Thursday Track Report: Keep All Those Races In Perspective!
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
October 2, 2014
So here we are in October, a month of a lot of big races, local and otherwise. Of course, the mOUnTaiNBACK is just over two weeks away, but there are a couple of big local 5Ks that can be used as speed tune-ups for the longer runs. This weekend is the Steps To Safety 5K and next weekend is the Knights 5K. But some of our group are running around the country in the coming days. Tom Cali is tapering for the Portland Marathon and Sara Noss will be running a half-marathon in St. Louis this weekend. Despite this, they both showed up at the track. In fact, Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Mike Casper, Meira Minard, George Lesieutre, Costas Maranas, Michael Goldfine, John Sheakoski, Rob Shaver, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, CJ Wagner, Kevin Becker, Rob Peterson, John Affleck, Rich Harter, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur all made it down for a workout.
Bwana had some media stuff to do as his minions warmed up. He was being interviewed on camera for a TV spot about the Nittany Valley Running Club and all the wonderful things we do. (Bwana will let you all know when the spots will air so you can look for yourselves.) Meanwhile, multi-tasking, he gave today’s workout: the Mini-Front-Loader: 2 X (800 - 200 - 200 - 200). The 800 at a 5K race pace front loads you, then, while recovering, you do 3X200 at (hopefully) successively faster paces with a only a short 100 m rest after the 800 and each 200. Rest awhile after the set, then do another. And another, if you have time,
Bwana has been looking at the Fall race schedule, and there really is a lot out there in the local area. He hopes you can squeeze a 5K or two in, even if it isn’t part of your race schedule. The 5Ks are all for good causes, and you don’t have to race them! Look at it as giving a few bucks to a good cause and running a good pace workout into your weekend.
Thursday Track Report: Bwana's House Is A Very, Very, Very Fine House
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
September 25, 2014
Fall has officially befallen us, though we’ve been experiencing its weather for most of the second half of the summer. Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Meira Minard, Michael Goldfine, Costas Maranas, John Sheakoski, Mike Renz, Kevin Becker, Mike Martin, John Affleck, Rob Shaver, Tony Kwasnica, Rich Harter, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed to the track on a mild day with leaves changing all around them.
A few MIAs , including Tony Kwasnica, Rob Shaver, Rich Harter, and Meira Minard returned to Bwana's House. Yes, Bwana’s House is a very, very, very fine house, with Meirkats in the yard, life used to be so hard, now everything is easy. Really. Maybe too easy. Meira complained that running around in circles does not adequately simulate the mOUnTaiNBACK experience, for which we’re all training. And running trails in Walnut Springs Park (Meira’s apparent preference) does? Since when does every workout have to simulate exactly what you’re training for? Track is track, and it’s good doing “metered” workouts. So today, the meter read NX3X300, which is a good 5K workout, which is another thing everybody’s training for. Specifically (as Sponsor Tom mentioned) the Steps To Safety 5K next weekend, and the Knights 5K at which Jaimie Wright will make her Directorial Debut the week after that. Both in time to get some real (not simulated) competitive juices flowing! For two 5Ks and a relay race, N should be at least 3.
Two-A-Days should be starting to pay off for those who are doing them. There was a big Crew at the evening Discovery Run, many of whom had run at the track at noon. 3 weeks to go until mOUnTaiNBACK!
Thursday Track Report: Training On The Simulator
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 28, 2014
School’s in. A few people are on vacation, soaking in the last bit of Summer, but mostly are getting ready for the year’s routine. And mOUnTaiNBACK! It felt like September, sunny and mild, as Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Costas Maranas, Michael Goldfine, John Wilcock, Mark Lee, Mike Renz, Mike Martin, Andy Maguire, Allison Machnicki, Tim Bracken, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Many of these runners would be doing two-a-days with the evening mOUnTaiNBACK training run to “simulate” the second Leg. How does your body recover? You’ll need to know for the relay...
With the cool weather, Bwana decided to do a boring, long-rep workout: 3X1000. The 1Ks were to be done at about 10K race pace (or a little faster), so a little slow feeling. But that’s a long rep, and the rest was only 400m, so the stress builds up. Can the last rep be as good as the first? That’s the goal! Give it all you can on the last one.
Jim Myers…his name came up. Lance said I was supposed to give him heck for not being at track. Jim’s new knee is still twitchy, but he’s on the primo sub list for the DCR. Make a showing, Jim!
Thursday Track Report: Tussey Teaser
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- Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur
September 18, 2014
You go away for a couple of weeks and the weather breaks. The last time Bwana ran at the track, 3 weeks ago, it was humid warm. But today? Mild temperature, low humidity, and changing colors helped Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Bob Cornwall, Michael Goldfine, Kevin Becker, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, Mike Casper, John Sheakoski, CJ Wagner, Torrie Raisch, Jaimie Wright, Rich Harter, Adam Ilgen, David Lloyd, and Marty Mazur enjoy their workout.
Bwana’s mOUnTaiNBACK team was pretty well represented at the track. Half the team was there, including Bwana, Judd, and team captain and kid coach extraordinaire Mark Fedkin. Bwana asked Mark to give the workout, giving the rest of the trackers a “teaser taste" of our team’s regimen. Mark had us do 3X1K at 5K pace with 400 meter rest. A good way to build a strong, consistent pace.
The other half of a good Thursday workout during mOUnTaiNBACK season is to show up at the Tussey Discovery Run in the evening. The very act of doing so simulates what you’ll be doing on race day: dragging your butt out for another hard run just a few hours after doing your best. Bwana’s been busy this Fall and has only had time to “double up” twice during the season so far. But the Thursdays between now and mOUnTaiNBACK are pretty open, so (as usual) Bwana will be catching up from behind!
Thursday Track Report: It's Finally August!
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 21, 2014
August finally got around to visiting State College. It had to kick September out to make a showing. But it was warm, very humid, and threatening to storm as Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Bob Cornwall, Costas Maranas, Michael Goldfine, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, Mike Martin, CJ Wagner, Torrie Raisch, Jaimie Wright, Adam Ilgen, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the track.
Due to the conditions, Bwana changed his original game plan and had the Crew do 3X(3X300). The 300s are to be run at about mile race pace, with only short 100m rest between each. Then after each set of 3X300s a 500m slow jogging rest.
Some of the Trackers are already starting two-a-days for the mOUnTaiNBACK. After today’s track workout, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Mike Renz, Adam Ilgen, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur all turned up at Tussey Mountain for Discovery Run #1. It was even more humid in the evening, but at least there was beer and chicken wings waiting at the end of the run.