3650 Miles in the Hurtlocker

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Indoor Open Track Meet Sunday - What to Do? (Read 39 times)


Walk-Jogger

    I just found out there's an indoor track meet this Sunday, Feb 3'rd in nearby Moscow, Idaho. I've not been training much for short track distances lately, but I've been wanting to race a mile on the track to see what I can do with it. I'd love to run the 5K on the track, all out and see how much faster that is than my road 5K last weekend. I'd like to run the 60M and the 200M just because I love the "primal scream" feeling of all-out speed, and I'd like to do the 400M just to set a base time to see where I'm at.

     

    The problem I see with this is that I'm trying to get in as many miles as possible in prep for my upcoming March 2nd HM, which is a goal race for the year. If I do a planned 13.1 or longer run on Saturday I won't be in shape to race on the track on Sunday. I could shorten my Saturday run to 5, and try to get in 25 more miles before then, and possibly be ok to race Sunday. But then there's also the big problem that I'm a embarrassed to enter a track meet where the majority of the other athletes are going to be college and fast high school runners. I'm pretty sure I'll be finishing last or close to it in these events, and feel like a total poser... I wonder if they'd let me compete with the high school girls...

     

    Here's the meet schedule. I'm actually dumb enough to consider entering every event, but that clearly would lead to less than best effort results in each.  I would probably do something like the 60M, mile, 800m, and 200m. That seems pretty reasonable, doesn't it?

     

    9:30 a.m. Men's 5,000m
    11:00 a.m. Men's 60m (Prelim)
    11:50 a.m. Men's Mile
    1:05 p.m. Men's 400m
    1:40 p.m. Men's 60m (Final)
    2:15 p.m. Men's 800m
    3:15 p.m. Men's 200m
    4:15 p.m. Men's 3,000m

     

    The online entry has to be submitted today.  I probably need a good kick in the butt to get me to click on send, or some advice on why I should or should not enter this meet...?

    Retired &  Loving It

      Hey Cecil, I would resist the temptation to enter every event.  I would say two, maybe three, tops.

       

      I wouldn't worry about the miles. I did a long run the day after my indoor meet.

      "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus


      Feeling the growl again

        First, training is more than just logging as many miles as possible...workouts (which races can be) count too.

         

        Your goals and plan seem kind of conflicted.  You are training for a HM, yet you want to go and run the 60m and 200m?  I would be a little concerned that you go into those types of sprints and get caught up and push it (primal scream), and end up injured.

         

        Based on what you said, personally I would recommend the 5K and the 400m.  You're less likely to bust yourself in a 400m, don't need to use blocks (pretty mandatory for 60/200 and I bet you haven't been practicing with them).  You would have some time in between.  I ran my 400m PR under 10 minutes after finishing a hard-run 5K so you will be fine.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         

          Agree with Spaniel here.  I would keep it either to 5k/400 or 1600/800 or something like that.  You can get the primal scream kick through strides or something like that.  It's not that often you get a chance for an 800/1600/5000 on the track.  And if you can afford the time on Monday, do your longer effort then.


          #artbydmcbride

            Do the mile, then the 800m

             

             

            Run 7 the day before.

             

            Runners run


            Walk-Jogger

              Thanks, everyone for the comments and advice - I appreciate it.

               

              I'm mulling it all over, and will make a decision on which events to run in time to get registered this evening. Since my current 800m PR at 2:34 is probably the softest of my track numbers, I'm most inclined to attack it, just to see if I can drop it a bit without having run any fast 800 workouts recently. If not, I'll have a starting point to work on for later this year. McMillan says I can run a 2:26. I'm guessing not without some specific fast training, but we'll see...

               

              MTA: OK, I made an executive decision; I will run the mile, the 800, and optionally the 200. The entry fee is one price no matter how many events are entered, so I can always bail on the 200 if I need to. 200 meters is really my favorite race distance, even though I'm not particularly fast at it. It's long enough to get up to full speed, yet short enough to run all out with zero agony during the run... Goal times (which I don't expect to meet) will be McMillan's current guesses for me for the Mile, 5:25, and 2:26 for the 800. I routinely do 33 for the 200m in practice and 32 once in a while, in heavy shoes, so I'm hoping I can still run <30 in racing flats, if I haven't lost any speed in the past two+ years. Spaniel, you are correct that I'm not well trained to use starting blocks. The last time I started a race in blocks was in a 100m race and I stumbled on the start a bit. Hopefully that won't happen again.

              Retired &  Loving It

              C-R


                Glad to see you registered. You got good advice form the others. I was simply going to remind you that this is the 'effing Hurtlocker and you run so you can race =  nut up - sign up - then race your ass off.

                 

                That concludes today's Hurtlocker PSA. Please carry on.


                "He conquers who endures" - Persius
                "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel

                http://ncstake.blogspot.com/

                AmoresPerros


                Options,Account, Forums

                  If you're old like me, I'd be careful with sprints - I try to get warmed up, and I don't come off the line (I don't use blocks) too fast - cause I don't want to pull something.

                  It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.


