Weights, bike, rest

I did weights and a bike ride today.  After 6 straight days of running, my feet finally got too beat up to continue.  I hope to be back out tomorrow as weather gets a bit cooler in the next 2 days.  Very hot today in Sewanee, 87º with a dewpont of 75º.

Tempo 200s, sled

Remarkably cool weather in Sewanee today, rained all day, temperature was in the 60ºs all day but cleared by evening.  Track was soggy but at least it was cool, about 68º.

I finally registered for Nationals, at the last minute.  Put my best times from '17 as seed times.

This is my 6th day in a row of running and I may need to take a break.  So, I kept the volume down today, but still got a good workout in.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 200m w/ 1 min rest - 29, 30, 30.5, 30.5 (avg 30) 

6 x 60m 105 lb sled pulls 

1 x 60 w/ 340 lbs each side - glute machine  

ham curls, leg extensions

The most fun you can have in 5 min... doing this tempo workout.  By the last one, I was totally lactic and it was a good simulation of the end of a 400m.

The sled pulls with harness were not too hard once the sled gets moving.  I actually think its harder to push the sled than pull it.  Probably better for form to pull it.

This was my 3rd tempo workout in a row.  Both mentally and physically hard.  Looking back, I didn't do this workout much before Daegu, but I did do it a lot in '15, and my times are similar.  That's why I think I can still run a 55 in the 400m.  By next week I should be able to get the spikes on and run fast.  I still haven't run anything faster than a 14ish 100m pace.  But, I was only running that pace when I got injured.  It's been 2 weeks now since the ham strain and it totally feels recovered.  My body is holding up well to the training but my right foot was a bit more sore than usual.  The plantar issue in my left foot seems to be pretty much gone.

Still exceptionally light, 139.8 lbs after workout.  I think my body fat % is pretty low, maybe as low as 10 or 11%.

The early deadline for Nationals has passed and no Corey, Ron, Don, or Marcus.  I do recall that Corey registered late last time at the last minute.  So far, 14 in the 400m and 12 in the 200m.  So far, I'm top seed in the 400m, 3rd in the 200m behind Alan and Rob.

4,3,2,3,4 tempo ladder

It was an interesting day.  On the way to the track, I stopped at Carlos's art barn to see some friends and hear a poetry reading.  A severe storm hit and the hail was so loud on the metal roof that conversation was impossible.  After the rain slowed, I learned from a local teacher that the local SAS private school just had it's track resurfaced!  It is the closest track to my house.  As the rain slowed about 6:45 pm, I drove to the school to look at the new track.  I went out and took a photo in the light rain.  It is great!  Possibly faster than the college track, and it doesn't seem to hold water like the college track.   However, I still prefer the soft college track because of the surrounding trees, available bathrooms.  The SAS school is pretty exposed.  One of the highest points on the mountain, no trees near by and no bathrooms, no real shelter.  Still a viable option.  How lucky I am... to have 2 decent tracks within a few miles that almost no one ever uses.  I almost started my workout at SAS but it was still raining lightly and I was afraid of lightning.

I got to the Sewanee track as the rain stopped.  There were angry skies and thunder, like being in the eye of a hurricane.   I warmed up quickly and thought about doing one hard 800m blast at full effort in spikes to see what I could do.   But, instead I opted for the killer 1600m ladder workout.  Ladders going down are not anywhere as difficult as ending on an upward ladder, especially a limited rest tempo ladder.  That's why this one was a bitch.

Hoka trainers on 

380m warmup, stretches, drills 

400m - 64.5 

   5 min rest 

300m - 47.5 

   5 min rest 

200m - 29.5 

   5 min rest 

300m - 49.5 

   5 min rest 

400m - 70.5

5 min rest is fairly generous... until you get to the last 400m.  Then it is really a test to not bail on that last 400m.  It knocked me to my knees.  I've only done this workout once before, 2 years ago, and I ran almost identical times today.

Afterward I did one set of 3 ham rehab exercises.

Tomorrow, I'm supposed to get in the new generation of Altra Escalante 1.5s.  Dave M., who owns a shoe store recommended the Altra Duo.  I may send the Escalantes back because the Duo is better padded and probably a better upper.

Lately, been eating main meal about noonish and then light after workout.  Sometimes just a protein shake and some almond butter after workout.  Typical main meal is fish and kimchi.   139.9 lbs after workout.


