100m Gold at Penn Relays, 2 Silver in relays

Brought home my first individual Gold medal at the Penn Relays yesterday in 100m.   The 100m is the only individual sprint event offered for masters athletes at this, the oldest and largest track meet in the world.   Being a Penn Relays Champion has been on my bucket list for a while, since I ran my first 100m race here 12 yrs ago (PR 12.17).  Since then, I ran the Penn masters 100m in '17 (Silver - 12.25), in '23 (Bronze - 13.19), and this year ... so this was my 4th attempt.  Although quite slow, 13.23, a win is a win.  Like last yr, this was without starting blocks, and on a cool and windy day, so conditions not perfect.  

I also anchored my GPTC track club to 2 Silver medals in the 4x100m and the 4x400m relays.  

The whole experience was a whirlwind... fly out midday Wednesday, return home Thursday after the meet.  Didn't get back to Sewanee til after midnight this morning.  I'll talk about the trip, stay, and travel more in another post, but first about the races.

The schedule seemed crazy... 4x100m at noon, then the 100m 30m later and the 4x400m 30m after that.  I was the only person in my age group and one of just very few in the meet to do all 3 masters events in the meet, all in a space of 1 hour.  

But, it was actually good.  I only had to warm up once and the 4x100m relay was a really good warmup for the 100m race.  

100m

It wasn't the slowest M60 100m win, but close.  Actually a few hundredths slower than I ran last year when I won Bronze.  At least it was faster than the age groups above, including last years M60 winner.  There were supposed to be 8 people in the race but 3 scratched.  Former world champion and many time previous winner Don M., may have been injured but was in the race and lined up to my right, definitely something wrong since he finished well back in 4th.   I knew Zac was fast but I didn't know the other guys.  Last year, I think I lost the race in the last 15m so I didn't want that to happen again, so I made sure I relaxed and tried to maintain what little good running form I had til the end.  It paid off.  I got a fair start, decent reaction not a great drive phase, due to no blocks and very little practice with starts this season.  I felt it stayed quite close through 70m and Gerald finished on the inside was just 0.16 behind me, Zac just 0.03 behind him, less than 0.20 separating the medals.     This is the second year we've been required to race with no blocks.  Never used to be this way.   Afterward I took my spikes off and let my feet rest for a few minutes before having to jog to the start line for the 4x4.  During my brief rest, was happy to have talked with Zac a bit and to learn his daughter is also a musician.  That's the great thing about this event, the people.  Especially to a loner like me who lives pretty much in isolation.  

Photo: about 30m into the race

Relays

4x100 - Backing up to the first event, we were told to get there at 9:30.  Well, I was 10 min early and ended up waiting almost an hour before Chuck left the table and delivered our packets.  By the time we got to our team place in the stands, We had about 30m to sit before going to the field to warmup.  When we left to enter the field, we were direct to the massive line at the paddock but it seemed like a ridiculously long line. So we later learned we were to enter at the masters table.  So... we walked around the stadium one full revolution before we actually went in, so stupid and unnecessary.  My foot didn't need that.  I think one of the 100m guys missed his race because he was misdirected also.  

Bruce led off and got totally smoked.  He was I think tied for 4th in his leg.  He looked injured, wasn't sure what happened.  Daryl made up a little ground and handed it to Wally in third, well behind Flashpoint (Ron's all-star team) in first.  Pony Express Club's 3rd leg was really slow and Wally handed it to me in second but by that time Don M. had nearly a 20m lead on me.  I did make up some but the race was over before I got the stick.  Anyway, a good opportunity to run at full speed and feel the track.  Now I was warmed up.  

After the 100m, I was pretty happy and not really looking forward to the 4x400, but like the 4x100, the race was already decided by the time I ran the anchor leg.  Ron had 30m on me by the time I got the stick.   Scott led off for us and we were down by 20m at first exchange.  Bruce made up quite a bit of time on the leading team with a good 62 sec leg and Mark took the stick less than 10m behind.  Mark lost almost 4 sec to the leading team, managing only a 65.37 leg (to Jerry's 61.86), so Ron had more than a 5 sec lead and it was over.  I ran a respectable leg but didn't kill myself, my 61.19 split was the fastest of my team and the third fastest among all teams (behind Ron 59.80 and Oscar 60.14).  Not a bad workout and I was able to sprint to the end with no rigging.  

So I collected 3 more Penn Relays Medals, I now have 9 total.  6 from relays, and 3 from the 100m event.  Here's the tally:  100m: Gold ('24), Silver ('17), Bronze ('23).   Relays:  Gold ('23), 3 Silver, 2 Bronze.

Winning the 100m at Penn was a nice consolation after the experience at Nationals and it puts me closer to the end of my competitive season and closer to wellness.  More about the travel and the Penn Relays experience in the next post.  

3x300 tempo, Penn

Perfect day.  Mid 60ºs, bright sun, light N wind.  Last conditioning workout before Penn.  I thought I might try and get 4x3w/3, but no way in hell.   My HR only recovered from 179 to 160 three min after rep 3, so I was done.  Only slightly faster avg than the set I did 12 days ago.  Started rather ambitiously.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 15.78

Hoka Rocket X2s on

3 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 49.54, 49.41, 52.48  (avg - 50.47)

Went back and looked.  I did two 4x300 tempo sets in Jan, then one in March at Marist (PR 49.08 avg) fast Mondo track in perfect weather on 3/3.  I only completed 4x3w3 three times this season, so tall order.   I did complete a 3x3w/3 at the end of Feb average 48.94 with all three under 50.  So, still not fully back but not too far away.  I think that injury I had while stretching on 2/2 was somewhat the start of the problem that plagued me during mid March and Nationals, and that's why I went back to 3x3w/3 in Feb.

Had an amazingly huge weight drop from last night to this afternoon.  I was 146.6 lbs last night at midnight after eating at the school cafeteria, then 140.8 lbs after workout today, an almost 6 lb drop in about 15 hrs.  I was totally FOS.   I think I'm finally past this injury although I can still feel it ever so slightly in leg swings.  

PENN

Weather looks awesome for Penn.  Same as today, mid 60ºs and sunny.   I am a bit concerned about the 100m race, not because for fear of injury, but for the fact I've done zero acceleration or short speed work this season.   I'll go out tomorrow and do a little.  Really be lucky to break 13.1.   

I heard some bad news that the Masters 100m sprinters will again be denied starting blocks, Masters winners will no longer get the famous plaque ... the 'Penn Wheel'.  So, I'll never own one.  Should have really had last years 4x1 wheel considering I had the fastest splits in both relays, medaled in the 100m, medaled in the 4x400 and won the opening leg by a lot, and above all... paid to fly there and paid the cost of 2 nights in a hotel, (where all my teammates drove to the meet).   Alas, it's more about the experience.  

test run

Ran a cautious 400m race in a college meet today, 61.00 - the annual Sewanee Mountain Laurel Invitational.  About what I expected.  Took it really easy on the first half into the wind and probably ran somewhere around 29/32 splits.  Also, my blocks slid back a few inches at the start, officials didn't call it back.  So, didn't really care that it was one of the slowest of my masters career, just happy to finish uninjured and good to go for Penn Relays.  (61.00 would still rank #3 in the world in M60 right now, but it's early).   I finished about 15m behind the back of the pack and ahead of one astonishingly slow kid (about 9 sec behind me).  Weird that it was exactly 61.00.  That's a first.  I ran faster even on that tiny 160m flat indoor track in Feb.   

