Some November events

1 November: Vets weekly track program continues: including:

• 6:40 1500m
• 7.20 3000m (Pennington)
• 7.40 400m
• 8.15 spiral 5

4 November: Women's jogalong
6 November: CCC weekly Spring Series races commence
10 November: Two Peaks (PDF file)
11 November: Ben Donohoe Fun Run
18 November: Sri Triple Tri
18 November: Opening of the Stromlo Cross Country circuit
23 November: Bonshaw Cup
25 November: Vets Handicap and Presentations, Inabaanya

Stretch 13 - Gastrocnemius

Sit on the floor with both legs straight. Loop the rope around one foot and grasp the ends of the rope with both hands. Flex your foot, aiming your toes toward your knee while keeping your knee locked.

Alternative Views

Working hard....

...or hardly working?



"When Birds Fly in the Right Formation, They Need Only Exert Half the Effort. Even in Nature, Teamwork Results in Collective Laziness".

(I have quite a collection of anti-motivation posters. I might just publish some more of them. One needs to be able to laugh at oneself once in a while.)

Last night's training
We ran four by ~650m with a jog back. And we introduced some simple stretches as part of the warm-up and cool-down. An excellent turn out; there certainly are a good number of highly motivated runners in our group, all aspiring to succeed. Participating were Alan, Amanda, Bronwyn, Cathy, Emma, Gary, GeoffB, GeoffM, Helen, Jodie, Joel, Katie, Ken, Margaret, Maria, MickH, Neil, Peter, Rachelle, Richard, Ruth and Sonia. The only disappointment was that most of the dangerous "one-way" signs remain firmly planted in our preferred path, so plan B was actioned; we ran our intervals via the "rose"-garden instead of alongside the road..

Moore Stretching
We have now incorporated stretching into our Monday night training. I have been talking about stretching a lot on this blog recently. Why then should it surprise you that I have kept my promises and have incorporated more stretches into our training routine? Ah, I know, no-one reads this far down; too many words or too convoluted for the average 21st century illiterate child. So if you are reading this, you are a rare person indeeeed. I might just give a caramel koala to the next two people from my training group who tell me they are rare. As a reward for getting this far down the post and negotiating all the waffle. I will take a punt that Sonia will be the first. You can even email or ring me to make sure you win. Ken always wins everything; he'll be next, but won't count because he won one at the dinner last week. This will confirm though what I already know; most geese will enjoy looking at the pictures photos cartoons and posters and leave it at that.

Stretch 12 - Achilles tendon


Sit on the floor with one leg straight and one leg bent and your heel close to your buttocks. Grasp the bottom of your foot with both hands. Raise the foot up, keeping your heel on the floor. Gently now.

Golden Goose

My training progress
last week’s target: 71k
achieved: 65k
year total to date: 3,311k in 43 weeks
this week’s target: 79k
weight: 65kg▼

Last week I did two things I haven't done in years - started at a gym (Wednesday) doing a range of very gentle exercises, and went for a swim (Friday), only 800m first up. However, a combination of that and all the driving I have been doing and then the hills at O'Connor (see below) particularly the down-hills, has stirred up my lower back, so I will take it even easier (if that is possible!) for a while. But the gym and the swim I will continue to do each week until I adapt.

Barbara won at O'Connor!


Barbara in some very good company at the Speedy Geese dinner a week ago.

O’Connor Ridge 8k
3 Barbara Tucker W55 47:01 74.9% gold
9 Kathy Southgate W50 34:17 95.7
12 Richard Faulks M45 33:52 82.4 bronze
21 Colin Farlow M45 33:26 82.5
33 Ruth Baussmann W55 47:25 73.4
36 Maria O'Reilly W50 38:35 85.8
38 Charlie McCormack W40 39:25 74.8
42 Rod Lynch M45 33:34 82.7
45 Jeni Greenland W30 44:04 63.4
49 Mick Horan M45 38:10 73.1
50 Christopher Lang M55 45:40 65.6
62 Geoff Barker M60 45:15 69.6
66 Kathy Sims W55 43:56 78.3
70 Peter Hogan M60 45:30 68.5
81 Alan Duus M60 43:42 71.5
82 Margaret McSpadden W60 50:33 71.2
84 Geoff Sims M55 45:27 67.9
97 Rachelle Ellis-Brownlee W30 43:13 65.4
106 Peter McDonald M50 44:11 66.5
108 Amanda Walker W35 43:35 66.8
110 Michael Freer M75 53:14 74.5
113 Mick Charlton M55 51:30 57.6
114 Mark Tucker M50 51:01 56.5
115 Helen Larmour W45 45:30 69.0
116 Roger Pilkington M45 44:45 62.4
118 Caroline Campbell W65 55:14 72.1

O’Connor Ridge 4k
12 Cathy Montalto W55 21:25 76.1%
15 Katie Forestier W40 17:22 81.1
16 Ken White M50 16:58 82.6
18 Neil Boden M55 19:50 72.4
25 Gary Bowen M50 18:27 73.8
35 Geoff Moore M55 18:53 77.3

Look at Kathy Southgate's age percentage! And see how both Roger and Helen tried to slow down at the finish line to let the other go first!

