Medium Long Run.....

A gusty wind blowing this morning sending swirls of red dust across Diamond Fields Road.

Program : 14km or longer.

A stop half way for some stretching & another on the way back to say 'Hello' to some fine looking horse friends who always trot down to the fence when I go by & if I stand very quietly beside them, one of them reaches his head out until his warm velvety muzzle rubs against my arm & cheek...wonderful feeling!

17km. Avg. heart rate = 98bpm.

Time = 2hrs:25. Windy with swirls of red dust blowing across Diamond Fields Road. How does that red dust get through shoes & socks leaving feet covered in it?

Short Recovery Run....

A super almost Spring morning.. .... warms the cockles of one's heart to be alive & running today!

Program : Easy 7 or 8 km run.

No effort needed to do 8km in such perfectly lovely conditions! Low heart rate Avg. 98 bpm for 4km out from the car in 35:39; picked up the pace a bit for the return 4km, HR Avg. 102 bpm in 33:29. Walked any time heart rate got above 102bpm....which was often!

A thoroughly refreshing start to a week leading into the City to Surf!

An All Day Affair.....

The longest run in a long while. I didn't write my blog last night: there would have been too many typo errors for Ewen to pick up on! There's probably still some...oh well!

Program : Long Run 32km.

This would have been my longest run in a long while. The day was cold, extremely windy & I didn't take my jumper off from start to finish & not starting till after 11:00 a.m., the run became an all day affair!

I chose Diamond Fields Road : soft dirt surface, less hills, no traffic except for the occasional property owners coming or going, some shelter from the cold wind & able to run in the middle of the road & avoid the cambers. Some of these folk, most of whom know me by now, passed me on their way out in the morning & I was still there, going backwards & forwards, when they returned late afternoon! How mad it must have seemed!

I decided, as suggested by Ewen, to do the 32km in 4 x 8km loops, out from the car 4km & back 4km...4 times. That way I had access to a gel, sports drink & water after each 8km & no need to carry anything...except myself! Small chunks (4 times 8km) are mentally easier to handle than 32km!

My plan for the first 2 loops (16km) was to keep heart rate very low (at 70%) no matter how long it took, slow jog & walking the hills when it went above 102bpm...& believe me, it did take a long time! The last 2 loops (16km) I picked up the pace to get heart rate up another level : 102-112 and for the last 8km 112+ whatever!

Splits for each 8km : 1:15 (HR avg. 97); 1:16 (HR avg. 99); 1:06 (HR avg. 109); 1:04 (HR avg. 115). All HRs between 70% & 80% of Max.
About 4.5 hours running time - add on eating/drinking at the car...probably 5 hours all up. 88.7km for the week.

I finished off with a warm-down by walking, ever so slowly, around the soccer field (about 7 minutes) where I'd parked the car.

I was very tired & these lucky legs were so stiff last night I nearly cried.....nearly, but I didn't! Instead I had a cup of tea & a lie down. I'd planned an early night, but I never do have one ...it's always midnight or later & it was again. I just get comfortable on the lounge, Jim waits on me (Oh dear!) & I can't be bothered moving....& I was enjoying "Silent Witness" that we'd taped on Friday night.

Feeling fine today, but having a rest day just the same!

Track on the Treadmill....

Program : 2km warm-up.
Stretches, drills, strides.
3km with heart rate between 130 -140.....ease off at 138.
2km warm-down.

As usual on the treadmill, it takes more than 1km for me to get to this heart rate & by the time I do, the 3kms is just about up! After the warm-up & break for drills etc. I have to restart the engine slowly at 10kph & gradually speed up to 12kph which I find almost impossible to stay at for fear of flying off the treadmill! All this being the case, I probably run only the last 500m with heart rate between 130 and 140! I must ask Ewen about the logic of this.

Rest tomorrow & then a huge one on Sunday 32km...Good God, I'll be gone all day!

Rest or Easy Run...+ Drills & Strides

An easy run 7.8km....no drills or strides!

Medium Long Run

Program : 15km low heart rate run....pick up the pace in the last 5km.

From the car 3 x5km loops. First 2 loops with heart rate (97-106) 70-75% of Max. Third 5km (111-118) 75-80% of Max.

5km splits: 43:50; 44:13; 37:09

A comfortable run throughout & pushed the pace & heart rate up in the last 5km....as directed! The weather was on the warmish side & a fairly strong wind on the hilly open road sections.

