final workout

Today, on the track in Sewanee, a good final workout.   I imagine the conditions will be similar in MI as they were today here, about 84º breezy and humid.  I got out there about 4:45pm and took my time.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 60m strides 

Puma spikes on 

350m even run from blocks - 47.4 (26, 40) 

3 x blocks starts 

100m from blocks from 400m start - 13

It was my fastest 350m training run.  It might have been one or 2 tenths faster than I logged, so those splits are conservative... I was slightly ahead.  It was right around mid 55 sec 400m pace.  Felt OK.  I really pushed it.  Still think I had enough to finish without rigging but one never knows.  That is the fine line.... too aggressive, rig in the end, slow time.... not aggressive enough, slow time.  Like Gil Roberts in the trials, he fell apart in the end, rigged badly but still finished in second.  Lashawn ate him up in the last 70m, finishing several meters ahead.

Well   ... "the hay is in the barn" ... as much of it as I can fit.   If I'm ever going to PR, this week is my best chance.   All systems go.  Feel healthy and weighed 142.4 lbs after workout.

Weather looks ok for Masters Nationals in Grand Rapids... except for a significant W-SW wind forecast (7-13mph).   It looks like it will be low 80ºs and sunny at race times with little chance of rain.   A west wind would provide a tail wind on the second turn, if it's SW, a tail wind on the home stretch (I think).

I will be arriving fairly early tomorrow so I may go take a look at the track.


The journey
This training season began with infrequent workouts in Sept, Oct, and early Nov, then ramping up to a regular training schedule that has been going on since Nov. 19th.  In the 225 days since Dec. 1, I've been on the track 116 days, more than every other day.  This includes hill and stair workouts, races, but not including weight room days or cross training.   I only took off a significant amount of time from running in May, for 8 days, during which I cross trained on the rower and on the bike.  The early season workout times were only noticeably slower for the last rep in those tempo repeat workouts (like 4x200 w/1 min), but most of the work at my age is just to maintain what I have.  Improvements and PRs are rare and unlikely at this age.

Next
It's always mixed feelings at the end of a season, although with World Championships coming up Nov 1., the off season will be brief, probably just long enough to relax and enjoy the Olympic Games.   It's actually nice that the TN Sr. Games has district meets in Sept. and Oct.  Those I blew off last yr because I really needed a rest after the long season and World Meet.   Considering the frequency of my workouts, my physical health has remained amazingly good since those achy days in early May where I ran that slow poke 100m race in Atlanta (12.42).  I think the Hoka trainers made a big difference on my feet.   I don't intend to let myself slide too far into 'out-of-shapeness'.    I will probably start back to regular track workouts after the Olympics, and in the mean time, maybe just once a week beginning in Aug.

For right now, Grand Rapids, here I come ... I'm ready to rip.