I knew by my recent workouts that I wasn't in the shape I was in Feb - March.   This is a slow track but in previous years, I'd run 56 here.   If I am to get back to where I was, it's going to take a while.  Not sure I will, as that level of fitness is fleeting, then again, I'm on vacation and not much else to do.  This track will be gone in a few weeks and hopefully the new one installed by end of June.  

I didn't wear my HR monitor, just my watch, and it recorded a max HR of 175 at the end of the race.  I was about 140.5 lbs for the race.  I think the extra lb or two may have made a difference.   

Weather looks awesome for the rest of the week after tomorrow.  I'm planning a tough endurance session on Monday then just something light on Tues.  Penn is Thurs.  

100, 300, pre race day

Went out to do a light workout before my return to racing tomorrow.  Great weather.   70º and partly cloudy, light winds.  I wanted to try out lane 3 for tomorrow's race but I'm thinking they'll combine my 3 person heat with the previous.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

100m - 13.88

300m - 43.62 (28.44, 15.18)

The 300m felt ok.  I was NOT at all spent at the top of the home stretch.  If I pace correctly, I might come close to 60 tomorrow.  I'm really going to try and restrain myself and run the first 200m really easy.  My HR never exceeded 160 during or after this 300m so I'm feeling ok about it.  

This Sewanee meet is just a 12 min drive from my house, so I couldn't resist.   I was put in a 5th heat with two really slow seeds (over a minute) but I'm fairly sure one of them is a fake seed.  "Ben Doverman"  seeded at 71.  Come on...lol.   99% that is a fake seed name (because we don't have to pay to register).  So, I'll either run with just one slow guy or they'll put us in lanes 6 and 7 with the previous heat, which is likely.  Slowest person in the previous heat is 56.6, but if the other guy shows up, I won't be last.  (He's never run under 61 and I beat him by a lot at Sewanee's indoor meet).   

This will be the very last track meet on this 20+ yr old track that is badly in need of a resurface.  The new track is going in next month but it may take much of the summer to get it done.    Fortunately, I'll be off for most of the summer from racing.  Probably won't race after May.   We'll see.  I can train at St Andrews.  Unfortunately, no shade or bathrooms there.   I'm a little nostalgic about seeing the old track go that I've been training on for 14 yrs.   It's not the fastest track but it's soft and good to train on.  

I'm really happy with the way the injury is healing.  I can barely feel any issues at all when stretching.  I should be good to go for Penn on Thursday but really need this time trial to get my bearings for a 400m in my present state of fitness.     

Not going to be really light for tomorrow's race, definitely over 140.  140.5 lbs after workout.  

3x300,200 tempo, meet Sat?

Rain ending, with thunder, wet track, low 60ºs and with a SW wind.  Not idea conditions but I needed a conditioning workout, and I made an attempt at a 4x300m w/ 3min.  Pulled up 100m short on last rep.  Ran these conservatively.  All 300s about 51.  Last 150m was into the wind.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

3x300m, 200m w/ 3min rest - 51.16, 51.27, 51.87, 37.04

I started the last 300m in just a fast jog because my HR had only recovered to mid 150s after the 3rd rep.  I bailed after a 37 sec 200m.  If I had finished the last one would have been 55ish.  Despite the slow conditions, really quite a come down after completing my first 4x300 avg  49.66 sec nearly 3 months ago in Jan.   Just shows how fast peak fitness goes away.

Here are the HR stats:

Second graph shows running cadence and HR.  (upper orange lines - running, lower - walking, gaps - sitting).

Detail: HR peaks all in the mid 170s during or shortly after runs.  Peak for session was after 3rd 300 during recovery at 181, a full 45 sec after the 3rd rep.   Lowest HR during recovery periods: 1st: 129, 2nd: 146, 3rd: 153.    To run a decent set of 4, I probably need to get my recovery HR below 150 before the last rep.  Note: the HR was over 170 for a total of about 4min.  

Weight is coming under control.  140.2 lbs after workout.

Last night I did stairmaster hill program on level 16 for 17 min.   I was mostly in the 153-164 HR range.  Peaked on the last hill at 173.

Race Saturday?

My annual local college meet is Sat.  I signed up.  I'm probably not in shape to break 60 sec, but after two days off from runni g this week, my injury feels about gone.  I may do it just for the workout.  Shouldn't be a risk.

 

 

2x300,200, 60s

 First warm day for a workout, variably cloudy, mid 70ºs and windy.  Did a conditioning workout today as I took limited rest between my long sprints.  Was going to do a 3x3w/3 but I started too fast and ran two, then a 200m.

Stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.50

Hoka rocket X2s on

300m, 3 min rest, 300m, 7 min rest, 200m - 46.32, 48.17, 28.51

3 x 60m (first 2 rolling, 3rd from the line) - 7.78, 7.48, 8.10

I felt I should do some short speed so I ran a few 60s, the first cautious and the second, hard.   Ran one from the line from a crouch.  Could use some work on my acceleration, something I almost never work on.  

Here's the heart rate data from my optical arm sensor (certified as highly accurate by Engineer Joe E. Page).   I knew I wouldn't get 3 because during my 3min recovery, my HR only went down to 150.  Note the spikes shortly after each interval where max HR was recorded during the walk back.  (You can see it more clearly on the second graph that shows both HR and running cadence).  Not real confident with the cadence indicator, probably some latency.  They make a shoe pod for a more accurate reading.  My highest HR was 185 after my 200m during my walk back.   That's the max I've yet recorded.    

Afterward, went for a hike, now at the peak of wildflower bloom.  It was good.  Needed to lose a few lbs.  I've definitely gained a 2 lbs.  I can feel it, but can correct it in a few days.  Definitely not in the aerobic shape I had attained by early March.  Can still feel the injury a little so may take 2 consecutive days off from the track.  

140.7 lbs after workout.

Purple Phacelia wildflowers at the peak.  

Penn Relays

Still need some significant conditioning work to race a 400m.   The Thursday Masters Penn schedule is ridiculous: 

11:58 - 4x100 

12:26 - Masters 100 

1:00 - 4x400

At least I'll only have to warm up once.  They want me to anchor the relays, which is a lot of pressure, especially in a close race.  I've always had nightmares about losing a 4x4 as anchor.  Has never happened, hopefully it won't.  We should be considerably behind the top team which is pretty much an all star team.  Actually, would much rather get the stick at anchor behind than ahead.

2x100, 200, 300

Cool and windy today, partly sunny and about 60º.    I did some uptempo sprints with long rest in between.   Need both conditioning and speed.  This was just sort of maintenance.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

100m - 14.10

Hoka rocket x2s on

100m - 12.88

200m - 26.97 (12.81, 14.16)

300m - 43.51 (13.68, 14.10, 15.73)

A gust of wind caught me in the last 100m of the 300m, but it was close to race pace.  Max HR was 181 several sec after the 300m.  Max HR after the 200m was 171 but it seemed to take a long time for my HR to come back down afterward to below 130.  I had to sit to get it down to 120; while walking, it stayed over 130 for 10+ min.  These were pretty hard effort sprints, ~ 95%.

