"True perfection has to be imperfect,I know that that sounds foolish but it's true,the day has come and now you have you accept the life inside your head we gave to you.
Y'know I didn't mean,what I just said,but my god woke up on the wrong side of his bed and it just don't matter now
Cos little by little we gave you everything you ever dreamed of,little by little the wheels of your life have slowly fallen off,little by little you have to live it all in all your life,and all this time I ask myself why are you really here?"
Little By Little Oasis
After last weeks first in and out 400s all I could ask of myself today was a little improvement,for those of you playing along at home my opening week splits were:21.00,22.34,60.83,60.64,62.00,64.93.6.11.26.
After I'd stretched and warmed up it was into my flats and ready for my 150m,250m jog,150m,250 jog opener.
21.89-23.00. a fraction slower than last week but in fairness the 150s aren't the meat and spuds of the workout,that said I still want them to be competitive.
400#1 my 150/100/150 splits went:23/12/25 for a 400 split of 60.94.again a fraction off of last week but a solid opening 400m
400#2, 23/12/26-61.55.the first marginally slower split but more to do w/ me easing up b4 the line to make sure there were still bullets in the chamber.
400#3,23/13/25/-61.96.just under last week 3rd 400,the difference this week was probably my arms not feeling tired and heavy.
400#4,24/13/26-63.84.almost a second faster than last week,trying to relax over the opening 150m seemed to be the difference.
Clearly there's still work to be done on the 400s but in a week I took 2 seconds off the previous weeks times.
And so to my "decathletes mile"I think I said last year when I first did this repeat that now I had an idea how those guys must feel after 9 events and they have to run a 1,500m,it's torture!
From the get go today I was clearly faster,my splits last week went:1.40,1.31,1.35,1.25-6.11.26.so when I clocked 1.32.after 400m I already knew I was on for something quicker.
3.07.at 800m off a 1.35. split,perhaps next week I could reverse the opening two lap splits?
3.37.at the bell,1.30,at this stage I was 9 seconds faster than last week.
5.55.34.thanks to a closing lap of 1.18. a far cry from the 1.25.I closed in last week and a 16 second improvement overall.
There's still aways to go yet but w/ 3 more of these repeats scheduled b4 Sept 26th I hope to keep chippin' away at the splits and keep bringing them down.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Happiness Is Padded Cycling Shorts
Thankfully today's 36 mile bike ride was conducted w/ the aid of my new Team Ireland cycling shorts,trust me 36 miles and three hours in the saddle you want all that padding in the requisite places!!!
Like last week I found the final miles a grind but managed to see it through giving me 15 miles on the track for the week and 36 miles on the bike.
Whilst on the bike I mapped out next weeks schedule..lets face it when you're riding for three hours you find yourself w/ ample time to think!
Anyways not much of a radical change next week from this week,in and out 400s on Monday,4x1 mile repeats Wednesday and 5x1,000m Friday,the flip floping of Wednesday Friday is to accomodate next Sundays track meet in Virginia,which of course means no 36 mile bike ride next Saturday,however to keep me on a Mon,Wed,Fri the following week Monday will see me ride.
All in all a good week, a return to speed work and hopefully steps in the right direction.
Like last week I found the final miles a grind but managed to see it through giving me 15 miles on the track for the week and 36 miles on the bike.
Whilst on the bike I mapped out next weeks schedule..lets face it when you're riding for three hours you find yourself w/ ample time to think!
Anyways not much of a radical change next week from this week,in and out 400s on Monday,4x1 mile repeats Wednesday and 5x1,000m Friday,the flip floping of Wednesday Friday is to accomodate next Sundays track meet in Virginia,which of course means no 36 mile bike ride next Saturday,however to keep me on a Mon,Wed,Fri the following week Monday will see me ride.
All in all a good week, a return to speed work and hopefully steps in the right direction.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Celtic Thunder B4 The Rain.
Still smarting from last weeks dramtic second half collapse in the 4x1 mile repeats it was back to"the scene of the crime"lunchtime to attempt to put that right.
After 5 weeks of very much A Typical late July/August weather today was a friendly reminder Labor Day weekend is next week and w/ that the end of summer,something to keep in mind.
