ES Marks track 5x500m reps

Just me and the magpies going around the track tonight as I arrived pretty late at 7:45.

Very humid and not really much of a breeze blowing. Anyway did a 2k warmup which had me sweating after about 5 mins due to the humidity. Not pleasant.

Didn't have time to go to the Bay to do these so used the track.

Reps were 1:32.5, 1:34.5, 1:33.3, 1:33.5, 1:34.8. All done with a 60 second walk recovery.

Did a 2k cool down after the session.

I can't see these helping my half marathon on Sunday, but what the hell I still have some track races left this year.

Ewen I could just run to the first street I cross as that is about 100m up. Same hill.

Look what Amjan, Fats and MPH have in store for themselves on the weekend. Hopefully without the snow. I took it from Mt Hutt looking south last year.

Easy 12k

Nothing special. Just along Anzac Pde making time with the bats starting to eat the fruit. Past the SFS, Fox Studios and the SCG and back home.
Stopped off at the red carpet as the SMH and AGE sport awards were on at the SCG. Didn't see any running celebs. So kept on going.

Back home with 11.5ks on the clock in 55:22. Average pace of 4:48 per klm. Ok. Maybe a bit too quick for what I wanted.

Short Hill Reps 12x200m

Thought I should finally do some hill reps after not doing any since I can't remember. Before C2S maybe?
Did a 2k warmup before the session.
Then just ran up and down the hill near my house. 200 metres in length and quite steep.

Did 12 reps up the hill, and consequently the same recovery back down again. Took a total of 28:01 for the session.
Did a 2k cool down after the session. Very humid tonight.

Recovery Run 7ks

The calves felt especially sore tonight. I think running in spikes at ES Marks on Saturday really beat them up.
Took it very slow and stayed on the grass mostly around Centennial Park.

Total was 7.2ks in 47:40. Average pace of 6:37 per klm. That is really slow.

Sunday Long run 19ks

I'm pushing it with the description of a long run, but it is all I'm doing at the moment.
Ran around Centennial Park, Moore Park, Fox Studios, The SCG and the Becks Entourage at the SFS late tonight. Actually did a lap of the park inside and realised it was a car free day today.

Total was 19.5ks in 1:34.13. Average pace of 4:49 per klm. The run is pretty flat so a good pace is expected on this run.

Some stats on my 5k/5000m races this year.
At the start of the year my PB was 18:54.
Jan State 5000m 18:38.
March CR 5k 18:28.
May SMC 5k 18:26. First race win.
Sept SMC 5k 18:54.
Oct SMC 5k 19:01.
Nov ES Marks 5000m 18:19.

I knocked 35 seconds off the PB for the year. I was very surprised to run the 18:19 after my two bad 5k's out at SMC. Must have been some tips from Ewen. Thanks mate.

And Tesso next week is the Half at Central Coast that I am running. Just have to hold back early and start knocking off 19:30 5k pace.

Track 101= 5000m PB

Head: Stuff it I'm running my 3k pace for the 5k today.
Body: No you are not and I'll prove it to you.
Head: Bugger you I'm running fast so don't upset me. I've run the first lap in 3:23.
Body: Well you are not running the rest in that, I'll fix you.

And so it did.
They had too many entrants in the Male's race today so they split the sub 17 min runners out and made the rest of us run with the women. You know what the goal was to run hard at the start and hang on. Well that didn't work, but I don't care I picked up another PB. Two in two weeks.

Splits were 3:23, 3:40, 3:46, 3:53, 3:34. Finish in 18:18.4. Off my watch. Have to wait for the exact time when they put the results up.
This race has actually gone the same as nearly every 5k I have ever run. The first k is always the fastest and the last k the 2nd quickest. I kick for home from 600m out which helps.

Still an 8 second PB. Did I go out too hard. Definitely. But thats the thing about racing, you have to push your boundaries to make yourself faster. Back on the road next weekend with the Central Coast Half. Nice and flat.
Next track will be the 3000m at Homebush on December 15th. I'm hanging out for that 9:59. I want it!

ES Marks Track 6x300m Reps

Just before I started the weather was 22 degrees, 86% humidity and a 13 knot Southerly blowing. Excellent!
Ran in my spikes for this training session just to see how springy the track is for the race on Saturday. Turns out it is nothing like Homebush, very dead. But I'll still wear them anyway.
Did a 2k warmup before starting and half a dozen strides as well. Almost an empty track when I started.

