300, 200, 100, 50s weight pulls

 Did a quality workout tonight, mid-70ºs and sunny late afternoon, light winds.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.10

Hoka rocket x2s on

300m - 43.71 (13.34, 14.56, 15.81/ 27.90, 15.81)

200m - 26.93 (13.17, 13.76)

100m - 12.85 (6.32, 6.53)

Hoka Rincons on

2 x 50m weight pulls with 90 lbs ~ 12.5

Was pretty hard and reminded me I'm not in 400m shape.  I did go out too fast in the 300m and my splits slowed about 1.2 sec in each subsequent 100m and I was almost rigging by the end.  The 200m was better, more balanced, last 50m was about 7 flat.  100m was ok, tried to run tall and put down good ground force.  All sprints were 3 step rolling.   

Was pretty tired by the time I hooked up the harness, was going to do 4x but I was running out of daylight so I just did 2x.  

Trying to eat better, still not really race weight.  142.5 lbs after workout.  

 

200, weight pulls

Tried to get a track workout in Tuesday but couldn't, not recovered enough from Sunday's run in spikes and Monday's gym workout that included weighted squat jumps.   I had limited time due to an approaching storm front so I thought I might just do a split 400 (300, 100) then some weight pulls.  I got 200m into the 300 and shut it down.  Just hurt and felt sluggish.  So, I tried out my new steel cable I made for the weight pulls.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m

Hoka rocket x2s on 

200m - 29.80

4 x 40m weight pulls with 90 lbs ~ 9.59 - 10.5

I was encouraged by my sub 19 sec 150 on Sunday, but I did it in spikes and looking back to '21, I was running this fast in trainers, twice in fact in the same workout, after running a 57.8 400m.  I look back at that workout grid from '21 with amazement now.  No wonder I had the world lead in the M60 400m that yr.  No wonder I ran 56 twice and 2:18 in the 800.   I think that if my body could have withstood the pace I was training at in Jan - early March, and I hadn't reinjured that proximal ham on 2/2, I might be a least closer to that by now.   It drives home the point that there is a big difference in being 'regular fit'... and being 'super elite 400m fit.'  Now, I'm just regular fit.  Maybe not even that.  I've notice my resting HR is about 10bpm higher than it was back in Feb. and when 400m fit.   Most masters athletes have no idea what it's like to push to this highest level of fitness...  a place that I really don't think I could get to just running the short sprints.  V02 max doesn't come easy for me.   And, it's a fine line to pushing it to the max and overtraining.   Surviving the training is #1, and I failed in that this spring.  Now, I've also gained that hard-to-lose 3 or 4 lbs.   Was eating much better when Roya was here.  More salads, vegetables, variety.   Back in March, I was really disciplined with my diet.  I had visited Trader Joes in January, bought 4 lbs of my favorite chocolate, and never opened a single piece til I finished Nationals in March, which was a bust anyway.  

143.9 lbs after workout and same this Wed morning.  

Today, going to do resistance at home, abs, upper body, hip thrust machine and rest my feet and legs.   Tempted to do a bike climb to burn some calories, not sure.   Weather looks good tomorrow. 

Here's the weather front I was up against yesterday.  It wasn't as severe when it passed:

2x150, 60s, blocks

Perfect days and quiet.  School's out.  Mid 70's, party cloudy, calm winds, dry.   Brought my spikes.  Did some speed, sprints at full effort.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 13.69

Hoka rocket 2s on

150m - 19.59 (6.51, 6.34, 6.74/ 12.85, 6.74)

Adidas spikes on

150m - 18.93 (6.26, 6.05, 6.62/ 12.31, 6.62)

Starts from blocks - reaction time ms: 234, 145, 180

3 x 60m from blocks - 8.03, 8.12, 8.03

Full out sprints.  I did achieve my goal of breaking 19 in a 150m, but was pretty disappointed with the 60s.  My top end needs work.  I should be able to break 8 in a self timed 60m in spikes from blocks.  Was a bit tired after the 2 full out 150s but still.   Plan is to continue with the weights and strength work, add some squat jumps with dumbells and some box jumps.  

Short game needs work.  

Trying to get lighter.  143.1 lbs after workout

resistance

Finally, a meaningful gym session.  This next week will be good for the gym because it will stay open late til May 20.  Students will be gone.  I think this is what I've been missing and need right now.  Instead of doing just conditioning on the rower / stairmaster, then a token set of weights, good to choose a few lower body exercises and multiple sets and then everything else at least twice.  

Tonight I focused on dead lifts and hip flexors.  I used light weight for the dead lifts, just 130 lbs, and did them in a really controlled manner 10x, down slow without letting the barbell touch the ground, almost like a 'good morning'.   Then 4 sets of 20x on the hip flexor machine with the stack of 150.   This is the machine I used to stack weight on for glutes.  I'm going to try and get those dumbells again because the stack of 150lbs isn't really enough for a glute workout, although it's ok for hip flexors.  

