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March 10, 2006
Another Small Workout
Progress, friends, comes in baby steps. I'm sure someone important said that. Or maybe it's just a foul movie line from the '90s.
Today I ran 2.5++ miles as a warm-up, strides and drills, 4 x 3:10 at slightly faster than 5K effort with 2:10 jog recoveries, .5 miles cooldown, 6 miles total.
I felt pooey on the first 2 intervals, all herky-jerky and my breathing erratic. Then, magically, I felt like a gliding racetrack horse on the 3rd and 4th. Ok, it wasn't that beautiful, I'm exaggerating. Plus, I did it to myself, I ran a up nasty hill for the first 200 or so meters of each of the first 2 intervals, and then had a hard time getting ahold of my motion and breathing afterwards. So, after some silent cussing in moderate oxygen deprivation, I had the bright idea to move my course around a bit for the last 2 intervals and, after that, it was miraculously flat. Funny, what a difference it made. I know, I shouldn't feel that way after a 200m uphill at 5K-ish effort. What can I say, I'm hopelessly out of shape.
I did this, obviously, on the road. I've previously listed all my excuses, ahem, reasons for this. For one, I'm not ready to face the stopwatch yet, I think I'd be so dissapointed. Second, I don't want to be tied to times/distances just yet. In a few weeks, I'll face that animal. Doing effort work is tough enough after such a long layoff from tried and true speedwork. Third, I don't exactly have a track yet. The 1/4 mile grass track in the neighborhood is, you guessed it, one giant, mucked up, melting mud puddle. I don't expect access to that for a long time still. The local high school's dirt track is looking muddy still, but much closer to thawed and dry than the grass track. I predict, if the thaw and melting continues, that its readiness for use will coincide well with my planned return to the track.
I felt good. I worked hard. I like working hard.
Posted by Meghan at March 10, 2006 6:34 PM
Comments
Hi, Meghan! It sounds like a good workout, solid and smart. Don't worry about stop watch, it gets too crazy once you go with it.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope to come visit!
Posted by: olga at March 11, 2006 4:50 PM
I agree, progress does come in baby steps. Or at least that's what I've found. Continue to ditch the stop watch as long as it takes. Sounds like your best indicator will be how you feel.
Posted by: christine at March 11, 2006 5:51 PM
Meghan!! Hello and thanks so much for stopping by my blog! It's great that you are in Yellowstone NP! I bet the trail running there is phenominal. Do you carry bear spray on your runs? I dont, but I think maybie I should. Keep up your track work. I really must tear myself away from my beloved trails and do some speedwork on the track. My first race is going to be a road race; the Ice Breaker 5.0 mile in Great Falls. Now that I exclusivly train on the trails I wonder how my times are. I'm not too fast but my endurance is really good. I'm in the mid 24:00 range on the street for a 5K at the Race For The Cure here in Helena last year. THis year I'm hoping for a 23'ish finish time. As far as trail races are concerned I am running the 50K at the Elkhorn Endurance 50K/50M at the end of July. Also I'm running a series of trail races locally here starting in late summer. I'm also looking at running the Lewis & Clark Marathon in Bozeman at the end of September. I ran the 1/2 marathon last year and found the race to be one of the best I've run. Excellent support and a mix of trails and road. Hey! Perhaps you could run the same race in September! Your not too far away Meghan! Anyway Take care and keep up your training!! I'll speak with you soon!!! Vaughn
Posted by: Vaughn at March 12, 2006 10:01 AM