meanwhile, out on the road ...

A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop and park somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep. The place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place.
"Yes?"
"Excuse me, sir," the jogger said, "do you have the time?" The man looked at the car clock and answered, "8:15." The jogger said thanks and left. The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger.
"Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?"
"8:25!"
The jogger said thanks and left. Now the man could see other joggers passing by and he knew it was only a matter of time before another one disturbed him. To avoid the problem, put a sign in his window saying, "I do not know the time!" Once again he settled back to sleep. He was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window."Sir, sir? It's 8:45!"

Somebody's watching!

I thought had a problem with the display of this weblog, half fixed with a new template - where some rhs information is at the very end, from the group photo and on.....



you never know who might be watching .......

...... but it's only a problem with 800 x 600 resolution; changing to 1024 x 768 fixes it. And I can nearly read the smaller print with my new glasses!

Oh I do like the new template anyway (thanks Ewen).

Coming Races

It was cold and trying to snow last night at Dickson when we were supposed to be doing km intervals - only four turned up; *griffin* and I went for a long run before training was due to start, otherwise no action. The track was saturated, the ovals were closed, the lights were off, and the rain was falling.

Good thing I joined the CU gym! That's where I will train today.

Coming Races -
Saturday 25 June Menindee Drive 10k Parkes ACT 1pm.
Sunday 26 June Veterans Handicap 9.3k Mt Ainslie 9am (brrrrrr).
Saturday 2 July Cooleman Ridge 8k 1pm.
Sunday 3 July Women’s Jogalong 6k Weston Park 9am.

I will probably attend all these and run the first three. After that I am in Sydney (Rooty Hill/Homebush) for a week and then for the next two weeks my mum ("great-gran") is visiting here in Canberra and we will probably do a bit of travelling on and off to see great grandchildren etc.. But I do hope to be able to run in the ACT 12k Cross Country Championships on 23 July.

True Story

Signs of the times -
Lady at supermarket with little boy, buys a toothbrush, but finds three tubes of toothpaste in her trolly as well when she arrives at the checkout counter.
"I didn't pick those up, my little boy must have done it".
"Aha" says the checkout lady, "you have been schappelled."

Pacing

I am planning to pace four hour runners at the 2006 Canberra Marathon, all going well. An on-going achilles problem means I cannot race flat-out, but recently I had a go at pacing the 2 hour runners in the Canberra Half Marathon, then the 50 minute runners in the Terry Fox 10k, both without any difficulty - and dragged a few runners through to pb's! So that's my aim, sub 4 in 2006.

I may get "official" status, or at least some publicity happening, leading up to the race.

I have been in touch with Fran (Canberra marathon co-organiser) who seems happy with the proposal for an official four hour group, so we will pursue the idea with Dave Cundy (after Gold Coast!) Regardless, I will be there. 3:59.0 is exactly 5.40 per km, so it is not hard to manage the maths. Just a matter of getting a little bit ahead of that at half way so there's a small reserve. Voila! sub four.

Incidentally, Katie, a 21.20 5k translates to a 44 minute 10k (see Time Predictor, April 14). So maybe you can aim for 44 minutes in that next 10k. And maybe I will pace it (but I will need to prepare well!)

My Better Known Career Highlights

(1) In 1965 at the age of 16 I won the SA inter-school mile championship in 4:32.2
(2) In 1978 at the age of 30 I won the Canberra Marathon in 2:26:58, then an ACT record.
(3) In 1984 at the age of 35, I ran a 3000m race in 8:47.3 - 21 years later it is still the national M35 record.

Now that that's out of the way: for my Lesser Known Career highlights, see the July edition of Vetrunner, downloadable from the ACTVAC website for the next few weeks.. right click on the PDF logo first to check it was the one created on 19/06/2005 (since there is no other way currently of identifying which Vetrunner is actually there)

I will publish that article here some day, after suitable re-editing.

Our Lauren - post 3

..from the Canberra Times. Click on the image to enlarge it. Then you might have to save it and view it in the windows viewer to get the full size so you can read it (because that's what I have to do).
Just trying different ways of presenting information..
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Training at Parliament House

It's wet! But it's on. If it turns out that it is too wet and slippery to run our hill reps tonight, we will do intervals in the warm and dry underground car park.
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Terry Fox results

We had several Team Moore members running today's Terry Fox runs. In fact the first three women in the 5k were Kathy Southgate (18 minutes 47 seconds), Katie Forestier second (21:35, yet another pb for Katie) and Jenny Langton third (21:38).

The 10k sub 50 attempts were a success with Thea running 48.49 for 26th place and Gaby 49.37 for about 29th, both pbs, both under 50 minutes for the first time ever. Thea ran a 7k pb too, on the way to her 10k.

Cathy Newman was 16th in 46:34, and Carolyne Kramar 21st in 47:00; this was after Carolyne had a run in the Australian Mountain Running Championships on Saturday. Pam Faulks finished in 52.37, close to the 10k pb she would have run over ten years ago.

For the men, David Webster was 23rd in 38:58. I ran with Thea and Gaby until Thea broke away, and finished with Gaby in 49.37.

Conditions were perfect for distance racing; quite cool; no breeze, light drizzle.

Gaby has been following my 10k training program for the last five weeks, and the plan was to break 50 minutes at the Canberra Times in September, using the Terry Fox as a check of progress. However, when she told me how her training was going, I knew she was ready to have a go at her target at Terry Fox, despite the course being the toughest 10k road course we race on. So she set herself, and achieved the time.

Gaby may not be the fastest runner around, but I like her approach to her running. Nobody pushes harder than she does, racing and training.
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Thursday at Dickson

Twenty people turned up for the coldest night yet! After our usual warm-up (loosen-up!) and stretch, we ran three 1km intervals - the first we surged 300 metres then eased back for 100; the second we surged 100 and eased back 100; the third we surged 100 and eased back for 300. I guess you could say we were pleased that runs were not timed.
At least it wasn't raining while we trained; the rain returned an hour later. And the strong (cold) winds of the afternoon had dried out the track from the morning rain.
Four of us did an extra 45 minute run before everyone else arrived. One of those was Trevor, who despite doing 45 minutes easy, stretching, the two 1.1 km warmup laps, taking the group on three easy run-throughs before the kms, wearing tights as insurance against the cold, AND having had a good recovery swim on Tuesday after Monday's hill session, managed to damage his hamstring quite seriously during the first of the kms. "And I wasn't going flat out!". It goes to show - injury can happen to anyone despite taking the greatest care to prevent it.
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Form Principle #1

“All good form starts from the throat.”

(The importance of RELAXATION.)

I will publish a series of articles about form, and I don’t expect any “experts” to agree with me. But hey, try the ideas and see for yourself.

The first element of good form is relaxation.

Regardless of running style, all running effort should be free flowing; instinctive; relaxed; emerging from within; bubbling forth; an expression of oneself; easy. It should look easy. Liquid running is the best running. Often when one runs one’s best time, the performance looks the most effortless, not full of the tension or strain a non-runner might expect to see when a runner is at their fastest.

Relaxation is one of the keys to this effortless way of running. By relaxation I do not mean a passive, inward looking, tuned-out escapist kind of running (dissociation); I mean a conscious, aware, intentional focusing of the mind on muscle relaxation (association).

In what running events is relaxation most important? Answer - all of them. From 100 meters to marathon, the ability to relax is the key to success.

Relaxation starts in the neck and throat. A truly relaxed runner makes noises as they exhale, like a tennis player hitting a ball, or like a shot putter at the moment of release. Exhalation is the exertion phase of the running rhythm. As you exhale, you surge forward, you can hear how relaxed you are by how relaxed your throat is. As you inhale, you might ease off the surge a little; your neck is still relaxed and you may make some noise but not as much as when exhaling.

Come on, no need to be self conscious. You have overcome your worry about how you look by going out and running regardless; you can overcome how you sound as well.

Breathing out forcefully as you exert maximum effort will always result in noise if the throat is relaxed, as it should be. By the way, you breathe in and out through both the nose and mouth, never “in through the nose, out through the mouth”.

Tension in the throat spreads to shoulders, arms, the whole torso. Relaxation in the throat relaxes the body and results in better movement of the body.

As you breathe out the body lowers slightly, the arms lower slightly. As you inhale there is a slight rise in body position and the arms rise slightly too. This natural rhythm of the body is compromised if the neck, arms and shoulders are tense.