Easy 5km..

A nice & easy day....5km with low heart rate followed by 25 minutes in the soccer field for drills & strides..... agreeable & refreshing exercise!

Sunday's Long Run on Monday...

Program : 24 - 26km long run.

From the car, I ran 2 loops of 11k...and that was enough! Diamond Fields Road was being resurfaced again after the heavy rains, so it was good to run on : no potholes to fall into or boulders to dodge; a nice soft, damp, dirt surface.

By the end of the 2nd loop my legs had had enough & I was feeling very tired so I decided not to push on for another 2 or 4km just to get to a certain number when every part of me was saying : "Stop!" Those 4km that I didn't do will be put to better use another time!

22km very easy, with low heart rate (82-112bpm). The second 11km loop, 12 minutes faster than the first. Good!

Rest

No running today so tomorrow, Monday, I'll be doing my long run. Still feeling 'fit as a fiddle' after Saturday's 16km in Canberra.

Bush Capital 16km Run

I had a "brilliant" run! So says Ewen & I'm not going to argue about that! I really loved the course - the rocky goat track downhills - the magnificient views from Mt Ainslie & even the long hills most of which I walked. To make up time lost I raced the downhills like a demon possessed & even passed a few tired runners towards the end.

A perfect morning: sunny & warm with a cool breeze. I waved off the marathon & ultra runners - Eagle, Horrie, Blue Dog - from the top of the first rise & then walked back to wait for the start of the 16km at 9:00a.m.

Time = 2:04:03; Avg. Pace 7.5; Max. 4:33.

With 2km to the finish, as I turned a bend on the track, there was Ewen who had run back after finishing the 16km himself & with him I hit 4:33 pace downhill all the way to the finish line! Felt great after the run & no stiffness at all tonight.

Great to chat with Bernie G, Tuggeranong Don, Peter, Rad & others before lunch at Dickson with Ewen & AKI, then driving back to Mittagong armed with a can of "V" to sip while driving to ward off the fatigue that was setting in!

In short : I felt very pleased with myself today!

A special thanks to John Harding & his band of "followers" who did such an excellent job in organizing several events (4?) all on the same morning. & the blue Jaggad Coolmax top & mug for each finisher...thank you all!

Easy Run.....

A very easy 60 minutes low heart rate run. Leave for Canberra tomorrow afternoon for Saturday's 16km Bush Capital Run.

Medium Long Run.

Diamond Fields Road for 16.3km. Warmer day...15 degrees! Low heart rate run...Avg. 99 , Max. 120bpm. 7:49 Pace. 2 hours.

A good run, easy enough to run & look at the sky, the fields, the animals & listen to the birds!

Short Easy Run...

Program : 7 -10km low heart rate.

I forgot to take Mr G-armin & heart rate monitor with me! No matter....I enjoyed the run without him constantly telling me to "Speed Up"! Ran 10km (maybe a bit more) out & back on Diamond Fields Road. A nasty headwind on the way back - otherwise this was what it was supposed to be : short, easy & enjoyable!

A Day in the City.....

........... lunching with friends. We ate at the 'Tea Room" (3rd floor) of the QVB - I think it has to be one of the few remaining civilized dining venues in the city! Pleasing surroundings & decor, tables well spaced, white linen table cloths, service that couldn't be faulted & delicious food! It was a very good day.

I noticed a sign in the Pitt Street Mall saying that Rebel was closing down so I just had to race in & race out with a new pair of Asics 2120's - I think I'll wear them in to be ready for Melbourne in October - white and bright gold with silver (I think they call it 'lightning'!) & black trim - not exactly the best colours for dirt roads. What extravagance! But I get such a 'kick' out of buying new trainers!

In Full Battle Gear.......

..... (1) 1 sleeveless thermal vest (2) 1 long sleeve thermal vest (3) Long thermal tights under long tights (4) 1 old C2S sweat top (5) 1 lightweight wind jacket (6) Woollen gloves (7) Woollen cap.....I was rehearsing for next Saturday in Canberra.

9:30am start.... 12 degrees, warm & still, not a leaf stirred on any tree, not a blade of grass moved....but I didn't know that until I started to run.

Program : 28km run, low heart rate.

