Easing Back Into Speedwork at the Track

It's been a couple of months since I've done any real speedwork (shame on me!). What happened was, I went fishing one ill-fated Saturday afternoon. Rather than catching fish, I slipped on a rock getting down to the water and came right down smack dab on my left knee.

That's a sad moment for any runner or triathlete. Although the pain was intense, that wasn't the immediate I focused on. Rather, it was, "Oh no, what are the consequences of this going to be?"

I did have good enough reflexes not to drop my fly rod. Thank God for small favors, eh?

Luckily, it didn't swell. Just a impact lump that lasted for about a week plus some stiffness and limping. Oh, and one hell of a lot of pain every time my wife kicked it in the middle of the night.

"Accidentally," says she.

"Subconscious," says I.

Nevertheless, in about three weeks it felt good enough to tighten up the lacelocks on my running shoes and function test it. Hmm, first run felt fine so I continued to build up the slow mileage. About a week ago, I felt confident enough to try a "mix it up and down" treadmill workout. That went well too.

So late yesterday afternoon, after all the high school kids had gone, I took advantage of the track. I did a nice one mile warm-up and then eased into some mid-range effort 400M repeats. On the last one, I felt a few iliotibial stress twinges on my right knee.

But since I was running the track counter-clockwise, that's to be expected after a lay-off. After all, that wasn't the knee that got used for a shock absorber at the shore.

So today, another easy six or so miles on the Seabrook Trails. And next weekend? Fishing. But this time I'll go out in my Heritage fishing kayak. The water in the bay is very forgiving.

Those Rascally Hash House Harriers

As I was brain-straining for an engaging topic for my page over at Examiner.com, I recalled with fondness the one and only time I hashed. Even though this running niche has spread all over the globe, only a small percentage of runners have ever hashed.

Come to think of it, not that many really understand what it's all about.

There are clubs (kennels) in most metropolitan areas but the collective is known as the Hash House Harriers. The concept began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by a group of British officers. It was basically a hare and hounds concept.

Much of the frivolity went away temporarily during WWII, but the sport was too spunky to go quietly into that long night. Soon, like swine flu, it crept across the globe. As Zippy would say, "Frivolity is a stern taskmaster!"

What makes this kind of running different from trail runs, track meets, and other kinds of running events? Most folks would reply, "Beer, lots and lots of beer."

It's true. There is always beer at the finish line, along with "the circle". The post-run festivities include initiating hash "virgins", re-initiating "re-boots", singing bawdy songs, and slinging insults in a decidedly good humor.

You don't need to have a lot of speedwork training under your belt for these events, but a little hillwork wouldn't hurt. Basic trail running too. Many hashes are on trails, but not all. The hares just need a location where they can lay a confusing trail to try to follow.

Prepare to put a lot of wear and tear on your running shoes if the trail gets into the shiggy.

So if you find yourself in a running rut, shake it up with a hash. It's the most running fun you'll have. Trust me.

Training for Speed

Springtime is the time for jumping back into speedwork training. For most of us, the marathon season is behind us and shorter distances like 5K and 10K races are looming on our collective horizon.

This is best done with a group. That's the key to motivation and inspiration. Plus, the local high school track can get pretty boring all by yourself. A side benefit of shocking the system with high intensity training is boosting the immune system. Who wants a case of that stinkin' swine flu anyway?

The only thing I need pork for is breakfast and dinner.

Ease into speedwork with moderate effort tempo runs or shorter distance intervals. Here's what's on my plate next:
3 sets of
2 X 100m
2 X 200m
1 X 400m
All this preceeded and followed by stretching exercises.

Judging from experience garnered over the past 10 years, this is the time to get to it; before the real summer heat sets in. Acclimatization rules.