Bowral Parkrun #22 ~~~~~

Definitely should have stayed in bed! I wasn't expecting to be so completely annihilated :  couldn't breathe, couldn't run, couldn't stop coughing and stomach cramps the entire time.  This bug is taking its toll nearly 2 weeks later; nevertheless, after having tried out on Thursday, I really thought today might be better.  Instead I came home with a blazing headache and stomach cramps.  I showered and went to bed for a couple of hours.  No idea how I'll tackle this coming week; just wait and see, I suppose, how I feel from one day to the next.

I must have looked nearly as bad as I felt because another runner insisted I sit down and brought me a glass of water, asked if I'd like a cup of tea at the Briars and then offered to drive me home! The water was welcome; couldn't stomach tea and drove home without crashing!  The same runner has since phoned to see how I am......a very kind Parkrunner indeed!

Getting sick is such a pain!

Today 5km in 36:20

AHR 81%;   MHR  89% .....much too high for mostly walking pace.
Splits : 6:35;  7:01;  7:15;  7:27;  8:00  

Missed the Whole Week ~~~~~

Never had a common cold like this one!  Nothing 'common' about it either; it was a very superior sort of cold!  Kept me in bed a couple of days and housebound the entire week, until this morning I just had to get out to see if my legs still knew what to do when asked!  To do this I drove across to Bowral Parkrun course where I hope to reappear on Saturday without falling in a heap!

I jogged/walked the 5km taking several breaks to use my puffer and ease my breathing which sounded like that of a rusty old steam train.   I hope not to make these noises on Saturday!  I was very slow, didn't look at the Garmin at all and, despite some early breaks, I didn't stop at all on the final climb.

Today:  5km in 37:20
Avg. pace 7:35 m/k
AHR 118 (74%);   MHR 141 (88%)

TE 2.5 ~~~ Maintaining.

Missed Bowral Parkrun #21 ~~~~~

I'm down and out with a monster sore throat and head cold!

 OK till about 7 pm last night when I suddenly felt sick which isn't the way I usually start a cold;  in fact I didn't think I had a cold at all until the sore throat kicked in a few hours later.  Now, Saturday, I'm staying inside, all the while sneezing, blowing and feeling miserable!  By resting all weekend, I'm hoping to be fit to run next week......fingers crossed!

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Today's tempo run :

1.5km easy
1.5km @ ST (short tempo) pace
1.5km easy
1.5km @ ST pace
1.5km easy
1.5km @ ST pace
1.5km easy

I had VP set to run at 6:59 m/k based on 5km time of 34 minutes.

3 x 1.5km @ ST pace .........     6:43;    6:52;     6:58...close!

Very warm; some breeze; not an easy session!

Hills ~~~~~ Short Ones!

Today:  walked to the bottom of Bong Bong road and then short hill sprints up, walk down... 10 times.

Track at Chev. College ~~~~

Hot and humid on the oval; no lanes so I ran just inside the boundary fence which is a little over 400m.

10-20 min warm-up ....easy jogging + few drills and strides....16 minutes.
1600m 10:41(my time 10:52; TE 2.2 maintaining);
1200m 7:54  (my time 7:55;   TE 2.1 maintaining);
800m   5:12  (my time 5:14;   TE 1.8 minor);
400m   2:34  (my time 2:28;   TE 1.3 minor).

I went from 'maintaining' to 'minor' Training Effect!

Big struggle this morning; just managed to stay close to VP!  Used 34 minute 5km time for all paces.  A much harder session than I thought it would be!  Breathless except for recoveries!

Longer Run with Leah ~~~~~

Very hot by the time we met at the Highlands School at 10am so decision made to take it easy for 8km on Diamond Fields Road where there would be some shady sections.  We ran easily on the flats but hit a good pace on every hill!  After yesterday's Parkrun that was quite enough for me.  I did a few drills and jog on Radio Road while waiting for Leah to arrive.

Today's Total : 8.3km

Bowral Parkrun #20 ~~~~~

Difficult to get a day as perfect as it was in Bowral this morning : quite cool which was nice, and no humidity which was even nicer.   7:15am at "The Briars" for the usual warm-up jog and a few drills and right on 8:00am off we go....75 walkers/runners...down the wet, slippery grass slope and onto the concrete path for 2.5km and the turn-around.

I knew I was running quite well and felt I just might get below my last PB of 34:45 and I did!  After crossing the finish, I looked at the time on my Garmin 620 and thought I saw 34:43 which wasn't all that exciting but still "beggars can't be choosers" and I'll take anything that's even a second faster!  Then I took another look ....   33:43!  To say I was excited is an understatement of monumental proportions!  Organizers must have thought I'd taken leave of my senses as I raced back, thumping my fists in the air and shouting : 33:43!!  Not the sort of behaviour you'd expect from an 85 year old at all and that's 7 PBs out of 16 runs.