A free flowing natural rhythmical running style should be your aim. What comes naturally is the best. But you and I have been trained and conditioned from a very young age to run tense: to stick out the chest; to pin the head still; to lock the elbows into a high bent position; to run mechanically and breathe shallowly. All that must change! I will come to these things in later articles. But it all starts with the throat.

When neck, arms and shoulders are as relaxed as possible, then full and vigorous driving from the arms is possible. Legs follow arms; power, drive, and relaxation all flow from the arms to the legs. What the arms dictate the legs copy. Your legs will move with free flowing and powerful rhythms of surging and coasting only if the arms set the pattern for that. And the arms will move freely in that way only if there is conscious active relaxation starting at the throat.

Form Principle #1 – all good form starts from the throat.
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Our Lauren - post 2

Lauren's form over the 400 hurdles.
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Form Guides

Everyone's form guides are available, for example, here are Kathy Sims's -

ACT Vets, and ACT Cross Country Club.

What's not available includes ACT Athletics, or interstate/national/international events.
What is available includes Vets handicaps, Vets track, women's jogalongs.
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fastkathy

Kathy and Geoff Sims are off to the World Masters Games in July - that's the games in Edmonton, not the ones in San Sebastian. July seems like a good time of year to leave cold Canberra (see photo below) and head off to a Northern summer in Canada.

Consie is also attending those games.

Track is on between 24 and 31 July. Kathy has entered the 800, 1500, 5000 and 8k cross country, and Geoff the 200, 400 and 800.

They leave Canberra on 7 July and head for Paris and Ireland on the way to Edmonton.

After the World Masters, they then head off to Honolulu to compete in the US Masters track championships, which are on between 4 and 7 August.

Kathy hopes to better the times she was running here last summer, so has been doing lots of speed work as part of her recent training.

Kathy's records as a W50 speak for themselves. In a brilliant burst of top form as a 50 year old, between January and March 2002 she set four ACT records - 5:54.2 for the mile on 31 January; then 11:47 for the 3000 on 7 February, an outstanding performance at 6pm on a hot and windy day, where she left the previous record holder Rosemary Longstaff half a lap behind; then 5:29 for the 1500 on the 14th February, and finally 2:43 for the 800 on the 2nd March. Subsequently she went on to win the National 800 in 2:42.93 by the narrowest of margins from Maureen Rossiter. Maureen went on in later seasons to break that record, but Kathy's other times still stand. She has also been in numerous relay team that have set ACT records.

Kathy's qualities are her poise, confidence, and determination. We hope she has a wonderful time in Europe and North America and comes back fresh and rested and motivated to train on.

Her highlight this year has been becoming a grandmother for the first time, when Alex Geoffrey Osborn arrived. She was telling me that her grandson received a very special present from great grandad (Kathy's father) who presented his first boy descendent with a football signed by the Wales RU team which he has been keeping for such an occasion. Kathy's dad was the first ACT referee to be in the pool of referees when international teams came out to Australia.

I hope I will be around in ten to twenty years time to see how Alex's career develops, whether as a runner, rugby player, volleyballer, gymnast or whatever!


Kathy enjoying a wet half marathon


festive kathy


speedy kathy


winning kathy

click on photos for a larger version
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Monday's training

Monday's training at Parliament House was cold and wet - we were girt by rain. And it was the long weekend, so we didn't expect the 13 people who turned up. We ran our usual hill interval session despite the rain getting heavier and heavier during the half hour of effort. The session consists of 6 repetitions of a course of about 637 metres, run on 5 minutes. The course itself starts at the bottom of a steep climb, goes up, circles back around, up and around again, then finishes by climbing the hill a third time. Then runners jog down the hill ready for the next 5 minute interval to arrive. Even with the rain, neither uphill nor downhill was slippery, although visibility in the dark wasn't the best.

David Webster is running these sessions particularly well, as is Colin Farlow, Trevor Cobbold, and Katie Forestier, all of whom appear to be improving.
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June Jogalong results

Official results - CLICK ON NAMES FOR FORM GUIDES.
place name age time
61. Consie Larmour 70 37:54
64. Michelle Wells 33 27:58
65. Katie Forestier 39 27:29
69. Pam Faulks 45 32:47
71. Mary Ann Busteed 56 29:21
80. Marian Blake 51 35:41
90. Margaret McSpadden 58 32:26
93. Caroline Campbell 62 33:05
96. Annemarie Calnan 49 30:12
98. Judy Blake 49 49:15
104. Maureen Rossiter 54 31:52
142. Juani B O'Reilly 43 36:46
158. Juani M O'Reilly 77 56:16
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Terry Fox 10k 19 June

At the Terry Fox 10k on 19 June I plan to pace runners - I will probably run 48/49 minutes to help anyone wanting to break 50. If you are interested or want to make other suggestions, please let me know before Sunday.
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European Vacation

Strewth's on holiday! Starting today. To help us keep track of her exploits, she intends keeping her new weblog up to date while she is away. Check out http://baussmann.blogspot.com/
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Training Principle #10

"Have Fun."

Yes running should be enjoyable above everything else. But that's why I have posted a set of working principles here. If you don't do anything crazy and get hurt as a result, you will enjoy running, because it's an awesome feeling knowing that you are growing fitter and healthier, and running is the easiest, most natural way of doing just that. Obsession means HAVING to run every day; HAVING to race all the time to prove yourself. Happiness is seeing the improvement happening despite being pretty laid back about it all.

Principles are not rules. "You have to run 100km per week" is not only a rule; it is arbitrary, and it is quite unfair. It is for the person making the rule, not for the team! "Build up gradually; take your own time gaining fitness" is a principle gleaned from years of experience, with the athlete in mind, not the coach or the fans. Principles are not pieces of arbitrary advice; they are statements about how things work best.

You work at work. You play at play. Running time is playing time.

Try not to take it too seriously.
- Roll with the punches, for example treat injury philosophically.
- Don’t cheat, it’s not that important! For example, you don't need that "extra" from drugs.
- Be in it for the long haul. See the big picture. "There is no finish line!"

I could have listed plenty more, but ten will do. Make your own list; remember the lessons from your own experience. Then you can learn how it works for you.

Training Principle #10. Have fun.
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Our Lauren - post 1

We have had the celebration at the Yamba club for Lauren and family, now to start talking up the World Youth Championships.

Here is some background information to start with.

"Thirty-seven of Australia’s most promising young athletes were announced in the largest ever Australian team to compete at the IAAF World Youth Athletics (U18) Championships to be held in Marrakesh, Morocco in July 2005.

"The team size is a significant increase on the previous largest team of twenty-nine athletes, and is a direct result of improvement in performances in this age division and reflects Australia’s growing depth in junior athletics.

"Not only is the 2005 World Youth Australian team the largest, but looks to be the strongest with five senior national champions selected, Chris Noffke (long jump), Dani Samuels (discus), Katherine Katsanevakis (800m), Sophia Begg high jump) and Lauren Boden (400m hurdles).

"The last two Australian World Youth teams have placed sixth overall, and included athletes such as Jana Pittman, Georgie Clarke, Petrina Price and John Thornell.

"'Athletics Australia is delighted to make such an investment in the future of the sport by sending our largest team ever of young athletes to the World Youth Championships in Morocco. We hope these young athletes take great pride in representing their country and see this as the pathway to representing Australia at major Games in the future. Our best wishes go to all the athletes and we will take great pride in their achievements' said Athletics Australia CEO Danny Corcoran.

"Ninety percent of this team have emerged from the Australian Youth Olympic Festival held in January 2005, in Sydney. The AYOF program was a tremendous development step for these athletes, who will now compete on the world stage.

"Introduced in 1997 by the IAAF, the third edition of the World Youth Championships is open to athletes under 18. At the inaugural World Youth Championships in 1999, 137 countries competed, increasing to 166 countries in 2001, making it a truly global teenage competition. 158 countries contested the 2003 World Youth Championships and that is expected to rise in Marrakesh.The 1999 championship was the international starting point for Jana Pittman who won the 400m hurdles."

