33rd Thredbo National Running Week – January 12 to 19 2013
Thredbo National Running Week is part of the YMCA of Canberra Runners Club program. The program includes a wide variety of activities for all ages, such as swimming, golf, tennis and volleyball. No expertise is required – just a desire to have some fun. The 2013 program is available here.
Deep Space Mountain Marathon, half marathon, 10k & 5k run & walks. Sunday 11 November.
Former Honeysuckle Creek Space Tracking Station to former Orroral Valley Space Tracking Station and return, Apollo Road, Namadgi National Park A.C.T. 6.30am 42.2 km marathon, 1290m of ascent ; 7.30am 21.1 km half marathon run & power walk, 645m of ascent; 8.00am 10 km run and walk; 8.30am 5 km run and walk. Click here for an entryform.
Triple Tri. - Sunday 4 November
Rae Palmer is looking for a runner for the relay team, the last 13k. Must be female & over 50! email her here.
Monday Training at Parliament House: Quickfit Session 1. Participating were Andrew N, Andrew S, Andy, Bronwyn M (new), Christopher, Craig, Eliza, Ewen, Garry, me, Helen, Kym, Sarah, Susan & Tony. Six sprints around our 600m figure 8 circuit interspersed with strength and core work. I am thinking about doing this session one week in four on average, depending on availability of the small oval, on the weather as well. However, the pull-up test we did as we cooled down will be part of our warm-up routine every week, again weather permitting of course.
We wished Susan a great time at New York this Sunday. Also running the marathon there is Lucia. You go, girls! You will blitz it.
Song of the Week. At Friday night's sensational Mumford and Sons concert, there was quite a good support band in Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Here is their latest video clip. "Child".
From http://youtu.be/9UVIlNWCckA
This band has 12 members with a range of ages.
Cross generational rocks. So we were pleased to welcome a new participant to our training group who is "only" 21.
Next Tuesday for YCRC's first Spring Series event, I am likely to bring along two of my grandchildren to have a run in the kids' race.
Having kids around is great. Well, for almost everyone...
Morrison Rogaine
Congratulations to Roger Pilkington and Cathy Montalto who were the male and female winners of the Morrison Rogaine.
Heads Down
Studying the Rogaine map
New York lock-down
Let's hope New York is unlocked again in time for this Sunday's New York Marathon. Let's also hope the organisers were ahead of schedule, as there won't be much activity in the next few days while hurricane Sandy runs its course. Let's hope Lucia and Susan arrive safely in advance of the marathon and get to the start line.
Melbourne highlights
Staying home yesterday with a heavy cold, I was able to watch (and record) an hour of Melbourne Marathon highlights on WIN. Right at the start a close-up of Debbie Cowell in the warm up area; then at the 32k mark of the marathon a good shot of yours truly watching the three marathon leaders coming through, then switching my attention back to the half marathoners going the other way through 5k.
Parlliament House training
I shall dose myself up and get out to Parliament House tonight as usual. Plan A is an entirely new session, I also have a Plan B, mainly for if there are new starters, and a Plan C, mainly if the area we wish to use is not available. Such a nice looking day, it would be sad to have to stay indoors again. Silhouette
Grandson Jarod is 12 years old today. He is the runner in the family. I could give him some of my running shoes, except he is already one size bigger than me!
...and considerably taller than his older sister, too.
A highlight from yesterday's track meet: a 4x100m Australian record for our W75s.
Apparently Matchbox 20 and INXS were playing next door at the AIS last night, but of course the track meet took priority. Tonight I will be attending Mumford and Sons, supported by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, also Willy Mason. Can't go to every concert that's on!
The Moore family at the Melbourne Zoo last week
It was still sore to walk only a week ago at the Zoo. Now I can run again.
Song of the week, from http://youtu.be/-I_T3XvzPaM - "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes". One of the best tracks from Graceland.
Speedygeese Training Thursday 12 October
It rained all day and did not stop for training.
Plan A was to do hill sprint relays for something different but the grass was too slippery and it was too wet to have a standing rest.
So they ran on the foot path next to the flag poles, from old parliament house to new parliament house – very close to 400m with a good (but not too steep) incline / hill.
They ran hard up the hill and jogged down continually for about half an hour. Abi jogged; Yelena did 2; Sarah did 7; Craig 6, and Warrick, Eliza, Verena 5.
Although the hill is not as steep as we had done over the last few week, the extra distance made is a good challenge.
The addition of the usual warm up and warm down laps to make for a very soggy training.
Monday 15 October: Return to Mondays. Sarah, Eliza, Verena, Andrew, Andrew (new), Kym, Tony, Garry, Jen & Craig were at training.
Great conditions – about 20Deg, overcast and a very light breeze.
They ran 400s on the west side grass (beside the road) from north to south followed by a 450m recovery jog back along the path. One slow familiarisation lap, followed by 6 laps in their own time.
Monday 22 October.
Another excellent day for running, with a cool breeze from the south. We invented a new 600m figure 8 circuit from the western side oval, each circuit 100m of quick uphill and 500m of mostly downhill recovery. In 30 minutes of continuous running, Sarah completed 12 laps, Jen, Craig & Ewen 11, Eliza, Susan, Andy & me 10 laps, and Garry did drills up the hill.
