4x4 tempo

Doing the dreaded 4x400 tempo workout this evening at Sewanee.  Beautiful weather, 70º at sunset.  Wasn't feelin' too strong today after last nights weights, heavy on the hip flexors, adds, and abs ... the groin was a bit tight.   Spent the day doing odd jobs on my feet and hadn't eaten much, so wasn't especially strong.

Saucony Triumph trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 400m with 2 min rest - 70, 69, 75, 75 

300m strider - 49 

200m strider - 32

This was my first workout with the new trainers.  Wow, they are supremely comfortable.  There is so much shock protection that I think it actually dampens the energy applied to the ground, so perhaps not the fastest shoes, but good traction and most of all, really good protection.  

I did not feel the injury at all until the last 200m when I felt it just slightly when accelerating.   I really felt like pushing it tonight and running fast but restrained myself.  I probably won't be on the track until Fri or Sat and hope to keep up the resistance work.   Been focusing on core and hip flexors with some new equipment - ankle weights (to use with my hanging ab straps), ankle cuff and more rubber tubing.

Hopefully, I'll be ready for my first outdoor 400m race by June 6.

Gatlin - super human 200m split??

The handoff fiasco that cost the USA a win in the 4x200m at the World Relays yielded another story that could be truly amazing.  After dropping the baton (and already DQ'd), USA anchor Justin Gatlin got the baton in last place.   Watch the video, as I have several times.  Look at the video timeline - (not the race clock since it stops with the winner).  He receives the handoff at about 1:47.5 on the video timeline, he finishes at about 2:04.75 - a 200m split of about 17-18 seconds!  Truly amazing.   To get the baton in last place and come back to third in a field of world class anchor legs, well... it looks superhuman to me.  I compared the youtube video clock with the race clock and there seems to be no time distortion.  The commentators said the same thing, they'd really like to know what split he ran.   Either Gatlin misinterpreted the track markings and received the stick after the zone, or he ran a superhuman 200m split.  Here's the video, judge for yourself.

Bailey mocks Bolt

USA beats Jamaica 4x100 - IAAF World Relays 
I'm in trackster heaven, watching the World Relays from the Bahamas.   The USA men actually did not drop the baton this time and smoked Jamaica in the 4x100.
Gatlin ran an awesome leg down the back stretch, and that was the difference.
I laughed my ass off when Ryan Bailey mocked Usain Bolt at the end on camera.   I don't think many people noticed ... but HERE is the specific gesture.

UPDATE:   Looks like someone else noticed: HERE.

Here's the race:

Meet report - Nashville Masters Classic

Doc said don't race unless it's really important to you.  Coach Page said skip it.   I almost didn't go, but was it important?  Considering it was me who bitched to USATF that our local assoc. was not including masters; considering this meet was our TN USATF masters meet; considering it was 30min from my house; and considering I hadn't been on the track since Tues and was feeling ok... I went.

My first 'official' 800m race, and not an especially strong effort, but a decent training run:

2:20.79

My splits were something like 66/74.    There were just 3 of us in this last event of the day.  'Iron Man' Dave and Ted had already run the 400m and the 1500m earlier in the day.   Ted T. is a national class M40 guy 1500/800.   Dave, a many time M60 National Champion.   Ted stayed on my tail until 500m then blew by me like I was walking.  He ran 67/61 negative splits finishing way ahead in 2:08.   The first 400 felt easy and by the time I hit the last straight, I felt like sprinting to the finish but I held back a bit because of the injury.   Felt tired but no rigging, no acute exhaustion or heaving.   I hate this race but I think if I took it seriously and trained for it, I could shave several seconds off the time I posted today.

I could feel the injury slightly in warmups and almost bailed, but it felt better by race time and never bothered me during the race.

I was happy to be out there supporting this event and delighted to see such a good turnout, about 50 competitors.  Sorry I couldn't sprint.  There WAS competition in the 200m.   A younger masters guy ran 24.74 in the 200m, and a world class M60 guy ran a stunning 12.08 100m.

I'm glad I did it and now, I'm going to take a cue from '11 when I had that pubalgia injury and not run as much.

I do feel like I'm in decent shape and stunningly light.   My post meet weight was 141.8.   Lightest I've been in probably over a year.

Back to the weight room.

...but first, World Relays from the Bahamas tonight and Sunday!!!

new trainers

Saucony Triumph iso - new trainers.   Really cushy and comfortable.  A unique integrated seamless upper, and lots of forefoot padding.  Relatively light for the amount of cushion, in my size, less than 10 oz., or about the same as my well worn Saucony Rides.   Most expensive shoe I've ever bought.  It's a bit more padding and stiff for most people wanting to do speed work, but I'll take it.   Gotta protect the aging body.

These shoes have been getting rave reviews and I'm looking forward to my first session with these.

Thanks again to Dad!

Doc says...

Basically... cool it on the speed work, and increase resistance therapy/ training to 3x a week and I could be ready to race by June.  For the next 2 weeks or so, I'll cut back the track to 2 hard foundation tempo workouts a week (not fast) and 3 resistance workouts.  So, a sample 7 day cycle:  track, resistance, rest, resistance, track, resistance, rest... or something like that.  Doc thinks the injury is in the top of the rectus femoris.   I'll start this cycle tonight with resistance at #6, rest tomorrow, and maybe race that 800m on Sat. or do a track workout.  Undecided about Sat.

long sprint ladder

After every other day on the track and two good resistance workouts, don't feel much closer to 'normal' in terms of sprinting.   Nice spring weather, 70º and hazy sunshine at the Dean Hayes track and I did another tough foundation workout.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:31 

600m - 1:43.5 

500m - 85 

400m - 65 

In terms of weights, the injured hip flexor seems to be able to push nearly as much weight as the healthy side with no pain.  It's just the sudden change of direction and forward movement that still doesn't feel 100%.   Maybe I should back off a bit.  In the past 8 days I've run 9100m on the track (not including warmups) - 2x800, 6x600, 1x500, 9x400, 1x300, 1x100.

After a lot of hesitation, I'm finally going to see my orthopod on Thurs.  I can definitely feel a little hardness or scare tissue I believe is on the sartorius tendon/muscle.

Light.... 143.4 after workout.