The mantra of NO

Do you ever find yourself trying to avoid explaining to non-runner co-workers that you have 7:30am track practice? By yourself. With rain forecasted. #awkwardmomentsinrunning.

Today was my last hard workout before Cleveland. I can't believe we're here. It seems like just days ago I was staring down a long training plan and wondering how I was going to fare over the many, many weeks ahead. Not much more to go!

Today's workout was:
1 m. warm-up
6 x 800m. w/ 200m recoveries
1 m. cool-down

I wasn't sure what pace to target, so I checked the McMillan calculator and the RW training calculators and picked a 3:55-4:00 time for the intervals. I thought this seemed slower than my old time (and now, looking back, I see that it is), so I decided that if it felt easy, I'd pick up the pace after the first interval.

At almost exactly the half-way mark I realized I was doing (and had done all the math in my head for) 400m recoveries. Damn! This meant I was basically resting for too long between intervals. But at this point I decided it was too much to try to re-figure all the distances and everything in my head, so I just kept going.

The pace never felt easy exactly. I had to stay focused and keep on it. A few strides into the last repeat I checked Clepsydra and saw an 8:06 pace. I heard myself say "NO" out loud, and I dug in, determined not to let my pace go in the last interval. I think my times are slower than a year ago because I run in a rolling to hilly park rather than on a flat track (according to Garmin, my total ascent today was over 1000 ft! Not sure I believe that, but that's what it says). That's what I'm going to choose to believe anyway!

Intervals: 3:57, 3:58, 3:49, 3:56, 3:56, 3:57 (at least I'm consistent!)

In other news, the butt pain is back (yeah, I know). Def need to get another trip into the sports massage therapist this week.