Since that race in February, I've been struggling with some achilles issues that have steadily gotten worse and worse. At first I did the typical recovery stuff and that slowed it down and I thought it would get better. Then I had to start doing the elliptical on our normal base run days, and run the workouts. But, alas, it hit a peak last week when I limped by way to an abysmal 4:02 in the 1500m. Literally limped.
So, I took last week off of running (which was convenient because it was Spring break) and swam 2-3000 yards in the pool everyday.
Luckily, I'm a fairly proficient swimmer. Swam in high school and clocked a 22.9 50y free on a split, and low 50s in the 100y free from a start as well, so I'm not totally inept. It was just enough to be able to absolutely trash my body every day for a little over a week in the pool, while working aggressively on my achilles to try and get it better.
I ran in a meet last weekend. A little po-dunk quad meet with a few schools close by. I was in the 800m, and was running against a field I was more than capable of beating. But I was tired. Very tired. I tried to not think about it, and truth be told I was confident on the line. But after about 250m I knew it was going to be a grind. I was slipping backwards fast as I went through in 57.5, which was not a good sign. With 200m to go I was 5m off the pace and in 6th. Coming around the bend I recognized the runner who had just slipped past me, and I just fixed my eyes on him and pumped my arms and drove through the line to get up for 3rd past some dying guys (literally) in the last 5m.
That 1:57 was a second slower than I had run over a month ago. Tired, heavy, and having run my first steps in over a week on the warmup that morning, I was at my worst. I don't know if 1:57 on my worst day is a good thing or a bad thing, but it's the reality.
Next week I'm running against a much more quality field in the 1500m. I'll get back on my feet and see what these legs are capable of. Still a lot of season to go yet.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Last Hurrah
Track season is well underway down here in Southern California, and putting aside from job hunting, thesis, classes, and my research institute job, I try to find that calm bliss embodied in track spikes and lactic acid. It's not as twisted as it sounds.
I'm excited. The season has been opened pretty well. I opened up my season with an 800m down in UCSD in a 1:56, going 56-60 or thereabouts. The thing is, I can't run a 400m (even on a split) under 53 seconds, even after 3 attempts at the 4x4, which shows me how strong I am compared to just how physically slow I also am raw-speed wise. I got dusted by a few guys on my team, but that's okay. They're talented and all ran great.
The more-important indicator that I wanted this race to show me was how I could do in a 1200m. 1200m? Yes, 1200m.
We tried to break the school record in the DMR (distance medley relay) yesterday, but I'll get to that in a moment. Last year at UCSD, I ran the 800m in 1:59 coming off of 8+ months of pure base work, and could barely scratch an abysmal 54.9 in the 4x4. It turned out that the 'natural' speed I had just assumed I had, I did not have. Oops. However, I was able to run a 3:09.0 in the 1200m the previous, which isn't necessarily all that bad.
This year, going 1:56 and cutting a faster-yet-still-quite-slow 53.low in the 4x4 shows my I have that anaerobic strength to really get after it in the 1200m/1500m. I may not be able to run very fast, but I can hold it.
Cut to yesterday. I'm on the 1200m let of our DMR, trying to break the school record of 10:14. As the opening leg, I put immense pressure on myself to get our relay out to a good start. To set the tone for the rest of the relay. I just couldn't get it out of my head all week. The relay record as it stands has a 4:11 anchor, so we needed to get our miler, Bennett, as much of a cushion as possible. I had to run fast, there was no way around it. I had to. I just had to.
I wanted to go out in 61 and then 2:03, thinking that no matter what, I would have at least a 63 in the tank to bring it home. When I ran 3:54 last year, I was pretty tired going into the last lap but still managed a 62.mid.
The race being at 1:40pm, I woke up at 8:00am to do a shakeout and get the blood flowing. The thing is, that only took 20-25min. Now its a few minutes past 8:30am and I'm sitting in my apartment trying not to tremble with nervous anxiety.
People will tell you that the pain of losing or the physical pain of just running is the worst part of track. But they're wrong. It's the waiting. It's the sitting for hours on end, not being able to focus on anything because of the race coming up, trying not to sit for too long because you'll get tight. But not wanting to stand too long because you'll get tired. Wanting to distract yourself but not by doing anything that involves significant movement. Then realizing it's only been 6 minutes. I think the worst way to die would be in the middle of waiting for a race. I feel like the combined stimulus of whatever the fuck is killing me and the anxiety I already felt would give me a heart attack.
