Variety in training

In the last couple of years I ended up with seriously sore feet, or rather one chronically sore foot, as a result of long distances on the road when training for 2012's 50k race and then running it. Variety in training is important; wearing a variety of running shoes; running short and long; flat and hilly; fast and slow in different combinations; and most importantly, running on a variety of surfaces.



Here is a good article on the subject. http://running.competitor.com/2013/11/training/the-importance-of-varying-your-running-surfaces_5889. Good, except it recommends the treadmill! No, no, a thousand times no! I use the stair climber at the gym, as I have probably said before, and the rower and the stationary bike and the elliptical trainer would be OK as well, but I balk at the treadmill. And a better alternative to these would be some cycling, which I may have already mentioned is something I have never done so I am not going to start now. Used judiciously, any of these alternatives can help alleviate the effects of "pounding the pavement". But the main recommendation is to train on ... SAND. GRASS. DIRT. TAN BARK. RUBBER-BITUMEN. GRAVEL. BITUMEN. Varying where you run as much as possible. My only bitumen run now is on Saturdays with a rare Customs race Fridays.

Getting Started

February has 28 days. How about making February your month for starting the things you knew you should start and haven't? (running, gym work, daily planks, proper hydration, whatever it is for you) Or stopping those things you want to stop (coffee, wine, chocolate, late night snacks, or whatever it is for you).



I think I will start the 30 day plank challenge .. starting today.

Latest training sessions

Saturday 25 January speedyducks @ Acton Ferry Terminal: Andy and I ran 19k, for the last 14k we joined Ruth on her really long run. Our 19k went round West Basin plus the new path around Weston Park.

Sunday 26 January speedygeese @ Stromlo Forest Park: Ewen took photos, I supervised, while Dave, Andrew and Kylie ran 20 x 200m. Dave went on to run the Vets Handicap, same morning.

Monday 27 January speedygeese @ Parliament House: Kym and I ran 8k early, then Andy, Caroline, Colin, Kym, Rae, Ruth, Sophie and I ran 12 x 40 secs on 2 minutes, in 3 sets of 4. Lots of people were away for the long weekend.

There were many fast girls at Stromlo last night for the start of the YCRC Summer Series.

Running in the heat again.

Thursday 23 January Vets Track
3000m
M50 Rod Lynch 11:04.07 78.3%
M55 David Clarke 11:44.10 74.4
W30 Kym Chisholm 12:12.58 68.7
W60 Kathy Sims 13:16.34 87.2
W65 Margaret McSpadden 17:05.47 72.0

1500m
M50 Rod Lynch 5:05.36 81.7%
M55 David Clarke 5:38.56 74.4
W30 Kym Chisholm 5:44.98 67.8
W60 Ruth Baussmann 7:54.30 69.9
I should have run this but I chickened out.

Saturday 25 January Ginninderra Parkrun #92
161 finishers

Saturday 25 January Tuggeranong Parkrun #49
15 David Clarke 20:01 M55
57 Ewen Thompson 24:33 M55
225 finishers

Saturday 25 January Gungahlin Parkrun #15
55 Margaret McSpadden 29:19 W65
107 finishers

Occasionally I hear of speedygeese who race interstate...
Saturday 25 January Merimbula Parkrun #18
17 Kerrie Tanner 22:57 W50
74 finishers

Sunday 26 January Campbell Park 6k Vets Handicap
16 Rae Palmer W65 34:25 76.5%
18 Kym Chisholm W30 26:36 69.1
19 Mick Charlton M60 35:05 60.1
39 Maria O'Reilly W55 28:41 83.1
67 David Clarke M55 27:47 71.2
79 Margaret McSpadden W65 40:45 64.6
83 Ruth Baussmann W60 37:57 66.2
95 finishers
Dave ran this immediately after an intense speedygeese interval session, mixing it with Kylie and Andrew over 20 x 200m

Sunday 26 January Campbell Park 3k Vets Handicap
15 Jill Pearson W55 15:34 70.6%
31 Cathy Montalto W60 15:56 74.2
39 finishers

The YCRC Summer Series starts tonight at 6:15pm. Its venue for the first race is Stromlo Forest Park. I am planning to have a tempo) run there. It will be hot (33 degrees). It was hot last night too.

