Bike Intervals and Track Intervals (a New Track Workout!)

Thursday I got out for a quick ride down the Greenway. I like to do 3x5 mile intervals, but the construction on the Greenway has thrown a wrench in that over these last few years (I went through the construction zone in some 3x5 mile intervals back in March). So I decided to do 4 mile intervals to be able to stop right before the slow construction detour. And after my 1st interval into the wind, I told myself I could do FOUR intervals (ending with a fast one WITH the wind). So I did 4x4 mile efforts with about 3:00 easy riding in between.

Here's what I ended up riding (CLEARLY riding into the wind on #1 and #3, and riding with the wind on #2 and #4):

- 11:34, 20.7 mph total (20.5 mph halfway)

- 9:46, 24.5 mph total (23.8 mph halfway)

- 11:31, 20.8 mph total (20.4 mph halfway)

- 9:45, 24.6 mph total (24.4 mph halfway)

Speed and heart rate for the entire ride.


Highlighting the intervals in my speed graph.

Then the next day, I hit the track for a new workout. Coach Laurie posted this for my teammates workout last week:

I've really been liking the shorter/harder intervals lately, and this met my needs nicely! It's SIMILAR to some "4x800 then 4x400" or "4x (800 then 400)" workouts that I do, but this one throws in some 200s as well. I was ready.

I also liked that this was just THREE intervals as mentally I tend to run these harder: in my mind, the first one is sort of "testing the waters," and then the 2nd interval means that I just have 1 more after that, so I have to be going hard already for #2. There's no letting up for me in an interval workout with just 3 repeats. Even as I'm starting the 2nd 800, I still have a lot of intervals left (400, 200, 200, 800, 400, 200, and 200), but I'm thinking "After this 800, I only have ONE 800 left! So push!"

Just before sunrise on the track.

My first 800 was just OK and I was hoping to drop some time. And after that one, I was pretty happy with my splits! Here's what I ran:

3x (800, 400, 200, 200) with 90 sec between intervals and 2:00 between the 3 sets:

1:18 + 1:18 = 2:37.4
1:14.7
0:34.4
0:35.4

1:17 + 1:17 = 2:34.6
1:13.0
0:35.0
0:34.6

1:15 + 1:15 = 2:31.1
1:13.1
0:34.4
0:34.0

Garmin map, showing a few rests after 200s at the upper right.


Pace and heart rate for the workout.

I maybe didn't give my ALL in the 200s, but this was a nice workout. I'll do this again! It beat me up.