Since my return to mile repeats on October 9th I've had my heart set on a sub 5 minute mile,in recent weeks that desire has gotten closer,I should have had it last week when on the opening mile I went through the bell in 3.52 but eased up too much and clocked 5.01.80,I vowed if that scenario presented it's self today I would NOT make that tactical blunder again.
When I arrived at Lower Merion High School track at lunchtime the first thing I thought about was the wind,despite the full and glorious sunshine there was a chill wind blowing around the track,so much so that after my stretches and mile warm I opted for my long sleeve running shirt and running tights.
#1 mile,1.16,1.18,1.18,67-4.59.08.YEAH BOYEEE! When I clocked 3.52. at the bell again I knew I couldn't allow another sub 5 to slip away,my reaction upon checking my watch after crossing the line spoke volumes of what this meant to me.
#2 mile,1.22,1.27,1.24,1.30-5.43.34.Yowzer!I'm not naive enough to think I'm ready to drop a 4.59. mile and come back strong on the next one but this hurt,I felt every one of those 5 sub 3.10 1,000s from Thursday coming up the home straight at the end of this mile.
#3 mile,1.18,1.24,1.22,1.19-5.23.16.Not that it's a huge badge of honour but this was an improvement on the previous effort....not that that would be difficult.
#4 mile,1.16,1.20,1.21,67-5.04.76.How about that for symmetry ending mile 1 and mile 4 w/ 67 second splits.
When I opened in 1.16 I pondered the potential of 2 sub 5 min miles,I knew I'd have to come through 800 in 2.34/2.35, that 1-2 seconds was going to make all the difference.
When I clocked 3.57 at the bell I knew sub 5 was gone but I'm chuffed to bits I threw down another 67 second closing lap not to mention a 5.04. mile.
The irony of ironies,now that I've gotten a sub 5 under my belt it looks like I won't be running any mile repeats for the next two weeks as I'm looking to race the next two weekends so that'll mean sacrificing the mile repeats,however whenever I do return to them{probably Dec 18th}I aim to refine my mile repeats,try to make the sub 5 my last mile now that I've gotten the monkey off back.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thanksgiving Top Ten List 09
I wrote a Top Ten list last Thanksgiving mainly because my co worker Chris was recovering from neuro surgery and yours truly was doing the workload of two people which meant I didn't have the energy mental or physical to do repeats at the track so my runs were just base mileage around Clark Park which didn't require being timed,and made for very non discript blog entries,I put the Thanksgiving Top List out there more for shits and giggles only for the whole thing to blow up in my face two days later when my former coach took exception to not being mentioned by name..............and thus began the slippery slope that saw us part company this summer....
Anywho at the risk of offending others this year here's my 09 Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving,take it away
10,My health,corny as that sounds it's something we take for granted sometimes and although I'm at the blue collar end of the hospital from time to time I get to see those less fortunate than me and it helps to remind me that if you've got your health you're doing well.
9,The Physical Rehab staff at Jefferson,if it weren't for Alison and Peggy and everyone else who worked w/ me during the summer I know I wouldn't be back doing repeats three times a week.
8,My dvr,trite as it might seem my dvr is huge,no more agonizing over which show to watch,which show to hope I'll catch in a rerun,no more missed shows if I'm out for the evening and no more staying up till 12am on Sundays for my weekly fix of "Eastenders".
7,A job and a roof over my head,while I bitch about my job frequently in my blog and grumble about my living situation in my diary in the credit crunch we're experiencing I'm lucky things aren't worse.
6,My diary,I'm a month away from 16 years of keeping a daily diary,while my blog is great for running and sometimes non running issues my diary is where the real dirt lies!!!
In recent weeks I've written in more depth about the things I feel strongly about,an outlet for my anger,rage and angst of which somedays there's more than plenty to record!
5, Having Chris 100% healthy again,this time last year my coworker had emergency neuro surgery to remove a tumor in his brain,it was an emotional time for all, Chris and his family and me also,after 6 years of being in the firing line all by my lonesome I've finally had someone along side me in the trenches for 2 and 1/2 years.
4,Hobbes,next month I'll have had the"orange shitbag" for 15 years,as my mother loves to point out"there aren't many humans who've put up w/ you for that long"...this is true so I try to cherish my time w/ "furbag"he'll be sorely missed when he's gone.
3,My blog,I love my blog,it's as close as I'll get to being a writer and I enjoy penning my entries,I'd also thank "Uncle Ken Stone" who's been kind enough to feature me and "Runningfree"in his blog Masterstrack several times this year again.
2,Spending time in New York City w/ my mother Eileen in September,along the lines of Hobbes I realize that anytime spent w/ my mother is fleeting,I hope I'll see her again but at her age and the fact I don't get home as much any more means every time I see her I fear it may be the last time so I try to make the most of it.
Last weekend I asked Eileen what she thought of New York since this was her first visit,she said she loved it,that's all I needed to hear.
1,Being injury free,after a summer lost to an achilles tendon injury and a shot at being a World Champion snatched away from me I'm thankful to be able to get out and train each day I get out there,long may this and all of the above continue.
Anywho at the risk of offending others this year here's my 09 Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving,take it away
10,My health,corny as that sounds it's something we take for granted sometimes and although I'm at the blue collar end of the hospital from time to time I get to see those less fortunate than me and it helps to remind me that if you've got your health you're doing well.
9,The Physical Rehab staff at Jefferson,if it weren't for Alison and Peggy and everyone else who worked w/ me during the summer I know I wouldn't be back doing repeats three times a week.
8,My dvr,trite as it might seem my dvr is huge,no more agonizing over which show to watch,which show to hope I'll catch in a rerun,no more missed shows if I'm out for the evening and no more staying up till 12am on Sundays for my weekly fix of "Eastenders".
7,A job and a roof over my head,while I bitch about my job frequently in my blog and grumble about my living situation in my diary in the credit crunch we're experiencing I'm lucky things aren't worse.
6,My diary,I'm a month away from 16 years of keeping a daily diary,while my blog is great for running and sometimes non running issues my diary is where the real dirt lies!!!
In recent weeks I've written in more depth about the things I feel strongly about,an outlet for my anger,rage and angst of which somedays there's more than plenty to record!
5, Having Chris 100% healthy again,this time last year my coworker had emergency neuro surgery to remove a tumor in his brain,it was an emotional time for all, Chris and his family and me also,after 6 years of being in the firing line all by my lonesome I've finally had someone along side me in the trenches for 2 and 1/2 years.
4,Hobbes,next month I'll have had the"orange shitbag" for 15 years,as my mother loves to point out"there aren't many humans who've put up w/ you for that long"...this is true so I try to cherish my time w/ "furbag"he'll be sorely missed when he's gone.
3,My blog,I love my blog,it's as close as I'll get to being a writer and I enjoy penning my entries,I'd also thank "Uncle Ken Stone" who's been kind enough to feature me and "Runningfree"in his blog Masterstrack several times this year again.
2,Spending time in New York City w/ my mother Eileen in September,along the lines of Hobbes I realize that anytime spent w/ my mother is fleeting,I hope I'll see her again but at her age and the fact I don't get home as much any more means every time I see her I fear it may be the last time so I try to make the most of it.