AUSTRALIAN TEAM
MEN
400m Tristan Garrett (N)
800m Nick Toohey (Q)
1500m Matthew Coloe (V)
110m Hurdles Lachlan Stanton (Q)
2000m Steeplechase Ryan Foster (T)
High Jump Liam Zamel-Paez (Q), Kane Brigg (Q)
Pole Vault Matt Boyd (Q), Matt Fryer (N)
Long Jump Chris Noffke (Q), Wally Meekin (W)
Triple Jump Scott McLeod-Robertson (Q)
Shot Joe Stevens (Q), Emanuele Fuamatu (N)
Javelin Nathan Burgess (V)
Octathlon Hamish Nelson (V)

WOMEN
100m Olivia Tauro (N), Jess Gulli (V)
200m Mim Hill (V), Tauro
400m Jaimee-Lee Hoebergen (N)
800m Katherine Katsanevakis (V), Sianne Toemoe (N)
1500m Heidi Gregson (N), Lexy Gilmour (N)
100m Hurdles Tara Holt (N), Gulli
400m Hurdles Lauren Boden (A), Kristy Radford (V)
High Jump Sophia Begg (N), Lauren Ford (V)
Pole Vault Vicky Parnov (W), Miranda Tiong (W)
Long Jump Boden
Triple Jump Alyisha House (N)
Shot Dani Samuels (N)
Discus Samuels, Kelly Emery (V)
5000m Walk Tanya Holliday (S)
Heptathlon Amy Sadler (N), Megan Wheatley (W)
Medley relay from Tauro, Gulli, Hill, Hoebergen, Katsanevakis, Boden and Holt.
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Training Principle #9

"Treat injuries immediately."

The first treatment for any acute injury is to reduce any swelling.
1. Stop the activity immediately.
2. Wrap the injured part in a compression bandage.
3. Apply ice to the injured part (use a bag of crushed ice or a bag of frozen vegetables) for no more than 15 minutes at a time. Let the area warm completely before applying ice again, in order to prevent frostbite.
4. Elevate the injured part to reduce swelling.
5. Get to a physio or sports masseur for a proper diagnosis of any serious injury.

What not to do.
Never apply heat to an acute injury. Heat will increase circulation and increases swelling.

Training Principle #9 - Treat injuries immediately.
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Happy Birthday Tony

Happy Birthday Tony. Still able to run the 800 in 2:30 at the age of 67. The way you are training now, we think the ACT M65 1500 record might be yours next track season.
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A 10k Training Program (part two)

10k training program part two - focus more on speed
I published part one on June 01.
For part three see July 02.

Week five
Monday 13 June Hill runs
Tuesday 14 June rest
Wednesday 15 June 2 x 2k surging the home straight
Thursday 16 June easy run today
Friday 17 June easy run or rest
Saturday 18 June easy run
Sunday 19 June race Terry Fox 10k.

Week six
Monday 20 June Hill runs, not too hard
Tuesday 21 June rest
Wednesday 22 June 2 x 2k surging the home straight
Thursday 23 June 60 to 90 minutes
Friday 24 June gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class.
Saturday 25 June 60 to 90 minutes
Sunday 26 June 10 x 100m sprints.

Week seven
Monday 27 June Hill runs
Tuesday 28 June rest
Wednesday 29 June 2 x 2k surging the home straight
Thursday 30 June 60 to 90 minutes
Friday 1 July gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class.
Saturday 2 July 60 to 90
Sunday 3 July 10 x 100m sprints.

Alternatively if running the jogalong on 3 July, it is appropriate to ease back from the hard training and see what can be achieved – as follows
Thursday 30 June just an easy run
Friday 1 July just an easy run again, or rest.
Saturday 2 July just an easy run as a warm-up for Sunday
Sunday 3 July race jogalong 6k – go for it – breakthrough time!

Week eight
Monday 04 July Hill runs, not too hard
Tuesday 05 July rest
Wednesday 06 July 2 x 2k surging the home straight
Thursday 07 July 60 to 90
Friday 08 July gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class.
Saturday 09 July 60 to 90
Sunday 10 July 10 x 100m sprints.

If you are training at Dickson on Thursdays with us, you can skip the Wednesday training and just do Thursday’s run on Wednesdays or Tuesdays instead.

If you cannot do the Monday Hill session, have another session at the gym like Friday’s instead.
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Training Principle #8

"Don’t ease off training for races, except the handful of races that are your major goals."

In the article I have just written for the July Vetrunner I mention that I got into the habit at the start of my career of having Fridays off training every week and racing every Saturday. I ran interclub in summer and cross country races in winter, all on Saturday afternoons.

Not a good habit: it treats every Saturday as important, it never allows for a solid block of training weeks or months where racing is set aside or token.

Sure racing improves your fitness to a point. But you don't need it week after week. Anyway, if you run a 5k in 25 minutes one week because you have trained through, and in 20 another because you have peaked and rested, you will remember the 20 minute run not the 25 minute one. And you will say "I am a 20 minute 5k runner".

To improve more in the longer term, sacrifice short term smaller improvements.

Training Principle #8 - Don’t ease off training for races, except the handful of races that are your major goals.
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Training Principle #7

"Usually follow hard days by easy days. Never have three hard days in a row".

My experience was that as I got very fit I might feel good after a hard day and feel like repeating the effort the next day - a faster than usual 15k run; a quicker interval session; whatever.

I usually got away with two hard days in succession. But a third was a recipe for disaster: even though I could produce another quality effort, then I would pay for it: along would come a severe cold or painful joints or unusual fatigue.

So if I ran well and felt great for two days in a row, I learned to treat that as a warning sign: "Slow down! Have a rest day!" rather than an indication that I could keep pushing myself.

I suppose you think it strange that "no symptoms" could be a warning sign. But - it must have paid off - I enjoyed fifteen years virtually injury free while maintaining a high level of performance and clocking anything from 100 to 180 km per week.

So - if you feel really good, that could be when there is the most danger of over-training. Remember to back right off at least every third day. Remember that rest is an essential part of training; rest times are the times when the body actually recovers and new levels of fitness are built in. You don't gain fitness during hard training; you gain fitness because of hard training, in the rest period that follows.

Training Principle #7 - Usually follow hard days by easy days. Never have three hard days in a row.
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Training Principle #6

"Warmup first before stretching."

Pretty self explanatory really. I don't think it helps much to stretch when cold. Warm-up (or in hot weather, loosen up) the muscles first by going for an easy warm-up jog, before starting on your stretch routine.

Actually it amazes me how little warm-up many runners do. Before racing, I often arrive an hour in advance and loosen up over a km or two, before doing some stretching, relaxing, mental preparation and then some serious race pace run throughs before the race itself gets underway.

I always stretch a little before each race - and I always need a warm-up run first, hence the early arrival.

And for mental preparation, whether you need to psych yourself up or calm yourself down, an early arrival is always a very good idea.

You can combine stretching with mental preparation. But you should always stretch.

Training Principle #6 - warmup first before stretching.

Training Principle #5

"Increase distance or intensity from week to week, but not both at the same time."

A goal at this time of year for all distance runners should be to run a bit further each week than in the past; to establish a training base longer than before. So you add a morning jog or two; or you extend one or two of your longer runs by another 30 minutes.

But at the same time, do you decide you want to knock 2 minutes off that 10k time? Do you attempt to speed up your interval session or your hit-out over 5k?

Don't do it! Don't have goals of increasing speed at the same time as increasing weekly distance! Specially if you are breaking new ground, running further than you ever have before.

Just focus on the distance targets, that will be enough stress on your body for a while. And wait until you reach your final distance goals, before setting yourself new speed goals.

Many runners find they do get quicker with the longer running anyway! But it's best not to plan for that or expect that. And it's best to hold off adding speed sessions while you are extending the distances you run.

Training Principle #5 - Increase distance or intensity from week to week, but not both at the same time.
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Today's jogalong

Results from today's jogalong- Margaret ~32.24, Maureen ~31.55, Annemarie ~30.10; Katie ~27.27 (20 sec PB), Caroline ~33.10, Michelle ~27.53, Marion ~35.39, Mary Ann ~29.20, Pam ~32.45.

Training Principle #4

"Racing, together with sprinting in training, should not exceed 20% of distance run, and should probably be around 10-15%."

Look, we are not talking about 400/800 specialists here. This applies to all distance runners whose events are mainly endurance events and who race mainly long races.

Unless you want to improve 400/800 times, then only about 15% of your total distance should be fast.

So the secret of training for distance races is - SLOW DOWN for most of your training, so you can run further.

LSD – Long Slow Distance – should be the norm.

