more 800s

Slightly cooler weather in Sewanee... finally.  In the 70's on Friday.

Unfortunately, it seems as my plantar fasciitis is making a comeback, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to go to the 2 day a week track schedule.  Nevertheless, I gutted out 2 x 800 a bit faster than last time.

Hoka trainers on  

250m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 800m - 2:41, 2:49

The second one really hurt, not just my foot, but I probably ran the first one too fast for my level of fitness.   My last 400 was a dragging 88 seconds.

I don't want this plantar issue to get worse, so maybe I'll have to cross train and keep my running to once a week.  I'll see how it feels after a few days.  Just as my knee approaches 100%, I get this issue with my left foot.  It's the same L foot that plagued me during the '18 indoor season, but not the foot where I have the talonavicular joint issue, that is my right foot.  When the left foot starts feeling worse than the right foot, it's definitely a problem. 

The final word on the Hoka transaction, looks like I was scammed.  I'm surprised the company keeps communicating with me.  They sent me a list of junk shoes to choose as a replacement, not one Hoka of any kind on the list.   This website is a fraudulent bait and switch: https://www.hokaestore.com/


UPDATE:
Meant to post this in Friday but just saved this draft.   My L foot plantar issue is real and I'm likely to take a week off from the track, next workout probably not til Sept. 30.  However, biking, swimming, water running, and lifting all OK.   Got a carpal tunnel injection and it has allowed me to sleep normally.  One of my friends, an elite runner swears by low level laser treatment for plantar fasciitis.  My insurance doesn't cover it but it may be worth a try.  It costs less or about the same as a massage.  It's also been used for carpal tunnel.

Cross training / no more Clifton 1s

Since my last track training, I've done a strong 2 set workout on legs and two biking hill climbs of Raccoon Mtn, and at least a half mile of swimming. 

I'm feeling almost 100% with my knee.  Have been able to single leg squats - 2x15 with 60 lbs.  However, I've gained a bit of weight, still well under 150 lbs. 

The final word with this stupid Chinese company is that they advertised Hoka Clifton 1s on their website with a caption saying "in stock", the sent me the wrong item and finally confirmed they don't have the Clifton 1s.   I told them to send me some Bondi 6s (as an everyday shoe) or refund my money. 

I'm going to try a track workout tomorrow Friday, then again Monday.  Still running 800s tomorrow, maybe some 300s on Mon. 

Yesterday was the 7th consecutive 90º+ day in Sewanee.  14 of 18 days have been above 90º - very unusual.  It is forecast to be several degrees cooler these next few days.  I'll believe it when I see it... they've been underestimating the daily forecast highs for weeks now. 

Foundation

It was a beautiful Saturday night at the Sewanee track, even more beautiful for the solitude.. football team is away and no sports teams practicing.  Warm, upper 70ºs and humid, calm winds.  It was like a home coming, a comfortable place to be alone on Saturday night, like many such Saturday's I've spent.  The sun sets increasingly early, now before 7PM.  It's dark before 7:30 and each day is rapidly getting shorter.  It's been an extremely warm and dry Sept.  Although no significant rain in 3 weeks, and none forecast, I saw beautiful thunderhead clouds with lightning in them in the distance.

So, down to business.  Short warmup.  Volume foundation.

Hoka trainers on 

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 800m - 2:46, 2:51

My first set of 800s since the surgery in January.   Felt ok but hard.   In June '18, I was doing 2x800m workouts in 2:31, 2:35 and 2:38, 2:42... so I've got a ways to go.    In an ideal world, I'll keep increasing this foundation into the fall.  I'm now on 4 days rest, moving my workout up since I have a major biking climb tomorrow evening with Bill M. at Raccoon Mtn.  I am significantly heavier today, after a huge dinner last night of an exceptionally fine seafood chowder, I ballooned up to 149 lbs this morning.  Was 146.6 lbs after workout. 

I've been having a recurrence of some physical issues.  Most distressing is my carpal tunnel and related nerve pain in my left hand / arm has interrupted my sleep.  Going to try and clean up my diet, eat less, drink more water, and give up coffee for a while, see if it helps.  Also, my L heal pain has been coming back, not full fledged plantar fasciitis, but enough to remind me to wear my insert.   Was thinking about buying  pair of max padded Hoka Bondi 6s a half size big, just for walking and every day.

