Doug's Running Thingy

After a good day of getting the house, and the yard, and the bills, and the maclayrunners.com website back in order after a couple days out of town, I popped up to the track for a little workout.  Ran 2.25 warmup on the ravine trail before a pyramid of 200 (32), 300 (50), 500 (96), 300 (49), 200 (29).  All but the 500 were right on goal - was hoping to go 90 seconds on the 500, but just didn't have it.  I may have short-changed myself on rest before that effort as there were several people at the track and I was trying to work it so I wouldn't have traffic - ah well.  Two barefoot laps cool down and then it was back to the house for breakfast dinner - always great.

Hill work in the neighborhood again this morning - and a lovely morning it was.  Ran 2.25 warmup averaging just over 7 minute pace.  Ran 4X200 meter hills with 500 meter jog rest.  Best effort yet on this hapnin little workout - 42, 39, 38, 37.  Garmin reports that the rise is 50 feet across the 200 meters... about 8% grade for you col du tourmalet riders.

Couple good miles (7:11, 6:56) this evening on the way to pick up daughterchild's car at the shop - I do love being within 5 miles of everything.  Circuit training and stretching back at the house afterward.  Need to get more consistent on the thrice-weekly circuit training, and more dedicated on core/stretching/yoga.  My self-diagnosed "sportsman's hernia" has been nagging at me since cranking up the track work again - swell.

Easy run around Lake Overstreet this evening after 4 days of nothing due to back spasms - bleh.  Sat on my arse in front of computer at work for 40 hours in two and a half days at end of last week and I'm thinking that has to be the cause of the low back pain.  I've had it occasionally in the past, but never kept me off the trails for more than a day before.  I know, I know - gettin old.

Averaged a little over 8 min on my new favorite trail run - half of Lake Overstreet to Keel Over to back half of North Loop to last mile of the Ravine Trail.  Lots of good up and down action and twisty single track on the slightly more than a mile section of Keel Over.  Wasn't the best effort since I was down four days with my back issue, but fun nonetheless.  Back was essentially pain free - thats something.

A billion degrees out this evening for a short track workout.  Did 2.25 warmup and then 4X200 with jog across infield.  Finished up with 4 barefoot striders and two laps around infield.  I inexplicably forgot to wear my watch or the Garmin, so had to... gasp... wing it.  Did the 200s easy in about 35ish.

From the trailhead up to the North Loop trail real easy, then worked the Loop .8 mi at about 6:30 pace.  Continued around the ravine trail back to the trailhead.  Good finish to a strange week of workouts.  Four days off due to the back issue really did a number on me.  No back pain, but first couple hundred feet today and yesterday I had weird numbness/shooting pains in both buh tocks.  No issues after getting warmed up - will keep tabs on that weirdness.

One more day taking it easy on the back/glutes.  Two and a half warm up at 7:30 pace, then just a couple 300s at 54 and 4 barefoot striders plus two laps around the infield.  Feel like I can ramp things right back up this week, but not sure I will be ready to race the 200/400 and/or 800 in a few weeks.

From trailhead, 1.5 miles up to the north loop - did the 0.8mi loop at just under 7 min/mi.  Continued a bit over a mile on around the ravine trail to the new trail.  Gradually picked up the pace on the 1.3 mi new trail, finishing it in 10:20 - about a minute slower than my best effort on that section.  Easy .5 cool down back to trailhead to finish up the 4.7 miles - good run.

Lovely evening track workout today.  Low humidity, low 70s, light breeze.  Did 2.5 mile warmup steadily dropping pace from 8:30 to 7:00, then stretching and flexibility before 4X200 (34, 33, 31, 29) and 4X100 barefoot striders.  Finished up with two laps of infield.  Wanted to run fast and see how sore my lower abs are tomorrow - "sportsman's hernia" really bugging me.  Takes almost the entire first mile now before the stiffness/soreness eases up, but then I can finish a workout like tonight with no pain during the workout.  Based on my past experience, I may be pretty sore tomorrow - grrrrrr.

Easy 8-8:30 pace run on the trails.  Lower abs sore for first half mile or so and then only on the steep uphill sections.  Summer track meets start two weeks from this evening - we'll see how long I can just work through this - grrrrrr.

Total of 4 and a half shows on the Garmin, but a lot of that was walking around between working block starts.  Did 2.5 warmup on the trails then about 8X50-60ish meter block starts and one 88-90% effort 200 - Garmin said 28 seconds, I'll call it 27.83  :)  Finished up with two barefoot laps on the infield.  

Quads and lower abs a bit sore after blocks and sprinting yesterday.  Ran easy 8:30-8:45 pace around Overstreet and then down new trail.  Pleased that I got out there before the heat really started cranking - let the summer slog begin.

Didn't get out the door early enough to do as much as planned, so ran a bit more after work as well. 

AM did 2.5 warmup and then 2X200 meter hills and half mile cooldown.

PM went to trails and did 1.5 warmup and then 2 miles worth of minute on (5:25-5:30 mile pace) minute off (10-11 min/mi pace), with about a quarter mile cool down.   No rain and much heat here for past 10 days or so, so the trails were sandy and not easy to run fast on - much cooler than doing this workout on neighborhood pavement though.

After a couple days of little sleep and no running, finally got out to the trails after work for a short run.  Got through the end of year track banquet last night, and Travis' last day of school was today, so we're finally finished for a few months.  Heading to Orlando tomorrow to watch the Golden South meet and then to Dunedin for a couple days relaxation in the folks' backyard.

Have A Great Weekend! 

2.25 warmup before several block starts and then one 300 at 44 seconds.  Finished up with a few barefoot striders and two laps on the infield.

Just a couple miles around the folks' neighborhood before heading out to dinner.  Nice visit with the folks.

Jumped out of the jeep after the drive home to Tally and the boychild and I hit the trails.  Got in a good five miler before the sun went down.  Felt about the best I've felt in a long time on a steady run.  Got lots of sleep past three nights - ahhhhhhh.

2.25 warmup on the ravine trail from the track.  Flexibility and stretching before an easy little pyramid - 200 (35), 300 (54), 400 (75), 300 (52), 200 (31).  Felt pretty heavy and weak - will do just dumbbell and core workout tomorrow and hopefully feel fresh for racing the 100 meter on Thursday - 1st week of the summer track series.