Doing My Billy Bragg

The last time I managed a Sunday 10 miler was Sept 8th,subsequently also the last week I managed a 5 day/40 mpw so it was nice to end September how I begun it,had it not been for getting sick in week #2 and having a tender achiles last Sunday maybe the entire month would've been 5 day/40mpw but it wasn't to be but lets see what October brings,that said the weather could dictate how October pans out.

Conditions were sunny and warm when I set off at 10.50am following my pre run routine of rosey,banana and "Eastenders".....what can I say "you can take the boy out of London but not the London out of the boy"!!!!
As is to be expected the Schuylkill Banks and Kelly Dr were highly populated w/ like minded souls "getting their run on" it'll be interesting to see by the end of October how many will still be out there,muchless theend of November and December.

When I hit the 4 and 3/4 mile mark I began to pay attention to the runners coming towards me,how many of them would I catch once I made the turn at 5 miles? quite a few to be honest as I picked up my pace between mile  5 and a  1/2 and  7 to stretch the legs a little.
I said the other day I don't "officially" time these runs but I do "eyeball" the clock b4 I leave and again when I get home and todays 10 miler came in around 1 hr 45 mins,identical to what I clocked on Tuesday so at least there was no "slacking off" today compared to Tuesday.

My bandana and dri fit shirt were soaked in sweat by the time I finished,how many more runs will I be able to say that once we get into October?
Overall a good weeks training as week #9 is officially in the books,a new week on tap tomorrow and a new month come Tuesday but the same drive and desire to continue to improve

Night & Day @ The House Of Pain

Not sure I "saved the best till last" but it was a deliberate move on my part to save the always gut wrenching 6x600m till last on my set of repeats.
Last month on my debut I went:
1.13-37-1.50.7
1.17-37-1.54.8
1.19-37-1.56.7
1.19-37-1.56.6
1.20-40-2.00.1
1.25-41-2.06.2
So plenty room for improvement now at the end of September......

The question was when not if would I get my 6x600m repeats in over the weekend,there had  been an issue regarding Saturday than got resolved in the early hours of Saturday morning so I was able to get up at 9am and cop the last half hour of Spurs Chelski while having my morning cup of rosey and banana b4 stretching and making sure I hit the bathroom b4 heading to Temple,I learnt ny lesson w/ that two weeks ago!
Arrived at the track by 11.05am and got my mile warm up in,during which I gauged the wind direction,at Temple it's not if the wind's blowing it's where,two weeks ago the top turn,last week the home straight today the back straight as I hit 300m....what doesn't kill me makes me stronger yeah???

#1 600m
1.14-37-1.51.1
I said going in that if I could go 1.15-1.17 for the opening 400 and 37 for the closing 200 I should be golden for sub 1.55
#2 600m
1.16-37-1.53.4
So far,so go last month I pretty much"shit the bed" after an opening 400m of 1.13 thankfully a  month down the road my strength and stamina are a lot deeper
#3 600m
1.14-38-1.52.9
Last time out by # 3 and #4 I could feel the wheels coming off,not today!
#4 600m
1.17-37-1.54.4
It didn't help I was forced out into lane 3 at 200m to swing by a pair of joggers,I know I don't have exclusive rights to the inside lane but is there ANY point having signs up all over the track asking walkers/joggers to use the outside lanes????
#5 600m
1.17-36-1.53.9
I needed a stop watch malfunction on the opening 400m like I needed another pair of joggers in lane 1!!!
Note to self,next time I hear a second beep on the stopwatch.......STOP!!!!!
My gut feeling was that extra 400m was going to come back to bite me in the arse on #6......
#6 600M
1.20-39-1.59.7
BOLLOCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew that extra 400m would catch up w/ me and coming off the bottom turn w/ 300m to go for the first time in the session I noticed the wind,a tell tale sign of fatigue,I confess to kind of mailing it in over the final few meters knowing off a 1.20 400m that a 35 200m probably wasn't happening today.

While I'm frustrated #6 got away from me overall today was a big improvement on last months 6x600s so here to going 6/6 at sub 1.55 next month....and no more stopwatch cockups!!!

Spirit Willing,Flesh Weak

So much for a 4th run in 4 days,it sounded doable in theory but as is so often the case theory and practice proved yet again to be "a horse of a different colour"
If I'm being 100% honest I was already feeling a little leg weary b4 the prospect of a 10 miler last nite but I've "been there,done that,got the tshirt to prove it" where running when tired is concerned so it would have been nothing new to drag my old bones out and grind out a 10 miler.....however work chose to be a ballbreaker of epic preportion which pretty much put the tin lid on a run.
I wouldn't say we got a lot of deliveries yesterday but it's a bit of a joke to start work at 6.25am and not go to lunch till 1.40pm...... at any minute I fully expected Matthew Kelly to leap out from a stack of boxes and announce 'I'm Matthew Kelly and you're Game For A Laugh"!!!!

Of course going to lunch late meant getting back to work late which then meant leaving work late and by the time I got home at almost 4.30pm the prospect of stretching and then running 10 miles didn't exactly fill me w/ joy so I passed.
Were this a regular weekend I would be looking at my repeats on Saturday{6x600m} and a 10 miler Sunday to round out a 40 mile week,however I volunteered my services to help two of my friends move tomorrow that threw the proverbial spanner in the works,but according to Eric he thinks were only looking at a four job between 8am and 12pm so either I can hit the track for said repeats in the afternoon and then "go long"on Sunday OR go real easy over 10 miles tomorrow and then "have at it" Sunday for the "Death Cage" aka 6x600m either way that's why I'm not beating myself up over bagging last nites run.....I have the whole weekend to beat myself up over 10 miles and 6x600m....

All Our Yesterdays

Another 8 miler in the books

And another book read.......

I just finished reading Dame Kelly Holmes autobiography "Black White & Gold" which I must say was a fascinating read,it's always fun to read the trials and tribulations of a world class athlete and how some of their struggles can relate to you,ok I won't ever be a double Olympic 800m/1,500m champion or knighted for my services to athletics but reading her struggles to overcome a pesky achilles injury that threatened to derail her career was something myself and alot of runners out there could identify w/.