The plan was to do two 14km loops out & back to the car. Back at the car after the first 14km, I decided to strip off all the thermal 'battle gear'...I definitely didn't need it. Now, a person can be on this road for hours & not see a car but, wouldn't you know.....just as I stripped down to wearing only a heart rate monitor strap....a car went by! I listened, while enjoying the cool air on my skin, for any ensuing screech of brakes or sudden crash, there was none but.... was that a video camera I saw out the window?! Luckily there wasn't gang of gawking bikers going by!

You'd think, carrying less gear, I'd have found the 2nd 14km easier, but I didn't. In fact I walked most of the last 7km to the car with very little energy left in the legs....I don't know what's the matter with them lately.

About 1 or 2 km to go I stopped to drink from a tap near the road on one of the properties & then set off walking again. At the same time the husband & wife owners of the property had pulled into their driveway & could see I was walking. To my surprise the lady got out of the car & waited for me to come by because her husband had said : "There must be something wrong. She's walking and she never walks. We'd better see what's wrong!" They wanted to give me a lift back to the car...that's how bad I must have looked! I have no idea who they were & had never seen them before but how good is it to know that such thoughtful people are looking out for me!

So that was the long Sunday run finished, in poor style I have to say!

I'm going to Sydney tomorrow, Monday, to have lunch with friends....that should perk me up a bit!

Rest Day.....and

.......organizing "full battle gear" for tomorrow's 28km run & dress rehearsal for what I imagine will be a very cold Bush Capital 16km next Saturday!

Track or Treadmill?

....and the treadmill won again!

Program : Easy 5km warm-up. Stretches. Drills. Then 5km gradually speeding up over 2-3 minutes till heart rate at 130-135bpm.

Starting the 2nd 5km @ 9 to 10 to 11 to 12kph before heart rate reached 128-130. 12kph is too fast for me to sustain for long without straddling the treadmill several times to avoid the peril of flying off the back! It was hard work too!

Global Warming?

No sign of here right now! Until the temperature gets near to 8 degrees I'm off to the gym each day. I took a rest day yesterday - it should have been a mid-week long run - but I was still so knocked about from Tuesday's cold winds, I changed sessions around & did the long run today....at the gym.....on the treadmill.

Program : Medium Long Run, anywhere between 14 & 23km.

On the treadmill : 20km. After each 5km I walked around the gym for about a minute to relieve the monotony. Heart rate between 106 -122bpm (70-80% of Max.). Used inclines but only up to 3%.

I don't find it all that easy doing such a long run on the treadmill, but it felt good running without being rugged up in full battle gear & getting a sweat up was a change from brushing off the icicles!.

The Weather...It Keeps Getting Worse!

..........a colder day I don't even want to think about!

Program : 7 - 10km.

I wanted to do tomorrow's longer run today, but I just couldn't run against the cold wind & ended up with walking & a slow jog to finish & get in out of the cold.

13.6km.

Rest or Easy Run..

I chose to do a a short, easy run to loosen up leg muscles after yesterday's long run.
At the cemetery on Diamond Fields Road, I did some drills, continued down to the bridge (3km) & back to the soccer field for a few strides.

Total = 6km. Avg. HR = 99

Sunny but very cold. I wore my Asics 2110 as a trial to see if my legs ache less with a more supportive shoe. A week should tell if there's anything in this.

Resting Heart Rate = 48 bpm.

A Long Cold Run...

Icy blasts of wind off the snow blew across Range Road this morning. Plenty of sunshine & no rain but unbelievably cold! I was able to guage just how cold by the following: the driver of a car pulled up beside me for directions. When I went to answer I found my facial muscles had frozen to the extent that I had great difficulty getting my lips to form words! All that came out was the sound of slurred speech which sounded barely human or that of someone extremely intoxicated! I don't think I was of much help to the travellers who looked more lost than ever as they drove off!

Program : Long Run 24kms.

From the car, I ran 2 x 12km loop making it possible to refuel with a gel & sports drink at the car after the first 12km. Before leaving home I tried a Sanitarium Up & Go to experiment with eating before running. So far so good. My legs didn't die as they did last Sunday...they just ached for the last 6km & for several hours after! Took several walk breaks on hills. Has to be a combination of hills & cold that's causing pain in my legs lately.

Distance = 24km. Time = 3 hours 13 minutes. Avg. 8:04kph; Max. 4:55kph. Heart Rate seemed to be all over the place. Mr G-armin doesn't perform well in the cold either!

