Training and performing - sprinting and music

Sore today from yesterday's strength workout.  Particularly quads and calves.   With my next meet a week from Sunday, I wanted to train this evening - Sat, then Mon, Wed, Fri...  but I may have to tweak that schedule.  Probably Sunday morning then Monday night.

Spending a solitary weekend getting together my first solo guitar concert in over a year.   I was just noticing the striking parallels between training as a musician, and as a 400m sprinter.   Both are similar because the requirements to prepare well are extremely multifaceted.

Both require a baseline ability.
Sprinting - fast twitch muscle fibers and natural foot speed.
Music - manual dexterity and a cognitive expressive ability, sensitivity, and aesthetic sense.

Both require fundamentals.
Sprinting - aerobic foundation, strength foundation, and good stride alignment and technique.
Music - principles of efficient movement, hand alignment, proper sitting position, use of nails.

Both require complex multifaceted training

Sprinting - tempo endurance, speed endurance, power speed, technique, event runs, etc...

Music - technique, slow practice, spot repetition, full run throughs, metronome work

Both required specialized equipment

Sprinting - training shoes, training spikes, racing spikes and accessories, racing tights, warmup suit, starting blocks, training equipment - resistance bands, weights, beeping timer, nutritional supplements

Music - instruments, strings, footstool, metronome, nail kit (scissors, glue, sandpaper, files etc..), scores, music stand, concert attire, travel case 

Both sprinting and music require: 

• an understanding and appreciation of the culture and history
• a curiosity to learn and get better
• a proper warmup
• a sense of timing, rhythm
• flexibility and relaxation
• technique work 
• trial performances
• performance experience
• the ability to present a performance at pre determined time and place 
• a sustained and persistent commitment
• being healthy and injury free

I learn a lot about sprinting from music.

I learn a lot about music from sprinting.

Together they make a richer life than one without the other.  The ancient Greeks, founders of the Olympic Games ... certainly agreed.

strength

The heat of summer is back, mid 70'sº at MTSU's Floyd Stadium at sunrise.   I came to do stadium stair sprints.

I got about 7 done and they were hard... then the women's tennis showed up and proceeded to run my set of stairs.  The coach let me work in at the end of the line.  They were only going to do 10.   Some of them were terribly lame, only managing to walk the last few.  I did some double legged bleacher hops and continued after they had left.

I also found an excellent new piece of equipment.

200m jog, dynamic stretches 

19 stadium stair sprints 

6 x 20yd weight sled sprints

The weight sled looks to be a really great addition to the strength routine.   I hope I find it out there the next time I go.  The sled weighs about 90 lbs (sled + 50 lbs).

I should probably take a day off tomorrow and do resistance bands later today.

Weight is good, 140.2 lbs after workout.

Quantity + quality

A summer morning on the Dean Hayes track ...low 70's and a nice sunrise at 6:25am.   The track was wet in places.   Since there is a home football game, the parking Nazi's were already out.  I had explain my purpose to the parking attendant.  It's going to be nearly impossible to drive to MTSU later today ... damn football.   Even the freakin' band was out on the field practicing at 6:30am.

I wanted to do quality and quantity today so I ran less reps but faster, and with a short rest. At the end, I did some quality work.

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

800m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m - 49, 51, 55, 54  (2 min rest between) 

4 x 200m - 30, 32, 34, 33 (1 min rest between) 

300m - 46 

200m - 27.5

It was tough, especially the last 300 and 200 in the set of 4.  I seem to hurt more aerobically immediately afterward than during.   2500m of sprints was pushing it for my ankle.

Just before I did my last 300 + 200, the soccer girls came out with that prick assist. coach that previously tried to eject me.   I was going to say something to Coach Aston, but I didn't.  We ignored each other ... but the best thing was that the soccer team got a clue that I had every right to be there.

I am as light as I've been this year: 140.4 lbs after workout.

139.8 lbs. before dinner - first time under 140 this yr.


Track and Field News....

Last Big 100m of the year

The Diamond League 100m race in Zurich today will feature eight sub-10 sec sprinters:  Bolt, Gatlin, Rodgers, 3 other Jamaicans ... and the return of Walter Dix who was injured in the USA Championships.  The 400m will feature a rematch between LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James.  It's going to be a great meet.  

spike up for speed endurance

I did a ladder down speed endurance workout today in an effort to maintain speed and work on form in the last 100m.   I got to the Dean Hayes track a bit later than I wanted, about 6:50am.  It was a beautiful sunny day and in the upper 60s and not too humid.  My student Jacob joined me, but he wasn't in shape and puked after the second run.  He stayed with me though.

