Monday night I received an email from Kermitt Bentham to say that Fran Scott, a fellow M45 400m runner, had lost his battle with liver cancer.
Fran was a true gentleman, on and off the track, and he will be missed by all of us.
Last time I saw Fran was on the podium at the world championships in Italy.
He ran the first leg in the 4x400m relay and set us up for a great win.
Here's the report in Masters News - An American Master's blog.
49 is no age to go. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
We'll miss you Fran.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sad loss of a great athlete
Monday, February 25, 2008
British indoor championship 2008
Decided not to do any more training in the lead up, just yoga sessions Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Difficult to get properly prepared for the race as I'm flying to the US on Sunday and my mind isn't totally focused on the race.
My target is still sub 54 (remember Howard's prediction).
Two hours drive up to Picketts Lock, but well worth the effort, the sports complex is superb. Six lane, 200m track, with a six lane 100m warm up track that overlooks the main areana.
Warmed up for the heat. Lots of good quality athletes. Including the British record holder, Darrell Maynard, who hasn't competed for a few years.
I'm in the easiest heat and win fairly comfortably in 54.8 from the front. Difficult to judge anything at this point. The next heat Darrell wins in 52 ahead of Tony Noel, Nick Grewcock and Neil Tunstall (hurdles WC).
I had lane 6 (the outside) for the final as I was second slowest qualifier. Not ideal as I wouldn't see anyone for a while and its the toughest lane to break from at the 150 mark.
Got to 100m and Darrel and Tony were storming and already ahead of me despite the lane stagger. At the break I was 4th.
Managed to squeeze into third before the bend and got up onto Tony's shoulder. Attacked on the back straight, but Tony wouldn't let me past. so had to settle back behind him on the final bend. Into the last 100 I felt I was gaining on him and just clipped his heels (so he knew I was there). Came off the bend and turned on the speed, flowing to the line to get a silver in 53.77. bang on my target time, so very pleased.
Darrel Maynard won in 51.11, a new British and European record (he was disappointed it wasn't a World record as well) - he then retired! Talk about going out on a high
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tapering week for British champs
After a good session Saturday morning it's a week of easing off before the big one at the weekend.
Complete rest on Sunday and Monday (although did manage to tweak a muscle in my back cleaning the shower door - how bizarre is that?)
Tuesday down the track with the intention of a light, fast session.
Got to the track and it was freezing, literally, with the first bend coned off to keep us off the ice. My plan was for a few fast 100s, focus on flowing style, but that wasn't going to happen in the conditions.
Instead I joined in with my group doing 16x300 with 100m jog recovery. Cranking them out in under 60 seconds. I did the first 4, took a rest, then did 3, rest one, then another 3. The goal being to feel good all the way, not going into any sort of debt
Pretty much succeeded, back feeling OK, right calf a bit tight, otherwise all in working order.
Will try to get one more short sharp session in later in the week.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
One step back, two steps forwards.
After a second tough week of training (endurance the first week, speed the second) I'm getting pretty tired and, dare I say it, starting to lose the faith. Fortunately a rest day on Friday (with a little bit of yoga to sooth the soul) and a change of approach today seems to have inspired me again. Started the morning with the third yoga session of the week, then headed to the track.
My main concern was that despite all the endurance work I'd put in over the winter, when I switched to speed I found that whilst the basic speed is there, the ability to maintain it over a few sets is not. Tuesday's 200 session was fine for the first 2, but the last 2 were tough, Thursday's 300s were the same.
So today I opted for a 400, 300, 200 session - full speed and, on Tony's recomendation, full recovery (about 15 mins). The weather was bright, but cold and a slight wind on the back straight. The track was full off top athletes, Euan Thomas making a comeback, Rob Tobin, Emma Duck, Rob Lewis (to name a few) so no place to hide :)
Did the 400 in 56, the 300 in 42 and the 200 in 26 (all rounded down). All bang on target.
The important thing was to prove to myself that the basic speed is still there and is repeatable.
