August 19 and 21

On Friday the 19th I ran on the cinder track late in the evening as the weather cooled down.  I decided to go for a more challenging workout since I had two days of rest. I made it a goal to run 10 400s in Progressive fashion with no pressure. I thought a 10 minute pace would be very beneficial if I could handle it. So I tried to run 2:30 per 400m until I could no longer sustain that effort with a 2 minute recovery.  I found running under 2:30 to be quite comfortable and waiting for 2 minutes of recovery seemed too long. So, I reduced recovery to 90 seconds and proceeded to run 10 of the 400m efforts with the time gradually decreasing steadily down to 2:07.  I finished strong and feeling comfortably drained. This workout seems like a big step forward in my current training phase.

On Sunday the 21st after a day of recovery I was surprised at how light my legs felt as I set out on a long run on the Jackson roads. My intention was to make this a purely aerobic effort with no intention to pick up the pace at any time along the way. I completed four miles in 46 minutes after a half mile warm up with the dog. Once again I finished strong but fatigued.

Fortunately all my stats have been positive and steady over the last few weeks.

Tuesday- 8/16

It was a warm night on the sunny part of the cinder track. I had just come off two days of recovery. So, I decided to do some quick work on the shady section. After a one mile warm-up and some gentle stretching I began running 45 second Speed segments. I walked and jogged back going off every three minutes. I felt strong and relaxed and quick. My watch tells me I ran each of the 8 segments between seven minute and eight minute mile pace. Including a five minute cool down the entire workout took 30 minutes. Legs feel strong!

Stats are steady and sound.

August 10, 12 and 13

I started to write this post last night in bed. I first thought that it would be a good idea to find an appropriate quote for this blog from my Great Book of Running Quotations. But after an hour I fell asleep. I still haven’t found what I believe to be an appropriate quotation, and I am about to fall asleep again. So, I better start writing this blog.

Now that the heat wave is over, it is possible to run some legitimate workouts.

On Wednesday evening on the cinders I ran five Progressive 400m intervals. from 2:20 down to 1;57 with 2:00 recovery.   Add 1-mile warm-up and a half mile cool down it was a good effort.

On Friday afternoon I packed my spikes for a workout at Turkey Swamp Park for the first time in a while. The legs were a little tight from Wednesday’s 400 m workout as I ran the first 2-mile Loop. I then spiked up and ran seven times 50 stride speed segments on the grass. It felt comfortable and quick. Then ran a second two mile loop feeling loose and strong.

On Saturday I covered four progressive miles on the Jackson roads. In the final mile I accelerated up four substantial hills each at least 150m  long.  Finished strong!

Somehow Sunday and Monday got away from me. I slept till 11:00 a.m. each day and had obligations to complete that brought on 7:00 p.m. before I knew it.

Tomorrow will be another good day.

Stats are steady and sound!

August 3 thru 7 — Wednesday thru Sunday

Cinderfeller.   🙂

As the heat wave persists I have managed some positive work on alternate days.  My current level of fitness and age still require that I take a day of rest after any arduous work.  So;

WEDNESDAY –  88* @  8pm. on cinders —  1 mile warm up; 5 x 400m @  2:05. W 2:00 rest;  800m cool down; 40 minutes total

FRIDAY  – 91* @ Manasquan Reservoir @ 9am — 5 miles in 60:20     — It was an enjoyable run with Coach Rich Refi and the hard working Hillsborough girls.

SUNDAY – 88* @ 8pm on the cinders — 1200m warm up; 3 x 1200m  @ 745, 7:25, 715;  400m dark, cool down

Stats-

Sleep- good.   Diet- 9+.   Weight 145lb.     Resting heart rate consistent at 54bpm

Leg muscles tired but healthy…. Feet healthy…….Right knee still complaining, but not while running.  Wearing a soft knee support when not running.

August 1 & 2,  Monday and Tuesday

It wasn’t a totally lost July. There was that National Record in the 4x800m relay. That was fun. The Big Bang Mile was a little below expectations. But I did finish second in my age group again. The main thing was that it was difficult to train because of the excessive heat and some aches in my right right knee.