Running in the heat

Broken Bells

Song of the week: Holding On For Life, by Broken Bells, from the new album “After the Disco”
Found at http://youtu.be/uhBewKu80Mg



I don't listen to the radio, except on Australia Day to the Triple J Hottest 100. I listen to my CDs and my MP3 player, relying on friends to recommend any good musicians based on what they know I like. I don't know if Broken Bells songs are played on Triple J but I would bet they are. This song won't have featured yesterday, as it's a 2014 release. Not knowing what gets played often and what doesn't, I put in a vote anyway of my ten favourite songs of 2013, and five of them were in the hottest 100. Last year of the artists I had never heard, I picked up on "Of Monsters And Men". This year I think I liked previously unheard a Birds of Tokyo song, and a group called Arctic Monkeys.

Here's my votes that got in
29 My Number, Foals
41 Southern Sun, Boy & Bear
54 Afterlife, Arcade Fire
55 Harlequin Dream, Boy & Bear
64 Graceless. The National

Five out of ten's not bad. I also voted for a few other Foals tracks, and a couple of Paper Kites tracks, and more Arcade Fire. I will see if any of them have made the second 100.

Edit:
139 Three Headed Woman, Boy & Bear
.... and guess what
142 Holding On For Life, Broken Bells. It WAS a 2013 release after all!
190 Demons, The National. I didn't actually vote for it, would have been in my first 20 though.
That's about it.

Running at Stromlo this morning

Kylie showing Andrew and Dave how to run fast. Photos by Ewen.





Andrew and Dave are both 19:30 5k runners currently. Kylie "I don't think I'd break 20" when I suggested she would. On her training form she would be looking at sub 19. Her shortest ever race has been 10k! A future parkrun might tell the full story.

Important Information about the 2014 Canberra Marathon

There is a new course this year. A map of the new course was released recently which has since been replaced. i.e. the course has changed again.
Ultra marathon runners will have to pre-register, partly because the marathon and ultra marathon start together at 6:30am but split at 40k. Ultra marathon runners no longer go through the marathon finish.
And another change, the half marathon has a later start time, 7:45am.

Course maps, downloaded from the Running Festival Website today.
10k scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 7am


5k scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 9am


Marathon scheduled for Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 6:30am

Quite a few ups and downs you will notice. Pity it runs down then up the road at Weston Park; there is quite a pleasant path around the park now. We ran around the path this morning.

Ultra Marathon scheduled for Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 6:30am (last 10k)


Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 7:45am

Coming up in March - Weston Creek Half Marathon

Weston Creek Half Marathon
Sunday 16 March 2014
Start time 7:30am
The Weston Creek Half Marathon is a great, low-key run starting and finishing at Black Mountain Peninsula. Everyone can participate either by racing/running/jogging the full 21k, or forming a relay team of two or three. (Nearly) every player wins a prize. Entries are now open at https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=11277. A speedygeese team were big winners in the relay event in 2013 (Peter, Sarah-Jayne and Andrew) so let's see if we can do it again!

Also coming up
The YCRC Summer Series 2014 will commence on Tuesday 28th Jan at Stromlo Forest Park, 6.15pm, with a 5km and 2km. There are eight Tuesday races in the series, I am not yet aware of the venues after the first event but I'll let you know.

The women's 6k Jogalong returns to Weston Park on Sunday 2 February, and will be run on a brand new course there. Its summer start time is 8:00am.

AACT are running the open 5km Track Championships, 8:35 pm at the AIS, on 24 January - today! Entries close 30 minutes before the start.

That Half Marathon

...when Kym and I were running really well. In fact it wasn't all that long ago. Can we reproduce this form again in 2014? I am sure we can.


Peter, Sarah and Michelle are in there as well. About 4k into the YCRC Half Marathon a few years back.

So true

All these "Running on Empty" cartoons are true.

Heather and Rae

Training
Saturday 18 January speedyducks @ Acton Ferry Terminal.
Andy and I had a good run around West Basin. 8:00am was a better start time than our old time of 9:00am would have been; between 9:30am amd 10:30am the thermometer rose from 24 to 29 degrees. We took our time however chatting with Warrick, Bronia and Kylie on the way round. Kylie was so inspired by the sight of us, no, more likely Kylie was feeling buoyed by her good 19k run, they had added Weston Park to the West Basin loop, we forgot, she declared she would be back to Stromlo training the next day.

Sunday 19 January speedygeese @ Stromlo Forest Park. Yes Kylie was there. She and Dave ran 20x200m, Andrew and I ran 15x200m.

