Windy Weather ~~~~

Not as bad as earlier in the week, but nasty enough to make it a tough morning run. 

Long Run :  10km with a fair bit of walking!

What a Day!

Just when you think the wind can't get any worse.....it does!  I could only run when I had the wind behind me; into the head wind, I could barely walk and even then, several times I was blown off course. A bit scary really and I don't enjoy being out in such weather at all.  Needless to say VP finished the Tempo section nearly 700m ahead of me, so doubt that I accomplished anything good at all today in the way of running. 

The program was :  Tempo Run...9.5km
1.5km warm-up
6.5km @ 8:20m/k
1.5km cool-down

6.5km

Less said about the 6.5km, the better!  It took me 1 hour, mostly walking, occasionally jogging.

Six Degrees!

....and blowing a gale!  I think this has been the worst day at Chev track that I can remember!  It had everything nasty : freezing cold, gale-force wind gusting in every direction and no lanes marked so I ran, or tried to run, just inside the boundary fence.  Truly awful day!  So glad to return home for hot milk coffee, banana muffin and hot shower...in that order!

My Program was:
10-20 min warm-up...did 1.5km + 4 strides



This was 800m

200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 800m, 600m 400m, 200m
200/400m RI

Cool-down......which I didn't do!




My times were:
1:22;  2:42; 4:16;  5:57;  5:59;  4:20;  2:46;  1:20

Cross-Training ~~~

Fitness Class   ~~~~~  'Cross-Fit'   ~~~   10's, i.e. 10 times each exercise on the circuit.  30 mins.  The kids and I are all going to a local gym on Wednesday for our cross-fitness workout with an instructor from the gym!!  More about this later.....!!!!  Have to say...I'm really looking forward to it!

A Shorter Long Run!

Was to have been 20km.  I did 10km because I'm making some changes this week.  Beautiful day, sunny and warm, no wind. 

10km

Promotion to Judge!!

Today at the school I was promoted!  I was given a team of 3 students to judge as they performed as many of 6 exercises they could do correctly in 5 minutes! Have to admit my team didn't win in spite of yelling amidst all the noise and loud music to do "just one more!"

It was all good fun; teachers and kids enjoyed it, but glad I was judging and didn't have to be part of a team especially after yesterday's long run,  Last night I could hardly walk!

Long Run

Long and cold!  I didn't run long on Saturday because it was wet so, rather than miss the most important run of the week, I let track go for this week and did the long run instead.  It was so cold and windy!  Even now, after a hot shower, coffee and banana muffin, I'm still cold!  I haven't run as far as 16km in ages...no surprises, it was a huge struggle. Diamond Fields Road was all stones and rocks, much in need of grading and a deathly trap for the unwary jog/walker.  I walked the first 2 km and the last 2km and some hills in between.

I'm not enjoying runs of this distance anymore  (I'm too old!) and after the Wingello half marathon in August, I will not do any more half marathons...that's it!  5 to 10km distances will be my limit unless I decide to quit altogether.  Time will tell!

16 cold kilometres!

 

I don"t think yesterday's Fitness Class at the school helped today!  One of the exercises was to climb onto the stadium stage  (like Everest for me!), run across the stage, run down about 20 steps and repeat 5 times!  After several futile attempts to get just one leg up before falling back on the floor, a watchful teacher put a milk bottle crate below the stage for me to step onto before trying to get up any further!  This made it slightly easier but I still had to cling desperately to the side of the stage to get a foot or hand hold!  The students, to embarrass me further, simply took one flying leap and they were up and gone while I'm still straddling the edge of the stage with arms and legs in all directions like some crazy octopus!

After that, I took extra time with the skipping rope just to show them how good I was at skipping!

Today : 16kms Diamond Fields Road....2 hours 45 minutes and 3 seconds!!!!

...Diamond Fields Road as pretty as ever!

Fitness Class ~~~~~

...at the school :  "Twenties", meaning 20 times everything on the circuit!  I do a warm-up outside the stadium first and stretches after.  35 minutes.

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Program :
1.5km easy
3.5m Mid Tempo Pace (8:20 using a 40 min 5k time)
1.5km easy
3.5km MT
1.5km easy.

