relay success

At training yesterday, a public holiday so few starters, Ewen, Miranda and I ran 8k early, although Ewen didn’t actually run, but he had played tennis earlier; then Isaac, Jen, Andy, Peter and Garry set off to do a hill session while I left early feeling unwell. When I got home checked my HRM but fortunately no problems there, MaxHR during the 8k was 138 well within my comfort zone.

Speedygeese race results
Friday 26 September Customs 5k
23 finishers (I know that at least two of us travelled there but couldn’t get a parking spot)

Saturday 27 September 5k Ginninderra Parkrun #127
59 Isaac Muscat 26:16 M10
65 Jen Bright 26:47 W35
90 Dom Sparkes 28:26 M10
91 Bron Sparkes 28:26 W35
178 finishers

Saturday 27 September 5k Tuggeranong Parkrun #84
6 Peter Burke 19:07 M40 New PB!
24 David Clarke 21:29 M55
58 Ewen Thompson 24:37 M55
62 Bronwyn Calver 24:54 W45
233 finishers

Saturday 27 September 5k Gungahlin Parkrun #50
142 finishers

Saturday 27 September Yass 5k, 14k, 21k no speedygeese

Sunday 28 September Canberra 101 – four relay legs
21. 10:23.31 A female team including Jen Bright and Leonie Doyle
32. 10:47.42 A mixed team including Cathy Montalto
50. 11:50.53 A team of two with Kym Chisholm running legs 1 and 3
56. 12:13.36 A female “FIT” team including Emma Padovan
59. 12:22.21 A female team including Ruth Baussmann
98 teams and individuals doing the lot finished.

Sunday 28 September ACTVAC handicap O’Connor Ridge 8k
9 Elizabeth Mountbatten W55 43:32 75.9%
10 Maria O'Reilly W55 39:14 86.9 **silver**
13 Roger Pilkington M55 40:07 70.3
17 Helen Larmour W55 39:41 82.5
26 Rod Lynch M50 33:33 83.5
32 Marilyn Banfield W65 55:11 66.6
55 Margaret McSpadden W65 76:16 50.4
67 finishers

Sunday 28 September ACTVAC handicap O’Connor Ridge 4k
1 Nadine Morrison W45 20:25 67.6%
41 Brett Morrison M45 23:45 53.0
42 finishers


Canberra 101 winners first all female relay team. Well done (L to R) Mhairi Craig, Leonie Doyle, Tracey Jobson and Jen Bright

p.s. Do watch the video of "True Love" in yesterday's post below, the fat suits are something else.

true love

Song of the week: "True Love", by Coldplay.

how to be still running at 99

and don't even start to imagine you are old at 66!

AACT track and field program

The AACT (senior athletics) track program for 2014-15 has been released. More information will become available on the AACT website in due course. As before, "zoom in" for a closer look.



But please do attend Vets track - wouldn't it be great if we all turned up on Thursdays and ran one or two of the longer events together? Many years ago that used to be the case, the speedygeese had the bulk of the runners in middle distance races. But now that doesn't happen and numbers have fallen in our absence. Some have still been going, let's join in, fast or slow doesn't matter!

Scroll down to Thursday's post for the Vets track and field program and see you there.

AMRA update

AMRA Australian Mountain Running Association update:

Online entry is open for three mountain runs coming up in the ACT organised by the Australian Mountain Running Association:
11 October - Mt Majura Vineyard Two Peaks 20k and One Peak 12k runs and walks, Mt Majura Vineyard, Majura Road. See event details and online registration at https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=14279

2 November - Deep Space Mountain Marathon, Half Marathon 10k and 5k runs and Half Marathon 10k and 5k walks, Honeysuckle Creek camp ground, Apollo Road, Namadgi National Park. See event details and online registration at https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=14283

21 December - Tour de Ridges 21.2k, 15.3k and 10.6k runs and 15.3k and 10.6k walks, Mawson Sports Fields. See event details and online registration at https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=14286

Helpers are needed for each of these for drink stations, marshalling points and the start-finish and will be rewarded with wine, chocolate or another award. Please register to volunteer at http://www.mountainrunning.coolrunning.com.au/index.php?module=Home&action=volunteer

Major mountain running dates in 2015:
31 May - Australian Mountain Running Championships, Brisbane;
4 July - World Long Distance Championship, Zermatt Marathon, Switzerland (http://www.zermattmarathon.ch/);
12 Sept - World Masters Championships, Wales (http://wmrcwales.org/);
19 Sept - World Mountain Running Championships (up/down courses), Wales (http://wmrcwales.org/).

