Training Log Archive: GM

Run after work from home. Over Cook saddle, and through Aranda Bushlands, then back via DS Hill and the ovals.

Drive to Hall with MaryMac then set off on the CCT to One Tree Hill. Back down and chatted to MaryMac who was on the way up. She said she had just seen an echidna so I back tracked a bit to watch it waddling down the slope. I kept heading out on the CCT until I got to 70 minutes then turned around. Met MaryMac about 5 minutes later and talked her into turning around too. I took in One Tree Hill on the return journey then enjoyed the last few km as the track just gently descends back to Hall.

We had egg and bacon roll at the Gumnut Cafe in Hall, and a nice coffee. A really pleasant way to spend a Sunday.

Run down to Lake G for Parkrun, then jogged home after.

Parkrun at Lake G. Had a reasonable run and felt good most of the way. It seemed like a good turn out, and there was some very fast looking young guys on the front at the start - I didn't see them for very long.

Running around ANU looking at control sites for ACT Sprint in a couple of weeks. Thought it was about time I planned some courses.

RPM at Oatley Court. Except it was a bit different, and different is good. After some warm up we did three tracks with fast, ints, and a long climb, then repeated it twice more. Felt tired by the end.

Bumped into Tom Walter in the change room so we ran together. Over Gossan, then a loop through Bruce Ridge, and back past Calvary and along the bike path around South Bruce. He said he was looking to do about 40mins but didn't seem to mind the extra bit.

Lunchtime run out through Bruce and the AIS then back via Bruce Ridge and Gossan. The tiny sprinkle at the start worked its way up to rain by the end - and just cold and windy the whole time.

Core strengthening

Sleep in after getting home in the wee hours from Sydney so didn't get going till middle of day. Went out to Stromlo for a change of scenery and some nice views. Fire trails on the front face then around to the back, up to the skyline and top of Stromlo, then more fire trails. Didn't have much get-up-and-go today.

Run to Lake G for Parkrun

Parkrun at Ginninderra. Great to celebrate MaryMacs 50th run. Mine was ok but felt like I was going better than time suggests.

Had the day off so nice to run in the middle of the day and not rush. From Macquarie over Cook saddle, bottom of Aranda Hill, then into Black Mt for a couple of km.

Lunchtime ints on Gossan - 5 x 4min hard with 1 min walk rest. The rest was running over and back. Glorious weather - so nice to be outside.

Run to work and back.

My aim was to get up early and run before work, it just took me some time to get organised. Across to Aranda ovals, around edge of Aranda, then crossed over GDE into Black Mt. A lap of Little Blackie, some other fire trails and paths, then back through Aranda. Saw ALJ heading across to 2B10 so had a quick chat. My intention was to grab my backpack and run to work, but rode my bike as I was a bit late.

Rode home and dropped my backpack then over Cook saddle and on to ANU. Met MaryMac at Sullivans Creek and rode back home. Just near the KP my light died so I tucked close in behind MaryMac for the rest of the ride home.

Sunday long run from Hackett. My training program had 24km for today so I turned up a bit earlier and did 40mins with a loop over Hackett Hill and some extra bits on the single tracks near the powerlines. Met acejase, Devil and Frogga at 8am and headed off over into Campbell Park, through the middle then up to the top of Ainslie. I took a more direct route while the others went a bit further around before ascending. Had a gel at the top which I think helped with the rest of the run. Down the CCT to the saddle, then over HH where the others pulled away. I headed up Majura and made it to the upper plateau and met the boys on ther way back down. I was a bit slow on the big hills but felt really good everywhere else.

Met Mace, Phoebe and Lucy at the car park which was nice. Lucy had to go but the rest of us, plus Jose, had coffee and breakfast at Good Brother. The coffee wasn't bad but the porridge was excellent - mine was swimming in berry confit. Enjoyed the run, the company and the chat, and had a second coffee - not for the excellence of the coffee but for the company.

Run down to Lake G for Parkrun

Parkrun at Ginninderra. MaryMac was there and up to 49 runs. Also joined by Frogga, Acejase, SwissMiss and Phoebe. I felt quite spritely today and about 4:15 for the first km. Kept a good pace around to Diddams but then I was passed by 3 people and just didn't feel like flogging myself - soft. Finished ok in 14th place which was surprising as normally in the mid to high 20s.

Run home chatting to Frogga about house stuff

From the ABShouse to ANU to meet MaryMac for beer o'clock

Home from ANU with MaryMac via LBG and Cook saddle

Long ints around Lake G. Warmed up from the ABSHouse out to the boat ramp then 5 x 1km with 1 min walk recovery. Easy run back at the end.

After watching it snow at lunchtime I thought I had better rug up a bit so waterproof top and pants seemed a good idea. Up to the Cook saddle, then a loop into Aranda bush lands, back through some Aranda streets then past Wybalena and home under the trees beside the bike path.

Lunchtime run from the ABShouse through UC to the block and back.

C • How is 2

Core work

Run around West Basin from the parking area near the Arboretum.

