Off to Oregon

Off to Portland to do do a few days of hiking and reveling in nature.  

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but nature's sources never fail." -- John Muir (1838 - 1914)

Off season testing

Saturday night on the track, the weather was nothing short of perfect: clear, dry, 68º and there was an MTSU baseball game going on so the track was illuminated eerily from afar.



I did two fast 'feel good' 400s, not really attempting to train, but just testing my speed.   It had been 12 days since I ran.  So, I put the spikes on and took flight.  I felt good and light.

600m warmup on grass, stretches, drills 

saucony spikes on

60m strider 

2 x 400m - 58 (28.5/29.5), 60.5 (29.5/30.5)

100m strider - 14

The first 400m, although not 100%, left me whipped, lungs burning and pumped.   I walked 800m in between, close to full recovery.  It was hard but not bad considering the lack of sprinting.

I need to get in the pool, on the bike and do some cardio.   I've also been neglecting my leg resistance exercises.  But, I have been doing upper body.

Just visiting

I was on my way home for the weekend on Friday and saw the track team practicing on the track, so I stopped for a visit. I really enjoyed hanging with Dean Hayes and Coach Kelly.  It was the first day of track practice.

 They confirmed what I already knew, I shouldn't be training 5 days a week on the track like a college guy. I have to train smarter.

 Coach Kelly gave me his warmup routine. Coach Hayes, 74, told me stories of his trips to Russian and Romania, and various coaching strategies. He remarked about how much weight some of his sprinters had gained over the summer break. The 400 guys were runing 10 X 200m in training shoes with 30sec rest.  Coach says they train without spikes most of the fall.

Coach also says the sprinters lift 3x a week and they do it the same day as running, they do it afterward.

 The team from last year is back - including Olympian Noah Akwu, with just one senior graduating. It was a nice visit.

Next time on the track I think I'll run 100m strider repeats on grass with limited rest.  The knee has been feeling fine.  I have a followup with a Dr. in about 10 days.


I need to do some resistance today.  I'm actually in good shape with all the upper body stuff and glute work I'm doing, still under 140 lbs.

Briefly back to the track

It's been a long time since I've really done anything. Just some ab and upper body work this week.   I'm still ridiculously light - 138.0 this morning - even after buying a dozen bagels and cream cheese in an effort to gain some weight.  Had ice cream and pasta this week as well.  My face is breaking out a little from eating dairy fat.

My MRI report was not good.  Showed significant articular cartilage damage on my right knee, which does not bode well for a long career of masters track.   The knee feels fine.  Probably because my meniscus is fine.  It is also important to remember that although the amount of damage is an important factor, the location of the defect can also influence the symptoms in terms of pain and function. Pain is not a good indicator for determining the extent of articular cartilage damage. One person can have severe pain with a single small defect while another person can have very little pain with several large full thickness defects ... according to what I've read.

After a pretty sleepless night, I got up before 4:00 am and chatted with my guitar maker friend on line, then I decided to hit the track at 6:30.

I did what I said I wasn't going to do.  I put the spikes on and ran fast.

600m warmup on grass, stretches, drills 

Saucony spikes on

2 x 400m @ 90% - 58, 60.5

Felt ok.  Pretty fast considering my shape and the effort.   Again, the knee feels ok.  I need to get to a followup consultation to get an idea of my condition and the prognosis.

I welcome any suggestions on how I may be able to best use this meeting, what questions to ask, etc...

Lean

Need to start eating better.  138.0 lbs this morning, lighter than when racing at Nationals.   Been doing light resistance work, but I need to follow my dad's example and maybe get on the elliptical machine.  Maybe some cardio would stimulate my appetite.  Eating mostly fruit and yogurt, sweet tea, Kind bars, salad, sushi, and low fat potato chips.

MRI follow up today.  They never sent me the report despite many requests.

Last big international track meet of the season:  Brussels Diamond League.  Bolt is running the 100m and Blake is running the 200m.

Olympic story

Usain Bolt creates a lifetime memory for a kid volunteering at the Olympics.