Speedwork
likitisplit
Posts: 9,420 Member
Today, I had two 1600 meter repeats for 4 miles. That means 1 mile warm up, 1 mile at pace, 1/2 mile recovery, 1 mile at pace, 1 mile cool down. I did it at a 1/4 mile track near my house.
What that really means...
1 mile warm up - Since this was a 4 mile run that is actually 4.5 (if I do a full mile for warm up/cool down) I walked the first quarter mile and then completed the mile at a slow jog. I start and end all my runs with a 1/4 mile walk because that's most comfortable for me. Then I drank some water, stretched, and hit my timer.
1 mile at pace - Is "pace" the right term? Anyway, I was supposed to be doing 12:14 miles (a little less because I have the times set a little on the slow side). I took off at a sprint and held it for almost a quarter mile. That's an accomplishment right there, but I used everything I had in that sprint. Lap 2 was a jog. Lap 3 was a jog punctuated with spitting, nose blowing and a little bit of vomiting (just from the nasal drip. I didn't have anything on my stomach except water.) Lap 4 was a slow jog. 13:30. Ok.
1/2 mile recovery - a drink of water. A stretch break. A bathroom break. 1 lap at a slow jog and 1 lap at a walk. Another drink of water. The drizzle has stopped and I have a few partners on the track. I'm slower than all of them. Alright, let's go!
1 mile at pace - I took off at a run that I thought I could sustain. Which I did for a quarter mile. I dropped back a little bit to what felt like my average running pace. Lap 2 and I'm passing everybody but one for the second time. Lap 3 and I'm about to die. But this is a normal run, I just started fast. I'm panting and there's a bit of a whistle which warns me that I'm on the edge of asthma. On the other hand, it's not anything more than what I do ordinarily. I'm thinking "just one more lap and a half" when I pass the Korean(?) lady runner. Though I wasn't calling her a "lady" when I was passing her. Why am I so competitive? A bit on and I drop back to a slower pace. She passes me just before my quarter mile mark and I use her as a pacer for the last lap. I love her to death. I might have been able to go a touch faster; I caught my breath right before the end. But I couldn't have convinced myself to go any faster. It was hard enough to keep up with my new best friend. To tell you the truth though, I'm not completely sure I didn't skip a lap. I can never figure out mile markers and turn arounds when running, and apparently I can't count either. So, if I did a full mile (which I'm pretty sure I did), I did it in 9:55, which is awesome for me. A PR. A first. But not so far out of reach that It would make any sense for my time to be slower than that. So let's call it four laps.
1 mile cool down - But first a drink. And a stretch. I walk the first and last laps and call it a day. I think that was four laps too. 99% certain.
Lesson learned: I need to find an easy way of marking laps.
What that really means...
1 mile warm up - Since this was a 4 mile run that is actually 4.5 (if I do a full mile for warm up/cool down) I walked the first quarter mile and then completed the mile at a slow jog. I start and end all my runs with a 1/4 mile walk because that's most comfortable for me. Then I drank some water, stretched, and hit my timer.
1 mile at pace - Is "pace" the right term? Anyway, I was supposed to be doing 12:14 miles (a little less because I have the times set a little on the slow side). I took off at a sprint and held it for almost a quarter mile. That's an accomplishment right there, but I used everything I had in that sprint. Lap 2 was a jog. Lap 3 was a jog punctuated with spitting, nose blowing and a little bit of vomiting (just from the nasal drip. I didn't have anything on my stomach except water.) Lap 4 was a slow jog. 13:30. Ok.
1/2 mile recovery - a drink of water. A stretch break. A bathroom break. 1 lap at a slow jog and 1 lap at a walk. Another drink of water. The drizzle has stopped and I have a few partners on the track. I'm slower than all of them. Alright, let's go!
1 mile at pace - I took off at a run that I thought I could sustain. Which I did for a quarter mile. I dropped back a little bit to what felt like my average running pace. Lap 2 and I'm passing everybody but one for the second time. Lap 3 and I'm about to die. But this is a normal run, I just started fast. I'm panting and there's a bit of a whistle which warns me that I'm on the edge of asthma. On the other hand, it's not anything more than what I do ordinarily. I'm thinking "just one more lap and a half" when I pass the Korean(?) lady runner. Though I wasn't calling her a "lady" when I was passing her. Why am I so competitive? A bit on and I drop back to a slower pace. She passes me just before my quarter mile mark and I use her as a pacer for the last lap. I love her to death. I might have been able to go a touch faster; I caught my breath right before the end. But I couldn't have convinced myself to go any faster. It was hard enough to keep up with my new best friend. To tell you the truth though, I'm not completely sure I didn't skip a lap. I can never figure out mile markers and turn arounds when running, and apparently I can't count either. So, if I did a full mile (which I'm pretty sure I did), I did it in 9:55, which is awesome for me. A PR. A first. But not so far out of reach that It would make any sense for my time to be slower than that. So let's call it four laps.
