3x300 tempo, Penn

Perfect day.  Mid 60ºs, bright sun, light N wind.  Last conditioning workout before Penn.  I thought I might try and get 4x3w/3, but no way in hell.   My HR only recovered from 179 to 160 three min after rep 3, so I was done.  Only slightly faster avg than the set I did 12 days ago.  Started rather ambitiously.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 15.78

Hoka Rocket X2s on

3 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 49.54, 49.41, 52.48  (avg - 50.47)

Went back and looked.  I did two 4x300 tempo sets in Jan, then one in March at Marist (PR 49.08 avg) fast Mondo track in perfect weather on 3/3.  I only completed 4x3w3 three times this season, so tall order.   I did complete a 3x3w/3 at the end of Feb average 48.94 with all three under 50.  So, still not fully back but not too far away.  I think that injury I had while stretching on 2/2 was somewhat the start of the problem that plagued me during mid March and Nationals, and that's why I went back to 3x3w/3 in Feb.

Had an amazingly huge weight drop from last night to this afternoon.  I was 146.6 lbs last night at midnight after eating at the school cafeteria, then 140.8 lbs after workout today, an almost 6 lb drop in about 15 hrs.  I was totally FOS.   I think I'm finally past this injury although I can still feel it ever so slightly in leg swings.  

PENN

Weather looks awesome for Penn.  Same as today, mid 60ºs and sunny.   I am a bit concerned about the 100m race, not because for fear of injury, but for the fact I've done zero acceleration or short speed work this season.   I'll go out tomorrow and do a little.  Really be lucky to break 13.1.   

I heard some bad news that the Masters 100m sprinters will again be denied starting blocks, Masters winners will no longer get the famous plaque ... the 'Penn Wheel'.  So, I'll never own one.  Should have really had last years 4x1 wheel considering I had the fastest splits in both relays, medaled in the 100m, medaled in the 4x400 and won the opening leg by a lot, and above all... paid to fly there and paid the cost of 2 nights in a hotel, (where all my teammates drove to the meet).   Alas, it's more about the experience.  

test run

Ran a cautious 400m race in a college meet today, 61.00 - the annual Sewanee Mountain Laurel Invitational.  About what I expected.  Took it really easy on the first half into the wind and probably ran somewhere around 29/32 splits.  Also, my blocks slid back a few inches at the start, officials didn't call it back.  So, didn't really care that it was one of the slowest of my masters career, just happy to finish uninjured and good to go for Penn Relays.  (61.00 would still rank #3 in the world in M60 right now, but it's early).   I finished about 15m behind the back of the pack and ahead of one astonishingly slow kid (about 9 sec behind me).  Weird that it was exactly 61.00.  That's a first.  I ran faster even on that tiny 160m flat indoor track in Feb.   

I knew by my recent workouts that I wasn't in the shape I was in Feb - March.   This is a slow track but in previous years, I'd run 56 here.   If I am to get back to where I was, it's going to take a while.  Not sure I will, as that level of fitness is fleeting, then again, I'm on vacation and not much else to do.  This track will be gone in a few weeks and hopefully the new one installed by end of June.  

I didn't wear my HR monitor, just my watch, and it recorded a max HR of 175 at the end of the race.  I was about 140.5 lbs for the race.  I think the extra lb or two may have made a difference.   

Weather looks awesome for the rest of the week after tomorrow.  I'm planning a tough endurance session on Monday then just something light on Tues.  Penn is Thurs.  

100, 300, pre race day

Went out to do a light workout before my return to racing tomorrow.  Great weather.   70º and partly cloudy, light winds.  I wanted to try out lane 3 for tomorrow's race but I'm thinking they'll combine my 3 person heat with the previous.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

100m - 13.88

300m - 43.62 (28.44, 15.18)

The 300m felt ok.  I was NOT at all spent at the top of the home stretch.  If I pace correctly, I might come close to 60 tomorrow.  I'm really going to try and restrain myself and run the first 200m really easy.  My HR never exceeded 160 during or after this 300m so I'm feeling ok about it.  

