This time next Thursday I,ll be in Spokane for Nationals,my third summer since my 06 debut in Charlotte North Carolina.
It looks like I may well have to run a prelim in the 800m next Thursday afterall,prior to last nite the field was set at 12 runners however w/ the final deadline for late entries at midnite 2 more runners signed up so now there are 14 of us,providing all 14 of us declare and show up Thursday two heats will be ran,if only 12 of us declare we,ll get advanced to Saturdays final.
Last year was a 10 man final after prelims were waived,who can forget my 06 prelim under the lites in Charlotte my feeling has always been to arrive in Spokane mentally and physically prepared to race on Thursday,if I don,t so be it,if I do not only is it one extra race for me but also an extra race for those planning to run three events which may well determine if there are any w/drawals,alot to ponder as the days tick down.
An easy 5 miler this evening to keep me on pace for my weekly milage total of 30 miles,tomorrow sees a second 600m time trial b4 another easy 5 miler on Saturday and a rest day Sunday
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Heavy
The so called weather experts got it wrong......again,yesterdays forcast for today was a 40% chance of thunderstorms,todays forcast was a 20% chance of thunderstorms but as of now 9pm I haven,t seen a hint of rain nor a rumble of thunder.
When I arrived at Franklin Field at 5pm the sun was beating down quite hard I could feel the sweat rolling off of me as I lay on the track going through my pre run stretch routine,however by the time I compleated my mile warm up the sky was a mixture of half sun,half cloud and my three one mile repeats were all conducted under grey skies w/ a very heavy feeling in the air,dare I say Beijingesque.................
I began brightly a 1.15 opening lap b4 dipping to a 1.19,when I clocked a 1.17 third lap and saw 3.51 at the bell I knew I,d have to go some over the final lap...........62 seconds which I believe maybe my fastest ever closing lap on a mile repeat,4.53.43
Things continued in a similar vain on #2 a 1.16 opening lap followed by laps of 1.19 and a 1.18 at the bell,3.53 again I was going to have to go like the clappers over the closing 400m and again I did this time a 63 second final lap,4.56.67.
I opened well on the final mile another 1.15 b4 back to back 1.21s which ultimately was going to cost me dearly,3.57 at the bell,could I go to the well one last time?.....very nearly another 63 second final lap to clock 5.00.73,had it not been for the fact twice on the final mile I was forced to swing wide of some jogsworth occupying lane 5 I may,ve snuck a 4.59 in there,obviously those 2 1.21 laps cost me dearly.
On the one hand I,m disappointed w/ my overall performance,that said my final lap on all three miles was something to be very pleased w/,I,d like to think the air quality had alot to do w/ tonites splits,I can,t complain too much most of my workouts this summer have been conducted in favorable conditions and at the end of the day I as able to get the workout in and remain on my rotation for the week something that the so called experts would try to have me believe was not possible...............but what do they know?
When I arrived at Franklin Field at 5pm the sun was beating down quite hard I could feel the sweat rolling off of me as I lay on the track going through my pre run stretch routine,however by the time I compleated my mile warm up the sky was a mixture of half sun,half cloud and my three one mile repeats were all conducted under grey skies w/ a very heavy feeling in the air,dare I say Beijingesque.................
I began brightly a 1.15 opening lap b4 dipping to a 1.19,when I clocked a 1.17 third lap and saw 3.51 at the bell I knew I,d have to go some over the final lap...........62 seconds which I believe maybe my fastest ever closing lap on a mile repeat,4.53.43
Things continued in a similar vain on #2 a 1.16 opening lap followed by laps of 1.19 and a 1.18 at the bell,3.53 again I was going to have to go like the clappers over the closing 400m and again I did this time a 63 second final lap,4.56.67.
I opened well on the final mile another 1.15 b4 back to back 1.21s which ultimately was going to cost me dearly,3.57 at the bell,could I go to the well one last time?.....very nearly another 63 second final lap to clock 5.00.73,had it not been for the fact twice on the final mile I was forced to swing wide of some jogsworth occupying lane 5 I may,ve snuck a 4.59 in there,obviously those 2 1.21 laps cost me dearly.
