So the track season is finally among us, and I begin my campaign tomorrow at BUCS doing the 1500m. Since I started running on the track aged 12 I've always struggled with the transition from the cross to track. It normally takes me a good month or two to finally feel comfortable running in my spikes and get the legs moving quickly, and even then, I still found running on the track very hard. A lap into any race, whether it was an 800 or 3k, the lactic in my legs would be through the roof!! It has always been an uncomfortable and unpleasent experience doing track races, yet every year without fail I come back wanting more.

Up until now, I never had a good winter build up going into the track season. Back in the day I never used to do any miles or many runs, just mainly sessions on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. All my fitness would come from the many hours of football I played, that was my endurance training. Last winter, I was hampered by two major illnesses. Not much background work in the winter was probably why I struggled during the track season. However, this year there seems to be a different story. As soon as I got my spikes on I was ready to run fast, and I'm coping with it much better than I was last year; but that maybe because the Brooks Z3 Distane are a dream shoe. Having done good mileage all winter (roughly 60 miles a week, my max was 68 one week, which was a complete fluke) I think my body is in a good position to tolerate lactic a bit better meaning I feel more comfartable for longer. Having only done a few track specific sessions I am already running much faster than I was in the middle of last track season. I'm going through 400m on some reps and looking at my watch thinking "WOW! Is this thing broken?". For example, in my last training report I did an 800m in 2:08, going through 400m in 64. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy and I was running hard, but I struggled to do that in a 1500m last year and now I'm doing it at the end of a session, very surprising. Last night I did 6 200's with Steve and I did them all in 28. Last year (borrowing a quote from Steve here), I had to sprint my nuts off to run a 28 200, but yesterday it felt quite easy and I was fairly relaxed. 

I think this year my PB's of 2:00, 3:54 and 8:24 are under serious threat, and hopefully that 3:54 will disappear this weekend. It took me a good 2-3 months to get into that 3:54 shape, and after a few sessions this year, I think I'm ready to beat it. It's amazing how much of a difference a good, solid winter can make to your summer form, good work Mr Sharp.

Peace,

Goolab xxx