Assessing strengths and weaknesses

When I buy Running Times from the Erindale Newsagency I'll turn straight to the 'Masters Running' section. The website also has a good range of articles for older runners — recently I found a 'Web Exclusive' called 'Five Minutes with Malcolm Campbell'. The interview backgrounds Campbell's running history and finds out about his preparation to win the USATF National Club Cross Country title (10k in 32:47). One interesting thing about the preparation for that performance was that Campbell increased his yearly mileage to 4,000 (average of 124k per week) from the 2,500 to 3000 miles he had been running. He said that the higher level of mileage enabled him to recover faster from training and racing.

Another thing from the interview that really caught my eye was the way Campbell assesses his readiness for racing. He said "I work on improving four different systems to function as close to 100 percent as possible. These systems are endurance, recovery, speed endurance and finally speed — change of pace acceleration." I think that's a great basis for a self-assessment system for all distance runners. I'd probably add 'consistency' — the regularity of our training over weeks, months and years. I've assessed my current preparation as follows: Endurance 85%, recovery 70%, speed-endurance 75%, speed 50% and consistency 90%. How are you going? Probably better than myself in some, worse in others.

In JKK-style, my latest training:

Monday - 10.5k Speedygeese session (recovery run for me).
Tuesday - 8k, some on the grass track (easy day).
Wednesday - 10k, 3k 'easy tempo' on the grass track at 5:20/k.
Thursday - 10k long tempo run in 53:48 (warm and smoky).
Friday - 5k very easy, 3 on the grass track (recovery run).
Saturday - 15k long run progressing from 6:20 to mid 5:30 ks.
Sunday - 10.5k Speedygeeese Stromlo intervals - 4 x 1k.

 Chatting about the weather prior to Stromlo intervals

No rest days in 2012

I did something last year that I'm not sure I'll ever do again — ran every day for a minimum of 5k per day. Yes, a modest streak of running compared to 2:09 marathoner and Commonwealth Games champion Ron Hill's multi-decade running streak. I'll blame Karla and CJ for getting me started on the streak. It seemed like a fun thing to do back in November 2011! Then fellow streakers Geoff and Janene kept me honest in friendly competition.

Did I learn anything from this obsessive-compulsive-disordered craziness? Anything useful that is?! Well, a few things: It's possible to run every day and not get injured; one can run with a bad head-cold during a wet, cold winter (outdoors); a new appreciation for the secret Steve Moneghetti training session — when asked what was the best training session to improve one's running, Mona said "the 2 x 7 x 365" (run twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year).

With all that running (3,728 kilometres), my racing performances pretty much stayed the same throughout the year. My first 5k at Stromlo on 31 January was a 23:30 and my last on 4 December a 23:21. Between those races I ran a very pleasing road 10k at the Gold Coast — a 45:11, my fastest 10k since 2008. I didn't run the 5000m track race I think I was capable of — the 22:17.48 in November should have been 30 seconds faster. Similarly for the Melbourne Half — a 'pinched nerve' kept my finish time down to 1:44:30. I think a 1:40-41 went begging that day. Looking forward to this year, I'll continue to try and race "a good" 5k (time yet to be defined) and also chase a sub-1:40 time (and a 'victory' over Canute) for the Canberra Half in April.

Thanks all for reading and commenting on the blog over the past 12 months. I was snowed under with pre-Christmas work, followed by 'family time' during the holidays so I'm a little behind on reading and commenting on your blogs. All the best for 2013 and enjoy your running!

On boxing day the Wagga geese weren't that speedy. It was hot!

You'll find me at Stromlo

I joined the Speedygeese this morning for an interval session on the smooth grass of the Stromlo cross country course. That's six weeks in a row of doing this particular training session. It's become a habit. Philosopher and runner Jeff Edmonds wrote a blog post on running and habit. He notes that runners are creatures of habit (which makes the training process easy), but habit can also be the runner's worst enemy. There's a danger of repeating the same old running routine if conscious thought isn't given to what we might need to do in order to improve. If you're a competitive runner that is! There's nothing wrong with getting out the door for an easy 30-minute run each day. One may even enjoy racing off such habitual easy running.

This morning I ran with Geoff and Andrew — 4 x 1km 'hard' efforts with easy 1km jog recoveries. It was a warm (24C) and calm morning. My times were about six seconds slower than for the same session on 18 November. Today I ran 4:23, 4:23, 4:20 and 4:18. Maximum heart-rate only reached 154 (previously 157), so perhaps I wasn't chasing Geoff as hard as when I was following Kym and Lucia. On the other hand, I wasn't feeling all that fresh — in spite of reducing yesterday's long run with Susan and Andy to 70 minutes.

