3 long sprints

 Crisp and cool at the Sewanee track this Tuesday.  Temp's falling into the upper 50ºs by sunset.  My first workout on one days rest in a while (last workout Sunday).

Hoka trainers on

Stretches, drills, 2 x 100, bands

400m - 61.75  (30.37 / 31.38) (14.40, 15.97, 15.32, 16.06)

200m - 26.86

150m - 19.78

Actually wanted to do negative or even splits on the 400m, but didn't.  It wasn't too hard.   I think keeping my volume to less than 900m a workout is best for now, especially if it's all on the track.  

Probably be back out on Friday.  Really should do some turf runs, but I love the track.

tempo 100s, 150s

I hadn't intended to do a running workout today, but I felt ok and the weather was beautiful, sunny 74º in Sewanee.  

    Hoka trainers on

    stretches, 2 x 100m striders, drills, bands

    6 x 100m w/ 30 sec rest on turf ~ 16-17

    150m - 18.85, 19.22

I took plenty of rest after the tempo set of 100s and the first 150 was fairly smokin' and felt good with the Clifton 1s on.   I felt my form was strong and upright, and sub 19 is fast even with a rolling start.  After all these years the Clifton 1 shoes still amazes me.  I almost bought a pair of Rincons today, but no need.   I still have a pair of new Clifton 1s in the box. 

Wa planning to do a band strength workout but was too tired and running out of daylight.

This schedule is going to work out because it's supposed to rain tomorrow and the football team is scheduled to practice so, I think this Fri, Sun, Tues may work.  I didn't expect to go back to 3x week track  workouts, but I'll do it if my body holds up.  

300s on the track

65º, cloudy, occasional mist, calm winds at the Sewanee track.  Track was wet due to this morning's rain, first rain in a while.  Warmups felt ok so I decided to run on the track instead of the turf.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills

3 x 100m strides, stretches, bands drills

300m - 44.54 (14.25, 14.88, 15.41)

300m - 43.85 (13.88, 14.55, 15.42)

300m - 45.88 (14.40, 15.53, 15.95)

roller

The first 2 300s were fine, the last one was hard.  I'm definitely not fit enough to do anything like a 4 x 300m tempo workout with 2:30 rest.  Maybe I'll try a 3 x 300m with 3min rest, as a first attempt at some point.  

Happy that I don't have any significant pains, body tolerating 2 running workouts a week.  Knee is fine.  With anymore than 3 days off, I feel like I'm no longer an athlete.  So right now I'm training Mondays and Fridays on the track, and cross training Sat, Sun, Tues, usually with bike or stairmaster.  

143.7 lbs after workout.  Happy to still have my weight under control after some days of eating poorly.  I was 148 last night before bed time.  Heavy mostly to waste and drinking a lot of juice.  If I'm race weight, that makes being in shape a whole lot easier.  I'm about 2 to 3 lbs heavy right now.  

Upcoming seasons - both indoor and outdoor look sparse.  It's hard to know how to target my training with a totally uncertain indoor season.   So far, only one meet on the indoor calendar at the Crossplex in Jan.  There is that lone last chance outdoor meet in AL on Oct 31, but this outdoor season is pretty much over.  The last pro Diamond League meet was today.  There have been a couple big meets in Europe this month.   Someone tied my M60 100m #2 ranking at a big masters meet in Austria.  It looks like my 2020 World #1 ranking in the 400m may endure to year's end.  If it does, it will be a first outdoor #1 world ranking for me.  I've only achieved a #1 once before, that was indoor '16.  However, Australia's outdoor season is just getting up and running so someone down under may snag the top spot.  

I really feel that this pandemic robbed me of a chance to win a couple more national titles, outdoor '20 and indoor '21.  They say that America won't be close to normal for 14 month, or toward the end of next yr.  That will bring a whole new crop of younger M60s as I go to M61.  ; (

Sewanee may be doing their conference football in the spring semester, so maybe there will be a track season then as well.

Fall in the air

Clear and cool this evening.  About 60º at sunset... and the sun is going down quick.  Pretty much dark by 7:10 now.  I got to the track and finished my warmup as he football team was just finishing their 'workout' of a few 50yd runs.  I planned to run on the turf, but they were slow to leave so I was on the track for most of it.   Tonight was the first time I turned on the heat in my house in several months.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 400m warmup

6 x 100m w/ 30 sec rest ~ 15 - 16

300m - 45.62

The 100s were a good workout, tiring.  I ran the 300m on the track when it was almost dark, waiting for the fat trainer to get his golf cart off the track, which he never did, had to run around him.   It felt good, not especially hard and it always feels faster when running in near dark.  

Not in particularly great shape, but I still think I could break 60 in a 400m.  Good to have no knee issues or significant pain.  

Been eating bad last 2 days, a lot of bread and coffee, but not much real food, generally light eating and active doing projects at Roya's yesterday.  

143.7 lbs after workout. 

Back on turf

 Perfect weather for training in Sewanee.  70º daytime, mid 50ºs tonight.  I was going to wait a bit before running, but no.  I went back and did a little.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands

250 warmup

4 x 100m on turf w/ 30 sec rest ~15-17

2 x 150m on turf w/ 35 sec rest ~ 22 low

150m on turf - 20.29

isometric resistance bands - hip flexors

It felt ok, a little clunky, and I am not in the shape I was in July.  The isometric band work really makes everything feel good, so I should do these more often. 

I don't know if it is worth it to train for an Oct 31 meet with the hope of an indoor season.  I seriously doubt it.  If the covid projections are even close, I seriously doubt there will be any indoor collegiate track, and if there is, they will likely not accept unattached.  There are quite a few indoor meets scheduled, but only 1 in AL that accepts unattached in Jan.  That's a long time away and USATF Indoor Championships will likely be canceled, since the venue was canceled.  

I just saw the Armory meets they're having ... 3 in the next 3 weeks.  I wish I had known about these before, since I'm not in shape to even run in the last one Oct 8.  First one next Thurs.  I love that track!  I probably couldn't run anyway if I flew in.  I'd have to quarantine.

I hope the US gets it's act together with covid, or enact a testing procedure to allow US Masters to go to Finland to compete this summer for World Championships in July.   I was recently stunned when a local elite athlete friend of mine came out with all this BS on FB about the pandemic essentially being 'a hoax' and a 'manufactured Soros funded Chinese virus.'  With attitudes like that, America doesn't have much of a chance, and we can forget about Masters Nationals til at least summer '21 or probably '22.  

I seriously violated my diet yesterday by eating a half lb of fried potato wedges with my Publix half sub.   Haven't had french fries or fried potatoes in almost a year.  

Nevertheless, 144.1 lbs after workout.  Not too bad, and I've eaten light today.    

Cross training, a little running today

Friday and Monday I swam across the lake and did stair master.  Predictably, sore from stadium stairs for a few days.  Today, I biked up Roarkes Cove Rd.  but before that, I went to the track to do a full warm up and test out the wheels:

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills

4 x 100m on turf

It felt ok, no knee pain at all.  I have been feeling a slight deep abdominal issue similar to the old pubalgia that I had in '11.  Not bad though.  I think I'll be ready to start 2x a week running on turf by Monday.  

Hanging in at about 145 lbs.  

Stadium Stairs

Ran the MTSU stadium stairs this evening, first running in 12 days.   Warm and humid, low 80ºs at sunset.   It was pretty hard.  I took a break after 10 and then finished 5 more.  Less than I usually do, about 20.   Most is 30.   Definitely feel the extra few pounds.  

Was 145.9 lbs before workout, 144.9 after.  

Hoka trainers on

Stretches, drills

15 x stadium stairs