Thursday Track Report: Victory Dance
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
December 5, 2013
It was warm (mid 50s) and clouds hung in the sky and drops were falling as Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Mike Martin, Andy Maguire, Michael Goldfine, Jon Thurley, Mike Renz, Jaimie Wright, Scott Graham, John Affleck, Dana Todd, Rich Harter, David Lloyd, Ron Cunfer, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Despite the threatening conditions (and it was more than a threat!) it was a good turnout, especially for an outdoor workout in December!
The 30th Annual Nittany Valley Half-Marathon will be run on Sunday. The Crew will be wishing the weather was as mild as it was today come this weekend. We can only hope the temperature will crack 25 by race time, and that there will be calm winds and no snow and ice on the course. Bwana has prepared the Crew well, with a good mix of high volume workouts. This week was just a top off. Bwana called 4X400, with a 400m warm-up at race pace, 2X400 at a quicker pace, and a last 400 easing up on the throttle.
Everyone has his or her strategy mapped out, and some have made a big public to-do about it. Of course, Bwana is wearing a cup in case Thurley runs. And Bwana will, as usual, start out too fast, but only so as to station himself past all port-a-potties to doll out 20 oz water bottles to his favorite tiny-bladdered female rivals. Then, it’s on to his victory dance as they perform a different dance.
Thursday Track Report: Thanks Loads
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
November 21, 2013
It was drab and cold as Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Mike Martin, Meira Minard, Mike Renz, John Affleck, Michael Goldfine, Phil Ross, Joel Niemann, Rob Peterson, David Lloyd, Ron Cunfer, and Marty Mazur headed for the track for the last full-up workout before the Nittany Valley Half-Marathon, still over two weeks away. Next Thursday, people will be undoing their training, or carb-loading, depending on your point of view, on Thanksgiving. And two weeks from now, we’ll take it easy with only 3 days before the race.
So, after last week’s fast-twitch diversion (can 40-60 year-old muscles still twitch fast?), Bwana turned up the volume again. This week’s call: NX1K with short (200m) rest. So, run at a bit over 5K pace, but not too much. The recommended N was at least 3. With N=5 (Bwana’s N), you’re running a 5K with 1K of rest thinly sprinkled throughout. For those running the Half, Bwana suggests another high volume workout. One option is Mike Renz’s newly re-instated hill workout, which Bwana hopes will become a regular weekly event. Whatever Renz gives you, add to it and you’ll find the Half Marathon easy.
We runners have a lot to be thankful for, especially we who live in Happy Valley. It’s a great sport, accessible to all of every age. And we live in a prime spot for running of all kinds, with a great community of runners of every ability. Bwana wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and safe travels to wherever you might be going next weekend.
Thursday Track Report: Ahhhhh Spit!
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
November 7, 2013
After the morning rain soaked everyone's cardboard recycling (my garbage day is Thursday), the temperature dropped, the wind picked up, and Mother Nature started dreaming up some "wintry mix" for our future. As clouds raced across a clearing sky, Tom Cali, Bob Cornwall, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Randy Jepson, George Lesieutre, Michael Goldfine, Meira Minard, Jon Thurley, Mike Renz, Rob Peterson, Kevin Becker, Jeff Welch, John Affleck, Rich Harter, David Lloyd, Joel Niemann, Dana Todd, and Marty Mazur (and maybe more, Bwana's losing it…) headed for the track.
Bwana was surprised at the turnout on such a volatile day. He may have been the most lightly attired, and others ran the gamut from shorts to full wool. Bwana decided to keep everyone moving with a high volume, low recovery workout: 3 X 1 Mile at about 10K pace with only around 300 meters (the distance from the mile finish on the outside lane to the starting line) rest. For those training for shorter, faster races than our coming Half Marathon, Bwana recommended 2 X 1 mile, faster and with a little longer rest. As the Crew did their turns, a spitting rain kicked up. This was just a warm-up for the evening's spitting sleet!
With just a month left in this year's racing season, there's still a lot going on. This weekend, many of the Crew will do the Run For Shelter, a 5K to benefit Housing Transitions, Inc. And the Half is now only 4 weeks away. If you've got your base miles in, 4 weeks is still *just* enough time to get your legs in tune for the race!
Thursday Track Report: Before The High Egg Nog Season Begins
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
November 14, 2013
OK. So it’s started. November weather, that is. It was cold and extremely blustery in the early part of the week, with even a coating of snow to accompany our Monday morning coffee. After a couple of days of running in cold, gal force winds, it was a welcome relief for Tom Cali, Meira Minard, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Michael Goldfine, Andy Maguire, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, John Iceland, Phil Ross, Rich Harter, John Ake, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur to head to the track today under partly sunny skies, brisk mid-40s temperatures and accompanying breezes.
Bwana’s been loading up the volume lately to prepare for the coming Nitanny Valley Half. Last week’s workout totaled 4800 meters of pace running, up from 4000 the week before. Before we kick it up to 6K(!) Bwana put in a reprieve, and a change of pace: only 3000 meters, but much harder running. The workout was the Fortitude Workout. That’s NX(400-200). Do a 400 at between a 5K and mile race pace, take a 100m jog, then do a hard 200 at nearly sprint pace. Take a 400 meter slow jog rest, then do it again, N times. Bwana did N=5, then napped through his afternoon meetings.
The next few weekends will bring several Turkey Trot 5Ks, opportunities to do speed tune-ups for the Half and for the First Night 5K. Take advantage before the turkey starts weighing you down. And the Christmas pudding. And the New Years egg nog. And…just get out there!
Thursday Track Report: Harrowing!
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
October 31, 2013
The Eve of All Hallows brought a warm drabness, mixed with light sprinkles, and a spooky sky. The hallowed crew of Judd Michael, George Lesieutre, Michael Goldfine, Dean Capone, Mike Renz, Meira Minard, Mike Martin, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Kim Nelson, Kevin Becker, Jeff Welsh, Maggie Chapman, Rich Harter, Aisling Ryan, David Lloyd, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur to the track for a harrowing workout.
Bwana welcomed another of Jeff Welsh's recruits, a gal named Maggie Chapman who is a freshman member the Penn State soccer team. Jeff has brought in quite a variety of people for Track workouts, including another soccer star, Christine Nairn, who joined us last Winter. Bwana gave the second of a series of Half Marathon training workouts: 5X800 with 400m rests. The goal is that by a couple of weeks before the Half, he'll give 10X800. Who'll still be standing?
OK, so Indian Summer can last till November? We can hope, but the way November plays out is we have stunningly beautiful days, though increasingly crisp, until the end of the month. Then? Who knows? On December 8, the day of the Half, we could have snow or sixty or anything in between. So let's prepare! Next week, 6X800 in snow pants!