Adding the Tutor to the Mix

Goal: 3x2 mile at 610, 600, and 550 pace ave with 2 min rest
Actual: 3x2 mile at 610, 550, 542 pace ave with 3 min rest

While two of my regular training partners are out of commission (Meagan Nedlo has an injured foot and Thomas Eggar is getting trained in OKC), I've been scrambling to find workout buddies during the week. Of course in order to find people, I used every tool in the book to convince two guys to come work out with me. Okay...so that was a lie; I barely had to lift a finger. To get Lat out, all I had to do was email him and switch my workout day from Tuesday to Wednesday to accommodate his work travel schedule. To get the newcomer Eric Bilbrey out, all I had to do was ping him at work via MS Communicator. Eric also happens to be really smart and talented in tutoring schmucks like myself on the GMAT. I am so grateful to have found both a tutor and a new running buddy! It seems that as this training cycle progresses, I want to give back more and more to people for all the good things that they've done for me!

All in all, it worked out better for me because it gave me more time to nurse my calf back to its normal form. I was out the door at 6am to meet the guys outside of Rebecca Thomason's house so that we could run on the two-mile Dilworth Speed Loop. Since all three of us had run from our respective houses, we were all warmed up and ready to start the workout.

Splits:
1: 12:20 (613, 607 for 610 ave)
2: 11:40 (551, 549 for 550 ave)
3: 11:25 (542, 543 for 542 ave)

Overall, I was very pleased with this effort because of the consistency of pace throughout each set. I was able to run with both the guys on the first two sets. On the third set, I "gave Lat permission" to take off, and he waited until the second mile to do so. Eric, who had fallen off a couple of meters, pulled himself together in the final 400m to speed past me and try to catch Lat. While the boys had a negative split for the third repetition, I still maintained an even pace, which was exactly my intent. It was great to have company for each of these as it would have been much tougher mentally to do this on my own.