How Long Can an Athletics Carnival Last?

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That was the question I asked myself as I drove through the gates to Chev this morning! Indefinitely, it would seem!

Once again I could see the 'troops' heading down from the top oval towards MY OVAL & MY TRACK! And, with that out the window went all my plans for today's session of 10 x 300m intervals. This sort of thing is seriously interrupting my training! Don't they know that by now?

I kept driving through the grounds, down "Main Avenue" until I reached "Meadow ONE" - once again - which I drove right across on the grass and parked on the far side of the oval. This decision to park so far from civilization was to have some consequences later!

However, in the meantime I set about changing the program to 16 x 100m which was far easier to measure down one side of the soccer field than trying to work out exactly where 300m would be. I ran bare foot again and so the morning was off to a good enough start.

2km warm-up
Drills & a few strides
16 x 100m.
2km warm-down

I ran the warm-up all over the oval, every which way. I spotted a very green cricket pitch in the middle and thought : what a great place to do drills! And it was, because the grass here isn't nice & flat like on the track, but a bit rough and I didn't want to do my fancy drills, especially the 'Carioca' or 'Grapevine' and fall flat on my face. I look stupid enough just doing it and staying upright!

The 100m intervals I ran down one of the white lines that marked a side of the soccer field and they seemed to go OK : 31 seconds, 30, 29, 28, 30, 27, 27, 24, 26, 26, 26, 25, 26, 27, 26, 24. Then the 2km warm-down and returned to the car.

It wouldn't start! No matter what I did, it refused to give even the slightest encouraging sign of life!

So there I was, way off in no man's land and not another human in sight. Thank goodness I never leave home without my mobile! Enter the good old faithful NRMA about 30 minutes later. First he - as did I - thought it was a flat battery but then he changed his mind to the 'starter motor'.... whatever that is! Then he came back to it being one or the other, but not absolutely sure which one!

So....I was given instructions, after he got it started, to drive home, leave the car turned off for an hour and then try again. If the same thing happened, call the good old faithful NRMA again and they would replace the battery which was still under warranty. If that makes any sense to some, good! It didn't to me, but I know absolutely nothing about cars except how to drive one; so I did as I was told and lo and behold....the dear old faithful car sprang into action and didn't stop again later in the afternoon when I drove the doggies to the paddocks for their daily run and rabbit chase. Will it die again though......that's the worry now!

I didn't at all mind waiting for the NRMA. I took my towel from the car, lay it on the grass, sat basking in the sunshine and thought about nothing....not even the fact that this would be my last run and last day in my seventies!

Hello Eighty!

After all....another pleasurable day!

Beautiful day here! I love Spring; more blossoms out every day.

Today's 10km Run.

I decided to go to Chev track & run the 10km on grass, barefoot. Lovely! Running well & feeling great until I saw in the distance the entire student body & staff heading down in my direction, but to one of the upper fields I thought for sure. Not so! Down they kept on coming in their hundreds, right to the oval on which is My track! What on earth??!!

I was running so well & smoothly - at least I thought so - bare feet; but instead of walking off the track, I decided to finish the lap and I would then have finished 7km. And they all waited and watched! The finish was right in front of where they sat &, blow me down, as I stopped running, they all stood, clapped & cheered! Where was the hole I wanted to crawl into?

The teacher in charge of athletics told me they had to use the track to finish the relays which they didn't have time for on Saturday & apologised for asking me to move to one of the soccer fields to finish. See, they know it's all mine! But I forgave her when she told me she'd watched my last lap & complimented me on my "lovely" running form (whatever that is!). And then the inevitable question : do you mind if I ask how old you are? What sort of running events do you do? Why didn't the ground open up and swallow me before I could answer?

Anyhow, I waved to all the kiddies & walked off the track as fast as I could & finished the last 3km on a nearby soccer field. What a day!

10km
Time 1:05:43
Avg. pace 6:32; Best 5:03.
AHR 125 (79%); MHR 145 (92%).
Splits 8:07; 7:07: 6:52; 6:23; 6:15; 6:07; 6:07; 6:11; 6:05; 6:09.

My aim had been to warm up for the first couple of kilometres and then stay below 6:30 pace for the rest of the 10km.. ...as practice for Blackmores Half Marathon pace. So a good day after all!

Hills & More Hills....But Spring Is Here At Last!

Weather was great for today's running uphill training. What I did :-

3km warm-up
A few drills & strides

Then 6 x 60 seconds uphill + 5 x 40 seconds also uphill!
Jog or walk - depending on how puffed I felt! - dowhill between each.
3km warm-down.


Before I start a hill session, I always think : Gee! I can do more than 6 x 60 seconds uphill! But I tell you truly, I was well & truly pooped at #6! A huge effort needed to continue with 4 more even though they were shorter.

Distance today = 6km (not incl. hill reps.)

Surprise! Surprise!

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After my run, and while I'm showering, who should arrive at the front door but Cool Runners Ruth and Ewen laden with birthday cakes, cards & presents!! And all the way from Canberra! Oh My God! I've never, never, ever been so taken by such surprise and I'm still reeling tonight!

From the shower I could hear unfamiliar laughter & couldn't for the life of me work out who it might be....but there they were with the kitchen bench spread with goodies. I have to mention how this all came about : some time ago I saw on Ruth's blog a photo of what she had made for her grandaughter's birthday. Jokingly, I left a comment saying I wanted one too for my birthday....and I GOT IT TODAY! And a week early to boot! From Ewen I now have "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami; this I've wanted to get hold of for some time.

Could anyone wish for kinder friends than this? When I think of all the work that went into the making of all those little cakes, not to mention the big 'mumma' ladybird in the centre - thank goodness you didn't try for 80! - then the drive from Canberra....I'm gobsmacked! I think I'll stay overwhelmed for a full week, right up till the actual day I become an octogenerian. Thank God I don't in the least feel one little bit like one though!

But for the run now, even though it feels so insignificant compared to what took place after!

Ran 20km today ...10 out & 10 back along Old South Road.
Course: hilly & with long inclines.

Weather: Horrible! Windy & Cold. On the return I was forced to walk as the wind just blew me backwards!

Time 2 hours 39 minutes.
AHR 119 (75%); MHR 128 (81%).

Distance today 20km
Distance this week 59km.

Ruth.....4 more little lady bird cakes gone!! Super delicious!

Ewen.... the significance of the number 43 on the front of the card was not overlooked!