Last weekend I asked Eileen what she thought of New York since this was her first visit,she said she loved it,that's all I needed to hear.
1,Being injury free,after a summer lost to an achilles tendon injury and a shot at being a World Champion snatched away from me I'm thankful to be able to get out and train each day I get out there,long may this and all of the above continue.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Stuff This!
Thanksgiving,that most American of holidays....and thereby in it's very definition alien to me.
Granted I'm the poster child of all things anti holiday{I don't even celebrate my own b'day for the love of God!}but I just can't get my head around this holiday,maybe because I didn't grow up w/ it{I didn't grow up w/ July 4th either!}or maybe because at the root of the matter is the fact it's a family holiday which counts me out from the get go,my family are 3,500 miles away for starters...and they don't celebrate Thanksgiving to begin w/.
Having said all that and standing by what I said I do wish the masses a Happy Thanksgiving and mean it,just because I don't have family to celebrate it w/ doesn't mean I should piss all over a holiday for those that do,I must be mellowing in my old age,not only have I stopped referring to it as Wanksgiving I've also toned down my"the day we celebrate the fact we stole this land from the Native Americans"sentiment....even though I feel very strongly about the fact we did,but anyway on to my running......dare me to say it?....let's talk Turkey!
Knowing that not only would Franklin Field close early last nite and the fact I don't have tomorrow off I switched my rotation to Tue/Thur/Sat,the only thing I needed to make sure of was there'd be no high school football at Lower Merion today....there wasn't so off out to Ardmore on the train at lunchtime to have at it at 5x1,000m repeats,and I shall return Saturday for my 4x1mile repeats.
Conditions were grey but mild,it's a bit of a "brucey bonus" getting a repeat workout in during the daytime,granted it's a like for like swop w/ today instead of tomorrow.
Stretches done,mile warm up taken care of,one last trip to the bathroom secured it was showtime.....and how!
#1 1,000,1.15,1.19,33-3.07.38.Christ!talk about out of the traps quickly,my only concern,much like Tuesday was I hadn't done too much too soon,last week I was perhaps guilty of going out slow{3.16} b4 clocking a pair of 3.09s and a pair of 3.08s.
#2 1,000,1.17,1.18,35-3.10.51.Proof that I hadn't "shot my load" so to speak,at this stage of my recovery if I can go 1.17-1.18 each 1k I feel I'm right where I want to be.
#3 1,000,1.18,1.17,34-3.09.26.Wow!as each week and each repeat be it 600s,1,000s, mile goes by I feel the three Ss Speed,Strenght,Stamina are getting to the level I want them to be at.
#4 1,000,1.18,1.18,32-3.08.53.Dare I think it? my first ever 5/5 1,000m at sub 3.10?it was there for the taking,mentally I felt I could,physically?............
#5 1,000,1.17,1.18,30-3.05.81.BOOYAH!!!!!!A triple trifecta,all 5 1ks at 3.10 or under,my fastest combined 5k 15.39 AND my fastest 1k 3.05.81 thanks to a 30 second final 200m,not bad at the end of 4,800m worth of repeats if I say so myself.
Wow!when I first began 5x1,000m repeats back on Aug 26th three months ago I hoped I'd get to all 5 at 3.10 or under and now today at the 11th attempt I did surely nobody could begrudge me a moment of self satisfaction?
Granted the cynical will say #2 was 3.10.51. so if it means next time out I need to be under 3.10 to make it count fine but the fact is today I reached a landmark that for me ranks up there w/ 6x600m at 1.45 and under and 4x1 mile at sub 5 minutes per mile.
I will enjoy my Vegetable Lasagna this evening,obviously not what the Pilgrims ate when they landed......but what if they were vegetarians I wonder??
Granted I'm the poster child of all things anti holiday{I don't even celebrate my own b'day for the love of God!}but I just can't get my head around this holiday,maybe because I didn't grow up w/ it{I didn't grow up w/ July 4th either!}or maybe because at the root of the matter is the fact it's a family holiday which counts me out from the get go,my family are 3,500 miles away for starters...and they don't celebrate Thanksgiving to begin w/.
Having said all that and standing by what I said I do wish the masses a Happy Thanksgiving and mean it,just because I don't have family to celebrate it w/ doesn't mean I should piss all over a holiday for those that do,I must be mellowing in my old age,not only have I stopped referring to it as Wanksgiving I've also toned down my"the day we celebrate the fact we stole this land from the Native Americans"sentiment....even though I feel very strongly about the fact we did,but anyway on to my running......dare me to say it?....let's talk Turkey!
Knowing that not only would Franklin Field close early last nite and the fact I don't have tomorrow off I switched my rotation to Tue/Thur/Sat,the only thing I needed to make sure of was there'd be no high school football at Lower Merion today....there wasn't so off out to Ardmore on the train at lunchtime to have at it at 5x1,000m repeats,and I shall return Saturday for my 4x1mile repeats.
Conditions were grey but mild,it's a bit of a "brucey bonus" getting a repeat workout in during the daytime,granted it's a like for like swop w/ today instead of tomorrow.
Stretches done,mile warm up taken care of,one last trip to the bathroom secured it was showtime.....and how!
#1 1,000,1.15,1.19,33-3.07.38.Christ!talk about out of the traps quickly,my only concern,much like Tuesday was I hadn't done too much too soon,last week I was perhaps guilty of going out slow{3.16} b4 clocking a pair of 3.09s and a pair of 3.08s.
#2 1,000,1.17,1.18,35-3.10.51.Proof that I hadn't "shot my load" so to speak,at this stage of my recovery if I can go 1.17-1.18 each 1k I feel I'm right where I want to be.
#3 1,000,1.18,1.17,34-3.09.26.Wow!as each week and each repeat be it 600s,1,000s, mile goes by I feel the three Ss Speed,Strenght,Stamina are getting to the level I want them to be at.
#4 1,000,1.18,1.18,32-3.08.53.Dare I think it? my first ever 5/5 1,000m at sub 3.10?it was there for the taking,mentally I felt I could,physically?............
#5 1,000,1.17,1.18,30-3.05.81.BOOYAH!!!!!!A triple trifecta,all 5 1ks at 3.10 or under,my fastest combined 5k 15.39 AND my fastest 1k 3.05.81 thanks to a 30 second final 200m,not bad at the end of 4,800m worth of repeats if I say so myself.
Wow!when I first began 5x1,000m repeats back on Aug 26th three months ago I hoped I'd get to all 5 at 3.10 or under and now today at the 11th attempt I did surely nobody could begrudge me a moment of self satisfaction?
Granted the cynical will say #2 was 3.10.51. so if it means next time out I need to be under 3.10 to make it count fine but the fact is today I reached a landmark that for me ranks up there w/ 6x600m at 1.45 and under and 4x1 mile at sub 5 minutes per mile.
I will enjoy my Vegetable Lasagna this evening,obviously not what the Pilgrims ate when they landed......but what if they were vegetarians I wonder??
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Let The Dog See The Rabbit
It's been a while since I've had a day at work where my vocal displeasure was there to be heard for all around,the fact I slammed my hand onto my desk top mid afternoon after a mad half hour told me the loonies had won.