The damn Chinese company that I ordered my Clifton 1s from sent me a freakin' Gucchi belt instead.  What a screw up.  I some how doubt they'll come through with the shoes and I'll end up getting ripped off.  Hard to hold them accountable. 

If I'm able, I'll be doing 800s for the next few weeks, next time out, on Friday.  I may then try Friday and Monday track schedule.  Teammate John C. did a 6 x 800m workout yesterday... kind of like I used to, especially during my 5k days.   If I could tolerate it, I'd run cross country and 5ks, but can't.  I learned from the Bill Collins book years ago the importance of off season foundation stuff like this. 

Since my last track workout, I've done 2 stairmaster sessions and some weights. 


Saturday night on the track....

split 500

Hot and dry in Sewanee today, if fact ... one of the hottest days this decade.  97º F. at my house, but by sunset, cooling rapidly to upper 70ºs.   I ran faster and less tonight. 

Hoka trainers on 

300m warmup, stretches, drills 

'split 500' - 300m - 45 / 90 sec rest / 200m - 30.5

Not a bad workout, quick and done.  A little too brief.  I was going to do more but I ran into the former college track coach and we talked til dark.

For perspective, I was doing this same set in '17 at 42.5 / 29 with only 60 sec rest.  What I did tonight would be typical times of a workout where I did a previous set.  Overall, it puts me in OK shape for this point of the season.  Knees felt fine, foot hurt a little as usual.

I'm hoping in 3 weeks or so to see if I can tolerate 2 running days a week, probably Mon and Fri.  Might do one set on the hill.    5+ weeks to the Chattanooga meet. 

Weight is nominal, not super thin but averaging 144 lbs.  Eating a little more lately.

Weekly track session, 'sports camp life'

I think this is going to be my regime for the next few to several weeks.  One track session a week and a lot of biking, swimming, water running, and resistance work.   I've swam a quarter mile a day almost every day this weekend and mixed in some water running, biked up the mountain, and did strength work.

This week has been a typical 'sports camp' life.  I can generally workout every day except Wed and Thurs, my heavier teaching days.  It's possible to get a late weight workout in on Thurs night and an early one on Wed., but not easy.

I've been really pushing my upper body strength.  Can do 20 pullups again, and am pushing heavier weight than I have been previously.  I'm pushing 120 lbs 10X on the 'peck deck' and rowing 170 lbs 10x on the machine.  Thanks to Al's suggestion, I've started doing inverted squats with hanging boots. Starting from a straight hang up to a flexed squat with a situp, then down slow.  It's really challenging, I can only do 10X now.   Really good for core and quads... and a good non weight bearing knee joint strengthener.  Even though I'm quite light, 143ish, I think I'm not all that lean, maybe 12-13% body fat +/- 1%.  I think I'll start eating more protein as I need to begin a more aggressive building phase.

Just as I think I'm getting in pretty good shape... I run a 600m.  lol

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

600m - 1:53  

3 min rest 

200m - 32 

100m acceleration from standing start

I was going to do a 600 - 3 min rest - 300... but I bailed after 200m.  Just not there yet.  I think I might have been able to gut out a 50 or 51 300m after the 600m, but just not that mentally tough yet.   I'm a long way from workouts like those epic 600, 600, 400, 400 w/3 min rest and then some...   I really do hate such painful foundation workouts.  Not ready for any serious volume yet.  May not be til mid winter.  I tried accelerating from a 3 point stance.  Definitely a stresser on the knee, so I won't be coming out of blocks anytime soon.  But, it's just under 6 weeks from that District meet where I'm planning to put the spikes on.   My knee and feet seem to tolerate one track workout a week ok.  There is sure a lot of crepitus noise in my knees when extending from full flex.  Fortunately, no swelling.

Those Clifton 1s I ordered last week seem to be coming from China.  I hope they're authentic and not some knock offs.  You never know where stuff is coming from when you order on some of these obscure websites.

Anyway, it's been a great weekend of activities.  I must have swam across this lake 50 times this summer; and this weekend was one of the hottest of the summer.  Upper 80ºs F. here on the mountain, upper 90ºs everywhere else.   I'm really in shape... except for running.

