Last week’s workout was quite the challenge to most that took it on.  It’s a workout that seems simple and not all that difficult to run.  It really is one long progression ending in total exhaustion.  From what I remember, I went one lap further than I did last year.  I’m not sure if that’s a true sign of my fitness, or more of a luck of the draw with the weather and the timing of the workout relative to races.  The weather was pretty good for what we’ve been putting up with.

When we first started out it seemed like we were crawling along and we were still 5 seconds fast at the 200 and nearly 10 seconds fast at the quarter.  We then thought we’d keep the same pace and catch back up.  We were, again, 5 seconds off.  This played true until we were actually running at about the mile mark.  Soon enough though, the 5 seconds fast became 5 seconds slow and we were continually checking splits and playing catchup.  It’s amazing how fast that workout goes by.  I think I made it 10 laps with my last lap being a :75.  It hurt.  I was pretty exhausted by the end of the run, but luckily not sore.

Today, there has been mention of 800s with full recovery.  (Most likely 6)

Not quite sure what I’m planning on doing.  I’m in between races this week.

The octopus that we ran two weeks ago was as usual as they come.  The difference was that we had someone to actually run with Lawyer on most of the hills.  Bean and Lawyer were running well along with several other guys.  I was very much struggling in the back because I was dumb enough the day before to ask, “how hilly could Hannibal, MO actually be?”.  Well, the roadies showed me.  We had a decent sized group and it was very warm.

Last week was back to the track.  Again, we broke into two groups doing completely different workouts.  The first was prepping for the sizzling mile (tomorrow night), the other group was doing longer tempo work.  The mile group ran 800, 400, 800, 400, 800, 400 with half the distance of recovery.  The other group ran 3 repeat miles at around 10K pace.  It was very hot on the track and made for a miserable day of Noon running.  My miles were 5:56, 5:53, 6:02.  It shouldn’t have hurt quite like that.

Today we are running the progressive run that we did last August.  This is done entirely as a group.  We start out at 8 minute pace for the first quarter and then drop 5 seconds every quarter until you can no longer maintain that pace.  It’s a great way to test your fitness and see where you are midway through the season.  We’ll warm-up with a couple of quarters to get the legs over the shock and then get into it.  Remembering the pace schedule ends up being a bit complicated.  Last year I wrote it down and (luckily) took a photo.  If you get a chance, copy this down and have it with you if you’d like to know the pace.  Bring a heart-rate monitor if you have one, it’s great way to learn your maximum.  It’s going to be relatively cool out there compared to the last few workouts.

Last week we had another great turnout and the weather treated us with some great running conditions.  I had been planning on changing the actual workout that I run to something more like a tempo workout on the track and still keep our traditional workout of intense speed at shorter distances.  My plan was to bring two different workouts and have the guys decide what would work best with their particular type of training and racing.  I’ve realized that there is no need for me to ever have to run a :72 quarter in my future.  To my surprise everyone decided to change things up and run a longer(ish) workout at a much slower pace.  I’m not sure if they too, typically have sore calves until Friday; or if they just chose the slower workout.  Either way, it was a nice change of pace.

The workout was 2 miles of tempo pace, 800 meters of recovery (continuous), followed by a mile of tempo.  “Tempo” is a rather empirical term often used in running with very loose definitions.  Some would say your 5K per mile pace plus 30 seconds.  Some would say your 10K pace.  Some would say it is the pace that you can hold for an hour.  All are right depending on what your goals are and what race you’re training for.  My group went with the 10K pace plan and we cruised through the sets at around 6:00 pace.  It was a great workout and the group stayed together the whole way.  Best of all, my calves felt great the rest of the week.

Today we are running the Octopus!  Noon at the corner of 1st and Madison.

I can’t remember running in the rain so much on Tuesday’s workout.  It’s certainly a welcome relief from the heat of the Summer, but seriously.  During the warmup, the black line of clouds were coming from the NE just as the radar had shown.  The lightning was just beyond the line and flashing and rumbling often.  I was thinking to myself that I was glad I had driven so that I could take shelter in my van (along with everyone else apparently).  Once the workout started, so did the storm.  It crashed down and made the first few last laps very tough to fight through the downpour.  After about 15 seconds, everything was completely soaked.  It did eventually let up and the workout continued as if it never had rained.  The plan was to run a shorter workout which was chosen the night before because they had ironically predicted extreme temperatures for Noon (heat index of 110+).  We ran 800, 400, 800, 400, 800, 400.  I actually don’t remember all of my times but I do know that we progressively increased our speed throughout the duration of the workout.

