Training Log Archive: Bruce

8:32 AM. Yarra Bend Park.
Warm Down

8:47 AM. Yarra Bouelvard.
Yarra Blvd Tempo
Split time Split distance Split pace
18:48 5.01 3:45
18:59 4.94 3:50

9:32 AM. Yarra Bend Park.
Warm Up

Recovery Run around Yarra Bend.
Tired after a late night and the run started very slowly.
I took the boys to the 9:15pm fireworks which ended up being postponed by 15 minutes due to lightning and thunderstorms. We got a bit wet, but found a good vantage spot under the cover of Jolimont Railway Station. At least we were in a good position to get on the train when the fireworks concluded.

Street Orienteering at Coburg Lake
Shorter courses due the heat. I was a bit tired after the drive from Adelaide earlier in the day and was looking for a comfortable run. However a young guy (Chirs Millard) came past, so I had to turn up the pace. He eventually got lost on Merri Creek due to an illegible map, but he looks like he has some talent.
The problem with the map was that they had photocopied a colour version, so the blue creek basicly disappeared.
Some of the controls were off the ground, so I managed to rip my punch card twice (and had never done that before in 200 street courses). One control was on top of a 1.5m high statue. Good thing my kids were not doing the course, or they would not have reached.

The trip from Adelaide was spent listening to ABC radio and various lists of the decade. There was also much debate about whether it was the end of the decade, or if you really need to wait another year. I'll celebrate the end of the decade next year.

Well there you have it. Another year gone. Happy new year and see you in 2010.

C • control altitude 1

The new Western Freeway Link has opened up an interesting route choice problem from Bachus Marsh to Northcote.
This time I tried the Western Hwy, Western Ring Rd and Westgate Bridge route.
42m49s
49.56km

Keithcott Farm from Para Vista
A longish run taking in several large hills and the National Orienteering League sprint course from March 2009 at Keithcott Farm. I ran most of the course from memory, but had some difficulty retracing my route with very long dry grass from control 2-3, and fenced off building works in the school.
This could be my last run this year, with tomorrow being a travel day from Adelaide back to Melbourne.

Even if I don't get to run tomorrow, this has been a great training month. I've averaged more that an hour a day running for the first time in 17 months, and I am about 75 minutes short of my highest volume month in 5 years. Training quality has also been improving, and I am in a good position to take advantage of this in 2010.

December Totals
29 sessions
31:45:57 hours
377.43 km

Totals for 2009
269 sessions
252:17:07 hours
2917.85 km

Down on previous years due to injury and illness including pneumonia, calf, osteitis pubis, hamstring and months of groin soreness. Those were the lowlights of 2009. My highlights will be listed tomorrow.

Morialta Park - hill run.
For some reason I thought the run with the Southern Arrows started at 6:30pm, but it was actually 6pm. I saw a few cars with O stickers, but nobody around, so I set off on what I could remember of the standard Morialta run from 15 years ago in the reverse direction. My plan worked, and I intercepted the group near the top of second falls.
I ran back down with Jenny. She was quick down the hill and obviously knew the hazards of the narrow rocky track pretty well.
At the bottom I said goodbye and did another large hill to Deep View lookout, and back down Centre track. The climb was steep and brutal for about 6 minutes. I then surged down the road for 1.7km at about 3:25m/km pace to finish off.

Recovery Run
Para Vista to Stockade Botanic Gardens in Greenacres and return via Dry Creek. Nice easy run on a warm morning. I suffered a few stomach cramps on the way home and had to relieve myself in the bushes near the creek. I think I may have eaten some dodgy xmas leftovers. At least I felt much better afterwards and suffered no other effects.

Ran home from my sister's house in Greenwith to Para Vista.
20 minutes at moderate pace, followed by 5km at tempo pace.
Not feeling great after yesterday's long run and the afternoon heat, but it was a good workout.