2014-15 Track and Field program

Here is the draft Vets Track and Field program for the coming season. "Zoom in" for a closer look. Let me know if you have problems viewing it in your browser, or viewing it at all, as I haven't embedded a PDF file before. As a last resort, download it from here. [spreadsheet updated 3:46pm 25/09]

train on

Monday's training at Parliament House saw Ewen and I run 8k early in pleasant spring conditions. Ruth joined us for the warm-up. Then as numbers were low we didn’t do the planned relays, but ran around the Rose Garden loop, with Jen, Colin, Dom, Bron, Lola and Garry participating.
Next week, a public holiday in the ACT, training goes ahead at the same time as usual.
And the week after we are looking forward to daylight saving giving us light for the whole session.

Photos from Saturday's Ginninderra Parkrun #126


Ruth


Bron & Dom. Sub 27 and improving!

recent race results

Sunday 14 September Women’s 6k Jogalong
Kathy Sims W60 28:33
Cathy Montalto W60 31:29
Marilyn Banfield W65 37:19
Caroline Campbell W70 39:58
72 finishers

Friday 19 September Customs 5k
Bron Sparkes 24:50
Bronwyn Calver 26:06
Bill Arthur 26:39
Caroline Campbell 36:58
29 finishers

Saturday 20 September 5k Ginninderra Parkrun #126
84 Dom Sparkes 26:58 M10 New PB!
85 Bron Sparkes 26:59 W35
107 Ruth Baussmann 28:59 W60
180 finishers

Saturday 20 September 5k Tuggeranong Parkrun #83
11 Peter Burke 19:52 M40 First Timer!
30 David Clarke 22:12 M55
87 Isaac Muscat 27:13 M10
89 Jen Bright 27:15 W35
238 finishers

Saturday 20 September 5k Gungahlin Parkrun #49
39 Amanda Cook 25:20 W35
122 finishers

Saturday 20 September YCRC Mt Ainslie 9.3k
18 finishers

Sunday 21 September Blackmores 9k Bridge Run
965. Ewen Thompson 45:23


Isaac & Jen running Tuggeranong Parkrun

You make me brave

Song of the week: You Make Me Brave, from Bethel Music

consolidation

I ran six days last week; only Friday was a rest day when I felt a cold coming on. Today it was back to Stromlo Forest Park with Peter to attempt some kilometre intervals. I ran three around the lake loop, very slowly averaging 4:38 but at least it's a start. At this rate I should start improving in two or three more weeks. Peter ran four, his first three like mine only a minute faster probably, his fourth being the downhill kilometre. Still no other speedygeese company but a large group of good runners were doing multiple tempo runs of 1k, 1.5k, and 2k by the time we left, a considerably tougher session than ours.

dad joke

Why I don't drink coffee any more

• Restlessness. It does not calm me.
• Sleeplessness. It keeps me awake. If I drink coffee after ~3:00pm I cannot sleep.
• Breathing. Coffee stuffs up my nose. Not good if a runner trying to breathe!
• Addiction. Caffeine is more addictive than Nicotine. I don't like being its slave.
• Arrythmia. Coffee affects my heart by stirring up an underlying, dormant problem.
• Insanity. Coffee addicts rave about their next good cup of coffee. Not my scene, sorry.
• Ineffectiveness. Drinking coffee regularly reduces its endurance enhancing benefit.
• Delayed fatigue. It works to delay fatigue by mobilising fats in the system first, saving the more efficient glycogen for later. You might want that for a marathon if it works, but you definitely don't want that for a 5k.
• Ups and downs. Coffee upsets calmness by pushing me towards a rollercoaster experience, like manic/depressive on a small scale.
• Distraction. I don't want to waste my attention on that itch for the next cup.
• Withdrawal. If you think coffee is OK, stop for a while. Withdrawal is bad, bad, bad. So why would you think coffee is good for you?
• Strong diuretic. Why take something that compromises your fluid intake? Runners need to hydrate not dehydrate.
• The sobering up myth. Coffee does not help to make you sober after drinking alcohol.

I am glad I didn’t start drinking coffee until my late twenties. And now, I have stopped. Permanently. How about you?



Still not convinced???? Here is someone else's article. Still drinking coffee? Just stop it.

see where I run: heartrate

The last two days I have worn my heart rate monitor and will continue to do so on most runs. I was pleased to see no abnormalities in evidence. The highest reading was ~144 at the top of the longest climb.

Wednesday's run. The green line is altitude and the red line is heart rate.