Bowral ParkRun. Left home at 5:45am to travel to Sydney - going to the Bledisloe Cup that night - so we thought we would try a different ParkRun. The Bowral run is small but friendly - only 24 runners - so I was able to have my best ever finish position of 4th. Nice course which started and finished at The Briars which is where MaryMac lived when she was at boarding school. It was part of SCEGGS Moss Vale at the time and was used as a dorm. The weather was beautiful and was nudging -1 as we started but sunny and no wind. At the start Norma, one of the locals, was shuffled to the front to get a good start as she was after a PB. First 500m was on a mown grass strip across paddocks and heading down the hill. A right hand turn and then 2km along the bike path with the creek on one side and paddocks and trees every where else. The front three were out of sight but then we crossed on their return, and not much longer after that I was at the turn. MaryMac was doing well and was in the top 10. The last bit up the hill was slow but I felt ok. MaryMac had a good run as did Norma who managed her PB and was very excited. She ran 33 something which is not bad for someone in the 85-89 age group. She is our new ParkRun hero.

C • Norma Wallett 2

Had planned to meet Richard's group at the top of Black Mt at 6pm but was delayed at work so didn't head off from Macquarie till 5:35pm. No way of making it on time so when I reached Circumscision I went left. About 2/3 around I met Richard who was searching for a 'lost' husband. We continued on and met again at the Northern intersection, but still no lost person. I headed off to O'Connor shops to meet MaryMac and get a lift home.

Intervals around Gossan. 5 x 4min with 1 min walk/jog recovery. Time includes running to Gossan saddle to start and back.

Macquarie to DS to top of AH to Bindubi to 2B10 to home

Lunchtime ints on Gossan. 5 x 4min efforts with 1 min walk recovery. Cold day but sunny so managed in a t-shirt. Legs a bit sore from Sunday

Run from home to Aranda bushlands via saddle then some single track to the top of the hill then home via DS and the ovals

Bush Capital Half Marathon. Lay in bed this morning listening to the rain pelt down on the roof and was tempted to not go, but then the thought of having paid the entry fee and the lessening of the rain inspired me. Had a very small amount of muesli and yoghurt about 8:30am so tummy wouldn't feel empty then drove over to Campbell HS. Registered, go organised, had a gel at about 9:15 - normally don't do that but after listening to acejase and his GC marathon prep thought it couldn't hurt. More starters than I imagined and didn't recognise many faces - only Lolly, Ciaran, She-cara and Graham Atkins. John introduced Shaun Creighton at the start, then we were off. I settled into a steady pace, and just sloshed through the little creek as we headed up into the bush to get on the fire trails - I am amazed at the effort some people go to keep their shoes dry - it wasn't going to happen today. The course is essentially a big loop around Mt Ainslie, with Hackett Hill, and an out and back section along the base of Mt Majura. There are a couple of hills but nothing huge, so all in all, a nice course. The rain held off the entire time and the sun even came out for the second half. Running along through Campbell Park I was with a couple of young women but they pulled ahead up the climb to the top of Hackett Hill, but I passed one on the descent and nearly caught the other. Had a gel towards the end of the Gravel road near the Hackett car park, but didn't worry about a drink at the drink station there, or anywhere. MaryMac and SwissMiss were there to give me a cheer which was nice. Then onto the out and back. Saw Mr Creighton not long after so he was about 4km ahead of me. After the RH turn near the water tanks saw the leading woman who was about 5ft nothing, with Vibram 5-finger shoes and a cadence of about 120 flying down the hill. Then at 12km crossed with Lolly who was 4th and only 3km ahead and looking strong, then saw Ciaran not long after that who looked stuffed but was still running well. Enjoyed this section as got to see all the people in front and after turning those behind. Saw Graham not long after the 14km mark so he was less than 1km ahead. At the turn the two women I had been with were just in front, and I caught and passed both near the water tanks, and managed to slowly pull away. I also saw Acejase and Grant, who was doing the full marathon and was on his second lap at the 15km mark. Acejase looked cheery in his pacing/companion role, but Grant didn't look happy at all, but he had run 21km further than acejase at that stage. Back through the drink station but my cheer squad had gone back to the finish by then, and onto the flat stretch behind the houses in Ainslie where I could see some runners in the distance but none too close. Passed a guy who was struggling near the top of the hill before the sub-station, then caught sight of Graham in the distance with about 2.5km to go. This spurred me on and gradually got closer and passed him just before the creek crossing as we left the bush with about 800m to go, then ran hard so he wouldn't feel like coming back at me. Felt full of running over the last couple of km which is a good sign - the fact that there wasn't any uphill to speak of helped too.

Had a chat to Lolly and Ciaran who had both run well 1:33 and 1:36 respectively. Cheered in some runners including Shea-cara who was doing her first half. Then Grant who looked very tired but he 'gutsed it out for the last 5km' according to acejase and finished 2nd.

Good to run a bit further and push a bit harder than a normal training run on Sundays.

Short warm up

C • Good run.. 4

Run from home down to Lake G for Parkrun.

Parkrun at Lake Ginninderra. Another ok run ie. steady. Still don't have much oomph, and maybe the 50 min run on Friday evening isn't the best thing to do but it's all training. Was smashed by a young woman in the last 200m - I had passed her near the 2km mark, but at then end she had a kick and a half. Cool and windy meant there were some unpleasant spots on the course, especially coming out of the trees on the peninsula. Still a good way to start the weekend.

Easy run home from Parkrun with MaryMac.