Knowing I didn't have to contend w/ 90 degree plus temps for a change meant strolling onto the track at just gone noon wasn't as big a deal as it was at 11am last week,following my stretches and mile warm up it was I hoped "retribution time"
Mile#1.1.17.to open,I was thinking 1.16 pre run so this didn't feel like any need to split hairs.
2.39.at 800m,a 1.22. split,I had hoped to eliminate 1.20 plus laps today,that may take a while longer.
3.59.at the bell,a 1.20. split,far from earth shatteringly fast but at least consistent.
5.16.89. a 1.17.split and a good start,something to build on.
Mile#2.1.19.to open,sub 1.20 which was pretty much the goal today over 16 laps.
2.40.at 800m,1.21.not all over the place like last week,this boded well.
4.00.at the bell,a 1.20.split and a average of 1.20 per lap.
5.13.60.off of a 1.13.closing lap,last week that proved to be my undoing,would lightning strike twice in the same place?
Mile#3.1.19.to open,no 1.23.like last week,hardly "Zorba The Greek"pace but "The Funeral March" was nowhere to be heard either!
2.40.at 800m another 1.21. split.
4.03.at the bell,a mental letdown more so than physical,an unwelcome 1.23.split.
5.19.62.a 1.16.split to close,the sub 5.20. plan was still intact if not the 1.20 per lap.
Mile#4.1.20.to open,knowing this was the final mile I had hoped to open stronger,again this will come in time.
2.43.at 800m,another 1.23.split,about as popular as a West Ham fan in the Millwall section!!
4.04.at the bell,a 1.21.split,unlike last week when slow splits were followed by even slower splits today I was rebounding nicely.
5.13.93.thanks to a 69 second closing lap,when I hit 200m to go instinct took over and I automatically picked up the pace.
Overall I'm pleased,the stench of last week feels like it's been scrubbed away and while today is a long way from the 4x1 mile sub 5 minute pace I want to return to I feel in late August I'm in on the right path towards that come the tail end of the year.
After 5 weeks of very much A Typical late July/August weather today was a friendly reminder Labor Day weekend is next week and w/ that the end of summer,something to keep in mind.
Knowing I didn't have to contend w/ 90 degree plus temps for a change meant strolling onto the track at just gone noon wasn't as big a deal as it was at 11am last week,following my stretches and mile warm up it was I hoped "retribution time"
Mile#1.1.17.to open,I was thinking 1.16 pre run so this didn't feel like any need to split hairs.
2.39.at 800m,a 1.22. split,I had hoped to eliminate 1.20 plus laps today,that may take a while longer.
3.59.at the bell,a 1.20. split,far from earth shatteringly fast but at least consistent.
5.16.89. a 1.17.split and a good start,something to build on.
Mile#2.1.19.to open,sub 1.20 which was pretty much the goal today over 16 laps.
2.40.at 800m,1.21.not all over the place like last week,this boded well.
4.00.at the bell,a 1.20.split and a average of 1.20 per lap.
5.13.60.off of a 1.13.closing lap,last week that proved to be my undoing,would lightning strike twice in the same place?
Mile#3.1.19.to open,no 1.23.like last week,hardly "Zorba The Greek"pace but "The Funeral March" was nowhere to be heard either!
2.40.at 800m another 1.21. split.
4.03.at the bell,a mental letdown more so than physical,an unwelcome 1.23.split.
5.19.62.a 1.16.split to close,the sub 5.20. plan was still intact if not the 1.20 per lap.
Mile#4.1.20.to open,knowing this was the final mile I had hoped to open stronger,again this will come in time.
2.43.at 800m,another 1.23.split,about as popular as a West Ham fan in the Millwall section!!
4.04.at the bell,a 1.21.split,unlike last week when slow splits were followed by even slower splits today I was rebounding nicely.
5.13.93.thanks to a 69 second closing lap,when I hit 200m to go instinct took over and I automatically picked up the pace.
Overall I'm pleased,the stench of last week feels like it's been scrubbed away and while today is a long way from the 4x1 mile sub 5 minute pace I want to return to I feel in late August I'm in on the right path towards that come the tail end of the year.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Into The Unknown
There are a couple of holes in my running resume,one of which is a sub 17 minute 5k.
Actually there is one a 16.44 set way back in 1990,my best masters 5k time is 17.09 set 2 years ago,time to put that right.