Today we’re going to try something a little differently.  I (along with several others) am training for much longer distances than the traditional road racer and need this speed workout to reflect those distances.  I feel that we need to have two different workouts depending on what you’re training for.  I personally have sore calves until Friday after running quarters approaching sub-5:00 minute pace.  I need to run closer to my LT (Lactate Threshold).  My plan is to run a modified tempo run on the track.  2miles at tempo pace (6:30-6:40) with 800 recovery (continuous) followed by 1 mile at tempo.  The goal and/or plan is to run the tempo at the right pace.  Running too fast defeats the purpose of the workout.  Tempo pace is typically 40-50 seconds per mile slower than your current 5K pace.

Back by personal request, the regular group is running the mile, half, mile workout; where every half mile gets 5 seconds faster.  An oldie but a goodie.

Track saw a new chapter last week with the presence of Bryan Glass and a pro triathlete named Eric Bean.  Both of them raised the level of running on the track by a factor of two.  It was both impressive to be running the same workout as them and also depressing at the same time.

The group was one of the biggest we’ve ever had at around 18 guys.  It was great to see so many runners show up and put forth such a quality effort.  The workout was 1200, 800, 400, 1200, 800, 400.  It went by fairly quickly even though there were actually 3 miles of speed-work and 1.5 miles of recovery.  It made for a long track session.  The group actually was able to regroup between each interval which seemed to keep everyone motivated.  This is especially true considering how fast the fast guys were running (Bryan ran the second 800 at 2:13 and the last 400 at :60).  Smokin.  I’m glad he doesn’t ride a bike.  I hit 4:05, 2:40, :75, 4:06, 2:38, :72.

Today’s workout is going to be a little bit shorter because of the extreme heat index predicted for today (around 110 degrees).  Normally we try and get 3 miles of speed-work in during each workout.  Today we’re doing 2.25 miles.  The plan is 800, 400, 800, 400, 800, 400.  We will take a full lap of recovery between each interval.  Bring some water if you can, it’s gonna be hot out there boys!

Last week’s workout was once again met with thunderstorms.  The rain came in about an hour before we met and I’m sure it kept most everyone (and you know who you are) away.  Six die-hards showed up for what was to be a great workout.  It turned out to be nearly ideal as far as weather and conditions were concerned.  The temps were relatively cool and there wasn’t much wind.  If it wasn’t for the downpour and the lightning, it would have been a beautiful day.

The workout was six 800s at 10 seconds faster than 5k pace.  The first one was painful.  I mean, it really really hurt.  Everyone was talking about it during the recovery.  If that’s how they were all to feel, it was going to be a long day.  Luckily the second one allowed us to get into some sort of groove, and we just clicked off the laps.  I was actually feeling pretty damn good.  The pace continued to pick up and our times slowly dropped.  The 5th interval was our fastest yet and once we were done David mentioned that he had just PR’d in the 800.  We were all impressed and asked how he was feeling.  He said he actually was feeling decent.  We convinced him to run faster than the last and he agreed.  We talked about the strategy and we were ready.  The last one was the fastest yet and David PR’d again by another 3 seconds!  He ran a 2:36!  He remembered doing a workout similar to this last year, just after he started running with us.  His goal then was to run them at 3:10.

My times were 2:43, 2:39, 2:38, 2:37, 2:39, 2:36.  Nice Job everyone!  Very solid workout.

Today’s workout: 1200, 800, 400, 1200, 800, 400.  Quarter between.

Well, the last couple of weeks have been quite eventful (but not from the running-side of things).  Two weeks ago Lawyer met at my house and we were just heading out when the rains came.  We waited a few minutes to start our warmup run to the track.  The rain got heavier.  Eventually we decided to drive there and wait it out with everyone at the track.  We made it to the end of my street and we saw hail.  That’s when I called it and we drove back to my garage with our tails between our legs.  In the 15 years we’ve been running these Tuesday track workouts, I can’t recall ever canceling due to the weather.  Am I wrong? (Keith, Dave or Bill?) I did hear that Gilmore, Terry and David showed up at the track.  Kudos boys.

Last week I was vacationing and missed the ladder.  I heard 1600, 1200, 800 & 400 were run.  Never heard splits, though.  Anyone?  We were supposed to run the octopus last week (first Tuesday of every Month) but the ladder was decided instead.  We’ll pick that one back up again in early July.

This week we are running at the track.  the workout is 6×800 with a quarter in between.  Pick a pace that is 10 seconds per mile faster than your 5k pace.  The key to this workout is consistency.  Try to hit every half within 2 seconds of each one.