My spikes are on and I'm taking the last of my strides. I feel my hand shake with the baton slapping nervously against my leg, but I hardly feel it. I cough and do a dry heave. Holy shit, don't throw up now or else you're really fucked. Calm down. Now. calm down now.
When the gun goes off someone from USC takes it out, followed by a Westmont guy and my first few steps allow my to cut right behind them. After satisfying myself around the first turn that the pace is sufficiently to my liking, I just sit and trot along, coming through the 400m in 61s. Perfect.
Westmont is slowing, the USC guy is pulling away a bit. Cut around him on the back. Okay sit here. Wait, this guy is slowing down too. Come on man, keep it up. Dont pass on the turn, its windy...use it on the straight...okay...okay...go. Time to go.
Coming toward the 800m mark my eyes are fixed on the clock as I try to slowly take the pace down. 2:04.mid. Around with 300m to go and I open up, but I can't shake the USC guy. We're really moving, and with a burst of speed he re-takes the lead with 200m to go and immediately opens up a 5m gap. I counter, but can't catch him. He stays there, 5m ahead of me, all the way in. Hand off to big jeff right on 3:05, would've been a 3:04 had I just run straight through the line.
Jeff destroys the USC kid, running 48.0. Gives it to little Jeff, who runs alone for the first lap, gets pulled back in by USC, but then subsequently blows him out of the water around the final bend to run 1:54.0. Two phenomenal runs. Bennett barely has to run under 4:30 to get the record. He clips off alone to run 4:18/19. 10:06.
I think the record will be there for a long time. It's rare in DIII to get guys to do something like this at this point in the season, and we never run a DMR after this week (week 4?). It's something I think we can be proud of, and will always be one of my favorite memories running for CMS, a program that has given me as much as I could possibly ask for.
Glowing nostalgia aside, the implications of this race are pretty awesome. One of the reasons why I was so nervous was more than the sought after record.
The last 3 years, I have run my 1500m PR going through 1200m about 1.5s faster than I ran the 1200m at this point. I.E., freshman year I ran 3:14 (65 pace), and went through in 3:13 to run 4:02 (64.5 pace). Sophomore year I ran 3:12 (64 pace), and went through 1200m in 3:12 but ran 3:59 (63.5 pace). Junior year I ran 3:09 (63 pace), and went through 1200m in 3:07.5 to run 3:54 (62.5 pace). This year I run 3:05 (61.6 pace).....so can I go through in 3:03.5 (61.1 pace)? That would put me at a 3:49, which would most definitely make nationals and have a good shot at being All-American.
While no metric is perfect, this one has been very consistent in years of less-than-consistent running. I just hope that it's consistent this time as well. If it's not, then let's hope it's just because I run faster.
I'm excited. The season has been opened pretty well. I opened up my season with an 800m down in UCSD in a 1:56, going 56-60 or thereabouts. The thing is, I can't run a 400m (even on a split) under 53 seconds, even after 3 attempts at the 4x4, which shows me how strong I am compared to just how physically slow I also am raw-speed wise. I got dusted by a few guys on my team, but that's okay. They're talented and all ran great.
The more-important indicator that I wanted this race to show me was how I could do in a 1200m. 1200m? Yes, 1200m.
We tried to break the school record in the DMR (distance medley relay) yesterday, but I'll get to that in a moment. Last year at UCSD, I ran the 800m in 1:59 coming off of 8+ months of pure base work, and could barely scratch an abysmal 54.9 in the 4x4. It turned out that the 'natural' speed I had just assumed I had, I did not have. Oops. However, I was able to run a 3:09.0 in the 1200m the previous, which isn't necessarily all that bad.
This year, going 1:56 and cutting a faster-yet-still-quite-slow 53.low in the 4x4 shows my I have that anaerobic strength to really get after it in the 1200m/1500m. I may not be able to run very fast, but I can hold it.
Cut to yesterday. I'm on the 1200m let of our DMR, trying to break the school record of 10:14. As the opening leg, I put immense pressure on myself to get our relay out to a good start. To set the tone for the rest of the relay. I just couldn't get it out of my head all week. The relay record as it stands has a 4:11 anchor, so we needed to get our miler, Bennett, as much of a cushion as possible. I had to run fast, there was no way around it. I had to. I just had to.