                  Walk-Jogger

                    If you're old like me, I'd be careful with sprints - I try to get warmed up, and I don't come off the line (I don't use blocks) too fast - cause I don't want to pull something.

                     

                    "Careful" - ? I'm not familiar with that word relative to running - what does it mean? Clown

                    Retired &  Loving It


                    Walk-Jogger

                      Glad to see you registered. You got good advice form the others. I was simply going to remind you that this is the 'effing Hurtlocker and you run so you can race =  nut up - sign up - then race your ass off.

                       

                      That concludes today's Hurtlocker PSA. Please carry on.

                       

                      Thanks. The last time I entered a track event 2 years ago it was an ultimate runner competition with 5 races on the track in less than 3 hours. That was a real Hurtlocker event, and I totally loved it.  I did fairly well too, so that's why I was tempted to actually run all of these events this weekend. But I do recall that I had to slow down my 5K and mile races at that event and I had very little energy left for the final 10K race, and just had to trot it out in 42 minutes or so, which wasn't a big deal based on how they were scoring the event. The shorter events - 100m and 400m were easier to get higher points on, so that was what I focused my energy on. But I've been annoyed ever since then that I had to slow down my mile race to save energy for that slow 10k. Mile races are hard to find around here. I'm nearly 2 years older now and in theory I will be xx seconds slower at everything. F#ck that. I refuse to let my age dictate how fast I can run. Not this year. Maybe next year. Maybe not...

                      Retired &  Loving It


                      Feeling the growl again

                         

                        Thanks. The last time I entered a track event 2 years ago it was an ultimate runner competition with 5 races on the track in less than 3 hours. That was a real Hurtlocker event, and I totally loved it.  I did fairly well too, so that's why I was tempted to actually run all of these events this weekend. But I do recall that I had to slow down my 5K and mile races at that event and I had very little energy left for the final 10K race, and just had to trot it out in 42 minutes or so, which wasn't a big deal based on how they were scoring the event. The shorter events - 100m and 400m were easier to get higher points on, so that was what I focused my energy on. But I've been annoyed ever since then that I had to slow down my mile race to save energy for that slow 10k. Mile races are hard to find around here. I'm nearly 2 years older now and in theory I will be xx seconds slower at everything. F#ck that. I refuse to let my age dictate how fast I can run. Not this year. Maybe next year. Maybe not...

                         

                        Wait a minute....10K, 5K, mile, 400, and 100 in 3 hours?  Damn.  I did 10K, 5K, and 4X400 relay in college ones, over a longer timeframe, and adding the 1500m into the mix would have been a trainwreck.

                        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                         

                        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                         

                        kcam


                           

                          Thanks. The last time I entered a track event 2 years ago it was an ultimate runner competition with 5 races on the track in less than 3 hours. That was a real Hurtlocker event, and I totally loved it.  I did fairly well too, so that's why I was tempted to actually run all of these events this weekend. But I do recall that I had to slow down my 5K and mile races at that event and I had very little energy left for the final 10K race, and just had to trot it out in 42 minutes or so, which wasn't a big deal based on how they were scoring the event. The shorter events - 100m and 400m were easier to get higher points on, so that was what I focused my energy on. But I've been annoyed ever since then that I had to slow down my mile race to save energy for that slow 10k. Mile races are hard to find around here. I'm nearly 2 years older now and in theory I will be xx seconds slower at everything. F#ck that. I refuse to let my age dictate how fast I can run. Not this year. Maybe next year. Maybe not...

                           

                          I ran a "Double Race" in December where I ran a 10K and then about an hour later a 5K (both on the roads).  I had just run a VERY good marathon about 3 weeks earlier so I was in really good shape.  Didn't matter ...  that 5K, after a 39 10K, was the slowest I had run in years.  20:20, I think.  Nothing hurt but I just couldn't run faster.  I can't even imagine having 3 more races, even shorter distance ones, to do.

                          I run a series of track meets - one in winter and one series in the summer - and I have learned that, at most, I can choose two races to run hard ... and one of them better not be the 5,000 (they don't run the 10,000).  So, 800/mile, mile/2mile, 400/800, etc.  This winter I am choosing to run either the mile by itself or the mile and 2-mile.  None of that short distance stuff for me anymore.

                          Good luck Cecil.


                          Feeling the growl again

                            The 400m and under races use more anaerobic energy systems that replenish quite quickly.  So even after a longer aerobic race one can usually do OK with them...not 100%, but not like running a 10K/5K back-to-back.

                             

                            My college coach had me double the 10K/5K several times in track...there was usually about 5-6 hours in between as they were the first and last events.  I usually did fine in the 5K.  I don't think I could anymore.  Big grin

                            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                             

                            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                             


                            #artbydmcbride

                              By 'careful'  I think old man AmoresPerros just means do a thorough warmup first.  Smile

                               

                              Runners run

                              AmoresPerros


                              Options,Account, Forums

                                By 'careful'  I think old man AmoresPerros just means do a thorough warmup first.  Smile

                                 

                                And I don't come off the line at full power - I'm afraid to start out 100%.

                                It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

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