400m tempo fail

In the evening at MTSU, 85º and humid.   Air feels heavy compared with running in Sewanee.  I was going to do a 4x400 tempo, but bailed.  Not in the kind of shape I wish I was.

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2min rest - 70, 73, 76 

400m - 69.5

There was no way I could have added the 4th to this tempo set with 2 min rest.   Inexplicable.   Thought I had built up some foundation by now.  I guess an off day.  2 months before Nationals last year I was doing this set of 4 and averaging 72.  Today I could only muster 3 and avg 73.   Maybe fatigued from recent commitment to strength work.   Anyway, with this week coming up, it's going to be difficult to find time to train until Thurs night.

Have recommitted my diet to losing some of this 'vacation fat'.   144 lbs after workout.

speed endurance

80º and humid at the Sewanee track, and thankfully I had the track to myself.   Going to be a super busy week coming up so it will be hard to train.

This was a good ball buster, combining speed, strength and endurance.

Hoka clifton 2s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

200m - 30 

split 700m:  500m - 81.5 / 90 sec rest / 200m - 32 

split 500m:   300m - 45 / 90 sec rest / 200m - 30 

200m - 28

I think this is a good bang for the buck workout.  Really feel it in the glutes at the end of the 700m.  1600m of sprints.

swimming and resistance, Perth

Did a long lake swim today, 3/4 mile.   Also, one set of resistance - hip flexors, quads, hams, chest.


The Competition in Perth

Was looking at the competition in Perth now that registration is complete.   It's every bit as competitive as Lyon was, especially the 200m.   There are 15 guys seeded at 25.10 or less!  Of those, I think 5 including myself are bonfide and the rest are fakers.  (Based on Mastersrankings - what they have logged in the past 2 yrs).   The 400m, there are 9 seeded at 56.0 or less (only 8 in Lyon).  Of those, I think about 5 are bonefide including myself.   There are well over 50 total competitors in each event.   Today, I ordered my uniform from USATF.  Looks like the red USA 2012 Olympic uniforms.

So, it's going to be tough to snag a medal.   Me, Corey, and Ken are the only real US 400m runners.  Hopefully we'll be able to draft someone like Don to join us in a 4x400.    I think I should be on the M55 4x100, definitely faster than the 4th and 5th guys they listed in the article in Masterstrack.com on the relay pools, and ... I was on the team that set the M55 AR in Lyon.

tempo 300s +

81º and extremely humid with rain showers in the area in Sewanee.  I wanted to do a little less volume today since I was still sore from strength training.

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m w/ 2:15 rest - 48, 48.5, 49.5, 51.5 

200m - 26.5

It was a bit of trouble training during the Sewanee football practice with people obliviously walking across the track... but I got it done.   Saved enough to run a hard 200m in the end.

Registration now closed for the World Championships.  The 200m looks tough, several bonefide sub 25s, and Don will be there.   Doesn't look like we have enough guys to run a 4x400 unless we draft a 100m guy.   Will look at the list in more detail later but there looks to be a healthy turnout.   About 55 people in both the M55 400 and 200.

strength

Monday did a 2 set workout - abs, adductors, hip flexors, calves, quads, and hams.  Tues, track and stadium stairs at MTSU.

Hoka clifton 2s on  

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:31 

12 x stadium stairs

Hadn't run stairs in a while.  It kicked my butt, especially after a hard  800m.

weights, thoughts on WMAC Perth

I'll be back in the weight room tonight for the first time in a while.  Don't want to do too much because I'm planning on stadium stairs tomorrow.  

Perth

Registration for World Championships closes in 3 days and there is a much smaller field than last year, but every bit as competitive.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there will be enough USA sprinters to field any M55 relay teams.  I may end up joining the M50 team if we have a relay at all.   So far, the WL M55 400 guy is there, plus the defending Silver medalist.  Seven in all so far have seeded themselves at 56.0 or better.  Of those, I think about 4 or 5 are legit.  In all, 40+ entrants in both the 200 and 400 representing Australia, Jamaica, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Chile, Finland, Slovakia, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Estonia, Columbia, Mauritius, Peru, Argentina, USA, and more... enough for 3 rounds of competition per event.   I expect there will be a few more entrants in the next few days.   

6,5,4,3 ladder speed endurance

74º today after a heavy rain shower in Sewanee.  Ran everything with good effort.

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

600m - 1:46 

500m - 83 

400m - 63.5 

300m - 44.5

Again, I took healthy recovery time in between.  It still hurt plenty.  Third workout on this every-other-day regime.  I wonder if it's too soon to put this volume in considering the lack of down time the last 10 months.  I don't want to break myself so I'm going to keep the every other day regime but add a light day and a strength day for hills or stadium stairs.  9 full weeks before Perth.

Speed endurance

A relief as the weather was a bit better, mid 70ºs with a light rain in Sewanee.  So much better than what I've been in lately.  First time out this month on one day of rest.

