Last run for 2008!

As I'm taking a rest day tomorrow, today was my last run for the year 2008!

Program : Hill Repeats.

3km warm-up.

2 x 60 seconds uphill.

3 x 40 seconds uphill.
Recovery jog down between each.

3km warm-down.

Of course I got the numbers wrong as usual & did 3 x 60 seconds instead of two!

Results : MHR for hill repeats = (131)87%; (131)88%; (133)89%; (132)88%; (128)88%; ( 125)83%.

2008 has been a very good year for still being alive, running & healthy at 79! It also marks the year I ceased, for personal reasons, to be a member of Cool Running, but hopefully I did not lose the friendships I cherish.

Starting the year with the Canberra Marathon in April; Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon in May; Sri Chinmoy 16km in June (that was a funny one!); the Gold Coast Half Marathon in July; ACT Masters Half Marathon in August; Blackmore's Half Marathon in September and Samsung Melbourne Half Marathon in October. Through minor illnesses I missed 3 that I had planned running again i.e. City to Surf, Central Coast Half Marathon & Fishers Ghost 10km.

I hope to be in fine fettle for all of these runs in 2009 & also run more of the Sri Chinmoy Races, Sydney Series. "Que Sera Sera".

Put on Your Sunday Skirt & Run!

Each of my 5 skirts gets a turn to show off on consecutive Sundays. This morning it was the turn for this Navy/Bluebell little number to take to the streets! Range Road actually.

Program : 12km @ AHR 79% (medium aerobic). Negative split if feeling OK.

It was a super morning to start with but became hotter on the return section. I can blame that for missing the negative split by 1 minute.

6km out in 51 minutes. AHR = 72%.

6km return in 52 minutes. AHR = 75%.

I don't know why I was so tired after such an easy run but I was, so after showering I slept for an hour...or more!

I think I'm getting a new program for the start of 2009....I must ask Ewen to keep in mind that I'll be doing the Canberra 50km in 2010, by which time I will have reached the age of 80 years & 7 months! Good God!!

Track at Chev...

You'd think counting to 12 wouldn't be too much of a problem even for someone whose memory mightn't be as good as it used be once upon a time! But there you go, I made the mistake of doing only 10 laps instead of 12.

Program : 2km warm-up. Stretches, strides, drills.

12 laps lane 7 (400m), heart rate 'sitting on' 85%. First 2 laps to raise heart rate to 85%. Time each 2 laps.

Results : 2km warm-up in 13 minutes. Drills etc. on the track.

Each 2 Lap splits = 5:49; 5:49; 6:01; 6:11; 6:16.

....there it is, 10 laps....and I could have sworn I did 12! Anyhow it was bloody hot & I was absolutely exhausted. Next week it might be good idea to start a hard session well before mid-day which I did today.

Distance = 6km

Christmas Day.....

A very happy Christmas to all fellow bloggers & friends who still stop by to read what little I have to write about!

Christmas Eve Run....

I decided to do tomorrow's run today. It being the longer run of the two, I didn't want to miss out in case I don't find time to get out tomorrow...Christmas Day.

Program : 10km @ AHR 75%.

I chose Diamond Fields Road again. The morning was amazingly cool & overcast with a very slight drizzle of rain. Tonight, Mittagong is entirely enveloped in heavy mist, making visibility difficult even to the other side of the street! This is so unlike Christmas weather, but I'll take it any day ahead of some of the hot ones in previous years.

Results : 10km with AHR 70%; MHR = 85%.

Two Days to Christmas...

Yesterday, I did an easy 6km jog/walk instead of a complete rest day as per the program. The morning was too good to miss by being inside.

Today's Program : 7km @ AHR 85%...Hard!

There was a thunder storm as I was ready to leave this morning so instead I drove to the gym in Mittagong.....where they don't/won't use the air conditioning!

I managed 5km before the sweltering heat started to make me feel sick & dizzy. I stopped at 5km rather than risk falling off!

5km @ AHR 76% (first 2km was a warm-up); MHR = 86%.

11km Monday/Tuesday combined.

Skirts Do It!

On Range Road this morning at 8:30a.m. you could easily see forever & not having run there for a while, I'd almost forgotten how beautiful the views are in every direction.....ranges & valleys as far as the eye can see!