A Rest Day....

No training today, but what a great day it would be for a run : cold but sunny, calm & no wind; hopefully the same tomorrow!

Resting heart rate 45 bpm.

Track or Treadmill?

I chose the treadmill. It wasn't raining but it was cold....top of 8 degrees, but I doubt that it reached that.

Program : Treadmill... 5 - 10 minutes warm-up.

Increase speed over next 4-5 minutes till heart rate reaches 126. Stay at this heart rate for as long as possible or 45 minutes. HR not over 126, not below 123.

This was OK: over 4 minutes treadmill speed increased to 10kph for heart rate to reach 126. Needed to drop back to 9.8kph to stay within range 123 - 126. I kept within these limits for another 40 minutes & when my T-shirt became completely soaked with sweat, it was time to stop! Small can of creamed rice about 2 hours before starting....to fuel my fuel-starved legs! I'll experiment with some other food before Sunday's 24km run.

Time = 50 minutes. Distance = 8.1km. Wore new Nike Free #3.

Resting heart rate = 48 bpm.

Rest...

No training on a mild & sunny day.

Resting heart rate = 46bpm

Medium Long Run....!

Ewen's.....right! My legs lacked fuel for this morning's long run.


Program : Medium Long Run between 14 and 23km.


11:00a.m start: cold, misty rain & the usual wind. Range Road to Glenquarry &, for a change, instead of turning left to go down Tourist Pass, I turned right. That took me to Kangaloon Road which I followed out & down to the Wingecarribee Reservoir. In good weather, a very pleasant picnic spot, but today deserted & decidedly grey & cold.


That took care of 11km with plenty of hills & long inclines. On the way back, my legs died & that's where I think Ewen 'hit the nail on the head' - insufficient fuel in the legs for a long run. The usual is a cup of coffee. On Ewen's recommendation, I'll try some carb, low GI food before starting out, experimenting first on the shorter runs. I'll look up some of the Cool Running Ultra Running threads for further information & see what people are eating. I do not want 'dead legs' again!




Distance : 21.07kms.
Avg. HR = 106. Max HR = 148

Resting heart rate (on waking at 6:45a.m.) 46bpm.

Low Heart Rate Run.....

Program : 7 - 10 km low Heart Rate.

It still looked like more rain so I used the treadmill at the gym again today :-

Total 9km : 3km with HR 115; 3km with HR 120-130; 3km with HR 115.

Resting heart rate (on waking up, not getting up!) at 6:00a.m. = 45 bpm.

A Rest Day....

Program : Rest (good call, Ewen!)

Very cold & wet again. I read for a good part of the day....very nice!

Resting heart rate on waking, 7:30a.m. = 47 bpm

Sunday Long Run #1

Waking at 8:00a.m.....one degree! I did not go out!

Program (from Ewen) to Melbourne Marathon (entry in):
Sunday, July 8: Long Run, 20km.

One degree, but sunny. I waited until 11:00a.m. for the morning to warm up. It didn't. On Range Road heavy black clouds soon gave way to sleet which hurts the face & then rain that soaks the clothes! After about 3km I saw some old deserted cow sheds in a property near the road & sheltered there till the worst was over & set off again in lighter rain. I felt too miserable & wet even to take a photo of this welcome shelter!

I ran a 10km loop from the car, twice. After the first 10km, I left a soaked jacket in the car, had a GU (which made me feel sick!) drank some water & began the second 10km loop. It was a hard, hilly run & the weather conditions had me well & truly exhausted & struggling to finish. At home a hot shower didn't warm me, but the electric blanket did!

Run: 20km. 2 hours 35 minutes. 5km splits 40:06; 38:10; 38:30; 38:46
First 30 minutes heart rate 110; then 118 - 125bpm

I'm taking my resting heart rate (on waking, lying down) for a week. So far : Friday 46, Saturday 47, Sunday 45 bpm.

Windy Weather....

I hope that running against icy gales achieves more than just complete exhaustion, because that's all I felt when I got back to the car & slumped inside as if onto a feather bed.....that was the contrast with outdoors!

Medium long run 1 hour 15 minutes. Erratic heart rate readings - Mr G-armin has had enough of the cold wind too - Avg. HR = 122 (86%); Max = 176bpm which is 119% which means I fell & died in one of the many potholes all over Diamond Fields Road....just like I felt had happened!

