Mike Brown - Training Profile

Week 1 Training After a 5 week break I'm back on the grind putting in miles. I figure that i can always get a little stronger so i've uped my running time to 30min from my normal 20. That doesn't seem like much for a miler or even an 800 meter runner, but it's more than i've done in the past and will give me that base that I need. Running and lifting at least 3x a week before official practices start will enable me to run every practice harder and therefore i'll be more prepared for when the season starts. I missed going to the trials by .04 and I won't let that happen again. Next year I'm going to Finland for the World Championships and it starts now!!

Week 2 Training More of the same this week. 30 min runs and lifting. It's only been two weeks, but I can already notice that i'm getting bigger from lifting and my wind coming back. It's a long season ahead so I have to be careful of not overdoing it. With fall training starting in two weeks--I'll be just fine though. I'll keep going slow and steady--that is of course until i get on the track.

Week 3 Training This week i decided to drop down from 30min runs to 25 min runs. 5 minutes doesn't seem like a big difference, but i was focusing on running at a faster pace for the shorter period of time. I feel good with fall training starting next week. It all begins with a 2 mile time trial. I'm shooting for a time under 12min. We'll see how it goes.

Week 4 Training I realize now that my goal of going under 12min wasn't that realistic. In fact i wasn't even close. I ran 12:46 for the time trial. I'm pretty sure that i can run faster-my first mile was just too slow in 6:07. It's all a learning experience though. We started 3min runs this week where you run for 3min and rest for 3min. The workout is only 4 of them, but it's def not easy. I'm trying to keep an avg of around 850m for each run and try to improve on that every time. If i can do that then I'll be just fine.

Week 5 Training This week's training actually surprized me. For the past 7 yrs i've pretty much been doing the same routine for fall training and this yr my coach decided to mix it up a bit. We did 5 sets of stadium runs and a 20 min fartilk, both of these don't look too bad on paper, but they were def hard cardiac workouts. 4 3min runs midweek and i was feeling good. The biggest aspect of running for me right now is developing a good breathing rhythm. This is very important for me since I run the hurdles, which is a rhythm event. Breathing is all apart of a good rhythm.

Week 6 Training 3x3 min runs--avg of 875m-good overall avg for the day. 12x150m--did these on the track and felt great. These weren't all out sprints, but i nice comfortable pace that got the legs moving 25min fartlik--The 2nd of the season and this one felt much better than the first. -It was an overall good week of practice. As long as i can keep improving than everything will be just fine.

Week 7 Training This was by far the hardest week of practice for me. 5x600--my avg was around 1:52. I found myself sitting back on the middle runs instead of going after it and my times suffered because of it. 5x500+--finished between 1:29--1:34. I'm finishing strong, but I was still sitting back and running on my heels in the middle runs. This week was a bit of a struggle and I ended up slightly behind the pace of last year. Sometimes you don't have the best weeks, but i can't dwell on it and have to get right back into it next week.

Week 10 Training I was starting to break down physically and my coach decided to give me two weeks off to rest. I was reluctant at first, but now that I'm running again I realize that it was the best thing for me. Sometimes it's better to take a step back instead of continuing in the wrong direction. This week consisted of light workouts just to get my legs back under me. 20min fartlik 15x 100y w/10s rest 10 x 150m relaxed pace

Week 11 Training Monday--500m breakdown w/8 min rest Wednesday--10x200m w/2min rest @28 Friday--5x 50y 2 tire pulls & 5x 30y 3-point stance runs It feels good to be running again, but I'm not where i'd like to be yet. It's a slow process, but I know that I'll be ready when meets start in January. I just have to take it one day at a time. One workout doesn't make or break the season.

Week 12 Training Monday--450, 350, 250--10min rest Wednesday--10 x 200m 2min rest @27-28 Thursday--14 x 100y 15 s rest--@24 strides The 450 break down was the best workout i've done this year. I'm still trying to get a feel for running 400's in practice, but i'm getting there. I'm finally feel like my legs are back under me and I'm finally running like me. It's still early and more than a month before my first meet, but I'm "Coming Along Nicely".

Week 13 Training 4 x 300m @ 40 w/5min rest 10 x 200m @27-28 w/2min rest 15x 100y w/15s rest -The 300's were good, but tough. I haven't built up a strong resistance to lactic build up and on the 3rd and 4th 300 I was feeling it. That's just something that you have to run through--and will def get better over time so I'm not worried about it. -The 200's are getting better. I honestly hate this workout because it's so long. It works though--the short rest forces you to recover and you get some of that lactic build up I was talking about. So even though I don't like the workout I know it will help me in the long run. -The 100's aren't a fun workout either. This is a very quick workout, but don't underestimate it. 15s rest barely even exists.