As for my 8 miler not much to report,sunny and 74 degrees and mostly incident free......mostly!!!
Knowing I still have a 10 miler on tap this evening b4 2 rest days then Sundays all out assault on my 6x600m repeats the last thing I needed was to embroil myself in any "pissing contests"during this run and it was all going to plan till just over a quarter mile past the 5 mile marker{Lloyd Hall on the inbound leg of the run}
Blowing by me on my inside like someone auditioning for a part in "Run Like You Stole It" Mr Back Pack shattered the tranquil nature of my run like a Doc Marten boot through a plain of glass and my instant reaction was to go all Barney Stinson on his arse...."Challenge Accepted" but knowing that there were still 2 and 3/4 miles of this run to go not to mention 10 miles tomorrow I thought better of it.....however my momentum on the downhill along side the Art Museum brought me along side his left shoulder as we crested the uphill......cue cuz going all Olympic trials mode on me and increasing the pace,which as someone who's done the sme thing himself repeatedly should not been seen as a bad thing,anywho w/in another 600m hepuled off to the side as if he was planning to cross the Conrail tracks at the crossing.....glad I didn't waste valuable energies chasing after him afterall and I guess that's the ying and the yang of chasing fellow runners out on a training run you can never be sure how far they're going nor what there running credentials are.

Even though I'm not "officially" timing these runs I can tell you they are more or less ballpark roughly the same pace,as is my won't I eyeball the clock in my bedroom as I leave for my run and eyeball it again when I return,the 8 milers have all been w/in a minute or two of eachother the past two weeks and Tuesdays 10 miler was only 15 minutes slower PLUS they are ALL faster then what they were a couple of weeks ago....#aworkinprogressthatsgettingthere

You Don't Need A Weatherman To Know Which Way The Wind Blows.....

Since I was given the all clear to resume training at the start of August I've enjoyed every day that I've been able to run,even the "grind em till you find em" runs and the two "bonks" because even though they weren't great running experiences at least I was running......it's been a while since I went into a run NEEDING to run for fear of choking the living shit out of someone......YESTERDAY was that day which just like the proverbial cheque had always been in the mail!!!

I won't bore you w/ a ton of work related TMI bullshit but I will say this much if I owned an airbrush or knew someone w/ an airbrush I'd be sporting a "People Only Listen To Me When I Fart" tshirt at work today to get my point across,I was once told by a former manager that "communication is key" and "it all starts w/ the loading dock" I was also once told by a former analyst controler that "the loading dock is where it all starts,you guys are the first line of defense"........so you'll excuse me if I don't distance myself from people who habitually "piss in my ear and tell me it's rain" where the loading dock is concerned,if I've learnt ANYTHING in the 14 years I've been here it's that the loading dock more often than not is the LAST place to know about major/big deliveries and that shit rolls one way downhill and myself and my two coworkers are rooted firmly at the foot of that hill!!!!!

Needless to say any day that contains yours truly slamming doors almost off their hinges not once,not twice but three times and has one of my regular drivers saying "you look like you're in a great mood" as he's backing away from me is a day that a run is the best remedy for the ails that are causing such events,it just so happened that I had a 10 miler on tap which was a big help as I had PLENTY of steam to blow off!!!!
Conditions were sunny and a "whopping 72 degrees" but I could still feel a breeze coming off the Schuylkill River as I made my way up and down the banks and Kelly Dr.
Knowing I have another 8/10 split scheduled for today and tomorrow I knew I couldn't expend too much energy today but that didn't stop me from treating this run like my last three 8 milers,work the up hills and downhills and throw in a few stretchs of sustained leg turnover during the run.

Last week finally felt like I'd gotten my speed,strength and stamina up to par and a classic example happened last nite between mile 6 and 7.
I recall a run last month where I was overtaken by a female runner heading up towards the Art Museum,part of me said "let her go" but male ego screamed"fuck that chase after her and overtake her!!!" she continued to pull away from me at a rate of knots that meant as I made a left onto Kelly Dr at Lloyd Hall she was already disapperaring out of sight a quarter mile further up Kelly Dr never to be spotted again.......
Last nite just after the 6 mile mark another female runner blew by me....my gut reaction was to give chase and restore male ego points but I caught myself thinking of the 4 miles left on this run not to mention the 18 miles on tap over the next two nites as she ran maybe 4 seconds ahead of me.....
Coming off the slightest of downhills on the otherside of the Girard Ave bridge I used that downhill to freewheel and pass her.....order restored....or so I thought till just b4 the 1/4 mile marker at the start of the approach to Boathouse Row as she came up along side my left shoulder.....I lenghthened my stride and worked on leg turn over over the next 1/4 mile and didn't see or hear from her again and continued to cruise the final 3 miles of my run w/ my "manhood" intact.......props where they're due she was game for the challenge but I was slightly more motivated in the Male Chauvinst Pig one miler last nite,I may have won little friends in the female runner sorority but I wasn't slamming doors off their hinges when I got home either.....alls well that ends well I guess???

Welcome To The Autumnal Equinox

Where do we go from here? the sun is shining,look into the nighttime sky a star is calling
As seasons change why are you so afraid?in darkness you;ll see a new light
Fall-Berlin

Or Fall to those of you who haven't swallowed a dictonary for breakfast!
Yes folks Summer is officially in the books and for only the second time since 2006 it was a summer w/out track and a Outdoor National Championships but hopefully my sabatical has allowed me to recharge the batteries and do what I need to do this off season to put me in  a position to restablish myself w/in the ranks of masters track for the upcoming season/seasons.

Having wisley sat out Sundays long run to allow my tender achilles more time to recover from whatever had agravated it on Saturday I was anxious to get Mondays 8 miler under my belt period but also get this week off to a positive start.
Having offered my services to a pair of friends who are moving on Saturday weeks ago I didn't want to be "that guy" who said oh sure I'll help you guys move and then come the day of say "oh it's today... I can't make it" so I rescheduled my 6x600m repeats for Sunday which is no biggie but in order to get a 5 day/40 mpw in I now need to log 2x8 miles and 2x10 miles between Monday and Friday,not the worst thing in the world,I was thinking 8,10,rest day 8,10 which had doable written all over it till I realized Friday presents "issues" SOOOO now I'm looking at the same schedule only w/out the Wednesday rest day.....still doable providing the weather and my achilles cooperate........

Conditions were sunny and mild/warm  as I set off at 4.20pm,shades sunny but not sleeveless warm and frankly by the time I reached the Schuylkill Banks the wind coming off the Schuykill river made me glad I'd gone the short sleeve route.
67 degrees according to trusty old Peco Tower nice running conditions whichallowed me to work up a slight sweat.
Felt like I did last Tuesday and Wednesday over the same out and back 8 miler,solid throughout the run,able to work the hills both up and down and able to pick up the pace when required and thankfully no achilles issues.
The 10 miler today shouldn't present any issues..he said hopefully and I believe conditions are meant to get slightly warmer this week,I'd say it's all "coming up roses" but frankly if you are planting roses or anything at this time of year your probably SOL........of course this is a fine time of year to be "sowing seeds" for the coming year......where's my copy of the Farmers Almanac when I need it??