2x3.5km

This was OK I suppose; bit of a struggle after long break.

3.5km in 28:48 Avg. pace 8:14
3.5km in 28:28 Avg. pace 8:08

Finished both ahead of VP even though he got ahead on a couple of hills!


For today : 11.5km

Fitness Class ~~~~~

....at the School involved :  lunges, skipping, step-ups, chin-ups!!, knee raises, hopping in and out of tyres and a few others better off forgotten, but I thoroughly enjoyed the half hour!

Two Weeks Later ~~~~~

I made yet another start this morning!  Two weeks with a whopper of a cold and what a morning to make a comeback : track session, light rain, long wet grass and no marked lanes!  Again, I used the mowed sections of the football field.

Program:
10-20 min warm-up
2x1200m (9:21))
4x800m (6:10)
10 min cool-down.

I did half of the program so as to ease back and not be out too long in the wet.  VP was set to run 9:21 for 1200m and 6:10 for 800m.

10 min warm-up + 4 strides
1x1200m in 9:14
2x 800m in 6:06 and 5:49.
5 min cool-down walk.

So, here I go again!

Still Out!

The worst cold, earth-shattering cough etc. ever!  Two days in bed, up today but will be taking it easy for the remainder of the week, weekend and possibly beyond that.

I've been overwhelmed by the unexpected source of assistance while I've been "off colour".......the teachers at the school where I look after the goats and cows at weekends and holidays.  I was missing just one day when I had a call asking if I was OK, not having seen me walking Amy and Oscar as I always do each afternoon.  Next thing, one of the teachers arrived at my front door around 7:00pm with a meal and Panadol which I didn't have any of at home.  Each day this week, different teachers have rung and/or sent text messages offering to take me to the doctor, do shopping etc.

It's amazing where kindness comes from when least expected!  I feel blessed to have them as my friends.

Long Run ~~~~

It didn't happen!  I'm down and out with a frightful head cold.......started Friday night and I've spent the whole weekend sneezing, blowing my nose, coughing and feeling really miserable.  No way could I have gone out and run or even walked a short distance. Nothing but to rest and wait for the virus to leave the system; another couple of days I'd imagine.

Fitness Class ~~~~~

Well!!   That was different!  At the Highlands School, 1:45pm to 2:15 with 2 of the teachers and about 8 boys.  A circuit called 'Twenties'...meaning 20 times each of the 10 exercises.  I'll see if I can remember what they were, but my head is still whirling from the kettle swings!

Thrusters...medicine ball squat & thrust ball above head, drop it hopefully not on toes!
Kettle Swings...disaster here! Nearly landed against the back wall!
Push-ups
Leg Raises
Bicep Curls
Shoulder Raises
Lap/Stair Runs......continuous run around the floor of the stadium, climb 4 flights of stairs each time (x20!!)
Crunches
Wall Slams...not with the body!!  a squat & throw heavy ball high against wall & catch!
Shoulder Raises

All this done to the loudest 'music? I've ever heard!  Good fun; enjoyed it and the boys high-fived me at the finish which I hope meant that I didn't disgrace myself!


I'll go again on Monday for a different circuit called "Tens" which, so I'm told, is much harder than today's session!

Before then....long run tomorrow.

Tempo Run ~~~~

...and not a good one!  Unusually hot this morning, not that I can use that as an excuse, but I felt awful, I was slow and I took some walk breaks in the 5km section.

Program : 9km Tempo Run
2km easy
5km @ MT pace (8:20m/k still based on 40 min 5km)
2km easy.

5 of 9km

5km in 42:14
7:58;  8:33;  9:06;  8:21;  7:24
Avg. Pace 8:15 m/k

And the less said about that, the better!

Today:  9km

Tomorrow afternoon I'm doing the Fitness Class at the Highlands School which should be more amusing......for the high school kids than it'll be for me!  It looks more like boot camp from what I've seen!  Will report!

Easy Day ~~~~~

Today, one hour walking while waiting for car.  Beautiful morning around Lake Alexandra.

The Hill Was Alive!

.....with the sound of my puffing!

So, today I did long hill repeats instead of track and, to my surprise, it was as difficult as a track session.  I took this from Hal Higdon's advanced half marathon program and it certainly was a 'nice' change from the track.