On the one hand I,m disappointed w/ my overall performance,that said my final lap on all three miles was something to be very pleased w/,I,d like to think the air quality had alot to do w/ tonites splits,I can,t complain too much most of my workouts this summer have been conducted in favorable conditions and at the end of the day I as able to get the workout in and remain on my rotation for the week something that the so called experts would try to have me believe was not possible...............but what do they know?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sonic Reducer
When GP suggested a reduction in volume in my weekly workouts that would allow me to stick to my tried and tested 600m and mile repeats I was eager to go along w/ it,again falling into that "creature of habit"mindset I didn,t want to go into my final week of workouts choping and changing repeats,at least by sticking to the regular routine if not the regular amount of repeats I could gauge my workouts against what I,m used to doing week in week out.
A delightfully warm evening on tap,I,d worked up a good sweat after my mile warm up and mile of strides and dispite a queasy uneasy feeling in my stomach I was ready to go.
Dispite the reduction in repeats the game plan was to go out in 1.10 400m pace and clock between 31 and 33 second pace for the closing 200m for 1.41-1.43 splits.
I opened w/ a 69 second 400m b4 closing w/ a 32 second 200m to clock 1.41.27,very much a case of start as you mean to go on,I was guilty of lettting my mind wander off into left field on the opening 400m but stung myself into focus as I clocked 1.10 b4 another closing 200m of 32 seconds 1.42.55.
Another 1.10 400m b4 a closing 200m in 33 seconds,1.43.29,and now for that oh so rare feeling of only one more 600m to go at #4,a 69 second opening 400m b4 a third 32 second closing 200m,1.41.64.
Very much a case of job done and hopefully the begining of a week of solid training,next up on the track 3x 1 mile repeats following tomorrows easy 5 mile recovery run.
A delightfully warm evening on tap,I,d worked up a good sweat after my mile warm up and mile of strides and dispite a queasy uneasy feeling in my stomach I was ready to go.
Dispite the reduction in repeats the game plan was to go out in 1.10 400m pace and clock between 31 and 33 second pace for the closing 200m for 1.41-1.43 splits.
I opened w/ a 69 second 400m b4 closing w/ a 32 second 200m to clock 1.41.27,very much a case of start as you mean to go on,I was guilty of lettting my mind wander off into left field on the opening 400m but stung myself into focus as I clocked 1.10 b4 another closing 200m of 32 seconds 1.42.55.
Another 1.10 400m b4 a closing 200m in 33 seconds,1.43.29,and now for that oh so rare feeling of only one more 600m to go at #4,a 69 second opening 400m b4 a third 32 second closing 200m,1.41.64.
Very much a case of job done and hopefully the begining of a week of solid training,next up on the track 3x 1 mile repeats following tomorrows easy 5 mile recovery run.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Counting Down.
W/ the notable exception of my recent visit to Ireland I haven,t laced them up on a Sunday since June 8th but w/ Wednesdays untimely intervention from mother nature causing me to push back my schedule by a day I found myself doing the rounds along Clark Park at 9am this morning.
It,s hard to fathom that two weeks ago I was in Ireland running along the beach in Ballybunion and in two weeks time I,ll be in Spokane running Nationals,time it feels is flying by.
This was a huge week for me,to see if I was feeling any lingering effects from my 6,000 mile round trip to and from Ireland and also give myself one final week of all out training,this coming week I,ll reduce the volume of my workouts but still be able to clock my weekly 30 miles as I hope to hone myself in preparation for Nationals in Spokane begining Thursday Aug 7th
It,s hard to fathom that two weeks ago I was in Ireland running along the beach in Ballybunion and in two weeks time I,ll be in Spokane running Nationals,time it feels is flying by.