I wanted to go out in 61 and then 2:03, thinking that no matter what, I would have at least a 63 in the tank to bring it home. When I ran 3:54 last year, I was pretty tired going into the last lap but still managed a 62.mid.
The race being at 1:40pm, I woke up at 8:00am to do a shakeout and get the blood flowing. The thing is, that only took 20-25min. Now its a few minutes past 8:30am and I'm sitting in my apartment trying not to tremble with nervous anxiety.
People will tell you that the pain of losing or the physical pain of just running is the worst part of track. But they're wrong. It's the waiting. It's the sitting for hours on end, not being able to focus on anything because of the race coming up, trying not to sit for too long because you'll get tight. But not wanting to stand too long because you'll get tired. Wanting to distract yourself but not by doing anything that involves significant movement. Then realizing it's only been 6 minutes. I think the worst way to die would be in the middle of waiting for a race. I feel like the combined stimulus of whatever the fuck is killing me and the anxiety I already felt would give me a heart attack.
My spikes are on and I'm taking the last of my strides. I feel my hand shake with the baton slapping nervously against my leg, but I hardly feel it. I cough and do a dry heave. Holy shit, don't throw up now or else you're really fucked. Calm down. Now. calm down now.
When the gun goes off someone from USC takes it out, followed by a Westmont guy and my first few steps allow my to cut right behind them. After satisfying myself around the first turn that the pace is sufficiently to my liking, I just sit and trot along, coming through the 400m in 61s. Perfect.
Westmont is slowing, the USC guy is pulling away a bit. Cut around him on the back. Okay sit here. Wait, this guy is slowing down too. Come on man, keep it up. Dont pass on the turn, its windy...use it on the straight...okay...okay...go. Time to go.
Coming toward the 800m mark my eyes are fixed on the clock as I try to slowly take the pace down. 2:04.mid. Around with 300m to go and I open up, but I can't shake the USC guy. We're really moving, and with a burst of speed he re-takes the lead with 200m to go and immediately opens up a 5m gap. I counter, but can't catch him. He stays there, 5m ahead of me, all the way in. Hand off to big jeff right on 3:05, would've been a 3:04 had I just run straight through the line.
Jeff destroys the USC kid, running 48.0. Gives it to little Jeff, who runs alone for the first lap, gets pulled back in by USC, but then subsequently blows him out of the water around the final bend to run 1:54.0. Two phenomenal runs. Bennett barely has to run under 4:30 to get the record. He clips off alone to run 4:18/19. 10:06.
I think the record will be there for a long time. It's rare in DIII to get guys to do something like this at this point in the season, and we never run a DMR after this week (week 4?). It's something I think we can be proud of, and will always be one of my favorite memories running for CMS, a program that has given me as much as I could possibly ask for.
Glowing nostalgia aside, the implications of this race are pretty awesome. One of the reasons why I was so nervous was more than the sought after record.
The last 3 years, I have run my 1500m PR going through 1200m about 1.5s faster than I ran the 1200m at this point. I.E., freshman year I ran 3:14 (65 pace), and went through in 3:13 to run 4:02 (64.5 pace). Sophomore year I ran 3:12 (64 pace), and went through 1200m in 3:12 but ran 3:59 (63.5 pace). Junior year I ran 3:09 (63 pace), and went through 1200m in 3:07.5 to run 3:54 (62.5 pace). This year I run 3:05 (61.6 pace).....so can I go through in 3:03.5 (61.1 pace)? That would put me at a 3:49, which would most definitely make nationals and have a good shot at being All-American.
While no metric is perfect, this one has been very consistent in years of less-than-consistent running. I just hope that it's consistent this time as well. If it's not, then let's hope it's just because I run faster.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Untitled
Studying hours on hours for finals. 3:30. Going to get dark soon, should do my run now.
What is my run? 10 hard. Fuck I hate these. Grab wet shoes. Do the easiest 10 mile loop I know. 58:08. Felt like shit. Time is shit. Fuck I hate those.
Back in apartment. Laying face down on floor due to exhaustion. I really should vacuum this floor. Laugh at absurdity.
Get up, eat apple sauce for post workout glucose. Shower. Back to studying.
Elapsed time: 80 minutes.
What is my run? 10 hard. Fuck I hate these. Grab wet shoes. Do the easiest 10 mile loop I know. 58:08. Felt like shit. Time is shit. Fuck I hate those.
Back in apartment. Laying face down on floor due to exhaustion. I really should vacuum this floor. Laugh at absurdity.
