Author Archive Bratwurst

#F3Swift Preblast – Digging Deeper

Swift will launch at 0515 on Tuesday from the Vine Restaurant parking lot at the Ballantyne AO.  Warm-up will be pre-Bagpipe friendly (we won’t venture that far away).

Come on out for an extension on Intervals that we have been building towards (6 minutes this week), speed targets will be slower (find Threshold pace at http://smartrunproject.com/calculator), but rest will compensate (1 minute).  Minimal hills so you can get dialed in on the Threshold Pace, or otherwise known as “Comfortably Hard”.  It will be a huge boost for your endurance speed work.

Check out video linked above for more details – http://youtu.be/dxJVtPT6rHo  The Mouth will be delivering a lecture on “blood lactate” during Warm-up.

See you in the Gloom!

#F3-DevilsTurn – Sweet Run in Hot Mess

10 PAX launched into the Gloom at DevilsTurn on Thursday morning at 0515.  Hot and muggy is becoming common, but it still deserves a mention.

The THANG:

  • Start with 10minute 2nd F pace on the normal DT route to South Charlotte Middle School.  Check Preblast for exact directions.
  • 40min Tempo Run – continue to SCMS, run around track until leaving at a time to get back to COT by 0610. Option 1 – Stop at 40 minutes and regroup to cooldown for 5 minutes.  Option 2 – Keep going to get back to COT.  Suggested pace was Marathon Goal pace – Check Preblast for exact instructions.

The Moleskin

  • At COT, talked briefly about Static Stretching before exercise.  Bottom line – don’t do it.  It either hurts performance or doesn’t provide a benefit.  A better pre-exercise routine is to roll over muscle groups with something like a Stick (talk to Whiplash) or to “dynamic” stretch.  YHC gave a quick dynamic stretching routine with standing high knees, standing butt kicks, leg swings – take leg through full range of running motion one at a time, lateral leg swings – take leg across your body kind of like a low can-can dancer leg motion, and ankle rolls.  Do about 15 reps each leg and each direction with ankle.  Also good to follow up an intense workout with the same dynamic routine.  Static stretching / rolling after an intense workout should be light, for you don’t want to push yourself too far when fatigued / inflamed and you cannot feel damage you might be doing.  Save the long static stretching for after a Moderate or Easy workout.
  • Honeybee was not on 2 wheels coming into the Parking Lot late (ala Haggis), but he made up some ground quickly to meet us at the track.  Funny thing is that he was running wrong way on the track (albeit correctly in the outside lanes), so he must just not like NASCAR and always turning Left.
  • Turkey Leg and Frasier (+HB later) made a solid pack.  They were lapping the oval several times and were last to leave.
  • Per the Mouth, his earbuds are loaded with subliminal messages (“just don’t throw up”), but you wouldn’t have believed it today.  He was on full alert for passing traffic while doing some passing himself.
  • Stone Cold (Kotters!) was pulling someone along for a while.  He is looking to get back into NYC marathon trip to redeem the Sandy-cancelled event in 2012.  Thanks also for taking us out with a great reminder to help those around us.
  • Welcome to DT FNG Undertaker (who was perhaps the mystery man with Stone Cold).  No stranger to Swift, it’s great to see you out at the DT.
  • Stump Hugger’s flashing vest made an appearance at the track, and he still had a bit left at the end to push it home to COT.  Getting stronger.
  • Mall Cop and Wolfman were supposedly on the run, but YHC never saw either at the track (it was pretty dark).  At least Mall Cop showed up at COT.  Wolfman must have chased a squirrel into the woods.

Announcements:

  • BRR shirts – if doing the official F3 BRR shirt and you want in on a group order to save shipping, email Bratwurst at paul.wuerslin@gmail.com with your selection.  Link here = http://f3.mudgear.com/products/f3-2014-brr-shirt.  We have at least 3 planning to order (the minimum to avoid shipping costs), so join us now.  Will order by August 1st.
  • Keep Stump Hugger’s dad in mind for a procedure later this month.