Monday 20 January speedygeese @ Parliament House. Jen and I ran a steady 8k early, then for the main session of Rose Garden 200s we had Jen running 14 circuits, Bronwyn 13, Andy, Kym and Warrick finishing 12 on 2:30, and Alex, Ewen, Heather, Mick C, Rae, Ruth, Sophie & Vanessa(new) running too, I am not sure how many circuits they all would have completed. Afterwards eight of us retired to the Yacht Club balcony where we wished Heather good fortune as she returns home to Auckland this weekend.

racing morning noon and night

Speedygeese results
Thursday 16 January Combined Juniors/Seniors/Vets Track
100m
M65 Garry Maher 15.00 81.3%
3000m
M55 David Clarke 11:50.52 73.8%

Friday 17 January Customs 5k handicap
2 Bronwyn Calver 23:37
17 Caroline Campbell 36:31
18 finishers

Saturday 18 January Ginninderra Parkrun #91
133 finishers

Saturday 18 January Tuggeranong Parkrun #46
7 David Clarke 19:51 M55
60 Ewen Thompson 24:56 M55
201 finishers

Saturday 18 January Gungahlin Parkrun #14
63 Margaret McSpadden 29:31 W65
118 finishers

I'm not sure about these early morning races (parkruns) except that it is so hot by lunchtime (Customs) and evening (track) they may be the better choice. And...

Playing it safe

Song of the week is "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire. One of my favourite groups, Arcade Fire can be heard performing this in the brilliant movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".



Surprisingly the track is not on the CD of the soundtrack. The song can be heard in the movie as Walter chooses to change his life from the safe, predictable to the risky, adventurous. It was like this: when I decided to buy a new car two months ago I chose the blue car; and Jenny preferred the red car. I had forgotten that red stood for a life of reality and excitement, while blue meant a life of humdrum certainty! I had forgotten this until the point of choice in Walter Mitty. If I had seen the movie before ordering the car I would have got a red one! The movies "Total Recall", then "The Matrix", and now "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", suggest that this is a decision we must make at some time in our lives; red or blue? Do we risk our safety and security by daring to change direction, or are we satisfied with our present state of comfort and mediocrity? When we come to suspect that there is a deeper reality, something better than our current reality, can we act on that? Many find it hard to act and take the necessary step of faith into the unknown and untested.
Of course, the colours red and blue are just arbitrary symbols of risk and safety respectively. Regardless, see the movie and take the red car!

From http://youtu.be/OCOfoDnCV_Y
A live version.

Relax with us after training this Monday

We will head over to the Southern Cross Yacht Club for food and drinks at 7-ish after training on Monday.

Monday 20 January
4:30pm *Parliament house 8k run
5:30pm *Speedygeese @ Parliament House (intervals)
7:00pm *Informal get-together at the Southern Cross Yacht Club

We won't be in the main restaurant part. We will be on the balcony or out in the lawn.
And it will be Heather's last week with us before she returns to Kiwiland.

Website http://www.cscc.com.au/location/yacht-club/

We are expecting temporarily a cooler day. We won't train quite as hard as usual. All welcome! Just turn up.



Do not fret - we will drive over there. And it is less than "seven miles" away. See you there.

YCRC Coming Events

Here are two coming events to note:
On Tuesday 28 January at 6:15pm the first of the YCRC Summer Series races will be held. It is the Stromlo Forest Park 5k. This race will be the first of eight Tuesday evening races at different venues around the ACT. Recommended.

On Sunday 2 February at 8:00am the YCRC Women’s 6k Jogalong is moving back to Weston Park. It will not be held on the old Weston Park course. A brand new course is being developed which will be used in future for all Jogalongs. The new course will be entirely on the Weston Park Peninsula.

2003 CTFR

A bit of history - I am one of those lucky non-celebrities whose photo has appeared in local newspapers on several occasions. This one is from the 2003 Canberra Times 10k Fun Run. By then I was already unfit; I didn't break 40 minutes, and I didn't make the top 100. But I did make the following Sunday's paper. I note that Caroline won the W60s that year.



Click to view or download a much larger version.

Best Buy

training in the heat

Recent speedygeese training sessions:
Saturday 11 January @ Acton Ferry Terminal. I jogged 4k then Andy and I ran 13.5 k mostly in the shade, but very hilly. And it was hot. The "speedyducks" will return from vacation eventually.