800m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony Showdown spikes on 

500m - 79  (63/16) 

400m - 64

300m - 46 

200m - 28.5 

100m -13.5

It was a good workout.  The last 100m felt good and everything seemed to work right.

The track team distance guys and girls were there, and toward the end of my work out, the girls soccer team showed up.   I didn't hear from the assist. coach that previously ejected me from the stadium.   I was hoping I'd see him.

Still fighting this cold, woke up at 2:30am and felt bad, sore throat, coughing, but felt better after I slept a few more hours.  My ankle feels ok so I'm thinking about doing stadium stairs tomorrow.

My weight is up a bit because of that vegetable and fish stew.  I was 146 after dinner and now 142.2 after workout.  Heh... 4 lb loss in just 12 hrs.

I cleared up the issue with my health insurance wellness contractor, Healthways.  They had the audacity to move me out of the preferred "healthy" group to the standard more expensive group.  It was because I didn't fill out an online self reported health form.  It's a bogus system.  What person is going to self report to their insurance company that they are unhealthy?   I sent them my health data and they still denied my appeal!  I then bitched to anyone who would listen threatening to take this to the media. The put me back into the preferred group.  I sent them this training blog.  Maybe they looked at it.

500s

Back on the track at St. Andrews Sewanee this beautiful morning, 64º with clear skies and breezy at sunrise.

Surprisingly, I am still quite sore from my races 2 1/2 days ago, sore in the haunches, like I had been doing plyos or something.  Also, I have a sore throat.  When I hit the track, I did not feel like working hard, nevertheless, I did.

I did my usual 4 x 500m workout but this time, instead of the customary 6-10 min of rest in between, I did it as a tempo endurance workout with strict 3 min rest.  So that, combined with my soreness and the slow hard track, made this a hard one, harder than these slower times would indicate.   At the start of my last 500m, my heart rate was still over 130.

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 500m - 89, 91, 93, 95 (3 min rest)

Yesterday, I did some hiking and a one-set resistance workout including some single leg squats.   I need  to focus on strength training, event runs, speed endurance, and keep doing these tempo endurance workouts.   Not sure what the next 'pain du jour' will be.

Been disciplined with my diet.  141.4 lbs after workout.

Well, it's a start

Disappointed in my performance at my first meet.  I mean, I won the 400m, but I was hoping for a faster time.   Hard to know how I really did with my time being simply called out at the finish line in whole numbers... but I thought I crossed the line before the race clock hit 58.   But the guy with the watch said my times were 58.0 for the 400m and (about) 25.5 for the 200m.  

It was a real loose meet in pretty bad conditions.  No bathrooms, wet soggy track with debris on it, about 80º and very humid and steamy.  

It was a time trial for me, no competitors, although my heat was full.  No one else ran under 64.  My friend Bill M. was in the lane just to my outside, I made up the stagger on him in the first 60m.   My first 200m split was right around 26.  Maybe too fast for my level of fitness.  Hard to believe I slowed so much as to run 32 in my second 200m.  But, it is what it is.  Just a wake up call that if I am ever to run under 56 again, I really have to be lighter, stronger and in better shape.   I was a bit heavier today, thought I should eat some carbs this morning.  Weighed 143 when I left for the meet.

I wasn't going to run the 200m, but I did, with just 20m rest after the 400m.  In the 200m, there was a real sprinter, a 25 yr old African guy who ran in college.   He ran about 23, and I ran about 25.5.   I finished second.  I thought I felt something in my ham, but no, it was just flopping around a bit and was not sore after the race or the next day.

These times were not exact, but it was a good exercise and workout.   Not as fast as I thought I was, probably good.  Need to do better before my first FAT timed meet in 16 days.   I'm planning of some weight training tonight and back to the track tomorrow.   Not sure what to do, probably 500s.

Pre-race day

The comeback edition. 

Beautiful night at the Dean Hayes Track, full moon, 76º at 9pm.  Just wanted to run a little, warm up and start from blocks.

I did 2 race pace 200s, aimed for 26.

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

900m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 80m striders on grass  

Nike Superfly R3 spikes on 

3 starts from blocks on the curve 

2 x 200m from blocks (400m race pace) - 26.5, 26

2 starts from blocks on the curve 

The second one was harder.  The first one was easy.  If I could follow a 26.5 with a 28.5, that would be a way to a 55 sec 400m.

Hand-timed meet in Chattanooga tomorrow night.  It's supposed to be hot, 90º during the day.  Hope I'll see some competition and it's not just me and my friend Bill M.   I think I should be at least in the 57s if I run a smart race and don't rig up.

I feel ok.  142 lbs after workout.  I should be good to go.