Knowing When To Say When

In running as in life it's a fine line between common sense of not doing something that you suspect could blow up in your face or doing it hoping to god it dosen't blow up in your face.......
from the time I stepped off the track on Saturday afternoon my right achilles was as tender as fuck,even after my post run stretch and ice routine it still bothered me when I called it a nite at 10.30pm.....the fact it was still sore when I awoke at 8am did not bode well for my Sunday long run {10 miles} or for that matter a run of any length.

I even iced B4 my run,something I don't normally do such was the extent of the tenderness so it was no great surprise that w/in 10 strides of my run I stopped and thought better of it.
Yes I'm miffed to have to nix any run but in what had been in my opinion the best week of training since the resumption of my regular training schedule eight weeks ago this was a cruel blow but it'd have been far crueler to have either bonked on the run or made a bad situation worse so I said "enough is enough" for this week and made do w/ a 4 day 30 mile week,opting to lose a day to see another day.

W/ hindsight{such a wonderful thing I know!!} maybe I need to nix the 400m recovery jog inbetween sets of my 8x300x200x300 repeats,maybe those two extra miles on top of my four miles of repeats w/ a mile warm up and cool down is too much,in the death of winter I can't imagine wanted to be out there any longer than need be,since I do have that repeat scheduled again till October 19th I don't have to decide here and now what plan of action I need to take.
As for the upcoming week,I'll take it day by day,as yesterday wore on the tenderness subsided and in a pinch maybe I could've ran in the afternoon but again sometimes knowing when to say when is the better call than being a "mileage whore" and potentially missing days this coming week by agravating an already inflamed achilles,I've spent enough time on a PT bed both this year and 4 years ago to not heed the warning signs......

Momentary Lapse In Reason

Last month when I ran my 8x300x200x300m repeats for only the second time I ever I managed a respectable series of:54.0-33.8-54.3-52.7-34.3-54.8-55.1-35.8-55.9-56.5-36.8-56.7-57.6-36.5-55.2-55.7-35.7-56.2-55.6-36.6-57.3-56.0-37.2-54.7
As w/ all my repeats this month my first goal was an overall improvement on what I'd ran last month but also w/ this set of repeats I hoped to eliminate the 57 second 300s and 37 200s....easier said than done when thee are 16x300s and 800x200.....but that's the name of the game.
Although I was all business when I arrived at Temple's track by 12.15pm i couldn't help but think about what had gone on earlier in the morning a few hours up the turnpike in Upper Manhatten......the 5th Avenue Mile.

I've had some wonderful moments at 5th Avenue Mile overall winner in 07 and 08 and age group winner in 09,10 and 11 however I've "side stepped" the fall classic the past two years.
Last year I wasn't ready mentally or physically and while this year I at least had my "head on straight" physically at only 8 weeks into my return to training I didn't feel I could bring my A game to this years race, as long as I continue {for now} my once a week trek to the track b4 eventually making it a bi weekly thing then I see no reason NOT to be able  clock at least 68 second 400s,this years winning time in the M50 race was 4.33,4x68=4.32......

Conditions were as close to ideal as I could hope for when I hit the track at 12.15pm,it's not a deliberate ploy on my part to get to the track later and later each week but it does allow me to make the most of the current conditions b4 fall sweeps through and makes it a free for all in the ensiuing months.
I could've done w/out the head wind on the home straight period but the potential of havibg to battle it 24 times at the end of each repeat,yea!!!!
53.4-34.3-53.3-52.4-34.2-52.2-54.7-35.5-55.6-54.2-36.2-54.9-55.2-35.9-56.0-55.3-36.9-56.3-56.2-36.6-55.0-54.8-35.8-54.5

It's been a while since I've collapsed in a heap on the infield at the compleation of a repeat workout,then again it's probably been a while since I've worked that hard in a repeats session, but anytime I can use the classic Carl Lewis quote "I just wanted to know I left it all out there on the track" I know I've given it everything I had.
Let's see if next month I can't eliminate the 56 and 36 second splits......this 8x300x200x300 repeat is becoming my "go to" repeat

Hittting {Joaquim} Cruz Control

I always knew coming off of almost a years inactivity that it'd take a while for me to hit my stride once I returned to training,I also knew I had time on my side w/ no races planned till the indoor season so there was no need or muchless no point on setting a time limit on when I might return to the level I thought I should be at,it would happen when it happened and when it did I'd know it and then hopefully raise the level of my training so I could reach the next plateau.......maybe just maybe I reached that first level this week.

Mondays 6 miler was encouraging given how last week had fallen apart and Tuesdays 8 miler underlined that Monday wasn't a fluke or one off,the trick now was to keep pushing the envelope to see  IF infact I had turned a corner here in week eight of training.
Setting off at roughly 4.20pm conditions were sunny{shades} and warm 70 degrees {sleeveless running shirt} as I made my way down to the South St bridge and the Schuylkill Banks and Kelly Dr.
The little signs of improvement have been there all week,the increased leg turnover,the ability to "freewheel" the handful of downhills this course offers and also work the uphills also but also now speeding up to beat the lights where as up untill last week I was content to take the red lite and the breather it offered,all of this may not sound like much but when you've been running for 37 years and counting you get an idea of when things are falling into place,and this week sofar has felt like it....long may that continue.

Granted the cooler conditions are probably helping but not the sole reason for the spike in performances,neither should my daily intake of Vitamin D and Magnesium tablets be considered a sole reason for this weeks improvment in the way I feel but those two combined w/ the fact that w/ eight weeks of near consistant training my body is hopefully responding to the almost daily training schedule,I always felt getting my body and brain on the same wavelength would be a boost in performance levels and thus far this week that has been the case,the trick will be to continue to ride this wave.

I have back to back days off now b4 I tackle my 8x300x200x300m repeats on Saturday and then go long {10 miles} on Sunday for hopefully a 5 day/40 mile week,it's a bit early to be talking about "the dawning of a new era" where my training is concerned but I do feel I've turned a corner this week.

Bobby Moore,The Spirit Of 66 And All That

So I guess the sixty four billion dollar question is "what caption and picture would I have chosen if the temprature had been 69 degrees???".....I guess we'll have to cross,burn,jump,paint that bridge when the time comes!!
So we've established it was a 66 degree day when I ran,the coolest it's been in the eight weeks since I resumed training,it's only going to get cooler but according to the boffins at the Met Temps will heat up a little over the coming days,80 degrees on the weekend......don't put away those sleeveless running shirs just yet!

I set off around 4.20pm conditions may've been 5 degrees cooler than Monday but at least the sun was out which always helps.
I was cautious not to get carried away by Mondays 6 miler but it was evident early on into this run I was feeling a lot better than last week,even though Friday will mark my 14th anniversary working at the hospital I'm no medical expert but I do think last weeks "grind em till ya find em" and "bonk" were health related and seemingly I'm over that issue now so hopefully full steam ahead.
I was "kicking out the clutch" on the downhills,working the up hills and getting much more leg turnover than I have been of late,maybe it's the cooler weather,maybe it's the incentive of getting home to catch the tail end of "Crowd Goes Wild" and my girl Georgie Thompson and or the fact that in week eight of training maybe just maybe it's all starting to come together but whatever the reason last nite felt like days of old,and that dear reader can only be a good thing for yours truly.

