A Track Fitness Test - 7 Events in One Day!
I haven’t posted for a while. Summer track season has been progressing fairly well so far, and my form has been good. I also finished the winter with excellent fitness. Today was to be a test of that fitness and preparation for next week’s pentathlon.
I had entered 7 events, the most I ever have at a regular 1 day meet. In addition, two of those events were particularly taxing. My events in approximate order were:
Hammer Throw, 400m Hurdles, 200m, High Jump, 800m, 100m and Triple Jump.
The hammer throw, while it did start 30 minutes earlier than any other event, was interrupted by the hurdles. I had my first throw early, which was a no throw, falling outside the sector.
Then it was off to the 400m hurdles. This was my first run over hurdles (even training) since the Australian Masters championships, 7 months ago. As a result, my goal was to simply cruise around and focus on hurdling technique. However, I had a good run, particularly into the wind in the latter half, and ran my third fastest time ever - 1:17.78. This was well in excess of my expectations, and a pleasing result.
Back at the hammer, after the hurdles, I had my final 2 throws. The best of these was 16.71, 2m short of recent efforts.
Next event was the 200m. Conditions were tough, with a headwind for the entire half of the track that the 200m is run on. As I was still fatigued from the hurdles, I took the first 50m steady, then opened up, once I was at speed. Found I was able to push through the wind to run 27.91. Unfortunately, the wind gauge didn’t record the wind for my heat.
The events continued back to back, with high jump next. I started at my usual 1.20m and cleared up to 1.30m, before failing to clear 1.35m. The 1.30m result equalled my PB and is setting a pattern of consistency for this season.
The 800 metres started shortly after the high jump. I started out steady, being careful not to go too fast in the first 200m. Crossed the break line and settled in behind a few, as I approached the 200m. Stayed in this position around the bend into the home straight. While it would have been advantageous to stay in this position to lessen the impact of the wind, I was able to see the clock at the finish line and worked out that I was slightly behind my target pace.
At this point, I decided to make my major tactical move, and take a risk by passing the other runners and taking the lead as I got the bell to start my last lap. Making my move then was a little risky, given that I am a sprinter, and I already had 4 events in rapid succession under my belt, but it was better than having to pass on the bend and having to cover more ground.
Once around the bend, I lengthened my stride and settled back to conserve energy while I had the tailwind in the back straight, before starting the wind up to the finish at the start of the last bend. The last 50m were a race to the line, with one of the other guys passing not long after. I had nothing left by this time, but finished with my fastest official track time of 2:35.13. My gamble at the halfway mark had paid off. While the 800m is a bit long for my physical capabilities, I do like the event, because it can be very tactical, which can make for an interesting race.
The rush didn’t end there. It was now off to the triple jump. I got one jump in at 7.41m, before the 100 metres.
With the 800m not long run, I had to be especially careful in the 100 metres, because in the past, high acceleration after distance has been a recipe for injury. Despite my better strength and fitness these days, I wasn’t taking any chances. For the start and acceleration of the 100m, I kept it back a bit, probably a little less than 90%. Once up to speed, I opened up and was able to achieve top speed safely, passing a couple of others along the way. Finished the race in a time of 13.78, which wasn’t bad, given the careful start and strong headwind.
Back at the triple jump, I had missed out on the second round while at the 100m. My third and final jump was a handy 7.88m. This was 44cm short of last year’s best jump, but as I haven’t done any triple jump for 10 months, I was happy with that result.
At the end of the day, I was still feeling like I had more in me, if needed. However, the club decided not to enter a team in the 4x200m relay, so I was done for the day. I’ve proven my fitness, especially with the 400m hurdles and 800m results. It was a tough combination of events with a good outcome. I feel quietly confident for the pentathlon next week, even the 1500 metres at the end.
- Tony via Tumblr https://ift.tt/2Y3Cqpz