When I started serious marathon training in about 1973, at first I couldn’t run for longer than an hour – because I was running 16k in that hour. When I learned to slow down I could run for much longer, and much further. And that is when I started to get really fit.

I also discovered that such training helped all distances down to 1500 metres. And my 800 metre times only slowed by 3 or 4 seconds (from 1:57-ish to 2:00-ish) although I did soon stop running 800s regularly.

Later in the 1970s I would run the Cotter 18 mile up to an hour slower than some of my team mates – yet continue over the next few years to finish 10 to 20 minutes ahead of them in marathon races.

Slow down; run longer; and keep your sprinting/racing to only a small proportion of your training.

Training Principle #4 - Racing, together with sprinting in training, should not exceed 20% of distance run, and should probably be around 10-15%.
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Training Principle #3

"Plan races so that you have a day off racing for every mile raced."

A mile is 1.6km.
After a 6k – four days break from racing.
5 miles is 8km – so you shouldn’t race in the next five days after an 8km race.
After 10k race – leave it for a week before you race any distance again.
After a half marathon – two weeks
After a full marathon – you should plan a month’s break from racing.

After a marathon it is also wise to avoid speed work in training for a couple of weeks.

These are guidelines and there will be individual differences. An assumption is that the racing is flat out. The principle does not apply if the race is run at training pace. An example of this is the two hour half marathon I ran recently; I ran slower than training pace, and recovery was immediate.

For a marathon however you should probably have the full month's recovery whatever the pace.

Don’t forget – if you just keep on racing, not only are you neglecting to allow your body and mind a complete and proper recovery time – you are also neglecting to spend quality training time building up to another level. Sure there is a time to race frequently: but there is also a time to have a break from racing and concentrate on training. Could this time of year be a good time for you to have a break from racing?

Training Principle #3 - Plan races so that you have a day off racing for every mile raced.
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Training Principle #2

"Increase total distance by no more than 10% per week."

When you want to build up your weekly training distance, the 10% rule is important. Yes, it means that for the first few weeks there will be smaller increases than you would like. The BIG mistake is seeing that someone else is doing twice the distance you are, and trying to emulate them straight away. Be patient!

While building up, a good idea is to plan to drop back in distance every third or fourth week. This might be the week you race.

So for example, a weekly buildup from 40k per week to 60k per week might be patterned - 40k, 45k, 50k, 45k, 50k, 55k, 50k, 55k, 60k.

A couple more tips - when in such a build-up phase, it is important not to try and increase speed from week to week. Focus on one thing at a time! You can work on your speed later when you are regularly running the 60k week.

Also, how do you increase your weekly distance? Do you do a little more each day, or do you add in a new session each week, or do you pick one session and make it longer? My advice is to pick one session and make it longer, and I would pick the longest session first. For example, if the longest day you want to end up with is 20k, and you are currently running 10k on that day, that is the day to increase first. Establish your longest days early in the phase; add in shorter /recovery days last (so they start off being rest days).

I really do hope you have the long term view - deciding on what your goals and training patterns are going to be, and then sticking to the plan, not chopping and changing from week to week.

Training Principle #2 - Increase total distance by no more than 10% per week.
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Neil Boden

Neil crossing the creek at the Carillon cross country race

No rain; fine sunny days; dry creek. Average maximum temperature in Canberra for June is twelve degrees: it will be icy cold soon if that average is achieved this year.
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Training Principle #1

"Schedule an easy or rest day after the longest training day."

The pattern should be
day 1 speed/strength/race/trackwork or whatever
day 2 long long long
day 3 moderate or rest.

Why? Firstly, you should be able to recover fairly quickly from a short fast work-out. Secondly, it is a good idea to come up fresher for a speed day, because the object of the day is quality not quantity. Thirdly, long slow running can assist in the recovery from speed-work. And finally, it does take longer to recover from long days than from short.

Training Principle #1 - schedule an easy or rest day after the longest training day.
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Training for the 10k - in detail.

Target Canberra Times Fun Run Sunday 18 September 2005
Assumption A background of long slow distance.
Lead up race Terry Fox 10k Sunday 19 June 2005.
(Or if miss Terry Fox, the Yarralumla 10k Saturday 25 June 2005. The 25 June course is faster, until the last km which is long! The weather could be windy for both. Terry Fox is difficult with its hills and the crowd of joggers/walkers to negotiate at the end.)
Lead up race Veterans Half Marathon Sunday 18 August 2005. (Must be 30yrs old or more!)
Minor races to test fitness – Jogalong 5 June, 3 July, 7 August, 4 September. (Must be female!)

Weeks one to four (Segment one)
Monday 16 May to Sunday 12 June
- build some endurance while adapting to strength training.

Week one
Monday 16 May Hill Sprints run hard (join us at Parliament House)
Tuesday 17 May rest
Wednesday 18 May Time yourself over a course known to be about 5k. It is a time-trial not a race so although you will run it quite quickly, don’t bust a gut. An alternative is 3-5 x 1km timed intervals. Make sure you warm-up and cool-down thoroughly.
Thursday 19 May slow run of 60 up to 90 minutes; build up to it if you need to.
Friday 20 May gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class. Build up on the stepper to 40 or 45 minutes done quite hard.
Saturday 21 May 60 to 90
Sunday 22 May short (e.g. 3k to 6k) easy (i.e. jog).

If you are training at Dickson on Thursdays with us, you can skip the Wednesday training and just do Thursday’s run on Wednesdays or Tuesdays instead.

If you cannot do the Monday Hill session, have another session at the gym like Friday’s instead.

Week two
Monday 23 May Hill Sprints run hard.
Tuesday 24 May rest
Wednesday 25 May 5k timetrial OR 3-5 x 1km intervals fast. Aim for slightly faster average speed than last time, and run evenly.
Thursday 26 May 60 to 90
Friday 27 May gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class
Saturday 28 May 60 to 90
Sunday 29 May short easy run

Week three
Monday 30 May hill sprints hard
Tuesday 31 May rest
Wednesday 1 June 5k time-trial OR 3-5 x 1km intervals fast. Aim for slightly faster average speed than last time, and run evenly.
Thursday 2 June 60 to 90
Friday 3 June gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class
Saturday 4 June 60 to 90
Sunday 5 June easy run

Alternatively if running the jogalong on 5 June, it is appropriate to ease back from the hard training and see what can be achieved!
Thursday 2 June just an easy run
Friday 3 June just an easy run again, or rest. No gym (important!)
Saturday 4 June just an easy run as a warm-up for Sunday
Sunday 5 June race jogalong 6k – go for it – breakthrough time!

Week four
Monday 6 June hill sprints hard
Tuesday 7 June rest
Wednesday 8 June 5k time-trial OR 3-5 x 1km intervals fast. Aim for slightly faster average speed than last time, and run evenly.
Thursday 9 June 60 to 90
Friday 10 June gym: step-climber machine, optional body pump class
Saturday 11 June 60 to 90
Sunday 12 June easy run

Next week, 19th June, is the Terry Fox 10k.
Training WILL be at Parliament House on Monday the 13th at 5:30pm as usual (Queen’s birthday holiday)

Weeks five to eight (Segment two)
Monday 13 June to Sunday 10 July
- focus more on speed. Details published on June 10.

Weeks nine to twelve (Segment three)
Monday 11 July to Sunday 7 August
- focus more on speed-endurance. Details t.b.a.!

Weeks thirteen to sixteen (Segment four)
Monday 8 August to Sunday 4 September
- focus more on race practice. Details t.b.a.!

Weeks seventeen, eighteen (Segment five)
Monday 5 September to Sunday 18 September
- ease right back to peak for the race! Details t.b.a.!
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History

Tidbinbilla Relays - Jo Cullen, yours truly, Bryan Thomas, Mary Ann Busteed

The Cross Country Club in particular, and other groups such as the ABS history project, are very interested these days in collecting and preserving historical information.

Do you have bits of our running history that might be of any value at all? Are there gaps in the information on the Cross Country Club website that you could help fill in?

One set of results we are hunting is the old ABS Fun Runs, up to 1981, a.k.a. Cameron Offices Fun Run and Belconnen Offices Fun Run.

Others seeking out this information include Graeme Small, Colin Bridge, Andrew Sutcliffe.

And I would love ancient photographs to copy and preserve for posterity.

