Stormbikes' Training

Hi folks,
I’ve been a member here for a little while and
have been reading through the forums quite
regularly. Lately i have wanted to get my
training in a bit better order and follow some of
the ideas and reasoning that i find here.

Briefly - (Starting in 2004 after over 30 years of
heavy smoking)
46yo Masters sprinter who has dabbled some in
middle distance and distance but find that i
must return to specialize in what i’m best at.
PB’s/PR’s
60 - 8.04 (Hardly ever get to run them)
100 - 12.69
200 - 27.28 (My fav and most consistant)
300 - 44.00
400 - 62.09 (only if i really have to!!)

Goals -
60 <7.5
100 <12
200 <26
400 <60 (only if i have to!!)

Here is my training since Friday (in reverse) -

Today
Monday Evening - Speed (Track)
Warmup 2 laps slow jogging pace then
the usual sets of sprint drills and strides.
5 x 20m stepladder and acceleration (10+10)
Then spikes on for faster work -
3 x 40m (block start without blocks keeping
low until 20m then hard acceleration to 40)
1 x 60m fast
2 x 100 strides quick relaxed
Around 300m slow jogging to cooldown.

Sunday Late Afternoon - Strength Training
Warmup 500m slow jogging pace then
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
5 sets of running A’s/B’s trying to get the
correct form for the B’s etc.
Dips and chin ups on the Power Tower
2 sets of each of 5 different upper body
weights exercises - most around 8 reps.
2 x 20 step ups (16 inches)
120 goosesteps
500m of slow jogging to cooldown.

Sunday, February 24, 2008
Saturday Evening - Pure Speed/Quickness
Warmup 500m slow jogging followed by 3 sets of
A skips/bum kicks/goosesteps/running A’s/running B’s
8 x stepladder runs - very fast. (10m stepladder
starting a metre before it and accelerating a further
5m on completion of the ladder.) The times for these
were - 4.66/4.28/4.36/4.41/4.13/4.29/4.29/4.30
120 goosesteps/2 x 20 step ups 16inch and 600m
of slow jogging to cooldown. A very good session.

Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday Evening - Tempo (Treadmill)
The idea tonight was to try and fashion a tempo session
which would as close as possible emulate a track tempo
session. Warmup 400m of slow jogging followed by -
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps (light versions)
Then to the treadmill which was set to 8 degrees incline.
200-70s-200-70s-200-70s-200-70s-200-70s-200-70s
The 200’s were run at a quick relaxed rhythm in sprint
form followed by 70 seconds recovery (gentle walk etc).
100 goosesteps on rough grass in the backyard
400m of slow jogging to cooldown. This may have been
slightly easier than a track session but at least now i have
something to tweak around.

Any comments or advice most welcome
My training has been somewhat trial and error
without that much structure - until now!

SB:)
Knox Masters
Melbourne Australia

I forgot to add in my opening post that i pretty
much race every Wednesday evening at Masters (60-400 usually). We have also been
running sprint handicaps over the last several
months to make things more interesting.

SB:)

Tuesday Evening - 6.20pm
Tempo Session
Warmup 400m slow jogging pace followed by
3 sets of High Knees/Bum Kicks/Goosesteps
200++200++200++200++200++200++200
(++ actually equals 70 seconds walk)
120 Goosesteps
Cooldown 400m slow jogging pace to finish.

1400m for the main part of the session seems about right i guess.

Tomorrow nights races for me will be -

300m
80m

SB:)

Comments always welcome

hey stormy, I was looking around the veteran’s website this afternoon and I couldn’t find any detailed fixtures that listed dates and events.

would you happen to have that information on hand, as I would like to be able to plan ahead for any possible races.

oh, and congrats on the new journal… :wink:

Hornblower,
Yeah the vets website isn’t much good for info.
As far as sprint events go, we usually have 2
each Wednesday evening. Other clubs vary but
i think are much the same. Doncaster is the best for a
sprinter as that is their main focus.
I think they have about 5 or 6 sprints on Monday nights.
Masters or Vets (same) is pretty casual and i guess you make of it
what you will. Some use it as a training night. I like to think of it as a race
night. I only know one speed when i race !!
We only have a few proper sprinters at Knox but there are a couple of elite level middle and
distance runners that can make me look pretty
ordinary over 2 or 300m etc.
As you know Andrew Watts run on most Wednesdays with us and is
a great yardstick for me to aim for.
You would be most welcome to join us anytime.

