Fisher's Ghost 10km

....friendly ghosts & friendly runners!

10km Fun Run : (Stop Watch Time)
1:06:03
about 30 seconds faster than 2005 & 90 seconds faster than 2004.

I know I say it every year, but it's one hell of a tough & hilly, 2 lap course! Well organised, plenty of drink stations - thank you to the many volunteers who were spread out just about everywhere along the course.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1623273

Cloud cover gave some relief from the heat, but the flies!! And they've become immune to all insect repellents!

I didn't win one of the 4 mountain bikes, but I was lucky with the random draw prizes : a large Asics over-the-shoulder duffel bag with various goodies inside, including 2 pairs of Asics socks, size 12+! ........they'd fit a giant; I'll take them to Canberra on Thursday & give them to coach, Ewen. What a lovely surprise for him!!

Well, it's been a great weekend : Saturday - my best Time Trial ever over 1500m and today, Sunday, my best time in 3 years on the Fisher's Ghost 10km course.
Making the day even better was meeting CR never gives up & family; also Superflake .......here we are clutching our age-category trophies!


Next up........
Canberra ACTVAC on Thursday night where the main event for me will be the 1500m track race!

Day 6 - Holy Smoke!.........

..........I ran under 9 minutes for the first time over my 1500m course!!

Program : Time Trial over 1500m course (road in Bowral) in 9 minutes or faster.

Warm-up : jog 1500m, Rest, 3 x Strides.

Warm-down : jog or brisk walk.

Time = 0 : 8 : 45
Pace = 5.51
Avg. 88% of MHR
500m Splits = 2:51; 2:58; 2:54

Started at 10:15 a.m. & already 28 degrees & a westerly blowing.....this did not look good!

Mr G-armin was programmed to have Virtual Partner running at a 6mpk; that way, if I could keep ahead of him, I'd make it in 9 minutes....and that would be a first!

At the start I looked VP straight in the eye & said out loud: "This time I'm going to stay ahead of you, you so-and-so!" And I did, making sure I was at least 20 metres ahead most of the time. How good is it not to see that lower half of the screen turn black!

0:8:45....and I didn't find it nearly as hard as I have on other days over the same course & that was an even bigger surprise than the time. The quads started to 'shout' a bit with about 15 metres to go, but I turned a deaf ear to them & pushed to the finish!

What a satisfied & smug smile I gave Virtual Partner then!

Day 5 - Rest........

Some drills. Pilates DVD. While walking the dogs, 4 strides across the paddock.

Day 4 - Smart Girls Don't Talk.......

..........but they do ask questions! Mine being : why do 400m repeats get faster while 800m repeats get slower?

Program : 2km warm-up at 75% of MHR.

Some drills. Rest. 3xstrides.

4 x 400m HARD...... with 3 minute walk recoveries.

Full Recovery.

1 x 800m HARD.

800m walk/jog warm-down.

Warm-up 2km, drills, rest, strides -- all done!

4 x 400m = 2:07; 2:08.6; 2:02.0; 2:14.9 then......

Full recovery? I'll check with Ewen if the following day would be too soon!

1 x 800m = 4:58 (miserably slower than 2 previous weeks).
400m splits = 2:34; 2:23

Warm-down...OK

The day was excellent: cool, overcast again, dry ground but rough surface. I wore my favourite old, torn-at-the-heels Nike Free trainers. The 400m repeats were faster this week than any other - that was the good news; the 800m was slower than any other - and that's the bad news!

A Satisfying, Steady Run........

........with the occasional hill or two.

Program: 5-8km at a 'medium pace'.

The best running weather today : mostly overcast, some sun, cool & no wind - Perfik!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1608371


Out & back, total of 8.4km mostly on Diamond fields Road.

Avg. HR 75% of MHR; Max. 89% of MHR.

The surprise about this run was to find it so much easier than at other times, especially following yesterday's track session, after which I'm usually feeling a bit stiff in the legs, etc.... But not today - it was far more effortless than usual....so, I liked it a lot!

Hoping for similar conditions for Sunday's Fisher's Ghost 10km!