Monday is my favourite day again! Monday was always my favourite day of the week, because that was Parliament House training day. It's good to have it back again.
Results from Sunday's Orroral Valley - Females
20k run 9 Kym Chisholm 1.45.02
20k run 17 Eliza Middleton 2.05.50
8k run 5 Jeni Greenland 43.28 Eliza at Orroral
I am indeed back on deck, and today enjoyed a morning training session at Stromlo Forest Park. Running an interval session of 2 x 5 x 200 slow/200 fast were Emma P, Ewen, Yelena & me; Running 4 x 1k with an easy 1k recovery jog were Joel and Andrew S; running half of each was Sacha (new). So good to have fine and sunny spring weather.
I have many results to catch up on; when I get a reasonably complete list they will be published, maybe tomorrow. Some rather awesome results that come to mind are Sarah's all-time PB for 5k - 19:54 in Parkrun #25; Craig's 20 second PB in the Vets 3k track last Thursday night; and Suzi's 30 minute marathon PB in Melbourne last week.
For the last couple of years I have been championing reducing the stride length for people who run at a slow tempo, so that they may work on increasing their tempo. And it works, those who have mastered a faster tempo have reported that they experience a marked improvement in their race times. However, it is obvious that if you can sustain a given tempo, and at the same time increase your stride length, then you will arrive at the finish line sooner again. So is it time to think about how we can increase our stride length? What are the benefits and costs of this approach? Food for thought: here is Jimmy Barker's take on the stride length and on forefoot running: http://runnninginjuries.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/running-foot-placement-and-stride-length.html
Taken when I ran a 50 minute 10 mile cross country race, years ago. Clearly my stride would have been much longer then than it is now. What has changed? (But even before then, I had consciously reduced my stride length when I moved from track to distance running) (I am re-growing my beard to see if that was the secret :-)) (Note the flat racing shoes! I ran my fastest marathons - sub 2:30s - in those shoes)
Vets Track starts tonight. You only have to be 30 years old or more to be eligible to take part. The schedule includes
6:00pm 3000m
7:15pm 800m
8:05pm 3k/5k
I don't expect to make it out there this week, so if that is the case, I will find out tomorrow how everybody went. Good luck!
How to balance speed and endurance? We know that we need a lot of long distance training to improve our times over long distances, but how little long distance work could we get away with, and how much can speed training substitute for it? Here is an interesting article which explores the relationship between long distance training and speed work.
No sitting allowed! Use a stand-up desk at work, for example. Something I hadn't thought of but it makes a lot of sense. For example my lower back which caused some trouble in the old days was often worse if I had to drive a long distance to a race..
Cross Training! Interesting he lists just push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups - the three I strongly recommend.
Avoid over-built running shoes! do some running barefoot on the grass or on sand when you can.
Anyway, being injured, my plan A today is to watch the Melbourne marathon and half marathon, and my Plan B is to run the half. If I do run it keep an eye on the time: I might just aim to double my PB and do around 2:20.12 which coincidentally would be a good time to run in the year 2012!
I must get into some running drills as part of my cross training. It is hard though to do drills when my feet are so sore having been running for over 50 years. Nevertheless here is a good article on running drills.
I wonder, can we oldies do some of these as part of our training? Maybe this year with daylight saving we can extend our training sessions a little and incorporate some easy Veterans-friendly drills? Let's see.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
speedygeoff
2 comments
We had our final Tuesday speedygeese training session yesterday, and we will be having our final Thursday one tomorrow. Next week we revert back to Mondays, for the rest of the year and beyond. Yesterday, present were Colin (on bicycle), Jen (early) and Craig, Garry, me, Tony, Tori & Yelena running multiple Rose Garden loops to see how many we could do in 30 minutes. The loop is 440m around. Tori & I ran 12½ loops in that time; Craig ran 14; Eliza & Yelena 11½. Not sure how many Tony or Garry completed. So good luck to those running Melbourne on Sunday. I head off tomorrow morning and I think I will be just watching the marathon and half marathon. Lack of training isn't my worry, just that I don't fancy causing further or even permanent damage to my foot. Craig will look after the group while I am away; please wish him happy 44th birthday for this Friday. I wonder how clean the bay is these days?
I would like to invite you all to the upcoming 2nd Morrison’s World Street Rogaining Championships in Canberra.
What’s a Rogaine:
It’s easier than it sounds and is great fun. It can be as competitive or as easy as the individual wants to make it.
Basic explanation: Street rogaining is the sport of street navigation in which competitors visit checkpoints around a set course in the quickest possible time.
Detailed explanation: A street rogaine is an event in the streets/paths/tracks (of Yerrabi Ponds in this case) where competitors use a map to navigate and locate checkpoints. The competitors choose which checkpoints they navigate to and then return back to base (Start/Finish Area) in which the fastest competitor wins.
If you need more info, talk to Brett, Nadine and Roger or others that competed in the Morrison’s and/or Pilkington’s Street Rogaine last year.