So if you can help out, please contact one of us and tell us what you've got.
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May Handicap

In the May Veterans Handicap held yesterday at Farrer Ridge, Peter Hogan was 4th eligible in the 9k event, and Katie Forestier 4th eligible in the 4.5k event.

Results are available at http://www.actvac.com.au
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dehydration

An interesting article in June Vetrunner on over-hydration during marathons. I want everybody to read it carefully; read between the lines; so that you are NOT left with the impression that hydration is no longer a problem in marathons.

Consider my own experience with marathons. I could never get enough fluid despite drinking immediately before the races I went in, and at every drink station except the last.

Without exception whenever I ran a marathon at full intensity I would lose about 2kg (5 lbs) in weight from the start to the end of the race; most of this being fluid.

IF YOU LOSE WEIGHT DURING MARATHONS, try and get more fluid in. NOT JUST WATER: an electrolytic sports drink is ideal.

If you don't lose weight during marathons, maybe it is because you are running easily, in which case the sentiments expressed in the article may apply, and in these circumstances you should probably intentionally avoid excess fluid intake.

If it applies to marathon races it applies to training too; you will note in my long easy runs I don't bother to carry water as I believe my drinks before and after the training run will suffice. The pace is slow enough to get away with it.

Also consider other factors: if you drink coffee on marathon day you will need more fluid during the marathon; if you drank alcohol the night before you are even more susceptible to dehydration (although why drink alcohol before a marathon? It can be positively dangerous).

So if I have had a "night out" before a long training run, I DO carry water.

But I cannot believe this doctor quoted in the article has never seen a critical dehydration case as the result of a marathon. Or perhaps all the runners he has seen are plodders not racers.

And I disagree strongly with the suggestion that you should wait until you urinate before taking on water. That is completely crazy and counter-intuitive. If you are dehydrated you won't be doing much urinating. And you need quite a bit of fluid replacement after a demanding marathon before the body reverts to normal. I know, I have run 31 marathons.

Well, the article does come from the US. And is written by a journalist. q.e.d.
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Happy Birthday Ruth Baussmann

Last Tuesday Ruth had her 55th birthday - "Happy Birthday Dear Ruthie, Happy Birthday to you". So I have acquired a couple of attractive photographs of Ruth as a W50.

I got to know Ruth a few years ago when she was leading the Thomas handicap series, and I was desperately trying to catch her each month to peg back her lead. (Naturally that was early in the year, as I am never in contention later in the year!)

This Sunday if you compete at Farrer you will be competing as a W55 for the first time. I hope you do well!


Ruth ahead of her good friend Cathy, in a triathlon at Lake Burley Griffin.


Ruth, Kathy and Charmaine with W50 Half Marathon placegetters trophies, 2004.
This photograph was memorable because when it appeared in Vetrunner, Kathy's taped legs appeared to be grafted onto Charmaine; Kathy had rolled an ankle during the race and the publisher's inset photo was oddly placed.
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ACTVAC To-Do list

A week since the AGM and if you thought our new committee might be able to relax for a while until the track season gets underway you are wrong. Here are just some of the large items I think will already be on their to-do list.

1. Fix up the financial statement and get it audited.
2. Sort out the web-site/IT issues.
3. Start work on the 2006 AMA Nationals.
4. Complete a strategic plan and proceed with grant applications.
5. Organise the July SGM.
6. Contact key individuals and subcommittees about their roles.

In addition there are still all the more "routine" things like planning summer competition.

So what this means is, we all have to be ready to lend a hand to help support, develop, promote and strengthen the club.

"Fitness Through Fellowship".
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Pedestrian's Revenge

Another pedestrian killed on Canberra's roads - this time the one who is killed is visiting celebrity Christine Jacobs, a member of the Aboriginal stolen generation, who was to have given a speech to launch the National Day of Healing at Parliament House. She died on Tuesday night after being hit by a car in Deakin, as she went for a walk, not long after arriving on a flight from Perth.

Canberra drivers are appalling. And this year they have been getting noticeably worse by the month. Tailgating; cutting in and out of traffic, shouting abuse, and worst of all insisting on "obeying" the speed limit by exercising their "right" to drive on or above the limit whatever the road conditions.

Fellow pedestrians - we who occasionally risk life and limb to run on or near the roads are also pedestrians - it's about time we exercised our right to safe roads.

My plan is this - instead of driving at 5 to 15 kph above the speed limit like everybody else, we always drive at 5 to 15 kph below the limit. Always.

It will annoy the hell out of them, but it will also send a message to all those idiots who think the speed limit is a minimum limit.

I'm sorry, it also means some of you will have to leave home 10 minutes earlier to arrive at your destination.

But hey, save the aggression for your races. Drive safely; slowly; serenely. Put on soothing music. You might save the life of somebody's son or daughter.

And ignore rude comments. They already call us silly old buggers for running at our age; they may as well call us silly old buggers for obeying the road rules.

In both cases, they are the ones who will have the early heart attacks, not us.
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Runners Shop June Sale

From Brian Wenn -
Well it has come around to that time of the year again and the great Runners Shop June Sale is about to kick off. As usual we are giving our VIP customers from the local running, triathlon and orienteering community the opportunity to come in and pick up the best bargains before we advertise to the general public.
We are still waiting for some specials to arrive at the shop from Asics, Nike, Adidas and Saucony, but they should arrive in the next couple of days, almost certainly by the end of the week.
See below for a list of the June specials.
Happy Running,
Brian and the rest of the staff at the Runners Shop.

Shoe Specials – June 2005
Asics
Kayano XI (0193) Men’s $229 $189
Nimbus VI Men’s & Women’s $219 $179
DS Trainer Men’s & Women’s $199 $159
GT 2100 Men’s & Women’s $189 $149
Landreth Men’s $179 $139
Gel 1100 Men’s & Women’s $155 $119
Foundation V Men’s & Women’s $155 $119
Trabuco VII Men’s & Women’s $155 $119
Corrido $109 $79
210 TR (Leather) Men’s & Women’s $155 $129
210 TR (Mesh) Men’s & Women’s $145 $119
Gel 1100 Jnr Kid’s $99 $79
Achiever Jnr Kid’s $80 $59
Nike
Zoom Elite Men’s & Women’s $189 $139
Structure Triax 8 Men’s & Women’s $170 $129
Trail Pegasus Men’s $155 $109
Air Max Moto Men’s $180 $139
Air Perseus Men’s $155 $109
Adidas
Adistar Control Men’s $240 $169
Supernova Cushion Men’s $180 $129
New Balance
M 1221 SN $199 $129
M 1122 $179 $119
M1023 $159 $129
M 732 $120 $79
M 781/W 781 $125 $89
W 900 WB $155 $129
W 834 GR $125 $89
KJ 717 $95 $69
MX 664 (3 Colours)/WX664 (2 Colours) $125 $99
MW 755 $145 $99
Brooks
Trance NXR Men’s & Women’s $235 $189
Glycerin 2 Men’s $209 $149
Addiction 6 Men’s & Women’s $170 $129
Burn 2 Men’s $160 $129
Radius Men’s $155 $119
Vapor 6 Men’s & Women’s $155 $119
Radius Jnr Kid’s $85 $59
Verve Jnr Kid’s $95 $69
Ariel Women’s $209 $159
Saucony
Grid Hurricane 6 Men’s & Women’s $179 $129
Grid Triumph Men’s & Women’s $179 $129
Grid Jazz 9 Men’s $129 $89
Mizuno
Wave Rider Men’s & Women’s $189 $149
Reebok
Premier Stability DMX Men’s & Women’s $170 $129
Premier Road Lite II Men’s & Women’s $159 $119
Premier Cushion DMX II Men’s & Women’s $145 $109
Premier Lite II Men’s & Women’s $145 $109

ABS Fun Run

What appears below is copied in its entirety from last Friday's Canberra Times. You can see Geoff Monro and Mick Corlis in the photo as well as me. Eric Morris is the tall guy standing between me and Mick. Of our training group, Katie had the best run, improving her 5k pb on the way to a "7.3k" time of around 32 minutes. I took just over 31 minutes and was pleased to just crack 30:00 at the 7km mark.

Our training group results - not many ran this one! Maybe next year.
Male Results
40th Geoff Moore 31:02
68th Trevor Cobbold 33:09
91st Neil Boden 34:49
Female Results
9th Katie Forestier 31:57
10th Annette Sugden 31:59
18th Carolyne Kramar 34:45

A report - and full results - can be found at http://www.lunchstakes.webathletics.com.au/absfunrun/reports/2005.htm.