Situation Serious - but Not Hopeless......

Short Speed at Chev. Track :

Program : Warm-up 2.8km @ 75% of MHR.

Drills, Rest. 3 x Strides.

3 Sets of 5 x 150m @ 40 seconds or faster.

2 minute walk recoveries between repeats & 5-7 minutes between Sets.

Warm-down : 800m jog/walk.

Perfect weather for track work : 11:00a.m. start; cool, overcast most of the time, dry ground in spite of all the recent rain; slight breeze; no one else there! Only drawback was the rough grass surface : plenty of chances to trip (nearly did once!) or worse, twist an ankle.

Warm-up : 22 minutes @ 75% of MHR....felt very comfortable.

Drills; Short Rest; 4 x strides.

3 Sets of 150m :

Set 1. 43.4; 43.2; 42.4; 40.6; 39.4

Set 2. 39.9; 40.5; 38.9 (fastest); 39.5; 39.1

Set 3: 39.2; 39.5; 39.7; 40.2; 39.2

I wanted to get under 38 seconds, but needed someone there to shout at me to go faster & then I would have!

Warm-down : 800m walk the curves; jog the straights.

I always enjoy track work especially when I have the whole oval to myself. All the grunting, puffing & swearing falls on deaf ears! It's tough trying to lower times by even a second or two....but I think it was a 'goof' session nevertheless.

Day 7 (of 7) - Don't Rain on My Parade....

......"My Parade" today being Range Road, Mittagong, where it was dark skies, cold, wet & windy...it's not often I'm bowled over onto the grass by the wind, but it happened this morning!

Program : Long Easy Run.

10-12km (95 minutes max.) ...this used be called a short run!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1594430

This finishes the first week of the new program that Ewen has worked out for me & has involved an increase in volume & intensity of training. It has included 2 Track days, a 1500m Time Trial, a short steady run (5-8km), 1 long easy run (10-12km) and 2 "Whatever Days" that incorporate Pilates, drills & strides.

At the end of the week I can say it has been satisfactory on the whole! I don't feel any the worse for wear at all & no different from any other end of week feeling.....this is either a good sign of fitness or......that I've been secretly slack!

Sunday, 12th November, 8:30a.m., 'Fisher's Ghost' 10km at Campbelltown (Uni of Western Sydney).

Thursday, 16th November, (7:00p.m.), 1500m AIS Track, Canberra.

Day 6 (of 7) - This Time I almost Made It....

Program : Time Trial over 1500m course in 9 minutes or faster ( fast as possible)!

Warm-up : jog 1500m. Rest. 3 x strides.
Warm-down : jog or brisk walk.

Cool morning for 9:00a.m. start; misty rain & a not too bad southerly.

1500m course out & back - some ups & downs - on either side of a fairly new road into East Bowral, accurately measured by Ewen!

Time 9:02 (nearly made it!); a few seconds faster than the previous TT.

Pace 6:05

Avg. 85% of MHR. Max. 90% of MHR .

Under 9:00 coming up.."with a little bit of bloomin' luck!"

Day 4 (of 7) - Spice World

Today I had a taste of the 'spice' in the new program, which I've named "Sugar & Spice"....sugar looks a bit light on it though!

Program with 'mixed spice' added :

CHEV TRACK.....

2km warm-up @ 75% of MHR.

Drills, Rest, 3 x strides.

4 x 400m HARD! 3 minute walking recoveries.

Full recovery, then.......extra 'spice'...

1 x 800m HARD! Rest.

800m walk/jog warm-down.

Prelims all done!

4 x 400m....2:15.0 (went out too hard in first 150-200m & legs seized up before finishing!); 2:20.9 (over compensating);
2:14.2; 2:11.9

I wasn't happy with these times, but a good experience for the future as to how to pace these repeats.

1 x 800m.......4:40 (10 seconds slower than on the AIS track , last Thursday night!)

I wasn't very happy with this either.


I started just after 8:00 a.m. after hearing the weather forecast for today : hot, 28 degrees & smoke filled skies from a bushfire; could hear the choppers overhead as they tried to monitor the blaze started by lightning last week in inaccessible ranges, somewhere between here & Katoomba.