The reps were 51.2, 52.7, 52.2, 52.6, 52.6, 52.8. All done with a 60 second walk recovery. Consistency plus. Did a 2k cooldown around the now empty track. The last runners left halfway through my session. Just me and the lights for company.

Happy with the reps as they are as fast as the last time I did them in late October. Still keen on going out at 3k pace for the 5k on Saturday. Just feel I let my training down in the 3k, where I should have been a lot faster.

Thunderous Applause 12ks

For nothing really. The storm was raging above my head tonight without dropping any rain. Spotted a few good lightning strikes out Coogee way, but no rain to speak of.

Ran around Centennial Park, the SFS, SCG and Fox Studios. The usual run avoiding the bats in the fig trees above my head.

Ran 12ks in 1:06.08. Average pace of 5:30 per klm. Took it easy to save myself for the fast session tomorrow night. Probably will run at ES Marks for training.

Thanks Ewen. I'll try for the same pace as I ran the 3k two weeks ago. So 80-84 second laps, and then go faster for the last 2k. Yeah right!!!!

Timbrell Park 6x500m Reps

Very humid around the bay tonight, and a howling Seabreeze blowing as well.
Did a 2k warmup and half a dozen strides before starting.

Had to put up with dodging the touch footy people as they kept walking across the path without looking. Mongrels.

Reps were 1:33.1, 1:34.5, 1:34.9, 1:34.5, 1:34.7, 1:33.9. All done with a 2 min walk recovery between each rep. Did a 2k cool down afterwards, although with the cool sea breeze blowing my body didn't take long to cool down.

Seems I have not lost too much speed. Hopefully can hold myself together for the 5000m on Saturday at ES Marks. A very worn track, but only 1k from home how could I pass it up.

Heartbreak Hill & Back 19ks

Couldn't run this morning due to work. So waited until 5pm to start out for a run.
Ran from Home up to Bondi Junction, down to Bondi, and then Rose Bay and up heartbreak hill to Christison Park. Then it was back through Dover Heights and up to Bondi Junction and back to home again. Heaps of traffic about today, must have been hell for the Lifesavers at Bondi and Bronte with the crowds.
A very hilly run but one I do a fair bit as it is hard work.

Total of 19.2ks in 1:35.14. Average pace of 4:57 per klm.

Easy 10k

Too windy and humid to do anything quick tonight. So it was a semi quick 10k run around Centennial Park.

All up 10.1ks in 46:10. Average pace of 4:34 per klm.

One short Hour-11ks

Really humid tonight. Lots of bats about making hay in the fig trees along Anzac Pde.
Ran from home up to Moore Park Rd and past the SFS, SCG, Fox Studios and back home.
Pretty flat run.

Ran 11.37ks in 59:29. Average pace of 5:13 per klm.

Ewen I still have Sydney Track Classic on Jan 12th. Not sure what is on that night yet. It is a National Meet. Last year they had the state 5k on that night but not this time.
Also Jan 19th an 800m. Jan 24th a 1500m. Then the state 5000m on Jan 31st.

Bay Run 3x1k Reps

20 degrees and 80% humidity with a sea breeze blowing does not a make a speedy session.
Anyway, did a 2k wamup before starting. I could have passed, I felt hot before I started.

Reps were: 3:24, 3:27, 3:27. All done with a 5 min walk recovery between each rep.

I really hated doing this session. Felt tired from the start. Did a 3k cooldown after the session.

I still have a couple of targets left this year. A 5000m race at ES Marks on November 24th and a 3000m shot at redemption on December 15th at Homebush.

I intend to treat the 5000m race like I'm running a 3000m so the blowout could be up after the 3k mark, but hopefully not and I pull off a big PB to finish the year.

Mid Week Run 11ks

Missed the start of the Chase Corporate Challenge as I was still at work when it started. I was going to watch as they ran by, not run it.

Very warm when I got out about 8pm. Ran around Randwick, Centennial Park, Moore Park, the SCG and the SFS and back home.

All up 11.4ks in 56:10. Average pace of 4:53 per klm. Very humid tonight.

Kookaburra sat in an old fig tree

Was very surprised tonight to hear a Kookaburra laughing most likely at my running style with not a gum tree in sight. He was sitting amongst the feeding bats in the Moreton Bay fig trees along Anzac Pde. Very strange.

