Thursday Track Report: We Are Just Too...

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Written by Bwana Bwana

October 25, 2012

It was a beautiful, late Autochthonous American day with temps in the high 60s as Studdly Juddly Michael, "Big" Bob Cornwall, Ultra George Lesieutre, Randy Andy Maguire, John "Will Indeed" Wilcock, Mark "Mayka" Dent, Esther "Call Me Chick and I'll Chick Ya" Prins, Kathy "Rockin' Pink Panther" Katorce, Jake "Break" Clements, Dana "The Bodd" Todd, and Marty "Meat Muffins" Mazur headed for the track, massaging each other's muscles after a punishing mOUnTaiNBACK.

Most of the pre-workout talk centered on the best place in State College to get a body wax and where you can get spray-on lycra online. There were varying opinions, but when Juddly spoke, people listened. After standing around impatiently flexing their glutes, the gals asked Bwana when he was gonna give out the workout. Today would be the start of the 6 week prep for the Nittany Half. So: 4X800 at 10K pace with a short (200 m) rest between reps. Bwana could have sold tickets as the exemplars of human perfection grimaced and strained through their workout.

Next week's weather is a big question mark, with some forecasts calling for snow. The Track Crew, studs that they are, are not afraid of a few flakes. But time is coming when we'll be moving indoors. Bwana will look into the status of our use of the MSF track. In light of the new climate at the PSU athletic facilities, we may have to tone down our sexy selves just a bit.

Thursday Track Report: Made In The Schadenfreude

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Written by Bwana Bwana

October 4, 2012

Will we have an Indian Summer this year? Bwana needs to blacktop his driveway, and the clouds and intermittent drizzle that have dominated the forecast since Fall set in were starting to get him down. But the sun shone as Jim Myers, John Domico, Bob Cornwall, Meira Minard, Randy Jepson, Lance Bland, Jon Thurley, Mike Renz, Blake Cohen, Torrie Raish, Adrianne Vasey, Jake Clements, Rich Harter, Dana Todd, John Pringle, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Shone enough that after the workout, Bwana went home and prepped the driveway, calking the cracks in the late afternoon sun.

Even though Bwana did not watch the Presdential debate last night, he was nonetheless giddy with schadenfreude. But, as Trackers will attest, Bwana delights in the suffering of others. So there was no debate tolerated as he gave one of his favorite tortures, the Front-Loader. Run a mile at 5K race pace or better in the outside lane. That's just under 3-1/2 laps to the one mile tick mark. Then, rest to the starting line and run a quarter mile at a slightly faster pace, ending at the quarter-mile tick mark (about 70 yards or so before the start). Now, you've got that last 70 yards to rest up before another quarter. Then another. And another. The workout "front-loads" you with a slightly challenging run from which you must recover and run again quickly. Kind of like what you'll have to do to sustain a hard pace in a real race with the little challenges the course and your competitors throw at you along the way. The idea is to run the mile hard, but not all out. 5K race pace. You'll be running a total of two miles at that pace, with just short rests. Improves pacing and stamina.

Good luck to those participating in the Steamtown Marathon this weekend! (I know Cali is there). Those who need a fast-twitch tune up for mOUnTaiNBACK can run the Knights 5K on Sunday. And top off your training for the mOUnTaiNBACK next week so you can rest up during the final week before the race! Bwana will not be at the next Thursday's Track workout. He suggests something mid-distance (600s or 800s) with a little longer rest.

Thursday Track Report: Sartorial Satire

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Written by Bwana Bwana

October 18, 2012

On the last Thursday before the mOUnTaiNBACK, Bwana did not expect many of the Track Crew to come out for a workout, but to his surprise Jim Myers, John Domico, Tom Cali, Lance Bland, George Lesieutre, Michael and Kelson Goldfine, Esther Prins, Mike Renz, Dean Capone, Jake Clements, Rich Harter, Dana Todd, Kirk Rager, and Marty Mazur, most of them on DCR teams, showed up. Costas Maranas was there briefly, but stole away after running with one sock missing became too hard. And Greg Luna came looking for two shirts, but Bwana was not ready to let him scarf them up.

Well, at least everyone who came today was wearing shoes. Bwana didn’t need to wear his thinking cap too long to unveil his idea for today’s workout, a short, pre-race “tune-up”: 800-2X400-4X200, all at about 5K race pace or slightly faster. Something not too long or strenuous, but that would cycle your engine through all the gears. Nobody lost his or her shorts peeling off (literally or figuratively), though there was some panting.

Well, Draft Challenge Relay teams have finally taken the gloves off. The NVRC email listserve has been pelted with trash talk, which will continue at tonight’s Happy Hour. Sunday, teams will bedeck themselves with their team colors on shirt and singlets. One team will end up wearing laurel wreaths. The rest will be wearing egg on their faces. And then, next week, it’ll be back to the track to tune up for late Fall races!

Thursday Track Report: Pilgrim's Progress

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Written by Bwana Bwana

September 27, 2012

A blanket of clouds greeted Jim Myers, John Domico, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, George Lesieutre, Ken Davis, Esther Prins, Michael Goldfine, Jon Thurley, Mike Renz, Kevin Becker, Blake Cohen, Rich Harter, Greg Luna, Will Smith, newcomer Adrianne Vasey, and Marty Mazur as they headed for the track. The first Thursday Track workout of Fall was run under progressively dripulent skies.

Bwana is as progressive as the next guy, and showed it by giving the Progressive 400s workout. Starting in Lane 2, do 1 lap at a relaxed pace (probably best to start at your 10K race pace or slower). Then take a half-lap rest. Then move out to Lane 3. Run a lap there in the same time or better than you ran in Lane 2. Continue out to Lane 7, each time equaling or bettering your time from the previous lane. But don’t ratchet it up too much, because you know you’ll just make the next lane that much harder. The problem with progressivism is that it’s ultimately unsustainable. (Just try doing this all the way out to Lane 10!) You get a gold star if you don’t fall apart before Lane 7!

The weather got progressively drabber as the day wore on. Those who went to Rothrock for the evening run started in a light drizzle and finished in something approximating rain. By the time Bwana got home, showered, and went out to Wegmans to restock his shelves, it was pouring out. But that’s the way progress is. Slow at first, but if you keep at it, suddenly all the stops are out!