I thought that getting up early, after an early night, might enable me to pull out a wonderful surprise for myself & Ewen! It was a surprise, but not quite what I had in mind!

Tomorrow, 'a spoonful of sugar' - rest!

Saturday, 'heavily spiced' program - 1500m Time Trial!

Day 3 (of 7) - Road to ......?

............Road to Rio? I wish!
This morning's run.

Program : A steady run 5 - 8km @ a medium pace.... building the pace a bit if feeling good.

Stretches at the soccer field.

4km out along Old South Road & stop for photos! Turn around here.....

4km return. 8km...........58.19 Avg. 82% of MHR. Higher on the hills.

A bit windy, fairly hot; hills in the last 1km made it tough going!

A stretch-out/cool-down on the grass at the soccer field.

Day 2 (of 7) - Short Speed

Program : 2.8km warm-up @ 75% of MHR. Drills. Rest. 3 x strides.

3 Sets of 5 x 150m @ 40 seconds or faster; 2 minutes recoveries; 5 -7 minutes between Sets.

Warm-down 800m alternating walking & jogging.

Set 1 : 39.99; 39.7; 38.8; 39.36; 38.86

Set 2: 44.14; 39.99; 40.49; 39.12; 39.49

Set 3: 38.72; 40.14; 40.02; 40.49; 38.79

Finished the day off by having coffee with Flash Duck who was on her way back to Canberra from Sydney ......pretty good Orange & Ricotta Cake, eh FD?

Sugar & Spice....A New Program!

Day 1 of a new 7 day program : A sugar day, but plenty of mixed spice to follow!




Some drills, Pilates DVD & 4 to 6 strides while walking the doggies!

Straight Time!

Recently discovered....Mr G-armin unintentionally switched "ON" during my drive back from Canberra to Mittagong!

Oh well.............!! La De Da!

Day 8 - An Easy Day.

<....taken from the run around Lake Ginninderra, Canberra, Friday 27th October.

This morning's run : Back to Diamond Fields Road, Mittagong....40 minutes at a 'comfortable' pace, including 6 x 100m strides.

Day 5 - "There's a Track Winding Back....."

........OK, I know but at least I ran in the right direction....forwards & not backwards!




I had a very enjoyable, though not record breaking, evening at the AIS Track in Canberra on Thursday, 26th October. Strewth, CJ, speedygeoff...thank you for your always friendly welcome!

After putting me through a warm-up - do they really have to be so long? - followed by drills, strides, etc., Ewen plonked me on the start line of the 800m, making sure I was facing the right way & pointing out where & when to move across to lane 1. I'm OK with following directions, as long as they're not geographical ones, so that race was soon over though this time, not fast enough to warrant rapturous praise at the finish - I get to see it as it is, which is as it should be....I suppose! :

Time = 4:31.50

400m splits 21:16.5 / 2:15.0

A late decision was to have a try at the 200m event, which was over very quickly, even for me. Thank heavens they allow for either a crouched or standing start or I might well have landed, and stayed, flat on my face :

Time = 51:54

200m splits (roughly) 65.9 / 70.5 /71.8 /62.9

Friday morning : an easy 10km run around the cycle path alongside Lake Gininderra......a very quiet & beautiful course, but easy to get lost without good navigational skills!

Returned to Mittagong late Friday, with plans to return to the track in a couple of weeks after doing some more work.......where work is needed to be done!

Day 5 - Big Trouble....

.............computer has been in"intensive care unit" since last Saturday. Discharged this morning with a clean bill of health.

CB leaving for Canberra this morning for ACTVAC 800m track event tonight!

Day 14 - What.......

... today, complete rest........tomorrow, track.

Day 13 - Face to Face.

..........."Who Goes There?"

My run today took me out & back on Diamond Fields Road, where I met this friendly little pony who trotted over to the fence & made all kinds of remarkable faces at the camera....this one is his 'camel' look! When he wasn't posing for photos, he was stretching over the palings to nuzzle my face, arms.....a really curious little fellow!