#F3DevilsTurn Preblast – Tempo Day

DevilsTurn will launch at 0515 on Thursday from the 4 Mile Creek Greenway parking lot at Rea Rd & Bevington Place.  We will be on the route to South Charlotte Middle School (and back) in full Tempo run mode.

The goal for tomorrow:

  • Arrive early for 2nd F and 5 minute Dynamic warm-up (standing high knees, standing butt kicks, leg swing, lateral leg swing, and ankle rolls).
  • Start at 0515 and Warm-up for 10 minutes at 2nd F pace
  • At 0525, start a Tempo run for 40 minutes. A great guide for your pace / effort will be Marathon Pace spelled out by the calculator at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator . If you need instructions, read http://runsmartproject.com/calculator/instructions. Hint, input a recent Race personal best, click Calculate, click Training tab to view Marathon pace.
  • While at the track, leave at a time that will get you back to the AO by 0610 (usually between 0550 and 0555).  Run in any lane on the track, but stay in outside lanes if running opposite direction (clockwise).
  • Option A: Continue the Tempo run to 0605 (40 minutes), gather with others, and then cooldown back to AO.
  • Option B: Push until you get to the AO at 0610 or before.
  • COT

The route for tomorrow is the “usual”, but here it is:

  • From the parking lot, head East on Bevington Place and cross Rea Rd.  Continue on Bevington Place.
  • Deadend and turn Right on Coburn Court (0.7mi)
  • Deadend and turn Left on Brownes Pond Lane (1.2mi)
  • Deadend and turn Right on Rosecliff Drive (1.3mi)
  • Deadend and turn Left on Strawberry Lane (1.6mi)
  • Turn Left into bus lot entrance at South Charlotte Middle School (1.9mi) and head towards back of school to take the sidewalk Right down to the track (2.1mi)
  • Run around the track until time to leave
  • Reverse route back to COT
  • Course map here: http://www.strava.com/routes/590015 for a total of 4.6mi if including 1 loop around the track.

#F3Swift – Captain Jack’s Revenge

The VSF was planted and 11 PAX disembarked on the journey from Charlotte NC to Philadelphia to deliver the signed Independence papers of Mecklenburg County to the Continental Congress.  OK, so we stopped short on James Jack Ln.  We wanted to feel like the famous Captain Jack.  The first one, not the second one.

Captain James Jack

Captain Jack Sparrow

The THANG:

  • 1.9mi easy warm-up from the Vine to the base of the hill on James Jack Ln (see http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/537141097 or http://www.strava.com/activities/163227691/overview for details on the route).
  • At your 1 mile Race Pace effort (top end we run at Swift), run 200m up “Captain Jack hill”, jog 200m back down, run 200m up “CJ”, jog 400m down and past starting point to top of next hill, turn around and run 400m down and then up finishing on top of “CJ”, jog 300m down
  • Repeat once more
  • After the 2nd cycle and a brief recovery, run at 80% (slightly slower than marathon pace) back to the AO.
  • Regroup and head to COT to hear the moans of Bagpipers

The Moleskin:

  • Read the preblast for who is Captain Jack?
  • Hill repeats were the name of the game today.  Total of 1 mile up/down at very hard pace.  Plus VERY rolling 1.0mi plus on the way home at 80% pace.  YHC had difficulty explaining 80% pace, and Brisket hit it on the nose with “slightly uncomfortable”.  Due to the hill on Ballantyne Commons at the end, it was probably more like “very uncomfortable”.
  • Running up and down hills is not just good BRR prep, but that’s mostly why we’re doing it, it’s great speedwork if done controlled and in good form.  Pace is important to start and finish the interval in good form.  You don’t want to go too fast and then struggle to finish the interval with your form breaking down.  It’s the same in the BRR – there’s always another hill (up or down) ahead.  Here are a couple of good articles on Hill Running: http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/hill-running-training/ and http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/how-to-run-hills/
  • Pulled Pork and Morning After (both Swift FNGs) have been hitting the extra 15min warm-up often with Swift prior to Bagpipe, but as we were on some uncharted territory during the warm-up and reasonably far away from the AO, they soldiered on.  The EH worked!
  • Great to have Soft Pretzel (though Puppy Love calls him “Softie”) back in the PAX.  He must have answered the APB from last week.
  • Honeybee has figured out the right ratios for maximum power on hills, or that dude is just designed for hills.
  • Once again, we took to M. Tussaud’s fav run course, but trying to get him to look at it differently hopefully worked!
  • The mileage at Swift has been getting a little longer each week, but Tootie, Undertaker, and Abacus keep coming out and are showing the gains.
  • YHC thinks that “The Mouth” has earbuds to hear himself speak his own mantras into his ear.  How else does someone get the nickname “The Mouth” but is just a little quiet on the runs?  Oh yeah, we were all breathing hard because of the hills.

