Fool In The rain

If it's Tuesday it's repeats at Roxborough........and that means it must be raining!!!!!!! since I began my weekly pilgrimage to Roxborough back on March 25th it's snowed that day and then pissed out of the heavens on April 15th on my next set of 4x1 mile repeats  so it came as no great surprise there was rain in the forecast for today.......to quote the always quoteable Monty Python "still I was getting used to it by now!!!!"
Predictably as I waited in center city for the #9 bus to take me out to "Sunny Roxborough" the rain started,that meant the ride along route 76 from 29th St to Ridge Ave would take longer than usual as it's a given that traffic slows on that section in the rain,despite some live Zeppelin{How The West Was Won"} as my musical choice for the commute I found myself falling asleep on the bus......you know it's good sleep ing weather when you doze thro live Led Zep!!!!
Thankfully I stired myself in time to be wide awake as my stop approached.....in in no small sence of irony the closing strains of "The Rain Song" played out as I made my way down Hermitage St towards the track.....I swear I'm not making this up!!!!!
Thankfully the trusty portajohns provided me a chance to get changed out of the rain and hopefully store my clothes in a dry bag till I got done,getting drenched while doing my mile repeats is one thing,schleeping back across town on the bus and trolley in wet clothes is another!!!!
One plus w/ the rain,it's keep the wallies away from the track this evening,only the foolish and foolhardy would venture out in these conditions.
Mile warm up taken care of it was showtime,last time out I went:5.37.5-5.39.4-5.42.8-5.42.1

#1 Mile
1.18-1.25-1.21-1.23=5.37.6
An almost identical start to last time although this time around I eliminated those 1.27 splits on laps 2 and 3 which had been my aim,start as you mean to go on I hoped!

#2 Mile
1.19-1.27-1.27-1.21=5.34.8
Ah those pesky 1.27s returned to the fold but a solid opening and closing 400m meant I was now 5 seconds up on last time out,I was feeling ok all things considered,while the rain had stopped I now had to contend w/ the wind around the top turn and up the home straight.......

#3 Mile
1.20-1.28-1.29-1.23=5.40.4
Again w/ the slow splits on laps 2 and 3 however thanks to a bit of hustle on my part over ther closing lap I managed to at least salvage a 5.40 mile,could I keep all four at 5.40 and under????

#4 Mile
1.23-1.29-1.29-1.24=5.45.5
BOLLOCKS!!!! I knew I was in trouble when I came through 400m in 1.23 and all my previous battles around the top turn and up the home straight had now taken their toll however rather than just "mail it in" I gave it all I had once I clocked 4.21 at 1,200m to close in 1.24.

While I'm miffed #4 got away from me I did take 4 seconds off of my combined times from 2 weeks ago,I was 7 seconds up after #3 b4 #4  just got away from me so I'll take solice in at least shaving a few seconds off my last effort and hope that come my next set of 4x1 mile repeats the weather is a little more favorable!!

Chasing Blue Sky

Another easy 8 miler to kick start the week,following yesterdays escapades I was keen to stick to the "letter of the law" and keep this as an easy run,no getting involved in "pissing contests".
It's a lot easier to do that when I know the following day is one of my all important repeats,I only get a handful of repeats to conduct in my build ups to Nationals so I tend not to play "fast and loose" w/ them,w/ that in mind prior to my scheduled 4x1 mile repeats on Tusday at Roxborough I knew Mondays easy 8 miler had to be just that and thankfully that's what I got.

Conditions were warm but overcast at 63 degrees but the grey sky was prehaps a sign of what's to come the next few days,according to the weather peeps we're looking at rain for the next three days which potentially throws a spanner in the works,if it rains during tomorrows 4x1 mile repeats it'll be a case of dajavu from two weeks ago but I can handle that,I'm more concerned w/ the heavy rain and thunder they're calling for for Wednesday,one thing at a time I guess,take care of the repeats on Tuesday first and then worry about Wednesdays recovery run,if it gets pushed back a day till Thursday it's hardly the end of the world.

It's Not The Kill,It's The Thrill Of The Chase

I can't deny it w/ that smile on her face,it's not the kill it's the thrill of the chase
Feel it coming it's knocking at your door,you know it's no good running it's not against the law, the point of no return
Knocking At Your Back Door-Deep Purple

Since I no longer"indulge" I was none the worse for wear when I woke up Sunday morning following my friend Kerry's 40th b'day bash Saturday,back in the day I wasn't so fortunate and I'm reasonably confident there were numerous Sunday long runs that were cancelled,down graded to less miles or just absolute torture from the night b4,thankfully that's no longer a concern
Up by 9.15am I did my traditional pre long run routine, a cup of tea and a lite breakfast while getting my weekly dose of "Eastenders" sucks that we're eight and a half years behind the present storyline in England but it is what it is I guess.
Caught the end of the Liverpool Chelski game.....uh oh! 2.0 to Chelski which may have scuppered Liverpool's chances of a first title in 24 years,two more games to go b4 the season comes to and,I feel now as I have for the longest time that it'll be the final Sunday of the season on May 11th will determin who wins the title,who makes the Champions League,who makes the Europa League and who stays up and who drops into the Championship.

Out the door by 11.04am it was sunny and warm but w/out trust Peco Tower on the weekend I have no idea what the temprature was,give or take 10 degrees cooler than Saturday whatever the temps were it felt like ideal running conditions.
Given my calves were a little trashed following Saturdays 8x300x200x300m repeats I just wanted a nice easy 12 miler this morning I wasn't going to worry about pace,speed etc......and w/ that you'll just have to picture my nose growing longer a la Pinocchio!!!!
Making my way north along Schuylkill Banks towards the Art Museum I heard footstoops right behind me at just over 2 miles into a 12 mile run I should have just let whoever it was go by me......yeah like that was going to happen!!!!

For once on a Sunday no regatta out on the Schuylkill so no bobbing and weaving between Columbia bridge and Strawberry Mansion bridge for once......the irony of which wasn't lost on me!
At week 5 of a 7 week plan to focus on two repeats a week I'm at that stage no where I'm ancy to get a race under my belt,to use a boxing term you can spar till the cows come home but there's no substitute for stepping into the ring w/ your opponent,May 15th will be here sooner than I know it.....let's just hope I don't end up on my arse or even worse knocked out!!!
W/ 4 miles to go once again I  heard footsteps right behind me,if said runner had overtaken me I'd have probably said "have it" but tucking in behind me kind of riles me when the running shoe is on the other foot sure I use runners ahead of me to work off of but I always overtake them, I don't tuck in behind them once I've caught up to them so I figured if I had to "work it" a little over the next mile to Lloyd Hall b4 he went his separate way no harm no foul.......
As I made my right hand turn off of Kelly Dr on to the Schuylkill Bank I glances to my left his bright orange running shirt was nowhere to be seen.......till I looked to my right.....sneaky orange bastard had cut the tangent infront of Lloyd Hall and was now trying to get ahead of me as the path of the bank winds its way south along the river.......oh hell NO!!!