FYI: anyone running Chicago?  The 18 week training plan starts this week.  Hard to believe.

Hey boys, can’t join you, but head to the Springfield High track at noon for a 1600, 1200, 800, 400….

Last week was one of our staple workouts of the track season.  We had only done 10 quarters on the 2:00 one time before (last Summer) so most of us had forgotten how much it hurts during the last two or three .  We would no sooner cross the finish line, check our watches, rest our hands on our knees while gasping for breath, when someone would shout “Twenty Seconds!”.  On paper it seems that we should get enough rest, but in practice it was always just barely enough.

We had an enormous group for a Tuesday track workout.  Katie Mac and Dave Heaps both made initial appearances.  It’s always great to see new faces!  We broke the workout into two groups: one did quarters on the 2:00 and the other on the 3:00.  This meant that every 3rd was started all together.  It proved to be a great way to keep everyone together and it seemed that both groups ran very well together.

Our times were pretty consistent throughout the workout.  It always seems to take a quarter or two to get into the rhythm of the workout.  Lawyer lead pretty much the entire workout (except when Taft blew by everyone on #9 for some reason).  The rest of us hung back by a few seconds at a consistent 78-85.  I think my exact splits were 81, 78, 79, 77, 77, 77, 76, 78, 76, 74.  A very solid workout.

Today’s workout is 1200, 800, 400, 1200, 800, 400.  The second set faster than the first set.  Quarter rest in between each.

Last week’s workout happened to fall on my birthday.  Normally, for my birthday, I would have chosen to run a quarter and go home (or out to actually eat lunch).  However, the guy that suggested 3 repeat miles didn’t know it was my birthday.  For some reason miles on the track seem like an eternity to me.  I’m not sure why, but it always takes several workouts with miles to get to a point where I’m really comfortable running that far.

The plan was to run 3 miles with one lap of jogging in between at a pace about 10-20 seconds per mile faster than your 10k race pace.  This is supposed to be a pace that is somewhat faster than your lactate threshold (the goal ultimately being to raise your threshold).  Once we started, the pace seemed forced and faster than it was.  My body was resisting.  The pace stayed consistent, but it hurt to keep it that way.  We went through the first mile in 5:43.  The entire recovery lap, I was in shock at how much it had hurt and was worried it would only get harder.  Egan mentioned that the first one is always the worst.  Thank goodness he was right.  Don’t get me wrong, the next two hurt like hell, but they were doable.  My times  for the next two were 5:37 each.  Happy b-day, to me.

Up next?  10 (yes, 10) quarters on the 2:00.  I know.

[download id="octopus"]The consensus in the group was to head back to our Winter stomping grounds and give the octopus in OakRidge Cemetery another run for its money.  We had another great turnout of 12 guys and weather was pretty ideal.  It hurt as much as ever, but I did feel like we were running faster than we usually do in our “off” season.  I was surprised to learn that this was Purcell’s first time running it as well as Lawyer’s friend, Buzz.  Not much else to say about the workout except that the hills were tough and there were eight of them.  This will now be a regular workout of ours the first Tuesday of every month.

Today we are back at the track (12:05 SHS Track) for mile repeats.  3 of them with a quarter in between.

The workout was nothing new and unfortunately most everyone knew what to expect.  We had done the 6x800s on the 4:00 sometime last June and it hurt back then as well.  Pacing and consistency is definitely the key to making it through the entire set.  By the way, if anyone thinks that these workouts don’t help, ask Billingsley.  He hit every one well under 3:00.  Everyone looked impressive.

Egan was my official wind-blocker as we ran on the back stretch of each lap.  Fanning was not far behind.  My splits were 2:52, 2:49, 2:47, 2:45, 2:44, 2:42.  My legs were toast the rest of the week.

Tomorrow’s workout? A consensus (or so it seems) has developed for keeping a regimen of hills (and pain) once a month.  So, the first Tuesday of every month shall be deemed “Octopus Day” from here through October.  This means (as usual) a Noon departure from 1st and Madison.  If you’ve never run this workout… it’s worth the price of admission!  Be there…

Lastly… Anyone happen to see Chris Solinsky run the 10,000 this weekend at Stanford?  If not, take 30 minutes and watch the race. It’s that good.