On days like these not only do I thank the fact Jim Henson is no longer w/ us otherwise his next movie would be "The Muppets Take Einstein" but I also subscribe to the theory that"if aholes were aeroplanes my job would be at an airport w/ yours truly at the head of Air Traffic Control....
It's days like these I need the sanctuary of the track....and so to Franklin Field for 6x600m repeats.
''The Death Zone" despite its foreboding title has been a happy hunting ground for me for over two and a half years and counting,sadly for me I'd gotten away from it earlier in the year when my former coach had me doing different repeats prior to Worlds,as we all know my achilles injury kyboshed Worlds and my coach and I parted company,not so much a case of singing from different hymn sheets or right church,wrong pew these days we're in separate houses of worship,he's more Church Of England while I'm Roman Catholic.
Conditions were as close to ideal as one could wish for in late November,mild,no wind,no rain,however by the end of the workout and my mile cool down the tips of my fingers were feeling a tad numb,a reminder that old man winter is standing in the wings awaiting his cue.
#1 600,69,36-1.45.58.I was aiming for 70-72 400s so an opening 400m in 69 seconds was a bit of a surprise,last week I had a pair of 70s on #2 and #4 but no 69s.
#2 600,69,34-1.43.22.Wow back to back 69s,I just wondered if I hadn't gotten too cocky too soon,cast your mind back to 3 weeks ago when I was cranking out brisk closing 200s only to blow up on #6.
#3 600,72,35-1.47.99.Not totally unexpected but still comfortable and still w/in range of a 6/6.
#4 600,74,33-1.47.98.How's that for almost identical splits?I was guilty of not being 100% focused over the opening 300m ergo the 74 second split,fatigue had not yet set in,could it stay that way?
#5 600,71,36-1.47.12.Holy Mary,mother of God!I did not expect 71 seconds on the stop watch at 400m and I made sure to ease down over the closing 200m to make sure all the bullets were in all the chambers for the finale.
#6 600,74,35-1.49.09.I knew anything under 74 at 400m would put me in w/ a better than average shot at a 6th sub 1.50 and while I mightn't have been as strong off the final turn or up the home straight I still notched my third 6/6 sub 1.50 in five attempts.
W/ an open 400m race on the horizon followed most likely by an 800m race in preparation for the clubs year end assault on the American Record for Masters Cub 4x800m I'd say I'm rounding into form at the right time.
On days like these not only do I thank the fact Jim Henson is no longer w/ us otherwise his next movie would be "The Muppets Take Einstein" but I also subscribe to the theory that"if aholes were aeroplanes my job would be at an airport w/ yours truly at the head of Air Traffic Control....
It's days like these I need the sanctuary of the track....and so to Franklin Field for 6x600m repeats.
''The Death Zone" despite its foreboding title has been a happy hunting ground for me for over two and a half years and counting,sadly for me I'd gotten away from it earlier in the year when my former coach had me doing different repeats prior to Worlds,as we all know my achilles injury kyboshed Worlds and my coach and I parted company,not so much a case of singing from different hymn sheets or right church,wrong pew these days we're in separate houses of worship,he's more Church Of England while I'm Roman Catholic.
Conditions were as close to ideal as one could wish for in late November,mild,no wind,no rain,however by the end of the workout and my mile cool down the tips of my fingers were feeling a tad numb,a reminder that old man winter is standing in the wings awaiting his cue.
#1 600,69,36-1.45.58.I was aiming for 70-72 400s so an opening 400m in 69 seconds was a bit of a surprise,last week I had a pair of 70s on #2 and #4 but no 69s.
#2 600,69,34-1.43.22.Wow back to back 69s,I just wondered if I hadn't gotten too cocky too soon,cast your mind back to 3 weeks ago when I was cranking out brisk closing 200s only to blow up on #6.
#3 600,72,35-1.47.99.Not totally unexpected but still comfortable and still w/in range of a 6/6.
#4 600,74,33-1.47.98.How's that for almost identical splits?I was guilty of not being 100% focused over the opening 300m ergo the 74 second split,fatigue had not yet set in,could it stay that way?
#5 600,71,36-1.47.12.Holy Mary,mother of God!I did not expect 71 seconds on the stop watch at 400m and I made sure to ease down over the closing 200m to make sure all the bullets were in all the chambers for the finale.
#6 600,74,35-1.49.09.I knew anything under 74 at 400m would put me in w/ a better than average shot at a 6th sub 1.50 and while I mightn't have been as strong off the final turn or up the home straight I still notched my third 6/6 sub 1.50 in five attempts.
W/ an open 400m race on the horizon followed most likely by an 800m race in preparation for the clubs year end assault on the American Record for Masters Cub 4x800m I'd say I'm rounding into form at the right time.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Close Only Counts In Horseshoes
"Today,just like yesterday I'm ascending and descending, Traveling not arriving that's the story of my life
I've been close closer than close not close enough."
Close{The Journey Is The Destination}-The Alarm.
It's been a while since I've traveled out to Lower Merion on a Saturday for mile repeats,I did put in a cameo........resisting the urge to say "Word Up" and clearly failing! back on September 19th for a 5k time trial but given my impromptu 12 miler on Sunday I was looking at a Tue/Thur/Sat rotation this week and that means no Franklin Field on the weekends so Lower Merion it was and will be again next Saturday and maybe even Thursday since FF will be closed but we'll deal w/ that next week.
My Friday repeats had me prepped for a lunchtime workout,conditions were sunny and reasonably warm,there was a mildish breeze around the bottom turn but as a veteran of Franklin Field I'm used to the wind,no time like the present to go after my first sub 5 minute repeat mile at 4x1 mile.
#1 mile,1.14,1.19,1.19,1.19-5.01.80.This is the opening mile I anticipate a few weeks down the road,w/ hindsight I should've gone sub 5 on this repeat instead of backing off on the final lap,sub 5 was right there and I let it slip through my fingers.
#2 mile,1.19,1.23,1.20,1.18-5.21.21.It was no surprise to see a 20 second spike after my brisker than brisk opener but a few weeks ago I would've killed for 3 laps at 1.20 and under.
#3 mile,1.20,1.24,1.27,1.23-5.34.03.Don't do the crime if you can't do the time,clearly I'd made a balls of my pace right off the bat and now I was paying for it....w/out a sub 5 I hasten to add.
#4 mile,1.16,1.20,1.21,71-5.08.51.Emm some respectability I guess but obviously after opening in 5.01 it all went down hill quicker than Sharon Vorn on her skies.
Yes I'm pleased to lower my repeat mile to 5.01.80. but not at the cost of splits of 5.21/5.34.
I did feel going into today there was a very good chance of nailing that much sought after sub 5 and frankly going through the bell in 3.52 I should've taken care of business but I didn't.
That said chances are my indoor debut won't be for another 5 weeks so I have another 4 weeks of 6x600m/5x1,000m/4x1mile repeats and ample chances to get that first sub 5 minute repeat mile,let's see what next Saturday back here brings.
I've been close closer than close not close enough."
Close{The Journey Is The Destination}-The Alarm.
It's been a while since I've traveled out to Lower Merion on a Saturday for mile repeats,I did put in a cameo........resisting the urge to say "Word Up" and clearly failing! back on September 19th for a 5k time trial but given my impromptu 12 miler on Sunday I was looking at a Tue/Thur/Sat rotation this week and that means no Franklin Field on the weekends so Lower Merion it was and will be again next Saturday and maybe even Thursday since FF will be closed but we'll deal w/ that next week.
