Speed: neg split 400, 200 - playing with pace

 Beautiful day, sunny, 70º, S headwind on the homestretch.   I was a bit nervous before today's workout because it was sort of a time trial of sorts, to see where I am in my conditioning.  To get a feel for what splits I should aim for.   The plan was to try an even split 400m - 4x15 sec all around.  It was basically a success, although always room for improvement.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 100m

100m on turf - 15.00

Adidas trainers on

400m - 60.17 (15.10, 15.23, 14.22, 15.63 / 30.32, 29.85)

200m - 27.82

Hoka trainers on 

1 x 130lb sled pull - 80 yards

On the 400m, I really attacked the 3rd 100m on the turn a bit hard and it cost me a little on the last 100m, but I'd be happy with a 15.6 last 100m in a race.  I am hoping to run race splits of about 27 mid-high, 30 high - 31, which could bring me in mid 58s.  I'm thinking ideally 27.5/30.5 = 58.0   which should medal at Worlds.  Running 60.17 in trainers, not full effort (except for the last 80), is significant considering it would make the top 5 in the world right now.  

It will be really interesting to repeat this with the Maxflys on and run my first split at 29.   This is getting interesting.  Can't wait to put those Adidas Prime SP2s to the test.  They're here on Monday.  In my size, they could weigh at or just under 4 oz.  

Best and most importantly ... I'm NOT injured and all systems go.  Everything feels fine.   

I ran a 200m without full rest at approximately 400m race pace.  Then did one sled pull to failure.  

Since I may take Thurs and Fri off due to weather, I will probably do a conditioning workout tomorrow.  Sat-Mon looks great for weather.  

138.5 lbs after workout.

Gear lust, new spike order

I have been training in Adidas Takumi Sen 8s for anything fast.  I like the shape and they're extremely comfortable.  So, I got curious about Adidas new 'super spike' - the Adizero Prime SP2.    Now this spike is just about impossible to find.  It is pretty much available to pros only.   Resellers in the US are getting $350+ for these, a shoe that retailed for $180 last yr when briefly available.  These are the shoes Noah Lyles wore for his 19.31 200m AR.  

The Nike Maxflys are proven for me and finally starting to get a little more comfortable so I can wear them without socks.  So, I will most likely wear these for the 400m Nationals.  Nevertheless, they are NOT the most comfortable shoes for me, nor am I in love with the fit and feel.   They are however, high performers and I run real tall in them.  However, the Prime SP2s are more than an ounce lighter than the Nike Maxflys according to published specs, weighing in at an incredible 4 oz.  They feature a carbon plate like the Nikes but a 'Lightstrike foam' instead of the air bladder the Nikes have.

I refuse to pay the ridiculous amount US resellers are asking ... but amazingly, I found them at the normal retail price at a retailer in the UK in my size.  Will be looking forward to trying them, they might even be more comfortable and I may use them for the 800m.  I'm hoping they'll be less hard on my feet than the Nikes.  I expect to get them in a week or so.  

Kind of an ugly color.  But it is what it is... 

4x300m tempo

Generally good training weather except for a light wind blowing up the home stretch and a wet track, 57º and cloudy.   Good workout, 'one upped myself' in this standard bread n butter workout, fastest avg of the season.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100, bands

Adidas trainers on

4 x 300m w/ 3 min rest - 47.31, 48.53, 51.41, 52.85 (Avg 50.02)

So close to breaking the 50 sec avg mark.  It was a hard effort.  After #3 which I took a little easy - wanting to complete 4 - I didn't think I'd make it.  It's hard to relate how hard that last 100m into the wind was on #4.   I was on the ground for quite some time, and when walking across the track to get my water bottle, more like a waddle due to the lactic in the haunches.  

Feel ok except for the usual minor foot soreness and a little soreness in my high right glute.   No sign of any ham issues.  I think I'm going to take the advise of a commenter and and use my days off to recover vulnerable areas, like my right ham.  Yesterday, I just did hip flexors, core, upper body.  Not much.

137.5 lbs after workout.  Notable because it's a full 6 lbs less than I was 16 hrs ago before bed.  I was retaining a lot of water and waste.  (Totally F.O.S.)   

I expect to be back out Tues late morning for some near race pace stuff.   Forecast looks good.

Saturday off from the track

With still a feeling of slight vulnerability in the right ham, I really need to start respecting my days off from the track.  4 consecutive days on the track and training while sore will amount to problems.  Another of my colleagues in the M65 class went down with a ham injury today.  He will likely withdraw from Poland.   I need to be able to survive Nationals in a healthy state, to get to Poland.  And in Poland, I need to survive 2 rounds of 400s to get to the final.  Then, the 200m starts.   