5k has always been an awkward distance for me,as a road runner up to 06 I always found 5k too much of a sprint preferring 10k,10miles,half marathons,when I switched to track in fall 06 I thought 5,000m would be my distance b4 realizing that the 800m,1,500m,mile were my better distances,but w/ my mile speed I always believed I was capable of running a decent 5k on the road or 5,000m on the track providing I had time to prepare for it.......
The Masters 5k road race c'ships are coming up in Syracuse in 6 weeks time,time for me to get 6 weeks of 5x1,000m repeats under my belt in the hope I can at the very least return from Syracuse w/ a 16.59 5k,preferably a 16.43, a pr and masters record also.
I had no real idea what to expect this evening,in some some respects it was a trial run to get an idea what to expect over the coming weeks.
1,000m#1,1.12,1.25,36-3.03.10.it would've been nice to keep that pace throughout but I knew that was wishful thinking.
1,000m#2,1.18,1.18,37-3.13.33.w/ hindsight this is the pace I needed tonite,something to ponder when I return next Friday.
1,000m#3,1.20,1.20,38-3.18.51.had I have gone in to today looking for 3.20.pace this would've been almost ideal.
1,000m#4,1.20,1.25,41-3.26.80,no bones about it I was feeling the pace now,the 1.20. to open surprised me,I thought I was running slower,mentally I had a let down on the second lap,ergo the session slowest 1.25. split,something to work on next week.
1,000m#5,1.21,1.23,34,-3.16.20.always good to finish strong,a combined time of 16.19.
I can fine tune things a little now,I really didn't know what to expect today,now that I know what to expect from myself,#2 would be a fine blueprint.
As the nation and the world mourns the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy and another chapter in Irish American gets written my memory of his legacy will be his role in the peace process in Northern Ireland,God bless Ted Kennedy.
Actually there is one a 16.44 set way back in 1990,my best masters 5k time is 17.09 set 2 years ago,time to put that right.
5k has always been an awkward distance for me,as a road runner up to 06 I always found 5k too much of a sprint preferring 10k,10miles,half marathons,when I switched to track in fall 06 I thought 5,000m would be my distance b4 realizing that the 800m,1,500m,mile were my better distances,but w/ my mile speed I always believed I was capable of running a decent 5k on the road or 5,000m on the track providing I had time to prepare for it.......
The Masters 5k road race c'ships are coming up in Syracuse in 6 weeks time,time for me to get 6 weeks of 5x1,000m repeats under my belt in the hope I can at the very least return from Syracuse w/ a 16.59 5k,preferably a 16.43, a pr and masters record also.
I had no real idea what to expect this evening,in some some respects it was a trial run to get an idea what to expect over the coming weeks.
1,000m#1,1.12,1.25,36-3.03.10.it would've been nice to keep that pace throughout but I knew that was wishful thinking.
1,000m#2,1.18,1.18,37-3.13.33.w/ hindsight this is the pace I needed tonite,something to ponder when I return next Friday.
1,000m#3,1.20,1.20,38-3.18.51.had I have gone in to today looking for 3.20.pace this would've been almost ideal.
1,000m#4,1.20,1.25,41-3.26.80,no bones about it I was feeling the pace now,the 1.20. to open surprised me,I thought I was running slower,mentally I had a let down on the second lap,ergo the session slowest 1.25. split,something to work on next week.
1,000m#5,1.21,1.23,34,-3.16.20.always good to finish strong,a combined time of 16.19.
I can fine tune things a little now,I really didn't know what to expect today,now that I know what to expect from myself,#2 would be a fine blueprint.
As the nation and the world mourns the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy and another chapter in Irish American gets written my memory of his legacy will be his role in the peace process in Northern Ireland,God bless Ted Kennedy.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Melancholy & Infinite Sadness
''But there are long long nites when I lay awake and I think of what I've done,of how I've thrown my sweetest dreams away and what I've really become
And however hard I try I will always feel regret,however hard I try I will never forget,I will never forget"
Bare The Cure
On to phase two of my training,after four weeks of getting my feet back under me w/ either solo miles or mile repeats it was now time to get some speed under my belt w/ 6 weeks of in and out 400m repeats and 5x1,000m and mile repeats b4 hopefully kicking on to phase three in early October,but let's not get too carried away w/ the future until the present has been taken care of.
