Got up before the crack of dawn to try and beat the heat. As my legs are want to be on Mondays, it took almost 25:00 to cover the 2 mile warm up. Shuffle, stop and stretch, shuffle some more, stop again, more shuffling. Wondering how in the world I can possibly do this week’s hill session. Gradually stretching the shuffle out to some semblance of a stride, more stretching, and off we go.
Today’s was particularly tough because of this: In the last 7 days we’ve done two 20 milers (including yesterday’s in the heat), Saturday’s State Farm 10 Mile Race, and last Wednesday’s 30 X 1/4 with :30 recovery.
I decided to let y’all know what type of hill work we do on Mondays, they aren’t some arbitrary changes in elevation, they’re called Penbies. Killer Coach has some names that are foreign and cute sounding, maybe to disguise the dread you might otherwise feel.
Penbies= I think we’ve got it right at any rate; 300 meter hill, start at the top and sprint down, sprint back up, then sprint back down, 1-2:00 recovery. The same with a 200 meter hill, followed by a 100 meter hill. Do three sets of these. Total distance including warm up and warm down is 15K+. On dead legs. Except something remarkable always happens. What was a shuffle and then a stride lengthens out to the full expression of speed, and then the workout is done.
You’ve just got to have faith in your coach.
It was with great surprise that Michaela van der Westhuizen showed up at the State Farm 5K Saturday, fresh back from South Africa and her training stint at altitude. It was no surprise at all that she won the women’s Overall. She too is coached by her killer coach of a father in law. So is Andrew Jacob who finished 3rd male in the 5K. So is 10 Mile Champion Matt Pohren. And 10 Mile 3rd overall Luka Thor. So is David Adams. And of course Linda and me.
Several of the other top finishers in the 10 Mile are doing the McLatchie Method Marathon Training Program.
Good sound training from a couple of the most respected coaches in the world. We’re lucky and proud to have them.
And as always good to catch up with our favorite Race Director in Nebraska (or any where else for that matter). Nancy Sutton Moss is an angel for Team Nebraska, lucky and proud don’t even scratch the surface.
Finally an overdue congratulations to Omahans Dan Allen and Tom Cody, they too completed the Bataan Death March Memorial Marathon on March 24th. Inspiring is hardly enough to say about these guys.
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