Next workout will be a tempo set on Sunday.  Should be sunny and 70º. 

Equipment test

This is not my data but a test comparison of the Coros armband heart rate monitor and a Garmin HRM Pro chest strap.  Pretty close in performance.

3x300m tempo

 My first tempo workout in a month.  Back to the 'unholy trinity,'  3x3w/3.   Cloudy, 59º, wet track, rain threatening, and strong winds from the SE giving a stiff headwind in my last 100m.  Finally a conditioning workout.  Conditioning goes away fast.  This was comparable to what I was doing in Dec.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

100m - 15.72

Hoka Rocket X2s on

3 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 50.23, 50.59, 50.94 (avg 50.58)

Went fairly cautious, just wanted to get it done, and with conditions not so good, wasn't worried about the time.  Set a pace beep at 51 (3x17) exceeded it and stayed fairly consistent.  Wasn't so tired at the end that I couldn't sprint the last 100m into the wind.  

The hamstring is sore when I put the massage gun on it but not while running.  Feeling generally more healthy overall. 

Data from the Coros monitor:

Interestingly, my HR reached max at 180bpm 5 seconds after the first interval.  Recovered to 130bpm after the first rep.  Second rep reached a max HR of 170 3 seconds after the run.  Recovered to 146 after the second rep.  Third rep max HR during the run was only 160, but peaked at 178 20 sec after the run.  Confirms what I've thought, always feels harder just after the run, not during.  Interestingly, my highest HR during any of the reps was on the first one.  It took almost 12 min for my HR to drop below 120 when finished.  Also interesting to see stride cadence.   I'm usually about 245 in a 400m race, max for this set was 234.   Maximum stride length was 5.94'.  In a race it's usually about 2m (6.56').  Not to get carried away with this new data toy, but it's interesting.  Not sure how accurate the stride length reading is.  (They make a shoe attachment for more accurate measurements).  

140.8 lbs after workout.  Weather looks good after Friday, summer like by the weekend.  Maybe I'll take the boat out.

100m, 400m

 After a couple of days off for some hiking and biking, and to allow my feet some recovery from running in spikes, I went out during the solar eclipse today to run a 400m in spikes just to see where I am.  Upper 60ºs and breezy, the track was wet with steam rising from it.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

Hoka rocket X2s on

100m - 13.87

Adidas spikes on

400m - 61.13 (13.85, 15.00, 15.32, 16.96 / 28.85, 32.28

Not ready to race a 400m ... (heh, even though this was faster than winning time at Nationals), I really am not 400m fit.  Consider I was running 59.8 in trainers 3+ months ago.  I'm going to need to start upping the volume a bit.  I feel some soreness in my injured ham still and it's moving lower, into the middle of the muscle.  My max HR during the 400 was 182.  

I'll try a 3x long sprint tempo set next time out on Wed and see how I tolerate it.  Looks like a rainy week but I should be able to get one in Wed morning.  Love this time of year and I have just one more full week of work after this week then I'm off til late Aug.  

140.3 lbs after workout.  

I really loved the dimmed mid day sun.  Partial solar eclipse 2024.  

3x100

Was going to run a long sprint today but can still feel the injury so I decided to keep it light.  I did run fast.  Tried out my spare pair of Adidas Prime SP2s.  So whenever I put spikes on, like to keep the volume low.  I originally planned to run a 400m with an easy first 200 but decided not to.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

Hoka Rocket X2s on

100m - 13.40

Adidas Prime Sp2 spikes on

2 x 100m - 12.48, 12.53

I did these sprints close to 100% with a 3 step rolling start.

Weight is ok still.  139.9 lbs

Maybe do a more ambitious workout Sunday when it's warm.  Would like to try a 400m about 29 / 31 pace.  It is volume more than speed that seems to stress the injury.

300s, committed to Penn

On Wed morning, I got out for my 2nd workout since Nationals.  I did a little conditioning but not much.  Still being cautious.  Colder, 47º, breezy but some sun.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drill, bands, 100m

100m - 15.19

Hoka Rocket X2s on

2 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 47.91, 50.32

Felt ok.  Still no high volume or anything fast.  This was still hard as I've lost fitness.   HR peaked at 170.  

Weight good. 140.0 lbs.

PENN

I committed to Penn Relays and bought my ticket.   So, just want to be able to participate and not be in pain.  3 races in an hour.  2 x 100 and 400.  

First track workout since Nationals

First time on the track in a while.  Only my second time running in 16 days.  Need to make a decision soon about Penn Relays, by Friday.

I can still feel the proximal ham injury but it's much better.  I didn't want to push it so I did just a few sprints as a test and called it a day.  I think it's volume more than speed that irritates this injury.  I can tell I've lost a great deal of fitness since it's been almost 3 weeks since I did a conditioning workout.  

Hoka trainer on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

2 x 100m - 14.97, 13.75, 13.54

200m - 28.51

The last 100m was actually a 200m cut short so it was on the turn.   Felt ok although a little clunky and cautious.   I do think I can race at Penn but won't decide until I see how I tolerate the next workout.  I don't want to prolong this injury.  But, I sure would like one last crack at that M60 100m.  

Weight is still ok. 140.4 after workout.

Sunday bike climb and illness

Sunday, I really needed some exercise so I did a Roark's Cove Rd. Bike climb.   Didn't kill myself but did it in 23 min.   Maximum heart rate was 160 but I only have my watch and not my HR strap.  

Friday evening, Roya and I attended a dance recital and I think I caught a cold from it.  The next night after our hike, I had a horrible scratchy throat and didn't sleep well.  

By Sunday evening, I had a fever of 101ºF and was gobbling vitamin C drops, Emergen-C packets and orange juice.  My fever went away by the morning and woke up feeling better.  I tested negative twice for covid.   

By Monday night, just a lingering cough.

 

Wilderness hike

Finally catching up on this blog.  Saturday, Roya and I did one of the ultimate challenging wilderness hikes and the best thing, it's right outside my door.  We hiked down my bluff to the falls where Laurel Branch meets an unnamed creek.  There are no trails to get there, just a several hundred foot slope of treacherous boulders and fallen trees.   There are just a few places accessible to get down off the bluff, none on my property.  The initial slope is certainly well in excess of 45º.    About the hardest 2 mile hike imaginable.   Locals have told me, "don't go down there alone."  In the almost 12 yrs I've lived here, it was only my 4th time going down.   Twice alone and my second time with Roya.   

The gorgeous falls are so remote and difficult to get to, it is not a stretch to believe that these falls go literally years between human visits.  As one gets deeper into the gorge, cell phone service and even GPS begins to disappear.  The spring is the best time to do this before the leaves come out.   But even with the increased visibility, it is still easy to get disoriented and lost.   We briefly got lost on our return as we took the wrong creek branch but as we got on higher ground, we got the GPS and compass to work and righted our path.   Agility, caution, and fitness is a must to get down and back out.  I can't imagine how a rescue could be carried out in such difficult terrain in case of an accident or injury.  