Program : 14km @ AHR 79%.....medium aerobic running....negative split

Results : 7km out in 55:14; 7km return in 54:30

The battery in the heart rate monitor strap gave up on the way back to the car, so I continued to run by perceived effort hoping for the negative split which I just managed! I'd almost forgotten how hilly that road is...a real killer on the legs & lungs!

This week was a far better week than any other since Melbourne. Except for Thursday's 6km which I missed, I finally made it through the entire week! Could it be that this skirt which I wore - one of five I have ready for the 2009 season! - gave me the 'lift' I needed? It certainly gave me a blast of horns from a car coming from behind me...but none from the front!! (Skirt photo taken from website!)

Total 53.6km

An Easy Day

Program : 6km @ 75% of MHR ....Recovery Run.

Today was surprisingly cool for this time of year..I like that! Good run.

6km @ AHR 74%; MHR @ 83%.

A Medium Aerobic Run

Program : 12km with AHR 79%.

Having not run at all yesterday - too many chores waiting to be done - it was a superb morning /mid-day to be out running today.

Results : 12km with AHR 73%; MHR = 84%.

Felt good, but a little tired for the last 2km. Some form & fitness to regain before tackling any events in 2009!

A Track Session....

Instead of going to Chev College to use their track, I went to Renwick soccer field again.

Program : 2km warm-up, stretches, light drills.
16 x 100m strides. Max heart rate on strides not over 86%. 100m jog recoveries between each.

Warm-up etc. OK, but I finished after 8 x 100m. The remaining 8 would not have been run well...so better not run at all!

2km warm-up
8 x 100m. MHR = 84%.
Distance = 3.6km

Round & Round....

Program : 6km Recovery Run @ 75%.

I decided to take Scott's advice & try barefoot on the grass in Renwick socceer field...works for Ewen, can work for me! But how boring was it even for just 6km!

Distance = 6km.

AHR = 73%; MHR = 84%.

No hip pain. I found a few exercises/movements for hips on YouTube & will continue with these each day.

A Third Attempt......

...to get through a full week! I ran on 3 days only last week, so here we go again!

Program : 12 km @ AHR 75%...Lower Aerobic.

Results : 11km.

This was OK, but heart rate monitor strap wasn't positioned properly, so the readings for AHR & MHR are incorrect. Excellent conditions for running : cool, breezy & a soft surface after rain on Diamond Fields Road. Right hip started to niggle on the return section.....No! Go Away!

At the soccer field......

Program : 1/2 to 3/4 hour including some strides etc.

I did this morning's session on the grass in the soccerfield. OK, but hip still 'playing up' even on soft grass. I don't feel that this training had much quality to it or that I gained much from it. Anyhow, for what it's worth...

30 minutes including a 1.5km warm-up, some walking drills & strides along the short sides of the field.

Distance = 3km.

AHR = 68%; MHR = 80%

Just OK.....

Program : 1 to 1.5 hours lower aerobic running.

Results :

Time on feet = 63 minutes

Distance = 8km

I forgot the heart rate monitor strap so I ran by effort instead. I was going really well until my right hip began to give me grief on the way back & I had to walk all of the last kilometer. A real pain this is & just when I've invested in a wardrobe of running skirts for the 2009 scene!!

Making Another Comeback...

Program : 3/4 to 1 hour lower aerobic run (115-123bpm).

Results : I did 50 minutes jog/walk. Distance = 5.6km. AHR = 55%; MHR = 77%

Hip bursitis still worrying me and, as a result, I walked most of the 50 minutes. I didn't get far, but better than nothing at all as it has been for the past 3 days. So if I take it easy, I might get through this week's program.

A very warm & overcast morning with storms forecast for this afternoon.

Just Lazing Around......

No running at all this weekend. Apart from some hip bursitis which seems to be OK now, I just haven't felt what is called "well" for a while. However, I'll get myself out again tomorrow & see how things go. Never say die!

In the meantime, I'll just walk the doggies this afternoon.. It's a much cooler day than yesterday so we should all enjoy the fresher air. I also have a bag of stale bread which I must take to 2 of my favourite cows who know me so well now that they trot over to the fence as soon as the car pulls up.

Walking With the Dogs.....

Today was to have been 30 minutes easy running, but with hip bursitis worrying me, I decided to walk the dogs instead.