The workout was suggested by one of the regulars (you know who you are).  Actually, I also know that he doesn’t read this blog (hence all of the trash-talk about aerobics).  The plan was to do 400, 800, 1600, 800, 400 with half the distance as recovery.  It sounded simple on paper, but after the first triathlon of the year everything was sore.  Keith and I discussed some target times we would try and hit.  Right from the start I knew it was going to be a tough day for me.  Everything was forced and I struggled to even hit the conservative times I wanted to run.  First quarter was :78.  The first half was 2:46.  I knew the mile was going to suck, and it delivered.  I struggled through the half and realized I wasn’t doing anyone (including me) any good, so I stopped and then ran the last quarter with them.  Keith ran 5:29 for the mile.  Lawyer and Terry were up there in a 5:20 mile.  The second half was a 2:37 and the last quarter (for David, Scott and myself) was a perfect :78 (even splits).  I was glad when it was over.

By Thursday night my legs were feeling 100% better.  Only to destroy them again with another triathlon on Sunday.

The workout for the day is (gulp)… 6x800m on the 4:00 send off.  (yes, that includes the rest)

The workout last week was one we have done many times at the track.  The key to running it successfully is to stick to the pace.  It’s easy to let your instincts take over and run how you feel.  But this workout forced the exact opposite reaction.  You were forced to hold back when you were fresh and feeling great (and the pace felt easy).  And you were forced to pick it up at the end of the workout when the legs were screaming and you were fighting for air.  To do all of that correctly took a great deal of control as well as knowing your limits.  Practice.

The group I was in hit the halves like this: 3:01, 2:48, 2:47, 2:42, 2:35  Our first mile was a 5:49 and our last was 5:17.  A very solid workout.

Today we are doing a ladder.  400, 800, 1600, 800, 400  We will jog half of the interval we just ran as a recovery (i.e. after the 800, we will jog 400 for recovery).  I was asked by one of the guys to start the workout 5 minutes later than usual.  I hope that works out for everyone’s schedule.  Otherwise we can accommodate.

See you all there!

It’s always good to get that first track workout of the year under our belt.  But man, did it hurt like hell.  I was actually a little ashamed to announce the first workout of the year: 8 x 400s on the 2:30.  This meant that the interval includes the rest as well.  Last year at one point we did ten of them on the two minutes.  It seemed that the workout should, at the very least, be doable.  After about the 5th one, I was anaerobic and really thinking that I may not finish the whole workout.  It turns out just about everyone was thinking that (thank goodness).  We all struggled through and made it.  It certainly wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done.  The fast ones were around :75 and I saw at least one over :80.  Definitely a solid first workout.

Today we’re doing the mile, half, mile workout.  The distances are mentally broken into half miles and each half mile is supposed to be run 5 seconds faster than the last.  You can start at any pace as long as you get faster for each progressive half mile.  One lap recovery between intervals.

We sloshed through some of the worst interval training our group has ever run in.  From bitter wind chills to the most unpredictable road surfaces, we pressed on.  Our times and paces have improved along with the weather.  And now, it’s day.  The day we move from the very unpredictable roads to the extremely predictable track.  It’s time.

I’ve been away for what seems like a month (though really just 10 days) and my fitness has slipped a tad (I’m sure).  But while I was gone, I heard reports of the workout.  Last week… 3 mile tempo… average sized group… painful.  Missing anything?

Track season starts today.  12:05 (the workout begins… warm up beforehand).  Springfield High School Track.  See ya there!

I will be missing today’s speed workout at Washington Park.  But don’t fret, I put Dan in charge   He will also be responsible for the the kool aid stops a the tennis courts and the pond.

Same bat time, same bat place.  12:05 corner of MacArthur and Williams. Bring your shorts!

The two mile time trial made it’s third round this season (already) on Tuesday with another (as predicted) painful loop around the park.  The weather was a near idyllic 60 degrees and little bit of wind.  One of us even ran without a shirt (it wasn’t Erin or Leah).  13 of us made it out to the park for the run and the improvements in the fitness of the group are starting to show.  The times were very refreshingly fast.  Everyone seemed to be smoking fast this time around.

Taft did the honors of the start and away we went.  Andy took off like a Kenyan and it was no joke.  He wasn’t caught until the half mile.  He looked smooth and was flying.  Lawyer set the early pace to the mile and Bill and I followed suit.  The pace felt fast but not taxing.  It was finally starting to feel natural to run that fast.  We went through the mile in 5:29 and I was shocked!  It wasn’t much longer though, before the reality of the pace settled in.  The hill heading up to the pavilion really hurt the lungs and I could feel it start to hurt.  Bill pressed on up the hill and bridged up to Lawyer.  Those two ran together the rest of the way while I hung on about 10 seconds back.  I finished in 11:06.  I no sooner stopped and turned around and saw Billingsley powering home to an 11:50!  I overheard Erin say that she took two minutes off her time from the last one.  Awesome improvements for everyone.

