Back from a tempo type workout tonight.
It's been scorching here in sunny So Cal for the past couple of days and today was no exception. As such, I set out just as the sun was setting in very mild temperatures. The plan wasn't clear when I started running, just that I needed to get some type of lactate threshold/interval work in. I had 3 warm-up miles to mull it over.
I know it hasn't been that long since my last run, but it felt like it had been ages. I felt a tad heavy and out of shape but that's to be expected - I've only been following about 60-70% of the plan that I set out to follow for the Santa Barbara Wine Country 1/2 coming up, but eating like I'm running 70-80 miles a week.
Anyway, what I decided to run was 2 miles @ half marathon effort, followed by another 2 miles @ tempo pace.
Goal? ~7:30-7:35 for the first set, ~7:10-7:15 for the last. Actual:
Mile 4 - 7:48 (HMP)
Mile 5 - 7:44 (HMP)
Mile 6 - 7:27 (LT)
Mile 7 - 7:08 (LT)
Yikes. Talk about being off. Oh well. I'll cop to not being where I want to be, but I suppose that's probably around where I should be. I gauged it entirely on effort and only glanced down a couple of times at my pace. The streets I ran it on weren't exactly flat, but neither will the 1/2 that I'm running. I'm still going to shoot for a PR but it probably won't be by much (PR of 1:40:44 was run at 7:42 pace).
Regardless of all this pacing bullshit, I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's run. I feel like I got a lot out of my system - especially after watching the Boston Marathon yesterday. After a cool down period, I finished tonight's run at = 8.4 miles total.
First thing's first though - I have the big ultra up north this Sunday that I have to prep for, so I suppose a mini-taper of some sort is in order.
*still digging my Newtons btw!
11 comments:
still look like some great speedy miles to me!! :)
good luck on your ultra this weekend! its supposed to be cooling down so it will be much better weather than the diablo race had this past weekend.
I guess 8 miles is a taper for an ultra! The weather has been disgusting! I can't believe you ran just as the sun was setting-even though today it did start to cool off-but it was still nasty and hot!!
Glad to hear you are still liking the Newtons. Do you feel your form is better now?
Good luck this weekend. I hopt the weather cools off a bit for it.
i'm with aron, looks good to me! a lot of my pre-1:34 half tempo runs were in the 7:40s, so maybe you are having the same "dilemma"? a pr, no matter how big or small, would still be awesome.
nice work Billy and glad you still like the newtons. :) good luck this weekend on your ultra!
Still a great run I think, especially with the heat! Pretty speedy miles overall.
Good luck at the Ultra! Gosh another one...you are seriously kicking ass!
Your steadily decreasing splits ought to be encouraging even if it felt weird. And, sometimes feeling great is the best part.
Also, hi, delurking and love hearing about running in LA. I totally miss running down there!
Glad you're enjoying your Newtons. (At first, before I remembered they were shoes, I thought you were talking about Newton's the cookies. Referencing your comment about eating like you're running 70-80 miles...haha!)
Your speedwork looks speedy to me!
"pacing bullshit" had me laughing.
Billy, yes the heat will screw up just about any plan or pace, so you did well enough. The important thing is to devote quite a bit of time and effort to tempo workouts and to do at least one every week. You'll be a better runner before you know it. Always remember what Emil Zatopek (still the only person to have won the 5K, 10K AND marathon at the same Olympics) said: "I already know how to run slow. Now I need to learn how to run fast." Tempo running, in the form of fartleks mostly, was his forte.
Tapering is for the birds.
Have fun this weekend up north. I am jealous.
Post a Comment