I wanted to go all the way to the meadow in Lost Cove and to Prince Spring, but we stopped about a half mile short and started the return.   It was really tough on my foot.   Lost over 2 lbs in the effort.  

Gym

 In the gym last night for some resistance and intervals on the rower.  Roya joined me.

Stretches

4 x 500m w/ 1 min rest - 2:08, 2:04, 2:02, 2:02

Hip flexors, abs, adductors, chest machines

Pretty good session, not full effort but peaked my HR at 170.  Nice having Roya here. 

Injury still there but steady improvement.  Will try to run a little by this weekend.  Maybe start with some hills.

I was incredibly disciplined with my diet in the month pre Nationals.  Wonder if I got too light?  I had bought 5 lbs of my favorite chocolate in early March and just opened it for the first time this week.  Ate at the campus buffet last night so a lb heavier this morning at 141.5.  

Wildflower hike, injury update

Wildflower season in the South Cumberland is finally here.   Did a relaxed 3 mile hike on the bluff today. 

The butt is still sore but it didn't bother me to hike, even climbs.  I think this injury will be fine to begin some limited running in a week or so.  

I haven't ruled out Penn yet.  As a compromise, I could run the 100m, then if I survive, do the 4x400m.  I would never go to Penn if I thought there was any doubt I could get the stick around.  I would never want to screw my team, so I'll go only if I'm 100% confident and healed.   

The injury really screwed with my head at Nationals, as much if not more than it compromised me physically.  I'm not going to let that happen again.  Still feel really empty, that should have been my 10th title, but still happy with my rankings and season overall.  I did the work. 
  

collapse, defeat, injury at Nationals

Even with the injury, I should have easily won this race.  Nationals were a bust.  I felt a lot of anxiety before the race, worried about the injury since I had not tested it in a long sprint in a week.  Disconcerting was a sharp pain I felt while shaking out my legs just before the race.  Ultimately, it wasn't the injury that really lost this race, it was my anxiety, and going out too fast and rigging way before the end.  The lack of confidence and lack of a last week of solid training that the injury caused, put me in this situation.   But, I think I had this race in me and squandered the opportunity.   

My first 200m was way too fast considering my condition, about 27.3 ish.  I completely locked up in the end and stumbled before the line as everyone passed.  It was one of the worst chokes in my life of championship races.  Yes, the injury caused some pain and slowed me down, but if I had run a smarter more conservative race, I may not have aggravated the injury and certainly could've managed a 60, and won the title.  The winning time was a shockingly slow 61.34.   Every single race of six I've run this year was faster, even the race on Sewanee's tiny track (60.54).  Definitely the agony of defeat.  Totally humiliating.   Watched the race video once on my phone and can't bear to watch it again.   Ridiculous ... I ran 59.84 in training shoes Jan 2.  57.91 in spike less than 2 weeks ago.

But on the positive side, it was a good season in general.  Season best 58.84.  Four indoor times under 60.

- #1 US ranked M60 400m  

- #5 World Ranked M60 400m  

Given the choice, I'd rather have this top ranking instead of a title with a slow time.  I have the 4 fastest indoor times in the M60 400m in the US.  No one else has run under 60.  

Not 100% sure but thinking of shutting it down for the season.  I'd hate to screw up my team with an injury at Penn, so I'll decide in a week or two.  I probably won't try to run for a week.  

One thing is for certain, I definitely put too much pressure on myself and it has affected my race performance.  I have to shift to training with more of an emphasis on strength and less on running as I heal up this injury and get ready for the next age group.   

Looking forward to doing other things and not being so focused on track, however, I will continue to train, and be an athlete.  It's going to be a long long off season.  Probably my longest time off since my 2019 surgery and the 2020 pandemic.  Then I went from 2018 outdoor Nationals to July 2020 without a race, about 2 yrs.  It may be a year or more before I race again.  We'll see how it feels in a few weeks.  

Certainly an anti-climactic way to end the season.  Thanks to all who have followed my journey on this blog.  And that's really what it's about, the journey.   Sprint Forever.

pre race day shake out

What a nice facility, track looks great.  I did a warmup and some strides and few starts from blocks.   It feels pretty good, just a little hesitant and cautious to let out my stride but I'm good to go.  It's all mental from this point.  I put the Hoka Rocket 2 trainers on and a couple strides, got up to about 400m race pace. Didn't feel real smooth due to me being a bit reserved, but tomorrow, no limits.  I'm going for it.  

I saw Rob who qualified #2 in the 60m, and he has the same exact issue as I do, same leg.  I gave him a capsaicin patch.  I wore one tonight on the upper ham.   Feels fine tonight.  Could barely feel it at all.  I guess it's really a fairly common thing with us 60+ sprinters.   I know at least 3 other guys who've had the same issue.   Vadim called me and has scratched due to illness.   Two other M60 guys who claim sub 60 400m seeds have not yet declared.  One didn't show for the 60m.     

On my way

 After Monday's hard conditioning workout on the stairmaster and rower, I opted for complete rest until tomorrow's 400m championship race.  Competition is uncertain, but I think one of my top competitors, Vadim, will scratch due to a WR 4x8 relay record attempt.  I was asked to be an alternate but I declined.  My injury is really more of a mental burden of confidence than anything else.  It's really more like a tendinitis thing rather than anything that's torn or should affect my speed.  I still think it's my race to lose, which could easily happen if I underperform and someone surprisingly over performs.   There are a few unknown quantities in the race and so it's hard to size up the competition.  People who've raced very little in recent yrs... me, kind of the opposite, having logged 5 sub 60 races already this yr.  To put it in perspective, not one person in this field has logged a sub 60 400m race since the 2020 pandemic, but 2 have 'claimed' to have done so without evidence, (and I think their seeds should be erased!)  There are 3 or 4 who definitely have the potential.  So, I still like my chances.

Feeling good, only very slight indications of any soreness, which go away completely after soaking in a bath.  I feel extremely fit and light, although weird to not have run for so long.  I'm about 138.5 lbs.

I'm going over to the venue tonight to pick up my packet and do a light shake out.  My 400m is late in the day, which is good.  4:02 PM.   

I will likely scratch the 200m but will decide tomorrow night.  I'd like to not end my season this weekend with an injury and still have in my mind, the possibility of a 4x4 WR attempt if things go extremely well.  If not, I'd like to help my club 4x4.

conditioning workout, stairmaster, rower

 At the Fowler Center tonight.  Did a standard warmup, drills, and then some light resistance concentrating on groin - adductors, abductors.  Then two conditioning sets, first on the stairmaster, then on the rower.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills

resistance  - adductors, abductors

stairmaster - 12 min hill program, level 17

concept 2 rower - 4 x 500m w/ 1 min rest - 2:02, 2:05, 2:03, 2:03

Both sessions pushed the heart rate to mid 170s, so it was a good workout.  Here are the HR graphs including the recovery afterward:

Stairmaster

Rower:

I ended both with a pretty hard sprint.  Peak HR was on the rower at 177.  

The injury is still noticeable, but not much.  I doubt that it will be sore tomorrow.  I'll probably do a shakeout / warmup tomorrow night, same on Wed late morning with maybe a little light running.   Thurs is a travel day, Friday, race.  