O'Connor Elevation (this is the 4k course)


Sit up very straight!
Stretch 11 - Soleus

Sit on the floor with one leg straight and one leg bent. Grasp the bottom of your foot with both hands. Keeping your heel on the floor, raise the foot and bring it toward your body. If you can't reach your foot, use a rope.

Sunday Sermon

The ten t-shirt commandments (adapted from “T-Shirt Etiquette”)

1. A t-shirt cannot be worn unless the wearer has participated in the event.

2. Any race t-shirt less than a marathon distance shouldn’t be worn to an ultramarathon event.

3. Never wear a race event shirt for the (same) race you are about to do. It displays a total lack of integrity and is like being at work and constantly announcing "I’m at work".

4. A DNF’er may wear a race shirt if the letters DNF are boldly written on the shirt in question, using a permanent marker.

5. During a race, the wearing of shirt from a previously completed year is acceptable. This is probably a good practice because you now have no excuse to drop out since you’ve done it before. But you must wear the oldest t-shirt you have from that race.

6. No souvenir shirts: therefore, friends or anyone else not associated with the race may not wear a race shirt. If your mom thinks that your Boston shirt is lovely, tell her to QUALIFY for Boston herself, & send in her application early for next year, so she can earn her own shirt. A downside to this: she still has plenty of time to write you out of her will between her training runs for the big race.

7. Always wear the race shirt of your last race at the current race’s pre-race briefing. The more recent the race, the better. This is a good conversation starter. However, avoid the tendency to explain how that it was a training run for this, and this is just a training run for the next, etc. It just sounds like your rationalising mediocre performances. Sometimes it’s best to live in the here and now.

8. Your t-shirt should be kept clean, but dried blood stains are okay, especially if it is a trail race or a particularly tough event. If you're an ultrarunner, you can even leave in mud and grass stains as well. And tooth marks, echidna spines etc.

9. Never wear a blatantly prestigious t-shirt downtown or at the mall among non-running ilk. People will just think you have a big head, which you do. You'll also get stupid questions, like, "how long was that marathon?" If it's a shirt to a 50 or 100-miler, they'll think it's a shirt for a cycling event or just think you're crazy, which of course you are.

10. Never wear a shirt that has more sponsors listed on it than people that ran in the event.

1916

"..committed to running 3% further each year through to 1916."

Thursday night Speedy Geese Track Results
3000m

Name	Time	Age %
M45 Colin Farlow	10:36.90	76.5%
W50 Kathy Southgate	10:54.22	91.0
M45 Richard Faulks	11:17.78	73.0
M45 John Morton	11:39.31	71.4
M50 Ken White	11:40.34	74.2
W40 Katie Forestier	11:58.26	73.7
M45 Mick Horan	12:51.36	64.2
W30 Jeni Greenland	13:03.77	64.4
M55 Geoff Moore	13:27.22	67.2
M30 Adam Robinson	13:36.96	54.7
M45 Roger Pilkington	14:21.58	57.5
W65 Caroline Campbell	14:42.37	82.4
W55 Barbara Tucker	15:11.65	71.8
W60 Margaret McSpadden	15:52.78	70.7

800m

Name	Time	Age %
M45 John Morton	2:16.82	84.3%
M50 Ken White	2:30.65	79.8
W40 Katie Forestier	2:53.31	67.8
M55 Geoff Moore	3:04.18	68.0
M30 Adam Robinson	3:17.13	51.3

spiral 4

Place	Name	Time	Points
5	W65 Caroline Campbell	7:59	-
6	M45 John Morton	6:06	47
7	M45 Roger Pilkington	7:26	46
8	M55 Geoff Moore	6:36	45
9	W40 Katie Forestier	6:39	44
14	M50 Ken White	6:35	40
17	W55 Kathy Sims	8:08	37

Sunday’s run
The organiser is looking for a few more helpers to be marshals. Call Lorraine on 0401 143 193 if you can assist. Course start is Purdie St Bruce, see yesterday's post for the course map.

Remember that daylight saving starts this Sunday. Turn your clocks and watches FORWARD one hour on Saturday night and don’t be late for Sunday’s run! But don’t be like the couple I spoke to last year, when the husband and wife independently reset their clocks, and ended up arriving at the handicap race an hour early!

Cow of a Day

This month's Vetrunner has a philosophical article. By Me. Excellent if I say so myself. (I do!). Looking Ahead. Moving On. Sadly though I cannot help but contrast it with another article on the opposite page to mine. Looking back. Always living in the past.

I shouldn't be so critical I suppose.

