300s, 200s

At the Sewanee track today, upper 40ºs, cloudy and breezy.   I did up tempo intervals today and unfortunately, tweeked my left ham.   This is the first significant injury I've had in training this fall.   Won't know how significant it is for a day or two.   I don't think it's serious, although it may keep me out of Saturday's meet.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 300m - 43.5, 45, 47  (3, 5 min rest) 

2 x 200m - 27, 28

Felt the ham after the last 300m and again after the last 200m, which I coasted to the finish after running near full up the straight.

Will take 2 days off from the track, maybe do some prehab Monday night and then let it fly on Tues., cautiously, to see how it feels.

Thanksgiving intervals

A brief maintenance workout on a blustery cold damp Thanksgiving on the Dean Hayes track early PM at MTSU.  39º cloudy and windy.   I was joined by Roya.   Just wanted to get it done.  Ankle was a bit sore at first from training in spikes on Tues, but got better.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 300m w/ 2min rest - 48, 47 

5 min rest 

2 x 200m w/ 4 min rest - 28, 28.5

Knew it wouldn't be fast today, but I'm lighter, under 145 for the first time in a while.  144.5 after workout.  

Now, cooking for Thanksgiving.  Going to put on 5 lbs today.

short and long

Did a mixed workout today at the Sewanee track, 48º and cloudy.   Sewanee is a ghost ship now, everyone leaving for the holiday and most cafes shut (except Julias).  I was the only car in the parking lot, not that unusual.   I ran everything today at 90%+ except the first 400m.   I'm always amazed at how easy the first 200m is compared to the last when doing an even split 400m.  

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

400m - 59.5 (even split 30/30) 

Saucony Showdown spikes on 

block starts 

6 x 55m - full speed 

300m - 41.5

I worked on starts and technique.  I have to remind myself to keep good linear form when hitting the end of a 400.    Good to know I can break 60 in a 400m without giving full effort, and in training shoes.   My 300 was 400m race pace, and in spikes.  I put my sweats on for the 55s and took time in between, some were close to 7, but not under.  Sometimes I can really nail a start and sometimes I get out a bit unbalanced.   (The 55m dash is one of those events where I wish we could run it 3x and take the best time).

My start must look odd, a lot of weight on my hands, lead foot very close to the line.  The 'animal start' where I push from 'all 4s'.

Feel a bit lighter and faster.  Still about 5 lbs to lose.

cool, hard, wet, dark

Sunday, it had been raining all day in Sewanee, 1.4" of rain.   After a 3pm chamber concert, I was happy to see the rain stopped so I rushed home and dressed for a workout.   I got on the track just after sunset and it started raining hard during my warmups.   Took shelter in the car.   Was very windy but in the low 50ºs.  Went back out in the drizzle and again was driven back to my car  by hard rain.

Finally back on the track and as I was lining up for a 300m, it started raining again.   A little standing water on the track.  Waited for the wind to die slightly and went, a little pissed that the wind picked up just after I started.

I did a short but hard workout, just 3 sprints at 90%, focusing on stride alignment and lift.... and called it a day.  It actually felt good and I'm glad I did it.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

300m - 43 

200m - 27.5  

100m - 13

It was light enough that I could even go out again tomorrow.   It's supposed to be mid 50ºs with less chance of rain.

Making a significant effort to lose a few lbs, but it's coming very slow.   Still 147 after workout.

Friday

Late in posting this workout...  Friday's weather at the Dean Hayes Track was just like Wednesdays but with no wind, sunny and 51º, perfect.

I did weights the night before so I wanted to work out lightly today.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup stretches, drills 

2 x 200m with 1 min rest - 27.5, 28 

Saucony spikes on 

2 x 100m from blocks 

2 x 50m from block 

3 x 400m with 2 min rest - 80, 80, 80

The 400s I did at the end were with a guy and a girl who were 5k runners.   Just pacing them at a relaxed pace and burning some calories.

300s

After a cold snap, the temperature was back up to a near seasonable sunny 50º today but very windy.   In my 300s today, I chose to run my first 100m into the wind and last 100m, with the wind.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m - 44.5, 44.5, 45, 45.5

This doesn't look like much on paper but it was a bitch.   These 300s were at least 62sec 400m pace or 85-90% effort.  Recovery was plentiful.

I'm still in sort of a training limbo.   Not yet submitting to the wicked limited rest intensive tempo workouts, and not doing regular speed work due to the cold either.   Need to do more short stuff, acceleration, top speed work.

Also still need to lose weight.

