After having two quite easy runs on Monday and Tuesday both around about 8 miles it was time for a speed session.
I had been looking forward to this all week but as it grew closer I was getting nervous. Todays session was 4 * 8 minute reps with a 2 minute recovery. The crowd at lunchtime is growing every week and I was assured that there would definitely be a couple of faster guys there.
I wasn't wrong as Jamie and Mark came along. After a quick "Hello, how are you?" we were straight into the session.
I let Jamie and Mark go but found that after the first minute that I was catching Mark. I overtook him and found that the distance to Jamie wasn't increasing. Maybe I am getting fitter?
By the end of the 8 minutes I was gasping for air but had finished in-between Jamie and Mark.
The problem though that I have been having with these lunchtime sessions is the recoveries. 2 minutes was up far too quickly and again we were away. Again I overtook Mark and sat snugly behind Jamie. Letting him hopefully break the wind although anyone that knows him will know that his stick like frame has little chance of that.
Again I was in second place when the rep finished. I was wheezing and feeling a bit dizzy with the effort of trying to keep Mark from overtaking. Mark then calmly came up to us and said "Well thats the second easiest one finished" I snapped back "Shut up" not meaning it to sound bad but immediately feeling bad for the rest of the session.
Now this was when it dawned on me that Mark was training far more sensibly than I was. Well he has been running for 18 years compared to my 6 years.
The 3rd rep had me gasping for air. Even John who has been out with shin splints for the last 4 weeks was catching and overtaking me. Mark and Jamie were miles in front.
I nearly stopped after 3 but I continued and ran the 4th one. At the end of it there was a short uphill. Nothing in it and you probably wouldnt even notice it if you walked it. My legs turned to jelly and I my body was screaming. I would have done anything for the last 20 seconds to finish quicker.
After the session I struggled on the run back to work. I spoke to Mark about pacing and where it went wrong for the session for me. I should never at the moment be running faster than Mark and so I was finished after 2. Mark on the other hand got faster in the last 2. That afternoon I was completely wasted and spent my time surfing the internet. I couldn't work. I couldn't even hold a conversation with someone.
On Thursday morning I felt a little better so I went out for an easy hill run over the Stoneymollan with Euan. It's about 7.5 miles and we completed it in just over the hour.
Friday is a rest day before the weekends long runs.
My splits for Wednesday were
Total distance 8.3miles
Rep 1 Distance travelled 1.40m Pace 5.37/mile 7:51 Rep time ?
Rep 2 Distance travelled 1.41m Pace 5.40/mile 8:00 Rep time
Rep 3 Distance travelled 1.44m Pace 5.33/mile 8:02 Rep time
Rep 4 Distance travelled 1.42m Pace 5.53/mile 8:16 Rep time
1 comment:
I hope nobody in your office reads your blog. You'd be surprised who stumbles across these things. I remember the boys in my IT dept quoting my blogging of my increasing bra size. Oops.
xxx
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