Wednesday April 23 (track work)

5x1000, 2:00 rest
2:59
2:56
2:58
2:57
2:55 (14:45 total)

It was windy again, as it has been for seemingly most of my track work this season. I started each repeat at the 200 start so that I'd get to run the homestretch, with the wind behind me, three times, but the backstretch, with the wind in my face, only twice.

I did a good long warmup, and then 2x300 at pace to make sure I was completely ready. I wanted the 300's at 54 (72 pace), and when the first one came out to 58 I got pretty worried. The next one was 54, but it felt much to fast to run a whole workout. I told myself I only needed to run 3:05 on these and got started.

The first one went fine, as I hit 2:59 splitting it about evenly. Then on the second, I was shocked when I checked my 400m split and saw a 68. I'm still not sure how I was jumping up and down four seconds a lap while feeling like the effort was the same. I guess it really took me that entire first interval to get completely primed for action.

I had to start working it just to finish that one, but I seem to recover very quickly in my rest periods, so I was feeling fine again by the start of number three. I again came through too fast, in 69, and made myself chill out for the rest of the interval.

During my rest before number four, I gave myself a little self-talk, since I was a bit upset at having misjudged my pace twice in a row. I was doing the exact opposite of what I wanted to do - get faster throughout each interval. It's difficult though. At the beginning of the interval you're worried about making sure you hit your time. At the end of the interval you're tired. Of course the beginning will be fast and the end will be slow. How could it be any other way?

I decided I wanted to come through in exactly 72 for the first lap of number 4, then accelerate just a tad. I actually came through in 71 and ran 2:57, which means I held about even.

Going into number five I was starting to get beat, but I'm happy to report that I kept better focus than I have in previous workouts, and fewer negative "let's see how we can get out of this" went through my head going into it. I hit 70 on the first lap, 1:45 for 600, and 2:55 for the thousand, so that my pace was very even throughout. At least twice I noticed my focus was starting to go and I was drifting back into "just finish" mode, like I have the last couple of races, but this time I was able to pull myself back and keep pressing all the way through. The time was nothing fantastic, but it was marginally faster than my other repeats, so I'll call this workout a success.

Finished with six strides on the infield, and some core after tutoring.