Session One - 1 mile warmup plus 2 miles at marathon goal pace, ideally 7-7:10 ppm. ACTUAL: 3 miles with splits of 8:16, 7:02, and 7:00.
Session Two - 3-4 x half-mile at cruise pace (~6:20 ppm) with 2:00 rest. ACTUAL: 3 x half-mile in 3:08, 3:10, 3:10.
Session Three - 3 miles at tempo pace (6:40-6:50 ppm). ACTUAL: 3.0 miles in 00:19:55/6:38 ppm; splits of 6:14, 6:52, 6:48.
Cooldown - 1.83 mi in 00:16:49 - 9:11 ppm.
I'm not going to lie, I was worried about this one. It seemed, to me, an especially difficult workout. I struggled with 2 x 3-mile at tempo pace just a week ago, and now I had to run 3 miles tempo after completing 2 miles MGP and some 800s? Yikes.
I started at the Dowd Y and ran a slow first mile to get warmed up before going into MGP (marathon goal pace) while crossing East Blvd. I wanted to do the 800s (again, half-milers, actually) on the speed loop so I just wandered around in the neighboring streets, backtracking and looping around and....running faster than I should have. I just barely cleared the 7:00 ppm mark and it wasn't supposed to be that fast. Also, it felt like work, and I had a long way to go. I didn't see how I was going to finish this thing.
I got to see the speed loop, re-programmed my watch, and took some water at Rebecca's house. I started off and gradually began to feel a little bit better. These were supposed to be a little bit slower than what I did last week, and I hit the target times with precision. When I was done, I fumbled with some cranberry juice mix on Rebecca's porch and tried to figure out how to make the tempo section easier.
Finally, I realized I was right near East Blvd., which is a nice long downhill from here right into Freedom Park. I don't know why this didn't dawn on me before but I figured a downhill start would be a great way to keep from bonking what was suddenly starting to look like a fantastic workout. I had a hard time coming back from my quicker half-mile pace, and that combined with the long decline led to me running a 6:14 opening mile in the tempo section. Really, I was quite pleased with this; I could slow way down and still average better than I thought I would. I ran through the park and up Princeton Avenue for mile two; Princeton is a steep incline and while I did slow down I still managed to keep the pace in the ballpark.
I was beginning to hurt as I continued a slight climb onto Queens Road West. Buoyed by the knowledge that I was well on the way to destroying this thing, I dug down and fought. I had a downhill coming and then I would be done. I closed the three-mile section with a 6:48 lap, putting me at 19:55 total, well faster than either of my sets for last week's workout.
I was exhausted but you had better believe I was pleased with this one. I am starting to feel fit.
Session Two - 3-4 x half-mile at cruise pace (~6:20 ppm) with 2:00 rest. ACTUAL: 3 x half-mile in 3:08, 3:10, 3:10.
Session Three - 3 miles at tempo pace (6:40-6:50 ppm). ACTUAL: 3.0 miles in 00:19:55/6:38 ppm; splits of 6:14, 6:52, 6:48.
Cooldown - 1.83 mi in 00:16:49 - 9:11 ppm.
I'm not going to lie, I was worried about this one. It seemed, to me, an especially difficult workout. I struggled with 2 x 3-mile at tempo pace just a week ago, and now I had to run 3 miles tempo after completing 2 miles MGP and some 800s? Yikes.
I started at the Dowd Y and ran a slow first mile to get warmed up before going into MGP (marathon goal pace) while crossing East Blvd. I wanted to do the 800s (again, half-milers, actually) on the speed loop so I just wandered around in the neighboring streets, backtracking and looping around and....running faster than I should have. I just barely cleared the 7:00 ppm mark and it wasn't supposed to be that fast. Also, it felt like work, and I had a long way to go. I didn't see how I was going to finish this thing.
I got to see the speed loop, re-programmed my watch, and took some water at Rebecca's house. I started off and gradually began to feel a little bit better. These were supposed to be a little bit slower than what I did last week, and I hit the target times with precision. When I was done, I fumbled with some cranberry juice mix on Rebecca's porch and tried to figure out how to make the tempo section easier.
Finally, I realized I was right near East Blvd., which is a nice long downhill from here right into Freedom Park. I don't know why this didn't dawn on me before but I figured a downhill start would be a great way to keep from bonking what was suddenly starting to look like a fantastic workout. I had a hard time coming back from my quicker half-mile pace, and that combined with the long decline led to me running a 6:14 opening mile in the tempo section. Really, I was quite pleased with this; I could slow way down and still average better than I thought I would. I ran through the park and up Princeton Avenue for mile two; Princeton is a steep incline and while I did slow down I still managed to keep the pace in the ballpark.
I was beginning to hurt as I continued a slight climb onto Queens Road West. Buoyed by the knowledge that I was well on the way to destroying this thing, I dug down and fought. I had a downhill coming and then I would be done. I closed the three-mile section with a 6:48 lap, putting me at 19:55 total, well faster than either of my sets for last week's workout.
I was exhausted but you had better believe I was pleased with this one. I am starting to feel fit.
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