Met with JulieE at Sasha's and we ran 3.13 at 8:00 ave pace to get in some mileage before a 7am start time. Sasha and Jeff were doing a 10 mile tempo at 5:50 pace (so Sasha claimed) on a 2.5 mile stretch, so my plan was to hang with them for as many quarters as I could, then jog to another quarter mile mark, then jump in with them again for another repeat. So I would have anything between 4x1mile-2mile repeats. Given my sluggish legs lately, I knew 2 miles wouldn't likely be in the cards, and as I started the morning I knew 1.25 would be most likely the farthest I could go, since I haven't done anything except strides below 6:00 pace since the marathon. I thought Julie might do 1 mile repeats with us, but Tyler joined and wasn't up for the workout, so it seemed like he paced her through a steady tempo. We warmed up as a five person group for 3 miles, then started. 1 - 1.25 in 7:14 (5:47 pace), with 5:47 for the first mile, so even pace, Sasha said I'd only make it to the mile mark since I wasn't conversational, so I had to at least go another quarter :) 2 - 1 mile in 5:48, they were going faster than their 5:50 projected pace, so they gapped me by about 8 seconds on this mile, so I syched out thinking I was slowing down, I should have just pushed it to 1.25 3 - 1.25, 5:43 for first mile (they were still gapping me, going so fast), then I couldn't see the marker for the quarter, so I just kept up the pace for another 1:30, so probably a little long, 4 - 1:25 in 7:28 (5:59 ave pace) I mistimed the start of this part so I wasn't at the quarter marker when they got there, so it messed up me trying to pace with them. I was about 10 sec back to start but they quickly increased the distance. This was a fairly pathetic repeat, but I have to post the truth. I ran the first mile in 5:57, then the last quarter in 1:31. Rather unimpressive, but I am glad I went 1.25 instead of 1 mile. My legs were tired pieces of dead meat by this time, but I plugged along. I guess I can blame 1/2 of my slow 4th interval on not starting with them, but even that piece is my fault :) When I finished I just told myself "money in the bank" Any workout is money in the bank. This is the first workout since the marathon that I've gone sub 6:00 so I guess from that standpoint the fourth one was ok and the rest were gosh darn brilliant (ok now I'm just trying to make myself feel good). :\ Found Sasha and Jeff for a cool down, who did a most excellent tempo run. They completed the same tempo run they did last Saturday much faster today, so they should be really pleased. Thanks for the help guys. I had to run another 2 and change after dropping Sasha off, so I went back to the trail. Legs dead at this point. When I get to the turnaround, some guy in a fluorescent pink hat is ahead of me looking strong, and I'm like, dang it he's going to pass me. So he comes up on me and I try to keep with him. I say hi, he ignores me because he's got an ipod on, and he eventually passes me, though I don't like that and am not used to it, so I try to not let him get far away. So that mile was 6:47 and I'll count it as marathon pace. Beware Mr. Fluorescent Hat Guy - next time I might not have 19 miles on my legs already and then we'll see. . . Stretching, ice bath weight 121
| 
