Intervals at the Track

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that I did some intervals on Friday. My car was getting new tires, and my wife drove her car to work (which is rare). So to get to the track, we hopped on our bikes.

Selfie at the track before getting started.

I was doing what my running team had done the day before. Here's what coach said:

This week's workout:

400m, 800m, 1200m, 1200m, 800m, 400m

@ 5k race pace w/2 min rest

That sounded good to me! I did a workout similar to this many years ago when I was in better shape, and I remember I did like 1:19-1:21 for nearly all the laps. OBVIOUSLY I knew I wasn't as fast now because I've still only done a few speed workouts after coming back from my injury last year... and this was my first time on a track in over a year!

So I wondered if I could keep my laps at 1:25. That was a loose goal. I warmed up a bit more (I mean, more than the bike ride there) by running 1200 on the track, and then I walked for a few minutes before starting the workout.

My first 400 was right on:

• 400: 1:24.88

But I didn't think I could keep that up. So I was happy when my next interval was still holding on:

• 800: 1:22, 1:23 = 1:46.09

NOW came the test: could I hold on in the 1200? If I could, then I probably could for the next 1200 as well. And the final 800 and 400. So this first 1200 was important.

• 1200: 1:23, 1:25, 1:21 = 4:11.44

Still under my goal! My middle 400 there was 1:25, but that would end up being my slowest split of the day. Nice! I really suffered through the last few intervals.

• 1200: 1:24, 1:22, 1:19 = 4:05.85

• 800: 1:22, 1:19 = 1:42.35

• 400: 1:17.04

So every interval "coming down" on the 2nd half of the workout was faster than the ones "going up" in the first half. Solid. I also got my first side-stitch in about a year - it showed up in that first 1200, and peeked its head out during a few of the final intervals.

Between some intervals. There are the boys to the left on the hill,
and my water bottle in the foreground near the starting line on the track.


Sweaty selfie post-workout. I don't look too beat-up. (But I WAS.)


Goodbye track! Thanks for the workout!


The boys getting ready to bike back home. (I wore the backpack
that Charlie's putting on - he was just trying to be helpful.)

Alight, like I said in yesterday's post, time for an EASIER week this week.