Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Just some training entries
With the new program, and the rib and hamstring injuries on the mend, it's down to some plain old training details:
Monday 28th November, 2:00pm
9km steady - 37:41 (4:11/km)
Pushed a bit on the first 5km (19:44), but eased up to around 4:25/km over the second half. Have now started finishing all my runs on round numbers of kms, to give a greater cool-down (and to stop me racing over fixed courses).
Tuesday 29th November, 12:30pm
10km with 5x600 - 44:01 (4:24/km)
Warmed up for 3km or so, then did the 600s on grass in barefoot. Loretto have taken the drastic step of replacing their 300m oval with a proper 400m one, although it still has a distinct gradient, and thanks to recent rain, a water jump (plus it is only two lanes).
Felt very comfortable, and did the session easily, which was encouraging as this was the fastest session I have done for a while. Kicked down to about 34 seconds for the last 200m, and the hamstring felt fine, so fingers crossed for Thursday's 8x300m session. Slippery conditions underfoot and the 'uphill' section meant that times weren't super quick, but 1:57,1:58,1:57,1:56,1:53 with only 1 minute recoveries was not too shabby. As these sessions are about working aerobically, I'm happy to keep them on this challenging surface, where times are of secondary importance.
Wednesday 29th November, 5:00pm
11km mixed pace - 46:46 (4:14/km)
After a 1.5km warmup (6:55), I kicked down to 4.5km at half marathon pace - aim 16:50, actual 16:47. This was mostly downhill, so was pretty comforatble (166 ave HR). This was followed by an easy 1.5km (7:44), and then a tougher 1.5km uphill at 10km race pace - aim 5:15, actual 5:24. Finished with a 2km warm-down (9:54). A good session - worked a bit, but still felt pretty fresh afterwards.
Monday 28th November, 2:00pm
9km steady - 37:41 (4:11/km)
Pushed a bit on the first 5km (19:44), but eased up to around 4:25/km over the second half. Have now started finishing all my runs on round numbers of kms, to give a greater cool-down (and to stop me racing over fixed courses).
Tuesday 29th November, 12:30pm
10km with 5x600 - 44:01 (4:24/km)
Warmed up for 3km or so, then did the 600s on grass in barefoot. Loretto have taken the drastic step of replacing their 300m oval with a proper 400m one, although it still has a distinct gradient, and thanks to recent rain, a water jump (plus it is only two lanes).
Felt very comfortable, and did the session easily, which was encouraging as this was the fastest session I have done for a while. Kicked down to about 34 seconds for the last 200m, and the hamstring felt fine, so fingers crossed for Thursday's 8x300m session. Slippery conditions underfoot and the 'uphill' section meant that times weren't super quick, but 1:57,1:58,1:57,1:56,1:53 with only 1 minute recoveries was not too shabby. As these sessions are about working aerobically, I'm happy to keep them on this challenging surface, where times are of secondary importance.
Wednesday 29th November, 5:00pm
11km mixed pace - 46:46 (4:14/km)
After a 1.5km warmup (6:55), I kicked down to 4.5km at half marathon pace - aim 16:50, actual 16:47. This was mostly downhill, so was pretty comforatble (166 ave HR). This was followed by an easy 1.5km (7:44), and then a tougher 1.5km uphill at 10km race pace - aim 5:15, actual 5:24. Finished with a 2km warm-down (9:54). A good session - worked a bit, but still felt pretty fresh afterwards.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
A runner again...
Briefly contemplated abandoning the decathlon on the weekend. Not because of injury or loss of motivation, but because I saw some of "Can't Stop the Music" (Louis minding duties combined with Mrs Sparkie's iron rule of the remote control prevented me escaping, before you ask). Those upwards of 35 will probably remeber this was the "Village People" movie, and it ranks up there with "Purple Rain" and "Xanadu" as one of the worst movies ever made (although as a 9-year old, I loved it). A lesser known fact is that this movie marked the acting debut of 1976 Olympic decathlon champion and 3-time world record holder Bruce Jenner. The fact that Jenner never acted again gives an idea of how successful this cross-over was. Anyway, if this is where decathlon leads you, perhaps I should reconsider.