First a 1km warm-up in the school soccer field; drove to the bottom of Bong Bong Road where it meets Old South Road, parked the car and walked 300m uphill measuring with Garmin for distance...I didn't want to run any further than I had to!

First repeat I didn't make the top, slowing to a walk for about the last 20m and puffing like a steam engine.  After that one, I had a better idea of how to start a bit slower and completed the remaining five, jogging down to start each one. 

Hill repeats and back to the school for stretches.

Today : 6 x 300m hill repeats

Another 100m around the corner at top!

A Couple of Minor Changes ~~~~~

Adding an easy run Monday and alternating track with hill repeats ...... all because motivation is sadly waning and perhaps a few changes might halt the decline!  I've taken a few ideas from Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training.

Today :  An easy 5km MAF heart rate run + stretching and strength.

5km

Cross Train ~~~~

Stationary Cycling :  30 minutes.

10 min easy
2 x ( 1 min hard, 3 min easy)
12 min easy.

Track ~~~~~

Program for Today :

10-20 min warm-up....1.5km
1200m, 1000m, 800m,  600m, 400m
400m RI
10 min cool-down.....1.5km

Usually Tuesday for track, but other things caused a change, so yesterday I did cross training on the stationary bike and track today.

  No lanes visible on the oval so I used the cleared outline of the football field.  OK, but for running a rectangle shape instead of a circle.

Suggested times from program based on 40min 5km.....

9:21;    7:45;    6:10;    4:37;    3:03

My times ....

9:01;    6:16;    5:36;    4:23;    2:29

No problems with this session.  Lovely morning : clear, blue sky.

For today :  7km 

Long Slow Run ~~~~~

14km

My legs were so tired this morning.  Truthfully, not just my legs but all of me!  I had yesterday off so I wasn't expecting to feel so wretchedly tired.  The result then became a slow, tedious jog/walk (at MAF heart rate).  Program was for 14km easy running.  I was never so pleased to finish, do stretches and go home.  Over 2 hours.

 Today :  14 weary km ...............

Tempo Run ~ Hoka 'Conquest' first run ~~~~~

OK, so the Hoka One One 'Conquest' went well considering this was the first run in them and with the extra weight.  My Newtons 7.2oz; Hoka 10.2oz.  Doesn't seem like much extra but I could certainly feel it!  However, the purchase of these inexplicably expensive runners was for the cushioning they provide and, in this feature, I am well pleased!  Ran on bitumen, cement and dirt roads, a few hills and the difference was quite noticeable, though it might take a few more runs to be completely comfortable with them.  If they save my knees especially as well as other bits and pieces any future damage, they will have been worth the cost!

Tempo Run:
3.5km easy
5:00 km @ ST (short tempo) pace....8:10m/k based on 40 min 5km.
1.5km easy

5 of 10km tempo run.

I began with a couple of drills...
3.5km easy

5:00km in 39:18  ....Hokas slowed me down!!   7:35;    8:03;    8:29;    7:42;    7:26


1.5km easy
Stretches....

Today  :  10km
 

Cross Training + Strength

Stationary Cycling :

10 min easy
10 min Tempo
10 min easy.

Seems I'm not improving fitness, for the bike anyhow!  I'm still on F6....the lowest fitness level according to heart rate on completion of the session.  At least I can't go any lower!

Mine are this colour too!

This morning I bought new runners from the Australian distributor of the Hoka One One, based here in Mittagong.  The reason for this outrageous spending is that in recent months, training on road, I feel my knees and lower back are taking a beating.  The most cushioning is what attracted me to the brand after careful research online, having worn the Hoka Bondi some time ago.  They had better be worth the cost!!  Overly expensive I think and can't be shipped from overseas...Hmmm!

  I feel like I'm on stilts and, being afraid of heights, this is not a good thing!  Will report on them after tomorrow's run.



Tempo Run tomorrow......in new "Conquest" Hoka One One!

Saturday's Run on Tuesday ~~~~~

Being far more in need of endurance than speed, I did last Saturday's long run today, missing the usual Tuesday track session.

I had 15km to run, but back at the start at 14km, I called it a day.  I don't think I had another kilometre left in my legs anyhow!  It was run/walk and took just over 2 hours.