Hoka Clifton 2s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:29 

3 x 300m - 42.5, 43.5, 43.5

Ran the 800m briskly and really pushed the 300s about 90%.  Pretty fast considering training shoes, a wet track and following a tiring 800m.  It was the first time I've run anything close to race pace in a while, and this wasn't really race pace.  Again, nearly full rest in between.  Still haven't done any of the painful tempo intervals yet.

Still 9 full weeks of training before Worlds.  Registration closes in less than a week, so we'll see who shows up.

Not happy with my weight but still eating bread and stuff.  Also, haven't done much strength work besides abs lately.  Need to get to the gym.  144.9 lbs after workout.

even more foundation in the heat

87º,  humid, heat index in the 90ºs but it felt much hotter in the blazing sun at the Sewanee track.  Was hoping for the predicted showers, but they never came.  Going to miss watching the Olympics, but won't miss working out at mid day.

Hoka Clifton 2 trainers on 

350m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 600m - 1:48, 1:51, 1:50, 1:48

I took about full recovery on these, about 15 min while I cowered under the cooler Sewanee stone bleachers.   Was going to do 5 x 600 but my foot was starting to hurt and I'm thinking I'll be going to begin to train every other day ... on my road to Perth.  So, I'll be out there Friday afternoon.

144.5 after workout

more foundation in the heat

Nearly 90º and humid at the Marist School in ATL around noon, heat index upper 90ºs.   Thankfully, one small piece of the track was shaded for warmups.   It was another bitchin' day at the oval office.

Hoka trainers on400m 

warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:35 

600m - 1:53 

2 x 400m - 67.5, 65.5

Fell way below goal on the 600, but the other intervals were ok.  Just really difficult conditions, humid and hot.

The Clifton 2s seemed a little more protective as they are newer than my Clifton 1s which are pretty chewed up in the usual place.   Here's a comparison... the Clifton 1s are just 2 months old.  The bottoms are essentially the same for both.

Clifton 2s and  Clifton 1s

volume foundation

Out in the middle of the day in Sewanee to get a workout in so I won't miss any of the Olympic prime time broadcast.  Mid 80ºs, heat index about 90º, partly cloudy.

Hoka trainers on 

350m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 800m - 2:37, 2:38, 2:40, 2:42

Did I say how much I hate 800m repeats?   The first and last ones were the toughest.  I ran these at a tempo where I could really pick it up for the last 100m.   First 400m, about 74-75 pace.  These were made more difficult by the hot sun and the fact that my little toe was on fire due to being crushed.   Taping didn't seem to help.  Only on my right foot.

This was the most volume I've done in a while.  It was good for me.  Having the goal of Perth 11 weeks away is motivational.   This long to short regime is tried and true.  I'm not ready to go every other day yet.  I've only taken 2 brief rests in the past 10 months, each being 9 and 10 days.   Not really enough.  Of course, I'm not starting from scratch.   My 800s today were way faster than my 800 repeats from April '15, but they were limited by my hip flexor injury 3/28/15.   That was an epic 13 week training cycle leading up to Nationals and Worlds last year.  Was running volume instead of speed for a month in April-May '15 because of that injury.  I didn't do any event run / race pace until early June.

5 weeks from now, Sr games meets begin.  If I have some balls, I'll race an 800m in the first one.

144 lbs after workout.

speed endurance maintenance

On the track every 4th day now nearing the end of the off season.  Very hot and humid at the Dean Hayes track, mid 80ºs with the dewpoint in the mid 70ºs, 94º heat index.  Sometimes I wonder if I have the stones to do what is necessary to train hard for 10 weeks to get ready for Perth.  Feel a bit soft and out of shape, although I'm not heavy.  Just no resistance work lately.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:33 

400m - 65 

300m - 44

Not a real comfortable day to train but I guess it's going to stay like this for a while.  Met Michael, a new faculty member, distance runner, out on the track.  He just moved here from UT Chattanooga.  Wish I could trade places with him, I love Chatty.

I'll probably be back out by Friday.   143.6 lbs after workout.

brief speed endurance

With yet another approaching storm, I cowered under the bleachers with my guitar friend, Ben who joined me for a brief workout at MTSU.  We had to run in lanes 7 and 8 because of standing water after the storm.   Low 80ºs and raining.

Hoka Clifton trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 65, 68.5 

100m - 13

Good to have company, Ben did well... ran the last 200m with me on both my 400s, and a 100m too.  Told him intervals are the way to go.

Foundation maintenance

Back on the track after 3 days rest.  Probably too soon, still feel slight aches.   Hot weather at the Dean Hayes track.   90º and very humid with an approaching storm, looked like a tornado.  I wanted to wait til later but I got out there in time to do a bit before the storm.  Same workout as before but with less rest.  Off season maintenance.    

Hoka trainers on 

350m warmup, stretches, drills  

800m  - 2:32 

4 min rest 

400m - 68

My first workout in the Clifton 2's.   They felt fine.  I definitely feel a bit soft and my weight is up a bit.  145 lbs after workout.  Felt fine but not a killer effort.

If this were a track meet, there would be a lightning delay.