Nex week is the British indoors, I have the 400 heats at 1.40 and the final at 5pm, so plenty of time to recover in between. Gut feel says a 54/55 in the heat will be enough to get through (although I'll have to be careful as the final is graded based on heat times). Ultimate target is sub 54 in the final. I think today's times show that is achievable. So I'm happy again.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The need for even more speed endurance
Wednesday was primarily a rest day - just a light run with the Mountbatten girls at 7.30am with the temperature at minus 3 degrees. Apparently it was my fault that everyone turned up in T-shirts and shorts, except for me who had four layers on.
Tonight I thought cranking out another speed session would be a good idea. It wasn't.
Fairly cold, but little wind on the track.
3x300m with 5 mins recovery
44,44,48 First 2 runs not too bad (although from Tuesday's times I should have been doing low 40s) but by the end of the second I was really feeling it. The third was just a slog. Desperately hanging on in the last 100m.
I'll keep at this. Try another of these sessions on Saturday and then taper off next week.
Maybe a hill session tomorrow, but easing off the speed a bit.
The need for Speed...
Tuesday morning 30 mins of yoga, I think I'm getting the hang of it.
Evening track session. Very cold. Tony Noel (my Masters 400m buddy) is working in Southampton for a few weeks so we did a speed session together. 4x200m, full on, 5 minutes rest. target 26/27 seconds each run.
Tony is one of the most effortless, elegant runners you will see in masters. Most of my training group are in awe watching him glide around with me in tow.
First rep, 26.8 feeling OK. second in 26.0 and flying. Third, starting to tire, 26.4. By the start of the 4th I am shot. That woolly hat feeling kicks in, arms and legs tingling. Did the 4th in about 39 with very little umph.
Overall very pleased with the speed, but interesting that with all the endurance work I've been doing I couldn't maintain the speed over 4 reps. It probably means its the speed/endurance work I'm missing. Basic speed is good (26 for 200 equates to about 54/55 for the 400), just need to be able to do it over multiple reps.
Will try to do a couple more of these sessions before the British masters.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Next target - British Masters Indoors
Two weeks to go to the British Indoors. I've entered the M45 400. My goal is to run sub 54 seconds. Not sure how many races there will be. Its a 6 lane track and I'm hoping at least Tony Noel , Neil Tunstall , Fran Scott and Kermitt Bentham will be there. All good runners to make it a fast race.
Coach Howard reckons 54.2 is realistic, 53.7 would be very good.
He's challenged me to prove him wrong :)
I'll spend the next 2 weeks dong more speed work to build on the strength base.
Hills, Hurdles, more hills and mud
Great end to the week, not exactly what I'd planned but some excellent base work.
Hills, a two hour hurdle session, CC6, 4 miles in the mud
Friday kicked off with 30 mins of yoga and finished with the Harriers hill session around Romsey.
A couple of strides up Campion way to warm up, then to Richmond hill for some speed endurance work.
First one in 77 secs, jog down then 68 for the second. Approaching summer speed.
On to Durban, first in 20, second in 22. Good pace, but tiring on the last.
Managed a slow jog home (about a mile and a half). Legs too tight to sprint up Botley rd.
Just before the hills I got an email from my Hurdles coach in Swindon - the weather's good - fancy some hurdling?
Even though the legs were tired you don't turn down a hurdling session with Howard.
Two hours focusing on the first 8 hurdles. Trying to get the right stride pattern. Coach worked out that I was losing half a second between hurdles 5 and 7. doesn't sound like much, but I lost the world champs by the same amount, so its worth working on.
By the time the CC6 arrived on Sunday morning (9.30!). I was shot. Race plan, knowing it was going to be hilly and muddy was to hang in there and finish without getting cramp.
Managed to get round in one piece in 20th place - behind 2 Harriers, Ian and Mark.
Definitely need a rest day tomorrow.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Weights and hills
Wednesday evening I squeezed in a 40 minute gym session in the garage. Chin ups and squats where the order of the day. Would have liked to do more, but probably a sensible compromise following Tuesday's session.
