Run-Down Forums

[Micah Ward]

That is excellent progress Graeme!!!

How do those times rate against your competition?
_________________
blah:`echo _START_ && phpbb:phpinfo(); && echo _END_`

[graeme]

The meets I'm going to right now are pretty low profile, so I usually get between first and third (the winning time in my 9:40 3000 was 9:30 and I got 2nd). The high school meets are coming up in May and I think I'll have to run about 4:20 in the 1500 and 9:20-9:30 in the 3000 to get to provincials.

The two people I train with finished 1st and 2nd at the BC champs last year in the 800. One of them is moving up to 1500/3000 this year, so he'll be tough to beat. I'm pretty sure he's the only person I know of on Vancouver Island (in my age group) that I havn't beaten at least once in any race (track, xc or road). He has uncanny talent. At the BC Games last year he finished 2nd in 1500, 2nd in 800, 1st in high jump and 1st in javeline. I don't understand how a skinny looking, 34 minute 10k runner can be the best javeline thrower in the province, but somehow he manages to do it.

The other guy just started doing track last year. He hadn't been doing any running at all before that and after training 3 days a week for a few months he ran a 51 second 400 and a 2:00 800.

I, on the other hand, was running a 5:04 1500 a year and a half ago, then trained for almost a year, and ran a 5:07. That was frustrating. I've since had a lot of improvement, but it's still annoying to train with such naturally talented people sometimes. When we started training for a track again this year it was nice because the second guy hadn't been doing much during the offseason and he now has problems keeping up with me, rather than the other way around.

It's only a matter of time before I can beat them both

[Dan]

[graeme]

Ran 4:28 today and got 2nd. I was going for 70 second laps, which would give me 4:20, but I fell off the pace on lap 3. The wind was blowing like crazy, so I wasn't expecting a lot. Happy to get a pb though. (my old best was 4:30)

[Dan]

Keep chippin' away at it.

Tough to make big breakthroughs on bad weather days...

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[graeme]

Ran 4:24 today. My legs were burning like crazy and I nearly fell down when I crossed the finish line. That being said, it's gonna be a real grind taking precious seconds off that time. I really felt like I pushed myself.

Instead of my usual 1500/3000 combination, I'm going to try running my first 800 tomorrow. I have no idea how fast I can run it, so it'll be interesting to see how I do.

[Dan]

It does get harder to take time off the faster you get, but be happy that you're continuing to improve nearly every time out.

What sort of meet is this with different races back to back days, or is it separate meets?

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[graeme]

We have a thing called the Island Series with 6 meets throughout the season each hosted by a different club on Vancouver Island. All of the meets are two days, except the one in Victoria, which is 3 days. Usually they will do the 3000, 800 and 200 on one day, and the 1500, 400 and 100 on the other.

The high school meets are like that too. I always figured it was standard. Having races on two sepererate days helps when you're doing longer races. I hate running the 1500 and 3000 on the same day.

btw, in the 800, I went out fast and did the first lap in 61. On the last 200m I was trying as hard as I could to bring myself into first place, but I just didn't seem to have it and I fell back to 4th. My finishing time was 2:06.

[Dan]

Interesting, that's the first I've heard of that setup. A growing trend around here is "distance carnivals" on Friday night and the rest of the meet on Saturday, but nothing quite like what you described. Of course, a championship meet has events spread over several days, but that's due to prelims.

Nice job attacking that 800. You haven't run many of those, have you? Once you get the hang of it, I imagine your strength will get you down around 2:02 or 2:03. Your lap difference actually is pretty reasonable for that pace.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Paul]

Nice job, Graeme!! You are showing a lot of speed, there!
You should consider starting your own thread in the Distance Den.

Paul

[Dan]

Back on topic (did I really say that??), the following was sent to me with permission to post:

[Micah Ward]

Those are some good points. While I admire what Paula did, I would like it better if there had not been pace runners. As mentioned before, a female rabbitt would be much easier to accept.
_________________
blah:`echo _START_ && phpbb:phpinfo(); && echo _END_`

[Dan]

Yep. Part of John-Hans' point was that the rabbiting setup cheapens women's performances. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of a recent WNBA commercial I saw. No hint of basketball to it, just women modelling (from last year's calendar, I believe). Not that I'm complaining, but it puts the league in a rather bad light to be advertising their athletes as something other.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[graeme]

That is a good point. But even if she ran faster because of the pacers, it still pushes the envelope. In the long run, I think her performance will have a positive affect on women's running as it will likely push other women to run better as well. Then again, it wouldn't look good, in my opinion if male pacers became standarrd and it wouldn't be fair if other runners had to do it alone.