Announcements:

  • F3 Dads – Col. Beatty Park this Saturday.  Meet at the Softball fields (near the big playground) at 9am.
  • BRR shirt – pick one out and we will do a group order to be delivered at Bagpipe / Swift. Money collected at pickup. Email paul.wuerslin@gmail.com if interested.  Link here = http://f3.mudgear.com/products/f3-2014-brr-shirt.  We have at least 3 planning to order (the minimum to avoid shipping costs), so join us now.  Will order by August 1st.

#F3Swift Preblast – Captain Jack

No, we won’t be meeting at the “Captain Jack” statue.  Swift will launch at 0515 from The Vine restaurant at the Ballantyne AO.  We will get in a little history lesson for James Jack while trying to measure up to this patriot’s effort for the Independence of the United States, North Carolina, and Mecklenburg County.

If you know anything about James Jack Ln, then you’ll know that James Jack’s ride to the Continental Congress wasn’t smooth and flat.

Hill repeats are in order with a little something extra.

See you in the gloom!

#F3Swift – Around the block

13 PAX delivered on an absolute downPAINMENT at Swift this morning.

The THANG:

  • The group started off as 16 PAX at 0515 for the warm-up, and we held pretty close to the following:  Warm up: Jog 1.75 mi very easy; light stretch; 7 Drills + 3 Strides. 3 PAX left us to opt for a different kind of pain at Bagpipe.
  • Main workout = Run 4:30 at 10K pace.  Jog 1 minute recovery and regroup.  Repeat for 3 total sets.
  • Cool-down = 1.7mi+ at 3rd F pace
  • Haggis and Honeybee led 5 minutes of Mary at COT.  At least 4 minutes of it were flutters…
  • Total miles between 5 and 6 – report and route at http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/532238773 or http://www.strava.com/activities/160274171

The Moleskin:

  • 13 PAX is some kind of record (if records were kept for this sort of thing)!  Positive momentum still.  With SIB (29) and FastTwitch (16)- that’s 58 guys putting in some strong work for BRR and other running stuff on the horizon…
  • Don’t ever let Haggis lead Mary and only give instructions of “how ever long you want”.  He probably led about 100 flutters…or so it seemed.  YHC only joined in at the end.
  • The workout today was a modification of 3x1200m with 1 min rest.  If you want to do this one again an your own, keep the same 10K pace, but go for the full 1200m.  Future workouts at Swift may go beyond 1mi intervals, but we’ll always keep them time-based to keep PAX starting and stopping together.  What you do you on your own time is up to you #sadclown.
  • “Moderately rolling” around Ballantyne corporate park is just that, but it sure makes it hard with our Temps/Humidity and Pace.  YHC again had to back off on the last interval after that long hill through the parking lot.  Great BRR training for some of those Medium and Hard legs in the BRR have hills that aren’t killer, but they just keep coming.
  • Welcome to Swift FNGs The Mouth and Undertaker.  New PAX being added weekly is a sign that the word is getting out.  If you want a great group environment to push yourself on a Hot & Humid morning past the point where you what do as a #sadclown, get out to Swift, SIB, or FastTwitch (can’t believe an acknowledgement was just made there that FT is a running workout)!  We hope to also provide some knowledge and experience about routines and workouts you can use throughout your experienced or budding fitness career.
  • Putting out an APB for Soft Pretzel to come back to Swift.  And where is Long Haul these days?
  • One more thing on Stretching – again, don’t “Static” stretch cold in the gloom before the workout.  There’s certainly nervous energy and it feels silly just standing around waiting for the PAX to arrive.  Do some dynamic standing high-knees, butt-kicks, leg swings, ankle rolls, etc. if you must, but better to warm-up for 10+ minutes before doing the static stretch.  Even then, keep it light pre and post for a hard workout.  Use overall fitness to keep the body loose.  Maybe a longer stretch session could be done after FastTwitch because of the lower intensity, but save heavy stretching after an Easy day.

