Well, that's what I said I'd spend June doing and that's what I've been doing. On June 12th, I ran or rather swam the Kremlin Mile. First off, the Kremlin Mile was not held in front of the Kremlin this yr as usual thanks to all the demonstrators and protesters in that area for the Russia Day holiday. Next, God just did not like the women's race that day. Just before we were to start, a full blown, crack, boom, bang thunderstorm started. High winds and pouring rain were on the menu. The starter led us into the underground passage where we were to exit onto the 2loop course. Just as we were going to go up the stairs, he called a 15 min rain delay. The wind was howling and it was pouring with lightning and thunder to boot. After the rain slowed a bit, he took us up to the start. The course was now under ankle deep puddles and I scrapped my plan to run for time today and instead just figured I'd run tactical and try and get into the top 3. Yeah, I was going to have some serious company today. Lena, who I ran with indoors most of the winter was there, Sasha, who had run a 3.17 1000m at the xc meet the week before was capable of a sub 5.30 mile, and Zina Semyenova. Zina is still Zina and even though she's 49, she's ageless to me and FAST!
http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=115565/index.html
She has countless titles and pretty much rules Twin Cities. Zina is to be respected. Winning Twin Cities in 2:40 in 2008 in a downpour at 45 is just too cool. So off we were for our swim. Zina and Sasha went out fast with Lena just behind and I kept within striking distance of Lena. 400 m in, I passed Sasha and tucked in closer to Lena. Zina was still up front. At 800, 1000m Lena and I are running together with Zina up ahead. Sasha has dropped back. With about 350 to go Lena passed Zina...then so did I. I used that little downhill to gas it as hard as i could to open a gap. Zina could still kick my ass in the final 100m. Lena and I just went for broke pulling away with she finishing just ahead for the win and Zina behind us for third. Lena is running the 5000m on the 23rd at the Moscow Masters Champs. I am very pissed off they scheduled the meet the SAME DAY as the Luzhniki Half. I really wanted to run the 5 and knowing Lena would run meant it would be a good race and we'd push each other to a fast time. I'm in at least 18.40s shape right now and might not be once I start doing long races again.
pics- Aleksei A.
Lena and I passing Zina -final 300
Passing Sasha
Lena Just a little ahead of Zina
Pics- Leonid Isaev
Awards
Next on tap was the 3000m at the Med. Institute on Sunday the 17th. I wanted to try and put down a damn near PR effort at this one. This one was held where I used to run the hour run sometimes in the winter during the last week of December usually on some weeknight just before the New Year. I had never seen this track free os snow and ice! It was really nice actually- surface was of excellent quality. So, when I showed up for this one, the organizer suggested I run with the slower men's heat as opposed to with the women. Well, I was under the impression the guys were going to go 10.30 or under. I needed a rabbit for the 11 min mark. Lesson learned: if they ask you to run with the boys, RUN WITH THE BOYS! There was one woman I knew from the 2 mile xc run and I thought she might run with me. She finished about 10 sec behind me at the 2 mile when we ran in May. Ok but then when i foolishly ran the half a few days later, she ran the 10 and was ahead of me. It's hard to tell which one of us would be faster because both times I saw her in early May, I was still very much on dead legs post 100k. So, I ran with the girls instead of the boys.....BIG MISTAKE!
I had company for aout 800m then realized how slow I had gone out and took off like a bat out of hell. I hate leading especially when I have to cut wind! There was a noticeable wind on the backstretch too. Plan was to go out 3.45/km ish and then gas it from there. I screwed up running the first 800 probably too conservatively abd first 1000 in 3.49/50! DAMN too SLOW! So down the ladder I went 3.45, 3.40. It ended up as more of a glorified tempo run as it's a real pain to run by yourself. I ended up with my best official track time aside from a 10.47 I once popped years ago in a time trial in training. The boys in the slower guy's heat ended up with a pack 11 min +- I could have likely knocked 5-10 sec off my time by the grace of running with sokme of the guys to have them block wind for me at the very least! Ok lesson of the day- RUN WITH THE BOYS nex time they ask me to.