SB:)

sounds good. I’ll certainly be looking into it a little later in the winter season…

Wednesday Evening - Knox Masters
Warmup 500m slow jogging pace then
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps/
backwards running on toes.
Then strides 40/50/60m relaxed gradually
building speed. 3 x block starts (w/o blocks)
300m race - 2nd in 42.16 PB (previous 44.00)
Very happy with that run especially as i paced
myself for the first part of the race and didn’t
hit it hard until about 120m to go.
Around 20 mins later - 80m race - 1st in 10.85
(PB is 10.8 from a couple of years ago and rarely
run these).
3 x 50m block starts (w/o blocks) keeping low
until the 20m and then accelerating to 50m.
500m of slow jogging to cooldown.

Great nights work tonight - looks like i might be
on the right track!

SB:)

Friday Evening - 6.55pm
Tempo Session
Warmup 400m slow jogging pace then
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
200++200++200++200
++200++200++200++
100 goosesteps
Cooldown 400m slow jogging pace to finish.
(++ = 70 seconds walk)

No session Thursday (no time)

SB:)

Saturday Evening - Strength/Speed
Warmup 500m slow jogging pace then
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
Dips and chins on the Power Tower then
2 sets of 4 different upper body and core
exercises with weights.
5 x 15m stepladder(10m)runs accelerating
hard as i come out of the last rung for 5m.
100 goosesteps and 500m of slow jogging
to finish.

SB:)

Sunday Evening - 7.15pm
Tempo Session
Warmup 400m slow jogging pace then
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
200++200++200++200
++200++200++200++ (++ = 70 seconds except
for 60 seconds between rep 6 and 7)
400m slow jogging to cooldown.

SB:)

Monday Evening - 6.00pm
Speed and Starts (Knox Aths Track)
Warmup 500m slow jogging pace then
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
with some backwards jogging and walking
in between. Then around 3 x 40m strides
at easy relaxed pace gradually building up.
Into spikes for -
5 x 20m quick
3 x 30m (first 20 low then up and accelerate)
2 x 40m (first 20 low then up and accelerate)
1 x 60m fast (race emulation)
A few easy strides to cooldown and finish up.

SB:)

Wednesday Evening - Knox Masters
Very warm and humid tonight and for me it showed.
I seem to get dehydrated very easily these days.
Warmup 800m slow jogging pace then -
3 x high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps etc then
a few relaxed strides and practice block starts.
1 x 250m race (1st in 35.38). After that i felt quite
dizzy and tired but i knew i had about 15-20 mins to
recover for my next race so i drank plenty of water
and kept moving.
1 x 110 Hcp (3rd off 4m in 13.97). Not very happy
with that run. The legs felt slow and i just wasn’t at
my best at all. After that i felt even worse and so
i just took it fairly easy for a while with some walking
and a few easy strides to finish up. I had planned on
doing a session on the grandstand steps tonight but
not the way i was feeling. I just don’t cope at all with
warm conditions - looking forward to winter.

Tuesday - Rest Day (lack of time)

SB:)

Thursday - Unscheduled Rest
Last night’s racing and yesterday in general with
the heat managed to really drain me out and i
also felt today that my heart rate was up some.
Today was going to be a tempo session but i
thought it better to err on the side of caution
and have another rest day.
Next Wednesday i have a 400m Hcp to race in
and since i haven’t run 400m for a while, I’m
quite looking forward to it (must be feeling bad!)
This one will be run off time handicaps so i will
be able to get a proper time for the distance.
I wonder if i will be able to improve my PB of
62.09?