Another 8 miler on tap this afternoon/evening,I'm still not sure the 8.4m tempo run is part of the weekly program but if I can continue to feel this good then maybe it's not too far away but for now lets take one training run at a time and see what comes of that b4 thinking about global domination......run locally,think globally!!!!

Start As You {Hopefully} Mean To Go On

After a less than satisfying week b4{4 days at 25 miles} I needed to "right the ship" and get back to the 5 day/40mpw plateau that I believe will aid and abet my off season as I continue to lay the groundwork for the upcoming track season.
The plan this week he said tentativly holding his breath and crossing his fingers was 6 miles,8 miles,8 miles,8 miles of repeats and a Sunday long ran of 10 miles to round out a 40 mile week.....piece of cake he said....

It's not like I haven't "been there,done that" in recent weeks,I said at the end of August I needed to be consistant in that 5 day/40mpw  schedule and having "nailed it" in week one it felt like a backwards step last week to fall short but that  was last week and if I could kick this week off w/ an incident free 6 miler I'd be on my way to hopefully another 40 mile week.
Conditions were overcast when I set off at 4.40pm.....having made sure to get my achilles stretches in b4 hand this time....I ditched my shades for this run.....and my sleeveless running shirt......yep summer is coming to an end.

A couple of weeks ago I lamented on the fact the temps had dropped to 77 degrees,well on the outbound leg of this 6 mie miler Peco Tower was showing 70 degrees,71 on the inbound leg....either way things are cooling off.
One thing NOT cooling off is my ability to "accept a challenge" I happened to notice "shirtless bandana man" coming down the Market St bike ramp as I ran along the Schuylkill Bank and w/in 200m he went by me.....fair enough but then he not only slowed down but kept looking over his left shoulder to see  if I was going to return the complement.....I thought it best to put his neck muscles out of their misery and went by him w/in 200m and didn't see him again till I turned at Lloyd Hall to head back down the banks.

While this issue of knee lift still feels contentious my leg turnover was far greater on this run,I was able to "freewheel" the downhills nand work the uphills,something that's been lacking in recent weeks,granted it was only a 6 miler off of basically back to back 5 milers but when your confidence and self beliefe have taken a battering of late you'll take any positives and run w/ them.....no pun intended!.
Granted there will be sterner test this week kicking off w/ an 8 miler tonite but it was a good start to the week.....let's hope it continues!

Greek Tragedy Meets Morning At The Improv

Oh boy! it's been a while since I've encountered "one of those mornings" where my run is concerned but coming two days after Friday The Threeteenth maybe it was to be expected?
The fact circumstances had dictated a switch from Saturday to Sunday for my weekly reapeats should NOT have distracted me from my pre run rituals and routines and YET.........

Error number 1,at 10.24am I looked at the #34 trolley schedule.....10.29am and w/ that flew out the door and down the three flights of steps and two blocks to the trolley stop........W/OUT doing my pre run achilles stretches!!!!!!!DOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I probably should've turned back and gone home to take care of them since they only take five minutes and the next trolley was scheduled at 10.49am period.....the tenderness in my achilles this morning serves as a ringing endorsement to that,also if I had of it would have eliminated error # 2.

Error number 2,knowing I have a small bladder{drink a pint,piss a gallon basically!!!}I should have made a point to hit the bathroom b4 leaving.....I didn't and lo and behold upon reaching Temple's track w/in 40 minutes of leaving my first reaction was "I need a bathroom" which is a problem at Temple since there are no restroom facilities not even a portajohn available....hard to run repeats w/ a full bladder trust me!
W/out going full blown TMI I will say I was able to alleviate the problem but it was far from ideal,note to self b4 Saturday scheduled 8x300x200x300m repeats....STRETCH & USE THE BATHROOM!!!

Oh but the hits they kept a coming! following my mile warm up I got into my repeat gear and headed over to the 200m start,I pushed the start button as I crossed the line and thought nothing of it untill I completed the opening 400m.....only to discover a stopwatch malfunction and 55 seconds showing for my opening 400m!!!!!!
As if it weren't bad enough I now couldn't get the watch to function so not only had I blown the opening 400m but now the watch woudn't allow me to reset......anything wanna go wrong this morning???
When I did eventually reset the watch I headed back over to the 200m start to try again,last time out I hoped to run 1.20 per lap w/ a 35 second 200m for 3.15 which would prove to be a tad too rich for my blood this early into my return to 5x1,000m repeats and w/ hindsight maybe 1.25 per lap w/a 40 second 200m would give me a 3.30 split?

#1 1,000m
1.13-1.24-32=3.19.9
Jesus!!! talk about the "toothpaste is already out of the tube!!!!" a 1.13 opening lap period ontop of a false start already.......#notmymorning
I felt fast over the opening 200m but was stunned to see 1.13 at 400m and slowed down,glass half full it's good to know I have a 1.13 in me,glass half empty I still had another 9 400m laps and 6 200s to run!!

#2 1,000m
1.25-1.24-41=3.30.1
A little more like it,close to the  splits I was looking for but that false start and opening 400m were going to come back to bite me in the arse I felt.

#3 1,000m
1.23-1.26-41=3.30.9.
Was pleasently surprised w/ the opening 1.23 but lost a little juice over the second 400m but still managed to get under the 3.30 barrier.....just!

#4 1,000m 1.24-1.28-41=3.33.2.
 Opening w/ 1.24 I thought back to back 1.24s would set me up nicely for a 3.30 but the shananigns at the start of my workout robbed me of that hope.

#5 1,000m
1.26-1.28-37=3.30.8.
After the opening 1.26 lap I knew I'd have to dig deep over the closing 600m to get under 3.30,the 1.28 didn't help any but the closing 200m in 37 seconds brought some solice to an otherwise frustrating interval session

Granted I'd improved on week twos feeble opening round of 5x1,000m
3.20.2-3.34.8-3.45.4-3.47-3.30.9 and only for the back to back second lap 1.28s on #4 and #5 had kept each lap at 1.26 and under after a comedy of errors start to my workout,one could hope for less comedy and farce next time out on Oct 13th.

