tempo endurance 400s

Back to the Sewanee track this Saturday evening on a cool blustery eve that finally cleared after a day of typical foggy mountain rain.  It was in the low 60sº at sunset.  The field area slightly littered from an afternoon football game played in thick fog.  As I trained, across the street a wedding band played a party with tunes like 'Satin Doll', 'Girl from Ipanema', etc... people dressed in formal black, while I ran shirtless.

Knowing these types of workouts are hard but really beneficial, it seems to take a lot of mental preparation to get it done.  In theory, running 5x400 with limited rest sounds like a great idea, but when the reality of the pain hits, it's hard to maintain the will.  I always try to one up myself from the previous workout, but today just couldn't do it, fell just slightly short.

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 400m with 2 min rest - 69, 70, 73, 75, 83

I will try the same workout on Monday and aim a little higher.  Trying to get all of these closer to 68. It would be NO problem, if I took more than the 2 minutes of rest.  But, that's where the suffering comes into play... not wanting to put out too much for fear of not being able to start another after just 2 min.

I was light after the workout, probably less than 140 lbs.

Light workout and end game

Testing the sore quad... it is better today, but would not want to run a short sprint quite yet.  Doubtful that I'll attend the meet tomorrow since it looks like bad weather and a long drive.  But, I think I could race.  I'm a bit doubtful I could improve on my 400m time of last week because I feel like I've only had one good hard workout this week.  Still not 100% decided.  We'll see what the weather looks like, and right now, it looks like it will be bad.  I'd probably better be served by starting my workout cycle tomorrow night after the rain with a hard tempo endurance session and another Monday to get ready for one last meet on the 28th.   Probably wouldn't hurt to put in a stadium stair session for my quad on Tues., and then some light speed workouts Wed and Fri.  Should set me up for one last blast in 8 days.

Today was brief and hard.  Sunny and low 70sº on the Dean Hayes track at 7:15am.  The MTSU track team is now posting workouts and I saw Coach Kelly there.   He looked like he was waiting for some of the team to show, but they didn't.  It was nice to see him and we had a nice brief chat.

Saucony trainers on 

900m warmup, stretches, drills 

400m - 60 (even splits 30/30) 

300m - 45 

200m - strider 

The 400m felt pretty hard, the last 100 was at 90% effort.  I was pretty spent after the 300.  Didn't want to push beyond 14 sec 100m pace today.  I definitely felt the quad but it was better.

Again, probably won't race tomorrow... but you never know, I'm a racin' fool and my friends Randall and Mark will be there.   I have nothing else to do so...

Weight remains good; 140.8 lbs after workout.

BTW... the MTSU 400m team workout today was 600, 400, 200, 400, 600 - pretty hard.

Not 100%

At the Dean Hayes track this morning, it was a pleasant 67º and overcast in these last few days of summer.   I came to do the same speed workout as last Wednesday but was unable to due to slight pain in upper quads.  It was only apparent when I dialed it up to near maximum effort, but not a problem at 400m pace.   So, after a few attempts at speed, I still needed a workout so I ran a fast 400 and 300.

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

900m warmup, stretches, drills 

200m - 27 

150m - 19 

80m  

400m - 60.5 

300m - 45.5

The 400 felt fine.  I am undecided about the meet on Sat.  I could probably run a decent 400 but I shouldn't run the 200... and it's well over 2 hrs drive each way.  I don't know... 5 hrs in the car for 56 sec of racing?  Well, that's what I train for and it's my second to last chance before Dec.   Hmmmm.....
I don't know.   I am also dubious about attempting a 100m race in 11 days as well.  Need some good quad and ham strengthening resistance work later tonight or tomorrow.   Probably will decide Friday morning.   I want to get to Sewanee and do some projects this weekend, so I may skip Jackson.

Weight is good:  140.4 after workout.

Photo

Start of the 400m at the Chattanooga District Games

Looking at the full rez photo in detail, you can see the advantage of using blocks.   Granted, there is only one trained sprinter besides myself in the race, Nick C. in lane 7 nearest the camera.  But if you look at everyone's feet, notice that everyone has a foot on the ground behind the start line.  Both my feet are airborne and I'm stepping over the line.  I made up the stagger on the field in first 50m.   Kudos again to  Bill on my right for racing with me and taking second in 64.78, after running a 4:58 1500m ... and a late night of partying at the ZZ Top concert.  Bill, good job.

I'm in lane 5, my 400m time for this race: 56.78

Back on track in Sewanee

My first workout this year at the University's Coughlan track in Sewanee ... surrounding their new godawful astroturf field.   Nice to have the track back and wow, it badly needs a resurface which doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.

Perfect morning to suffer through some tempo endurance... low 60s and clear at 6:50am.   I still had some lingering soreness in my groin and quad, but not too bad.  No fast running today.

