Describe Your Running Today, Part II

6.5km race on flat dirt trails in the Huntly end of the Whipstick Forest. Pretty pleasing run, just 12 secs slower than last year so I'm nearly back to my pre 50 form.

My time gave me a faster average pace today than yesterday when I raced on flat bitumen over 1/2 the distance.

Dave O ran 30secs quicker yesterday and I beat him by a 10-15 today, go figure.

Today I did something I haven't done in a very long time.....a completely easy session, hahahaha. No surges / strides etc. Just a gentle 10km on a measured course in 47:55. My ham was fine. That situation was partly responsible for today's diversion from usual methods, but also, I feel that now is the time to change things up in training.

This week I'm thinking of a 1200m surge tomorrow, a brisk 600m on Wednesday, a hard 300m on Friday, and then perhaps 800m in Nanaimo on Sunday. Other days might be....omg.....10km easy, hahaha. (Or 5km easy on Saturday.)

Cellcom 1/2 @ 1:48. Slight negative split, as the loo claimed 4 minutes of the first leg. Ran most of the initial 11 mi. with a gent who is on his second "50 states" circuit of marathons.

PM: 1 hour casual ride @ 15MPH to induce recovery.

mopak; your accounts of the legendary runs with Deek, Clarke, Clayton. ??? That's sacred ground and raises me goose bumps.

60' on Friday.....I believe that's the first time for 2010.....hopefully not the last.....felt very good during and after.....no problems the next day......snuck in 45' on Sunday before heading off to a meet.....have dropped 30% of the unwanted winter poundage.....looking forward to upping things to 2 on, 1 off......aiming for June for that....day off today...

So, yeah.....I did 10km easy again, this time in 47:00, starting with a 6400m loop in 30:19, then a 3300m loop, then 300m extra. The hamstring thing is not a problem at all at this pace, but I think I should give it until Wednesday before I try and push the pace again. I'm starting to think that 1500m at Nanaimo on Saturday makes more sense than the 800m on Sunday. The "800m training" just hasn't clicked yet, hahaha...

Anyway, I think I have (re)discovered that 10km easy is my favourite session to do, hahaha. And, it takes me back to my roots. In the summer of 76 I began my first "real" training with 10km runs around a 2km park loop. This after viewing the Montreal Olympics, and Lasse Viren.....and whenever they said "Ten Thousand Meters", that just blew me away. It sounded so cool. I had to try it myself. So with a bike, a ribbon around the front tire, a tape measure, a knowledge of what constitutes circumference measurements, and a lot of counting, I found a 2km circuit at Hydro Park in Pickering, complete with an out and back thing on the parking lot in order to make it 2km. Those first runs were fine until the last couple of loops....yikes! Jean-cutoffs as shorts didn't help. The dude on the grass cutting tractor would ask "how far are you going?" after he saw me for a couple of loops, and I would reply "Ten Thousand Meters". I remember trying some 10000m runs at Dunbarton HS cinder track too, and it took me many attempts before I was ready for sub50min. That first sub50 came at that track in September 76. I was thrilled! Whenever we visit Pickering (my partent's home) I make sure I go to Dunbarton HS track....my first 1500m in 5:12.9 was there in May 76.....it hasn't changed, hahaha....still the old red cinders. If they ever rubberize it I'll cry.

Sunday in Rimini:

14K of which 9k tempoish in a local fun race called "StraRimini". Kept up with a couple of

fastish guys who were just taking it easy. I was fatigued from the treadmill sessions

Monday:

Rome, 4k walk to school and back with kids

Milan, lots of walking from train station ect

Tuesday:

In Strembo, near Madonna di Campiglio off to see some friends, ran a very hillish-trailish 10k in 60mins with ElvioM. Part of it on a golf course which was just beautiful. Did a lot of high turnover stuff.

Off to China tmw. Hope to get a run in before long flight. Hope the iceland volcano keeps cool...

-289 days to The MOARG The Mother Of All Running Gatherings in Gimmelwald, Switzerland, in 2011

Today I did yet another Ten Thousand Meter jog.

3300m loop to 16:40 + 6400m loop to 46:32 + 300m extra to 48:02. At about 43min I threw in a 30sec acceleration, gradually moving from jog pace to beyond 800m pace, on a slight decline....it felt ok. Tomorrow is track day....maybe a sub 3:10 1000m, perhaps a 600m after that?

Mon -40 minutes kyak on the lake, 60 minutes mountain biking on forest trails near the lake. 80 minute run relaxed pace in the forests near home.

Tue -80 minute run in Kangaroo Flat. Did JB's big hill run in reverse, this is a great circuit with fabulous views.

Stopped on the way home and did 80 minutes on the mountain bike on (dirt) farm roads and acouple of kms of trail.

Enjoy China tpcb.

Bushman wrote:

Cellcom 1/2 @ 1:48. Slight negative split, as the loo claimed 4 minutes of the first leg. Ran most of the initial 11 mi. with a gent who is on his second "50 states" circuit of marathons.

PM: 1 hour casual ride @ 15MPH to induce recovery.

mopak; your accounts of the legendary runs with Deek, Clarke, Clayton. ??? That's sacred ground and raises me goose bumps.