WAKE UP!!

Walking Time = 30 minutes

A Longer Lower Aerobic Run...

I had planned an easy run for 1 to 1.5 hours. However, I settled for the shortest time because I had a really sore right hip, as a result I think of yesterday's hill running. The morning was perfect again : total cloud cover with rain close & a cool breeze. I woud have liked to have run for a longer time, but it would not have been a wise decision. I may have to take a rest day tomorrow.

I had a chat with this new mum & her beautiful baby while Dad stood guard over his family!

Time = 1 hour.

Distance = 7.5km

AHR = 69%; MHR = 85%.

Making Hay While the Sun Shines....

Today was a recovery run - 1/2 to 3/4 hour -with some easy fartlek : jogging, walking, some strides, short sprints & hill running.

This was OK , but a hot & windy morning on Diamond Fields Road where I took this photo of a farmer at work.

Time = 48 minutes.

AHR = 73%; MHR = 90%.

Distance = 5km.

Another Good Day!

It would be dfficult NOT to enjoy running today : beautiful mid-morning, warm 23 degrees, cool breeze & shady lanes to run along. I took walk breaks when needed to keep HR within lower aerobic range....115 - 123bpm.

Program : 1 to 1.5 hours Lower Aerobic... 75-80%

Time = I ran for 1 hour 25 minutes with AHR 78%; MHR 84%. Distance = 10km.

The first day of Summer & a run along Buckmans Lane.....


3/4 to 1 hour.

One hour at lower aerobic heart rate 75 - 80% of MHR. Slowed right down to a walk when HR went 'over the top' to a maximun of 88% on the hills.

A lovely morning, but a not so lovely afternoon now as another storm approaches.

Time = 1 hour.
Distance = 7km.

Goodbye November......

Hello......

Not quite December yet, but today is the first day I've 'run ' since the beginning of November, so I'm quite happy to say 'goodbye' to this month, having had the most painful infection that I could ever have imagined in both eyes. During this time I spent 5 days in hospital ....screaming, crying & kicking (almost) from pain in my eyes & pounding headaches. Viral Conjunctivitis of the worst kind..say no more!

Anyhow, I was forced out of the lethargy that was fast becoming a daily routine, by the horrendous pictures of the terrorist attack in Mumbai.....lives suddenly & tragically ended; others, never to be the same again. It shocked me out of my little world of discomfort that I thought couldn't get much worse & so I went running this morning instead of waiting until Monday as I'd intended. Time is of the essence for everyone.

My run was a very easy, lower aerobic 50 minutes (AHR 75%) along Diamond Fields Road where all was quiet, the countryside green from recent rains...nothing to disturb the beauty & solitude of this lovely part of Mittagong and, even though the pictures of the terrorist attack were constantly before me, I completely loved being out & feeling my legs moving again, albeit ever so slowly!

Very funny, Ewen!

That must be it...Roundup in my eyes! Then that begs the question, "Who done it?"

I'll post again when my eyes are properly open...I don't want to sound like a whinging pom (like Joy)!

Woe Is Me!

I know I should stop moaning, but if I can't moan here, where else can I? I'm so miserable & cranky & my eyes are unbelievably painful. I'm no good at this out of action thing & not being on top of everything!

Fishers Ghost....not likely!

I returned to the doctor today as my eyes were becoming unbearably sore. He took one look at me, picked up the phone & called the eye specialist in Bowral. Instead of the usual 1 -2 weeks wait to see these specialists - the Southern Highlands is brimming over with oldies going blind and/or deaf - I was given a letter & sent straight to the specialist's rooms!

He saw me immediately &, both he & his optometrist, said they'd never seen eyes that looked so terribly sore! Anyhow now I know for sure - I'm not going blind! - but have a really severe viral conjunctivitis! Now I have 2 different drops to use 3 x daily & see him again in 2 weeks or earlier if things worsen.

So....Fishers Ghost run on Sunday is a no-no, unless I disobey orders & a miracle occurs & I can see where I'm going!

Maybe, as Superflake suggested, I could think about the Central Half Marathon, December 7th....thanks for the reminder SF!

And the stomach still churns!

I'm becoming doutful that I'll make it to Fishers Ghost Run on Sunday - my last race for the year as it was supposed to be.