My Friday repeats had me prepped for a lunchtime workout,conditions were sunny and reasonably warm,there was a mildish breeze around the bottom turn but as a veteran of Franklin Field I'm used to the wind,no time like the present to go after my first sub 5 minute repeat mile at 4x1 mile.
#1 mile,1.14,1.19,1.19,1.19-5.01.80.This is the opening mile I anticipate a few weeks down the road,w/ hindsight I should've gone sub 5 on this repeat instead of backing off on the final lap,sub 5 was right there and I let it slip through my fingers.
#2 mile,1.19,1.23,1.20,1.18-5.21.21.It was no surprise to see a 20 second spike after my brisker than brisk opener but a few weeks ago I would've killed for 3 laps at 1.20 and under.
#3 mile,1.20,1.24,1.27,1.23-5.34.03.Don't do the crime if you can't do the time,clearly I'd made a balls of my pace right off the bat and now I was paying for it....w/out a sub 5 I hasten to add.
#4 mile,1.16,1.20,1.21,71-5.08.51.Emm some respectability I guess but obviously after opening in 5.01 it all went down hill quicker than Sharon Vorn on her skies.
Yes I'm pleased to lower my repeat mile to 5.01.80. but not at the cost of splits of 5.21/5.34.
I did feel going into today there was a very good chance of nailing that much sought after sub 5 and frankly going through the bell in 3.52 I should've taken care of business but I didn't.
That said chances are my indoor debut won't be for another 5 weeks so I have another 4 weeks of 6x600m/5x1,000m/4x1mile repeats and ample chances to get that first sub 5 minute repeat mile,let's see what next Saturday back here brings.
Friday, November 20, 2009
More Hands Than A German Phone Book
Ok,let's get the unpleasantness out of the way first,theirry henry is a cheating french bastard and sepp blatter can stick Fifa's Fair Play mantra up his Swiss arse,congrats Fifa you got what you wanted France in next summers World Cup Finals in South Africa even if it meant bending the rules to do so and making a laughing stock of footballs so called integrity.
How long can football remain in the dark ages and be bereft of instant replay?other so called european sports a la Rugby,Cricket and Tennis have all introduced it why can't football?
The debate will no doubt rumble on but that's my two cents worth to the argument.
Fueled by that injustice I arrived at Franklin Field w/ a full head of steam and enough piss and vinegar running through me to drown several small pacific islands......all the ingredients for a good repeat session,I was determined this evening wouldn't end in acrimony......and to think I almost didn't make it here in the first place,as a result of an early night Wednesday I'd neglected to put my stop watches in my bag,can't very well time repeats w/out them thou ever the boy scout dib,dib,dib I considered utilizing the stop watch on my ipod to time my 1,000s.
Then the weather forecast called for a 70% chance of rain,as it was the rain ended up being minimal at best during my repeats and I came home,retrieved my stop watches and headed back to Franklin Field.
Minus a few lite showers conditions were as close to ideal as you could wish for in mid November and w/ that it was down to business for the 5x1,000m repeats,could I build upon the stellar 6x600m repeat of Tuesday?could I be away from 5x1,000m for two weeks like I was w/ the 6x600m and come back w/out missing a beat......
#1 1,000m,1.17,1.21,38-3.16.58.My first reaction crossing the finish line and checking my watch was "damn that's slow,it was the only time this evening I would say that and it may've been the key to a solid repeat.
#2 1,000m,1.16,1.17,36-3.09.14.Nice!it might well be a bit early for pantomime season but this was very much in the fashion of"that's the way to do it"
At 600m in the little bit of rain that was much touted began to fall...briefly,trust me I've ran further in far worse.
#3 1,000m,1.16,1.15,37-3.08.42.This repeat was starting to take over any or all expectations I had for it,naively when I began my 5x1ks back in September I though I could run all 5 in sub 3.10,perhaps those evenings aren't so far away after all?
#4 1,000m1.16,1.16,36-3.08.85.Strewth! you want to talk about the model of consistency then this workout was pretty darn close to it, a few repeats back I'd open in 1.16 b4 coming round again in 1.20,not tonite
#5 1,000m,1.18,1.19,32-3.09.06.Holy Shit!I wasn't thrown off when I came through the opening 400m in 1.18 it was to be expected but rather than panic I kept my focus,told myself if I want to reclaim my spot near the top of the 45-49 middle distance masters I have to fight for it and dig deep and dig I did{no crack about paddys and shovels thank you very much!}
A 32 second final 200m period but at the end of a 5th 1,000m,while I've been pleased w/ the 34s I've been able to conjure up I know deep down inside I need to be closing in 32 and tonite I was able to prise that door open a little.
All in all a good nites work,I said based on my recovery from my stress fracture in 07 that come mid to late November I should be starting to fire on all cylinders,thus far this week I've seen evidence that I'm getting there,now for the mile repeats Saturday,is that first sub 5 mile on the cards?
How long can football remain in the dark ages and be bereft of instant replay?other so called european sports a la Rugby,Cricket and Tennis have all introduced it why can't football?
The debate will no doubt rumble on but that's my two cents worth to the argument.
Fueled by that injustice I arrived at Franklin Field w/ a full head of steam and enough piss and vinegar running through me to drown several small pacific islands......all the ingredients for a good repeat session,I was determined this evening wouldn't end in acrimony......and to think I almost didn't make it here in the first place,as a result of an early night Wednesday I'd neglected to put my stop watches in my bag,can't very well time repeats w/out them thou ever the boy scout dib,dib,dib I considered utilizing the stop watch on my ipod to time my 1,000s.
Then the weather forecast called for a 70% chance of rain,as it was the rain ended up being minimal at best during my repeats and I came home,retrieved my stop watches and headed back to Franklin Field.
Minus a few lite showers conditions were as close to ideal as you could wish for in mid November and w/ that it was down to business for the 5x1,000m repeats,could I build upon the stellar 6x600m repeat of Tuesday?could I be away from 5x1,000m for two weeks like I was w/ the 6x600m and come back w/out missing a beat......
#1 1,000m,1.17,1.21,38-3.16.58.My first reaction crossing the finish line and checking my watch was "damn that's slow,it was the only time this evening I would say that and it may've been the key to a solid repeat.
#2 1,000m,1.16,1.17,36-3.09.14.Nice!it might well be a bit early for pantomime season but this was very much in the fashion of"that's the way to do it"
At 600m in the little bit of rain that was much touted began to fall...briefly,trust me I've ran further in far worse.
#3 1,000m,1.16,1.15,37-3.08.42.This repeat was starting to take over any or all expectations I had for it,naively when I began my 5x1ks back in September I though I could run all 5 in sub 3.10,perhaps those evenings aren't so far away after all?
