Go to the TRACK......OOOOOCCCCCCCHHHHHH!! Forecast for today....Pain...Heavy At Times (aka PHAT).OK it's been some 15 years since I've been to a track to do 440's. I hate the track and the track hates me. I stopped going years ago because every time I went I viewed every quarter like it was a race and always ended up with a pulled hammy.
So after my less then stellar 5K over the weekend I decided that I needed to get to the track to increase my speed (or at least get a little speed). As I was driving into work this morning at the early hour of Dark:OH:30 I took this picture while on RT 128. Was this my warning as to what was coming? I hoped it wasn't but knew that there was some Pain in the forecast.
Now I've been working in Medford for 2.5 years and rarely run from work because the area SUCKS for running. It's a mismash of roads with lights at every corner and way to much traffic. But yesterday I hooked up with an old friend and she showed me a route that brought us by a track just 1.5 miles from the office. I figured that this was the perfect setup with a warm up and cool down built in.
So I got into work and started my 1.5 miles to the track. The plan as always was simple:
1. Do 1.5 mile warm up
2. Do 6, 440's at 5K pace with 440 rest in between
3. Do 1.5 mile cool down
I arrived at the track in Malden and it was a little funky, because it was a 5 lane track around the football field. I guess the main attraction was the football field and the track was just an added bonus. I did one easy loop around the track to make sure there were no bad footing areas and to make sure I still understood how to run on a track. There was one other guy going through his paces on the track but he soon vacated once he saw my pure speed circling the oval (or was he just dieing of laughter?).
Anyway, it was time to get this show on the road. I started my first quarter and my left leg was very tight as well as my left achillies. I was not fluid or even bumpy, I was more like a truck with 4 flat tires going over rail road ties. NOT PRETTY AT ALL. My time was so poor that I'm embarrased to even share it but it was a 110. Not 1 minute and 10 seconds, but 110 seconds or translated to 1 minutes and 50 seconds. Which means I was running a 7:20 mile. AAARRRGGG! How is this possible? I was hurting really bad too. Now I'm thinking to myself, WTF I ran 6:55's at Boston, now I can only manage 7:20' for 1 quarter. I was in trouble. I did my 440 rest loop and was hoping it would get better on the next quarter.
As I approached the starting line I took a deep breath and I was off. Still nothing was working right. Every other step was painful, my left leg was killing me. I finished up quarter number 2 in 103. Well it was a little better but still slow. Quarter number 3 was a little better at 99 seconds. Still that's only 6:36's. I need to change things up. I decided to reverse directions on the track and run clock wise. I thought that by doing this some of the preasure on my left leg would be relieved. Quarter number 4 clocked in at 97 (6:28's). Seeing that I was only going to do 6 quarter I wanted # 5 to be an all out attack. As I started out I kept telling myself to shorten my stride and increase the turnover rate and LIFT you're dam knees!!! I hit the 22o mark in 45 seconds, I was a MACHINE, a slow machine but I was moving faster then I have moved for the past couple of years. The last 100 yards things started to tighten up and I struggled to the finish in 89 seconds (5:56), YEEESSSS!!! Now the key was could I do it again? I thought I had used all of my energy on # 5, but I needed to prove to myself that I could push myself through the pain. As I started out on quarter #6 I could feel that I was running slower, but I decided to see if I could run the first 220 easy and then kick in the last 220. At the 220 mark I was at 49 seconds. I was much slower (10%) then quarter number 5 but at least I was feeling good and had some reserves to finish strong. I kicked it up a bit for the final 220 and finished in 91 seconds (6:04). Not to bad, I'll take it.
As I look over my times I know I can do better, but this was a good starting point. My short term goal is to run most of my quarters at 85 and long term to get them down to 80's. I figure if I go to the track at least once a week I should be able to achieve this by August. We shall see. Below is a summary of my times.
Quarter 1 110
Quarter 2 103
Quarter 3 99
Quarter 4 97
Quarter 5 89
Quarter 6 91
So the red sky did indecate a storm was brewing and now as I type this my legs are telling me it was a really bad storm.