Toronto 2020 schedule released ... highly irregular

I don't know what it is about Doug Shaggy Smith.   He claims the Toronto 2020 scheduling was done by WMA and and not him.  Last time I ran in a meet he organized, the NCCWMA Toronto in '17, the schedule was terrible.   That is terrible for a 400/200 double.  At the time, I was reigning world champion in the indoor M55 200m.   But, in that meet, they scheduled the 200m semis just 70 min after the 400m final.  So, I had to run against a 100/200 guy who was running his first race of the day, just after I won the 400m.  I could only muster a 25.5, and that, (with the help of some lying seed times resulting in stupid heat assignments), put me out of the final by a few tenths.

The first published schedule for the Toronto World Championships came out today and in my opinion, it's a disaster for anyone who wants to double in the 200/400.   It strongly favors 100/200 and 400/800 doublers, but the big snafu is that they are running all 3 round of 3 sprint events in 6 days.... and not one sprint event in any of the first four days.  It's crazy ... and completely different from all of the world meets I've attended in Lyon, Perth, Daegu, and Malaga.   All those meets have run all three rounds of the 200, then all three rounds of the 400.  In Toronto, the 200 and 400 overlap and all 3 rounds are run in 4 days.  WHY? WHY? WHY?

Here it is:

Monday July 27th - 400m prelim
Tuesday July 28th - 200m prelims AND semis
Wednesday July 29th - off
Thursday July 30th - 200m final AND 400m semi
Friday July 31 - 400m final

Here's the difference:

- If you're a 400/800 guy, (like a lot of the elite in my age group), you have TWO FULL DAYS REST between the 400m prelims and semis.
- If your a 200/400 guy, you have ALL THREE ROUNDS of the 200m between the 400m prelims and semis, including the 200m final before the 400m semi.  

People on the Facebook post are really expressing a lot of consternation already.  It's an 11 day meet, there is ZERO reason this schedule should stand as it is.  Let's hope this guy Shaggy is reasonable and doesn't dig his heels in on this.  All he has to do is simply use previous WMAC meets as a template for Toronto '20. 

This is the way it should be for the mens sprints/ 800m:

Mon 20 - 800m prelims
Tues 21 - 100m prelims and semis, 800m semis
Wed 22 - 100m final
Thurs 23 - 200m prelim, 800 finals
Fri 24 - off
Sat 25 - 200m final
Sun 26 - off
Mon 27 - 400m prelims
Tues 28 - 400m semis
Wed 29 - off
Thurs 30 - 400m final 

There would be far less people doubling in the 200/800 than 200/400 and 400/800. 

First foundation work

I call 'foundation' anything longer than a 400m.  Usually 600s, 800s.  Today, I did my first 600m.   Not trying to run it fast, just nominal.  Then finished with a hard 200m.

Looking back, I had done several workouts with 600m repeats.  Today, one was enough.  Low 70ºs, moist and humid, wet track in Sewanee.

Hoka Clifton 3s on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

600m - 1:54  

Hoka Clifton 1s on 

200m - 27.34

It was also the fastest 200m I've run since injury, although with a running start and not yet attempting full speed.

It looks like it may be a long while before my next track workout.  I might be able to squeeze one in a week from today but if not, it'll be 10 days from now, a week from Friday.   Work is starting up again.  I wouldn't say my knee is 100% yet.   Last night I went to the gym and did upper body and 2 sets of slow squats to 90º with light weight (30lbs) on the left leg.   It was a good enough workout that I was feeling sore in my glutes today.   I could not have done this workout 3 days ago.  I do need a full week in between track workouts still.

There's a chance I might run stadium stairs on Thurs.  We'll see how it feels then.

I bought yet another pair of Clifton 1s ... the only place in the universe that still has them in my size... and only $72.  I seriously doubt they'll reissue them again as they did this yr.   Unfortunately, they only had the ugly yellow-green soled ones available.  It's ok.   Now I have 2 new pair and one lightly used.  I plan to use them sparingly.  I even have a coveted new pair of Clifton 3s still in the box.

Light and fit... 143.5 lbs after workout.  I've been eating very lean lately.   I must admit, I have an additional reason.  A local prominent artist is using my body as a model for a sculpture in his gallery.