Then again, Glenn Morris (1936 Olympic champion) played Tarzan with some success, and I've been looking for an excuse to wear leopard-skin shorts...
After Thursday's 15km effort, the combination of some planned rest for injured hamstrings and ribs, rainy weather, and a hectic social schedule, saw a long-weekend break from training. But as I do every Monday morning, I vowed that this week would be different, and with some additional motivation yesterday, have got my act together on the training front.
The plan for the double-decathlon was always to focus on being a good 800m runner, as the training for this distance combines aerobic conditioning - allowing good peformances over 3000m-10000m, and low-end speed - which helps with the sprints (and by association, jumps).
On top of a standard low-key (ie once a day) 800m program, I intend to add technical training for jumps, hurdles and throws. So with the technical events on hold for a few weeks, it is time to start training like an 800m runner.
Although I could go through the process of putting together a schedule based on my rudimentary knowledge of exercise physiology, or gene splicing the umpteen programs in my three shelves of running books, I've decided that any program based on sound principles will deliver benefits, and take away the guess work, the desire to tinker, and most importantly, the scope to skip important workouts under the guise of being 'flexible'.
Having just finished a book on Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe (The Perfect Distance), I decided that despite Seb Coe's better record, Ovett was cooler (and had a greater range of distances), and so have by-passed Peter Coe's (Coe's father and coach) over-detailed Better Training for Distance Runners for Harry Wilson's (Steve Ovett's coach) easier-reading Running My Way.
"Running My Way" has a number of training programs in it, and I have opted for the "2 minute 4 second 800m runner" schedule. My last two attempts at 800m (back in 2002) were 2:05, so this is close to the mark (although I hope to be running something more like 1:56 come April). Unlike nearly all running books, Wilson actually proscribes a full 12 month program (which provided it is not adhered to slavishly, provides a very good backbone around which to customise a program).
Although my training to date has not mirrored the "base-building" phase in his program, I am probably in good aerobic shape for a 2:04 800m runner, so I feel that jumping into the pre-competition phase is not a bad decision. For the next three weeks, my training will look something like this:
Monday: 9km steady (4:10/km)
Tuesday: 5x600m @ 5km pace (1:54-1:57) 1 min recov.
Wednesday: 7.5km made up of 4.5km hard (16:50), 1.5km easy (7:30), 1.5km hard (5:15)
Thursday: 8x300m (48 seconds), 300m recov.
Friday: 8km (36 min) easy (optional)
Saturday: 7.5km fartlek (30 min.), sprint drills (30 min.)
Sunday: 16km easy (72 min)
At this stage, this looks pretty comfortable - the fast work is at about the pace I was comfortably doing 200m intervals in a month back, and the repetitive nature of the schedule (3 week blocks) should reduce the temptation to be constantly trying to go faster every week. One change I will be making is adding a 1-2km warm-up at about 5min/km before my faster road sessions. This will prevent me either jumping into a quick pace cold, or running the first km or so at limbo speed (ie not the target speed of the session, but not the right speed for a proper warm-up). Ditto for the cooldown, which currently consists of walking a couple of hundred metres.
The first two sessions this week have been spot on, but I will outline them in a post that needs padding, unlike this mind dump. However, I will indulge in some photos of Louis enjoying his Christmas present, back after a long absence:
Then again, Glenn Morris (1936 Olympic champion) played Tarzan with some success, and I've been looking for an excuse to wear leopard-skin shorts...
After Thursday's 15km effort, the combination of some planned rest for injured hamstrings and ribs, rainy weather, and a hectic social schedule, saw a long-weekend break from training. But as I do every Monday morning, I vowed that this week would be different, and with some additional motivation yesterday, have got my act together on the training front.