I'm sure the habit of running 1k intervals at Stromlo is a good one for the summer. My legs need the speed and 4:18 kilometres are close to my 5k race pace. That speed isn't feeling easy though! I should do as Canute suggested and fit in some faster/sharper running — 100 to 200 metre repeats. Having a reserve of speed that's faster than 5k pace should make it feel easier. We'll see.

This morning's run — the 1k loop is around the dam.

When I grow up I want to be like Luckylegs

I'm happy with my running this week. This morning's 11k included 3 x 1000 metres on the cross country course at Stromlo. Had the company of Geoff, Miranda and Andy (not marathon man Andy!) — I ran a little conservatively for times of 4:24, 4:19 and 4:15. These times are close to my hoped for 5k race-pace. My right calf has been a little tender since the YCRC 5k cross country race on Tuesday. While warming up with Geoff I felt a sudden cramp in the calf. Massaged it out and completed the race without further complications.

The race itself was interesting. I eased my way into it, letting Geoff streak off ahead, thinking to myself 'can he hold that pace?' — 'he's coming back from injury and was well behind last week.' I gradually got into a smooth stride but only made small inroads into the 75 metres or so gap. It was a 3-lap course and my splits were 7:53, 7:40 and 7:42 — a total of 23:15. Last year on the same course I'd run 24:05 (although I hadn't tried quite as hard), so an encouraging result. Equally encouraging is the fact that Geoff ran 21:52 for 5k on the track two days later! Perhaps I'm not far away from that sort of time.

On Thursday night I ventured out to the AIS track for the combined Open/Vets meet. We had a special guest competing in the 5000 metres — Norma Wallett (known to her friends as 'Luckylegs') from Mittagong. It was her first outing on the track for quite a few years and she smashed the Australian record in her age-group. She's 83 years old! Ran an amazing 31:11.58, which works out to be 6:14 per km pace (10:02 mile pace). I ran behind Norma while counting her laps. There were (surprisingly) so many starters that runners in the combined 3/5k event were told to count their own laps. She recorded an age-group percentage of 95.0 while breaking the existing Ausralian record by almost 5 minutes. When I grow up I want to be like her. What an inspirational lady!

Friends Ruth and Luckylegs after the Australian Record

The Unforgiving Hour

I've had three races since the 22:17 track 5000. Tuesday November 6 was a 5k with the YCRC runners on Stromlo's lovely grass. I ran 22:43 for that and noted in the diary that the legs were still sore from the previous day's Speedygeese relay sprints. On November 13 I ran the YCRC Barrenjoey Drive 5k in 23:07. That was a fairly uneventful race — ran evenly 'by feel' again and caught up to a few fast-starting runners in the third lap. Although slower than last year (22:22), I was encouraged as I hadn't 'busted a gut' to run the time (it was more of a tempo run than an all-out race). Average heart-rate was 143 (compared to last year's 152) — so 680 heart-beats per km last year verses a 'fitter' 661 this year. Two days later I raced for an hour on the track. Strange race that one! I ran round and round. And round... trying to put in an effort something akin to half-marathon race-pace. Ended up with 12,575 metres in the hour — 4:46 per km at an ave HR of 144.

Running hard for an hour on the track isn't easy! Especially as our Mondo surface is over 10 years old — feels like running on concrete covered by a thread-bare kitchen carpet. My shins were complaining for the last 20 minutes. I ran by feel again, dropping back from Roger early (he stretched out the 'lead' to 40 metres). After about 6k I caught up rather quickly and moved ahead. With about 8 minutes to run he appeared on the track just in front of me following a porta-loo stop! Passed him again, then for a bit of fun after Steve and Helen lapped me (for the second time) tried to keep them from getting more than 200 metres ahead (1k for the race). Successful with that — also with running a 'huge' 7 metres further than last year. Average heart-rate was 2 beats/minute lower so I think I'm marginally fitter than I was at this time last year.

Immediate plans are to continue racing on the track, do the YCRC events as tempo runs, Speedygeese sessions for speed/strength and Stromlo interval sessions for speed-endurance/race-pace muscular co-ordination. If it all holds together I hope to be in M50 PB form by the new year. Good luck to all who are racing (or coming back from injury or trying to run!) — enjoy it if you're running well — if not, keep trying!

Flying to a faster 5000

As I type this I'm listening to Scott and Kevin talking about Running in Japan. They ramble on a times (is that a Canadian thing?) but it's worth a listen. Scott recommended the Hosaka session of running fast downhill for a kilometre and jogging back up for the recovery. He does this six times. I could run such a session on the grass cross country course at Stromlo, using the first km of the 2000 metre loop. I ran there this morning with Geoff, Yelena, Andy and Joel — it was a perfect Spring day. As part of a 12k jog I ran 3 x 600 metres (200 of which is downhill), creaky at first but smoothing out to a last one at 4:15 per km pace.

