Spikes Times 5

Anytime I put on my spikes I know its going to be a fast day. Lately it seems like its happening more often then not. Before this week the most I've put them on is maybe four times, with a very lackluster fourth appearance. Times have changed. Spikes Monday, spikes Tuesday, spikes Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!! Speed kills, unless you're strong like me :-)

In past times five days of spikes was unheard of for me and if it was attempted, I would have been crawling home by day four.

Monday's spike workout was expected, and much wanted. After the two weeks of relay camp I wanted to get back to working on things to make me faster. The camps were an eye opener in two ways, one; that I need to get faster, and two; I'm on the right track. Monday felt good, but when Tuesday rolled around and I was in spikes again I knew something was up. "Turn over, work on your turn over". The key to my race will be the first piece, the first 100 meters where turn over is key. Right now I have the strength, but with my sub par turn over it does me no good. Wednesday, spikes again! I was still feeling good though, and the work on turn over on Tuesday make longer speed even easier. As I look over at my team mates rolling on the ground, I don't feel the same, I feel amazing, like I can go on forever. Long speed use to be my worst enemy, but to on Wednesday I made it my....well you know.

For sure by Thursday I thought I would be in flats, something easy maybe. Or Not! At this point easy has officially been removed from my vocabulary and replaced with "not as hard as yesterday". Once again the spikes are strapped up and the intensity a raised. Bang! Bang! Bang! one after another, I feel like I'm running short sprints forever. 40 meters never seemed hard before, but Thursday definitely changed that for me.

By Friday I know the drill. At no point do I tell myself that I might do something light. Like clockwork the spikes go on. To my amazement I feel nothing though, no soreness, no tiredness, no fatigue. My legs feel so good you would think it was Monday. Today I work on being fast and relaxed, something I never really got the hang of before. Friday was different though, Friday I finally grasped the concept. It felt like I was running 60s forever, at no point did I keep track of the count. "One more", "one more", "one more". With each "one more" my coaches look at their clocks and smile. I don't feel super fast, but I know by their reaction they like what they see.

Five days of spikes would break down the average athlete. After five days of spike I walked away with some of my fastest 60s of the year. I guess I might be a little above average :-)