Next week?  Octopus?

The workout rotation called for intervals and after talking to Bill, it was decided that the gradual uphill was the flavor of the day.  After mentioning it to Lawyer, he referred to it as a measly “false flat”, but after 6 of them it became quite the hill.  We had probably the largest group we’ve ever had with us for a Tuesday workout at around 15 runners.  It was great to see so many people show up for the workout and hills didn’t disappoint.  The group impressively stayed together for the most part (unless you count Lawyer and Owens off the front).  I went through the first quarter in 78 seconds and I thought for sure that I would fade badly.  Surprisingly, nobody really faded at all.  It was a difficult workout, but one that was doable and felt good to have run it.  My times for the six were 78, 78, 79, 77, 76, 77.  I was glad to have Burns there to keep from going backwards.  Awesome workout.  My legs on Sunday were still tired from the effort.

Next up?  A rainy two miler.

The title is appropriate for both last week’s workout and this week’s upcoming workout.  Last week was the infamous stair workout.  I say “infamous” because it scared nearly everyone away.  Our normal group of 10-12 was reduced to a mere 6.  I guess the mention of lactic acid mixed with hot dry air in a stairwell beforehand was not the best approach.  I’ll be more tactful next time.  Either way, the stairs delivered everything promised and more.  The first interval was all the way to the top.  It’s amazing how something less than 3 minutes can hurt so much!  Lawyer was smokin’ again (I secretly keep changing up the workouts to find his running weakness.  We’re close.  I’m sure, we’re close).  A brief elevator ride down and we were ready again.  This time we went halfway to level 15.  Shorter but (of course) faster.  Back down.  The last interval was a “sprint” to level 10.  By the faces and legs of the guys (I say “guys” because no women showed up) at the end you could tell this one hurt.  The painful walk down the stairs after the last interval showed how much.  We should revisit this one again.

For today’s workout we are planning on starting at the boulevard at 12:05 (usual time and place).  The plan is 6 repeat quarters slightly uphill.  Right by the entrance of the park, the women’s distance course from the mile to the 5 quarter mark (just before MacArthur) is the quarter we are planning on running.  We’ve run this workout many times before (both uphill and downhill).  It’ll be a great workout.

Today’s 3rd Annual President’s Day 5k was a success.  I would have normally added “Huge Success” but the wind and the road conditions (as usual) were a big factor.  We tied our largest ever field size with 9 finishers.  Everyone seemed pleased for it to be over.  I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that I’ll be glad when we no longer have to contend with the conditions outside.  Great job everybody!

Results for the 3^rd Annual Presidents Day 5K
February 16, 2010
Mostly Sunny, 30°, 17 mph wind from WNW
Race Director Greg Gilmore

Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway) the weather has been wrecking havoc on our Tuesdays.  I’m not sure we’ve actually had a decent day of speedwork due to the conditions on the road or in the air.  I don’t remember it ever being like this.

The 2 mile time trial made it’s second showing and was as painful as usual (I’m pretty sure they’re supposed to be).  We had a really good sized group for such conditions.  We must have had a 20-25 mph wind out of the West (which is essentially the first 3/4 of a mile.  The roads were a hard packed snow which made it not quite ice (but close).  Obviously, in my mind at least the times were irrelevant and it was just going to be a “get through it” time trial.  Part of our female contingent made a showing (EW) and it was great to see her.  Once we started, Lawyer immediately jumped to the front and never looked back.  I tucked in behind Owens and let him break some wind for me.  I didn’t even check splits because I knew it would only frustrate me.  Once we turned before the mile to head up the big hill, I had a hard time getting any traction.  It was a total ice track.  It was akin to the speed skating that has been in the olympics lately (without the 30 mph speeds).  Though skates at that point up the hill would have helped me out.  We finished pretty much as expected.  I came through in 12:02 which actually surprised me a little bit.  Kudos to Hardy Breed Dan for a great run.  Very impressive given the conditions.  Everyone seemed a little beaten and battered from the wind and the snow.  I promised the next time we run that time trial it would be much better conditions.

The conditions are a touch better for today’s President’s Day 5k.  Same place and time.  It’s on.

Last week’s workout was our first foray into a controlled tempo pace for the season.  With such a low turnout our plan went from two groups of different paces to just one group of the fast pace.  (all of my kudos to the great turnout of the girls has vanished)  Our all boys group briefly went over the route and decided on our goal pace.  It was planned that we would run a 6:30, 6:15 and a 6:00 minute/mile tempo run over our three mile course.  The conditions were less than ideal with a slathering of ice and snow with a few cinders sprinkled on top along with the howling wind out of the North West.

