Tuesday, July 28, 2015

I held back and just kept pace.

Tuesday, 7/28-

Went to WC Henderson at 5:35 AM to join the other "crazies" for the second week in a row!

On tap was mile at tempo pace (10M pace), followed by a 600m jog, followed by an "all-out" 800 meters, followed by a 200 meter walk, a 600 meter jog, and 3x300 (with a 300 meter jog between each).

I took the mile easy, hanging back with John Lavin (?).  Just when I was about to pass him on the second lap, he said the mile was supposed to be tempo for 10 miles, not 5K or even 10K.  After all, the guys in the lead pack were moving at a pretty good clip.  I held back and just kept pace.

mile: 1:27, 2:58, 4:29, 5:59.
800 meters: 66, 2:19.   This was as close to an 800 race as I have had in just over a year!
300s: ssslllooowww--62, 61, 52.

Monday, July 27, 2015

I have to get back there.

Sunday, 7/26/15--For the first time in what seems like a year, I decided to forgo my visit to the Y and instead run the 5.7M loop on what was a beautiful but somewhat humid morning (9:30).  I managed 5.7M in 44:45.  This pedestrian time was not unexpected!  I figured I'd start in at 8:15 pace, work my way down to 7:45, and maintain this pace, and then finish the last mile at a faster clip.  I was able to do just that, but I have to say that I have definitely lost my distance mojo.  Even though I wasn't pressing, my easy pace at this distance, even when I am not in distance shape, would have been 7:30 or so, not 7:51!  I have to get back there.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

That stinks! It's been awhile!

Saturday, 7/25-Met up with a few teammates (Bruce, Chuck K., Chuck S., and Duncan) and a couple of our female counterparts at Radnor HS for a nice workout.  Chuck K. and Duncan did 300s, 200s and 100s; Chuck S. did 1000s; Bruce and I did 400s; and the women did their own thing, although I believe Betsy did 400s, as well.

Bruce and I planned for the "pick-up reps" workout: 8 x 400, with runs 2, 5, and 8 faster than the others.  The rest between reps was supposed to be 3 minutes.  I was shooting for 70s on the slower ones (1,3,4,6, and 7) and 64 on the faster ones.

Needless to say, I was way off pace, sometimes shamefully so.
Run 1: 71
Run 2: 72
Run 3: 66
Run 4: 73
Run 5: 65
Run 6: 76
Run 7: 72
Run 8: 63

These are the kind of numbers I used to post towards the beginning of the season, not at the end!  I may do this workout again this Thursday morning since I will be relegated to distance that weekend.  Then again, I may want to do some 150s.  It's been awhile!

Working hard, my buddy Bruce re-injured his calf three quarters through the workout.  That stinks!

Friday, 7/24-took off

Thursday, July 23, 2015

I look forward to easier mornings.

Thursday, 7/23-Met up with the crew at 5:40 AM for the 7.9M loop.  We were responsible for 8 x 1 min hard running/1 min casual pace. As usual, the workout portion of the run commenced about 1.65M miles into the run (13:00).  I couldn't hang close to the "top" group; I am just not in shape for it right now.  I reached the 4-mile mark in a pedestrian 29:40.  I thought I'd get there before 29:00.  By this point, I was dead.   Knowing I had little left in the tank, I headed back to my car about a mile away. Total distance 5.0M.   I look forward to easier mornings.

Wednesday, 7/22-7:00 AM-->Rustin-plus loop, followed by a Rustin loop=4.0M in 33:30.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

I'm looking forward to next week's workout.

Tuesday, 7/21-

After a 9-month hiatus, I returned to the Tuesday morning group for a workout.  It was a little weird being back after all this time.  I got there nice and early so that I could warm up properly.

The workout was a 2-mile tempo, followed by a 400 meter jog/rest, and then 8x200 at about mile pace (with a 200 meter jog recovery).

2-mile tempo: I haven't done one of these in forever.  I was conservative, going through the 800 in 3:23 and the mile in 6:40.  I finished up in 12:50, with my second mile being 6:10.  Not bad, although I was probably a few seconds from being lapped by Ed M., John Manion and others.  Ed hit 2 miles in about 11:30 or so.

200s: After jogging the 400, I stepped into a series of passable 200s: 38,39,39,39,40,39,34.

I had more left in the tank.  It's scary, but I think I'm looking forward to next week's workout.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

The last mile felt good, easy even.

Sunday, 7/19- Went to the Y at 8:45 AM for a "recovery" workout.

