Occasionally all trains and the tracks they run on need to be upgraded, or like the proposed North-West Metro, you need completely new infrastructure. This week has seen both upgrades to track work (the 400m kind) and new investments in mileage of the track (long run on the dirt track).
Unlike many other NSW Rail upgrades, both upgrades ran ahead of schedule and were delivered before they were required (on race day). Saturday saw the longest ever trip conducted by the Sleep Train: from Glenbrook to the Oaks, out to Nepean Lookout and back, to Woodford to Springwood to Chapman Pde to inspect the BMJ 10k handicap course. Total trip was 3hrs 52mins with an energy repatriation stop at Faulconbridge station.
The second upgrade was to the Train’s track itself. Following laboratory testing on Monday by the Train’s technician, Dr Johnson, a new 400m timetable was developed along with an associated price rise (the pain) per lap.
However, as the Train once said, “if you buy the ticket, you take the ride” and that’s just what happened last night when the Train first run on the Trains new schedule: miles on an ever increasing paces, followed by ever shortening rests, followed by simultaneous moments of clarity and confusion that only a runner understands.
This weekend sees a continuation of the new track schedule and another run over the new track extension, heres to trains running ahead of schedule for all
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Winter Solstice Week
A good week with some tough running
I was pondering what have been the most ideal running conditions in the Blue Mtns in 2009 so far? was it 43 degree afternoons in late January, or was it dark long runs up a muddy fire trail in pouring rain in February? Alternatively, has it been last Saturdays and Thursdays runs in temperatures ranging from -1 to Zero degrees in the early pristine Blue Mtns mornings with 4 thermal layers on?
Well, my vote is that it’s still the rain for me, don’t know why, but with heat you can always drink more and use it as a conditioning advantage, and the cold – well, you get to wear expensive technical thermal jackets and leotards.
But the rain, the rain, man, the rain.....it is the best test of resolve... don’t get me wrong I love it nonetheless, but it tests you the most, it just keeps coming, so it’s my favourite element to train in (or against).
A hard 10 x 1 milers on a bleak Mtns night at Tom Hunter Park last Thursday – absolutely pushed body to its limit just to finish - most miles b/w 5m20s & 5min 30secs, last one blew out to 5min 41secs- but felt unbreakable at the end though almost completely numb from the sleet!
Followed up by a Saturday assault of Glen-to-Wood-Spring (36k hills) in 15 layers of those technical thermals: 38 mins to Oaks, 1hr 5m to helipad, 1hr 54mins to Woodford, 2hr 30mins to Springwood for new PB!! (must of been the two large Pizza Hut pizzas devoured the night before), previous PB of 2hrs 31m was set in February 2009 on a nice Sunday afternoon (35 degrees) so happy to break it in the cold all layered up.
Lactate threshold testing at Homebush with the Professor from Sydney Uni last night, legs stop getting faster at precisely 66 second per 400s. Thumb feels like a pin cushion today.
20k in Nat Park with the young guns on Sunday, then an easy 10k hills that arvo. Run: 140k, swim 4.2k. Still haven’t located the bike.
I was pondering what have been the most ideal running conditions in the Blue Mtns in 2009 so far? was it 43 degree afternoons in late January, or was it dark long runs up a muddy fire trail in pouring rain in February? Alternatively, has it been last Saturdays and Thursdays runs in temperatures ranging from -1 to Zero degrees in the early pristine Blue Mtns mornings with 4 thermal layers on?
Well, my vote is that it’s still the rain for me, don’t know why, but with heat you can always drink more and use it as a conditioning advantage, and the cold – well, you get to wear expensive technical thermal jackets and leotards.
But the rain, the rain, man, the rain.....it is the best test of resolve... don’t get me wrong I love it nonetheless, but it tests you the most, it just keeps coming, so it’s my favourite element to train in (or against).
A hard 10 x 1 milers on a bleak Mtns night at Tom Hunter Park last Thursday – absolutely pushed body to its limit just to finish - most miles b/w 5m20s & 5min 30secs, last one blew out to 5min 41secs- but felt unbreakable at the end though almost completely numb from the sleet!
Followed up by a Saturday assault of Glen-to-Wood-Spring (36k hills) in 15 layers of those technical thermals: 38 mins to Oaks, 1hr 5m to helipad, 1hr 54mins to Woodford, 2hr 30mins to Springwood for new PB!! (must of been the two large Pizza Hut pizzas devoured the night before), previous PB of 2hrs 31m was set in February 2009 on a nice Sunday afternoon (35 degrees) so happy to break it in the cold all layered up.
Lactate threshold testing at Homebush with the Professor from Sydney Uni last night, legs stop getting faster at precisely 66 second per 400s. Thumb feels like a pin cushion today.
20k in Nat Park with the young guns on Sunday, then an easy 10k hills that arvo. Run: 140k, swim 4.2k. Still haven’t located the bike.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Winter is here
Week 3 of return to proper running has also seen Winter in the Mtns turn up. A chilly zero degrees greeted the Animal and I as we set off this morning from the Animals lower Mtns training lair.
Recent activity includes the Great Nosh Foot Race where I managed to turn a 15k race into a 17k exploratory run of the Wakehurst Parkway.
Scurry: I was on the way to setting up a win outside the Mtns to prove it’s not just Fortress BMMC - however a marshal decided I needed 2 more Ks, alas your point still stands......for the time being
Had several doctors appointments regarding Achilles insertion on the calconeous, including an injection – only to work out by myself that simply touching my toes actually does more help than strengthening exercises and drugs- go figure.
Long runs were Wood to Glen to Spring last two Saturdays, and Lower Blue Mtns Distance Men (LBMDM) run last Sunday. Have entered the W2G with an intended G2W warm up before hand
98ks two weeks ago, 112 last week, more this week
9k, 5k, 6k swimming per last 3 weeks
Bike- where did I put it?
Recent activity includes the Great Nosh Foot Race where I managed to turn a 15k race into a 17k exploratory run of the Wakehurst Parkway.
Scurry: I was on the way to setting up a win outside the Mtns to prove it’s not just Fortress BMMC - however a marshal decided I needed 2 more Ks, alas your point still stands......for the time being
Had several doctors appointments regarding Achilles insertion on the calconeous, including an injection – only to work out by myself that simply touching my toes actually does more help than strengthening exercises and drugs- go figure.
Long runs were Wood to Glen to Spring last two Saturdays, and Lower Blue Mtns Distance Men (LBMDM) run last Sunday. Have entered the W2G with an intended G2W warm up before hand
98ks two weeks ago, 112 last week, more this week
9k, 5k, 6k swimming per last 3 weeks
Bike- where did I put it?
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