Cross-Training #2

Drills or Hills?  I chose hills; short ones!

Iron Mines Oval:   The road leading down to the ovals.




10 min warm-up + 2 strides

12 short hill repeats; walk down.
13 - 20 seconds up.

I don't know if the hill was steep enough.   I ran hard but I didn't want a cross-training day to be too strenuous!

Cross -Training

At the pool :  Henley Brae

15 min including warm-up and stretches
30 min steady running.


Total 45 minutes in sparkling warm water on a freezing, windy day!

Mud and Wind!

And that just about sums up what it was like on the track at Chev. College this morning!  I changed the program to an easier one because of the terrible conditions :  the track was muddy and slippery; the weather foul!


Program : 10 - 20 min warm-up
2 x (1200m, 800m, 400m)  1 min RI & 3 min RI btw. sets
10 min cool-down

1.6k warm-up + 4 drills & strides
Avg. pace for Set 1 = 6:28 m/k;  6:08 m/k;  5:50 m/k
Avg. pace for Set 2 = 6:18 m/k;  6:07 m/k;  5:49 m/k


The 400m repeats were the only ones better than the pace in the program; others, a bit slower!

I ran without shoes; the muddy track was cold and slippery; my feet covered in mud up to the ankles! I took off for home without doing any cool-down or stretches.

Proof!

Diving in the Deep End!

Or bouncing back!  I felt like a "new woman" today  -  compared with three or four days ago  -  so I started the week off with a session in the pool at Henley Brae.

45 minutes including :  warm-up, funny Magill drills, leg stretches, water running and a cool-down.

Tomorrow, I'll test myself out on the track at Chevalier College but I don't much like the look of the program.  A tough one!

The Lost Week.....

Completely; lost to all training!  On Tuesday evening, I came down with the worst gastric attack in living memory!

I continued violent vomiting through Tuesday night, all day Wednesday, Wednesday night and most of Thursday by which time I knew I was in big trouble from dehydration; couldn't stand without feeling faint and had been sipping on water only for the past three days.

I knew it was time to do something about all this.  I rang my local GP to find out what I should do.  "Get an ambulance and get to the hospital for hydration on a drip:"   I argued that I couldn't do that with two little dogs left with no one to look after them.  This didn't go down too well and I was told the only alternative was to take a taxi to the medical centre and they would assess me from there, which they did, but  after an injection to stop the vomiting they rang an ambulance and off I went to Bowral Private Hospital and put on a drip for 24 hours.  I returned home feeling almost  a new woman on Friday afternoon.

What a difference a drip makes!  I was feeling about 90% by mid day today, Friday., My GP came in and gave me the OK to go home with a lecture about never letting dehydration get so bad over three or more days because the next stage is for the kidneys to shut down and then you're in big trouble!  Apparently I'd just about reached that stage.

Anyhow, I'll be resting up over this weekend and then hopefully be able to get back on the road next week.  I'll just have to write off the week's running and start back up when I feel 100%.

Long Run 20km

 

Diamond Fields Road offered some shelter from the wind for this morning's long run.

 There were still plenty of hills to run up and down but the change of scenery and shelter made for a good long run which I very much enjoyed.

Program:  20km @ 7:35 m/k

20km in 2:36:30
Avg Pace 7:49
AHR 108 (74%);  MHR 133 (84%)
5km splits  42:12;  39:17;  37:52:  37:07 

Tempo Run .....supposedly!

Too cold, too windy, too wet and too slow!  Bit of a waste of time really.  I ran mindlessly up and down Radio Road to get some protection from the wind.  Not a good session at all!

2k warm-up
4k @ 6:44m/k
2k cool-down

2k easy......ok
4k @ 7:50.....not ok!
2k easy...ok!


Total  8km

Cross Training #2

Renwick soccer field, freezing wind!  Awful conditions but I got it done! 

10 min easy jog
1 set Magill drills & strides
10 min easy jog.

Cross Training....

In the Pool : Water Running

Time 70 minutes. 

Lovely in the warm water when it's only 3.3 degrees outside!

I Hate 800s!

I really do hate running 800m repeats!  I can't do them; they're too hard!  Besides that, the conditions at Chev track this morning were the worst I can recall: zero degrees,  freezing wind and a muddy, slippery, grass track.  I cut the session short by doing 4 instead of 6 x 800m.  The grass was too cold to run barefoot so my socks very soon became water-logged and my shoes heavily laden with mud. Somewhat handicapped I thought!