This evening was my first in and out 400s in almost a year,coming hard on the heals of Fridays dramatic collapse in the mile repeats I was anxious to put that behind me and get off to a good start on my return to speed work.
After my stretches and half mile warm up it was into my flats for the first time since June 2nd for my 150s and 400s.
21.00.for my opening 150m,a pleasant surprise as I hadn't given any thought to what I might run,off my 250m jog I then clocked a 22.34. second 150m,last year in my opening in and out 400 repeat my opening 150s were 23.28-20.49.
Off of 3 mins recovery it was 400m time,again I hadn't given any real thought to the kind of splits I was shooting for it really was a case of throwing linguine at the wall and seeing what stuck.
400#1 60.83.w/150/100/150/splits of 22/12/26/
400#2 60.64.w/splits of 23/12/25/ almost identical splits.
400#3 62.00 w/ splits of 23/13/26/my arms were starting to feel tired,not only had I not worn flats since June 2nd but I had done short repeats either and my arms were feeling it.
400#4 64.93 w/ splits of 25/12/27/not earth shattering but I had to start somewhere and next Monday when I come back I'll have a legit target to chase after today,not that it's a fair comparison but last year my 400s were 58,59,59,60.
Now for the dreaded mile off of 7 mins recovery{last year I took 8 mins maybe I should've checked this b4 I ran??!!}
My splits were nothing to write home about but this mile was always meant to be about being able to dredge up a final lap faster than the first three laps,to that end I was successful as I went
1.40,1.31,1.35,1.25 to clock 6.11.26.again it's not really fair to compare this to last years opener which was 5.29.but like last year I had to start somewhere and come next Monday over 150,400 and the mile I'll look to build upon today.
Why the melancholy and mournful Cure lyrics?tomorrow is another Erica anniversary,on Aug 11th 1985 I came to Philly for the first time ever and on the 25th I reluctantly flew back to London knowing I was faced w/ another 7 months of being apart from my first love Erica,ours was a fairytale romance w/out a happy ending as we've been divorced for coming up on 21 years this November and as is often the case some years Erica anniversaries roll by w/out the blink of an eye,other years I shed a tear for a lost love,I guess this year it's the latter not the former.
And however hard I try I will always feel regret,however hard I try I will never forget,I will never forget"
Bare The Cure
On to phase two of my training,after four weeks of getting my feet back under me w/ either solo miles or mile repeats it was now time to get some speed under my belt w/ 6 weeks of in and out 400m repeats and 5x1,000m and mile repeats b4 hopefully kicking on to phase three in early October,but let's not get too carried away w/ the future until the present has been taken care of.
This evening was my first in and out 400s in almost a year,coming hard on the heals of Fridays dramatic collapse in the mile repeats I was anxious to put that behind me and get off to a good start on my return to speed work.
After my stretches and half mile warm up it was into my flats for the first time since June 2nd for my 150s and 400s.
21.00.for my opening 150m,a pleasant surprise as I hadn't given any thought to what I might run,off my 250m jog I then clocked a 22.34. second 150m,last year in my opening in and out 400 repeat my opening 150s were 23.28-20.49.
Off of 3 mins recovery it was 400m time,again I hadn't given any real thought to the kind of splits I was shooting for it really was a case of throwing linguine at the wall and seeing what stuck.
400#1 60.83.w/150/100/150/splits of 22/12/26/
400#2 60.64.w/splits of 23/12/25/ almost identical splits.
400#3 62.00 w/ splits of 23/13/26/my arms were starting to feel tired,not only had I not worn flats since June 2nd but I had done short repeats either and my arms were feeling it.
400#4 64.93 w/ splits of 25/12/27/not earth shattering but I had to start somewhere and next Monday when I come back I'll have a legit target to chase after today,not that it's a fair comparison but last year my 400s were 58,59,59,60.
Now for the dreaded mile off of 7 mins recovery{last year I took 8 mins maybe I should've checked this b4 I ran??!!}
My splits were nothing to write home about but this mile was always meant to be about being able to dredge up a final lap faster than the first three laps,to that end I was successful as I went
1.40,1.31,1.35,1.25 to clock 6.11.26.again it's not really fair to compare this to last years opener which was 5.29.but like last year I had to start somewhere and come next Monday over 150,400 and the mile I'll look to build upon today.
