Training log: July 21 - August 10

July 21 - 27

M - off

T - 9

W - PM 7. DCRRC Track Champs. I had run the 3k here last summer in 9:02, but this year decided to tie it into my low-key mile tour. I was feeling a little run down, and I knew the race was going to be very fast. Luckily, I bumped into Scott Anderson, who told me he was shooting for 4:30, so I just tucked in behind him. It was really hot, and the wind picked up a bunch right as we started (a storm was rolling in). I felt more comfortable than at Midsummer, at least, and we went through right in 67. But then the second lap slowed to 70, and while I was able to move with the pack and pick it up on the third lap, the last lap, especially the last 150, was really rough. I tied up big time and seemed to be losing my mental tether to Planet Earth, as well. Another 4:36, and last in the heat. Ouch. Anderson, who I enjoyed cooling down with, ran 4:28.

Th - 9

F - 8

S - 10. Tempo at Gallaudet Track. 4 miles, starting at 5:40 pace and cutting down to 5:15. 4 by 200 in 32-33. I love working out here, even if I have to run in lane 4.

Wrote that night about a very fast Crystal City Twilighter.

S - 14, Large Animal Loop with Klim and Outlaw.

Total - 57

July 28 - August 3

M - off

T - 11

W - PM 12. Met up with Luke. We ran out to Anacostia Park and did 20 by 1 min/off on the grass. This workout rocked.

Th - 10

F - 12

S - 11. Tempo with GRC at Cell Tower Field in Rockville. Roughly 6k at roughly 5:30ish pace. Jogged another 2k loop, then did 5 by 50 seconds before cooling down.

S - 14. From The Line with Sam, Charlie, Stefan.

Total - 70

August 4 - 10  

M - AM 6.5 PM 4

T - 8, + hill sprints.

W - AM 4 PM 9. BCC Track. Just trying it turn it over and stay fresh. 6 by 600. Going through 400 in 73-75, starting out, and then striding through last 200, starting out in 35. Did last one in spikes and ran 68 and 32 feeling surprisingly smooth.

Th - 6, + strides

F - 8.5, + strides

S AM 3, + strides

PM 7. Going Green Track Meet. I felt really good going into this - a couple off days really helped, plus I had backed off the more-mile specific stuff. Basically, I was a lot fresher and my legs felt good.

Nicolas Crouzier, who rolled me the last lap at Midsummer, was there, but he had run the two-mile earlier, part of what would turn out to be a really nice double (9:42, 4:37).

 I took it out, and, lacking confidence in shorter distances, took it out way too fast. (I always just figure I am going too slow.) Not positive on 400 split - but it was south of 65, for sure. I tried to punch it every 200, but with 400 left I was totally lactic - more lactic than I have been in many years. Last lap, I slowed down a lot, unfortunately, and was luckily to not get run down.

4:34. Results. Not quite what I wanted, but I feel good about the effort. Things are coming together.

S - 15. I went out to Edwards Ferry and was shredded from last night's race. I turned my watch off after a few miles and did a solitary Dueling Ferries loop (quite an experience going through "Kansas" solo, I'll say), then tacked on another 5 on the Towpath.

Total - 71

I'm turning now - reading wise - to Updike's "Rabbit, Run." Next up after that is Klim's debut: Attack on Orleans.

I will say, I had kind of a blast reading Steve Scott's autobiography by Marc Bloom. Scott held the American record in the mile for 26-plus years, until Webb broke it, and has the record for total sub-4s, at 136.

Check him out here in "spanking" form, just missing the world record. Just a little more exciting, in my opinion, than Webb's American record-breaking run.



Growing up, my family went at least twice to see indoor track meets at the Meadowlands, including this one, when Scott, late in his career, went toe to toe with Said Aouita and got outkicked but ended up with a 3,000 American indoor record, nonetheless. Afterward, my dad and I saw Scott sitting in the stands, not far from us, and got his autograph, which I need to dig up. (I remember that more clearly - I would have been 7 at the time - than the race. I also remember, generally, how everyone would stand up and go crazy during the last lap of a close race.)

The life of a pro miler was very different back then. Scott made his money by racing; on a good year he scrapped together a solid living, but he certainly wasn't getting rich, so to speak. Racing on Friday and Saturday was standard. He would go to Europe, for example, and just do the math: 15 races times his 2k appearance fee. (On one trip, he had 20 grand stolen from him right before he was about to fly home.)

There were a ton of meets back then. His training was intense: hammered all the time, 90-mile weeks, really intense speed work. And oftentimes, rather than rest between sessions, he would go out and play golf - leading to speed golf! He also talks about how this worked in his mid 20s but how he had to start making serious changes to keep running well in his 30s. The point: I got some ideas there, for sure, and I am looking forward to applying them.

I have two weeks here to do some solid training, then I actually have a string of races, three weekends in a row: my alumni XC race, the Press Club 5k (for fun; I've been to some events there lately), and then the Navy-Air Force 5 Miler. Then, with Club XC coming up, and with hopes of running well at 5k and 10k in the spring, I'll need to add in the strength to complement this early phase of speed development. I'll have to make sure, though, that - and Scott's book really brings this home for me - that I don't just start running 85 to 95 a week while still doing the same level of intensity. This has been a mistake I have been making too often the last few years. The key, then, will be to drop a hard session and, to stay sharp, be really diligent about doing strides almost every day. If I write this down, maybe I'll actually follow through with it!