The plan for the double-decathlon was always to focus on being a good 800m runner, as the training for this distance combines aerobic conditioning - allowing good peformances over 3000m-10000m, and low-end speed - which helps with the sprints (and by association, jumps).
On top of a standard low-key (ie once a day) 800m program, I intend to add technical training for jumps, hurdles and throws. So with the technical events on hold for a few weeks, it is time to start training like an 800m runner.
Although I could go through the process of putting together a schedule based on my rudimentary knowledge of exercise physiology, or gene splicing the umpteen programs in my three shelves of running books, I've decided that any program based on sound principles will deliver benefits, and take away the guess work, the desire to tinker, and most importantly, the scope to skip important workouts under the guise of being 'flexible'.
Having just finished a book on Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe (The Perfect Distance), I decided that despite Seb Coe's better record, Ovett was cooler (and had a greater range of distances), and so have by-passed Peter Coe's (Coe's father and coach) over-detailed Better Training for Distance Runners for Harry Wilson's (Steve Ovett's coach) easier-reading Running My Way.
"Running My Way" has a number of training programs in it, and I have opted for the "2 minute 4 second 800m runner" schedule. My last two attempts at 800m (back in 2002) were 2:05, so this is close to the mark (although I hope to be running something more like 1:56 come April). Unlike nearly all running books, Wilson actually proscribes a full 12 month program (which provided it is not adhered to slavishly, provides a very good backbone around which to customise a program).
Although my training to date has not mirrored the "base-building" phase in his program, I am probably in good aerobic shape for a 2:04 800m runner, so I feel that jumping into the pre-competition phase is not a bad decision. For the next three weeks, my training will look something like this:
Monday: 9km steady (4:10/km)
Tuesday: 5x600m @ 5km pace (1:54-1:57) 1 min recov.
Wednesday: 7.5km made up of 4.5km hard (16:50), 1.5km easy (7:30), 1.5km hard (5:15)
Thursday: 8x300m (48 seconds), 300m recov.
Friday: 8km (36 min) easy (optional)
Saturday: 7.5km fartlek (30 min.), sprint drills (30 min.)
Sunday: 16km easy (72 min)
At this stage, this looks pretty comfortable - the fast work is at about the pace I was comfortably doing 200m intervals in a month back, and the repetitive nature of the schedule (3 week blocks) should reduce the temptation to be constantly trying to go faster every week. One change I will be making is adding a 1-2km warm-up at about 5min/km before my faster road sessions. This will prevent me either jumping into a quick pace cold, or running the first km or so at limbo speed (ie not the target speed of the session, but not the right speed for a proper warm-up). Ditto for the cooldown, which currently consists of walking a couple of hundred metres.
The first two sessions this week have been spot on, but I will outline them in a post that needs padding, unlike this mind dump. However, I will indulge in some photos of Louis enjoying his Christmas present, back after a long absence:
Friday, November 25, 2005
One step forward, one and a half steps back...
Well, I'm now running again, which is good, but the ribs are still not good (which is bad), and according to the doctor will need 3-6 weeks to recover properly (probably brusied, possibly slightly cracked - treatment is the same for both - don't do anything). On the positive side, my blood pressure is excellent (I think he felt guilty about charging $55 for a 30 second diagnosis, and padded it out with a few extra tests).
I am in a bit of a bind as to what to do. Running isn't hurting much, but obviously has some impact, and will slow recovery a bit. But three weeks away from running is not that helpful, and if my ribs take four weeks instead of three to get better, but I get three extra weeks of running, then I think that is a price worth paying. BUT, every extra week my ribs aren't 100% is an extra week I can't focus on non-running events (and even the more demanding sprinting and hurdling events), which pushes the decathlon stuff further into the future.
Oh well, I can think about it while I'm out on my run today. Hamstring is still very tight, and although it doesn't hurt to run on, I am getting tightness in other areas of my hamstring, indicating they are having to pick up the load from the recalcitrant area. Will probably be still another week or so before I test it with anything quick.
