Penn Relays - 30 years ago

04-23-1987:  Conditions were perfect at Penn Relays where I ran to an 11th place 29:25.  Bob Hodge took third place running 28:29.  My splits were: 4:39/9:21/14:00/18:42/23:30/28:17.  The 29:25 broke my school record from 1985.  It would stand for 26 years, before being smashed by Jeff Veiga who ran 29:07.76 in 2013.

 

From Bob Hodge’s blog:  The plantar fascia was bothersome particularly in the heal area. As I warmed up for my race at Penn, I was limping through my strides until my heal warmed/numbed up sufficiently. In those days the track at Penn was hard and a 10k in spikes was tough on the feet and lower legs.  When the gun sounded a large field sprinted out. As the runners on the outside broke from the stagger they slowed as no one seemed willing to take the lead. I took it and led nearly the entire race. I was passed in the last 200m by JP Nadyasanga of Belgium, but nearly caught him back in the straight just before Troy Billings got by me on the other side. I was third and very pleased with my race, my second fastest 10k.

 

Hodgie’s training diary from that week:

20 6m run p.m. 38:31

21 7m run a.m. 45:38 2m strides 8x200m 30 2m run

22 7m run a.m. 45:20 4m run p.m. 27:20

23 Penn. Relays 5m run a.m. 32:50 3m strides 10k 28:29.3 9:03,14:11 2m run

24 8m run p.m. 52:15

25 nothing

26 57 5m run p.m. 34:34

 

My training log from the same week:

20 8m in the morn alone

21 1m warm-up then Apple Orchard 8

22 5m in morn in 32 min. 8 hour van ride then 3 fast at night in Phillie

23 Penn. Relays 3 warm-up, 1 mile of strides, 2 warm-down. 29:25 (439/442/439/442/448/447)

24 7m easy

25 Shedd Park 8 in 55 min.

26 Pink Church 10 in 65