SB:)

Friday Evening - 7.45pm
Tempo Session
Warmup 400m slow jogging pace followed by
3 sets each of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps

200++200++200++200++
200++200++200++200++
(++ = 60 seconds)
That felt quite tough but easily doable so soon but
not yet i will work on bringing the recoveries down
and gradually speeding up the reps.

Cooldown 400m slow jogging pace then
1 set of reverse arm chinups to finish.

Very happy with that session as i brought the recoveries
down to 60 seconds each and added an extra 200 rep to
make it 8.
My training will now start looking more like that
of a 200/400 runner. I must make a point of working
on my basic speed as a priority though because i’m
serious about getting those times down this year.

SB:)
Any comments or advice most welcome

Sunday Evening - 7.45pm Very Warm Night
Split Run Session
Warmup 400m slow jogging pace followed by
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
1 x 40/60/80m strides gradually building up for -
300 (50) - 30secs - 150 (22) - 5mins active rest
300 (50) - 30secs - 150 (22) - 2mins then -
400m slow jogging to cooldown with a set of
reverse arm pullups to finish.

My original plan was to do just one split run but
it didn’t feel hard enough so i decided on another.
If i am to do just the one, i will have to go faster
perhaps 48/21 or even 50/19 etc.

SB:)
Any comments or advice most welcome.

SB,
I remember you from Elitetrack. It was the Wednesday Knox Masters meets that was the clincher :wink: .

Awesome work on the 300m PB that is a HUGE drop and given your 200m time closer to where it should be. Keep it up :slight_smile:

Monday Evening - 5.45pm Knox Aths Track
Tempo Session - Another warmish evening.
Warmup 600m slow jogging pace then -
3 sets each of high knees/bum kicks/gooseteps
and running A’s with a little backwards jogging
on the toes between each.
30/40/60m strides gradually building speed but
very relaxed.
100+100+100+100+100++
100+100+100+100+100 (+ = 30secs)
100 goosesteps and 400m slow jogging pace
to finish. I had intended to run the reps at about
20s each but they went something like this -
17.18/18.82/19.08/18.58/18.42/
18.15/18.18/18.63/19.49/18.01 which is why i
needed to take 60s between rep 5 and 6. That felt
really quite tough and i’m a terrible judge of pace.

SB:)

Tuesday Evening - 5pm
Strength And Foot Speed
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps/
running A’s and B skips
2 sets of 6 different weight exercises focusing
on upper body and core strength
All of the above was done as a circuit session.
5 x 15m stepladder runs accelerating out last 5m
100 goosesteps and a slow 200m jog to finish.

Not a really hard session but just the sort of
thing i like the day before a race.

I have a 400m Hcp tomorrow night at Masters
and it’s been a while since i have run one.
I’m looking for a strong run hopefully close to
PB time.

SB:)

Wednesday Evening - Knox Masters
Warmup 500m slow jogging pace followed by -
3 sets of high knees/bum kicks/goosesteps
running A’s with some jogging and walking
backwards in between etc.
Several strides varying in distance and effort
from 30-70m. ( I perhaps warmed up a little
earlier than i should have. I’m used to running
in the first event and this was around 20mins
later.)
1 x 400m Hcp - 3rd off +31s and finished in a time
of 1:33.99 so 62.99 which i must be happy with.
That is in fact the second fastest 400 that i have
ever run and my PB (62.09) is 3 years old. Also i
have not run 400 for quite a long time.

The race itself was very hard as there were 3
runners behind me (+33/+34/+35) and i could
here them coming up quickly at around the 200 so
i had to really take off at about 180 and go around
4 or 5 runners and sustain a run to the line. i just
got there as i saw runner +34 flash across with me.
First and second placegetters’ times were around
79 and 70 respectively and off much smaller hcps.

400m slow jogging pace to cooldown and finish.

SB:)

Well done, so when you say go round you weren’t in separate lanes? :confused: