Saturday, May 31, 2014

I don't really like excuses.

Saturday, 5/31-I headed to the track late this morning after yesterday's debacle.  I couldn't decide what I wanted to do; I just knew I needed to do something.  After I warmed up well and tried to shake off the tire in my legs, I was ready to get to work.  I decided that I would start with 150s and go from there.  After a 21.6 first effort, I figured I'd do 6x150 and 6x100.  I'd eventually change this to 8x150 and 4x100.  I'd wear my 400m/800m spikes for the 150s and the sprint spikes for the 100s.

150s: 21.6, 21.4, 21.3, 21.8; 20.3, 19.8, 19.9, 19.2.  (3:00 rest: 100m walk, 100m jog, 50m walk to the start)
100s: 12.2, 12.2.  And that was it.  I decided I was finished with the 100s.

I went to the trunk of my car to retrieve the starting blocks.  I practiced a couple of starts and I was finished for the day.

Friday, 5/30-Rushed out of the athletic awards assembly at EA at about 3:45 and headed home to change for the 9th Annual John Hay Memorial PA Distance Festival at WC Henderson HS.  I arrived at the track at about 4:30, giving me what I thought would be an hour before my event.  Knowing that I needed to leave at no later than 6:00 or so return to work for an event, I had registered for 800, the first event, and the 200, the third event (just in case the event was cancelled or my presence was no longer needed).   When I arrived at the meet, I happened upon what appeared to be an updated flyer/order of events.   It showed that the 400, not the 800, would be the first event and that the meet would begin at 5:45, not 5:30 as advertised.

As a result, I had to switch out of the 800 in favor of the 400.  I gave the time of 54.00 as a seed time.  I warmed up, but I did not feel that pop that I should feel before racing.  I felt like I was lumbering.  Even when I did my strides I felt stiff; my running felt forced and slow.

I'd eventually be assigned lane 7 in the first of the two men's heats.  Oh how I hate the outside lanes!  At least there was one guy to my outside.  However, because he is far more of a miler than a quarter-miler, his presence in lane 8 was far from helpful; I caught him within the first 30-40 meters.

So, I was not enthused to begin with.  Why was I there?

Anyway, I got out of the blocks okay and the guy from lane 6 caught me at about the 140m-150m marks.  By the time we reached the 200m mark, I could feel that he had stopped increasing his lead on me.   I felt for a second that I could catch him.  Wrong!  Unfortunately, runners from the inside had made up the stagger by then.

At the 300m mark, all I could think about was finishing this damn race.  Coming up the home stretch I could see 47, 48, 49, 50, 51...and then the clocked stopped, marking the winning time of 51-point.  I counted in my head as I approached.  I prepared myself for a disappointing 54-point.  The last 50 meters had been especially slow; I had no arm action.  I was dead.   I wasn't really prepared for the 55.15, a time I hadn't run since December.  The last 100 meters must have taken me 15 seconds or so.  I felt so diminished.

It's been a rough stretch, these last weeks.  My life has been busy; my job is demanding.  I have felt a bit worn down.  Despite this, I always feel like I should be at the top of my game.  I don't really like excuses.


Friday, May 30, 2014

That's all folks!

Thursday-off

Wednesday-4.3M easy

Tuesday-lifted

Monday-workout was supposed to be 8 x 150 plus 4 100s.
First 4 150s were supposed to be in 21.0 and the second 4 were supposed to be 19.5.
Set 1: 20.8, 20.6, 20.6, 20.7
Set 2: 19.3, 19.1, 19.5 (slowed up here bc hamstring tightened.)

That's all folks!

Sunday-4.3M

Monday, May 26, 2014

I took to the track as a haven

Saturday May 24th.  Feeling very blue.  Prayers abound.  I took to the track as a haven.

I decided to do a workout I haven't done in a while: Negative split reps.  As designed for a high school 2:00 800 meter runner, it is 2x (300m-500-400 w/neg-split last 100m) @ :32+14 (=:46 300m) . . . 66+14 (=1:20 500m) . . 48+14 (=62 400m) with 2-min between reps and a 1200 meter jog between sets.

My targets were 32+15 (=47) for the 300, 66+15  (=1:21) for the 500, and 48+15 (=63) form the 400.  I decided to increase the rest almost two-fold to 3:30.  I stuck to the 1200m jog between sets.  

Set 1: 300m in 47.0, 500m in 1:23, 400m in 64.  I did the 300 incorrectly, hitting 15 at the 100, 30 at the 200, and 47 at the 300.  I slowed down, knowing I was a mess.  500: 16/33/50/67/1:23.  Poor last 100.  400: 15/31/48/64.  Another poor last 100.

