Road Intervals ~~~~~ 1000m

Yesterday, Monday, I was tired after the 9kBridge Run on Sunday and I wasn't holding out much hope getting back with a track on road session this morning.  Surprisingly, I felt really good and was ahead of VP for all the repeats!

2km warm-up ... walked 1km, jogged 1km.

4 x 1000m @ 6:57m/k .... I did 3 that I was happy with and left it at that!

6:36;      7:00;      6:44

400m RI

1km cool down walking. 

Plenty of water in paddocks

1km stretch of road

1km road repeats here.

I didn't expect to run as well as I did and feel good at the same time!  Maybe I need a 'Bridge Run' more often to get the sparks flying!

Sydney Running Festival ~~~~~

9km Bridge Run:

1:05:17
TE 3.0 ~~ Improving!

Splits:

7:12;  7:06:  6:50;  7:46;  7:11;  7:21;  7:31;  8:00;  6:15

Had a good run; 2 minutes faster than same event last year!  Age category W80+ : 1st place!!

Easy Run ~~~~

Over to Bowral Parkrun course as usual on Thursdays where the vilest wind imaginable was blowing!An easy 5km before Blackmores 9km Bridge run on Sunday, leaving Saturday for Sydney's Amora Hotel, Jamison Street.

5km in 37:47
AHR 77-86% of Max.
TE  2.0 ..  Maintaining.

Bridge Run, here I come again!!

Chev Track ~~~~

Chev paddock is more correct .. no lanes and damp clumps of grass!  I kept to the fence inside the oval and did the best I could.

Program:
10-20 min warm-up

5 x 400m in 2:44 (6:50m/k)

400m RI

2:52;    2:38;    2:29;    2:32;    2:36

One more run on Thursday before Blackmores 5km Bridge Run, Sunday.

A Slow Tempo Run ~~~~~

Parkrun course this morning; cycle path clear of water; grass hill some muddy sections.

Had a horrible run!  Felt a bit sick on the tummy!

Bowral Parkrun 'C' Course

Just Drills ~~~~

In the school soccer field:

1 Set Pete Magill drills with alternating strides.
Backwards running between each drill to start!!

Track that didn't happen! ~~~~~~

Just kept running out of breath and having to stop this morning.  Too much birthday party last night!

Should have run:
5x800m ..... started one but couldn't keep running without having to stop to get breath.

Tried:
3 x 400m ....  got through that but took stops when out of breath!

Finally:
Short cool-down jog & home!

Probably would have been of more use to have just gone for an easy run!  Who knows?  I have a rest day tomorrow, but might do a set of Magill drills after leaving school at 10:30am.

Long Run ~~~~~ Diamond Fields Road.

Program today: 10km

Ran along Diamond Fields  Road starting at the Highlands School and back to school 5km out &  5km back.

After yesterday's really tough Bowral Parkrun in awful conditions, I started to feel tired at around 7km but jogged on to finish the 10km on my program.  Not long now till Blackmores 9km Bridge Run on September, 18!

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

#64 for me and one of my slowest!  Conditions here, as just about everywhere this weekend, pretty dreadful.  It was so windy, so wet and so muddy from start to finish! 

5km in 38:13!!
Age grade  83.99%!    

Another Easy Distance Run ~~~~~

Much the same as yesterday.  Bowral Parkrun course.  Big difference in my legs today as opposed to Tuesday surprisingly!  Meaning they had little or no energy this morning!  Lots of walk breaks as a result, but picked up the pace for about the last 10 minutes.  Beautiful warm start to Spring!

Program:
50-75 min easy running

I did 40 minutes!

Long Easy Distace Run ~~~~

Program:
50 -75 min easy run

Started at Briars Inn - to Moss Vale end of cycle path - to Oxley end - back up grassy hill to Briars.  Lovely run in  serene surroundings!

I did 78 minutes ... TE 2.0 .Maintaining

Long Run ~~~~~

From Highlands School, Diamond Fields Road and back to school.  Shocking cold wind!  Haven't had dry retching when running in ages, but I did this morning .... such an awful sick feeling - forced to walk the last 3km while Leah went ahead to complete her run in preparation for her half marathon at Blackmores Sydney Running Festival, Sept. 18.  Just as well I'm only running the 9km Bridge Run!

