What's the priority, dude?

Sunday-As I began my 5.6M run, the rain picked up significantly.  I stopped and headed back home, deciding I would go the Y instead.

I wound up doing 4 miles.  Between each was a 5-min period of upper body and lower body lifting.
My mile were: 6:30 (18 laps on donut track), 5:59 (treadmill), 6:00 (donut), 5:30 (treadmill).

Saturday-Danny Curran Invitational at Widener.  What an awful day to race!  It was 45 degrees and there was constant rain and an occasional torrential downpour with winds swirling.

I arrived at about noon for the 1:40 race.  I met up with some teammates and shot the breeze before registering.  Several of the guys considered bagging the competition (and a couple, Ross and Rob, ultimately did).   Learning that the meet was running 15 minutes ahead of schedule, Rob and I began warming up at about 12:30.  After doing a mile or so, we made our way back to the area behind the stadium.  We checked in.  I was in lane 2 in heat 8 of 10, along with Wayne (lane 7), and Rob was in heat 9.

I eventually made my way to the field house where most athletes stayed to keep warm and dry.  I did a lot of self-massaging and my fair share of, yes, static stretching.  I also incorporated dynamic stretching for good measure.  I was starting to get less scared of injury.  I jogged back to the stadium to collect my spikes (and Wayne and Rob) and then returned to the field house.  After several short strides, I was feeling ready.  When we returned to the stadium, the 400 was still on the track.  The meet was now back on schedule.  Thus, our race would not go off until 1:40.  I returned to the field house to keep warm.  After emerging from the field house and returning to the track at 1:35 for the race,  I learned that the meet was now behind schedule.  My guess was that we would run at about 2:30.  I returned to the field house for additional shelter.  I stayed there with Wayne until about 2:00.  Evidently, Rob had left.  Wayne and I made our way to the starting area, just as the women were finishing and heat 1 of the men's race was being called.  We decided to hang out underneath the stands until about heat 5 or 6.  Wayne made his way to the starting area at about 2:10 (heat 4); I joined him at about 2:15 (heat 5).  We tried to stay warm as heats 6 and 7 went off.  I did one run-out on the turf before heading to the starting line wearing long sleeve tights and a long sleeve Under Armor shirt with my singlet on top.  We set our blocks.  I did one start, going out only 10-15 meters.  We then stood at our blocks for what seemed like forever.  Evidently, something was wrong with the starting pistol.  After swapping it out for another, the starter was ready.  I felt tightly situated, yet comfortable, in the blocks.  When the gun went off, I felt like I had had a good start.  It seemed that I was in the lead.  At about 70 meters or so, I felt my upper left hamstring and just tried to finish the race.  I saw Wayne emerge to my right, along with a kid from my alma mater, Swarthmore.  Despite Wayne's estimation that I won the heat, I'd later learn through Direct Athletics (the Widener meet results omitted heats 8 and 9.  Go figure after all this mess!) that I came in second in 12.49 FAT.  The time was pedestrian to say the least, but I suppose I can't be too disappointed given the conditions.  I think I might be ready to break the 12-second barrier.  I just have to do some speed work.  I just don't want it to be at the expense of the 400 and especially the 800.  What's the priority, dude?

Friday-I took my daughter to the track so that she would complete her workout of 4x200 in 31-33 and 4x150 in 23-24.  Given the wind and her current level of fitness, I decided she would do 8x150 with a 3-minute rest between each repeat.  I'd have her work on form, establishing a strong pace over the first 50m and maintaining good form down the stretch.  She managed several 25s and 26s, with the last one in 24.

I warmed up with her and did a little stretching.  I could really feel my sore, tangled butt muscle.  Argh.

Thursday--My plan was to warm-up using dynamic stretching techniques I've been researching and then do some 30-meter dashes, along with a couple of 100s.  The impetus for this plan was all that I've been reading and hearing from others about the merits of dynamic stretching.  After many rounds of it, I didn't feel well stretched nor did I feel particularly energetic.  I went along with the workout anyway.  Bad mistake.  I wound up with a sore, if not injured, upper hamstring issue, right about where my piriformis problem area is.  I iced and iced and took some ibuprofen, knowing I had a make-it-or-break-it race on Saturday.