Thursday Track Report: Short And Sweet

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Written by Bwana Bwana

January 29, 2015

We’re in the heart of winter. Nowhere to go, really, but in. Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Lance Bland, Mike Casper, Meira Minard, Michael Goldfine, Mike Renz, Mike Zimmerman, Mike Martin, CJ Wagner, Dana Todd, Jaimie Wright, Alex Wouden, Scott Harford, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur beat the cold by beating a path to the MSF indoor track. Esther Prins showed her face but unaccountably went back outside for the rest of her run. Who does that when there’s fun in store indoors?

A couple of today’s Crew were planning on doing Friday’s Indoor Mile. And a couple of others were either in injury recovery or in a “delicate condition”. So Bwana gave an intense, but short workout, one he’s never given before: 10X1 lap in Lane 5 (close to 230 m) with short (half-lap) rests. The idea was to do each rep hard, but not as a sprint. Slightly faster than mile race pace. You could do most or all of this workout as a tune up for the mile the next day, or add a few reps for a full-bore speed workout.

After Friday’s Indoor Mile, there’s still one more chance to give it a shot in next week’s finale. That meet includes heats of the mile and 1 heat of the 3K, where Meira will put it on the line for the Women’s Master’s Record. And if you’re not too fast, you can still win in the Predicted Time Contest for the mile. So come on out!

Thursday Track Report: Bionic Hybrid Frankenworkout

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Written by Bwana Bwana

January 15, 2015

We started the Track Year last week a little off-kilter. We had to run in Rec Hall, turnout was light, and even those who showed up were still feeling the effects of Christmas egg nog on their waists and their stamina. But things on Thursday got back to normal, including a few surprises in the turnout. Judd Michael, Lance Bland, John Domico, Ken Davis, Michael Goldfine, Mike Casper, Mark Fedkin, Meira Minard, Mike Martin, Mike Renz, Andrew Maguire, CJ Wagner, Jaimie Wright, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed to the MSF under cloudy skies and cold, though not arctic, temperatures. John Domico was one surprise. He is now fully bionic and can swing his legs without too many metallic, creaky noises coming from his hips. Another surprise was Ken Davis. Having had enough of all the methane down here in farm country, Ken Davis has been busy preparing to assess methane (and other gases) at higher altitudes and their effects on climate. Part of a big NASA grant Ken landed. Between you and me, I think Ken is missing the boat not running more often with the Crew. Missing the boat, and one of the biggest sources of methane.

But back to the track: Bwana, with the help of Mark Fedkin, suggested a bionic hybrid workout appropriate for Indoor Mile and Spring (can we hope?) 5Ks: 3X300 – 4 laps – 3X300. Each set of 3X300 is run with just over 100m rest between the 300s. Do the first set of 3X300 at about mile race pace, which is not as fast as we usually do our non-hybrid 300m sets. Then, after 2 laps of rest, run 4 laps at that same pace. You’ll know if you ran your 300s too fast if you run out of gas at lap 2 of the 4 lapper. The trick then is to see it through! After the 4 lapper and a 2 lap rest, do another set of 3X300 and push each one to your heart’s content.

We get a break in the Indoor Mile Series after Saturday’s meet. The next one isn’t for two weeks. That only means one thing: Next week’s Thursday Track will be even harder!

Thursday Track Report: Possibillities

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Written by Bwana Bwana

January 22, 2015

So this is the bye week of the Indoor Mile Series. Time to put in a hard workout. And we’re far enough from the Christmas break that most of the cholesterol has been blown out as blue smoke in three weeks of running the engine. Jim Myers, Lance Bland, Judd Michael, Marty Klanchar, Ken Davis, Mark Fedkin, Meira Minard, John Pringle, Michael Goldfine, Andy Maguire, Mike Renz, Mike Martin, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur were ready for action.
 
Bwana’s Bye Week Workout is 3-4-4-3: Run 3 laps in lane 5 at about your mile race pace. Take 2 laps rest, then run 4 laps at the same per-lap pace. After 2 more laps, move it out to lane 6, where you’ll go about 7 yards farther per lap and try to do it in the same per-lap pace. So try to get your 4 lapper in lane 6 done in the same time as the one in lane 5. After 2 more laps rest, do a 3 lapper in lane 6 pulling out all the stops, especially on the last lap.

There are still 2 more meets in the Indoor Mile Series. What do we have to look forward to? I’ve heard rumors that Dan Pszeniczny, a Masterrs runner who came in second in the fast heat two weeks ago in 4:32, thinks he may be able to go sub-4:20. That would get him our Indoor Mile Series Men’s Masters Record, currently at 4:24. We hope to see a return of our women’s open record holder, Megan Marshall (4:57). And Meira Minard, our Women’s Masters Mile record holder (5:37) may take a stab at the 3K Women’s Masters record. Lots of possibilities. And even if you don’t have a record in you, you still have lots of possibilities, too!

Thursday Track Report: Starting Out Right

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Written by Bwana Bwana

January 8, 2015

It was very cold and windy outside. The PSU track team was doing long practices at the Multi-Sport Facility, so the Thursday Track Crew had to make due at Rec Hall. Yet despite the alluring proposition of NOT having to run outside to get to the track, turnout was light for the first workout of the New Year: Tom Cali, Bob Cornwall, Meira Minard, CJ Wagner, Jaimie Wright, Mike Martin, Mike Zimmerman, Adam Ilgen, John Sheakoski, and Marty Mazur were all that showed. Since the students weren’t back yet to clog the Rec Hall track with their desultory forays into physical fitness, the Crew nearly had the track to themselves. [As it turned out, the PSU track team didn't take over at the MSF until later and Michael Goldfine, Judd Michael, David Lloyd, Scott Harford, and Lance Bland ended up doing an early workout there unhindered.]

Bwana surveyed the Crew and saw that most present were not signed up for this weekend’s Indoor Mile. So he gave them a little heavier workout than he otherwise would have. Those who would be doing the mile could scale it back if they chose. But it was still a “mile-appropriate” workout: 3X(2 lap – 3 lap). Each set consisted of a 2 lapper run at mile race pace (or slightly faster), a 1 lap jogging rest, then a 3 lapper at the same pace as the 2 lapper. Take 2 laps rest between sets. It’s a tough workout the first time out in the New Year, especially in the very dry indoor air. Those who did the whole workout will find it useful for next week’s Indoor Mile.

Some people are starting the New Year out right, and that includes not only the Crew who showed up at Rec Hall (including Jaimie Wright, 19 weeks into becoming a Three-time Momma), but  Mark Traband, an erstwhile Tracker who may have outdone the Crew today by running outside in the horrible wind and cold. Attendance will no doubt pick up as the rest of the Crew picks themselves up from the long Christmas break (and the excess of Egg Nog Slammers).