14km in 2:08:35
TE 2.3  -  Maintaining!

Road Intervals ~~~~~

Parked in Renwick and set off from there to surrounding roads.

15 min warm-up (not on map)
10-20 x 30 secs. @ 6:15m/k
RI 1 min jog.
No cool-down!

I've no idea how many repeats I did; lost count after 10!  I don't know why I enjoyed this session so much!  Maybe it was too easy, but I felt really good when I'd finished ... better after a session than I have felt in a while .... quite perked up and alive for a change!!

Road Intervals

Wake up lazy legs! ~~~~~

After a horribly slow Bowral Parkrun on Saturday (37:03!!), the good half hamstring on my left leg was aching on Sunday, so no long run that day either.  Any time I run on concrete always leaves my entire left leg in some pain and all but about 500m of grassy hill is concrete.

To get my legs moving again, after school this morning, I did 1 set Magill drills with alternating strides after a warm-up jog and finished with a short cool-down walk.  On road in Scarlet Street.

Fatal accident on Moss Vale Road this morning.  I had to detour back along Eridge Park Road, then drove via Osborne Street to the Oxley College end of our Bowral parkrun course.  5km and through a flooded section of pathway to check on the grass hill being dry enough to use this Saturday.  I think it is.

The accident was an horrific sight and had huge police and rescue units in place all clearly visible from the cycle path.  Later news told of a 69 year old man killed and a 49 year old man seriously injured and airlifted to hospital.  Stark reminder of how quickly a life can end on the roads.

I had to do 6 x 90 seconds hill repeats and I did those on the grassy hill after inspecting it for water, mud etc. After that, and watching the helicopters take off, another 5km including the large puddle again, back to where I began at Oxley end of the cycle path.  That meant a total of 10km, 5k more than I'd intended for today!

Chev Track ~~~~~

Not a good workout; oval boggy from rain and made worse from footballers!  All reps were too slow, but I tied and couldn't run any faster; as it was, it was damn hard!

Warm-up + couple strides
6 - 12 x 400m ...in 2:24...I did 6!
90 sec RI
Stretches to finish.

2:40;   2:41;   2:40;   2:44;   2:47;   2:53

Easy Long Distance ~~~~~

Program:

2 - 2.5 hrs easy running. 
I did the minimum .... 2 hours 2minutes 10 seconds!

Started at school, Diamond Fields Road to where it ends and back to school.  Stunning morning!  As usual on D.F. Road, the surface was rough and strewn with rocks and stones so the aim was to do the time on feet without face-planting!  Long time since I've run anything over 10km but felt really good, only a couple of walk breaks, ran all hills, and there were plenty of them, except for part of a really long one which I walked.  Finished feeling 14k was about as far as my hammie was happy to run!

14km in 2:02:10
8:43m/k
AHR 80-92% of max.
Avg. Cadence 165 spm
TE ~~  2.8 = Maintaining!

...... this morning's run on Diamond Fields Road .....

On Bowral Parkrun Course ~~~~

While checking out the improvement or otherwise of the grassy hill this morning, I then ran along the cycle path to do today's 'sort of' extra track session:

Warm-up
12x 200m @ 6:15m/k...with RI
Cool-down

I did 2km warm-up out along cycle path

Too much distraction trying to see every 200m on Garmin.  Ran what I thought would be 200m with easy jogging RI keeping an eye on VP and pace for the 200s instead of distance.  Ahead of VP for each but not sure of how many I ran!

Our grassy hill still has a couple of wet sections, so guessing it's back to Course B again this Saturday.

Cruise Intervals ~~~~~

Warm, sunny morning; ran on Scarlet St instead of Chev. track.  Quiet street, bitumen surface, fairly flat.  Better than the rough grass on Chev track oval.  Repeat of last Tuesday's track with better results!

Program:
1k warm-up
4-8 x 1000m  VP @ 7m/k.   .... I did 4!
1min approx. RI walking around
1k cool-down.

