I can't believe it's been 3 months. Wow. A shoulder injury and a hip pointer injury later, I'm finally feeling better and faster. I'm also organizing my ultimate team's workouts, which has been great. We did some full speed work and plyos today. We started off with a 200m, which I ran in 23.7 seconds. I was certainly pleased, as this is a PR for me. Having other folks to run with really helps. The crazy thing is I haven't been working out as much recently, so once I get back into that, I expect to feel even better. We took a sufficient break (actually a little longer than we wanted) and then ran a 450m. I came through in 45.5 seconds and then paced off the beginning distance to check. Turns out we ran closer to 340m, but that's still around 47 seconds. It's encouraging to know I still have my speed. My legs haven't felt particularly good in most of our practices thus far, so I'm going to think about returning to a more sprint season type schedule now that I have done some conditioning in July and August. I'll use Chesapeake this weekend as a gauge. I certainly want to get in the gym more.
At any rate, while I sincerely doubt anyone is really checking this after such a long silence, I thought I'd poke my head up. I'll be posting more and am looking forward to continued sprinting work this fall and beyond. My injuries stymied my racing this summer, so the sub-50 goal is still out there. I know I can do it, but it certainly won't be easy. I will say that I ran in full-health on May 17th and even if ther hadn't been wind, Alison thinks I'd have been around a 51. So, the wind was not the deciding factor. I'm confident I'll be even faster going forward.
I'm excited to line up out there this weekend. I'm itching for some monster plays...
Yeah 200m PR!
Andrew
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Race #1 - Video
First off, a big thanks to Laura for coming and making this entire multimedia post possible! I appreciated her cheering, taping, and interview-conducting skills.
First off, the race. I'm running in lane 2 with the white top and black shorts. I forgot to explain how to zoom in video mode, so things get a little distant down the backstretch but I am in 4th (from the camera's perspective) for much of that stretch. Enjoy!
You can see how tired I was approaching the finish line. I was also disappointed because I knew I wasn't going to hit my time. It also looks like my form suffered a little. If you look, you can also see me stutter-step a little bit in my first few steps. I also moved my back leg right before the gun went off; I need to pick a starting position and stick with it.
Post-race thoughts to follow...
First off, the race. I'm running in lane 2 with the white top and black shorts. I forgot to explain how to zoom in video mode, so things get a little distant down the backstretch but I am in 4th (from the camera's perspective) for much of that stretch. Enjoy!
The 400 Project - All-Comers Race - 400m - 05/17/2009 from The 400 Project on Vimeo.
You can see how tired I was approaching the finish line. I was also disappointed because I knew I wasn't going to hit my time. It also looks like my form suffered a little. If you look, you can also see me stutter-step a little bit in my first few steps. I also moved my back leg right before the gun went off; I need to pick a starting position and stick with it.
Post-race thoughts to follow...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Videos Forthcoming...
I tried to upload them last night but the files are too big... We'll see what I can manage.
Andrew
Andrew
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Week 19 - Day 6 (Race Day #1)
Wow. So much to talk about but the lengthy post will go up tomorrow.
The short version:
It was very gusty today but cool and nice. I warmed up well and felt primed to go. I was put in lane 2. I stumbled ever so slightly out of the blocks but ran a fast 100m. I ran well down the backstretch and entered the final curve with slight fatigue in my legs, which is what I wanted to feel. At the 200m mark, I turned it on 100% and powered through the curve. I entered the homestretch in 1st place. Then, the guy in lane 1 cruised up next to me and we were neck and neck with about 80m to go. A guy in the outer lanes was also in play. The wind kicked up hard in our faces down this backstretch and my legs started to fall off. I pumped my arms as hard as I could but lane 1 pulled ahead and my legs couldn't kick any more. I looked up and watched the clock...48, 49...50, 51, 52 and then I crossed. I ended up finished in at or just under 53 seconds (official time to be posted on Tuesday). I honestly don't remember the wind factor, but everyone else was complaining about it. It was right in our faces coming home. That said, it could have kicked up down the backstretch too and helped out there. I dunno.
I have a video of the race, as well as some post-race interviews, haha, which I will post tomorrow. I checked my splits on the race and my 100m, 200m, and 300m times were all fast. It's hard to pin them down, but they were between 11+/23+/36+ and 12/25/37. I dunno it's really hard to tell. This much I know: my last 100m was awful. I felt terrible and I was slow. The wind certainly hurt, but it's possible I went out a tad strong...my legs felt where they should be at the 200m mark, though. Anyway, from looking at my 53, I know in my heart that I can run much faster than that...it was slower than the 52.6 I ran last year. But, my legs wouldn't have believed you. I was spent.
May 30th is my next shot. Oh, and are you ready for this? I partially dislocated my shoulder this afternoon on a defensive bid at pre-season pickup/practice. (And no, I didn't get it.) So, today could have gone better in many ways, but I'm not sure there was a ton I would have done differently. I shall consult Alison on my race strategy/pacing and see if it was sound. The video will be invaluable. Until tomorrow,
Andrew
The short version:
It was very gusty today but cool and nice. I warmed up well and felt primed to go. I was put in lane 2. I stumbled ever so slightly out of the blocks but ran a fast 100m. I ran well down the backstretch and entered the final curve with slight fatigue in my legs, which is what I wanted to feel. At the 200m mark, I turned it on 100% and powered through the curve. I entered the homestretch in 1st place. Then, the guy in lane 1 cruised up next to me and we were neck and neck with about 80m to go. A guy in the outer lanes was also in play. The wind kicked up hard in our faces down this backstretch and my legs started to fall off. I pumped my arms as hard as I could but lane 1 pulled ahead and my legs couldn't kick any more. I looked up and watched the clock...48, 49...50, 51, 52 and then I crossed. I ended up finished in at or just under 53 seconds (official time to be posted on Tuesday). I honestly don't remember the wind factor, but everyone else was complaining about it. It was right in our faces coming home. That said, it could have kicked up down the backstretch too and helped out there. I dunno.
I have a video of the race, as well as some post-race interviews, haha, which I will post tomorrow. I checked my splits on the race and my 100m, 200m, and 300m times were all fast. It's hard to pin them down, but they were between 11+/23+/36+ and 12/25/37. I dunno it's really hard to tell. This much I know: my last 100m was awful. I felt terrible and I was slow. The wind certainly hurt, but it's possible I went out a tad strong...my legs felt where they should be at the 200m mark, though. Anyway, from looking at my 53, I know in my heart that I can run much faster than that...it was slower than the 52.6 I ran last year. But, my legs wouldn't have believed you. I was spent.
May 30th is my next shot. Oh, and are you ready for this? I partially dislocated my shoulder this afternoon on a defensive bid at pre-season pickup/practice. (And no, I didn't get it.) So, today could have gone better in many ways, but I'm not sure there was a ton I would have done differently. I shall consult Alison on my race strategy/pacing and see if it was sound. The video will be invaluable. Until tomorrow,
Andrew
Week 19 - Day 5
Race day! I'm about ready to roll out this morning. Not much else to say. I'm excited to get out there. It rained overnight but things have cleared up, so I think I'll be in good shape. I won't be back around to post anything on my race until early this evening, but, I hope to have some video for you... Peace.
Andrew
Andrew
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Week 19 - Day 3
Today was the last hard workout before my race on Sunday...and I wanted to make it count. I took half a caffeine pill, went out to Cardozo and ran during a slight drizzle, which was very refreshing. I banged my knee pretty hard at pickup last Sunday night, so I treated today as a test to see how my speed was affected, if at all. Here's how I did:
Rest: full (8-9 minutes)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - sub-12 - 12 flat
2 - 100m - sub-12 - 12.1
3 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.8
4 - 100m - sub-12 - 12.1
5 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.9
6 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.9
7 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.9
8 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.7
-----
I'm happy with my results today. I focused on coming out hard each time and on pumping my arms as hard as I could - especially on the last 4-5 reps. My legs were a little sore from my plyos yesterday, which was a nice change. In the past, my legs have felt depleted after a plyo session but not sore. The fact that they were sore today tells me I had a good, hard plyo workout yesterday. At any rate, today I felt my glutes, in particular, get more and more sore as my workout went on. Again, I saw this as a good thing. I was pushing hard. My left calf also started to tighten up a little, but that's nothing new. I iced when I got home and feel good and prepared for Sunday.
My physical prep is over, but my mental prep is still ongoing. I'll be doing focusing and visualization over the next few days and will be trying out some meditation on Saturday. My priorities over the next 72 hours are to eat well, rest well, and stay healthy. I'm excited!
Andrew
Rest: full (8-9 minutes)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - sub-12 - 12 flat
2 - 100m - sub-12 - 12.1
3 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.8
4 - 100m - sub-12 - 12.1
5 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.9
6 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.9
7 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.9
8 - 100m - sub-12 - 11.7
-----
I'm happy with my results today. I focused on coming out hard each time and on pumping my arms as hard as I could - especially on the last 4-5 reps. My legs were a little sore from my plyos yesterday, which was a nice change. In the past, my legs have felt depleted after a plyo session but not sore. The fact that they were sore today tells me I had a good, hard plyo workout yesterday. At any rate, today I felt my glutes, in particular, get more and more sore as my workout went on. Again, I saw this as a good thing. I was pushing hard. My left calf also started to tighten up a little, but that's nothing new. I iced when I got home and feel good and prepared for Sunday.
My physical prep is over, but my mental prep is still ongoing. I'll be doing focusing and visualization over the next few days and will be trying out some meditation on Saturday. My priorities over the next 72 hours are to eat well, rest well, and stay healthy. I'm excited!
Andrew
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Week 19 Workouts
Race week! I still need to sign up for my race, but here's my schedule:
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Conditioning mile, explosive plyos.
Thursday - Track - 8x100 meters, full recovery, aim for sub-12
Friday - Off
Saturday - Warm up and practice curve starts
Sunday - Race
Monday - Off
-----
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Conditioning mile, explosive plyos.
Thursday - Track - 8x100 meters, full recovery, aim for sub-12
Friday - Off
Saturday - Warm up and practice curve starts
Sunday - Race
Monday - Off
-----
Monday, May 11, 2009
Week 18 - Day 6
I went to Cardozo on Saturday for some full speed work. I went out a little harder than I'd anticipated the night before, so I struggled to get to the track in time to do the full workout prior to my 2pm spring league game. It was also hot out. I warmed up well and then got into the workout.
Rest: full
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - full speed - 11.5
2 - 200m - full speed - 24.7
3 - 300m - full speed - ~39.5
-----
My workout called for another 200m and 100m, but due to heat/ultimate game, I decided to end after the 300. I was happy with my 100m time, which is a personal best. I was pretty upset about my 200m time, though, and I didn't get an accurate time on my 300m because I stopped my watch on the wrong line; it wasn't a particularly fast time, though.
I was annoyed with my 200m time because I ran in the high 23s/low 24s last year in a full-speed workout just a few days before my race; I wanted to get mid 23s this time around. Anyway, I have one more full-speed workout on Thursday before my Sunday race. On the slate: full-speed 100s. I'm going to visualize/focus in the days leading up to this last workout so I can get the most out of it.
Rest: full
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - full speed - 11.5
2 - 200m - full speed - 24.7
3 - 300m - full speed - ~39.5
-----
My workout called for another 200m and 100m, but due to heat/ultimate game, I decided to end after the 300. I was happy with my 100m time, which is a personal best. I was pretty upset about my 200m time, though, and I didn't get an accurate time on my 300m because I stopped my watch on the wrong line; it wasn't a particularly fast time, though.