Over the next 7 weeks my training suffered from a back injury, to the flu, to bronchitis. There were some good workouts and some bad ones too. I'm not even going to list them--since all of them (the good and the bad) are basically thrown out the window right now. I had a pretty big indoor season planned, but i'm scratching all, but maybe 2 meets. The focus now is to just train through the winter season and get ready for outdoor. Staying focused on the main goal at hand keeps me going. Hopefully I'm done with all the injuries and illnesses.

Week 14 Sorry that I've been mia for awhile! I'm looking for a new job right now so i've been a little busy.   Training is going really well right now and I just had my first meet on 4/15 at the Sea Ray Relays in Tennessee. I didn't open up as fast as I wanted to. Running 51.31 wasn't my plan, but I was able to take some positives out of the race. Since i'm one of the few athletes that actually tell the truth about seed times I got stuck in lane 1. I'd rather be in the middle or the outer lanes, but it doesn't bother me much. In 2000--Angelo Taylor won the Olympic title in the 400h from lane 1. My first 5 hurdles were fast so that was good, but stretching #'s 6-10 isn't going to get the job done. It's just a matter of fixing a few things and i'll be all set.   This past week started off with 3x 350m with @12min rest. The goal was to hit them all in 44, but for some reason i was feeling good and hit the first 2 in 42. The last one was 44, which i was a little dissappointed with, but I was where I was supposed to be. This workout tells me that I'm ready to run fast. 3x 300h was the next workout and I just couldn't get my steps together until the last run. I was bouncing through the runs instead of actually getting a good drive and push in between the hurdles. The feeling is completly different and have to be efficient. 12x100y with 15s rest finished off the week. A much lighter workout, but by the 7 or 8th run your lungs are burning and you're glad to be done after #12. I'm really feeling good right now and I'm looking forward to be good week of practice leading into the Penn Relays. For anyone in the attending--check me out sat morning at 9am--i'm in the Olympic Development section of the 400h. TIME FOR ANOTHER WATCH!!

Week 15 Training This week wasn't a big workout week being that Penn Relays was only a few days away, but the work done was quality. Tu-3x350m @44 and under--good workout--weren't as fast as the week before, but i felt more fluid and the wind didn't help things. I swear that Villanova is the windiest stadium ever. It makes you fly when you compete without wind though. Friday--ran the anchor leg of the 4x4 in the Olympic development section. I was on the B team and ran what was probably the fastest split. 46.3. My team ended up second in 3:10:85 and the A team ran 3:09.45. It was fun to run a relay again I haven't done that since the Nova Dmr won the NCAA nationals in 2002.  Saturday---I ran the 400h at 9am in the morning and ran 50.76. 2nd was 52 something. For those of you that were there --you know how much it was raining.  It was a pretty good run and I'm finally getting my race pattern down. Only good things to come--oh and I did get my watch.Click on the link below to read an article about the race.   http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/109-05012005-483619.html

Week 16 Training 5/1-5/6 After the Penn Relays Monday was a light day just warming up and doing some strides Tues-5x300 @43 w/4min rest.I hit the times that I needed to hit, but # 4,5 were a struggle in the last 50m. That lactic acid was getting to me. Thurs--3x300 @36. Hit 35's for the first 2 and then 36 on the last. I was upset with the last 300 because i didn't get out. I hit 12s for the first 100 and then just maintained the pace. Fri-5x200h-just bounced through these focusing on getting a good push away from the hurdle and my form. Felt good and looking forward to a big week next week as I prepare for my next meet. The Georgia Tech Invite on 5/14.

Week 17 Training Started off the week with 5x300m w-4min rest. The times ranged from 39-42. Lactic build up on the last 2, but I was getting a good push and drive on each run and managed to finish well. The next workout was 3x300 hurdles. For the first time ever (in practice) I was able to take 14 steps through 7 hurdles. That's a great sign because that's my race pattern. With the adrenaline pumping I should be able to fly in a meet, but the meet didn't go according to plan. I got out really well, but a little too well. I had such a great push that I was at the wrong leg at the first hurdle, which through my game plan off. I can hurdle with either leg, but I'm better with my left leg leading. When it wasn't I was thrown off my pattern and had to change it up mid-race. I ended up stretching to a few hurdles and not being fluid. I thought that I ran like 51 or 52 seconds, but I was 50.94 for 6th. Not great, but I'm confident that once I make a change to my start that i'll be right on and ready to run fast.

Week 18 Training First workout of the week was 3x350m @44 and under. I hit only 44.5 on the first run--I was just slow getting out hitting the 200 in 25. The next to were 43 and 42 seconds so I was feeling pretty good. My back had been acting up so coach decided to make the rest of the week real light to give my body some rest. 12x100y was next. I was supposed to be about 26 strides, but I was between 23-24. I'm just getting good distance out of each stride right now and that's going to make it easier to hit my hurdle pattern.