Meet list 2015 - season in review

My annual summary.  2015 - what a year it was!

USATF Age Group Athlete of the Year Award (M50-59)

USATF National Champion M55 400m

USATF Bronze Medal M55 200m

WMAC World Bronze Medal M55 400m

WMAC World Bronze Medal M55 200m

WMAC World Relay Golds M55 4x100m, 4x400m
M55 400m - rank #3 in World, #1 in USA (55.29)
M55 200m - rank #3 in World and USA (24.48)

PRs:

400m - 55.11

200m - 24.48 / 24.80 indoor

55m - 7.25

60m - 7.75

Season PRs in Blue
PRs in Red

--INDOOR--

12/6/14 - Indianapolis - Gerry England Invitational (200m flat Mondo)

• 60m - 7.75
• 200m - 25.47
• 400m - 57.29

1/17/15 - Nashville - Vanderbilt Commodore Invitational (300m flat Mondo)

• 60m - 7.80
• 200m - 24.80 (indoor PR)
• 400m - 55.11

1/25 - Birmingham - Emory Invitational - Crossplex (200m banked Mondo)

• 200m - 25.05 (PR on 200m track)
• 400m - 55.68 (PR on 200m track)

2/14 - Sewanee - Tiger Invitational

• 55m - 7.27

2/28 - Sewanee Invitational

• 55m - 7.25

--OUTDOOR--

3/13 - Tampa - USF Invitational

• 100m - 12.22
• 200m - 24.59

3/27-28 - Nashville - Vanderbilt Black and Gold

• 200m - 25.25
• 100m - DNF (hip flexor injury)

5/2 - Nashville Masters Classic

• 800m - 2:20.79

6/6 - Hoover, AL - AL USATF Association meet

• 400m - 56.22
• 200m - 25.29

7/11 - Franklin, IN - IN USATF Association meet

• 400m - 56.23
• 200m - 25.38

7/24-26 - Jacksonville,  FL - USATF Masters National Championships

• 400m - 55.29 (M55 Champion)
• 200m semis - 24.61
• 200m final - 24.48 (M55 Bronze)

8/8-16 - Lyon, France - World Masters Athletic Championships

• 200m prelims - 25.04
• 200m semi - 25.24
• 200m final - 25.08 (M55 Bronze)
• 400m prelims - 55.46
• 400m semi - 56.00
• 400m final - 55.30 (M55 Bronze)
• 4x100m relay - 47.10 (M55 Gold - American Record)
• 4x400m relay - 3:48.33 (M55 Gold) ~ 55.50 split

SUMMARY:
12 meets
Total races: 30
55m - 2
60m - 2
100m - 3 (1 DNF, 1 relay)
200m - 12
400m - 10
800m - 1

(compare with 2014: 19 meets* / 42 races)
*not including 3 fall senior games meets

Speed and strength

Today was a dark cold day on the track in Sewanee.  37º and a breeze.  Was a bit sore from a good weight workout the night before, but I felt I needed a low volume high intensity day.  I put the spikes on and ran at 95% in my last workout of the year.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony Showdown spikes on 

400m - 57.75 (27.25, 30.5)

300m - 42.5 

200m - 26.5 

Resistance work in the weight room: 1 set hip flexors, 1 set glutes

I was not thrilled by my times, I was hoping to hit 57 in the 400m, 41 in the 300m, but the 200m felt ok.   I guess it was ok considering the conditions, the slight headwind on the back stretch and that I was not using blocks.  I took plenty of rest in between these efforts, even getting into the car to warm up after running in the near freezing weather with a sleeveless T and shorts. Based on today, I think I'd be hard pressed to break 57 on a 200m flat track on 1/10.  I need more of everything ... long sprint foundation and over distance, and more explosive stuff out of blocks, and work on my form.   I also need to lose weight.   I was probably 146.5 on the track today.  145.4 lbs after workout and soaking in the spa.

Despite my deficiencies, I think I'm pretty close to the maximum load I can handle in my weekly workout schedule.  I wonder if this is the year I start getting slower.  Probably. Inevitable.  But it's been a great run.

4x400m tempo

First 4 x 400m tempo workout since probably June.  The dreaded 4x4 with 2 min rest has been a measure of my will and fitness for a while.  I was hell-bent on getting 4 reps in, I put my spikes on for encouragement.

Sewanee track was perfect, mid 50ºs at sunset.  Ran shirtless.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony spikes on 

4 x 400m w/ 2min rest - 70, 71, 76, 82

The last one was just a fast jog. No where near what I was doing in June in trainers: 68, 69, 71, 72 and 69, 70, 71, 75.   But it's a start.  I've been doing tempo the last 3 workouts.  Probably too much in one week.  Weights tomorrow.