Since Saturday's race, I've clocked the following sessions:
Sunday 20th November 4:00 pm
12km Steady - 48:53 (4:04/km)
Ave HR 160
Planned to take is easy, but felt really good over the first half. Hilly second half slowed my progress, and struggled to hold the pace over the last couple of km.
Monday 21st November 6:30 am
8.25km Easy - 34:57 (4:15/km)
No HR - ribs to sore to wear monitor
Easy recovery run, although ribs quite sore
Thursday 24th November 10:00 am
15km Easy - 66:07 (4:24/km)
No HR
Once again, too quick over the first section (21 minutes for first 5km), but it was downhill. Uphills were a struggle, but recovered very quickly between them which is a good sign.
I am in a bit of a bind as to what to do. Running isn't hurting much, but obviously has some impact, and will slow recovery a bit. But three weeks away from running is not that helpful, and if my ribs take four weeks instead of three to get better, but I get three extra weeks of running, then I think that is a price worth paying. BUT, every extra week my ribs aren't 100% is an extra week I can't focus on non-running events (and even the more demanding sprinting and hurdling events), which pushes the decathlon stuff further into the future.
Oh well, I can think about it while I'm out on my run today. Hamstring is still very tight, and although it doesn't hurt to run on, I am getting tightness in other areas of my hamstring, indicating they are having to pick up the load from the recalcitrant area. Will probably be still another week or so before I test it with anything quick.
Since Saturday's race, I've clocked the following sessions:
Sunday 20th November 4:00 pm
12km Steady - 48:53 (4:04/km)
Ave HR 160
Planned to take is easy, but felt really good over the first half. Hilly second half slowed my progress, and struggled to hold the pace over the last couple of km.
Monday 21st November 6:30 am
8.25km Easy - 34:57 (4:15/km)
No HR - ribs to sore to wear monitor
Easy recovery run, although ribs quite sore
Thursday 24th November 10:00 am
15km Easy - 66:07 (4:24/km)
No HR
Once again, too quick over the first section (21 minutes for first 5km), but it was downhill. Uphills were a struggle, but recovered very quickly between them which is a good sign.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
What was that all about?
Rereading my last post - god, what a drama queen! Of course, I can say that now that the race is over. Sydney Striders finished a distant second to a very deserving Hills District team, but just ahead of an unlucky UTS Norths team - unlikely because a late drop out meant Glen Guzzo ran our last leg, although to be honest, he is still stuggling after Berlin (and has another relay this afternoon). A State silver medal (not the tackiest one in my collection) - can't complain.
As for Sparkie - well, 4:36 was my hand timed split (hard to press the buttons with a baton in your hand). This was not good, but was encouraging. In all honesty, this was VERY comfortable - pretty much aerobically run the whole way. The first 200m was in 33 seconds, and the first 400m in 68, which was much quicker than I would have liked, and I eased off the throttle after this. Moved Striders from 5th to 3rd, and probably could have caught 2nd but a) my hamstrings were tight enough that I knew a sprint would be unwise b) we were so far behind first, that an extra few seconds wasn't going to make any difference and c) I was pretty confident Glen could catch 2nd place (which turned out to be true).
Had I pushed things, then I think sub-4:30 would have come easily, and I think that 4:20 is a definite possibilty before the end of the year. Overall really happy to have come through feeling so good. The way the race unfolded and the final outcome meant that there is no guilt attached to not going flat out, so as far as a comeback race is concerned, I'm pretty happy.
Flip side - the bruised rib that was bothering me in October has returned - the bruising is now visible on my chest. It is not broken or anything like that, but is painful when I sneeze, which isn't a good sign. So as my running picks up, my pole vault and throwing will have to take a back seat. Hopefully everything will come good in December, but for now, I am more interested in running and getting my leg strength up, so I can cope with a few weeks of reduced upper body work.