Sunday 12 January speedygeese @ Stromlo Forest Park. Dave ran 5x100m and 20x200m, I ran 15x200m. Joel started a session as we finished so I don't know how he went I reminded Joel that he qualifies now for Vets track, he seemed surprised by the idea.
I guess there are other things on his mind.

Monday 13 January speedygeese @ Parliament House. Ewen, Kym & I ran early. Not a bad pace considering we had three water stops. For the main session Alex, Andy, Heather, Jen, Kym, Mick C & Warrick ran a 34 minute interval set consisting of 200, 400, 600, 400, 200, 400, 600, 400, 200 with a jog back. Bronwyn did the same session earlier in the day before the heat struck. Actually, running in 30+ degrees in the shade wasn’t too bad.

If you are running today or tomorrow a very early start is recommended. It is hot overnight still; don't forget to top up with plenty of fluid. I will probably rest up and see what Friday brings. But the Canberra forecast is for awful weather each day with some temporary respite on Monday, thank goodness.

On that day,  Monday 20th, we will farewell Heather, at the Southern Cross Yacht Club 7:00pm or so after training. Anyone can come along, just turn up. We will be able to get something to eat, maybe a drink, and shade and with a bit of luck a cool breeze off the lake. Sounds great! Heather leaves Canberra Friday week to return to NZ.



I loved "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". Always choose the red car!

local race results; record numbers at parkrun.

Speedygeese in blue
Sunday 5 January YCRC Women’s 6k Jogalong
41. Cathy Montalto W60 32:51
68 finishers

Thursday 9 January Combined Junior/Senior/Vets Track
800m
M50 Rod Lynch 2:25.80
M65 Geoff Moore 2:54.60

3000m
M50 Rod Lynch 10:50.74
M65 Geoff Moore 12:47.85

5000m
M55 David Clarke 20:00.24

Friday 10 January Customs 5k handicap
Bronwyn Calver 23:20

Saturday 11 January Ginninderra Parkrun #90
123 Ruth BAUSSMANN 29:56 W60
181 finishers

Saturday 11 January Tuggeranong Parkrun #45
16 David CLARKE 20:27 M55
77 Ewen THOMPSON 25:56 M55
223 finishers

Saturday 11 January Gungahlin Parkrun #13
13 Janene KINGSTON 24:00 W45
42 Margaret MCSPADDEN 29:12 W65
122 finishers

The numbers running Parkrun are just amazing. It was a new Tuggeranong record last Saturday, I don't know how they all fit on the path! The total number of ACT parkrunners was a record too. Parkrun (Gungahlin) is my plan C: if one week I were to miss Thursday night track I will run Customs on Friday; if I miss both I will probably go and run Gungahlin. But it is great to see running booming in Canberra, in Australia, and around the world wherever parkruns spread to.

But: Why music is my biggest passion.



So thanks Ewen for my (belated and unexpected) Christmas present, a book about music. As it turns out, I like reading too.
Plans for today: do some reading, listen to some music, do some running, and go and see Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Every day in Bendigo

Full Oceania results via http://www.omabendigo2014.com.au/results.php

Speedygeese and friends:
Monday 6th January
5000m W70 2. Caroline Campbell 26:01
5000m W60 Kathy Sims dns
5000m M65 1. Robbie Costmeyer 21:26
5000m M50 1. Bruce Graham 16:44
5000m M55 2. Keith Law 17:57

60m M65 3. Garry Maher 9:18

Shot M65 4. Garry Maher

Tuesday 7th January
800m M65 1. Geoff Sims 2:44.3
800m M65 4. Garry Maher 2:49.6
800m W60 3. Kathy Sims 3:02

100m M65 3. Garry Maher 15.2

Wednesday 8th January
8k Cross Country W70 2. Caroline Campbell 45:51
8k Cross Country W60 1. Kathy Sims 38:14
8k Cross Country M65 1. Robbie Costmeyer 35:22

Thursday 9th January
T&F Pentahlon M65
.......Long Jump 1. Garry Maher 3.62m 479
.......Javelin 2. Garry Maher 24.31m 413
.......200m 1. Garry Maher 28.98 766
.......Discus 3. Garry Maher 20.69m 349
.......1500m 1. Garry Maher 6:20 642
Overall ?