I started Wednesday's run after an hour in Anu's "easy" gym class. The run was 10k around Higgins/Holt and it took another hour (59:45). I felt a bit sluggish and went slowly for the first few kms, but was OK towards the end.

going all the way

Speedygeese in training
At Parliament House on Monday, Ewen, Miranda and I shuffled 8k early, then for the 5:30pm session we did Rose Garden 200s with Peter and Colin running 13 on 2:15, Kym running 12 on 2:30, Ruth and Warrick running 11 on 2:45, and Marilyn running 9 in her own time.

Just a reminder that weekly runs from Acton Ferry terminal resume 9:00am Saturday, and interval training at Stromlo Forest Park on the grass is available once again every Sunday at 7:30am.

Speedygeese in racing
Leonie Doyle on 11 January will be competing in the 35k Bogong to Hotham.
On April 10-12 in the Buffalo Stampede skyrunning events Sarah-Jayne Miller has entered the 42k, Bron Sparkes the 75k.
Then there’s the Melbourne Marathon and Half Marathon on 12 October, we should compile a list of who’s going?
And there’s the Canberra 101 on Sunday 28th September, a few are planning to participate in the 4 person relay, is anyone going all the way?
Not forgetting Vets Track starting on 16 October and continuing every Thursday evening. I may even run some of those.

Buy curved yellow fruit now.

speedygeese race results

YCRC Female Distance Runner of the Year, 2014. Kym Chisholm.


Kym running the Zebra Zoom Half Marathon.

Sunday 7 September Dubbo Stampede: Zebra Zoom Half Marathon
17. Kym Chisholm 91:25 **third female**

Friday 12 September Customs 5k
Peter Burke 20:20
Geoff Moore 23:57
Bron Sparkes 24:47
Bronwyn Calver 26:31
Miranda Rawlinson 27:08
Caroline Campbell 39:29

Saturday 13 September Ginninderra #125 Parkrun 5k
80 Dom Sparkes 27:09 M10 **New PB**
81 Bron Sparkes 27:09 W35
177 finishers

Saturday 13 September Tuggeranong #82 Parkrun 5k
31 David Clarke 21:57 M55
44 Ewen Thompson 23:20 M55
214 finishers

Saturday 13 September Gungahlin #48 Parkrun 5k
27 Janene Kingston 23:06 W50 **New PB**
113 finishers

Saturday 13 September Frog Hollow #14 Parkrun
6 Nadine Morrison 21:52 W45
57 finishers

Saturday 13 September YCRC North Lyneham 3.1k
5. Ewen Thompson M55 17:54
5 finishers

Saturday 13 September YCRC North Lyneham 6.2k
8. Kym Chisholm W30 27:05
18 finishers

right back home again

My song of the week: Right Back Home, by Lifehouse

gaining confidence

After I had another injury scare last week on top of two major scares in the previous two months, I can confidently report that I am back on track. This morning I met Peter at Stromlo Forest Park and he ran three slow (for him as he is just starting back) downhill kms with a jog back in between, while I completed 8kms at a reasonable pace. There were very many kangaroos and only one little magpie who flew away; very many degrees (five or six) and very little breeze; very much fog and absolutely no sign of sun; very many cyclists heading off around the Centenary Trail.
Having mentioned the Centenary Trail, I am sorry about Steve's injury last night - he has seven stitches below the knee and seven to ten days of no running - I sympathise, that was my fate too, no running the ten days we visited Townsville - and I hope none of the cyclists met a similar fate in today's big event. That terrain is just too rough even in broad daylight, let alone by torchlight or foglamp.


Not me injured this time; Steve.

From now on, every Sunday morning I will be at Stromlo at 7:30am with others; please join us!
Also from this Saturday on, I will be at Acton Ferry Terminal at 9:00am with hopefully a few very slow runners; starting off jogging with them for a few kms; then if OK carrying on a few more kms at a faster pace. All welcome! It's the restart for the "speedyducks".

get up and finish the race

It's Peters. Google him.

Do vary your running surfaces as much as possible

“Changing running surfaces works different leg muscles which, will lead to physical benefits,” says Eric Blake, head cross country and track and field coach at Central Connecticut State University. “And different scenery in your running will lead to mental benefits.”
Read more here.

By the way I am expecting company this Sunday at 7:30am for my regular training run at Stromlo Forest Park. It is spring, come along and enjoy the lovely grass surface!

This is a real goose, in a storm. Very versatile creatures, these geese!

Thanks Warrick for the link.

speedygeese sighting at the Canberra Times Fun Run

watched by the guards

Early run with Miranda. Photo by Ewen.

