Wherever we are ranked, there is always someone better. Or if you are clearly best in the world, the future will always bring someone better. Did you hear the one about the M45 runner who googled interstate race results to see what times other M45s were running? He found an awesome 10k time which smashed all records and was, to use an over-used word, unbelievable. He would have no chance racing this awesome athlete. And yes, he was a genuine M45 and yes, the race distance was a genuine 10k. But .... later he learnt it was a wheelchair athlete.
Big goose, little pond.
Sometimes we need a little perspective.
For Australia Day I have looked up some Australian records. In my age group the national record for 10k on the track is 34.23. Um. Not bad. This is 5 minutes faster than I can imagine running as an M60. The same Perth gentleman also holds the M65 and M70 records, in times I won't ever reach.
Current Australian 10k track records (men):
M40 STEVE AUSTIN VIC 29m 23.1s 1991
M45 RON PETERS QLD 31m 48.69s 2001
M50 RON PETERS QLD 32m 54.8s 2003
M55 JACK RYAN VIC 33m 36.2s 1979
M60 JOHN GILMOUR WA 34m 23.0s 1980
M65 JOHN GILMOUR WA 36m 11.0s 1984
M70 JOHN GILMOUR WA 38m 26.0s 1989
M75 RANDALL HUGHES VIC 43m 05.41s 2000
M80 BILL BURRIDGE NSW 50m 23.45s 2006
M85 KEN MATCHETT VIC 60m 52.92s 2007
No wheelchairs in this list! The future will bring someone better, but it's hard to believe, and it's not going to be you or me.
Transformation: we can change from what we are and become fleet of foot pain free happy and healthy runners. But we won't change into John Gilmour. To celebrate Australia Day, let's just enjoy the fact that we share this wonderful country with such wonderful runners.
¡ıo ıo ıo ¡ǝıssnɐ ǝıssnɐ ǝıssnɐ
Plans (100k)
Last week I easily achieved 95k, even with Tuesday off. So my plan for week 5 of 2009:
Monday 26th: A long run in the morning
Tuesday 27th: An hour's stretching in the morning, a tempo run at Stromlo at 6pm
Wednesday 28th: A short and easy run from home.
Thursday 29nd: Race ACTMA track, probably attempt sub 20:00 for 5k
Friday 30th: A recovery run from home
Saturday 31st: Stromlo intervals 9:00 am, 3x1km, and a long afternoon run.
Sunday 1 Feb: Stromlo long run, and another run in the afternoon if I need it to total 100km for the week.
Note: on Tuesday I see there is at 8:00pm an ACT 3000m Championships (under 18), and at 8:15pm the ACT 5000m Championships (Open and under 20). I don’t know whether non-championship people can run; I had pencilled in the 3000m but not knowing if I can run it, I will give it a miss.
Sunday's speedygeese results
Campbell Park 3k handicap
9 Amanda Walker W40 13:27 75.2%
15 Cathy Montalto W55 15:10 78.8
21 Ken White M55 12:28 79.0
24 Katie Forestier W40 12:35 80.9
28 Geoff Moore M60 12:27 83.8
30 Neil Boden M55 14:27 70.5
33 Jodie Sims W30 14:31 62.5
51 finishers
Campbell Park 6k handicap
2 Annette Sugden W45 31:21 66.3%
10 Roger Pilkington M50 26:54 71.6
19 Mick Charlton M55 31:44 64.7
31 Geoff Barker M60 30:58 69.3
35 Bronwyn Calver W35 28:26 69.2
38 Ruth Baussmann W55 33:53 71.1
41 Miranda Rawlinson W55 31:59 72.5
54 Cathy Newman W45 28:10 75.1
69 Margaret McSpadden W60 37:52 66.1
88 Carolyne Kramar W40 39:26 51.6
97 Ewen Thompson M50 33:24 58.2
103 Tony Booth M70 36:38 65.2
107 finishers
Roger, just turned 50, training for the marathon, and running well.
Big goose, little pond.
Sometimes we need a little perspective.
For Australia Day I have looked up some Australian records. In my age group the national record for 10k on the track is 34.23. Um. Not bad. This is 5 minutes faster than I can imagine running as an M60. The same Perth gentleman also holds the M65 and M70 records, in times I won't ever reach.
Current Australian 10k track records (men):
M40 STEVE AUSTIN VIC 29m 23.1s 1991
M45 RON PETERS QLD 31m 48.69s 2001
M50 RON PETERS QLD 32m 54.8s 2003
M55 JACK RYAN VIC 33m 36.2s 1979
M60 JOHN GILMOUR WA 34m 23.0s 1980
M65 JOHN GILMOUR WA 36m 11.0s 1984
M70 JOHN GILMOUR WA 38m 26.0s 1989
M75 RANDALL HUGHES VIC 43m 05.41s 2000
M80 BILL BURRIDGE NSW 50m 23.45s 2006
M85 KEN MATCHETT VIC 60m 52.92s 2007
No wheelchairs in this list! The future will bring someone better, but it's hard to believe, and it's not going to be you or me.
Transformation: we can change from what we are and become fleet of foot pain free happy and healthy runners. But we won't change into John Gilmour. To celebrate Australia Day, let's just enjoy the fact that we share this wonderful country with such wonderful runners.
¡ıo ıo ıo ¡ǝıssnɐ ǝıssnɐ ǝıssnɐ
Plans (100k)
Last week I easily achieved 95k, even with Tuesday off. So my plan for week 5 of 2009:
Monday 26th: A long run in the morning
Tuesday 27th: An hour's stretching in the morning, a tempo run at Stromlo at 6pm
Wednesday 28th: A short and easy run from home.
Thursday 29nd: Race ACTMA track, probably attempt sub 20:00 for 5k
Friday 30th: A recovery run from home
Saturday 31st: Stromlo intervals 9:00 am, 3x1km, and a long afternoon run.
Sunday 1 Feb: Stromlo long run, and another run in the afternoon if I need it to total 100km for the week.
Note: on Tuesday I see there is at 8:00pm an ACT 3000m Championships (under 18), and at 8:15pm the ACT 5000m Championships (Open and under 20). I don’t know whether non-championship people can run; I had pencilled in the 3000m but not knowing if I can run it, I will give it a miss.
Sunday's speedygeese results
Campbell Park 3k handicap
9 Amanda Walker W40 13:27 75.2%
15 Cathy Montalto W55 15:10 78.8
21 Ken White M55 12:28 79.0
24 Katie Forestier W40 12:35 80.9
28 Geoff Moore M60 12:27 83.8
30 Neil Boden M55 14:27 70.5
33 Jodie Sims W30 14:31 62.5
51 finishers
Campbell Park 6k handicap
2 Annette Sugden W45 31:21 66.3%
10 Roger Pilkington M50 26:54 71.6
19 Mick Charlton M55 31:44 64.7
31 Geoff Barker M60 30:58 69.3
35 Bronwyn Calver W35 28:26 69.2
38 Ruth Baussmann W55 33:53 71.1
41 Miranda Rawlinson W55 31:59 72.5
54 Cathy Newman W45 28:10 75.1
69 Margaret McSpadden W60 37:52 66.1
88 Carolyne Kramar W40 39:26 51.6
97 Ewen Thompson M50 33:24 58.2
103 Tony Booth M70 36:38 65.2
107 finishers
Roger, just turned 50, training for the marathon, and running well.