Program:
10-20 min warm-up
6x800m @ 6:06m/k
10min cool-down. 

2k warm-up + some drills & strides 
4 x 800m (each one slower than the other!)
No cool-down;  I was still freezing!

6:13m/k (4:57);  6:26m/k (5:03);  6:25m/k (5:04);  6:28m/k (5:13)

After the 4th repeat I'd had enough and took off for home & a hot shower!

Long Run

Same route as the last three Sundays :  From Renwick school, Radio, Bong Bong, Old South and Range Roads.  Today I ran out of puff and had to take three short, very short, walk breaks between the 6th and 8th Km to catch my breath.  Nevertheless, I think this course is good practice for the hills in the City-to-Surf.

18km in 2 hours 21 min.
Avg. pace 7:52 m/k
5k splits = 40:13;  42:50;  37:52;  and 3k in 20:53
AHR 111 (70%);  MHR 136 (86%)

Cold & windy but the views were fantastic!

Tempo Run

I ran bare foot on the wet, but not boggy, grass in the soccer field today.  The session was:

1.5km easy
3.5km @ MT (mid-tempo) pace
1.5km easy
3.5km @ MT pace
1.5km easy

Changing my 5k time from 31:38 (last year's time) to 32 min. (I must be at least that much slower by now!) and basing all paces on that time, MT pace is 6:44m/k.

3.5km @ 7:07
3.5km @ 6:49 ....both a bit slow, but the  puddles didn't help!

 

A Track Full of Mud!

What a quagmire the track at Chev was this morning after days of rain!  I thought it was probably a waste of time when I saw the state of the track but having driven there, I decided to give it a go.  It felt dreadful having to plough through water and mud splashed right up to my knees, so I was surprised when I looked at the results on Garmin Connect to see that I was pretty close to the set paces.

Program:
10-20 min warm-up
2 x 1200m @ 6:10m/k (7:25)
200m RI 
4 x 800m @ 6:00m/k (4:53)
10 min cool-down


1.2k warm-up + few drills & strides
2x1200
1.  7:33 (6:16m/k)
2.  7:30 (6:12m/k)  (400m RI between)


4x800m
1.  4:54 (6:12m/k);
2. 4:53 (6:10m/k);  
3. 4:53 (6:10m/k)
4. 4:53 (6:10m/k)  (400m RI between.)

No cool down or stretching, the rain had returned.  I was glad to get home and into a shower to wash off all the mud that I'd accumulated from the water-logged track.

A Late Long Run

I  didn't start today's run until 2:30pm, the latest ever for me, I think, and it was just getting towards dusk when I finished.

14km
Time = 1 hour 55min
Avg. Pace 8:11m/k
Forgot HR monitor
5k splits 45:10;  38:50 & 4k in 30:51

I ran my hard and hilly Range Road course again and it wasn't any easier than last Sunday!

A Tempo Run

A sunny but very cold morning.  The warm-up in Radio Road, the rest on Old South Road;a  few inclines along the way but flatter than anywhere else I could find.  Windy after turnaround.



Program:

2 km easy
 5km @ 6:35m/k
2km easy.


2k on Radio Road & school grounds
 5km in 33:51 
 Avg. Pace 6:46m/k; best 5:50
 AHR 120 (75%);  MHR 133 (84%)
 2k easy + stretches

Total 9km

At the Pool

Cross-training today:

1 hour at Henley Brae pool including: warm-up, very bizarre looking Magill drills, deep water running and cool-down.   Once again I had the pool all to myself.

On Track

I had another "good feeling" running session today!  The program  :

Chev Track
10-20 min warm-up
3 x 1600m @ 6:16 m/k (10:02)
400m RI
10 min cool-down

I did 1.6k Warm-up
1 set each of Pete Magill's drills

1600m @ avg pace  6:06m/k (9:45); AHR 130 (82%); MHR 140 (88%).
400m walking recovery

1600m @ avg pace  6:02m/k (9:40);  AHR 129 (81%)  MHR 138 (87%).
400m walking recovery


1600m @ avg pace 6:00m/k (9:36);  AHR 129 (81%)  MHR 140 (88%).
1km cool-down & stretches


Total 7.4km


None of these 1600m repeats were difficult; a solid effort, and I enjoyed the training even though the morning was cold, overcast and windy.
 

