Jeff Hunt Blogs from Falls Creek: 2011 Training Update

It’s been great training here at Falls, just like every year. With such a large contingent in attendance, it means there is always someone to run with, whether I feel good or bad. The large numbers can make the sessions a little crazy, with so many people in such a small area, but sticking to simple road rules like keeping left, it works itself out.

Since arriving on the 27^th December, training has really picked up. I’ve come to realize that training follows stages. You start back up after a break, you struggle for a couple of weeks, and then it gets easier. After a few more weeks, you get stronger before your body starts to feel tired from the routine again. A few weeks later everything is as good as it was before your break. Fortunately, I hit the final stage just as the annual trip to Falls Creek began, and everything just seemed to fall into place.

Over the last 6 weeks, I’ve worked back up to averaging over 180km per week and the body has been having its ups and downs. While here at Falls, I will get a further four weeks at 180km+ before beginning my taper for Beppu. When you first get to altitude, your body doesn’t quite know what to make of it. It takes a few days to adjust to running with thinner air, but the body adapts quickly and effectively. Before you know it, you are training as well as, if not comparably better, than when you are back at home.

I’ve knocked out a good long run the last two Sundays, 2hrs 30mins for 38.5km, feeling great, so my fitness for the long stuff is there. My first session at altitude was the Thursday regular 8 x 400m with 200m float, for which I ran a controlled 15:51. A week later, I lowered my “Falls Creek PB” for that session to 15:23, which means I am improving my change of pace (not that it was very remarkable to begin with). On the Tuesday just gone (4^th Jan), I ran the 8 x 1km with 60secs recovery for the first time ever up here – I normally run them off 90secs recovery. I was very happy with the session, as I ran it relaxed and consistent at the back of the lead group that included Benny, Collis, Marty and Shelley, running between 2:55 and 3:00. If I can keep up the consistency and slight improvements I’ve been seeing while I am here, I will depart a happy camper.

Over the next two weeks, the numbers will start to dwindle as people leave the mountain. I suspect I will be one of the last to depart on the 22^nd January, heading home via Canberra to race the World Cross Trial at 7am the following day. This will be my last hit out before my marathon, and hopefully it’s a great confidence booster. Everything is going great. I feel stronger, fitter and faster than this time last year. Deek's phonebook theory is paying off. I have not missed any training unexpectedly for a couple of years now, and this is definitely showing in my training and racing.

For those that may be interested, I thought I’d provide a snippet of a typical week here at Falls Creek. It will look like below, totalling approx 180-190km per week:

Monday:               AM Fitzy’s Hut (16km)
                            PM Baby Aqueduct (8km)

Tuesday:               AM Session (8 x 1km or Mona Fartlek)

                             PM Baby Aqueduct

Wednesday:          AM Spion Kopje (23km)

                             PM Baby Aqueduct

Thursday:               AM Session (8 x 400m, 200m Float or 12 x 400m)

                             PM Baby Aqueduct

Friday:                   AM Tower Run + Baby Aqueduct (15-16km)

                              PM Baby Aqueduct

Saturday:                AM Session (10/10 or 10/20 or 20min efforts)

                               PM Baby Aqueduct

Sunday:                  AM 2hr 30m – Pretty Valley>Langford’s  
                              West>Village (38km approx)

Keep running, and enjoy the Australian Summer.