Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A new type of threshold workout...

Well in following the Angry/ Speedy ideology war ( Angry going mostly speed /power work with a little distance, Speedy going mostly distance with a little speed.) Yesterday I decided to break my former track coach's #1 rule of speed work...go out easy and build, yesterday I went out hard and tried to hold it. My workout wasn't a long one by any standards 800 meter warm up followed by 5 x 1600m on 10:00. I did my torture de jour following an 11 mile long run on Sunday. Upon seeing the Wolcott Boys soccer team was dominating the field at the High School I went to my Alma Mater Holy Cross in Waterbury and decided to do this shit at my old black rubber stomping ground. The warm up went well the football players were finishing their scrimmage, and there was not a power walker in sight clear track for the first 1600. I did the first 1 on 6:42, I figured as long as I was going sub 7:10 ( Boston Marathon Qualifying pace.) I would be in good shape. The second didn't go as well as the flood of power walkers began to arrive. Now this particular group was mostly made up of kids that did a 100m walk 100m run 5 min. steretch/squat routine every lap. Also an older gentleman came down to do laps, apparently he must have run track in his younger pre- joint replacement days, as he decided to park himself in the inside lane, also known as the shortest way around, I didn't mind much as it brought back memories of when I was doing the 1600 and 3200 on this same piece of real estate back in the day. The second 1600 was slower a 6:46 but with having to weave in and out that could have easily cost me the 4 seconds. 1600 number 3 was slower still as the lactic acid was filling in my legs and I really had to pee. 6:55, after hitting the near by port-o-let within the confines of my break I cranked out #4 6:56. At least I was under 7 min. I started going on #5 as some teen age dude was running, with his i-pod. I decided that this runner in a sea of power walkers was going to be my target and I was going to chase him down like a gazelle on the savanah. Each lap the gap came down and finally on my last circut I went into Benard Lagat mode and sadly like the great Lagat came up short of my target. My last split was the fastest of the day 6:41. It was no "Michelle" style run, or a blazing fast Angry Sprint set. But I seemed happy with it. I might add it to the arsenal once I have more time to run, because as of September 2 my ass belongs to Central Connecticut State University.

This afternoon I just did a ride nothing major. As of Tuesday, my afternoon runs and rides will become limited as I have the class schedule of doom and gloom on tap.

Degree= more money and more time to train
R.D.

2 comments:

GetBackJoJo said...

correction: degree = more money = more demanding work = less time to work out.
At least in my experience... and I'm an old lady so I should know.
Good job on your 1600 repeats. If I could hold five under seven min. I'd be psyched! 7:10 pace is qualifying for Boston for you? Ouch! I only have to 8:15s. But again, I'm old. And I'm female.

Mr. Satan A. Chilles said...

Nice repeats. Even though you 'Lagat'-ed, it's OK, you got faster for the future just by being there. I always chase people with iPods, too.