Once again I picked up the pace to drop him I figured if I was lucky somewhere along the banks he'd turn off as runners often do......NOT TODAY!!!
Just when I thought I'd done enough to shake this guy he went by me but not w/ conviction so yet again I dug in and picked up the pace I figured either at the  Market St steps or the turnaround a the foot of the Schuylkill Path footbridge he'd be done and as I attacked the uphill and downhill of the footbridge w/ 2 miles to go I though I'd seen the last of him........
Making my way towards the South St bridge I happened to look back over my left shoulder and there he was still giving chase......it'd be just my luck now to get caught by a red light at the end of the bridge and negate all the space I'd worked to put between us.....thankfully the light was in my favour and that was the last I saw of him.
In a lot of respects I admire him,he did what I've done countless times work off of another runner  but "in the heat of battle" it was hard to see that.
W/ my legs suitably trashed now I made my way home over the closing mile and a half w/ very little in tha way of knee lift or leg turnover,home by 1.52pm......1.48 again probably thanks to that guy in the orange running shirt.....I just hope he's not out there on Monday when I'm meant to run an easy 8 miler!!!!

Brute Force And Ignorance

Finally!!!! third time's a charm for gettting on the track at temple on a Saturday,asides from the obvious delight at this was the utter relife that I wouldn't even have to consider let alone attempt a 12 miler on Saturday b4 returning to Geasey Field on Sunday for 8x300x200x300m repeats.....just the thought of that makes my legs ache!!!!
While the masses were over at Franklin Field for the final day of Penn Relays I headed to Geasey Field hoping to complete my second set of 8x300x200x300m repeats,having seen inprovements on my 4x1 mile,5x1,000m and 6x600m repeats I was hoping to improve on Apr 5th splits of:
49.3-33.3-52.4
52.1-33.7-51.2
52.7-34.7-52.5
51.5-34.2-53.4
52.8-34.4-52.8
53.3-34.5-52.9
53.7-34.6-53.9
53.2-33.5-54.2

Conditions were almost ideal,sunny,62 degrees but w/ some wind,that track always seems to attract wind but hopefully this is where my three runs a week along the Schuylkill Banks and Kelly Dr help me out at there almost always  seems to be a wind coming off the Schuylkill river.
Mile warm up taken care of it was have at it time..........
51.6-32.3-50.9
52.4-32.7-50.9
50.8-32.8-51.4
51.9-33.6-52.1
52.3-34.3-53.1
53.2-33.6-52.6
52.4-33.5-52.4
52.3-33.9-51.8

Last time out I was kinda bummed out by finishing on a 54.2 closing 300m,today I only had two 53's,last time out I logged five 34 second 200s,today I only had 1.
This was clearly another improvement and confirms my training is heading in the right direction w/ just over 12 weeks till Nationals but I can't afford to take my foot off the gas period the leading times this year for M50 outdoor 800m and 1,500m are 2.03.33 and 4.26.66 so there's clearly more work to be done between now and July13th but I'm up for the challenge trust me.

The Penn Is Mightier Than The Sword

St George's Day back home in the motherland,one of these days they'll make it a holiday although I'm not holdong my breath,if St Patrick's Day is a holiday in Ireland,St Andrew's Day is a holiday in Scotland and St David's Day is a holiday in Wales then why isn't St George's Day in England???
W/ two Bank Holidays in May Day and Spring Bank Holiday at the opposite ends of May why not nix May Day and make April 23rd a national holiday? I mean the geezer slayed a Dragon for christ sake we can't give him a day off in his honour???

A slightly later start than usual for my 8 mile recovery run as I had to swing by piggy post office at 53rd and Kingsessing post work to pick up my copy of Seb Coe's autobiography that wouldn't fit through my mailbox.
Having just finished Adharanand Finn's excellent "Running W/ The Kenyans" on Monday the arrival of "Running My Life" couldn't have been better timed I just began reading "My Boy" by Philomena Lynott yesterday so once I'm done w/ that I'll get stuck into Seb's autobiography
I'm building up a nice collection of running autobiographys in my book case:Eamon Coghlan,Paula Radcliff,Steve Ovett,Ronnie Delaney,Jumbo Elliot,Steve Scott and will probably add both Mo Farah and Usain Bolt's b4 years end.

As I swung by Franklin Field about a mile and a half into my run it was hard not to notice they're getting ready for this weekends Penn Relays,barriers are up,banners are up and on the inbound leg of my run over South St bridge I looked up to see flags atop the flagpoles on the upper tier of the famous old stadium.
I was fortunate enough to compete in four Penn Relays Masters 4x400m relays M40 between 06-09,it was an honour to say I'd done so and it should come s no surprize that my fastest 400m times all came at Penn Relays,never underestimate the power of  between 40,000 and 50,000 people in the stands cheering when you run and being a Philly athlete to boot never hurts either!!!!
I declined the invitation to throw my bandana in the ring for a spot on either of the clubs M50 4x400M teams this year,after a shite winters training I feel like I'm just beginning to find my feet now and to alter my schedule to accomodate 400m training while not the worst thing for an 800m runner didn't enter my plans,maybe next year if things go better during the winter I'll consider a return to one of the great sporting events on the calender let alone one of the highlites of Track and Field.
Wishing my teammates and my "extended family" in the running fraternity all the very best this weekend.

Crush The Meek,The Fleet Of Foot Will Inherit The Earth!!!

And The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth
Overture-Rush

Happy Earth Day! While not your A typical "tree hugging hippy" I do care about the planet,I recycle,use low watt bulbs,don't use aerosol spray and IF I drove I'd like to think I'd drive a Hybrid,we only have one planet and we should look after it..........

If it's Tuesday{and my hamstring isn't acting up!!!}then it's repeats at Roxborough,the bill o fare last nite was the always challenging 6x600m repeats,last time out on April 1st I went:1.13-37=1.50.5 1.13.-37=1.50.5
1.14-38=1.52.2 1.16-38=15.4.3 1.17-37=1.54.5 ???-??=1.54.5
Obviously I wanted to better those marks.....and also get the repeat in w/out those annoying CYO brats clogging up the track and costing me my final set of 400m and 200m splits.
Out to Roxborough by 4.40pm grey overcast skies but no rain which after last weeks deluge for my 4x1 mile repeats was a blessing,mile warm up,stretch and have at it time.

#1 600m
1.11-37=1.48.1
As is my won't irregardless of which set off repeats I'm doing a brisk opener,the question now was could I hold onto that pace or would it come back to bite me in the arse b4 sessions end?

#2 600m
1.13-37=1.50.1
A brief mental lapse between 200m and 300m probably cost me a sub 1.50 here,as each week rolls by I hope to get better not just physically but mentally.

#3 600m
1.14-35=1.49.7
Too soon to tell if a 6x600m at 1.50 and under was on the cards this early on in training but you know moving forward that's a goal.