Scarlet Street

7:05 (TE 1.9);  6:46 (TE 1.9);  6:55 (TE 2.1);  6:48 (TE 2.6)

What a Mess! ~~~~

It was raining lightly and cold at Chev track this morning.  The oval was like a ploughed paddock, not just from the rain but adding to that, the football games being played on it.  My attempt at running was just as messy! It turned out to be a very disappointing session with all repeats much slower than the pace in program and I only got the distance right in the last one!

Program: 
Warm-up; couple drills
4 - 6 times 1000m  ... I did 4!
7:15.. based on Parkrun 5km time of 36 minutes

Results as follows:

7:30;   7:47;  7:21;   8:13

I never know if anything at all is achieved on this sort of day, in this kind of weather on a soggy, uneven surface, but I hate quitting before trying and I did the best I could.

The 4th and Last 1000m Repeat

Long Run ~~~

Today, one of the windiest this winter so far, and cold!  Walked a few of the hills and the last 1.5km which was straight into the wind. Leah ran with me.

From School, Diamond Fields Road and back:

10km (90 mins run/walk)

AHR 70-87% of max.

TE    2.1....Maintaining!

Repeats at Chevalier College Oval ~~~~~

The oval was rough and muddy in parts but got the session done as best I could with ground conditions not the best.  Lane markings barely visible, so just ran anywhere!

20x30 sec. 1min RI

Program :
Warm-up
10 -20 times 30 secs @ 1500m pace
1 min RI between each
Cool-down & stretches

I did 20 x 30 secs....counting reps. and keeping an eye on Garmin for times is quite a challenge for me!
1min jog Recovery Interval after every fast 30 seconds
Few stretches to finish.

I did this session as one continuous run.

Sunday and Monday ~~~~

Both days I've been doing easy running on different sections of our Bowral Parkrun course. No Garmin and I felt lost without it, but left it at home on purpose.  Both runs were to see if the water was receding and how much of the cycle path was clear so that Saturday's RD can post which course we'll be using. Today was much better than yesterday except for the cold wind; water drying out and it's looking like course 'B' will be the one for this Saturday.  Another check on Thursday should do it!

Bowral Parkrun Cancelled!

All three of our courses, A, B and C were either waterlogged or had dangerous branches falling.  Disappointing but the right call considering the terrible windy conditions throughout the whole area.

Hill Repeats ~~~~~ on Bowral Parkrun Course

Program: 6 x 90 seconds
Walk down RI
Warm-up jog from Briars to Hoskins Reserve and back.
TE 1.4  minor!

The entire hill, from top to bottom was either mud or water or both!  Even the steepest section where I did the reps was slippery and muddy and wet!

I check out the course each Thursday during winter so that the RD can decide which course to use the following Saturday.  So far, we have Courses 'A', 'B, and 'C'.  Both  A and C use the hill so both those are out this weekend.  Instead, we'll be using B this Saturday and it starts at Hoskins Reserve about 500m down the road from Briars towards Moss Vale.  From there, it's doubling out and back on the cycle path.  Most dislike it because of all the extra turnarounds but it's dry and, more importantly, where a PB is more likely with no hill to climb at the finish!

One of several 'lakes' on the parkrun hill

Easy Jog/Walk ~~~~

My program had 50 -70 minutes easy distance run for today but my legs said otherwise!  Light rain.

30 minutes easy jog
20 minutes walking

50 mins jog/walk

Chev. Track ~~~~ Tuesday.

I failed to get anywhere near what the progrm said I should do!


After a warm-up


12-20 x 400m @ 10k pace.  Looking that up on the pace chart, 2:52 (7:10m/k)


After just 7 reps I'd had it!  Did usual stretches and went home.


2:53;   2:53;   2:51;   2:51;   2:52;  3:03;  3:04


Tomorrow's easy run is going to be very easy!

Westies Joggers "Festival of the Feet" ~~~~ Sunday

I did the 7km with my friend from Bowral parkrun, Jo, but she was much faster than I!  A hard, hilly course that I can remember well from when I used run their half marathons.


