15x1 Min

Goal:
15x1 min with 1:15 rest at 5:00-5:15 pace

Actual:
2.5 miles warmup
15x1 Min with 1:15 rest at 5:00-5:10 pace
2.8 miles cooldown for 10 miles total

While a minuters workout may seem easy, such thinking would put you in for an unpleasant shock after about the first 3 intervals. I began this workout with Matt, after I completed a slew of requests at work. Running outside in 70 degrees with Matt was a great way to end my work day and shake off the stress that resulted.

After our 2.5 mile warmup, I could already tell that I had not hydrated enough throughout the day. The higher-than-normal temperatures and the wind made me feel like I was fighting with a lot more factors than I wanted. My legs felt heavy and I hoped that once we began our minuters, my legs would feel that spring of energy and speed. The plan was to have Matt run every other interval with me - all of the odds - while I did the entire 15. We started in Freedom Park and ran to the end of the Sugar Creek Greenway and rounded back into Freedom.

After the first interval, we ran 5:00 pace, and I concluded that since my legs still felt pretty tired, I needed to introduce some mental tactics into the workout to ensure I would finish it. I would break it out into 3 sections of 5 intervals each. After the first section, my legs began to feel better while my breathing began to feel more labored. I will account that to the heat and to the cotton mouth that plagued me throughout the entire workout.

As we entered the 3rd section, we spotted Will Isenhour, who had gotten out of work after we had left. By pure chance, we literally ran into him and he kept Matt and I company for the last 5. I think that his presence gave me additional motivation to keep the pace honest and just as fast as when I started. Once I got home and looked at my garmin, that surely was the case as our fastest intevals were from 10-15. Staying strong at the end of the workout is an important feat that I would like to achieve in all of my workouts. This will train my body to do the same when I race.

After I completed all 15 of the minuters, we ran back to my house at a slow clip and battled the wind with every stride. Upon our return, Matt biked to the Dowd to lift, and I tidied up a bit before Meagan arrived. We enjoyed a nice Valentine's together and ate cheese, hummus, and pizza as she summarized her Olympic Trials qualifying experience at the Mercedes Marathon. In return for her buying me the I Love Trader Joe's Party Cook Book, I rolled out her calves...twice! Now that's what I call a great Valentine's Day.