Did a lap of the running track in Centennial Park and then out down along Anzac Pde to Fox Studios and back.
All up 15.1ks in 1:12.54. Average pace of 4:49 per klm.

Felt very easy running at that. Couldn't get out yesterday for a run as I had too much work to do.

State 3000m Track Titles= PB

Well I did run a PB for the 3000m and I'm happy about that. Time was 10:29.38. A 3 second PB over last years 3000m.

They ended up having 5 races for the males so I was in the E race. Started off ok and was running mid pack after the first 200m, slowly worked my way through the runners until I was in about 5th after the first k. This came up in a too slow split of 3:25. I needed under 3:20 for the sub 10 mins. Bugger.
Didn't run any better for the next k and passed that at 7 mins flat or a 3:35 k rep. Not happy with that. Got myself up into 4th spot for the last k and was happily cruising behind Sportsman by about 5 m. That was until the last 300m where I moved up behind him.
Ron waved me past at about the 100m to go and I sprinted for the line.
Did the last k in 3:27.

So you could say you ran a PB so stop complaining. That is true but I really did not run as fast as all the training has given me.
I did finish 3rd in the race.
Thanks to Ewen for all his help with training for this race. Sorry I ran like crap.

In a good note, both Tucks and Tom31 broke 9mins for 3k. Excellent! And Keith Bateman broke his State and National 3k Masters record running 9:09.

ES Marks Track 8x200m Reps

A bit windy at the track tonight and I was left on my own for most of the session as I was there pretty late.
Did a 2k warmup before starting and half a dozen strides as well.

The reps were 33.4, 33.8, 33.8, 33.6, 33.9, 33.9, 33.8, 34.5. All done with a 200m walk/jog recovery. Does this mean I can pace myself really well?
Did a 2k cool down after the session.

Midweek Run 10ks

Not very fast or long tonight as I was buggered from work. I guess no sense pushing hard with the track race this Saturday night.
Ran up to Anzac Pde and up past the SCG, SFS, and Fox Studios and back.

Ran 10.2ks in 53:22. Average pace of 5:13 per klm.

Timbrell Park 6x500m Reps

Lovely cold Southerly blowing a few showers around the bay tonight. Not fun to run in actually.
And I think I was weighed down by my Melbourne Cup lunch.
Did a 2k warmup and a few strides before starting.

The reps were 1:34.2, 1:33.3, 1:34.7, 1:33.6, 1:34.5, 1:34.1. All done with a 2 min walk recovery between each rep.

Did a 2k Cool down after finishing.

Sunday Long Run 16ks

Couldn't run in the morning due to work commitments. Headed out about 6pm with a run through Randwick and around Centennial and Queens Park.

All up 15.9ks in 1:19.43. Average pace of 5:00 per klm. Pretty easy pace and not too long.

Looks like forecast for Saturday is showers at the moment. Hopefully that will change before the day of the race.

I heard Hunt, Farrelly and Roff are targeting sub 8mins for the 3000m or 2:40/k. Lucky they won't be in my race otherwise they would almost lap me twice.

Striders 10k Lane Cove

Nice weather for ducks this morning. An over flowing weir for the first time in ages. It was cool in the park during the race but really humid from the cloud cover and rain falling.

A quick first k which didn't seem fast at 3:30. The rest of the first half I struggled to maintain good pace and went through the 5k in 19:30. Not impressed.
On the way back I was running a lot better and passed a fair few runners down the hills and was taken back by some up them.
Managed to outkick about 3 runners from the last turn to the finish line.
Finished in 38:40 off my watch. About 3 mins better than last month at Homebush.

Now for the State 3000m at Homebush on Saturday night. Expect some taper this week, just not sure how much to back off since it is only 3k.
It will be a good night of racing regardless.

Getting faster

Around the bay run tonight. A bit windy with an easterly sea breeze blowing me around.
Plenty out walking tonight, needing a fair bit of dodging practice to get through the slow traffic.
Reps were excellent. Felt I could have run faster.

Reps went 3:19.7, 3:20.2, 3:19.8. All done with a 5 min walk recovery.

Fastest I've done a 1k rep in. It was 3:23 about a month ago around the bay.
9:59.7. But I did have to stop twice.