Get up, eat apple sauce for post workout glucose. Shower. Back to studying.
Elapsed time: 80 minutes.
Friday, December 14, 2012
XC Season and Moving On
I guess that not writing a post since I ended my summer training tells you how my XC season went.
But just in case let's break the suspense -- it went pretty shitty.
At the end of track (two posts ago), my coach and I came to a consensus that I tired myself out with new over-distance work and that the long fatigue + no speed work hurt my track season.
So, the plan this summer was to back off the miles a bit and do a little more quality to maintain house, but not too much to make me tired. "Let the work come build itself" was the final word on the issue.
So that's what I did, and I came into the season out of racing shape. Well, I shouldn't say that. I ran okay throughout the season. High-25's to mid-26's consistently. I had developed strength so that instead of popping one fast time off now and then, I could consistently run pretty well day in and day out.
But I hadn't given myself room to grow with my summer training like I had in years previously, and I missed a glorious opportunity to help my team to the next level, but they got there anyway, because they're the shit and stepped up when the time called for it.
I'm not really that mad about the way the season ended. I was at our conference championships and stepped in a hole, over-extended my heel, and strained my achilles around the 2mile mark. I'm not really that mad that this happened at the perfectly wrong part of the season, so that this little injury put me out for 2 weeks, and that I could only start training again the week of nationals, which coach decided (and I agree with him) that I wouldn't be ready in time to race on the national level as I had been on the cusp of our varsity team all season. I'm not really mad about all that unfortunate-ness.
I'm mad that the reason that happened is that I was already so tired at 2 miles trying to hang on to the top group that I couldn't pay enough fucking attention to see a hole and avoid it. That I had to, again, fight to stay on varsity for XC. That in every season that I've ever run, I've ran an absolute PR in nearly every event I do, and this season I didn't. That I was just weak. I didn't feel strong running any XC race this season except pre-nationals, which we won (it was really awesome), and even then I ran a mediocre time.
The team went on to NCAAs to get 11th, our best finish in school history with a stellar team SO close to 10th, but that's the impetus for the young guys I suppose. It should be, they have the talent but we'll see if they have the drive.
I don't think I overdid miles leading up to last track season, I think I handled it well actually. I'm pretty confident now that it was just a speed work issue. It has always taken me a pretty long time to get my speed under me, but when I do, I really do.
So, I cast that season aside and pulled out a fresh pad of paper, torn from yellow standard to write what is to be my optimal base phase work routine. I really really like it, and in this - my 8th year running competitively, I think it finally hits all my weaknesses perfectly.
Here it is:
Day 1 - off
Day 2 - AM 4ish mile tempo. Usually pretty flat and ~5:15/5:20 pace. Tough but not too hard. ~6 all
told.
PM Base. 7-8 miles
Day 3 - Base (recovery): 8-10 miles
Day 4 - Short Long run: 11-12 miles
Day 5 - AM speed (30s 200s w/ 1min rest, 45s 300s w/ 2min rest, or 60s 400s w/ 3min rest) building
up to 400s after a few of these cycles. About 4 miles all told. +Plyos
PM Base. 7-8 miles
Day 6 - Base (recovery) 8-10 miles
Day 7 - Base +Plyos. 8-10 miles
Day 8 - 10hard. Long tempo. Usually ~5:45-5:50 pace unless I feel pretty good or pretty shitty. Goal is to run in the 57's comfortably. I'm not too far away from that.
Day 9 - Base +Plyos. 8-10 miles
Day 10 - Long run. 13-15 miles
----
Why a 10 day cycle? Because it makes sense. 7 days it too short to get everything in there with the proper amount of rest to really get at the workouts. So we just kept adding days until the cycle ended, which was 10 days. It's a nice round number, so fuck it.
The plyos are a combination of power drills (jumps, hops, burpies, etc) and core work. There are 2 different sets that work different shit.
I've been on this for a few cycles now and I really like it. When I really get into ACTUALLY doing my 2nd runs instead of just making the cool downs a little long.....(hey, school is hard this time of year) then I'll really see the benefits.
I have strength, now I need to turn it into power. I don't want to come into this year running 4:00 with room to grow. I want to come in running 3:55 with room to grow. Going for broke. Do I want to be able to run 3:50 and go to nationals? Absolutely. But I also want to be able to close out a 3:56/7 race in 55 if I have to.
Hey, if I felt flat speed-wise running 4:00 closing in 59/60, when I'm strong and sharp....
