Sprinting At 60

Sunday, March 31, 2024--Easter Day  Back to the track! This morning I got up and went to track practice. There were a lot of GPTC members present, which shows how committed many of them are (inspiring!). I did a nice mile warm-up jog, and then I did the series of dynamic stretches and drills that I have saved on my phone. I decided to go back to the beginning--where I started in Bill Collins's training program--and do 4 to 8 (the workout prescribed 8, but I wanted to go easy on my hamstring and see how I felt) 400 meter runs in 90 seconds each with 2 minute rests.  I felt good/normal as I ran the first one; I was thrilled that I did it in 90 seconds, and that I felt no pain or anything! I was so grateful. All of the splits were at 90 seconds--except for number 6--as I rounded the last curve, I could "feel" my hamstring. It didn't hurt, exactly, it's just that I noticed  it--it felt slightly tight. So, in an effort to stay true to taking it easy at first, I slowed ...

 Friday, March 29, 2024 Patience and Appreciation It has been almost three weeks since my last post. Today's themes are patience  and appreciation. I have had to meditate on patience each day as I practiced "no running one day at a time." And I am really missing it! I have grown quite fond of my daily 3 mile runs the past 2 plus years (since I retired). Not only do I miss the physical movement and conditioning, but I also miss the quiet time in the mind that running provides. And I was, of course, totally enjoying the track workouts I had begun in February. Nevertheless, I stuck to my commitment to not  run while I gave my hamstring time to heal. I have been doing my Pilates mat routine pretty much every day (and biking to the studio twice a week for my private lessons with Megan). I have also kept up my weight lifting practice at the gym (though I've avoided working my legs). I did the elliptical machine at the gym one day for 15 minutes, but I just don't dig tha...

 Sunday, March 10, 2024 Acceptance Well, it has been a long week for me. My last post was about the great practice workout I had last Sunday with some members of the Greater Philadelphia Track Club. On Monday, I was feeling great, so I decided to do my usual 3-mile run on the treadmill. I only warmed up for a couple of minutes before I cranked the speed to 8, so that I could do three, eight-minute miles (though earlier in the morning I did my Pilates mat practice with Meagan). I had the incline set to an easy .5 . . . and I was feeling fantastic. I completed the first mile in 7 minutes 30 seconds, and, again, felt just great! Then it happened: Suddenly, out of nowhere, my right hamstring seized up. I immediately lowered the speed and tried to walk it out . . . but it was more serious pain than just a cramp. I got off the machine, went to the mat again to do some long, slow passive stretching. I walked home fine (but could feel something was "off"). I iced and elevated the leg...

Sunday, March 3, 2024 Reality Check Today I got up and made my way to Chestnut Hill to check out the Greater Philadelphia Track Club practice. I contacted the club's membership person and he told me about their weekly practices. Nice track at a local school. They divide between distance runners and sprinters, so I opted to trail the distance runners, since they were planning on running splits of 500 meters. There were four or five of us in the group, and I was the youngest (they were, I believe, early and mid-sixties). The workout was 5 x 500m and 1 x 400m.  The split times were 3 minutes 30 seconds with 2 minutes between each split . . . and the 400, 90 seconds. How I did: well, I completed every split! I was with the group (tail end) throughout, but to be completely honest, 500m number 5 was really challenging for me--I finished probably 5-10seconds behind the leader. I came back to life for that last 400, and finished pretty strong. But, overall, it was a humbling experience. I ...

Friday, March 1, 2024 Weather today about 43 degrees with a slight wind. Nice in the sun!  Today's track work for Collins's Week 4 is Run stadium steps. Run the equivalent of 60 meters of steps x 20. That's what I attempted to do, although I don't think the length of the stadium steps at Franklin Field is 60 meters--it's less, maybe 50? Anyway, I ran them 20 times, and it was hard at the end! It's the first workout I've done where my legs were shaking uncontrollably from the work. I ran to and from the stadium, and went to the gym after to do a Pilates mat routine and weights (worked my back muscles).  I have to start thinking about taking one day off a week from running and weights (but especially running--that's a hard one for me at this point, as I'm desperate to build the endurance I will need to run a fast 400 meters. I'd like do another 3 miles around 24 minutes this week [as on Wednesday, I felt too tired from the 5 x 800m workout on Tuesd...