#4 1,000m1.16,1.16,36-3.08.85.Strewth! you want to talk about the model of consistency then this workout was pretty darn close to it, a few repeats back I'd open in 1.16 b4 coming round again in 1.20,not tonite
#5 1,000m,1.18,1.19,32-3.09.06.Holy Shit!I wasn't thrown off when I came through the opening 400m in 1.18 it was to be expected but rather than panic I kept my focus,told myself if I want to reclaim my spot near the top of the 45-49 middle distance masters I have to fight for it and dig deep and dig I did{no crack about paddys and shovels thank you very much!}
A 32 second final 200m period but at the end of a 5th 1,000m,while I've been pleased w/ the 34s I've been able to conjure up I know deep down inside I need to be closing in 32 and tonite I was able to prise that door open a little.
All in all a good nites work,I said based on my recovery from my stress fracture in 07 that come mid to late November I should be starting to fire on all cylinders,thus far this week I've seen evidence that I'm getting there,now for the mile repeats Saturday,is that first sub 5 mile on the cards?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Hearts And Fists Thro The Door First.
"And he still gives his love,he just gives it away the love he receives is the love that is saved
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky,a human being that was given to fly"
Given To Fly-Pearl Jam.
It was during Bruce Springsteen's induction speech of U2 that the comment about the Irish and Italians came to the fore,I can't speak for the Italians but yeah the Irish.....we come thro the door hearts and fists first,as the ould fella always told me"shoot first,ask questions later"
So following another of those days at work I was given to fly,be it off the handle or around the track for my 6x600m repeats.
Physics wasn't one of my stronger subjects in high school but I was curious which would win out the lingering soreness in my legs from Sundays 12 miler or the spittin venom that was coursing it's way thro my veins takin' doors out like it was going out of style,one way or another this was going to be an interesting repeat!
Conditions were ideal, a mild evening no wind and cool enough for tshirt and shorts,it's only a matter of time b4 that changes but for now let's make hay while the sun shines.
#1 600,73-37-1.50.94.Almost a tad too conservative on the closing 200m,having gotten too cute w/ my 200s last time out I tried to hold back a little on the opener and almost knawlsed it up from the get go.
#2 600m,70-38-1.48.52.A stronger opening 400m meant I could cruise the closing 200m w/out any worries,granted 38 seconds is slow but in a repeat it's not the point to be blasting opening splits if it leaves the tanks empty at the end of the session.
#3 600m,73-35-1.48.12.Just as w/ #1 I was guilty of not being 100% focused over the opening 300m and had to shake things up a bit over the second half to stay on course.
#4 600m,70-36-1.46.98.Emm where did that 1.46 pop up from? I'd been consistant throughout the repeat which is clutch, fast splits are great but only if all of them land inside the target time.
#5 600m,74-34-1.48.62.The first signs of a chink in my armour{if it had been a cold nite maybe I could've said .....under armour.....!} but again thanks to consistancy over the prior 4 repeats I was able to dial up a closing 34 second 200m
#6 600m,73-34-1.47.62.Booyah! another 6/6 at 1.50 and under and another heartning sign that I'm coming into form w/ indoor season getting closer and closer,anytime I can be away from a repeat for two weeks and come back w/out missing a beat tells me I'm moving in the right direction.
Tonite helped me map out the remainder of my week,pre workout I was leaning towards back to back 1,000m/mile repeats Thur/Fri just to utilize my Friday's off but not only is that being lazy,it's dangerous and unproductive,I am still recovering from an outdoor season written off due to an achilles injury and you never really get the best results from the second of two back to back repeats,so I'll get up Sat morning and head out to either St Joe's,Lower Merion or Haverford.
There I must be back to my old self,walkin thro walls,shittin' nails,spittin' bullets and venom and going the extra mile for my workouts....recess is very much over kids.
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky,a human being that was given to fly"
Given To Fly-Pearl Jam.
It was during Bruce Springsteen's induction speech of U2 that the comment about the Irish and Italians came to the fore,I can't speak for the Italians but yeah the Irish.....we come thro the door hearts and fists first,as the ould fella always told me"shoot first,ask questions later"
So following another of those days at work I was given to fly,be it off the handle or around the track for my 6x600m repeats.
Physics wasn't one of my stronger subjects in high school but I was curious which would win out the lingering soreness in my legs from Sundays 12 miler or the spittin venom that was coursing it's way thro my veins takin' doors out like it was going out of style,one way or another this was going to be an interesting repeat!
Conditions were ideal, a mild evening no wind and cool enough for tshirt and shorts,it's only a matter of time b4 that changes but for now let's make hay while the sun shines.
#1 600,73-37-1.50.94.Almost a tad too conservative on the closing 200m,having gotten too cute w/ my 200s last time out I tried to hold back a little on the opener and almost knawlsed it up from the get go.
#2 600m,70-38-1.48.52.A stronger opening 400m meant I could cruise the closing 200m w/out any worries,granted 38 seconds is slow but in a repeat it's not the point to be blasting opening splits if it leaves the tanks empty at the end of the session.
#3 600m,73-35-1.48.12.Just as w/ #1 I was guilty of not being 100% focused over the opening 300m and had to shake things up a bit over the second half to stay on course.
#4 600m,70-36-1.46.98.Emm where did that 1.46 pop up from? I'd been consistant throughout the repeat which is clutch, fast splits are great but only if all of them land inside the target time.
#5 600m,74-34-1.48.62.The first signs of a chink in my armour{if it had been a cold nite maybe I could've said .....under armour.....!} but again thanks to consistancy over the prior 4 repeats I was able to dial up a closing 34 second 200m
#6 600m,73-34-1.47.62.Booyah! another 6/6 at 1.50 and under and another heartning sign that I'm coming into form w/ indoor season getting closer and closer,anytime I can be away from a repeat for two weeks and come back w/out missing a beat tells me I'm moving in the right direction.
Tonite helped me map out the remainder of my week,pre workout I was leaning towards back to back 1,000m/mile repeats Thur/Fri just to utilize my Friday's off but not only is that being lazy,it's dangerous and unproductive,I am still recovering from an outdoor season written off due to an achilles injury and you never really get the best results from the second of two back to back repeats,so I'll get up Sat morning and head out to either St Joe's,Lower Merion or Haverford.
There I must be back to my old self,walkin thro walls,shittin' nails,spittin' bullets and venom and going the extra mile for my workouts....recess is very much over kids.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
It's said,you can't run away from your problems but as a runner you have the chance to run your problems away and to some degree that's what I did yesterday afternoon.
When I woke up I had no intentions of running period,much less 12 miles however......a funny thing happened on he way to 30th St train station.
As is my won't on the weekends I hang out at 30th St w/ my diary a cup of coffee and some tunes however it felt like such a beautiful lunchtime that I reprised my summer time role of taking said tunes,diary and java over to the Schuylkill Banks.
It was such a glorious afternoon I couldn't resist the chance to take full advantage of it period, but who knows when we'll see another afternoon quite like it again.
Unlike my last long run when I took the el to 30th and began my run along the banks today I began from my front door,Cedar Ave to Baltimore Ave,to 32nd St to Chestnut St and the banks.
Conditions were glorious as I made my way along the banks to West River Drive,an opinion shared by the masses,runners,walkers,cyclists,rollerbladers were out in full force.
5 miles in and I began to wonder if I was doing the right thing by continuing to head all the way to Falls Bridge and back,should I hang a left at Belmont and begin the route home....nah!
Once I crossed Falls Bridge the old distance runner in me rose to the fore,4.5 miles to Lloyd Hall and another 1.5 miles back to Chestnut St along the banks.