I dont think it's out of the question. I guess I'll find out.
I'm gearing up for the end of running for a team and teammates and legacy and with a true, close-by support system. How I do here will give me an indication of what I can do beyond college out in the big bad world all my myself, and I'm pretty fucking excited.
Tip: Always stay pretty fucking excited.
But just in case let's break the suspense -- it went pretty shitty.
At the end of track (two posts ago), my coach and I came to a consensus that I tired myself out with new over-distance work and that the long fatigue + no speed work hurt my track season.
So, the plan this summer was to back off the miles a bit and do a little more quality to maintain house, but not too much to make me tired. "Let the work come build itself" was the final word on the issue.
So that's what I did, and I came into the season out of racing shape. Well, I shouldn't say that. I ran okay throughout the season. High-25's to mid-26's consistently. I had developed strength so that instead of popping one fast time off now and then, I could consistently run pretty well day in and day out.
But I hadn't given myself room to grow with my summer training like I had in years previously, and I missed a glorious opportunity to help my team to the next level, but they got there anyway, because they're the shit and stepped up when the time called for it.
I'm not really that mad about the way the season ended. I was at our conference championships and stepped in a hole, over-extended my heel, and strained my achilles around the 2mile mark. I'm not really that mad that this happened at the perfectly wrong part of the season, so that this little injury put me out for 2 weeks, and that I could only start training again the week of nationals, which coach decided (and I agree with him) that I wouldn't be ready in time to race on the national level as I had been on the cusp of our varsity team all season. I'm not really mad about all that unfortunate-ness.
I'm mad that the reason that happened is that I was already so tired at 2 miles trying to hang on to the top group that I couldn't pay enough fucking attention to see a hole and avoid it. That I had to, again, fight to stay on varsity for XC. That in every season that I've ever run, I've ran an absolute PR in nearly every event I do, and this season I didn't. That I was just weak. I didn't feel strong running any XC race this season except pre-nationals, which we won (it was really awesome), and even then I ran a mediocre time.
The team went on to NCAAs to get 11th, our best finish in school history with a stellar team SO close to 10th, but that's the impetus for the young guys I suppose. It should be, they have the talent but we'll see if they have the drive.
I don't think I overdid miles leading up to last track season, I think I handled it well actually. I'm pretty confident now that it was just a speed work issue. It has always taken me a pretty long time to get my speed under me, but when I do, I really do.
So, I cast that season aside and pulled out a fresh pad of paper, torn from yellow standard to write what is to be my optimal base phase work routine. I really really like it, and in this - my 8th year running competitively, I think it finally hits all my weaknesses perfectly.
Here it is:
Day 1 - off
Day 2 - AM 4ish mile tempo. Usually pretty flat and ~5:15/5:20 pace. Tough but not too hard. ~6 all
told.
PM Base. 7-8 miles
Day 3 - Base (recovery): 8-10 miles
Day 4 - Short Long run: 11-12 miles
Day 5 - AM speed (30s 200s w/ 1min rest, 45s 300s w/ 2min rest, or 60s 400s w/ 3min rest) building
up to 400s after a few of these cycles. About 4 miles all told. +Plyos
PM Base. 7-8 miles
Day 6 - Base (recovery) 8-10 miles
Day 7 - Base +Plyos. 8-10 miles
Day 8 - 10hard. Long tempo. Usually ~5:45-5:50 pace unless I feel pretty good or pretty shitty. Goal is to run in the 57's comfortably. I'm not too far away from that.
Day 9 - Base +Plyos. 8-10 miles
Day 10 - Long run. 13-15 miles
----
Why a 10 day cycle? Because it makes sense. 7 days it too short to get everything in there with the proper amount of rest to really get at the workouts. So we just kept adding days until the cycle ended, which was 10 days. It's a nice round number, so fuck it.
The plyos are a combination of power drills (jumps, hops, burpies, etc) and core work. There are 2 different sets that work different shit.
I've been on this for a few cycles now and I really like it. When I really get into ACTUALLY doing my 2nd runs instead of just making the cool downs a little long.....(hey, school is hard this time of year) then I'll really see the benefits.
I have strength, now I need to turn it into power. I don't want to come into this year running 4:00 with room to grow. I want to come in running 3:55 with room to grow. Going for broke. Do I want to be able to run 3:50 and go to nationals? Absolutely. But I also want to be able to close out a 3:56/7 race in 55 if I have to.