I was annoyed with my 200m time because I ran in the high 23s/low 24s last year in a full-speed workout just a few days before my race; I wanted to get mid 23s this time around. Anyway, I have one more full-speed workout on Thursday before my Sunday race. On the slate: full-speed 100s. I'm going to visualize/focus in the days leading up to this last workout so I can get the most out of it.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Week 18 Workouts
My schedule looks a little different this week...and will from here on out. I've moved my tough weekend workout to Saturdays to keep me fresher for pickup on Sundays. This led to a similar flip during the week. Anyway, less than two weeks until May 17th, race day #1. Staying healthy and being smart are my top priorities from here on out. That said, my Saturday workout left my left calf a little tight. Monitor monitor monitor.
Monday - Off
Tuesday - Track - 6x150 meters, 5 minutes recovery.
Wednesday - cross-train 40 minutes, moderate pace, weights
Thursday - Warm up, 10xuphill repeats, explosive plyos
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - 100, 200 (26 sec), 300 (38 sec.), 200, 100, full recovery.
Sunday - Track - 8x30 meters, rolling start.
-----
I'm really eyeing Saturday's workout. I haven't done a full speed 100m or 200m yet this season... My Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday workouts have left me depleted but I know I'll be primed for Saturday morning. Everything's lining up. I want some good times.
Andrew
Monday - Off
Tuesday - Track - 6x150 meters, 5 minutes recovery.
Wednesday - cross-train 40 minutes, moderate pace, weights
Thursday - Warm up, 10xuphill repeats, explosive plyos
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - 100, 200 (26 sec), 300 (38 sec.), 200, 100, full recovery.
Sunday - Track - 8x30 meters, rolling start.
-----
I'm really eyeing Saturday's workout. I haven't done a full speed 100m or 200m yet this season... My Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday workouts have left me depleted but I know I'll be primed for Saturday morning. Everything's lining up. I want some good times.
Andrew
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Week 17 - Day 5
Wow. Today's workout was absolutely exhausting. I decided to move my Sunday workout up a day so I could go to pickup tomorrow and not have to worry about fitting in a tough workout. Also, after speaking with Alison, I changed my goal time from 27-28 per 200m to 25-26 per. I went to Cardozo and ran by myself again. Here's how I did:
Rest: 5 - 5 1/2 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.2
2 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 25.5
3 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.3
4 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.6
5 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.1
6 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.9
7 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.5
8 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.8
-----
My legs were very tired after this workout but I am very happy with the results; I was annoyed when I poked over 27 the last time I was supposed to run 26s, so I really wanted to work hard today. I also got sick, which was surprising just because I made a point of running before I'd eaten anything today. I'm absolutely spent. I ended up resting closer to 5:30 prior to the last two reps, but I made a point of staying faithful to the prescribed 5 minutes. Right when I was about to run rep #2, one of the dudes who was playing soccer decided to run a lap for fun; merely chasing him made a huge difference...I ran an "easy" 25.5. Right before rep #5, some soccer players asked me how fast I was running and complimented me on my times; this was enough to pump me up for that rep and I ran a 26.1...noticeably faster than the times around it. Examples like these make me think that had I had someone helping me down the homestretch (or pumping me up), I'm sure I wouldn't have killed myself today (and, in addition, would have run faster). But, as it were, I had to get myself up for the challenge. There was music playing for a soccer tournament on the field, so that helped. I also did some visualization and occasionally some *light* face slapping to stop me from dipping in-between runs (perhaps that's weird, I dunno). After running my last rep, I made it back to my stuff, but could hardly keep on my feet. I sat down and kind of sagged there. I had to help my feet off the ground to change out of my spikes and had a little water (which would come back to haunt me). I then pulled myself up and tried some halfhearted stretching but then my stomach started feeling bad. My friend Erik, who had been playing in the soccer tournament (and who had spoken with me briefly earlier in my workout), then came over to see how things had ended up, but I felt awful at this point and had to cut things a little short. After a quick visit to a nice spot behind the bleachers, I got on my bike and rolled home.
2-3 more tough workouts and then it's game time. I hope all this work will lead to a good result.
Andrew
Rest: 5 - 5 1/2 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.2
2 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 25.5
3 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.3
4 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.6
5 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.1
6 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.9
7 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.5
8 - 200m - 25 to 26 - 26.8
-----
My legs were very tired after this workout but I am very happy with the results; I was annoyed when I poked over 27 the last time I was supposed to run 26s, so I really wanted to work hard today. I also got sick, which was surprising just because I made a point of running before I'd eaten anything today. I'm absolutely spent. I ended up resting closer to 5:30 prior to the last two reps, but I made a point of staying faithful to the prescribed 5 minutes. Right when I was about to run rep #2, one of the dudes who was playing soccer decided to run a lap for fun; merely chasing him made a huge difference...I ran an "easy" 25.5. Right before rep #5, some soccer players asked me how fast I was running and complimented me on my times; this was enough to pump me up for that rep and I ran a 26.1...noticeably faster than the times around it. Examples like these make me think that had I had someone helping me down the homestretch (or pumping me up), I'm sure I wouldn't have killed myself today (and, in addition, would have run faster). But, as it were, I had to get myself up for the challenge. There was music playing for a soccer tournament on the field, so that helped. I also did some visualization and occasionally some *light* face slapping to stop me from dipping in-between runs (perhaps that's weird, I dunno). After running my last rep, I made it back to my stuff, but could hardly keep on my feet. I sat down and kind of sagged there. I had to help my feet off the ground to change out of my spikes and had a little water (which would come back to haunt me). I then pulled myself up and tried some halfhearted stretching but then my stomach started feeling bad. My friend Erik, who had been playing in the soccer tournament (and who had spoken with me briefly earlier in my workout), then came over to see how things had ended up, but I felt awful at this point and had to cut things a little short. After a quick visit to a nice spot behind the bleachers, I got on my bike and rolled home.
2-3 more tough workouts and then it's game time. I hope all this work will lead to a good result.
Andrew
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Week 17 - Day 3
Today was my first full speed "distance" sprints in a while...but I almost didn't even make it out there. I went home early yesterday because of mild cold symptoms (can't be taking risks these days...) and missed my Wednesday plyo workout. When I woke up this morning, my sore throat and congestion wasn't better, so I worked from home. By the end of the day, I started feeling better but, still tired, took a nap at 4:30. I woke up at 6:30 and felt *very* sluggish. I could barely roll out of bed, let alone conceive of heading to the track... But, an hour later, after half a caffeine pill and a quick bike ride, I was pumped up and ready to go. So ready to go that some food I'd had 3 hours earlier decided it didn't want to stay in my stomach...this has become something of a trend. Anyway, due to my weekend off and how long it had been since I'd run a good distance, I was unsure where I'd be today. I treated my goal times today as more of a guess from Alison of where I'd be...not something to pace to. I also ran completely on my own today; this is noteworthy simply because I've been lucky enough to have others run with me on many occasions in the past and I'm sure the extra bodies helped.
Rest: full
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 300m - 41 - 38.9
2 - 400m - 58 - 57.4
3 - 500m - 74 - 78.7
-----
I was happy with my 300 and 400 times today but wish I'd had a little more for my 500. When I was running my 300, I checked my watch about halfway down the homestretch and saw it at 31. Not wanting to push so hard as to ruin my later reps (see this workout), I didn't go into overdrive for my last 50m. I was pushing hard but I felt controlled. For the 400, I went out full speed for the first 100m, throttled back down the backstretch, and then cranked it up at the 200m mark. I pushed all the way through and while I felt fatigued, I still had some spring in my legs and was solidly up on the balls of my feet. For the 500, I went out hard for the first 100, throttled back for the next 200, and then gave it everything I had for the last 200. I was disappointed with my time and definitely felt my legs respond less from the get-go. Also, my rest today was quite long. There were soccer players milling about on the track, so I had to wait longer than I wanted to run. My average rest was around 25 minutes...impressive, I know.
At any rate, I feel pretty good about where I am and am excited about getting out to race in just two and a half weeks! I need to buy more spikes for my shoes...I seem to have lost a couple over the last few months.
Rest: full
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 300m - 41 - 38.9
2 - 400m - 58 - 57.4
3 - 500m - 74 - 78.7
-----
I was happy with my 300 and 400 times today but wish I'd had a little more for my 500. When I was running my 300, I checked my watch about halfway down the homestretch and saw it at 31. Not wanting to push so hard as to ruin my later reps (see this workout), I didn't go into overdrive for my last 50m. I was pushing hard but I felt controlled. For the 400, I went out full speed for the first 100m, throttled back down the backstretch, and then cranked it up at the 200m mark. I pushed all the way through and while I felt fatigued, I still had some spring in my legs and was solidly up on the balls of my feet. For the 500, I went out hard for the first 100, throttled back for the next 200, and then gave it everything I had for the last 200. I was disappointed with my time and definitely felt my legs respond less from the get-go. Also, my rest today was quite long. There were soccer players milling about on the track, so I had to wait longer than I wanted to run. My average rest was around 25 minutes...impressive, I know.
At any rate, I feel pretty good about where I am and am excited about getting out to race in just two and a half weeks! I need to buy more spikes for my shoes...I seem to have lost a couple over the last few months.
Week 17 Workouts
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Warm up, 8x downhill runs, explosive plyos. Cool-down with a half-mile jog.
Thursday - Track - 300 (41), 400 (58), 500 (74). Full speed, full recovery.
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - 5x60 meters, standing start.
Sunday - Track - 8x200 meters, 5 minutes recovery. 27-28 sec.
Monday - cross-train 40 minutes, moderate pace, weights
-----
I just came off a fun but tiring weekend in Philly and New Jersey and I'm ready to get back in the swing of things. I feel like I haven't done a "real" running workout in a while and I have one this week on Thursday. I'm looking forward to it.
Wednesday - Warm up, 8x downhill runs, explosive plyos. Cool-down with a half-mile jog.
Thursday - Track - 300 (41), 400 (58), 500 (74). Full speed, full recovery.
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - 5x60 meters, standing start.
Sunday - Track - 8x200 meters, 5 minutes recovery. 27-28 sec.
Monday - cross-train 40 minutes, moderate pace, weights
-----
I just came off a fun but tiring weekend in Philly and New Jersey and I'm ready to get back in the swing of things. I feel like I haven't done a "real" running workout in a while and I have one this week on Thursday. I'm looking forward to it.
Week 16 - Day 3
I ran at Cardozo High School for this workout. I had had a good plyo workout the day before and was ready for some speed work.
Rest: 3 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
2 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
3 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
4 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
5 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
6 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
7 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
8 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
9 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
10 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
-----
I felt good during this workout. I focused on getting out fast for the first 15m and then really pushing for 30m all the way through. I started in a crouch today, since I wasn't using my watch. I'm eager to do a full speed 100 or 200 to see where my speed is.
Andrew
Rest: 3 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
2 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
3 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
4 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
5 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
6 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
7 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
8 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
9 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
10 - 30m (rolling start) - NA - NA
-----
I felt good during this workout. I focused on getting out fast for the first 15m and then really pushing for 30m all the way through. I started in a crouch today, since I wasn't using my watch. I'm eager to do a full speed 100 or 200 to see where my speed is.
Andrew
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Week 16 Workouts
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Conditioning mile, explosive plyos.
Thursday - Track - 10x30 meters, rolling start. 3 minutes recovery.
Friday - Thirty minutes of 1-minute runs
Saturday - Out of town - Off
Sunday - Out of town - Off
Monday - Conditioning mile, weights
-----
Less than a month until my first race! That kind of snuck up on me. Exciting! May is going to be a busy month, in general, but I'm pumped to get out there and see what I have.
Biggest priority: take care of myself and stay healthy.
2nd biggest priority: binge drink until I pass out 5 nights a week; I've earned it!
That was a joke.
Peace.
Andrew
(I'm shooting for 4 nights)
Wednesday - Conditioning mile, explosive plyos.
Thursday - Track - 10x30 meters, rolling start. 3 minutes recovery.