Switching My Dancing Shoes For Running Shoes

As I said on Friday I was not only willing to blow off my monthly 80's nite at Voyeur and save my legs for the weekend but I made good on that offer,file it under "for the greater good"!!
Up by 9.30am since I'd gotten to bed at a respectable hour{11pm} I had my ritual pre ran breakfast of a cup of tea and a banana while catching up on the current comings and goings of Albert Square in "Eastenders"....I say current we've eight and a half years behind the present storyline the episodes I just watched were from Valentines Day 2005......and w/ PBS showing no signs of increasing it's weekly episodes from two a week I guess we'll never get caught up,I know I'm the poster child for the 80's and all things retro but sweet Jesus!!!!

Out the door by 10.30am,early on into my run I felt the goosebumps on my arms....not from the fear of another bonk but from the dip in temprature,the sun may've been out but it was a typical end of summer /early fall kind of morning,note to self  get some of my dri fit short sleeve running shirts ready they could be pressed into action sooner than I thought!!
I opted for a 5 miler to put me on tap for a 25 mile week{10 miles Tuesday,5 miles Wednesday,5 miles Saturday and 5 miles Sunday a mile warm up and coo down either side of my 5x1,000m repeats}

While my run along the Schuylkill Bank was limited I made my turn around at the Art Museum I had enough runners in front of me or running towards me to observe their knee lift and leg turnover.....to be honest I didn't see a whole heck of a lot of difference from theirs to mine so maybe I'm overthinking this whole issue,that said post run I did buy some vitamins to hopefully boost my recent sub par performances,in 2011 when the whole anemia issue rose to the fore I was poppin' Iron Pills firstly on a daily basis then once a week plus Vit D and E b4 eventually stopping as I didn't think I needed them anymore.....the recent struggles on my runs have underlined a need to do that again so as well as my daily intake of Vit C I'm now back on a weekly regament on Iron Pills plus daily Vit D and Magnesium lets see if they make a difference?

Prince,Pauper,Vagabond.King

If only my knee lift and leg turnover were as razor sharp as my wordplay I wouldn't have been sitting out my  scheduled 8 miler last nite,instead I found myself working on the arse grooves of my recliner but at least I got to see my girl Georgie Thompson on "Crowd Goes Wild" so it wasn't a complete bust!!

I couldn't help but think about how for the second time this week I had to sit out a training run and yet still found the ability to blog......it's a far cry from this time last year when the desire,drive and heart to run was only matched by the lack of passion for my blog....hence the "Sign Of The Times" quote.......see method,madness I don't just throw this shit together at the last minute a lot of careful consideration goes into my daily bloggin'!!!!
Hopefully back to back days off will see my knee lift and leg turnover return,if not w/ a vengence then at least some modicum of fight,I'm strongly considering nixing my monthly homage to the 80's at Voyeur tonite as it would feel like a bit of a piss take to sit out an 8 miler but then go clubbin' till 3.20am.

Even w/ no clubbin' tonite I will stick to Sunday for my repeats,w/ the Rock N Roll Philadelphia half marathon on Sunday I'd rather hit the Schuylkill Banks tomorrow for an easy 6 miler than deal w/ the overcrowding that's going to be an issue on Sunday while I'm miles away over at the track at Temple far from the maddening crowd.
This feels like a good weekend for staying off my feet and resting my legs,I'm not too bothered w/ the 6 miler tomorrow but I want to cain the 5x1,000m repeats Sunday so getting caught up on my 15 hours of "Luther" "Law & Order UK" ''The Bridge" "Copper" and "Broadchurch" seems like a plan

Running On Empty

I can still remember my run on Tuesday September 11th 2001,after coming home from work and switching on the tv to watch the horrors of the day unfold over and over again I reached a point where I couldn't watch anymore and got into my running clothes and headed out the door for my 10 mile run.
Back then I lived in Port Richmond so my route was along Deleware Ave,hang a right onto Spring Garden upto the Art Museum and along Kelly Dr to the 1 mile marker b4 turning and heading home.
At 6pm you'd expect a decent amount of trafic on the roads but not that evening,the roads were unusally quite obviously as it seem the whole nation and come to a full stop not quite believing what had happened that faithful morning in New York,DC and Pennsylvania and even though the flight path to Philadelphia International airport was overhead not a solitary plane filled the sky.....it was a very surreal feeling.

Seldom has a day gone by when I don't think of the events of 911 twelve years ago it will forever live w/ us and even though I wasn't directly effected by it it's hard bordering on impossible not to be shaken by the actions of those who commited such horrors on our nation,as I've said repeatedly 911 was our generations Pearl Harbour.

As I've said b4 one of the hardest things for me is to blog a bad run/race the day after but it has to be done.
For whatever reason/reasons I've been struggling of late,I thought Sundays "grind em till you find em" last 3 miles of my 10 miler was a one off but still took the precaution of taking Monday as a day off just in case,I didn't feel any problems over Tuesdays 10 milers although the issue of knee lift and leg turnover was there again at the end of the run......
I delibertely set off at a slow pace yesterday given the 92 degree temps....yep that's NOT a typo 92 degrees,it never hit 90 during August and yet here were are not even half way through September at 90 degs.....#whatthefuck
W/ only an 8 miler on tap I was reasonably confident of taking care of business having taken care of back to back 10 milers....."how fickle fate can be" once sang Beth Orton!!

I reached the 4 mile mark w/out any issues....other than the omnipresent lack of knee lift and leg turnover.....cue the Monty Python quote"still I was getting used to it by then!!!" however what I wasn't used to was coming to an abrupt halt  w/in 3/4s of a mile of the turnaround....the abrupt halt in running is akin to the conversation that starts w/ "we need to talk".....nothing good ever comes from either!!!
I walked the 1/4 mile to Lloyd Hall hoping that a visit to the water fountain would cure my every was ailing me.....#wishfulthinking
W/in 30 meters of restarting I pulled up again.....call me steak cos the proverbial fork had just been stuck into me and a long three mile walk home beckoned......oh the unbridaled joy in 92 degrees w/ sweat pouring off of me!!!!
I must have cut a forlorn figure walking down the Schuylkill Banks casting envious glances at every runner who went by me but none more so than one female runner whos knee lift not only seemed "text book" but I also noticed the back lift her feet made.......why am I unable to reproduce that kind of motion at the moment???

It's impossible to correct a problem when I'm not 100% sure what the problem is in the first place,and thus begins the time honoured dilemma of how to go about correcting this current glitch in my training when I don't really know I'm suffering a dramatic loss in knee lift and leg turnover  to begin w/#conudrum
I will sit tomorrow out,there seems little point being a "mileage whore" at the moment gouging 40 miles a week when the quality of said mileage is below par,Friday is my token day off anyway and I'll see "which way the wind blows" Saturday as to getting a run in b4 hitting the track Sunday and hope by then whatever has ailed me this week has worked it's way through my system,they say" a week in running can be a long time"....they're not wrong this week!