My splits were 6:33, 6:04, 6:22.  The last mile was less than ideal (as was the second mile (i.e. too fast)).  The effort felt about right.  I would expect that this time of year with my fitness where it is.  If this was June, we’d have a problem.  Owens, Egan and Lawyer made it look easy.  Everyone finished strong.  Same course on the 16th for our President’s Day 5k.

Tomorrow we are doing intervals (starting over with our four week cycle).  The plan is to run five 2:00 intervals at 5k pace followed by 90 seconds recovery.  This will be a continuous run.  We will run our modified 3 mile loop running the park portion clockwise.  The first two should be painless and the last two should be painful.

I want to throw kudos out to Dan Billingsley for coming up with our training calendar.  It is on the right hand column of the main page.  It has our workouts for the next few weeks on there.  It will be a continuous work in progress, but one that we should use to solidify our workouts for Tuesdays (and sometimes Thursdays).  Keep an eye on it.  If you’re interested in adding it to your iPhone or google calendar account, use the following links:

1. Races Calendar…
2. Training Calendar…

The octopus turned out to be hugely popular.  Especially considering the fact that it was mid-January and we have NEVER run the octopus that early in our training before.  There were probably a dozen or so of us that showed up at 1st and Madison at Noon.  Andy made his first appearance of the year and Lance made his first ever (rough day to make it your first).  What’s impressed me the most about this group this year has been the females that are showing up.  Last week there were as many females as there were guys.  Impressive (and a first).

The Octopus went as planned (meaning it hurt as much as I thought).  Lawyer was/is on fire.  Not many could even get close to him on most of the hills.  Bill was running tough.  I want to give kudos to Joy for winning hill #6.  Yes, she was the first to top for men and women.  The last hill made me want to cry (as usual).  My legs suffered through most of the hills as one would expect, but I was surprised how anaerobic I was on most of them.  I truly could not get enough O2.  That slight hint of blood running down the back of my throat was the sure sign that I was lacking air.

The next day at lunch was “swimming with Eric”… where I got to return the favor to Lawyer for the day before.  It was a tough workout also but in a different way.  It’s intense for shorter periods of time followed by much shorter periods of recovery (8 seconds is considered an enormous amount of rest).  The last interval was an all out 50 for time.  The goal was 26 seconds.  Starting from the wall I pushed off and “holy cramp!” my left calf completed knotted.  I swam the 50 without kicking and made it back to the wall.  Scrambled out of the pool and tried to stretch it back into submission.  Eventually it returned, but even now is still sore.  The Octopus the day before had definitely hurt the legs.

This week’s (1/26) workout is a progressive tempo run.  We are running the standard 3 mile course.  The plan is to run each mile 15 seconds faster.  The mile splits are known and we will discuss them at the start.  I’d like to break into two groups one group running 7:30, 7:15, 7:00 and the other running 6:30, 6:15, 6:00.  It should be uncomfortable, but not impossible.   The last mile should be the only mile that is really straining.  This is the same course we are going to run on Feb. 16th for the 3rd annual President’s Day 5k.

The 2 mile time trial had a great turnout considering the road conditions in the park (i.e. terrible) and the colder temps.  Everyone seemed to suffer through it just fine and it was nice to finally have a real benchmark for the 2010 season.  Nowhere to go but up!

Next week we are heading to Oakridge Cemetery for the dreaded Octopus!  We are meeting at the NW corner of First and Madison at Noon.  This is the usual meeting place for the Octopus from last year.  Guaranteed to make you suffer or your money back.  Be there.

Another season is upon us.  As I look back on the season that just ended, I realize it was pretty much a wash all around.  Apart from the fact that it truly got me out on the bike and somewhat back in the pool, it was nothing but frustration with injuries.  It was never really bad enough to put me on my butt in front of the TV, but then again… maybe that would have been best.  It always was there but never bad enough to make me do something serious about it (i.e. surgery or serious time off).  The problem with not getting really serious about it, is that it allows you to continue (for the most part) on your normal path through the season.  This meant several multisport races and of course no season would be complete without a marathon at the end of it.  Of course, this proved to be a really bad idea.  The marathon was pretty much over by mile 5, but unfortunately not officially until just before 18.  (We have thick heads).  Finally pushed over the edge to take this seriously, I went back to my original doctor to have this thing taken care of.  I feel that I gave it my full efforts to avoid the dreaded knife, but alas, it didn’t work out.  He told me that the risks were too high to operate and that I needed to simply back off from intensity and/or distance.  “Well, thanks a lot!”  He could have told me that before I signed up for an Ironman.