Gained weight over the holiday, but not too bad.  Weighed 149.5 last night at bed time (3am).  144.8 after workout.  That's 5 lbs less in about 14 hrs.  (Remember that when you boast about about a 5 lb weight loss - it's meaningless).

tempo 300s

Back to the NY weather I remember, 40ºs, gray, and damp.  It was about 47º with an occasional light rain at the SV high school track in upstate NY.

I finished my warmups and was surprised to see young guy on the track beginning his workout.

Saucony Triumph trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m w/ 2 min rest - 49.5, 50.5, 52, 52.5 

200m - 27.5

Felt ok, starting to get back.

I watched the kid work his butt off, jogging a 200m and running a 200m, many reps.  I told him, 'good work.'  He said, "Thanks, you too."

Xmas eve tempo 200s

Amazing weather for xmas eve during my family visit to upstate NY.  Training shirtless in 68º weather at my old high school.  Not like the cinders we ran on, now a 6 lane red rubber track.

Three yrs ago, I swept snow off this track to run 600m repeats.  Today, I did 2 sets of tempo 200s.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 30.5, 31.5, 32, 31 

4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 30, 31.5, 31.5, 30

Felt like I could do more but didn't want to stress my foot and was a bit sore from a good resistance workout Monday.   Undoubtedly will gain some weight during this holiday visit.   Hope to be back out on the track Sat.  Back to TN on Sun.

Picture... 2015 vs 2012

variety workout

A warm and wet weather pattern has begun for Xmas week in the south.  Mid 50s and rainy, I found a break in the rain to get to the track before sunset and run a brisk 800m before taking it inside for some weights and short stuff from blocks.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:37 (75, 82) 

Saucony spikes on 

6 x 40-50m from blocks 

weights - 3 x 20 w/ 215 lbs hip flexor machine, 1 x 15 squat jumps with 90 lbs, 20 pull ups

Felt pretty good, glad my toe pain went away.   I went on a turkey binge and my weight went up to 146.  Not because of fat gain, but because of retained waste and large meals.  Meat moves through my system slowly, turkey more slowly than fish.  

Will probably be back on the track by Xmas eve in NY.

good week / schedule / award

Resistance last night focusing on glutes.  This week, I had 3 track workouts and 2 weights.  Today, I'm doing abs and hip flexors.  Last night I felt some pain in the second metatarsophalangeal joint (mid toe), maybe due to calf raises.  It was better today, probably just arthritis.

I'm getting the sprint body back, wake-up weight was 143 lbs.

I got an email from USATF saying my 'Age group Athlete of the Year' award will be presented at outdoor nationals in Michigan, and that I'd get into the awards dinner for free.

I've decided to not enter the Armory Sprint night in NY, and not enter the all-ages meet in Birmingham on 1/2.  So, I will likely open my season in Nashville at TSU on 1/10.   Last year at TSU, the Ed Temple meet was pretty small.  They were running heats of 2 people in some events.  I might do the 55m and the 400m, and maybe the 200m.  Not the fastest track, a flat spongy 200m oval.  I've never run good times there.  Usually 57s, mid 25s or worse.

My 2016 indoor season meet schedule is posted in the sidebar.  The USF Invitational is again the week after Masters Indoor Nationals and is during my spring break, so I hope to visit my parents and open my outdoor season then on March 12.

Winter workout

Coldest day in weeks, fatigued from working outside all day, was supposed to get up to 40º today but never made it much above freezing in Sewanee.   It was hard to make myself go there today.

About 31º with a wind at the Sewanee track late afternoon.  Third track workout in 5 days.  The foot feels ok.  I was just going to do 2x600m and be done with it... but I didn't meet my goal times so I added another 300m.   Slow today.

Saucony Trainers on 

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 600m - 1:49, 1:51 

300m - 46.5

I wanted to get the 600s in the mid to low 1:40s.   Not even close.

weights and tempo 300s+

Wednesday night marked the end of regular late night hours for the Sewanee weightroom, so I celebrated with a 10pm workout.  Thursday I hit the track.  Unseasonably warm, lower 60ºs.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300, 200, 150 - all with 2 min rest in between - 50, 51, 52, 50.5, 34, 21

I experimented with taping the foot and found that I could not add support without a lot of compression.   Compression on the foot exacerbates the issue so it felt better without the tape.

All in all, a good week of workouts, since I've been doing these after being on my feet all day doing other things, many related to the new spa which will aid my training in Sewanee tremendously.   I use it to warm up before going and to unwind afterward.

