This was supposed to be a threshold run 2x15:00 with 5:00 easy. It turned into a junk fartlek run because my body was just not feeling it. After a 2 mile warmup, I tried to hit 6:44 min/mi pace for the first 15:00 interval. My legs were burning so bad, I could only make it to 7-8 mins. I dropped the pace way down to recover and decided maybe I could turn the workout into a 4x1 mile at 8k race pace. I tried a 6:44 pace, then had to drop it to 6:49. I couldn't make it a mile. I dropped the pace to recover and tried a higher pace, 7:18, I think I hit a mile with that one but it was so tough. I recovered then tried a progressive, started at 7:30, after a quarter mile I dropped it to 7:26. Finally I felt like I was hitting a threshold pace, but this pace is sooooo much slower than last week! The run is over and I didn't feel spectacular and couldn't hit the paces I normally hit. I'm just going to put this run into perspective, I've been running super fast and my run Sat was probably a harder effort than I should have run, I MUST transition into lower drop/lighter shoes if I want to save my hamstrings (according to my physical therapist and video gait analysis) this run was in shoes I don't normally run thresholds in, I was running a 1970s treadmill so who knows how accurately calibrated it is, and I am leaving my fiance today after an amazing weekend to head back to working in Cambridge. Moving forward, my plan is to pick my head back up, focus on working into shoes that will benefit me in the long run, and hit some hills this week. The hills will do me good to not focus on pace and pay more attention to effort. :) |