14km long run/walk.

 

.

Today  :  14km
3 key workouts for the week : 32km

I Just Couldn't Do It!

My long run...couldn't face it today!  Rain, horribly cold wind and only 6 degrees all day!  Weak, I know! 

 

 I'll be in Sydney tomorrow, so there's another day gone.  I'm thinking I'll change Tuesday's program and, instead of track, do the long run I missed today....if the weather improves.

Tempo Run ~~~~~ 9km

1st of May and Wow!  What a glorious morning!  Sunny, blue skies and not a cloud in sight.  Time to throw your job away!

Time to run, for sure :Tempo Run

2km easy
5km @ MT (mid-tempo) 8:20 pace.....still basing this on a 40 min 5km  ...seems a bit slow for a tempo effort, but that's what it says in the program.
 2km easy.

First 1km of 5km I ran for the first time through the newly opened section of Renwick , a 1km loop of new road where, as yet, there are no houses or cars, but I noticed many of the blocks of land had already been sold, probably over Easter weekend.  There were several tents nearby where anxious buyers must have camped to be first in to get the block they wanted!  For now, it gives me an extra kilometre to use in peace and quiet.

5km with new 1k loop at start.

5km in 37:50
Avg. Pace 7:33 m/k
7:24;   7:33;   7:45;   7:44;   7:18
AHR 122/77%
Usual stretching.

Today  :  9km

CT ~~~~~

Lovely, sunny day and I feel like I should be running!  However, the program says cross training and cross training it is :

Stationary Cycling: (from F.I.R.S.T. Training)
10 min easy
2 x (1 min hard, 3 min easy)
5 min easy.

Strength Exercises (from F.I.R.S.T. Training)

Track ~~~~~~

Late start.....again!  Actually, later than late :  11:00am! At Chev College.

2km warm-up
4 strides with drills

400m/2:55;  600m/4:25;  800m/5:43;   1200m/8:48;   800m/5:42;   600m/4:21;   400m/2:45

1km cool-down
Stretches.

Very pleasant morning, breeze and sun.  No lane to run on today! Used the rectangular markings of the football field.  Elsewhere the grass was too wet.  Had VP running, but I finished all reps ahead of him!!

Today :  7.8km

Cross Trainng ~~~~~

Yesterday :  strength exercises and walk dogs.

TODAY :  CT :  Stationary cycling

10 min easy
10 min tempo
2 min easy
3 min Hard
5 min easy.

....and took Amy and Oscar for a walk in the goat and cow paddocks.  Funny thing about Amy ...she's frightened of all dogs no matter how small, but with the goats she has no fear; wanders around in their paddock and even gets up close and personal!  They don't seem to mind her either; just give her a sniff and walk away!

Funny little thing!

Range Road ~~~ Long Run!

Well, if ever there's a test of fitness, or un in my case, it's doing a long run on Old South Road and Range Road!  F.I.R.S.T. programs put a lot of emphasis in running the 3 Key Workouts according to definite paces, each based on a recent 5km time.  At present, I'm using 40 minutes for 5km which meant the long run is done at 9:28m/k!!  Easy...until you try it going up steep hills all the way!

I haven't been on Old South or Range Roads in ages, but this morning I thought I was fit enough to scale the heights with ease!  WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! I walked most of the way until past the 4km mark, by which time I was right outside the new Abbey Nursing Home which, considering my condition at this stage, seemed an apt place to call into!  It hasn't been opened yet but at the front entrance the huge glass doors slid open and, before I knew it, I had stepped inside.

 It felt like I'd walked straight into heaven! "I'm in heaven!" I said in a faint whisper.  No one in sight as I crept over the plush carpet, past the state-of the-art Reception Area, along a brightly painted corridor, windows decorated with beautiful curtains, walls hung with large paintings; lounge rooms to lounge in, in super-large comfortable chairs, a modern library room.....no wonder I thought I was in heaven!  Closed doors along the corridors were just another temptation to peek inside...and I did.  Large, bright rooms as yet unfurnished, built-ins and best of all....a large bathroom and large, roomy shower. Ewen would have no reason to complain about this!  Views were onto either pretty water-fountain courtyards or overlooking the countryside.  Had there been a bed in any room, I think I would have stayed.....for the rest of the day at least!