As for Sparkie - well, 4:36 was my hand timed split (hard to press the buttons with a baton in your hand). This was not good, but was encouraging. In all honesty, this was VERY comfortable - pretty much aerobically run the whole way. The first 200m was in 33 seconds, and the first 400m in 68, which was much quicker than I would have liked, and I eased off the throttle after this. Moved Striders from 5th to 3rd, and probably could have caught 2nd but a) my hamstrings were tight enough that I knew a sprint would be unwise b) we were so far behind first, that an extra few seconds wasn't going to make any difference and c) I was pretty confident Glen could catch 2nd place (which turned out to be true).
Had I pushed things, then I think sub-4:30 would have come easily, and I think that 4:20 is a definite possibilty before the end of the year. Overall really happy to have come through feeling so good. The way the race unfolded and the final outcome meant that there is no guilt attached to not going flat out, so as far as a comeback race is concerned, I'm pretty happy.
Flip side - the bruised rib that was bothering me in October has returned - the bruising is now visible on my chest. It is not broken or anything like that, but is painful when I sneeze, which isn't a good sign. So as my running picks up, my pole vault and throwing will have to take a back seat. Hopefully everything will come good in December, but for now, I am more interested in running and getting my leg strength up, so I can cope with a few weeks of reduced upper body work.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Nervous as hell...
The State Relays are about 12 hours away, and I am nervous as hell. I haven't run a 1500m race for over 10 years (October 28th 1995 to be specifc). Although I think I am still in OK shape (not as good as a month ago), I am having big-time nerves about a few things:
1. Will my hamstrings hold together? I have done a couple of sub-4 minute kms on training runs this week with no ill effects, but 1500m pace is closer to sub-3 minutes a km. Even worse, if it comes down to a sprint finish, this is going to really put them to the test. On the plus side, after I tore the right hamstring, I managed to (foolishly) still do a session at this pace, so it isn't too stressful
2. Am I fit enough to get through 3.75 quick laps? My plan is to aim for 4:30, which is 72 seconds a lap. The first 800m should be manageable, as I was doing 800m reps at close to this pace a month ago. However, the third lap is a big question mark, and I will be pushing me into an anaerobic zone I haven't been in for a long time (2001 when I raced two 800m races). As well as the physical demands of going into anaerobic territory, there is the mental /pain factor, which normally takes a few races and lots of training sessions to get to grips with - not a 10 year break. I am really scared I am not going to be able to dig deep when it counts.
3. Am I going to let the other relay runners down - what if my hamstrings go, or I can't handle the pace, or worst case, I am not fast enough. Were this an individual race, I wouldn't be worried - you have to lose races to win races. But I now have 3 other very good runners depending on me keeping up my end of the bargain, and I am petrified about letting them down.
As the race will probably be over before anyone reads this, I better start giving myself some encouragement. So what are the positives?
1. Looking back over my race lists, I have run 25 1500m races, and won 16 (2 2nd, 2 3rd) - so I have an OK pedigree. My PB is 4:08, and I have broken 4:20 8 times and 4:30 17 times.
2. Although my fitness has dropped a little since the start of October, the last time I was running sub 35 for 10km (1992), I ran 4:19 for 1500m.
3. In December last year, when my fitness was lower than at present, I ran the first km of a 5km race in 3:08, so 3:00 for a km should still be managable, and I should be able to hold on for the last 500m.
There, I now feel better about tomorrow's race. My ideal race plan is that as the last runner, the other guys will have gotten us so far in front that short of my legs exploding, I will be able to get us home no matter how badly I run. Alternately, if I am within striking distance of the lead at 200m out, no one over 35 can run faster than me. I don't know if this is true, but I'll keep telling myself that until someone proves otherwise.
Wish the CoolRunning cheersquad was going to be there...