I Could Have Run Better.....

...I'd like to think it was because I couldn't use the track at Chev today...athletics carnival on when I drove in.....on MY track!

I drove further through the grounds so as to use one of their soccer fields in Meadow One...the best solution I could think of rather than drive home & return tomorrow. Tomorrow, I want to take a rest day as I haven't had one this week & then run long on Sunday.

So....I didn't run as well as other 3 weekly Friday sessions; didn't get heart rate up & took longer to complete the 5km. On July 31 my time was 30:43 & AHR 136 (86%); MHR 142 (89%).

Today: 2km warm-up; drills & a couple of strides.
5km
Time 33:23
AHR 125 (79%); MHR 135 (85%)

I did my best & anyhow, at last all the lanes will be marked next time I'm at Chev, not just lane 7.

Distance Today = 7km

All Roads Don't Lead to Rome!

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....because my 'road' this morning led to a cattle water trough!

I had 6km to run & being such a beauty of a day again with no wind, I decided to follow the well trodden cattle tracks in the paddocks & do a cross country run.

It was great fun; hopped over all the cow pats & followed a myriad of
tracks, all of which ended at the water trough!

I'll do this again sometime on another not-so-serious run.

Distance today = 6km

Another Windy One!

.....so, to the gym again, this time to use the treadmill which I programmed for a "Random" 10km and random it was with more hills than 'random' should ever have!

The fact that I found this a pretty tough session began to feel easier when a young man stepped onto the treadmill beside me & started running.......carrying an army pack on his back! I couldn't help but ask how much it weighed....30kg he said! Turns out he's in the army & this is regular training every 2 or 3 days. He'd walk for a while, then jog & finally sprint before getting off for a break, only to resume the same routine over & over. In his very early 20's I'd guess & had the most beautiful smile I've seen in a long time! Aaaah, youth can be such a beautiful thing!!
Features were a bit like Robson Green from "Wire in the Blood" if anyone looked at that series, but this smile was all sunshine!

Anyhow, back to training :

10km on a "Random Course" setting.
Avg. Speed 7.7
I don't have AHR but MHR was 133 (84%)
500m walk warm-down.

For today 10.5km

How to Run in the Wind!

....but not for me! Now that the hurricane weather has hit us, I was afraid of trees falling on me, so off to the gym this morning. These gales, rushing around the house, sound like the roar of a jet taking off!

Instead of the treadmill, I decided on the elliptical trainer for a change of motion & muscle!

The program outdoors would have been : 7km Upper Aerobic - HARD!

50 minutes (programed for cardio workout) followed by
10 minutes (rolling hills, level 10)

This was certainly 'upper aerobic' exercise & my legs went to jelly as I stepped off the machine onto the floor where I waited a few seconds to make sure I could walk without falling in a heap!

I really like the elliptical trainer! Solid stuff!

At Last!

I've shaken off enough of this cold to get out for an easy run this morning. I was surprised that I felt quite good! Having not run all week, I was expecting to feel like I was running in a quagmire! Not at all; I felt quite perky in fact and even the nasty wind didn't bother me at all. All of which says : rest can be a very good thing!

11km. Diamond Fields Road.
AHR 116 (73%)

A happy return to preparations for Blackmores Half Marathon, September 20.

Two Days Off..............

So far, it's been two days since Bankstown Half Marathon & I haven't run or done anything much at all : wretched cold, cough & sneezing that I've been struggling with for over 3 weeks now. Today, I just didn't feel I could walk, let alone run or jog. Sitting in the lovely sun has been some compensation though.

Tomorrow maybe? Have to see how I feel in the morning.

Ironing Out The Creases......

My quads are so sore & stiff today! Nevertheless, I thought it wise to get out & do something to loosen up the muscles. I don't think I succeeded much at all; I was like an old crock stumbling down the road; everything hurt to begin with, then improved, all except for my left ankle which feels quite sore on the inner side. Knowing I had pain in this area, I changed from wearing the Newton trainers which I wore on Sunday, to the Nike Vomero 1v, hoping it would cause less discomfort than continuing to wear Newtons.

So......7.2km jog/walking any inclines & hills.

My cold has now settled on my chest from which an enormous bark bellows forth at regular intervals! Heart rate was also too high for such an easy jog. Another try tomorrow.

The Hidden Half....Bankstown

Poser, I know! But how else can I show that shiny, 1st place age category medal, not to mention THE SKIRT!

Jim & I left Mittagong this morning at the unearthly - for me - hour of 5:30 a.m. & were at Bankstown just one hour later. So I had plenty of time to register & then do the usual 20 minutes warm-up.

A perfect day : sunny, no wind and quite a bit warmer than the Southern Highlands at this time of day and year. The start was right on 7:30 a.m for the half marathon which appeared to have a really good roll up of runners of all levels including those running the State Road Half Marathon Championships.

This is one tough course of 1 small loop and 2 long loops winding its way around the lakes, up hill & down dale. Very pretty, plenty of shade but the hills are real killers, so tonight the glutes are screaming from trying to run uphill and the quads from speeding down hill. I'm pleased to say I didn't walk at all, not even once! Nevertheless, I finished feeling that I'd been running all day and that the time must be somewhere in late afternoon!

No chance of getting lost or taking a wrong turn. The course was superbly marked making a wrong turn impossible & volunteers were everywhere they were needed. This has to be one of the best organized runs ever!

Around 10:30 the presentations began followed by the longest lucky draw I've ever waited for; but no win this year in that direction.

I was very pleased with my time though and that more than made up for any missed lucky draws! My 3 week horrible cold came back to haunt me over the last two days and I almost didn't get out of bed at 4:30 a.m! Glad I did!

The last time I ran in this event was in 2007 when my time was 2 hours 36 minutes.

Today's results : 2 : 31:05!
Avg. pace 7:07; Best 4:54
AHR 84%; MHR 95%.
5km splits : 33:53; 36:21; 35:24; 36:48; (7:73).

And on the strength of that mighty effort, I feel two photos are perfectly justified & I'm continuing my lucky streak of all this year's runs so far, being 5 to 7 minutes faster than those of the same events in 2008 & 2007!

Another New Loop

This time for 6km. I'm enjoying discovering new loops of varying distances lately; a change of scenery makes the run more interesting & time goes by more quickly than it does on the old familiar routes.

