Wednesday - Knox Masters Athletics.
6.30PM - A little less breeze tonight.
warmup 2 laps jogging pace then
4 x 100m strides gradually building pace
600m race (4th in equal PB of 1:47)
80m race (2nd in 10.8) again not much of
a break between those two runs.
Long recovery and chatting away with other
vets for around 30 mins before doing a couple
of long jumps and another 4 x 100m strides
with Rick at around 90% to finish. (no cooldown
jog). A bit of an interrupted and disjointed session
due possibly to having a rather bad headache.
Complete rest day on Thursday.

Tuesday morning - boxing bags 6 x 3min rounds
2 sets of leg raises/skipping/tuck jumps (15/20).

Monday morn - This morning i thought i'd try out one
of my newly measured out courses around the local
lake. To start with a warmup jog of 1km down to the
lake then a timed run over 1000m (4:04). This course
is by no means flat and runs over two wooden bridges
which are quite slippery when damp. After the second
bridge there is an uphill run of around 100m around a
right hand corner to finish. I really enjoyed this run
this morning and it will be a good challenge to get my
times gradually down to near the 3 minute mark.
After about a 200m walk i began a slow jog for 2km's
to cooldown and help flush out the legs from my recent
faster runs. Followed this with 2 sets of skipping/med
ball/tuck jumps (15/20) to finish.
No more running now until Masters on Wednesday.

Sunday late afternoon - Knox Athletics Track
warmup 2 laps jogging pace then
5 x 100m strides gradually building 50-80%
a little stretching and slow jogging then
2 x 400m (75/68) 5mins recovery between
5 x 120m strides at 90%
4 x grandstand steps with 1:30 walking recovery
and 2 laps cooldown at jogging pace to finish.

I'm very pleased with the second 400m today
as that is the quickest i've run one while training
by myself (68). I was running within myself but at
a quick pace. Afterwards i was breathing very
heavily so it was a hard effort but i knew i could
go a lot faster!

Saturday morning - temperature quite cool.
Treadmill session that was cut short by the sudden
malfunctioning (dying) of the treadmill.
warmup 1km jogging pace with a couple of short
surges to emulate 100m strides.
2 x 3:15 @20kph with 4min walking recovery.
treadmill then stopped so i'm going outside now
to do about 10 mins of slow skipping to cooldown."

Will probably now be without the treadmill for a week
or so until someone comes out to fix it. I'll have to
substitute with some more bag routines and spinning
when i can't leave the house to go for a run.

Friday afternoon late - i jumped on my pushbike and rode
down to the lake to do some course measuring. Using the
bike's computer i measured out a few different courses
of lengths varying from 100m through to 2380m. I'm going
to use these when i want to do intervals etc. away from
the aths track.

WOW !!.............

Good Friday morning - A breakthrough!
warmup around 600m slow jogging pace
3km timed run anticlockwise to lake circuit
and back. Amazing new PB of 14:48.04.
This is 59 seconds off my best - 10 days ago!
(splits were 5:09/5:06/4:31 for each kilometre)
cooldown 1km jogging pace to finish.

You do a run like this and it's weird! I felt like
i was really struggling. After seeing the time
on the watch, i now know why !!

Still on a roll !!............

Wednesday night - Knox Masters - quite cool
warmup 2 laps jogging pace then various
run-throughs gradually building.
800m race (5th in a new PB of 2:38)
This cuts 13secs of my previous best of about
2 months ago.
100m race (1st into a stiff headwind 13.75)
2 x double grandstand steps with 3 mins between.
5 x 100m run-throughs at 90% - solid pace.
cooldown around 1200m jogging pace to finish.

My splits for the 800 were 67/91 which just shows
how much i tied up over the last part of the race.
My plan was to run the first 400 in around 75 and
see if i could repeat the effort in the second one.
I chose one of the quick runners in front of me to
keep up with for as long as possible. I did this until
about the 500 where he started to get away and i
had to ease the pace slightly (to stop collapsing!)

I'm feeling very confident about reaching my goals
at the moment. Everything is coming along nicely
and i'm getting gradually closer to all of them.

Tuesday morning - usual bags routine followed by 2 sets of
leg raises on power tower/skipping/tuck jumps (15/20).

Tired ?????...................

