55m fun

Another 55m race at Sewanee, another PR:  7.25

I did not run this race last year, and only ran it 3 times in '12.  My best before this year was 7.32 in 2012.  In 2011, 7.43 was my best.  My first masters track meet 6 yrs ago in '09 I ran 7.59.  So, I think I've gotten faster since that '12 season when I won Indoor Nationals.

The race was ok.  I had decent reaction time, but I drifted right coming out of the blocks in my 4th or 5th step and lost some time correcting with a lateral step.   My very weird bunch starting position yielded a quick first step.  I think I got my first step down first.

I'm registered to race the 100/200 on 3/13 in Tampa. Looking forward to it. In the meantime, hope to be back on the track tomorrow. Supposed to be mid 40s and rainy. Weights on Monday night. Saw Marcus at the meet, he was watching his daughter race. We were going to train after the meet but there was a lacrosse game and still snow on the track. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

1st first step

200s

Cold cloudy bleak day, mid 30ºs with a light breeze at MTSU.   I got on the track today to find I'm really out of shape.  Did tempo 200s with one minute rest and after just 4, I was toast.  I rested and did 2 more 200s.  They felt good so I quit while I was ahead even though I felt like I could have done more.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 29, 29.5, 32, 33 

2 x 200m - 27.5, 27

I thought I could do 4 x 200 with one min rest and keep them all 30 and under, wow, was I mistaken.   Should have realized I wasn't in shape anymore.  Being on the track 3X a week for Nov-Jan yielded some results in my indoor season, but this hiatus for bad weather was probably not a bad break before I ramp up again for outdoor.  But, it reminds me how quickly that 400m conditioning expires.

I don't expect to run any fast 400s until after May.   I'll concentrate more on the 200/100 early this outdoor season.  I'll run a 55m for fun on Sat.  Maybe I can do better than my 7.27 pr of last week, although I doubt it.   Had 2 really tough resistance workouts on Fri and Mon.

My first outdoor race is 3/13 in FL on a nice track where I'll run the 100/200.   Only ran 3 100s last year and none of them were faster than 12.36, so hope I can do better.  Aiming for a PR of below 12.17.  According to some calculators, I might capable of sub 12 based on my 60m time, but such projections are only 70% accurate.   (1.53 to 1.55 x 60m time)

At least I'm a little lighter.  145.3 after workout.

Intervals in the fog...

Typical Sewanee fog.  Visibility about 30m.  It was 38º when I got up and I thought, "ok, I'll wait and let it warm up a bit."  It didn't.   Just got colder so I headed out about noon in a pea soup fog.

As I rounded the track on my warmup lap, I was unpleasantly surprised to see the high jump pit laying across six lanes of the track.  Why would someone leave it there?  Being water logged, I wasn't even sure I could move it, but I dragged it off the track to find the space under it ... solid ice.  Geez.  Went back to the truck for a hammer.  I hammered about a foot wide path through the ice sheet in lane one and continued my warmup run.   I then had to move 1 large and 2 small lacrosse nets that had blown down on the track.  "Just give me lane one for gods sake," I said to myself.

I felt ok and I knew this workout would leave me sucking wind.  I did the same workout as last weekend and then some, but slower, especially that last 400m, felt pretty outta shape.  148 lbs this morning - heavy!

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, ice hammering, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 68.5, 69.5, 77 

2 min rest

3 x 100m w/ 2 min rest - 16, 15, 14

It felt good afterward.  Resting at my friend's house across the street, I really felt like going back to do more.  I hope to go back Tues., but it's supposed to snow tonight and then be about freezing for a few days.   If it's too bad, I'll go indoors and do short stuff.

Still planning to race a 55m this Sat., I need to lose a few lbs.

more of the same

With horrific winter weather here, I have not run in a week, only 4 times on the track in 4 weeks.   I've totally lost 400m fitness, although I may be able to run a decent 100m.


More resistance tonight.   Upped the resistance on the glute machine to 320 lbs.  Replaced the three 40lb dumbells on the stack with two 65's and a 40.   I can still do it 50x, but it's quite a bit harder.   I did 3 sets and no squat jumps (to save the joints).   Leg extensions, hip flexors, calf raises, abs, abds, adds, some pull ups, and ham raises.

Hope to get on the track sometime in the next 3 days, despite the freezing weather, wind and cold.   It hasn't stopped me before.

Congrats to Dave, Paul and the SWS M50 team that set the AR in the 4x400 at Millrose.  Dave asked me about joining SWSprinters in Birmingham.  If I had, I might have been part of that team.   I think I could have helped them.

I really think me, Jim, Ben, and Val could get the M55 4x200m Indoor WR.  We'd have to avg 25.14, that's easily doable for this group.  Maybe in Albuquerque in '16.

butt busting

Resistance workout tonight.  