Tomorrow, a rest day except for a few drills & strides in the soccer field & then the "march towards Melbourne Marathon" begins seriously with the first of many long runs on Sunday.

A Medium Long Run.

An icy wind meant I went to the gym for my run this morning. A long 1.5 hours on the treadmill, made bearable by listening to a CD. Heart Rate low : between 115 - 120. Tried out the new Nike Free #3 for the first time.....felt very comfortable, very light but I didn't notice any difference from the other Frees I've worn over the past couple of years....on the road they might have another feel altogether!

A Bit of This & That....

I can train as I like for this week, so today I did what I guess could be called a fartlek session.
It was windy & cold & I was caught in a heavy downpour of rain...before & after which there was sunshine & more wind!

70 minutes including a mixture of slow jogging, 200m strides, increase speed on the hills, striding out on the downhills & an occasional walk break. Not all of this was easy, but I enjoyed the mix.

Entry in today for the Bush Capital 16km Run on July 28.

Get On With It......

A warmer day, plenty of sun & more than plenty of wind...a real headwind on the way back. Hilly course.

I was happy to get out for a 1 hour easy run keeping HR 115-120.
Avg. HR = 114bpm. Distance = 7.5km. Turned around at 30 minutes & was back at the start in 60 minutes : 2 even sections...just what I was aiming for!

(Leaning more towards doing the Marathon in Melbourne!!)

Time is not on my side.....

....this daffodil had enough of winter & decided to flower all on its own....a lesson in spunk & gameness?

"Thank you" doesn't get anywhere near what I feel in my heart for the sensitivity you've all shown in view of the Virgin Blue/Gold Coast debacle...but I can still only say "Thank you"!

Time is 'running' against me so I need to take for better or for worse whatever I can do with the time remaining to me...... and I need no ghost to tell me that! Away with the notion that I will never run again! I've sent off a complaint to Virgin Airlines & will relate here what reply I receive...hopefully there'll be one!

I've entered & will run City to Surf & Blackmores Half Marathon & there are some others to think about but not entered as yet. I've pretty well decided though to 'go south' & enter the Melbourne Half Marathon....a little thought is playing with the idea of doing the Marathon....there's time to prepare for it...I'll have to think some more about that one.


So....time to pick myself up, dust myself off, take the bull by the horns & start all over again!

Leaving on a Jet Plane?

It didn't happen!

On arriving at Virgin Blue around 10:00am for a 1:50pm flight, I was dismayed to be told the flight had been cancelled....all other flights Friday & Saturday booked out. On offer was a night flight to Brisbane, but with 6.5 hours to wait & no idea of how to get from Brisbane to the GC late at night, I had no choice but to get a train back to Mittagong.

The same thing happened in 2005 for the GC Marathon - with flight changes to Brisbane, buses etc it was 15 hours from when I left home until I arrived at the GC....I couldn't face the same ordeal again.

I'm not going to pretend that my thoughts are "such is life' & "worse things happen to others" , "it's not the end of the world", "there's always another race" etc. etc. (which I know is true & which I suppose I should be thinking but it'd be a lie) or that I'm taking the knock-back gracefully - I'm not! I'm bloody angry, bitterly disappointed & have been in tears ever since ...I trained so hard for so many months for this run... & I don't want to run again!

I should add that, after I got home & posted on the Message Board what had happened, I had several offers from Cool Runners offering to pick me up from either Brisbane or GC (& Plu from Ballina!) but I couldn't get one single seat on Virgin Blue or any other airline that I kept checking on every hour right through Friday night & all of today!

Last Run Before Leaving for GC....

....and it's the coldest day I've ever felt here!

Program : Short easy run ....20 minutes.....on the treadmill.

I decided to change this a bit so as to fit in the same heart rate test as yesterday.

10 minutes easy warm-up. Stretches & a few drills.

1 minute at 8kph & immediately increase to 11kph. Stop when HR reaches 135.

5 minutes at 8kph.

Today's Time = 3:04.39 to reach 135bpm.

Track Day....

It was to be a track session for today but the rain is still falling & heavy mist surrounds the entire area. Off to the gym.....again!



Program : Short Session at the Gym......

Warm-up for 10 minutes on the treadmill at low heart rate.