#4 600m
1.16-36=1.52.4
As this is only my 4th 6x600m repeat all year it's not unexpected to see a 1.16 opening 400m creep in,at least I responded over the closing 200m to keep things semi respectable

#5 600m
1.16-35=1.51.4
Told myself to relax and stay focused on #5 and not panic if the 400m split was 1.16 again,one more left

#6 600m
1.16-35=1.51.4
Not sure about dajavu but it's ironic #5 and #6 finished up identical.

Overall I'm pleased w/ the performance,a 13 second improvement on three weeks ago which moving forward is what I'm looking for,there's still work to  be done but I feel alot better about my repeats than i did earlier in the year when it was very hit and miss trying to access a track consitany is proving as ever to be clutch

And The Winner Is The Human Spirit

Obviously the eyes of the world were on Boston yesterday for the 118th Boston Marathon,it's the Granddaddy of all marathons  but after the atrocities of last year you felt this year it was more than "just another marathon"
This time last year I was strongly considering a fall marathon probably here in Philly in the hope I'd get a quallifying time for Boston......however my achilles flared up again and effectivly put paid to that idea and during my 2 month hiatus from training the  desire to run track found it's way back to the surface.
I haven't written off another marathon but right now I'm focused on all things track but having watched last weeks London marathon I couldn't pass up the chance to watch Boston yesterday post run.

Easy 8 miler in glorious conditions at 69 degrees,ran into my good friend Sean Harbison for the first time in eons out on the Schuylkill Banks b4 reaching the Art Museum,it was good to shoot the shit and Sean gave me an interesting tit bit re a track I might be able to use closer to home rather then schleep out to Roxborough,I'll still hit Roxborough tonite for my scheduled 6x600m repeats but will do a "recon" mission on Thursday to this new location to see if it's viable.

Post run and shower io made dinner and sat down to watch the Boston  marathon,yeah it kind of sucked already knowing the results but didn't detract from the sheer joy of seeing Meb win to give America it's first male winner in Boston since 83,my heart went out to Shalane Flanagan who ran such a gutsy race on the womens side,next year will be 30 years since an American woman last won in Boston......maybe they're due a victory.
The real winner yesterday was the human spirit,after the horrors of last year the crowds came out like they always do in Boston to lend their support to the runners,having been fortunate to have ran three Boston marathons in 91,02 and 05 I can say some of my fondest memories of my 38 year and counting running career have come on the course  from it's start in Hopkinton to it's iconic finish along Boyleston St and while those memories were tarnished last year by the actions of two dickheads yesterday proved we can't let these people win,to quote Big Papi "this is our fucking city" and be you a Boston native or just a runner /spectator on the day Boston belongs to us the runners and the running community

Hit The Ground Running

Change,nothing stays the same unchained,and you hit the ground running
Unchained-Van Halen

Fourth time evidently is the charm for getting on the track at Temple! after being shut out on the 10th,12th and Saturday I made my way to Greasey Field w/ the stong conviction that  NOTHING official  would be going on there on Easter Sunday........surely?????
Now b4 I get criticized for not being in church on Easter Sunday let me state for the record that while I pray twice a day,bless myself w/ holy water whenever I leave home and frequently light a candle at St John's catholic church in Center City on  poignant anniversaries I stopped going to mass years ago and at the risk of sounding pious and holier than thou my feeling is on Sundays when I'm out running I'm trying to better myself,I always say my running is a God given talent and by running to the best of my ability I'm doing God's will so hopefully I'll be forgiven for not attending mass on Easter Sunday.

Thankfully not only was there nothing "official" going on on the track when I arrived at 11.15am but I pretty much had the track to myself I guess the "masses" were off celebrating Easter Sunday.....no pun intended!
Following my 6 lap warm up it was have at it time over 5x1,000m,last time out over 5x1,000m on March 29th it pissed out of the heavens and i had to conduct the repeats in full raingear so my splits of:3.18.5-3.26.2-3.24-.9-3.33.5-3.29.4 should be easy pickings today,prior to March 29th on Feb 1st I last did 5x1,000m repeats w/ snow covering the bottom turn between 200m/300m-600m/700m so I haven't had the best of luck this year w/ this repeat and now I was conducting them on the back of a 12 mile run the day b4.........it's always something w/ this repeat!!

#1 1,000m
1.15-1.22-38=3.15.1
A nice start and my fastest single 1,000m since July 10th 2012.....could I keep it up or had I " shot my load" on #1 already????

#2 1,000m
1.18-1.20-37=3.15.5
Clearly #1 wasn't a fluke or one off,dare I dream about 5x sub 3.15??

#3 1,000m
1.17-1.20-37=3.14.4
Oh snap! if I was dreaming then please don't wake me up just yet,this was too good to be true!!

#4 1,000m
1.20-1.24-39=3.23.0
Drat!!! fatigue and the wind picking up did me in,kneelift wasn't there on #4 like it had been on #1 through #3

#5 1,000m
1.20-1.23-36=3.19.1
The old Carl Lewis " I just want to know I left it all out there on the track" mindset saw me give everything I had over the closing 200m.

The fact I shaved 44 seconds off of my March 29th 5x1,000m repeats should be taken a large pinch of salt,it was windy and pissing down w/ rain that day but the fact was since resuming repeats in August this was my best set of 5x1,000m.
Back  in August my goal was 1.20 per lap w/ a closing 200m in 40 seonds for 3.20,it's taken till now to get there but just like  I said after the mile repeats that I'd like to get into 1.25 per lap territory for strarters b4 kicking on again after todays 5x1,000s I'm keen to get another crack at this repeat in two weeks time to see how much faster  I can get and also conduct it  before my 12 mile long run!!!!

Leave Me A Clone

After all the shenanigans of last Saturday trying to access a track to get my repeats in all I asked for this Saturday was an easier time of things........guess nobody was listening!!!!!!
As is often my won't on either Saturday or Sunday my run was dictated by the time of the Spurs kick off,it just so happened we had the early kick off at 12.45pm in London,7.45am here on the east coast so for once instead of waiting till 12pm to head over to Temple I was out the door by 10am...........
I arrived at Geasey Field at 10.45am just in time to hear the opening strains of "The Star Spangled Banner" and everyone on the track and the infield facing the flagpole in the northeast corner of the track, I guess whatever was going on was "official"!!!!!

Now What?did I come back later and hope whatever was going on was finished? head out to "the burbs" again only this week actually getting on a track??? OR come back to Temple tomorrow after doing my 12 mile long run today??????
The later while a guarantee of getting both in wasn't ideal but it was the option I went w/,so after returning home I was back out the door for my long run over 12 miles.
It felt strange doing the quote unquote Sunday long run on a Saturday but sometimes you just have to play the hand you're dealt.

