Ready?

I think so.  Feeling ready to get back to the track.  Was going to wait til Sunday, but I think Saturday, then Tuesday is a good plan, so I'll have 2 days rest in between and an opportunity to cross train.

Doc didn't seem too concerned about me training as my pain level was not anywhere near where it would be with a torn plantar.  He showed me the right way to attach a metatarsal pad (I was doing it wrong) and with the proper k-tape application, I almost feel like I have a new foot.  It takes away nearly all of the stress and pain, but I'm sure I will have some burning once I start again.

weights tonight, hip flexors, adds, glutes  

2000m row in 8:56.  

I'll probably keep it light and fast the first time back.  Maybe just a few split 400s or something.   Doc prescribed a steroid pac as a precaution.  I probably won't use it unless I have to toward the end of my training in a few weeks.  I did not file a TUE with USADA for the m-predisone, because I will likely use it before I leave.  Doc was against injection of anti inflammatory because of possible weakening of the plantar plate.  He also thought PRP injection wouldn't be necessary, although a colleague of mine highly recommended it.

rower

The cross training begins.  I did intervals on the concept 2 rower tonight.  Putting my feet high in the stirrups put no stress on my forefoot and gave the glutes a good pump.  Foot feels much better now with 3 days off the track, only one track day in 6 days now.  (But before that, I did 6 of 7 days which was too much - Sept 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23).   Still, I can feel an occasional burning sensation but its not constant and I can walk normally without pain.

Hoka trainers on 

Concept 2 rower: 

10 x 500m w/ 2 min rest  - 2 min / ~ 38 spm

I see the doc tomorrow.  The main agenda is to evaluate the extent of my plantar plate / mtp joint damage.   I'm about 90% sure it's not worse than moderate, but that doesn't mean it's ok.  If I tear it completely, that is serious.  (Possible surgery, cast, out 6 mo.).   The reason I don't think it's a serious tear is that I can do a heal raise on that foot with no pain.  I could not do that 2 days ago.  I think if I can get maybe 2 or 3 good track workouts this coming week beginning as early as this weekend, and dive back in for my last 2 weeks before Perth, I might be able to pull it off.  I think I have a decent enough base to do it but will be handicapped since I won't be able to do much top speed work with spikes.

I have a hand timed race in 17 days on (10/16), and I'll make the final determination after that.  I was going to race both the 200 and 400, but probably just the 400.

I called USADA today about filing a TUE for prednisone use.   I may ask for an oral anti inflammatory steroid pack to have in case I need it when I return to the track.  I probably will.  It helped my right foot when I needed it last June.

The only good thing about this injury is that I still have time.  If this happened 2 weeks from now, it would be over.  It might still be, but I'm going to give it a shot.  It would be so easy to sit on my ass and eat pastry, and give it up.  But... that team USA speed suit and team kit is sitting on my dining room table and is the first thing I see when I walk in.

Injury update

I think this metatarsalgia injury is traceable to the previous week where I sought to dive in hard after running a disappointing time at that Nashville meet on 9/17.   I trained 6 of 7 days including an ambitious strength workout on the weight sled - which I suspect exacerbated my injury issue due to the fact that it was a relatively new regime, and the fact that it by it's very nature, requires a lot of forefoot flexion.

I've consulted two foot specialist physicians who treat runners (and are athletes themselves).   One has said that I could could get some relief from both an anti inflammatory oral steroid and/or a 'well timed' anti inflammatory steroid injection, provided that the plantar plate is not significantly damaged.  That can be determined upon my Friday exam with Dr. W.   He may be able to determine that with a Lachman's test, or possibly an MRI.  

I was scheduled to do a track workout tomorrow night but I may opt for the rowing machine instead.

I just received my Olympic team uniform, speedsuit, singlet, sweats, etc...   A real shame if I'm not able to use them.

