Bittersweet

The last three weeks, even with the heat cranking up, have been a lot of fun at the weekly track workouts. What used to be “Tuesday Night Track" is now spread out over three days. Monday & Tuesday are Strive workouts coached by Kim Hager, Gena Alvarez & myself. Wednesday is a few good friends that I’m coaching.

Monday – Strive Run Focus (and a couple of triathletes)

Monday’s group did great. The run group was scheduled for a 2 mile time trial. I arrived at the track with temperatures in the mid to high 90’s. After a quick phone consult with Kim, who is out of town enjoying 50 degree mornings for a few more weeks, the workout was adjusted to shorter intervals. The group ran well for the first set of 400’s, and equally well for a couple of 200’s. The last interval was an 800 and the group ran it together. It was beautiful to watch. They are not 12 individuals anymore, they’re a group of friends working out together.

Our two Monday triathletes are very talented runners and they breezed through the workout. On their last 800 they clocked 2:49 and 2:58 running well within themselves. I had a thought during their last lap that was a little bittersweet that I’ll explain later.

Tuesday – Strive Tri Focus (and a couple of runners)

Tuesday is our bigger group of 25 athletes. Gena is a great organizer so we haven’t missed a beat while Kim is out of town…but we’ll sure be glad when she’s back. The “non-calibrated” time and temperature sign on the street read 100 degrees at 6:40pm. I’m sure it wasn’t really 100 but it was intimidating to see. Again, we modified the workout from 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400 taking the middle 1600 out and lengthened the recovery some at the mid point. The group naturally split into two pace groups during the workout and like Monday’s group they worked together, running and supporting each other during the workout. Again it was beautiful to watch the group complete the workout together, and despite the oppressive conditions, they did it easily.

I have a couple runners (Mike C & George R) who can’t run on Wednesdays for a couple more weeks and they completed their workouts perfectly (4 x 400, 2 x 200, 1 x800). Both hit their time goals, Mike finished his last 800 in 2:45…and again…bittersweet to watch. (by the way – I did borrow the workout from Kim this week….thanks Kim)

Wednesday – Friends

Adrienne completed her workout in Huntsville earlier. Her last 800 was a solid 2:40.

Bill C & Melissa K had the same workouts scheduled for 7pm at Knox. Both did great…Bill still tends to overstep his time goals some but did great adjusting after a fast first 400, Melissa is usually dialed right in to the goal pace. (her track background I’m sure) The last 800 was a “best effort” 800 and I did mention the earlier 2:40 posted by Adrienne. Bill ran strong and clocked a 2:39, Melissa 2:59. Both looked great….but again bittersweet to watch.

Bittersweet

Two observations from all the athletes this week are starting to hit close to home…which is a very good thing. They are working together and some are starting to post times that remind me of my past.

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I trained with a group not unlike our current group.

We ran a long run every Saturday morning on the hills of Hwy 149 in Montgomery typically running 18 miles as it was 9 miles between convenience stores and a cold drink.

Coming off the Houston Marathon, after about 3 weeks of easy recovery runs, we would also meet on Wednesday nights for a second longish run of 10-12 miles. As we headed into the summer months we would change to shorter track workouts on Wednesday nights instead of the second longer run. As we got into the cooler months we did longer mile repeats, many at marathon goal pace. We really didn’t know the science of training as well as we do now but looking back we were close to a fairly good plan. We averaged about 60 miles a week.

We really didn’t think we were that fast at the time. We did pick up age group awards fairly regularly in the smaller races. We had a lot of good times over several years we trained together. Of our original group only one still lives in the area but we are all still good friends.

Looking back now…I think we were pretty solid runners. Our marathon times during this time were…Bruce – 2:50, Mario – 2:50 (different races on the same day), Steve H. – 2:42 (never thought he would break 3 hours then he crushed it), Bill H. – 2:36 (finished 9th overall at SA Marathon), Bucky – 2:57, Ralph – 2:53, I was the slow guy at 3:08 but still faster than David – 3:16 (David finished ahead of me in every workout but never beat me in a race...but that’s another story) Yes…I guess we were all pretty fast.

This all ties into the last three weeks of track workout observations.

When my old group trained we ran together for most of every workout. Our typical long run was 18 miles running together for the first 9 miles, probably a 9 minute pace average, very social and comfortable. We would take a 15 minute or so break at a convenience store buying a Gatorade with a soggy couple of dollars, stretch some, talk some, and then start heading back. We would run together to the bottom of “two mile hill” on 149 at about the 12 mile mark of the run then work on our own marathon goal paces up-hill for two miles and then rolling hills for three more miles. Our group would spread out as Bill H. was running 6 something and David would be running almost 8 min miles. The rest of us in-between somewhere. Just past a set of railroad tracks we had painted on the road a 1 mile to go mark. (actually we had painted mile markers along the whole course) When we hit this mark it was go time for a fast mile. Bill H. would run it in the 5:30 range, I would hit it about the same as everyone else between 6:00 and 6:15. We always waited at the finish cheering each other in, celebrating with a big fountain drink after.

(note - we would run a long run of about 12 miles Feb-Mar then build to 18-20 and run 3 long ones for three weeks in a row then race or fall back to 10-12 for one week. It wasn't unusual for us to have 10 or more 20 milers under our belts going into the Houston Marathon)

Track day was much the same. We would meet, usually at Twin Creeks Middle School in Spring, and warm-up slow for about 20-30 minutes. Warm-up was social time and we didn’t keep track of our pace but I would guess we were around 9:30 – 10 min pace. Our favorite summer workouts were either 6 X 800 with a 200 recovery, or 12 x 400 with a standing 2 minute recovery.

Typically we would have about 6 runners at track, 3 or 4 from the group and a couple high school kids. Once warmed up we would really focus on our workout. Again, we were all fairly close in skill level and Bill H did his speed work on the roads and not with us. When running 800’s we would run together for the first 600 before pushing the pace up a tad that would separate the group some but never more than a handful of seconds. We never raced each other…we trained with each other. I looked up one of the workouts in my 1989 log book….”Track Workout, 6 x 800, 200 Rec, 2:39, 2:36, 2:34, 2:36, 2:36, 2:35” . Yes, I guess we were fast, but we really didn’t think of ourselves that way. We were friends working out together and we just expected everyone to run the same…and we did.

Watching Danny & Courtney on Monday, Mike C on Tuesday, seeing Adrienne’s times and watching Bill C & Melissa on Wednesday all run close to my old 800 times brought back a flood of memories.

Watching George easily hit specific time goals that he had questioned his ability to make earlier, seeing the Strive Run Focus group and the Tri Focus groups working together, and encouraging each other in their workouts brought back even more memories.

Not one in the group has a big ego. Everyone works, has fun, and are contributing to the supportive training atmosphere Kim, Gena & I try to maintain. No one thinks of themselves as fast….but they are….and it really doesn’t matter. Were all chasing personal goals, and in an atmosphere like the one I have witnessed the last three weeks many if not all will be achieved in the context of fun and friendship.

Bitter – In a way I wish I could hit a 2:35 for an 800, I still have the memory and it’s as if it was yesterday so that’s a little tough.

Sweet….I see myself in many of our athletes. I know what they are capable of. I lived it. It’s very exciting to see the times near where my old training buddies and I ran and knowing what the future holds. Many goals will be achieved, many friendships formed, many good times had......and they all inspire me as I think about them as I jog through my easy “secret” workouts of 2 – 3 miles….and I’m feeling good about things to come for myself.