Again like my last long run I didn't encounter much in the way of targets to chase coming back down Kelly Drive,it was uncanny that like last time I was at Girade Bridge b4 I passed anyone.
B4 I'd even reached Chestnut St bridge I knew I'd reached my limit,still 12 miles is 12 miles a 2 mile bump from my last long run,who knows next time out I might make it the full 14.
The run helped for an hour or so I was able to clear my mind of the clutter that had taken up some loft size space in there,whilst writing my diary earlier I drew up a blue print for how I want to deal w/ that age old chestnut living life on lifes terms w/ a plan to revist said plan every three months to see how I'm doing w/ it.
Given I have a prior commitment this Wednesday I won't be doing my Mon,Wed,Fri rotation,Tue,Thur and then I'll see if I want to tackle either another repeat Fri or go long Sat.
When I woke up I had no intentions of running period,much less 12 miles however......a funny thing happened on he way to 30th St train station.
As is my won't on the weekends I hang out at 30th St w/ my diary a cup of coffee and some tunes however it felt like such a beautiful lunchtime that I reprised my summer time role of taking said tunes,diary and java over to the Schuylkill Banks.
It was such a glorious afternoon I couldn't resist the chance to take full advantage of it period, but who knows when we'll see another afternoon quite like it again.
Unlike my last long run when I took the el to 30th and began my run along the banks today I began from my front door,Cedar Ave to Baltimore Ave,to 32nd St to Chestnut St and the banks.
Conditions were glorious as I made my way along the banks to West River Drive,an opinion shared by the masses,runners,walkers,cyclists,rollerbladers were out in full force.
5 miles in and I began to wonder if I was doing the right thing by continuing to head all the way to Falls Bridge and back,should I hang a left at Belmont and begin the route home....nah!
Once I crossed Falls Bridge the old distance runner in me rose to the fore,4.5 miles to Lloyd Hall and another 1.5 miles back to Chestnut St along the banks.
Again like my last long run I didn't encounter much in the way of targets to chase coming back down Kelly Drive,it was uncanny that like last time I was at Girade Bridge b4 I passed anyone.
B4 I'd even reached Chestnut St bridge I knew I'd reached my limit,still 12 miles is 12 miles a 2 mile bump from my last long run,who knows next time out I might make it the full 14.
The run helped for an hour or so I was able to clear my mind of the clutter that had taken up some loft size space in there,whilst writing my diary earlier I drew up a blue print for how I want to deal w/ that age old chestnut living life on lifes terms w/ a plan to revist said plan every three months to see how I'm doing w/ it.
Given I have a prior commitment this Wednesday I won't be doing my Mon,Wed,Fri rotation,Tue,Thur and then I'll see if I want to tackle either another repeat Fri or go long Sat.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Going Out Singing
If it's Friday I'm off work and at Franklin Field,however this Friday was a little different than usual,my last workout b4 turning 46,cometh the man,cometh the hour I wanted to end 45 on a high note.....at least where my running is concerned,the rest of my year imho is a write off,perhaps a conversation for another time and another place....
Conditions were what you'd expect for mid November,cold,grey damp,small wonder I get borderline depressed around the time of my b'day,that said I think in all honesty I'd be equally non plus about my b'day even if the weather was nicer,it's hard for me to get excited about my b'day when I know in my heart of hearts it'll be like every other day in my life,whatever I do,wherever I go it'll be by myself,so much for the theory that ones b'day is a special day cos frankly mine ends up being as hollow and empty as every other day I encounter.
The rain at least had stopped by lunchtime when I got to Franklin Field,however the track was suitably damp enough for me not to lay down and stretch but I did make a point of stretching,in these conditions and my advancing years you can't cheat that stuff,I'm not as spry as I was 10 years ago,w/ age at least comes wisdom...until I get much older and the memory starts to go...
Mile#1,1.14,1.20,1.22,1.19-5.15.67.A good start to things,the 74 second opener was a tad surprising but was exactly the kind of split I need to get things off to a flying start,the hope was I hadn't gone to the well too soon.
Mile#2,1.18,1.22,1.20,1.13-5.13.78.Uneven...yes,impressive...yes,I was guilty of not being focused on laps 2&3,who knows what my splits might've been had I kept my mind on the matter at hand?
Mile#3,1.20,1.21,1.22,1.17-5.20.10.So often the deal breaker in recent weeks today my splits didn't balloon and for a change of pace{no pun intended}mile #3 wasn't dramatically slower than the openers have been in recent weeks.
Mile#4,1.15,1.21,1.21,69-5.06.28.Wow!talk about a curtain call,if I'm not mistaken this was my fastest mile repeat mile since coming back from the injury.
A fine and fitting way to sign off on 45 not to mention underline my belief that a sub 5 min mile in my mile repeats is coming.
Conditions were what you'd expect for mid November,cold,grey damp,small wonder I get borderline depressed around the time of my b'day,that said I think in all honesty I'd be equally non plus about my b'day even if the weather was nicer,it's hard for me to get excited about my b'day when I know in my heart of hearts it'll be like every other day in my life,whatever I do,wherever I go it'll be by myself,so much for the theory that ones b'day is a special day cos frankly mine ends up being as hollow and empty as every other day I encounter.
The rain at least had stopped by lunchtime when I got to Franklin Field,however the track was suitably damp enough for me not to lay down and stretch but I did make a point of stretching,in these conditions and my advancing years you can't cheat that stuff,I'm not as spry as I was 10 years ago,w/ age at least comes wisdom...until I get much older and the memory starts to go...
Mile#1,1.14,1.20,1.22,1.19-5.15.67.A good start to things,the 74 second opener was a tad surprising but was exactly the kind of split I need to get things off to a flying start,the hope was I hadn't gone to the well too soon.
Mile#2,1.18,1.22,1.20,1.13-5.13.78.Uneven...yes,impressive...yes,I was guilty of not being focused on laps 2&3,who knows what my splits might've been had I kept my mind on the matter at hand?
Mile#3,1.20,1.21,1.22,1.17-5.20.10.So often the deal breaker in recent weeks today my splits didn't balloon and for a change of pace{no pun intended}mile #3 wasn't dramatically slower than the openers have been in recent weeks.
Mile#4,1.15,1.21,1.21,69-5.06.28.Wow!talk about a curtain call,if I'm not mistaken this was my fastest mile repeat mile since coming back from the injury.
A fine and fitting way to sign off on 45 not to mention underline my belief that a sub 5 min mile in my mile repeats is coming.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Rewrite
A wise man once said"it's all well and good having a system in place,but you have to allow for flexibility in order to make it work"
The game plan was 5x1,000m repeats however I ended up helping my friend Andy in a 2 mile{sorry I don't do 3,200m...it's 2 miles!}time trial.
It was a strange day....strange in a good way,beginning my work day w/ an elevator ride w/ a certain someone is always something special,again a wise man once told me"all of life's rewards don't have to be grand" sometimes a 60 second elevator ride and a brief conversation about nothing in particular can be more rewarding than that person could ever realize.
Then I got a comment on my last blog entry,sometimes writing a blog can be a bit like being a late nite radio dj,you're not sure if anyone is actually listening to you,so thank you anonymous in NH for your kind words it means alot that someone appreciates what I have to say for myself.