Indian Summer Sky

In the ocean cut,swim deep the sky like there I don't know why.
In the forest there's a clearing I run towards the light Sky...it's a blue sky to lose along the way the     spark that set the flame,to flicker and to fade on this the longest day

Indian Summer Sky-U2

Seems like it was only last week I was lamenting the end of summer w/ the "unofficial" end of summer time Labour Day and temps of 81 and 77 degrees on Tuesday and Thursdays runs so you can imagine me doing a double take when I thought I heard them call for 90 degrees today....the pile of sweat soaked running clothes on my living room floor confirmed my hearing is good.....88 degrees,that said little humidity and frankly there's a world of difference running in 88 degs in September as there is in August w/ the humidity kickin' in,that said I suspect having to go w/ different running clothes tonite as I somehow doubt what I wore yesterday will have dried off come 4.30pm this afternoon!!!
Following Sundays "grind em till you find em" finish over the last three miles of my 10 miler I could be forgiven for going into todays 10 miler a little on the backfoot,granted envoking my rest day Monday would hopefully help recover from whatever may have been ailing me but in the back of my mind was the nagging thought that "all systems were not go" and rather than throw caution to the wind I should approach this run w/ a modicum of caution lest I have to make more changes to my week having already played my "rest day" card early in the week by sitting Monday out.

Nothing felt out of the ordinary as I set off at 4.30pm and soon found myself on the Schuylkill Banks leading to Kelly Dr and the 2 mile turn around point for  a 10 miler,just as I was reaching the turn around I saw my friend and team mate Sean Harbison running towards me.......funny I don't recall asking for a Doctor????
Sean was 4 miles into his 6 miler beginning and ending at Lloyd Hall so we ran the next 2 miles together shoot the breeze and "talking shop" ....running and hospitals "the good doctor" is leaving Temple next month to become Chief Surgeon at Penn where hopefully the prestige of his title will mean getting treated accordingly I think Temple have "taken liberties" w/ Sean over the years,how does your chief surgeon end up "on call" all the time????
Anyways "putting the world to right" for 2 miles till Lloyd Hall meant I wasn't preoccupied w/ the sweat rolling off me or worrying about a repeat of Sunday and while my knee lift and leg turn over weren't prolific I didn't have to dig deep again to see out the closing three miles a la Sunday.

W/ the weeks "long run" in the books now I can focus on shorter 8 mile runs between today and Saturday b4 taking on my 5x1,000m repeats on Sunday and hopefully putting another 5 day/40mpw in the books.

Sitting This One Out

Following Sundays less than stellar finish to my 10 miler I opted to use my rest day Monday to give my legs the chance to regenerate for the week ahead.
One of the pluses of working off of a 5 day traing week is having a rest day during the week,orginally the plan for this week had been a 10 miler on Monday,8 miler on Tuesday,rest day Wednesday,8.4mile tempo run Thursday,rest day Friday,8 miler Saturday,5x1,000m Sunday......this however went out the window sometime Sunday lunchtime as I had to adopt a "grind em till you find em" mindset over the last three miles of my 10 miler.

There was no outwardly signs of a problem Monday,I have been sneezing on and off since Friday nite and maybe the dip in temprature at nite caught me off guard and I've caught a slight chill w/ all my windows wide open but rather than go through another "grind it out 10 miler" I elected to take a complete rest day,if there was an internal issue a days rest might be just what the doctor ordered rather than continuing to grind through it and potentially making things worse.
I'll tackle the 10 miler tonite,why the urge to get my "long run" in so early this week you ask period muchless in the lite of Sundays less than steller performance?
As a rule I like to go repeat/long run on the weekend and not vice versa for obvious reasons but this weekend threw up two obstacles in that plan,Friday is a clubbin' nite and frankly dancing till 3am does little for ones repeat times some eight hours later so I figured I'd switch to Sunday and if I was doing that did I want to run 10 miles b4 a repeat session muchless off a long nite on the dance floor? ergo the decision to switch the 10 miler w/ an 8 miler early in the week,I also didn't fancy the prospect of a tempo run on the back of a 10 miler hence the decision to get said 10 miler taken care of Monday or Tuesday......method madness resolved!

Also w/ the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Philly this weekend Kelly Dr will be busting at the seems on Sunday and far better for me to be doing what I've got to do there on Saturday b4 heading to Temple's track on Sunday for my weekly repeats.
Another plus of sitting out any weekday is being able to enjoy the new Fox Sports One weekly talk show "Crowd Goes Wild' hosted by Regis Philbin it's panel includes the devine Ms Georgina "Georgie" Thompson pictured above.
Between 2001 and 2012 Georgie was a regular host on Britain's Sky Sports News which is where she came to my attention more often than not the 5pm hour was shown here at 12pm on the now defunct Fox Soccer Channel,the six weeks I was off work in early 08 w/ my stress fracture allowed me to watch the 12pm edition every Monday thro Friday......let me tell ya Georgie kept me warm many a January afternoon!!
She left Sky Sports News last year{much to every housewife and girlfriends delight I'm sure!!} to join Sky Sports F1 coverage of the Formula One season but w/in a year of that she left only to resurface here stateside on the new Fox Sports One daily talk show along Regis Philbin and adds beauty and brains to the daily sports related talk show,suddenly 5pm on a weekday just got a LOT more attractive don't you agree!!!

Doing My Best Ben Kingsley

Most people see or hear the name Ben Kingsley and automatically think ''Gandhi" but for this blog entry you'll need to be familur w/ his role of Don Logan in "Sexy Beast"
If you've seen "Sexy Beast" then you'll know Ben Kingsley's dramatic opening line is "I need to change  my shirt,I,m sweating like a @#$%" well that's how I felt after 7 miles of my Sunday 10 miler.

Setting off around 10.40am following the Italian Grand Prix I headed into my traditional Sunday long run w/ no real worries or concerns,10 miles would give me my required 5 day/40mpw and I'd already successfully logged four 10 milers in the space of twelve days upto Aug 28th.
Conditions were or so I thought ideal sunny and warm Peco Tower doesn't operate during the day time so I don't get my exact temprature reading along the Schuylkill Banks and whle the US Open tennis has been on I haven't caught the NBC news to get a 7 day forecast so I've no ideal what the expected mercury level was......judging for the state of my so called dri fit shirt by mile 7 hot!!
I love running in September for numerous reasons,the conditions tend to be "runner friendly" and the Schuylkill Banks and Kelly Drive tend to be populated w/ a larger number of runners than anyother time of year,I think it's a combination of the weather,the start of the fall semester for schools and colleges,the fact that October always feels like National 5k month where you can't turn around on a weekend w/out a local 5k race being held and then there's the fall marathon fraternity prepping for Chicago,Twin Cities,New York and Philly so I'm not short of people to run w/ while I'm out there.

