The Coaching File: What Happened?

For those who wonder, "...what happened to track workouts?"

I've actively coached and/or run in Tuesday and Thursday evening track workouts for nine years, in Gulf Breeze, at Pensacola Junior (now Pensacola State) College, and at the University of West Florida. The local running community has changed a great deal since then; in 2002 there were one or two organized group runs and a couple of ad-hoc run groups, now there are at least a half-dozen social running and training groups. And this does not count the training plans/groups sponsored by the local running emporium.

I enjoy the interaction with runners, working to solve "the training puzzle" which is the individual runner's lifestyle, aspirations, strengths and limitations. And, to hear a couple of my alumni talk, I have had some success...mostly runners who showed with a work ethic, an eighty-percent-solution of a training plan and some self-discipline.

But I've some unfinished personal business, some opportunities which don't step on nearly as many toes in the local running community, and a small degree of guilt that I don't spend as much "quality time" as I would like with the ones I love most. The darkening days made the decision I hoped to never make that much more simple. I talked about the decision with my wife during a weekend race in New Orleans, then announced it not long after: November 22 was the last official track workout of the F.A.S.T. group.

I will still coach individual runners; consulting, laying out training plans, recommending workouts, reviewing form and the like. But these will be "easy jog on the beach" or "sit over a cup of coffee with a notebook" consultations. And the Sunday morning "Breakfast Club" runs are open to all. If you're there, beautiful. If not, that's okay, I still love you. But you're going to miss out on breakfast.

I won't again stand on the side of a track unless I hear demand for speedwork on a Saturday morning or a Saturday afternoon. If (a big IF) that happens you'll see it here, as well as on Facebook.

Track Workout for Tuesday, November 22, 2011

THEME: "The End" - The Beatles

WEATHER: Humid and almost warm.

PARTICIPANTS: MB, Suzanne, Jim, Jimmy(?)

WORKOUT: Warm-up - 2x mile, 10x 100m striders. Set 1 - 8x 160m (fresh), 8x 100m striders. Set 2 - 3x 400m (fresh), 8x 100m striders.

Track Workout for Thursday, November 3, 2011

THEME: "Alone Again (Naturally)" - Gilbert O'Sullivan

CONDITIONS: Almost tough. Temperature 69*/Humidity...yep/Wind 8-10 WNW/Cloudy

PARTICIPANTS: MB, Michelle

WORKOUT:

Warm-up - 2x mile, 10x 100m striders

Set - 6x 500m (100m recovery), goal 1:55-2:05 (done in 2:01, 1:58, 1:59, 1:56, 1:55, 1:54)

NOTE: Original plan was for 7x500; decided to stop while things were going well.

Track Workout for Thursday, October 27, 2011

THEME: "We'll Cross That Bridge When We Get There" - Ward Brothers

CONDITIONS: Nice! Temp - 70*/Wind - minimal/Humidity - 55%

PARTICIPANTS: MB, Jim, Deena

WORKOUT:
Warm-up - 4x 800m parking lot loop, 10x 100m striders
Main set - 9x 400m (100m recovery) - planned 6 @ 1:51, 3 @ 1:42 - actual 1:38, 1:39, 1:38, 1:38, 1:36, 1:34, 1:37, 1:36, 1:34
Cool-down - 400m walk/jog

Track Workout For Thursday, October 20, 2011

THEME: "Land of Confusion" - Genesis (in honor of Jim's Chicago Marathon experience)

WEATHER: Temperature 58*/Wind 6mph W/Humidity 37%

PARTICIPANTS: MB, Jim, Deena

WORKOUT:

Warm-up - 2x 2x parking lot loop, 10x 100m striders

Set - 2x mile, 400m jog recovery (6:41 pace)

Track Workout For Tuesday, October 18, 2011

THEME: "Where, Oh, Where Are You Tonight?" - Buck Owens/Roy Clark

WEATHER: Humid. The last gasps of summer? Temperature 78*/Wind 6mph SW/Humidity 71%/Overcast, few drops of rain at the beginning.

PARTICIPANTS: MB, Jim, Deena

WORKOUT:

Warm-up - 2x 2x800m parking lot loop, 10x 100m striders

Set 1 - 5x 200m (50m recovery) @ "fresh" pace, 400m jog, 8x 100m striders

Set 2 - 4x 350m (50m recovery) @ "fresh" pace, 400m jog, 8x 100m striders

Set 3 - 6x 160m (40m recovery) @ "fresh" pace

Track Workout for Thursday, October 13, 2011

THEME: "I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor

CONDITIONS: Temperature - 77*/Wind - 8mph W/Humidity - 55%

PARTICIPATION: MB, Fawn (back from an extended "bootcamp" hiatus!), Deena, Michelle, Melanie, Sergio

WORKOUT:
Warm-up - 2x mile, 10x 100m striders

Transition Set (Fawn, Melanie, Sergio) - 8x 300m (65m recovery) @ fresh" pace
Sprinter Set (Michelle) - 2x 150m (150m recovery), 300m (100m recovery) - 2-3 sets
Distance Set (MB, Deena) - 3x 1200m (400m recovery) @ 5:30-5:35

Cool-down - 400m walk/jog