At training on Monday Miranda, Ewen and I ran 8k at 4:30pm, then we were joined by Bron, Colin, Dom (new), Kathy, Lola (new), Leonie, Marilyn, Peter, Ruth & Warrick. Shane, on a bicycle, was there also to support wife Bron and children Dom and Lola. After a couple of warm-up hills, we ran 10 x up to 100m hills more or less continuously, then did 5 runs up the big hill finishing at the fence to see the lights of North Canberra. At the top, we were being watched carefully by one of the guards. I guess it gave him something to do; it must be pretty quiet up there most of the time, with only the occasional magpie swoop to keep him on his toes.

Twenty people came along to the informal speedygeese dinner after training; ten of those who trained and ten others. Quite an unexpectedly large turn-out! Abi, Shane with Bron and their two children, and Carolyne, Cathy N, Ewen, Richard with Jen and 3 children, and Kathy, Marilyn, Andy R with Miranda, and Ruth, Warrick and me. The food was great! As was the company.


Miranda

In other news:

Congratulations to my grandson Jarod who received the best-on-ground trophy after his team won their under 14 Premiership. He plays for the Shellharbour Swans.

speedygeese race results

Saturday 30 August YCRC Stromlo 4k
12. Geoff Moore M65 22:01
13. Ewen Thompson M55 23:11
16 finishers

Saturday 30 August YCRC Stromlo 8k
11. Kym Chisholm W30 37:51 (but started ~3 mins late)
18 finishers

Friday 5 September Customs 5k
Bron Sparkes 24:01
Geoff Moore 24:26
Bronwyn Calver 26:37
Miranda Rawlinson 27:37
Janene was out walking along the course

Saturday 6 September Ginninderra #124 Parkrun 5k
65 Dom Sparkes 27:46 M10
66 Bron Sparkes 27:47 W35
125 finishers

Saturday 6 September Tuggeranong #81 Parkrun 5k
15 David Clarke 21:20 M55
110 Ewen Thompson 31:29 M55
172 finishers

Saturday 6 September Gungahlin #47 Parkrun 5k
16 Nadine Morrison 21:51 W45 **New PB!
37 Amanda Cook 25:39 W35
101 finishers

Saturday 6 September Coastal Classic 29k
294 Jen Bright 3:46.38
637 finishers

Sunday 7 September Canberra Times Fun Run 5k
1,480 finishers

Sunday 7 September Canberra Times Fun Run 10k
196 Helen Larmour 44:56 **first W50-59
199 Maria O’Reilly 45:02 **second W50-59
218 Liz Bennett 45:43 **third W50-59
219 Kathy Sims 45:45 **first W60-69
278 Roger Pilkington 47:00
300 Gabrielle Brown 47:31
329 Ewen Thompson 48:03
335 Victoria Hennig 48:07
557 Catherine Montalto 52:33 **second W60-69
742 Miranda Rawlinson 55:44
1,642 finishers

Sunday 7 September Canberra Times Fun Run 14k (short)
46 Kylie Malone 56:34 **first W40-49
359 Warrick Howieson 70:57
363 Craig Davis 71:03
538 Bronwyn Calver 76:19
671 Ruth Baussmann 81:49
762 Marilyn Banfield 85:48
918 finishers

The course for the Coastal Classic

"Fell over, clambered over boulders, questioned my sanity... cursed the person who mentioned it to me it the first place (thanks Ewen!) - was over taken by pretty much everyone... frail looking 60 year olds and only just made the cut off for six foot... indeed Daniel wouldn't hug me at the end.... was so covered in mud he moved away in disgust!" - Jen.

Sky Full of Stars

Song of the week: "A Sky Full Of Stars" by Coldplay.
From http://youtu.be/VPRjCeoBqrI

Washed Up - a Simon's Cat production

From http://youtu.be/L8qOb8mdTTU



All my Simon's Cat posts are found via the Simon's Cat category on the sidebar! i.e. at http://geoffmoore.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Simon%27s%20Cat.

World Masters Mountain Running

Update: Paul Archer 39th in the M65s,
and Susan Archer first in the W65s!

Photos from the finish area for the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Telfus, Austria. Photo by Brendan Gibbs. Makes you want to hone up on your mountain running skills?





Meanwhile back in Australia... and not Austria...
Bron has entered the 2015 Buffalo Stampede skymarathon, along with Sarah-Jayne. Except, Sarah Jayne is doing the 42km marathon, while Bron has entered the 75km! Lots of training needed between now and April I would think, let's hope it is not a hot dry summer.


Bron on a run with her rapidly improving 8 year old training partner. Short tempo runs between the long runs are great, just watch that they don't get too fast!