I did a one up from last workout by doing all five 400s with 2 min rest ... and of course, suffered on the last one.  Then I took 5 and did one faster.

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 400m with 2 min rest between - 69, 69, 72, 73, 83 

5 min rest 

400m - 66

I wish I had my foam roller and hot tub with me here in Sewanee.  Weight is good: 140.8 lbs after workout, despite my constant munching on figs and walnuts the past few days.  I may do stadium stairs on Wed. and get some good resistance in tonight or tomorrow.

Sooo very quiet out here on the bluff this beautiful morning.

Chattanooga District meet

It was an unbelievably beautiful day for weather.  Waking up to 49º on the mountain, it was a dry 72º on the track with a slight tailwind up the home stretch.  Nice blue rubber track at the GPS School in Chattanooga... (great facilities, obviously a rich kids' prep school).  Compared to KY last week, this meet was extremely well staged and run by experienced 'track people' from the local CTC.

Went OK.
56.78 - 400m
25.49 - 200m

I skipped the 100m.

200M
As I was getting warmed up for the 200, I noticed soreness in my left quad and ham.  The right side seemed ok.  The left ham was the one I tore in June '12 running the 100, so I feared this race and ran it gingerly.  Unfortunately, I got the dreaded lane one.  There was only one relatively fast guy (who ran a 12.79 100m), but I passed him on the turn and won the race by at least 15 meters.

400M
The 400m went surprisingly well.  It was just 45 min after the 200m so I didn't have a real sharp edge but it felt so much better than last week.  This race I really stayed relaxed and didn't make my move til about the 240m mark and felt fairly strong coming up the stretch.   I wasn't as tired as last week.  Of course, conditions were much better.  There was no competition.  My friend Bill M., a distance guy who had run a smokin' 4:58 1500m just 90min previous to this race was in lane 4, I was in lane 5 ... so I ran alone again, never saw anyone after the first 50m, despite all 8 lanes being full.   Bill took second, about 8 seconds behind me,  (ran high 64's), so I won by about 50 meters.   He said that he felt I was "accelerating away from him" on the last 150m ... so maybe this time my splits were more even.   I don't know.   I do think being at 'race weight' definitely helped.  I was at least 2 lbs lighter than last meet, probably about 140-141 lbs.

Forward...
I need a recovery day.  Sore.  Hopefully be back on the track Monday for some tempo endurance.  I talked with James Chinn and his advice was to just be careful since these silly meets don't mean anything.   He's totally right, and he's been running very fast this year:  24s/54s and has just entered M55.  2015 is where I need to be aiming.  But I want to get the '100m monkey off my back', so I'm scheduled to run one in 2 weeks.  I love that race but have been injured the last 2 times I ran it.  I just want to get the confidence back and get one under my belt.  If anything happens, I have 9+ weeks before indoor season to recover.

Sometimes I think I need to train harder than most people to get the type of performance I expect from this small weak frame of mine.

Next meet on Sat. in Jackson, TN... I will probably just run the 400.

Two Bills

Pre race day

No, as much as I want to, I shouldn't run the 100m tomorrow.  I'm still surprisingly sore in the hams from Wednesday's speed work.

Beautiful morning on the Dean Hayes track, sunny 70º, moist.  The cones and hurdles are out which means the team is back to regular practicing.   I should join them sometime.  I'll wait for a cloudy cool Monday.
Cooler weather coming tonight.... it's supposed to hit the 40s tonight on the plateau and only low 70ºs tomorrow.

I just warmed up today and ran a little at 80% effort to work up a sweat and try to shed some of this soreness.

Saucony Virrata training shoes on 

800m warmup, stretches, drills 

400m - 64 

200m - 28 

100m strider 

more stretches

Think I'll hit the hot tub and the foam roller.  Later today in Sewanee, I'll get the blocks out and spikes on and mess around with some starts.... and stretch a bit more.   Looks like Sewanee isn't getting a new track anytime soon... hopefully before the spring.

Tomorrow is just a hand timed senior meet.  Another solo time trial/workout.

Weight is good again: 140.8 lbs after workout.  Should be at a decent race weight tomorrow.

Race weight

Looking ahead to indoor 
I've just been made aware of a spectacular new indoor track in Birmingham:  the Birmingham Crossplex has a brand new hydraulically banked Super-X Mondo 200m track.  They'll be running a Div III college meet there very early in the season and usually 3 more during the year.   The first meet is usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.

UPDATE:  
Well, well.... Vanderbilt has a brand new 300m indoor track ast their new multi purpose facility.... and they're having a meet there 1/25-26.   It looks like there will be as many as seven or more meets I can run in this coming season.

It'll be here before you know it.