Knowing I still had 5x1,000m repeats to come on Sunday the plan was to take things easy  however when I had someone breathing down my neck along the Schuylkill Banks between 2 miles and 3 miles on my run I couldn't let it go and opted to make whoever was being me to work for it if they wanted to overtake me.
I did have an "out clause" on that rather than lose face and not rise to the challenge I could hang a right at the Art Museum and head north along West River Dr which I had toyed w/ last Sunday duing "weavefest" along Kelly Dr but being it was a Saturday surely there'd be no Regatta today............
Given I was doing my Sunday long run on a Saturday should've been enough of an indication where my luck was at and sure as shit when I got to Columbia bridge I saw the tell tale signs of rowing boats on the Schuylkill........

Thankfully the congestion was at a mimimum this week,next to no weaving in and out muchless no slowing to avoid rowing crews carrying their rowing boats to and from the river and crowds of people cloggging up the pathway.
Since i don't take a watch w/ me on either my easy run,recovery run or long run I have no idea of my pace period muchless my turn around time at halfway so imagine my shock to clock a 1.48 for this 12 miler,over the past six weeks I've gone 2.00,1.55,1.57,1.59,2.01,1.55 so 1.48 today was a bit of an eyeopener and I'd have been a lot happier w/ a 7 minute reduction in my time where it not for the oh so small matter of 5x1,000m repeats on tap less than 24 hours away........

"Orphan Black" returned to the tv schedule Saturday nite for season two,ergo the clone reference in the title,if episode one of season two is anything to go by it's gonna be another wild ride in the life of Sarah Manning and here clones..........

Wind Of Change

There's something quite rewarding about the recovery run,same milage but less work!
After the heavy rain on Tuesday during my repeats the clear blue sky and sun albeit at only 47 degrees came as a welcome respite although there was a noticable breeze period throughout the run but  it was obviously more in play along theSchuylkill River,as soon as I made the approach to the South St bridge I could tell was was in store for me along the Schuylkill Bank and Kelly Drive.

I hadn't given much thought to how strong the rain was while running in it on Tuesday,prefering top focus on the issue at hand but crossing the South St bridge I couldn't help but look down at the Schuylkill River below me and notice how muddy and murky it looked....more so than usual I guess the heavy rain on and off almost all day Tuesday really churned things up.
Another thing I noticed today more than in recent runs were the Cherry Blossom trees in bloom along Kelly Drive just after the Girard Ave railway bridge  at 3 and 3/4 mies into my run.
For all I know they could have been in bloom for the last week or weeks, I pass them three times a week,Mondays on my easy 8 miler,Wednesdays on my recovery 8 miler and Sunday on my 12 mile long run but untill today never really paid full attention,I guess I'm so focused on my run.
It reminds me of an old Seb Coe quote when he trained at Loughborough University back in the day
"if you're out runing and you're noticing how beautifully kept peoples front lawns are and you're noticing the licence plates on peoples cars then you're not working hard enough and if you're not working hard enough why are you out her to begin w/?"
It's a valid observation from Lord Coe and w/ 2 Olympic gold medals at 1,500m mot to mention a slew of world records at 800m,1,000m,1,500m and the mile in his prime I guess he's more than quallified to make such a statement!!!

While I won't be setting any world records any time in the near or distant future muchless Olympic golds I do hope I've turned the corner in my training,Tuesdays 36 second improvement over my 4x1 mile repeats was an indication I'm moving in the right direction,when I ran my previous 4x1 mile repeats on March 25th they were a 6 second improvement on what I'd musterd on March 15th so I feel I'm getting stronger and faster now 6 weeks into this phase of training,today marks 13 weeks till Nationals and 4 more weeks of {hopefully!!!}uninterupted training b4 my Outdoor season opener,lets hope the "Winds Of Change" continue to gust.

The Sky Is Crying

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the horrific Boston Marathon bombing,there isn't a day that goes by when I don't pray for the victims,their families,friends and loved ones whos lives were forever altered by the calious and gutless actions of those two bastards who set off those bombs at the finishline on Boylston St.
On a day that so many lives were altered in the blink of an eye I could hardly "cry foul" when I heard the weather forecast called for rain,victims of Boston are dealing w/ far worse issues for the rest of their lives so "ever the Boy Scout" i packed my running bag accordingly on Monday nite b4 heading out to Roxborough for my repeats{I learnt a valuable lesson last week not hitting Roxborough on a Tuesday....fool me once shame on you,fool me twice shame on me!},running cap and waterproof jacket......the Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared" afterall!!!

As the #9 bus made it's way along route 76 to Manayunk on route to Roxborough the heavens opened w/ a vengence,too late I was almost there and frankly rain or no rain I was hell bent on getting this repeat in period,I'd lost two repeats last week to begin w/ but I also wanted to honour those who'd been wounded a year ago in Boston even though I didn't personally know any of the victims I felt I wanted to do this for them,it felt like the very least I could do for them.
Took full advantage of the portajohn by the trackside to get changed into my running gear and hoped I'd now have dry clothes to put back on post repeats,I was going to need them as the rain continued to fall unabated....but if you know my running history you know running in the rain is kind of my thing!!!
Having lost out on last weeks repeats altogether I opted to go w/ 4x1 mile/5x1,000m this week rather than skip over them in favour of the 6x600m/8x300x200x300 rotation the only question now was 4x1mile or 5x1,000m?
Since my previous 5x1,000m repeats on March 29th were conducted in the rain the temptation was to see if today would be any faster in identical conditions....however I'd been chomping at the bit for a week to have a crack at lowering my previous set of mile repeats from March 25th which if you recall were conducted in the snow here,they were:
5.48.1-5.51.2-5.52.8-5.46.7.
Mile warm up complete it was have at it time.

#1 mile
1.19-1.27-1.27-1.24=5.37.5
My quickest mile repeat this year which isn't as quick as I'd like but it's getting there,albeit a mile at a time it seems!

#2 mile
1.22-1.27-1.27-1.23=5.39.4
Consistant if nothing else but like 3 weeks ago laps 2 and 3 need some work going forward

#3 mile
1.21-1.27-1.29-1.25=5.42.8
Splat! there went my 4xsub 5.40 miles,again a solid opening lap,two slightly below par middle laps b4 a reasonable closing 400m,hopefully sooner rather later I can put together 4 soild laps at 1.25 b4 getting down to 1.20

#4 mile
1.21-1.30-1.30-1.21=5.42.1
The dreaded 1.30 laps I'd kept at bay snuck in as the wind,rain and fatigue took their toll.

During my warm up I thought that if I could hold onto 1.25 pace I'd clock 5.40 miles, a reasonable target to shoot for at this stage of the game all things  considered,that said today was a major leap forward from three weeks ago knocking 36 seconds off of my four 1 mile repeats that day which I take as a major plus ut underlines how much stronger and faster I'm getting as each week goes by and I relish my next crack at 4x1 mile hopefully on April 29th.

Wept For My Daddyo

At the risk of bad Mexican food I'm about to repeat myself,but after all the cock ups that transpired last week by sitting out last Monday I was deternined to kick this week off w/ an easy 8 miler like I usually do,last week underlined the fact that missing a Monday run can and often will begin your week behind the proverbial eight ball.....I'll take an eight miler over the eight ball anytime proving I'm a runner and not a drug fiend I hope!!!!!

