Thursday Track Report: Two Six-Shooters
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
September 14, 2012
Thursday likes being the warmest day of the week, and it did not disappoint this week as John Domico, Bob Cornwall, Randy Jepson, Lance Bland, Ken Davis, Andy Maguire, Dana Todd, Kirk Rager, Andrew Webb, Jon Thurley, Mark Dent, Jake Clements, Rich Harter, Kevin Becker, Will Smith, Esther Prins, Jaimie Wright, Ekaterina Korova, Torrie Raish, and Marty Mazur headed for the track under sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-70s.
Bwana gave the assembled multitude a choice: they could either run 600s or they could run 600s. The choice involved whether to run straight 600s (4X600) at 5K+ pace, or the “fortitude workout”: 4X(400-200) where each 400 would be run a little faster than you’d run a 600, then a 100m rest, then a hard 200. Most chose the latter, and admirably so.
Next week’s workout is the last Thursday Track of summer.
While we hope that Thursday will continue to be the warmest day of the week, we
will have to move indoors at some point. But, let’s not hurry that. We’ve still
got a month or two of Autochthonous American Summer!
Thursday Track Report: Something Medium
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
September 6, 2012
Closing in on the last Thursday Track workout of the Summer, Summer decided to make a comeback. It was warm and humid as Tom Cali, John Domico, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Bob Cornwall, Ken Davis, George Lesieutre, Michael Goldfine, Kevin Becker, Jon Thurley, Mike Renz, Will Smith, Jake Clements, Jason Aylgettisname Neckstime, Rich Harter, Katerine Mieux, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Thankfully, through most of the workout, the partly cloudy conditions favored us with some intermittent shade.
Bwana was sporting his new shades (well, lenses, anyway – the frames are old) as he gave today’s workout. On Bob Cornwall’s suggestion, in keeping with the “medium-hot” conditions, Bwana gave “something medium”: 4X600 at 5K+ pace. Those who weren’t planning on running at Tussey in the evening were encouraged to tack on one or two more, though Bwana wasn’t keeping count.
A break in the weather is on tap for this weekend. Could this be the start of true Fall weather? Bwana thinks the oscillations will continue, though with a “temperature damping effect” that will become more pronounced as October nears. These are the Medium Days of Autochthonous American Summer. Time to start taking advantage of the coming cool days before the winds of November blow through Track Hollow!
Thursday Track Report: All Wrung Out
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 23, 2012
Jim Myers, Tom Cali, John Domico, Ken Davis, Judd Michael, George Lesieutre, Meira Minard, Jaimie Wright, Katerina Malokrowa, Michael Goldfine, Andrew Maguire, Rich Harter, Blake Cohen Mark Dent, Jake Clements, Will Smith, Esther Prins, Cheryl Capone, Dana Todd, Kevin Becker, Rob Peterson, and Marty Mazur headed to the track under a warm sun and beautiful, blue skies. For at least a few, it would be the start of once-a-week two-a-days in training for the mOUnTaiNBACK.
Bwana was planning to run up and down the side of a mountain later in the evening. But today’s workout would only involve running down a ladder. Bwana gave the downward ladder: 1000-800-600-400-200 at 5K+ pace with relatively short rest between reps and each rep increasing a little in speed. Cheryl, making her first appearance at the track in many moons was trying to find her pace. Bwana found that it was a lot faster than *his* pace. It came out in conversation that Will Smith, a former high school and college runner, is prone to overdoing it. This time around he’s taking the sensible approach and not trying to keep up with the speed demons on only his second outing at the track. The key is regularity as Jake and Jaimie, who have both been at the last several workouts, can attest.
Bwana hit the hills in the evening, as did Jim Myers, Judd Michael, Tom Cali, and Blake Cohen. John Domico was also there, riding a bike with his boys. After putting himself through the wringer of two workouts, Bwana was too beat to beat his wings over to Wingfest. It’s usually not until the 3rd week of two-a-days that he feels like he’s regained the infinite energy of his youth. So don’t let mOUnTaiNBACK training keep you away from the track. Even if you’re already young, two-a-days will make you feel younger!
Thursday Track Report: Squeeze It Into Your Day Planner
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 30, 2012
Week two of mOUnTaiNBACK training season saw bright skies and warm, late summer temperatures as John Domico, Tom Cali, Judd Michael, Lance Bland, Michael Goldfine, Kevin Becker, Katerina Vaqueta, Esther Prins, Will Smith, newcomer Jason, Blake Cohen, John Ake, Rich Harter, Dana Todd, Kirk Rager, John Pringle, and Marty Mazur headed for the track.
In a day full of meetings and
appointments, Bwana took a glance at his watch and knew he had just about
enough time to get a quick workout in. How about something that only takes 5
minutes? Well, at least something that you can break off in 5 minute chunks: NX(5
X 1 minute) where each minute involves 30 seconds of jogging, 20 seconds of 5K+
pace work, and 10 seconds of *real* sprinting (or the best facsimile of
it that a distance runner can manage). That last bit is supposed to slap into
life some nerves that we distance runners seldom use. The focus is on…focus!
You actually have to concentrate on forcing the faster turnover, the lift in
the knees. It makes you think about your cadence. Do as many 5 minute chunks as will fit into your schedule. Most of our group did two or three.
The first week of school means the focus, for some, is on the classroom, either learning or teaching (is that where Meira was today?) Here’s wishing the best for the coming academic year to all those stuck in the classroom looking out at the beautiful late summer days. Just make sure you do your homework, including a make-up session at the track!
Thursday Track Report: Intensely Non-Intense
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- Written by Bwana Bwana
August 16, 2012
Thursday has been the hottest day of the week seemingly all summer. It was pretty much the same this week, but with one difference: the whole week has been cooler than pretty much any we’ve had since June. It was sunny and mild, with temperatures in the mid-70s as Ken Davis, Jon Thurley, Will (a friend of Esther Prins), Andy Maguire, Meira Minard, Rich Harter, Rob Shaver, Blake Cohen, Dave DeGroote, Rob Peterson, Kevin Becker, Dana Todd, Jim Laudermilch, Jake Clements, Jaimie Wright, Sara Noss, and Marty Mazur headed for the track. Bob Cornwall, Mike Weyandt, Dean Capone, stopped by just long enough to hear what the track workout that they weren’t going to do was, and to try one last time to lure Meira away. But it didn’t work this time.
On the first non-intensely-hot Thursday of the summer, Bwana gave a low-recovery, low-intensity workout: 5X500 with 100m rests, the 500s to be run at just a tad faster than 5K pace. It’s hard to keep it at that pace on the first rep. 5K pace seems so slow for just 500 meters. But the rest is so short that pushing the pace too hard really catches up to you. The idea with this workout is to expand it out to 10X500 with the same short rests, and then to spread the 500s to 5X1K with short (200m) rests, all at just a bit faster than your 5K goal pace. One more expansion, say to 3X2K, will get you to a faster race pace.
Speaking of expansion, Thursday Track has been growing again. Some of the old regulars are at least dropping by. We’ve gained some new converts, and more will be joining when school starts. Just in time for two-a-days with the evening mOUnTaiNBACK training runs, starting next week! Spread the word!