Mile on donut track-6:59
Slight stretch/upper body work-5:00
Mile on treadmill-6:58
Slight stretch/upper body work-5:00
Mile on donut track-6:45
Slight stretch/legwork-5:00
Mile on treadmill-5:58

The last mile felt good, easy even.

Headed back home.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Next time I'm coming out gangbusters!

Sat, 7/18-I met up with Bruce (Almighty), Duncan, John, and Chuck at Radnor HS for a tune-up.  Incidentally, Cheryl B. and Julie H. were there, although Cheryl decided not to get in on the action.  After a little indecisiveness, we opted for the 600, 500, 400, 300, 200 breakdown.


Recovery is “walk what you run” to a maximum of 400m:
- run 600, walk 400--
- run 500, walk 400
- run 400, walk 400
- run 300, walk 300
- run 200, walk 200

Each 200 meter segment is one second faster than the previous. This extensive tempo workout can be classified as a true “lactic acid” or acidosis tolerance type. If you aren’t hurting by the 300m, you are going too slow.  Choose a 400-meter race goal time and follow that workout.  For example, if 56 seconds is your 400 meter race goal, do a 1:39 600m, followed by a 1:20 500m, followed by a 62 second 400m, followed by a 45-second 300, followed by a 29-second 200.

6-5-4-3-2 Breakdown
200 meter split times
200
32
31
30
29
28
27
300
33
32
31
30
29
28
400
34
33
32
31
30
29
500
35
34
33
32
31
30
600
36
35
34
33
32
31
Target times
200
32
31
30
29
28
27
300
49.5
48
46.5
45
43.5
42
400
68
66
64
62
60
58
500
87.5 (1:27)
85
(1:25)
82.5 (1:22)
80
(1:20)
77.5 (1:17)
75
(1:15)
600
108 (1:48)
105 (1:45)
102 (1:42)
99
(1:39)
96
(1:36)
93
(1:33)
400 race goal: :61-62      :59-60       :57-58       :55-56        :53-54       :51-52

We each decided the kind of 400 goal pace we wanted and went from there.  Even though I decided o the 55-56 pace, I wound up running a bit slower--more along the lines of the 57-58 pace: 1:42, 1:22, 63.9, 48, 27.  I took some of these reps too easy and had too much left in the tank for the 200 as a result.  Disappointed, next time I'm coming out gangbusters!

The best part, though?  Seeing everyone, running as a team, pushing each other, and hanging out at Starbucks afterwards!  Great job, guys!

Fri, 7/17-took off

Thurs, 7/16-ran just two regular Rustin loops for a whopping total of 3.7M.

Wed, 7/15-4.4M

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

My hip flexor is a bother.

Sunday, July 12-Went to Y with my wife.

7:25 mile on donut track
Stretch/Upper body work (5:00)
7:25 mile on treadmill
Stretch/Lower body work (5:00)
7:00 on donut
Stretch

My hip flexor is a bother.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

a long way off

July 11-

I met up with a few guys from the club and a couple of non-club members (Justin and another local guy whose name I don't recall) at Downingtown East HS at 7:30 AM for a workout.  John Curtis drove all the way from MD to join us.  Now that's dedication!  As early as Tuesday I knew we'd offer two workouts: 200/400 type and 800/1600 type.  Rob, John and I opted for the spring workout; Chuck, Justin, Duncan and the other guy opted for the other choice.  They'd do a shorter rest, slower version of what we did last Saturday.  Rob, Curtis and I would do 150s.  My initial thought was to do the dirty dozen.  Rob and John explained that they normally do fewer than that.  I decided 10 was sufficient: two in 23, two in 22, two in 21s, two in 20s, and two in 19s.


Set 1 (3:00 walk between each repeat): Rob led--23-high, 22-high

Set 2: I led.  22-mid, 21-high


Set 3:  (3:30) John led. 21-mid, 20-high mid.  Almost stopped on account of hip flexor not feeling right at all.  Stretched it a little and applied Icy Hot.


Set 4: Rob led.  20-mid, 19-high


Set 5: I led.  Sluggish!  20-low; 19-high.


This is a long way off my workout at WC Henderson last month!  This took more out of me than it should have.

Friday, July 10, 2015

averaging

This morning, I ran 2 Rustin Loops (4.4-ish miles) in 34:30 (18:00, 16:30), averaging between 7:50 and 8:00 pace.


Thursday, July 9, 2015

Need I say more?

Thursday, 7/9-went to the Y for 7:00 mile on donut track/upper body and leg lifting/7:00 mile on treadmill/upper body and leg lifting/6:30 on the donut track/upper body and leg lifting

Wednesday, 7/8-took off

Tuesday, 7/7-a little tub therapy in the AM.  Left from VA at 11:30 en route to PA.  Encountered a bit a traffic, but arrived home at about 4:30.  Changed clothes, grabbed my stuff and headed to Germantown Academy with lazy legs!

