blazing away with a 29 second 200m in a 5000m race

With 6 foot only 3 weeks away, I need to get onto some hill reps soon, and have about 14-18 days to get some more runs in, but don't want to do anything too extreme. Main thing is to get to start line with minimal injury issues, and enjoy the race, avoiding the sweepers, and maybe I can go sub 6 hours on the day....
was hoping to get up to Darlington for a run with the C-team, but didn't get there, lack of petrol money was one of the reasons.
Finishing the 6 foot track... 45km in the blue mountains in under 7 hours, has been a major goal of mine for about 6 years, hoping I can make it in 21 days time.

Sunday 20th December 0800;
Ran 5x1km hill reps HR's 150-171, with 1km recovery run in between each rep.
54m of ascent and 16m of descent on each hill rep. Total elevation for session 270m.
Times; 5.11 (HR-??), 5.08 (HR-165), 4.50 (HR-171), 5.50 (HR 150), 5.22 (HR-162).

Found this really easy compared to when I did 3x1km hill reps in early January.
Worked hard on the 3rd rep to be only 8 seconds off my best time for this course.
Took it easy on the 4th and 5th reps, and I could feel the work on my calf muscles on the 4th rep especially.
Overall thats good news that I am getting stronger hill strength wise, but its obvious I need tougher steeper hills than this. The Lesmurdie run 2 weeks back with over 400m of elevation must have paid dividends. So Ive got 2 more weeks to try and find some steep hills again. Stirling Ranges would be ideal, but I dont think I have the time or money for that. The hills near Nanga will help a bit on the Moneghetti camp next weekend, but I still need more...
So a good session this one, but I think I need something a lot tougher...Have to head for the Darling Range as soon as I can...

Friday 18th December 2011 2000hrs;
Ran 5000m track race in 23min 31 secs HR 174 at end. 1k splits 4.05 /4.52/ 5.03 /4.55 /4.36
Hit the lead just before 200m mark, and was surprised to take only 29 seconds for the 200m this time, compared to 32 seconds on 10th December 2010 (the last time I raced a 5000m at WA Athletics Stadium). Managed to stay in the lead until about 250m or so maybe close to 300m, so my wife and 2 young kids got to see me in front, cos they all came to watch. I know it was a very exciting night especially for 3 year old Jacob to be there. It was a tough mission to get all 4 of us there, but overall I think our whole family enjoyed the experience, and are better for having been there.

Top 5 all in the 14 minute realm, and Raf Baugh was a close 3rd.
1 See, Marc SSN 14:38.6h 2 Heywood, Ethan SSN 14:44.4h 3 Baugh, Rafael AWA 14:46.7h 4 Bruins, Thomas UWA 14:54.6h 5 Busi, Roberto AWA 14:59.9h
See HERE for full results...Cody and Gerry had to settle for 6th and 7th in 15.25 and 15.51. Paul Mitchell there for 8th in 16.09. Four DNF's. The lead pack was large and aggressive, partly due to my pacemaking efforts maybe??? Possibly some photos coming on Codys blog maybe...

In an 800m race just before ours; Chris Deboer (I remember when he first started making state teams many, many years ago, when I was competing for the UWA club) got beaten by a Canning Districts runner Jace Collingridge in the 800m in 1.49!…

Anyhow back to my race. First 400m was 75secs (200m splits 29/46), and by 400m most of the field had passed me. I think I can run 200m in 27 or quicker on that fast track, maybe quicker, as I had some troubles getting my watch to start early on and lost a second or so sorting that out in the first 100m plus just feel I could find a bit more…However I think we had about a 2.6m tailwind in the front straight so that might have a bit to do with it. Still amazing at almost 37 years of age with an awful technique I am getting close to the 26.9 200m I did at interschool sports in 1985 as an 11 year old. So basically a great first 200m, hung in there ok for the first 1k, then struggled to hold together just under 5min per K, and couldn’t hit the 1.45-1.50 400m splits I needed to threaten my 21.49 5000m track PB. Solid kick for the finish with a 4.36 last 1k (last 400m 98 seconds), without really going for broke.
No full blooded kick to the finish = low finishing heart rate of only 174. Partly due to trying to avoid a stitch.

Overall its a mediocre run, but all I can expect with only the 2 slowish 500’s sessions in recent weeks. If I want the time I have to get some track sessions done. Nice to dip under 4.45 per K anyhow despite not really being ready to race. Just sick of spending the whole year not showing up to race cos I don’t feel ready physically and/or not well trained enough.

Listened to a lot of aggressive speed metal on a Deliverance compilation album(A decade of DELIVERANCE which features the previously unreleased track Rescue) a very hard to find but legendary song! which didn't make the cut for the WOOW album, and some aggressive industrial music (Fearful symmetry)(Black (in the alone), especially reminds me of the classic Deliverance speed metal pedal to the metal attack), while cranking out one of my best days at work so far in the new job (since November) today, so I was in an extremely aggressive racing mindset, and so very mentally ready to race. Managed to delude myself into thinking maybe I could run in the 21’s but reality set in at about 700m-2k, when I realised the spirit was willing but the weak body was not ready as usual. Plus was keen to see how Raf went.

Still glad I showed up, and very beneficial I think for our whole family to be there…hopefully next time I will have a stack of good track sessions under my belt. Nil injury issues also a good sign. just over 3 weeks until 6 foot, Moneghetti camp fast approaching, and maybe in late March or later I can finally post some good times/challenge the PB’s. But for now good just to get a solid race done…

Monday 14th February Ran 8km in 39min 57 HR 180 at end.
4km splits; 19.56/20.01
Nice to smash the 40min barrier for 3rd time on this hilly street circuit.
More than a minute off the course PB I did in December of 38.40…but one of my best runs this year for sure…
heart rate pretty high at the end, after kicking strongly for home in the last uphill km in an attempt to sneak under the 40 minutes. Mission accomplished by 3 seconds.
Started with 4.30 in the first downhill K, and lugging my 82kg spare tyre along seemed hard…The 60-70% humidity resulted in more than 1kg of fluid loss (mostly sweat) during this run.
Managed to find a 4.10 K with a tailwind on the nice flat section, followed by a 4.35 into headwind on the flat section, which gave me a 5k split of 24.35 battling headwinds in the second half of this run, but managed to get under 35.30 for 7k which was my hastily devised target time with a 35.24, so I knew I was half a chance to get under the 40, and kicked hard for home with an uphill 4.33 last K… Pleasing run…

Celebrating my promotion from waitlist to confirmed entrant in 6 foot with some better runs this week…...