READY, SET: Competitors, including race veteran Geoff Moore (150) and eventual winner ABS statistician Eric Morris (2033), at the starting line.

By Mark Schliebs-
"The 13th annual Australian Bureau of Statistics Fun Run, held [on Thursday 19 May], has raised $3300 for the ACT Cancer Council. Volunteers said they were pleased with the turnout - 693 people participated in the annual charity event at Lake Ginninderra.

"Organiser Peter Harper was happy about the contribution the fun run makes to the charity. “It’s a very successful run,” he said yesterday.

"He said that because the ABS covered the cost of the event, all entry fees could go directly to the Cancer Council.

"The 7km course, which closely follows the lake’s edge, was filled with runners, walkers and even the occasional mother with a stroller.

"“The good thing about the fun run is that there’s people from all ages and all demographic groups. It’s a really good mix.. the emphasis is on the fun rather than the run,” Mr Harper said.

"Geoff Moore, 57, was glad that he could participate in the event that evolved from the fun run that he helped start 30 years ago.

"“They’re all putting the effort in whether they were at the front or the back,” he said. “I say well done to everyone.”

"ABS statistician Eric Morris was the first to finish the race, 35 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

"“It was really enjoyable not only to win today but to participate in something that gets a whole lot of people along and raises money for charity,” he said.

"Emma Murray was the first woman over the line, while Scott Tomlinson, 17, and Louisa Lobigs, 15, won their respective junior sections and Colin Bridge the seasonally adjusted category, awarded for the best performance (time adjusted) by a runner aged 40 or over."
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Chinup Challenge

Colin Farlow won the chin-up challenge. He seems to have improved from four to twelve in two months. A coveted chocolate frog award went his way. Why not? He has won everything else.
It was a clear victory and "no correspondence will be entered into".
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Half Marathon

Results for our training group of the Canberra Half Marathon held last Sunday 15 May
57. David Webster 53 M50 1:28:16
85. John Kennedy 55 M55 1:31:16
136. Maria O'Reilly 50 W50 1:37:44
141. Ken White 51 M50 1:38:02
165. Cathy Newman 44 W40 1:41:14
170. Annette Sugden 42 W40 1:41:49
174. Cathy Montalto 52 W50 1:42:00
187. John Alcock 59 M55 1:43:08
196. Alan Duus 59 M55 1:43:47
238. Peter Hogan 58 M55 1:49:23
246. Mick Charlton 53 M50 1:50:18
279. Prue Bradford 45 W45 1:53:55
298. Thea Zimpel 22 1:56:18
301. Gabrielle Brown 41 W40 1:56:39
314. Ruth Baussmann 54 W50 1:58:37
323. Pam Faulks 45 W45 1:59:28
324. Geoff Moore 57 M55 1:59:51
336. Margaret McSpadden 58 W55 2:02:23

I enjoyed running the entire race at two hour pace and will probably do that again one day. I'm not sure I will do it in the Vets Half though, unless they change from their three start system back to one, because it is not possible to pace people running in three different groups starting half an hour apart! Maybe I will run in group three at exactly 1:40 pace? But not if the people I am trying to help insist on starting in group two.

It was good to see some PBs amongst the team members I have listed above. A perfect day and many fast times. Thea, Gabrielle and Pamela started with me and all managed to crack the two hour mark. Congratulations!

One example of a great run - Peter Hogan took 15 minutes off his time for last year!

Click on the names above to see each form guide for cross country club races.
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Caffeine

With a whole lot of stories in the news this week about sports people using caffeine I thought I would add my two bob’s worth. My understanding is based on my memory of research done long ago but I am not aware of any newer research which might change things.

Caffeine can help.
For any running event longer than an hour or so, a strong cup of black coffee about an hour before the race can result in a better performance. The reason for this is that coffee causes fats to be released into the bloodstream which are used by the body as fuel earlier in the performance, causing the postponement of the release of muscle glycogen until later in the performance. Thus fatigue is delayed and the body is able to perform longer at a high level.

Caffeine can hinder.
For running events shorter than an hour in duration, caffeine use hinders performance. The reason for this is that the coffee causes fats to be released into the bloodstream which are used by the body as fuel earlier in the performance, causing the postponement of the release of muscle glycogen which for events of shorter duration should be made available from the start of the exercise. Energy release from fats is less efficient that energy release from glycogen, and it is glycogen runners need instantly in events of shorter duration.

Other factors come into play.
A regular tea/coffee drinker will only get a partial benefit: coffee boosts endurance performance if your body is not already adapted/addicted to it. Or people can feel sick, or need a pit stop during the run.

There is no problem putting caffeine back on the banned list as it is effective in small quantities and it is practical to ban only the ingestion of large amounts. We would still drink coffee for its benefits and people would be less likely to (pointlessly) ingest large amounts which could be dangerous to their health.

Having said all this, I should point out that I have a problem with the mindset of people who look for artificial chemical means, legal or not, to enhance performance, when hard training and a balanced diet give proportionately far greater improvement and permanent fitness benefits to boot!

So in summary – as a general lifestyle rule, cut right back on caffeine use. Don’t use it before races up to 10k in length. For half marathons and above drink one strong black coffee an hour before the start.

Or – just enjoy your occasional tea or coffee, enjoy your long races, and forget about caffeine altogether.

There is no substitute for hard work in training!
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How we voted

The new ACTVAC committee elected at last night's AGM comprises
President Geoff Sims
Vice President Christopher Lang
Secretary Ken White
Treasurer Will Foster
Committee Chris Booth, Prue Bradford, Pamela Faulks, George Kubitzky, Peter McDonald, Roger Pilkington

Remarkable - not one of those elected was a member of the outgoing committee. A 100% turnover!

But they bring a wealth of experience. In particular Will is a past Treasurer of the club and Prue a past President.

Congratulations too to Jack Pennington, elected club Patron for the tenth year.
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Ken Eynon

The "sport and recreation" category of the 2005 ACT Volunteer of the Year Awards was won by Ken Eynon during Volunteers Week last week.

The awards, run by NRMA Insurance and Volunteering ACT, recognised eleven individuals in different categories for their contribution to the community through voluntary work.

From the VolunteerACT website

National Volunteer Week is a time set aside to give well-deserved recognition to Australia’s myriad of volunteers. Their work is creative, selfless, caring, and supportive. They help thousands of people each day and provide a much needed community service.

Not JUST a Volunteer! By Lorraine Higgins – CEO Volunteering ACT

"You are at a party and walk up to a group of strangers. After introductions comes the inevitable: “…And what do you do?” “I’m a retailer.” “I’m a public servant.” “I work as a solicitor (engineer, accountant, nurse, quantum physicist etc….). “Oh – and what do you do?” “Well….. I’m just a volunteer”.

"JUST a volunteer!!!

"In the first place, the word "volunteer" is not a job title, it's a salary classification.

"As a volunteer, your job title could be any of those given above - you may simply do the job without any expectation of monetary reward. But that does not mean that your job has less value than one that is paid, it may merely mean that you have a different motive for doing it.

"When asked what the word volunteer evokes, the answer is usually something like Meals on Wheels, charity collection, or, more recently, those who assisted after the tsunami disaster.

"However when one delves more deeply, it is possible to find volunteers doing almost any type of job that can be found in the paid work-force – but in a not for profit setting.

"In Canberra, a commendable 42% of our population offers time, skills and energy to assist the local community in some way. Some of these people do the work to return something to the community in which they live or to gain work experience. Many more people volunteer to maintain skills, to develop new skills, to practise their English language skills or to get a reference. Other people may volunteer because they see the need. The benefit to the volunteer is often an increase in self esteem, better health, a sense of achievement, increased social contact or simply knowing they have made a difference in the community.

"Whatever the motivation, the result is a more effective, productive and united community where volunteers provide services that would otherwise be unavailable. How valuable they are and how important it is for them to know how much they make our work easier, make our hours count for more and make people feel better served. And, that not only CAN volunteers change the world but they have for centuries; from voting rights to disaster relief; from school reform to building shelters for the homeless. There is no substitute for believing you can make a difference. Volunteers are, and continue to be, the power behind our great country.