Even on a Sunday long run where the object is to just get the miles in at a leisurely pace I found myself having to give the running equivilent of a bitch slap to a would be overtaker.
It's not an ego trip w/ me,but IF you're gonna overtake me do it w/ conviction all that huffin' and puffin' as you go by me.....the you slow the hell down w/in a few paces.....wtf!!!!!! no wonder I reclaim "pole position" w/in  a few meters and then repell your futile attempts to overtake me again,it came as no majot surprise I didn't see this guy till I'd turned at 5 miles and began heading back along Kelly Dr.
W/ 3 miles to go I was  struck by two things,how wet my dri fit shirt was and how non exsistant my knee lift and leg turnover was.
I doubt there was any link between both I will say my shirt was SO wet I thought about pealing it off and running the last three mile shirtless,but I didn't want to tempt fate by stopping plus I'm not a big advocator of the shirtless look during the run.....but ladies please feel free to run w/out yours if you feel the urge to!!

As is often the case on my 8 or 10 mile runs my feeling was once I got to the South St bridge I was almost home but it was getting there that may be problematic,I'm not keen on stopping for the sake of stopping during the run,it's one thing if it's a call of nature or your sholeace is undone but stopping because you're tired kind of smacks of cheating, I mean you don't stop on a dime during a race so why do it in training?
As is more often than not the case I caught the red lite which allowed me a "legal breather" but thankfully as is often the case on a Sunday long run the traffic was lite so the few red lites I hit from there on along the route home didn't offer too long of a stop,there was still the possibility of the dreaded "bonk" so the less slowing and stopping the better as I was now reduced to the "soft shoe shuffle"
Thankfully years of marathon training have prepared me "grinding it out" over the closing miles of far longer runs and I had no problem making my way up the final mile of Baltimore/Cedar Aves and finishing off the run.
It's been a while since I've finished a run of any distance w/ my hands on my knees catching my breath outside my front door,I still stand by the mindset that it's good to be humbled now and again to keep you honest and remind you that on any given day when you least expect it you could be asked to work a little harder than you antisipated to see the run through to the bitter end.
Making my way up the three flights of stairs to my apparment I was only too happy tp peal off my sleeveless dri fit running shirt.the wack it made as it hit my left shoulder blade confirmed just how wet it was and the promptness in which it was dispatched into my laundry bag upon entering "Chez Forde" would have no doubt had Ben Kingsley smiling......

Quantum Leap

I don't think for one second Saturdays mile repeats will cause any sleepless nites w/in the M50 mile fraternity but they were a quantum leap from were I began a month ago.
As a refresher my splits and overall times last month were:
1.28-1.28-1.28-1.31=5.55.9
1.33-1.36-1.39-1.34=6.22.2
1.33-1.38-1.35-1.32=6.18.1
1.35-1.36-1.37-1.19=6.07.3
I said then that heading into the next set of mile repeats if I could eliminate the 1.30 plus laps I'd be in good shape and probably in sub 6 minute mile shape.
Arriving at Temple's track at 11.55am conditions were close to idyllic as possible,sunny and warm w/out being too hot to be productive at midday,the wind guages in the northeast corner of the track at the beginning of the top turn were twirlling when I first arrived but I have to say on all 20 laps down the back straight I never experienced any issues w/ the wind which always helps.
Mile warm up completed it was have at it time.

#1 mile
1.21-1.26-1.27-1.26=5.40.1
Opening w/ a 1.21 lap not only set me up nicely but was also 7 seconds faster than were I opened last month,could I continue in that vein?
#2 mile
1.25-1.29-1.30-1.24=5.48.7
Would like to see laps 2 and 3 a little quicker in the coming months and I susspect w/ more strength and speed below my belt I'll get that wish.
#3 mile
1.26-1.29-1.31-1.28-5.54.5
Was guilty of backing off over the closing 400m in order to save my legs for the final mile,next month I believe I'll have not only the confidence but also the strength to run a harder third mile and still drop the hammer on the final mile.
#4 mile
1.28-1.27-1.30-1.23=4.48.3
Not a bad way to wrap things up,not exactly a closing kick w/ 200m to go but  I was able to lengthen my stride when I had to.

I said after August 11th's mile repeat debut if I could eliminate the 1.30 plus splits I'd be in good shape,now heading into Octobers mile repeats I'd like to keep each split between 1.25-1.28 to furthur lower my mile repeats,getting down to 5.30's would be nice.

Doing My Best Eric Neis

Blame it on Chuck Klosterman,I just got done reading his book "Sex,Drugs And Coco Puffs" where he mentioned MTV's "The Real World" and I will confess back in the beginning of "The Real World" I would tune in on a regular basis,I recall the New York season which featured Eric Neis as one of the housemates,he would later go on to appear in MTV's "The Grind" anyhow that's probably where the image of Eric Neis and "The Grind" sprung to mind as I headed out the door yesterday afternoon for my 8 miler.....given how tired I felt it was always going to be a grind!

I knew i had to get the run in,I'd burnt my rest day on Monday citing fatigue from a long day at the US Open so arse draggin' or not it was home,stretch,change and out the door for an 8 miler.
Now b4 I get beaten over the head w/ this YES I did say at the start of the week Thursdays would be the start of my 8.4 mile tempo run around the Art Museum Loop.....seems like I've citing this for the past few weeks but after my 8 miler w/ Nick and then The Mission concert I knew it wasn't happening this evening and by the time I made the turnaround at 4 miles I felt justified in that call,next to no knee lift and very little leg turnover......maybe next Thursday for the tempo run!

Remember on Tuesday when I was waxing lyrical about it being 81 degrees? yesterday it was 77 degrees and while its nice not to be sweating like a pig on my runs it is another reminder that summer is about to turn to fall ergo the need to cherrish each great weather day we get from here on in as they will be few and far between b4 becoming fond memories.

Hangln' W/ Mr Berra

I know "social media" has become a daily part of the fabric of our day to day lives over the past few years and has some people devided on it's existence,some will wonder how they lived w/out b4 it came such a part of their lives,others wonder what all the fuss is about.
Granted when abused Facebook can be a pain,seriously NO ONE cares if you "just ate a Bagel" and I probably skirt the parameters of abuse w/ all the cat picures I post....what can I say"never saw a cute cat picture I didn't feel the need to "like" or "share""
But when used correctly Facebook can be a useful tool in setting up social gatherings....behold as I transport you to the "Facebook Zone".....