Last week's training went well and that would have had a lot to do with the improvement today I'm sure.  Here are some stats :

Time  :  33:43 (33:42.9 to be exact)
Splits :  6:33;   6:39;   6:40;  6:41;  7:09...up the hill!
Avg. Pace  6:45 m/k
AHR 133 (81%);  MHR 147 (90%)
Points... 79, making a total of 1449 so far.
45th out of 75.
Training Effect (TE) 4  =  Highly Improving! 
Age Graded Score ....   91.5%!   "Bloody Good!", I said out loud and I don't normally use such unseemly language!

I've been so excited all day about today's Parkrun time...can't help it!  I don't think I've fully grown up yet!! 

Tempo Run ~~~~~

I was a little disappointed with my run this morning.  I felt I was running better than usual, I didn't feel as though I was pushing myself too hard, I didn't stop or walk at all, the weather was cool and I was sure I'd go under 35 minutes even with a couple of hills thrown into the mix!

My program was : Tempo Run
1.5km warm-up
5km @ ST pace 7:05m/k based on 34:40 5km time
1.5km cool-down...OK around Renwick streets.

I did the warm-up through Renwick OK.  Set VP at 6:55m/k

 

5km Tempo Run

5km in 35:59...disappointing! 
6:49;  7:09;  7:20;  7:23;  7:15

Avg Pace 7:12m/k

TE 3.6  =  Improving... really?

AHR 87%;   MHR 94%

I've run better than that at Parkrun!  Oh well, we'll see what this Saturday brings!

Today :  8km
 
 
 

Listening to Music and Spinning ~~~~~

From 12:30 till 1:00pm I listened on ABC Classic FM to Margaret Throsby who played past interviews with Tom Uren and his chosen music at the time of each interview.  I had no idea he was an opera lover and so the 30 minutes of easy spinning on my indoor bike passed very pleasantly, not just with the music but more so hearing his views about peace and people learning to understand and love each other more.  One of his favourite pieces was a cello concerto.  I know nothing at all about how to play the cello but I just 'leave this world behind' whenever I listen to its soothing and sorrowful sound.  For me the cello is the most beautiful and elegant of all musical instruments and this piece brought a tear to my eyes.  Prior to listening to it, I'd seen on a website a human being in a cage, doused with petrol to be burnt to death by Islamic State militants.

I don't know that too many people have heard or heeded any messages form anyone over the decades for peace and understanding. let alone love!

 RIP Tom Uren, aged 93. 

Chev College Track ~~~~~

I managed to record only the warm-up and one repeat when I saw the battery was flat on the 620.  I'll take the time for the one recorded as much the same for the other repeats since I felt I was running with the same effort.. Very annoying when I can't be sure though!

10 min warm-up incl. Magill drills with alternating strides.
4 x 1000m @ 6:45m/k...re 5k race time of 35 min.

1st and only recorded rep. ....6:44...
Fingers crossed for the remaining 3!

Weather OK this morning; sun in and out from clouds; humid; could rain later.  Used a mowed 200m narrow lane which has something to do with the cricket boundary I think.  Works well for me too!

Long Hill Repeats ~~~~

I'd finished my hour, 10-11 a.m., at the Highlands School, rushed through the supermarket and then drove across to the Briars Inn with the intention of doing a few repeats on the dreaded hill that marks the finish of Bowral Parkrun 5km course.

Warm-up Jogging Down.......

Had the whole place to myself -  such a lovely part of the world!  - and did a short warm-up jogging down hill to where the grass slope meets the concrete cycle/walking path, about-turn to half way back where the climb begins.

>>>>>>>>and up!

Running Up >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I ran 8 times up hill, walked down, waited a couple of minutes and started all over again. Each run took approx 90 seconds. I didn't have my Garmin 620 with me as it wasn't until I'd finished at the supermarket earlier, that I decided to do this hill session.  I hope it helps this coming Saturday!

Sunday's Longer Run ~~~~~ and

 I met Leah at the Highlands School 10:00am and from there we headed down Bong Bong Road, into Old South Road and then Diamond Fields Road  ~  5km out and 5km back ~ ran hills strongly ~  couple of walk breaks.  As always, this is my favourite course because it has everything a runner (like me) could want ....uphills, flat, downhills and, most importantly, a quiet countryside setting.


While waiting for Leah I moved the goats into another paddock and then did a few Magill drills and strides.

Today :  10km.
T.E.  2.5   =  Maintaining!