August has started off in a more positive in vain. Yesterday I woke early and ran 40 minutes in 100% humidity.  Today I spent 77 minutes in motion on the cinder track. That included a non stop 30 minute segment of My Modified Fartlek.  (That consists of 30 second jog, 30 second run and 30 second walk; repeat.)  It felt like a quality workout!  It’s cross country  training time.  And more consistent blog posts……

Stats–

Weight- 145lb

am Heart rate – 50 bpm Lower than normal!

Diet – 8

Sleep –  good 9/10 hours nightly

Legs  – right knee aches, muscles well

Feet – well

July 8 -12

Friday – Rest  – Beach Day

Saturday – 4 miles in 48:30 on Freehold Roads

Sunday – Rest

Monday – 4x 2:00 Intervals with 3:00 Recovery – on  cinders

Tuesday – Ride to Hoboken  for Gracie- Rest

Steady Stats

July 6 & 7. Wednesday and Thursday

Three sucessful workouts this week have boosted my confidence. Monday’s 3 miles with SS; yesterday’s 4 miles on the road with no knee issues and today on cinders; 1 mile warm-up, 2x 1200m in 6:45 with 3:00 rest + 1 x800m and 2 x 400m @10:00 pace + 1 x 200m and  1 x 100m.  ( 3.64 miles in motion in 46:40)

Stats-

Solid 9/10 hours sleep

Weight. at 145lb

Diet = 9

Heart rate = 54 BPM

No leg or foot issues

Monday, Independence Day!

On Saturday, July 2, I competed in the USA Track and Field Club National Championship Masters, age 75/79, 4 x 800m relay at Monmouth University.  My leg was an acceptable but not great 3:24.   We did set a National Record  in that event because we were the 1st team to ever run in that newly  established USATF  age classification.   So, now there is a time (13:23) if any  other 4 old guys want to take a shot at it.  Just fun!

With that event over, I am beginning summer training for cross country.  I will be competing in a few more track races on the way just to maintain by speed. There is the Big Bang Mile in July and the New Jersey Senior games in early September.  I will be attempting to qualify in the 800m and 1500m for the National Senior Games being held in Pittsburgh, PA in the spring. Since I will be at the youngest end of the 80/84 age group in the spring, maybe I will have a chance to defend my 800m National Championship title from 2017.  Just some fun!

My first 5K race will likely be Jason’s Memorial Run at the end of August. The ultimate goal is to win my age group in the Shore AC 5 race XC series in the fall.

Tonight I ran 3 miles on the cinders in 40:00 with about 15 Speed Segments of 50 strides each. A good start….

Legs and stats are good. 

Five solid days of 800m prep work……

6/22. Rest day

6/23. 5 x 400m on cinders with 3 minutes rest. 2:07- 1:55- 1:54- 1:46- 1:50. 3 miles

6/24. 40 minutes work in pool.

6/25. Rest day

6/26. 4 x 300m in spikes on cinders with 2 minutes rest. :49- :51- :50- :48. 2.5 miles

I figured that Sunday night’s 200m workout will be last work day before Saturday’s 800m race. The next five days will be mild jogging, pool running and rest.

Legs and stats are optimal.

June 13 to 21

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“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself—-the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us—- that’s where it’s at. ”

Jesse Owens

Training for the last nine days has been positive and consistent. (Posting daily has been neither.)  Alternating impact and non-impact days seems to be working out well to control my knee soreness. I have kept the mileage very low on impact days.  Pool workouts have been longer.  I had one workout on the track with spikes running 4 x   200m.  I ran eight times a 50m hill at Turkey Swamp Park dirt trails. On June 21st, I ran three 800m at a respectable under  9-minute pace on the cinders.

June 13- 35  minutes in pool

June 14-  SS @ cinders   20 minutes

June  15-  SS @ cinders.  22 minutes

June 16-  8X hills @ TSP

June 17-  40 minutes  in pool

June 18-  Spiked up 200m’s @ track.     :49, :46 , :47, :48

June 19- hot whirlpool and stretch.

June 20- 40 minutes in pool

June 21-  @ cinders 3X 800m. @ 4:27,  4:06,  4:14.    3 mile day

My watch says that my VO2 max is currently at 40. That is reportedly pretty good.                                                             In general stats have been steady and positive.