Creeping out as stealthily as I'd entered, I met a work person putting some final touches before next month's opening.  No surprise at seeing me; chatted for a while before I was out the sliding glass doors, under the huge portico and on my way back to reality with another 2.5km uphill before turning around at Nanna's Lane.  Very pleased I made the detour (on left of map) and happy for those who will soon be transferred from the dreary old building to these bright new surroundings.

On the return down-hill section, I stopped to chat with a cyclist pushing his bike up Old South Road, too steep to ride.  He said I should try running up it, as I skidded to a halt beside him...the nerve!  I stuck out my chest and said disdainfully, "I've already done that this morning!" to which  he seemed suitably impressed! He'd cycled in From Robertson...about 60km all together.

Back at the school, I flaked out on the grass;  my quads and hip joints were screeeeeeming!  By tonight and tomorrow, I expect they will be screaming even more loudly.  Anyhow, the run was done one way or another, mostly 'another', and I was so pleased to be back in what I believe to be one of the most beautiful parts of my local area.  Unlike the new nursing home, it really is heaven!

13 Hilly Kilometres with a look in The Abbey.

: 13km
Stretches (from F.I.R.S.T. Training) at finish.
Avg. Pace 10:28m/k!!
Avg. Heart Rate 118/75% 
5km splits : 57:59;   46:45 ( 31:17 3km)

Going Up!

Top of first hill her

Heavenly Changing Autumn Colours!

At the "Abbey"

Around the Abbey

Across the Fields on Range Road

Turn Back!

Down hill at last!

Going Down!

 
For this week, counting only the 3 Key Workouts : 27.6km

The Day 'OFF' ~~~~~

That's what my half marathon program says : Friday, "Off".  Nevertheless, I did a brisk 4km walk on a surprisingly cold morning.  Also went through one set of the recommended strength exercises in the F.I.R.S.T. "Run Less Run Faster" book, revised edition.

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Another very warm day...warmer still by the time I got out at 10:30am...nice breeze.  Don't know why I keep thinking today is a Sunday?!

Tempo Run : 10km
3.5k easy
5km (based on 40min 5km..8:10m/k)
1.5km easy.

From school, Renwick and back.

5 of 10km

  5km in 38:31
7:26;  7:49;  7:49;  7:48;  7:31  (finished ahead of VP!)
F.I.R.S.T. stretches 

Today : 10km

CT and Odd Jobs ~~~~~

Cross Training : Taken from F.I.R.S.T. Training Programs

Stationary Cycling :
10 min easy
3 x (2 min hard, 2 min easy)
10 min easy.

Odd Jobs :
Mowed the front lawns
Spead wood shavings over the floor of the goats' house
Fed goats, cows and calf
Baked batch oatmeal and Raisin Cookies
Walked Amy and Oscar

Showered and sat down for the first time today now at 4:00pm to enjoy cookie and chocolate milk!! 

Tomorrow....tempo run.

    

Back to Track ~~~~

At Chevalier College, Bowral, the only mowed sections were the markings for the soccer field, so I did  the warm-up on the rectangle as the rest of the oval was damp and the grass long.  Almost finished the warm-up when the groundsman arrived on his mower and offered to clear a track for me to use.....I accepted gladly and he mowed a perfect 400m track!  So good of him!

Program for Today :
10-20 min warm-up
4x400m in 3:03 (for now based on F.I.R.S.T. 40 min 5km time) 
10 min cool-down

Having returned to a slower 5km time for now, these repeats were not too difficult, but after a week or more off with shingles, 4 repeats were quite enough!

My 400m track.

2km warm-up + 4 strides with drills

2:36;  2:39;  2:36;  2:31......90 sec RI between each.