When I finally got to the track at 5pm the much touted rain we were expecting all day decided now would be as good a time as any to present it's self in all it's gory....NO I didn't leave out the L!!!
I've ran in the rain a gazillion times and will again,road or track but it's a narrow window of opportunity if I've already began to run or even warm up then it's a case of wtf but it's always a tough sell to strip down and ready ones self for any form of a run w/ the rain coming down and at that point I was going to bag it.
I took the opportunity to shoot the breeze w/ my friend Kim the security guard since I hadn't seen her since last Monday,I vented about work{please for the love of god Don't get me started!!}and we discussed "Eastenders"lords knows I have nobody else to talk to about it.
Anywho,as I was getting ready to leave a friend of mine Andy Elkan said hello,I haven't seen Andy since the Twilight meet at Swarthmore in May.....NO there were no vampires there...well not that I'm aware of.............thanks folks I'm here all week{get on w/ it for crying out loud!}any ways Andy asked if I'd help w/ a 2 mile time trial and I jumped in to lend my support.
Andy's goal was to go sub 10 and he just missed 10.05 off of mile splits of 5.01/5.04,it was a valiant effort.
Post run Andy and I cooled down over 2 miles and bandied about ideas for future workouts,I'd like to revisit tonites and go sub 10,I know it's doable,we also talked about future workouts as indoor track gets closer,lone wolf by nature not necessarily by choice in running or in life I'd be happy for some company on my workouts so it feels like a win win for us both.
Friday I shall return to have a crack at my mile repeats,my final workout b4 turning 46,we'll see how much life is in this old dog yet!
The game plan was 5x1,000m repeats however I ended up helping my friend Andy in a 2 mile{sorry I don't do 3,200m...it's 2 miles!}time trial.
It was a strange day....strange in a good way,beginning my work day w/ an elevator ride w/ a certain someone is always something special,again a wise man once told me"all of life's rewards don't have to be grand" sometimes a 60 second elevator ride and a brief conversation about nothing in particular can be more rewarding than that person could ever realize.
Then I got a comment on my last blog entry,sometimes writing a blog can be a bit like being a late nite radio dj,you're not sure if anyone is actually listening to you,so thank you anonymous in NH for your kind words it means alot that someone appreciates what I have to say for myself.
When I finally got to the track at 5pm the much touted rain we were expecting all day decided now would be as good a time as any to present it's self in all it's gory....NO I didn't leave out the L!!!
I've ran in the rain a gazillion times and will again,road or track but it's a narrow window of opportunity if I've already began to run or even warm up then it's a case of wtf but it's always a tough sell to strip down and ready ones self for any form of a run w/ the rain coming down and at that point I was going to bag it.
I took the opportunity to shoot the breeze w/ my friend Kim the security guard since I hadn't seen her since last Monday,I vented about work{please for the love of god Don't get me started!!}and we discussed "Eastenders"lords knows I have nobody else to talk to about it.
Anywho,as I was getting ready to leave a friend of mine Andy Elkan said hello,I haven't seen Andy since the Twilight meet at Swarthmore in May.....NO there were no vampires there...well not that I'm aware of.............thanks folks I'm here all week{get on w/ it for crying out loud!}any ways Andy asked if I'd help w/ a 2 mile time trial and I jumped in to lend my support.
Andy's goal was to go sub 10 and he just missed 10.05 off of mile splits of 5.01/5.04,it was a valiant effort.
Post run Andy and I cooled down over 2 miles and bandied about ideas for future workouts,I'd like to revisit tonites and go sub 10,I know it's doable,we also talked about future workouts as indoor track gets closer,lone wolf by nature not necessarily by choice in running or in life I'd be happy for some company on my workouts so it feels like a win win for us both.
Friday I shall return to have a crack at my mile repeats,my final workout b4 turning 46,we'll see how much life is in this old dog yet!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I Say Nothing
''There is a place somewhere sometimes you'll find me there and if I'm alone I will be sitting on the stairs.
I'll be as good as new one of the lucky few who's laughing at the joke and as I leave I laugh for you.
But I say nothing,I talk to no one I know what I believe,don't need it on my sleeve,I talk to no one I will say nothing,if we come and go alone then what's the point carrying these arcades?
"I Say Nothing" Voice Of The Beehive
A little old school lyrical inspiration from late 80s band Voice Of The Beehive who've taken up residence on my ipod of late.
Well the good news the Septa{septic....South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Is Crap} strike is over....for another 4 years{05-09-13?}let's hope next time they walk off the job I'm living closer to work or closer to a ride cos sure as shit the powers that be here at work won't be doing anything to help the worker bees,they didn't this time or the last time.......
News of the strike came too late for me to be able to get my bag ready to take to work and thus hit Franklin Field on my way home,besides there's the fall out from a week long strike that means I have a laundry list of "to do" items awaiting my attention,once they're cleared up I can focus on getting back to a normal routine and training.
I'll be as good as new one of the lucky few who's laughing at the joke and as I leave I laugh for you.
But I say nothing,I talk to no one I know what I believe,don't need it on my sleeve,I talk to no one I will say nothing,if we come and go alone then what's the point carrying these arcades?
"I Say Nothing" Voice Of The Beehive
A little old school lyrical inspiration from late 80s band Voice Of The Beehive who've taken up residence on my ipod of late.
Well the good news the Septa{septic....South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Is Crap} strike is over....for another 4 years{05-09-13?}let's hope next time they walk off the job I'm living closer to work or closer to a ride cos sure as shit the powers that be here at work won't be doing anything to help the worker bees,they didn't this time or the last time.......
News of the strike came too late for me to be able to get my bag ready to take to work and thus hit Franklin Field on my way home,besides there's the fall out from a week long strike that means I have a laundry list of "to do" items awaiting my attention,once they're cleared up I can focus on getting back to a normal routine and training.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Grind It Out
The Boomtown Rats may not have liked Mondays but for the past 15 weeks I've liked Fridays as it's meant I've been off work and able to get a track workout in at lunchtime,on top of that this week it meant NOT having to cycle 20 miles to and from work,frankly I was too knackered on Wednesday after getting home to turn around and head out to Franklin Field for my scheduled 5x1,000m repeats.
In spite of feeling a little weary after 60 miles on the bike the past three days I walked to Franklin Field just b4 lunchtime today to "have at it" over 4x1 mile repeats,prior to my move a mile further up the road in January I'd always walked too and from Franklin Field for my repeats since late 06,a short walk was hardly going to put me off today period and frankly I was happy to be out of the saddle,don't get me wrong,I love riding my bike....just not to and from work!!
Although the sun was out it was a tad brisk when I reached the track,not only did I opt for my long sleeved dri fit shirt but I also knew the wind was going to play a role in matters,just hopefully not as big a role as it did 2 weeks ago.
Despite the wind and despite a little soreness in the upper thighs I was going for 4x1 mile repeats AND keeping my recoveries at 4 minutes after last weeks oversight.
Mile #1,1.19,1.23,1.23,1.17-5.22.66.All things considered not a bad start,ok last week I kicked off w/ a 5.11 mile but the wind wasn't a factor,nor had I had to log 60 miles on my bike.
