NSS: Yay, I've still got it! / S: Ow, I'm old.

[ialsohaveadream]

So I'm running with my track club, and they're starting to get more confident in their conditioning, so they challenge me to race them. We decided on a 400 (quarter-mile) as the distance we'd race, since that seemed like the msot fair to all of us.

Well, of course the two boys who wanted the race took off at the start, and were a good 10-20 yards ahead of me about halfway through, but I pulled up to them at 3/4 and then pulled away from them down the stretch. Still, I give them tons of credit, because they've improved by leaps and bounds. Three weeks ago they wouldn't even have come close to me.

Now for the downside....coming around the last turn, I turned on the speed to get by them, and felt a sharp pain in my groin. I had to play it off in front of them, but I've never injured my groin before. Man, I feel old.

[Maarchk]

Haha, come on old man, it can't be that bad. Did you stretch good before hand? Even kids in high school and college can hurt them selves without stretching. i think its just easier to do as you get older cause you are not as limber or agile. But some solid stretching should let you show those kids whos boss.

[Markel]

What kind of times are you running in the 400? At the start of freshman (high school) track last year my son hated running the 400. But at the end of the year he loved it - he got down to a 52.1 at the end. I'm hoping he can keep improving in the next couple of years. I'd like to get him into a speed camp some time.

[ialsohaveadream]

52.1 for a freshman is good! Unless he's got a really strong team, that should be fast enough to get him on the 4 x 400 relay.

When I raced the kids, I ran a 59. But I'm coaching mostly middle schoolers. I've got some high school girls, but no H.S. boys who are running sprints.

If he has the determination to improve on his own, do him a favor and drop $40-$50 on a speed chute. I'm sure you can find them somewhere online (I got mine through an athletics catalog). They're especially good for sprinters, since the harder you run into the wind, the more resistance you get.

Also, watch his style of running: If he burns out near the end of the race, have him race some 800s. If he can't match the foot speed of the other guys, have him work on some 200s.

[Markel]

Unless he's got a really strong team, that should be fast enough to get him on the 4 x 400 relay.

If he has the determination to improve on his own, do him a favor and drop $40-$50 on a speed chute.

He ran on the varsity 4x400 and 4x200. He also tried a speed chute a couple of times at his soccer practice. He liked it the first time, but the second time he said there wasn't enough wind and it wasn't much any help. He just bought some (thigh) training weights from http://www.speedtrainers.com

[ialsohaveadream]

I've never been a fan of using weights on you while you run. Better to hit the gym before a run, then run on worked-out legs. No need to work on minor muscle groups. Just squats, leg press, and extensions.

Also, since he's a sprinter, remind him not to neglect his upper body strength. You use your arms to drive your legs, and when you're a sprinter, strong arms can make the difference between a 52.1 and a 51.5. If he needs proof, show him pictures of Maurice Greene.