Fun On The Track

Monday, June 5, 2017:

School is out, but the track is busy anyway.  When I got there the girls' (women's?) basketball team was doing wind sprints and other exercises on the track, and then as they were leaving, the boys' football team was arriving to do the same.  Two other youngsters were training to compete in the pole vault event at a meet later in the week.

The track I use.  Very nice.

Happily, the students were only using half of the 400m track, so I was able to do a little sprint training on the other half.  I read an article yesterday about training for sprints:

1. Jog for a lap or two.  I actually ran TO the track, running most of a mile without walking, mostly uphill, for plenty of warmup.
2. Do dynamic stretches.  I still have to figure out what these are and how to do them.  There are several kinds.  I did some things that I thought might help me loosen up, including very long strides.
3. Run the first sprint at 70% intensity.  I wonder how to know where 70% is?
4. Rest 2 - 5 minutes between sprints.  Easy - just walk or jog a lap, taking care not to interfere with the football team.
5. Keep the first session short.  Technically this was my second session, but I only ran three 200m sprints and one 100m sprint.

I ran the first 200m sprint at 70% (or 60 or 80 who knows) and didn't bother to time it.  I don't recall if I used a crouching start.  For the second 200m I did use a crouching start and ran at maybe 90%, pushing pretty hard.  For the final 200m I used a crouching start and hammered as hard as I could for the whole distance.

The times are pretty good news I think.  Last week I ran the 200m in 52.90 (seconds), and today in 47.02 and then 42.75.  If those numbers are real, it's ten seconds improvement in one week!  Wow: (1) Maybe it pays to train a little for the sprint?  I never did that before; (2) My 10-year-old PR, on an indoor track, was 34.6 seconds - can I eventually take off another 8 seconds to match that old PR?  I'd love that; and (3) I'm not sure how my time in an actual race will compare with these fun little trials.  I'll soon find out though.

I did pull something today, left inner hamstrings, high near the adductors, caused by the crouching starts.  It hurts just a little.  This has happened before, including a couple of weeks ago at the YMCA.  I'm sure that it will heal in a few days if I stay away from crouching starts for that time.

200m times: (1) Unknown; (2) 47:02, (3) 42:75; 100m time: 20:92

Saturday, June 3, 2017:

Too Hot to Trot!   By the time I got going this morning the temperature was 77, and by the time I got home an hour and a quarter later it was 82.  Too hot for me to see how far I could run - I'm not acclimated to summer running yet.

So I had some fun instead, exploring a trail that I hadn't seen in a year or more.  I ran when I felt like it and walked when I felt plenty hot, finally ending up once again at the high school track.

That's a great place to do sprint training. Unfortunately for me, though, the football field within the track was about to be used for a women's lacrosse tournament, so I only got one lap around the outer (9th) lane, but I did put the pedal down on the second straight side and enjoyed just that short sprint, less than 100 meters.

I love that.  What a joy, to just let it fly.  I have to do more of that, training sessions specifically aimed at just sprinting faster but still safely.  I'm starting to read up on it now.  There is a "Masters Championship" coming up soon, where I'm sure that I will find out just how slow I am.  Regardless, it will be fun.

Wednesday, May 31:

Very Good Day at the Track   I ran to the new High School track, getting in 7 minutes of continuous running as well as some walking.  Then, after a little rest (slow walking) I ran 7 laps (1.75 miles) on the 400m outdoor track, the farthest I have run without walking in years.

After more easy walking I ran 200m as fast as I could, crossing the finish in 52.90 seconds.  I'm sure that I can improve on that time.  Fun - I love that distance.

Lap times: (26:31), 2:29, 2:34, 2:33, 2:26, 2:29, 2:28, 2:23, (43:52) (17:21) pace 9:55, 200m 52:90