I saw the doctor yesterday & yes, stomach virus, possibly from the tap water I drank during Sunday's run. So I have something to take for the cramps & nausea, but the bug has to work its own way out of the system. I wish it would hurry up & do so!

Just to make a real mess up, I've the worst eye allergy in both eyes - 2 red, burning eyes that will only half open. This is not how I like to look! If I do make it on Sunday, I might have to borrow a seeing-eye dog to guide me around the course!

Wait & See...I wish I could see!

Wouldn't You Know It!

Coincidence of course, but just as I leave "the building", I'm hit with a bug which, for convenience sake, I'll call "Range Road Belly"! During yesterday's run - seems like a week ago - I drank from a tap along the roadside of one of the properties. Since then : awful stomach cramps, nausea & headache. I blame the water but it could be some other nasty bug I suppose; that, or someone has stuck the pin in a voodoo doll!

Luckily, it's a 'rest' day, but at the moment I can't see myself getting out tomorrow. Fishers Ghost on Sunday - hopefully OK to still run the 5km.

Anyhow, I feel safe here in Blog Land...thank God for it & its wonderful fellow bloggers! Being slack with commenting on blogs these days - but still an avid reader - makes me appreciate all the more the thoughtfulness of fellow bloggers. Thank you!

And now, back on the bed...if only I could 'throw up' & get rid of the thing. The stomach cramps are killing me!

A Long Run ends.....

It's been coming for a while now, but as of today I finished my long run as part of 'Cool Running'. I find I'm no longer interested in most of the threads & neither am I impressed with the direction that too many seem to be taking..... I'll leave it at that & move on.

12km today @ AHR 76%....medium aerobic. Try for negative split.

Got the negative split by 2 minutes!
6km in 45 minutes; 6km in 43 minutes.
AHR 76%; MHR 86%

I ran on Range Road. The morning was absolute heaven for running : overcast & quite cool. I felt good for the entire run even though I had to raise the pace for the return 6km.

A rest day tomorrow....even more heavenly!

Recovery Day....

A drop of 10 degrees from yesterday's temperature is probably why I found this morning's short run so easy.

6km @ 75% of AHR.

6km in 46 minutes, AHR = 74%; MHR = 84% (I didn't slow down on the hills!).

Before today's run I had a great time driving & walking around the Renwick paddocks with the Vet & his wife who run cattle on this property. I was about to start my run as they pulled up & asked if I'd like to come with them. Of course I jumped at the opportunity & into the truck.

These are the paddocks where I take my dogs for their daily walk & for the last couple of weeks I've seen new calves have been born & I've been wanting to get up close & here was my chance while the vet checked that all was going well. One tiny little calf had just been born ...they could tell from the water still dripping from its navel! Nevertheless, his mum had it on its feet for a feed & by the time we left, she'd marched the little thing up the hill to the rest of the herd, who are so tame they can be fed by hand. I fed a full loaf of fresh bread to one of the mums & it was gone in seconds!

The Vet's wife is priceless! She knows every cow individually & has given each a name! "Dolly" is her favourite, but I could tell she knows & loves them all & they her. As I patted one of the mums, who hadn't yet been named, she came out with a loud "MOO", & so from that moment she was immediately named 'Moo'! Now, she's my special cow!

Not world shattering news this, but for me they were some of those lovely moments that not too often come our way.

Chev Track....

A hot & windy morning & not at all pleasant on the track at Chev College.

Nevertheless, the show must go on!

2km warm-up; stretches, light drills & strides....all done!

Then 12 laps (400m lane), sitting on 85%. First 2 laps gradually raise HR, then 'sit on 85%'. Time each 2 laps.

Laps (about 5km) = 5:15; 5:29; 5:23; 5:29; 5:23; 5:54.

AHR = 86%; MHR =91%.

I needed to slow down after the first few laps as my heart rate was increasing alarmingly with the heat & wind.

I stretched out on the grass in the shade after finishing, got my HR down, did a few stretches & Pilates movements.

It certainly was very hard work for me anyhow, but there was satisfaction in knowing that a tough session had turned out well & Ewen was pleased with my effort, and that's very important!

Distance = 7km

Lower Aerobic 10km

This morning was wet & windy; this afternoon sunny & calm. I did this morning's session on the gym treadmill, listening to a tape of Barbra Streisand songs to pass the time more quickly.