Stop. Stretch. A few drills.



Start treadmill at 8kph . After 1 minute, increase to 11kph. Stop when heart rate reaches 135bpm or at 10 minutes....whichever comes first!

Warm-down with 5 minutes at 8kph.



Now I can see the funny side of Ewen saying: ".....or at 10 minutes"!



It took exactly a time of 2:48.98 for heart rate to hit 135bpm!!

Week 5 (of 5) to Gold Coast .......Day 1 (of 7!)

Program : Monday...Easy Short Run. 30-40 minutes.

First half at HR 120; 2nd half at 130bpm.

Heavy mist & light rain. Gym treadmill.

20 minutes @ 120bpm with treadmill at 9kph.

20 minutes @ 130bpm with treadmill at 10.5kph.

Second half was hard!

Short Run.....& another struggle!

...staying on the flat road again along Old South Road & the airstrip.

Program: 30-40 minutes run with HR 120bpm out & 130bpm back..negative split. (This didn't happen!)

Every run lately feels a struggle....even short, easy ones like today's.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3100603

Avg. HR = 115; Max HR = 131

51 minutes: 25 out & 26 back.

6.7km

Complete Rest!!!!!!

Some Like It Cold!

....but not his cold!

It didn't take anything more than hearing the morning's temperature on the radio to make me huddle back under the doona! 1 degree at 8:00am. I waited till later in the day to start today's run. I think we might have reached 8 or 9 degrees tops with a chilly breeze blowing as well.

I blame all of this for having a bad day!

Program : Long Run.....90 -105 minutes. HR at 120 - 125.

I knew what I had to do but the legs wouldn't co-operate at all & it was a struggle to put one foot in front of the other right from the start. I couldn't get my breath & huffed & puffed the whole distance ( 16.4km). Even walk breaks did nothing to get anything near what might be called 'running'. Heart rate was all over the place - Mr G-armin's fault...I saw readings of 186 & within seconds of "slowing down", HR take a nose dive to 110! I gave up looking at the monitor & got back to the car a.s.a.p.

Strange how some runs turn out badly & with no prior warning! My legs have been aching ever since I got home so, after a shower & some hot soup, I put the electric blanket on & snuggled under the doona for a couple of hours! My legs are still aching tonight!

The airstrip at Mittagong on Old South Road...where I tried to run........>

A Rest Day....

....a change in the weather : sunny! This would be good for tomorrow's long run.

Track on a Treadmill....

Today should have been at Chev track but running under water is too difficult!
Program : Warm-up with stationary bike & easy drills for 15 minutes.

Treadmill at the gym: Start running at 8kph. Gradually increase speed over next 3 minutes until running at 10kph at 3 minutes. Take heart rate.

Stay at 10kph for a further 3 minutes. Take heart rate.
Slow down & stop for 2 minutes exactly (i.e. from when starting to slow down).

Repeat the above twice...i.e. HR readings at 3, 6, 11, 14, 19 and 22 minutes.
Warm-down 6 minutes brisk walk.

And the winner is.........! Rather, the results are:

At 3 minutes HR = 124bpm; at 6 minutes HR = 127bpm.

At 11 minutes = 124 ; at 14 minutes = 128

At 19 minutes = 125 ; at 22 minutes = 131

I enjoyed this session...it was short & easy! Ewen predicted my heart rates would be between 120 and 130. How did he know that so exactly??!!

Easy Short Run....

A truly miserable day : wet, cold & getting colder by the hour. I used the treadmill at the gym for today's training.

Program : Short Easy Run 25 - 45 minutes. Strides & 15 minutes drills.

On the treadmill for 40 minutes including strides & then 15 minutes of drills - the latter providing a source of amusement - or was it fear? - for a couple of guys belting the boxing bags! At least they were curious enough to ask what I was doing!

A Long Cold Run - Photos...

A Long Cold Run...

There was mist, sleet,rain & wind....what more could I ask for on a long run!

Program : Long Run - 2 hours 30 minutes:

30 minutes at Heart Rate of 110bpm.

1 hour 30 minutes @ 118 - 125.

30 minutes below 110bpm.

It was difficult to keep HR within these limits, although I kept checking.....too many hills, long & short. The weather was atrocious & I kept going by telling myself how good it would feel under a hot shower when I got home! And it did!

