Cooler today, 70ºs by evening. Got the bike out to campus to do the 400m sprint intervals. Hard workout and not as fast as usual. I even failed to remain standing for the full 400m on the bike. Did go hard though.
4x400m bike sprints w/ 2:30 rest
top speed: 27.6, 26.1, 26.0, 26.2
Max HR -164
Interesting that again, max HR recorded after reps, not during.
At the track, did my usual warmup and stretches. Then put the offloader brace on for some run testing. Started with some drills and high knee running on turf. Then accelerated out of the high knee drill cautiously for short distances, 20m of actual running. Felt fine. Did it again. Felt real good in fact. So I did the same thing one final time and accelerated to sprint speed and held it for about 40 yds. It was awesome! Felt zero pain for the first time running in a while. I really wanted to do more but I shut it down.
Hopefully, and cautiously, more running to come. However, my return to running is going to be super slow, especially as I enter concert season. I'm thinking once every 2 weeks or so, maybe something like 4x50m on turf w/ 30 sec rest to test the waters. Then ramp up slowly.
Ate REALLY poorly last night, carbs. It put me down into a very sound nap, I woke up at 9pm, made tea (gave up my caffeine fast), and practiced for 3+ hrs. Then at 1:30am, went to the Cathedral to play my program, got home at 3:30 am, finally got to sleep about 5am. Musicians lifestyle not real healthy. Got to fight that. It was my first test of the high strung guitar in All Saints. I'll post some video on my other blog at some point.
Just a day of poor eating and I gained a few lbs, was about 145 when I woke up.
WMAC:
I've heard people saying that if more former elites were involved in Masters track, people like myself wouldn't be winning championships. Probably true, but here's an interesting data point:
This year's WMAC M60 400m champion, Tim M. was an elite, part of the World Championship 4x400m relay team for the Bahamas, and Bronze medalist Olympian. His winning time in Daegu was 56.24 at age 60. I ran 56.23 at age 61. Just saying....
Times speak for themselves no matter what the background!! Let's see Tim M play that classical guitar
ReplyDeleteYou should be honest about it. Sitting in your bedroom you complained, 1977ish, at big meets you would travel to for indoor track there were always 5 black asses in front of you. And that was still fairly local, not including athletes from the south, Texas, or California. Imagine now if those same African Americans that were smoking’ you had a non physical job like yours over decades, 20 hrs a week, all summer off, stayed thin and healthy with moderate exercise, and resumed track in their 40’s like you did. You would never have pursued it seriously as without medals and acclaim you would find something else, like your guitar performances.
ReplyDeleteThat is not to say that your master’s career is or was not remarkable , but the venue has gone from an ocean to a pond or small lake….
DeleteMasters is a whole different world. Age, lifestyle, injury, commitment are the great equalizers. People age differently. I've raced former and present elites. Former elites who held records like Bill C. are being surpassed by former non-elites like David G. Keep race out of it. My mention of it as a teen was due to my limited perspective of growing up in a 99% white school. I was referring to competition at the state level in short sprints. (Interesting to note that one of the Ny state sprint champions a few yrs prior to my Sr yr was from Sec IV and was white, Adley R). Masters is definitely a smaller pool. World Athletics ranked 2200 elite athletes in the 400m last year. In 2021 when I ranked #1, there were 529 ranked in my age group, from about about 40+ countries worldwide. Further delving into masters stats, what is interesting beyond a single year are the All-Time Age Group Rankings which go back to the beginning of international masters competition, about the last 45 yrs or so. My M60 WL that yr ranks 23rd world all-time, 8th in the USA, 4th in the USA at my age and older. Stats are fun. My toys as a a kid were 'measuring tape and stop watch' ... the title of my chapter in Graham Broyd's new book coming out next month, "Faster than you at 60". https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Than-You-Inspiring-Backstories/dp/B0H6QRSVWH/ref=sr_1_1
DeleteAlso, masters are inherently a smaller group by the 5 yr age limitations where elites can be ranked from teens to over age 40.
DeleteMaybe I should go on and on about the stupid shit you said and did as a teen and judge you for it now? What do you think? I really don't recall that term paper, and I do recall being aware of the point but not being 'obsessed' with it. Perhaps at some point. Probably because I heard someone else mention it. I know my father did.
Delete“Faster than you at 60” sounds like kindergarten banter. I would suggest a more mature title. I mean who cares? If I saw that title when browsing I’d never look at it. At least “Sprint Forever” is an inspirational, albeit unrealistic, title. “Fast at 60” is ok, I might check out something like that. Honestly that title sucks…
DeleteYour comments and observations about your placement were completely factual and not said with any malice or discrimination. Your study of physical differences for your term paper, although driven by your observations and desire for athletic standing, was critical thinking and scientific. There are differences in the population that produce different outcomes at the elite levels (on average). That is a fact. I didn’t and don’t think what you said then was stupid, but it did push the boundaries which is consistent with you. So no disrespect intended. Those behavior traits are to a large degree responsible for your success as you also apply that intensity and dedication to other areas such as music. You had limited background in music and developed yourself starting from roughly 15 or 16 years old. What percentage of the population is capable of that?
DeleteSorry if I offended. I will shut up now.
DeleteYou miss the point. Those same African Americans or any other former elites you reference might be good on paper *IF* they had the discipline to train hard and eat right. But they dont.
ReplyDeleteI am the same age as Bill and have run the same events. I've done quite well over the years ( not a former elite) and have even competed against Bill. I have an extremely demanding job in the medical field with long hours. Weekend responsibilities, children now adults and two grandchildren. Bottom line is self discipline and managing injuries.
Those former elites let thenselves gogaining weight and stop training then try to claw back. Bill is a one of the best, plain and simple. His workouts are legendary.
Masters athletes sometimes do their athletics careers in reverse. They spend the time of late teens to early 20s in education as the main priority, it is then a focus on the first 10 years of their career ...... how good might their open/youthful peak career have been had they concentrated on sport in that period.
ReplyDeleteBody types isn't the end all when it comes to elite sprinters. When 6'5" Bolt set world records, it was assumed taller is better. Look at the world top sprinters today, Seville 100m world champion is 5'8", and Kebinatshipi 400m world champion is 5'7" - (approx my same weight and height). Kebinatshipi will likely break Niekerk's 400m WR, he has run 43.40 in his last race and has the most sub 44 sec 400s of anyone age 22.
ReplyDelete