Mile #2,1.21,1.24,1.26,1.21-5.32.66.Now didn't feel like the time to be getting picky about 1.20 plus splits it was a case of keeping my head down and keep working no matter what.
Mile #3,1.23,1.25,1.25,1.21-5.34.01.At least mile #3 hadn't ballooned on me like it did 2 weeks ago and while my splits were little to beat my chest over I took great solice for sticking to the task.
Mile#4,1.15,1.23,1.25,1.12-5.15.65.Where the !@#& did that come from???you might well ask!
Part of the credit goes to a trio of female Penn rugby players who had set off just b4 me on the inside lanes,they gave me a target to chase for which I'm very grateful.
I'm also very indebted to the one girl who asked me what I was training for,she'd watched me the past few weeks and said I'd helped raise her energy levels by watching me run.
It's the second time in two weeks a Penn athlete has cited me as an inspiration,scant praise indeed,it's good to know my efforts can inspire athletes half my age.
I somehow doubt there's any need to "go long" tomorrow I feel the old pegs could use a rest and it remains to be seen if I head out to Lower Merion High School on Sunday to meet up w/ members of GPTC for a proposed 6x600m repeat workout,we'll see.
For now I'd like to rest my wind battered body in the recliner and ready myself for the next battle whenever it is.
In spite of feeling a little weary after 60 miles on the bike the past three days I walked to Franklin Field just b4 lunchtime today to "have at it" over 4x1 mile repeats,prior to my move a mile further up the road in January I'd always walked too and from Franklin Field for my repeats since late 06,a short walk was hardly going to put me off today period and frankly I was happy to be out of the saddle,don't get me wrong,I love riding my bike....just not to and from work!!
Although the sun was out it was a tad brisk when I reached the track,not only did I opt for my long sleeved dri fit shirt but I also knew the wind was going to play a role in matters,just hopefully not as big a role as it did 2 weeks ago.
Despite the wind and despite a little soreness in the upper thighs I was going for 4x1 mile repeats AND keeping my recoveries at 4 minutes after last weeks oversight.
Mile #1,1.19,1.23,1.23,1.17-5.22.66.All things considered not a bad start,ok last week I kicked off w/ a 5.11 mile but the wind wasn't a factor,nor had I had to log 60 miles on my bike.
Mile #2,1.21,1.24,1.26,1.21-5.32.66.Now didn't feel like the time to be getting picky about 1.20 plus splits it was a case of keeping my head down and keep working no matter what.
Mile #3,1.23,1.25,1.25,1.21-5.34.01.At least mile #3 hadn't ballooned on me like it did 2 weeks ago and while my splits were little to beat my chest over I took great solice for sticking to the task.
Mile#4,1.15,1.23,1.25,1.12-5.15.65.Where the !@#& did that come from???you might well ask!
Part of the credit goes to a trio of female Penn rugby players who had set off just b4 me on the inside lanes,they gave me a target to chase for which I'm very grateful.
I'm also very indebted to the one girl who asked me what I was training for,she'd watched me the past few weeks and said I'd helped raise her energy levels by watching me run.
It's the second time in two weeks a Penn athlete has cited me as an inspiration,scant praise indeed,it's good to know my efforts can inspire athletes half my age.
I somehow doubt there's any need to "go long" tomorrow I feel the old pegs could use a rest and it remains to be seen if I head out to Lower Merion High School on Sunday to meet up w/ members of GPTC for a proposed 6x600m repeat workout,we'll see.
For now I'd like to rest my wind battered body in the recliner and ready myself for the next battle whenever it is.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Calm B4 The Storm
Another day I had to drag myself up by the shoelaces to come to the track but I'm glad that I did,another good repeat workout but also w/ the Septa whores calling a strike who knows when I'll next get to do repeats as frankly riding 20 miles to and from work is hardly ideal prep b4 repeats and at the rate things are going at work at the minute it doesn't look like I'll be taking Friday off as usual if I do I can at least walk to and from Franklin Field but I'm getting ahead of myself...
W/ the clocks going back on Sunday I was faced w/ my first workout in darkness,last week I was at least able to warm up and get my first few repeats in b4 the daylight faded,not now and not for the next 5 months,at least it was still t shirt and shorts weather but the clock's ticking on that one.
600m#1,70,37-1.47.34.A solid and comfortable opening to proceedings,start as you mean to go on.
600m#2,71,35-1.46.92.Precious little in the way of deviation from the prior repeat comfortable 400m pace easy closing 200m speed.
600m#3,72,34-1.46.57.Remarkably brisk final 200m pace something that had been lacking until today.
600m#4,74,33-1.47.26.In spite of my 400m pace creeping up I was closing faster and faster,wow those fears that my closing speed had gotten away from me was beginning to diminish.
600m#5,73-36-1.49.24.Uh oh! I knew from being hunched over at the finish line I was in dire straits b4 going into #6,all that bravado on the #2,#3,#4 200s was about to demand instant payback.
600m#6.79,40-1.59.80.Humbug! a wise man once told me"you can do anything you like in this world...as long as you're willing to pay the price that goes w/ it" and on #6 I paid the price of pushing the middle closing 200s but at this early stage of the season now's as good a time to tinker w/ my repeats and see what I've got or don't have.
Sure I'm disappointed to miss out on back to back 6/6 6x600m at sub 1.50 pace but other than that it was a good workout out.
B4 I go it'd be remiss of me not to give a shout out to my former coach GP who at 46 not only ran a sub 3 hour marathon Sunday but did it in the New Marathon City Marathon.no mean fete and also raised a lot of money for the Boomer Esiason Foundation in the process,mad props.
W/ the clocks going back on Sunday I was faced w/ my first workout in darkness,last week I was at least able to warm up and get my first few repeats in b4 the daylight faded,not now and not for the next 5 months,at least it was still t shirt and shorts weather but the clock's ticking on that one.
600m#1,70,37-1.47.34.A solid and comfortable opening to proceedings,start as you mean to go on.
600m#2,71,35-1.46.92.Precious little in the way of deviation from the prior repeat comfortable 400m pace easy closing 200m speed.
600m#3,72,34-1.46.57.Remarkably brisk final 200m pace something that had been lacking until today.
600m#4,74,33-1.47.26.In spite of my 400m pace creeping up I was closing faster and faster,wow those fears that my closing speed had gotten away from me was beginning to diminish.
600m#5,73-36-1.49.24.Uh oh! I knew from being hunched over at the finish line I was in dire straits b4 going into #6,all that bravado on the #2,#3,#4 200s was about to demand instant payback.
600m#6.79,40-1.59.80.Humbug! a wise man once told me"you can do anything you like in this world...as long as you're willing to pay the price that goes w/ it" and on #6 I paid the price of pushing the middle closing 200s but at this early stage of the season now's as good a time to tinker w/ my repeats and see what I've got or don't have.
Sure I'm disappointed to miss out on back to back 6/6 6x600m at sub 1.50 pace but other than that it was a good workout out.
B4 I go it'd be remiss of me not to give a shout out to my former coach GP who at 46 not only ran a sub 3 hour marathon Sunday but did it in the New Marathon City Marathon.no mean fete and also raised a lot of money for the Boomer Esiason Foundation in the process,mad props.
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