This was a huge week for me,to see if I was feeling any lingering effects from my 6,000 mile round trip to and from Ireland and also give myself one final week of all out training,this coming week I,ll reduce the volume of my workouts but still be able to clock my weekly 30 miles as I hope to hone myself in preparation for Nationals in Spokane begining Thursday Aug 7th
Saturday, July 26, 2008
{All}Trial And {No} Error
GP and I had talked about this 600m time trial for a few weeks,w/ one thing and another we never got around to putting those two great chestnuts theory and practice into action untill this morning.
The simple premise was one all out 600m w/ a target time of 1.28,58 seconds at 400m and a 30 second closing 200m,considering my opening 600m on Monday went 64/33 I was going to have to make sure the jets were burning from the moment I crossed the starting line.
I arrived at Lower Merion High School,s track around 10.45am it was already getting hot and I was greatful I only had one 600m to conduct and not 4x1 mile which in that heat might,ve meant the only thing cooking would be yours truly!!
Following my stretches it was the time honoured mile warm up and mile of strides b4 showtime,as w/ any new workout it,s always tough to gauge how to run it,sure I,m no stranger to 600s but 6 of them,one flat out was new ground for me.
I reached 400m in 60.00,down on the 57/58 seconds GP had set me but 4 seconds faster than my fastest opening 400m of any 600m repeat I,ve ran this year,remembering to relax around the bend I drove hard down the back straight to the finish, a slight cross wind may,ve hindered me slightly but I finished in 1.30.98. a 30 second 200m.
All things considered I was pleased w/ my performance and I look forward to a second crack at this workout next Friday.
I threw in a 2 mile cool down to bring my weekly milage upto 25 miles w/ a rare Sunday workout on tap tomorrow to round me out to 30 miles.
The simple premise was one all out 600m w/ a target time of 1.28,58 seconds at 400m and a 30 second closing 200m,considering my opening 600m on Monday went 64/33 I was going to have to make sure the jets were burning from the moment I crossed the starting line.
I arrived at Lower Merion High School,s track around 10.45am it was already getting hot and I was greatful I only had one 600m to conduct and not 4x1 mile which in that heat might,ve meant the only thing cooking would be yours truly!!
Following my stretches it was the time honoured mile warm up and mile of strides b4 showtime,as w/ any new workout it,s always tough to gauge how to run it,sure I,m no stranger to 600s but 6 of them,one flat out was new ground for me.
I reached 400m in 60.00,down on the 57/58 seconds GP had set me but 4 seconds faster than my fastest opening 400m of any 600m repeat I,ve ran this year,remembering to relax around the bend I drove hard down the back straight to the finish, a slight cross wind may,ve hindered me slightly but I finished in 1.30.98. a 30 second 200m.
All things considered I was pleased w/ my performance and I look forward to a second crack at this workout next Friday.
I threw in a 2 mile cool down to bring my weekly milage upto 25 miles w/ a rare Sunday workout on tap tomorrow to round me out to 30 miles.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Getting Closer
Nationals are two weeks away as of today,midnite also marks the first deadline for entries and getting mine in b4 hitting the track for my 4x1 mile repeats today made the realization of my months of hard work much closer.
Post workout GP and I discussed at lenght the battle plan for the upcoming fortnite,I have to say I like what we came up w/ begining w/ a 600m time trial on Saturday.
I close tonite w/ my latest "quotable quote" long b4 my blog I kept a running log and on the inside cover I,d write great running quotes that I could take inspiration from,last week in Ireland I began to read my Steve Ovett autobiography and in his preface he says,"any idiot can become an Olympic champion providing they have a lot of luck,work hard and cross the finish line first in the final"
I make no bones about the fact I timed it so that I,d be reading Steve Ovett,s autobiography leading upto Nationals....w/ a bit of luck this time next year leading upto Worlds I,ll be reading the long awaited Eamonn Coghlan autobiography.
Post workout GP and I discussed at lenght the battle plan for the upcoming fortnite,I have to say I like what we came up w/ begining w/ a 600m time trial on Saturday.