A Shorter Long Run

Today's long run was a bit on the short side   - Program 14 km at 7:40m/k  -  so I made it a hilly one by running up, up and up Old South Road and then  up and down the rolling hills along Range Road for 15:27km.  It was a perfect Autumn morning, sunny, a light breeze, hardly any traffic.  I figure if I run these hills often enough, they must begin to feel easier......eventually!  So....


15.27km 
Time 2 hours
Avg. pace 7:58m/k; best 5:49m/k
AHR 118 (74%)  MHR 135 (84%)
5km splits 43:52;  38:41;  37:11


Back at the start  -  Renwick school  -   I finished off by drinking lots of icy water and then the usual stretches. 

A Better Tempo Run.....

.....better than  last week!  I was actually able to better the program's pace:

Program : 2km easy warm-up
4km @ 6:44m/k
2km easy cool-down.

2k warm-up on Radio Road beside the school

4km at avg. pace 6:39m/k (Radio & Bong Bong Roads)
Best pace 6:19
1km laps  6:49;  6:38;  6:28;  6:42

2km cool-down on grass in soccer field, barefoot.   The usual stretches.


Finished the morning with a chat and some hugs from teachers and kids from the school who were playing soccer at one end of the field;  they had heard and were all very sorry about Jim's recent death.  All these seemingly little things help more than anyone can possibly realize.

Total 8km.

A Cross-Training Day.....

Henley Brae pool at 1:30pm for a water running workout:


5min warm-up
1 min hard 1 min easy; 2 min hard 1 min easy; 3 min hard 1 min easy; 4 min hard 1 min easy; 5 min hard 1 min easy; 4 min hard 1 min easy; 3 min hard 1 min easy; 2 min hard 1 min easy; 1 min hard;
5 min cool-down


Total 43 min.


I enjoyed getting back into the pool again!

A Not So Good Track Day..

.....In fact, it was so bad that I didn't complete the session. I've changed the track session from Wednesday to Tuesday so as to be able to do pool running as cross training on a Wednesday.

10-20 min warm-up
5 x 800m in 4:34 (5:47m/k)
10 min cool-down

I did 3 x 800m badly and took off for home without any cool-down.

 1.6km warm-up + few strides
(1)  800m in 5:02 (6:17m/k);  AHR 136 (86%)  MHR 151 (95%)
(2)  800m in 4:47 (6:00m/k);  AHR 132 (83%)  MHR 146 (92%)
(3)  800m in 4:59 (6:16m/k);  AHR 127 (80%)  MHR 141 (89%)

And that, thank goodness, was the end of that track session!

Running Long...

My program said : 15km at no specific pace, easy and relaxed effort.  And that's what I did!

15km in 2 hours 3 min.
Avg Pace 8:12...easy & relaxed!
AHR 119 (75%);  MHR 138 (87%)

I stayed around the Renwick school area and surrounding roads so as to avoid hills;  my legs were sore, especially the calves, after Friday's hilly tempo run.  Today, about 50/50 road/grass.

 

Yesterday

Yesterday was a Tempo Run...of sorts.  Once again it was very windy; I chose Diamond Fields Road because it's a dirt road, no traffic and plenty of hills which I'm going to need if I aim for this year's City to Surf in August and then see if another goal might turn up after that.

Program;
3km easy
5k @ short tempo pace (6:31m/k)
2k easy


Of course it didn't quite go that way:

3k easy in 22 min

5km in 35 min 
Avg Pace = 6:59
1k laps =  7:27;  6:42;  6:48;  6:39;  7:18 (first & last km all uphill!)
AHR 139 (87%);  MHR 145 (91%)

2k easy in 16:55

Total = 10km

I really tried hard for this session, but can see there's lots of room  - and time I hope -  for improvement !

I dearly miss Jim's usual comment, without fail, when I returned from a run : "Well, how did that go?"  Now, silence except for the joyful yapping of my two dogs.  It's the absence of little things like this, the cup of tea waiting for me after showering, the silence especially, the absence of another human being in the house and also the thousands of other little things and comments during an ordinary day that make the days so hard and lonely now.

However, the sun will come up again tomorrow and I will do my long run.

Nil Running Today.....

.....but lots of other things still to get done.  Tempo run tomorrow and very likely to be a slow one.  Today is warmer, sunnier and less windy than yesterday, so not a bad sort of day really but will still have to rug up when walking the dogs later.