On Thursday evening I raced another 5000 on the track. 22:17.48, so about a 54 second improvement on last time but less exceptional in terms of splits. The kms went: 4:24, 4:26, 4:30, 4:31 and 4:26. Average heart-rate was 149. I was really happy with the time, less so with the race. I didn't take my usual couple of easy days prior to the race — in fact, I've been returning my training to a more 'normal' volume (70k) this week. On Monday I ran hill loops and drills with the The Speedygeese; Tuesday my '17 hills' 10k course; Wednesday a steady 10k run. So to finish a 5000 just 47 seconds slower than my M50 PB took me to a happy place.

As a race though, it was rather sad. There were just five of us on the line, three of whom ran the 3000! Where are all the Masters track distance runners these days? So I came 2nd — running the whole thing pretty much as a solo time-trial. Lance was completing an easy 3k (he would run a PB the following evening of 9:54), but even so he was a little too quick. After 2 laps of 'sticking' I was by myself, running round and round and round. Craig was way up ahead on his way to a 20:27 PB. I want some competition (and fun)! To get this I'll switch to racing 3000s for a while — perhaps doing the earlier and more popular 6pm race.

Perfecting my 'both feet in the air' running style

An exceptional 5000

The track season is now under way, so there are many opportunities from now until March to improve my 5000 metre times. I raced my first 5k on 18 October, four days after the Melbourne Half — don't try this at home! Energy levels were fine but my calves were less so — having a mild case of DOMS. In respect to their tenderness I decided while doing a short warm-up to run 'steady', not flat out (as if I could!) and be happy with a hard tempo effort.

I lined up with 14 others next to Roger A on the outside of the curved line at the 200m start. Only four would run the 5k (the rest doing the 3k option), so for me it was a rather sparse race. I can recall chasing 3k runner Carinna in the early laps and after this a couple of others in the 3k who were slowing following fast starts. I ran by feel and a little flat-footed as pushing off the toes was hurting the calves. I clicked my Casio at the km splits. What's amazing about my race is that I ran the most even kilometre splits I ever have in a track 5000 — 4:40, 4:37, 4:38, 4:38 and 4:38 for a final time of 23:11.20. I must have run over 100 track 5ks in the last 30 years, so to see numbers like that is amazing. I'm glad I wasn't able to sprint the last 200 metres! Average HR was 147, so pretty high for me for a race in which the legs were doing it fairly easy. I'd put that down to not being fully recovered from the Melbourne Half.

The lesson: even pacing in distance races works and is an efficient way of running a fast time. We know this as in the many world record attempts since the first sub-4-minute mile the pace-makers have always been asked to run even splits in distances from 1500 metres to the marathon. The only real-world problem is that very few average runners race this way. They always tend to start fast, drop off the pace in the middle and have a fast finish. Still, I'm going to try and use the elite marathoner's pacing method in my 5000 metre races this season — run relaxed and evenly for the first 20 miles (3-plus k) and race the last 6 miles.

Enjoying a recovery jog at the Vets' handicap this morning. Look at that green grass! We've had a wet winter.

Loose wheel nuts at the Melbourne Half

I share a phrase with my mate Bruce to describe what happens when a runner dramatically slows at some point during a race: "their wheels have fallen off". That phrase could have been used to describe me at the 14k mark of the 2012 Melbourne Half Marathon. More accurately my race was sabotaged by loose wheel nuts. Running on the slight downhill of St Kilda Road my right leg suddenly buckled. It was the 'pinched nerve thing' that I've experienced before (not for quite some time and rarely in races).

It disappeared after a couple of strides but I realised I'd have to ease the pressure that PB pace demands. I felt it on three more occasions during the next 3 kilometres (I was quite worried that I'd have to stop running) but eventually my reduced speed soothed the affliction and I made it to the finish line inside the 'G. My time was 1:44:31, well away from the 1:40 was hoping for. I was very happy to 'make it' and still able to smile at the typically perfect and spectacular running weather that Melbourne produced for our enjoyment.

My race started well — I ran with Liz for the first 4k and we weren't too inconvenienced by 'slower traffic' running up the hill just after the start. Again I 'ran by feel' and didn't look at the Garmin for the entire race (its beeping function is broken so thankfully no awareness of splits). One distracting thing was the erratic running of the pacing balloons (the ones that I saw). The 1:40 group for the first half were about 400 metres ahead, but I'm guessing were running at 1:38-9 pace. The first 1:45 balloon (I thought it was the only one) ran past me at 16k and disappeared ahead. Consequently I guessed I'd end up running about 1:47-8. Then just before the 20k mark on the William Barrack Bridge a second 1:45 balloon overtook me! It turned out he was running closer to the mark — about 1:44 pace. I'm not a big fan of pacing balloons.

