Word on the street is that I am my friend Damarius' track coach, and by word on the street I mean this blog. Here's a link to some training we did in the Fall of 2013: August, September, and October. I've been giving him workouts since the beginning of Spring but I recently decided it would be a good idea to share them with you. I've backlogged everything major he did in June and will share it here with you, and going forward will provide periodical updates.
1) 4x800m @ 3:12 w/2:00 rest. 4x400m @ 1:18 w/1:30 rest. 4x200m @ :33 w/:60 rest. 4x100m @ :14 w/:60 rest.
2) Pre-meet: 300m/200m/100m @ :60/:35/:15 w/1:30 rest. Meet: 11.6 100m and 52.4 400m.
3) 2 sets of 4x200m @ 32 w/1:30 rest, 3:00 between sets.
4) 6x600m @ 2:20-2:10 w/1:30 rest. 5:00 rest. 6x200m @ 33-30 w/1:30 rest.
5) 2:08 800m.
6) 5x300m @ :49 w/1:30 rest. 5:00 rest. 3x150m @ :20 w/2:00 rest.
7) Wednesday: 51.6 400m. 12:04 3000m tempo. Saturday: 20:05 5000m.
8) 3 sets of 3x300m @ :50 w/1:15 rest and 5:00 between sets.
9) 2x300m @ 42 & 40 w/6:00 rest
He opened up his season on May 20th with a 24-low 200m and a 2:13 800m. The following week he ran a 53-mid 400m. In his only mile of the season, he ran 4:58. Every week he has stepped on the track, he has run a seasons best, and considering all his personal bests are from more than 6 years ago now, I think he's had a great summer so far. However, the goals are still the 50 second and 2 minute barriers. Hopefully I can help him get closer to those before the next time I provide a training and racing update.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Pros and Cons of Getting Out
I have a cold, so the rest continues while I struggle to breathe and avoid to unbearable North Carolina heat. While I'm used to it being hot here, the abrupt jump to 100 degree weather is quite baffling. Anyhow, last week's medical exam went well, outside of a test the hospital failed to administer. Thankfully Laurinburg is just a short drive from here. A week from now, I'll be headed to Washington, D.C. for my Border Patrol oral hiring board, that will not be a short drive.
On Thursday, I was supposed to have a fitness test and interview for a correctional officer position with the state. But I got lost in Raleigh for 40 minutes, and my heart rate was through the roof and I wasn't allowed to take the test. While I'm sure it was elevated, they used a battery operated cuff to check it, and if you aren't aware, they are extremely inaccurate. Oh well, I will reschedule. The weekend just started earlier than planned. I got to hang out Thursday evening with my cousin and his wife in Chapel Hill, got to have drinks with my friends late into the night in downtown Raleigh, and got up early on Saturday for a road trip to the mountains. We made our way to Gorges State Park and hiked into the Pisgah National Forest, where we saw Rainbow Falls and dived into it from a ledge 20 feet up. Pro tip, make sure your friend can swim before doing such things, because mine tried to drown on me, NOT GOOD. But it was a fun weekend with family & friends.
By the end of the trip, my calf was completely healed, which left me excited to restart my training. However, this cold decided to hang out with me for a few days. So it looks like I'll have taken 2 weeks off before I can restart. Remember there are worse things than resting on minor injuries and through colds, no use burying myself beneath a worse injury or letting the sickness drag on and further affect my lungs.
So there you have it, pros and cons of getting out. You might have a great time, or your friend might try to drown and you'll get sick.
On Thursday, I was supposed to have a fitness test and interview for a correctional officer position with the state. But I got lost in Raleigh for 40 minutes, and my heart rate was through the roof and I wasn't allowed to take the test. While I'm sure it was elevated, they used a battery operated cuff to check it, and if you aren't aware, they are extremely inaccurate. Oh well, I will reschedule. The weekend just started earlier than planned. I got to hang out Thursday evening with my cousin and his wife in Chapel Hill, got to have drinks with my friends late into the night in downtown Raleigh, and got up early on Saturday for a road trip to the mountains. We made our way to Gorges State Park and hiked into the Pisgah National Forest, where we saw Rainbow Falls and dived into it from a ledge 20 feet up. Pro tip, make sure your friend can swim before doing such things, because mine tried to drown on me, NOT GOOD. But it was a fun weekend with family & friends.
