Beginning

Finally!! After a year of saying this is in the works, I've finally got this blog up and running.  So first and foremost, WELCOME TO MY SITE.  I will try and update this regularly on my season's progress.

Where to start, 

Let's start with right now.  The past two months I’ve been training with the Canadian middle distance High Performance centre, headed up by the worldly know middle distance coach, Wynn Gmitroski.    I have just undergone a crash coarse with the group experiencing a new outlook on the 800m.  The motto, all spikes all the time.  Minus my college career (where we raced every weekend), I've never trained in spikes this much.  But I feel good and I feel confident in myself and the training.  I’ve enjoyed my time so much that last minute I decided to follow them on their next training block to Flagstaff, AZ.   With a quick flight home to Toronto on Monday, then back to Arizona on Thursday, I'm back with the group.

For those who don't know Flagstaff, it has an altitude of just less than 7000ft or 2100m for my non-Americans.  I know what you’re thinking…what the f* does that mean? Higher altitude creates thinner air, which means less air resistance.  This is why sprinters, jumpers etc perform better at altitude.  For aerobic training, it means less oxygen. Basically, you feel like a fat kid just learning to jog. 

 On Saturday I found this out first hand.  The workout (all at 800m pace):

1x200m (25-26seconds)                 2minutes recovery 

1x600 (1:18-1:20seconds)               10minutes recovery 

6x200m                                         60seconds recovery

First 200m-25.6 seconds; perfect.  It felt smooth and relaxed. (Remember sprinting is easy).  Now it’s time for the 600m.  The two minutes recovery is up.  My breathing has just returned to a comfortable state.  The coach says go and we’re off.  There are 10 of us in the workout.  I’m following right behind two of my training partners.  We go through the first 200m in 25seconds, which is perfect for this.  Coming off the turn of the track, I decide it’s time to start working the backstretch and get close to the two in front.  350m in to the workout, the wheezing starts.  “Relax Kyle, control your body”, I say in my head.  I pass 400m in a 53.5 sec, and two guys blow right by me.  I hit 450m and my breathing sounds like a train. 3 more go by me.  I reach 550m and I step off the track, bend over and start dry heaving in between the wheezes.  Yup, Altitude training at its best!!  I spend the next 10 minutes repeating the same steps, stand up, walk, cough, kneel, and cough.  The 6x200m was all over the map ranging from 26-29.

I talked with Wynn (coach) post workout and he just laughed.  You know what, so did I.  This could discourage me but it didn’t.  I loved it, and I want more.  Tuesday has talk about an all out 600m, and I’m pumped for it. 

So for my people I train who say “Kyle it hurts to run, you don’t know what it feels like to start out.”  Yes, I do and I crave more.  This just means that when I get back I’m going to up my training with you all.