Lower Aerobic 10km @ AHR 75%.

This was OK, I suppose, but it was terribly hot in the gym with the air-conditioning off. I had sweat dripping everywhere by the finish. Showered & did the horrid supermarket shopping!

Distance = 10km

AHR = 72%
MHR = 86%......stepped up the pace to finish off quickly!

Track tomorrow. I hope it's a fine morning & the grass not too wet.

Rest & Movie....

I should have run today, but I didn't! Instead we went to see the movie "Burn After Reading". Darkly hilarious & perhaps not to everyone's liking. We loved it!

Nothing in it relevant to running except to me! A comment by "Linda" (Frances McDormond) a gym instructor with a life plan for cosmetic surgery, when she says: "I've gone just as far as I can go with this body."

I know the feeling & don't we all!!

"Upper Aerobic" Run...Hard!

The run was 'hard' on the road, but this yellow climbing rose on the trellis was 'easy' on the eyes at home!

7km @ AHR 85%....Upper Aerobic.

Before starting - at 10:45am - I did the usual "body looseners" & then set off at a creepy slow pace to begin with, gradually warming up for the first 2km & then into the "hard" stuff for 5km.

I ran 3.5km out & back on Old South Road and, though there was some huffing & puffing on the return, I felt OK keeping heart rate around 126bpm. A few longish inclines & a couple of steeper hills.

Total of 7km in 51 minutes (last 5k in 35 mins.)

AHR for 7km = 78%; MHR = 88%

Longish run

A few pics from the top of Range Road...


Medium Aerobic Run (79%), 14km. Run a negative split.

For the first time in a long while I decided to run out/back along Range Road, and I was glad I did. The views from the top are wonderful & overlook all the surrounding countryside. I parked the car near a gate outside one of the properties to look as if it belonged there should someone decided to break in!

Lots of cloud cover on the run out, but hot sun on the return. Nevertheless, it was my best run (going by how I felt) for this week which hasn't been too bright! Forgot to wear a cap & was sunburned in spite of wearing sunscreen.

7km out in 54 minutes. AHR 66%; MHR 79%
7km return in 51 min utes. AHR 78%; MHR 86%

Negative split? YES SIR!

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow...

Yesterday's Upper Aerobic (supposedly) 12k Run : One of the worst ever! I felt motionless, slothful, lazy, slack, dull, leaden , lumpish, listless, rusty, inert, indolent, heavy. That's about every synonym I can find in Roget's Thesaurus to describe how I felt for the entire 12km! No need to say more!

Today's Lower Aerobic 6km : Less comatose....just a little half-hearted & stupified!

Tomorrow : Medium Aerobic 14km & Negative Split : Tomorrow is another day & thank God for that!!

Yesterday & Today...

Cold & showers all morning, so I took myself off to the gym for today's 'easy' training run.........

6km @ AHR 75%.

A few warm-up drills in the large area where classes are normally held & then 6km on the treddy. AHR = 74%; MHR = 84%. All OK!

There's A Track......

Not the best day to be out : windy, some rain and...cold! Nevertheless, to arms & on the track!

2km warm-up. stretches, light drills and...

16 x 100m strides with 100m jogging recoveries between.

Despite the weather, this session, though fairly tough, seemed to go well...as far as I know anyhow. No one else around to judge!

All up....6km for today. Entry for Fishers Ghost 5km in. Ah yes! The fly spray!!

Since Melbourne Half Marathon.....

Nil running until today! That's a full week & probably the longest break ever..... just took the doggies for their long walk each afternoon.

Today : an easy 6km lower aerobic run. Felt really rested; a cool/cold morning...perfect for a comeback.

AHR = 64%; MHR = 85%.

I'm thinking of Fishers Ghost run on November 9, but might cut back this year from the 10km to 5km...thinking! I might even wear the running skirt I've ordered from the States....another thought!

Call Me 'Calamity Jane'!!

Why Me? Unwanted & unexpected near-death experiences follow me to every race! It's true!

This time, having finished the Melbourne Half Marathon (more of that later), showered & with an hour or so before leaving the apartment, I sood in front of the bathroom mirror (but not for too long!), when I heard a roaring, rushing sound of wind and/or fire in the apartment; ran out into the main room, nothing to be seen but still a thundering roar surrounding me. Terrified at what I thought might be happening (the place on fire?), I ran back to the bathroom & then hurtling down right beside me came the cover of the man-hole, missing my head by inches & cracking the floor tiles!!