To clarify terms and training methods, I found this article instructive.   Speed, Speed Endurance, Specific Endurance, Special Endurance, Intensive Tempo, Extensive Tempo, Resisted Sprints, Assisted Sprints, etc..

just one blast

Cold and getting colder.   40º, cloudy, breezy, a slight occasional drizzle, miserable weather at the KCD school this early afternoon with worse weather coming.   I was still sore in the calves from Friday's stairs so I didn't want to do much.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

Nike R3 spikes on

400m - 58.5 (27.5/31)

3 x 55m 

blocks

I had my spikes so I put em on for one 400m blast.   I didn't want to do much today, probably should have done more since the track won't be available til Wed due to some seriously bad weather predicted, bitter cold and snow for Mon-Tues - highs well below freezing.   I did some 55s from blocks up to full speed and called it a day because my feet were cold and hurting.   It reminded me why I don't race in Nike spikes any more.

First meet just 2 weeks from Sat, 12/6.  Hope coach Hayes lets me run the 55m/200m.

Trying to slim down.

cold stairs

Running stadium stairs on the coldest morning yet this fall.   22º at 7am in Murfreesboro.

Sprinting up the stairs at the Floyd Stadium at MTSU 20X was my workout today.  Sprinting full out with good form and high knees takes twice as much effort as merely running up the stairs.   I always tried to finish the last flight with extra effort, although after 8 I felt whipped.   Took a bathroom break at 12, then did 8 more.

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

20 x Stadium stairs   

With the sun, it wasn't too bad at the bottom, but up at the top, the wind made it quite cold.

Tired of being fat, ate really light yesterday.  145.8 after workout.  Need to lose 5.

fast and long ... cold is here

It was in the upper 30ºs and breezy at noon at the Dean Hayes track.   A harbinger of things to come.  It's supposed to be cold throughout the next 10 days, and even worse.  Fortunately, the heated mens room was open.  I stretched out in there and went in between reps.   Did fast and long.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

350m warmup, stretches, drills 

500m - 82 

400m - 62 

300m - 44 

200m  - 27.5

Not bad considering the wind and the conditions.  Still not training as a short sprinter, too cold to run fast today.   I don't expect to run a 400m til Jan. and hope to run the 55m/200m in a little over 3 weeks.  Should be fun.

I woke up at a heavy 150.4 lbs, but after bathroom and workout, 147.8.   I need to lose 5 lbs, in 3 weeks.  Not hard.   It's 90% diet, 10% workouts.

runnin heavy

Heavy from weekend revelry, pushing 150 lbs.   Felt markedly slower today.   Great day to be in Sewanee, low 60ºs and sunny at sunset.  Sore glutes from Sunday night workout of squat jumps with weights and then some, and the usual ankle soreness from Friday.

Did 300s with not full recovery, didn't time my rest, but the second two I started with heart rate mid 120s - 130 bpm.   Probably 5 min rest or less.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m - 45, 45, 47, 49 

4 x 55m - ~7.5 - 8

147.5 lbs after workout.   Need to slim down, but it's hard.

squeezin in a workout

It wasn't the best day for a workout, 3 hrs sleep, 5 hrs of driving, a performance last night and one this morning, and... a lot to do tonight to get ready for a party on the mountain.   But still... got to the track around sunset.  It was quite cool, falling into the upper 40ºs.

I hadn't done one of 'these' in a while and knew what I needed.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m with 2:20 rest - 69, 69, 69 

100m - 13.5

I really had to give a hard effort to get that last 400m under 70.   Got it done though.   Couldn't have done another.

Ate poorly on the road but not heavy.  145.7 after workout.

I'll sleep well tonight when I finally get there.

long and short on the track

Beautiful day in Sewanee, 60º and clear at noon.  Warm in the sun to go shirtless, very welcome after the Sat. morning dusting of snow on the mountain.

I was still sore from the 160 squat jumps I did on Sat., but did everything fairly fast.

Saucony trainers on 

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m - 44.5, 44, 45, 44 

Saucony Showdown spikes on

6 x 55m - ~7.5

I took a lot of recovery before the last 300m to maintain the pace of the others.  I then put spikes on and I tried like hell to get to that magic 7 flat mark in the 55m sprints, pushing to 100%, but was always a step short.   Of course that was after 4x300, no blocks, and I'm fat, but still.   I really want to increase my short sprint top speed this season and I'm going to run more 55m races indoors, hopefully get a PR.

One more concert in SC on Thurs, party in Sewanee on Sat., so next time on the track will be Sunday.

I'm beginning to slim down, but just starting.  147 after workout.

resistance with (almost) no equipment

Without access to a gym right now, I worked out at home... the only equipment I used was a single rubber band for hip flexor exercises.

8 x 20 - squat jumps 

4 x 100 - bicycle crunches 

4 x 25 -  leg kick extensions each leg

I will be on the track Monday, but won't be able to workout again until a week later on Sunday.   Maybe I'll be able to squeeze a similar resistance workout in Friday night.  I need it, I'm fat, 149 lbs.   Tired of it so that will be changing.