Announcements:

#F3Swift Preblast – Medium Intervals

Swift will launch from the Vine Restaurant at the Ballantyne AO at 0515 on Tuesday.  Bagpipers are welcome to join until they need to leave for 0530 Bagpipe start.

This week will be building on lengthening intervals to 4:30min (50% increase from 2 weeks ago).  Since there will be shorter rest, the speed will not be as quick.  The Goal is 4min 30sec at 10K pace, jog for 1 minute to regroup the PAX.  Repeat for 3 rounds.  Course will be kept within the Ballantyne Corp park on a moderately rolling course.  Total mileage between 5-7 miles (depends on how much ground you cover in 4.5 minutes).

Calculate your 10K pace here: http://runsmartproject.com/calculator

Swift – Hills and Progression to Spilled Merlot

At 0515 on Tuesday morning, several PAX departed from the Vine Restaurant in Ballantyne, but they were without Q.  After a brief jog, they returned to find the Q getting his shoes on and feeling a little disoriented.  Quickly, they gathered everyone and headed out for a little more warm-up.

The THANG:

  • Approximately 1.25mi jog, drop off the Bagpipe PAX that were in for some warm-up (seemed to be several more than normal), and then continue jog over the bridge to the parking lot behind the old SPX/Metlife/now abandoned office building.
  • Heel walk and stride it out, Toe walk and stride it out, high knees and stride, more strides, and end up at Dunreggan Brae.
  • Bounding up the half of the hill (got form right eventually) with a jog back down.  Repeat
  • Sprint up the whole hill with jog back down. Repeat for 3 total.
  • Sprint down the hill. Jog to recover.
  • Sprint up the hill.  Jog over to Bull Ring.
  • 2 mile progression run.  Goal is to drop 5 seconds every 400m – which equates to :20 seconds per mile for pace.  Worked out to be three laps around bull ring and then head back to COT with AYG.
  • COT.  No course or distance this week due to Q fail (picked up the wrong watch), but full hour of running.

The Moleskin:

  • If you are thinking this was the workout SIB was doing, then you are wrong.  We did it in reverse, and Reddogs copied US…though there was an interesting section in there we may have to borrow for a future workout.
  • Working on the hill form was important through the Hill Bounding.  See link to an example here: http://youtu.be/1MRqkhP-P90. We only did it 2 times, but this could be a workout in itself.  On running an actual hill, you wouldn’t be so exaggerated, but it programs in good form for running uphill – stay on the forefoot, slightly forward lean, smaller strides.  Which is actually the similar form to running downhill – the mistake we can sometimes make downhill is to lean back, stride too far.
  • 2 mile progression run was apparently “confusing” in the explanation, but the goal is to get faster and find a new gear each time.  If you start out too fast (most started on the 7:40 pace with YHC), then you may not be able to hit an extra gear over the last 0.5mile that are run at 5:40 and 5:20/mi respectively.  Start at a slower pace, or just make it a goal to find the extra gear each 0.25 mile.  YHC didn’t like the “uphill” back towards COT and was glad there weren’t many around the see the dry heaving.  It was the weather…
  • Abacus was out once again and making steady progression.
  • Spinner is apparently a cyclist who only “sometimes” runs, so I would hate to see what he could throw down given some gears and wheels.
  • Strange Brew was a FIFO, but gave it all to the end.  Travel is a pain but the man has a plan.
  • Silk was swept into his 2nd F3 workout, both running, and is pretty smooth for a guy getting ready to jump out of planes.
  • Honey Bee earns the recruiter award of the week for 2 EHs in the past 2 weeks.  Unofficial record I’m sure, but he is getting the guys to come out and come back.
  • Brisket wasn’t confused when taking on Swift instead of Bagpipe this week, for he showed he belongs any where he puts in that kind of effort.
  • Q will try to get these Backblasts done a little more quickly, which is about the only thing that Fast Twitch has on the Swift at this point…

