150 tempo on turf, weight pulls

Cool, mid 50ºs, moist and cloudy at the Sewanee track.  Long warmup, short interval set, but hard.

Stretches, drills, bands

4 x 150m on turf w/ 30 sec rest ~ avg 27ish

4 x 50yd weight pulls with 90 lbs - 2 forward, 2 backward

Again, HR to the max.  HR peaks about 15-20 sec after sprint.

Max heart rates after reps - 

#1 - 171

#2 - 179

#3 - 186

#4 - 183

HR remained over 170 beginning 15 sec after 1st rep.   2:04 over 180.  

141.5 lbs after workout.  

As I mentioned before, itching to do some track sprints.  I was planning hills on Friday but before that, may go to the track and run a brisk 200m.  Be happy to stride one in the low-mid 28s.   Eventually, one 300m, and then 300s.   

Beginning Friday, gorgeous fall weather forecast for the next week.   Low 60ºs, sunny, around 40º at night.  With the recent rain, it should be a colorful, brilliant fall of colorful leaves.  

bike climb

It had been quite a while since I had done a bike climb, it was a good day for it,  Mid 50s, cloudy.   So I did Roark's Cove.   

I had been up all night draining, cleaning, and refilling my hot tub.  The circulation pump, usually silent,  was making noise.  In the morning, I was happy it was working and hot.  But, after my bike ride, the pump failed.  But not a bad run... it ran 24/7 for 10 yrs.   New one comes in on Tues.  Not soon enough.  I'm totally dependent on that thing.  The install shouldn't be too hard.  

This climb was sluggish and I started too fast again.  But it was a good calorie burn.  My HR monitor failed halfway up, but realized that wiping the sensor with a wet finger restored the function.*

Roarks Cove climb

Total time - 23:45

Max HR 180*

Avg speed - 5.9 mph

This looks like the schedule I'll keep for the week.  Turf run on Tues, hills on Friday, bike on Sun.  

141.9 lbs after workout.

Stairs / blood work

Friday morning at the MTSU stadium for stairs.  I again one upped myself but won't likely try that again for a while.  I may not be able to do another stair session at MTSU til Dec 4, but I can always run hills in Sewanee.  In fact, I measured out distances of 100, 150, 200, and 250m on the steep at Roark's cove rd.  So, maybe next Friday I do some Halloween hills.

Weather at the stadium couldn't have been better, mid 50ºs and hazy sun.  No wind.  

Stretches, drills

15 x stadium stairs

It was tough.  I took a bathroom break at 10, and came back to do the last 5.  Last few I was sitting down for a brief rest in between.  I did start off with 6 consecutive.  Halfway up, there was a knee high gate that caused me to stop, step over, and lose momentum.  

I did my yearly testing blood work.  This was may yearly physical, so not the self testing from Ulta.  Lipids were pretty much the same as in Sept.:  Total Chol - 210;  LDL and TriG, both 140; HDL up a bit to 46, and fasting glucose - 82.  I'm not worried about my lipids, even though my ration is far from ideal at 4.59. 

I am worried about my liver.  My AST and ALT were up a lot compared to my pre op panel in Jan.  An increase from 21 and 26 - to - 60 and 61.   Never been that high in decades, and up so quickly.  All the rest of my liver function tests were normal and I'm asymptomatic, aside from the cyst detected.  

So, I'll see what the Dr says.   I may cut out the bergamot and niacin supplements and retest in a month or so.  Really inexplicable.  Makes me suspicious of the few supplements I am taking - collagen and a glucosamine complex.  Maybe contaminated?  Also, see what the MRI says.  My friend Al sent a note of caution about taking unnecessary action on such things.  An intervention like a biopsy or unnecessary surgery could make it worse.   Anyway, nothing pressing but bears watching.

My weight has been decent, generally around 143 and lighter after training. 

Today, Saturday, last warm day, I processed that dead tree I cut down on Tues into firewood.  

150s on turf, weight pulls, backward hill walking

 I did a hard set of 150s today, not fast but exhausting.  I started my 4th rep with my HR at 180.

Afterward, I pulled weight.

Stretches, drills, bands

Hoka Rocket x2 on

4 x 150m on turf w/ 30 sec rest, avg ~ 26-27

Max HR - 182 

4 x 50 yd weight pulls with 90 lbs - 3 backward, 1 forward

I'm definitely far far away from being able to run a 400m.  Sometime before Thanksgiving, I'm going to try a 300 or 400 time trial to see where I am.   I think today's workout is more of the type of volume I can tolerate.   What I did last week - 1000m is too much for now.   I'm planning to do a stadium stair workout Friday, and a big bike climb with Bill at Raccoon mtn on Sunday, then back to turf on Tues next week.   

Sunday, I walked up the 100m steep backward on Roarks Cove Rd.  It is surprisingly hard and strengthening for the knees.   Real hard pulling 90 lbs weight across the turf walking backward.  Couldn't pull it more than 25 yds without stopping to rest, in the last rep, only 10-15 yds with out stopping.  

My diet has been ok but inconsistent.  After a Friday buffet, I ballooned up to 148.5 lbs, but was 141.9 after workout today.  I'll be fasting a little tomorrow for blood work.   I need to get lighter.  Just a few lbs benefits my knee.  Would be great to be running at under 140.  

Wondering if I can tolerate 2 flat running workouts by mid Nov, + a hill or bike or short speed workout.

Stadium stairs

One upping myself a bit today.  14x stadium stairs at MTSU.

For some reason, I tend to eat more and poorly on work days so I was heavy for this workout. 145.5 before, 144 after.  

Rested after 5, 8, 10, 12.  