Summing up, it was a great weekend and a pleasure to share with Speedygeese friends from Canberra. Coach Geoff (unable to race) was out on the course cheering us on. Most ran incredibly well. A special mention for Andy who ran 3:25 (at age 52) in his first marathon! Next up for me will be some track racing and perhaps another attempt at a half marathon in April. I'd like to run a good one!

Garmin splits: 4:52, 4:39, 4:37, 4:38, 4:44 (23:30), 4:50, 4:44, 4:48, 4:55, 4:52 (24:09), 4:50, 4:55, 4:57, 5:04, 4:59 (24:45), 5:06, 5:07, 5:08, 5:12, 5:18 (25:51), 5:14 + 1:01 (197m)

Carbo-loading at La Camera: Susan, New Balance, Andy, Suzi and Liz

The 15k tempo run

I mentioned in my last post the idea of completing a 15k tempo run a week out from the Melbourne Half. This happened yesterday morning — a cool and cloudy day with some light rain falling late during the run. I had the company of running mates: Andy, Jen, Kelley, Mick and Tori. We ran one of my favourite 'long run' loops which starts on the Mount Ainslie trail (we hike the 600 metres or so up to the start from behind the War Memorial — Kelley jogged there as she doesn't like walking).

The first 3k took us along the main trail, down a narrow bush track to Campbell Park then towards the Duntroon golf course. This turned out to be the 'warm-up' as I chatted to Mick about his marathons, injuries and plans to return to track racing. 5:38, 5:41 and 5:30 for those kilometres. I wound up the pace as we ran down to and around the perimeter of the golf course. We re-grouped at Molonglo Reach before running the rest of the course which follows the bike path through the Wetlands, beside the lake to Commonwealth Bridge then back to a finish point at the bottom of Anzac Parade. This part of the loop is flat apart from the bridge, and easy running.

After the Wetlands, Andy and Jen took up the pacing duties. Easy running for both, as it was a little slower than Andy's expected marathon pace and slower than Jen's usual long-run pace. I was hanging on, not in total comfort. Mick, Tori and Kelley (chatting all the way) were about 50 metres behind. My kilometres from 4 to 15 went: 5:07, 4:49, 5:10, 5:02, 5:01, 4:59, 5:04, 5:15, 5:11, 5:26 (the bridge), 5:08 and 5:17. I was quite happy to stop at 15k with the others. Kelley though, insisted on jogging the 1k back up to the War Memorial (there's something strange about marathon runners). The 15k took 1:18:19 to run (5:13 per k or 8:24 per mile), so not quite the 15k at 5:04s I was thinking about last week. It was still a good run though and a confidence-booster for Melbourne. If I don't break 1:40 I'll be hoping for a result near the 1:41:50 that Canute ran last weekend — and also hoping for similarly pained and dramatic finish photos!

An unpredictable half marathon

I'm running in the Melbourne Half Marathon on 14 October. It's been 3 years since my last 21.0975 k race. In Melbourne in 2009 I ran 1:43:00. This year I'd like to run faster — hopefully under my M50 PB of 1:40:48. For me this means running fast for a very long time. I'm not sure that my recent training is pointing in that direction.

Canute blogged recently about his many months of preparation for the Robin Hood Half, in which he was originally targeting a time of 100 minutes. Although his aerobic fitness is better than at any time in recent years he's been finding it hard to complete the race-specific training. Key sessions were to be long runs with the last 5k run at half marathon goal race-pace (4:44 per km). He's been finding it difficult to maintain paces of 5 mins/km for any appreciable distance. I haven't done anything like that in training so can I be confident of running under 101 minutes?

My recent training has been okay without being brilliant. McMillan predicts a 1:40:44 half marathon if I run as well as I did at the Gold Coast 10k (45:11). Long runs have been a little on the light side: 15, 15, 20 and 20 over the last five weeks. Kilometres, not miles! I think I may attempt a long (15k) tempo run a week out from the race. Back in 1991 I completed such a run on the Wednesday prior to my half marathon PB — ran a lap of West Basin (15.5k) at 4:11 per km pace. On the Sunday I ran 1:21:38 which is 3:52 per km pace. So maybe if I could complete a training tempo run 33% slower than HM goal pace I'd be on target? That'd be 15k at 5:04 ks. I think that's possible.

Melbourne had better be warmer than the Bush Capital 16k!