Why the melancholy and mournful Cure lyrics?tomorrow is another Erica anniversary,on Aug 11th 1985 I came to Philly for the first time ever and on the 25th I reluctantly flew back to London knowing I was faced w/ another 7 months of being apart from my first love Erica,ours was a fairytale romance w/out a happy ending as we've been divorced for coming up on 21 years this November and as is often the case some years Erica anniversaries roll by w/out the blink of an eye,other years I shed a tear for a lost love,I guess this year it's the latter not the former.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Dancing In Berlin
''One,there's no time for this,two grant me just one wish,Please there's no wall in front of you
Dancing In Berlin,I want to see you Dancing In Berlin"
Dancing In Berlin. Berlin
Originally the plan was blog yesterday's 36 mile bike ride then write my World C'Ship Top Ten moments today.....................frankly after yesterdays 36 miler on the bike I was to put it mildly shagged out,not to mention a tad saddle sore,I hope the Team Ireland bike shorts I ordered online show up b4 next Saturdays 36 miler!!!
All that aside I'm pleased to report that I stuck to my guns and compleated the 36 miler yesterday,I don't think I've ever rode that far on a bike b4 and while it was a grind towards the end and a real "grit my teeth"performance I saw it through to the bitter end,hopefully come next week when I do it again it'll be a little easier.
And so to my Top Ten moments from Berlin:
10.Nerius & Harting win Golds for the hosts
Firstly mad props to Steffi Nerius,37 and still winning Gold medals at a World Championship in the women's Javelin.
Props to Robert Harding to pull out all the stops on the final throw in the men's Discus and capture the Gold,we've seen it b4 and will again how the home crowd can lift an athlete,it never gets old.
9. Blanka Vlasic.After a shock upset in Beijing last year in the Women's High Jump the lovable and leggy Croatian defended her Osaka 07 title,good to see her doing her victory dance again!
8.Steve Hooker.Fighting through an obvious pain barrier the Olympic Pole Vault Gold medal winner added World C'ship Gold to his resume by taking as few jumps as possible to first reach the finals then win the final...fair dinkum!!!
7.Allyson Felix,I can still remember her World C'ship debut in Paris 03,since then she's won 200m Gold in Helsinki in 05 and Osaka 07 and now Berlin 09.
6.Jessica Ennis,Britain's first Gold medalist at Berlin,an inspiration to all injured athletes,last year she missed the Olympics w/ two stress fractures in her ankle,12 months later she's World Champion.
5. Derval O Rourke,while 4th is probably the one place no athlete wants to finish Leesider Derval O Rourke was the highlight for Ireland in Berlin{props to Paul Hession a semi finalist in the men's 200m and David Gillick 6th in the 400m final}setting a Irish National record in the final,if she can steer clear of injuries maybe she'll claim Gold next Summer in Barcelona at the European C'ships.
4.Shannon Rowbury Do we finally have an American women's middle distance runner in the mold of the great Mary Decker?
After a dramatic opening round fall Shannon made into the semis via an appeal,left it late in the semis to make her move and reach the final where her gutsy 4th place finish was later upgraded to third and bronze after the rightful dq of the winner Natalia Rodriguez.
3.Bernard Lagat,at 34 this guy is still picking up medals at major c'ships,following his bronze in the 1,500m where his finishing kick was blunted by being boxed in he then gave the great Kenenisa Bekele all he could handle up the home straight in the 5,000m final,and all this w/ 4 stitches in a gash on his ankle from the semis.
2. Kenenisa Bekele,the first ever double 5,000m/10,000m Gold medalist in the history of the World C'ships....oh and the Gold in the 10,000m...his 4th in a row since 05.
1......................Usain Bolt.............who else??!!!
3 Golds,2 World Records and he just turned 23,9.58-19.19.....nuff said,mad props,much love,big ups to "The Lightning Bolt"
Dancing In Berlin,I want to see you Dancing In Berlin"
Dancing In Berlin. Berlin
Originally the plan was blog yesterday's 36 mile bike ride then write my World C'Ship Top Ten moments today.....................frankly after yesterdays 36 miler on the bike I was to put it mildly shagged out,not to mention a tad saddle sore,I hope the Team Ireland bike shorts I ordered online show up b4 next Saturdays 36 miler!!!