6km...very easy.
Time 46 minutes
Avg. pace 7:43
Best pace 5:24
AHR 120 (76%); MHR 130 (82%).

I was pleased to finish at 6km; the poor old legs were a bit tired from yesterday's hard track session. So to be fresh for Sunday's Bankstown half marathon, I'll do a few hill repeats tomorrow & REST on Saturday.

Tough Track!

I made a few changes to this week's training in the lead up to Sunday's half marathon at Bankstown. Shorter, but more intense, running.

Today at Chev Track.

2km warm-up
Drills & a few strides.
10 x 300m....'Hard'
1km warm-down.

300m times were: 1:32; 1:30; 1:31; 1:30; 1:30; 1:38; 1:29; 1:27; 1:27; 1:29

This was quite a bit harder than the usual 16x100m that I've been running on Wednesdays. Actually felt like I mightn't get to #10! But I did!

Today's distance 6km.

My New 12km Loop

Today I extended the 10km loop for another 2km & now have a new 12km loop! Radio Road, Bong Bong, Mary, Inkerman & return.

12km
1:27:56
Avg. pace 7:19
AHR 73%; MHR 84%

This was OK; still a little breathless since the heavy cold & heart rate was lower than I should have been pushing for. I seem to have to try quite a bit harder to get heart rate up around 70-80%; I feel like I'm working real hard but heart rate says otherwise!

The new loop is good with a few hills. The morning was very warm, blossoms coming out, so hopefully Spring is just around the corner!

Today's distance = 12km

My Nightmare Account of City to Surf!

That's what it was....just a nightmare, because I didn't run the City to Surf this year except in this dream!

I'd arrived at the start which was at a school somewhere, only to realize I'd forgotten both my bib number & timing chip. In a state of the worst kind of panic only felt in a nightmare, I told an official who said not to worry, just run, keep my splits & send them to him & he would see that they went into the results.

Not too happy with this & seeing that there was still a half hour before the start, I decided to run 'home' (no idea where that was but certainly not Mittagong! Seemed to be somewhere in Sydney), pick up the bib & chip & return to the start, all within 30 minutes!

And that was where the real nightmare began! I found myself completely lost - nothing unusual about that though - amidst a maze of deserted, dark streets & alleys, all the time running in a mad panic & getting nowhere. Nothing else to do but hail a taxi, I thought. None in sight of course, as I stood in the middle of a road with traffic whirling either side, until a man & woman on a motor bike pulled up & asked if I wanted a lift....things seem so natural & real in a dream. Anyhow, I climbed aboard..no idea how three of us fitted, but we did. After some distance & still no where nearer to 'home' & time marching on, the couple had to stop at their house to get ready for work ....only happens in a dream! More panic as I paced around their house until I realized I couldn't wait any longer & set out onto the streets again.

Once more, a maze of dark alleys, dead ends & tunnels until I found myself at the bottom of a deep well! But, as luck would have it, (and thanks to all I've learned from watching Tarzan movies since early hildhood!) there was a thick rope dangling from the top, down to where I was standing. Amazing what athletic feats one is capable of in a dream! I grabbed the rope & started to climb my way up by scaling the rope, only to have it all fall down on top of me as I reached half way!

However, as Harrison Ford finds in many of his movies, there's always a way out to be found and there right in front of me was a doorway (why didn't I see it in the first place?) leading to....wait for it, yes, you've got it : more darkened streets, but this time with crowds of people all trying to get to the start of the C2S. I followed two girls who were making massive strides by zooming straight up vertical cliffs! I attempted to do the same but couldn't make it more than half way & so down I went & the search began all over again, only this time it was back to where the C2S was to start, the search for 'home' & the ill-fated bib & timing chip no longer seeming to matter! I was looking for Circular Quay and/or Rushcutters Bay - no idea why, but it seemed the direction I had to go & where everyone else was going. I could see the ocean & immediately knew the struggle to start the damned race was nearly over. But before that happened, one more test had to be endured!

I turned off the road into a house where there was a cat - a lovely, big fluffy one that I decided to take with me! Do I show here a tendency toward kleptomania? I left with the cat in my arms & later decided to leave it to find its way home. A few steps further on, conscience got the upper hand and I turned back, picked up the cat & returned it through a cat-door to its home. That has to say something good about me!

Finally, I was back at the start of this year's C2S from which most runners had already left, when an official approached me and said : "OK. You're free to go." Just That! That was all! After all that I'd endured for what seemed like endless harrowing hours.........

AND...I WOKE UP!

I wonder why I dreamed all this? I know I was thinking of the event all day & disappointed I didn't feel well enough to run & I'd watched a Harrison Ford movie earlier that night, "Airforce One". So, maybe I just got it all out of my system in the dream. Who knows? Crazy, like all of my dreams/nightmares which I can always vividly see & recall on awakening.

What I Did do however much later in the morning, was:

Go to Chev Track for a Tempo Run.

2km warm-up
Some light drills & a couple of strides.

4km 'hard' (tempo run); a little below racing effort.

Time 24:53

Avg. pace =6:15; best = 5:17

Splits 6:16; 6:09; 6:27; 6:00
AHR = 132 (84%); MHR = 142 (90%)

I felt really tired for this tempo run...not surprising after the 'run' I did during the night! Nevertheless, it was 5 seconds faster than last time on 14th June!

Distance today = 6km

What a Change

....from yesterday's mid-summer day! I'm so glad I didn't leave it too late to start today. The morning was perfect but now, at late afternoon, a wild & cold wind is hurtling its way through the Southern Highlands with rain to come. The rain will be good but the wind I can do without, so no walk for the doggies this afternoon. The little one could very likely blow away!

At Renwick soccer field :
2km warm-up
Drills
16 x 100m
2km warm-down.

100m times were : slowest (1st one) in 34 seconds; fastest (last one) in 26 seconds; all others in between.

I've made the decision not to do the C2S on Sunday; foolish to run that course, at that time of day with traces of the bad cold still hanging around & breathing not as good as it should be for racing. Another time, another year....I hope!

Distance today = 6km

A Summer's Day!

So beautifully warm today; all sunshine & clear skies.

6km 'easy' (on Radio Rd, Mary Street & Bong Bong Road)....part of my new 10km loop.

Time = 42 minutes
Avg Pace = 7:00m/km
AHR = 117 (74%); MHR = 135 (85%)

No problems with this at all!

10km Course With New Variations...