Giving Myself a Push....

Reluctantly, because it was so cold and windy, I forced myself back to a running session this morning, the first since Jim passed away, a little over four weeks ago.  Since then I've been walking with my two little dogs twice each day, and today I felt it was time to try and get myself back on track.  And track it was at Chev. where I did my first session.  I've started with the FIRST 15km program, three running sessions each week (Track, Tempo Run & Long Run) and two days  cross training.

It was miserable at Chev with a strong cold wind blowing across the field so I made some changes to shorten the session which was also miserably slow.

Program:  10-20 min warm-up
10 x  400m @ 5:37m/k
10 min cool-down

What I did:
10 min warm-up and couple of strides
5 x 400m in a very slow  6:01;  5:54;  6:00; 5:53;  5:57
No cool-down;  I was  freezing.

If I achieved nothing else, a start has been made.

Very Sad News

My husband Jim (Mr LL)  passed away on 11th April, 2011, 83 years of age, six weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer spread to the liver - non-operable, untreatable and terminal within months.  He was a lovely gentle man whom I nursed at home, with the wonderful help provided by the Community Palliative Care Team until the day before he died.

I will miss him for the rest of my life.

R.I.P. my lovely husband, Jim

Track Session

Program: 10-20 min warm-up
6 x 400m in 2:23 (5:57m/k)
400m RI
10 min cool-down

At Chev track around 10:30 this morning; cool, drizzle of rain every so often; ran bare feet.  I felt this a fairly easy session and had no trouble staying with the pace.

2km warm-up + few drills & strides

6X400m  :  2:21;  2:22;  2:23;  2:17;  2:18;  2:22

I was in a hurry to get home so I skipped the cool-down .

Long Run

Not very long at all really, but that's what a run on Sunday is called.

Program :13km @ 7:23 min/km

  I started as usual from the school at 'Renwick'  and ran the first 3km around the school area, then to Bong Bong Road, Mary Street and Inkerman Road....out and back.


13km in 1 hour 34 min
Avg. pace 7:18
AHR 120 (75%);  MHR 140 (88%)
5k laps = 37:04;  37:16;  3k in 20:34 

All OK!

Time Trial or Cook's Tour?

"Cook's Tour"/Time Trial

Lake Alexandra, Mittagong

 Certainly not a Time Trial!  With all good intentions, I began in Iron Mines Oval but very soon became so bored going round and round, I took to the streets and ran a couple of blocks down to Lake Alexandra.  Thus the time trial ended and instead I enjoyed a slower run, the wildlife and the scenery!

To get 5km in I also included running some streets where I've never been before.

Program:
3.5k easy
5km @ 6:29 (didn't happen!)
1.5k easy

Ducks are a-dabbling!

 What did happen:
3.5k easy
5km @ 7:33m/k!!!
1.5k easy

A view of the lake

Landing strip for ducks and other wildlife!

Path around the lake

On the Track.....

At Chevalier College:

Program: 10 - 20 min warm-up
5 x 1km @ 6:04 m/k
10 min cool-down.

1km warm-up + drills & strides

5x1k  =  
5:56.  AHR 128 (81%)  MHR 136 (86%)
5:57.  AHR 130 (82%)  MHR 136 (86%)
5:56.  AHR 128 (81%)  MHR 136 (86%)
5:58.  AHR 128 (81%)  MHR 143 (90%)
5:48.  AHR 131 (82%)  MHR 143 (90%)


1km cool-down + stretches


This wasn't too difficult a session at all!  Could have run faster but kept close to program pace (6:04) based on last year's 5k time of 31:38.

 

Pooling Again

Sunday Late Edition!

Well, I did my long run after all!  Jim went in for a nap and there was my chance for a getaway at 2:45pm.  I don't think I've ever run so late in the day but ever so glad I did - it was a brilliant afternoon: very cool, overcast with mist drifting in over the ranges.  Not a soul to be seen on Diamond Fields Road; just me, cows and horses in the paddocks and the wonderful perfume of the bush and trees.  I was almost converted to afternoon running but I think I'd let too much other business get in the way if I were to change.  For this afternoon, though, it was perfect!