Best then to be mooving right along again.

Signal Fire: Here is yours truly, and a cow, looking really stupid.



LAST month's Vetrunner had the wrong map for this Sunday's run, so here is the right one.



After I run the short course this Sunday I will publish the Garmin's altitude map for this course. Should be interesting, these courses are still not easy despite being shorter versions of the main course. Watch out for hills! I didn't realise until I saw the map that the short course threw a right after the first km and continued down hill, rather than throwing a left and going up onto the ridge as the long one does. How I am going to hate the return journey uphill!

Top runs from Colin, Ken, Katie at the track last night. A few geese were there, but where was everyone else? A great night to be the track; the first real rain for ages, and the first night we get to use the new track. Although not the first users, there was rubbish everywhere; some people are animals. To tell the truth though, the CONSTANT rain did at times make it a cow of a day to be running. I ran the 3k, 800, and spiral 4 very very very slowly as planned; my leg soreness eased a bit in the first two but got worse again in the third. I haven't run an 800m for years and wanted to know what I could do if I "just ran easily" without pushing. Answer: 3.04. Something to beat next time. I want to try and run 90 sec laps for a complete 5k by February (new goal!). So the pace is "OK".

Yes the steady rain dampened the show and only about 86 people turned up to compete. There were seven newcomers and Roger and I made a point of talking to them when we could.

Stretch 10 - Thoracic-lumbar rotators



Sit in a chair with your back straight. Lock your hands behind your head. Rotate in one direction as far as you can go. When you're loosened up: rotate, hold, and flex your trunk forward, leading toward the ground with your elbow.

Running tracks at 180bpm

Yes, alright, yet another attempt at humour, as promised twice upon a time, the following "running tracks" are in the vicinity of 180bpm. so if any of them are tracks you like you can load them to your iPod / MP3 player and try running to them.

Price of Gasoline -Bloc Party -Silent Alarm 4:19 170
One Too Many Mornings -The Chemical Brothers -Exit Planet Dust 4:13 170
The Outsider -A Perfect Circle -Thirteenth Step 5:28 170
November Has Come -Gorillaz -Demon Days 2:45 170
Motivation -Sum 41 -All Killer No Filler 2:50 170
I Love You -Under the Influence of Giants -Under the Influence of Giants (Bonus Track) 3:25 170
The New Transmission -Lostprophets -Liberation Transmission 3:32 170
Totem On the Timeline -Klaxons -Myths of the Near Future 2:41 170
Loser -Beck -Mellow Gold 3:56 171
Who Let You Go (iTunes Version) -The Killers Who Let You Go - Single 3:58 171
Beautiful -Moby -Hotel 3:35 171
Rushing -Moby -Play 3:00 171
Summer Shudder -AFI -DECEMBERUNDERGROUND 3:07 171
When Your Heart Stops Beating -+44 -When Your Heart Stops Beating 3:12 171
Bottles to the Ground -NOFX -Pump Up the Valuum 2:20 171
Paper Planes -M.I.A. -Kala (Bonus Track Version) 3:23 171
Helicopter -Bloc Party -Silent Alarm 3:40 172
Judith -A Perfect Circle -Mer de noms 4:07 172
Meaningless Love -Under the Influence of Giants -Under the Influence of Giants (Bonus Track) 5:19 172
Sunday -Sia -Colour the Small One 4:17 172
Disorder -Joy Division -Unknown Pleasures 3:31 172
Next Year -Foo Fighters -Skin and Bones (Bonus Track Version) 4:34 173
A Martyr for My Love for You -The White Stripes -Icky Thump 4:18 173
Lonely Nation -Switchfoot -Nothing is Sound 3:46 174
Call It a Day (Live) -The Raconteurs Zane Lowe BBC Session - EP 1:56 174
Stars -Dubstar -Dubstar Stars - The Best of Dubstar 4:14 174
Down in Flames -Relient K -Double Take 4:08 174
You're Only Young Once -Amber -Pacific Truth in Sincerity 3:30 174
Attack -30 Seconds To Mars -A Beautiful Lie 3:09 174
Hotwax -Beck -Odelay 3:50 175
Ocean Avenue -Yellowcard -Ocean Avenue 3:18 175
Nothing In My Way -Keane -Keane Live from London 4:31 175
The Clincher -Chevelle -This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) 3:43 175
Beautiful Way -Beck -Midnite Vultures 5:37 176
Going Under -Evanescence -Fallen 3:34 176
Monkey Wrench -Foo Fighters -The Colour and the Shape 3:51 176
Home -Great Northern Trading -Twilight for Daylight 3:49 176
2 Females -Freq Nasty -Bring Me the Head of Freq Nasty 3:58 177
Don't Push -Sublime -40oz. to Freedom 4:18 177
My Last Breath -Evanescence -Fallen 4:07 177
The Answer -Bloc Party -Bloc Party - EP 4:04 178
Anthem for the Year 2000 -Silverchair -Neon Ballroom 4:07 178
Beverly Hills -Weezer -Make Believe 3:18 178
Bob -NOFX -White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean 2:02 178
Going Under -Evanescence -Fallen 3:35 178
Show Me How to Live -Audioslave -Audioslave 4:37 179
Oh My God -Kaiser Chiefs -Employment 3:34 179
Way Away -Yellowcard -Ocean Avenue 3:22 179
Something to Believe In -The Ramones -Weird Tales of the Ramones 4:18 179
Bad Stone -The Crystal Method -Vegas 5:09 180
The Stomp -The Hives -Barely Legal 1:54 180
Inside of Love -Nada Surf -Let Go 4:58 180
Matrix -Edguy -Rocket ride 3:47 180
Comfortable Liar -Chevelle -Wonder What's Next 3:43 180
Name of the Game -The Crystal Method -Tweekend 4:15 181
Storm the Studio (DJ Swamp Mix) -Meat Beat Manifesto -Storm the Studio 5:01 181
Shut Your Mouth -Garbage -Beautiful Garbage 3:25 181
I'm Not Okay (I Promise) -My Chemical Romance -Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge 3:08 181
Santeria -Sublime -Sublime 3:03 182
Distraction -Angels & Airwaves -We Don't Need to Whisper (Digital Version) 5:36 182
How to Be Dead -Snow Patrol -Final Straw 3:24 182
Cutt Off -Kasabian -Kasabian 4:38 182
Badfish -Sublime -20th Cent. Masters: The Best of Sublime 3:08 183
Killing Time -P.E. -Broke 3:53 183
Miles Apart -Yellowcard -Ocean Avenue 3:32 183
No No No -Yeah Yeah Yeahs -Fever to Tell 5:14 185
The War -Angels & Airwaves -We Don't Need to Whisper (Digital Version) 5:08 190
No Way -Back Foo Fighters -In Your Honor 3:16 190