I close tonite w/ my latest "quotable quote" long b4 my blog I kept a running log and on the inside cover I,d write great running quotes that I could take inspiration from,last week in Ireland I began to read my Steve Ovett autobiography and in his preface he says,"any idiot can become an Olympic champion providing they have a lot of luck,work hard and cross the finish line first in the final"
I make no bones about the fact I timed it so that I,d be reading Steve Ovett,s autobiography leading upto Nationals....w/ a bit of luck this time next year leading upto Worlds I,ll be reading the long awaited Eamonn Coghlan autobiography.
A Days Wait
My prepossed mile repeats got swept away w/ the rain yesterday,in the general scheme of things I,m glad I waited a day,sure my planned day off Sunday has now gone by the way side however I,m pleased I showed some good common sence yesterday,by the time I,d waited out the rain it was 5.50pm,Franklin Field now closes at 7pm not 8pm{summer hours}and frankly trying to rush to the track,rush my stretches and warm up and then do justice to my workout seemed like a recipe for disaster so I opted to wait a day,lo and behold clear skies,no humidity and a beautiful evening for mile repeats this evening.
I opened w/ a 1.13 lap which felt comfortable as I followed up w/ splits of 1.15,1.18,1.12, a 4.58.00 mile.
Keeping in mind what GP had told me the last time I did mile repeats and not to focus too much on my previous mile repeats I took the 4.58 as a good start and followed up w/ splits of 1.16,1.16,1.14,68 for a 4.54.92 mile,I was very pleased to crank up the pace in the second half of this mile.
Cut it close on mile#3,1.16,1.19,1.17,67,4.59.33,I took great pleasure in that 67 second final lap,3/3 could I notch back to back 4/4 mile repeats and my first ever set here at my beloved Franklin Field?
Things began well enough,splits of 1.16,1.19 however mentally I think I went to sleep on the third lap,sure my arms and legs were tired but I,ve felt that way b4 and will again,I think having had weeks and months of two sometimes three repeats a week and then suddenly having a week off of that meant I didn,t instantly tune myself to work harder, a 1.24 lap just killed it for me,3.59 at the bell I was going to need a 61 second lap to make 5.00 which was always going to be a tall order that said I went for it and clocked a 68 to finish in 5.07.68.
Yeah I,m a tad miffed not to go 4/4 again but to put things in prespective on my final 4x1 mile repeat b4 Nationals last year I went:5.22.90,5.19.06,5.18.58,4.58.98,a case of chalk and cheese me thinks?
I opened w/ a 1.13 lap which felt comfortable as I followed up w/ splits of 1.15,1.18,1.12, a 4.58.00 mile.
Keeping in mind what GP had told me the last time I did mile repeats and not to focus too much on my previous mile repeats I took the 4.58 as a good start and followed up w/ splits of 1.16,1.16,1.14,68 for a 4.54.92 mile,I was very pleased to crank up the pace in the second half of this mile.
Cut it close on mile#3,1.16,1.19,1.17,67,4.59.33,I took great pleasure in that 67 second final lap,3/3 could I notch back to back 4/4 mile repeats and my first ever set here at my beloved Franklin Field?
Things began well enough,splits of 1.16,1.19 however mentally I think I went to sleep on the third lap,sure my arms and legs were tired but I,ve felt that way b4 and will again,I think having had weeks and months of two sometimes three repeats a week and then suddenly having a week off of that meant I didn,t instantly tune myself to work harder, a 1.24 lap just killed it for me,3.59 at the bell I was going to need a 61 second lap to make 5.00 which was always going to be a tall order that said I went for it and clocked a 68 to finish in 5.07.68.
Yeah I,m a tad miffed not to go 4/4 again but to put things in prespective on my final 4x1 mile repeat b4 Nationals last year I went:5.22.90,5.19.06,5.18.58,4.58.98,a case of chalk and cheese me thinks?
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