Monday morning - a short warmup this time (maybe 4 or 500m)
3km timed run - lake course anticlockwise (15:51.44) and then
a short warmdown again only about 4 or 500m.
I still feel like a short break from running is necessary. Tomorrow
morning is boxing bags so no more running now until Masters on
Wednesday night.

Sunday evening - I decided not to do a session at the track.
I'm feeling really worn out and need to freshen up again so back
into it on Monday morning with a 3km solid run.

Emily, Fleur and Chloe at Olympic Park for the State Championships
March 20 2005.

Chipping Away..........

Sunday morning - 1170m around the lake.
This morning i had to run this in quite dark conditions.
For me that makes it harder to judge the pace. I felt
like i was struggling a little for most of the run but still
managed to record a 2.5sec PB of 4:43.45
I am planning to have a session late today at the track
but i'll wait and see how i feel. I am feeling a bit tired
and flat today.

Saturday morning 9.30am - A variation of yesterday.
Decided to run my timed 1170m lake run tomorrow
before taking Fleur to State at Olympic Park.
Today - warmup 1km jogging pace then -
1 x 3:15 @20kph with 2:30 walking recovery
1 x 2.30 @20kph with 2:30 walking recovery
1 x 1.45 @20kph/inc 6deg with 1:30 walk recov
cooldown 1km jogging pace and 2 sets of med ball/
skipping and tuck jumps (15/20) with light jog to
finish up. Then spent about 10mins with the kids
and the skipping ropes having some fun!"

The 3:15 run @20kph on the treadmill is very
taxing. I believe that by doing this run quite often
my ability to run at a strong pace will improve
dramatically. Gradually, i hope to increase the length
of this run in increments of 15secs and/or using some
incline.

Friday morning - A testing treadmill session!
Raised the level a little this morning!
warmup 1km jogging pace then -
3:15 @20kph with 2 mins walking recovery
1 x 400m @20kph/inc 6deg with 2 mins walk recov
1 x 400m @20kph/inc 14deg with 1.5mins walk
cooldown 1km jogging pace and 2 sets of leg raises
on the power tower/skipping/tuck jumps (15/20)
to finish."
I guess most of my training at present is aimed at
increasing my cruising speed from 400-1500m.
To try and achieve this, i am training over distances
from 100m run-throughs right through to 3 or 4km
sustained runs, at ever (slightly) increasing speeds.
Generally my times for all these distances are coming
down in quite large chunks! For how long who knows!

Thursday - a rest day.
I have certainly been been aware of a feeling in my
legs today. Whether it's a buildup from running at
the Masters or just tiredness i'm not sure. One thing
i do know, is that i didn't have time to cooldown after
doing my steps drills at the end of Wednesday night.
I really must make sure that i do a couple of laps to
finish off.

Massive PB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (flashing lights etc)

Wednesday evening - Knox Masters
Quite a cool night at the track.
warmup 2 laps jogging followed by strides
and run-throughs gradually building speed.
1200 hcp race (1.25) in a new PB of 4:33
This takes 15 seconds of my previous best
from about 5 weeks ago! (very pleased)
(splits for the three laps were 87/95/91)
8 x 100 run-throughs at 90% (solid pace)
1 x double grandstand steps then
1 x single grandstand steps after about 1 min
break to finish."
A great result for me tonight considering i'm
suffering from a virus and full of tablets!

Wednesday morning - quite cool maybe 12 or 13C
Usual boxing bag workout followed by 2 sets of
leg raises on power tower/skipping/tuck jumps (15/20)
Masters tonight."

Tuesday morn - I felt like i could run this morning so i set off
on my timed 3km run. Again i ran this without a warmup and i
think from now on i will have to change that. I felt a bit sore
for the first half in my knee which normally comes good with
a warmup. I finished the run off strongly for a new PB of
15:46.56 which knocks off around 21 seconds - gotta be happy
with that! Followed up with 2 sets of med ball/skipping/tuck jumps
(15/20). Not bad to blow out the cobwebs after 3 days off!

Monday - Today was a holiday here and i woke up
in a bad way with swelling in my gums and glands.
It was off to the doctor this afternoon so again no
training today. I have some sort of viral infection.
That's three days with no training at all. Not cool!
If i feel ok tomorrow morning i will have a run and
also go to work - but we'll see!

And again!!...............

Sunday - more rest today while i get myself right.
I figure i deserve a break and to be honest - i feel
like shit so there you go !!