Dad suggested a taping that may just work.  Frankly, it's feeling much better tonight, not 100%, but better the more rest I get.  If I am to come close to attaining my A-game again with this setback, cross training will be essential.  I'm thinking aqua running in the pool (as much as I hate it), and the concept 2 rower.

Also, Dr. R has said that I may need to request a TUE from USADA for the oral cortico-steroid.  I'll call them in the morning.

tempo 300s

Nice night in Sewanee, low 70ºs.   I took off the weekend due to the sore left foot, and it's still sore but not debilitating.   I went out tonight anticipating taking Tues. and Wed. off from the track.  Will do some cross training tomorrow.  Probably rowing.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 300m w/ 2 min rest - 50, 50, 51, 51.5, 50.5 

200m - 26.75

Funny how 2 days off feels like a long time.   Slightly slower than my previous set of 300s. Alternating ice and spa is effective relieving the soreness.  The right foot that has bothered me for quite some time is no longer much of an issue, and I hope this left foot issue also fades.

144.4 lbs after workout.

metatarsalgia

This soreness in my left foot is metatarsalgia - pain at the ball of the foot. After two consecutive days on he track Thurs and Fri, it has become enough of a problem I may interrupt my training schedule and take Sunday off.  Better to go light this coming week, do some cross training and let this thing heal so I can put 3 hard weeks of training in before Perth in Oct.

Including last Saturday's race, I've been training 6 of the last 7 days, and I'm starting to wear down. Actually, my usual right foot pain has been ok, a bit better.  This new issue has come up the past few weeks.  Probably just an arthritis issue.  I don't think it's a stress fracture because the pain is not sharp or intense.  It is more caused by extreme dorsiflexing the toes rather than just weight bearing.  But it does hurt to do heel raises in bare feet, so I'd better stay off my feet tomorrow and just do resistance bands.   Don't want this to become something that will prevent me from training when I need it most.  Training is painful enough, don't need any extra pain.  Probably wouldn't hurt to see Dr. Willard.

I ordered a forefoot pad that should help with this along with some strengthening and stretching exercises.

more negative split long sprints

My second workout in 14 hrs.  Blazing sun in Sewanee near 80º but feeling much hotter in the sun at 11am ... partly due to that damn artificial turf inside the  track.  I kept it brief...

Hoka trainers on 

350m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 500m - 78 (63, 15) / 83 (66, 17)

Didn't push the last one too hard, not completely exhausted, took about 10-12 min in between.

Need to stay off my feet on my days off.  I'm getting some new pain on the ball of my left foot and some minor swelling.  Not serious but it will prevent me from doing any fall hiking before the World meet.  I need all the recovery I can get.  Right now, Sat and Wed are my days off.

142.8 after workout.  Weight loss has been slow.

negative split long sprints

Summer hanging on in Murfreesboro ... upper 80ºs just before sunset at the Dean Hayes track.  Feet still a little sore from Tuesday's volume so did quality tonight as I will be back out tomorrow.

Hoka trainers on 

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 400m - 59.5 (30.5 / 29), 61 (31, 30) 

300m - 44 (15, 15, 14)

The second 400m, while slower, felt better coming up the straight.  I was still well short of goal on my first one.  Was hoping for 58 (30 / 28) ... but no.  

I'm reminded of what Jim said... at some point, "you can do the same workouts but just not be able to run as fast".   I've been fighting that for 5 yrs now.

143.0 after workout

tempo 300s, 200s

Warm evening in Sewanee, about 80º at sunset and dry, falling into the mid 70ºs.  I upped the volume tonight anticipating a good recovery period during my day off tomorrow.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 300m w/ 2min rest - 50, 50, 50.5, 51, 50 

3 x 200m - 26.2, 26.4, 27

I backed off the speed a little in an effort to stay consistent in speed and tack on an extra.  Usually do 4 x 300m w/ 2 min avg 49ish.

I finished with some fast 200s working on form.  I really need to remind myself to relax.  Dynamic relaxation.  That's what messed me up in Sat race.   Relaxed effort is less effort.