I was 142 lbs before lunch today so I can eat bread and some carbs again.

speed / event runs

Very windy but nice at Sewanee's track today... 60º but felt colder because of a gusty wind.  Today, I wanted to see where I am since I am now at race weight.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

Nike R3 spikes on 

Quality sprints from blocks with beep command: 

300m - 41 

200m - 26 

2 x 100m - 12.5, 13

It felt ok, not too bad for this point in the season.  I think I'm somewhere around 57sec 400m speed right now based on what I felt at the end of the 300m.  I could have been a tad under 41 and 26 for the 300 and 200 event runs, but just rounded up.  Everything was 95%+ today and I was really fatigued afterward, despite the small volume.  Another indication I don't have much foundation.

I found a way to tape my foot for more support over the shoe, although it wasn't necessary today with such small volume.  

142 after workout.   Lean again.

300m event run from blocks in lane 5 - 400m start

400 tempo / 100s

On my feet all day with a home project, but made it to the track by 3 pm.  Unseasonably warm, mid 60ºs and running shirtless.

Saucony trainers on  

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 70, 73, 78  

2 min rest 

4 x 100m w/ 90 sec rest - 13-14

Eating too little lately, fat is melting away, definitely down near race weight.
143.2 lbs after workout.

Back to the weight room tomorrow.

Indoor Season possible races

Here is a list of possible meets for the indoor season.  I like to pick about 5 + Indoor Nationals.  I won't be doing all of these but here are some choices.  Looks like a ton of meets at the Birmingham Crossplex.  Too bad it's 170 miles away.  Not sure I can get into all these meets.  (* - more likely to participate).  Better not race every weekend like I did in '14.

  12/26 - NYC Amory Sprint night
  1/2 - Birmingham Hoover Alumni
*1/10 - Nashville TSU Ed Temple
  1/15 - Birmingham UAB Blazer
*1/16 - Nashville Vanderbilt Commodore
  1/17 - Birmingham AL Striders
*1/24 - Birmingham Emory Invite
*2/6 - Sewanee Tiger
  2/7 -  Birmingham U of S AL
  2/12 - Birmingham Samford
*2/14 - Birmingham AL Striders
*2/20 - Sewanee Indoor
*3/4-6 - Albuquerque USATF Masters Nationals

morning tempo 200s +

With three days off of the track, I was due for a hard one.  Sewanee was perfect.  55º and sunny.   Very busy with stuff, including a minor surgery on my thumb tomorrow.

Saucony trainers on 

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest  30, 31, 32, 33 / 30, 31, 33, 34 

300m - 43.5

It was a good hard one.    A good solid 1900m workout.  Always seem to forget just how hard tempo intervals are.  Good thing.

My next track workout may not be until Friday evening.  I should have my new spa installed by then.  Looking forward to it.

Foot is better today.  My weight is finally under control.   After-workout weight: 144 even.

USATF award

Surprised to see my name on the list  - USATF Masters age group Athletes of the Year M50-59.  I wouldn't have known.... but I saw Sue's post on FB, she made the list.  I wonder if they'll send me a letter or something?

Not a bad year.  Third ranked in the world in 2 events - M55 400m and 200m.  National title, 4 WMAC medals.  American Record 4x100m relay.  Well, it's probably all downhill from here.

Cool to see my name in the same press release as Allyson Felix and Justin Gatlin.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

same and more

Not much time today, and will be gone for the weekend, so I did the same 3x400 tempos and a few more today, on a beautiful sunny crisp day in Sewanee, 47º but felt warmer.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 68.5, 75, 77.5   

100m on grass w/ 2 min rest after 400s 

300m - 45.5

I took the first 400m a bit too fast and suffered through the rest.  Hopefully back on track Monday or Tues.  Finally shedding some weight.  Below 145 for the first time in months.  144.6

tempo 400s

After being rained out from the track for 3 days, I hit the Sewanee track for a tempo workout in today's cooler weather.  47º and sunny today, the track was still wet after the 5.44" of rain we received.  Had been active off the track with weight workouts including some rowing yesterday and a lot of carpentry work.  (Getting a 12' high deck ready to support a 2800 lb spa).

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2 min rest -  71, 73, 77 

100m - after the last 400m with 2 min rest

I made it through this workout that I bailed on a few weeks ago.  Set my goals a little slower this time.  Was able to complete 3 and then a 100m on grass with 2 min rest after the set.   It was hard and there is no way I could have done a 4th.  I can't believe I used to do 4 and even 5.   Anselm suggested I do 2x3x400m, and that sounds good if my foot could take it.  Not today.   3 x 400m with 2 min is about the bitchin'ist workout you can get in under 8 min.  It's over real fast.  I think I'd like to do 3x400 tempo workout twice in a day, maybe in different sessions.