Still in One Piece

Tuesday's speed workout went well, slower than I might have hoped, but faster than I might have expected, all things considered. We did a warm-up mile, then a bunch of drills (butt kick, bounding, high knees, etc.) and some strides. Not surprisingly, I ran the first 400 meters of the first interval too fast, at about 1:31 (or 6:04/mile pace) before settling into my rhythm. I averaged almost exactly 1:42 per 400 for the 800's and the 1200, with - glad to say - remarkably even splits. My HR got up there (averaged about 176 bpm), but there were still some beats to spare in terms of all-out effort. That presumed 5K pace came out to about 6:50/mile, which is certainly slower than I would like to be. I estimate that I could run around a 6:35-6:40 pace if I had to race a 5K (in good conditions on a fair course) right now.

I ran the four 400-meter repetitions in an average of about 1:35 each, with the last one being the fastest at 1:32. I was tired, but not completely trashed, which was also a good sign. I cooled down for a total of 7 miles.

The highlight of the workout was not the running, per se, but the fact that I feel in with a new member of the running club, a refugee from Sierra Leone. He was clearly having trouble with even pacing, so the fact that he hung with me might have been helpful to his training. He's been in the US for 5 months, and he alluded to the fact that - given what he went through to get out of Sierra Leone and later out of Africa - a track session in the peaceful serenity of our town's main sports park is not hard. Given that I work daily with immigrants/non-citizens of all types, it does give one some much-needed perspective on what "problems" really are.

Yesterday morning I did 5 mega-slow miles on the trails, clocking a 10:00 average pace, but keeping my HR firmly in the recovery zone throughout.

Today I did a 10-mile progression run, starting at 10:00 pace (until the cobwebs cleared) and finishing at a sub-8:00 clip. It was drizzling and misting throughout, and despite cool temps I sweat like a maniac, but it felt good to sense myself getting stronger as the run went on.

My legs are fatigued, for sure, but no acute aches or pains. My lower back is slightly tight, and I need to get back to see my chiropractor post haste.

I'm a single dad through Saturday, so I'll have to wait to do my Saturday recovery run until my wife returns. Then I plan to go 15 miles on Sunday, with a Pfitzinger progression (starting at 20% slower and finishing at 10% slower than goal marathon pace). For now, goal marathon pace is 8:10-8:15/mile, until my fitness level indicates that that should change.

-ESG