Program:
 15km @ 7:23 m/k

Results:
15km @ avg. 7:23 m/k!  Right on the dot!
Best pace 5:18
AHR 122 (77%);  MHR 145 (91%)

5km laps = 36:41;  37:34;  36:52

After all the fuss and bother about running or not running today, I felt really good for the whole 15k and for the first time ever I had the pace right on target!  Diamond Fields Road is hilly, has some flat, long inclines and a few fast downhills - all the ingredients for a great run!  I took some pics but it was a little too overcast for good photos. 

The Long Run....

....that didn't happen today!  Will do tomorrow, Monday, I hope.  Beginning to not look forward to the Canberra half marathon!  It will be one hell of a struggle! 

At the Track

With change of plans this week, today was a session at Chev track.  The grass had been cut on the one lane that is always kept as a guide for the others and the ground was dry;  I was able to run without shoes...always enjoy this!

Program :

10-20 min warm-up
1 x 800m in 4:50
2 x 600m in 3:36
3 x 400m in 2:23
4 x 200m in 1:02
10 min cool-down

Results are:

12 min warm-up and drills

1 x 800m
in 4:45 (5:59m/k).  AHR 121 (76%)  MHR 132 (83%).


2 x 600m :
(1) in 3:30 (5:44m/k)  AHR 122 (77%)  MHR 135 (85%)
(2) in 3:29 (5:44m/k)  AHR 123 (77%)  MHR 136 (86%)


3 x 400m : 
(1) in 2:18 (5:46m/k); AHR 124 (77%)  MHR 137 (86%)
(2) in 2:17 (5:44 m/k) AHR 123 (77%)  MHR 137 (86%)
(3) in 2:16 (5:40 m/k) AHR 124 (78%)  MHR 138 (87%)

4 x 200m 
(1) in 1:06 (4:58 m/k)  AHR 116 (73%)  MHR 133 (84%)
(2) in 1:05 ( 4:59 m/k) AHR 118 (74%)  MHR 135 (85%)
(3) in 1:05 (4:57 m/k)  AHR 117 (74%)  MHR 134 (84%)
(4) in 1:04 (4:55 m/k)  AHR 118 (74%)  MHR 135 (85%) 

10 min cool-down and stretching.

Total 7km

I very much enjoyed the variety in this track session and didn't find it difficult at all!  WOW, a good day!

Henley Brae Pool & Gym:

Today I took a few snaps of the pool where I do deep water running:

10 min warm-up & drills ( no one to see just how hilarious this looks!)
2 x 10 min steady running (with foam handweights)
5 min cool-down. 

Total 35 min.

Mixing It Up....

Training sessions changed a bit this week.  Because of the heave rains lately I didn't go to Chev on Wednesday, but instead I did a sort of Time Trial.  "Sort of" because I ran on Diamond Fields Road which is hilly and so I didn't quite keep to the program's pace:

8km Time Trial @ 6:38 min/km

Diamond Fields Road:
4km out in 30:12
Avg. pace 7:32
AHR 110 (69%) MHR 128 ( 81%
Laps 7:55;  7:30;  7:04;  7:37

4km return in 29:02
Avg pace 7:15
AHR 124 (78%); MHR 137 (86%)
Laps  6:44; 7:14;  6:56;  8:04 

Pool Running

Henley Brae Pool:

5 min warm-up
3 x 10 min steady running (1 min recovery)
5 min cool-down.

Total 42 min.

First day of doing anything since last Friday's TT and missed out on the long run on Sunday.

Harmony......A TT in 5 parts!

Program :
1.5k easy (7:28 m/k)
3.5km @ MT pace (6:38 m/k)
1.5km easy 
3.5k @ MT
1.5km easy.


I ran on the grass in Iron Mines Oval for today's Time Trial in 5 parts.  Very overcast and a bit too windy.

Results:
1.5k in 11:25;  Avg. pace =7:25 m/k;  AHR 111 (70%); MHT 123 (77%)
3.5k in 23:41;  Avg. pace = 6:46 m/k; AHR 124 (78%); MHR 136 (86%) 
1.5k in 11:03;  Avg. pace = 7:21 m/k; AHR 121 (76%); MHR 127 (80%)
3.5k in 23:29:  Avg. pace = 6:39 m/k; AHR 129 (81%); MHR 142 (89%)
1.5k in 11:13;  Avg. pace = 7:28 m/k; AHR 124 (78%); MHR 134 (84%)

The 3.5 km parts made for some hard breathing but, on the whole, I was pleased with this Time Trial.   Harmony!

Total 11.5km