The toasty smoke has gradually cleared from my kitchen these past two weeks. It's taken awhile, because I tend to leave windows closed on frosty Canberra mornings.
Until I can scrape together enough cash for the uber-expensive Polar or Suunto HRV watches ($699 online for the latter), I've decided to implement a rather conservative training program. This is a borrowed plan, but it's new for me. It comes from the training diary of Sean Wade. Basically it calls for two easy days between hard sessions. The easy days for me will be an hour or so of running at 76% or less of maximum heart-rate (about 5:45 to 6:00 per km). The hard days will be whatever I feel I need — most likely long hard efforts, such as marathon-pace runs, longer tempo runs, or intervals with minimal recoveries.
I scanned the photo below from a Kodachrome slide. It shows Adam Hoyle and Steve Moneghetti (792) racing in the 1986 World Cross Country selection trial in Canberra. The 12k race was won by Rob de Castella in 36:30, with a fresh-faced Moneghetti placing 4th in 37:18. It occurred to me that Mona has the longevity of my chrome-plated Chinese-made toaster. Just the other day he ran 30:00 for a road 10k in Launceston, two months shy of his 47th birthday. What an example to keep on running!
Until I can scrape together enough cash for the uber-expensive Polar or Suunto HRV watches ($699 online for the latter), I've decided to implement a rather conservative training program. This is a borrowed plan, but it's new for me. It comes from the training diary of Sean Wade. Basically it calls for two easy days between hard sessions. The easy days for me will be an hour or so of running at 76% or less of maximum heart-rate (about 5:45 to 6:00 per km). The hard days will be whatever I feel I need — most likely long hard efforts, such as marathon-pace runs, longer tempo runs, or intervals with minimal recoveries.
I scanned the photo below from a Kodachrome slide. It shows Adam Hoyle and Steve Moneghetti (792) racing in the 1986 World Cross Country selection trial in Canberra. The 12k race was won by Rob de Castella in 36:30, with a fresh-faced Moneghetti placing 4th in 37:18. It occurred to me that Mona has the longevity of my chrome-plated Chinese-made toaster. Just the other day he ran 30:00 for a road 10k in Launceston, two months shy of his 47th birthday. What an example to keep on running!
Steve Moneghetti - Canberra, 1986
12 comments:
Yay on the new plan! Looks like a fun one. Will you do the dynamic stretching too?
The slide is cool, thanks for posting it. Mona's toaster comparison cracked me up. Us readers should all pitch in and buy you a new appliance before you asphyxiate yourself. :D
As far as longevity goes you're no slouch yourself Ewen. I see you have been PBing since you were 28.
Nice thought about buying Ewen a new toaster "Girl in Motion" but I reckon Ewen is "Hard to Kill" and we'd be better off saving our money for a later date and buying him a "Zimmer Frame" with running spikes.
I reckon you'll be still trying out new running programs and methods long after "Mona" is out to pasture. I reckon you're the "reason to keep running" for the normal man/punter ;)
Maybe you should try the broiler on your oven or a flat iron? I like paninis. As for plans? I think making my own up as I go along work best. (in my own little LaLa land I have going on.)
So will you convert the miles to kms in Sean's program? Sounds good! As for your easy days they sound equivalent to my hard ones at the moment! Great Kodachrome footage!
Sean's easy days are harder than my hard days!
I'll just stick with my 5 very easy days and 2 rest days. Then a hard day on race day.
You forgot to mention that Moneghetti's 30:00 was actually an age-group world record. And that he was hoping to BREAK 30 minutes, not hit it exactly!
So does this mean that you'll be going to the pool and a masseuse for your recovery days? There are some amazing masters runners out there. Let's hope we can run forever and outlast them all!
I didn't recognise Mona with all that hair flapping about!
Thanks for the Mona photo...incredible legend he is! that characteristic right elbow out hasn't changed much...
the Scott Wade plans sound very good...and yes Ewen you are an inspiration to many of us all over australia and overseas to keep on chasing PB's of some kind...no matter what level we are at... way to go!
I also occasionally follow Sean Wade's log. His training is pretty simple in terms of structure, one hour aerobic run on most days and a couple of quality sessions every week. He also likes to do 30secs fast/float fartlek and he does that workout for 3miles in under 15mins !!!
Hey Ewen
On the occasion of my first sub 3 I just wanted to thank you for all your blogging and posts since I started running and blogging myself.
Your toaster was a little younger back then and ,in fact, you were the first person to comment on my blog and ,perhaps, if you hadn't I might have packed in blogging and never have met the people I have over the last few years or run the races I have.
So keep up the posts on your blog and keep running as there just may be some other poor soul that needs being plucked from obscurity.
Thanks Scott. I've enjoyed following your running career - and I won't stop reading until you break 2:45.
A late answer for Strewth (sorry Strewthy) - I plan to run for the same time Sean runs on his easy days, not the same distance in kms - that would take me forever!
Off now to throw a couple more slices of bread in the toaster.
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