A.M. - I was planning to go hard today, a session of hill repeats - sprinting and bounding up the hill, and running as fast as I can down. I checked the 2nd Wind club site this morning and saw that the Wednesday speed sessions are starting today, so I will alter my plan and run hard with the group. They may go to the arboretum for hill work, so I could end up doing what I had planned. If they stay on the track, that will also work, since I wanted to do a track session this Friday or Saturday, I will just switch the hills to the weekend. I enjoy running alone, but I find I can get more out of myself on the hard days if I run with other people, so I am looking forward to putting in a strong effort today at 6:00pm. I am definitely ready to begin sweating blood in my workouts.
P.M. - Weather - 50 degrees, sunny.
Ran a 3 mile warm-up to the track and met with the 2nd Wind club. Last year's 1st session 4 people attended because the weather was mid-30's with wind and rain. This year a much better turnout, about 12-15 people. We ran to the arboretum for a hill workout, which fit into what I had planned to do. Matt, the leader of the group, had everyone do 8 x 100m hill sprints, with a 2 minute jogging recovery, so nothing too difficult. I told him before we started that I would be sprinting the downhills so that he would know I was not being too competitive. During the first hill the speedsters blew by me, I could only shake my head at my lack of natural speed. After the 2nd repeat I took the lead because of my downhill sprints, and it seemed that the others had gone too hard in the first 2 sprints because they were slowing down. I know from experience that these types of workouts are best if run at a pace one can maintain throughout the entire session. I was holding up well, actually picking up speed from repeat to repeat. I was getting a bit anaerobic because my rest period was about 90 seconds, but I held it together and finished the 8 feeling strong and not too winded. I decided as the group split off at the end of the session to do another set of 8 repeats, this time alternating sprinting and bounding up the hill, with a hard sprint down, but a longer recovery so that I could maintain my form. I was surprised that I felt stronger and faster during the 2nd set of 8 repeats, which made me feel that I am rounding into racing form. I mentioned to Mike as he headed off that I was doing another set of 8 and he just shook his head because he was feeling beat after 8. Considering nobody else stayed for more, I have to think that my winter base training surpassed the efforts of the people who attended the session. That made me feel good, to know that someone with no speed could still get decent results through consistent work.
#138
z.m. - #52
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