So on Monday, the 18th in the evening I had one more date with speed- the 1000m. at Moscow State with friends from the running club. I teach astudent near the university on Monday and just decided to go run at the university after class and do the 1000 for fun. Coach was not happy and really didn't want me to run claiming I'd likely put down a crappy time anyways having raced just yesterday. Well, this time we split into 2 heats, boys+me and the ladies. This time I was asked to join the boys and decided to risk it on my non fresh legs. This time I made the RIGHT decision. Off we were and I had a rabbit! YEAAA! Yuri was just a little ahead in the first 400 and also blocked the wind on the backstretch (yes a little windier on Monday for the 1000 than it was for the 3000). Just before the 500, I passed. I have a habit of just croaking in the last 200 of the 1000- these short races just aren't my thing. hauling in....3.23-really? I had planned about 10 sec slower at best being it was a day 2 race. Then I thought after a while....need to check the archives, but this is definitely PR territory. The fast miles I ran in my heyday in Alaska had slower 1000 splits and about the only comparison I have is my 2.35 800 I ran in Alaska in 2004 but never ran it to the 1000 so don't know. I ran a 3.18 on the road in 2010 but I feel track times are more valid as there is no argument about the accuracy of the distance. After checking the archives in the evening, it was indeed a track PR by at least 4 seconds. This confirmed what I already suspected-I'm in 5.20 s smthg mile shape. Coach didn't want me to run this but my intuition said otherwise. I was not even thinking PR especially at age 37 on a short distance. I was shocked. Damn, I thought - on fresh legs I need to set the bar under 3.20 at the very least. Sometimes you find PRs when not looking for them. Coach was a bit surprised too. Recovery secret: 2 ice baths post 3000m one when I got home one before bed, Vitargo Gainer's Gold, glutamine, ZMA , and lots of sleep and stretching!
I'm now resting up for the half on the 23rd. I have been trying to get speed into my legs to help cut my times at the longer stuff. Hope the plan works. The whole irony about the 1000m PR is that I didn it in an I-Don't-Care -Race. I was just going to try and see what I could do on a day 2 race and had no intentions on burning the barn down on legs that weren't fresh.
As far as a fast 5 or 10 on the track- I will try and make it out to Cheboksary for Russian masters NC's in a month. I wanted to fly but that's over 500$(nuts because I can get anywhere in Eurpoe for less than half ) and the train sucks. I have to go out early to have an extra sleep day after that if I take the overnight train.
more pics here from the 3000-
http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=115565/index.html
She has countless titles and pretty much rules Twin Cities. Zina is to be respected. Winning Twin Cities in 2:40 in 2008 in a downpour at 45 is just too cool. So off we were for our swim. Zina and Sasha went out fast with Lena just behind and I kept within striking distance of Lena. 400 m in, I passed Sasha and tucked in closer to Lena. Zina was still up front. At 800, 1000m Lena and I are running together with Zina up ahead. Sasha has dropped back. With about 350 to go Lena passed Zina...then so did I. I used that little downhill to gas it as hard as i could to open a gap. Zina could still kick my ass in the final 100m. Lena and I just went for broke pulling away with she finishing just ahead for the win and Zina behind us for third. Lena is running the 5000m on the 23rd at the Moscow Masters Champs. I am very pissed off they scheduled the meet the SAME DAY as the Luzhniki Half. I really wanted to run the 5 and knowing Lena would run meant it would be a good race and we'd push each other to a fast time. I'm in at least 18.40s shape right now and might not be once I start doing long races again.
pics- Aleksei A.
