speed and form

Low 70sº and sunny at 7am in the 'Boro.  Glad to be back on the Dean Hayes track for some speed work.   To protect my ankle, I sprinted in training shoes today, everything at 90-95% effort with recovery.

Saucony trainers on 

800m warmup, stretches, drills 

200m - 26.5 

150m - 19.5 

4 x 100m - 13 to 13.5

My form needs work.... so today I worked on form, acceleration, and turnover.   Doesn't look like much, but the 6 sprints at 90%+ effort was a good hard workout.   My ankle is still an issue so probably better that I do less quantity.

Since I need speed work, I may look at the next meet on Saturday as a workout and run all the sprints.   They are are scheduled an hour apart from short to long.  If I had some balls I'd run the 800 too, but... don't think so, it's scheduled before the 400.  100/200/400 triple will be enough.   It's just a hand timed seniors meet... but I've heard it's a good track.

Getting my weight back under control.   141.2 after workout.

A track is a track

Returned to the track this morning in KY at the closest local high school track I could find: the "Monaco-Walker Track" at Kentucky Country Day School.  Sounds impressive, but very much like the track I raced on yesterday, black and hard.   My foot/ankle wasn't feeling real good about it but I got it done, some tempo endurance suffering.  It was in the low 70's, foggy, humid at 7am.

SauconyVirrata trainers on 

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 400m - 68, 69, 75, 74, 73  - 2 min rest between (except for the last 400, 4 min rest)

If I hadn't taken a little more rest between #4 and 5, I'd have been jogging the last one flat footed about 85+.

Still heavy.  143.4 after workout.   Guess I thought I could go back to eating bread without gaining weight.  Wrong!

Hope to be back Wed. if the hand surgery tomorrow isn't too painful.  It'll sure be nice to be back on MTSU's nice new track after running on these hardpan HS tracks.... but when it comes to making myself suffer... a track is a track.

First 'official' race of my season

Kentucky State Games 400m race: 57.22 

Not too bad for a first official electronic time, especially considering conditions.   It was hot: 90º, and the race was in the middle of the afternoon at 4:30 pm - the hottest part of the day.   The track sucked, a thin black tartan track over blacktop.  I was in lane 5, with just one person outside me, so I ran essentially alone.  Also, I was exceptionally heavy for a race ... 143 lbs when I left, 142 when I returned.

When lining up for the race, the field judge hastily seeded our group of 12 by asking: "how many can run under 60?"   Me and 5 other guys raised their hands.   I thought ...'holy shit, didn't expect this much competition.'  Turns out, they didn't produce.  I won the race by at least 50m and the second place guy was about 6 or 7 seconds behind me.

UPDATE:  Just looked at the results, second place in my heat was 10.02 seconds behind me, I think I won by 70m or so.  Kinda ridiculous.  However, the next heat was won by a 60 yr old that ran 60.88, very respectable time

It felt hard, I was thinking coming up the home stretch... 'not today'.   I suffered.   So, it went about as well as I expected.  OK, but not great.   Better than my first time out during indoors, about a half second slower than my very first 400m race at Vandy in '11.  

In order to keep my workout schedule I hope to put in a hard one tomorrow and hopefully, I'll still be able to do a workout on Wed. despite my hand surgery Tues.

Photo:  at the 200m mark in the race ... running alone.

Yes, there were 5 other guys in this race.

more speed

Sunny and cool this morning at the Dean Hayes track, low 60sº at 6:30 am, nice day.

Did more speed work today.  The first 400m pretty much wiped me out, that tells me I'm not in the shape I should be.  After this meet, I'll go back to doing those 10 x 200m workouts and suffer.

Nevertheless, it was fast.  Even split 400m.

500m warmup, stretches, drills 

Nike R3s on 

400m - 58 (29/29) 

300m - 44 

200m - 28 

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

150m strider

Again, didn't want to do more because of the ankle.

I ate a lot yesterday after my concert, but my weight remains nominal: 141.8 after workout.

speed

Nice cool morning on the Dean Hayes track, about 63º in bright sunshine at 7:15am.  There were 2 African women sprinters on the track working out.  The women's soccer team came later, after I ran my first 300m.

I didn't want to do too much today, just some quality runs.   The first 300m was pretty much race pace - all out.  I set an ambitious goal of 41 (13/14/14) and beat it sightly.  It took a lot from me and the next one wasn't as fast.

900m warmup, stretches, drills  

Nike R3 spikes on 

2 x 300m event runs - 40.5, 42.5 

4 x 60m from blocks on the turn from 400m start, lane 4

I don't know what I must do to get that last 100m or the 400 in under 15.   That's the key to running fast again.  Not sure if I should 'attack' at the 220m mark like Latif Thomas instructs, or to 'dial it up gradually' at the 250m mark as others have suggested.  I ran my best and worst times when I attack the last turn.  Still learning this race, I guess.  If I don't break 58 this weekend, I'll be pretty bummed.

I have one more workout on Friday before the Sunday race.  Maybe some negative split 300s.

141.8 after workout.  Eating a bit more.  Still would like to be 138-139.  Ankle still an issue but not too bad.

I think it has finally clicked in the puny brain of the assist. soccer coach that once tried to eject me, that I have every right to be there, and that they'll be seeing me out there a lot.  They defiantly parked their golf cart on the track.  No problem.

Hair of the dog

Not exactly, but similar.  Back at St. Andrews tonight for a tempo endurance workout.  It was 73º and humid at sunset.  Not quite as oppressive as yesterday morning.

I did 4 x 400s at the with the same target pace as my 300s and the same 2 min rest.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony spikes on 

4 x 400m - 68, 69, 75, 75  with 2 min rest between 

200m - 28

I wasn't able to sustain the pace beyond the second rep.  My target was 68.   I must admit a slight cheat ... took an extra 30 sec rest before my last 400, my pulse was about 150 when I started the last 400m, 170+ when I finished.  I rested and ran a quick 200m before calling it a day.   My ankle hurt on the last 200m.

It hurt but not as much as the Sunday morning workout.  I was a little heavier but better fueled today.  Ate some carbs last night.   141.8 after workout.

slow death at steamy St. Andrews

I was running slow and struggling today, and wow did this quantity tempo endurance workout kick my ass.    Doing the 4 x 500m workout the way I used to do it  - with full rest and spikes - is a different animal than doing it with 3 min rest.

Up at 6am, I waited 2 hours for the rain to stop, fell back asleep, then jolted awake to the sound of lightning ripping through the air real close by.  I found a break in the rain and went.

I hit the track feeling sluggish and sore still from my strength workout Fri.   It was in the low 70sº and nearly 100% humidity at the St. Andrews Sewanee track.  The sun came out and steam started rising from the track.  O god, save me.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 500m - 88, 95, 99, 99  - with 3 min rest between

What?  500s in 99?  I just ran a 78 500m less than 2 weeks ago.  I guess I should remember what Clyde Hart says, 'slow down and run faster.'    Despite the slow times, it was brutal.  My heart rate 172 at the end.  Maybe just a substandard effort.  Or, maybe because of the extreme humidity, my soreness, and my lack of carb intake.   Looks like I'm going to have to carb up a little before I do a workout like this again.    At least some gel or something.  Been livin' on fish, lettuce, fruits and nuts.  Down to 140.6 lbs after workout.   At least all my pants fit and I have some good definition with very low body fat.

Well, it looks like Sewanee Coughlin Track is set for a resurface in the coming weeks!  All the materials have arrived.   That means I'll have 2 new tracks to train on.   Unfortunately, the new Sewanee track will outline a new artificial turf field, which truly sucks.