As it turns out, someone my wife works with (Dr. Neumeister) has been doing a study on controlling pain using Botox.  Yes, Botox.  I immediately called him after leaving the Doctor’s office and told him I wanted him to try this on my torn tendon.  He obliged by coming over and shooting me up.  I wasn’t sure what to expect and beyond the initial pain of the Botox being injected into the tendon, there were no lingering side effects.  He said it should stop hurting within 10 minutes or so.  I told him it didn’t really hurt all the time, just when I ran or biked.  So for the next few weeks I purposefully rode long (60 miles) a couple of times and ran long (80-90 minutes).  The pain is gone!  It is pretty freaking amazing.  It was so easy that it makes me wonder why I didn’t have it done sooner.  Still waiting to see how it handles the intensity of real training, but so far so good.

Speaking of real training… The first Tuesday in January is upon us, and it’s time to pick up the pace.  We are meeting at 12:05 at the Macarthur blvd today (1-5-10) and will be continuing every Tuesday until sometime in April.  Today we are starting with some sort of shorter timed interval followed by a timed recovery.  Nothing too intense considering it’s early January, freezing cold outside, and the road conditions are less than perfect.  See you out there.

This has been shamelessly taken from the very enlightening and entertaining blog of Chuckie V.  He once raced here in Springfield back in the mid-90s.  He was just as funny back then, only with better hair.  The below excerpt is very pertinent to the foursome in the most recent podcast. (The four suckers with an Ironman on their schedule)  So… without further ado:

“Off” Season Recommendations…

We are a strange bunch.  We give up our lunch hours to essentially hurt ourselves every week (some every day).  We suffer through the Winter days of slush and snow and muck to get a head start on the early season training.  We ramp it up by switching from the roads to the track for intervals.  We suffer through the heat of the Noon sun to get faster.  And then, sure enough… it happens.  Someone sets a lifetime personal record.

It happened two weeks ago (I know I’ve been a slacker on the blog-front).  A mile for time.  Several weeks before that, Fanning and Burns got somehow re-motivated as most of us were winding down.  A mile attempt came in the picture and then workouts to specifically train for it started happening.  Quarters, halves, pyramids… all of the typical workouts.  All at sub-5:00 mile pace.  For Keith, this was more of a “prove to myself I can still go sub-5:00″, but for Burns, this was a “I’m much faster than my sub-6:00 goal would suggest”.  Everyone knew they were capable of such attempts.  Sometimes you have to just prove it to yourself.

Andy decided to give it a go as well.  The three had done the work all Summer and knew that it was time to make it happen.  Like clockwork, they systematically clicked off each quarter with precision and pressed on.  Keith proved once again to himself that he was capable of a sub-5:00 mile.  Andy ran a lifetime PR of 5:14 (knocking 15 seconds off his best ever) and Burns clocked a 5:05.  The ironic thing about Burns is that he was the only one surprised by his time.  Everyone else was just glad he had finally arrived.

Last week we ran a simple yet deceptively hard workout.  We did six 600s at 2:00.  Simple.  So it would seem.  We decided to switch leaders for each one and see how close each leader could get to 2:00.  40 seconds per 200.  You could use a watch and check splits (and adjust pace).  And yet… each person found it difficult to get closer than a couple of seconds either way.  Bill started and hit a touch over 2:01.  It seemed like it would easily be beaten.  Lawyer stepped up and hit a 1:57.  Andy hit a whopping 1:56.  (I was nearly anaerobic).  Burns was at 1:58.  Taft was at 2:01+.  And then… none other than Mr. Hardybreed (Dan-oh) was coerced into the last interval.  We promised him we wouldn’t make him run the whole thing, blah, blah and then… like a machine, he hit every 200 at exactly 40 seconds and hit a perfect 2:00.  Unbelievable.  He commented that it was easier up front than hanging on in the back.  That is the power of the mental side of running.

The workouts will be winding down in the next few weeks.  I’ll keep you posted (promise).

