even more foundation

Same workout and not any easier.   But, a little faster.   Hard to emphasize how difficult these workouts are for a sprinter (who can't yet sprint).  The only thing harder are the limited rest long sprint tempo workouts.   An ok day to train, not real hot but terribly humid, about 70º at the Dean Hayes track at MTSU.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 800m - 2:42, 2:45, 2:48, 2:45 

400m - 68

Didn't feel the injury at all except in the first 100m of the last 400m, where I ran it in 16 sec pace.

I'm light, 144.2 after workout but I think my 'muscle to fat ratio' has decreased a bit since I've not been in the weight room in about 3 weeks, but I have been doing a little bit of resistance therapy on the hip flexor.

more foundation

Cool day, slight drizzle, low 60ºs and humid, perfect day to suffer at Sewanee.

After once again moving the lacrosse nets off the track, I jumped in.   Can only slightly feel the injury, and usually not at all, although I didn't push it.  I feel like I might be running a little uneven, possibly favoring one side.

Still in bad shape.   Even my slow 800s pushed my heart rate up to nearly 160.

400m warm up, stretches, drills

4 x 800m -  2:43, 2:52, 2:54, 2:56

400m -70

Stepped it up in the end a little faster for a final 400m.  Felt fine.

Back on track

Foundation work.

After a slow cautious 400m, I declared myself fit to train and it was a tough first day, not wanting to push it, but wanting a workout.

Perfect day in Sewanee, low 60ºs in late morning, sunny.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warm up, stretches, drills 

400m - 84 

3 x 800m - 2:48, 2:58, 2:55 w/ 3-5 min rest

It was hard but not too bad.   A good benchmark to start improving on, hopefully a little faster and farther each time.  I could still feel the injury slightly, but never did anything remotely fast to stress it, nothing faster than a 20 sec 100m pace.  Felt fine afterward.   Will do some resistance band work to strengthen it and maybe back on the track again Monday.  

Tentatively, I might do something at the Nashville Masters meet in 3 weeks, maybe an 800m.

Still not there

On the track today for a test run.   Still not there.  After a warmup and a 100m strider, I tried a 400m at 75 pace and quit after 300m when I had pain.  So, I went to the stadium stairs and did a real workout.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

100m strider -18 

300m - 56 

stadium stair x 15

In terms of function, this injury is worse than the hamstring tear of June '12.   9 days after that injury, I was running 2:42 pace 800m repeats.   It's been 10 days since the injury.  By this weekend, I hope to be doing 800m repeats ... and it will be wicked hard, considering my present shape.  

Testing the waters

Still not ready for full scale training.

I did a little brief exercise on the track and turf today.   I won't call it a workout.  Beautiful cool spring Easter day, 62º in Sewanee.  Would have been a nice day to bust ass if I was ready.

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 100m striders - 18-19 sec

It's been a week since that season-changing hip injury and I think it may be another week til I'm ready to resume full scale workouts.   Judging by my warmups and drills, I can confidently say this is not a joint injury.   I can do forward and sideways leg swings with no abnormal feeling in the hip.  I can definitely feel the hip flexor strain when I try to lengthen my stride.   I have an appointment with a general sports med guy at my orthopedic group but I may cancel it since that particular doctor is really a concussion specialist and sideline physician for various highschools and hockey teams.  All he would tell me is get xrays, rest, and therapy.   I'm now sure what this is.

The entire college season is pretty much over for me.   I may be able to jump in a late season meet in May for a 400m, but I think it will take at least 3-4 weeks to be ready to race a decent 400m since I essentially stopped 400m training in Jan. to focus on the 60/100/200 races and developing glute strength.   Maybe the emphasis on glutes created an imbalance.  My glutes were developing a lot of backward direction power and the hip flexors where not strong or flexible enough to handle it... despite my recent efforts to strengthen that area.  I've never neglected the hip flexors, but they certainly could never push the kind of weight my glutes have been pushing.

I'm thinking May 9 weekend for a return to racing, although I may be ready to race at the Nashville Master meet on May 2, although not in optimum condition.

Stadium stairs

Just coming back from the mystery hip injury, ran stadium stairs today.  I say 'mystery' since I find it less painful to run stairs than to jog on the flat.  Whatever this is, I think I'm over the hump and will be on the track again next week.   The hip felt better after this light workout.  With a classic hip flexor strain, it should hurt to run stairs, but it doesn't, only a little when I get to the top.   So that's why I call it a 'mystery injury.'   I may seek evaluation, really don't want to spend the $.  MRI's are a $450 deductible on my health plan.

Brief jog warmup, a little dynamic stretches 

8 x stadium stairs

USF 200m race video

Sprinting in college track meets at almost 55 yrs old is not only a joy, it's a privilege.

Here's my 200m race on 3/13 at USF, Tampa.    24.59 - lane 4, 3rd in my heat of 7.