1. Will my hamstrings hold together? I have done a couple of sub-4 minute kms on training runs this week with no ill effects, but 1500m pace is closer to sub-3 minutes a km. Even worse, if it comes down to a sprint finish, this is going to really put them to the test. On the plus side, after I tore the right hamstring, I managed to (foolishly) still do a session at this pace, so it isn't too stressful
2. Am I fit enough to get through 3.75 quick laps? My plan is to aim for 4:30, which is 72 seconds a lap. The first 800m should be manageable, as I was doing 800m reps at close to this pace a month ago. However, the third lap is a big question mark, and I will be pushing me into an anaerobic zone I haven't been in for a long time (2001 when I raced two 800m races). As well as the physical demands of going into anaerobic territory, there is the mental /pain factor, which normally takes a few races and lots of training sessions to get to grips with - not a 10 year break. I am really scared I am not going to be able to dig deep when it counts.
3. Am I going to let the other relay runners down - what if my hamstrings go, or I can't handle the pace, or worst case, I am not fast enough. Were this an individual race, I wouldn't be worried - you have to lose races to win races. But I now have 3 other very good runners depending on me keeping up my end of the bargain, and I am petrified about letting them down.
As the race will probably be over before anyone reads this, I better start giving myself some encouragement. So what are the positives?
1. Looking back over my race lists, I have run 25 1500m races, and won 16 (2 2nd, 2 3rd) - so I have an OK pedigree. My PB is 4:08, and I have broken 4:20 8 times and 4:30 17 times.
2. Although my fitness has dropped a little since the start of October, the last time I was running sub 35 for 10km (1992), I ran 4:19 for 1500m.
3. In December last year, when my fitness was lower than at present, I ran the first km of a 5km race in 3:08, so 3:00 for a km should still be managable, and I should be able to hold on for the last 500m.
There, I now feel better about tomorrow's race. My ideal race plan is that as the last runner, the other guys will have gotten us so far in front that short of my legs exploding, I will be able to get us home no matter how badly I run. Alternately, if I am within striking distance of the lead at 200m out, no one over 35 can run faster than me. I don't know if this is true, but I'll keep telling myself that until someone proves otherwise.
Wish the CoolRunning cheersquad was going to be there...
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Enough with the Pole Vault...
A mixed week that really only warrants one summary post. Continued with physio on my left hamstring, with some improvement towards the end of the week, culminating in runs of 11, 12 and 20 minutes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the leg feeling much stronger on each run. Even managed to try a little speed for 100m or so today, with tentatively encouraging results. Three trips to the gym, and lots of ab work and stretching meant it was a disciplined week.
Highlight was pole vault training today. Felt A LOT more comfortable with things, and got much more encouraging feedback from Jim. After some warm-ups, we did a session of trying to touch a 4 metre bar with our feet, which I came within a few inches of doing. Then some 3 metre jumps (using a rubber band, rather than a rigid bar) - got over a few, but none would have been legal as I made plenty of contact with the 'bar' on the way over. Finally, some serious jumps. A real mental victory when the bar was set at 2.40m and I though "Gee, that's not very high". Bang - straight over first time, with apparantly about 40cm to spare! My 4 attempts at 2.60 were close but I clipped the bar going over on my two good jumps (consistency still needs some work). Annoyed at myself, because I felt that it was within my capabilities. Jim thinks I could jump 2.80 right now, and 3 metres is just a matter of weeks away - he even went so far as calling me a 'natural', although I think his tongue was in his cheek somewhat.
With my leg returning to full strength, my run-ups are much stronger, and I am feeling much more confident about things, so another successful session. Jim also coaches throws, so I am off to train with the veteran's squad on Tuesday, which will give that area (which I have been putting off) some impetus. However, as injury does its world tour of my body, I strained my groin slightly on my last jump, which is going to leave me a bit stiff for a few days (no pun intended).
I am scheduled to run in the 4x1500m at the State Relays on Saturday, which is worrying me a bit, as I am not sure whether my legs will be up to it. However, if everything goes according to plan, I should be able to hold my own (sub 4:40), so there is nothing to be gained letting myself off the hook prematurely - I just hope I am not running the last leg and it comes down to a sprint finish!