Great job on the track. Its always a good sign when you can push faster intervals at the end of the workout .. or so I am told.
ReplyDeleteScott,
ReplyDeleteLots of comments on this one!
1. Track workouts are tough by yourself. Try to attend your local running clubs workout (if they have one). If not, come join us on Weds @6pm at Nashua South HS (Gate City). It's much easier to do the workout with a coach AND with others.
2. It's been so long since you've been to the track that we've converted them to metric. It's a 400m track now :-)
3. We do 1/2 rest with our repeats. So for 400m repeats we'd have 200m rest. The shorter rest ensures your heart rate does not drop too low. You want to be running your repeats AT elevated heart rate, not spending the majority of the 400 getting up to max heart rate.
4. Run consistent 400m repeats. It's a workout, not a race. If you're running at 5k pace (or slightly faster), then run each at the same pace +/- a few seconds max.
5. 5k pace (or slightly faster) is probably at or close to max heart rate. Running any faster than this has no training benefit (you're already at max heart rate). Don't do more work then you need. It'll just make you fatigued and not allow you to finish the workout.
6. Join a structured workout. A coach and fellow runners will make you faster (and make the workout a little more bearable).
I, like you, was not a big fan of track. However, last year I saw some improvement and I'm now a believer. I look forward to my weekly track workout. Speed will come from track.
Keep up the good work. You have the right idea for sure!
Steve, thanks for the words of wisdom.
ReplyDelete1. I may just take you up on that. Heck I known most of the coaches since the 70's. Dam I'm old.
2. I know meters. Then again it's only a 7.60 foot difference.
3. Are you trying to kill me. 1/2 rest!! my heart rate is already skying over what most charts show as my MHR.
4. I would love to be consistent but I was fighting for every second today. My form was way off because I was running with a limp. The good news was I didn't fall.
5. My goal is to get down below 6 minute miles so I need to run at least 85's I figure to push myself.
6. I will join a structured workout. Can you break the news to my wife. I want to live.
Back in the day, I used to do 1 mile repeats at Lexington field house in the winter to get ready for Boston. Back the we used to do 5:15's, and it felt great. Now if I try to run a 5:15 my head will explode. Is that a good thing?
Well, we hope to see you at track then! I'm sure you'll know all the coaches (and most of the runners, at least the old ones!) If you're interested, we just happen to be doing 10x400's this week (not a sissy six).
ReplyDeleteSTART by running your intervals at TODAY's 5k pace, not some magical, mystical made up I want to run pace you'd like to be at. As your speed improves you can adjust.
Just a few months ago I was running 77 sec 400m repeats. Now I'm running 90s, which happens to be my 5k pace TODAY. I'll get faster eventually but I'd kill myself if I tried to run 77's right now. Patience, grasshopper.
Thanks Steve, I put it on my calendar for tomorrow but my legs are dead right now so I might not make it.
ReplyDeleteWho do I know that are coaches at GCS
David Camire, Have run with him since mid 80's, we have run 1000's of training miles together and have raced head to head a boat load of times.
Jim Stronach, Ran against him in HS or should I say I was on the same course/track, he killed me back then. Then I have trained with him for many years
Dave Dunham, have run 100's of times with him. Mainly, behind him.
Keith O’Brien, Ran with his older brother in HS and have run tons of miles over the years with him. In fact Keith and I ran side by side in the final leg of the MCR's this year. To avoid a sprint to the finish Keith dropped his baton with 100 yards to go and it shattered. I stopped and waited for him and laughed as he picked up the pieces.
Richie Blake, have run a little with him but have spent many hours at XC races with him.
Justin Soucy, don't know him..He's too young!! Or am I too old?
Scott,
ReplyDeleteI love track workouts! Reminds me of high school and college (just slower). I just can't do them by myself. Listen to Steve #1 and #6. Come to the Striders track workout if you can. Plenty of us older guys still mixing it up during the workouts.
Jim