This Sewanee meet is just a 12 min drive from my house, so I couldn't resist.   I was put in a 5th heat with two really slow seeds (over a minute) but I'm fairly sure one of them is a fake seed.  "Ben Doverman"  seeded at 71.  Come on...lol.   99% that is a fake seed name (because we don't have to pay to register).  So, I'll either run with just one slow guy or they'll put us in lanes 6 and 7 with the previous heat, which is likely.  Slowest person in the previous heat is 56.6, but if the other guy shows up, I won't be last.  (He's never run under 61 and I beat him by a lot at Sewanee's indoor meet).   

This will be the very last track meet on this 20+ yr old track that is badly in need of a resurface.  The new track is going in next month but it may take much of the summer to get it done.    Fortunately, I'll be off for most of the summer from racing.  Probably won't race after May.   We'll see.  I can train at St Andrews.  Unfortunately, no shade or bathrooms there.   I'm a little nostalgic about seeing the old track go that I've been training on for 14 yrs.   It's not the fastest track but it's soft and good to train on.  

I'm really happy with the way the injury is healing.  I can barely feel any issues at all when stretching.  I should be good to go for Penn on Thursday but really need this time trial to get my bearings for a 400m in my present state of fitness.     

Not going to be really light for tomorrow's race, definitely over 140.  140.5 lbs after workout.  

3x300,200 tempo, meet Sat?

Rain ending, with thunder, wet track, low 60ºs and with a SW wind.  Not idea conditions but I needed a conditioning workout, and I made an attempt at a 4x300m w/ 3min.  Pulled up 100m short on last rep.  Ran these conservatively.  All 300s about 51.  Last 150m was into the wind.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

3x300m, 200m w/ 3min rest - 51.16, 51.27, 51.87, 37.04

I started the last 300m in just a fast jog because my HR had only recovered to mid 150s after the 3rd rep.  I bailed after a 37 sec 200m.  If I had finished the last one would have been 55ish.  Despite the slow conditions, really quite a come down after completing my first 4x300 avg  49.66 sec nearly 3 months ago in Jan.   Just shows how fast peak fitness goes away.

Here are the HR stats:

Second graph shows running cadence and HR.  (upper orange lines - running, lower - walking, gaps - sitting).

Detail: HR peaks all in the mid 170s during or shortly after runs.  Peak for session was after 3rd 300 during recovery at 181, a full 45 sec after the 3rd rep.   Lowest HR during recovery periods: 1st: 129, 2nd: 146, 3rd: 153.    To run a decent set of 4, I probably need to get my recovery HR below 150 before the last rep.  Note: the HR was over 170 for a total of about 4min.  

Weight is coming under control.  140.2 lbs after workout.

Last night I did stairmaster hill program on level 16 for 17 min.   I was mostly in the 153-164 HR range.  Peaked on the last hill at 173.

Race Saturday?

My annual local college meet is Sat.  I signed up.  I'm probably not in shape to break 60 sec, but after two days off from runni g this week, my injury feels about gone.  I may do it just for the workout.  Shouldn't be a risk.

 

 

2x300,200, 60s

 First warm day for a workout, variably cloudy, mid 70ºs and windy.  Did a conditioning workout today as I took limited rest between my long sprints.  Was going to do a 3x3w/3 but I started too fast and ran two, then a 200m.

Stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.50

Hoka rocket X2s on

300m, 3 min rest, 300m, 7 min rest, 200m - 46.32, 48.17, 28.51

3 x 60m (first 2 rolling, 3rd from the line) - 7.78, 7.48, 8.10

I felt I should do some short speed so I ran a few 60s, the first cautious and the second, hard.   Ran one from the line from a crouch.  Could use some work on my acceleration, something I almost never work on.  