Figured out a way to get even more weight on the glute machine, a total of 270 lbs which I do 4 x 50 each leg.   In addition, the squat jumps with 90 lbs, leg extentions/quads, and calve raises with 320 lbs.

Here's the glute machine set up with the extra 120lbs added to the 150 lb stack.   I'd like to put more weight on it, since I'm doing it 50X.

Want to be a sprinter?  Assless men need not apply.  

Sewanee sprint and workout

Today is the last decent day for weather for the next week as winter takes hold beginning tonight.

I raced a 55m dash at the Sewanee Tiger Invitational.  Not feeling particularly fit and a bit heavy at 146 lbs, I still managed to run slightly faster than last year in a PR for this event that I seldom run, and presently tied for #1 M50 in USA, although many faster people have logged in in the more standard 60m race.

7.27 - 55m

Unfortunately, the video came out unfocused but here's a frame of the race, I'm in the orange speed suit.   I did manage to beat two guys in the overall list.   I came in nearly tied for last in my heat, so not totally uncompetitive.

I really felt bad for fellow masters guy Don D., he pulled a groin warming up to run the hurdles.   After a 3 hr drive from Atlanta, he had to withdraw from the meet.

I did ok, no strains or pulls... so afterward, I went to the outdoor track for a workout.

Since track workouts in this severe part of the winter are far and few in between, and... I have some joint issues, I need to make each workout really count and do some suffering.

Today was only my fourth workout since the Emory meet three weeks ago.

It was a nice sunny afternoon but windy.  It was pushing 50º but probably upper 40ºs.   Temperatures are expected to drop into the single numbers tonight with brutal wind chills, then snow and ice for 3 days, Winter Storm Watch has been posted here for Sunday night, so I'm glad I did something today.   I was pretty much already warmed up from the race I had just run.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

stretches, drills 

3 x 400m with 2 min rest - 68, 70, 73

I'll be back in the weight room, probably Monday night.

Now, looking forward to watching the Millrose Games!

off season ... sorta

Taking a break from the every other day track regime to do some often neglected resistance work.  Working on core with hanging ab straps, adductor and abductor band work, a little upper body, and the usual hip flexor stuff.

Stretching and staying loose.

I've pretty much finished my indoor season.  I will race a 55m dash this Saturday for fun and maybe a 400m on 2/28 on Sewanee's 160m track.   We'll see.   I think I may do the 100/200 double at the 3/13 meet in Tampa.  Still haven't 100% ruled out Masters Indoor Nationals but if I do get in, it will be last minute.  The times I have been running would certainly put me in medal contention depending on who shows up.   Chances are slim that I'll enter, right on the cusp of M55, but not there yet.

easy

After a tough resistance workout Sunday night focusing on glutes, Mon night I just did a warm up, drills, and some starts from blocks and 40m sprints.

Saucony trainers on 

450m warmup, stretches, drills 

6 x 40m sprints from blocks

I'm still in recovery mode.  Probably will not start training for the March meets for at least a week.

Plan to keep it light this week, and just race a 55m for fun this weekend in Sewanee.

Back to it

On the track for the first time in a week, the weather was ideal, 60º, sunny and breezy in Sewanee.   It felt warmer on the track.   Shirtless in Feb.... can't complain.

I did a quantity workout with recovery in between reps.   I started with an 800m ... which made me realize how quickly fitness disappears.   Even though it wasn't fast, I felt an aerobic lung burn and significant fatigue.   The following 400 felt better.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:38 (74, 84) 

400m - 63 

3 x 300m - 44, 44.5, 45.5

I was out there a long time, resting in between, soaking up the sun, enjoying the day.   It was a good quantity workout although not a particularly serious effort, it was good to get back and see that I have a ways to go to get back to where I was.   Also, having gained a few lbs in the past week didn't help my speed either.   Probably about 146-147 lbs.

My training shoes are beginning to wear, I can feel a bit of burn on the outsides of my feet.   Mybe I can find an insert.

Weights tomorrow.

Feels like spring....

resistance and time off

Did a really good glute machine workout last night in Sewanee.  Did the 150 lb stack with 100 lbs of added dumbells for a total of 250 lbs - 3 x 50 each leg.  I like this machine because it doesn't engage the knee like most other glute machines/exercises do.

Due to some minor joint pain, I'm taking some time off the track.   I will probably skip the MTSU meet this weekend and perhaps race in Sewanee's 2 meets on 2/14 and 2/28, probably running the 55m and perhaps the 400m.   200m races on this 160m track are not safe.

I want to aim for my first outdoor meet on 3/13, then Vanderbilt's Black and Gold meet 2 weeks later.  Both on very good tracks.  So, hopefully I be back on the track in a week or so.  In the mean time, strength work will continue.

It's a long way to Aug.