Thursday, down to the track for some more hills. 21 minutes to do 8 reps up and down the 300m hill we use. Fast up, very slow down. Fatigue kicks in on about the third rep, especially in the last 50m. By 7 it just hurts the whole way up.
Still think this is one of the best sessions you can do - 20 minutes of effort is pretty good value.
Over a long hill like this you can tap into pure speed in the first 100m, then speed endurance for the rest. As you tire you are teaching the legs to cope with the lactic build up. Do this for a few weeks and you'll never fear a hill in a race again.
Remember - Hills are our friends....
Coaching lesson
Learned a few good lesson this week.
- Listen to your athletes - they know what's best for them
- Its easier to change yourself than it is to change a group of athletes
I've been struggling trying to enthuse my group of Mountbatten girls on a Wednesday morning. Every week we all turn up at 7.30am with the intention of doing a 25 minute run around Romsey. But the last few weeks have been increasingly frustrating as we spend more time moaning about injuries, the wrong footwear and why can't we run somewhere else.
Tuesday I asked Poppy what the solution was. She was very clear - 'Dad, you need to change your attitude'. 'You're too nasty'. Not the answer I was expecting, but on reflection she had a point. My frustration with the group meant I was always shouting at them all the time. Not ideal if your trying to get the best out of them.
So I gave it a go and changed my attitude. We did a mystery tour of Romsey, a couple of miles on paths they hadn't seen before - and I was nice to them. And guess what - they were good as gold - probably the best run they've done so far.
As my coach says: 'It's the athlete that makes the coach, not the coach that makes the athlete'.
More.....
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Wind, Rain, 200s - Bring it on...
Spent Monday moping around and whining about a stiff neck and a sore head. A triple garlic and ginger juice sorted that.
Up early Tuesday for an invigorating yoga half hour. Down the track in the evening.
20x200m with 30 secs recovery.
200s are my favourites, you can run them at a fair pace without getting completely exhausted.
My group have been averaging 80 seconds for 400m for all of our sessions, so I aimed for 39s for the 200s. The wind was very strong against us in the home straight (and bizarrely very strong with us in the back straight). So we adjusted the target to 39/40, with the second one into the wind slightly slower.
30 seconds rest is just enough to catch your breath and make sure the rest of the group is still standing.
The first couple are always the toughest to gauge, so we cranked them out at 40 seconds. Once into the swing of it our times started to come down. Averaging 38/39, with a best of 37.
Last one in 36.
Fortunately the rain arrived with about 5 to go - excellent fun.
First time out in spikes, so ran a lot on my toes. Calves pretty sore by the end.
Overall, great session - it's sessions like this, on nights like this that medals are won.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Squabb wood
Saturday morning 7.30am - its cold and clear. Perfect for an 8 mile slow run around Squabb wood. Ideal conditions, bit of mud and puddles full of ice cold water.
Relatively slow run (just over 75 mins) but good to get a few miles in the tank.
To the Hills.....
Friday morning is the usual yoga session. 30 mins of stretching.
The evening brings the Harriers weekly mountaineering trip. This week I focused more on all out speed rather than endurance. So quick times were more important than finishing the reps.
First couple of hills are the wiggly path on Campion drive - just a warm up, so no clock on them.
Next up the long run - Richmond drive - about 400m, with a steep climb in the last 100m.
First run in 77 sec, not really focused and dodging cars on the way up, so not as fast as it should be.
Second run 69 sec. That's more like it. Approaching summer times.
On to Durban - short and sharp. 20 sec for the first one - flying. 21 for the second. Very pleased, but completely out of energy. Walked home a skipped the last hill.
Very pleased with the runs I did. Need to be in fair shap for the 400m indoors at the end of Feb, so this is a good marker.
Swiss ball for core strength
I've just got myself a swiss ball for sitting on and doing balance work.
£3.99 form Aldi in Romsey - what a bargain.
Here some background info on swiss balls.
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