Thoroughly unsatisfying workout. Joined a track club to whip myself into shape over the winter. First workout yesterday, when I told him my situation (plateaued at about 7:00, conditioning erratic during the dissertation, diet needs work, but now looking forward to moving to the next phase) the coach told me bluntly "you can't keep up with any of these guys" and instructed me to run with the lead pack and then backtrack and pick them up again rather than following my own pace.
Stupid idea. It was a crazy run: hurt without giving me any real benefit in terms of a consistent pace and heart rate. Felt lousy afterwards without any real satisfaction in a completed task. Not to mention the wind was coming off the water at about 40mph so the stretch was impossible. Hopefully next week will be more useful. | 