Friday - Thirty minutes of 1-minute runs
Saturday - Out of town - Off
Sunday - Out of town - Off
Monday - Conditioning mile, weights
-----
Less than a month until my first race! That kind of snuck up on me. Exciting! May is going to be a busy month, in general, but I'm pumped to get out there and see what I have.
Biggest priority: take care of myself and stay healthy.
2nd biggest priority: binge drink until I pass out 5 nights a week; I've earned it!
That was a joke.
Peace.
Andrew
(I'm shooting for 4 nights)
Week 15 - Day 5
So, I ended up going to a tournament over the weekend with some friends. I hadn't planned doing so when I laid out my schedule back in January, but there you go. Saturday's workout was 5x60m with a standing start. So, when I got to the fields, I warmed up and did my workout during the first half of our first game. I pushed hard and focused on each one and took 3-5 minutes between each one. By the end of the workout, the bellies of my muscles felt untaxed, but I felt strangely fatigued/stressed around my knee and hip joints. I hung out for a bit, ate some food, and played a little, but didn't feel comfortable making full-effort changes in direction; I felt injury-prone. I did an "ultimate" warmup before the second game and did some pivoting/throwing but still felt a little weird. I split my time standing and sitting and then, by the middle of our second game, I felt fine. The sensation was gone and I went out and ran hard and felt great. I'm interested in what my body was going through there...perhaps it was getting over the impact of running that hard, except that I ran on grass and didn't run *that* much faster than I do when I cut deep in a game. Anyway, interesting.
Sunday's workout was a 100 (12) - 200 (26) - 300 (42) - 200 - 100 ladder, but I decided to forego it and run hard in my games instead. I had hopes of getting this in on Monday, but I think I was wise to just do a light jog and a lift. I'll try to make it up soon, though.
Sunday's workout was a 100 (12) - 200 (26) - 300 (42) - 200 - 100 ladder, but I decided to forego it and run hard in my games instead. I had hopes of getting this in on Monday, but I think I was wise to just do a light jog and a lift. I'll try to make it up soon, though.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Week 15 - Day 3
The weather was amazing today. I had meant to do this track workout yesterday since Washington Lee was booked today, but it turns out it was booked yesterday as well, so I went ahead and did the plyo workout that day as scheduled. So, today I was very eager to get this workout in because it was going to be a good yardstick for me. I did the exact same workout around this time last year. But, I had to find a track first... After forgetting my keys at work and dealing figuring that out, I finally started a tour of DC to find a spot. My first stop was Cardozo...my old stomping grounds. Success! The facilities there are so nice now...beautiful turf field and nice new rubber track. I was so happy. Here's what I did.
Rest: 5 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s) - heartrate (bpm)
1 - 200m - 26 - 25.7 - 160
2 - 200m - 26 - 25.5 - 160
3 - 200m - 26 - 26.5 - 168
4 - 200m - 26 - 26.8 - 168
5 - 200m - 26 - 26.5 - 172
6 - 200m - 26 - 27.2 - 172
7 - 200m - 26 - 27.5 - 176
-----
This workout was supposed to be 9x200m, which was what I intended to do, but the soccer dudes cleared off the field promptly at 8pm and said they had to lock the gate behind them. Tough. So, I decided to run an 8th rep right then to end things out, even though I'd only rested for around 3 minutes by that point. Let me tell you, those extra 2 minutes really matter... I ended up running a 28.3 but didn't report it above - it was more of a spontaneous test to see what would happen. My legs were sapped down the homestretch and I felt like I jogged through the finish. I'm confident that had I run my last two with correct rest, I would have logged times in the low 27s/maybe high 26s. I got upset after running that 27.5 and wanted to get that one back. Anyway, I really wanted to get slightly more consistent times today, but this performance was a dramatic improvement from last year's. I really struggled with the 5 minutes rest and while I started out in the 26s, I slipped quickly and was running just over 30 by rep 6 or so. There were other factors at play last year, but still...it's always nice to see concrete improvement. I can't wait to run some full speed 200s. I really dialed it back during the first two reps today; I feel like I'll be able to hit some aggressive times going forward. Up up up!
Andrew
Rest: 5 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s) - heartrate (bpm)
1 - 200m - 26 - 25.7 - 160
2 - 200m - 26 - 25.5 - 160
3 - 200m - 26 - 26.5 - 168
4 - 200m - 26 - 26.8 - 168
5 - 200m - 26 - 26.5 - 172
6 - 200m - 26 - 27.2 - 172
7 - 200m - 26 - 27.5 - 176
-----
This workout was supposed to be 9x200m, which was what I intended to do, but the soccer dudes cleared off the field promptly at 8pm and said they had to lock the gate behind them. Tough. So, I decided to run an 8th rep right then to end things out, even though I'd only rested for around 3 minutes by that point. Let me tell you, those extra 2 minutes really matter... I ended up running a 28.3 but didn't report it above - it was more of a spontaneous test to see what would happen. My legs were sapped down the homestretch and I felt like I jogged through the finish. I'm confident that had I run my last two with correct rest, I would have logged times in the low 27s/maybe high 26s. I got upset after running that 27.5 and wanted to get that one back. Anyway, I really wanted to get slightly more consistent times today, but this performance was a dramatic improvement from last year's. I really struggled with the 5 minutes rest and while I started out in the 26s, I slipped quickly and was running just over 30 by rep 6 or so. There were other factors at play last year, but still...it's always nice to see concrete improvement. I can't wait to run some full speed 200s. I really dialed it back during the first two reps today; I feel like I'll be able to hit some aggressive times going forward. Up up up!
Andrew
Week 15 Workouts
The end of Week 14 was the first time since my injury that I lifted hard with my quads. My right quad now feels close to 100%. I still need to be smart about foam rolling/heating/icing, but I'll be giving it a full load from here on out. Here are this week's workouts.
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Warm up, 8x downhill runs, explosive plyos. Cool-down with a half-mile jog.
Thursday - Track - 9x200 meters, 5 minutes recovery. Aim for 26 sec. each one.
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - 5x60 meters, standing start.
Sunday - Track - 100 (12 sec), 200 (26 sec), 300 (42 sec.), 200, 100, full recovery. cross-train 40 minutes, moderate pace, weights
-----
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Warm up, 8x downhill runs, explosive plyos. Cool-down with a half-mile jog.
Thursday - Track - 9x200 meters, 5 minutes recovery. Aim for 26 sec. each one.
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - 5x60 meters, standing start.
Sunday - Track - 100 (12 sec), 200 (26 sec), 300 (42 sec.), 200, 100, full recovery. cross-train 40 minutes, moderate pace, weights
-----
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Week 14 - Day 6
I went out to Banneker High this fine Easter afternoon with my roommate, Jon. The weather was spectacular. I ran on this track last summer for ultimate and had a miserable time...the track was circular (around a baseball field), gravel, and uneven. During the fall, though, it went through a massive renovation and now it's a top-notch track. The rubber is softer and nicer than Washington Lee and there's plush grass for stretching/lounging. I loved it. The only downside is the atypical track shape; while I'd be a little concerned if I ran on this track exclusively, since I run on an oval most of the time, I feel fine about hitting this circular one every week or so. Anyway, here's my workout.
Rest: 10 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 450m - 67 - 65.9
2 - 450m - 67 - 69.1
3 - 450m - 67 - 68.1
-----
I was very happy with this workout. Jon was kind enough to both time and help me down the last 50m of each rep. I ended up resting closer to 12-13 minutes in-between each rep, but I really focused on giving a full effort each time out. After running the 69, I made my goal to keep my third time under 70. During my break before I ran, I spent time visualizing my lap...how hard I'd be running at different parts of the track...and mentally preparing for the last 200m; I was going to leave absolutely everything on the track. I went out well and felt good down the backstretch. I was happy to find that I had a kick at the 250m mark and gave it everything I had left. I was really pushing by the time I came through the finish, and Jon was happy to tell me my time: 68. 450s are not my favorites by a long shot, but I do recognize how important they are for building 400m speed, and I have noticed my improvement in running them. I'm already looking ahead to my 200m workout on Wednesday - full effort, full rest. I want to see what kind of times I can muster. Up from here.
Andrew
Rest: 10 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 450m - 67 - 65.9
2 - 450m - 67 - 69.1
3 - 450m - 67 - 68.1
-----
I was very happy with this workout. Jon was kind enough to both time and help me down the last 50m of each rep. I ended up resting closer to 12-13 minutes in-between each rep, but I really focused on giving a full effort each time out. After running the 69, I made my goal to keep my third time under 70. During my break before I ran, I spent time visualizing my lap...how hard I'd be running at different parts of the track...and mentally preparing for the last 200m; I was going to leave absolutely everything on the track. I went out well and felt good down the backstretch. I was happy to find that I had a kick at the 250m mark and gave it everything I had left. I was really pushing by the time I came through the finish, and Jon was happy to tell me my time: 68. 450s are not my favorites by a long shot, but I do recognize how important they are for building 400m speed, and I have noticed my improvement in running them. I'm already looking ahead to my 200m workout on Wednesday - full effort, full rest. I want to see what kind of times I can muster. Up from here.
Andrew
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Week 14 - Day 3
I went out to Washington Lee today after work. The weather was phenomenal. I misread the workout and did 30m with a flying start and not 40m. Oh well. For the flying starts, I marked off 15m from the starting line and 45m from the starting line. For the reps, I accelerated as fast as I could to get as close to full speed as possible by the 15m mark and then maintained that through the 45m mark. This was full effort.
Rest: 3 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
2 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
3 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
4 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
5 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
6 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
7 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
8 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
-----
Despite the short distance and the only moderate number of reps, I felt this workout. I could feel the impact afterwards; it's not soreness...it's more like what I feel after a plyo workout. Back in high school and college, I would finish a workout like this and would feel like I'd wasted my time; I wouldn't feel anything. Now I definitely do. Perhaps it's an advantage of being in my late 20s...you know, some muscular development to offset the mental degradation that starts around this age. Good times.
Andrew
Rest: 3 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
2 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
3 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
4 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
5 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
6 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
7 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
8 - 30m flying start - NA - NA
-----
Despite the short distance and the only moderate number of reps, I felt this workout. I could feel the impact afterwards; it's not soreness...it's more like what I feel after a plyo workout. Back in high school and college, I would finish a workout like this and would feel like I'd wasted my time; I wouldn't feel anything. Now I definitely do. Perhaps it's an advantage of being in my late 20s...you know, some muscular development to offset the mental degradation that starts around this age. Good times.
Andrew
Week 14 Workouts
Coming off an encouraging tournament where my quad held up and my legs felt good, I'm back on track and ready to rock.
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Conditioning mile, then explosive plyos
Thursday - 8x40m, rolling start, 3 minutes rest
Friday - Off
Saturday - Cross-training 40 minutes, moderate pace; weights
Sunday - 3x450m, 10 minutes rest
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Conditioning mile, then explosive plyos
Thursday - 8x40m, rolling start, 3 minutes rest
Friday - Off
Saturday - Cross-training 40 minutes, moderate pace; weights
Sunday - 3x450m, 10 minutes rest
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Week 13 - Day 2 (Time Trial #2)
So, I finally got out to the track to run today. I hadn't done a track workout since Week 11 - Day 5...eleven days ago. I did do some jogging and some upper body weights over this period of inactivity, but I was still nervous about where I'd be today. I also read this article earlier this week. So...now I've decided to take caffeine before workouts and races. I'm not a big coffee/caffeine guy, but I'm gonna give it a shot!
Anyway, today I drank 3/4 of a cup of coffee and then went out to Washington Lee with Ken from work. I gave it a good warm-up and felt a little bit of tightness in my quad, but it was of the dull variety, so I went for it. I was amped for this time trial. I really wanted to pick up where I left off. I came out well and my heart was already racing from the caffeine/adrenaline - I noticed that. Ken picked me up down the last 100m and I came through in 38.1. That's a new personal best and improvement from Time Trial #1, which was a 38.9. That said, I felt like I'd made good strides over the past few months and I really wanted to get into the 37s here. Oh well. At least I didn't hurt myself, haha. And at least I didn't regress. I'm moving into the speed phase of my plan now. Booyah!