Pic Andrey Sedin-Leonid and I looking like drowned rats after the race
Next on tap was the 3000m at the Med. Institute on Sunday the 17th. I wanted to try and put down a damn near PR effort at this one. This one was held where I used to run the hour run sometimes in the winter during the last week of December usually on some weeknight just before the New Year. I had never seen this track free os snow and ice! It was really nice actually- surface was of excellent quality. So, when I showed up for this one, the organizer suggested I run with the slower men's heat as opposed to with the women. Well, I was under the impression the guys were going to go 10.30 or under. I needed a rabbit for the 11 min mark. Lesson learned: if they ask you to run with the boys, RUN WITH THE BOYS! There was one woman I knew from the 2 mile xc run and I thought she might run with me. She finished about 10 sec behind me at the 2 mile when we ran in May. Ok but then when i foolishly ran the half a few days later, she ran the 10 and was ahead of me. It's hard to tell which one of us would be faster because both times I saw her in early May, I was still very much on dead legs post 100k. So, I ran with the girls instead of the boys.....BIG MISTAKE!
I had company for aout 800m then realized how slow I had gone out and took off like a bat out of hell. I hate leading especially when I have to cut wind! There was a noticeable wind on the backstretch too. Plan was to go out 3.45/km ish and then gas it from there. I screwed up running the first 800 probably too conservatively abd first 1000 in 3.49/50! DAMN too SLOW! So down the ladder I went 3.45, 3.40. It ended up as more of a glorified tempo run as it's a real pain to run by yourself. I ended up with my best official track time aside from a 10.47 I once popped years ago in a time trial in training. The boys in the slower guy's heat ended up with a pack 11 min +- I could have likely knocked 5-10 sec off my time by the grace of running with sokme of the guys to have them block wind for me at the very least! Ok lesson of the day- RUN WITH THE BOYS nex time they ask me to.
So on Monday, the 18th in the evening I had one more date with speed- the 1000m. at Moscow State with friends from the running club. I teach astudent near the university on Monday and just decided to go run at the university after class and do the 1000 for fun. Coach was not happy and really didn't want me to run claiming I'd likely put down a crappy time anyways having raced just yesterday. Well, this time we split into 2 heats, boys+me and the ladies. This time I was asked to join the boys and decided to risk it on my non fresh legs. This time I made the RIGHT decision. Off we were and I had a rabbit! YEAAA! Yuri was just a little ahead in the first 400 and also blocked the wind on the backstretch (yes a little windier on Monday for the 1000 than it was for the 3000). Just before the 500, I passed. I have a habit of just croaking in the last 200 of the 1000- these short races just aren't my thing. hauling in....3.23-really? I had planned about 10 sec slower at best being it was a day 2 race. Then I thought after a while....need to check the archives, but this is definitely PR territory. The fast miles I ran in my heyday in Alaska had slower 1000 splits and about the only comparison I have is my 2.35 800 I ran in Alaska in 2004 but never ran it to the 1000 so don't know. I ran a 3.18 on the road in 2010 but I feel track times are more valid as there is no argument about the accuracy of the distance. After checking the archives in the evening, it was indeed a track PR by at least 4 seconds. This confirmed what I already suspected-I'm in 5.20 s smthg mile shape. Coach didn't want me to run this but my intuition said otherwise. I was not even thinking PR especially at age 37 on a short distance. I was shocked. Damn, I thought - on fresh legs I need to set the bar under 3.20 at the very least. Sometimes you find PRs when not looking for them. Coach was a bit surprised too. Recovery secret: 2 ice baths post 3000m one when I got home one before bed, Vitargo Gainer's Gold, glutamine, ZMA , and lots of sleep and stretching!
I'm now resting up for the half on the 23rd. I have been trying to get speed into my legs to help cut my times at the longer stuff. Hope the plan works. The whole irony about the 1000m PR is that I didn it in an I-Don't-Care -Race. I was just going to try and see what I could do on a day 2 race and had no intentions on burning the barn down on legs that weren't fresh.
As far as a fast 5 or 10 on the track- I will try and make it out to Cheboksary for Russian masters NC's in a month. I wanted to fly but that's over 500$(nuts because I can get anywhere in Eurpoe for less than half ) and the train sucks. I have to go out early to have an extra sleep day after that if I take the overnight train.
more pics here from the 3000-
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151050419732433.490261.542177432&type=1&l=45083dd33e
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