Last training day

It started 9 months ago on Nov. 1st with a 6:55 mile run.  Still suffering from pubalgia symptoms at the time, I was wearing a hernia support belt and long tights.   A week later, 800s on the track and by Nov 18, my first workout with spikes - 400m repeats - averaging only about 80 sec.

Tonight, my training season ended well... under a full moon on this last day in July at MTSU's Dean Hayes Track.  It was warm and humid, mid-80sº at dusk.  I was sweating hard after warmups.

I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do tonight at first, but I decided I needed more education.  Never enough.

I always train in lane 2 or 3 so I decided to do a race pace 400m in an outside lane just to get the feel of it and the reference points.   I remember how disorienting it was to run at Vandy in lane 8, so I set my blocks to the 400m start in lane 7.  After warmup, I put my new spikes on and did some short striders, a blocks start and then walked the entire 400m in lane 7 going over my race plan.

I was nervous.  What if I ran a disappointing time?  What if I rigged up?  I decided I needed to give it a go.  I set my timer to 27/28 splits (55).  Starting from blocks with a beep command, I hit the first 200 just under 27, call it 26.75.   I attacked at 220 meters, well into the turn and hit the third 100 mark on split at 41 sec.  My last 100 was about 14.5, bringing me home in about 55.5.   That is about as fast as I can run.

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

Puma Evospeed spikes on 

400m - 55.5 (~26.75, 28.75) 

blocks starts on the curve 

200m - 26.5

Note about the training times I post here.   These times are only estimates with about a 0.5 sec margin of error. My beeper works only in whole seconds.  If I'm a step off the beep, it's about 0.50, a half step, 0.25.... just estimates.

The new spikes feel great.   At first I thought they were too tight but after a workout, they formed perfectly to my barefeet.   None of the crowns broke, they're perfect.   I'll save them for races on good tracks.  (Not the Murphy Center!)

Inventory:
At race weight now, really eating light.  138.6 lbs after workout.  Everything feels fine.

Tomorrow will be a day off.  Fly to Chicago, should be at the Hyatt in Lisle tomorrow, probably by around 9:30pm.  The 400m prelims are at 3:00pm Thursday.  It's forecast to be very hot, about 93º at race time.