#track workouts

I ran my first track workout since the fall today. 5x800.

This was my inner monologue: Too fast. Slow down. No, this feels good. Stay here. Too fast. You better keep this up for the second lap. This feels like the right pace. I like this speed. Don't look at your watch. Look at your watch. Too fast. If you run this fast then you're setting a prescident for the next ones. Steady. Look at your watch. No, don't. Finish steady; don't blow your load at the last 100. Holy shit, way too fast. Idiot. Fuck.

I ran them in 3:10, 3:04, 3:02, 3:03, and 2:59.

Been a while since my last post but the work has continued. I have 3 weeks until race day and I feel like things are starting to come together. The workouts have upped in intensity but even when I’m feeling tired I have been able to meet the challenge of the next session.

As for today, I had 4-6 x 1200 repeats plus 3 x 200 on tap, and it was nearly 90°. I started conservatively on the 1200s and let myself acclimate to the conditions. I figured I could get 4 x 1200 in for sure, but did I have enough in the tank for 5? It turns out I did. As soon as I finished the 4th I told myself, “let’s do one more.” And that 5th rep ended being my fastest one.

I didn’t think my paces were super-fast. But a couple of folks at the track complimented me on my running which felt pretty cool. A soccer coach working with his team on the turf said I was cooking and the school security guard called me “Superman,” lol.

I sometimes lament that I am older and slower now, but I guess I still have a little juice. In any case it is nice to get some unsolicited support like that.

Long time since my last post. I just forget about Tumblr sometimes. I’ve continued to build up my running these past few weeks, from a measly 15 a week to now 30. But up until this week, all I did was easy running. And I’ve started to add more quality work. I’m rusty as hell; right now an 8-minute pace feels sort of hard, but I know it will get easier if I’m smart about this. That meant today, doing 800 repeats, I needed to stay controlled, even if it meant not hitting the pace target in my plan.

Sure enough I was outside pace range for the first 3 of the 4 800s. But I got faster each time and on the last one I snuck into the slower end of the target pace range.

I’d say that was a well executed session. Had I tried to go harder than I’m ready to, I’d have flamed out, or worse possibly injured myself. The key for me is to keep getting fitter, keep getting stronger - on the roads and trails, and in the weight room - and if I do that the times will start to drop. Trust the process and good things will happen.

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9W_kcRhC_w)

It’s been a few days now since I did a “real” run. I had a progression run on Friday, but then I spent Saturday working at a race, then on Sunday I played soccer. 

I could have run yesterday, but with a race scheduled this coming Sunday, the calendar showed yesterday as a rest or cross training day, so I ended up going to yoga and sweating it out in the hot room for 90 minutes. Truthfully I think I needed it. I’ve got 2 classes left on my current 10-class pass but I think I’d like to continue. The only question is whether I continue at this studio, I like it, but this stuff isn’t exactly cheap, and a studio a little closer to home is now offering a Groupon to get 10 classes for just $50, which as any practitioner of Bikram knows, is a really good deal.