Thursday Track Report: Seasonally Appropriate
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
September 17, 2015
Give this weather another week and we can call it Indian Summer. (Note: Some call “Indian Summer” a period of Summer-like weather after the beginning of Autumn. Others call it Summer-like weather after a “killing frost”. If this weather continues, we may not get the latter until the snows fly!) Tom Cali, Judd and Davis Michael, Lance Bland, Ken Davis, Mike Renz, CJ Wagner, Mike Zimmerman, Mike Martin, Ryan Burke, Melissa Davies, Jaimie Wright, Dana Todd, Alex Wouden, Jim Laudermilch, Rich Harter, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur headed to the track under sunny skies and warm temperatures.
Bwana wasn’t about to call for Indians today, or any other seasonally inappropriate workouts. Weather and training cycle appropriateness is what usually drives these things. Or random whim. Today, the 300s workout was the right choice: N sets of 3X300, each 300 run at mile race pace with a short (100 m) rest between 300s and a 500 meter rest between sets. Bwana called for N=2 or 3 (most did 3). N=4 is also a good number, and one Ken Davis probably completed. At this time of year, some runners are pulling two-a-days on Thursdays, taking in the mOUnTaiNBACK Discovery Series training runs in the evening. That’s an excellent practice, all the better if you can work yourself up to doing both at the full mileage and intensity. A great way to prepare for a relay race where you’ll need to be able to do that same kind of thing if you’re running more than one Leg!
Speaking of Tussey, the race is looking for more runners and teams. If you’re new to this town or this race, it’s a great event at the best time of year. If you want an easy way to find team mates, the Draft Challenge Relay is the way to go. This year the DCR will field 7 person teams and the Draft is set up to equalize team strength, so fun competition is inevitable. Information on how to join the DCR is here: http://nvrun.com/index.php/racing/club-sponsored/tussey-mountainback/dcr
Thursday Track Report: Imperial Splendor
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
September 10, 2015
And just like that, Summer was over. Well, not before it blasted participants in the 3rd Annual Mount Nittany Marathon with infernal heat and soul-sucking humidity. And those conditions got worse in the following days, reaching a crescendo on Wednesday. But just in time for the first Thursday Track session of the Fall season, the rains came and the temperatures dropped about 20 degrees. Tom Cali, Judd and Davis Michael, Lance Bland, Ken Davis, Andy Maguire, CJ Wagner, Meira Minard, Seth Senior, Melissa Davies, newcomer Lauren Losey, Mike Zimmerman, Bob Shafer, Mike Martin, Alex Wouden, Rich Harter, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur headed for the track under drab skies and a bit of drizzle.
Bwana welcomed a newcomer, Lauren Losey, who was brought aboard by Melissa Davies. And then on to business. Fall weather means higher volume workouts, or at least longer reps. So Bwana gave a version of the Front-Loader workout. In this case, run an Imperial Mile in the outside lane (hewing to the secret Imperial markings) at about 10K race pace. Then, after a rest of the distance left over from the mile finish to the starting line (close to 300 meters, not much rest), do an Imperial Half at a bit more elevated pace. Then, after a rest of the distance left over from the half-mile finish to the starting line (a little over 100m), go at an Imperial Quarter at as close to mile race pace as you can manage. After this, you’ll have about 60 meters rest before you start your last Imperial Quarter. See if you can manage to keep that same quick pace after such a short rest! The whole workout has to be managed right. It’s a downward ladder, but with ever decreasing rests between steps as well!
It’s good to get some long Imperial reps in before the Empress of Ice and Snow makes the outdoor track inhospitable. We all know how dull long reps on the indoor track can be. Get out for the long runs now and as the seasons change their royal robes!
Thursday Track Report: School Daze
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 27, 2015
It used to be that school started in September, though that’s been creeping up on the Calendar for a long time now. September decided to creep up and meet the incoming schoolchildren of all ages. September weather hit a little early. It was cloudy and cool with temperatures in the mid 60s as Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Ken Davis, Michael Goldfine, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, Mike Martin, CJ Wagner, Seth Senior, newcomer Melissa Davies, Mike Zimmerman, Bob Shafer, Joel Niemann, Esther Prins, Carole Dudukovich, Adam Ilgen, Jim Laudermilch, Dana Todd, Alex Wouden, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Will the relatively cool summer we’ve had give us a mild day for the Mt Nittany Marathon? We could ask Ken Davis, but he’s not that kind of meteorologist.