Brand new running track
And tonight we race on the brand new running track at the AIS. Let's hope the surface is rain proof as it is supposed to be. And level. Because, you see, much to everyone's surprise, not to mention the cat's, there has been some light overnight rain in Canberra. I think I will run in "everything" tonight but run very very very slowly. But at 180bpm of course.

Yesterday's BBQ Stakes
I "ran" about 29:50, satisfactory if I can improve next time, and Roger about 36:40, better than he thought after Sunday's mountain racing. I started off my correct handicap start and was very surprised to come second last, not last.

Relay team result at Brindabella; An informed source tells me that there were two speedy geese teams, the first team, in 4:18.48, were Peter McDonald, Richard Faulks, Mick Horan and Geoff Sims in that order, and the fifth team, in 4:48.31, who were also the first all women’s team, were Rachelle E-B, Charlie McCormack, and Maria O’Reilly in that order, with Maria running both legs three and four. No splits are available.

Stretch 9 - Trunk Extensors

Sit with your back straight, knees bent, and toes pointed slightly up. Tuck your chin and contract your abs to pull your body forward. Grasp the sides of the lower legs to gently assist.

6k Fun Run on 11/11

The "Ben Donohoe Run and Walk For Fun" - organised by Students from the Hawker College Year 12 Sports Administration Course, will be run this year on Sunday 11th November 2007. The 6k Fun Run/Walk will start and finish in John Knight Memorial Park, Lake Ginninderra, Belconnen at 9am. A 3k out and back run/walk is also available. The 3k is geared towards walkers (mothers and children in strollers etc) and those less fit and will start 10 minutes after the 6k. All money received will support Brain Tumour Australia for research into paediatric Brain Tumours in memory of Ben Donohoe.

Entry forms - http://www.bendonohoerunandwalkforfun.com/

Note that online entry is not available, the forms need to be posted or handed in. Ken Eynon will have entry forms at the Spring Series event, and at Vets track this Thursday. The form says 26 October is the closing date, after which a late entry fee applies. So enter now or Thursday with Ken!

More Stretching
Stretch 7 - Hip external rotators

Place your foot in a rope. Wrap the ends of the rope around the inside of your ankle. Pull the rope under your leg and grasp it with the hand which is on the same side. Rotate your thigh inward, pivoting your lower leg outward and leading with your heel.

Stretch 8 - Hip internal rotators

Place your foot in a rope. Wrap the ends of the rope around the outside of your ankle. Pull it under your leg and grasp it with the hand on the opposite side. Pivot the lower part of your leg inward, leading with your heel.

Not-a-Shepparton-cow


but quite artistic never-the-less.