1200 SLOW jog in 9:30.

Set 2: 300m in 47, 500m in 1:21, 400 in 63.  300m: 15/32/47.  15 sec last 100.  500: 16/32/49/66/1:21. 15-sec last 100.  400: 15/31/48/63.  15-sec last 100.  This was a good series.  

It looks like I'm in 2:05 800m form.  

Saturday, May 24, 2014

The Workouts

6 Examples of Interval Workouts (For a 2:00 HS 800m runner) (For masters, double the recovery..and reduce the reps by a third in workouts 1 and 2!)

1) Increasing speed/decreasing recovery reps
5x (4x200m) @ 33-32-31-30-29 w/50-45-40-35-30 sec interval by set (no additional
recovery between sets!!)

2) Russian intervals
5x (3x300m @ 48 w/jog 100m at 30-sec) Jog 800m between sets

3) Tempo intervals--IMPOSSIBLE  
2x 1000m @ 2:55 (70-pace) w/60-sec Int --4:00-- 4x500m @ 1:21+ (65-pace) w/60-sec Int -- 4:00-- 2x 1000m @ 2:55 w/60-sec Int. 

4) Pick-up reps
8x 400m @ 70 w/90-sec Int and #s 2,5,8 @ 63

5) Neg-split reps
2x (300m-500-400 w/neg-split last 100m) @ :32+14 (=:46 300m) . . . 66+14 (=1:20 500m) . . . 48+14 (=62 400m) 2-min btw reps/jog 1200 btw sets

6) Sit 'n Kick Reps
5x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 30-sec . . . 200m @ 28) jog 1200m btw sets



The Breaking the Barrier 800m workout

Workout/goal for sub-2:00 800m: 12×300 at 43-45 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If the pace slows to a 47 or slower after a minimum of 4 repeats of 300 meters, then drop to running 200s at 28-30 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If you slow to anything slower than 31 or 32 seconds, then drop to running 100 repeats in 14-15 seconds with 30 seconds recovery.

Workout/goal for 2:02-2:07 800m: 12x300 in 45-47 seconds with 1:00 recovery.

If the pace slows to a 50 or slower after a minimum of 4 repeats of 300 meters, then drop to running 200s at 31-32 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If you slow to anything slower than 33 or 34 seconds, then drop to running 100 repeats in 15-16 seconds with 30 seconds recovery.

Workout/goal for 2:08-2:13 800m: 12×300 at 48-50 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If the pace slows to a 53 or slower after a minimum of 4 repeats of 300 meters, then drop to running 200s at 33-34 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If you slow to anything slower than 35 or 36 seconds, then drop to running 100 repeats in 16-17 seconds with 30 seconds recovery.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Uneventful

Fri-took off.  Uneventful...all workouts at 5:30ish AM as usual.

Thurs-9x150
22-low, 22-low, 22-low
21-mid, 21-low, 21-mid
20-mid, 20-mid, 19-high

Wed-2.2M in 16:50

Tues-6x600 with 200m jog.
600-2:02
600-2:04
400-1:26
400-1:24
600-2:04
600-1:54

Mon-lifting

Sun, 5/18-3.5M in 30 min

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Still chasing

May 17, 2014

Like this Saturday in 2013, I decided to do Sit 'n Kick Reps to test my strength. This workout, which is designed for a 2:00 800m high school runner, consists of 5x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 30-sec . . . 200m in 28), with a 1200m jog between sets. Since I am not able to run 800 meters in 2:00, I always modify the workout accordingly. I really wanted to hit the times I've hit in my best days past. In that spirit, I modified the workout slightly: 5 x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 60-seconds, 150m in 21), with a 1000m (not 1200m) jog between sets, a rest of 8:00.


The first 400 was a hard-fought 64 (31/33). 60 second rest, then a 22-mid150. I felt winded. 1000 meter jog in 8:00.

The second 400 felt better and was also in 64 (31/33).  The 150 was 22-mid.  1000 meter jog in 8:00.

I ran the third 400 in 64.  The 150 was a 22-flat.  I was feeling a little pride because I was back in business.

My fourth 400 was a 64. I rested 90 and then popped a 21-mid 150. I then jog-recovered 1000.

And then there was my final 400. I wondered whether I had it in me to hit 63 and 21. I did, hitting 63 for the 400 and 21 for the 150.  I took 90 seconds between the last 400 and 150.

Overall, this workout was pretty good.  Doing it alone is tough.  I would like to get two more of these 800 m workouts over the next 10 days.