By the end of the trip, my calf was completely healed, which left me excited to restart my training. However, this cold decided to hang out with me for a few days. So it looks like I'll have taken 2 weeks off before I can restart. Remember there are worse things than resting on minor injuries and through colds, no use burying myself beneath a worse injury or letting the sickness drag on and further affect my lungs.
So there you have it, pros and cons of getting out. You might have a great time, or your friend might try to drown and you'll get sick.
Monday, June 8, 2015
The Joy of Racing, the Agony of Resting
I last spoke to you through this medium in the midst of Week 11, right after logging three straight 19 mile weeks. I now come to you after logging 23, 27, and 28 miles the last three weeks. After racing three times, on two days, over the span of five days. And after taking four days off now due to a minor calf strain. First, let's address that 150% bump in mileage. I simply went from running 3.8 miles five days a week, to running 4.22/4.45 six days a week. While that's roughly a 15-20% increase in daily mileage, it isn't that big of a jump when you aren't running high mileage, my body handled it really well.
Here is the exciting part. I returned to racing for the first time in three years with a 2.9 mile road race, called the Columbus County Farmer's Market 5k in Whiteville. I went in with the goal of running 7:20 pace and finishing in the Top 10. I came with 2nd place off 7:16 pace, moving up from 4th to 2nd in the final mile. I followed that up four days later with a return to the track after 6 years away. I raced a mile and a 800m at an all-comers meet in Chapel Hill. The goals there were to run under 6:40 and 3:00. Luckily, there was about an hour between those two races. Unluckily, me and my friend only got there five minutes before my mile race. My warm up consisted of a one lap jog, and a 100m sprint from the bathroom. I didn't have time to change out of my trainers. I still ran 6:29. Yeah, I know. I recovered from that effort, got into my racing shoes, and rocked a 2:47 800m. Safe to say I'm in much better shape than I thought.
Okay so about this calf strain, I had a pre-employment fitness exam for the Border Patrol last week, and afterwards I came home to run 5 miles and do a few strides. For one of them, I had a neighbor join me before he started shooting hoops, and it turned into a sprint. Didn't feel anything then, but it was a bit sore that night. Ran the following morning, did my strides, and from there on my calf has been pretty useless. It's starting to come around, which is good because I have a pre-employment medical exam tomorrow, and another fitness test in three days. Once it has cleared up, I'll be able to return to logging mileage, continuing that patient buildup I mentioned in 'Brick by Brick'. This complete down week allows for a bit of extra recovery after 13 weeks, or 3 months of consistent mileage. None of that fitness building was in vain, as now I'm at a new level for when I "begin again" next week.
Here is the exciting part. I returned to racing for the first time in three years with a 2.9 mile road race, called the Columbus County Farmer's Market 5k in Whiteville. I went in with the goal of running 7:20 pace and finishing in the Top 10. I came with 2nd place off 7:16 pace, moving up from 4th to 2nd in the final mile. I followed that up four days later with a return to the track after 6 years away. I raced a mile and a 800m at an all-comers meet in Chapel Hill. The goals there were to run under 6:40 and 3:00. Luckily, there was about an hour between those two races. Unluckily, me and my friend only got there five minutes before my mile race. My warm up consisted of a one lap jog, and a 100m sprint from the bathroom. I didn't have time to change out of my trainers. I still ran 6:29. Yeah, I know. I recovered from that effort, got into my racing shoes, and rocked a 2:47 800m. Safe to say I'm in much better shape than I thought.
Okay so about this calf strain, I had a pre-employment fitness exam for the Border Patrol last week, and afterwards I came home to run 5 miles and do a few strides. For one of them, I had a neighbor join me before he started shooting hoops, and it turned into a sprint. Didn't feel anything then, but it was a bit sore that night. Ran the following morning, did my strides, and from there on my calf has been pretty useless. It's starting to come around, which is good because I have a pre-employment medical exam tomorrow, and another fitness test in three days. Once it has cleared up, I'll be able to return to logging mileage, continuing that patient buildup I mentioned in 'Brick by Brick'. This complete down week allows for a bit of extra recovery after 13 weeks, or 3 months of consistent mileage. None of that fitness building was in vain, as now I'm at a new level for when I "begin again" next week.
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