This is where he lives along with several companions on a property in Diamond Fields Road.......................




Program : Medium Long Run

55-75 minutes, 75-85% of MHR.


A few stretches at Renwick soccer field.
35 minutes out; 37 minutes return...tired!

Sunny & warm to start, then clouds; rain threatening for the remainder of the day.


http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1531630

Day 12 - I Want What I Want!

Yesterday, Wednesday, was a 1500m Time Trial. I didn't start until mid-day...waiting for the strong winds to drop. They didn't.... I could barely stay upright......disastrous 'crawl' taking 9:48.

So, on a "Whatever Day" & unbeknown to anyone (i.e. Ewen!), - I simply couldn't let that hang over me until next time - I was back at "the strip" (in East Bowral) again this morning at 7:30a.m. & did the whole program again!

Program: Warm-up Jog 1500m.; stretches; 4x60-80m strides.

This morning's result : 1500m in 9:05
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1527838

I could be in trouble for such 'disobedience', but if so, it'll be worth it to have proven to myself that I could do better than yesterday!
....and I got nearer to what I wanted!

Day 9 - Back to the Future

...feeling lethargic....


this morning's track session at Chev. College, Bowral.

Program : Warm-up easy jog; stretches; 4x100m strides; form drills; rest.

12 x 150m in 42-45 seconds - 2 minute walk recoveries.
Rest.
1 x 400m.
rest.
2 laps warm-down.

I wasn't happy with this morning's session & I usually enjoy track training. Ewen called it 'Mondayitis', but I think it was more than that, but I don't know exactly what. I didn't run as fast as 2 weeks ago. Anyhow, the results are:

Did all the preliminary work as per program.

12x150 ......48.1; 45.2; 44.2; 44.8; 43.8; 44.7; 45.4; 43.1; 43.5; 43.9; 43.5; 43.2

2 weeks ago I managed to 39.9!

The 400m was a total & complete disaster & I should have stopped half way to avoid a stumbling final 200m.

Anyhow, I completed the session, but not to my satisfaction & I skipped the warm-down because I was disappointed in what I'd done...well, that's my excuse & hopefully Ewen will accept it!

Good news this afternoon from my GP...latest biopsy OK; no further surgery needed.........Phew, what a relief!

Day 5 - Vampire's Kiss!

.....with both sides of my neck padded, a vampire could easily have been responsible for this new "look"!

Improved today, after my GP removed the stitch where the biopsy was done last Friday & gave it a good thump...not really, just a gentle squeeze! I'm not looking forward to having surgery on this side as well, but better out than in, I suppose. What a mess!

Today's Program : "A Whatever Day".

I did the Pilates DVD & some of Ewen's 'form drills'....anything that didn't require sticking my neck out!

A very hot day in Mittagong....has to be well over 30 degrees; cooler I hope for the runners at FF on Saturday.

Run well, everyone!

Day 4 - Pain in the A.........!

Pain in the neck is nearer the mark!

I missed today's training & have to withdraw from FF 10km on Saturday & everything else until ....next week hopefully!

An infection has blown up from nowhere as a result of recent minor surgery. Antibiotics & complete rest indoors until seeing GP on Monday.

So sorry to miss everyone.

Day 3 - An Easy Day

Program: Run 40 minutes at a comfortable pace, include 6x100m strides.


OOPS!! I'll have to "get my head in the right place"! (Right, W?)

Forgot to do the 6x100m strides!



Remembered to run for 40 minutes!

Start : 11:30 a.m.

Distance = 5.59km; Avg. = 85% of MHR; Max. = 99%(?) of MHR. (that's what Mr G-armin says!).
Avg. 7.18 m/k; Max 5:57 m/k.

Cool, sunny, Spring day; a few stretches before & after the run; neck feeling a little less painful; wore 'Free' x-Trainers. A goof session! Hard day tomorrow....Chev track & I have to remember to take the spray can of white paint to secretly freshen up the lines!

Day 2 - ...........

Today : GP took a look at the site where there once was a SCC & one of the nurses changed the dressing. Other than that....nothing, except taking the dogs for their run.

