Another Day on the Speed Loop

Goal:
3 Mile Tempo + 4x400m

Actual:
3 Mile warmup
2 Miles at 5:43, 5:42, 4 min rest, then 10x400m @75-77 with 55-60 sec rest
2-ish cool down
4 miles in the PM for 15.3 miles total

I switched out this workout because I decided not to taper for a 10k that I'm doing this weekend. Mark had prescribed my standard pre-race workout for Tuesday, but after checking with my work schedule next week, which involves travelling to Carnegie Mellon University on Tuesday and Wednesday and moving out of my residence of over four years on Thursday and Friday, I decided to hit 90 miles this week and to hit only 70 miles next week.  I've got a lofty goal to run 90 miles this week, which will effectively be my highest mileage ever, while also trying to win a decent amount of prize money at the NC USATF 10k Champs.  Originally, I just wanted to run 6:00 pace for this race.  Then I read Meagan Nedlo's blog from last year, and decided I needed to attempt to run as fast as she did on the hilly course.  We'll see how my legs hold up on the dreaded fourth, uphill mile of this race, especially after a tough workout Tuesday and a long run on Thursday.

With all of that gibberish being said, I did this workout on the speed loop.  Originally, I had planned to do 20x400m, but doing that on the speed loop seemed boring and my trusty cohort had to bail at last minute due to car repairs.  Paul Mainwaring was still going to be at the loop, so I willed myself out of bed with his presence as my one and only motivator.  Fortunately for me, both Chad and Danielle also showed up to the Speed Loop.  This bode well for me because Chad is closer to me in fitness than Paul, which meant that I had someone for company now!  In a last minute decision, which involved me convincing Chad it was a better idea to workout with me rather than for him to go run easy miles on his own, we started our workout.  The two miles went by as expected, in the low 5:40s.  I would have liked to dip under 5:40, but my legs have logged a lot of mileage in the past four days.  After a half mile jog rest, we began the 400s up and down on the 800m speed loop.  The times weren't blazing fast, but they were as fast as I had run on the track a month prior!  By the 7th and 8th intervals, my quads and glutes were burning as though I had run up mountains all day.  I told Chad I was done, but he convinced me to run two more at an "easy" pace.  Somehow I also managed to convince Michelle, Dalena, Caleb, Danielle, Paul and Mike to do these easy 400s with us too.  The company made the effort seem relaxed and fun.  By the time it was over, I was very glad.  I made the way back to my house very, very slowly before finally getting ready for work.  Tonight, I have a dance lesson with my instructor Tony.  Watch out Charlotte!