2x300, 200

I was going to do a tempo 300 workout today but the football team was out there and the track was sometimes obstructed.  So I just ran 3 hard sprints, 90% effort.  Beautiful day, 69º and sunny, occasional S wind.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 100

*Adidas trainers on 

300m - 44.78 (14.31, 14.63, 15.85)

300m - 46.30 (15.07, 15.62, 15.61)

200m - 27.65 (13.20, 14.45) 

2 yrs ago this workout would be easy but it was pretty hard in my present shape.   I didn't run the first 300 all out so I could have enough for a few more quality sprints, nothing was 'all out. '  2nd 300m I tried to run more even splits.   But, based on these times, I'm pretty sure I'd be hard pressed to break a minute in a 400m right now.  Might come close.  I took about 10m rest between the 300s.  15 min after the second one, my heart rate was still well over 130, so I took a bit more time before the 200m.  Last 100m was into a headwind.  

Foot feels better, but still not in total training mode.  Haven't done the bike climb in weeks and maybe just a day or 2 of resistance work, although I try to get on the pullup bar daily.  

The fact is, if I'm going to seriously train and up it to 3 days a week, I have to stop doing long hikes on my days off and give my foot time to recover.  I feel as if I'm still recovering from 2 weekends of hiking.  I think biking will be ok though. 

Ate late last night and weighed 143.8 this morning.  By the end of my workout I was down to 140.2, just several hours later.  Goes to show what a big difference food in the gut can make in terms of weight.  

* when I refer to 'Adidas trainers,' I will be referring to the Takumi Sen 8s, unless otherwise noted.  These have become my regular trainer for most speed work. 

short speed - 50s, 100s

Warm day in Sewanee, low 70ºs and east winds.  I took advantage of the warmth and decided to do a low volume speed workout.  Since I hiked all weekend and didn't give my foot time to recover, I couldn't do much.  Started conservatively and then ran near full out, all with 3 step rolling start.  I tried both the Adidas shoes.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 2x100

Adidas Takumi Sen 8s on

4 x 50m - 6.95, 6.74, 6.60, 6.54

Adidas Takumi Sen 7s on

2 x 100m - 12.85 (6.31, 6.54), 12.99 (6.38, 6.61)

I was going to end with a 150, but my foot was too sore after 2x100m in the minimalist Takumi Sen 7s.  They are fast though..  Save it for another day.  

139.8 lbs after workout.  

tempo 300s

Back to warmer weather and shirtless training in Sewanee, where it was a beautiful 66º, sunny, shifting winds.  I completed my 3rd 3x300w/3m of my training season.  I had no illusion that I would get 4 reps, so I just made sure I started slow enough to get 3, because the last time I tried, I went out too fast and failed, doing just 2.  Happy to have got it done even though it was more than a half second slower than the 2nd set I did a month ago.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 100

Adidas trainers on

3 x 300m w/ 3 min rest between - 49.81, 50.48, 51.12 / avg 50.47

I was hard but not crushing.  Probably due to my physical lightness of being.  It still brought me to my knees for a few minutes.   I definitely was still feeling the foot soreness but curiously, it felt better after the workout than before.   

138.6 lbs after workout.  Have't been doing resistance or much cross training this week.  I expect my training will tick up a notch when Roya leaves next week and goes back to ATL.  

400, 300

 Back to the track on a winter-like day, 44º with a breeze, but sunny in mid afternoon.  Ran just 2 long sprints, not so fast.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 100, 50

400m - 64.54 (14.94, 16.68, 15.91, 17.01/ 31.62, 32.92)

300m - 47.17 (14.20, 15.49, 17.48)

Really a lot of effort to run pretty slow.  Long ways to go before I'm anywhere near race ready.  Would likely not break 60 in a 400m in my present shape.  So, need to get stronger.  

I set a goal of negative split on the 400m but it wasn't anywhere near.  The north wind got me on the turn in the 300m.  Both my last 100s were very slow, like in the 17s.

The only good thing is my weight, quite lean at 138.8 lbs.  Must have burned some serious calories hiking this weekend.  While I was out there I ate a lot of carbs, like several pieces of bread and rice paella,  and still lost weight.  

Hiking / boating vacation

This past 3 days we did our yearly vacation to Fontana Lake for some hiking and boating, and a general immersion in the wilderness of the Great Smoky Mountains.  

The big hike this year was the 9 mile roundtrip and 2500' climb to the top of Shuckstack tower on the Appalachian trail.  It seems to get longer every year, but this year the weather was perfect.  Mid 70ºs at the lake mid 60ºs on the mountain and sunny. 

The rest of the time there we hiked up Hazel Creek where we hung out at the Calhoun House, and saw 3 bear on the hike back.  The fall color was near peak.  

No doubt, I've detrained quite a bit from not running in a week, and the rugged hiking I definitely felt in my foot, but will be back to it today during this sharp cold snap with temperatures only in the mid 40ºs today.  I did apparently burn some calories on the trip, weighing just 139.9 lbs last night after putting the boat away.  This cold snap will be over by the weekend with temps back in the low 70ºs.

600, 300, 200

Another perfect day, low 70ºs, dry, sunny, light NW wind at early afternoon.  I've done this workout a few times before, this was better than last time, similar to my times on 9/19.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100

600m - 1:48.34 (34.13, 36.88, 37.33 / 71.01, 37.33)

Adidas trainers on

300m - 44.07 (13.74, 14.77, 15.56 / 28.51, 15.56)

200m - 27.22 (13.28, 13.94)

Was tough, but felt better than last time.  Even though I'm light 139.0 lbs after workout, I still feel flabby.  A victim of age related sarcopenia, no doubt.  Need to get lean and build.  It's a job.  