I flew to the phone & screamed for help with what breath I had left! The 'Duty Manager' duly arrived & said "Oh dear! How awful! So sorry!", picked up the slab & staggered out with it. Later, after Jim phoned through a complaint from Sydney that no one had checked to see if I had died from a heart attack, Duty Manager arrived with apologies & a bottle of red wine as compensation, adding that a report would be sent to Mantra Head Office. I'll follow that up for sure!

The roaring, rushing sound I'd heard had been a huge blast of wind travelling up through vents to the 8th floor & exiting into my bathroom by blowing the man-hole out! When I thought about it later, I'd had a lucky escape.

Now I know how Chicken Little felt when the sky fell down!

The Half Marathon ...... I had another "goof" one! Everything, simply everything, worked out brilliantly...if that can still be said at 79! After a slow walk to the starting mats & as soon as the crowd spread out, I was once more on a mission.....to run under 2.5 hours!

I thought the course & weather were great. Cloud cover the entire time, the course flat & scenic, an abundance of water, sports drinks, great volunteers & enthusiastic crowds along the course.

I started out very slowly......in retrospect, I think too slowly because I felt very comfortable from the start running around 6:30 to 6:45 pace, but stayed with 7mpk as planned for the first half. Always a conundrum, but better to play it safe & have plenty left towards the finish...and I did!

I made it to the finish in 2:29:51....still feeling great.....which is why I think I could have gone out faster, earlier, but who's to know for sure?

First half in 1:19:10; second half in 1:11:37. Very happy!

Next Stop Melbourne!

A 10:15 flight to Melbourne tomorrow morning!

Tapering...

and finished!

.......A few drills (alongside the soccer field), 10 minutes jog warm-up, a short rest for stretching, then 30 minutes run at or around half marathon pace. 10 minutes warm-down jog back to the start.

4.23km : 1km splits 6:49; 6:50; 7:07 (uphill!); 6:52; & 2:19 (0.31)

Avg. Pace = 6:55

That was all very comfortable pacing on a glorious mid-morning of 17 degrees.

Taper Week....

....So it was just some drills in the street alongside the soccer field, then a few laps of the field including 4 x 100m strides. All easy!

Longish Run....

Last one before Melbourne Half Marathon next weekend.

A rainy moring; waited till 11:45 when it fined up & ran 14km 'easy'...& that's it!

Reminder to put clocks forward 1 hour before bed tonight!

Running at last!

...A section of Diamond Fields Road where I ran today for two whole hours! One hour each way. It went well apart from tripping on a rock & taking the skin off one knee!

I think the days of just walking have been beneficial.

A few drills in the soccer field first. Late start around mid-day...a very warm day but with a cool breeze. I made only 2 stops : one to drink from a tap on the way out & one to fall over! The first was far more welcome than the second!

Catch Up....

A few changes for this week. ...I was feeling tired & somewhat low-spirited!

So....a 2 hour run 2 days (Tuesday or Wednesday) and another 2 hour run on Saturday or Sunday.

Other days....brisk walking, easy drills & a few strides....no running.

Monday : drills in the soccer field, followed by 1 hour walking, followed by 4 x 100m strides.

Tuesday : light drills, 40 minutes walking, 4 x 100m strides.

Pic of a weeping cherry in the front garden......away with melancholy!

Catching Up.....

Not much happening........ An easy 6km Thursday. Easy 12km today.

At the soccer field......

Today's Session : I made it easier than what it would have been by omitting the 2km warm-up & strides. Instead I did some light drills - about 20 minutes - followed by :

16 x 30 seconds strides. ABA Format ( Sart at A, run hard 30 seconds, stand 30 seconds (B), run hard 30 seconds back to start at (A). Repeat until 16 strides completed!

This felt OK, so I presume I've recovered from Sunday's disaster in time to prepare for Melbourne Half Marathon, 12th October.

Recovery Run...

After sleeping most of yesterday, I got out this morning for a short, easy 6km run & started some antibiotics to rid myself of the 'bug' that wrecked Blackmores Half marathon last Sunday!