Ran my new 10km course today but with more of the bush run & less on road. Perfect Spring morning (at mid-day) when I started; blossoms beginning to appear on the trees, no wind & lovely warm sun.




But is this snow I see?

No, it's smelly fertiliser in one of the paddocks I passed today! Today's program was 6km but as I won't have much time tomorrow I changed the sessions around to fit.

10km on bush track & road....easy, lower aerobic.

Time 1:16:49
Avg. pace = 7:40
AHR = 111 (70%). MHR = 132 (84%)
Newton shoes.

Distance today = 10km

Hills....but no hoist!

I have a special hill on Diamond fields road for this session. I was later again today 11:00a.m. start; cold, windy. Wore #5Frees in baby blue!

Program : 3km warm-up. Some drills, stretching.

4 x 60 seconds uphill, jog down.
2 x 40 seconds " "

3km warm-down.

This was OK, a bit stiff in the legs now, otherwise all went well. I tried a few sprints between the 60 sec. & 40 sec. repeats; also ran fairly fast downhill between each repeat...the only time I get to run 'fast' is going downhill. Oh, what a feeling!

7km today

Yesterday's Run Today

Yesterday, was the day for my long run & today would have been a rest day. I just felt too tired & without motivation yesterday to get going....again. I'm getting lazy I think! I mustn't let the rot set in any further while I still have those 8(?) pairs of shoes to wear out!

I decided to change things around a bit so as to do the long run today rather than miss it altogether. Windy morning; started at 10:00a.m. Ran on Diamond Fields Road for a change to the dirt road & off bitumen. Once again, very pleased that I made an effort; I really enjoyed the run in spite of the wind & being slower than I'd like.

Distance = 12km
AHR 67%; MHR 72%....very slow, easy jogging.

I'll be back there tomorrow for a hills session.

Too Much Too Soon?

A 'funny' sort of session this! I started just before mid-day, sunny but windy. As usual I had the entire oval at Chevalier College in Bowral to myself. I used lane 7 which is 0:42m.

Program : 2km warm-up
Drills, strides.

12 laps (5km) 'sitting on' heart rate 136 (86%). Time each 2 laps.

I did the warm-up etc wearing Newton trainers. Bare feet for the main session....cool, soft grass.

2km warm-up in 16 minutes, drills, strides.

12 laps timing each 2 laps = 5:08; 5:00; 5:02; 4:49; 5:05; 5:16.

Distance = 5:09
AHR = 136 (86%); MHR = 142 = (89%)
Avg. Pace = 6:02.

Time = 31:43.... & PB! (32 seconds faster than the last time I did this same session on 22nd June!)

I called this a 'funny' sort of track session because never, ever have I felt sick during this or any other kind of training, but I did today. All fine except for coming to the finish of the last lap I felt that I was going to throw up; crossed the line, walked to the fence & started to dry-reach a couple of times feeling like I was going to die there & then!

I suspect that I wasn't quite ready for a hard session so soon after the heavy cold I've had & which still hangs around just like I said it would. Nasty, cruel thing!

Back home & showered, I took to the bed & slept for nearly 2 hours this afternoon! Finally, a bowl of soup seems to have settled things and of course.....tomorrow is another day, which I intend to be a resting one!






Distance today = 7km

A New 10km Course

I took a different direction for today's run; close to where I usually run but I don't think I've ever explored the area before. Very pretty on dirt, through bush, on quiet roads & finishing with a couple of rounds in the soccer field to get the numbers up to 10, which I thought would never come! Not back to 'normal' yet, so the final few kilometres were a bit of a struggle....but it's done!

I wore the Nike Vomero trainers today, felt comfortable & well cushioned; one of the 8 pairs according to Ewen that I have hidden under the bed! Well, it's not 8....it's only 6!!

Track session tomorrow...Oh, what a feeling!!

10km
Time 1:15
AHR = 118 (75%)
Avg. Pace 7:31.

Same As Yesterday.....

Same course except for a turn or two around the soccer field, same distance, a little faster! Motion Based download to Garmin Connect is much better than the previous system, though it's not completely phased out yet. Newton shoes going well! I'll soon be running out of sight even on a dark night!

7km
Time 52 minutes
AHR 74%; MHR 94% (?)
Avg. pace 7:25; Best 4:45.

Yes, I Can!

I jogged up & down this 400m stretch of road called 'Radio Road' so as to stay out of the wind & catch the sun as it came & went from under the clouds.

This was my first run since coming down with the worst cold ever, 11 days ago & it's still hanging around waiting to resurface & knock me down again!

So it was a struggle even to force myself to start running again this morning & I was sorely tempted over the last few days to hang up the boots for good, but then I thought : that's being really weak; get out & try & see how you go....and I'm gald I did because I enjoyed this easy jog & now I'm thinking I'm back again 'for the term of my natural life'!

I jogged easily for 7km.
AHR 67%
Time 55 minutes.

How Long Has This Been Going On?

Five days so far, that's how long! Last Friday was my last run before coming down with the worst cold I can remember, courtesy of Mr LL who, tired of having such a bad cold all to himself for a week, decided it was time to give it away ....to me! I can't remember when I last had a cold of any kind, but when I do get a cold I REALLY GET A BEAUTY!

For 5 days I've felt as sick as a dog: sneeze, blow, cough; sneeze, blow, cough; hardly any sleep. I feel like I'll never run again and City to Surf less than 3 weeks off. Plenty of time for Blackmores though; that's if I ever get the urge to run again...how quickly things just fall apart! Oh well, another day or two & maybe I'll feel the old desire return.

To be continued........

An Upper Aerobic Run...

....that became a 'lower aerobic' run!

Program : 12km @ AHR 82%.

I didn't have what's required in the legs to get heart rate up to 80%+ for any decent length of time in today's 12km run. It was a cold & windy mid-day when I started & my legs were still a bit weary ...from yesterday's strides work out I think. So....

12km @ AHR 70%; MHR 78%
Avg. pace 7:32; Best 4:46

I've just about got used to the recent change I made in running shoes...i.e. to the Newton Trainer; today was the longest continuous run in them. I very much like the feel of running lighter/faster (?) that they give but they take some getting used to, short distances first; then the longer stuff. So far no problems running with them over the past 2 weeks.

Track Session....

I did today's track at Renwick Soccer Field just up the road from home.....another facility I seem to have the exclusive use of. Cold, overcast day. Wore #3 Frees.