Ate light today.  1 c. oatbran at noon,  and about 1/3 lb chicken breast with some broccoli and half a beet for dinner.   Weight is decent, not super light but good.  141.5 lbs after dinner which will be my daily max.  Will likely wake up at or under 139 lbs.  

My sleep has been pretty good.  7 day average was about 7 hrs and "deep sleep + REM" made up 46% of my sleep time.  

Above readings from the Coros Pace 3 watch.  

 

definite setback, but the work is done

This morning, the injury, and yes  ... I'm now calling it an injury - the L proximal ham felt worse than it had in 2 yrs.  Really bad timing.  I sort of panicked this morning feeling like I'd never recover by Friday, but this evening, I'm a bit more optimistic.  Having been on the track consecutive days, including 8 of 10 days during one stretch, 5 days is a really long time before the race.  Taking 2 days off felt like a week.  So, the plan is no running at all until race day, just cross training.  I should be recovered to race by Friday.  I can't control so much the healing process as I can other things, my cross training, my diet and weight, so that's what I'm concentrating on.  Alan said I could take a month off and probably still win, but that's never the entire point.  I wanted to run 58.5 or better.  Maybe a WL.  But now, my goals are a bit more modest.  Just to win without injury.   

Drove to the Fowler Center tonight and the a-holes closed it early without any announcement.  It's a 25 min round trip to get there and I let the director know I wasn't happy.  So tonight, I did a set of hip flexors/abs with ankle weights and some upper body.  Tomorrow, to the gym in earnest with a conditioning set of rowing, stairmaster.  The rest of the week, just light stuff.  

Have achieved race weight.  In the 138.5 lb range.  

The hay is in the barn.

forced taper - 300, 100, hills, rower. New HR monitor

Even after 2 days off from running, I'm still feeling a tad of nerve pain in the area of my '22 proximal ham injury.  This is in no way as bad as it was then, and it's just 'a feeling' more than anything being strained or torn, but it's a cause for concern and a damn unfortunate time, 6 days away from the National Masters Indoor Championship 400m race.   This is not at all a deal breaker and I will be well enough to race that 400m.   But, the 200m is in limbo.  I'm not 100%.   

I was going to just run hills today but I got to the track and warmed up, felt ok, ran a just 14.3 100m and thought, well maybe I can do a  4x300 tempo as planned since I'll not be running faster than 16 sec 100s.  I ran the first at 47.4 without much effort and pulled up after 120m into my second one out of caution.  

I then went to the hill and ran a 100m and 200m.   Short stride, cautious.  It was fine.   So, I decided the best and safest course is to cross train on the stair master and rower mostly until nationals.   I can get some killer endurance workouts on both machines, safely.  Kind of a shame though, this is the time I wanted to be doing speed, maybe a time trial or race.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2 on

100m - 14.32

300m - 47.41 / 3min rest / 100m ~ 15

100m hill run 

200m hill run - 46

Concept 2 rower - 500m - 1:58 / rest 1 min / 500m - 2:02

It was a decent workout, despite the lack of specificity.  I really think I can benefit from some hard cross training and maintain the gains I've worked hard for to get where I am.  I feel really light and fast now.  

138.8 lbs after workout.

Moving forward, daily cross training on the stairmaster and rower.  One more light running hill session on Tues and thats all.  Honestly, taking 2 days off from running feels like a week at this point.  

Heart Rate Monitor

I got this Coros arm strap heart monitor because I found some readings on my watch monitor a bit suspect.  Specifically, I recorded a max HR of 185 during my last tempo set.  Didn't seem possible.   Well, that seems certainly feasible now that I've measured my HR at 176 after my second sprint on the rower today.  I also measured a low of 47 overnight in deep sleep.   Quite a range.  Max HR of 185 would be considered a normal maximum HR for a trained athlete age 35.   

4x150 tempo

A brief conditioning maintenance workout on turf, 8:30 am, beautiful weather, already 60º in bright sun.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100

100m - 14.25

Hoka rocket X2s on

4 x 150m w/ 30 sec rest on turf - 22.77, 24.17, 23.83, 25.01 (avg 23.94)

Brief but hard.  Concerned that the L proximal ham is a sore, probably over training.  I'm going to take Thurs and Friday off from running.   I'm hoping to be well enough to do 2 more hard conditioning workouts on Sat and Monday, then maybe a light workout Wed and that's it before Nationals.  This is not an injury, more of an ache and pain.  But may indicate a vulnerability, so I need to be careful.  Thinking about replacing one of my conditioning workouts with a hill workout.  Safer.  

Anyway, feel like I'm in rockin shape despite the issues.  138.0 lbs.  I really think I could win the 400m with my B game at this point but I'm more concerned with running 2 rounds of the 200m and a relay.   

Good morning from the track. 

Bike climb, resistance

Gorgeous day, 67º, sunny.  Had to keep myself from running today, needed the recovery but I did a hard bike climb up the mountain in 20 min flat, and I did it after my resistance workout.  Just 1:15 slower than my PR.  My watch said my HR peaked at 172.  I bought a more accurate arm strap sensor to go with my watch, so I'll get more accurate max HR readings after Thurs.  

Tomorrow, not much time so I'm planning an early morning tempo set on turf, 150s, then Thursday completely off.  

    Bike climb - Roark's cove rd. (900' in 2.5 miles) - 20:00

    Resistance circuit, hip flexors, glutes, ab wheel, pushups, and pullups.

Did a PR set of 24 consecutive pullups today.

138.9 lbs after workout.

May do some race pace Friday but thunderstorms expected.  Then, the rest of the week looks fine except for a cold snap on Monday-Tues with wind, temps only in the mid 40ºs.   I'm planning my last hard conditioning workouts on Sat and Monday, then taper to some race pace, maybe a time trial Wed morning.   Too bad it has to be cold for these last few workouts next week.  Not much time left.  Leave a week from Thurs for Chicago, 400m Championship, a week from Friday.  

4x200 tempo

Cool, 59º, mostly sunny and light winds at the Sewanee track.  #2 of 4 of my last conditioning workouts before Nationals, and I continue to one-up myself from last year's regime.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 2x100

Hoka Rocket X2s on

4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 30.00, 30.41, 31.67, 31.53 (avg 30.90)

200m - 28.80

This was .30 sec faster on average than the 4x200 w/1min set I did a yr ago (31.20)

The last 200m was supposed to be a 300m but I cut it short because I felt some soreness in my L proximal ham.  It's fine, just a bit over worked.   Have run 8 of the last 10 days.  I really probably shouldn't run tomorrow and maybe do something light early Wed.  

Must decide about the meet on Sat.  Might be better and safer to do my last 2 conditioning workouts Sat and Monday, instead of Sunday and Mon.  Then run race pace or event run this Friday.  SO... I'm leaning against racing on Sat.  

Been eating well.  Just one of those high fiber 70 calorie Royo bagels in the morning and cappuccino.  Then one main meal, tonight chicken with roasted brussels sprouts and beets.  No snacking.  

138.5 lbs after workout.  

Tried to record my heart rate with the sport watch.  It said I reached a max of 185 in my tempo set.  Can't be right.  Maybe I'll order the arm cuff accessory to dial in exact readings.  