I need to do this type of workout at least 3x a week.  Will be back on the track Sunday.  

3x300m tempo, 150

Beautiful day after a night of severe storms.  Mid 70's, dry, W wind, sunny.  Last night there were numerous tornado warnings but absolutely nothing here, moderate rain, not even much wind.  At my other house, it came within inches of flooding.

Today will be my last day on the track til next week so I wanted to do some good conditioning.  I may be able to do a hill workout on pavement on Sunday.  I wasn't sure I would be able to complete this workout in my present shape, but I did.  And surprisingly, the foot and body felt fine during the 'unholy trinity' 3x3w/3.  Tacked on a hard 150m afterward.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.47

Hoka rocket X2s on

3 x 300m w/ 3min rest - 50.65, 50.44, 51.38  (avg 50.82)

150m - 19.91 (6.52, 13.37)

It was very hard and about the same speed as I had run some of these in Nov-Dec in the preseason.  Right after Penn, 2+ weeks ago, I did this 3x3w/3, 0.35 faster.  So, I'm in nominal off season shape. 

Weight better, 142.3 lbs... still not competition level.  

Heart rate is weird, reached a max 177-179 near end of every rep.   At the end of each rep, min recovery HR was 125 after 1st rep, 139 after 2nd rep.   Most oddly, max HR during 3rd rep was just 167, fell to 142 in 35 sec while on my knees, but jumped to 179 25 sec afterward as I got up and started walking back.  

I asked my friend Gary about this.  He's a cardiac surgeon (does heart transplants), and is an endurance athlete, age 67, a swimmer.  He said this phenomenon is due to the fact when you suddenly stop running, blood pools in the lower extremities and causes the HR to increase for a brief time while walking or standing, working harder against gravity.  I believe this is true because after an interval, completely exhausted and high heart rate, my HR recovers much quicker in a sitting or squatted position.  I noticed this even several minutes after my set while casually walking... my HR was about 142ish, when I grab the fence and squat with my arm above my head, HR goes to 126 in less than 20 sec.  And... the reverse happens when I stand up to walk.   HR is funny.   Gary also said that if HR does not recover a minimum of 12 bpm 60 sec after a hard interval near max HR, you are at risk of a heart event or sudden death.  I'm ok there.   Weird though that it goes up so high after initially going down.   Haven't ruled out the fact that the equipment is inaccurate.  

2x200, 150

Yesterday Tues, mid 70ºs, mostly cloudy with a light S wind.  I ran 3 up tempo sprints with long rest, not all out but close, thinking about form.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m on turf - 14.80

Hoka Rocket X2 on

200m -  27.68

200m - 27.31

150 - 20.31

It was much harder than expected, probably due to my detraining.  Just shows how fit I was at one point and how long and hard it was to get there.   Perhaps the addition of a few lbs of body weight has made this a bit harder on the body.   Most interestingly, the first 200m seemed way harder than the second.  HR hit 173 but only 167 on the 2nd one, although the second one was much faster.  The first 100m on both 200s were almost the same (13.29, 13.31) but the second 100 was faster on #2 (14.39 vs 14.00).  That I think resulted in a difference in form, relaxation, and pacing.

Also,  I have been cross training.  Did Stairmaster and one set of weights on Monday night.  Stairmaster was a good sweat, pushed HR to 177 on the final sprint.  Thinking about resistance and a bike climb today.

With no racing firmly planned, I may continue detraining and go to every third day on the track.  I will go again on one day off tomorrow and see how it feels.  Maybe I'll try for a 3x3w/3.   Probably not in shape for that.  

Heavier: 143.5 lbs after workout

One thing I've noticed is that if I am going to maintain an every-other-day training regime (which is not really necessary in the off season), I'll need to have a day of complete rest in between for my foot and joints to recover.  No biking or stairmaster.  Swimming and light resistance ok.

300s, 50

Feeling heavy and detrained, I hit the track after a sedentary day yesterday.  Warm, 77º, mostly cloudy and calm winds.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.32

Hoka Rocket X2s on

2 x 300m - 46.75, 48.37. (47.56 avg)

50m - 6.23

Was brief and to the point.  Didn't have too much time, wanted to get home to watch the World Relays.   The 300s as usual pushed HR to the max (182).  

Heavy for this workout.  143.3 lbs after workout.  

Traveling on Friday so I hope to be on the track Tues and Thurs.  Want to take advantage of late gym hours that last another 2 weeks before summer hours kick in, so I'll be there Mon and Wed.  

Found some used Rincons on ebay for $35.  Good warm up shoes.  

Finished my MTSU grades today so I'm on vacation.  

Congrats to former MTSU sprinter Willington W.  He ran a great leg at the World Relays in the mixed 4x4 final.  I think this means he may be able to be a part of the Team USA Olympic relay pool... not sure how that works.  Such a great performance for a first year pro, ran a 45.18 leg.