Long speed

Back to Sewanee from Atlanta and back to work.  I usually like to rest and even take a nap after the long drive but with rain coming, I hit the track around noon.  Light rain started just as I began my workout.  Temperature was good, about 60º.  

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

500m - 79 (64/15) 

400m - 62.5 

Heavier rain was coming so I took less than 10 min between reps.  Was a good pump.  A little suffering but not too much volume.  I have time tomorrow and I may go out and do some short speed work.

Ate a lot this weekend, and my weight is up a bit, 144.2 after workout.

Thoughts 
I was pretty embarrassed by running 57.5 last weekend.  I really felt my training was going well and had run 56 flat on a much slower track just days before in an event run.   The wind was daunting and everyone ran slower.  A kid I raced at Emory, who just barely beat me by a few tenths (55.4) also ran over 57.   I shouldn't let it bother me but I wonder if I've reached a point of diminishing returns in the 400m, as I did racing so much in '14.  The 400m race requires not only physical prep, but a mindset of mental toughness to tolerate the pain, precise execution, confidence, and a well rested body.   Running a 400m race every weekend, or even every other weekend for a masters, can beat down a person's spirit and body.  I'm feeling a bit gun shy to race a 400m Friday night, but it's just once a year I get to do this at home on the track I train on.  It's not a track that generally will yield competitive times, so I'm undecided.  I have a WL mark in the 400m, I would really like to post a sub 25 in the 200m before Nationals.  I ran 25.30 - 2 yrs ago at Sewanee after a 400m, in a meet 2 weeks after a ham tweek.  A sub 25 on this track might be possible if the wind cooperates ... and if I bring it.   Right now the weather is questionable.  Forecast is low 60ºs, 40% chance rain, and a 10mph headwind.   I've never seen them turn the start around for wind at this meet, but maybe I could email the timer.

Plenty of opportunities to race this season, but to make the most of every event I wonder if it makes sense to run just one race per meet rather than a double... but then again I think of that shining double I pulled indoors at Vandy 15 months ago:  55.11 and 24.80 ... with a sore ham no less.  I'm even tempted to have fun and run the 100/200 Friday.   I have to decide by tonight but leaning toward the 200/400 double because I think I'm going to take some time off and wait 3 weeks before racing again, or at least before racing a 400m again.   I've been on the track ... including meets, 54 of the first 102 days of this year.  I don't think I've taken more than 2 consecutive days off from the track since last year.  On Sunday, still recovering from a bad fall, I felt pretty beaten.  Today, I feel much better.

Tomorrow, I'm going to put the spikes on and work on my start, speed, and form.   I've come to realize a huge difference in track configurations.   Most new and modern wide radius tracks have the IAAF standard -  broad sweeping turns with 84.4m straight.   Sewanee's track is old school, I think it's an equal quadrant track with tighter turns and a longer straight - turns and straights are 100m.  It might be faster for a 200m than a wide radius track.  It's a pretty rough and porous surface, mushy n' slow as far as tracks go.  I think I'm going to include a few 3/8" needle spikes in each shoe (recessed in the risers) for the meet.  Have had good success with these in training.

Lesson learned
One thing I learned in the Berry meet: I have to get out hard.  I must run at least mid-low 26s for the first 200m or there is no hope for a good time.  It's going to hurt in the end no matter what.  This is never "a run"... it's always "a sprint".  It's the 400m dash, not the 400m run.

So... what to run this Friday?