Program : 2km warm-up. A few drills.
16 x 100m strides with jog recoveries.
2km warm-down.

All went well I think, possibly a bit sluggish; times not as fast as when I did the same strides a couple of weeks ago. Oh well, just getting going again after Gold Coast!

Fastest 100m 28 seconds; slowest in 31 seconds.

Today's Distance = 6km

Cold, Windy Day

.....OK for a short run only.

Program : 6km @ 75% of MHR.

I did today's run up & down a stretch of road that gave some shelter from the wind.

Time 45:20
Avg. Pace 7:31; Max. 5:58
AHR 68%.....should have run harder!

Distance Today = 6km

Back To Work...

After a few days of easy jogging, today was the start of Week One of my Three Week Training Cycle.

Program : 12km @ 118 (75%) 'Lower Aerobic' Run.

I didn't start until around 12:30p.m & by then the day had turned cloudy, fairly cold & very windy. I enjoyed getting back to 'proper' running & the run went well, I think, in spite of the nasty headwind after the turn around point at 6km.

For the first time, I used "Garmin Connect" to download my run to the PC. Very soon that's what 'Motion Based' will be using exclusively, so I thought it a good idea to get used to it. Lots of new features & a 'new look' for Motion Based from what it is now.

6km out in 39:39
AHR 72%; MHR 80%.
Avg. Pace 6:59; Max. 5:34.

6km back in 44:09.....no negative split today!
AHR 76%; MHR 90%.
Avg. Pace 7:26; Max. 5:40.

Today's Distance = 12km







.

!st Run Post Gold Coast

Having walked each day for about 45 minutes since the Gold Coast half, I thought it about time to speed things up a bit before starting back on the full program next Monday.

6.5km very easy.

All body parts, bits & pieces seemed to hold together well! Lovely clear morning after a night of light rain. I'll do a couple more easy runs like this before resuming my 3 week training cycle on Monday.

Gold Coast Half Marathon, 2009

.......................from the 22nd floor.

My aim for each of this year's runs is to try to better the times for the same events of 2008....so far it's working!

I spent 6 days at the Gold Coast, staying at Main Beach, "Pacific Views" on the 22nd floor & right across the road from the beach! I didn't have far to go for a daily surf & found I hadn't forgotten how to swim since the years of swimming at Bronte & Clovelly beaches in Sydney.

I repeated the lead up to this half marathon exactly as I'd done for the SMH Half back in May : 2 days taper but with the wonderful ocean to surf in this time!

An early 6:20 a.m. start Sunday morning was cool & pitch dark making my way across to the where the races began at Southport and meant getting up at 4:30a.m....not my time of day at all, but good for this particular climate change. This year, I didn't lock myself in or have to break down doors & smash locks as I did last year! In fact, everything, including the half marathon, couldn't have gone better!

My time on this course last year was 2:27:02. On Sunday I ran 2:21:06! This gave me (at 79) 1st place in my age category (75-79); 2nd place was a Japanese runner who was somewhere around half an hour behind me!! Lucky I didn't know she was there until I saw the results in the paper next morning!

I felt great throughout the entire run; never uncomfortable & didn't need to stop at two of the drink stations; I just kept on flying past everything & everyone I could overtake! I think I can run faster than I did & will practise a 6:30 per km pace in training runs of 12-14km in the weeks ahead of any future half marathons....Bankstown probably being the next one.

Thank you to all who have left encouraging comments on my blog; you keep me motivated to keep running on into my 80th year which begins this September!

Last Longish Run....

......before Gold Coast Half Marathon next Sunday. I'll take tomorrow off, do a 'Hills" session Tuesday & fly out on Wednesday. Thursday, at the Gold Coast I'll do some 100m strides on the beach, go to the Expo on Friday ( no running) & rest up completely on Saturday.

Today's Program : 12 to 14km 'easy'. Push harder for the last 3km.

14km in 1 hour 48 minutes.

7k out in 56:31....very easy!
7k return in 51:43...the brakes were off & running into a strong head wind. However, a nice little negative split of 4 minutes 48 seconds feeling good all the way!

Distance for the week = 42km

And that's it from me for now.

Good night & good luck everyone!

Another Track Day...

....and a good one at that; at least I thought so!

Program : 2km warm-up.
Drills, stretches, a few strides.
12 laps (5.07km) at AHR 133 (85%); time each 2 laps.
1km warm-down.

So I did the warm-up etc & then got started on the hard part!

12 laps in 31:15
Distance 5.07km
Avg. Pace 6:09
AHR 130 (84%); MHR 138 (89%).

Each 2 laps = 5:21; 5:06; 5:10; 5:14; 5:17; 5:14
1km warm-down jog.

The reason I thought this a good session was that I ran 56 seconds faster than the exact same session 2 weeks ago but AHR was the same, or a little lower.

Distance today 8km.

Medium Long Run....

Program : 10km @ AHR 75%.

Late start at 1:00p.m. Fairly cold & windy. Old South Road, 6k out & return. Felt OK for 2 extra kilometres.

12km
AHR 74%; MHR 84%.

A Good Day at the Track...

I decided to do today's session at Chev track as I had done 3 weeks ago so as to compare times, heart rate, etc.

Program : 7km @ AHR 85%...."Hard".

I did a drills warm-up first & a few stretches, then started on the 7km 'hard'; and I tried to run very hard!

7km in 44:23.
Avg Pace = 6:20
AHR = 137 (88%); MHR = 154 (98%)!
1km Laps = 6:31; 6:25; 6:17; 6:16; 6:19; 6:24; 6:17

1km warm-down & few stretches.

I was particularly pleased with today's results. I did this same session 3 weeks ago in 47:35; today was 3 minutes 12 seconds faster!

Conclusion to all this : Nothing works better than consistent hard work!


Distance today = 8km

Long Run Before Gold Coast

I intended to do only 18km this morning, so I set off without brekkie, water or any other supplies. Getting to 9km, I decided I might as well do one more, turn around & make a total of 20km for the day. This would take me as far as the village of Alpine where there are berry farms galore!

I ran along Old South Road (9km) to where it meets the Old Hume Highway. Turning right, the road was all down hill...... down the ranges all the way to Sydney, which I might have reached had I kept running, in about 6 months time!

