same, different day

Same workout but in KY, at the KCD School.   Still feel the hip issue but it's getting better... slowly.   I expect I'll be ready to step it up on Sunday.

I have until Tues. to make a commitment to run in Birmingham on 12/6... and holy shit, it is expensive.  $45 for unattached athletes.  Except for the Nationals, and SE Masters, I've never paid this much to enter a meet.  Pretty ridiculous.   But, it's probably the best 200m track in the SE.  It's a Friday evening meet and I can drive there in 2 1/2 hrs from Sewanee.  Maybe it's crazy to drive 5 hrs when I could run at MTSU the next day if coach Hayes lets me in.  If he doesn't, then I'm S.O.L. for the whole month.   Now I'm thinking I should save the $ and run at MTSU (and get smoked).   It would save me a hundred bucks and gas.

Today went better than last time.

Saucony Virrata trainers on

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 400m with 2 min rest - 69, 69, 72, 78 

Watching my diet, had a modest no carb Thanksgiving, just turkey breast and salad.  First time I've eaten turkey in more than 20 yrs.

cold tempo endurance

Brutally cold, 27º with a stiff biting wind at 8:15 am on the Dean Hayes Track at MTSU.  Wind chill in the teens.  It just seemed so much harder today.  Like I work hard and am getting slower.  A slow set of 400s today with 2 min rest in between.   I really didn't want to do #4... but I did, in poor form.  Ran in short tights with long sleeves.  Cowered against the wall to shelter from the wind between reps.

Saucony Virrata trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 69, 75, 77, 82

The wind seems to really slow me down, despite any benefit of a tail wind.  Maybe it was harder today also because I've been eating really light past few days.  Still a lb over race weight and tomorrow's buffet won't help.  Will probably fast today or eat very light in anticipation of tomorrow's feast.  141.4 lbs after workout.

Can still feel the hip issue but it's better.  Hope to do speed work by Sunday.

mounting the sub-freezing track 

Bustin' it

Still not 100% and not feeling terrifically fit, but was back on the track today for a bitchin' tempo endurance workout.   Conditions were raw, but I've seen worse.  About 35º, cloudy, dank, windy, windchill below freezing.   I got warmed up, set my timer, and stripped to my t-shirt and shorts.  My training shoes are wearing so unevenly, it's beginning to feel weird to walk in them.  They're about a half inch lower on the outside.  So, I donned the spikes.  Plus, I wanted to run faster than the past workout.  I did, marginally.

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony Showdown spikes on 

5 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 68, 69, 75, 80, 81

By the 4th rep, my rest periods seemed impossibly short.  Still breathin' hard before the last 2.   I was going to do 4 but said what the hell, and did 5.

Still not ready for speed but will be soon.   Don't know when I'm going to be able to workout again, I may try for Wed morning but my holiday schedule is very tight.  My soreness on the stair workout tells me I need to do more of it.  My right calf is still sore after 4 days.   My hip is better but not 100%.  Watching my diet this week in anticipation of a feast.  Eating very light.   141.8 lbs after workout and hope to be below 140 before Thanksgiving.

Back on the track

Cold day in Sewanee, finally getting up to around 40º at noon with the sun breaking through and breezy.   Really tough to leave my comfort zone this cold day to dress for the track.   But good t-shirt weather for the track once warmed up.

The hip felt better, not 100% but good to go for a tempo endurance workout.  My calves were very sore from Thursdays stair session, so I busied myself in the morning with a carpentry project while I waited for the lactic acid to subside.   Still sore by workout time.

A little heavier and slower today.  It was a bitch.

 Saucony Virrata trainers on

550m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 500m w/ 2 min rest - 89, 95, 99, 99+ 

60m striders on grass

Probably too fast on the first one, speed dropped off considerably.   Suffered.  Wanted to do more ... but I didn't want to push it.  Should be back to 100% in a few workouts.

A freezing weekend coming up,  Should be pretty cold next 2 days.   I may go back to running 4 x 400s since I can run significantly faster, and somehow, they seem harder than than 500s for tempo endurance.  

many stairs

With the hip still an issue, but better, I decided to forego the track until Sat and hit the stairs.  The smaller range of movement and emphasis on strength served me best today.  Mid 50sº and overcast today at the MTSU Floyd stadium.  I did one jog around the football field to test the hip and yes, still there but better.

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

22 x stadium stairs 

This was quite a good workout.  I was a quivering mess after it was over and sweating.  Forgot how hard these were.  22 was a decent workout, but I've done as many as 28 in previous workouts.  Tells me I'm not in peak shape.

First meet in 2 weeks.  If I don't feel 100%, I'm not going to bother driving 2 hrs to Birmingham.   I should be ready for a decent early season effort.  No other meets in Dec.... unless I go to NYC.

Day off

Minor injury...
Taking a day off to let that hip joint recover.  Not a good time for an injury with the season opener two weeks from Friday.  Even training tomorrow on the track may be questionable.  I'll do some light resistance today and stretching, see how it feels.   This often happens when I do a vigorous resistance workout for the first time in a while.  I don't do well with ball and socket joints.  When I do get back to the track, I best not run fast for a week.  Just tempo endurance suffering.

New meet possibilities:

January is shaping up where I could run 3 consecutive weekends if I'm willing to travel.

Jan. 5 - Nashville, TSU - Ed Temple meet
Jan. 11 - Birmingham, AL - Blazer Invitational
Jan. 18 -  Lexington, KY - KY Invitational

These meets are definitely open to individuals.  All these tracks are excellent... the Lexington track is in a facility called the "Nutter Field House"... how's that for a name?  It's an over size 290m 6-lane track.  Nice.  UK Wildcats, hometown of Tyson Gay.

Nutter Field House - 290m track

The Birmingham Crossplex has a brand new 200m banked Mondo.  They also have the most rigorous spike check procedures of any track meet I've ever seen.  No Xmas trees.  I think I'd choose on oversize track to a 200m banked... but both are excellent.  The 200m track will likely have a break where the 290m may not.

Birmingham Crossplex track

Speed 300s, 200s

Quality workout today at Sewanee's Coughlan track.  Perfect day, mostly sunny mid 50sº.   All runs were at or near 400m race pace today.  The first 300m drained me considerably and I kind of lost my edge for the rest of the workout.  Despite that, I took a lot of rest and burned a few fast 200s.

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony Showdown spikes on 

2 x 300m - 41.5, 44 

2 x 200m - 27, 26.5

Also started developing some slight pain in my right hip joint so I kept it brief.   I hope this subsides.  Annoying.  My ankle was bothering me last workout but today it was ok.

Weight is nominal... despite the Kind Bars.   141.8 lbs after workout.