Although, this rogaine is slightly different to last time: This time there will be a mass start with the first female runner, male runner and walker back to base being declared the winners. The handicap this time will be the more mature that you are, the less checkpoints you will have to visit.
When: Saturday 27th October at 8:15am sharp. Please arrive before 8:00am so that I can go through the rules and maps and explain how the event is run.
Where: Undercover BBQ area in parkland at Yerrabi Ponds - Adjacent to House Number 12 Wunderlich Street, Gungahlin.
What to bring: A watch, pencil/pen and be wearing running /walking gear.
What not to bring: GPS watches are not allowed and you won’t need a compass.
Other info: The street rogaine will take approximately 60 minutes to complete and is a great alternative or supplement to your Saturday morning run/walk. It is an individual event not a team event. The event will again be age handicapped to give our more mature runners a competitive edge. This time the age handicap will be as below:
AgeNumber of Checkpoints
Under 40 20
40 - 49 19
50 - 54 18
55 - 59 17
60 - 69 16
70 - 79 14
80 + 13
Walkers 12
Prizes: The coveted Morrison’s World Street Rogaining Championship Trophies.
(Can last year’s winners please bring their perpetual trophies back on the day or beforehand)
Last year’s winners are also required to do 1 extra checkpoint on the day.
David Baussmann, Bronwyn Calver and Geoff Barker.
Refreshments: At the completion of this historic event, we will provide fruit, some light food and drinks (soft drink and water).
All that you have to bring is friends/partner and the motivation and determination to have your name etched onto the trophy.
Please RSVP by Wednesday 24th of October to brett.nadine@yahoo.com.au or PH: 0416 249 775 so that I know how many maps and people to cater for on the day. I will make up a few extras maps for late comers.
Whatever sphere of life we are talking about, my heart is to see created an atmosphere in which people flourish. Which is why I encourage people to run. I started a series in 2012 called "what is health?". Linked above. Unfortunately it did not progress and I still have not got beyond the introduction. Fortunately though I am healthy enough to say that I shall resume it asap and make it a 2013 project instead. Too many projects! I watched a light but amusing movie last night I hadn't heard of; "Yes Man" starring Jim Carrey. Saying yes all/most of the time may go against the grain but it certainly leads into some exciting adventures. I am thinking of still saying yes sometimes in the future.
Eliza & Lucia's Saturday exciting adventure
Ginninderra parkrun 6 October
Today I was at Stromlo Forest Park where I met up with Abi, Joel & Yelena for some training. Great company, great venue, great Canberra weather, great atmosphere. It was nice to see Emma P and some of her training partners there too. I also saw a very old friend there, John Miller, who gave me some good advice on how to fix my foot injury. we used to race when we were teenagers in Adelaide, and ten years ago he also helped me get fit after injury.
Finally happy wedding anniversary to my son and daughter-in law, Nathan and Lisa. 17 years! We will be seeing them in Melbourne later this week.
Metro Runners 06/10/12 Ann, LauraDLC & I had an easy run in pleasant conditions this morning. The three of us are kind of in recovery mode. There were very few people out running, though I did see a huge peloton of cyclists on Drake Brockman Drive as I headed out.
We ran from Acton Ferry Terminal to the Carillon, where I ran a lap of Aspen Island, and return, a total distance of 6.4k, or exactly 4 miles in the old language.
It is one year until the Australian Masters Games begin in Geelong. Is that enough time to get fit? I hope so. I am starting from a long way back. Again.
ensure other members of your household do not do the same
sleep in
Someone said that Sunday mornings are sleep-in mornings, but they couldn't have been a runner. I shall arrive at Stromlo Forest Park this Sunday morning at 8:30am Eastern Daylight Saving Time. So no sleeping in for me.
For women and girls running the monthly Jogalong this Sunday, not only do they have to remember to turn their clocks forward, they should know it is a new venue from now on : Telopea Park. Good luck!
Don't make the mistake some made when daylight saving was first introduced here, and hold a late night daylight saving party on Saturday only to discover that having an extra hour of daylight didn't involve turning clocks back an hour. This Sunday is only a 23 hour day.
Daylight saving is great because our evening training is so much more pleasant when it is not dark. And long morning runs are effectively an hour earlier, an hour cooler. Win-win.
Last night at Parliament House the whole group attempted 6 x east side loops on 5 minutes. Participating were Craig, Eliza, Garry, me, Jen, Joel, Verena, Warrick & Yelena. Next week we can train on some of the "darker" tracks, and stay out there longer if we wish.
Track season is only two weeks away and some of us are ready to race!
Canberra. Not just politics. Great by daylight, great early or late too
Born Adelaide 1948. Moved to Canberra 1969. Married Jenny 1970. Three children - Nathan Moore, Loani Falconer, and Mon Hall; children-in-law Lisa Moore, Wes Falconer, and Scotty Hall. Thirteen grandchildren - Jackson, Tyler, Charlie and Samuel Moore; Kayleigh, Jarod, Alex, Olivia, Will, and Sophie Falconer; Josiah, Liana, and Amelie Hall.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
speedygeoff