I still feel a dull soreness in my right posterior chain, not dissimilar but not as bad as what I was feeling on my left side end of '21 and all last season.   I feel confident that in 2 weeks I'll be race ready.  Looking at my championship training summaries from previous yrs, I was pretty good about respecting the 'every other day schedule.'  Weather next weekend is great but Friday rain.  I have most of the following week off, which is great timing for Nationals.  

Today, it's raining on and off and totally fogged in.  Not terribly cold, 50º.   Good day to be off.  Later today, I will start one of my indoor circuits and go to the gym this evening for some resistance and prehab.  

So, I'm working today in my office porch, by the fire, over looking the foggy mountain.  

800, sled

50º with drizzle and light winds at the Sewanee track.  I wanted to get this workout in due to the fact it looks like rain all day tomorrow.  Also, didn't want to run fast, just testing the wheels, getting a little conditioning.  All feels fine.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100, bands

800m - 2:28.85 (31.75, 38.13, 39.56, 38.21 / 70.38, 78.47)

4 x 80 yd sprints with 130 lb sled

I didn't want to run this 800m anywhere near race pace but get a good workout.  So, I set my timer to pace 74/76 = 2:30.  My first 400m was much faster than intended, second was slower.  

I'm planning on prehab and resistance tomorrow and a hard track workout on Sun, probably an intensive tempo 4x300.  Weather looks ok, about 60º.  Looking forward to 'playing with pace' workouts.  

Nationals 2 weeks from today and the schedule is posted.  400m final is Friday late afternoon, 5:15pm and our 4x8 WR relay will go Saturday evening sometime after 7:30pm.  800m final is the next morning at 11:30 if I decide to run it.  Frankly, the WR relay is more important to me than the open 800m.

Exceptionally light right now.  137.1 lbs after workout.  

I was watching the college track team train.  They were running 200s at "75%".  The problem is, they weren't timing themselves nor were they timing their rest.  Anything under 80% is considered 'extensive tempo' and you have to do a lot of it for it to be beneficial. They didn't do that many.  Not a particularly disciplined bunch.   I seriously doubt many of them could do my workouts.  

light day, 200, 100, starts, sled

Sunny 70º, winds gusting from the S-SE, wind advisory in effect.   

I felt a little soreness on my right posterior chain today and didn't want to do much.  Thought about hills, sled, low risk stuff, but decided one 400m race pace 200m would be ok.  It went ok but felt a slight twinge in my ham in the last few steps and coasted in.  No where near the strain I had 3 weeks ago, but a wake up call to protect, not over train, do prehab, and not race before Nationals.  I went on to continue the session without incident or any sign of strain or pain... but, I definitely felt something in the same area I injured 3 weeks ago.  But no residual soreness so far afterward.  

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, bands, 2x100, more drills, 60

Adidas trainers on

200m - 26.56 (12.82, 13.74) 

100m - 13.87

3 x starts from the line 

Hoka trainers on 

4 x 75 yd w/ 140 lb sled 

Felt fine but probably over training, on the track now 4 days in a row, 8 of 10 days.  Need rest and prehab.  Haven't slept really well since Sat. night.  

After I felt something in my ham, I immediately tested it by running a brisk 100m, and doing some full power starts.  Felt fine.  No sign of strain.   Just need to make sure I don't speed work when it's already sore.  Also, maybe some short stuff like 50s.  Also, some strengthening, prehab, good ole leg press.  

I ran 26.56 200m despite coasting the last few steps.  It was a rolling start and with a tailwind, but still, it was definitely too fast for a 400m split ... so I need to start playing with pace, like trying to run close to even split 60 sec 400s - 30/30, then 29/x, 28/x, etc....  But, it leads me to believe I should be able to break 59.  26.8 was my 200m split at Nationals in '21 when I ran 56.78.    

Lean, again approaching my lightest weight as an adult:  137.4 lbs after workout.  

4x200 tempo, 300

 Perfect day, hazy sun, mid 60ºs, light winds.  I just wanted to complete my first 4x2 w/ 1m rest tempo of the season.  The last time I completed 4 was Jan 1 but with 75 sec rest (avg 31.54).  The last time I tried 4x2 w/ 1m was a month ago and I failed to get the last one.  So, I ran these a bit conservative and consistent.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100, bands, 40

Adidas trainers on

4x200m w/ 1min rest - 30.47, 31.23, 31.82, 31.28 (avg 31.20)

300m - 44.75

Yes, got it done.  It makes for a good starting point to try to 'one up' myself when I do this workout again.  I had enough left to run one last 300m.  It was my 3rd conditioning workout in 5 days so feeling a little flat, but my foot is holding out quite well.  Who would have thought that I'd be able to tolerate 7 of the last 9 days on the track.  No physical issues except a mildly sore right glute, probably the same issue I had last year on my left side but not bad.  Maybe I'll be out again tomorrow for some low volume quality work.  Weather is irresistible, 70º tomorrow but very windy.  

Holding at race weight, low body fat.  138.4 lbs after workout.