Following Ted's example, I'm back at the track with an eye to getting faster, or at least not getting slower as I approach 40. (In triathlon years I am already 40, but in real life I have a few months to go.) Today was 3 x 1 mile plus 1 x 800m (I couldn't stomach the 4th mile!) at the so-called "tempo pace" -- which is in theory my per-mile pace running a 10K flat out -- with 1 minute rest in between.
This gives the lie to the idea that marathoners are crazy. To my lights it's the short stuff that is really unpleasant!
I'll take 2 hours of scenery and conversation over 4-10 repeats of 90 seconds of torture any day. . . My April of speed work and 5ks has left me faster but injured. . . Ugh!!
ReplyDeleteFor most of April, I was doing twice-weekly track workouts: 12-14x400s and 8-10x800s, all with jog recoveries at half the work distance. Not fun, but they sure do work.
ReplyDeleteYowzah!! That's a lot of speed. I tend to go pretty flat out during speed workouts. I'm wondering if I perhaps should dial it back a bit, so as to be able to do more reps, and not get hurt. Maybe I'll try that when my heel stops hurting.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Ted. At full speed, 2 miles total work (8 x 400) is the absolute max. At threshold, I can play up to 5 miles (8 x 1000), but no more (and as my post indicates, not all the time!). That kind of volume is for you guys in your mid-30s! And Emil Zatopek. And Quentin Cassiday.
ReplyDelete