Early on the track

Today, conservative workout with long sprints. I wanted to start slow and do negative splits within runs and sets. Nothing more than 80-85% effort.

Looking at the photo... my shadow looks like a foreboding specter of impending pain.

I no longer feel the quad strain but I have yet to test it at 100%.

Here it was today at 7:30 am on Dean A. Hayes Track Stadium on a warm humid morning with temperatures already up in the low 70's:

800m warmup, sprinter school drills and dynamic stretches.

spikes on

400m - 66 sec (34, 32)

4 min rest

400m - 63 sec (33, 30)

5 min rest

200m - 29 sec

3 min rest

200m - 28 sec

400m warm down

I feel like I could have done a lot more. Was planning to do a set of 100s but I thought I'd better quit while feeling healthy and strong. Had a good sweat going, finished not long after 8 am.

Still a little on the heavy side, but it's only Tues.: 139.2

"Non-running" training day

The quad feels good. I've come up with some targeted exercises that really help the quad and they are working. Leg whips in the pool, lunges, squat jumps, resistance bands several different ways, etc... Also, today was an upper body and core day.

BUT... After my drills and squat jumps, I couldn't resist a sprint-jog around the neighborhood. What is a sprint-jog? Essentially jogging but running on the toes in sprint form. Or, a sprint at less than 40% effort. I did a mile with 3/4 on my toes with ocassional high knees. So much for a non-running day.

After eating alot this weekend, I weighed 141.2 this morning, my heaviest morning weight in recent memory. But, after a day of house chores, a workout and light eating, I'm back to a reasonable 139.2.

Tomorrow is my first track workout and I will try to be conservative, staying below 85% effort and doing long sprints with negative splits. We'll see how it feels. I'll start with a relaxed 400.

6 days to rehab the quad strain

I'm required to run the 100m and the 200m in the Nashville District Senior Games meet on 5/14 in order to qualify for the State Finals. I don't have to win, place, or run any qualifying mark, just participate. I could jog... but that would be hard to do in the face of competition.

The quad strain is not bad. Hell, I ran a 57 sec 400m with it. However, the 100m is different. My plan was to start resistance (light - 25 rep minimum) on Sat and do running workouts today - Sun, Tues and Thurs, compete Sat. But... the strain is still there, but better. So, I've modified my plan. I started resistance work Sat but I will do at least one set every day, including running days. I'll be using the neoprene sleeve to tightly wrap to quad when running as I did today if I think I'll need it.

Today:

(in training shoes)

half mile jog, drills

2x300m uphill sprints at 60% on the street

resistance bands: one set this morning, one later today.

Lovely day in Sewanee. Ran my warmup through the woods to the lake. Did my warmup drills on a forest trail under big pine trees.

I really hate taking days off, I feel like I lose fitness everyday I'm idle. I think I'm going to start lap swimming on days off from running. My pool will be heated this week and it is supposed to be in the 90s, so I can use the pool for resistance exercises for my legs, although too small for laps, front leg whips in the water really work the quad.

I doubt I'll get much quality speed work this week. Maybe by Tues evening I can run some 200s on the track without 'feeling the quad'.

Last FAT time opportunity is in Huntsville in 2 weeks. Hope to do the 100m and 200m.

Confirmed: Nike does NOT support their products

As a final update to the story below on obtaining replacement sprint shoe risers for the Superfly R3:

Nike said they will not sell replacement risers and won't reveal the name of the company that makes them.

Despite the fact that a few of these break every time they are used, Nike basically tells me that that I'm SOL ... and additionally insulting, they refuse to identify the company that manufactures these accessories.

Thanks to Mike at Nike for sending me a few risers and his efforts to obtain a source. I think we both were astounded to hear the response from the company... and here it is verbatim:

"spike risers are not available directly to consumers. Nike does not sell them and the company we partner with is not releasable."

Unbelievable. Great way to treat paying customers, Nike!!

I've contacted a friend who works for an industrial ceramics manufacturer to see if he could have some of these made.

UPDATE:
I found that I can preserve the more vulnerable crowns on the outside of the shoe with coatings of super glue.

Chattanooga District Senior Games

Well, it was pretty much like I expected. Old guys running sprints from standing starts, very few people had track spikes. Check out the photo of my 'competitors.'

McCallie private school has incredible athletic facilities. The track is excellent and when I saw it, I really wanted to run the 100m. After a few starts, I felt the quad bothering me again so I went back to 'plan A' to just run the 400m.

This race was hand-timed and my 'official time' was 57.00. A friend of a friend on the sidelines had me in 57.58. Anyway, I knew I wasn't 100% but considering I won the race by about 80m, 11 seconds ahead of my nearest competitor, I had little competitive inspiration. So, not a PR, but ok under the circumstances.

There was this one guy shouting at me while I was lining up in my starting blocks ... "who is this guy? Has anyone checked his birth certificate?" I yelled back at him, "I'm going to be 51 and I could have raced here last year."

One old guy told me that a few years ago in this meet, they started the 100m from the wrong place... and people were running 90m and getting timed and credited as if they were running 100m.