On the non-running side, I had a great night out with some fellow CoolRunners for the Owl's bon-voyage dinner. Some big calls made by The Owl and The Pussycat for events they are targetting next year - I'm sure they'll be sharing all the details in their blogs - but very motivating stuff. It is always inspiring to see someone make a commitment to something that is big and uncertain, and you just hope you can try and return some of that inspiration from time to time!
Highlight was pole vault training today. Felt A LOT more comfortable with things, and got much more encouraging feedback from Jim. After some warm-ups, we did a session of trying to touch a 4 metre bar with our feet, which I came within a few inches of doing. Then some 3 metre jumps (using a rubber band, rather than a rigid bar) - got over a few, but none would have been legal as I made plenty of contact with the 'bar' on the way over. Finally, some serious jumps. A real mental victory when the bar was set at 2.40m and I though "Gee, that's not very high". Bang - straight over first time, with apparantly about 40cm to spare! My 4 attempts at 2.60 were close but I clipped the bar going over on my two good jumps (consistency still needs some work). Annoyed at myself, because I felt that it was within my capabilities. Jim thinks I could jump 2.80 right now, and 3 metres is just a matter of weeks away - he even went so far as calling me a 'natural', although I think his tongue was in his cheek somewhat.
With my leg returning to full strength, my run-ups are much stronger, and I am feeling much more confident about things, so another successful session. Jim also coaches throws, so I am off to train with the veteran's squad on Tuesday, which will give that area (which I have been putting off) some impetus. However, as injury does its world tour of my body, I strained my groin slightly on my last jump, which is going to leave me a bit stiff for a few days (no pun intended).
I am scheduled to run in the 4x1500m at the State Relays on Saturday, which is worrying me a bit, as I am not sure whether my legs will be up to it. However, if everything goes according to plan, I should be able to hold my own (sub 4:40), so there is nothing to be gained letting myself off the hook prematurely - I just hope I am not running the last leg and it comes down to a sprint finish!
On the non-running side, I had a great night out with some fellow CoolRunners for the Owl's bon-voyage dinner. Some big calls made by The Owl and The Pussycat for events they are targetting next year - I'm sure they'll be sharing all the details in their blogs - but very motivating stuff. It is always inspiring to see someone make a commitment to something that is big and uncertain, and you just hope you can try and return some of that inspiration from time to time!
Sunday, November 06, 2005
New Pole Vault PB!
Well, it wasn't high, it wasn't graceful, and it took 3 attempts, but I now have a proper Pole Vault PB. After about 30 minutes of drills at Homebush this morning, Jim put the bar up for a few people to practise clearances on. I asked sheepishly whether it was worth me having a go, and he said that it couldn't hurt.
First attempt - focused so much on the bar that the pole slipped out of my hands on the plant, and I went crashing into the mat. Second attempt - didn't even get my plant right and didn't bother jumping. By now I was a bit frustrated, and to be honest, a bit intimidated (even scared). With my heart racing I ran in a bit more quickly. Plant OK, I'm in the air. Looking ahead, I'm higher than the bar. Suddenly I'm over the bar, and still have my wits about me to push the pole backwards. Then I'm lying flat on the mat with a stupid grin on my face!
2.00 metres - with the emphasis on the zeros! An enormous 140 points - but I'll happily take them. With my hamstring still not right, I decided to quit while I was ahead and not try for a higher mark, but have already set my sights on clearing 3 metres by the end of the year. The stupid grin has not gone away, and remains as I type this.
First attempt - focused so much on the bar that the pole slipped out of my hands on the plant, and I went crashing into the mat. Second attempt - didn't even get my plant right and didn't bother jumping. By now I was a bit frustrated, and to be honest, a bit intimidated (even scared). With my heart racing I ran in a bit more quickly. Plant OK, I'm in the air. Looking ahead, I'm higher than the bar. Suddenly I'm over the bar, and still have my wits about me to push the pole backwards. Then I'm lying flat on the mat with a stupid grin on my face!