Over the Hills and Far Away

While running, I have been listening to albums “Cities” and “Blueprints for the Black Market” by Anberlin, and “We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes” and “Transatlanticism” by "Death Cab for Cutie". The latter are nothing like you think – they sound a bit like the album “Sum of Us” by Brisbane supergroup “The Henrys”. Death Cab for Cutie also remind me of Relient K for some reason, I don’t really know why, they are not all that similar. Maybe it’s the words. Anyway, my song of the week: this week is “Mood Rings”, by Relient K, from "Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do”.

This Thursday’s track program:

Time	Event
6:30pm	3000m (gm)
6:50	100m (d)
7:15	800m
7:45	200m (b)
8:00	4 x 100m, 2 x 200m
8:20	spiral 4

Hot, dusty, windy, awful; just some of the words used to describe the Brindabella Classic held last Sunday. Some entrants did not start, some did not finish, some faded badly, some handled the conditions well. Speedy geese as ever were outstanding, although some geese couldn't do stairs too well afterwards, as was evidenced at the Two Sisters Laos-Thai restaurant last night. Which is on the first floor.

Here's photographic evidence of Sunday: click to enlarge. Where's your hat, Mick?



And some results -

Bulls Head Challenge: 27.3k
10. Helen Larmour 2:08:26 first woman
12. Kelley Flood 2:18:13 second woman
18. Emma Adams 2:26:33
20. Roger Pilkington 2:29:55

Geoff Barker was a dnf, and Peter Hogan and Caroline Campbell were among the many who had entered but did not start. It was that kind of day.

In the longer 53.8k there were some Speedygeese in relay teams, but who they were and how they went I do not know, as the team names give no clues at all. So whoever you were, and however you went, well done.

Awards at the dinner last night went to those who attended most training sessions in July, August and September! These were-
Parliament House: Ken White; Sonia Veldhoven (both 12 out of 12)
Dickson: Matthew Hardy; Maria O'Reilly (both 10 out of 12).

Monday Monitor

My training progress (last two weeks)
week 41 target: 90k
achieved: 95k
week 42 target: whatever (travelling)
achieved: 34k
year total to date: 3,246k in 42 weeks
this week’s target: 71k
weight: 65.5kg ►◄

It is so hard to get weight to drop even a tiny bit! At least it is not going up! There have been lots of dinners and celebrations, with many more to come!
This week's target includes a series of tempo runs. Kind of anti-Hadd. (For everything there is a season. Turn turn turn.) I plan to add Extra Ks of jogging to my weekly targets from now on. But not if this hot weather continues - it has been close to the October all time record high temperature for three days now.

Wild Geese
I was all set to videotape an ABC program about wild geese last night, but two boring people yapped on for 90 minutes instead. And the ABC didn’t say if they would show the program later. Honk Honk, Not Happy.

Stretch no. 6 - Glutes. Resuming the series of recommended stretches. Lie with one leg straight and the other bent. Point the toes of the straight leg inward. Lift your bent knee toward the opposite shoulder. Keep your pelvis on the ground, and use your hands for a gentle assist.

Dare You To Moove


Speedy Jenny and stationary cow.

Try not stretching, you’ll like it!

Sunday Sermon: "when to not stretch"
For people who want to try not stretching, here is the good news: not stretching is easier than stretching. For people who don’t want to do much stretching, more good news: in our training group we do very little. In fact, here’s the routine we have established: and I blame myself for this. Warm up. A token stretch. A bit more warm up. Another token stretch. A run-through or two if necessary. Speed work. Cool down. Perhaps another token stretch. Then go home.

We do little stretching because (a) little is needed, (b) what’s the point of lying around after a warm up just to cool down again, (c) It’s too cold in winter at night to lie around. (d) I never used to stretch in all those years of good running.

After a warm up and before speed work it is better to stay warm and not stretch than it is to stretch and have to warm up again afterwards.

Q: “But I need to stretch, when should I do it”?
A1: After training or racing as part of the recovery, before cooling down too much.
A2: At the gym after warming up as part of the gym routine.
Take your pick.

WITH THAT IN MIND, our routine is going to change: here’s what I plan to do. Stretching IS important, and we are going to stretch AFTER we have done our training, and before the cool down jog.

All this because I sat down and thought about it. Sorry!

AMG GEESE
How we went at the Australasian Masters Games in Adelaide.

M45 800 Meter Run 45-49
Preliminaries 7 John Morton M48 Aust Capital Ter 2:15.55q
(cutting it fine there, John?)
Finals 2 John Morton M48 Aust Capital Ter 2:09.14

M45 1500 Meter Run 45-49
2 John Morton M48 Aust Capital Ter 4:38.34

M45 400 Meter Run 45-49
Preliminaries 3 John Morton M48 Aust Capital Ter 56.93Q
(Did not start in the final).