Tomorrow : back to normal training!

If Only I'd Known......

...how the day was going to take shape, I'd have gone to Aldi & looked for something like this.............

or something with a more feminine touch of pink like this...my funny little dunny with a lid on the top. No need to say more about Blackmores Half Marathon, 2008! What cruel torture!

One More Day......

....short run & a few strides this morning. Train to Sydney tomorrow morning.

Another Rest Day.....

...no running, but.....as fast as possible up & down the supermarket aisles!

Rest Day..

No running today......just took my dogs for a long walk through the paddocks.....very overcast & rain on the way.

Taper...cont.

Short run 4km..... AHR of 69%; MHR 77%. Time = 25:56

Taper Week....

90 minutes @ AHR 75%. Knee ...keeping it taped; some pain on the return 45 minutes. Walked all hills & inclines . Ran on the softer dirt surface of Diamond Fields Road. No magpie attacks, no fire engines thundering through; all peaceful & quiet!

Very warm & very windy morning.

Nothing Doing Today...

I didn't run at all today because (1) My right knee has been painful for a few days. (2) I woke with a bit of a sore throat. (3) It was raining heavily. No further excuses needed before curling up under the covers again!

I must get out tomorrow though & see how my knee feels. I'll stop if it gives any trouble after the first kilometre.

Recovery Run....

Recover from what? I didn't do much yesterday!

6km @ AHR 75%......Lower Aerobic.

This was OK. No sitting down & crying like yesterday, though I did get a fright when 2 fire engines came roaring up behind me, sirens blaring! Grass in one of the paddocks near the airstrip had caught fire...smoke everywhere. A hot, windy day didn't help....27 degrees according to the Garmin.

Distance = 6km

AHR = 70%; MHR = 77%.

Day 1 of the 'pushups" thread on the Cool Running main message board...done!

Chev Track.....disaster!

....I always enjoy my track sessions, in fact it's just about my favourite training day. So what went so terribly wrong today?

I had 12 laps (about 5km) to run at heart rate of 85%, gradually raising heart rate during the first 2 laps, after a 2km warm-up, some drills & strides. Time each 2 laps.

Warm-up fine - except for an attack from a magpie - drills, strides, short break for a drink......all good, out onto the track & off!

After 6 laps I couldn't take another step, so I sat in the middle of the track & cried - out loud - with frustration & disappointment that I could run no further. This has never happened before, why now? Time to take up synchronised knitting? I cried & worried all the way back to the car & then sent Ewen a text message telling of my plight & looking for explanation & consolation!

I wonder if stress can sometimes have a negative effect on running performance? We've had a week or so with some stress due to a neighbour reluctant to co-operate in repairing a common dividing fence. I'm finding that the older I become, the more these sorts of things impact on well-being than they did when younger & took things less to heart & more in our 'stride'.

Anyhow the miserble results were 2km warm-up + 3km on track = 5km

Time on track 20 minutes. AHR =76%; MHR = 82%.

Each 2 laps = 5:16; 5:16; 5:44.

Lower Aerobic Day...

10km @ AHR 75%.

A warm Spring day....19 degrees! A few warm-up drills first then Old South Road, 5km out & 5km return. A few strides between posts again on the way back.

AHR for first 5km = 65%; MHR = 78%.

AHR for second 5km = 69%; MHR = 79%

Track tomorrow .........!!!!!!

Recovery Day...

6km @ AHR 75% - lower aerobic....... recovery.

3 km out & 3km back in 52 minutes.

AHR = 71%; MHR = 79%

OK run. Felt a bit tired after yesterday's effort. Perfect Spring morning!

"Upper Aerobic" Run...Hard!

7km @ AHR 85%.

I used the gym treadmill for today's run because I knew it would be the only way I'd keep running "hard' without backing off!

A few warm-up drills first....using the vacant creche while a class was using the main floor space.

Treadmill @ 7kph for first 2km, then 9kph to 10 - 11kph. AHR = 78% ; MHR = 88%. Time = 43 minutes.

Dripped my way into the shower! Really hard work...I just can't run fast enough to get an average heart rate of 85%. .... but I did the best I could!

Week 2..of a 3 week cycle.

This week the mileage drops, but the workouts are at - or as near as I can get to - threshold pace & effort to increase endurance.