Friday 10th January
300m hurdles M65 1. Garry Maher 56.87

1500m W60 2. Kathy Sims 6:09.99
1500m W70 2. Caroline Campbell 7:18.57
1500m M65 3. Robbie Costmeyer 5:39.32

400m M65 1. Geoff Sims 64.88
400m M65 2. Garry Maher 68.74

Saturday 11th January
2000m steeplechase M65 1. Robbie Costmeyer 9:01.31

200m M65 2. Geoff Sims 28.40
200m M65 3. Garry Maher 29.54
Geoff & Garry both ran in 4x100m and in medley relays as well.

Sunday 12th January
Half Marathon W55 1. Maria O'Reilly 1:38:49
Half Marathon W70 2. Caroline Campbell 2:06:54
Half Marathon M50 Bruce Graham dns

If you count the Pentathlon as 5 events, Garry competed no less than 14 times! Lucky heats weren't needed for any of his races.

Boy & Bear & the Philippines

Song of the week: the title track from Harlequin Dream, by Boy & Bear. Filmed on location in Palawan, Philippines, 14 days prior to typhoon Haiyan.

From http://youtu.be/sWKestspqrw

SFP intervals

Oh look! I managed to completely avoid the hilly little 500m loop this morning!



It is many years since I was serious about short interval training, but wanting to run middle distance track races makes such speed work necessary.
Today's session was 200m intervals as described below.
Stromlo Forest Park has posts every 100m, just one missing, and with the grassy undulating track and its availability early in the morning, make it ideal for Sunday training. Except for the lack of shade.Be that as it may, many training patterns are possible. I designed this 15 x 200m session for today. Three sets of five.
(a) 5 x (200m fast 200m slow) around the 2k circuit.
(b) 100m slow then 4 x (200m fast, 200m slow), one final 200m fast, then 100m slow; around the circuit.
(c) 5 x (200m slow, 200m fast) around the circuit.
And a short drink break was enjoyed at the start line after each set.Each fast 200m was different from all the others. Actually, psychologically, I could just as easily run out and back over the same 200m track. But doing it this way is fun, because the hills, breeze, views etc change for each interval. And it beats running on a 400m athletic track.

Dave was funny, he miscounted a couple of times and ended up completing a sixth 200m in the first set and a sixth in the second set. So after doing the third set as planned he ran still another 200 to make it 18. After that he decided to do two more to make it a "round" 20. Then surprisingly he was rather pooped.

Where we ran today

9:00am Saturdays in summer we go in search of shade. So today after a 4k warm-up jog, and a chat with Rae and her daughter Vanessa, and later with a non-running Liz, Andy and I trotted around this course. We saw a number of lizards at the Botanic Gardens. A very pleasant 13.5k.

Multi Event Garry

Garry may have won the M65 Pentathlon in the Oceania Championships yesterday. The results don't give the final scores and places, only listing individual events.
Long Jump 1 Maher, Garry M67 Australia 3.62m -0.7 479
Javelin 2 Maher, Garry M67 Australia 24.31m 413
200m 1 Maher, Garry M67 Australia 28.98 766
Discus 3 Maher, Garry M67 Australia 20.69m 349
1500m 1 Maher, Garry M67 Australia 6:20.00 642
Bendigo results are at http://www.omabendigo2014.com.au/results.php

Today's races of interest will be the 400m with Garry & Geoff Sims running; The long hurdles with Garry (300m) again; and the 1500m with Caroline, Kathy and Robbie.

Back to the track!
I have my track mojo back and plan to run some short track races for a couple of months. The first shot at this was last night in the combined Junior-Senior-Veterans meet. My last 800m race was six years ago; and that was a one-off when I was roped into an M60 Australian relay record attempt (which was successful) and huffed and puffed to a 2:41. Last night I ran 2:54 for the 800m and I wasn't even last. 200m splits approx 43, 43, 45, 43. Then an hour later I trotted around a 3000m in ~12:47 with splits of 4:19, 4:16, 4:12. I wanted to test whether the gym work I have been doing is being effective in making me stronger and able to survive a faster pace without pain. This seems to be the case, I have only just resumed gym training but it has made a huge difference. And I wanted to see what the new track was like. On warm-up I gave it 5 out of 10, a bit disappointed that it wasn't soft. But my feet/calves/achilles didn't complain when I raced. The shoes I wore were fairly new lunar racers 3 which may have helped, and perhaps the track is OK after all. I am surprised at the times, particularly the 3000m so soon after the 800m, quite a bit faster than my current interval training times would have suggested. I am still not aerobically fit. I can get much faster. Lucky it wasn't hot though. Next week looks devastatingly hot for the one mile.