M55 5000 Meter Run 55-59
6 Geoff Moore M59 Aust Capital Ter 20:04.08

W55 5000 Meter Run 55-59
2 Barbara Tucker W58 Aust Capital Ter 25:44.24

M55 8k Run CC 55-59
4 Geoff Moore M59 Aust Capital Ter 35:50

W55 8k Run CC 55-59
4 Barbara Tucker W58 Aust Capital Ter 47:09

M55 Half Marathon 55-59
3 Geoff Moore M59 Aust Capital Ter 1:36:31

W55 Half Marathon 55-59
2 Barbara Tucker W58 Aust Capital Ter 2:01:35

Cows often sit down and think, but rarely stretch

Ten things you should never say to your coach.

10. I see you're taking it pretty easy today.
9. I just ate a huge burger for lunch.
8. Last week's work-out was easy. I want more sessions like that.
7. When do we start real training?
6. I have decided not to wash my running gear for a month.
5. No.
4. My last coach knew all about training properly.
3. We never work hard enough.
2. Who needs to warm up? Let’s get into it NOW.
1. I feel like an easy session today.

Mooving right along





FOOTNOTES
1. Good luck to all runners in the Brindabella Classic tomorrow.

2. There will be no training at Parliament House for this Monday only, it will be on again on the 29th. There are 26 coming to Monday's dinner.

3. I am assured Vets track will start this Thursday.

(my able body isn't what it used to be)

My new training plan, taking into account how much slower I have been getting:

Monday - speedwork (pm)

Tuesday - tempo run (am)

Wednesday - gym (am) & tempo run (lunch time)

Thursday - tempo run (am) & Vets track (pm)

Friday - swim (am)

Saturday - tempo run (am)

Sunday - tempo run (am)

All to be supplemented by long jogs whenever I feel like it, and a well constructed stretching regime. Doing tempo runs, rather than long slow runs with purely distance targets, is my attempt to get distance speed back towards what it should be.

My new targets
I will not confess to any further target times this year, but the long term objective is to find some form again in March 2008 so that I can

run well in the Nationals in Sydney at Easter 2008

be ready for some good M60 races in May 2008 and beyond.

All being well I will probably run in April's Canberra Marathon next year too.

Song of the week - One, by U2




Prize winning geese

Barbara and I with our Australasian Games half marathon medals

Travel in Australia

Having driven to Brisbane and Adelaide many times, staying at various places along the way, I am starting to accumulate a list of really really bad places to visit and really really good places to visit; really really bad motels and really really good ones; places to run, places to eat, and so on.

Often we plan a slightly different route so we can visit somewhere new.

Sometimes we just drive until it's time to stop, and find the nearest motel. This is not always a good plan; some "half-way" places are little more than a less-than-basic motel at a feature-less location. Others are surprisingly good. But it is not true that every location had something of inherent interest for the casual visitor.

We have never bothered to book ahead on such trips as we like to be free to go where we feel like; although our experience twice on these holidays was to get the last room in town despite no-one being sure why all the motels were booked up. Perhaps people are travelling again?

Shepparton is fantastic
On Tuesday night we stayed at a new place; Shepparton in country Victoria. What a great place to stay! The town had a really good feel to it. Friendly people, pretty town, great restaurants, and the most excellent motel we have stayed at, Tirana Motor Inn. Shepparton has great sporting fields, is the home of the SPC factory, is the centre of a large fruit growing area as well as dairy. And "kids town" which we will visit another time, which is a children's/adult's playground centre. And many many kilometers of cycling tracks, as well as many kilometers of walking tracks. And an excellent art gallery - I loved the mooving cows.

So I will add Shepparton to my "must revisit and stay longer" list of Victorian towns. Along with Echuca and Ballarat.

Mooving Cows

Don't forget to vote!

I'm very forgetful. I'm always forgetting birthdays, meetings, anniversaries. Well, there aren't any anniversaries, so that one's easy.

I've forgotten I'm supposed to write something here while Geoff hits the frog and toad for the trip back to Canberra. So... I'm writing to tell you not to forget to vote! If you forget to vote, you may not be able to watch certain people singing silly songs on TV.

In running matters, there was another good group at Parly House on Monday evening. About 18 or 19 keen runners. We ran the same relays on the grass in front of the house again. Ruth and Wombat didn't come last! Woohoo! I even sprinted. Bad, bad, bad!

I DON'T do HILLS!

But at least it was a medal this time.

A disastrous half marathon for me; anyone seeing me run or train would know that I stop dead still up hills because the hamstrings and calves break if I run up them; and I crawl down hills because I don't like the jarring.

So wouldn't you know it; today's half marathon had a series of sharp hills to negotiate.

And I broke.

A tentative jog on the first few rises didn't help; by 16k I was so sore I could barely move. Then it was touch and go whether I could continue or would have to pull out. With about three kms to go I had a tussle with a W75 whom I had lapped! I think she passed me three times!