There was still a knock on effect from Saturdays proverbial runaround all my criss crossing Philly in search of a track to do my repeats had eaten into my down time to the point that hitting the grocery store fell by the wayside and following Sundays long run and watching the London Marathon I wasn't in the mood to trawl the isles of the nearby supermarket so I hit Supreme on the way home from work which meant gettting a slightly later start than normal,in the general scheme of things not an issue.....missing two track repeats last week now that's an issue but when accessing a track becomes as easy as going to the supermarket I guess I'll be a happy camper!!!!
The eight miler was run of the mill,an easy run in light of tomorrow being{hopefully!!!!!} repeats but while making my way out to the 1 mile marker along Kelly Drive where I turnaround for an 8 mile run I was not for the first,nor tthe last time reminded where all this began.............

I always say my running career has been a trilogy,the most recent chapter beginning in 2001 after 5 and a 1/2 year hiatus from running I got back into it and haven't looked back,from Nov 01 thro Nov 05 I added 9 more marathons to my resume b4 returning to my first love track,which is the second part of the trilogy from a high school freshman in 76 through 96 I had 20 years of highs and lows starting off as a 400m/800m runner on the track to eventually running my first marathon in 85 and then enjoying a reasonably successful road racing career till 96 when I stepped away from the sport,I never said I'd quit,or hung up my running shoes I just didn't have the fire in my soul that you need to have if your willing to commit wholheatedly to the game.
So where did it all start then?....easy,on a rainswept road in Ireland way back in August of 72 3 months b4 I turned 9 years old.
The cliff notes version of this tale is I was on vaction in Ireland and I got invited to b'day party of a school friend of my cousins and kids being kids we lost track of time,my father Kevin took it upon himself to fetch us from the house where the party took place,some 5-6 miles from where my aunt lived in Berrings Co Cork,it was late at nite,pitch black dark{no street lights this was rural country living} and pissing down w/ rain,my father NOT a man known for his patience at the best of times made it painfully clear to both my cousin Liam and I we were going to run all the way home and if we thought about stopping to walk one of two things would happen..... a swish of his shoe towards our backsides follwed by a crack of the towel he had around his neck to keep the driving rain at bay also aimed at out derrieres.....he wasn't joking as the first sign of either of us slowing down was greeted w/ the crack of the towel and the  swing of his foot at our arses!!!!

I don't know if there is,was a world record for a not quite 9 year old running 5 maybe 6 miles back in 1972 but I'm reasonably confident I held it that night and that my friends is where the origins of Kevinrunningfree began,and since Monday would have been Kevin's 81st b'day were he still alive I thought it prudent to dust off that tale,b4 he died suddenly almost 30 years ago  that infamous night was often laughed and joked about over a few pints of the hard stuff,my first coach,my late Father Kevin,God bless you thanks to you I'm still running and always in  fear of that size nine shoe and wet towel in my backside if I slow down or stop!!!

Die Die Joffery!

Kill the king tear him down kill the king,yeah gotta take his crown, kill the king he'll rule no more strike him dead the people roar kill the king yeah,take his head down,down,down,down oh,kill
Kill The King Rainbow

When I hit the zzz's Saturday I did toy w/ the idea that maybe just maybe if I got up in time Sunday I could squeeze in an early 4x1 mile repeat over at St Joe's b4 10am and then take a leisurely 12 miler in the afternoon to pull the ultimate "rabbit out of a hat" for a 4 day/40mpw w/ one repeat.......it sounded good in theory but as the old saying goes "theory and practice is the horse of a different colour"....
It was 10am b4 I awoke from my slumber which put the kybosh on what was always going to be an ambitious double and opted to settle for the long run,it sucks worse than a Dyson vacuum to lose not one but two repeats this week but there's a remote chance I could make them up b4 leaving for Winston Salem in mid July......

On the road by 11.45pm it was another warm day an early taste of Summer in Spring.....of course nicer conditions mean more peeps on the Schuylkill Bank/Kelly Dr and coupled w/ the 4th regatta in 5 weeks meant beaucoup congestion between Columbia and Strawberry Mansion bridges,it's getting to the point where I may have switch over to the less populated West River Drive from now on.
It's one thing having to weave in and out of people and avoid the occasional rowing boat as the rowers are making their way to the St Joe's Boathouse but I draw the line at having to almost come to a screeching halt to avoid some fat fucker coming back from the Hamburger tent eyeing up his double cheeseburger like it's a topless page 3 model and not looking to see if anyone is coming along the pathway that's always got runners,bikers on it #openyoureyesdouchebag

Remarkably considering the weaving,slowing down and heat{my dri fit shirt and bandana both had tell tale salt/sweat stains on them at the compleation of my 12 miler} I clocked another 1.55 my second in the last five weeks:2.00-1.55-1.59-2.01-1.55,a far cry from my marathon days but I do enjoy the Sunday long run....minus the weaving in and out of people along Kelly Drive when there's a regatta on the Schuylkill.
on the subject of marathons my post long run treat was to watch the London Marathon on USN{Universal Sports Network}
Having ran London twice in 86 and  02 not to mention grown up in London for 24 years the London Marathon holds a special place in my heart and served as a nice way to unwind after a difficult week of training.

However the London Marathon mearly served as an appetizer b4 the Sunday main course....."Game Of Thrones"
After 31 episodes over 3 seasons and last weeks 1st episode of season 4 I can safely say King Joffery is prehaps the  MOST loathed  charachter EVER so to see him killed off while some what of a gobsmacker so early into season 4 was none the less a delight,in 45 years of watchng tv I doubt I've ever sat on the edge of my seat yelling"DIE!!!,DIE YOU BASTARD!!!!!"

Bollocks!....Double Bollocks!!

Ain't it a shame.to be shot down in flames
AC/DC

In a week that was already turned upside down w/ blown opportunities to get repeats in the last thing I needed on Saturday was the proverbial "runaround".........
Following a dramatic come from 3.0 down 3.3 draw for my beloved Spurs away to West Brom between 10am-12pm I felt all was right w/ the world and set off for the track at Temple w/ the intention of  taking care of my 4x1 mile repeats,having lost  my mid week repeats I was forced to choose between 4x1 mile or 5 x1,000m either or I opted for mile repeats.......

Imagine my horror but given the week I'd had NOT total surprize to find the track "off limits" when I arrived at 1.15pm..............................I'm not sure why the track was closed or what the giant inflatables on the infield were for but I'm guseeing they were something to do w/ the "Alumni Weekend" banner on Broad St plus the number of people walkingaround  the campus w/ Temple laminates around their necks........
Now what? the plan had been do my repeats b4 hitting Center City to do the chores that needed doing yestereday that I'd put off in order to get my 6 miler in,I figured while I rode the subway back to City Hall I could go w/ a plan B.
Vitamins and Holy Water securred{what can I say born Irish Cathloic,always have Holy Water in the house!} I  now had to think which other track I could sellect,Roxborough,Lower Merion,St Joe's etc....talk about "enny,meeny mini,moe" Roxborough is a hike,St Joe's tends to be hit and miss as a college facility and getting access so I boarded the R5 to Ardmore out in the burbs to hit Lower Merion's high school track......fourth time's a charm right????
FUCK ME SIDEWAYS TILL SUNDAY!!!! fuckin' lacrosse practice on the infield which renders the track out of bounds/off limits!!!!

