Back to the Track
A few weeks ago, I tried to recall the last time I ran faster than a 9:30 pace mile. I couldn't do it; it's been over a year since I last ran a race under 26.2 miles. I cut short races from my diet when I separated from my soon to be ex--crawled under a rock, essentially, cutting all but the most basic expenses to cope with living on part-time income. In all honesty, I don't know how I've done it, but I'm slowly paying for my divorce, paying down debt, and saving some money too. What has suffered, more than my finances, is my running speed. Now, I'm not one to care so much about speed. I'm a mental health runner, after all, but I felt pretty darned lousy after the Road Runner. I've run the last three years of the Road Runner coming within three minutes of my time each year. That's not so bad, when you can run around the same time each year when you're another year older. That's something to be proud of--the coolest thing about running, really--how running longevity really counts and gives us some respect among the younger, less jiggly running set. We've injured, healed, and re-injured again, but keep on running, our scar tissue growing thicker and tougher with each season, making us swarthy as chicken gristle. I think that's so cool. When I see an older runner in their 60's, 70's and 80's, I stare at them like running gods. They know so much.
I was heavily influenced by Barb Broad's speech at the SARC pasta party. If that skinny little lady can run three and half hour marathons at age 59 with a some speed work, then I should be able to shave off a lousy ten minutes from my marathon times and feel a little better at the finish--not throw up into porto potties. I had an epiphany last week. My son is doing some tutoring after school, so I'd have an hour to kill after work before picking him up from school. It's not long enough to go home and do anything--didn't want to waste gas, either, driving back and forth, so I sat resentfully in the parking lot, waiting. I called a few people to pass the time and watched a young man do laps around the school track.
Epiphany! I could change shed my Career Services nerdy wear, like Clark Kent changing into Superman, for my Sensationally Red running clothes right before I left work and have just enough time to crank out a speed session, which I haven't done in years--since 2005, at least, when I was doing the serious 5K circuit. Now, I don't subscribe to anything too technical. I figure if I: hate it, breathe like a train, and cuss like a sailor, I'm doing good enough. I puzzled over my Timex for the first time in years, although I never take it off, no matter what I'm wearing. I wear it with dress slacks, slinky dresses and buck naked. It identifies me as a runner, no matter what the venue. I lost the little loop that holds down the strap--I let it flop shamelessly in the breeze. I love my Timex Ironman watch, but since I haven't used it since 2005 for track workouts it took a little studying to recall how it works.
Here's my workout for Speed Session # 1
Mile 1: easy mile warm up--10:00 minute pace
Mile 2: 2 x 800's with 30 second rest after each 800
For the first 800, I ran like heck on the straights and jogged the turns. I ran the first 800 in a little over 4 minutes. 4:03, I think. I'm not an anal bean counter. This is the best you're going to get from me.
For the 2nd 800, I tried running like heck for the whole 800. This was a little slower, running the second 800 in 4:11.
Mile 3: I ran each 800 as fast as I could. My lungs seared, I bitched, moaned and thoroughly hated every second. I kept thinking of Paul O. in the club for inspiration to hold my pace. He's a talented short distance guy who doesn't understand why long distance runners enjoy torturing themselves by running slow for hours on end. He likes quick searing pain he knows will end soon. I kept thinking of this while I ran my 800's for mile 3.
Mile 4: I did another mile running a sustained fast speed. I think I ran it in 8:30. Not too bad considering it's been a very long time since I've run anything faster than a 9:30 pace. I was happy. I got a real good runner's buzz from just 4 miles, which was very encouraging.
If there's anyone out there that could suggest a simple workout for next week--I'd gladly consider it.
A few weeks ago, I tried to recall the last time I ran faster than a 9:30 pace mile. I couldn't do it; it's been over a year since I last ran a race under 26.2 miles. I cut short races from my diet when I separated from my soon to be ex--crawled under a rock, essentially, cutting all but the most basic expenses to cope with living on part-time income. In all honesty, I don't know how I've done it, but I'm slowly paying for my divorce, paying down debt, and saving some money too. What has suffered, more than my finances, is my running speed. Now, I'm not one to care so much about speed. I'm a mental health runner, after all, but I felt pretty darned lousy after the Road Runner. I've run the last three years of the Road Runner coming within three minutes of my time each year. That's not so bad, when you can run around the same time each year when you're another year older. That's something to be proud of--the coolest thing about running, really--how running longevity really counts and gives us some respect among the younger, less jiggly running set. We've injured, healed, and re-injured again, but keep on running, our scar tissue growing thicker and tougher with each season, making us swarthy as chicken gristle. I think that's so cool. When I see an older runner in their 60's, 70's and 80's, I stare at them like running gods. They know so much.
I was heavily influenced by Barb Broad's speech at the SARC pasta party. If that skinny little lady can run three and half hour marathons at age 59 with a some speed work, then I should be able to shave off a lousy ten minutes from my marathon times and feel a little better at the finish--not throw up into porto potties. I had an epiphany last week. My son is doing some tutoring after school, so I'd have an hour to kill after work before picking him up from school. It's not long enough to go home and do anything--didn't want to waste gas, either, driving back and forth, so I sat resentfully in the parking lot, waiting. I called a few people to pass the time and watched a young man do laps around the school track.
Epiphany! I could change shed my Career Services nerdy wear, like Clark Kent changing into Superman, for my Sensationally Red running clothes right before I left work and have just enough time to crank out a speed session, which I haven't done in years--since 2005, at least, when I was doing the serious 5K circuit. Now, I don't subscribe to anything too technical. I figure if I: hate it, breathe like a train, and cuss like a sailor, I'm doing good enough. I puzzled over my Timex for the first time in years, although I never take it off, no matter what I'm wearing. I wear it with dress slacks, slinky dresses and buck naked. It identifies me as a runner, no matter what the venue. I lost the little loop that holds down the strap--I let it flop shamelessly in the breeze. I love my Timex Ironman watch, but since I haven't used it since 2005 for track workouts it took a little studying to recall how it works.
Here's my workout for Speed Session # 1
Mile 1: easy mile warm up--10:00 minute pace
Mile 2: 2 x 800's with 30 second rest after each 800
For the first 800, I ran like heck on the straights and jogged the turns. I ran the first 800 in a little over 4 minutes. 4:03, I think. I'm not an anal bean counter. This is the best you're going to get from me.
For the 2nd 800, I tried running like heck for the whole 800. This was a little slower, running the second 800 in 4:11.
Mile 3: I ran each 800 as fast as I could. My lungs seared, I bitched, moaned and thoroughly hated every second. I kept thinking of Paul O. in the club for inspiration to hold my pace. He's a talented short distance guy who doesn't understand why long distance runners enjoy torturing themselves by running slow for hours on end. He likes quick searing pain he knows will end soon. I kept thinking of this while I ran my 800's for mile 3.
Mile 4: I did another mile running a sustained fast speed. I think I ran it in 8:30. Not too bad considering it's been a very long time since I've run anything faster than a 9:30 pace. I was happy. I got a real good runner's buzz from just 4 miles, which was very encouraging.
If there's anyone out there that could suggest a simple workout for next week--I'd gladly consider it.