Story of the run
It was a three lap course; during the first 7k lap I had an eye on two M55s who I thought would expect to be first and second; but who I knew I could keep in touch with. I was trailing through about 10-20 seconds behind them when at about 5k they passed another M55 I hadn't seen; I caught him without any extra effort and when he surged to take over from me again "I knew I had him". At 6k I passed him again, just running my steady 4:10s (except on the hilly bits), and he didn't surge the second time. That left me in third still.

First lap 30 mins; second lap 31 and I was tying up a little, still keeping within range of the M55 leaders, but realising by then that a sub 90 was unlikely.

2k into the final lap with 5k to go, the right hamstring "went". It MAY not be a muscle strain; it may be cramp. Then I slowed; stopped; tried to stretch; started again at a hobble; stopped again and so on. But although a number of people passed me, no other M55 was in sight. In particular, the guy I had passed earlier must have given up. A lesson here perchance? So I struggled on, somehow negotiated the remaining hills, and walk/jogged to the line for bronze. Speedy goose outkicks tame goose yet again.

My laps were 30, 31, and 35.30 for a grand total of a very poor 96.30. If I had maintained my 4:10 pace, as I should have, it would have been gold not bronze.

Oh - and SpeedyBarbara got silver in 2:01, very close behind the winner.

Photos later!

Thousands of Photographs

Jenny has taken thousands of photographs these last two weeks, mostly of flowers/buildings/scenery. I will not be short of an illustration or two!

Friday and Saturday have been cold and windy, with occasional shower flurries. Sunday may start that way too. 21km of 180bpm will be an interesting challenge if the strong winds we have experienced most days continue. Then on Monday when we leave here, hot weather is due to return.

Next: how I went!

Australian Sunset Ostriches

I am feeling patriotic today. "Australian Sunset Ostriches" is what my daughter Loani used to sing for the first line of our national anthem when she was very little. Of course, that was before stupid political correctness changed the first line from "Australian Sons let us rejoice" to "Australians all let us rejoice". Anyone with any brains would know that "sons" in that context means "heirs". Changing words of old songs because their meaning might have changed since the songs were written is nothing short of vandalism.

I see in the local paper that our beloved political leader has discovered that original Australians do actually exist. How convenient. Just before an election and all. Well, one that will be announced any year now. Hurry up, this madness must not continue!

On matters closer to the point of this blog, Sunday's half marathon target, 4:10 per km, should result in a time of 88 minutes and a yet to be determined number of seconds. But the course looks like it is on public pathways and winds around a good deal. Hmmm.

And. Two weeks to go, still, to daylight saving. About time! And then an election. And hopefully, some rejoicing after that.


Flying the flag on Australia's longest river, the Murray

Countdown. Three days to go.

I jogged 6k this morning then spent the rest of the day being a tourist.

I am running hot

At 6am today it was already 21 degrees; 7am 22; later in the morning 29. And that, together with a stiff north to northeasterly breeze, made running fairly difficult for the 8k cross country. I didn't suffer at all in the conditions but others did. In fact I enjoyed it. Barb and I both ran 4th in our age groups. Four laps of two km on a very nice little course. Barb's race was before mine: after she has completed one of her laps, I yelled out "go you speedy goose" and the commentator said "that's Barbara Tucker, the speedy goose" and apparently repeated the information on the next lap as well. A good day; I totalled 24k including warmup and cooldown watching other races; and have high hopes still for Sunday's half marathon.

Several of the women runners lapped Barb in her race, but NO-ONE GOT WITHIN COO-EE OF LAPPING ME in the younger men's race, not even Grenville Wood.

Thursday Training
Because track at the AIS has been postponed, Thursday training will conclude at Dickson a week later than advertised: the last evening will be 18 October. I will be back for that training session. And look forward to catching up with everyone before track season starts in earnest, presumably on the 25th. And don't forget to tell me if you are coming to the group dinner on the 22nd; there has been quite a good response so far.

In Praise Of Not Being Lapped

Monday's 5k was extraordinary; I was not lapped. It could well be different on Wednesday; I have the pleasure of running in the M30-59 division, which makes me about the slowest, and the cross country course is 4 laps of 2k each lap. And thunderstorms are forecast. I promise to report how many people lap me. If it is not too hot or humid, maybe I can hold them off. We will see.

Not Jaded, I.
I have been watching Dr Who Series II, thanks to my brother who has loaned me the DVDs. I watched Series III in 2007 but did not see Series II in 2006 when it came out; not realising how good it would be. David Tennant is extraordinarily good (out of this world, perhaps?) and appeared first at the beginning of Series II.

"not for the world weary, jaded or cold-hearted. The emotion is full-blooded, the jokes in your face, there's wit and love and pain and adventure. Your actions count. The universe is dangerous and your moral choices, your actions define you".

Yes, Dr Who is no longer escapism, it tastes very much like real life.

Silver Goose

Monday Monitor
My training progress
last week's target: 70k
achieved: 70k
year total to date: 3,117k in 40 weeks
this week’s target: 90k
weight: who knows? Let's call it 65.5kg & steady.
song of the week: “Broken”, by Lifehouse, from "Who We Are".
"I might try to be guarded, but I'm an open book instead".

