of 2.5km

 

500m splits :   3:44; 3:51;  3:50;  3:51

TE   1.9  =  Minor

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

Improving at last!  Took some walk breaks going back up hill.

7/1/2017

39:34   (82.79%)

AHR 121 bpm;  MHR 129 bpm

84% - 90% of max.

TE 2.4  Maintaining!

7:40; 7:5;   7:39;   7:48;   8:25 up the hill!

That was all good but the remainder of the weekend I spent in hospital .... this is getting to be a habit!  Struck down literally with excruciating stomach pains not long after coming home from parkrun, I finally had to call an ambulance.  In spite of it being Saturday, a scan was done immediately, bowel obstruction diagnosed and given 24 hours to right itself; nil by mouth for 48 hours did the trick and it did right itself just in time to avoid surgery!  Home this morning to a very distressed 'Amy'!

Easy days ahead until I feel it's OK to return to normal activities!  PHEW!  Another close call and more than enough for 2017!

A Few Drills and Rest ~~~~~

Light rain again this morning but OK for few Pete Magill drills and alternating strides in the school soccer field.  About 20 minutes.  Hoping the rain clears before tomorrow's parkrun in Bowral.

A Wise Man!

Back to the Hills! ~~~~~

I haven't been running on Diamond Fields Road for ages so this morning I did and I'd had forgotten just how tough it is there!  The road is dirt, gravel and potholes and, together with several steep hills, it wasn't as easy as other runs I've been doing the past 2 to 3 weeks.  However, I love this quiet bushy run and the hills will be excellent practice for the monster at Bowral parkrun!

53 minutes (5.91km)

AHR 102 bpm;  MHR 119 bpm

71% - 83% of max.

TE  1.8  =  Minor!  Minor?  After struggling up all those steep hills?

Refreshing light rain falling the entire time; enjoyed the change of scenery and the challenge of the hills; will be back there next week.

Low HR Easy Run ~~~~~

Cool, overcast and even some light rain!  No walk breaks needed to keep HR between 105 bpm and 115 bpm.



45 minutes (5.11km)

Avg. Pace 8:51m/k

AHR 104 bpm (72% of max.)

TE ~~~~  2.5 Maintaining!

Short Tempo Run ~~~~~

Breezy but still humid on Bowral parkrun course this morning where, after finding there were no echo test results available from my GP (Grrrr! Waited over 30 minutes), I ran the first of the short tempo runs I'll be doing each Tuesday or Wednesday.

VP set to run 8:10m/k which is based on a recent 40 minutes parkrun time for 5km ("Run Less Run Faster" tables used for this.)

2.5km (in 19:20)

Avg. Pace 7:44m/k

AHR 112 bpm;  MHR 119 bpm

78% - 83% of max.

Splits:

7:23;  7:53 + (4:00)

TE  3.0  =  Improving!!

Even though my pace was ahead of VP (WooHoo!), it felt comfortable for the short distance.

2.5km tempo run.

What a Difference! A Cool Morning!

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Unbelievable change in the weather this morning!  It was cool, overcast and even breezy!  Makes for a much more enjoyable run than in the heat.. Only 1 or 2 very short walk breaks now that I'm using a higher, but still low, heart rate as a guide....105 - 115bpm. 

All being well, after getting results of recent echo test from GP tomorrow morning, I'll do a 2km to 2.5km tempo run on our Bowral parkrun course as it's just a few minutes drive from the Dr.

45 minutes
(5.24km)

AHR 104 bpm; MHR 115 bpm

72% - 80% of max.

TE  1.8  (Minor)

First Run for 2017! ~~~

Whenever my running seems to be going nowhere, except figuratively down downhill, I can always count on my good friend, Ewen, to come up with something to reignite enthusiasm, and he didn't disappoint again this time!

The low heart rate run/walk training (Allen & Maffetone based) is all well and good and I want to continue with it over the hot summer months ahead except that, with the heart rates I was using,  I was getting into the habit of looking forward to the next walk break all the time, couldn't wait for it to happen!  Consequently, when it came to parkrun on Saturdays, I found I needed those walk breaks right from the start. The brain plays strange tricks!  Disaster!  Slow!  Depressing results!

Here's where Ewen comes to the rescue, answering my panicked message, and making a few changes to get me moving again and with more enthusiasm than I've felt for weeks!  Nothing big, but just enough to break the pattern of walking too soon, too often and, hopefully, getting faster in time.

Here it is :

Take HR up from 98-108bpm to 105-115bpm.  NEW!

Go by time on feet 30 -45 minutes (this is the same as I've been doing)

TUESDAYS ....  do a 2km to 2.5km tempo run (this is NEW, massively important and arouses my eagerness to give it a try!)
                       ..... run in shade, flat course, no warm up necessary except for short jog, couple strides, stretches.   This, over several weeks, should show some interesting results!  It had better!

Saturdays - Parkrun as usual

If needed, 1-2 days off, probably Friday or Sunday best. 

There it is and that's what got me out this morning, January 1st,  to do my first run for 2017!

30 minutes...that was quite long enough after yesterday's Bowral parkrun
AHR 109 bpm; MHR 120 bpm
76% - 83% of max

The only walking this morning was at the start when Garmin spiked HR at 120bpm; other than that it was an easy run on a very humid morning, despite some breeze and I was in shade most of the time.

  Thank you, Ewen, for coming to my rescue once again! I'm really looking forward to keeping on running during 2017!

January 1st, 2017!