I was very fortunate to occassionally have the chance to follow Deek around Ferny Creek, well I usually only would see him the first 20k or so. Some great coaches to be were in that Ferny group. Chris Wardlaw, Nic Bideau, Tim O'Shaughnessy and Ken Green.

Unfortunately I was 10 years too late to keep company with Clarkey, Clayton, Cook, Coyle, Vincent, Clohessy etc.

It was inspiring to follow (spiritually) in the footsteps of those greats.

50' Tuesday in some nice cool conditions.....right calf got a bit tight at the start as there was an uphill in the first 1K......noticed it occasionally through the rest of the run, but no biggie......feels okay today......average pace is getting slightly faster.....poundage reverted to 20% off my goal.....I'm blaming the blueberry pie I had each of the last two evenings.....day off for a meet today.....should be back at it on Thursday....

Thanks mopak, will try. Posting might get a little more scarce over the next 10 days. If i am very lucky i might get to Shanghai to see Diamond League. Crossing everything, maybe it will work out.

today:

Milan, Monte Stella (also known as montagnetta) just easy around for about 1h20mins with a couple of regulars Gerolamo, 66, and Emilio 76, from the Montestella running club who were champions in their days. Showed the courses, the measured marks for repeats and hills It's going to be good when a i get back...

And yes, i viscerally like the expression The Ten Thousand Meters...

Today I had my heart set on a sub 3:10 1000m at the track (goal 1500m pace for this weekend IF I go to the Nanaimo meet) but there was a meet on, dammit. So I drove about and selected a road 1000m instead: From the 31km to the 30km mark of the Country Roads Marathon, on Condensory Rd.

I jogged 3km (out-back-out on said km) in 15:14, then walked / strided x 6 back. There was an irritating breeze into my face on the 1000m run, which I didn't notice on the warmup, hahaha. I felt good, a bit ragged towards the end, in 3:11. Then I jogged back 1000m again in 4:44.

This was a useful session. My ham is fine. I'm convinced that I can race 1500m/Mile at this pace (4:45ish/5:05ish). Hopefully in a few weeks from now I can improve my conditioning.

My only real problem right now is.....am I EXCITED about Nanaimo? Or about any races upcoming? (I'm not feeling it.) I love running, but I'm again questioning the "meaning" of races for me in 2010.

AM; 10k, 56 minutes. Finally a sunny warm morning on which to break a sweat.

Running Times article on Steve Jones and his return to training piqued my curiosity. He's shooting for a 2:25, which would be a 55-59WR. What do you gents think?? Does Jonesy have another WR up his sleeve??

The man has moved mountains before. If anyone can best van Alphen's 2:25:56, Jones is the bloke to do it.

safe travels to you,tpcb.

Today I did a total of Ten Thousand Meters of recovery jogging (I'm sore from yesterday's hard km, yikes!) in a total of 48:17, but it was slightly broken up as follows:

3300m loop in 16:47, um, then a much needed break in the house for a few mins, then 6400m loop in 30:04, then 300m extra in 1:26.

Thanks Doc, I hear you. Maybe I should just go and watch a track meet, then I'll get the bug again.

Jack Foster ran 2.20 at 50 off 2 months of fairly light training. Yep, reckon Jones can run 2.25 or quicker. Not many truly world class runners have a serious crack at o/50 times. Jones is the real deal, his 2.07 remains my favourite race of all time. Dropping the pacemaker in the first few kms, you gotta love that. We were lucky, because Deek was running so it was broadcast live free to air.

Yesterday, 90 mins. easy over the McIvor Range at a pretty pedestrian pace (probably about 16k). It's pretty rough and steep so you don't get to run too quick. I stopped briefly for a chat with a very large "alpha male" roo. Our chat was in regards to who has right of way on the trails. The impression I got was he thinks he has but he was prepared to let me pass this time.

PM: 2.5 miles easy. Tender is the night. No roos, just some cracking in the brush. Large, startled, game departing. Cupacapras perhaps.

You Aussies and Brits have delivered stellar performers far in excess of what the odds would dictate.

Made it safe in Guangzhou.

Best part of the 5hr layover in Dubai was there's this healthclub on the fifth floor of terminal 3 i believe there so for kicks - never done before - for US$21 i worked out on a stationary bike for 1 hour, took a great shower in a "private" bath, shaved and re-embarked for the final 7 hour leg. It felt great. My legs were too stiff for the treadmill. Considering the quality, 21 bucks actually seemed, rpt seemed, cheap.

today

Jetlagged to the bone, went for early morning run with GiuseppeG super slow around a golfcourse they are building. The humidity is outrageous but i have been in worse scenarios...

Whenever i hear pacer stories like that i always think of Tom Byers...

cross training yesterday.....38' run, then walked for 45' behind the lawnmower......legs were a bit tired during the run, but the pace turned out to be a little quicker than other recent runs.....the lawn looks good too......had lost 60% of the desired poundage before I hit the shower......I'm sure some of that is back after I rehydrated and ate dinner.....hoping for 60' tomorrow.....

Haha....no pressure, eh Doc?

Today I did a gentle 30:09 on the 6400m loop.

Tomorrow I'd like to do a 3000m "hard surge" on the track in sub 10:30 (84 per lap, 3:30 per km.) "GO" will be at precisely noon, just in case anyone wants to do part/all of this as a workout.