Indeed. Freedom is having nothing to hide.

Race Result
It went exactly as planned.
M55 5000m 20:04.08.
(3k split 11.57 - yay!)

I trotted the 5k at a steady 4 mins per km, no ill effects, no injuries, not tired. I won't say where I came, but four of the M55s who beat me were precisely 55 years old, and the other one was 57, so I was out-aged rather than out-classed. What was particularly interesting was, the race was a combined M55/M60 event and only one M60 finished in front of me, and that was an ex-Canberran now living in Adelaide, Liam Hanna. So bring on my 60th birthday next May.

There was one other goose, competing for the first time today as well. Although a speedy goose, she calls herself a slow goose; but a goose from the land of the silver fern is rarely slow. Appropriately she won silver today. So at least one old goose is in the medals.
W55 5000m Barbara Tucker 25.44.24 (silver)
(3k split 15.00)

Barbara, like me, will also be competing in the 8kCC on Wednesday, and in the Half Marathon on Sunday. Also Barbara and Mark, and Jenny and I, and my mum, are having a little outing in the Barossa on Thursday. (For the uninitiated, that is winery country). Yay again.

Toronto Waterfront Marathon

From Roger:
Hi all, I finished the marathon about 2 1/2 hours ago, I did it in 3hrs 41mins 38secs, my net time was actually 3:40:32, I was very happy with the run, conditions were a bit overcast at the start about 14 degrees and it was about 19 when I finished, it is a fairly flat run that is basically parallel to Lake Ontario.

I did the first half in 1:50:10 (taking off the time to get to the start line) and doing 1:50:22 in the 2nd half, I ran home well in the last 12kms picking up over 200 runners, I was still fairly sore and considering my preparation had not been that great I can't complain about my time.

See you all back in Canberra in a few weeks, and for those running Bulls Head, keep the training going.

(this was sent on 1 October)

Monday Racing
I will be running the 5k in the morning. My first start in this year's Australasian Masters. My goal is to run it slowly, and finish it, so that two years after my first and only and disastrous attempt, I can finally say I have completed a race at Santos Stadium. Two years ago I pulled up injured after only a few steps and was wheeled from the track. So here goes...

The Unusual Suspects

Every Masters Games brings them out. Simple cheery characters with a smile, a Games pass, a collection of medals around the neck, and a story to tell every passer-by. One apprehended me today asking "are you here for the Games" and happily told me of his exploits barely waiting to notice whether I had answered him or not. Oh dear.

Yes it's the usual Masters where an average medal is easy to get and an engraver's fee of $6 per medal is unnoticed next to the joy of getting your name on gold. And where a person ranked tenth in their home town can be first in their country.

Now if only the other competitors in my age group can break down before the half marathon...

In Holiday Mode

Everyone else had a camera

Another day in Paradise

A quick 12k run yesterday, then a trip to Renmark and two hours on a river cruise with an excellent commentary, not to mention scones.

"Renmark River Cruises invite visitors to cruise the Murray River to experience the peace and tranquillity aboard the Big River Rambler, a spacious air conditioned houseboat style vessel. Enjoy the skippers commentary and the freshly cooked scones for afternoon tea. 2 hour cruises at 2pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and a one hour cruise from 11am on Sunday. Leaves from the Town Wharf."

Also a howling gale. But we sat in the open on top, anyway.

Recommended.

Perfect Run

Yesterday was the perfect day for a perfect run - from Elizabeth to Andrew's Farm and back. The day reached 33 degrees here in Elizabeth but was somewhat cooler in the morning, although the Northerly breeze was up. A 16k run in just on 85 minutes; still on track for the Masters.

Then we had lunch at my brother's place in Coromandel Valley, a 75 minute drive from here through the city traffic. Today we are driving back to Renmark for a cruise on the Murray.

Song of the week: Expo '86, by Death Cab for Cutie, from Transatlanticism
"Sometimes I think this cycle never ends/we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again".

provocation from a wombat

Nobody would have got within coo-ee of the cats. Well done Geelong!
It is great to be in Adelaide with Power fans so distraught.
It is a beautiful sunny day and a great day to jog. I ran from base a course I thought would be about 10k and told J see you in an hour. As I re-entered the front gate - and I took no short cuts nor ran any extra loops nor did a Terry Levings slowdown at the end - the garmin ticked over to 1:00.00 and 10.00.
Well something is falling into place.
But I had a couple of seniors moments on the drive over; I seemed to have acquired a motel room key; and I ran out of road exiting from Renmark, it seems we were on the wrong road.

Monday Monitor
My training progress
last week's target: 80k
achieved: 70k
year total to date: 3,047k in 39 weeks
this week’s target: 70k
weight: 65.5kg ►◄