4x300 tempo

A consecutive day on the track.  I think the best schedule for me upcoming would be Wed, Fri, Sat, Mon.  So today I did the consecutive day.  And, had the audacity to do yet another 4x3w/3 tempo today.  Knew it wouldn't be as fast as Friday because it was 25º colder, track wet, and a consecutive workout.  

Pretty much the same temperature as yesterday, but what a world of difference.  37º and partly sunny, occasional light W breeze.  Track was wet after this morning's light dusting of snow.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m, 50m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

4 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 48.41, 49.96, 50.56, 52.85  (avg - 50.44)

Didn't pace this well enough to come close to Friday's average and by #4, I was pretty uncomfortable.  I started more than a full second faster on #1 than on Friday, but still a decent average.  About what I was doing for 3x3w/3 about 6 weeks ago, so progress.  The 'unholy trinity' - 3x3/w3 ... is dead.  Unless I decide to up the pace, lower the volume.

139.3 lbs after workout

In order to get my Wed workout in, I want to be on the track by 10:30 at the latest.   Wednesday's weather looks pretty much the same as today, mid 30ºs, but with some sun.  Fri, Sat look really good but rain on Sun.  

Last Saturday I was stunned to see a huge turnout for the Sewanee indoor meet.  The biggest meet there in years.   There were quite a few collegiate underachievers running the 400m, about 8 of 22 were over a minute.  It would be tough to run under a minute in there for me but I think I could come close.  So, thinking about entering the Sewanee meet on 2/17. A good time is not possible on a 160m track with 22m straights, 2 1/2 laps, but it would be a workout and an experience.  

Still holding on to the top 3 times in the world in the M60 400m.   That'll change soon. Would be great to one-up myself at SE Regionals.  I looked at the results at NE Regionals, unremarkable.   Most European National Championships are early March, European Indoor Masters Championships same weekend as USATF National Masters.  

    

 

split 450, split 400

One of those totally miserable weather days.   Mid 30ºs, dark, wind, fog, rain occasionally mixing with snow.  Occasional gusty winds from the W-NW.   I got to the track in a steady drizzle, and when the drizzle turned to a light wind driven rain, I retreated back to the car to wait it out.   It never really stopped but when it went back to a drizzle, I headed out.   Normally, mid-30ºs is t-shirt weather for me if it's sunny and no wind.   It's just the wind/rain/snow that makes it cold.   Still trained in shorts and a light long sleeve T.   After my initial warmups, I retreated to the mens room to do band work, massage gun, and put on my new Hoka Rocket X2s.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m, 2x50m, bands

Hoka Rocket X2s on

'split 450' - 300m - 44.87 / 90 sec rest / 150m - 23.12

'split 400' - 300m - 45.37 / 90 sec rest / 100m - 14.98

Was a good brief conditioning workout.    I was actually surprised the 300s were as fast as they were considering the conditions and the head wind all around the turn.  I took about 12 min between sets and went into the mens room to warm up.  

The new Hokas felt good.  They really delivered in this messy weather.   

It occurs to me that it is going to be tough to get workouts in before SE Masters next week.  I work T-TH and travel Friday.   I can't go 5 days before a meet and not train.  Options are, train early T or W, train late indoors on Thurs.  It would be to train Friday, I'd have to be on the track before 8am.   I'll work something out.  That being said, I'm going to train as much as possible this week including some consecutive days.  So, I may be out tomorrow.  

I have been cross training as well.  As much as I didn't want to do it, I was at the gym last night doing my 20min stairmaster hill program and 2x500m w/ 1 min rest on the rower.

139.0 lbs after workout.

4x300m tempo!

The 'unholy trinity' is history, I just complete my first 4x300m intensive tempo set.  FOUR!  And, I did it without compromising the speed that I had been running in the 3x3w/3 workouts.  I think this is the first time I've completed 4x3w/3 since July 9, and that was a season's best set and was just 0.36 sec faster than today.  And the conditions weren't perfect today due to the wet track.   However, it was just about perfect besides that, mostly cloudy, about 60º and calm winds.  

What a difference three days makes.   Tues the track was still snow covered, Friday I'm training shirtless.  These photos are just 3 days apart.  

 

 

 

 

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m, 50m

Hoka Rocket X2s on

4 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 49.62, 50.19, 50.06, 48.78

The key to completing this workout was pacing.  The first two were done with fairly light effort and after the 2nd one, I said out loud, 'you got this' and I was able to do the last rep as the fastest.  Very unusual.   I can't tell you the number of times I go out and think, 'yea... I'm going to do 4 reps' and then die after three and bail.   Not today.   It was 'down to my knees hard', especially to bring that last rep in in 48, but it wasn't sickening.  Maybe the cross training paid off.

Almost feel like racing again this weekend but I'm happy not to go to that Coach Miami meet in Birmingham, it's huge with 1000s of kids, big masters turnout as well.  What were they thinking?

Amazingly, this was the first time in 2 weeks I've been on an outdoor track, and the first tempo set of 300s since Jan 6!