143.2 lbs after workout.

strength

After doing my ab routine at home, I hit the football field to push the sled.  In complete darkness, the stars were awesome and it was a perfect 70º in Sewanee.  I wondered what the sky would look like at night in Australia.

2 x 50 each leg - hanging abs straps with 10lb ankle weights 

8 x 60 yds - 60 lb sled push sprints 

2 x 15 - ham/glute raises with 30lbs 

2 x 40 - calf raises with 300 lbs 

hip flexors, adductors, rows

I don't know what it is about these sled pushes, but they are more fatiguing than hill sprints or stadium stairs.  I had to walk 100m in between each.  Doing 8 was hard, like running 20 stadium stair sprints.  Aerobically, like running a hard 200m and they burn like nothing else, but not where you'd expect it.  Not in the glute or hams but in the lower quad.  My quads were pumped.  60 yds is a good distance, felt fine until the last 20 yds ... then it gits ya.   Quite a burn.

Hope to do this again on Mondays.

4-3-2-3-4 tempo ladder

I did this workout last May and was impressed with the challenge.  It was a butt kicker.  I did it again today with slightly faster times than before, especially on the last 400.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

400m - 65    /  5 min rest between all

300m - 47.5 

200m - 29.5 

300m - 49 

400m - 65.5 

2 x 70m sled pushes

The 5 min rest in between made this a tempo workout, otherwise my times could have been faster. Bringing the last 400m in at 65 was a hard effort, but this workout wasn't as hard as the first time I did it and didn't leave me dead.   Finished off with 2 sled pushes and again, totally amazed at the burn.  It seems to target lower quads around the knee.  You'd think it would get the hams and glutes but not as much.  

I had a sore foot after yesterday's race but and hour nap healed it.  Nothing can heal like sleep.

miserable day

I should have checked the radar before I left.  A solid 2+ hrs of rain, heavy at times, started by about 9:30 am and proceeded up to race time.  I ran poorly, didn't really warm up and failed to execute.  I rigged in the last 40m and didn't save enough.  I fell apart at the end, badly.   Finished in 57.1(h) and promptly left the scene feeling bad.

If I had known it was going to be so shitty, I may have skipped it.  I certainly would not have taken my good spikes and Team USA world meet uniform.  But the weather was not to blame for my poor performance, it was me.  I had run 55.78 (FAT) on that track 2 months ago.  I knew I was in trouble when I hit the 200m mark and felt more tired than I should have.   If I had executed, or even warmed up a bit more, I probably would have been about 56 in my present level of fitness, however, I still have work to do.  It was a good taxing workout.

Also, inexplicably ... I was 2 lbs heavier than I like to race at, 145.5.   Less sugar, more protein.

Wake up call
If I am to medal in Perth, I need to get lean, mean, and conditioned ... which means more foundation, more strength, more speed work, and race modeling.   Something almost every day.  I think my track workout schedule is going to be 4 days a week.  I may need to do 2 days consecutive occasionally to avoid events at the stadiums, but really, I can train every day except Wed.   Can train Thurs in the dark at MTSU.  Don't want to wear myself out, must leave the last week for tapering.

Happy I still have 5 1/2 weeks of training to go.  If I get a workout in the day I leave on Thurs, I will be idle for 3 days until racing starts Monday.  

My leave request for both Perth and Daegu was signed yesterday by my boss.  Good news.

Last meet
Sunday, October 16, will be my last meet before Perth.  The Chattanooga Dist. has finally announced and they will be staging at GPS school which is a decent blue track.   I really need to have a good meet then, 11 days before I leave.

UPDATE:
Guess I shouldn't feel too bad, the M55 British Masters Nationals was won today in 57.56 ... by more than a second.  The M55 200m was more impressive - 24.47 (Logan), 24.68 (Huskisson), and 25.59 (Ilo) were the medalists.

event runs, negative split 400

Still hot in Murfreesboro, mid 80s at sunset and humid. I put the spikes on for some event runs, this time from blocks for the first time.