Hey, if I felt flat speed-wise running 4:00 closing in 59/60, when I'm strong and sharp....
I dont think it's out of the question. I guess I'll find out.
I'm gearing up for the end of running for a team and teammates and legacy and with a true, close-by support system. How I do here will give me an indication of what I can do beyond college out in the big bad world all my myself, and I'm pretty fucking excited.
Tip: Always stay pretty fucking excited.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Summer Summary
As I sit here, flying out of Chicago after spending my
summer working in this new city I think about how mundane my running was these
last three months. Don’t misunderstand me – mundane is not necessarily a bad
thing. Talking with my coach going into summer training, he told me to use the
time to do almost the same exact thing I did in DC and nothing more. I was wary
at first; that grinding type of training had worn me down over the span of
eight long months and left me flat for nearly all of track season. He assured
me that during last track season and in the weeks off of running that followed
it my body adapted, and that it would not feel nearly as difficult this time
around.
So, that’s what I did. Throughout June and July I built up
60-65 mile weeks slowly, and in late July I transitioned to 70 mile weeks which
I should hold through the end of this month, all in singles of base runs which
I slowly push throughout. 8-9 mile runs starting at 6:30-40 with the last 4
miles at 6 minute pace once again became my standard run. However, as promised,
I don’t feel as worn as I did not even half a year ago. Also, the soccer and
dodgeball leagues that my friends and I joined in the city helped develop my
posterior-anterior muscle sets along my IT on the outside and inner meniscus on
the inside of my legs, which brought some of that salivating pop back into
them.
As far as racing is concerned, I ran only two noteworthy
efforts. On July 4th, we ran our team 5k, which I ran in 15:58,
battling with another kid before running away from him, only to be outkicked by
someone else who had capitalized on our struggle. I think that coach has us run
this race because it comes only after 3-4 weeks of running, and as any runner
knows that first week to 10 days is useless training, so really only after just
shy of 3 weeks of training. It is just enough base to be able to run a race and
push yourself, but not enough to be considered fit in any sense of the word. I
think that it is perhaps my weakest point during the year that I would consider
myself in some semblance of shape, which I suppose is precisely the reason why
we run the thing – to get a base reading on our ability.
A month later and a month stronger, we ran a 6 mile time
trial which I clipped off in 31:56, just under 5:20 pace for the stretch. I ran
it alone at 11pm on a rainy Tuesday, clipping the uninterrupted miles on a
fairly flat bike path. The first three miles felt like nothing, and they
gradually got more difficult as I approached the final stretch. Truth be told,
while the converted time (~33:09 10k) is a better mark than the 5k from a month
earlier, the effort was half hearted. I told myself that I would try to
maintain under 5:20 pace and I think I limited myself in that goal, as I was
solidly under pace going into the last mile and a half and contented myself in
holding form instead of tapping deep into that extra gear.
Within 48 hours I begin my senior (and likely final, I never
was as enthused about it compared to track) Cross Country campaign. I know I am
fit, and this summer was an exercise in patience by direction. If there is any
use for a coach for an overzealous distance runner, it is to be the coachman –
pulling back the reigns with his a wider view of the valley, only to release
them when the timing is right. I trust my coach wholeheartedly, and have no
qualms following his word. We return a strong team, and I expect strong season.
I guess we will see soon enough.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Last Race Salvation
I guess I should wrap up what happened, now that I've had time to reflect on it.
It started a few days after the league championships. I went in and talked to Coach, wondering what the fuck happened this season. It wasn't fair, I had put in more work slowly and steadily, without injury, without making myself too sore, and I hadn't seen any rewards.
We looked over my training schedule. Upon closer inspection, we came to two conclusions. First, I was running my base runs far too fast. I thought that a little more quality rather than quantity would be a good thing, but I overdid it. I had a 77 mile week (from a Wednesday-Wednesday) where my average pace on the week was a blistering 6:14/mile. Average. I was running my normal runs around 6:10 pace, my hard runs around 5:45 pace, and my long runs around 6:40 pace. Even with the 7+min pace warm ups for workouts, it was just too much. While each run wasn't making me sore itself, the accumulation of all that tired, tired muscle was just too much on my body, and I wasn't responding to track workouts.
It was not like it hadn't helped. I was absolutely crushing the over-distance work, compared to myself previously. But the speed, though it wasn't that bad, wasn't fast. In fact, the times were as fast as I had ever run at the beginning of the season, first workout, first race, and I was excited. Look back a couple months and see, I really was excited.