Andrew
Anyway, today I drank 3/4 of a cup of coffee and then went out to Washington Lee with Ken from work. I gave it a good warm-up and felt a little bit of tightness in my quad, but it was of the dull variety, so I went for it. I was amped for this time trial. I really wanted to pick up where I left off. I came out well and my heart was already racing from the caffeine/adrenaline - I noticed that. Ken picked me up down the last 100m and I came through in 38.1. That's a new personal best and improvement from Time Trial #1, which was a 38.9. That said, I felt like I'd made good strides over the past few months and I really wanted to get into the 37s here. Oh well. At least I didn't hurt myself, haha. And at least I didn't regress. I'm moving into the speed phase of my plan now. Booyah!
Andrew
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Letup, Part I
I don't recover well. In general. Sure, I can stay up all night - for whatever reason - but it takes me a couple days to get back into sorts. I can give a big effort - at the office, at the bars, what have you - but I've got to crawl out of that hole eventually. I have to let up, and it takes longer for me than it does for most. At least, it does currently. It's something I hope I can learn to have some say in...at least a little.
The funny thing is, I've found this same trend in my running. In hindsight it's not surprising, really, but the same themes that flit through my professional and personal life also appear in my athletic one. I didn't start to realize this, though, until I started to realize what it meant to run hard. To really push. And that happened about a year ago.
I have no track background, so I was never exposed to pure sprint workouts before last year. My only experience doing "track workouts" was in training for ultimate. I still remember a workout my freshman year in college where we were told to run 8x200m, each in under 30 seconds. I was flabbergasted at such a workout. How could I ever do it! How could we ever do it? 30 seconds is a fast 200. How was I going to run 8 in a row? I don't remember exactly how much we rested - knowing that team...too little - but I do remember that we struggled to complete the workout. And for good reason. It was a tough workout, for ultimate. For that kind of training.
Fast forward to last year. I'd started my program and was enjoying it. I spent the first half of the program training indoors where it was tough to know exactly how fast I was running. By the end of March, I was running outdoors and my 200 times were still close to that 3os mark; I had never broken the 27-28 barrier (and those times were clocked indoors). Because that was fast. Then one day, in the midst of a full-rest, full-effort 200m workout that I hadn't felt particularly good going in to, I ran a 29 on my second rep, and then for whatever reason, I got fired up. I timed my next rep to coincide with a jogger circling the track and ran a 28. Two reps later, a 27.2. Then a 26.7, followed by a 26.1 and a 26.2. Here's what I wrote after that workout:
April 2, 2008:
"After the 29, I timed my run to coincide with a jogger so I could at least run by someone. That helped kick up my competitiveness, I think, and even though I was the only one on the track from that point on, I was able to fire myself up before running. Once I broke the 28 barrier, I went for the 27 barrier and then the 26 barrier. I definitely felt a lot faster once the passion kicked in, but I've definitely got to get my blood up to run around a 26. I got sick after the 5th rep and just before the 7th rep but finished out just fine. I was pretty exhausted, both mentally and physically, after this workout. At least I know now that I'm capable of running much faster than a 27-28 in training. I think breaking that mental hurdle was a good step, even if I'm not able to train at that speed on a consistent basis."
The thing I hadn't realized then was that I was running sprint workouts as an ultimate player. Not as a sprinter. I didn't actually know what fast was for me. In fact, I had no idea. Through ultimate, I simply had in my mind what fast was, so a couple seconds faster than that was really fast. Any faster than that was out of my league. But slowly I started to understand. No, there are different fasts. On the track, since you're not worried about field position or locating the disc, or when/what you're going to do next, you can focus on other things. Things that will make you faster, like pumping your arms. Arms lead your stride. The harder you pump, the faster you'll go. Like bringing your hips underneath you when you run. They call this "running tall." It brings your center of gravity forward and centers your weight over your stride. Like relaxing all unnecessary muscles. Watch world class sprinters run and you'll see their cheeks bouncing all over the place. To quote Alison (the brains, remember), this is partly because they're running so fast. But it's also because they have relaxed all muscles they don't need for the task at hand. Like dorsiflexion*. By keeping your feet flexed so they make about a 90 degree angle with your shin at all times, you activate your calves to get the most work out of them.
Over the past year, I've slowly gotten better at doing all these things. It's not rocket science. The same things that made me faster would make you faster. My guess is, if the athletes reading this post all did my same workouts, I'd be right about in the middle of the pack. Maybe slightly above average, but not by much. Most of us would be in the same ballpark; some of you would be a level above. I have no doubt about that. For those of you who don't play ultimate or don't care about sprinting, I'm sure you could achieve a similar degree of improvement in some other arena. I just feel like we sell ourselves short too often. I think we could surprise ourselves.
Andrew
-----
*quick demo: stand up with your arms down at your sides; now, keeping your elbow against your body, lift your lower arm so it's pointing forward and parallel to the floor..."walking like an Egyptian" for the SNL fans; start by keeping your hand flat out in front of you like it's on a tabletop and notice your bicep; it's very loose with no muscles activated; now simply rotate your wrist so that you thumb points skyward; you should notice you bicep respond, and tighten somewhat...ready for work, after this simple motion; this is the same concept as dorsiflexion
The funny thing is, I've found this same trend in my running. In hindsight it's not surprising, really, but the same themes that flit through my professional and personal life also appear in my athletic one. I didn't start to realize this, though, until I started to realize what it meant to run hard. To really push. And that happened about a year ago.
I have no track background, so I was never exposed to pure sprint workouts before last year. My only experience doing "track workouts" was in training for ultimate. I still remember a workout my freshman year in college where we were told to run 8x200m, each in under 30 seconds. I was flabbergasted at such a workout. How could I ever do it! How could we ever do it? 30 seconds is a fast 200. How was I going to run 8 in a row? I don't remember exactly how much we rested - knowing that team...too little - but I do remember that we struggled to complete the workout. And for good reason. It was a tough workout, for ultimate. For that kind of training.
Fast forward to last year. I'd started my program and was enjoying it. I spent the first half of the program training indoors where it was tough to know exactly how fast I was running. By the end of March, I was running outdoors and my 200 times were still close to that 3os mark; I had never broken the 27-28 barrier (and those times were clocked indoors). Because that was fast. Then one day, in the midst of a full-rest, full-effort 200m workout that I hadn't felt particularly good going in to, I ran a 29 on my second rep, and then for whatever reason, I got fired up. I timed my next rep to coincide with a jogger circling the track and ran a 28. Two reps later, a 27.2. Then a 26.7, followed by a 26.1 and a 26.2. Here's what I wrote after that workout:
April 2, 2008:
"After the 29, I timed my run to coincide with a jogger so I could at least run by someone. That helped kick up my competitiveness, I think, and even though I was the only one on the track from that point on, I was able to fire myself up before running. Once I broke the 28 barrier, I went for the 27 barrier and then the 26 barrier. I definitely felt a lot faster once the passion kicked in, but I've definitely got to get my blood up to run around a 26. I got sick after the 5th rep and just before the 7th rep but finished out just fine. I was pretty exhausted, both mentally and physically, after this workout. At least I know now that I'm capable of running much faster than a 27-28 in training. I think breaking that mental hurdle was a good step, even if I'm not able to train at that speed on a consistent basis."
The thing I hadn't realized then was that I was running sprint workouts as an ultimate player. Not as a sprinter. I didn't actually know what fast was for me. In fact, I had no idea. Through ultimate, I simply had in my mind what fast was, so a couple seconds faster than that was really fast. Any faster than that was out of my league. But slowly I started to understand. No, there are different fasts. On the track, since you're not worried about field position or locating the disc, or when/what you're going to do next, you can focus on other things. Things that will make you faster, like pumping your arms. Arms lead your stride. The harder you pump, the faster you'll go. Like bringing your hips underneath you when you run. They call this "running tall." It brings your center of gravity forward and centers your weight over your stride. Like relaxing all unnecessary muscles. Watch world class sprinters run and you'll see their cheeks bouncing all over the place. To quote Alison (the brains, remember), this is partly because they're running so fast. But it's also because they have relaxed all muscles they don't need for the task at hand. Like dorsiflexion*. By keeping your feet flexed so they make about a 90 degree angle with your shin at all times, you activate your calves to get the most work out of them.
Over the past year, I've slowly gotten better at doing all these things. It's not rocket science. The same things that made me faster would make you faster. My guess is, if the athletes reading this post all did my same workouts, I'd be right about in the middle of the pack. Maybe slightly above average, but not by much. Most of us would be in the same ballpark; some of you would be a level above. I have no doubt about that. For those of you who don't play ultimate or don't care about sprinting, I'm sure you could achieve a similar degree of improvement in some other arena. I just feel like we sell ourselves short too often. I think we could surprise ourselves.
Andrew
-----
*quick demo: stand up with your arms down at your sides; now, keeping your elbow against your body, lift your lower arm so it's pointing forward and parallel to the floor..."walking like an Egyptian" for the SNL fans; start by keeping your hand flat out in front of you like it's on a tabletop and notice your bicep; it's very loose with no muscles activated; now simply rotate your wrist so that you thumb points skyward; you should notice you bicep respond, and tighten somewhat...ready for work, after this simple motion; this is the same concept as dorsiflexion
Week 12 Workouts - Adjusted
When I was jogging on Wednesday, I felt some very slight tenderness deep in my right quad. So, I skipped my weights workout, went home, and iced/foam rolled. Today, though, I didn't feel 100% and Alison, the brains behind this operation, suggested I take the next few days off. So, my adjusted week is below.
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - 20 minute light jog
Thursday - Off
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 300m time trial
Monday - 30 minute run (pick up the pace), weights
-----
Well, I made it through 11 weeks essentially problem-free, but I was bound to hit a road bump at some point, I guess. It's still frustrating, though. The injury is still very minor, but the last thing I want is to turn a small problem into a big one. We'll see how I feel by Sunday. Wish me luck.
Andrew
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - 20 minute light jog
Thursday - Off
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 300m time trial
Monday - 30 minute run (pick up the pace), weights
-----
Well, I made it through 11 weeks essentially problem-free, but I was bound to hit a road bump at some point, I guess. It's still frustrating, though. The injury is still very minor, but the last thing I want is to turn a small problem into a big one. We'll see how I feel by Sunday. Wish me luck.
Andrew
Week 12 Workouts
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - 20 minute light jog, weights - rest up for time trial
Thursday - 300m time trial
Friday - Off
Saturday - Conditioning mile, explosive plyos
Sunday - 4x350m @ 52s with full recovery
Monday - 30 minute run (pick up the pace), weights
-----
Wednesday - 20 minute light jog, weights - rest up for time trial
Thursday - 300m time trial
Friday - Off
Saturday - Conditioning mile, explosive plyos
Sunday - 4x350m @ 52s with full recovery
Monday - 30 minute run (pick up the pace), weights
-----
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Week 11 - Day 5
I went out to Washington Lee with Ken late Saturday morning to do a ladder workout with lower rest. Of late, I've been doing more conditioning work than speed work, which has been a good way to mix things up.