1km cool-down + stretches  

For Today : 4.6km 

 

After Easter ~~~~~

~~~~and after shingles!  Back to where I left off on my half marathon program, which seems to be nothing much more than start, stop, start, stop, start!




Today,  Cross Training  : Plus   11 "Key Strength Running Exercises", F.I.R.S.T. Half Marathon Program..




30 min Stationary Cycling :
10 min easy
10 min tempo
10 min easy.

"The Goat House"....Finished!

This morning I helped Steve (teacher at school) finish the goat house by drilling in the last few bolts!

Here it is : 

Awaiting new residents...."The Goat House"...completed 15th April, 2014!

Shingles!

Yes, Shingles!!  Awful thing and very painful! 


Nearly 14 years ago I had the first real attack of shingles and ever since, every now and again, it flares up most horribly!  The past 2 weeks has been one of those times and probably one of the worst recurrences....stabbing, burning pain in my right upper arm, armpit and shoulder blade.  At night it has been intolerable and the only relief has been from holding ice cubes against the skin to reduce the blood flow and consequently the pain.


This morning I sought advice from the pharmacist and now have an ointment which should give some relief.  It's called Xylocaine and I've used it years ago, but didn't know it could now be bought without a prescription.  Hopefully, tonight will be better than last night when I sat in bed, holding ice cubes to the area till around 2:00a.m.!


I can't run until this episode clears.  'Someone' is against me lately!

I did find time, in spite of shingles, to help with stage 2 of The Goat Shed!

Apprentice builder on The Goat Shed!

The Rain Stopped ~~~~~

.....just long enough for me to walk to and back from the school this morning.  Now, at mid-day, the skies are darkening and raining very soon.  Went into the classrooms to wish all a happy Easter and then the same for the goats and cows!

 

A shelter is being built for the goats and the kids that will be born mid-winter and I'm helping by encouragement and holding posts steady and tramping in surrounding earth!  Next time, I'll take a photo of the 4 posts that now stand as testament to my efforts and then the various stages of construction! 

Today :  4km

 The start of The Goat Shed!

This is 'Mara' and that's the sound she makes!

That's 'Daisy-May with her calf 'Missy, almost as big as her mum!

"Anyone Home?"

Peek-a-boo!

I call her "Old Sheep"

Time Trial....Supposedly!

The less said the better! 


I was carrying bag of potatoes on my back......no, for sure.


I was raining, but that's no excuse.


I did too many drills yesterday.....I don't think so.


I had too large a Thai meal last night.....I'm sure so!


..I walked half the distance and that's all I'm saying!


The program was;
2km warm-up
5km...@ 7:23m/k
1km cool-down.

For today:  8km...jog/walk

5k of 8km

Not Just Easy ~~~~~

~~~~~  very easy!   Has to be extra easy if I'm to do any good at all in between two hard days :  yesterday, track; tomorrow, tempo run.


This morning at the school soccer field I did a short warm-up followed by 1 set of Magill drills with a stride between each drill, over a distance not quite 100m; short jog cool-down followed by a visit to the cows and goats!  I sat for a while and watched the calf hungrily taking in a flat white happily provided by her mother, Daisy-May!






 It's good to sit sometimes and do nothing, absolutely nothing.




In all :  3km

Track at Chev College

An overcast and humid morning.  The grounds at Chev muddy from soccer matches.  Ran on the least muddy section..i.e. where markings were for the outside of the soccer field...a rectangle!

The Program was :
10-20 min warm-up
400m (2:44);  600m (4:08); 800m (5:32); 1200m (8:23); 800m;  600m;  400m...times based on 36min 5km F.I.R.S.T. training.
10 min cool-down.

With increasing difficulty, I ran following times:
2:44; 4:04;  5:28;  8:19;  5:34;  4:06;  2:38  (1.5k warm-up + strides; 1km cool-down)

First running in a week, so no wonder I felt like I was about to collapse!

I can't transfer my map from Garmin Connect to Google Earth...something has gone wrong and I can't fix it!

For today : 8.3km

Feelin' Better!

Should be good to trot by tomorrow.  This reaction to flu shot has been very unexpected and annoying!

Feelin' Fluey!

Earlier this week I had the flu shot...like I always do around this time of year but for the first time I've had some side effects : headache, sore throat, tired etc. and sleeping like a log!  As a result, I didn't get to do the usual tempo run on Thursday or today's longer run. 

Will write the week off and start again on Monday.

Half Marathon Training Begins ~~~~~

   Sixteen weeks to Southern Highlands Challenge where I've entered the half marathon on August 31st.