Brand new template

You will know it when you see it. I like to refresh this template every year or so. After it first comes up it will take me a little while to get the gadgets all working. Keeping that in mind, please be so kind as to let me know if there are any bugs and I will fix them.

I can run but can I program?

Cherie, Verena, Paul, Sue

Some news from outside our current running group:
Two former speedygeese

Verena has moved house to London


Cherie is now engaged

And two very good friends of the speedygeese

Paul and Susan are competing in the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Austria this weekend. They are currently in very good form and should do well in the M65 and W65 divisions respectively.

All welcome to a post training dinner this Monday

Whether you are at training or not, you are welcome to come to the next speedygeese dinner at the Canberra Southern Cross Club/Yacht Club (in Mariner Pl Yarralumla).

Monday 8 September
6:45pm or so, straight after training
Very informal, come as you are
We order from the snack menu at the bar
There is no need to confirm attendance; just rock in.
Please bring others if you so desire.

Last Monday night at Parliament House Ewen and I ran 8k early, then speedygeese training consisted of our favourite session: Rose Garden 200s. Colin ran loops on 2:15, Kym and Warrick on 2:30, and Isaac (new), Jen, Leonie, Larena, Marilyn and Ruth on 3:00, some of the latter taking rests as needed. It was neither cold nor pitch black; days are getting warmer and longer.


Ruth is running well, she didn't need rests on Monday. Here she is competing in the ACTVAC Half Marathon on 23 August.

it is a good idea to suss out a course before racing it

speedygeese race results
Friday 29 August Customs 5k
Bron Sparkes 23:59
Miranda Rawlinson 30:40
Caroline Campbell 46:50

Saturday 30 August Ginninderra #123 Parkrun 5k
86 Dom Sparkes 27:37 M10 New PB!
87 Bron Sparkes 27:38 W35
98 Ruth Baussmann 28:55 W60
161 finishers

Saturday 30 August Tuggeranong #80 Parkrun 5k
22 David Webster 21:25 M60
24 David Clarke 21:35 M55
46 Ewen Thompson 23:23 M55
75 Isaac Muscat 25:46 M10
76 Jen Bright 25:47 W35
198 finishers

Saturday 30 August Gungahlin #46 Parkrun 5k
27 Janene Kingston 23:43 W50
123 finishers

Sunday 31 August ACTVAC Handicap, Mt Taylor Gate 7k
24 Maria O'Reilly W55 34:23 83.8%
39 Gabrielle Brown W50 36:30 71.5
40 Helen Larmour W55 33:57 81.4
41 Rod Lynch M50 28:25 83.5
45 Roger Pilkington M55 35:16 67.7
58 Mick Horan M55 36:23 65.7
77 finishers

Sunday 31 August ACTVAC Handicap, Mt Taylor Gate 3.5k
8 Nadine Morrison W45 16:46 70.2%
9 Cathy Montalto W60 18:10 79.1
32 Brett Morrison M45 19:29 55.2
38 finishers

Sunday 31 August Wingello Trail half Marathon
121 Liz Bennett 2:19.04
218 finishers
"My Wingello Trail 1/2 Marathon turned out to be 23km today courtesy of a lack of signage on the course. About 30+ others shared the detour. It gave us all an extra couple of kms of lovely scenery in this inaugural event . Oh well ... with some tough hills and rough track it was never going to be a fast outing anyway. I've got it sussed for next year though." - Liz

And on Sunday 31 August, Lorena competed in the Kathmandu Adventure Series in the blue Mountains - a competition involving Rogaine, Kayak, Mountain Bike, and several runs.

Back to the beginning again

Song of the week: “Back To The Beginning Again”, by Switchfoot.
From http://youtu.be/60-44zG0Gg8



I can feel it building up inside
The images that play inside my mind
The dreams that I’ve been dreaming all my life
The colours that live outside of the lines

But dreams aren’t all I hide beneath this skin
The cord is cut, the fears and doubts begin
My hope is anchored on the other side
With the colours that live outside of the lines

And the oceans roll
And the wheel’s in spin
And the old chorus soars
Bring me back,
bring me back to the beginning again

With the corrugated LA harbour stacks
With the weight of these machines across my back
I know a mountain road where time unwinds
But I'm busy living in a single-file line

And it all just sounds like poison on my ears
The background noise makes your voice so hard to hear
So I grit my teeth and straighten up my spine
I’m stuck in traffic on a dotted yellow line

And my heart is yours
And what a broken place it's in
But you're what I'm running for
And I want to feel the wind at my back again

Back to the beginning again
Back to the beginning again
I want to feel the wind at my back again
Back to the beginning again