7km in 58:06
Avg pace 8:01
Splits:  7:28; 7:41;  8:09;  8:20; 8:16;  8:05;  8:04
TE  2.6 =  Maintining


4th of 4 in 70+ age category!!
1st 43:21
2nd 45:41
3rd 55:23
4th 56:07 ...me!!

7km course

Easy Distance Run ~~~~~

Lovely, sunny morning and no wind!


Today's Program:
30 -70 minutes easy running.




I did 60 minutes
Diamond Fields Road
Avg Pace 8:57m/k
AHR 74%-86% of max.
TE  2.0 = Maintaining.


Made this run/jog very easy .... Parkrun tomorrow.  Westies Joggers 7km Fun Run Sunday.

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Ran  on our Bowral Prkrun course and OMG the wind was icy running downhill for a warm-up!!  The lower section is muddy and wet which should make for some fun on Saturday!


My program :
2 x 10 minutes (7:15m/k)
3 min jog RI between


500m jog downhill warm-up!
10 mins @ 7:29m/k  TE  2.5 Maintaining
3 min jog
10 mins @ 7:10m/k  TE  2.6 Maintaining
500m uphill cool-down.

Course 'A' ..... not being used for now!  We have 'B' and 'C' when needed!

Track at Chev. College ~~~

Sunny, but with a cold wind.


Program for Today:
Warm-up
 12 - 16 x 200m (in 1:16 or 6:20m/k based on my 35 min for 5km at Parkrun)
200m RI jog
Cool-down.


I did 12 x 200m
1:13;  1:13;  1:14;  1:14;  1:18;  1:18;  1:13;  1:13;  1:14;  1:15; 1:14;  1:13.


12 repeats were enough!  A fairly hard session.  Grass track dry, but spongy.

Easy Distance Run ~~~~

Cold and windy on Diamond Fields Road and plenty of loose stones after rain.
TEnty of loose stones after rain.


Easy Distance Run 60 -75 minutes
9:33-10:56 m/k ... based on my 5km time of 35mins. 


70 minutes
8:50m/k avg.
AHR 75-92% of max.
TE   2.0  Maintaining!

Diamond Fields Road/Buckmans Lane

Week 1, Day 1, of 6 week training for 10km.

Sunday Distance Run ~~~~~

Diamond Fields Road.


9km

TE 1.3 Minor!

Bowral Parkrun ~~~ My 60th run!

Only 40 more to reach the magic 100!  This morning I was a few seconds slower than last Saturday.  I was so out of breath towards the top of the hill, I had to take a short walk break ... and there went 8 seconds!


5km in 35:48 ......   89.86% Age Graded
AHR 89-97% of Max.
Avg. Cadence 170spm
Avg. Pace 7:15m/k


TE  2.9 ... Maintaining!


6:58;    7:05;    7:04;    7:11;    7:31

Wearing my 50th parkrun Tshirt!

Easy Day ~~~~

Always something easy the day before Bowral Parkrun.  This morning, it was .....


10 min easy jog warm-up
1 set Magill drills with strides
10 min jog/walk cool-down.

Tempo Run ~~~~

On our Bowral Parkrun course:


2 x 10min @ 7:10m/k
3 min jog RI between.


Did 10 min warm-up jog along cycle path
Uphill jog cool-down.


Results of this session lost somewhere between my Garmin and Garmin Connect.  I know from looking at the Garmin while running, that I was ahead of VP for both sections.

Distance Run ~~~~~

This week's program seems to be mostly running with no track and just one tempo session.  OK with that, but running in such cold, windy weather for me is twice as hard as on a better day.  Home and totally exhausted; surprised I felt so "done in" for the rest of today, especially unexpected after a good night's sleep and not covering much distance. So very tired and stiff.   Has to be the very cold weather!


Distnce Run:
50 - 75 minutes. Through Renwick and surrounds.


I did 75 min.... 9km
Avg. pace 8:30m/k
TE  Improving!

75 minutes run.