While I was on my competitive sabatical I tended not to read anyone elses blogs,or check Masterstrack.Com or even my clubs website but as I returned to the fold I began to revisit said sites,not only had my friend and team mate Nick Berra won the USATF Road Mile in Pittsburgh recently but also won the clubs Track Pentathlon something I know a little about as I won the 5 race event back in 2010 so I reached out via Facebook to offer my congrats to him and  ask if he had any plans to be in my neck of the woods anytime soon.
Over the past few years Nick and I have been able to sync our schedules to either do a track workout together or more often than not run upto the Art Museum and beyond along Kelly Drive when he's in my neck of the woods and even though we've been running in different circles this year Nick messaged me on Facebook on Tuesday to say he was in Center City on Wednesday if I was available to get together for an 8 miler.....ah using Facebook for good,see naysayers it's not all bad afterall!!

Even though I had a concert scheduled for later in the evening I figured I could do both,meet Nick at 5pm,run eat,shower and then hit The Troc at 7.30pm for The Mission show....#multitasking
Met Nick in the lobby of his hotel by 5pm and promptly began weaving our way up the Ben Franklin Parkway towards the Art Museum.
The pace was a little brisker than I've been running my 8 and 10 miles in of late{taking a leaf out of Francis Burdette's book and running 9.30/10 min mile pace} but comfortable enough to be conversational.
I haven't been in the same stratosphere as Nick in almost a year since we ran the Masters road 5k c'ships in Syracuse at the end of September so it was good to get caught up as we swopped injuries/aliments stories,trust me at almost 45 and 50 we have enough of those to last an entire run but b4 we even reached half way at just beyond the 2 and 1/4 mile mark just past St Joe's Boathouse I realized I needed my full lung capacity to run not gab....I'm sure Nick "Enjoyed The Silence" on the inbound leg of the run!!
Not sure of the overall pace,I'd guess 7.5-8 minute mile pace like I said a little quicker than I'm used to but it felt good to "step it up" a little.

Post run we both saw off a Burreto Bowl at a nearby Chipolte and gave the Ice Tea machine a good going over,Nick has his sights on 5th Avenue Mile in just over 2.5 weeks,me I'll sit this year out and hope to "tear it up" next year,not sure when our schedules will be compatable again but watch out Ben Franklin Parkway and Kelly Drive runners these two aging milers aren't done just yet as sure as I know we'll tear it up there and at Chipolte afterwards....you have been warned!

The Friendly Confinds Of Kelly Drive

Finally got off the mark for September yesterday w/ an easy 8 miler out and back along the trusty Schuylkill Banks and Kelly Drive.
Sunday I spent the whole day at the US Open which while being a fun day was tiring,ok granted I spent most of the day sitting down but I had to get up at 5.40am in order to catch the 7am Megabus to Midtown Manhattan and didn't get home till 2.40am on Monday morning and hit the zzzzzzzzs by 3am....
Surfice to say Monday was always going to be a tentative day for a run,I had penciled inan 8 miler tentitivly but by the time I eventually rolled out of bed at 11am and allowed myself an hour to get the engine ticking over{ a running version of don't swim after you've eaten I guess!!??}the heavens opened and frankly after the rain stopped too much time had elapsed to allow for that spontanious "get up and go" attitude so Monday fell by the way side but frankly after a long day at the Tennis the day b4 I wasn't too bent out of shape to burn my token rest day early in the week....however I maybe singing from a different hymn sheet come Thursdays tempo run as I won't have the luxury of a rest day the day b4.....

So,September wow this year has moved along at quite a clip hasn't it,I want to cherrish each nice day September brings because as sure as God made little green apples these days will soon be  but a distant memory.
81 degrees and sunny as I made my way out the front door at 4.30pm it's funny in April and May b4 the tendonitis caused me to sit out June and July I saw alot of activity on and off the nearby U Penn campus,now that Fall classes are about to resume if infact they haven't already the same activity can be witnessed first hand....which probably means it's only a matter of time b4 some jumped up Ivy Leaguer and I get into a verbal altercation as he looks to be "big man on campus" infront of his frat brothers and I remind him that the Ivy League means sweet FA to a South Londoner.....nuff said!
On my way back from my turnaround point on Kelly Drive I ran into not one but two team mates,usually once a week I cross paths w/ Bryant Nix and w/in a few strides Sean Harbison was running in our direction....did I miss the meno this was a group run??
It was good to catch up w/ those guys and shoot the breeze b4 I continued on my merry way back down the banks to the footbridge over the Conrail track and eventually over the South St bridge and home....job done.

A Return To The Death Cage......

All this running around,well it's getting me down just give a pain that I'm used to I don't need to believe all the dreams you conceive you just need to achieve something that rings true
 A Pain That I'm Used To-Depeche Mode

Fitting I should've been in Atlantic City on Friday nite to catch the Depeche Mode "Delta Machine" tour stop on their US tour knowing that Saturday lunch time I'd be hitting the track at Temple for 6x600m repeats aka "The Death Cage"
My friend and team mate Ray Parker coined the term "Death Cage" and it kind of stuck,he also came up w/ the time honoured quote re 6x600m repeats
"Self inflicted,gut wrenching,mind bending pain......repeat!!!!" hence the nod to Depeche Mode's "A Pain That I'm Used To" as I've been steppin' inside ye olde  "Death Cage" for the last seven years now.
It was always gonna be a somewhat compromised repeat, for starters I haven't done 6x600s since two brief appearences on the track in mid January when I was bundled upto the nines to combat the sub zero temps and secondly having danced my arse off for two hours at The Revel for Depeche Mode and gotten to bed at 2am I was hardly "bright eyed and bushy tailed"...but I was convinced the first 600m would wake me the fuck up in a heartbeat!!!

Arriving at Temple by 11.35am I got my 5 lap warm up in b4 stepping inside the Death Cage once more......
#1 600m 1.13-37-1.50.7.
Not a bad start I though based on last weeks 8x300x200x300m repeats a 1.50-1.55 was doable roughly 1.20 per 400m and 35 per the 200
#2 600m 1.17-37-1.54.8
Still w/in the parameters of 1.50/1.55 but only just under 1.55.....
#3 600m 1.19-37-1.56.7
This is where the opening 400m in 1.13 would begin to bite me in the rear
#4 600m 1.19-37-1.56.2
If only that opening 400m had've been a 1.17 I could've had 4 opening 400s at 1.17 and probably 4x600m at 1.54.....
#5 600m 1.20-40-2.00.0
CLUNK! the sound of the wheels coming off
#6 600m 1.25-41-2.06.2
BOLLOCKS!!! But to put things in prespective in January when I ran two sets of 6x600m in just over a week I think the majority of them were plus two minutes so at least today it was only the last two that got away from me.

Overall I'm reasonably pleased w/ my performance,yes there's room for improvement but I'm confident when I revisit the "Death Cage" on September 21st it won't be off the back of a concert and I'll be fresher to face the rigours of 6x600m in hopefully all sub 2.00,maybe even all sub 1.55...time will tell.