After 1km down hill & turn around it had to be 1 km up hill! I found this incredibly tough especially having to watch for cars coming round bends. Safely back on Old South Road, light rain falling, it was more up hill & down dale for the run back to the car. The last 5k was really hard : I longed for a drink & something to eat! I walked the last 1km up another hill to the car.

I think it's good to feel that sort of fatigue occasionally! Shades of what's to be expected in the real thing even with aid stations.

20km
Time 2 hours 35 minutes.

10k out with AHR 111 (72%); MHR 129 (83%).
10k back with AHR 121 (78%); MHR 131 (85%).

Distance for this week = 66km

Two in One

Having missed yesterday's 6km but full of energy today, I added it on to today's 12km making a nice longish run of 18km.

12km + 6km = 18km ....spelt out like this so that Ewen, if he looks at this post, will see that my Maths isn't as bad as he says!

I ran on Old South Road. Not much traffic as I was late starting at 11:30 a.m. Run felt good both out & back. Cool; excellent for running!

18km.
AHR 113 (73%); MHR 131 (85%).

Fancy That!

No burning pain under my right foot today!

Program : 6km @ AHR 75% ...recovery day.

I wore the DS Trainers again today with the insert from the Podiatrist & ran without any soreness at all! At 6km I thought this was too good to be true so I went on for another 4k to see if the burning would set in. It didn't & was I a happy runner! Light rain in parts. Road a bit muddy.

5km on Diamond Fields Road.
Time 40 minutes.
AHR 109 (70%); MHR 123 (79%).

5km return
Time 37 minutes
AHR 115 (74%); MHR 133 (86%)
Best Lap 6:09 m/k

Distance today 10km...a very 'goof' day!

I Dood It!

.....though the legs were tired from yesterday's tempo run, 'I dood' 12km today. Why? Because the Program said so!

12 km @ AHR 116 (75%) Lower Aerobic. Recovery Day.


I changed shoes for this morning's run from the Asics 2140 (too stiff & heavy when new) to the DS Trainer (also new) but much lighter & more flexible. I also put the original orthotic from the Podiatrist in the right shoe, covered the tender area of my foot with Blister Block & it all seemed to work! The burning in the ball of my right foot was decidedly less than it has been; not completely gone, but I was able to do the run with 'minor discomfort'...or a bit more! So.........

12km on Old South Road.....not too much traffic during the week.
AHR 113 (73%); MHR 130 (84%).

Today's Distance = 12km

Tempo Run....Hard!

........sure was hard, but it was supposed to be & wasn't more so than I'd expected it to be. Once again no one in sight at Chev track. I'm so lucky to have the use of this venue....and all to myself!

Program : 2km warm-up. Short rest. Then 4km 'hard'.

Did all of the above! Results, I think, were OK & I 'ran like the wind' as I was told to; trouble was there was very little wind today!

Distance = 4km
Time = 24:58
Avg. Pace = 6:14; Max. Pace = 5:09
AHR = 134 (86%); MHR = 149 (96%).
Laps = 6:25; 6:08; 6:13; 6:10

Distance for today = 6km

Distance for this week = 39km

A Nice Light Run....

....before tomorrow's 4km tempo run.

9km on Old South Road.

I tried a metartarsal pad on my right foot as soon as the ball of foot pain struck after about 2km. Seemed to work....there was somewhat less pain in the area for the remainder of the run.

Yesterday & Today.....

Yesterday, a terrible 10km run!
I felt awful & tired from start to finish. Terribly windy afternoon run & I hate running in the p.m. but shopping had to done first. Traffic on Old South Road was terrifyingly fast, necessitating hopping off the road & standing until speeding cars went by. I wore the new Asics 2140 which I bought in Sydney at the time of the SMH Half Marathon. They felt very restrictive & heavy & the ball of my right foot was screaming all the way! I took several walk breaks because of the pain in this foot. Seeing a Podiatrist but getting nowhere so far.

Today, 16 x 100m strides....a much better day.
I always enjoy this sort of session : short, fast (?), on grass & done with!
After 2km warm-up, a few drills.
16 x 100m : slowest 33 seconds; fastest 25 seconds.
2km warm-down; stretches.

Total both days 16km.

The Hills Were Alive...

...with the sound of wild wind for a cold & windy hill session this morning.

Program : 3km warm-up
A few drills, etc
2 x 60 seconds + 3 x 40 seconds uphill; jog down.

I've been gradually adding extra uphills to this session, so for today :

3km warm-up & light drills.

6 x 60 seconds + 6 x 40 seconds uphill. Jog down between each.

3km warm-down

This was a successful session : hard but manageable despite the cold & windy conditions. Approx. 7km .

For a Change...Range Road!

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I hadn't forgotten how hilly Range Road is, but I had forgotten how many there are & how badly I feel coming back up from Glenquarry. There definitely should be a chair lift for that hill in particular! I took a few photos as an excuse to stop!

I'd decided to make this run a long one : 20km : - 10k from Mittagong & the same return.

The first 10km along Range Road to Glenquarry (7k) & then 3km of winding road down Tourist Drive/Macquarie Pass. That was O.k but coming back up I thought I'd just lie down & wait for someone to come to my aid! However, fear of being run down by speeding cars & motor cycles on blind corners soon put that to rest!

So once again : plod/jog/walk back up to Glenquarry, then to be faced with an almost vertical hill from there to the top of the road into Mittagong. I was feeling awfully tired; didn't take water, but found a tap to drink from. Even though it was cold & windy, I had a terrible thirst & I don't think there was much water left in the tank by the time I finished drinking!

Anyhow, it's done now & apart from feeling half dead & new blisters on top of the SMH Half ones, it was an interesting, hilly run....2 hours 52 minutes 38 seconds to do 20km!!!

When I explained to Ewen how dreadfully tired I was, he came up with an excellent suggestion for the tiredness : " don't go to bed tonight in case you don't wake up in the morning!" Cute, isn't he?

For this week 54km.

Yesterday....

...Friday, yet it seems so far away! But I had a much better day than Thursday. Sunny, clear morning; muddy, wet track in parts. Frees had to be washed under a tap when finished & the mud scraped off them ....and my legs!

Program : 2km warm-up

Stretches, light drills, a few strides.

12 laps (5km); first 2 laps working up to HR 133 then 'sitting on' 133 (86%). Time each 2 laps.

And this time I did NOT stuff up!!

Did the 2km warm-up etc... through Chev grounds...no pupils! They must have taken an extra extra long weekend!