All that aside I'm pleased to report that I stuck to my guns and compleated the 36 miler yesterday,I don't think I've ever rode that far on a bike b4 and while it was a grind towards the end and a real "grit my teeth"performance I saw it through to the bitter end,hopefully come next week when I do it again it'll be a little easier.
And so to my Top Ten moments from Berlin:
10.Nerius & Harting win Golds for the hosts
Firstly mad props to Steffi Nerius,37 and still winning Gold medals at a World Championship in the women's Javelin.
Props to Robert Harding to pull out all the stops on the final throw in the men's Discus and capture the Gold,we've seen it b4 and will again how the home crowd can lift an athlete,it never gets old.
9. Blanka Vlasic.After a shock upset in Beijing last year in the Women's High Jump the lovable and leggy Croatian defended her Osaka 07 title,good to see her doing her victory dance again!
8.Steve Hooker.Fighting through an obvious pain barrier the Olympic Pole Vault Gold medal winner added World C'ship Gold to his resume by taking as few jumps as possible to first reach the finals then win the final...fair dinkum!!!
7.Allyson Felix,I can still remember her World C'ship debut in Paris 03,since then she's won 200m Gold in Helsinki in 05 and Osaka 07 and now Berlin 09.
6.Jessica Ennis,Britain's first Gold medalist at Berlin,an inspiration to all injured athletes,last year she missed the Olympics w/ two stress fractures in her ankle,12 months later she's World Champion.
5. Derval O Rourke,while 4th is probably the one place no athlete wants to finish Leesider Derval O Rourke was the highlight for Ireland in Berlin{props to Paul Hession a semi finalist in the men's 200m and David Gillick 6th in the 400m final}setting a Irish National record in the final,if she can steer clear of injuries maybe she'll claim Gold next Summer in Barcelona at the European C'ships.
4.Shannon Rowbury Do we finally have an American women's middle distance runner in the mold of the great Mary Decker?
After a dramatic opening round fall Shannon made into the semis via an appeal,left it late in the semis to make her move and reach the final where her gutsy 4th place finish was later upgraded to third and bronze after the rightful dq of the winner Natalia Rodriguez.
3.Bernard Lagat,at 34 this guy is still picking up medals at major c'ships,following his bronze in the 1,500m where his finishing kick was blunted by being boxed in he then gave the great Kenenisa Bekele all he could handle up the home straight in the 5,000m final,and all this w/ 4 stitches in a gash on his ankle from the semis.
2. Kenenisa Bekele,the first ever double 5,000m/10,000m Gold medalist in the history of the World C'ships....oh and the Gold in the 10,000m...his 4th in a row since 05.
1......................Usain Bolt.............who else??!!!
3 Golds,2 World Records and he just turned 23,9.58-19.19.....nuff said,mad props,much love,big ups to "The Lightning Bolt"
Friday, August 21, 2009
Triple H
Not so much Hazy,Hot and Humid,more Hurt,Humbled and Humiliated.
After 11 good workouts I guess I was due a clunker,it would've been nice if it hadn't been today on my first 4x1 mile repeat since May 2nd not to mention the transitional repeat leading out of phase one of my training and into phase two beginning Monday,but shit happens.
It all began well enough,unlike last week I made sure to be up at a reasonable time and on the track by 11.10am,given the heat and humidity today that proved to be prudent.....though by the time mile 3 rolled around I was wishing I'd stayed in bed!!!
Having walked to Franklin Field in order to take care of a personal matter I had a flashback to "the old days" of walking from 46th and Hazel to Franklin Field to conduct 4x1 mile repeats,for the past three years in mid to late August I've been coming off of Nationals and gearing for 5th Avenue Mile,this year I'm coming off of my achilles tendon injury.
Stretched and did my mile warm up,now to build on last weeks 3x1 mile repeats of 5.29.06,5.22.25,5.05.54.
Mile#1
1.17. for the opening lap,pretty much what I was looking for.
1.22.split2.39.at 800m,ok for an opening mile of 4 x1 miles but not earth shattering.
4.04.at the bell a 1.25.split.
5.25.25.and a 1.21.split,a good start.
