Skip to main content

Funtime

1975 Track photo

I found this photo in my box of track memories and this was the state of the art of track wear in 1975.  A little singlet  and the billowing lightweight pants with your jock strap underneath.  I would probably cry if I had to wear this today.  I need the modern systems that support the calves, hips and upper body.  I do not miss wearing this stuff.  And the shoes were just really starting any sort of development, they were still awful. Time marched on and I am really glad!
 
I have been adding some additional core work to get the waist a little trimmer.  It is helpful, as is the fresh garden veggies that we have been eating for a couple of weeks.  Beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers, carrots and cukes are all plentiful and we are enjoying picking and eating them.  The fence I put up last winter is keeping the deer out and we can keep our veggies instead of feeding the wildlife. Another big help on the core and recovery (my fitness) has been adding some longer runs.  Last night I started with a 6 minute 1200 meter run, followed by a 800 meter in 3:40 with 9 minutes rest between the runs.   My pace in the 1200 was slow enough to keep my heart rate below 95% and is easy on my feet.  The long runs are keeping me in a fat burning zone longer during my work outs and the scale and tape are showing the results.   Long term a 36 inch waist and 195 pound weight are the real targets that I can achieve.  I am around 37 and 197 now.
 
 
I have been doing a couple of these longer run cycles per week and I may add some more.  They are pretty easy on my body at this point.  I have been wearing some Saucony Guide 9 shoes which are light and have a great cushion in the toe where I can really feel the bounce.  I have enjoyed these shoes since I got my first pair a month ago. I have struggled with shoes since New Balance  did the next series of their 880 V5 shoe with a different sole.  I hope Saucony will keep this sole around for a while, they make training a lot more fun.   Speaking of fun, last night I enjoyed my track time about as much as I did in high school.  High school training was a lot of fun for me, we would work hard and do our share of screwing around in practice. We had  5 or 6 real runners and some kids on the team.   Last night, it has really hot and we had a really quick storm come through.  After the storm, I headed to the track for my session.  It had cooled to around 70 degrees and was really nice.  I wore some sleeves to stay warm and put on some Go Go's for music and warmed up.  Once I got to running on the 1200 and 800, it was a lot of fun and very satisfying.  It felt like I was getting better--I think I could feel the improvement.  Maybe it was the ozone in the air after the storm, who knows?  But, I was having some real fun.
 
 
After doing my distance running, I thought I would do a little faster stuff and cracked off a 32 second 200 with absolutely no effort and ran a 100 meter curve in the 15 second range.  I felt great and really strong. It appears I can recovery much quicker than before and still have the speed to get the job done.   I did some slower cool downs and headed home for dinner
 
I am registered for the Michigan Senior Games  that are a one day show at Oakland University near Detroit.  Linda is going travel with me and she will be my lead cheerleader as usual. That event is Saturday August 13.   August 13 will be my real test of the latest edition of my training.  If the early indications continue, I should be very competitive.   And who wants to have fun with a loser? ï»¿

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jump Ahead

 Hello to all the faithful readers out there is the ethernet.  As you know, I have been dealing with an issue with a pinched nerve in my back that has been affecting my right leg strength.  My leg strength is back to 85% according to the squat machine at the gym.  I use the type of machine that has belt around your waist and you hook up to an arm that connections to the weight rack. This machine does no put any weight on my lower back and allows for leg strength development.  Progress has been made and I am also running a couple days a week at the Pettit Ice Center in West Allis as well.   Things are coming along.    About 6 weeks ago I began doing weekly pilates classes.   The pilates has been very helpful in generating flexibility and strength in  my lower body.   The sessions are around one hour and they are very intense and I am enjoying the improvement in my body strength and movement. I plan on continuing these ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Really Important Information

I participated in the USATF Masters Indoor National meet last weekend in Winston-Salem, NC.   It was good meet for me and I will add the details of the results in another post later this week.  What I want to reflect on here is the quality of people in that building.   I am just so impressed with the high level of competition and caring for each other that goes on for 3 days.  Hug and Cry Area for Awards  There were around 1000 competitors for the event, and with families and officials, generally 500 to 2000 people were in the building during the times the track was open. It was not completely full at JDL Fast Track, but a really good crowd. North Carolina passed some very hateful and just plain repressive legislation a few years back concerning rest room usage and anything that did not meet the "hateful Jesus" religion that they were  promoting.   The NBA pushed back and moved their All Star Game location and I think this may hav...
3 comments
Read more

Race Day Again

Finally, we get to race again! As many of you know, I was injured last April 4, 2024. I had a disk at L4 vertebra collapse and pinch a nerve in my back that caused over half of my lower leg strenth to disappear. I had a lot of atrophy in my right leg quad and I have been recovering ever since. I am close to 100% on strength and the right leg looks like it is very close to normal size again, but it has been a battle. I have been working in the gym, doing pilates again and also running. All of these things must be done in balance so you can get the proper rest and recover. I still do full body massages every two weeks and I also have been working with a Cox Technique Chiro since the injury on a weekly or biweekly basis. The chiro has gotten me stretched back out and the pressure off the nerve, that treatment has been the real source of healing in my opinion. MY normal doctor was not any help, but this is not what normal doctors do--naturally healing. The first meet of 202...
Post a Comment
Read more