Distance = 18.55km . Time = 2 hours 29.32. Pace = 8:03mpk (best 4:33 - that would have to be a riping downhill!). Speed = 7.4kph

Alternative Track Session.....

............Treadmill at the Gym.

Program : Warm-up ......10 minutes stationary bike.

7 minutes on treadmill.

Keep heart rate under 110bpm.

4 x 8 minutes at AHR of 128 - 130 gradually bring HR up over first 3 minutes. Don't let HR go over 135.

3 minutes between repeats.

Warm-down : 15 minutes stationary bike.

On paper this looked a cinch! On the treadmill...a different story! In fact it was a very hard session. I finished looking as if I'd run in heavy rain....drenched. But I did what I was supposed to do as best I could : keeping track of HR without flying off the treadmill & the results are :

Heart Rates for 4 x 8 minutes : (1) 119-130; (2) 122-133; (3) 123-132; (4) 124- 135

First 3 minutes treadmill at 9kph, next 5 minutes at 10kph.

Dreading the weather forecast for Sunday's long run!

Bitterly cold & Wet...

.............at the gym.

A very cold & wet day. I can't recall a day so cold!

Program : Easy, short run 25 -45 minutes including some strides & drills.

After 40 minutes on the treadmill I spent about 15 -20 minutes doing drills including some with the 'ladder'.

I can't see track happening tomorrow!

Bitterly cold & wet day...

Cold Feet........

.....cold hands, cold everything! Temperature 1 - 9 degrees.

I left today's run until afternoon - it was just too cold this morning, sunny but freezing cold. Mr G-armin wouldn't pick up the satellite as quickly as he normally does, so I set off anyhow......it was just too cold to stand & wait.

Program: Medium Run. 1hour 15 minutes.

15 minutes @ HR 110bpm.

45 minutes @ HR 118-120.

15 minutes @ HR 110.

Managed to keep HR within these limits for the given times but hardly even warmed up!

Hanging on the Wall......

There's a black & white photographic exhibition making its rounds of different venues in the Southern Highlands.

Today's Program : Rest....so

with some friends, Mr LL & I went to lunch in Bowral & hanging on the walls of the restaurant was the exhibition showing some of the more notorious local identities!

If it had been in colour, it would be seen that the subject of this photo was wearing Cool Running top & cap!

An Easy Day.....

While the sun was still out & the rain hadn't returned, I went to the soccer field for today's training session:

Program : Short easy run 25 - 45 minutes. Strides & Drills.

I did 45 minutes low HR run on the grass in the soccer field...strides along the short sides. Finished with Drills. Then the rain returned.

Long Run...3 Weeks to Gold Coast......

Who would have thought today would turn out to be such a beautiful day after the awful weather of the past 3 days! I was dreading having to do a long run had the rain, wind & cold persisted, but instead there was sun, some cloud, no wind, no rain & it wasn't even cold!

Program : Long Run......2 hours 15 minutes.

First hour very easy at average HR of 106bpm.

For the second 1 hour 15 minutes, gradually increase HR (and speed) to 130bpm.

Run as long as possible between 120 -130.

Try to do 30 minutes at average HR of 125.

Ease back down to 106 pace.

Results : Did all of the above & sent Motion Based report to Ewen!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2980516

I think this was a good run : first hour very easy, turning back at the top of the hill above Glenquarry.. Then 35 minutes between 120 - 130. Maybe I should have run longer at the increased HR...I could have, but I was already back to the car & had to fill in time going up & down the road to get to 2 hours 13 minutes & then called it a day! It was interesting having something to do while running : keeping a close eye on heart rate & adjusting pace to the ups & downs of Range Road.

A Day Off....

Wild, wet and windy...just right for a rest day! Tomorrow....a long run in better conditions I hope!

Cold, Wet & windy, so the gym it was!

Program : 25 - 45 minutes easy run including strides & 15 minutes of drills.

Treadmill 45 minutes, speeding up for strides. 6km

For drills, I used the large room at the rear of the gym (pic. above!) & had the entire floor to myself! I borrowed the 'ladder' from the nice young man at the desk to use for some of the drills. This nice young man, Keith, came back later &, being a sprinter & hurdler, he joined me in doing a bit of tripping the light fantastic together! Good fun & good drills on an otherwise nasty day.

Heartbeat.........

............Program testing for Maximum Heart Rate:

Warm-up jog 15 minutes.