My 59th Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

To avoid a flooded section on the cycle path, our RD, Barry, set out an alternative course in the shape of a 'T'.  I liked it, not so much to avoid the water and wet feet, but more because after the 2nd turnaround, it felt much quicker getting back to the start!


My 59th Bowral Parkrun:
35:40 ...9 secs better than last week!
Avg. pace 7:16m/k
Avg. Cadence 170spm
AHR 86-97% of max.


TE ~~~~~  3.7 .....Improving!


Age Graded 90.00%


7:01;   7:07;   7:14;   7:07;   7:11

Course 'C'

Easy Distance Run on Bowral Parkrun Course ~~~

Worst conditions ever!  Fierce and bitterly cold wind; soggy grass hill and a huge puddle across the cycle path ... with worse to come at the weekend.  I check out our parkrun course on Thursdays during winter so that the RD can then decide to use an alternate course on Saturday if necessary.  That is under way right now and we'll know tomorrow where to run on Saturday.


8km from Briars to end of cycle path and back. through the slush and ankle deep water.

 Need say no more!

Road Intervals ~~~~~

.....  except they weren't on road.  Ran on grass track at Chev instead where it was freezing cold and blowing a hurricane!  Got through the session and back home as fast as possible.


10 -20 times 30 seconds @ 1500m effort (6:32m/k for me)
1 min RI


I did a warm-up of about 10 min.
20 x 30 seconds ..... all under 6:32m/k
60 sec RI
Few stretches ... into the car & home!

Long Run ~~~~~

60 -75 minutes on program.....


From school, Diamond Fields Road and return to school.  Cool with light, steady rain ..... perfect conditions for a longer run.  Took a few walk breaks so as not to overwork hamstring on such a hilly course.


90 minutes
10km
AHR 72-90% of Max.
TE  2.8 ...Maintaining.

Bowral Parkrun ~~~ My 58th ~~~~~

BROKE THE 36 MINUTE BARRIER ....first time since returning to running after hamstring injuries.  VP set to finish in 35:55!  Rain held off and conditions were ideal for an attack on 36 minutes!


Made it in  35:49!


7:13m/k
AHR 88-96%


TE  3.9..... Improving!  Nearly got to 'Highly Improving' at 4.0.


Splits :     7:04;     7:10;     7:12;     7:07;     7:10


First run in weeks that I felt so good the entire distance, not that it was easy but not the struggle it has been lately.  Must be the 3 days training including the hill repeats I did yesterday!

Hill Repeats ~~~~~

On Bong Bong Road .....  Short warm-up from school to bottom of hill:


6 x 90 seconds
Walk down


Cool-down walk back to school.


Ok but not easy!

Easy Distance Run ~~~~~

Bowral Parkrun course today to check on cycle path.  All puddles, bar one, have dried up. The very large one last Saturday has shrunk and provided there's little or no rain tomorrow, all good for Saturday.


Today: 8.14km (1hr)
TE 3.4 ....  Improving!
Felt sluggish!


Lovely morning along such a pretty course.

 

Rest ~~~~~

I let today's easy distance run go.  Myleft leg, is aching badly after track ysterday.  With just half of the hamstring muscles working in that leg, this is going to be an ongoing problem of which I'm going to have to be very careful in the future and so, when it tells me to step back a day or two, I'll do just that!


After this morning at school, therefore, I enjoyed sitting in the sun reading instead of running.  Tomorrow, I have to check out our Bowral parkrun course in order to let RD know if flooded cycle path is clear... or not!

Track Session ~~~~

Chev. College track where the lines from the athletics carnival are still visible ... barely!  Cold and windy in spite of the sunny morning. All track is hard!


Warm-up + few drills etc
12 x 400m in 2:53 (7:10m/k) ... based on 36min for 5km
400m RI
Cool-down + few stretches.


I did 6 of the 12 repeats and that was enough!  Breathing difficult in cold weather and I have 3 consecutive days of running ahead before Saturday's parkrun.  Hamstring OK but that leg still aches (like toothache!) after every run!  Being careful ... I hope!

400m.. Chevalier College track.