Extra rest day today.................

Saturday - Not feeling well today. I had a bad headache yesterday afternoon which didn't really go away and i just don't feel right
at all today. I'm having an extra rest day which won't do any harm anyway.

Friday morn - Treadmill session
warmup 1km jogging pace then -
1 x 2000m @14kph (first time for this session)
cooldown 1km jogging pace and 2 sets of skipping
and tuck jumps (15/20) to finish.

Just for fun i calculated that at 14kph i would
complete the 2000m in around 8:40. I haven't
yet done a timed 2000m but my estimation at
the moment would be about 9:00 - or at least
i would hope so!

Wednesday - Knox Masters 7pm
A mild night with not much breeze.
warmup 2 laps jogging followed by various
run-throughs up to 100m gradually building.
200m race (5th in 28.31) not bad i think!
2 laps of slow jogging beside Fleur (race walking)
Had a couple of practice throws at the discus
5 x 100m run throughs at good solid pace - last
at around 95% and 2 x grandstand steps to finish.
Again a bit of a scrappy session on paper as i had
2 of the kids with me. I did however, do many of
the run-throughs with Rick which ensures that they
are high quality. Rest day tomorrow

Wednesday morn - Usual boxing bags routine of 6 x 3min
rounds followed by 2 sets of leg raises on the power tower.
A short session as i have Masters tonight at Knox.

Tuesday morn - warmup 1km jogging then -
timed 1170m around the lake (4:47.72 about a
second outside PB)
I felt like it was quite fast but it was dark so
it's a little deceiving. Finished very strongly though
so i'm sure i could have gone quicker today.
cooldown 1km jogging pace and then - 2 x
various medicine ball exercises/skipping and
2 x tuck jumps (15/20) to finish.

Monday morn - warmup 1km then -
1 x 1000m @15kph then 2mins walk recovery
4 x 300m @20kph/(inc 0/2/6/14degs) 70secs walk rec
cooldown 1km to finish. No core drills this morning as
somewhat short of time.

Sunday aft - At the track with Fleur for her walk training.
warmup 2 laps jogging followed by various
run-throughs and sprint drills gradually building.
1 x 300m @ 90% (about 49) then back to some
jogging while Fleur practises her walking (about
3 laps). Then back to several 100m run-throughs
before 2 cooldown laps/4 x stadium steps and
2 x 15 tuck jumps.
A bit of a scrappy disorganised session as i was
working all of this around training Fleur. She's in
the 1100m walk at the State Championships in a
couple of weeks."

How about that !!!!..............

A 45 second PB !!!!!..............
Saturday morn - light drizzle this morning.
A 3km timed run from my house around to the lake,
around the lake and back a different way. This is run
anti-clockwise and by no means flat. I took 45 secs
off last weeks time to now have a PB of 16:08
My warmup is basically the first 5 mins or so of
this run!

Fleur has 3 PB's from last Saturday! 

Friday morning - Could not leave the house for my
usual 10km Friday run so i decided on a slightly different
treadmill session this morning. This started with a jog
warmup of 1km then -
4 x 400m (17.5/20/20inc2/20inc6) with 3mins walking
recovery between. Followed this with a cooldown 1km jog
and 1 set of leg raises/skipping/med ball/tuck jumps
to finish. Had to fit this workout in to a timeslot this
morning so it was a little rushed.

Reality Bites................

Wednesday evening - Knox Masters Athletics.
Still a little way off reaching my goal of sub 60!
A coolish evening which i like but still the usual
headwind in the front straight.
warmup 2 laps jogging then various sprint drills
and run-throughs gradually building speed.
400m race with some very fast people involved.
managed an official PB of 63.9 which is not the
60 that i wanted, but really, i guess i should be
pleased.
After a break i ran 2 x 150m at 90% then had a
couple of jumps in the long jump pit. Then about
5 x 100m run-throughs with 2 other runners. These
were done quite quickly and i felt very relaxed and
fast. Then 1 x double grandstand steps drill and a
lap of the track to cool down. A bit of a jumbled
session tonight but it should have the desired effect.

Tomorrow is a complete rest day.

Tuesday morn - usual boxing routine 6 x 3min rounds on
the 3 different bags followed by leg raises on the power
tower, some skipping and 2 sets of tuck jumps 15/20"
That's it until the Masters tomorrow night. I want to
break 60 in the 400m race!