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?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sleep on his Musings with Ralph
A few years ago I had the fortunate pleasure of holding a dinner party conversation with Ralph Doubell. I would usually not know who a guy with his credentials was, however at the time I was associating with a sprinter named ‘Aaron Macarthur’ who never use to stop talking about Ralph this, Ralph that.
So, I had forcibly become aware, even a little interested in who Ralph was, what he had done, and about ‘that’ record. For those less acquainted, Ralph Doubell, still, in the year 2009 AD holds the Australian 800m record set way back in 1968 – yes its 41 years old boys and girls. I think it was an Olympic Gold medal/ World Record at the time (Mexico, whatever). Don’t ask me what time the record is - its a race less than 2 minutes.
Anyway, after I was introduced to Ralph under a marquee in Aaron Macarthur’s back yard, I had one of the most enthralling running conversations in my life - a moment that changed all my views on training and taking advice relating to running from that day forward.
It was clear from the outset of the conversation this guy wasn’t going to tolerate my cheap-shot sarcasm regarding the training habits of sprinters, nor was I going to try it on with an Olympic Gold Medallist (respect, please).
We soon engaged in a verbal tête-à-tête about the evolution (or in his words) lack of evolution in Australian distance running since the mid 1960s. “Australian middle distance runners these days run 70-90k a week in training; we use to run 160k every week, that’s why we ran faster” The other counties train their middle distance runners properly, we don’t [NB Mottram does 160k per week and is a world beater – you join the dots].
Who is coaching them I asked, “well the AIS has institutionalised ‘science-based’ training principles among the Australian middle distance fraternity that just isn’t working, they train too easy and not enough” We use to do an easy 16k run every day or so in under an hour (sub 4 min ks), and then go do endless reps at the track and on sand dunes”.
“We thought bigger in the 1960s, I use to have lunch on Fridays with [name escapes me] and we were talking about running under 1min 40secs for 800m, then we would go training” Today they still want to run under 1min 50 seconds.
Ralph went on to mention “I’m not so popular with the running establishment because of my views, that’s why I work in the finance industry now. People still come up to me and tell me how you should train 800m runners based on all types of sports science, and I ask, ‘so what time do you run as a result of that?, they tell me and I say- “well it obviously doesn’t work does it?” – (I laughed almost uncontrollably when he said this -what posture).
He even went on to name coaches responsible for the Australian middle distance demise, which out of fear of defamation, I will not be naming here*. Let me just conclude by saying that Ralph’s views weren’t that flattering of some big name coaches and the potential results they have squandered over the last 2 decades.
Finally, as we all now know and as a result of too few international results achieved by our distance runners in the last two decades, we now have no AIS distance program, which could ironically enough, allow new ideas to enter the Australian distance running landscape and a return to its 1960s golden days.
Bring back Ralph I say!
*Mr Deek if you are reading, you were specifically excluded from any finger pointing in these discussions in Macarthur’s backyard between me and Ralph.
So, I had forcibly become aware, even a little interested in who Ralph was, what he had done, and about ‘that’ record. For those less acquainted, Ralph Doubell, still, in the year 2009 AD holds the Australian 800m record set way back in 1968 – yes its 41 years old boys and girls. I think it was an Olympic Gold medal/ World Record at the time (Mexico, whatever). Don’t ask me what time the record is - its a race less than 2 minutes.
Anyway, after I was introduced to Ralph under a marquee in Aaron Macarthur’s back yard, I had one of the most enthralling running conversations in my life - a moment that changed all my views on training and taking advice relating to running from that day forward.
It was clear from the outset of the conversation this guy wasn’t going to tolerate my cheap-shot sarcasm regarding the training habits of sprinters, nor was I going to try it on with an Olympic Gold Medallist (respect, please).
We soon engaged in a verbal tête-à-tête about the evolution (or in his words) lack of evolution in Australian distance running since the mid 1960s. “Australian middle distance runners these days run 70-90k a week in training; we use to run 160k every week, that’s why we ran faster” The other counties train their middle distance runners properly, we don’t [NB Mottram does 160k per week and is a world beater – you join the dots].
Who is coaching them I asked, “well the AIS has institutionalised ‘science-based’ training principles among the Australian middle distance fraternity that just isn’t working, they train too easy and not enough” We use to do an easy 16k run every day or so in under an hour (sub 4 min ks), and then go do endless reps at the track and on sand dunes”.
“We thought bigger in the 1960s, I use to have lunch on Fridays with [name escapes me] and we were talking about running under 1min 40secs for 800m, then we would go training” Today they still want to run under 1min 50 seconds.