2:46;   2:44;   2:47;   2:45;   2:44;   2:42

Longer Run ~~~~~

I'd almost forgotten how lovely Diamond Fields Road is; such a long time since running there, but I was back today for a long(ish) run or rather... a longer time on feet but not distance.

60 - 120 minutes easy running.


I did 73 minutes  .... hilly course!
AHR 71-87% of max.
TE 2.3 Maintaining.


Good to spend a longer time running than I've been doing recently and it's much needed too!  Back to Sunday runs from now on.

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~ 57 for me!

I forgot to update my blog with Thursday's tempo run and, going by this morning's disappointing parkrun, I might just as well have stayed in bed!


Thursday's tempo run:
2 x 10 minutes (7:27m/k based on my 36 min 5k time for now): Avg Paces 8:09 & 7:27 m/k
3 min jog RI
2k warm-up & 2km cool-down ...this was OK!


I did the tempo run on our Bowral Parkrun  course so as to provide an update on the flooded cycle path ... it was still flooded in a few sections then, and as it was this morning for parkrun, but only 1 section ankle deep with the others drying out.  Grassy hill had a few muddy patches as well, so wet shoes and socks from the start.


Today's Parkrun .... felt slow...was slow!  In fact slowest time since returning to running after hamstring injuries! 


5km in 38:30.... age graded 83.38%
Avg pace 7:43m/k
7:30;  7:30; 7:39;  7:39;  8:09


TE 3.6...Improving!?


Hoping for better next week!

Finishing on an 'off' day!

Easy Distance Run ~~~~~

I decided to check out our parkrun course after all the rain and flooding and it wasn't looking too hopeful for the water to clear before Saturday.  The lower section of the grass hill is like a quagmire and the cycle path has three sections where there is no other option but to splash through.  However, with the strong winds blowing, it could improve by Saturday.  Tempo run tomorrow on same course.


Easy Run
60 minutes
7km
AHR 71-84% of Max.
TE  2.5  ~~~Maintaining!




One of three puddles on the course.

Track on Road ~~~~

I knew there was no use driving to Chev track this morning; it would have been well and truly under water.  Instead I drove and left the car in Renwick and then walked to where I knew I had a sheltered stretch of road on Scarlet Street.  Here I measured a flat 200m and used that for repeats.

200m track!

2km warm-up jog/walk from car to Scarlet Street.
12 - 16 x 200m @ 1500m effort .... for me, based on recent 5km time of 36min, 1:18 each rep.
RI 1-2min...I did slow jog back to start.
2km walk cool-down back to car.

12x200m ~~~~~  1.19; 1.14; 1.13; 1.10;1;08; 1;08; 1.08; 1.08; 1.07; 1.08; 1,08; 1.07.


12 of 16 repeats were enough!

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

What a Day!  Heavy rain and strong wind!  Awful down on the cycle path, but still a lot of fun and laughs from the eight of us who turned up to run under such terrible conditions, as well as the two volunteers who timed us.  Surprised to see a large pelican in a paddock beside the course and wonder where it flew in from... or was blown in!


5km in 36:25 
Age Graded 85.79

On your mark ......!!

Only time I'll ever get a podium finish as 2nd female across the finish line today!  2 female and 6 male competitors and not a PB amongst us!  It was a lot of fun and I was so pleased I'd got up from my lovely warm bed and braved the conditions with a few other like-minded enthusiastic crazies!

Hill Repeats ~~~~~

Clariville Street ... not too steep.  All ok.


10 min warm-up jog.
 8 x 45 seconds uphill.
Walk down between each.
10 min cool-down brisk walking.

A Little Longer Distance Run ~~~~

  A heavy fog across Bowral and the Parkrun course this morning.  Nevertheess, a good run past our turnaround to the end of the cycle path, right into Railway Road Burradoo, past Oxley College, right into Sullivan Road and down a steep path to rejoin the cycle path and back to the Briars where I began.


9km in 72 minutes
TE 3.1 Improving!


I hope to build on this longer distance on Thursdays to regain some indurance/fitness and then another shorter run on Sundays.

9km Bowral Parkrun Course Plus!