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...
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I did this session today, it is my fourth session in my first week. Somehow I misread somewhere where you said you were running the first 400 in around 70s and then relaxing down the last 100. So this is how I ran these today and I actually enjoyed running 500s which is something. Never thought I'd say. Had to do it alone again with Dion missing and Sue dedicated to competing this evening rather than training at lunchtime.
500 - 70 - 75s
500 - 70 - 71s
500 - 70 - 70s
The times above are for the first 400 only. Next time I'll record the 500 split too. Recovery was a walk 300m between each rep.
Tomorrow I'm doing the 200m reps at the AIS.
Week 2: Day 4
Ok I'm not going crazy, just posting comments perhaps on the wrong day. Too late now I guess. Just to clarify here is what is written in your training schedule which I am following at the moment...
"Track - Tempo intervals. 3x500, 300 meter walk recovery in-between. Moderate pace, come through the 400 around 70 seconds."
Today was really windy and the ground a little soft following some light rain and a group if school kids wen and set up camp on the line at the 150m mark on the last run which really pissed me off. But the good news is it was a sunny day and the temperature hit 17 degrees celsius, 62.2 Fahrenheit for my American friends, which is a whole four degrees warmer than yesterday at the same venue.
500 - 70 - 71s
500 - 70 - 68s
500 - 70 - 69s
So let's be clear, the times above are for the first 400 of the five and not the whole 500m.
I was again a solo man for this session. No one to run even part of it with me. A good thing I guess for the high school kids who would have faced two angry psycho lap runners during their lunchtime soccer training instead of just me. BTW they really put me off for a good 40 metres nearly half way around. The last run could have been even better. Today was harder as I tried to step it up. The overall 500 times have been consistent each week and each run.
Week 4: Day 2
This is normally my Thursday session, but with the opportunity to run with Dion, John and Dave I couldn't resist and switched the days. Alas Dion must have got lost on his way to Reid, but the marathon boys were back for their first session since the 42.2 two weeks ago now.
I was really interested to see how they would go with this session. They were doing 5x1000m for a few weeks before the marathon and I figured they'd smash this session today. You should know that both of these guys despite their lapse of judgement in running further than a full lap of the track are by nature actually sprinters. Both playing fast running positions in touch football and rugby. Dave has even represented Australia in sevens and in Masters 15s.
500 - 70 - 68.4s
500 - 70 - 69.1s
500 - 70 - 68.2s
Of course what normally happens when we all get together we end up running much faster. This was by far the best session today. I enjoyed having Grimmo on my tail ithe first two and then Johno pushing me all the way on the last. One thing which surprised me and the guys was how hard they found the last 100m after getting past the 400. Remembering that this session is run 400m and then relax for a further 100m. I had thought they would both pass me in this section given their overall strength. But as it happened I managed to hold them both off. It's important to recognize a win against these two when you can get it, as they are both incrediblly competitive and athletic, they win their fair share of runs when we all get together.
For the record Dion, Grimmo apparently called me Linford Christie when speaking to John about just letting him go. So now there are two captain midnights in the group.
Week 6: Day 3
The conditions were challenging today, temperature reaching only 9 degrees, a strong wind off the Brindabellas bringing a chill to the breeze, overcast with sleet falling. Add the fact that Dave, Sue and I were at the ANU with it's hill, this was a tough session.
So the last 200m of the 500m was uphill and into the wind. But it was only on the last run that I felt like I was being pushed back down the straight and out the gate. These times are again for the first 400m only.
500m - 70s - 72s
500m - 70s - 69s
500m - 70s - 70s
Dave led out hard on the second run and that is why the time was a cracking run. I tried to repeat the effort on the last run, but Dave couldn't go with me and ended up being 9s slower over the 500m then we were on the previous run. I luckily remained on target. Sue faded a bit on these in her first attempt of this session. She ran mostly in the 82s range, but on the second run failed to run the full 500m.
All in all happy to have completed this session again. It gives me confidence over 500m which is something I lacked last winter. Just ask Rob about me and the good ole 500m at Dickson. Tomorrow I have a ladder session at Reid for anyone interested. Sue is out if that makes a difference boys?
Week 8: Day 3
Was out at the ANU today. Jodi dogged me back at work, so Szn and I had the pleasure of the 3x500m on our own.
Dave and John were out there doing 5x1000m reps. John managed to do six as Dave turned up late. Big effort, the last run looked like it really hurt.
There was a huge wind today and it affected all of us.
500m - 70s - 68.6s
500m - 70s - 69.1s
500m - 70s - 65.5s
I really pushed hard in the last rep and of course that last 100m fade down really hurt, but it was about the same split as for the other reps.
Szn did well today, 79s, 82s and 84s.
Tomorrow off to Reid for the ladder session.
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