Rest: Walk same distance you just ran
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 300m - 45 - 43.0
2 - 200m - 29 - 29.5
3 - 100m - 13 - 13.1
4 - 100m - 13 - 13.6
5 - 200m - 28 - 28.1
6 - 300m - 44 - 42.6
-----
I hate it when I f-ing go out too fast! It drives me crazy! It has the potential to ruin workouts (see: Week 10 - Day 6...), so I really need to get better about managing my opening speed. The funny thing was, I started to pull up after the 250m mark or so on the opening 300. I slowed markedly and still ran a 43. If I hadn't checked in with my watch, I would have run a 41 or so. For reps 2-5, I closely monitored my time and stuck to the goals. I would go out at full speed and then shut it down as I got closer to the finish. For the 200s, I eased up for the last 40-50m. For the 100s, the last 20-30m. For the 100s in particular, I crossed the finish line at a tempo pace, at best. Is this the right way to approach these reps? Or should I not go out at full speed and try to keep a more constant pace? My gut says the latter approach is better, but something can be said about practicing full-speed starts.
While I found the first five reps rather easy, rep 6 was different. I ran hard the entire time and wanted to beat my opening 43, which I did and was happy about. My heart rate was up during this entire workout which, again, was a good change of pace. I have time trial #2 this upcoming Thursday and over the next few days will look to bribe/incentivize folks (if necessary) to join me, haha.
Andrew
Rest: Walk same distance you just ran
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 300m - 45 - 43.0
2 - 200m - 29 - 29.5
3 - 100m - 13 - 13.1
4 - 100m - 13 - 13.6
5 - 200m - 28 - 28.1
6 - 300m - 44 - 42.6
-----
I hate it when I f-ing go out too fast! It drives me crazy! It has the potential to ruin workouts (see: Week 10 - Day 6...), so I really need to get better about managing my opening speed. The funny thing was, I started to pull up after the 250m mark or so on the opening 300. I slowed markedly and still ran a 43. If I hadn't checked in with my watch, I would have run a 41 or so. For reps 2-5, I closely monitored my time and stuck to the goals. I would go out at full speed and then shut it down as I got closer to the finish. For the 200s, I eased up for the last 40-50m. For the 100s, the last 20-30m. For the 100s in particular, I crossed the finish line at a tempo pace, at best. Is this the right way to approach these reps? Or should I not go out at full speed and try to keep a more constant pace? My gut says the latter approach is better, but something can be said about practicing full-speed starts.
While I found the first five reps rather easy, rep 6 was different. I ran hard the entire time and wanted to beat my opening 43, which I did and was happy about. My heart rate was up during this entire workout which, again, was a good change of pace. I have time trial #2 this upcoming Thursday and over the next few days will look to bribe/incentivize folks (if necessary) to join me, haha.
Andrew
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Week 11 - Day 2
I did Thursday's Day 3 workout on Wednesday this week due to track constraints. I went out to Washington Lee with Ken and Jarid from work and did 5 laps sprinting the straightaways and jogging the curves for 10 100m sprints total. I shot for 13 seconds on each sprint, but this workout was more about conditioning than speed. I didn't keep a time log for this workout, but I went out a little slow with a 14 and sped up to the high 12s by the end. True to form, I found jogging immediately after the sprints the hardest part. I naturally wanted to walk for a few seconds and then break into a jog. I felt like my heart was going to explode when I made a point of jogging immediately after the last rep. It was so much harder to do that than it was to run that last rep at a good speed. I really want to get better at keeping my legs moving after high effort work. Time trial on Thursday!
Andrew
Andrew
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
One-minute Runs
These are run at a pace similar to crosscountry or 3k training; they are not sprints. Run a minute, walk a minute, run a minute, walk a minute, and so on. This is for aerobic work.
Week 11 Workouts
Due to track and weekend constraints, I've shifted this week's days around a little:
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Track - 5 laps...sprint 100 meter straightaway, jog the 100 meter curves (10 sprints total). Aim for 13 seconds, more about conditioning than speed.
Thursday - Thirty minutes of 1-minute runs (so that's 15 minutes of running), weights
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - Ladder workout: 300, 200, 100, 100, 200, 300. For recovery, walk/jog the same distance you just ran.
Sunday - One-day ultimate tournament
Monday - Cross-train 30 minutes, moderate pace, weights
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Track - 5 laps...sprint 100 meter straightaway, jog the 100 meter curves (10 sprints total). Aim for 13 seconds, more about conditioning than speed.
Thursday - Thirty minutes of 1-minute runs (so that's 15 minutes of running), weights
Friday - Off
Saturday - Track - Ladder workout: 300, 200, 100, 100, 200, 300. For recovery, walk/jog the same distance you just ran.
Sunday - One-day ultimate tournament
Monday - Cross-train 30 minutes, moderate pace, weights
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Week 10 - Day 6
Well, this was the toughest workout I've done to date. I went out this morning at 9 to run with my friend Ken from work. To mark off the 450m distance, I paced it off so I started 50m behind the finish line and lined up in lane 3 (my favorite). Here's what I did (there are some complications here, so bear with me).
Rest: 5 minutes (can take more if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 450m - 67 - 67.1
I found this rep exhausting, which was a little confusing, because my time was about consistent with a 60 second 400m, but anyway...
2 - 450m - 67 - 76.3
Wow. Talk about a slip. I didn't have much of a kick and the backstretch was painful. After seeing my time, I decided it was reason enough to adjust the rest schedule; about a minute later, though, I said screw it and thought it would be more informative to run on the rest prescribed.
3 - 450m - 67 - 79.1
I felt terrible about this time. At least I hadn't slipped another huge amount, but still. I was confused. And then...it hit me. I'm an idiot! By running from 50m behind the finish line in lane 3, I'd been running too far. I had forgotten to adjust for the lane 3 stagger. Looking back to my times, I felt better about what had happened, because I'd burned it out in the first rep. I'd paced to a 67 but had actually run much faster. Anyway, I'll post my complete "adjusted" times now and then talk about how I adjusted them (I ran the 4th rep in lane 1):
1 - 450m - 67 - 64.1 to 64.9
2 - 450m - 67 - 73.3 to 73.8
3 - 450m - 67 - 76.1 to 76.5
4 - 450m - 67 - 73.4
------
While not great, these times at least make more sense. Here's how I adjusted my times. I measured the lane 3 stagger at around 15m. I'd actually been running 465m instead of 450m. So, on the lower end, I subtracted 3 seconds from each time, which comes to a 20 second 100m pace at the end of each rep. This may be a bit much (track people, please weigh in with opinions!), but I reasoned that the extra distance did little to affect my speed/approach for the first half of the race. For the upper limit, I calculated my average pace for each 465m rep and then applied that pace to a 450m distance. This seems conservative to me, for the reasons given above. Finally, for a sanity check on my 15m adjustment estimate, I used this formula (the difference in circumference between two concentric circles) to approximate the extra distance ran from having run in lane 3,
2*Pi*W*(L-1),
where W is the width of each lane (I used W = 42 inches) and L is the lane number you ran in (L = 3). This came out to 13.4 meters, so my 15m estimated passed the sniff test.
Anyway, that got a little technical, but here are the takeaways: I think I could have run faster average times if I hadn't burned out on my first rep. Also, working out last night was probably a mistake. I should have done so yesterday morning, although I have no idea how this would have changed things. All this said, I couldn't have hit 67s today...I'm disappointed, but I'll be over it soon and ready to move forward and get better.
Rest: 5 minutes (can take more if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 450m - 67 - 67.1
I found this rep exhausting, which was a little confusing, because my time was about consistent with a 60 second 400m, but anyway...
2 - 450m - 67 - 76.3
Wow. Talk about a slip. I didn't have much of a kick and the backstretch was painful. After seeing my time, I decided it was reason enough to adjust the rest schedule; about a minute later, though, I said screw it and thought it would be more informative to run on the rest prescribed.
3 - 450m - 67 - 79.1
I felt terrible about this time. At least I hadn't slipped another huge amount, but still. I was confused. And then...it hit me. I'm an idiot! By running from 50m behind the finish line in lane 3, I'd been running too far. I had forgotten to adjust for the lane 3 stagger. Looking back to my times, I felt better about what had happened, because I'd burned it out in the first rep. I'd paced to a 67 but had actually run much faster. Anyway, I'll post my complete "adjusted" times now and then talk about how I adjusted them (I ran the 4th rep in lane 1):
1 - 450m - 67 - 64.1 to 64.9
2 - 450m - 67 - 73.3 to 73.8
3 - 450m - 67 - 76.1 to 76.5
4 - 450m - 67 - 73.4
------
While not great, these times at least make more sense. Here's how I adjusted my times. I measured the lane 3 stagger at around 15m. I'd actually been running 465m instead of 450m. So, on the lower end, I subtracted 3 seconds from each time, which comes to a 20 second 100m pace at the end of each rep. This may be a bit much (track people, please weigh in with opinions!), but I reasoned that the extra distance did little to affect my speed/approach for the first half of the race. For the upper limit, I calculated my average pace for each 465m rep and then applied that pace to a 450m distance. This seems conservative to me, for the reasons given above. Finally, for a sanity check on my 15m adjustment estimate, I used this formula (the difference in circumference between two concentric circles) to approximate the extra distance ran from having run in lane 3,
2*Pi*W*(L-1),
where W is the width of each lane (I used W = 42 inches) and L is the lane number you ran in (L = 3). This came out to 13.4 meters, so my 15m estimated passed the sniff test.
Anyway, that got a little technical, but here are the takeaways: I think I could have run faster average times if I hadn't burned out on my first rep. Also, working out last night was probably a mistake. I should have done so yesterday morning, although I have no idea how this would have changed things. All this said, I couldn't have hit 67s today...I'm disappointed, but I'll be over it soon and ready to move forward and get better.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Week 10 - Day 3
Well, the arrival of March has come with high school soccer and lacrosse games at my beloved Washington Lee stadium...yesterday Ken, Kenny, Jarid and I did plyos in a school yard, and today I was forced to run indoors for the first time in months. I was looking forward to getting accurate times today, so I was disappointed to go to the Y. The track at the Y is above a full-length basketball court and is 18 laps to a mile in the outside lane. So, I paced out 2 and a quarter laps for my 200s but don't know exactly how far I was running. Further, since each lap is so short, the curves are very tight (and ramped). I was also not able to run in spikes. That said, here's my workout:
Rest: 5 minutes (can take longer if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 200m - 27.5 - 28.3
2 - 200m - 27.5 -28.0
3 - 200m - 27.5 -27.9
4 - 200m - 27.5 -27.6
5 - 200m - 27.5 -28.0
6 - 200m - 27.5 -27.8
7 - 200m - 27.5 -28.3
8 - 200m - 27.5 -28.6
9 - 200m - 27.5 -27.1
10 - 200m - 27.5 -27.1
11 - 200m - 27.5 -27.7
12 - 200m - 27.5 -28 flat
-----
It's hard to interpret these times, for the reasons described above. One thing I definitely noticed, though, is that the curves definitely slowed me down. They were also ramped, though, so they made it easier to explode into the (very short) straightaways. I monitored my heart rate this evening, and I was right in the 165-170 range for the entire workout, so I was definitely working hard. I also felt slight soreness from yesterday's plyos throughout my workout today; I will definitely feel depleted tomorrow. Big workout coming up on Sunday.
Andrew
Rest: 5 minutes (can take longer if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 200m - 27.5 - 28.3
2 - 200m - 27.5 -28.0
3 - 200m - 27.5 -27.9
4 - 200m - 27.5 -27.6
5 - 200m - 27.5 -28.0
6 - 200m - 27.5 -27.8
7 - 200m - 27.5 -28.3
8 - 200m - 27.5 -28.6
9 - 200m - 27.5 -27.1
10 - 200m - 27.5 -27.1
11 - 200m - 27.5 -27.7
12 - 200m - 27.5 -28 flat
-----
It's hard to interpret these times, for the reasons described above. One thing I definitely noticed, though, is that the curves definitely slowed me down. They were also ramped, though, so they made it easier to explode into the (very short) straightaways. I monitored my heart rate this evening, and I was right in the 165-170 range for the entire workout, so I was definitely working hard. I also felt slight soreness from yesterday's plyos throughout my workout today; I will definitely feel depleted tomorrow. Big workout coming up on Sunday.