12 laps (5km) in 32:11... 36 secs faster than 2 weeks ago!
Avg Pace 6:20
AHR = 129 (83%); MHR = 140 (90%)

Each 2 laps..... 5:43; 5:12; 5:10; 5:16; 5:20; 5:26

1km warm-down.

Distance = 8km

I was very pleased with this session, especially after feeling like a hippo the day before!

A Wretched Run!

Not even a run really: plod, walk, plod walk, plod. Some days are just plain bad! And hard! And nightmarish! And painful! In short, I was completely out of fuel!

Program said 6km.

I wanted to do 10km.

I 'did' 8km.

I turned back after 4km mainly because I was stuffed & felt like I was carrying an elephant on my shoulders!

The other reason I cut it short was I have a hard track session tomorrow & heaven help me if I stuff that up!

Recovery Day...

Program : 6km @ 75% of MHR.

I was feeling good this morning & a light misty rain falling, so I decided to run a couple more kilometres.

10km
AHR 70%; MHR 83%.

Just as I got back to the car....down it came! Not the car, but heavy rain. Just made it in time! A good run on Bong Bong Road & into Diamond Fields Road...far away from any traffic!

I took to the Track.....

........for today's session so as to do a 'hard' session on grass & without hills!

Progam : 7km "Hard" 85% of MHR.

First a few drills followed by :

7km in 47:35
Avg. Pace 6:45
AHR 121 (78%); MHR 145 (94%)
Laps: 7:56; 6:57; 6:48; 6:20; 6:28; 6:15; 6:21

It was a "hard" session, but I enjoyed going round & round & round & round for 7km on the wet & muddy track! Warm-down 1km jog.

Distance today = 7 + 1 = 8km (even Ewen won't be able to find anything wrong with that maths!!)

I Knew Where I Was Going......

....but because something had happened to flatten Mr G-armin's battery, I had very little idea of how far, what pace, heart rate or anything else! That being the case, I had no choice but to run to the very end of Old South Road knowing that, from the car to the end, the distance was 9km. No use me guessing where the 7km turn around might be!

Program : 14km. Try for negative split.

I ran 18km!

Neg. Split? For sure! I just about ran my legs off on the way back, especially down the long inclines that I'd struggled up earlier!!

Distance this week = 64km. Not bad!

Upper Aerobic Run

Program : 12km @ 82% of MHR.

Fairly cold wind this morning - tailwind on the way out but a strong headwind for the return.

14km (added 2k on)

7km out in 51 minutes.
AHR = 70%; MHR = 80%.

7km return in 54 minutes....against the wind!
AHR - 81%; MHR = 83%.

An OK run except for having to stop several times to apply blister block to the arches of both feet where I could feel blisters forming. .....bugger! They're big ones too! Made a trip to the chemist & bought 2 different sizes of "Elastoplast Aqua Protect Silverhealing" dressings! Hope they do the job of healing before Sunday's long run.

Yesterday & Today....

First yesterday....

6km @ AHR 75%...Done!

Today: 2km warm-up.
Strides & light drills. 16 x 100m. 2km warm-down.

16 x 100m with slow jog in between each.
Fastest was 27 seconds; slowest 31 seconds.
MHR - 73%.....which looks like I wasn't even trying, but I was huffing & puffing & running my legs off!!

6km both days = 12km total

Preparing for GC.......

Ttoday I had to change the training week around a bit, so as Phase 3 is the last week for Gold Coast.

That meant that I nearly 'stuffed up' - heaven help me against Ewen's wrath - by going from Phase 3 to Phase 2 this morning when I should have begun with Phase One. I checked my diary before leaving & was thus able to avert the catastrophe of doing the wrong week!

Program : 6km @ HR 75% (116)

I ran on Old South Road for 8km - 2km more than planned. The morning was such a good one: not at all cold; in fact MB shows 21 degrees. I wish MB would speed up! It's so slow bringing up results.

AHR 67%; MHR 88%

For the return 4km I ran accelerations from one roadside post to another & then jogged to the next one. That way, I included some speed & got back quicker!

The Week After......

For last week following the SMH Half - still bewildered and thrilled at 7 minutes improvement on last year's time! - I chose what I thought to be the most important sessions and took rest days on the others.

So........

Tuesday, May 19 : 6km 'easy'

Wednesday, May 20: 10km @75% of MHR

Friday: May 22 Chev Track.....2km warm-up, stretches, drills, strides
Then, 12 laps - about 5km - 'sitting on' HR 133 (86%). Hard!

Sunday, May 24: 12km 'easy'.


Week's total = 35km

This week back to 'normal' training to fully recharge the batteries for the Gold Coast Half Marathon on July5th....only 5 weeks to go!

SMH Half Marathon

I had a fantastic day! Arrived Sydney Saturday afternoon and stayed overnight at the City Park Regis, just across the road from the start...very handy and comfortable.

Sunday morning, after a short warm-up in Hyde Park with Ewen, we made our way to the start and as it turned out, just 26 seconds from the timing mat, so we were pretty close to the start line. From there, much to my surprise, I immediately was able to find a rhythm of running with short, quick strides and made up my mind I'd hold it till the end...no matter what!

I felt great and enjoyed every part of the run and, though it sounds crazy, I didn't even notice the Argyle Cut hill which I can recall having to walk parts of in previous years, and Hunter Street didn't bother me even on the second time around! For the first time in any run, I carried coke and sipped on it as I ran instead of Gatorade. I stopped once for water.

In short....I had the best run in a while, taking 7 minutes off last year's time & 2 minutes faster than 2008 Gold Coast Half. I'm still stunned, and very pleased, today!!

Since starting my thoughts about yesterday's run, I've read on Cool Running so many complaints about overcrowding, missing Gus, soupy Gatorade, walkers, slow runners, couldn't get near the start line, having to stop, et cetera...et cetera...et cetera!! Well, call me a nut case, but some of these were the very things that "made my day"!

Being used to running alone & lonely at the back of every race, I was tickled pink to have so many others around me for the entire run; I couldn't help but have a big smile on my face every time I dodged in and out of other runners to get ahead...and I did. I hardly ever get that chance, but I had it yesterday! I even laughed with delight to see such a huge crowd at the Hickson Road drink station so that I didn't even think of stopping there but just kept on running instead of waiting! I carried my own gels and coke to sip on the course instead of depending on the aid stations to have something left when I knew as an "old slowie" that there were over 8,000 runners participating. I had the best fun ever and, in spite of seeing a huge, ugly blood blister on my big toe afterwards, I still managed to get the "icing on the cake" by a 7 minute faster time than in any of 2008 half marathons, including the Gold Coast.

