(S)he's Going the Distance*

I have always taken perverse joy and speed workouts. When I was in high school track my workouts focus mostly on 100, 200 or 400 repeats. Sometimes there were hurtles literally throwing in the max depending on what was going on. I've  been known to schedule a ladder workout or two for Frisbee team that I've been on in the past. I find satisfaction in working hard, facing some pain, and overcoming it to see the results. I've never, however, done long distance speed work out.  And I am finding this is going to be a different beast entirely. 

Before the Run to Remember I started trying to do some temple run and did one 400 repeat based on a quick training program I found.  The tempo runs were  but on Tuesdays when I would try to keep up with a certain group of runners from my run club. They were hard, they hurt, and they seem to go on FOREVER.  With the goal of Baystate to qualify for Boston I know I need to work on my lactic acid threshold as well as my VO2 max and, unfortunately, that means long distance speed workout.

So I started this Wednesday with mile repeats. I did a 1 mile warm-up, 1 mile at 7:10, 400 meters in between, 1 mile at 7:00 and 1 mile cooldown.  And the funny thing was I found myself zoning out like I used to when I did my track repeats either in high school or with ultimate. I found the time going by and the countdown is not seeming to drag like I expected them to. I also found that I wasn't entirely sure how to gauge my comfort level and that will be one of the interesting developments in this training. I'm going to have to learn how to gauge when I really don't have a lot left because it is different to push through 200 meters or chase down a disc on a field that it is to run three more miles (or more).

Despite finding myself fairly exhausted Thursday (although I still met up and literally almost walked my way through 3.35 miles with friends) now reflecting during my rest night I find that I am somewhat excited (?!?)  to see what I will learn about what I can do. And what I cannot do. 

*(S)he's Going for Speed.