Not having run for the past 2 days might have something to do with finding today's track session tough...very tough!

The program for today:

10-20 min warm-up....I did 1.5k + strides
12x400m in 2:44......based on F.I.R.S.T. 5km time of 36min.
90 sec. Recoveries
10 min cool-down....did 1k, exhausted!!

The oval had been marked out for soccer and I couldn't find MY little track!  Instead, I ran along the rectangle mowed low for soccer, while the rest of the oval was wet with some long, sticky grass.

2:47;  2:45;  2:39;  2:42;  2:43;  2:43;  2:44;  2:46;  2:44;  2:47;  2:48;  2:48....slower and slower!

I can't easily recall a training session like this one.....completely done in!

For today:  7.3km

Tempo Run ~~~~

I was a little disappointed, not so much in the time, but more about how I felt!  I stopped a few times for a couple of seconds when I was out of breath.  I shouldn't have expected this as the Garmin  -  and VP!  -  were set at 7:23 m/k as per program.  Anyhow, it happened, but I was quite cross with myself!

Program:
1.5km warm-up
5km @ ST pace (7:23 based on 36min 5km)
1.5km cool-down.

A cold and windy morning, few raindrops while running, just finished ahead of a downpour.

Splits:  7:26;    7:31;    7:25;    7:34;    7:22
AHR 73-84%/115-133

5km

Today:  8km

Track With VP ~~~~~

Surprise, Surprise!  The forecast rain didn't happen and the sun was out!  In case a change was on the way, I was at Chevalier College track by 9:30 by which time the sun had gone, cloud and humidity set in.  VP was allowed to run again this morning and, having been beaten by him in last Thursday's tempo run, I was determined to keep him well in the background today!

Program :
10-20 min warm-up  (I did 1km & few strides)

4 x 1200m in 8:23 (6:59m/k)....based on 36 min  F.I.R.S.T. 5km time.

10 min cool-down (I did 1km + stretches)....

......and the results are : 
 8:22 (6:59m/k);    8:19 (6:56m/k);    8:12 (6:51m/k);    8:01 (6:41m/k).
YES....YES...YES....and YES!!!!

I ran with a close eye on VP and fast enough just to stay ahead, which turned out that I could have run each repeat faster as none of them felt at all like hard work!  I did push the last 1200m a bit though, a final crushing blow for Virtual Partner!

Today: 6.8km ...Hurray!
 

Stormy Weather ~~~

Pleased that today was an intended rest day!   Heavy storms all morning, but no hail this time.  Tomorrow's track session should be a good slog through swampy grass!

I Am Going.......

....No, not to the Lordie quite yet!  Last night I had a long talk to myself after being distraught for most of the day, that I'd try a 5km run this morning and if I went under 40 minutes I'd do Park Run 5km in Canberra, Saturday 29th; if I went over 40 minutes, I might just as well go to 'Lordie'!

I did a 1km warm-up starting at the school, where I asked the cows and goats to stay on their knees and pray....or I wouldn't come back to feed them later! 1km cool-down.

I had VP set for 7:00m/k, but knowing I probably wasn't going to win that one.....and I didn't. He finished 168m in front of me, damn!

So to cut a short story of a short run even shorter :

I went under 40 minutes!  38:28.

So, weather, physical and natural disasters permitting, I'll run Lake Gininnderra 5km this coming Saturday, 29th.  It's an important date for another reason as well :  next day, April 1st, I start the 18 weeks F.I.R.S.T. half marathon program.  Of course, it would be April Fool's Day, wouldn't it?

5km TT

Total 7km

Longer and Slower~~~~~

I returned to Diamond Fields Road today, first time since I tore the medial meniscus there, so I was super careful not to trip over rocks etc.  It's still such a quiet, beautiful place to run; not a soul in sight.  However, I was very disappointed in my run which involved walking the hills and took over 90 minutes to finish! Back at the start, I sat on the grass and cried with disappointment!  What a wimp I am, but I was so exhausted and disappointed in myself, I couldn't stop the tears!

Anyhow .......hours later!

10.5km

42.8 for the week.

Walk Day ~~~~

Easy one after yesterday's hard effort!  Walk from home to school : talk to the animals; walk home.

4km total.