Since my concert schedule caused me to miss two speed workouts, I decided to make one of them up on Thursday.
I was worried about the weather. We could hear thunder when we got home, and the radar map made it look like a small storm system was moving through our area. But I still wanted to get my speed work in.
I did the math and wrote up a chart so I could match the mileage with my usual 400 meter sprints with a 200 meter recovery. I went up to 12 400s, but doubted I could make it that long on the treadmill! And just as I was ready to start, I checked the weather again.
The storm had moved on! So I hit the track instead. I wasn’t sure how many I’d do. I missed the 18×400 and 20×400 workouts, but I didn’t want to do that many. I wanted to do at least eight. And, well, I’m kind of an overachiever.
After a 15-minute warm-up, I was ready to go. I was still working with a 2:02 goal.
- 1:59
- 1:59
- 2:03
- 2:02
- 2:02
- 2:02
- 2:06 — huh, getting a little sluggish
- 2:09 –ugh
- 2:03 — that’s better
- 2:00
- 2:04
- 2:06 — maybe it’s just not my day
- 2:08
- 2:09
- 2:05
- 2:02
Yeah … not so good. Maybe it was the week and a half break from the track? Or was it my yoga class earlier that day — while I always have yoga the same day as my runs, it seemed like a hard (but good!) workout. I don’t know. I just wasn’t too thrilled with this run!
But things have picked up since then.
On Saturday, I ran a 10K. This was a warm-up for our goal race — what all this speed and hill training has been working up to.
I knew this race was hilly, and I wasn’t expecting to be able to do it at my 55-minute goal. (I think I would have a hard time with that on a flat course!) I would have loved just to break 57. I didn’t do either. But I was still happy with my race.
It was overcast at the start, and humid. I positioned myself where I thought was the middle of the pack, and we were off. Very early on, I got the feeling this was going to be a tough race. I looked down at my watch. Oops, 8:03 pace. That’s why! I slowed it down and finished the first mile in 8:47.
Mile two clocked in at 9:11, mile three at 9:27. Sure I was slowing down, but I was OK with that. Wow, there were a lot more hills than I was expecting!
Miles four and five were pretty rough. Both were 9:43. Somewhere in here, I was starting to think a sub-60 10K was a better goal!
But it got better. Mile six, 9:15. And I clocked the last .18 (says Garmin) in a mere 1:23. Why yes, it was a slight downhill finish 🙂
Final time: 57:31. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was only five seconds slower than my PR. (Note to self: always know what your PR is before trying to beat it.)
I had a good time, and received what is possibly the ugliest race shirt ever:
It makes me laugh. And is likely going straight to the donation pile!
And now I’m going to bring us back to the track. We’re no longer doing ridiculous numbers of 400s. We’re sticking to just eight, but trying to pick them up a little bit.
For my pace group, our coach suggested a few seconds faster than our previous 2:02, that we should go for sub 2:00. I didn’t expect to go quite this fast — or be able to maintain it! But here it is …
- 1:52 (I thought “too fast!” when I saw the time)
- 1:51
- 1:51
- 1:50
- 1:43 (WTF? That’s a 7-minute pace. I double-checked to make sure I didn’t end the lap too soon. Nope. Right on at .25 mile)
- 1:47
- 1:49 (Before finishing this lap, I was feeling sluggish. Apparently not so much …)
- 1:47
Huh. I really don’t know where that came from. We’ll see how close I get to my goal on Sunday!