Andrew
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Conditioning Mile
A conditioning mile is the following:
Do this 4 times (ideally around a track...for 4 laps total):
-Run 100m
-Do station #1 exercise
-Run 100m
-Do station #2 exercise
-Run 100m
-Do station #3 exercise
-Run 100m
-Do station #4 exercise
Examples of station exercises: pushups (10-20), ab planks (2x30s), dips (10-20), jump rope (2x30s), hops over a line (2x30s), etc.
Also, the 100m runs are not sprints. They're run at tempo speed, or what I call striding out...like a cross country race pace. I find the combination of cardio and strength work very taxing. There is no resting in these workouts; as soon as you get to a station, you move immediately to the exercise in question. Your heart rate should be elevated the whole time. Enjoy!
Andrew
Do this 4 times (ideally around a track...for 4 laps total):
-Run 100m
-Do station #1 exercise
-Run 100m
-Do station #2 exercise
-Run 100m
-Do station #3 exercise
-Run 100m
-Do station #4 exercise
Examples of station exercises: pushups (10-20), ab planks (2x30s), dips (10-20), jump rope (2x30s), hops over a line (2x30s), etc.
Also, the 100m runs are not sprints. They're run at tempo speed, or what I call striding out...like a cross country race pace. I find the combination of cardio and strength work very taxing. There is no resting in these workouts; as soon as you get to a station, you move immediately to the exercise in question. Your heart rate should be elevated the whole time. Enjoy!
Andrew
Week 10 Workouts
This is a preview I'll be sending around at the beginning of each week. My workout week starts Tuesday and ends Monday. Without further ado:
Tues - Off
Wed - Conditioning mile, then plyometrics
Thurs - 12x200m @ 27.5s with 5 minutes rest (can take more if needed)
Fri - Off
Sat - Cross train 45 minutes (moderate pace), weights
Sun - 4x450m @ 67s with 5 minutes rest (can take more if needed)
Mon - Easy 30 minute run, weights
----------
I'll explain what a conditioning mile is in a separate post and tag it.
Tues - Off
Wed - Conditioning mile, then plyometrics
Thurs - 12x200m @ 27.5s with 5 minutes rest (can take more if needed)
Fri - Off
Sat - Cross train 45 minutes (moderate pace), weights
Sun - 4x450m @ 67s with 5 minutes rest (can take more if needed)
Mon - Easy 30 minute run, weights
----------
I'll explain what a conditioning mile is in a separate post and tag it.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Week 9 - Day 6
So, I was out until 5am last night (thank you daylight savings) and didn't exactly feel spry when I finally got up at 2pm...but I finally got my act together and went out to Washington Lee to do some 100s, mild headache and all.
Rest: 5 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - 13 - 12.2
2 - 100m - 13 - 12.6
3 - 100m - 13 - 12.3
4 - 100m - 13 - 12.4
5 - 100m - 13 - 12.2
6 - 100m - 13 - 12.4
7 - 100m - 13 - 11.9
8 - 100m - 13 - 11.8
-------
I must say I was surprised by some of these times. I didn't feel particularly good today. I was tired and a little hungover but I managed some good times. Instead of pacing for 13s each rep, I decided to just run full-effort and reign it back if my times started to slip. I was surprised, though, that I broke 12 today. Ever since I ran a 12.2 last year in flopping cross trainers, I knew I was going to break 12 this year (the spikes alone would do it), but I was not expecting to do so today. Like the sub-60 400m, the sub-12 100m became one of my incremental goals, so I was happy to achieve that. Over the last 3-4 reps today, I felt like I was doing a good job leading my stride with my arms; this year, I've focused even more on strengthening my shoulders, so maybe that's starting to pay off. I'm excited for the full-speed, full-rest 100m workouts that come in the latter stages of my workout plan...it would be great to break 11.5 for starters.
I'm also going to put something up about the Week 9 - Day 3 workout. One thing I didn't mention was how horrible I was at the "follow-on" 100m runs after my full-speed reps. I was pathetic...I couldn't keep my form...it felt like I was jogging...it required so much mental concentration and focus, and I just wasn't prepared for that. I'm intrigued that what I perceived as the "easy" portion of each rep ended up being by far the hardest; it was much harder to will myself for those extra 100m (at whatever pace) than it was to run full-speed for the first portion. I found this fascinating.
Rest: 5 minutes
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - 13 - 12.2
2 - 100m - 13 - 12.6
3 - 100m - 13 - 12.3
4 - 100m - 13 - 12.4
5 - 100m - 13 - 12.2
6 - 100m - 13 - 12.4
7 - 100m - 13 - 11.9
8 - 100m - 13 - 11.8
-------
I must say I was surprised by some of these times. I didn't feel particularly good today. I was tired and a little hungover but I managed some good times. Instead of pacing for 13s each rep, I decided to just run full-effort and reign it back if my times started to slip. I was surprised, though, that I broke 12 today. Ever since I ran a 12.2 last year in flopping cross trainers, I knew I was going to break 12 this year (the spikes alone would do it), but I was not expecting to do so today. Like the sub-60 400m, the sub-12 100m became one of my incremental goals, so I was happy to achieve that. Over the last 3-4 reps today, I felt like I was doing a good job leading my stride with my arms; this year, I've focused even more on strengthening my shoulders, so maybe that's starting to pay off. I'm excited for the full-speed, full-rest 100m workouts that come in the latter stages of my workout plan...it would be great to break 11.5 for starters.
I'm also going to put something up about the Week 9 - Day 3 workout. One thing I didn't mention was how horrible I was at the "follow-on" 100m runs after my full-speed reps. I was pathetic...I couldn't keep my form...it felt like I was jogging...it required so much mental concentration and focus, and I just wasn't prepared for that. I'm intrigued that what I perceived as the "easy" portion of each rep ended up being by far the hardest; it was much harder to will myself for those extra 100m (at whatever pace) than it was to run full-speed for the first portion. I found this fascinating.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Week 9 - Day 3
I had a good workout today! I missed my Monday weights workout, so instead of taking Tuesday off, I ended up going Tues - Wed - Thurs with weights - plyo - track workouts. I did a light workout on Wednesday (including a few makeshift harness runs...to be explained later) but my legs were sore both last night and today, which I was a little concerned about. The workout today was 500m-400m-300m...with a catch: the time it took to run the full distance of each rep was not that important. Instead, I was supposed to key in on running a full speed 400m-300m-200m and just keep my legs moving for another 100m after each. I didn't even track the time for the full distance. I only cared about the full speed part.
Rest: full recovery (>10 minutes)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 400m (+untimed 100m) - 58 - 56.4*^
2 - 300m (+untimed 100m) - 41 - 41 flat
3 - 200m (+untimed 100m) - 26 - 26.5
-----
I was very happy with these times. As you can see, though, the 400m time had a couple caveats:
*I was so focused on running a fast 400m that I completely forgot to run out the following 100m. My forgetfulness may have been partly due to:
^extreme anger at the high school lacrosse players who decided to start warming up across half the track as I came down the backstretch; I said "Track!" at around the 350m mark, which I think they heard, but they were very slow getting out of the way. I then said "Clear the lane," but one dude decided to go renegade and made only a minimal effort to move. I ended up having to both slow down a little and turn my shoulders completely sideways to get around this dude and finish out the last 20m. I'd be lying if I didn't say I briefly thought about completely bowling him over. All this is to say: I lost some time and I was very unhappy about it. My guess is this time should have been at, or just under, a 56 flat, but shoulda-coulda-woulda...it's a 56.4.
My friend Ken from work joined me today, and Ken, Kenny, and Brooke all joined me yesterday. I must say it's very nice working out with other folks. Ken and I staggered our starts today and helped each other down the backstretches. He really helped me down the last 100m of my opening 400 in particular. I would have been much closer to 60s without his help, so thanks to him.
Today was a good day. One of the goals I laid out for myself last year was to break 60s running a 400m in training and I never got there. Running in spikes this year has definitely helped (I barely used spikes last year), but I'm still excited to have broken that personal barrier...with a little help from my friends.
Rest: full recovery (>10 minutes)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 400m (+untimed 100m) - 58 - 56.4*^
2 - 300m (+untimed 100m) - 41 - 41 flat
3 - 200m (+untimed 100m) - 26 - 26.5
-----
I was very happy with these times. As you can see, though, the 400m time had a couple caveats:
*I was so focused on running a fast 400m that I completely forgot to run out the following 100m. My forgetfulness may have been partly due to:
^extreme anger at the high school lacrosse players who decided to start warming up across half the track as I came down the backstretch; I said "Track!" at around the 350m mark, which I think they heard, but they were very slow getting out of the way. I then said "Clear the lane," but one dude decided to go renegade and made only a minimal effort to move. I ended up having to both slow down a little and turn my shoulders completely sideways to get around this dude and finish out the last 20m. I'd be lying if I didn't say I briefly thought about completely bowling him over. All this is to say: I lost some time and I was very unhappy about it. My guess is this time should have been at, or just under, a 56 flat, but shoulda-coulda-woulda...it's a 56.4.
My friend Ken from work joined me today, and Ken, Kenny, and Brooke all joined me yesterday. I must say it's very nice working out with other folks. Ken and I staggered our starts today and helped each other down the backstretches. He really helped me down the last 100m of my opening 400 in particular. I would have been much closer to 60s without his help, so thanks to him.
Today was a good day. One of the goals I laid out for myself last year was to break 60s running a 400m in training and I never got there. Running in spikes this year has definitely helped (I barely used spikes last year), but I'm still excited to have broken that personal barrier...with a little help from my friends.
Friday, February 27, 2009
The 400 Project
Hey folks, welcome to my blog (I never thought I'd say those words!). More of these background/context posts will follow in the coming days, but I decided it was time to get my act together and put something up. In short, starting last year, I decided to build 400m speed as off-season training for ultimate. I saw it as a good physical challenge for me because I've always hated/been terrible at the 400 and considered this shortcoming a gap in my athleticism, so to speak. So, I contacted a friend of a friend who was gracious enough to build a 16 week program for me and got to work. The program consisted of plyometric exercises, sprinting, weights, cross-training, recovery runs, and thing like downhill running and intervals. In general, the sprinting was higher speed and longer rest, which I learned my body really responds well to. Eventually, I was convinced to race a 400, which I did last June. I ran a 52.6, which I was happy with for my first try. This is roughly considered an average high school time. Some 12 year-old kid beat my time (not kidding), but we weren't in the same heat, so no worries. The guy who won the men's division at my meet ran a 48.8, for reference, and last year, the qualifying time for the NCAA Outdoor Championships was a 47.3. The current World Record is a trim 43.18. Last week, I trained at that speed...for some 300's...
Anyway, I enjoyed the program immensely, so this year I decided to extend the 4-month program out to around 6 months. In the past, I trained 4-5 times (10-15 hours) a week in the off-season anyway, so why not do it with a purpose? I'll be in "pre-season" through the end of May and then racing in June and July. I hope to attend 5 races this year, all at local USATF all-comers meets. My goal is to get under that magic 50 second barrier. It's so alluring, and I'm curious to see how close I can get.
The bigger-picture motivation behind this whole endeavor, however, is much greater than just me seeing if I can shave a few seconds off a 400m time. What I'm actually interested in are the general concepts of potential and limits. Simply put: how far could someone like you or me get if we were to really focus on something? What separates us from the pros of the world? People from professional writers to artists, athletes to scholars. What are people like you and me actually capable of? I'm about to turn 27, so I decided to pursue an athletic goal this spring. Male athleticism peaks at around 30, so I might as well test my limits physical limits now.
Finally, a word on balance. I love sprinting. I find it very freeing and pure...and running fast is incredibly fun. Run in spikes and you'll see. But, I also love many, many other things. I just don't blog about those things. This blog is just a window into a part of what I currently find meaningful.
