WEDNESDAY

It has been unseasonably mild since I’ve been back in California with temperatures mostly in the 70’s and low 80’s.  Sacramento, where the Nationals will begin tomorrow has been 5-15 degrees warmer and they are forecasting 95 degrees for tomorrow.  I am prepared with a lot of fluids, a hankerchief for under my cap to protect my neck, a white t-shirt and plenty of sun block.  I have plenty of food and I’ve even packed breakfast so I don’t have to rely on the hotel buffet (these are normally pretty bad)

My biggest concern is my left achilles tendon.  Anyone reading this blog knows this has been a major obstacle for me since last September.  I’ve never gotten it healed and today it is pretty tender.  I have also set my goal for the 1500 meters to 7:30 with hopes that I can kick a bit and finish in 7.  If my achilles holds up, I’m pretty confident that I can do this.  If it doesn’t, well, it’s questionable how far I will get.  I may be unable to finish the 200m…

Today I went to Campolindo and did full approaches at 80% speed, some accelerations into the curve, a little discus and a 400m at 7min pace.  Basically I just walked through everything checking my “notes” as I went along.  I feel good (aside from the tendon).  Fast and strong and ready to go!

THURSDAY

A week to go.  Getting nervous.  Mostly about the 1500.  Terrified of it, actually…

At Campolindo

• Dynamic warm up
• 2x 100m strides
• 4x Accelerations
• 8x acceleration ladder/starts

SPECIAL ENDURANCE – SPEED = 95%

• 300m @51 sec rest 8min
• 200m @30 sec rest 10min
• 150m @22 sec
• Cool down

WEDNESDAY

A very scary thing happened after running my last interval (150m). I was totally spent and collapsed to the track, unable to catch my breath and fearing that I was having a heart attack.  In retrospect I think my heart rate was so elevated that I panicked and that was the feeling of a heart attack.  Further, they say that most victims of heart attacks deny having one as it is happening.  Anyway, killer workout!

• Dynamic warm up
• 4 x accelerations

SPECIAL ENDURANCE – SPEED = 95%

• 300m @51 sec rest 10min
• 250m @39 sec rest 11min
• 200m @30 sec rest 11min
• 150m @22 sec
• Cool down

FRIDAY
Kind of a Special Endurance workout and working on 6 minute pacing for the 1500.

• Dynamic warm up
• 3×300 @55sec rest 10min
• 1×200 @ 32sec rest 5min
• 2×200 @ 48sec rest 5 min
• Cool down

MONDAY

Parkside track.
This workout was a killer.  Sore as heck the next day.

• Dynamic warm up
• 4x 20m acceleration
• 6x 60m acceleration
• 2x 80m acceleration
• 2x 100m acceleration
• 2x 200m @48sec

THURSDAY

On Parkside track.

• Dynamic warm up
• 4x 20m acceleration

SPEED / LONG JUMP

• Starts
• Pop ups
• 4x100m strides

• Cool down

MONDAY

SPRINT TRAINING

• 800m warmup
• Stretching
• Full Sprint warmup (30mins)
• 5×30 Builds
• 800m cool down

This workout took a lot out of me.  I gave a pint of O positive later in the morning.  Maybe that had something to do with it.

Had to baby the achilles on the builds so only went 60% or so.

FRIDAY

Nice day.

Pretty wiped out and busy with work.  Also my achilles tendon is hurting and in a weird place at that – lower to the heel than usual.

Decided to do a light pool workout – swim and maybe do some running in the pool – which is what I did.

POOL WORKOUT

• 14 laps easy swimming
• 4 x 30sec sprints in the pool.  30-60sec. recovery between reps

Active Recovery

Had a pretty active week of workouts planned in preparation for the Manteca Senior Games coming up on Saturday May 15th.  Unfortunately the workouts have to be completely re-designed/dumped because of the latest strain of my left Achilles tendon.  This is a drag because I’ve gotten very little long jump practice in and feel very unsure of my ability to even hit the board at full speed. My discus technique is a joke – not that the planned training could fix that before Saturday- only to say that it adds to my insecurity, and now I’m worried about hurting myself in the 200.

The Achilles injury is driving me crazy.  I need to get some ultra sound sessions and professional rehab (and rest!) for it.  The possibility of a total rupture is frightening and all too real.

To top it off, the high school track where I work out is hosting the conference meet this year – 3 afternoons of trials and finals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.  That REALLY cramps my prep!

MY GOALS FOR SATURDAY’S MEET

• Relax and have fun
• Meet people and make friends
• Learn some technique
• Compete to win but MONITOR MY ACHILLES SITUATION
• Scratch the long jump or pass on jumps if Achilles flares up
• Scratch the 200 if Achilles is really bad
• 28 meters (92 ft.) in the discus
• 4.27 meters (14 ft.) in the long jump
• sub 30 second 200 meters

SATURDAY

Beautiful day in Manteca and my first competition.  Please see My First Meet for details.

Results:

• Discus: 31.5 meters (fourth place)
• Long Jump:  13 feet 10 inches (4.22 meters) (second place)
• 200 Meter Dash: 29.27 seconds (third place)

I was relaxed, had fun, met people and made friends, learned stuff, competed to win and monitored my achilles situation (more or less)

And I reached  2 of 3 goals and very close on the third.  A good day indeed!

FRIDAY

A lot of stretching and visualizing.  Attended the DFAL conference meet at Acalanes high school

THURSDAY

Did a kind of dry-run of stuff I need to do when I get to the meet.  I warmed up much in the way I plan to warm up on Saturday (although I couldn’t jog my usual 800m because of the achilles strain).  I walked off my long jump approach and did a few jog throughs and pop ups.  I walked the 200m to put together my race plan.  I did a few easy starts out of imaginary blocks and then finally I threw the discus as I would guess it will be done in competition (warm ups and actual throws).

• Stretching
• Sprint warm up
• Builds – 20m very easy
• LJ approach jog throughs and pop ups
• Starts from blocks
• 6 discus warm up throws
• 6 full throws (longest just over 30 meters)

WEDNESDAY

Achilles quite sore so did some pool work, that is, running intervals in the deep end of the pool.

• 3x 60sec @80% / 60 sec. rest
• 4x 40sec @95% / 1:20 rest
• Cool down

TUESDAY

Lots of work.  In the afternoon I went to the Frosh day of the conference meet. Light stretching/rehab in the evening.

MONDAY

Nice day.

Original plan was to focus on the long jump.  Instead I threw the discus.

DISCUS AND SPRINT FOCUS

• 800m warm up
• Stretching
• 4x 30m builds
• 4x 30m starts/acceleration
• Standing throws (9x)
• Middle position throws (3x)
• South Africa (3x)
• Full throws (9x)
• 400m cool down

SUNDAY

Nasty cold and rain.

Since it was Mother’s Day and my knees and achilles were really hurting, decided to skip the usual weight training session. Took the family out for dim sum and later a movie and book browsing instead.

MONDAY

Beautiful day.

SPRINT FOCUS

• Warm up
• Stretching
• Sprint warm up (15 mins)
• 4 x 30m builds
• Starts from blocks through 40 meters of the curve – 95% effort (6+ times)
• Intensive Tempo : 2x 300m, 3x 200m (57sec, 53, 36, 35, 34)
• Cool down
• Stretching