Lining up for the 3000m:

Cross Country at Bendigo

Robbie is keeping in front of the other M65s at Bendigo - clearly he is back in top form

8k Cross Country W70 2. Caroline Campbell 45:51
8k Cross Country W60 1. Kathy Sims 38:14
8k Cross Country M65 1. Robbie Costmeyer 35:22

An old photo

Stuart(far right)'s dad is 50 today. The M50 age group just got much harder!
This year's Sprint-Marathon relay is on Sunday 9 February, 8:00am. The only way to get into a team is to ring or otherwise contact Jim White. He is taking names already.
Call him on (02) 6231 4168.

The first results from Bendigo

Oceania Masters Track and field Championships, Bendigo
Monday 6th January
5000m W70 2. Caroline Campbell 26:01
5000m W60 Kathy Sims – did not run?
5000m M65 1. Robbie Costmeyer 21:26
5000m M50 1. Bruce Graham 16:44
5000m M55 2. Keith Law 17:57

60m M65 3. Garry Maher 9:18

Shot M65 4. Garry Maher

Tuesday 7th January
800m M65 1. Geoff Sims 2:44.3
800m M65 4. Garry Maher 2:49.6
800m W60 3. Kathy Sims 3:02

100m M65 3. Garry Maher 15.2

Wednesday 8th January
CROSS COUNTRY Caroline Kathy Robbie

Records: neither the 800m nor the 5000m ACT M65 records were broken. So I won't write off yet the possibility of me having a go at them. As remote as that seems right now.

Our speedygeese training sessions:
Thursday 2 January was the final Parliament House hills session. Miranda & I ran early, then we were joined by Andy, Kym & Caroline for our final set of 12 x 150m uphill runs from the lake on 2 minutes. We farewelled Caroline, off to the Oceania Masters and entered in four events.

Saturday 4 January speedyducks @ Acton Ferry Terminal. Andy and I set out on a long run but we bailed out at 12k as I was feeling yuck. Later I put my demise down to the the long grass.

Sunday 5 January speedygeese @ Stromlo Forest Park. Dave Jen and I ran 15 x 200m with a 200m jog. Good session!

Monday 6 January speedygeese @ Parliament House. Susan, Miranda, Ewen, Ruth ran early. After that it was cool so we did a harder session, a 12 minute 3 person continuous zigzag sprint relay, followed by a 12 minute 2 person continuous zigzag sprint relay. Participating were Alex (new), Andrew, Andy, Bronwyn, Craig, me (first relay only), Heather, Jen, Kym, Mick C, Miranda, Rae, Ruth, Sophie & Warrick.

On Monday 20th we will farewell Heather, after her last training run with us before returning home to New Zealand. Come along to the Southern Cross Yacht Club around 7:00pm or so, after training. All welcome, just turn up.

speedygeese new year race results

Wednesday 1 January Balyang Sanctuary 5k Parkrun #73
3 Andrew SIMPSON 20:17
52 finishers

Friday 3 January Customs 5k handicap
6. Thea Zimpel 27:40
10. Caroline Campbell 30:04
13. Bronwyn Calver 23:47
19 finishers

Saturday 4 January Ginninderra 5k Parkrun #89
28 Heather DAVIDSON 22:15 W20
76 Jill PEARSON 28:14 W55
88 Ruth BAUSSMANN 29:49 W60
93 Margaret MCSPADDEN 29:59 W65
104 Susan STURGEON 30:41 W35
136 finishers

Saturday 4 January Tuggeranong 5k Parkrun #44
81 Ewen THOMPSON 26:07 M55
196 finishers

Saturday 4 January Gungahlin 5k Parkrun #12
18 Janene KINGSTON 23:20 W45 New PB!
34 Amanda COOK 26:09 W35
98 finishers

Sad to hear that Liz has a fractured pelvis. She is not necessarily at fault, but we all should bear in mind to have any persistent niggle checked out, and always take time to return to full training after injury.

Music: the best of the best.

Song of the week: Electric Bloom, by Foals, from Antidotes
From http://youtu.be/m1n7CwuWIa4



Having just published my favourite new albums of 2013 I thought I would list my top three albums all-time.
1. “Antidotes”, by Foals, 2008
2. “Babel”, by Mumford & Sons, 2013
3. “My Head Is An Animal”, by Of Monsters And Men, 2012

Now to look forward to what 2014 has to offer. First up, a new album by Broken Bells is about to be released...