So this workout went fairly well. I am still chasing the perfect Sit 'n Kick workout, though,

What a fiasco!

Friday, 5/16/14-took off

Thursday, 5/15/14--did 6x150 at 6 AM...2:40 rest between each (100m walk, 100m jog, and the 50m walk)


Felt stiff and a little sluggish.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to hammer these, so I accepted that I'd be a second off on average.
Instead of 2x21, 2x20, and 2x19, I figured I'd be 2x22, 2x21, and 2x20.

My runs: 22.3, 23.1; 21.5, 21.4; 20.5, 19.8


Wednesday, 5/14/14-went to the gym to lift.


Tuesday, 5/13/14--recovery run of 4.3M (2 Rustin loops) in 33:15.  17:15, 16:00.


Monday, 5/12/14--Arrived at Swarthmore at 5:40...just in time enough to register for the 100.  Whew!  I had what I thought was a nice warm-up.  I felt pretty good on this 80+ degree day with little wind.  I came into the meet KNOWING that I should be able to break 12sec in the 100m and 24sec in the 200m.  


Overall, this was a crazy meet, beginning with a terrible 100. I was in heat 4, lane 5.  I jumped the gun.  Thought they were going to call a false start.  They didn't and the gun went off unexpectedly.  Left blocks late and had to play catchup.  Thus, the poor time of...12.41.  I was miffed.  


The terrible-awful 100
The Awful 200
Then there was the 200.  I was heat 4, lane 6, the same heat as Rob.  Just as heat three was coming onto the track, I walked over to my bag on other side of track to stow my watch.  One of the officials called my name for lane 6 and insisted that I was to run in heat 3.  I told him that it was the correct lane but the wrong heat. He insisted that I run.  I finished the race, knowing it was the wrong heat.  For good measure, the names of the competitors appeared on the results screen and none were mine. I jogged back to the start if the 200, and I heard them call me again, this time for the right heat--heat 4, lane 6.  I told them that, yes, heat 4 was the correct heat but that they had just made me run in heat 3. They were like...oops.  As of Monday night, I was listed as a DNS.  They must've retroactively given me a time and correctly "placed" me in lane 6, heat 4 even though I incorrectly ran in heat 3.  The official time listed on the books is 24.37.  (With the mix-up, the real time may have been 24.73.)   

What a fiasco!  I was hoping to get the 100 and 200 out of my system so that I can make my way back up to 400 and 800.  Argh.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Had a great 100m series

Saturday-workout was 3x100, plus starts.
Had a great 100m series, albeit short, the best in years: 12.5, 12.0, and 11.7.  These times were rounded up, and the runs were on the fly (running start).
Friday-went to Y to lift.
Thursday-did 4x100: 13.5, 12.8, 12.5, 12.3.
Wednesday-took off
Tuesday-did 6x100: 13.5, 12.8, 12.6, 12.5, 12.5, 12.4.
Monday-went to Y
Sunday-4.4M

Sunday, May 4, 2014

I had a good series of sub-28 200s.

May 4-

Met up with Rob at Conestoga at 10:00 for a workout.  Rob wanted to do a workout that was moderate in speed and short in distance.  Rather than a 200/400 workout, I initially wanted to do a 400/800 workout.  We would up settling on 150s for him and 200s for me; I'd do the 200s at his 150 pace.  His goal pace was 21, which put me at 28 for my 200s.  As it turned out, most of his 150s were faster than this.  Thus, my 200s were faster.

Run 1: 200 in 27.5
Run 2: 200 in 27.3
Run 3: 200 in 27.7
Run 4: 200 in 27.5
Run 5: 150 in 20.7 (150 on purpose)
Run 6: 150 in 20.4 (150 on purpose)
Run 7: 200 in 27.1
Run 8: 150 in 19.9 (wanted to do 200, but I felt a little dead).

Even though I was not happy that I was more exhausted than I should have been, I feel pretty good that I had a good series of sub-28 200s.


Saturday, May 3, 2014

Getting fat and lazy!

Saturday, May 3rd

Friday, May 2nd-took off

Getting fat and lazy!

Thursday, May 1-Went to the track to do 8 x 150 with 2:40 rest (100m walk in 1:15; 100m jog in :45; 50m walk in 40).  The plan was to do 2@22, 2@21, 2@20, and 2@19.

21-high, 22-low; 22-low, 21-high; 20-mid, 20-mid; 19-mid, 19-low.

Wednesday, April 30th--Wen to the gym.  Lifted upper and lower body.