Stretches

14 x stadium stairs 

Instead of one upping myself on next track workout, may switch to 150s if the field is available.  Need to stay on turf as much as possible.  

tempo 100s on turf again

My usual Tues workout, and one upped myself to 9x.   Incredible weather, crystal clear, 70º, light N wind.

Stretches, drills, bands, 50m stride

Hoka Rocket X2 trainers on

9 x 100m on turf w/ 30 sec rest - avg ~18 sec

100m on track - 13.56

Went OK.  I got the first 5 in about mid 17s, then HR hit 180.  I took it easy on #7 and 8, about 19-20 sec, then finished with an 18.5

Beginning with rep 5, HR hit 180 every rep and recovery was minimal, less with each successive rep.  Only recovering to mid 170's.  

Lighter now, 140.7 lbs after workout.  

Next 2 Fridays, I have to be in Murfreesboro, so I will be doing stadium stairs for my Friday workouts most likely.   I may try my first 300m on last Friday this month to see where I am.  I did over stress a bit by hiking on Sat after my first speed workout on the track last Friday.

Probably won't be until Nov til I try a 300m tempo set.

150s

Last Friday, my second running workout in a week, first time in 10 months, and the first time I did a long sprint on the track involving a turn, also in 10 months. 

Stretches, drills, bands

Hoka Rocket X2s on

2 x 50m strides

150m on the track - 20.75 (6.75, 14.00)

2 x 150m w/ 30 sec rest on turf - 24.4, 24.7

The 150 on track felt good.  Not all out, and was aiming to get under 22.  Did better. 

Afterward, also split a trailer full of wood.  

I was hoping to do a bike climb on Sunday, but Roya wanted to bike and hike on Sat.  Too much.  I paid for it and was not feeling up to anything challenging on Sun.  Instead, took the boat to Chattanooga and did some casual urban biking and had a great dinner.   Now I'm hoping I'm going to be ok for my Tuesday session on turf.  Hard to keep proper recovery when having to do stuff with the girlfriend on a recovery day.  Was feeling really good about the Friday workout until the steep hike on Sat.  Knee got stiff.  When she's here, I feel an obligation to do anything to make her happy, sometimes at my expense.  

Anyway, feeling like I'm progressing in terms of fitness.   Lighter, was 140.9 after workout Friday.  Also, overnight HR now in the 40s.  (44 lowest)

100 tempo

After the rain it was nice for a workout.  Upper 60s and humid, cloudy.   As a rarity, I had company.  Ellis M., the retired track coach and holder of all the college sprint records in yards that are now retired.  I one upped myself again.  8.

Stretches, drills, bands

8 x 100m w/ 30 sec rest on turf ~ mid 18s avg

 My HR monitor malfunctioned so I didn't record any data.  I did have my new Gymboss timer so I was able to time the rest intervals accurately.   Ellis, ran 3x ... joining my on #1, 4, and 7.  He's still in great shape and I hope I'm as fit as he is at age 73.  He recently had a heart ablation due to Afib (and maybe drinking) so he was being cautious.  

141.9 lbs after workout.  It was hard.  Feel like I may want to start doing 150s across the field.  Soon may try some speed on the track.  

Me and Ellis (age 73), ancient sprinters.  

Hills

Getting caught up here with my workout log.   

Last Friday, did 100m hills on Roark's cove Rd's steep section.  

Hills - Roark's Cove Rd

5 x 100m  ~20, 19, 18.5, 17.3, 18.2, 18.5

walk backward up hill

On  Sunday, walked the hill 5x backward.  This knee strengthening exercise was suggested.  It really seems to help.   Uses muscles that I'm not used to using and is harder than expected.  Also did some leisurely biking.

Today, Tuesday, is my weekly interval running day.  It's presently raining heavily and I'm hoping to get out by noon.  I invited Ellis to join me but doubtful he'll show up due to weather.  Not sure if I'll try to one up myself and do 8 x 100m on turf, or 4 x150s across the field.  

Just hope the rain stops.

Weight is ok, 143.7 this morning.

tempo 100s on turf (again)

One upped again and added another rep in my tempo set, and ran a hard 100m on the track.  Usually I have the place to myself Tues at noon but this time there were a bunch of kids having a punt pass and kick competition.   

So ... I warmed up and waited.  It was warm, mid 70ºs and bright sun.  

Then about to start, I noticed my Gymboss timer was messed up.   (bought another, and wow, the price has gone up to $50+).  But I had my ring timer.  I couldn't get accurate splits on my 100s and the rest so I just estimated the run and timed my rest.  It wasn't real fast.  My 100s were likely around mid 17 to mid 18.   

HR only went above 180 on the last one.  Wasn't running as hard as when I was doing less reps.  

Then, I rested about 10 min and ran a hard 100m on the track.  It was ok.

Stretches, drills, bands

7 x 100m on turf w/30 sec rest ~ 18 sec

100m on track - 13.54

Happy to have run mid 13s in trainers after such a workout.  Can still sprint.

The knee was sore this morning, (the day after) but by noon, felt ok.  The back was better this morning as well.

143.7 lbs after workout.   

Next workout Friday, not sure if bike, weight pulls, or running hills.  Want to do some backward weight pulls as well on Sunday.   Starting to think about doing a long sprint on the track.   Hoping I can break 47 or 48 in my first 300m.   I'm now 7 1/2 months post surgery.  In my previous surgery, I ran my first 300m at 6 months post surgery - 46.5.  But I was 6 yrs younger and that was probably a less severe knee injury.  So, I'm a bit behind where I was last time.  No rush.  The knee is far from normal.  Back in 2019, due to plantar fasciitis, I didn't wear spikes until March of 2020, just as the pandemic hit.  18 months of no spikes.  No spikes until 14 mo after my first surgery.