Drills & Stationary Drills.

4 Strides.

Rest 4 minutes.

1 more stride.

Walk to start......

Run 800m as fast as possible, but evenly...etc....etc...(meaning: don't go out so fast that you break down after first 100m!!).

Rest 3 minutes.

Run 400m as fast as possible & take HR immediately here!

Rest. Then 2 laps slow jog warm-down.

Chev track was cold, wet underfoot, misty rain & miserable! 9 degrees top today. It had rained pretty heavily all last night & this morning, so I waited until about 2:00pm when it seemed to fine up a little, except for the misty rain in Bowral, but good enough not to miss the session.

Ewen has been thinking that I have set my Max. HR too high (155bpm) judging by races & results of training that he's been looking at & this was the first step of finding out if this was true. I suspected he would be right & from today's results he thinks so too!

800m = 142bpm ....4:40 ( Ewen has checked that this time is less than 10 seconds outside my ACT record for 800m!...This cheered me up no end!!)

400m = 138bpm....2:07....pretty good I thought!!

Putting all this together, Max. HR has been changed to 145bpm until Ewen looks through some of the 1500m Time Trials I've been doing since October last year to see what else he might be able to come up with.

I think if conditions had been better today, HR might have been a bit higher. We'll just wait for the mastermind to work it out for me!

There was a time when I thought Mr G-armin was my best running buddy, but I was so wrong...of course he's not anywhere near the as important to my running as is Ewen! I'd be "lost" (figuratively speaking I hope!) without his continued help in programming especially for my needs. I don't know how to thank a person like that, except to buy him an ice-cream at the Gold Coast!

Time on My Hands.......

With Nothing Better To Do.......Rest Days are so boring!

A Medium Run......

.....I almost expected to meet these little people this morning!

8:00a.m. temperatures : Moss Vale minus 1.5 degrees; Bowral 2 degrees & Mittagong 4 degrees...so I stayed in, again!

Program: Medium Long Run - 1 hour 15 minutes. Run a bit quicker than Sunday's long run. Try to keep HR between 115bpm & 120.

It was still very cold at 10:30 a.m. but it was then or never! It was a very successful run I thought.....my legs felt 'free & easy'.....must be all the drills working. I felt like I was flying along!

Ran for 38 minutes & got back in 35 minutes approx....(10km.) Avg. HR 110bpm.

The Long & the Short of........

....the white lines marking the soccer field at Ironmines Oval. I love doing a session here : protected from any wind & all to myself!

Program : Easy short run 25 - 45 minutes. Strides & 15 minutes drills.

The thought occurred to me that I could use the lines to do a combination of a short run & some strides.

After a warm-up - stride out on one of the short sides, walk half of a long side & jog the 2nd half of the long side, then stride out on the short side again...etc. etc.... for 45 minutes, 'round & round' the rectangle. I enjoyed this, I think because it was structured & saved me doing any thinking! 3.5km

After the run/strides I did 15 minutes of drills. Not an easy session but I was very pleased with myself (!) & I think Ewen will be pleased when his "spies" let him know how well I did the drills!!

Get Me to the Church On Time...

Program : Long Run 2 Hours.

I had set the alarm for 8:00am, but when the weather man said it was 5 degrees outside, I immediately re-set it for 10:00a.m by which time it had warmed up sufficiently to drag me out of bed & onto Range Road for a 2 hour run! How lazy can a person get, but I love my warm bed these cold mornings!

I aimed to get to the church at Glenquarry in 60 minutes & return in the same time. I made it to the church a little faster than last time in 57:46. Return was 3 minutes slower (walking a couple of steep hils). 15.3km. Total time = 1hour 58 seconds! I was watching HR to keep it low: Avg. 112; Max. 137. I ran a little faster for the last 1 - 2 kms feeling very tired & hungry!

I felt this was a good run in perfect conditions : sunny, clear blue skies, cool breeze....a superb morning!

Not Jacob's Ladder but Norma's!

.......at Ironmines Oval, away from the cold wind for today's program :

Program: 45 minutes easy, short run.

Strides & Drills included.

Each time I came round to this white line was where I let go for the strides. Didn't count them, but quite a few. Lastly, did the required drills & for a couple of them, I use this fancy piece of equipment, replacing pine cones (too easy to roll an ankle) & sticks!

Another good session!