Pre race day 4/29/11

Looks like I better get used to running the 400m in lane one when running in college track meets. That's where they put the slow seed times. I'm in lane one (...again) in the 400m at the Memphis Invitational tomorrow. I'm also signed up to run the 200m but we'll see if I feel up to it after the 400. There are 2 hours in between events, plenty of time.

Today, a light work out with one main goal, run a 400m with a negative split about 80% effort. Harder than I expected. Went out relaxed and easy ... 31 at 200m, then I brought it home in 30 to run a 61 sec 400. I'd say the first 200 felt like 75% effort while the last 200 felt like 85-90% effort, even though the times were about the same.

Here it is:

800m jog and sprinter school warmup

spikes on

400m - 61 sec (31,30) 75-85%

200m - 26.5 sec - 85-90%

2x100m curve - 13.5 sec 85-90%

3x50m block starts on the curve

spikes off

1 mile jog - warm down

light stretches in the hot tub

Body weight is excellent: 135.8 (about what I weighed at age 15)

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I still am trying to define myself as an athlete. I enjoy running the shorter sprints and need to get timed again in the 100m to see where I stand. If I run the Masters Nationals, because of the schedule, it seems as if I will need to choose between the 400 and the 100. If I run the 200m tomorrow, it won't be as fast as I'm capable of, after running the 400.

Also, I've entertained the idea of long jumping. I was astonished to see how little competition in my age group there is in that event. The National Champion M50 only jumped 18' 7" last year. 16' 8" is the best jump so far this year for M50. It's a stressful and injury prone event but I may at some point drag out the tape and see what I can do. I jumped 21' in high school, which is actually the American record for M50 age group. The thing about that event is that if your steps are on, all it takes it one jump.