"In this 2005 National Volunteer Week, let us take the time to think about and recognise the invaluable contribution that volunteers offer to our society and let us thank them unreservedly. Let us remember too that our youth are the future and that they are willing to do great things. We must take time to cultivate their spirit and allow them to become leaders who understand the importance of giving and sharing themselves with others."


Gerard Ryan and Ken Eynon at the marathon expo, 2003

Ken is representative of everything I like about athletics in the ACT. We are all volunteers, we belong to volunteer-run athletic clubs. But Ken sets the highest standard of anyone I know.

Congratulations on the well deserved award. It is a pleasure to have Ken as part of our training group.
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Misleading Heading

Have you found everything on the internet you were looking for today? If not, maybe it's here.

Have a nice day.
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10k training

Every few weeks I will post a training guide for the 10k. This is for those who have been doing a fair bit of long running and want to know how to improve their times. The goal is a pb at the Canberra Times Fun Run in September.

Not that this is better than any other guide; but this one will be an indication of what some in our training group are doing, and you could join them.

Stage 1 May 2005 (next three weeks, into early June)
Twice a week - long run. 60 to 90 minutes slow recommended. Build up if necessary.
Twice a week - hill sprints or equivalent gym work (eg climbing step machine). We do a Monday session that equates to this.
Once a week - a solid but not flat out run over the same course each week of about 6-8k as a measure of how things are going. Or we do a Thursday session that provides a more demanding interval workout.
Once a week - an easy recovery run
Once a week - a rest day.

Ideally the week should be organised so that each long day is followed by an easy day or a rest day, but that may not always be possible.
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speedyvicki

A real star of last track season was Vicki Matthews. Vicki was a regular winner in her age group despite having other excellent performers to contend with - such as Marlene, Sharon, and our very own Alex and Annemarie. Vicky showed us that it is possible to compete week after week at a high level for a whole season! Her events included sprints, jumps, throws, the occasional middle distance event, and pentathlon. She won six titles at the ACT championships this year - the 100 in 14.12, the 400 in 68.68, the shot in 7.87, the 200 in 29.50, the javelin in 21.76, and the Pentathlon. Vicki also took out the annual Boag sprint series, which is based purely on performance relative to age standards.

It is a pleasure to have Vicki doing much of her training with us, and despite us being primarily a middle and long distance group, she has found our training sessions useful and beneficial, sometimes adapting the sessions to her needs (as we all do anyway!).

Unusually unassuming for such a talented athlete, Vicki is worthy of our praise. She doesn't seek it out. No false modesty either; she competently goes about her training and racing without fuss and with plenty of grit and determination.


Vicki and her Boag award

Finally, to crown a great season, Vicki was awarded the Silver Fristad trophy. I reproduce in full the write-up from Vetrunner she received then. (No apology if there is repetition: I did not refer to the write-up when expressing my own thoughts so far)

"VICKI MATTHEWS W45: Vicki was a regular at the track participating in a variety of events including sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps, javelin throw and pentathlon. She performed well in all sprints, including a close second in the “Gift”, with all her times earning high 70 to low 80% of WMA standards. Her score of 2465 points in the pentathlon was best of the women."

Vicki also competes in the monthly running handicaps. Truly an all round top performer!
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How to vote

The long awaited AGM of the ACT Veterans Athletic Club will be held this Thursday. I cannot advise who to vote for, for the simple reason that the normal practice is that candidates won't be revealed until the night. But I can say that there has never been as much interest and discussion before an AGM as there has been leading up to this meeting. Not to mention contention.

For whatever reason, the current "executive" has decided during the last twelve months to make important decisions and try and implement them without attempting to consult with members directly or through the very good subcommittee system. Even in many cases, without meeting with the management committee, although I should add that there has been little or no attempt at the committee level to reach consensus; the committee has been treated as if composed of two political groups, a governing group and an opposition group.

Crazy days! Never before has this club been run in this way. Everything the office bearers on past committees have done have been openly communicated; transparent; and facilitating club unity.

If this state of affairs continues for a second year, it is obvious, to me anyway, there will likely be a mass walkout of members, including many key people responsible for the day to day operation of the club, and the likelihood of a second masters athletics group being formed in the ACT.

So who to vote for? Well, there is not a single person in my training group I would not trust to be responsible, accountable, effective, and have their heart in the right place. Should anyone in the training group stand for any of the positions, vote for them!

Vote 1 Team Moore!
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Time for recognition

The best runner in our training group over the track season past was without question Colin Farlow. He proved himself to be the best middle distance runner in Canberra when he won - for the second year in succession - the prestigious Pennington series, which is handicapped according to age, and therefore a good measure of one's relative ability.

Colin turned in top track performances week after week, and also set a fine example of regular training and of encouraging other runners in the group.


Colin putting in a big effort.


Colin's wife Amanda, also an accomplished middle distance runner.

Also in our training group, the best middle distance female runner in Canberra was Maria O'Reilly. Maria broke the W50 1500 metre record during the season. Her high places in the Pennington series too marked her as the best performed woman.


Maria and her mother

Congratulations to all our track stars. Many of you set records, notably in relays, and many of you placed in championship events.

At our dinner last night we recognised you all; and we singled out both Colin and Maria for special mention.
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Thursday Training

I have decided there will be no training at Dickson next Thursday 19th May. First of all there is the ABS Fun Run on at lunchtime (check out the link), and secondly the Vets AGM is on that evening. In regards to the latter, I feel a post entitled "How to Vote" coming on real soon now.

Training at Dickson oval the last two Thursday nights has been well attended, and not easy!
Thursday of last week the training session consisted of a continuous relay with teams of three, each team member running twelve 200 metre intervals. At the end of each interval while the other two team members were running the runners jogged down the 100 metre straight and back again as a recovery. Teams were chosen so that in each team of three, the runners were of approximately the same standard. This session works the slowest runner of the three very hard.

Last night we ran with teams of three again but this time each runner ran 8 lots of 300 with a 200 jog recovery, and teams were chosen so that each team had a faster paced, a medium paced, and a slower paced runner, with the expectation that teams would finish fairly close together.

Finally I must congratulate Thea for taking a full five minutes off her 10k pb last Sunday (check out the link!). This was run on the Acton course, which is a fairly quick course although not as fast as the Canberra Times one.
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A sub two hour ½ marathon!

For some reason which escapes me at the moment, I have entered Sunday's ½ marathon.

As my achilles won’t be any better then than it is now, I have decided to pace anyone wanting to break two hours. There are already two entrants who will join me and there may well be more. It should be a fun thing to try and do.

I figure on taking exactly 1:59.34 at even pace, unless I find myself quite alone, in which case I may be tempted to go 10 or 15 minutes quicker.

If you want to run along with me, please contact me now or at the start. Or if you know anyone who might want to tag along, please feel free on my behalf to invite them along!
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The sixty second sit-up test

Abdomens are one area distance runners neglect, to their peril. Strong abdominal muscles are needed to give you lift off the ground as you run, and to take pressure off your back.
Endurance sit-ups are recommended. Try the 60 second sit-up test.
How many sit-ups can you do in 60 seconds? Take a position on your back on a level floor with both knees bent. Feet not anchored.
With arms out in front of you, raise your head and shoulders using mainly the abdominal muscles so that your fingertips reach just over your knees, then lower yourself back down again. That's one. Repeat until you cannot continue, or 60 seconds, whichever comes first!
Try to keep the head looking up; don't strain forward.
If 60 seconds is too easy, go on to 90 seconds.
Then start doing some abdominal work - there are many varieties of crunches that can be done - and see how much you can improve over time.
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Context

With so many posts about my family in the last few days, I thought I would contribute this as well, before returning to more mundane matters in future.

The following is an excerpt from my niece’s weblog. She posted this a few days ago and heads it “Anzac Day”.

The “grandfather” she refers to is my father-in-law. I have read his war diary and it is interesting as well as challenging. Three and a half years as prisoner of war, mostly in Changi. And he stayed positive and hopeful throughout. But always thinking that it would soon be over and he could go home.

This sort of puts into context many of our more petty frustrations and trivial successes!

My niece is a 27 year old doctor currently working in a refugee camp in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand.

So here is her Anzac journal entry.

Anzac Day
I've gone all patriotic.

After reading the transcription of my grandfather's diary, and some changes of plans that allowed me the time, I managed to make it to Hellfire Pass for the dawn service.