I found a rare pair of Adidas Prime Sp2s in my size at Dick's online, so snagged em.  

'split 700', 200m

Today began the hard stuff.   Upper 50ºs, sunny, and very windy at the Marist track today.  I have 12 days before the Masters Indoor Championship and this was the first of 4 tough conditioning workouts I intend to complete before.  This was the first 'split 700' I've been able to complete in a year.  It went ok, despite the high winds.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

2 x 100m strides ~ 15.5

Hoka rocket Xs on

'split 700' - 500m - 81.08 (63.08, 18.00)/ 90 sec rest / 200m - 32.43  (1:53.51 total)

200m - 27.93

This is one hard motha.  Not only lactic burn but lung burn as well.  I was on the ground for quite a while afterward.  My 400m was a bit faster than intended and my last 100m of the 500m was into a stiff wind.  Compared to the 2 split 700s I did last yr, this final 200m was the fastest, and also total time was the fastest.  So, I'm on target.  Finished with a relaxed 200m.  Was going to do more but planning another hard one tomorrow so kept the volume nominal.

Certainly a bit late in the season to try anything new, but I ordered a hip thrust device for working the glutes, and a Coros sports watch to track heart rate.   

137.9 lbs after workout.   

bike climbs, 6x100 hill sprints

Same workout as Tues, except I chose a different and longer hill.   One hill was about 325m, the other about 400m.   I did each 5x, 10 hills, sprinting on the bike with my butt off the seat.  

After a rest, did 6x100m hill sprints on the street.

Hoka Rincons on

Bike climbs - 5x400m and 325m

Stretches

6 x 100m hill sprints - 14.44 - 15.78

The first hill, I ran as a warmup in 19 sec, then sprinted the next 5.

Rain tomorrow and definitely no running.  I've run 6 of the last 7 days.

139.3 lbs after workout.  

Pre Nationals training plan:

After no running tomorrow, the next 12 days I'm going to try and replicate the training I did last year before I peaked with those 2 consecutive time trial days last year where I ran 57.7, 56.8.  I did notice that during that time I did two of the dreaded 'split 700s' and two hard tempo sets: 4x3 and 4x2.  That would be a tall order to cram into the next 10 days, but I may give it a shot.  I also ran an 800m on a recovery day and had 2 relatively light days and some weight pulls.  Have a 'plan A' if I race at Emory Sat, and a 'plan B' if I don't.  Built into the schedule are some consecutive workout days but also 2 consecutive off days next week, Wed-Thurs, and a couple low volume days, and a day off for travel.  It's a ball buster of a regime, we'll see how it goes.   So it starts on Sunday with a 'split 700.'

Although I didn't register for the meet, they gave me lane tomorrow at Clark's meet!   LOL...  I'm NOT going to race.  If I didn't workout so hard today, I'd be tempted and if the weather were better.  I have to decide if I'm racing at Emory on 3/16 by Wed. morning.  Depends much on the weather.  

Also, I was mistaken in a previous comment.  Roland G. is still in the M55 age group so the M60 WL is still 58.40, but that will likely change after European Championships.  It's a bigger meet than US Nationals.  I think mid 58 and maybe a WL is in my wheel house with my A game.  

The 4x400m M60 WR attempt isn't completely off but at this time, dubious.  Jerry asked me to join him and Oscar for an attempt but with those guys, very doubtful.  After pressing me on it, I just told him that 1) we'll see if it's possible based on times run in the 400m final; and 2) if we want to take a shot at it, we'll choose the 4 fastest guys and go with it.  Vadim is in for a 4x800 WR attempt and if he does it, he may not even race the 400m, and he is one of the only guys I think can break 60.   Without him, the 4x4 WR attempt isn't happening.   Otherwise, I'll just run with my team.  Frankly, club relays and medals are fairly meaningless to me at Nationals compared to a possible WR, but Penn is a different story.  Want my team to win at Penn.    

400m time trial, 2x200m tempo, 2x100m

Perfect day for weather at the Marist track.  70º, light winds, partly cloudy.  I brought the spikes today.  

Not too bad of a 400m, but a bit slower than 2 that I ran before Poland.   57.91

My splits: 13.34, 14.07, 14.40, 16.10 / 27.41, 30.50 / 41.81, 16.10

I tried to be conservative, maybe not conservative enough?  Hard to say.  My best time trial last yr. I went out very fast, and finished even slower, but broke 57.   

I'll do a comparison below.  I'm light now but I was ultra light then.  like 137.  

Hoka trainers on

Stretches, drills, bands, 100m

Hoka Rocket X2s on 

100m - 13.25

Adidas Prime SP2 spikes on

400m - 57.91 (13.34, 14.07, 14.40, 16.10 / 27.41, 30.50 / 41.81, 16.10)

Hoka Rocket X2s on 

2 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 29.42, 29.82

100m - 13.26

Felt ok, I think the 300m split was decent.  Almost the same as Nationals outdoor last yr.  Interesting to compare these splits:

Nationals last yr: 57.59 vs today 57.91 vs time trials last year in March:  

57.59   ~  14.1, 14, 13.7, 15.8 / 28.1, 29.5 / 41.8, 15.8  

57.91   -  13.34, 14.07, 14.40, 16.10 / 27.41, 30.50 / 41.81, 16.10

56.81   -  12.78, 13.35, 14.37, 16.31 / 26.13, 30.68 / 40.50, 16.31

57.72   -  13.66, 14.15, 14.15, 15.76 / 27.81, 29.91 / 41.96, 15.76

Quite a variety of approaches.  The fastest was front loaded - 4.55 differential between 200s.  Second fastest - 1.4 sec differential.  The two slowest first 200s (28.1, 27.81) yielded the fastest second 200s (29.5, 29.91).  The gamble of a very fast first 200m (26.13) yielded the fastest time despite the slowest second 200m (30.68).   Running a 40.5 300m split is probably risky.  The task is to get to 300m as fast as possible with the least effort.  

Finished with a brief conditioning set and an uptempo 100m stride.

Light but could be lighter,  138.6 lbs after workout.  

300, 200, 100

Didn't want to do much today because I'll be going back out tomorrow.  Rained until early afternoon, so track was wet, cool, falling into the upper 50ºs by sunset.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100m

100m - 13.71

300m - 42.36

200m - 27.09

The 300m was intended to be close to 400m race pace and it was, adjusting for trainers on a wet track.  I didn't rest fully before the 200m and it was real tiring.  

Ate light today and was 139.5 lbs before the workout. 

Weather is good for tomorrow.   70º and light winds.  May run a 400m TT.   Friday, rain in the late afternoon through Sat.  So, I will probably bike and maybe hill sprints on Friday before the rain.  Sun will be much cooler and windy, mid 50ºs so maybe a tempo workout then.   The coming week in Sewanee looks great.  Sunny, 60-66º M-W.  

Meet on 3/16 is questionable due to rain, and the fact Roya may be gone for the weekend.  Not sure I want to drive 2.5 hrs for a meet 6 days before Nationals.  

Wow, my Indoor Nationals 400m race is just 2 weeks from Friday.  

indoor circuit

Doing this indoor circuit, need a break from running.  But, it's supposed to be nice Wed and Thurs, so I'll be back to the track tomorrow.  Maybe a time trial Thurs.  

