The day started early again with a rather intense 7:00am meeting. Serious meetings really should start after the caffeine has had time to enter the bloodstream.
However, today I got out a little early, and was on the road in the warm, windy, spring afternoon. I was determined to run some mile intervals today, but being far too sunny to be on the treadmill, I strapped on my GPS watch and headed out. I figured I target a 6:45 pace for five one-mile intervals, with an easy warmup, 1/2 mile of easy jogging between each one, and a cool down.
Just 1/4 mile into my first interval I turned into a strong headwind. Being kind of stubborn, and figuring it would even out later, I tried to sustain my pace. I almost did, finishing a mile in about 6:50, but it took everything I had.
When running interval repeats, for optimal benefit the goal is to run each interval at a consistent pace, so that the last interval is really hard because you are tired, but just at the limit where if you are really working you can still maintain the same pace as the previous intervals.
I did not achieve that goal. I tried to start my second interval at the same pace, but with the wind in my face I ran slower and slower, finishing that mile in a lowly 7:35. The third was about the same, but I just ran 7:35 the whole way and was able to hang onto it. I finally turned again and had the wind behind me for the last two intervals, but at that point I was wiped out, so even though I did run them hard, they were barely under 8 minutes each.
Anyway, even if the training value was less than optimal, I got a good hard workout done, nine miles altogether from end to end.
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