Thursday Track Report: Pre-4th Prowl
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
July 3, 2014
A new summer tradition was instituted by some of the Rec Hall Regulars a couple of years ago and this year Bwana threw Thursday Track’s hat in with that group. On the day before the 4th, runners meet at Rec Hall and do an easy paced run, stopping at a few of the Regulars’ homes along the way for some cooling refreshment, and winding their way to the West Side Stadium on W. College Avenue for a long, late lunch. Then they meander, or stagger, back to Rec Hall. This year Tom Cali, John Domico, Costas Maranas, Mike Zimmerman, Mike Renz, Andy Maguire, Mike Weyendt, Mike Martin, Adam Ilgen, Sara Noss, Tara Murray, Kathy Koetje-Simin, Jaimie Wright, Tim Bracken, and Marty Mazur were among the wanderers.
The Crew set off at a slow pave with John Domico pedaling along on a bike, sitting on his new hip. First stop was at Andy Maguire’s front porch on Gill St., where Andy had parked a cooler. It didn’t take much in the way of refreshment to make the sharp little hill on Gill south of Andy’s to seem less daunting. But the sun was getting hotter, and the humidity higher as the Crew wound their way on the bike path to the next stop, Tom Cali’s on Sheller’s Bend. By then the sun was in full blaze and more than refreshment would soon be needed. Some shade, please. So the group decided to skip Bwana’s house and head straight for the West Side Stadium. We sat outside under an awning and quickly forgot about the sun. And it forgot about us, as a strong thunderstorm moved through toward the end of lunch, spraying rain under our shelter!
The Pre-4th Run is a great tradition that follows the fourth around on the weekly calendar. Thursday Track may not be lucky enough to coincide with (and get canceled by) that run for a few years. So next year, we can do both! Regular workouts resume on July 10.
Thursday Track: A New July Tradition
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
For July 3:
Thursday Track is throwing its cleats in with a tradition started a couple of years ago by the Rec Hall Regulars. There will be NO WORKOUT at the track on July 3. Instead, meet at Rec Hall by 12:10. From there, the assembled runners will do a roughly 5 mile loop including several “drink breaks” at some of the participants’ homes and a long breather at West Side Stadium (bring your ID). The last break at West Side might be extended indeed, after which, with distended bellies, the last 1.2 mile leg of the “workout” can be done walking. And as with all Thursday Track workouts, overdoing it is suggested, but optional.
Thursday Track Report: #itsnothockey
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
June 19, 2014
It seems like a few dribbles from on high is all it takes to keep some trackers hiding indoors. Maybe they’re watching the World Cup? And maybe they’re taking their cues from some of the players, flopping and boo-hooing when the weather throws a feeble block their way (#itsnothockey). But the real stalwarts felt a little embarrassed, having not all that much to be stalwart about. It was cloudy, breezy, mild, and humid, with just a scattered sprinkle or two as Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Mike Casper, Andy Maguire, Rob Shaver, Mike Zimmerman, Jaimie Wright, Mike Martin, Jake Clements, Jim Laudermilch, Josh Piotti, Tim Bracken, Tony Kwaznica, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Weather-wise, an improvement over the last few days.
Just to underline our relative fortitude, Bwana called the Fortitude Workout: NX(400-200), with a 400 run at 5K+ pace, followed by a short 100m rest, then a 200 at a bit faster pace (mile race pace or better). Take a 500m jogging rest, then do it again, a total of N times. Most people did the suggested N=4 reps. Bwana did half that, but it was his first time actually participating in the workout in two months. And, by coincidence, the workout that day in mid-April was the Fortitude Workout!
Thankfully, the weather is still modulating between cool and full-on summer, because race season is really starting to heat up. Everything from a 5K to a 10K to a half-marathon is on tap for this weekend. And is it really just two weeks to 4th Fest and three weeks until Arts Fest? No time to fake a foul. Get moving!
Thursday Track Report: Rule Of Threes
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
June 27, 2014
OK, so I thought that after yesterday's Doucherama, the humidity would go down. But no. I guess there’s a lot I don’t understand. I also thought the US needed to win or tie against Germany to advance. But they lost, and are advancing, because they had tied Portugal in the last game. Inscrutable. But, the US has one of each, a win, a loss and a tie, all three. Of course, none of us knew any of that (much less understood it) as Jim Myers, Tom Cali, Lance Bland, Costas Maranas, Jim Laudermilch, Andy Cunningham, Mike Renz, David Lloyd, Tim Bracken, Sara Noss, Amy Blake, and Marty Mazur headed to the track with clouds and sun and Brazil-like humidity. A light turnout. Was everyone glued to the soccer game?
Speaking of threes, Sara Noss was charged with calling the workout since she was getting to the track well before Bwana (who got there even later than planned because there are NO shortcuts around campus and downtown construction - Did you know that State College is hosting the next World Cup? I mean, what else could explain it?). Sara gave three reasons for calling the workout: 3X3X300. Run 300 hard, nearly mile race pace, then take a slow, but short 100 meter rest and go again, a total of three times. Take a nice, slow 500 meter jog between sets and do 3 (or more) sets. And what were Sara’s 3 reasons? Well, the US was playing it’s 3rd game. If they’d won they’d have gotten 3 points (oops). And — it was hot! So she gave a smart hot weather workout: a good workout for a hot day, and a good workout that will help your 5K time. And just in time for Art’s Fest!
As the Crew left the track, they saw shift two coming in: Mark Lee had run there all the way from Minitab! Now THAT guy is training up for some hot-weather running! A good idea for all of us. We’ve had a pretty mild run-up, but Arts Fest Weather will rear it’s ugly head in two weeks time!
Thursday Track Report: Go Out And Unwind!
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
June 12, 2014
Despite the oppressively swampy air, and the threat of a storm, Jim Myers, Judd Michael, Bob Cornwall, Costas Maranas, Ron Cunfer, Michael Goldfine, Mark and Nikita Fedkin, Rob Shaver, Mike Renz, Jake Clements, Mike Martin, Andy Maguire, Jaimie Wright, Mike Zimmerman, Rob Peterson, Jeff Welsh, Mike Hart, Tim Bracken, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the track under drab skies with occasional dribbles from the sky. Sara Noss must’ve minored in meteorology, because she predicted the rain would hold off until 1 PM. And that turned out to be pretty much right on, at least good enough so that we didn’t get rained on while at the track.
The little kiddies are all out of school now, and very excited and wound up because they have a WHOLE SUMMER ahead of them. With all that jumping up and down, Mom and Dad usually have to say “Go out and unwind!” Well, that’s the idea behind Bwana’s workout today. 6X400 progressive. You have to get progressively faster each one, and one way to keep you on that is to move out a lane each time, like a circular watch spring. Start in lane 2. Run a 400 at your 5K race pace. The time you run is your standard. Each successive lap has to be that fast or faster. But not too much faster! Each lap’s time becomes the new standard for all succeeding laps. And since each lap gets longer as you move out a lane, you’ll get a good workout if you put in an honest one!
Bwana ran in the outside lane with all the recouping codgers. But he ran continuously, no stops or walk breaks. Maybe next week he’ll even do his own workout! It’s good that the rest of you are doing yours, and doing them so well. The big summer races are just around the corner, and people are even starting to talk about the Mt. Nittany Marathon. They’d better! It’s less than 12 weeks away!