Ambitious summer agenda

[SumoRunner]

You should get a Garmin. They are really accurate and will tell you lots of things about your workouts and races.

I'm old school. I just can't see spending $350 on advanced technology for the most primitive activity I do. I run by feel. It took me decades to learn what my body is saying to me in each situation. I can read it's signals very well now.

 

[SumoRunner]

Looks like we're back again. That's a lot of down time for any web site. I haven't done any system admin work in a long time but I'd have been fired from my job if a site was off line that long.

This past week I did the 6th of the track meets. Did OK in the shot put and 800 meter but I was too late for the start of the mile. It was a dismal night, 64F and rainy, so attendance was low and they only had two heats of the mile. I usually get in the 3rd or 4th heat so I thought there was more time. As I was finishing up at the shot, I could see them lining up, so I sprinted across the infield but was only half way there when the gun went off.

I jumped on the track and ran it anyway but they all had several seconds head start on me. The official time was 8:44, don't know what my real time was. No matter, it was a good workout.

Three T&F meets remain but I won't make the final week because I'll be doing two others races that week, so two more tries to crack the 8 minute barrier.

 

[SumoRunner]

T&F meet #8 was tonight. 8:12 mile. It was hot and humid, but that's more or less normal for July. Trouble is, we've had below normal temps all summer so far and I haven't been running in weather this hot. I didn't crack the 8 minute barrier, but it was the second best mile I've done in over ten years.

I have one more week of these meets but I'm beginning to get a little burned out on them. Been running on the track once a week since late March now and it's starting to wear me down. One clue is my morning resting pulse has not been as low as the past several weeks. It's only about 3 beats higher but it may mean I'm not getting enough rest between hard workouts.

 

[Alex B]

Great thread Jack-

This is inspiring to me. I have been pre-op for so long that I haven't been able to run for a year, but my surgery is Monday, so you are keeping me inspired. I'm only 30, and I think I can get my best times ever post-op. How soon were you able to start joggin post-op?

 

[SumoRunner]

How soon were you able to start joggin post-op?

I waited the requisite 6 weeks but there were complications. My lung was partially collapsed in surgery so I didn't have full power until about 12 weeks. At 6 mos I was running road races again.

 

[Alex B]

6 weeks nice, I thought it would be a few months, that's half the time. I know everyone is different, but I'm in pretty good shape right now going into the surgery, so I'm hoping that makes my recovery faster...

 

[SumoRunner]

I haven't reported in for a while. I lost my job last Tuesday, so I skipped the track meet that night. That was enough stress for one day. That was going to be the end of my T&F meets for the year anyway, so my mile best stands at 8:00 which was the goal I set in the beginning.

My second stated goal was a 27-something 5K. I started in the spring at 31 minutes, ran 28:25 a month ago. Today was the Senior's race for ages 60 and over and I was psyched up for it. I let out all the stops and hit 27:29 (8:51 per mile). That's my best 5K since 1995.

There's one final event on my summer agenda, a 5K cross country race tomorrow night. I seldom run races back to back but it's a club grand prix event so I can gather a few points even if I hold back. I'm currently sitting in 8th place of 28 in my age group of that GP series. This is a hilly, rocky, narrow trail, with a water crossing and a slipping sliding muddy embankment course. Not the sort of thing to go all out on anyway.

I've met my goals and I have no other stated goals set for this year, although anything else I do is icing on the cake now. Perhaps getting another job would be a good one.