By now it was 3.45pm in the 2.5 hours since I'd arrived at Temple I was no nearer getting on a track for repeats and while Haverford was 2 miles up the mainline the way things have gone this week I felt why bother trying to see if I could get on the track,I'm sure SOMETHING would have been going on to keep me off the track!!!!
What a pisser,zero track repeats this week and two less between now and Wake Forest in 14 weeks time and having gone out of my way to stay on pace for a 40 mile week it had now blown up in my face on a day I nine times out of ten take care of bussiness,it was a somber train ride back to the city b4 getting on the trolley back to West Philly,just not my day I guess

Attitude Adjustment

One day I feel I'm on top of the world and the next it's falling in on me I can get back on I can get back on,One day I feel I'm ahead of the the wheel and the next it's rolling over me I can get back on I can get back on
Far Cry Rush

A while back in Februay when "Old Man Winter" was still dictating my training I recall missing out on a Monday and Tuesday but telling myself a 5 day 40mpw was still there for the taking providing I went w/ 8 milers Wednesay thro Sunday....I took care of bussiness Wednesday and Thursday but baulked at Friday and cited it as a "mental block" as I'm not used to running Fridays which I 'm not it's become one of my rest days over the past several years,and while that is a valid excuse I also know it's bollocks!!!!,and the fact a few weeks later the week of Indoor Nationals I took care of an 8 miler that Friday lunchtime told me that when you really want something you'll go after it.

Fast forwarding to this week and my two shut outs w/ the track I had the chance to at least stay on track{no pun intended!!!} for a 5 day 40mpw w/ 1 repeat providing I took care of a 6 miler on Friday and proving my head was not only in the game but firmly out of my arse I blew off my  post work Friday chores to enable me to get home right away,stretch,get changed and get out the door ASAP to take care of bussiness.
Other than feeling a little weird to be out running on a Friday it was also a bit of a shock to the system to only clock a 6 miler but it's been that kind of a week........ a "Far Cry" from what I've been used to of late

If The Cap Fits......

It doesn't take much to set me off,muchless "rage against the machine" but factor in two blown repeat sessions and well let's just say......."fire in the hole"!!!!!!
Following Mondays cautionary "sit this one out" mindset my week was already thrown off,given most weeks my preference is to take care of business over 8 miles first on Monday b4 tackling my first repeat of the week on Tuesday I didn't think that going repeat,8 miler,8 miler was the way to go period muchless test my questionable hamstring right off the bat w/ repeats so Tuesday was my easy 8 miler which went well enough for me to consider 4x1 mile repeats on Wednesday.......

Having made the trek all the way out to Roxborough imagine my disgust to find the track in use,I know "shit happens" but now by the time I got home it was gone 6pm,maybe I could've gone out on an impromptu 6 miler but I figured I was still "playing w/ house money" there was no need to panic just yet even though I'd used both my rest days by Wednesday.........
When Thursday rolled around I figured I had two options,schleep out to Roxborough again and hope foer the best but also know if I crapped out again I was potentially screwed for the week w/ 5/day 40mpw OR try Temple,at least if I drew a blank there I could still get home in time to knock out an 8 miler and stay on pace for a 40 mile week even if I'd now have to settle for a one repeat week.....

If you recall a few weeks back I got shut out of Temple on a Tuesday afternoon which is why I've been going all the way out to Roxborough so I was hopeful that was just a one off.......no such luck as I got to the perimiter of the track I noticed it was not only occupied but the gates were locked like they were the last time.....I guess Temple is "off limits" Tuesdays and Thursdays.....and quite probably Monday,Wednesday and Friday........
These are the weeks I wish I had an in over at La Salle collage which is w/in walking distance of the hospital,it'd be nice to be able to go over there once during the week for a repeat instead of the schleeping to Roxborough and or being shut out of Temple.

Home by 4.45pm,stretched and out the door for my 8 miler,I'll throw in a 6 miler tomorrow to keep me on pace for a 40 mile week w/ 4x1 mile repeats{hopefully} on Saturday and 12 miles on Sunday for a 5 day,40 mile week w/ only one repeat......I'm not Barbie,I guess I can't have everything right????

{No More}Smokin' In The Boys Room

Back at it after a days "injury" enforced rest,the good news is said "hammy" is feeling a lot better I didn't feel any problems w/ it during my easy 8 miler although as a precaution I did run w/ the ace bandage wrap on it but it was all plain sailing on a glorious 63 degree sunny day,the bigger test will be this afternoons 4x1 mile repeats at Roxborough.

I'll be the first to admit I've gotten away from the pre run stretch routine......I know I know bad runner!!! maybe this is the Running Gods way of tell me just because you don't see a Horse stretch b4 it goes off on a gallop or canter that I can do likewise,I was really good about the pre run stretch a few years ago b4 it somehow became obsolete{a bit like my social life of late!!} so maybe it's time to address both issues.

If things at work get testy this week it may have everything to do w/ the fact as of Monday the hospital has become a smoke free zone.
While I gladly quit smoking over 12 years ago and never looked back  I know several people who continue to indulge but as of Monday they can't do so on the hospital property which I 'm sure will become an issue for the addicted to nicotine crowd so look for some pissed off employes on campus.....I'm not saying you should take up running as an alternative but maybe in thye long run{no pun intended!}the hospital is trying to do you a favour,just saying??

A Little Knowledge Goes A Long Way

Running it has been said is very basic,put one foot in front of the other and repeat the process,as runners we tend to over complicate it rather than simplify it,getting from point A to point B as quick as humanly possible b4 the X's and O's begin to either bog us down or sometimes derail us.
Coming off of what was w/out doubt my best week of training where my repeats are concerned the last thing I needed were complications but one presented its self b4 I'd even left the house in the morning.

My right hamstring was a little tender,it might've been a result of the 300m/200m/300m repeats on Saturday but clearly it was not 100%
I guess working in a hospital I'm fortunate to have access to ice packs and ace bandages which helped during the day till I got home,then it was "cut bait or go sailing"?
Obviously there was a temptation to just say to hell w/ it and run but having just put in 4 consistant weeks of training I didn't want to find myself on the DL for a few days because ego took over so I remembered the advice I'd been given over the years that I'd tucked away in the knowledge bank.

Listen To What Your Body Is Telling You
Clearly the slightly hamstrung hamstring was letting me know I may have over extended myself on Saturday doing my best Usain Bolt and maybe sitting this one out was the bettter way to go.

Buy Yourself Another Day
Too often as runners we approach training w/ "tunnel vision" only concerned w/ todays training there's little or no point jepordizing tomorrow and the day/days after by being headstrong.