Day 1 - The Crooked Road.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1476764

Range Road is such a tough run, but the views make up for that & I took a couple of photos along the way......an excuse to stop!

Late to start at 10:00a.m. & the day was already very warm & windy. It was all hard work for me this morning - a bit of a struggle. My neck is still quite painful, so I'll use that as an excuse!

Program : Long Run 80 -105 minutes. 75-85% of MHR.

Time = 1:41.41

Distance= 13.34km

I wore the new "Free" X-Trainers for their first run & they were very comfortable on the bitumen road.

Day 13 - Best Foot Forward.

...yesterday, Friday, I rewarded my bravery under anaesthetic, with the purchase of new 'Frees". This time I chose the X-Trainer...it has stronger material in the uppers & also in the heel area, where there used be mesh with the 'Runner', though I noticed that the new Free 'runner' has changed the mesh at the heel to a stronger material...like the X-Trainer.

I was in Sydney to have a SCC (Squamous Cell Carcinoma!!) removed from the left side of my neck & a biopsy on one on the right side, which will most likely also have to be cut out. With 2 hours to spare before the train left at 3:45 p.m. & still under the influence of local anaesthetic, I went on a mild spending spree, renewing all my (expensive - oh dear!) facial & body creams at DJ's, then on to Rebel for the 'Frees' & finishing at Darrell Lea in the QVB for a large packet of Liquorice Allsorts!

Today, I'm forced into taking another "Whatever Day"...both sides of my neck are 'screaming' at each other & I'm full of Panadol, so I'm safer indoors!

Warning : For goodness sake, don't neglect any suspicious, scaley area or anything that looks like an ordinary sore that won't go away, anywhere on your skin. Have it checked out immediately by your friendly local GP! This kind of skin cancer can spread to lymph glands & can be fatal....though usually not!

Day12 - ......

...a day of complete rest.

Day 11 - CrissCross....

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1461577

Program : Short Speed (a moderate day).

Warm-up, drills, stretches.

12 Diagonals in 3 Sets of 4 with slow jog across & short break between Sets.

Warm-down.

Renwick Soccer field: Short of time today, so the warm-up was quick & short.

3 Sets of 4 Diagonals.....crisscross the soccer field corner to corner with very little break between Sets...in a hurry!

Warm-down...didn't do one!

Day 11 - The Hills Have Eyes.

......well, Motion Based has eyes even if hills don't & shows that I can't count properly in the second set! This session on the MB Player looks quite weird! I'm wondering if the MB Player showing the running red dot can be put onto a blog? In the meantime..........

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1456948

Program : Hill Repeats (a hard day) & has to be done with good form.

Warm-up.

2 Sets of 5 reps. on the short hill; 7 mins break.

1 Set of 3 reps. on a long hill (i.e. the bitumen road leading down to
the oval, but I had to run up it!), looking for a distance that would
take 1 min. 30secs. to run.

Ironmines Oval.....had it all to myself again.

Warm-up incl. some drills, stretches & strides.

2 Sets of 5 on the short hill....Done.
7 minutes break.
1 Set of 3 on the long hill.......not knowing exactly where to start, each of these took around 2 minutes. Start shorter next time.

Warm-down: didn't do the usual slow jog; instead I sat on some rocks & enjoyed the view & the warm sun for about 15 minutes.

As usual, I enjoyed this session & hope it was done with 'goof' form!

Day 8 - "Losin' It"

....the start of today's run was marked by a wattle tree. 2km out & 2km back to the same tree, but I stopped at the wrong one, about 20m short of the full distance! I said it would have been a 4km PB, but Ewen says there's no proof...suppose I have to concede he's right, but with less than 20m to go, I still had 1 minute 15 seconds left to beat the last Tempo Run...reckon I would have done it!

Program : 4km Tempo Run (a hard day). After 10 minutes warm-up & stretches, 4km at a "solid pace".

Picked the wrong tree to finish at! Losin' It for sure!

From Motion Based.......

Distance = 3.83km

Time = 26:22.

10.2kph; 6:54 Pace.

92% MHR; 84% AHR.