Hoka Clifton 2 trainers on 

400m warmup stretches, drills 

Puma spikes on 

2x blocks starts on the turn 

300m event run - 40.8 - (13.2, 13.2, 13.4)  

200m event run - 26 

Hoka Clifton 2 trainers on  

400m - 61 (31, 30)

The 300m event run didn't seem as fast as my previous one and the 200m seemed harder than it should have been.  Maybe because I was heavier today, 144.4 after workout.  I ate light today so should be lighter tomorrow.  This was an 'honest' event run, reacting to a beep timer from blocks, (as opposed to a 2 step-and-go).  I still think it could have been a 56 flat time if I brought it home in 15.

I rested a bit and ran a negatie split 400m in trainers.  That felt a bit better, but knowing the first 200m has got to be almost 5 seconds faster, is a bit daunting.  Anyway, more work to do.  Will see how it goes Sat.  I really do hate hand timed meets.

split intervals, sled

Thinking I may not be back on the track til late Thurs with not much time, I went out this morning for a brief hard one.  Discovered an exercise I've been missing for a while.

Hoka Clifton 2s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

split 500m: 300m - 44.5 / 60 sec rest / 200m - 31 

split 400m: 300m - 42.5 / 60 sec rest / 100m - 15 

2 x sled sprints (60 lb - 50m)

Feelin the burn after these intervals, I jumped on  the sled and really felt the burn.   Pushing the 60 lb sled is what I need to do more of.   With only 60lbs, it allows me to sprint and push longer distances, a way better pump than running the hill or even weights.  Next week, I hope to do more of these on Monday.

Important masters meet:
British Masters Nationals will be held this weekend. It is a highly attended event and has been scheduled late specifically to prepare the Brits for Perth.  There are a few significant competitors I'll be watching in my age group that I'll see in Perth.
Results here, probably by Monday.

event run, tempo 200s

Beautiful day in Sewanee, still warm ... low 80s but not humid at sunset.  I had the track to myself.

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

100m and 50m striders 

Puma spikes on  

40m strider 

300m event run - 40 (13, 13.2, 13.8) 

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

4 x 200m with 1 min rest - 30, 30.5, 31.5, 32

I was happy to have nailed my race splits and to come in at 40 flat at 300m. It was on par for a sub 56 pace... but that of course would depend on my last 100m, and I don't know if I'm in that kind of shape yet.  I am doing a bit of a taper down because I'm going to race a 400m at a local Sr. Games event (hand timed) on Sat.  Not many opportunities to race this time of year.  Thought about running the 200 and the 400, but I think I'll just run the 400.  I'm hoping the TN Sr Games schedules a meet in Chattanooga in Oct.   Still TBA.

I may go out tomorrow for a quick set of 4x200m tempo again, then get the blocks out on Thurs for another event run.  This time of year, there are sometimes conflicts with local athletic teams.  So far, no problems.

Getting fit and light.  142.4 after workout.  Almost there.  7 weeks from today is my first race in Perth.

tempo 400s, 200

At the Marist school track tonight, mid 80ºs at sunset but not real humid.  

Hoka Clifton 2s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 67.5, 68, 72.5 

200m - 26

A little less volume tonight, but a good strong workout without killing myself with that 4th 400m rep.  I had enough left to turn a fast 200m.  Felt better afterward than my usual higher volume workouts.  Want to start some fast stuff on Monday, maybe an event run in spikes to see where I am.

Speed endurance ladder

Hot Thursday evening at the Dean Hayes track.  About 90º at sunset.  Hopefully, this will be my last really hot weather workout.  Not exceptionally humid, so tolerable.

Hoka Clifton 2s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

600m - 1:45 

500m - 84 

400m - 64 

300m - 45.5

This is about the same workout I did last yr 8 weeks before Nationals.  However, that workout I ran a few seconds faster in the shorter sprints.   Guess I'm just getting old or maybe I took longer rest.