That's the "quick" intro. Sorry about the length. Other, hopefully shorter, posts will follow to provide some more details, especially around the "greater" project, as it were. So please follow this blog/make comments/put this site into your RSS readers if you're interested. We can all help push each other, whatever your projects may be. In the meantime, feel free to peruse my startlingly plain layout/check out some earlier posts...I've been posting since the beginning of January. Peace.
Andrew
Anyway, I enjoyed the program immensely, so this year I decided to extend the 4-month program out to around 6 months. In the past, I trained 4-5 times (10-15 hours) a week in the off-season anyway, so why not do it with a purpose? I'll be in "pre-season" through the end of May and then racing in June and July. I hope to attend 5 races this year, all at local USATF all-comers meets. My goal is to get under that magic 50 second barrier. It's so alluring, and I'm curious to see how close I can get.
The bigger-picture motivation behind this whole endeavor, however, is much greater than just me seeing if I can shave a few seconds off a 400m time. What I'm actually interested in are the general concepts of potential and limits. Simply put: how far could someone like you or me get if we were to really focus on something? What separates us from the pros of the world? People from professional writers to artists, athletes to scholars. What are people like you and me actually capable of? I'm about to turn 27, so I decided to pursue an athletic goal this spring. Male athleticism peaks at around 30, so I might as well test my limits physical limits now.
Finally, a word on balance. I love sprinting. I find it very freeing and pure...and running fast is incredibly fun. Run in spikes and you'll see. But, I also love many, many other things. I just don't blog about those things. This blog is just a window into a part of what I currently find meaningful.
That's the "quick" intro. Sorry about the length. Other, hopefully shorter, posts will follow to provide some more details, especially around the "greater" project, as it were. So please follow this blog/make comments/put this site into your RSS readers if you're interested. We can all help push each other, whatever your projects may be. In the meantime, feel free to peruse my startlingly plain layout/check out some earlier posts...I've been posting since the beginning of January. Peace.
Andrew
Week 8 - Day 3
I almost didn't make it out for this one...I was up until 3 last night and was exhausted all day today. All I wanted to do was sleep when work ended. To lessen my eagerness even still, my legs were noticeably flat today after a tough downhill run/plyo workout yesterday with my friends Ken and Kenny. Even still, I went downstairs, changed, and then did the ol' tried-and-true half-sleep on the locker room changing bench. I zoned in and out for about 30 minutes, got up, and finally made my way out to Washington Lee. Here's my workout:
Rest: 5 minutes (can take longer if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 200m - 28 - 27.5
2 - 200m - 28 -27.9
3 - 200m - 28 -27 flat
4 - 200m - 28 -27.5
5 - 200m - 28 -28.3
6 - 200m - 28 -28.1
7 - 200m - 28 -27.5
8 - 200m - 28 -28.1
9 - 200m - 28 -28.2
10 - 200m - 28 - 27.1
------
I was pleasantly surprised by my times today. For the first half of the workout, I took 5:30 rest, on average. For the second, more like 6:00. I monitored my heartrate today for the first time this year...I've decided to rely on it (as I did last year) to determine when I need to take more rest. I was pretty steady at 170 bpm all the way through rep 9, after which I crossed into 180+ territory, which is a warning sign for me. So, I took 7 minutes or so and then ran the last rep with everything I had left. I'm expecting both the plyos from Wednesday and the sprinting tonight to hit me tomorrow...just in time for my 48 hour jaunt through Mexico City. Booyah! My first intro post goes out tonight. I've put the hammer down.
Rest: 5 minutes (can take longer if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 200m - 28 - 27.5
2 - 200m - 28 -27.9
3 - 200m - 28 -27 flat
4 - 200m - 28 -27.5
5 - 200m - 28 -28.3
6 - 200m - 28 -28.1
7 - 200m - 28 -27.5
8 - 200m - 28 -28.1
9 - 200m - 28 -28.2
10 - 200m - 28 - 27.1
------
I was pleasantly surprised by my times today. For the first half of the workout, I took 5:30 rest, on average. For the second, more like 6:00. I monitored my heartrate today for the first time this year...I've decided to rely on it (as I did last year) to determine when I need to take more rest. I was pretty steady at 170 bpm all the way through rep 9, after which I crossed into 180+ territory, which is a warning sign for me. So, I took 7 minutes or so and then ran the last rep with everything I had left. I'm expecting both the plyos from Wednesday and the sprinting tonight to hit me tomorrow...just in time for my 48 hour jaunt through Mexico City. Booyah! My first intro post goes out tonight. I've put the hammer down.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Week 7 - Day 6
I wasn't very happy with my workout today. I did a ladder out at Washington Lee.
Rest: 5 minutes walking
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - 14 - 13.6
2 - 200m - 29 - 29.1
3 - 300m - 46 - 48.6
4 - 400m - 63 - 65.7
5 - 300m - 48 - 46.2
6 - 200m - 29 - 30.9
7 - 100m - 14 - 13.1
--------
Reps 1 and 2 were very easy. I monitored my stopwatch to make sure I didn't go out too fast this time. For the first 300m, I had it in my head I needed to run a 48 (which was the time for the 2nd 300m), so I ran the 46 on the way back down the ladder. The times I was upset with was the 400m and the 2nd 200m. For the 400m, my plan was to go out strong, not push too hard between 100m and 200m and then kick to the finish. The problem was that I was already more tired than I realized and when I checked my watch at the 300m mark, I was over the 50 sec mark and that was all she wrote. My legs died down the backstretch and I came through in 65; looking back, I think part of my problem today was that I thought it was going to be an easy workout. After the Day 3 workout, I had a bit of a let-up today. I looked at the times and they seemed easy, but I didn't factor in how only 5 minutes of rest would affect my performance during the longer sprints. So, I didn't come in with the right mindset, so that hurt me. For the 2nd 200m, my plan was just to run "hard" and get a good time...27-28. Again, I went too much on feel here and even though it felt like a 28 or so, I was stunned to see I ran close to a 31. So, in addition to not mailing it in, I also need to be better about adjusting for fatigue at the end of my workouts. Looking forward to warmer, less windy weather...
Rest: 5 minutes walking
Format: rep - distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1 - 100m - 14 - 13.6
2 - 200m - 29 - 29.1
3 - 300m - 46 - 48.6
4 - 400m - 63 - 65.7
5 - 300m - 48 - 46.2
6 - 200m - 29 - 30.9
7 - 100m - 14 - 13.1
--------
Reps 1 and 2 were very easy. I monitored my stopwatch to make sure I didn't go out too fast this time. For the first 300m, I had it in my head I needed to run a 48 (which was the time for the 2nd 300m), so I ran the 46 on the way back down the ladder. The times I was upset with was the 400m and the 2nd 200m. For the 400m, my plan was to go out strong, not push too hard between 100m and 200m and then kick to the finish. The problem was that I was already more tired than I realized and when I checked my watch at the 300m mark, I was over the 50 sec mark and that was all she wrote. My legs died down the backstretch and I came through in 65; looking back, I think part of my problem today was that I thought it was going to be an easy workout. After the Day 3 workout, I had a bit of a let-up today. I looked at the times and they seemed easy, but I didn't factor in how only 5 minutes of rest would affect my performance during the longer sprints. So, I didn't come in with the right mindset, so that hurt me. For the 2nd 200m, my plan was just to run "hard" and get a good time...27-28. Again, I went too much on feel here and even though it felt like a 28 or so, I was stunned to see I ran close to a 31. So, in addition to not mailing it in, I also need to be better about adjusting for fatigue at the end of my workouts. Looking forward to warmer, less windy weather...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Week 7 -Day 3
Tough workout today. 5x300m with full rest. My friend Ken from work joined me tonight, which was the first time I've ever had someone participate in an entire workout with me, which I was very appreciative for. Big day! It was cold and gusty this evening. I'm not sure how the wind affected my times, but it was definitely noticeable.
Rest: full (8-10 minutes)
Format: rep - distance - target time - actual time
1 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 42.9
2 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 44.7
3 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 44.2
4 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 43.9
5 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 44.1
--------
The first rep was very easy. I crossed the 100m around the 12 second mark and the 200m mark around the 26 second mark. I pulled up quite a bit down the homestretch so I could try to keep my time variance lower. I came in right when I wanted to. For my 2nd rep, though, I went too much on feel. My 100m and 200m splits were similar to those of my 1st rep but I went by how my legs felt down the back side. I could easily have run much faster here and wish I had done so...at least a little. That said, I ran much harder for my remaining reps, with my 4th and 5th done at full effort. The final backstretch was very tough. This was also the first workout where my hamstring tightened up even the slightest bit, so that's something I'll need to monitor. My calves were surprisingly fine and I feel good, so I'm excited to build from here. I'm a little disappointed my average time wasn't closer to 43 but it's all good. Oh, and I forgot to take my stopwatch to work, so I had to dole out $30 for the only model carried at a sports store near my work. Uggh. But, it has some pretty cool features so at least I'll have those, haha.
Rest: full (8-10 minutes)
Format: rep - distance - target time - actual time
1 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 42.9
2 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 44.7
3 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 44.2
4 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 43.9
5 - 300m - 43 to 44 - 44.1
--------
The first rep was very easy. I crossed the 100m around the 12 second mark and the 200m mark around the 26 second mark. I pulled up quite a bit down the homestretch so I could try to keep my time variance lower. I came in right when I wanted to. For my 2nd rep, though, I went too much on feel. My 100m and 200m splits were similar to those of my 1st rep but I went by how my legs felt down the back side. I could easily have run much faster here and wish I had done so...at least a little. That said, I ran much harder for my remaining reps, with my 4th and 5th done at full effort. The final backstretch was very tough. This was also the first workout where my hamstring tightened up even the slightest bit, so that's something I'll need to monitor. My calves were surprisingly fine and I feel good, so I'm excited to build from here. I'm a little disappointed my average time wasn't closer to 43 but it's all good. Oh, and I forgot to take my stopwatch to work, so I had to dole out $30 for the only model carried at a sports store near my work. Uggh. But, it has some pretty cool features so at least I'll have those, haha.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Week 6 - Day 6
I went to the Y today. My workout was for speed work, so it was pretty short/easy. The next few workouts are light in preparation for my tough Thursday workout (5x300m in 43s). I started today with some 150m buildups, which are a 50m jog - 50m stride - 50m sprint, followed by a 50m walk before starting the next one. I also didn't use my stopwatch today, due to the nature of the sprints and the fact that I ran indoors.
Format: rep - distance - target time - actual time
1 - 150m buildup - none - none
2 - 150m buildup - none - none
3 - 150m buildup - none - none
4 - 150m buildup - none - none
5 - 40m - full speed - none
6 - 40m - full speed - none
7 - 40m - full speed - none
8 - 40m - full speed - none
9 - 40m - full speed - none
10 - 40m - full speed - none
-----------
The workout aside, which was straightforward, I've made it a daily mission to stretch/ice/foam roll my calves as much as possible. After playing pickup on Thursday, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to walk without a limp the next morning. But, to my surprise (and delight), the day-after recovery was very good. Finally, and totally unrelated, I am determined to finish War and Peace tonight. Wish me luck.