Bowral Parkrun #19 ~~~~~

Volunteered this morning at Parkrun....my job, handing out the tokens to finishers. I like this; it gives me a chance to encourage others to sprint to the finish as I see them coming in!  First male finisher this morning was a Canberra runner, Scott Imhoff, in 17:49. 73 runners/walkers today and what a glorious morning it was too.

After my job was done, another volunteer and I jogged the 5km together.

I   LOVE   BOWRAL   PARKRUN ............   

In My Hoka "Cliftons"!!

Tempo Run ~~~~~

Crazy weather!  This morning, more like autumn than mid summer : cool to cold wind but plenty of sunshine.  I was glad of the cool change because I had to do the longest tempo run in my program:

1.5km easy
3.5km @ ST pace
1.5km easy
1.5km @ ST pace
1.5km easy
3.5km @ ST pace 
1.5km easy.

14.5km

I don't know at what pace I was running the short tempo sections :  the automatic 1km laps, which I should have cancelled but didn't, were overlapping the tempo laps, so I just ran those sections at what felt like a fairly hard effort.  I think the session was a good one :  ran hard when I had to but felt OK while doing so.  I felt quite pleased when I finished, not tired, and three strides towards the end made for what I felt was a worthwhile training session.   Total : 14.5km

 I talk to my tomatoes! This one is called "Beefsteak"....true!

Ripe for the picking!

Longer Run ~~~~~ Australia Day!

What a perfect day for a run!  Very cool and overcast in the Southern Highlands.  I enjoyed every kilometer from the Highlands School along Diamond Fields Road and back stopping only to take a few photos.

Diamond Fields Road Run

Today :   11.3km
T.E.  2.5  =  Maintaining!

Bowral Parkrun #17 ~~~~~ 34:58

I don't know why my official times at Bowral Parkrun are sometimes not correct!  Today. 35:05, only 6 seconds slower than my Garmin 620 of 34:58, so I won't worry about it.  But, rightly or wrongly, 'my time' being right means a lot to me so I'm taking my GPS time as being the correct one in future.  It's not that I take seconds to start; I'm in the front line of a small group of runners, press start when RD says "Go" and press 'Finish' as I cross the finish line and go immediately to have bar code etc scanned.  I know I can notify RD when there are errors  and I did so last Saturday when Garmin time was 34:45 and a PB whereas published time was 35:01 It was later corrected in results but I don't like making a regular fuss about timing.

Whinge Over!!

I was running really well this morning and well in line for another PB....until the finish hill when I began to violently dry retch;  couldn't run and barely walk the 500m to the end; collapsed on the ground and thanks to Christine RD and others who either fanned me or gave me water to drink...what a mess I was in!  A local doctor who runs every Saturday assured me I wasn't about to have a heart attack which cheered me up no end! I owe all who helped me a huge thanks!

Googled "the heaves/retching" and it seems to be because of insufficient fluids and pushing too hard...sounds right!

My time according to Garmin 620 : 34:58

Take a look at the splits!  6:35;     6:42;     6:44;     6:46......and.....8:09!!!!!!  Tells its own story!

Avg. Pace 7:01 

TE (Training Effect) :  4.5 = Highly Improving (5 is 'overreaching!)

I wasn't the only one affected by the weather today.  All to whom I spoke found it very much as I did :  wickedly hot and atrociously humid!

Next Saturday I'm a volunteer so I have time to recover and go after that lost PB!!

Easy Jog/Walk ~~~~~

Having done no running this wet week, time to see if the legs would move.  They did, but awfully slowly! As usual, a too late start and it was too hot and humid to do much more than jog/walk, but I wanted to do something before Parkrun tomorrow.  Clouds coming across now so the forecast for storms might turn out to be correct.

Today :

6km jog/walk

 

The Local Rag ~~~~~ and Bowral Parkrun!

Good to see Parkrun receiving some publicity in the local press!  I don't get this particular paper and had no idea a local identity had been featured until I had a call from a neighbour who said she was glad this person hadn't been referred to as a 'legend' again! Some months ago when Bowral parkrun started up, 'legend' had been used.

I didn't know how to get the information onto my blog except to take a photo of the article and then transfer it here.  I'm sure there is a better way of doing it, but this will suffice.

The pressure is on for those points now!

                                                                                    
                                                                                        

Hill Repeats ~~~~~

Bong Bong Road

Surprisingly cool morning!

Parked in Highlands School (top left), short jog around school grounds, downhill on Bong Bong Road to where it meets Old South Road.

6 x 90 seconds long hill repeats
Jog down. Wait few minutes & Repeat.
Jog back to school where I moved the 6 goats into another paddock and then home.

 I was too tired to do a long run yesterday.  Thought it more gainful to rest and today do something short, but requiring some effort.  Hill repeats did the job!