Here's the heart rate data from my optical arm sensor (certified as highly accurate by Engineer Joe E. Page).   I knew I wouldn't get 3 because during my 3min recovery, my HR only went down to 150.  Note the spikes shortly after each interval where max HR was recorded during the walk back.  (You can see it more clearly on the second graph that shows both HR and running cadence).  Not real confident with the cadence indicator, probably some latency.  They make a shoe pod for a more accurate reading.  My highest HR was 185 after my 200m during my walk back.   That's the max I've yet recorded.    

Afterward, went for a hike, now at the peak of wildflower bloom.  It was good.  Needed to lose a few lbs.  I've definitely gained a 2 lbs.  I can feel it, but can correct it in a few days.  Definitely not in the aerobic shape I had attained by early March.  Can still feel the injury a little so may take 2 consecutive days off from the track.  

140.7 lbs after workout.

Purple Phacelia wildflowers at the peak.  

Penn Relays

Still need some significant conditioning work to race a 400m.   The Thursday Masters Penn schedule is ridiculous: 

11:58 - 4x100 

12:26 - Masters 100 

1:00 - 4x400

At least I'll only have to warm up once.  They want me to anchor the relays, which is a lot of pressure, especially in a close race.  I've always had nightmares about losing a 4x4 as anchor.  Has never happened, hopefully it won't.  We should be considerably behind the top team which is pretty much an all star team.  Actually, would much rather get the stick at anchor behind than ahead.

2x100, 200, 300

Cool and windy today, partly sunny and about 60º.    I did some uptempo sprints with long rest in between.   Need both conditioning and speed.  This was just sort of maintenance.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

100m - 14.10

Hoka rocket x2s on

100m - 12.88

200m - 26.97 (12.81, 14.16)

300m - 43.51 (13.68, 14.10, 15.73)

A gust of wind caught me in the last 100m of the 300m, but it was close to race pace.  Max HR was 181 several sec after the 300m.  Max HR after the 200m was 171 but it seemed to take a long time for my HR to come back down afterward to below 130.  I had to sit to get it down to 120; while walking, it stayed over 130 for 10+ min.  These were pretty hard effort sprints, ~ 95%.

Next workout will be a tempo set on Sunday.  Should be sunny and 70º. 

Equipment test

This is not my data but a test comparison of the Coros armband heart rate monitor and a Garmin HRM Pro chest strap.  Pretty close in performance.

3x300m tempo

 My first tempo workout in a month.  Back to the 'unholy trinity,'  3x3w/3.   Cloudy, 59º, wet track, rain threatening, and strong winds from the SE giving a stiff headwind in my last 100m.  Finally a conditioning workout.  Conditioning goes away fast.  This was comparable to what I was doing in Dec.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

100m - 15.72

Hoka Rocket X2s on

3 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 50.23, 50.59, 50.94 (avg 50.58)

Went fairly cautious, just wanted to get it done, and with conditions not so good, wasn't worried about the time.  Set a pace beep at 51 (3x17) exceeded it and stayed fairly consistent.  Wasn't so tired at the end that I couldn't sprint the last 100m into the wind.  

The hamstring is sore when I put the massage gun on it but not while running.  Feeling generally more healthy overall. 

Data from the Coros monitor:

Interestingly, my HR reached max at 180bpm 5 seconds after the first interval.  Recovered to 130bpm after the first rep.  Second rep reached a max HR of 170 3 seconds after the run.  Recovered to 146 after the second rep.  Third rep max HR during the run was only 160, but peaked at 178 20 sec after the run.  Confirms what I've thought, always feels harder just after the run, not during.  Interestingly, my highest HR during any of the reps was on the first one.  It took almost 12 min for my HR to drop below 120 when finished.  Also interesting to see stride cadence.   I'm usually about 245 in a 400m race, max for this set was 234.   Maximum stride length was 5.94'.  In a race it's usually about 2m (6.56').  Not to get carried away with this new data toy, but it's interesting.  Not sure how accurate the stride length reading is.  (They make a shoe attachment for more accurate measurements).  

140.8 lbs after workout.  Weather looks good after Friday, summer like by the weekend.  Maybe I'll take the boat out.