1 mile cool down - But first a drink. And a stretch. I walk the first and last laps and call it a day. I think that was four laps too. 99% certain.
Lesson learned: I need to find an easy way of marking laps.
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Replies
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Oh, wow!! Do you ever read other people's workouts and just get overwhelmed? That was a tough one!
(And I can't count laps, either. That's why I have a coach and need to swim with friends. I lose track after number four. On the track, I think I can't count past two.)0 -
Thanks for the support! I felt like a total wimp out there.
I'm so happy it was raining when I had my little meltdown so I didn't gross anybody out (except for maybe you all). I have a really touchy gag reflex and a runny nose - which is one of the many things that kept me from running for years.
I'm glad that I'm not the only person with a counting problem. I think the next time I do this, I'll bring poker chips or something (maybe loose hair ties around my fingers) and just toss them on the ground every time I pass my marker.0 -
I use Runtastic to keep track of my distance so I don't have to count laps...I'm a horrible counter. Your workout sounds awesome and intimidating. I'm getting a bit too comfortable, locking in my normal comfortable pace and not pushing beyond it. I need to mix it up and I need your track friend!0
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I was a bit like "what the hell do you mean, 1 mile intervals?" But Kathleen says she walks during her recovery "runs" and there was that c25k guy who stopped and stretched between his runs (how brilliant is that?) so I had the realization that recovery is just that: recovery. If you are jogging and not recovering, you aren't doing what you're supposed to be doing. If you have to walk, or stop and stretch, or drink some water or use the restroom in order to feel recovered then that's what you do.
Totally different workout. I felt less "disciplined" but I got so much more out of it.0 -
Today's Workout
Run a total distance of 4 Mi. Your run should include:
- a warm up of about 1 mile at an easy pace
- 3 repeats of 800 meters each; your time for each repeat should be 6:01
- a 400-meter recovery jog after each repeat
- a cool down of about 1 mile at an easy pace
Note: Warm ups and cool downs are generally 1 mile each. But on some days, you'll need to make them longer to reach the total distance for your run.
Warm up - walk a quarter mile and jog 3/4 mile. Then I did the full DBX walking stretch. I know it's not a runner's stretch, but it's good enough.
Repeats - Well, I mistook the directions, so thought that I was supposed to run the repeats at a 6:01 per mile pace. Now that I re-read them, I think that I was supposed to do the half-mile in 6 minutes (Maybe? I'll ask this on the Happy Feet board too.) So, I was all like "I don't think I can do a six minute mile." But what do I know? So I tried.
Repeat 1: 4:15.5 (8:31). This one was on the verge of asthma, and I slowed each lap.
Repeat 2: 5:46 (11:32; I cut off 5 seconds because I had to log back into my phone before hitting the stopwatch). I hobbled this one because my muscles felt frozen.
Repeat 3: 4:56 (9:52). This was a nice fairly even pace. I started strong though I had a sore spot on one of my shins, slacked off just a little and then finished the last 1/8th mile strong before hobbling to my start point with a side stitch.
Recovery - After the first interval, I sat and drank some water until my heart rate stabilized and then I walked a lap. I think I gave my muscles too much cooldown and that's why they seized up through the second lap. After the second interval, I slowly jogged the recovery after some water, but still felt a little tight, so I stopped and stretched my lower body. I wasn't totally loose, but I was much better for the third interval.
Cool down - walked a lap and then jogged the next three so I could go home.0 -
This sounds awesome. Shall need to try this on one of my next outings for Speed Training. Great Runnin' vardaeml!!0
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Holy cow! You are getting FAST! Your workouts sound great. Can you remind me...are you working through Runnersworld for them?
I'm not doing well at mine right now. The lung and sinus infections...I just wasn't healing...so I'm on meds now. And I have a 5K on Sunday. I'll be happy to knock ANY kind of time off my previous 5K. Last night was the first time I've slept longer than 30 minutes in a week. I only woke up coughing a couple times. I can still run faster, but I don't last...just like my swimming right now.
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Yes, this is my Runner's World SmartCoach Plan (my current "goal" only for a 5k too, but it has me doing 6+ mile long runs).
Then I'm going to switch to Train Like a Mother 1/2 Marathon in November.
You know what they say about running with a cold below the neck, right? Don't.
Hope you get better feel better by Sunday!0
