Carrying The Piano

Last night, as a result of some coaching I do, I got on the track for the first time in nearly a year. We had the kids running 200's, I was the oldest kid. We did just 4 of the 200's after a bit of warm up. Though the children range in age from 7-13, most that I was working with were in the 10-11 range. Some of them are big enough to move pretty well. They get off the line much quicker than I do, but I seem to have a better top end, or at least I sustain speed better. Two of them each beat me to the finish once. On the final 200, I went by them early, and though I felt like I was carrying a piano, got to the line well ahead of them, and in the slowest time of the night.

Carrying the piano is never fun. (I wonder if you're going to see ads for piano movers in New Jersey next to this post...let me know!) When you body doesn't want to do something, and you need to keep repeating the lift the knees, swing the arms mantras, you know that you're struggling. I guess the light volume was OK, because, while a bit stiff this morning, I had very little soreness.

Track work is rarely pleasant, but if you want to run fast (and though I'm prepping for a marathon, it matters little to me) there is no substitute. (Note: you can do what I refer to as track work anywhere, but because of measured distances, a track is the easiest place to do it.) I enjoy getting on the track (and know the kids get a kick out of beating me, at least when they can pull it off) and know that it pays big dividends.