You will ruin your knees, running at your age

This is one of those myths of course. Yesterday I got a concerned "but how are your KNEES?" This would be the most common misinformed statement I have heard. Closely followed by one from an Aunt who was the first to tell me "I can't even run to catch the bus" when I told her I ran 3 miles twice a week. Then there was the obese "friend" not that long ago who declared "you will have a heart attack from all that exercise", strangely it was he who later had a heart attack, and he didn't even smoke. It is sad isn't it?

Running form: is there a right way to run? A rigorous analysis.

No.

For best results, plan and structure your training

The Steve Magness blog, The Science of Running, which I discover had dropped off my blogroll but I have added back on today, makes interesting and informative reading. Steve emphasises the importance of a combination of long running with interval training, and periodicity in training, for anyone who wants to see on-going improvement in their distance running. In his latest post, www.scienceofrunning.com/2013/12/why-crossfit-worksbut-really-doesnt.html, he argues against "random high intensity exercises and magic workouts", specifically having a shot at Crossfit and its claims. Of course there are other similar programs proliferating these days. I haven't minded Crossfit and the like because they get people up off the couch and get them moving. Some training is better than none. But it is well worth keeping in mind that if you want to see improvement in the medium to long term, and not just in the short term for people who previously have only jogged at best, there are options better than Crossfit. Experience and experimentation tells me that Steve's case is well proven. What do you think? I wonder what the next fad will be?

I tell people who interval train with me that they need to run long as well. Some don't.
I tell people who run long that they should integrate regular interval training into their program. Many don't.
The key is to combine the two.

MEANWHILE here I am cross-training at Winton on our FNQ outback tour last year...



... and Happy Birthday Mick C, 62 today, I predict we will all get one year older this year.

Who is wearing the green and gold at Bendigo?

Who will be competing in Bendigo in a few days’ time at the Oceania Masters Championships?
Among those going from Canberra
Caroline Campbell W70 1500m, 5000m, 8kCC, Half Marathon
Garry Maher M65 60m, 100m, 200m, 300m Hurdles, 400m, 800m, Pentathlon, Shot Put
Maria O’Reilly W55 Half Marathon
Kathy Sims W60 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 8KCC
Geoff Sims M65 200m, 400m, 800m
Robbie Costmeyer M65 1500m, 5000m, 2K Steeple, 8KCC
Bruce Graham M50 5000m, Half Marathon
Keith Law M55 5000m
The fields are pretty strong in these events. I was thinking about going but I need more time to get fit! I will publish these runners' results as they become available. Along with any others of special interest. 



I will be very interested to see which of my potential M65 ACT records will become out of reach! Geoff, Garry and Robbie should see to that.

The championship home page is http://www.omabendigo2014.com.au/

Bonne annee

Last training sessions of 2013
Thursday 26 December speedygeese @ Parliament House: 20 x 100 hills on 90 or 80, SW hill – Andy, Bronwyn, Garry, me, Heather, Jen, Michelle. Not a bad turn-out for the holiday season!

Saturday 27 December speedyducks @ Acton Ferry Terminal: Caleb (1k), Andy (11k), me (16k). There were hundreds of other lake users and ducks everywhere. I haven't ventured up Mt Ainslie on these runs for a while, must do so soon. On this occasion we ran through the welcome shade of the ANU, and also into Turner, instead of going around the lake.

Sunday 29 December speedygeese @ Stromlo Forest Park: Dave and I ran on the grass, I did 3x1k in 4:58, 4:30, 4:14. I wish I could do all three fast! Dave ran 4 x 1k in 4:00, 4:05. 4:05. 4:05 the did 5 x 400m. Maria preparing for Bendigo, Katie, and Tori were there too, running long.

Monday 30 December speedygeese @ Parliament House: I ran early, then  Adam (new), Andy, Bronwyn, Caroline, and Garry, did a speed-endurance training session for 34 minutes of up to 200, 400, 600,400, 200, 400, 600, 400, 200 with jog back recovery. The 29 degree heat and strong wind didn't bother us, it is shady and sheltered along the western side.

Lots of good movies around, but I watched Spaceballs last night, will watch the new Jonathon Creek tonight, and defer the Tintin movie to another night. Thompson and Thomson are my favourites!