So, once upon a long *ss f*cking time ago, YHC ran Cross Country and Track back in High School. I wasn’t a particularly strong runner back then…in fact, one could easily call me a “lazy” runner. Probably the laziest of the lot. The meat and potatoes workout was the daily after school eight miler. Coach and the team would set out on those day after day after friggin’ day…right after roll, stretch, and warm up drills. I remember many a time ducking out of this workout as soon as Coach splintered off. I didn’t want to spend my afternoons running all over creation…I wanted to go hang out with my girl or my buddies, or chill. Two-a-days? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. And man, oh man, did I ever dread speed and hill days. There was never any ducking out of those. Nope. Coach stayed for the duration…I suppose to make sure clowns like myself would not cut it short. I did quite enjoy the team spaghetti dinners, though. Don’t recall ever cutting those short.
Fast forward to now, though, and you get an entirely different picture. I train with a dogged determination. I am a man on a mission. Rain, shine, sleet, snow…horrendously muggy summer slogs…I stick to my training plan. Now that no one is on my case and checking over my shoulder, I wouldn’t even dream of ducking out early or cutting my workout short. In fact, I am obsessive-compulsive to a fault…to the point of neglecting all-important recovery days. Yeah, I get my miles, no question. Here’s the thing though. I think back on my performance back in High School, and my times blow away anything I do today. Like, we are talking not even close. One huge milestone for me right now is a sub-20 minute 5K. What was once a total given now seems so epically far out of reach (my adult life PR is 20:52, and that was like two years ago when I trained exclusively for shorter, road based races). Honest, nowadays, I am thrilled when I can manage to break 22, 23. Back in High School, a 22, 23 minute 5K would put me DFL. I would be Coach’s whipping boy for an entire week.
Turns out, surprise, surprise, surprise, that if you want to race fast, well, you gotta train fast. And speed work is just plain anathema to me. As I often say, “time on feet…hey, that’s a treat. But speed, well, that I don’t need…” Well, not gonna make that excuse today, boys. Today, I am reaching way back to grab a page from my Cross Country days for a speed based workout for endurance runners. That’s right, brothers. Today, this geezer is going Giza.
INTRO
Foggy, cool ish, warm ish morning. Odd. A bit of a drizzle. Arrived to an empty parking lot. Decided to run a lap or two to work out some lingering soreness and lactic acid in the quads (Did the Cadre Rooney WOD on Sun…crusher on the legs. Still feeling the effects).
Soon after starting on my warm up lap, I see a figure making his way down to the track…it’s Vandelay…ran up to Hooker Field from down by Berryhill…d*mn strong. After a couple laps, decide to go back up to the lot to greet the guys coming in. Run into Ito (who also ran to the AO…am I the only one that drives to these workouts???) who is here to welcome a buddy who is in town on business. Soon, more guys start filing in, including our visitor, Easy Rings, from F3 Charlotte Metro. As time nears, we take it down to the field.
0530. Circle up. 11 strong. Good group today. Short preview of the game plan…and we are off “and running.” Haha…
WARM UP
400 Meter Run (1 Lap)
Circle Up
Stretch Series
- Deep Lunge, Hip Flexor (R/L)
- Hamstring, Calf Stretch
- Toe Touches (L/Mid/R)
- Frankensteins (Monster Walks)
- Knee Ups
- Walking Quad Stretch
Drills
- High Knees
- Butt Kickers
- Grapevines (Cariocas) (L/R)
- Marches
- Bounds
MAIN EVENT
Game Plan for today is a Speed Pyramid Workout:
- 400 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
- 800 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
- 1200 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
- 1600 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
- 1200 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
- 800 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
- 400 Meter Hard, followed by 400 Meter Recovery
Strong work by the Brothers Goat – way to crush the pyramid! YHC was unable to get the last round of 400 due to time constraints (oh, the shade of when many of you all’s recovery laps were faster than YHC’s speed laps! #humbled).
Had PAX circle up at the StartEx. U.S. distance runner and Olympian Kara Goucher once stated that every run workout should end with strides. This ensures the fast twitch muscles always get worked. It is sage advice that I have tried to stick to in my personal training.
- 30 Meter Strides, AYG, x6 (with various 5 and 10 Counts for recovery between sets)
Mary
- Flutter Kicks, x30 IC
- Leg Raises, x25 Single
- LBCs, x20 IC
BOM/COT
Announcements
- Draper: Chapel Hill, 2ndF lunch today @ Noon. Jersey Mike’s. Need to double check to see if the Chapel Hill OWASA situation is still in effect (yesterday there was a busted water main that prompted a boil water advisory for the CH-C area). Check Slack 2ndF channel for update as to whether today is a go or not.
- Appomatox: Reminder to get out and vote today.
Name-o-Rama
- Welcome F3 Charlotte Metro brother Easy Rings. Thanks for joining us today.
BOM
YHC took us out in a prayer of gratitude and thanks for all that we are blessed with and enjoy, including our health and well being, and for the brotherhood and fellowship we enjoy. Let us be a light upon the world around us, and guide us to others who may benefit from this organization.
Grateful for the opportunity to serve this morning @ The Goat. Great AO with Great PAX and leadership. Truth, I have never been a big fan of speed work, although I know it is a critical component to the overall training plan. Appreciate the support and push I received from the Brothers Goat this morning. Really enjoyed getting the chance to spend time in the gloom with you all. Truly awesome group of HIM. Also very much appreciate the well wishes for my race this weekend. Hope to rep Churham well. Until next time, aye!