I will start by filling everyone in on last week’s workout.  Another Lunch With(out) Eric.  The last few workouts have been geared towards a sub-5:00 mile which we will get to at the end of this post.  A few runners have gotten the late season bug to make a push for a sub-5:00 mile.  The truth is… it’s always a good time of year to attempt it.  The elusive standard by which most all of us “runners” are judged.  I know for some reason that seems to put us in some magical category, but the truth is unless you can come close to that time… it’s hard to understand how fast the true elites of our sport are running.  Two weeks ago Dathan Ritzenhein broke the American record in the 5,000 meters and his last 800m was 2:00.  The week before that Bekele won the world championships in the 10,000 m and his last mile was a blistering 4:05.  So, I guess my point to this is that it is all a matter of perspective.  Speaking of perspective… One of the guys dabbling with the concept of a sub-5:00 mile just 16 months ago had a life-goal of a sub-6:00 mile!  How is that for perspective?

Last week’s workout was a simple ladder of 400, 800, 1200, 800, 400.  All targeted at 5:00/mile pace or better.  I know a few that hit their marks, and we’re expecting them to hit their mark next week!  I, however, mostly missed my marks last week.  (it’s hard to hit those elusive moving targets)

I have been thinking about this workout for over a year.  It is something I wanted to do on the track that would keep everyone together and yet stress us all equally to our limits.  It was a progressive tempo run on the track.  The run was broken into quarters and run continuously.  We started at 8:00/mile pace and dropped 5 seconds per quarter.  Simple.  Not really… considering I had each lap’s cumulative time written down my wrist so that we knew the pace and the time goal to hit (Bill also had a paper copy and held it the whole time to keep the group on pace).  The quarters descended accordingly: 2:00, 1:55, 1:50, 1:45, etc.  The time was cumulative: 2:00, 3:55, 5:45, 7:30, etc.

It started out very casually.  In fact, I saw John (IM) do a bit of race walking on the backstretch.  We hit our marks for the most part (within a few seconds) and the pace slowly increased.  The first mile came and went and soon enough we were running.  We hit the 1 1/2 mile and Bill announced that the next lap would start 6:00/mile pace.  People were hurting.  The pace was increasing and it was only getting harder.  No breaks.  No end until you just gave up.  After the 1 3/4 a couple people dropped, then a few more after the 2 mile mark.  Bill, John (IM) and I made it to 5:00/mile pace.  They immediately were able to accelerate to make up the 5 second difference needed to continue.  It gapped me immediately and I mentally lost the desire.  I pulled off after the curve and watched John and Bill muscle through that last lap.  They finished strongly but were obviously done by the end of the lap.  An awesome workout.

Keith and Matt B. were doing a workout of a different sort.  Halves and Quarters at well below 5:00 pace.  Ouch!

Next week:  An official attempt (by at least two) at a sub-5:00 mile.  The rest of us will figure something a little more fitting out for ourselves.

A couple of weeks ago, I had an appointment to go back to the doctor to have him take another look at my very painful orthodics. I explained all of my woes and was basically on my last glimmer of hope.  He took them out of my running shoes and put them on the floor.  He had me stand on them and asked what was really hurting.  I told him it felt like I was running with cue balls under my feet.  I mentioned that when I saw the Orthopedic Doctor during the Winter, he had put these felt wedges under the heel in my shoes which corrected the posture in my feet (and ultimately in my legs) when I ran.  He took notes and said he’d be back in 15 minutes.  Sure enough, he came back with these modified insoles that felt much, much better.  He also told me that rarely do they make orthodics and have people use them without issue.  They almost always make adjustments.  I honestly wish I would have known that from the beginning because I was reluctant to return, thinking “Orthodics don’t work for me”.

I have been back to running (though slowly and somewhat timid).  The running doesn’t seem to be bothering the injury.  It is just that the injury is still there and hurts a bit and is very weak.  I often have that sensation that at any minute I could roll my ankle.  Not fun.  Like any typical addicted runner, I am having a hard time staying off of it.  I have the Chicago Marathon looming in the distance (I am supposed to pace the 3:40 group again).   I ran the Lincoln Memorial course on Sunday just to see if I could make it.  It was a “I have to be able to run this far by now or the Marathon is off” deal, and I made it… sorta.

Today was a mixed bag of two workouts.  Keith and Matt decided to run 4 halves at mile race pace.  The rest of us did a ladder: 200, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, 200.  The weather for Track running this Summer has been the best I’ve known.  Usually by now, we are seasoned sweating machines used to 90+ degree days.  The weather has not been an issue.  Today was no exception.  We had a decent group of about 10 of us.  School is back in session and the kids are another factor while running on the track.  I have no times to post because I didn’t run very much of the workout, but it was good to be out there.

It was mentioned that someone is interested in a sub-5 attempt in September.  Start planning.

[* the title is not a spelling error]