Mental Speedwork

A recent post by Red has had me thinking about my personal revulsion at doing speedwork. Now that I'm on some sort of injured-reserve status and can't do any work at all, the mental aspects of running are hitting me full force and the concepts of speed and speedwork have been swirling in my head. And since I'm not working or running right now there's plenty of space in my head for some swirling, not always a good thing, but I'll try to harness the energy and stay out of trouble.

Words and how they're used are interesting to me and I've always seen the use of words as an art form. And since I've been making a living writing for a number of years the use of words and the impact they have on my mind and my readers minds continue to become more and more important as the days go by. I've become much more aware of the influence that words either written or spoken can have.

Thus the current obsession with the word speed or speedwork.

I get really excited when I read the word speed or hear that word, think "Chariots Of Fire?" But throw the word work into the mix and the whole concept goes down the toilet. Speedwork my ass, I think to myself, just give me the speed and forget the work. Yep, now you know that I'm basically lazy.

It isn't always possible to find a group to do speedwork with and I've been lucky to live in Chicago where the running groups are large and there are great turnouts for the weekly speedwork sessions. I've been running with Chicago Endurance Sports for the past two years and each Wednesday our marathon or half marathon groups would meet in Lincoln Park for a roughly 30 to 45 minute speed session that features a variety of interesting workouts and relays. The speedwork seemed less like work when done with a group and also done with smaller group segments so I could find a pace to tuck in with.

CES also offers a speedwork session on Tuesday nights for "hardcore" runners. I've managed to stay away from that damned thing!

I would like to pick up my speed though when I heal up from my setback and right now I'm frustrated as each day that goes by because the time wasted is eating into my mileage base and limiting my opportunity to not only run but run faster.

I know speedwork can help because of the experience I had during the summer of '98 on a 400 meter track here in the city. I completed my first marathon that spring and my mentor at the time invited me to the track that summer to do speedwork with a separate group. Some, like I, were preparing for the fall Chicago Marathon and what my mentor didn't tell me in advance is that maybe half of the track runners were Boston qualified or would soon be qualified. I told him I wasn't fast anymore and he said it didn't matter as long as I liked the track atmosphere. I was dumb enough to believe him.

Needless to say, I spent every Thursday evening on that track in last place but I did get faster just trying to keep up with the next-to-last place runner.

I never was a burner, even in High School, but I could hold my own back then and I was fast enough to earn a spot on our mile relay team when I was a senior. Our mile relay team was advancing to the state regional track meet and for whatever reason some of the faster juniors and sophmores saw me running laps on my own about a week before that regional track meet and asked to join me.

Frankly, I wasn't looking for company because I usually preferred to suffer alone but the sun was getting low in the sky, I was running fast and didn't argue at their attempt to be cordial. I was bored anyway so why not cut up a little.

I knew I was faster than any of them but there was one exception I was worried about, a lithe junior who was soon to become a "burner." I kept bumping up the pace, run hard a lap, jog a lap and so on. After a half dozen or so of these quick laps it because obvious to me that this young junior was just having too easy of a time keeping up with me soooo I pulled out the stops for a lap and damned he stayed on my shoulder. We all jogged the next lap and took off with me determined to lose him this time and I did gain maybe a stride on him by the end. So we all went again, jogged a lap then I announced that this was it, the final, all for one one for all we're going flat out fast and man we did.

It had become a game, it was fun, and we each were probably training faster than we ever had. I remember managing to stay ahead of that young whipper snapper junior on that last lap, but not by much and I also remember his laughter once we caught our breath a bit. He knew he had almost beat me, and that his spot was more than likely ensured on the following year's mile relay team. I felt pretty good that we had pushed each other like that and could laugh about it.

I'll also never forget the mile relay finals in the regional track meet the following week. I was running second and just before I took the baton from our "burner" leadoff senior the runner in the blocks next to me said something that really pissed me off. To this day I don't remember what he said but I do know that he took his baton before I and I remember knowing I had to kick his smart ass. I always ran better when I was pissed off.

I was clocked in my quarter at 54 seconds, yes I know not burning fast for a quarter miler, but the 54 second quarter was a full two seconds faster than my PR of 56.

So I know from experience that speedwork, speedtraining, speedplay or just speed can help. It worked when I was young so there is no reason it won't work now.

Now, I just have to heal up, extend my daily walks to some light jogging, get a little mileage base built up and then hook up with a few zanies who I can sort of keep up with and see if we can burn up the track. Maybe next summer?

Ah, isn't the mind a fun place to dwell? I move so much faster in my mind than on the track or trail.