But then I didn't get faster, and the workouts didn't get any easier (at the same pace), and I didn't get any more 'pop' in my legs.
The second thing we noticed was that I was doing the same thing, I.E. stimulating the same muscles over the past 8 months. I would do 10 mile base runs without fail, 1 workout of mile or 1k repeats, 1 10mile hard run, and a 14-16 mile long run. Repeat for 30 weeks. Sure, it makes you strong, but not the kind of strong that middle distance runners should be. Strong, but not powerful. And in the 1500m you need to be just that - powerful.
I was not overly excited going into what was likely my last race of the season. The times hadn't played out for me like I had thought it would, not even close. The wins were there, and that was fun, but I need the times to get to the next level.
So, we did what we thought I should have been doing, and rested. All week, I did nothing but 40min trots and ONE 6x200 @ 31s pace. Just resting.
As I toed the line for the last time, I was probably as unenthusiastic for a race as I had been in years. I just thought - fuck it, sit in and see what happens.
I was pulled through in 63, and then 2:05....and I felt fine. It was 3 seconds faster than I had gone through all season, and I felt just fine. Just sitting. With one lap to go I was at 2:52.low, and I still felt fine. Hit 1200m at 3:07.mid, and I just started sprinting. Sprinting and sprinting and sprinting, I wanted to run a good mark so bad. All of the memory of work and hopes and sweat and vomit came rushing back as I sprinted my legs out from under me. I sprinted too early, and was a walking dead man in the home straight. It was stupid, it was amateur, but I didn't care. I was being passed by people who had timed their move right, but I didn't care. I just willed my stone legs forward until I crossed the god damn line in 3:54 and it's not the time I had planned for the season but fuck it its finally vindicated what I put myself through and no matter what happens from here on out at least I can say that on one day I ran a 3:54.
Is that good enough for me? Of course it's not, I'm a runner. I'm not in it for the views and the lovely pace of trotting along, feeling great about myself for how in shape I am. I'm in it for the transformative pain that one can only learn about by putting themselves through it, without anyone else to tell them when or why. I ran a smart race with a dumb kick, and I'll learn from it.
And hey, if I start my season next year at 3:54 after what I've learned, I'll know what to look forward to.
It started a few days after the league championships. I went in and talked to Coach, wondering what the fuck happened this season. It wasn't fair, I had put in more work slowly and steadily, without injury, without making myself too sore, and I hadn't seen any rewards.
We looked over my training schedule. Upon closer inspection, we came to two conclusions. First, I was running my base runs far too fast. I thought that a little more quality rather than quantity would be a good thing, but I overdid it. I had a 77 mile week (from a Wednesday-Wednesday) where my average pace on the week was a blistering 6:14/mile. Average. I was running my normal runs around 6:10 pace, my hard runs around 5:45 pace, and my long runs around 6:40 pace. Even with the 7+min pace warm ups for workouts, it was just too much. While each run wasn't making me sore itself, the accumulation of all that tired, tired muscle was just too much on my body, and I wasn't responding to track workouts.
It was not like it hadn't helped. I was absolutely crushing the over-distance work, compared to myself previously. But the speed, though it wasn't that bad, wasn't fast. In fact, the times were as fast as I had ever run at the beginning of the season, first workout, first race, and I was excited. Look back a couple months and see, I really was excited.
But then I didn't get faster, and the workouts didn't get any easier (at the same pace), and I didn't get any more 'pop' in my legs.
The second thing we noticed was that I was doing the same thing, I.E. stimulating the same muscles over the past 8 months. I would do 10 mile base runs without fail, 1 workout of mile or 1k repeats, 1 10mile hard run, and a 14-16 mile long run. Repeat for 30 weeks. Sure, it makes you strong, but not the kind of strong that middle distance runners should be. Strong, but not powerful. And in the 1500m you need to be just that - powerful.
I was not overly excited going into what was likely my last race of the season. The times hadn't played out for me like I had thought it would, not even close. The wins were there, and that was fun, but I need the times to get to the next level.
So, we did what we thought I should have been doing, and rested. All week, I did nothing but 40min trots and ONE 6x200 @ 31s pace. Just resting.
As I toed the line for the last time, I was probably as unenthusiastic for a race as I had been in years. I just thought - fuck it, sit in and see what happens.