TODAY.........A REST DAY!

Medium Aerobic Long Run...

...from railway bridge, Aylmerton

....the road back.....

14km @ AHR 79%. Negative split this - easy first half, harder second half.

7km out from Mittagong to Aylmerton...time 59 minutes.

AHR = 71%; MHR = 73%.

7km return...time 54 minutes....negative split = 5 minutes!

AHR = 71%; MHR = 83%.

To hurry things along for the 7km back because I was getting tired - Aylmerton was all uphill - I decided to alternate fast strides with slow jogging from each of the white posts (pic above) along the side of the road! At a guess, they are placed roughly every 100m or so, some longer, some shorter & that's how I got the negative split for sure!

This session finishes Week I, which has the highest mileage (of a 3 week plan) that I repeat over & over!

Distance for the week = 62km

Recovery Run....

Light rain! But what the heck...just get out there & do what you have to do.....I said to myself as I lay in my warm bed at 9:00 a.m.!!!

6km Recovery Run/Jog. AHR 75%....lower aerobic.

A few light warm-up drills before starting & then 3km out along Old South Road & 3km back into a misty headwind. AHR = 71%; MHR = 78%.

Indulgence.....

I've been far too indulgent by posting only when there's been good news, so now I'm going to resume daily blogging...for the time being!

This week, so far :

Monday: 12km @ AHR 75%..Lower Aerobic.

Tuesday: 6km@ 75%..Lower Aerobic Recovery.

Wednesday: CHEV TRACK...2km warm-up, stretches, drills, strides & then

16 x 100m strides (with slow 100m j0g recoveries between each.

Thursday: 6km @ AHR 75%..Lower Aerobic.

Friday: 12km @ AHR 82%..Upper Aerobic.

Today, Friday, it's raining heavily. I went to the gym & used the treadmill for the above session & I found it so hard I tought I might die there & then! And on my 79th birthday too! Every so often I had to hop onto the sides to catch my breath. 12km upper aerobic run on a treadmill is enough to kill off the the toughest! However, I live to tell the tale & celebrate my 79th birthday....I can't believe it!

ACTVAC Half Marathon

I drove to Canberra on Saturday, stayed overnight at the "Waldorf Apartments" (NOT as in the 'Waldorf'' New York!), but a very convenient 10 minute walk to the start in Commonwealth Park. On Sunday morning, for the first time, at 8:00a.m. I ran the ACTVAC Half Marathon, 2008. This time I didn't have to smash my way out of the apartment like Arnie, although I was considering a dramatic exit like that to get off to a good start!

The course followed the cycle path around Lake Burley Griffin. To my surprise, in some sections it was far more hilly than I'd expected : long steep hills, short steep hills & long inclines that (dare I say it?) younger runners around me were walking. I didn't walk at all because I'd made up my mind that if I train on hills, as I do, I wouldn't walk them in the race. That way, I got ahead of a few stragglers. As far as difficulty goes, I found it a harder course than Bankstown, The Hidden Half, which I've run for several years but which I didn't run on the previous Sunday...I thought it better to try to do well at one half marathon rather than do two not so well!

The day couldn't have been better : no wind or snow. Calm & plenty of sunshine ...a perfect Spring day on which to run such a beautiful course through the forests that encircle the lake. Volunteers were everywhere. Water sachets great! A big thank you to all volunteers especially the ones who manned the 4 road crossings along the course & made sure no one was in danger of being run down by cars. Those red flags worked better than any traffic lights could have done!

OK...the run! How did I go? I ran "goof" ....as Ewen & I say it! Not as fast as the recent very flat Gold Coast Half Marathon (2 hours 27 minutes) & I didn't expect to. This one....2 hours 36 minutes. Exactly the same time as Bankstown Half last year! Yesterday's time gave me 1st place in W75 age category. Yes, I did have some competition! Second place getter's time was 2 hours 52 minute. The previous W75 ACTVAC Record for the Half Marathon set in 2003 stood at 170:47 but, as of yesterday the Record now stands at 156:47!

Very special thank you to Ewen for continuing to program my training & to keep encouraging me to do better. Not that he has any choice...I've told him, on 'goof' legal advice, that there is no expiry date to our contract!

Blackmore's Half, September 21.
Melbourne Half, October 12.