Bwana greeted Melissa Davies, a first-timer to Track, but already well plugged-in to the local running scene. The cool weather called for longer reps. Bwana gave the old stand-by 3X1K, the 1Ks to be done at 5K race tempo, with an easy 400m jog for a rest. This is a great workout at higher volumes (4 or 5 or more reps) for marathon tempo training, but pushed just a little harder is a nice trainer even for 5Ks.
It was good to see Joel at the track, back from another injury/surgery. One of these year’s he’ll be able to put together a whole year of kicking my ass while not in traction. Carole is going to have a hard time making it regularly to track now that school’s back. We’ll miss our student and teacher friends who’ll have conflicts. But those who can make it to the track on Thursday: come and get schooled!
Thursday Track Report: You Can Quote Me On That
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
September 3, 2015
It’s been a pretty mild summer, but it won’t go out without a fight. In what was probably the hottest Thursday Track of the year, Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Ken Davis, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, Mike Zimmerman, Bob Shafer, Alex Wouden, Seth Senior, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Torrie Raisch, Adam Ilgen, Joel Niemann, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur headed for the track under hot, hazy, and humid conditions.
On such days as today, Bwana usually gives a good dose of short, fast stuff. But he was afraid to call for the least favorite of our summer workouts, “200s on the Minute”. So, he called for suggestions and, as if on cue, Jim Laudermilch said (tentatively) that he wouldn't want to be quoted (knowing it would not be looked on with favor), but he let it out anyway: "200s on the Minute". Bwana and Jim decided to split whatever blame might come. Now, there’s a reason that the workout’s name is in quotes. Back when the workout was first handed down from on high, the whole crew was younger and quite capable of doing 16 straight 200s, hard, with a 1 minute turnaround between starts. But over the years, that minute slid to 65 seconds, then (for some) to 70. And the whole workout is broken into 2 sets of 6. (Where did the other 4 go?) And so that’s how it’s done now. If we did it right, we’d do it more often, on cooler days as well, we’d slow it down to 75 second repeat times, but keep the volume up at 16. On the other hand, Torrie, who’s young and restless to go "sub 1:24" at the Lehigh Half-Marathon in a couple of weeks, did the full suite of 12 (or was it 16?), with no break, and with just 60 seconds between each. Ah, to be young again!
There was a pretty good crowd at the track for such a hot day, including at least a few who are running Sunday’s Mt. Nittany Marathon. Good luck to all! The weather will be warm, but hopefully not as hot as two years ago, nor as soggy as last year. And good luck to Torrie, who with a little cooler weather one more week out could get her real goal of 1:22. You can quote me on that!
Thursday Track Report: Band Of Brothers
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 20, 2015
Bands of rain were the forecast for the entire afternoon and a band of intense rain had just trained across the region as the band of Tom Cali, Michael Goldfine, Costas Maranas, Ken Davis, CJ Wagner, Rob Shaver, Andy Maguire, Mike Zimmerman, Mike Martin, Bob Shafer, Rich Harter, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur trained their sights on the track.
It was a band of brothers. Apparently moisture, even light drizzle, does something to women. They seldom show up when there’s even a threat of rain. Bwana had the Crew do 4 X 800 at a 5K+ race pace with 400 m rests. The humidity was stultifying, making breathing a chore, but the light rain did help the situation. Most of the bros survived the test. and the steamy run back to Rec Hall.
Now I’m going to go on to beat the band about a unique and intense training opportunity: Next week starts the Tussey Discovery Series runs, which takes in the entire Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Miler course, one or two relay Legs at a time, over the course of the next 8 weeks. The runs are on Thursday evenings, and they are an ideal opportunity to preview and train on the course. They’re also a great opportunity for two-a-days: Thursday Track, followed by Tussey a few hours later. That breakdown simulates about as well as anything what you’ll need if you’re on a relay team: the ability to run hard twice (or more) in a day. It definitely breaks YOU down; that first week is a bear! But by time you get to the Bear Meadows Leg on week 8, you’ll be in fantastic shape for the race, and for any following Fall races. Give two-a-days a try!
Information on the Discovery Series is here: http://tusseymountainback.com/events/mountainback-discovery-series