Less Is More
I've said it several times b4 but it bares repeating it's not in a runners DNA to subscribe to the "Less Is More" theory we just don't when sometimes we really should!!!

Act Your Age,Not Your Shoe Size
My former coach once told me,"the older you get the more susceptible you become to injury,and the longer it takes to heal so you just have to be smart about it"
Words to live by,hence my decision to take a rest day yesterday and give my hamstring the chance to heal a little along w/ the icing and wrap on it,by taking Monday as my rest day my next repreat session isn't scheduled till Wednesday now and at 4x1mile it's a lot less explosive than the 6x600m ot 8x300x200x300m repeats that may have caused the slight strain.....tomorrow as they say is another day!

PS
It's possible this is the most I've ever blogged about a non run!

PPS
As a counter point to my blog I also have to throwout the time honoured Linford Christie quote
"As an athlete you're always injured"!!!!

Circles & Rings,Dragons & Kings

Thankfully it's become redundant to say "it's another 5 day/40mpw" over the past 4 weeks it's become the rule and not the exception as it had over the winter,and while the past 2 weeks have yeilded me 2 repeats per week in that 5 day period which is clutch going forward,however this would be my 4th consecutive Sunday long run over 12 miles.
When I'm putting in 2 8 milers during the week it felt like a wank to make my Sunday long run a 10 miler hence the bump in milage to 12 miles 4 weeks ago and it's now become a staple in my weekly training.
Out the door by 1.45pm.....I know I said last week that w/ Spurs done w/ Sunday kick offs I should have more leaway w/ when my Sunday long runs begin but as die hard Formula One fan I couldn't pass up the Bahrain Grand Prix between 10.30am and 1.30pm....ergo the 1.45pm start

Unlike the grey overcast conditions of two weeks ago and the rain last week today was bright sunshine and 59 degrees a new wrinkle to deal w/ over 12 miles.
Something else I haven't had to deal w/ on my Sunday long runs is the Philly Phanatic at Markward Playground,which surfice to say drew a crowd for me to weave through,as much as I like the Phanatic this didn't feel like the time or place to announce my loyalty to the Boston Red Sox!!!
I mentioned last week there was no Regatta in the rain unlike the two previous Sundays,well guess what? there was one today although I have to say I knew ahead of time after hearing the traffic report on WXPN on Friday morning.

As usual a Regatta calls for weaving in and out of people and  rowing boats between Columbia Bridge and just beyond St Joe's boathouse but coupled w/ the warm weather there were more spectators this Sunday plus more walkers,runners,joggers,rollerbladers and cyclists to add to the bottleneck,I tried to keep the weaving about to a minimum.
Having gone 2.00,1.55,1.59 the last three weeks I was confident of a 2.00 time today but hd to settle for a 2.01 which in the general scheme of things is neither here nor there,I will say coming off the 8x300x200x300 repeats yesterday I felt a little shot from the knees down w/ 2 and 3/4 miles to go the downhill by the Art Museum and then the next downhill w/in a quarter mile as I passed Paine Park didn't see me "freewheel" down them like I normally do but I'm ok w/ that,the hard work had been done over the course of the week.

That said my post run plans were much, a shower and a quick trip to the laundromat 2 blocks from home and my day was done,now to enjoy dinner and the season 4 premier of "Game Of Thrones".....hence the Dragons and Kings reference in the title,not sure who they'll kill off this season but if it is Joffery PLEASE  make it a long slow painful death..........#littleprick

Forget 666 The New Number Of The Beast Is 300x200x300x8

Woe to you,oh earth and sea,for the devil sends the beast w/ wrath because he knows the time is short
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast for it is a human number ,it's number is six hundred and sixty six"
Number Of The Beast-Iron Maiden

I'n not sure when I came up w/ the 8x300x200x300m repeats,I know I didn't begin using them till Sept 8th 2012 b4 revisting them again last August,September and October of last year.
Like some deranged scientist in lab I felt like this could be the workout that could help me rule the world.....or at the very least be competitive on the track,which more or less the same thing right??
It is a beast of a workout period,it also takes two hours from mile warm up to mile cooldown but it's time well spent if it gets me on the podium at Nationals in Winston-Salem in just under 15 weeks time,the irony of the fact I conducted this repeat on a Saturday the same day as the 800m final was not lost on me!

It looked like I was going to be SOL when I first arrived at Temple's track as there appeared to be "something official" going on....I think it was ENT training....whatever it was it didn't force me to come up w/ an alternate plan which was just as well since at 1.05pm to begin treking across the city to either Roxborough,St Joes,Lower Merion or Haverford would be  a pain  not to mention time consuming,my other option was to head home,do my 12 long run and return to the track on Sunday to try again w/ the 300x200x300m......surfice to say I waited till the ENT crew got done!!!!

Mile warm up concluded it was  have at it time,having not done this repeat since October 19th I wasn't sure what to expect,I felt if I could keep it 55/35/55 I'd be doing ok........
49.3-33.3-52.4
52.1-33.7-51.2
52.7-34.7-52.5
51.5-34.2-53.4
52.8-34.4-52.8
53.3-34.5-52.9
53.7-34.6-53.9
53.2-33.5-54.2

My initial reaction when the 16th and final 300 crept to 54.2 was "son of a bitch!!!" it wasn't till after my mile cool down and a slow walk back to the Cecil B Moore subway stop when I could set and review my previous splits I discovered on my last 8x300x200x300m on Oct 19th some 24 weeks ago I'd logged 6x54 second splits plus one each at 55 and 56 seconds,plus on the 200s I'd logged 5x35 seconds a far cry from todays efforts.
Tempted as I am to make this my "go to" repeat I do think on weeks when I have races in May,June and July I do feel this is one workout that will stay in it's "weekly rotation" along w/ the 4x1 mile repeats if they;re on the rotation on a race week,as sadistic as it may seem I do enjoy the 8x300x200x300m repeats.....even if my calves,hamstrings and glutes may've said otherwise as I gingerly made my way along the City Hall subway platform to catch the #34 trolley home......

Getting My House And Priorities In Order

It's amazing the amount of "good feelings" one can generate from  a good workout,Tuesdays 6x600m repeats were my fastest since July 29th.....2012 so needless to say I was not only feeling good about my running by generally lovin' life and even feeling good about work.......I know it's scarey!!!!