But now......I must mention the huge lift the Cheer Squad gave me each time I passed them. What an unselfish group they are to stand there for hours just to cheer others on their way! I have a special "Thank You" for Cool Runner "sfGnome" who returned to the Domain after his run, waited for me to come by & then ran the last kilometre with me, helping me to finish in....

2:26:09 Gun Time
2:25:45 Net Time

Finally : To have run 7 minutes faster than last year, I must have the best of all coaches!

On a Windy Day......

The last session before Sunday's SMH Half Marathon.

Program : 2km warm-up, light drills, stretches.
12 x 100m strides

DONE! Nearly blown sideways by the wind!

Leaving tomorrow morning for Sydney, stay overnight, return Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to seeing 10,000 runners on Sunday! Phew! What a crush that's going to be!

Two In One.....

Having missed out on yesterday's training (on hills), I doubled up today adding hills to an easy, lower aerobic run.

Program : 6km @ AHR 75% + 2 x 60 seconds hill + 3 x 40 seconds hill repeats. Jog down.

Warm up 3km to one of the hills on Diamond Fields Road...
3 x 60 seconds (1 extra!)
3 x 40 seconds.
Easy run for another 2km.
Warm-down 3km

Approx 7km total.

A Day Off.

No training today......instead we went to Sydney & had lunch with friends on Garden Island. A really lovely way to spend a rest day!

End of a "Big" Week....

OK....... 67.5km that's big for me!

Today's Program : 14km Medium Aerobic with AHR 79%. Try for negative split.

Cool, misty rain morning. Where has all that lovely sunshine gone? Nevertheless, it was excellent weather for a long run. So good was it, that I did a bit extra....4km. Old South Road to the end where it meets the Old Hume Highway. Fair amount of traffic to be careful of.

18km altogether.
Out in 1:11:32
AHR 77%; MHR 86%.

Back in 1:04:46
AHR 80%; MHR 88%.

Negative split!

67.5 for the week....biggest week in a while!

Easy Recovery Run...

An easy lower aerobic run today.

Program : 6km @ 75% of MHR.

Old South Road. Felt OK so ran a little extra.

7.5 km in 60 minutes.
Forgot heart rate monitor, but felt about the same effort.

Blisters....Bugger!

I did today's run with orthotics in my usual shoes, got to 6km & could feel blisters forming in the arches of both feet! This I do not need! I sat down, took the offending orthotics out of my shoes & finished the run comfortably without them.

Program : 12km @ AHR 82% Upper Aerobic Run.

At 6km having taken out the othortics from my shoes, I ran very comfortably without them for the return 6km. At home I looked at the damage & saw a very large blister on the inside arch of my good left foot & a smaller one, same place on my not good right foot! So there go the orthotics for now. I'm hoping the blisters will have gone by Sunday week. I've put blister block over both...tomorrow will tell if this temporarily fixes the problem.

12km run.
6km from the car in 47:20
AHR 79%; MHR 90%
6km return in 44:56
AHR 83%; MHR 92%.
Neg. Split 2:24

Recovery Run...

Program : 6km @ AHR 75%.

I ran on Old South Road today so as to get used to the new orthotics on a hard surface. So far so good!

6km at AHR 76%; MHR 84%.

Track...

Instead of going to Chev track I used the soccer field for today's training. I began running in #3 Frees, but soon discarded them to run barefoot on the lush, damp grass.

Program : 2km warm-up; stretches, strides, light drills.
16 x 100m with slow jog recovery between each. MHR of 133 (88%) on strides.

After the warm-up etc I did the strides down the long side of the soccer field, exactly 100m & jogged back to the start after each one. By #16 I was happy to finish!

Fastest stride was #12 in 26 seconds. AHR 128 (85%) Highest heart rate for the entire session was 140 (93%).

Finished with a few stretches on the grass on a beautiful, sunny Autumn day!

My Right Foot.....

....has got help at last!

I saw my GP ( the best in the whole world!) yesterday. Knowing the SMH was coming up soon, she rang a Sports Podiatrist & I saw him same afternoon. After at least 90 minutes of studying my feet & standing & walking every which way, I came away with semi-rigid orthotics under which he has placed various pieces of 'something' that will support my arch, lower the metatarsals & relieve pressure underneath my foot. He was more than surprised to see that I have 2 entirely different feet! Perhaps one belongs to someone else!

This might be a temporary measure so as to make running possible & less painful over the next 2 weeks & through the Half Marathon. It could be the permanent fix' I need, but only time & more running will tell. Today's run was short, so not able to judge until I run longer, but today was just about pain free.

Program : 6km 'lower aerobic @ 75% of MHR.

3km from the car with AHR 70%; MHR 80%.
3km return with AHR 76%; MHR 83%.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow's track session.

2 Weeks to SMH Half Marathon

After a couple of days off, I started up again with a "real" program for the 2 weeks left in the lead up to SMH Half Marathon on May 17th.

Program : 12km @ 75% of MHR.

On one of the best of all possible mornings I ran on Diamond Fields Road for 12km.

6km out with AHR 78% of MHR; 6km return with AHR 78%.....Done!

Running on Grass....

This morning, when the weather looked like rain, I decided to do the session in the soccer field where the car was parked so that I could make a quick exit if rain happened. It didn't! Very overcast & cold. Warmed up with a few stretches & drills before starting.

Program 1/2 to 3/4 hour lower aerobic....70 -75% of MHR.

I did my run today going around - how can you go "around" a rectangle? - going 'rectangle-wise' in Renwick soccer field.

Time = 45 minutes.
Distance = 5.4km
AHR = 74%; MHR = 85%.

On every 2nd short side I ran stride-outs but have no idea of how many because I lost count!

Shades of Autumn

This morning's run along Old South Road.

Time 1 hour
Distance 7.3km
AHR 74%; MHR 84%

Not quite as cold as the last couple of days but still windy & cool. Run was OK.

First Day Back.....

...since Canberra Marathon. Cold & very windy 5 - 11 degrees. No problems from right foot & very happy to be running again!

Ran easily with AHR 70%, MHR 83% (the hills!).

Time 45 minutes.
Distance 6.3km.
Wore #3 Frees