Format: rep - distance - target time - actual time
1 - 150m buildup - none - none
2 - 150m buildup - none - none
3 - 150m buildup - none - none
4 - 150m buildup - none - none
5 - 40m - full speed - none
6 - 40m - full speed - none
7 - 40m - full speed - none
8 - 40m - full speed - none
9 - 40m - full speed - none
10 - 40m - full speed - none
-----------
The workout aside, which was straightforward, I've made it a daily mission to stretch/ice/foam roll my calves as much as possible. After playing pickup on Thursday, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to walk without a limp the next morning. But, to my surprise (and delight), the day-after recovery was very good. Finally, and totally unrelated, I am determined to finish War and Peace tonight. Wish me luck.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Week 6 - Day 3
I went to Washington Lee again today. I passed out for about 30 minutes in the locker room at work, so I got there a little later than scheduled... My legs felt a little taxed after the plyos yesterday, but I was pleasantly surprised that I actually had some spring...at least at the outset. My workout was 8x200m. The log is below:
Rest: 3-5 minutes (can take longer if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time - actual time
1 - 200m - 27 to 28 - ~26 (I accidentally hit the wrong button on my stopwatch so I didn't get a time here, but based on how I felt and my subsequent times, I'm pretty confident I ran around a 26)
2 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 26.0
3 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 26.9
4 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 28.2
5 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 28.5
6 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 28.4
7 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 27.5
8 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 27.5
----------
I was upset about the 28s in the middle there. I felt so good after my first two that I shortened my rest from 5+ minutes down to 3+. I still ran a 26.9 and felt great, but after waiting 5+ minutes and then running #4, I felt a huge difference in my legs down the backstretch. I'd say the majority of my time deterioration occurred over the last 50-75m. I couldn't lengthen my stride as much and I died towards the finish line. My calves also got much tighter as I moved into the middle stages of this workout, so that could have played a role as well. I had to pump myself up to get under 28 for my last two, which was something, at least, but I took 8+ minutes of rest before each so I could muster up a little more endurance. I'm encouraged by my early times, but I need to work on consistency. I definitely could not have repeated at 26s today and probably should have known that, but I felt good enough that I actually thought I could do it. You live and learn.
Rest: 3-5 minutes (can take longer if needed)
Format: rep - distance - target time - actual time
1 - 200m - 27 to 28 - ~26 (I accidentally hit the wrong button on my stopwatch so I didn't get a time here, but based on how I felt and my subsequent times, I'm pretty confident I ran around a 26)
2 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 26.0
3 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 26.9
4 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 28.2
5 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 28.5
6 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 28.4
7 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 27.5
8 - 200m - 27 to 28 - 27.5
----------
I was upset about the 28s in the middle there. I felt so good after my first two that I shortened my rest from 5+ minutes down to 3+. I still ran a 26.9 and felt great, but after waiting 5+ minutes and then running #4, I felt a huge difference in my legs down the backstretch. I'd say the majority of my time deterioration occurred over the last 50-75m. I couldn't lengthen my stride as much and I died towards the finish line. My calves also got much tighter as I moved into the middle stages of this workout, so that could have played a role as well. I had to pump myself up to get under 28 for my last two, which was something, at least, but I took 8+ minutes of rest before each so I could muster up a little more endurance. I'm encouraged by my early times, but I need to work on consistency. I definitely could not have repeated at 26s today and probably should have known that, but I felt good enough that I actually thought I could do it. You live and learn.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Week 5 - Day 6
I went up to Philly yesterday for a conference, so I missed a cross training/weights workout. I got back this afternoon, though, and went out to Washington Lee, since the DC public schools suck and close their tracks on the weekends. The day off was good for my calf, which felt a little tighter after the 100s on Thursday. I've got a feeling this is going to be an ongoing battle. I need a more serious ice pack for home. Anyway, the workout:
recovery: walk same distance
format: distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1. 50m - none - 6
2. 100m - none - 14
3. 150m - none - 22
4. 200m - 30 - 32
5. 300m - 45 - 45
6. 350m - 55 - 52
------
The first four sprints were very easy. Judging by the target times at the end of the workout but not at the beginning, I assumed the earlier reps were at a similar pace. My workouts haven't included anything full speed yet (except the time trial), so I felt okay about taking it easy for the first few. I was a little too complacent during the 200m...I got to the 100m point at 15s but then thought I was ahead of time so I pulled up a little. Oops. The 300m and 350m were much better, though. In a strategic sense, I decided to run these as if I were running a 400m: fast out for the 1st 100m - dial it back a little for the 2nd 100m - and then kick it up starting with the 3rd 100m. For the 350m, though, I went out faster at the start and ran absolutely all out after the 200m mark. My legs got quite fatigued down the last 150m or so. My quads, in particular, started hurting. But, as happened last year, I was able to keep up a decent speed by focusing on pulling my legs back with my glutes. I'm interested to see how my form changes (or doesn't) when I'm conscious of this, so I'm going film my form one of these days. If it doesn't look absolutely terrible, you may see it up here. In fact, you may see it regardless, since I could find out what I was doing wrong and then talk about what not to do, haha.
recovery: walk same distance
format: distance - target time (s) - actual time (s)
1. 50m - none - 6
2. 100m - none - 14
3. 150m - none - 22
4. 200m - 30 - 32
5. 300m - 45 - 45
6. 350m - 55 - 52
------
The first four sprints were very easy. Judging by the target times at the end of the workout but not at the beginning, I assumed the earlier reps were at a similar pace. My workouts haven't included anything full speed yet (except the time trial), so I felt okay about taking it easy for the first few. I was a little too complacent during the 200m...I got to the 100m point at 15s but then thought I was ahead of time so I pulled up a little. Oops. The 300m and 350m were much better, though. In a strategic sense, I decided to run these as if I were running a 400m: fast out for the 1st 100m - dial it back a little for the 2nd 100m - and then kick it up starting with the 3rd 100m. For the 350m, though, I went out faster at the start and ran absolutely all out after the 200m mark. My legs got quite fatigued down the last 150m or so. My quads, in particular, started hurting. But, as happened last year, I was able to keep up a decent speed by focusing on pulling my legs back with my glutes. I'm interested to see how my form changes (or doesn't) when I'm conscious of this, so I'm going film my form one of these days. If it doesn't look absolutely terrible, you may see it up here. In fact, you may see it regardless, since I could find out what I was doing wrong and then talk about what not to do, haha.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Week 5 - Day 3
I went over the Washington Lee yesterday for my workout. The temperature was in the low 20s/high teens. I felt it most in my toes; that breathable mesh has its downsides... My left calf was feeling a little tight, so I opted for my running shoes instead of my spikes. Had I been running in spikes, the times below would have been at least a few tenths faster. Here is my workout:
Rest: 5 minutes between reps
Format: distance - target time (s) -actual time (s)
100m - 13 - 13.8 (hit the watch late on this one)
100m - 13 - 13.4
100m - 13 - 13.2
100m - 13 - 12.9
100m - 13 - 12.9
100m - 13 - 13.0
100m - 13 - 12.6
100m - 13 - 12.8
100m - 13 - 12.7
100m - 13 - 13.2
-----
I was pretty annoyed with ending on a 13.2. My calf was feeling tighter than it was earlier, so I played only a few minutes of pickup ultimate and then went home to ice.
p.s. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to show my workouts/times, etc. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
Rest: 5 minutes between reps
Format: distance - target time (s) -actual time (s)
100m - 13 - 13.8 (hit the watch late on this one)
100m - 13 - 13.4
100m - 13 - 13.2
100m - 13 - 12.9
100m - 13 - 12.9
100m - 13 - 13.0
100m - 13 - 12.6
100m - 13 - 12.8
100m - 13 - 12.7
100m - 13 - 13.2
-----
I was pretty annoyed with ending on a 13.2. My calf was feeling tighter than it was earlier, so I played only a few minutes of pickup ultimate and then went home to ice.
p.s. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to show my workouts/times, etc. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Week 4 - Day 6 (Time Trial #1)
I went out to Washington Lee High School today for my 300m time trial. The weather was phenomenal. My friend Noah came with me and ran the last 100m, which was very helpful. Thanks, man. The track was busy but the universe aligned when I started running and I somehow ran the whole distance undisturbed. I'm still not quite sure how that happened. Anyway, I ran the 300 in 38.9, which I am very happy with. That's a good start! Having Noah there down the stretch really helped, so thanks again to him. This was my first workout in spikes this year, and I was a little concerned about aggravating the calf tightness I've been nursing over the last week, but so far so good on that front. My foam roller has been getting a lot of attention lately. Oh yeah.
I'm looking forward to some speed work this week.
I'm looking forward to some speed work this week.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Week 4 - Day 5
The 1st time trial is tomorrow. My workout today was tempo intervals, which are not sprints. They are more middle-distance training, which will set me up for speedwork later on in the program. I ran a 600, a 500, a 400, and a 300, each with a progressively faster effort. I ran on my indoor track and my times were as follows: 600 (115s), 500 (93s), 400 (68s), 300 (48s). Sometimes I get caught up with saving myself for my time trials, i.e. not wanting to feel any muscle fatigue the day before, but some of my best speed workouts have come after light/moderate work the day before, so I try to just run a day at a time. That said, I'm still trying to feel out exactly how fast tempo training should be. I felt like my 400 and 300 times were about right today, but this was also on my fast track. I'm looking forward to getting outside tomorrow.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Week 3 - Day 7 (sort of)
It's Monday and I'm back from Vegas. My flight back was non-stop but stopped in St. Louis. I'm already composing my letter to American Airlines in my head. But I digress. The Vegas tourney, while fun, was not your typical full-slate event. This was due to a couple factors: a) it was very windy, and b) we only had 3 rounds on Saturday. Being as I only played a round and a half on Sunday in some of the fiercest wind I have yet to experience, my legs, while sore, seemed up for a real workout. So, as part of my effort to make up some of the week 2 workouts I missed due to illness and the Inauguration, I decided to add Week 2's tougher track workout to my light schedule today. So, I went to the indoor track and did a light upper body lift and then ran 3x500m with a 300m walk recovery. The goal time for each rep was 85s and I got through them in around 88s. Quick qualifier: my indoor track does not have distances marked. To further complicate things, it's a convenient 18 laps to a mile, which comes out to a round 88 and 8/9 meters per lap. So, the fact that I have to pace/estimate starting points and the impressive ramping around the curves doesn't exactly lend my times much credibility. I can say I ran about 500m in 88s on what seems to me to be a pretty fast track, but I can say no more than that. For this reason, as much as possible of the timed track work will be done outside, including the 300m time trial slated for Sunday. I feel under prepared for it right now, but I want to stick to my schedule, so I'll just give it my best shot and go from there. Now if I can just find someone to run it with me, I'll be golden...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Back on the Horse
After completing my first week of workouts on January 12th, I stumbled sick through a couple lighter workouts and then got slammed by Inauguration. So, I essentially lost all of week 2. But, I'm back now and I hope to make up some of the lost workouts over the next week or so. Regardless, it felt really good to get back in the gym today. I ran 6x200m - each under 30s - with 100m walk rest in between. This was the second workout in week 3. I'm off tomorrow and then in Vegas for a tournament over the weekend.
As a quick aside, one thing I have yet to really figure out is how much/little to run or lift when I'm sick with "above the neck" symptoms. I've read that you should keep you heart rate reserve at 60% of capacity (don't quote me on that), but I always feel I get myself into trouble by trying to lift, in particular, when I'm even just a little sick. I guess that means I shouldn't do it at all, but I feel like there's a balance there... I'll post more extensively on this later on, but I currently find this frustrating.
Project overview coming. I promise.
As a quick aside, one thing I have yet to really figure out is how much/little to run or lift when I'm sick with "above the neck" symptoms. I've read that you should keep you heart rate reserve at 60% of capacity (don't quote me on that), but I always feel I get myself into trouble by trying to lift, in particular, when I'm even just a little sick. I guess that means I shouldn't do it at all, but I feel like there's a balance there... I'll post more extensively on this later on, but I currently find this frustrating.
Project overview coming. I promise.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Let the Project Begin
Today was my first workout for The 400 Project. I did a conditioning mile and lifted. It's been a couple weeks since I've been to the gym, so I just eased back in. I'll throw a post up soon about this project...why I'm doing it and what it is, but I thought I should mark the beginning of this effort.
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