I was pulled through in 63, and then 2:05....and I felt fine. It was 3 seconds faster than I had gone through all season, and I felt just fine. Just sitting. With one lap to go I was at 2:52.low, and I still felt fine. Hit 1200m at 3:07.mid, and I just started sprinting. Sprinting and sprinting and sprinting, I wanted to run a good mark so bad. All of the memory of work and hopes and sweat and vomit came rushing back as I sprinted my legs out from under me. I sprinted too early, and was a walking dead man in the home straight. It was stupid, it was amateur, but I didn't care. I was being passed by people who had timed their move right, but I didn't care. I just willed my stone legs forward until I crossed the god damn line in 3:54 and it's not the time I had planned for the season but fuck it its finally vindicated what I put myself through and no matter what happens from here on out at least I can say that on one day I ran a 3:54.
Is that good enough for me? Of course it's not, I'm a runner. I'm not in it for the views and the lovely pace of trotting along, feeling great about myself for how in shape I am. I'm in it for the transformative pain that one can only learn about by putting themselves through it, without anyone else to tell them when or why. I ran a smart race with a dumb kick, and I'll learn from it.
And hey, if I start my season next year at 3:54 after what I've learned, I'll know what to look forward to.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Finals, 3rd Act.
Okay, NOW I'm nervous.
I don't know how the race will go, and it's unsettling.
I can win. I know I can win.
I don't really have much to say, it was a pretty uneventful final. Someone who had no business leading the race at all took it out in 62, and the field quickly strung out. My teammate Bennett, who had the fastest seed time by miles coming into the race, follows him. I try to go with the move but I'm boxed. By the time I'm out, he's far far around the bend.
It's alright, we're only 600m into the race. Lots of running to go.
Bennet extends his lead through 800m, as I lead the chase pack around the original leader, fighting the harsh winds on the backstretch. I'm more tired than I think.
Coming around with one lap to go, Bennett is way out in front, and I'm leading the chase pack that has been whittled down to 3 men. Having run the steeplechase the night before, I can see Bennett tying up. I start to move. I don't care about the two men hanging on my back.
I'm desperately closing the gap, step by step. Coming around the final bend I'm still over one second back. Yards closing between us become feet, then inches. I'm tying up. With 50m to go I realize that I'm not going to catch him. The two men following me are still on my shoulder, having matched every step thus far. Don't you fucking lose this spot.
I hold on for second. Freshman year, 5th. Last year, 3rd. This year, 2nd. But that doesn't tell the whole story. This year was far weaker. I ran slower than last year. I ran pretty similar to Freshman year. Prelims can explain some of that, but I wasn't really 'springy' for this race. I was right to worry, my speed hasn't come around like I'd like it too.
I don't know if these last few weeks will see my months of toil pay off, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Maybe I'll try the 5k. We'll see. I have to do SOMETHING with this strength.
I don't know how the race will go, and it's unsettling.
I can win. I know I can win.
I don't really have much to say, it was a pretty uneventful final. Someone who had no business leading the race at all took it out in 62, and the field quickly strung out. My teammate Bennett, who had the fastest seed time by miles coming into the race, follows him. I try to go with the move but I'm boxed. By the time I'm out, he's far far around the bend.
It's alright, we're only 600m into the race. Lots of running to go.
Bennet extends his lead through 800m, as I lead the chase pack around the original leader, fighting the harsh winds on the backstretch. I'm more tired than I think.
Coming around with one lap to go, Bennett is way out in front, and I'm leading the chase pack that has been whittled down to 3 men. Having run the steeplechase the night before, I can see Bennett tying up. I start to move. I don't care about the two men hanging on my back.
I'm desperately closing the gap, step by step. Coming around the final bend I'm still over one second back. Yards closing between us become feet, then inches. I'm tying up. With 50m to go I realize that I'm not going to catch him. The two men following me are still on my shoulder, having matched every step thus far. Don't you fucking lose this spot.
I hold on for second. Freshman year, 5th. Last year, 3rd. This year, 2nd. But that doesn't tell the whole story. This year was far weaker. I ran slower than last year. I ran pretty similar to Freshman year. Prelims can explain some of that, but I wasn't really 'springy' for this race. I was right to worry, my speed hasn't come around like I'd like it too.
I don't know if these last few weeks will see my months of toil pay off, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Maybe I'll try the 5k. We'll see. I have to do SOMETHING with this strength.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)