2.00 metres - with the emphasis on the zeros! An enormous 140 points - but I'll happily take them. With my hamstring still not right, I decided to quit while I was ahead and not try for a higher mark, but have already set my sights on clearing 3 metres by the end of the year. The stupid grin has not gone away, and remains as I type this.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Sparkie Pole Vaults
OK - the correct title should have been "Sparkie shuffles with a pole vault in his hands and jumps into a sand pit", but the marketing people said it didn't appeal to our target demographics. But yes, after several months of promising, I showed up to my first pole vault session yesterday. I left with mixed feelings - on the one hand, quite a few things came naturally, and I was not a total clutz (particularly as my left hamstring is still far from perfect), but on the other hand, it as a very technically demanding event, there is so much to learn and yesterday was the equivalent of getting up from the couch and jogging to the corner as part of preparing to run a marathon. However, when I left, I asked Jim (my coach) how long it will be before I might actually get over a bar (expecting a vague, ego-sparing answer) - his reply - "if you come to training on Sunday - you'll clear something then". However, this 'something' is likely to be in the vicinity of 2 meters - which barely qualifies as a jump. Still, the first time I hit the mat will be pretty exciting.
This was a big lift after another week of no running due to my dodgy hamstring. Physio has been going well (although Liz would be mortified if she knew I was running round with 3 meter poles in my hand), and in a week of getting my act together, got back into weight training, doing an hour of upper body work twice this week. Coupled with daily strecthing and abdominal work, I have been making forward progress in my fitness - I even managed to fit in 2km in the pool on Wednesday (a pleasing effort, given I haven't swum since March).
The shot put and discus I have on order are stuck in the Customs IT nightmare, but I checked out the throwing and horizontal jumping facilities at a nearby oval, which are remarkably good (given the running track is a shocker), so once the leg is good again, I can start doing some field event training sessions there in the mornings. High jump coaching is the only real gap at the moment, and once the leg is sorted, a have a couple of contacts already.
Despite the hamstring, life in general is falling into place nicely. Working from home is going really well - I am being very productive, and my client is really happy with the output, but I am also seeing lots more of Louis and Amelia, which is making me love fatherhood even more and has been a big boost to my marriage, as we now have the time to communicate, and share the workload around our other commitments. Hell - I've even done some things around the house (well actually, I called the tradesman and he came and did them, but that's progress for me). Training is slotting into my schedule nicely, rather than being squeezed around other commitments (having the discipline to get out of bed at 5:30 is making a huge difference here).
You can sit around forever waiting for the right circumstances to come along, or as I discovered this week, you can get off your arse and make it happen right now.
This was a big lift after another week of no running due to my dodgy hamstring. Physio has been going well (although Liz would be mortified if she knew I was running round with 3 meter poles in my hand), and in a week of getting my act together, got back into weight training, doing an hour of upper body work twice this week. Coupled with daily strecthing and abdominal work, I have been making forward progress in my fitness - I even managed to fit in 2km in the pool on Wednesday (a pleasing effort, given I haven't swum since March).
The shot put and discus I have on order are stuck in the Customs IT nightmare, but I checked out the throwing and horizontal jumping facilities at a nearby oval, which are remarkably good (given the running track is a shocker), so once the leg is good again, I can start doing some field event training sessions there in the mornings. High jump coaching is the only real gap at the moment, and once the leg is sorted, a have a couple of contacts already.
Despite the hamstring, life in general is falling into place nicely. Working from home is going really well - I am being very productive, and my client is really happy with the output, but I am also seeing lots more of Louis and Amelia, which is making me love fatherhood even more and has been a big boost to my marriage, as we now have the time to communicate, and share the workload around our other commitments. Hell - I've even done some things around the house (well actually, I called the tradesman and he came and did them, but that's progress for me). Training is slotting into my schedule nicely, rather than being squeezed around other commitments (having the discipline to get out of bed at 5:30 is making a huge difference here).
You can sit around forever waiting for the right circumstances to come along, or as I discovered this week, you can get off your arse and make it happen right now.