Mile #2
1.18.to open a good start.....however
2.42.at 800m off of a 1.24.split,little did I know the rot was setting in
4.07.at the bell and a 1.25.split
5.20.40.thanks to a 73 second closing lap
Mile#3
1.23.to open and the writing was very much on the wall
2.52.at 800m,no knee lift or leg turnover...^&!@ a 1.29.split
4.25.at the bell a 1.33.split,the words hell and hand basket sprung to mind.....and a few unprintable ones also!!
6.01.23. a 1.36.split
At this point there was a temptation to step off the track and say I'd blown it,instead I used the last two minutes of my 5 minute recovery on my back w/ my legs up against the wall in the hope of draining the lactated acid out of my legs.
Mile#4
1.30.to open,this was going to get ugly....
3.09.at 800m a 1.39.split,at this point I was reminded of an old David Moorcroft quote"when things are going well I hum "Zorba The Greek"to myself,when they're going bad I hum"The Funeral March"
4.49.at the bell,a 1.40. split,trust me it's as painful to blog as it was to run
6.31.98.a 1.42. split.
So,where did it all go wrong?I could probably go back to laps 2&3 on the opening mile much less the second mile where I allowed myself to drop off the 1.20 pace,that 73 second closing lap on mile #2 was probably my undoing.
I stuck it out today even when things had clearly gone pear shaped,it's not in my nature to quit on a workout even when it's going horribly wrong,hopefully next Friday when I return for 4x1 mile repeats I'll be able to get it right and chalk today up as"a bad day at the office"
After 11 good workouts I guess I was due a clunker,it would've been nice if it hadn't been today on my first 4x1 mile repeat since May 2nd not to mention the transitional repeat leading out of phase one of my training and into phase two beginning Monday,but shit happens.
It all began well enough,unlike last week I made sure to be up at a reasonable time and on the track by 11.10am,given the heat and humidity today that proved to be prudent.....though by the time mile 3 rolled around I was wishing I'd stayed in bed!!!
Having walked to Franklin Field in order to take care of a personal matter I had a flashback to "the old days" of walking from 46th and Hazel to Franklin Field to conduct 4x1 mile repeats,for the past three years in mid to late August I've been coming off of Nationals and gearing for 5th Avenue Mile,this year I'm coming off of my achilles tendon injury.
Stretched and did my mile warm up,now to build on last weeks 3x1 mile repeats of 5.29.06,5.22.25,5.05.54.
Mile#1
1.17. for the opening lap,pretty much what I was looking for.
1.22.split2.39.at 800m,ok for an opening mile of 4 x1 miles but not earth shattering.
4.04.at the bell a 1.25.split.
5.25.25.and a 1.21.split,a good start.
Mile #2
1.18.to open a good start.....however
2.42.at 800m off of a 1.24.split,little did I know the rot was setting in
4.07.at the bell and a 1.25.split
5.20.40.thanks to a 73 second closing lap
Mile#3
1.23.to open and the writing was very much on the wall
2.52.at 800m,no knee lift or leg turnover...^&!@ a 1.29.split
4.25.at the bell a 1.33.split,the words hell and hand basket sprung to mind.....and a few unprintable ones also!!
6.01.23. a 1.36.split
At this point there was a temptation to step off the track and say I'd blown it,instead I used the last two minutes of my 5 minute recovery on my back w/ my legs up against the wall in the hope of draining the lactated acid out of my legs.
Mile#4
1.30.to open,this was going to get ugly....
3.09.at 800m a 1.39.split,at this point I was reminded of an old David Moorcroft quote"when things are going well I hum "Zorba The Greek"to myself,when they're going bad I hum"The Funeral March"
4.49.at the bell,a 1.40. split,trust me it's as painful to blog as it was to run
6.31.98.a 1.42. split.
So,where did it all go wrong?I could probably go back to laps 2&3 on the opening mile much less the second mile where I allowed myself to drop off the 1.20 pace,that 73 second closing lap on mile #2 was probably my undoing.
I stuck it out today even when things had clearly gone pear shaped,it's not in my nature to quit on a workout even when it's going horribly wrong,hopefully next Friday when I return for 4x1 mile repeats I'll be able to get it right and chalk today up as"a bad day at the office"
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