Got accepted to race Sat but not going to.   Supposed to be wet and windy.

My indoor circuit I did 3x:

20 x Ab wheel

50x bicycle crunches with 2x10lb ankle weights

30 x pushups

3x15 hip flexors with bands

Was a little heavier today, at 141, so need to watch it.   

bike climbs, hill sprints

Dry and upper 60ºs in ATL today.  Took advantage of the very hilly neighborhood here and did a series of hill sprints on both the bike and on foot.   

First set was bike.  5 x 1.7 mile circuit with 3 hill climbs, longest one only a quarter mile.  Stayed off the seat the whole way with good effort.  8.5 total.

Second were 6 x 100m sprints, also good effort.  Did these between 14.3 and 15.5.\

Stretches

8.5 miles on the bike, 5 circuits each w/ 3 sprint climbs

6 x 100m hill sprints - 14.3 - 15.5

Weight still hanging about 139-140.

I'm dubious about racing on Sat. because I haven't heard from the meet director from the DA website.  Weather does not look good.  Rain in the morning, 90% til 9am, decreasing to 60% by noon.   Might not  race til Nationals.

But, last year, I did race the weekend before Nationals.   My last meet before Nationals in '23, I ran a poor 59.35, just 6 days before the semi-final race, where I ran 59.1   Next day I ran a season's best 57.59.  So, if I'm hell bent on getting a race in the weekend before, I could race at Emory for another college meet on Sat the 16th.   Nationals race is 6 days later on Friday.  We'll see how the weather looks.  

Tomorrow looks like rain most of the day.  So, will do core work, upper body, hip flexors.  Wed and Thurs look good so I'll go to Marist just before sunset.  Might do a time trial on one of those days, need work on my pace.  

4x300m tempo pr, 200m

Training today at the Marist track, conditions were good, but a little warmer than I was use to.  72º, humid, mostly cloudy, calm winds.   Nice to train on Mondo. 

I wasn't sure if doing a hard tempo set day after a race was advisable, but since I took Thurs and Fri off, I reasoned it would be ok.  So, as penance for my poor race yesterday, I did the 4x300m w/ 3min rest.  And... it was the fastest set I've done since the '21 season when I was doing 4x3w/2.5 min.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands, 2 x 50m

Hoka Rocket X2 on

4 x 300m w/ 3 min rest -  48.01, 47.96, 49.69, 50.69  (49.08 avg)

200m -  27.59

My best set of 4x3w/3 from last year was in July before Nationals at 49.30.  My best before Poland Worlds was 49.79.   In '21, I did 4x300m w/ 2:30 rest in 48.57, and 48.1.   

The last 200m was actually race pace but meant as a strider.

139.4 lbs after workout.

Berry College meet report

Saturday, ran my first outdoor meet at Berry College, my 63rd college meet after age 50.  It was a bust, I went out with the kids and rigged in the end losing a lot of time, 59.75.  My pace awareness isn't there.  With the slow guy in front of me scratching in lane 7, I was running alone in 6 until guys on my inside started to pass down the back stretch and I tried to stay with them, which I did til 250ish.  They were faster than I thought, the winner in the heat ran 54.  I was quite a ways back.  

Anyway, 59.75 - my worst time this season (excluding Sewanee's indoor 160m track)  is still faster this season than anyone else in the US M60 400m.   

So, on break and in Atlanta, I'm going to double down on my training and really kick ass.  

The weird race this coming weekend from that weird meet director who limited 'open' to age 35 was canceled.  Just disappeared from the Coacho calendar like I expected it would.  So, I may request to race in another college meet this weekend at Clark U, a historically black college here in ATL.  Weather doesn't look great though, rain in the morning, 50% during the day. 

neg split 400m, 2x150

Getting it in early before the rain.  On the track at 8:30 am, cloudy, SW wind, but generally dry and warm 65º.   Storm front approaching.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.45

Hoka rocket X2s on

Neg split 400m - 61.19 (30.94, 30.25)

2 x 150s - 19.81, 19.43

Glad to get it done early and home before the storm.  This cold front will drop the temperature 20º.  

I did the 150s around 400m race pace and not with complete rest.  It all felt ok.  Happy to be able to race and healthy.  

140.6 lbs after workout.

Weather for Berry College meet this Sat looks ok, slight chance of showers, about 60º, not too windy.  There is an all-ages meet the following weekend in ATL and strangely, they put an age limit on their open division of 19-35.   I've never seen this before.   Usually 'open' means anyone.   I could ask permission or just fudge my age on the signup site.  I could pass for an old looking 35 yr old, in sun glasses, right?  

Entries close tonight for Nationals.  No late additions or surprises yet.  Still top seed.

3x300m tempo

Consecutive day on the track.  Weather was irresistible,  sunny, upper 60ºs, S wind sometimes gusty.  I didn't want to do too much so I did the 3x3w/3 but faster than a 3x4w3.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m, 

100m - 14.8

Hoka rocket X2s on

3 x 300m w/ 3 min rest -  47.78, 49.48, 49.5  8  (48.94 avg)

Was feeling a tad worn from yesterday's workout so I kept it to one set.  

Training will be tough this week.  I was even thinking about doing a 3rd day in a row tomorrow because the only other options are Wed - 95% chance of thunderstorms late morning, and Fri 70-80% chance of rain.  Probably will end up taking tomorrow off and getting up early to train Wed before or in the rain, I wouldn't have much time, and the rain chance is 85% by 9am.  Should be in the lows 60ºs.  I won't melt.  

140.0  lbs after workout.

Vadim called me again about trying for a WR 4x4 but I seriously doubt that will happen without Jim.  Who knows if he's even training or what.  Has until Wed to sign up.

 

2x200, 100 tempo, 2x150, weight pulls, 4x100 tempo

Partly sunny, upper 50ºs and a gusty SE wind on Sunday.   Did a variety of stuff today, a good amount of volume.  Thought I might do a 3x200m tempo and shoot for 29, but bailed on #3 into a stiff wind because I did the first one bit fast.   So, I did more after that.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m, 50m

Hoka rocket X2s on

2x200m, 100m w/ 1 min rest - 27.82, 30.43, 14.74

2 x 150m - 19.31, 19.87

2 x 50m weight pulls w/ 90 lbs

4 x 100m w/ 30 sec rest - 14.4 -15.4

A decent amount of volume, about 1300m.   

Was thinking about going out tomorrow and doing a small amount of volume, like a 400m or a split 400m.  Was going to do a time trial but I felt a bit of soreness in my upper quads and I don't want to risk anything since I've paid already for Sat's race at Berry.

We'll see.  How I feel.

Starting to get my weight under control... 140.3 lbs after workout.  No more bread for a while.  

4x150 race pace, Nationals

Partly sunny, mid 50ºs and light shifting winds at the Sewanee track.  I wanted to concentrate on running form today and do a little low volume race pace, instead of simply trying to survive a tempo workout.  I was thinking about running 20.5 ish, but went much faster.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m on turf

Hoka rocket X2s on

150m - 19.82 (6.44, 13.38)

150m - 19.38 (6.28, 13.10)

150m - 19.28 (6.34. 12.94)

150m - 19.06 (6.29, 12.77)

I was going to do a 5th but it started raining.  I was pretty happy with the set.  Each one a little faster.  The last one probably faster than 400m pace.  Would be sub 19 with spikes.  