In the eye of the hurricane...



SAS School ... New track!  

Tempo 300s, sled

76º and very moist with showers in Sewanee.  I did my first set of tempo 300s since the injury and they went well.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 300m w/ 2 min rest - 49, 48.5, 49.5, 49.5 (49.1 avg) 

4 x 75m sled pulls - 60 lb sled 

2 x 40m sled pulls - 105 lb sled

The tempo 300s were the fastest set of the season by a small margin, and comparable to the sets I was doing before Daegu, so I am in shape.  Right in the middle of my set, the kids tennis camp came into the stadium.  It gave me an out to quit, but I finished the workout.  It wasn't too bad, but hard.  Fortunately, it started raining and the kids went away.

I hooked up the sled to the harness and did 4 x 75m sprints on the track.  The sled has more resistance on the track than on the wet turf.   However, when I put the weight up to 105 lbs, I moved to the turf.  Wasn't too bad.  The longer sled sprints on the track were tough.  It was almost dark when I finished.

As usual, I went to the gym afterward to do the ham prehab exercises.   Looking forward to pushing the speed a bit more, conservatively each day a bit faster.   At least a week before any event runs.  I feel pretty fit and 4 weeks to Nationals.

139.9 lbs after workout.

105 lb sled

800, 400, 300, sled

Been on the track or on the hill past 4 days.  Beautiful night in Sewanee, 73º and moist, track wet from afternoon rain.  Creeping up the speed on these long sprints. 

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:29 (73, 76) 

400m - 66 

300m - 47 

5 x 45m weight sled pulls w/ 60 lbs

The 800m was the fastest I've run in a while and didn't kill me.  Felt easier then either of the slower I ran yesterday.  I started at about 17-18 100m speed.  I then did a relaxed 400m in just less than 17 sec 400m pace, then did a 300m in just less than 16 sec pace.  Slowing pushing the speed. 

I tried out the sled harness with the sled + 20 lb plate.  It was light enough to sprint 40+m with a good forward lean.  I did 5 x 45m.   I think this will be a good training tool.

I went to the weight room after and did my eccentric ham exercises.  It feels fine, normal...  should be able to sprint full speed fairly soon, but I'm being cautious. 

Still light... 139.9 lbs after workout. 

more 800s

Back in Sewanee, 76º and very humid... but not as bad as FL.   Today was the first day the ham felt just about normal.  Only a slight tinge of soreness but it feels fine and will probably be able to sprint race-speed in a week and do tempo sprint intervals in a few days.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 800m - 2:31 (75/76), 2:35 (75/80) 

200m strider

Afterward, I got to the weight room and did a set of seated leg curl negatives, glute ham raises, and kettlebell swings.

I really hate 800s.  I really didn't want to run another after that first one.  But I did.  These were not all out efforts, but certainly hard effort.  Reminds me to not attempt an 800 race but then again, many of the world's top M55 400m runners are also top 800 guys.  There's a new US M55 guy, Peter,  who is one of the fastest M55 800m guys in the world (2:10) and has signed up for the 400m at Nationals.  He's got some serious foundation, having run a 17min+ in the 5k.  Big strong dude.

Anyway, I've weathered this injury pretty well.  I feel in good shape, the hills yesterday in FL gave my butt a good workout.  I really regret missing the TN Games because I thought I was really moving toward a peak, and the track where they held it, was just resurfaced a wonderful blue.  I also was worried Stan would run a faster time than I have run but no, he ran 57.27.... respectable but slower than my last 2 races.

Today, I reached a milestone:  first time under 140 lbs in possibly years.  139.7 lbs after workout.  I think this is due to both the good diet, low carbs, and the efficiency of my digestive system which quickly and efficiently processes food, and disposes of waste.  I credit my digestive health to eating more kimchi, a real great probiotic and a tasty side.

Hills

Still in FL.  90º, dewpoint 77º, heat index 98º.   I ran hills today on pavement in my parents golf cart community.  Not as steep a hill as I usually run, but about 170m.  Walk down.

Hoka trainers on, stretches, drills 

10 x 170m hill sprints

Normally, this workout wouldn't be too bad but the heat was pretty stifling.  No shade except small spots at the top and bottom.  The first 3 were easy, and I could still feel the hamstring issue when running at a good clip.  It felt better as I went on.  Probably rest tomorrow. 

141.0 lbs after workout