#F3Swift Preblast – Hills and Progression

At 0515 launching from the Vine Restaurant in Ballantyne, Swift will be taking to the hills.  After a slow 1.5mi warm-up with some dynamic stretching, we’ll head to Dunreggan Brae.  We’ll focus on the speed up the hills for the first half of the workout and then have a fun progression run (without hills) over the second half to get the legs stretched back out.  As always, all speeds are welcome.  No one gets left behind.

#F3Swift – Phase 2 slows down to get FAST

Swift launched at 0515 with 7 PAX from the Vine restaurant in Ballantyne.

The Thang:

  • After a 1mile+ warm-up with some high knees, butt kicks, bounding, and strides, we circled back to the base AO to find Bagpipe leaving early at 0529.  However, Boomer Sooner (War Baby) wasn’t caught up in the excitement of Brisket’s Bagpipe Q, so he followed us out for the “meat” of Swift.
  • Moseying another bit past Loch Ness, we arrived at the base of Dunreggan Brae to start our longer intervals.  Start at I-pace and hold for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes, rinse and repeat up to 6 intervals.
  • Mosey back to COT.
  • Garmin report here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/522590194

The Moleskin:

  • Phase 2 started today.  Phase 1 was an intro into Speed work for the SoBs, so we are going to expand the catalog of speedwork from 1-Mile Race pace (a.k.a. Repetition pace) intervals (200m,400m, some 800m) to 2-Mile race pace (a.k.a. Interval pace).  At 80 days out from the BRR, it’s time to go longer.  That also means we will officially move the start time from 0530 to 0515.  But these just won’t be “Summer Hours” like Fast Twitch.  Count on it year round.  Phase 2 may mean slightly more distance, but it will still keep the same concepts of rest intervals, regrouping, and giving target paces for all ability levels.  There will be very little, if any at all, All You Got pace – save that for the next Speed Challenge or F3 Olympics.
  • With a new target pace, Interval pace, we’re focusing on training “that is designed to maximize your aerobic power”, or “how much blood can you deliver to the running muscles and how well can those muscles deliver that fuel (oxygen) into energy”.  It’s also known as VO2 MAX and is tested by some crazy methods where you’ve seen people with those masks on while running on a treadmill.  Check out the headline video for more details on Interval training.  Get you Interval pace at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator
  • Fresh off his podium placement in the F3Olympics 1 mile run, Honeybee was determined to develop that kick that won’t let him get overtaken next time.
  • For Frasier (playing the FT/Switch crowds pretty well – a true politician), it must have been so humid today that the swishy shorts didn’t make much sound.  That or some spray-on teflon. What else could make him fast?
  • Boomer Sooner was a Swift FNG today, but this Husker can probably outrun a F5.  Quick on the feet.
  • Spinner found out that he could probably race longer than a 10K (because we did today!).
  • M. Tussauds is really pushing himself and breaking some new ground.  There may be some familiar territory next week, just sayin.
  • Tootie (Swift FNG) and Abacus paired up to keep it very consistent out there today, always getting faster despite the feelings that may creep in otherwise.

Announcements:

  • F3Dads Saturday edition starts this week at Col. Francis Beatty park at 9am.  Just show up with your 2.0s.
  • F3Dads Weekend edition is in August at Lake Wylie.  Sign up now.

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