Qwooders
Its good to be back. I'm looking here and its been almost a week since I've updated this thing. The good news is that I've been running, the bad news is that its a sign of how disordered my life currently is that I've let this thing lapse - probably for the longest spell since I've been keeping it.
I spent this morning taking care of various things, mostly little things, that are the most proximate things that make my existence currently feel chaotic. I got my bike fixed, I unpacked and did laundry, I sorted my new and old keys (Tony found my keys under one of the living room chair cushions), etc. Doesn't really touch some of the big things weighing on my mind, but I do feel better. And now I'm taking care of this.
I'll just give quick rundowns of the last few workouts, each of which have been good.
Sunday I ran again with the Philly Track Club guys. The big difference from last week to this week is that I felt alot more confident that I could hang with the pace, and I went out alot calmer. The pace was actually quicker, but the temps were a bit cooler as well. Course was about the same. Ran with Ross and a guy Pat who I didn't know. Brian joined us towards the end of the run and at about 1:45 in on Forbidden Drive he and Ross took off at what was easily sub tempo pace for me. I said what the hell and took off with them, and actually lasted about 3/4 miles before I fell back. They held it for about another quarter mile and then turned around to do it again. I begged off and headed on my own back up to Manayunk. 2:20:42, call it 19 again.
Overslept yesterday and did a regular run over lunch. Course was out to the McLeary-Nike track, into Delaware County and then the normal Cobbs Creek route to Woodland and back around via 43rd St. Midday was hot. Started out strong, started wilting on the Cobbs Creek path past Thomas Ave and then really got a second wind on Woodland to where I tore it up all the way home. Course is gmapped here and is exactly 10, in 71:19.
Today I went out to the track. I'm working late today (teaching class) so I put in some late hours last night, slept in, and did the stuff I talked about earlier before I set out to go. Decided to do 400's - qwooders if you're from Philadelphia - with 200 meter recovery. This always seemed like a real runners workout, maybe because it was short enough to where you actually need speed. Maybe because the distance is so short that to get a good workout you have to do what seems like endless numbers of repetitions. Maybe because this was the distance that Zatopek made famous with his superhuman workouts. Whatever, I figured today was a good day to be a man.
That being said, I rarely run this distance. I was unsure of how many and how fast, and settled on 16 and shoot for running them in under 75 seconds. I also gave myself the option of taking a 1000 meter recovery at halftime, breaking them up into two sets of eight.
Gate was locked at Franklin Field, but as I suspected the side entrance was open. A big crane with a hook was on the far side setting up a goal post and on my warmup lap I was relieved to see it wasn't blocking the track. I laughed to see my relief that my workout could go on unimpeded. There once was a time when I would not have been disappointed to have the track closed and me be unable to do a workout like this.
First 8 reps went in 77; 74; 75; 75; 74; 75; 76 & 77. The last rep was slower in part because I had to swerve around the crane as it was driving down the track to the other goalpost. This proved to be a good time to do my halftime recovery.
Second 8 went 80; 77; 77; 75; 76; 77; 76 & 75. The numbers speak for themselves. I'd like them to have been a second or two faster but I had a really hard time starting up again and then managed to get my splits down again. This is unusual for me, if I don't start well that usually b0des poorly for the rest of the workout. But I fought back, and really clawed to get those last reps in the times shown. At the end of the last one I had that rare confluence where my legs were buckling at the same time my lungs were bursting. I'll often get one or the other, but rarely both at the same time.
And, folks, that is why I come out to the track. For the first time this training cycle I felt that I took it to the edge and hung at the limit of where my fitness was. To get such a rush out of a process so mundane as running around fast in ovals always amazes me, but there it is. And like I hoped, it has cleared much of the bullshit out of my mind, purged it like so much sweat evaporating into the midday heat.
I spent this morning taking care of various things, mostly little things, that are the most proximate things that make my existence currently feel chaotic. I got my bike fixed, I unpacked and did laundry, I sorted my new and old keys (Tony found my keys under one of the living room chair cushions), etc. Doesn't really touch some of the big things weighing on my mind, but I do feel better. And now I'm taking care of this.
I'll just give quick rundowns of the last few workouts, each of which have been good.
Sunday I ran again with the Philly Track Club guys. The big difference from last week to this week is that I felt alot more confident that I could hang with the pace, and I went out alot calmer. The pace was actually quicker, but the temps were a bit cooler as well. Course was about the same. Ran with Ross and a guy Pat who I didn't know. Brian joined us towards the end of the run and at about 1:45 in on Forbidden Drive he and Ross took off at what was easily sub tempo pace for me. I said what the hell and took off with them, and actually lasted about 3/4 miles before I fell back. They held it for about another quarter mile and then turned around to do it again. I begged off and headed on my own back up to Manayunk. 2:20:42, call it 19 again.
Overslept yesterday and did a regular run over lunch. Course was out to the McLeary-Nike track, into Delaware County and then the normal Cobbs Creek route to Woodland and back around via 43rd St. Midday was hot. Started out strong, started wilting on the Cobbs Creek path past Thomas Ave and then really got a second wind on Woodland to where I tore it up all the way home. Course is gmapped here and is exactly 10, in 71:19.
Today I went out to the track. I'm working late today (teaching class) so I put in some late hours last night, slept in, and did the stuff I talked about earlier before I set out to go. Decided to do 400's - qwooders if you're from Philadelphia - with 200 meter recovery. This always seemed like a real runners workout, maybe because it was short enough to where you actually need speed. Maybe because the distance is so short that to get a good workout you have to do what seems like endless numbers of repetitions. Maybe because this was the distance that Zatopek made famous with his superhuman workouts. Whatever, I figured today was a good day to be a man.
That being said, I rarely run this distance. I was unsure of how many and how fast, and settled on 16 and shoot for running them in under 75 seconds. I also gave myself the option of taking a 1000 meter recovery at halftime, breaking them up into two sets of eight.
Gate was locked at Franklin Field, but as I suspected the side entrance was open. A big crane with a hook was on the far side setting up a goal post and on my warmup lap I was relieved to see it wasn't blocking the track. I laughed to see my relief that my workout could go on unimpeded. There once was a time when I would not have been disappointed to have the track closed and me be unable to do a workout like this.
First 8 reps went in 77; 74; 75; 75; 74; 75; 76 & 77. The last rep was slower in part because I had to swerve around the crane as it was driving down the track to the other goalpost. This proved to be a good time to do my halftime recovery.
Second 8 went 80; 77; 77; 75; 76; 77; 76 & 75. The numbers speak for themselves. I'd like them to have been a second or two faster but I had a really hard time starting up again and then managed to get my splits down again. This is unusual for me, if I don't start well that usually b0des poorly for the rest of the workout. But I fought back, and really clawed to get those last reps in the times shown. At the end of the last one I had that rare confluence where my legs were buckling at the same time my lungs were bursting. I'll often get one or the other, but rarely both at the same time.
And, folks, that is why I come out to the track. For the first time this training cycle I felt that I took it to the edge and hung at the limit of where my fitness was. To get such a rush out of a process so mundane as running around fast in ovals always amazes me, but there it is. And like I hoped, it has cleared much of the bullshit out of my mind, purged it like so much sweat evaporating into the midday heat.
posted by seebo | 12:53 PM
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