Got to GA in time enough to register for the 100 and 200.  I warmed up pretty well, but you'd never know it.  My 100 sucked.  I ran 12.51, my slowest as a master.  I then stunk up the track in the 200, with 25.58, another masters worse.  Need I say more?

Monday, 7/6-went to fitness room with V.  Did a super slow mile and stretched.

Sunday, 7/5-took off...en route to VA.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Now I just need to do this workout faster or with less rest.

Saturday, 7/4-Met with Duncan, Justin and Chuck at 7:30 AM at Westtown School for the "Russian Intervals" workout.  Instead of 5x (3x300m @ 48 w/ 100m/30 sec jog between repeats) with an 800 meter jog between sets, we chose 5 (2x300 @ 48 w/ 100 m/1:20 walk between repeats) with an 800 meter jog between sets.  The former is designed for 2:00 HS 800 meter runner; the latter for 2:10 masters runner.  

Average rest between 300s was 1:20; average rest between sets 7:30.

Everyone did a stupendous job on this humid morning.  Chuck and I pushed each other, with Justin running seemingly well beyond his fitness level (51s) and Duncan running faster than race pace (55s)!  

Set 1: 49-mid, 49-low
Set 2: 49-low; 48-high
Set 3: 49-low; 48-mid
Set 4: 48-high; 49-low
Set 5: 47-mid; 46-high

While the workout was not as good as the Russian intervals I used to do a few years back, it's a start!  Now I just need to do this workout faster or with less rest.  

Chuck and I are ready to run 2:10.
Justin is ready to run 2:15.
Duncan is ready to run 2:20/2:25.

Like last Saturday, we cooled down on the grass bare feet and then headed to Starbuck for a little morning wake-me-up!


Friday, 7/3-Ran a slow 4.3/4.4M (2 Rustin loops) in 35:50.
Loop 1: 18:10
Loop 2: 17:40

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

with the dog

7/1/15-Took off in the morning; ran 1.85M with the dog when I got home from work.  

here would be no doubling over or falling to the ground, writhing in pain.

Tuesday, 6/30-Arrived at 5:10 or so. After signing up for the 100 and 400, I  changed into my competition clothes.  Because of a lighting delay, no one was permitted on the field.  So, I hung out in my car and putzed around a bit.  We were allowed on the track at about 5:40.

I warmed up pretty well for the 100, although I felt little tight.  I felt better after a few 30 meter starts, on and field and on the backstretch of the track.  With a seed time of 12.39, I'd be in heat 4, lane 6.  All lanes were taken.  I got out of the blocks okay, but I did not feel any pop, per se.  I managed to get third in my heat, with a modest time of 12.29.  Fortunately, I was able to see the electronic photo finish on the monitor hanging at the timers' box.

Even though I was tighter than I should have been, I felt okay about the race and began preparing for the 400.  I jogged around a little and talked with my teammates and other runners.  After 14 heats of the 100 and three heats of the mile, the 400 was up.  By this time, my stomach was bothering.  Honestly, I think I had a little gas!  With a seed time of 55.0, I was assigned heat 3, lane 2.  Lanes were loaded; they were all assigned.  There were three teens and three masters level runners: Junior Hyman from TNT TC, Matthew Wallack from Shore AC TC, and me.  Observing the first two heats, I told myself that I needed to reach the opening of the gate into the stands (midway down the homestretch at about the 50 yards line of the football field) in about 45 seconds.

I ran the turn reasonably well and felt a bit of a headwind on the backstretch.  I heard someone say 26 at the 200.  I figured I crossed in 26/27.  I tried to pick up the pace (meaning sustain the pace) into the turn.  I felt myself cutting into the lead of the guy in second place.   I hit the gate opening in 47 seconds (I could see the clock at the finish line).  It took me nine (9) seconds to reach the finish line from there.  Even though my form seemed okay, I hadn't much left in the tank.  My modest 55.84 said as much.  Incidentally, I finished the race and was able to walk away with controlled breathing.  There would be no doubling over or falling to the ground, writhing in pain.

Monday, 6/29-Went to the Westtown School's track at 7:00 for a brief tune-up in preparation for Tuesday night's meet at Germantown Academy.  Felt awful and sluggish one lap into the warmup.  I bagged the tune-up idea altogether, went home and prepared for work.

Sunday, 6/28-Went to the Y.  Did mile/lift/mile/stretch/half-mile/lift/stretch