W/ Nationals now 15 weeks away it's that time honoured scour the internet for airfair and hotels time,ever the Boy Scout{Dib,Dib,Dib!!!}I believe in "Being Prepared" and not leaving things to the last minute hence the need to begin looking up stuff on the net,I have 7 pay cheques between now and then which also factors into the equation,what concerts I can afford or not{just discovered the Queen & Adam Lambert show I had hoped to see in Philly on July 16th is the day I leave for Winston-Salem.......agh!!!}  what cds and dvds I can and can't afford etc.
Whilst doing a bunch of this online at work I missed one of my few and far opportunites for "face time"  w/ a woman at work who's peaked my interest recently......now those of you who know me probably know there's a "Do Not Resuscitate" label on my love life.......I think Reagan was still in office when I had my last romantic interlude{you think I'm joking......!}so the last thing I need right now as I'm trying to focus on my running not to mention balancing the budget to finance Nationals is another of my "Flights Of Fantasy" or "Cinderella Searches" as I call them that usually all end in tears....mine.
Having said all that I will say that just because I'm old and been left on the shelf doesn't mean I wouldn't like to be taken down and dusted every now and again"........moving on.......

8 mile recovery run to keep things ticking over for the week plus flush out any leftover lactic acid from the 600s on Tuesday,I was pleasently surprised that my calves weren't screaming blue murder today.....I doubt I'll be so lucky after Saturdays 8x300x200x300 repeats.....No Pain,No Gain right?
The last piece of my pre Nationals puzzle was solved yesterday,the 2 Twilight meets at Icahn Stadium in May I penciled in as my Outdoor openers have a schedule now.
I'll go 800m on The 15th and 1,500m on the 29th b4 reversing the process at the first two Tuesday Nite Speed Series races also at Icahn Stadium in June b4 going mile.800m in July pre Nationals.
One small "fly in the ointment" so to speak the deadline for entry for Nationals is June 19th which means my only chance to submit an 800m seed time is my season opener on May 15th......no pressure right??!!

No Foolin'

If it's Tuesday then it's repeats at Roxborough......no seriously that's not a joke cos trust me taking the subway from work in North Philly to Center City to catch a bus out to Roxborough to hit the track b4 then bussing back to 30th St and taking the trolley home to West Philly is a hike and a half.....that said if it's what I have to do to get a weekday repeat session in then so be it.

No falling snow this week,sunny and warm when I arrived at the track by 4.40pm,a smattering of people walking/jogging on the track as I did my mile warm up but off to my left a group of  CYO runners gathered w/ their coach each year I'm out here at this time of year I have to deal w/ them as they prepare for Penn Relays and they always  cause me a problem.......today would be no different!!!
Having gone the 4x1 mile/5x1,000m route last week this week the plan was 6x600m today followed by 8x300x200x300m Saturday b4 switching back to 4x1 mile/5x1,000m next week and so forth this way I can gauge my progress over the weeks at each repeat and make alterations if need be,my last set of 6x600s came way back on Jan 20th 10 weeks ago when I went:
1.14-37=1.51.1 1.18-38=1.56.2 1.19-40=1.59.0 1.28-40=1.58.5 1.23-42=2.05.3 1.22-41=2.03.5
anything better today would be a step in the right direction but other than that I hadn't given any thought to what I might run,come repeats end maybe I need to keep that mindset for my other upcoming repeats.....

#1 600m
1.13-37=1.50.5
As is my won't w/ repeats I went out hard on the opener{on Jan 15th I opened w/ 1.14-35=1.49.8}b4 "shiiting the bed" would I need a bedpan by the end of this repeat or could I keep my sheets???

#2 600m
1.13-37=1.50.5
Ok back to back 1.50s not too shabby but the 64 billion dollar question was how long could I keep this up?

#3 600m
1.14-38=1.52.2
The fact I'm now putting in consistant 40 mile training weeks and getting into a routine w/ repeats so sadly lacking during the winter is paying off,suddenly thoughts of keeping all six repeats at sub 1.55 was not a far fetched notion......

#4 600m
1.16-38=1.54.3
Ah that familiar feeling of lactic acid choking the life out of my leg muscles as I try my damnedest to keep myself on pace how I've missed you!!!

#5 600m
1.17-37=1.54.9
I knew at 400m I had to give it "some welly" over the closing 200m if I was to stay on pace for my 6xsub 1.55 and somehow I found the spirit to do so,no mailing it in today,no folding the tent and saying next time,c'mon one more!!!

#6 600m
???-??=1.54.5
B4 I launch into a tiraid about those little CYO bastards let me stay positive and say despite not seeing my 400m split and thus having to run the final 200m "blind" I managed a 6th sub 1.55 600m and that was really all that mattered.

Ok let me state "for the record" just because I'm  a three time National Champion and two time 5th Avenue Mile champion that I don't expect to "call dibs" on lane one any time I'm on a track doing repeats.....what I do expect however is a little track etiquette from others.
While I appreciate that the CYO Coach was working on hand offs w/ his group in the outer lanes those not involved chose to congregate in lane one despite several requests from him to "stay out of lane one" granted he dosen't have eyes in the back of his head but on the last three or four of my 600s I was constantly having to swing out wide into lane 2 and on #6 I whad to swing out into lane 3 to avoid them which is why I missed my 400m split.
I don't want to be "that guy" who plows into a bunch of kids standing on the track to "teach them a lesson" but I also want to be able to come to a track and get my repeats in w/out having to "mark my territory" chance are I've got to deal w/ them the next two Tuesdays prior to Penn Relays but over 4x1 mile repeats next week it's not all speed related like the 6x600m where each second counts.

I'm delighted w/ the overall outcome of this workout,I couln't have imagined going 6x sub 1.55 but I did...the trick now is to go faster in two weeks time when I revisit 6x600m

In Like A Lamb,Out Like A Lion....

I'm well aware the saying goes"In Like A Lion,Out Like A Lamb" in reference to March but you know me I like to dance to the beat of my own drum......especially when it's John Bonham,Cozy Powell,Nicko McBrain,Ian Paice or Neil Peart behind the drumkit!!!!!
However the facts show that while I began my March training on the backfoot due to the then continuing "Winter Of Our Discontent" I have finished strongly w/ three successive 40 mile weeks that made up 120 of the 152 miles I logged in March compared to the 118 miles I managed in January and paltry 76 miles I managed in Febuary......here's hoping to continue to move full steam ahead as went enter April.

Easy 8 miler to kick the week off,thankfully no rain ergo no raingear it was shades and shorts conditions at 59 degreess but w/ a decent wind whipping up off the Schuylkill which kept the sleeveless running shirts in their mail tote bin for now but all in good time!
A slightly later start than usual,most given weekdays I'm on the sidewalk by 4.20pmish to take care of my run but given the biblical preportion of rain this weekend{did anyone notice that this was the weekend the movie "Noah" opened????.....coinsidence?!!!}the only time I ventured out the door was to run so there was some "provisions" that needed to be bought on the way home.....I can't live on Power Bars and Gatorade alone and unless I wish to wake up to find my perfectly good Adidas Adizeros shreaded to fuck then Precious demands her Cat Nip flavoured treats......trust me "Don't Mess W/ The Cat"!!!

W/ 6x600m repeats on tap on Tuesday there was no need to go "hammer and tonges" on this run,having now hopefully gotten into a weekly routine of 5 days/40mpw I can hopefully start getting 2 repeats per week in during a non race week to sharpen my speed leaving the Monday/Wednesday 8 milers to the realm of easy/recovery runs.