200m

The last workout. No, I'm not retiring; it's just the last one I can fit in before getting on the plane to London for me annual-ish business schmooze trip.

My 5k race times are improving; I also did a confidence-boosting 800m time trial in 2:35 on the road... but the last two workouts have been bad. Or so I thought.

In the interests of getting my head back together, I went seriously 'off schedule' yesterday.

It was enough of a test of dedication to start with. The mission: to repeat last week's bring-you-to-your-knees muscle endurance workout, only this time unsupervised and solo on the track.

The workout is 5 x 300 with a scant 30-second rest between each one -- just about enough time to cram your heart back into your chest -- followed by a 3 minute break, then 8 x 200m with 100m jog between each one. I prepared myself for the ordeal; and then the snow storm rolled in.

Not to be put off, I summoned my British stiff upper lip and resolved to "just do it". An unexpected bonus: at the last minute I got a call from Arturo, one of the guys I used to run with last year. He said he was injured, but would join me for the warm-up. It was great to see him, and great to have some company for a change. Bearing in mind that it was training with him and Gabino Toledo that taught me how to "suffer like a Mexican", I shouldn't really have been surprised when, as the snow got heavier, Arturo declared he would do the workout with me, despite his painful Achilles. Halfway through the opening 300s I asked him how his leg felt, was it hurting? "Oh yes", he says, matter-of-factly..."it's painful". What can you do with these guys??

Had a good session on Saturday -- 200m x 10 after the obligatory warm-up run, drills and strides. I toodled over to the all-weather track at Fairview High as Boulder was being hit by thunderstorms. I timed it perfectly between rain storms. The Flatirons looked spectacularly mysterious, shrouded in mist. As ever, I count myself lucky to be able to do a track workout in such surroundings.

Got a bit carried away with the times -- at an average of 35 second each 200, with a couple of 34s, they were a little bit faster than the target times set from last week's Kosmin data (36.5). My excuse is that there was a very pretty high school girl doing 400s at the same time which motivated me to a) try to catch her and b) not be seen running like a doddering old fool.

Oscar Pistorius is a 20-year old South African Paralympic runner known as “The Fastest Thing on No Legs”. After having both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was only 11-months old, Oscar has exemplified the astounding spirit of these challenged athletes. Oscar is sponsored by Ossur and with the aid of their Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetics, Oscar has ran his his way to multiple Paralympic gold medals and set world records in the 100, 200 and 400m events. He has also gone on to break his own to consider the issue. As the IOC struggles to make decision, Oscar has kept his heworld records 19 times in a single year and has successfully competed against able-bodied runners.