My grandfather spent 8 months (of 3 years POW) working on the "Death Railway". He mentions a few places - Wampoh, Kinsayok, Kamburi, Rin Tin - in his diary, and I have been able to place these. He then talks in miles, and my brief calculations make me think that he was based around Sangkhla. He talks of friends dying, and working 15-hour days in boiling heat with no tools. The grandfather of one of our local staff died making this railway; the Thai, Mon and Burmese people are not often mentioned in our Australian memorials.

So, I stayed overnight in the only available hotel nearby, with busloads of other Aussies on group tours (a cultural shock in itself). We left at 4 for Hellfire Pass.

The site is at the end of the cutting through the rock, and you walk down about 200 stairs to get into the cutting. The path was lined with bamboo lanterns and we were each given a candle at the start.

So, at 5am on a humid Thailand morning, I followed a line of glowing candles into the dark of the cutting. 62 years ago the torches that gave the place its name burned here, and 700 of 1000 prisoners died making this short break in the rock. About 400 of us came to remember, and when the Thai soldiers played the Last Post, I admit that the tears came to my eyes.

So, Grandpa, even though you didn't talk about it and, as a teenager, I didn't get to know you very well, I am trying to understand a little what it must have been like.
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Another new starter!!??

Yes it's Olivia Falconer, 8th grandchild, 8:24pm on the 9th. How about that - girl cousins two days apart with mother's day in between!
I'm off to Shellharbour in the morning.
I think I'll do a few chinups while I'm there; that's about it.
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The Chinup Challenge

Just two or three more weeks to "practise" your chinups before the chinup challenge on 23rd (or possibly 30th) May. (Could it rain by the 23rd? We can only hope.)
We will see who has improved the most since we began them at the start of April.
I am tipping Katie, since she is the only one (I know of) who has been working on her chinups in between Monday training sessions!
Go KT go!
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New Starter

"You can always spot the beginners. They can't resist store windows".

Announcing another addition to Team Moore!
Amelie Joy Hall entered the world today - 7 lb 8oz, mother and baby super well.
This is my, and my wife Jenny's, seventh grandchild.
We are still awaiting number 8, which happens to be a couple of days overdue!

There will be photos.
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21 visits per day

It is nearly four months since I started this blog. A couple of weeks ago I added a counter, which tells me we are averaging 21 visits per day.

When you visit you are welcome to write comments. Simple instructions follow.

You can add a comment to a post. Try it now!
Anybody can add a comment to this page.
The process is - decide which post you wish the comment to be added to.
Go down to the end of the post and you will see a comment count (e.g. "- posted by speedygeoff @ 10:26 AM 0 comments").
The last (blue) part is a link to any comments.
Click on the link and just the post and its comments (if any) appear.
Now you can see at the end another link - the words "post a comment" in blue again. Click on it!
If you write an anonymous comment, please include your name so we know who you are.
Or if you are registered with www.blogger.com, you will be able to add a comment under your registered name.

And you can create a post not just a comment.
But you will have to email me (speedygeoff at bigpond.com) first if you want to write posts.
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Cold Weather Running

I much prefer running in cold weather than in hot. It is easier to warm yourself up than it is to cool yourself down. On top of that, Canberra isn’t usually cold in the extreme, although visitors from elsewhere in Australia often seem to think so.

Generally, cold weather makes running easier. Since there is less heat buildup, there is less body fluid lost, and the cool temperature makes running more invigorating. But when the mercury drops down towards zero degrees C, however, we have to start thinking about taking a little care.

Cold weather running tips.
1. Wear a series of thin layers. And close to your skin, you’ll need material that is warm and does not retain moisture.

2. Men, you may be thankful of an extra layer of underwear.

3. Over heating can still occur when it is cold! As you warm up through running, peel off each layer before you start sweating. Too much sweat accumulation will freeze and cause problems.

4. It may be advisable to warm-up indoors before venturing outside. You may walk, jog in place, use an indoor track, or exercise on the machines (cycle, rowing, stair, etc.). Before you start sweating, go outdoors and you’ll have a reservoir of warmth to get you down the road.

5. Start your run going into the wind. This allows you to come back with the wind behind you, and if you tire or get sore, you will be less cold if you have to slow down.

6. If your outer garment has long sleeves it is easier to remove and tie around your waist as you heat up.

7. Consider dividing your run into two sections and ducking inside in between, where you might want to remove an outer layer.

8. Run where there is shelter available. Getting caught in the open in hail, freezing wind and rain, or lightning is no fun at all.

So there you have it. Canberra has not had any cold weather yet this year. But it will come with a vengeance. When it does, be prepared!
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Running Bloggers

There are some really good running blogs on the internet. Many of them are simple on-line journals recording the runner's plans and progress, dreams and achievements, excitement and frustration.
There is a large network of runners interacting and communication via these public weblogs.
You could browse some of them; and many more of you might be tempted to start your own. They are very easy to start up.
If you want to see an excellent example of an active and interesting blog being written by an existing Team-Moore-ese, have a look at the blog belonging to FlashDuck. Not only does she record her thoughts about training and racing, she includes a calendar of events linked to source sites; as well as maps, tables of kilometres run, a list of pbs, and a record of health.
Her enthusiasm is infectious; you will just be swept along.
Well Done FlashDuck!
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ABS Centenary Fun Run

The Australian Bureau of Statistics and its sponsors invite people of all ages to participate in the ABS Centenary Fun Run at 12.30 pm on Thursday 19 May. This is one of the special events marking the ABS celebration of 100 years of statistics. Entrants may race, run or jog a 7.3 km course or walk a 6.2 km course on cyclepaths passing through parkland around Lake Ginninderra in Canberra’s northwestern suburbs. The course starts and finishes in John Knight Park, adjacent to Lake Ginninderra College. Entries are invited from individuals, small teams, schools or organisations.

Entry form and information is on the website

www.lunchstakes.webathletics.com.au/absfunrun/about.htm
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Fine, warm and sunny

I don't think we have ever experienced such a warm and sunny April in Canberra! Beautiful days for running; not so good for the garden though.



Click on the photo to see a much larger version - blue sky, blue lake, Charmaine blending in with a blue top.
Where is winter? Not far away!
Stay tuned for some writing on "Cold weather running". I feel a temperature plummet just may be around the corner!
Canberra - warm and sunny one day; beautiful the next!
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Women's Jogalong rankings

After today's women's jogalong, here are the rankings for Team Moore (members and family) .. official results now available (9 May) - Consie ran a six second pb; Helen was 2 seconds outside hers; Pam only 17 seconds outside her pb despite having run the marathon.

Weston Park course only
01 Maria O’Reilly 24.52 Sept 2003
02 Carol Ey 25.06 Oct 2003
03 Lisa Wilson 25.21 Mar 2003
04 Kathy Sims 25.58 Mar 2003
05 Annette Sugden 26.14 May 2004
06 Michelle Wells 26.36 May 2003
07 Rae Palmer 27.11 May 2003
08 Cathy Montalto 27.17 Sept 2003
09 Helen Larmour 27.24 Sept 2004
=10 Annemarie Calnan 27.47 Sept 2004
=10 Katie Forestier 27.47 Mar 2005
12 Mary Ann Busteed 28.06 June 2003
13 Charmaine Knobel 28.53 May 2004
14 Cate Winning 29.44 May 2005
15 Gabrielle Brown 30.11 Sept 2004
16 Margaret McSpadden 30.21 Aug 2003
17 Carolyne Kramar 30.33 Sept 2004
18 Carolyne Campbell 30.36 Sept & Oct 2003
19 Clare Gunning 30.58 Nov 2004
20 Pam Faulks 31.55 Mar 2003
21 Alison Sims 32.16 Nov 2004
22 Mandy Chew 32.36 May 2004
23 Philippa White 32.41 Sept 2004
24 Amanda Knobel 33.03 July 2004
25 Marian Blake 33.50 June 2003
26 Consie Larmour 37.57 May 2005
27 Judy Blake 47.46 June 2004

Today Cate excelled running 29:43 first up, well above expectations. The other brilliant performer was Helen, now totally back to form again with a time just about equal to her pb of 27.24

Back In Town.
I ran across Susan Hobson "jogging" on the course. She is back in Canberra after many years of living in Perth. Susan is probably the best known of all the people who used to train with my group back in the 1980's. She ran with us for four years then, before going on to the AIS and achieving Commonwealth and Olympic selection.
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