Ralph went on to mention “I’m not so popular with the running establishment because of my views, that’s why I work in the finance industry now. People still come up to me and tell me how you should train 800m runners based on all types of sports science, and I ask, ‘so what time do you run as a result of that?, they tell me and I say- “well it obviously doesn’t work does it?” – (I laughed almost uncontrollably when he said this -what posture).
He even went on to name coaches responsible for the Australian middle distance demise, which out of fear of defamation, I will not be naming here*. Let me just conclude by saying that Ralph’s views weren’t that flattering of some big name coaches and the potential results they have squandered over the last 2 decades.
Finally, as we all now know and as a result of too few international results achieved by our distance runners in the last two decades, we now have no AIS distance program, which could ironically enough, allow new ideas to enter the Australian distance running landscape and a return to its 1960s golden days.
Bring back Ralph I say!
*Mr Deek if you are reading, you were specifically excluded from any finger pointing in these discussions in Macarthur’s backyard between me and Ralph.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Grand Trifecta for BMMC
Current BMMC Stat Sheet:
- 2008, 12 foot track - Victory and new Course Record (shogun)
- 2009, 6 foot track - Victory and new Course Record (ST)
- 2009, TNF 100 - Victory and new Course Record (Gotta Go)
Reading like a Tiger Wood Resume, the BMMC has taken out all 3 trail running Majors in the last 9 months. The above clearly indicating a new golden era in trail running eminating almost entirely from the Blue Mountains region, including all its postcodes from Mt Vic to Lower Glenbrook. The BMs are obvioulsy a breeding ground for record breaking performances of the trail nature.
To those who live there, train or grew up in the Mtns there were no surprises on the weekend. The performances of the humble Andrew Lee (aka the new DK) and Shogun humbled the biggest names in the sport again on the weekend, including DK himself who stated "its the toughest 100k course he has ever attempted". Note: the BMMC would be happy to sign a poster for DK if he would like one?
Well done to all BMMC memebers who ran, particularly Dr Phil for his gutsy and gritty performance and course photography, and to Prince Donga for facing down the eye of personal adversity with characteristic BMs style. To all crewage and the club house secretary, thanks for the Pizza and ending to a great weekend.
As we say in the BMMC, "If your training on the flats, your not really training"
- 2008, 12 foot track - Victory and new Course Record (shogun)
- 2009, 6 foot track - Victory and new Course Record (ST)
- 2009, TNF 100 - Victory and new Course Record (Gotta Go)
Reading like a Tiger Wood Resume, the BMMC has taken out all 3 trail running Majors in the last 9 months. The above clearly indicating a new golden era in trail running eminating almost entirely from the Blue Mountains region, including all its postcodes from Mt Vic to Lower Glenbrook. The BMs are obvioulsy a breeding ground for record breaking performances of the trail nature.
To those who live there, train or grew up in the Mtns there were no surprises on the weekend. The performances of the humble Andrew Lee (aka the new DK) and Shogun humbled the biggest names in the sport again on the weekend, including DK himself who stated "its the toughest 100k course he has ever attempted". Note: the BMMC would be happy to sign a poster for DK if he would like one?
Well done to all BMMC memebers who ran, particularly Dr Phil for his gutsy and gritty performance and course photography, and to Prince Donga for facing down the eye of personal adversity with characteristic BMs style. To all crewage and the club house secretary, thanks for the Pizza and ending to a great weekend.
As we say in the BMMC, "If your training on the flats, your not really training"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Last week
Mon AM - scheduled sleep in
Mon PM - run 2 laps birdwood Gully steps (9ks) (solo)
Mon Pm - swim 2.5ks with reps (BMMC)
Tue Am - Big Home loop (BMMC)
Tue PM - Run with PIS at River (PIS)
Wed AM - Swim at the Woods 2k (BMMC)
Wed PM - Run 3k with Refs, yes 3k!(NRL)
Thur AM - basic hill run, cut short (BMMC)
Thur PM - Big Home loop, (solo)
Fri AM - Swim 2k (solo)
Fri PM - Run Small home Loop (solo)
Sat AM - Run every singles trail North and West of Glen NP in the Lower BMs (BMMC)
Sat PM - using: excuse 1 (see previous blog)
Sun AM - Run 20k TT with group of 8 in NP (remaing trails in Lower BMs) (LBMDM)
Sun PM - Swim the woods 2k (BMMC)
A consistent approach as per previous blog
Totals: unpublished, as not statistically reliable
Mon PM - run 2 laps birdwood Gully steps (9ks) (solo)
Mon Pm - swim 2.5ks with reps (BMMC)
Tue Am - Big Home loop (BMMC)
Tue PM - Run with PIS at River (PIS)
Wed AM - Swim at the Woods 2k (BMMC)
Wed PM - Run 3k with Refs, yes 3k!(NRL)
Thur AM - basic hill run, cut short (BMMC)
Thur PM - Big Home loop, (solo)
Fri AM - Swim 2k (solo)
Fri PM - Run Small home Loop (solo)
Sat AM - Run every singles trail North and West of Glen NP in the Lower BMs (BMMC)
Sat PM - using: excuse 1 (see previous blog)
Sun AM - Run 20k TT with group of 8 in NP (remaing trails in Lower BMs) (LBMDM)
Sun PM - Swim the woods 2k (BMMC)
A consistent approach as per previous blog
Totals: unpublished, as not statistically reliable
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sleep on Benchmarking Consistency: An Empirical Discussion
Stimulated by discussion on another recent BMMC Blog on the role consistency plays in improvement (see Scambullants recent treatise on C+R= Imp), I started to realise that while everyone understands the relationship between consistency and performance, we all actually have our own definitions of what consistency is.