A lot of weird things can happen in these hand-timed track meets. A case in point....

Maybe it's my competitive spirit but I have to say, I met the subject of one of my pet peeves... a person credited with running a time that was impossible ... and I wouldn't say that if I weren't 100% certain. Looking at the meet results from last year, a woman by the name of Cheryl Shouse was given credit on the results sheet of the Chattanooga District Meet of running a 12.79 100m. She was there today and came up to me after my race. She boasted about her "record time" ... although never said what record. (TN does not maintain Masters T&F records, only State Senior Games Meet records). I told her I saw that in the results and it didn't square with other times she ran. She cited health problems and the fact her 200m was so slow (37.66) was 'because she trained only for the 100m.' To put it in perspective, this person ran an official FAT time of 17.05 in the Senior Games Finals of the 100m. If her 12.79 time were correct, she'd be the highest ranked woman in America. To put it in perspective, in 2010, the second ranked women in the world in this age group ran 12.82.

Those that train to get the results we earn don't like such errors. This was the result of one person who was late to hit the button on a stop watch after the gun, or a clerical error. I hope this person doesn't continue to claim credit for this time. The state Senior Games record for W50 100m is 15.12. One second in a 100m sprint is like a lifetime - a 10 meter difference ... 2.5 seconds is like comparing a world record holder with a below average high school sprinter.

I need to really take 2 days off from running and beginning Saturday, start high rep resistance work to bring this quad back up to shape. This has been a reoccurring annoyance, plaguing me since the indoor season.

Pre race day 5/4/11

Well tomorrow, I run with the old folks: Chattanooga District Senior Games. To say the least, I'm a bit cocky and can't imagine I will see any competition, especially after running in Div. I college track meets the past 2 weekends. I really do hope some guy my age who was a college track star shows up to kick my ass.... it would be good for me. Plus, it may be hard to run a good time without chasing someone.

My quad is still a bit sensitive but should be OK for tomorrow's 400m, and I intend to bring my "A Game" to Chattanooga. Don't feel ready for the 100m yet.

Today's workout was brief and with a lot of warm up and warm down. My main objective was to run one relaxed 400m with negative splits, which I did in 64 sec. After the first 200m in 33.5, I was barely breathing hard but was really suprised at how hard it was to run the last 200 in 30.5. I've really got to work on this part of the race. I'd say it was like 65% effort for the first 200m, and 85-90% for the second... and still not under 30 for the second 200m!

Here was today:

1200m warm up, sprinter school drills

400m - 64 sec with negative split: (33.5, 30.5) 65% effort, 85% effort

200m - strider in 30 sec at 80%

100m - out of the blocks at 80%

400m warm down including 150m of back peddling.

After this meet, I have 9 days to get ready for a 100m/200m double at the Nashville District Senior Games. I will need to include some off days since I was still sore when I went to train Monday after Saturday's 400m/200m double.

Why does Nike not support their product? Quest for the sprint shoe risers.

UPDATE: Confirmed - Nike does not support their product and customers

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Plastic crowns - also called risers - are supplied with any purchase of Nike Ja or Nike R3 Superfly sprint shoes. These are designed to give the sprinter a bit more lift and a more aggressive footstrike. These are also popular with hurdlers. The Omni-lite spike company even makes "X-T" spikes with longer threads specifically for use with riser crowns. Risers are nothing new. In high school, my Adidas Adistar 2000's came with risers and that was (a ... ughmm) 34 yrs ago.

On a Mondo or rubber track, these risers with 7mm Christmas tree spikes are really the ticket. But... the risers are so fragile, they easily break. Every race I break two, the back outside one on each shoe, right under the little toe where the foot first strikes. Running turns, the outside crown was gone after my last 200m race and the other, damaged. The other crowns are ok, not damaged at all. I've even tried dipping the crowns in epoxy to harden them. No cigar. They still break. Maybe a harder epoxy? Ideally maybe I could fashion an aluminum one myself for the crowns that usually break. They are about dime-sized in diameter and a half inch tall.

Problem: After two calls to the Nike Co., they could not help me. They had NO CLUE about how to get these crowns. They suggested several retail stores. I emailed every one of them and thankfully, two of these stores (which will remain unnamed) came through. I bought two complete sets - 32 crowns total - that's enough for just 16 races assuming the same rate of breakage. With 2 events a meet, that's just 8 track meets.

As I continue to break these, I emailed both of my suppliers to get an additional set. One said they didn't have anymore and one complied and sent them to me free with just $6.95 charge for shipping. Great!!! I should be set for all of the rest of the season and maybe most of next.

Question: Why does Nike not stand behind their products and supply these accessories? I am not the only one looking to purchase these accessories. Hmmm.....

Well, I'm ok now ... and I'm not giving up my source. If you're looking for these, sorry ... you're on your own.

UPDATE:

After a third contact with Nike, they claimed these crowns are made by Omni-Lite. I contacted Omni-Lite and told me they don't make them. I was called personally by the Nike rep to tell me they would find the manufacturer of these.

The mystery continues....