I'm lighter than last week but I know my body and I think my optimum weight should be 140 - 141 after workout like this.  143.3 after workout.

I was nervous before this workout because I knew it would be hard in the heat.  I may be training in Atlanta Sat and that will be just as hot.

Twice in the past several weeks, people asked me if I am paid to race.  I laughed and said, "of course not."  I marvel at the fact that some people can not fathom the idea of working so hard with no monetary reward.  It's a commentary on our society I guess.

tempo 300s +

Don't like training in the noon day sun, but that's what my schedule dictates this week.  Low's 80ºs but only moderately humid with a breeze at the Sewanee track.  Only a small sliver of shade near the 400m start in lane 8 in which to stretch... otherwise, blazing sun.  I put on the sunscreen and went.  Felt about 10º cooler in the shade but the entire track was sun-drenched this time of day.

Hoka Clifton 2s on 

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m w/ 2 min rest - 47, 48.5, 50.5, 52 

200m - 26.5

Was going to do more but wanted to leave before my foot started hurting.  Otherwise, it felt ok.  As usual, had to dig deep to get that 4th 300m in... the pain threshold was high.  Even after about 15 min after the set, my heart rate was still well into the 130s.   I ran a fast 200m and called it a day.

Season is now over for many of my colleagues not going to Perth.  I was telling John C., I've taken less time off from training this season than LaShawn Merritt.  Most pros take 4-6 weeks off from running.  Longtime masters colleague Ben says he takes 8 weeks off from running every year.   I've been at this since Thanksgiving week 2015.  I took off 9 days in May and 10 days in July just after Nationals.   I think I'll take at least 3 weeks off after Perth and come back slowly.  Then will give me 14 weeks until Indoor Nationals and 18 weeks til Daegu World Indoor.

Finally seeing a little result of my low carb regime.  143.3 lbs after workout.

hills

Did a standard warmup on the track and then to steep part of Roark's Cove Rd for hill sprints after swimming a half mile on Lake Jackson.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 100m hills w/ 90 sec rest - 18-20 

2 x 200m hill sprints - 40-41

These were tough.  I could feel a bit of soreness in left hip and right foot.  May go out tomorrow eve to the track or Tues around noon.

speed endurance + tempo

The weather is finally getting more reasonable, in the mid 70s and drier this evening in Sewanee.

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

split 700m: 500m - 81.5 / 90 sec rest / 200m - 31 

4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 30.5, 31, 34, 33.5 

100m strider

Running out of daylight, I hit the 4x2s without full recovery.  They were a total bitch.

Still heavy, but I know it takes sometimes 2 weeks to see results of low carb eating.
144.2 after workout.

Might run some hills tomorrow.

4 x 400m tempo

'Hair of the dog' at the MTSU track at sunset on Thurs.  80º and breezy.  I failed to complete this workout on Monday, so I tried again today at a more modest pace.  Volume more important than speed right now.

Hoka Clifton 2s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drill 

4 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 72.5, 72, 75, 79 

200m - 26.5

Got it done and am realizing I'm not there yet.  I'd like to drop 3 lbs before Perth.  I was 144.2 after workout, when I should be 3 lbs less.  My daily range (empty to full) is 144 - 148.   At race weight, should be 141 - 145.    

Humbling to see the African women on the MTSU team doing sixteen 400s.   Yes... 16  ....  with about a minute rest around 80.  Keith says they only do that once every 2 weeks.  Brutal.

Got my Team USA race kit from USATF.   It's red like the London Olympic uniforms, although the singlets aren't the hi-tech 'turbo' issue with the holes in the back.  Look good though, better than the blue we wore in Lyon.  I'll have to post a photo.

I think I might do a split 700 on Sat. then run some hill sprints.  We'll see it the track is available.  Football season is upon us.