This is a good and encouraging start to a 2 week training cycle leading up to SE Masters on 2/11.

139.8 lbs after workout.

gym: stair master, rower

Still 'snowed off the track' and taking a needed break from running, which is ok.  Next meet 18 days away and time to get in a good hard training cycle on the track before that.  Just treading water now and trying to keep some semblance of fitness and my weight under control.

Past two nights in a row I've done 20min Stairmaster hill program (level 15) and a short interval set on the rower, 3x500m w/ 1min rest avg about 2:04.  

Stairmaster is quite a good machine, far better for strength than those 'elliptical' machines,  but it is often abused.  Typically people (especially women),  cheat by supporting their body weight on the rails with their elbows, or locking out their elbows with palms forward.  Makes it a lot easier.  Ideally, when doing stairmaster, you should not attempt to support your weight with your hands and arms at all.

Last night, most of the snow was gone except on country roads like mine where there was still lots of snow and slush.  With the temps now in the 50ºs, and lots of rain coming, it will be gone today.

This semester is as busy as any I've had at the college and I hope I haven't bit off more than I can chew... have 25 total students at 2 colleges, an in person class and an online class.  In order to teach fewer days I'm doing a long one on Thurs, about 10 hrs.  

I want to be back to the track on Friday, upper 50ºs and a small chance of rain. 

Weigh is ok, hanging around 140 - 141 lbs

Last night... 

KMS meet report

Out of my regular workout routine, I ran about as I had expected.  No season PR, but not terrible:

 

59.33 - 400m 

The kids in my heat surprised me.  They were faster than expected, except one.   There were 2 scratches, and 4 in my heat, all three kids went out fast and I was in last at the break.   I hit my split just about right, about 27.6ish.  Then the kid in front of me started to fade on the turn just after the first lap at 220m.  I had to slow slightly then passed him on the back straight.   The other 2 were way out ahead finishing in 54 and 56.    

So, my second 200m split was only about 31.7.   Not good enough.   Hopefully, as the season goes on, my conditioning will improve and I can take a second+ off that 2nd 200m.   It was 0.27 faster than my first race on this track 2 weeks ago and all three races have been faster than my winning time at Nationals in '23.

Overall, it's a better start than last year:  

'23 season - 59.74, 59.42, 61.26

'24 season - 59.60, 58.84, 59.33, 59.22

It's only January, but this race gives me the top three M60 400m times in the world indoors.  

This will be a big year for M60 with a few new world class masters moving into the age group:  Francois B. and Getulio E. both move up to M60 in the outdoor season.  

Tomorrow, I'll go up and look at the track and see how the snow in melting.  

Racing for exercise

I'm going to race in Birmingham tomorrow.  The Sewanee team apparently cancelled.   I have low expectations because I've lost so much training time and fitness that I don't expect to improve on my times from last week.  Goal is just to break a minute.   (The last time I did this - ran 3 weekends in a row - I  ran that really bad race at the Emory meet - 61, from lane 2).   Since I have lane 5 in a full heat of mostly college freshman, I'll go.  It'll be crowded because most of these kids are slow (for college) and they have 6 lanes full.    With the weather as it is, I just need the training.  I probably won't be ready to race again til SE Masters in 3 weeks since school is starting next week.  The weather really has knocked me off my routine.  Also, foot is sore from 2 days in a row on that tight indoor track.  Did 1000m+ of sprints in there last night.  

Bought a second pair of Rocket X2 trainers so I can alternate them.  Found them for $172 + tax and shipping.  Regularly $250.   I really need to get on ebay and start selling off some of my shoes.  

 

indoor tempo 150s, 200

Second workout in a row at the Sewanee indoor track.  Not my favorite place to train but without this track, I wouldn't be running at all.  Happy to have the place to myself.   Another blast of severe cold tonight through the weekend.  Will be in the single digits Fº next 2 nights and below freezing til Mon.   Main roads are ok but all others are ice.

I feel like I've lost fitness due to the weather interruptions of my training and change of plans not to go to ATL.  I'm also a bit heavier today and I'm not certain about going to the meet on Sun.  Unless I get a good lane, I probably won't go.  Even with a good lane, I doubt I can improve on my last weekend's time.  Should find out my lane draw tomorrow and make a decision.  The cold weather disappears but then there's rain for a week.  Track won't be clear by Monday, so my next outdoor track workout will be not until Friday.  

 

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 2 x 100m

3 x 150m w/ 30 sec rest - 22.14, 23.30, 24.40

200m - 27.93

2 x 150m w/ 30 sec rest - 22.31, 24.10

Really tiring as I'm not in peak shape.  Hard to hold form on those turns.   The track has 2x55m turns and only 2x22.5m straights.  It's like running in a circle.  Now I'm not sure I want to race on those turns.  Tough place to race a 400m when the straightaways are only 22m.

140.0 lbs after workout  

Now is the dead of winter....

The snow falls hard and don't you know?   The winds of Thor are blowing cold

Snow drives back the foot that's slow...   The dogs of doom are howling more

That song always reminded me of cold dark winter.