Hiked on Sat. and did some yard work on Sunday.  Have a morning of work planned tomorrow involving firewood, then hoping to do some squats before work.

Foot was a bit better today and I still feel the injury slightly, but not when running.  Usually, just as a slight soreness when doing work involving squatting and lifting, but not really significant.   Haven't really done any all out speed yet, like 50s, 100s, so we'll see how it feels at some point.

3x300

Beautiful weather (again) this evening in Sewanee, dry, upper 60ºs and NW breeze.  I was going to do a 3x300 tempo set but I started the first one too fast and bailed after 2.  Then with 12 min rest, I ran a 3rd.  It really wasted me.  It was hard, but I survived.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100

2x300m w/ 3 min rest - 47.81, 49.62

300m - 46.63

I was happy to have the track this evening after a busy day.  Instead of relaxing all day before the workout, I did an extensive repair on my old MS261 chainsaw - a complete teardown and rebuild of the engine head and cylinder.  It runs!  Heh, Stihl said it would be too expensive to fix.  Head and piston was $45 on Amazon.

So, I was a bit tired going into this workout, a lot of time on my feet today, up and down the stairs dozens of times, back was a bit sore from bending over and working on this project.  But glad to get it done, both the repair and the workout.  

I knew I wasn't going to get 3x300m w/ 3m rest after the second one.   My heart rate was still over 140 after 3 min.  

One good thing is that I'm getting lighter and fitter.  139.5 lbs after workout.  I've reached the 'jelly belly stage' where the last of my ab fat gets soft and loose before it melts away.   

I did one bike climb (22 min) and 2x30 single leg squats with 45 lbs on Tues and Wed.  I need to keep this up.  

600, 300, 200 ; (

Mid 60ºs,  moderate NW wind, dry and sunny.   Same workout I did just over 2 weeks ago, but slower.  Still detraining.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 100m

600m - 1:50.13 (34.90, 37.61, 37.61)

Adidas trainers on 

300m - 44.65   (13.89, 14.44, 16.32)

200m - 95% (timing error)

I wasn't looking forward to the 600m today.  It was overall a discouraging workout.  Slower than the same workout I did on Sept 19... 1.6 sec slower in the 600m, 1 sec slower in the 300, and I couldn't even redeem my self in the 200m because the timer failed.  It was totally exhausting and just felt like I'm going backwards.  The 300 was bad, I rigged at the end despite just a modest 28.3 first 200m.  Yea it was windy and the wind caught me on the turn but still.  It sucked and it hurt.  Maybe a bit under fueled.  My foot was sore from the previous day of hiking.  This was one of those days where I ask myself if I can keep doing this.  It just seems to get harder and harder.  But I have to trust the process.   I've still not been lifting or cross training on the bike like I had all through August and early Sept.   Starting work and having Roya here has limited me a bit, and so has a number of projects, like firewood, learning a new Bach Sonata, and many other things.

Just 140.1 lbs after workout, but still soft and yes... carrying a bit of fat on my sides, but not much.  

Definitely going to lift tomorrow and bike up the mountain.  Incredible weather - sunny everyday.  In a mild drought.  Only about an inch of rain in a month.

tempo 150s, yearly blood work

Yesterday, felt cool around sunset, breezy, clear, going into the low 60ºs.  I was going to attempt a 4x300m tempo but due to the wind and my substandard fitness, I decided to do less.  Looking back  2 yrs ago, I did very few 4x300 tempo sets in the fall, maybe 2.   But I did more turf running, mostly 4x150 tempo sets across the football field.  So that's what I did today, and it reaffirmed how far I have to go.  I've often thought, this is the best workout you can get in just over 3 min.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x100m

4x150m w/ 30 sec rest ~ 23.5, 24, 25.8, 25.4

Adidas trainers on

2x150m w/ 30 sec rest - 22.4, 24

It was pretty hard, considering it wasn't real fast.  Past week or 2 I haven't been lifting much or cross training and I feel it.  Even at 141 lbs, feel a bit soft and flabby.

I may ease into a 3x a week track training schedule this weekend.  Fri, Sun, Tues.   Weather sure is perfect.  70º day, 40ºs night, dry and sunny.  Swimming season is over but that won't stop me from a quick plunge in next time I have my boat out.

Yearly physical/bloods

I qualified for the $250 award my health insurance gives away for health screenings.  My BMI was 22.2, blood pressure 114/70, triglycerides 102, and HDL 53.  I missed the glucose parameter as mine was 103, needs to be under 100, but I only needed 3 of the 5, so I got 4.  Total cholesterol 192 but my LDL was a bit high at 132.  My testosterone tested right in the center of the normal range:  total - 668, free - 67.  These numbers are really meaningless, just a snap shot.  These levels fluctuate greatly depending on time of day. My T has tested as low as 256 (late afternoon) when I was in much better shape.  My Dr says I set a high bar for myself and he's right, but I don't get very much constructive feedback from him, as we're living in a very obese and unhealthy area and he sees me as comparatively among the top 1% of my age, no thanks to genetics which gives me the naturally high LDL. 

Going to try and step it up a bit.   It's October.