The word Consistency I believe is one of the most misused words in the English running lexicon. Albeit, while ones person’s consistency is another person’s overtraining (apparently), I thought I would attempt to develop a runner’s bench mark of consistency that could help in the application of this term in relation to running in the lower Blue Mtns – so here goes.
In his book, “De Castella on Running” (a 1980’s running bible to me) the great man himself, Deek, puts his careers success down to being relatively injury free due to “many years of consistent running” – what did he mean? On page 116 he goes on to say he went 1,000 consecutive days of running in his running diary before he had a day off running – 1,000 days!
Or you could read Laurie Lawrence’s book about Australias ONLY Olympic Gold Medal at the 1984 Games, won by a 17 y.o. kid named John Seiben in the 200m fly and WR time from Lane 8!
Seiben said before the race he was just happy to be in the Olympic final, that was before Lawrence got to him seconds before he got on the blocks and whispered something in his ear..... “then I realised I would win” says Seiben, going on to swim past the entire field in the last 25ms of that race. What did his coach say that inspired him? He said “You haven’t missed a training session in 3.5 years”- yep, again more than 1,000 days of training appears to be a standard!
Again, I quote an interview with Haille Gebreselassie the day after he set a marathon WR (2h3m59s) where he said, “I didn’t run this morning as I was a bit stiff”, followed by “ I can’t remember the last morning I didn’t run, don’t worry I will be out running this afternoon, I won’t be missing another session like this morning”.... I am guessing he too is a 1,000 dayer!
You may say, yeah but I am not Deek, Haille or Seiben..... and the answer is “of course you’re not, you probably haven’t done your 1,000 days yet”.
So there you have it, a bench mark of running consistency drawn from undisputable empirical evidence.
As for me this week, the less said the better, I will just ask one question; “excuse me Mr De Castella, does 2 out of 7 days running count as consistent?” (No I’m sure he would say)
The word Consistency I believe is one of the most misused words in the English running lexicon. Albeit, while ones person’s consistency is another person’s overtraining (apparently), I thought I would attempt to develop a runner’s bench mark of consistency that could help in the application of this term in relation to running in the lower Blue Mtns – so here goes.
In his book, “De Castella on Running” (a 1980’s running bible to me) the great man himself, Deek, puts his careers success down to being relatively injury free due to “many years of consistent running” – what did he mean? On page 116 he goes on to say he went 1,000 consecutive days of running in his running diary before he had a day off running – 1,000 days!
Or you could read Laurie Lawrence’s book about Australias ONLY Olympic Gold Medal at the 1984 Games, won by a 17 y.o. kid named John Seiben in the 200m fly and WR time from Lane 8!
Seiben said before the race he was just happy to be in the Olympic final, that was before Lawrence got to him seconds before he got on the blocks and whispered something in his ear..... “then I realised I would win” says Seiben, going on to swim past the entire field in the last 25ms of that race. What did his coach say that inspired him? He said “You haven’t missed a training session in 3.5 years”- yep, again more than 1,000 days of training appears to be a standard!
Again, I quote an interview with Haille Gebreselassie the day after he set a marathon WR (2h3m59s) where he said, “I didn’t run this morning as I was a bit stiff”, followed by “ I can’t remember the last morning I didn’t run, don’t worry I will be out running this afternoon, I won’t be missing another session like this morning”.... I am guessing he too is a 1,000 dayer!
You may say, yeah but I am not Deek, Haille or Seiben..... and the answer is “of course you’re not, you probably haven’t done your 1,000 days yet”.
So there you have it, a bench mark of running consistency drawn from undisputable empirical evidence.
As for me this week, the less said the better, I will just ask one question; “excuse me Mr De Castella, does 2 out of 7 days running count as consistent?” (No I’m sure he would say)
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