Tomorrow, Sat looks fairly cold so I may train Sunday, Monday, Wed.   May do a bike climb and resistance work tomorrow.   I might like to do a 400m time trial in spikes by Mon.  

Still waiting for Luke to respond to my request to race 3/2.  He's always allowed me in. 

Was exceptionally heavy for this workout.  141.5 lbs.  Ate a lot last night after a long day of work.

Indoor Nationals

Regular registration has ended for USATF Masters Indoor Nationals.  Jim hasn't registered, and unless he does, it's my championship to lose.   Jim is only guy I know of that has run faster in my age group, but you never know.  There are 3 or 4 guys who may be able to break 60, but none of them have demonstrated that yet this season, and I've done it 4x, even running 58.84.   

The 200m will be tougher, with John C. and Rob F.   John C. will be the favorite as he was a world finalist in Finland.  

We'll see the final list soon, late registration ends Wed.

 

4x200 tempo

Sunny, upper 50ºs, moderate S wind.   Busy day so I went with the most punishing and beneficial workout per time spent.  

Hoka trainers on

Stretches, drills, bands, 100m, 50m

Hoka Rocket X2s on 

4 x 200m w/ 60 sec rest - 29.75, 31.69, 31.40, 32.37 (31.30 avg)

Reps 2 and 4 were against the wind.  Had to dig deep for #4 and run it into the wind.  On the ground for a few min after.   Took me a while to gather my stuff and leave.   It was just 0.1 slower than my best set last yr, and it probably would have been faster without the wind.  

139.8 lbs after workout.

race pace 3x300, 200, weight pulls

Good weather, about 50º, sunny, dry, light winds.  Wasn't sure what to do today, thought about a 500m but I thought since I had time today, I'd run race pace with longer recovery.   

Yesterday, I biked up the mountain to burn some calories since I weighed 144.5 lbs after dinner Sat post race.  Better today.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.45

Hoka Rocket X2s on

300m - 42.75 (27.31, 15.44)

300m - 43.84 (28.60, 15.24)

200m - 27.91 (13.56, 14.35)

300m - 44.44 (28.71, 15.73)

4x50m 90 lb weight pulls with harness on the track

It was hard despite 12+ min rest between.   The weight pulls at the end were full out, hard.  Since there was no limited rest between, and I was about 400m race pace (except for the last 300), I consider this more of a speed workout.

Weight back under control, 140.3 lbs after workout.  I'm probably going to train Wed, Fri this week and will likely do a tempo set Wed since my time is short.   

M55 4x2 WR

Finally, a team of SW sprinters set the M55 world relay record over the weekend, exceeding our unofficial WR by just 0.01 seconds from 8 yrs ago.  It was disallowed at the time by an officials mistake that didn't give us any time advantage.  We did it with an M60 member, Ben and without the 200m masters champion, Allan.  If the track was marked properly and Allan was on the team, that would have been a record for the ages.   Oh well.   

hometown meet

I said I'd never race a long sprint on Sewanee's tiny flat 160m indoor track because a good time isn't possible...  5 turns for a 400m and just a 22m straightaway.  But I did, and it went pretty much as expected.  Ran a 60.56, which would still be #1 in US, despite the slow track.  It was a decent workout on a really cold day, and a luxury to run in a track meet just 12 min from my house.   I actually finished ahead of a few college guys, real stragglers.  My 62nd college meet over age 50, and my 5th 400 of the season.  

Tough place to race because there is no place to really warmup, I was running 20m sprints in a back hallway.  

Masters Rankings

Still #1 in US in the 400m, but knocked down a peg in the World Rankings to #3 as Mike V. posted a 58.74,  0.10 ahead of my SB.   R. White also broke 59 with a 58.93.  Nationals registration deadline is a 4 days away.  The competition should become clearer by then and whether we have the horses to attempt a WR 4x4.  

No meets til a possible Berry College outdoor meet on March 2.   That very much depends on the weather and getting permission to enter.  I've never been denied entry there so, I expect I'll run.  I have an opportunity for a good 2 week training cycle before then.   With the consecutive days of training and so many meets, my foot is a bit sore so will not run til tomorrow, Monday.  

300m, 2x100m

Was a great day for weather, mid 50ºs but felt warmer in the bright sun, occasional wind from the W-NW.   So I went out for a consecutive day.  Foot was a bit sore from yesterday's volume but it actually felt better after the session.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, bands

100m -14.25

Hoka Rocket X2s on

300m (from the 400m start : turn-straight-turn) 43.35 (13.29, 14.58, 15.48/  27.87, 15.48)

2 x 100m - 12.88, 12.59 

The 300m was a failed 400m.  I had planned to try 29/31 splits, but I went out too hard and got caught by a wind gust on the 2nd turn and shut it down at 300m.  So I ran a few 3 step rolling 100s.  First hard and relaxed, 2nd pretty much all out.   Not too bad after a 300m and at the end of a workout.

140.3 lbs after workout.

3x300,2x200 tempo

Sunny, 43º with a NW wind at the Sewanee track today.  Felt very much like winter, but not bad training weather except the track was wet after last nights rain and snow.  I did quite a bit of volume today, a little more than originally planned.   I did 5 sprints w/ 3 min rest between.   Actually, I wanted to do a 4x300m but I pulled up 100m short on #4 when it became apparent I wouldn't break my season PR on the set.  I would have needed to run under 52 on the last one.  Again, started a bit too fast.  So, I rested 3 min and ran a second 200m.  It was tough.

Hoka trainers on 

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m - 14.85

Hoka rocket x2s on

3 x 300m, 2 x 200m w/ 3 min rest between - 47.98, 48.93, 50.93, 34.66, 33.44 

It was a good hard set.  Can hardly feel the proximal ham soreness anymore, completely gone after warmups.  

138.8 lbs after workout.

Schedule:

I said I would never run at a Sewanee indoor meet again but I signed up for this Sat. to run the 400m.  I looked back and surprisingly, I haven't raced a 400m indoors in 10 yrs on this track.   Last time I raced, I did the 55m.   In 2014 I ran two 400m races in there, 58.31 and 57.88.    Since I pay on site, I could scratch without paying.  The very slow track is a flat 160m track with 22.5m straights and 57.5m turns, it's like running around in a circle.  If you run in lane one, a 400m is 287.5m of turn and 112.5m of straight.  5 turns.   Hard on the body.  Won't run a good time in there, be real lucky to break a minute.  Probably won't.  

My thinking is, I'm fit, I'm not doing anything that day and it's supposed to be very cold with wind chills at or below freezing.  If I don't do it now, I may never do it.  So, one more 400m on that shitty track. Maybe.  I seeded myself at 59.22 so hopefully will get into a slow heat.    

Will only do 2 workouts this week.  Today and Thurs.  Thursday will be tough but will probably opt to do it before work at 8am, or on the indoor track at 9pm that night.   Both options are tough because I work my long day then.