Rounding it out

...I had set my alarm ten minutes earlier than normal this morning. It was set to go at 4:50 am. I wasn't sure what the weather was going to be like. I saw that it was 47, but you never know. I was able to get lucky and run with a short sleeve shirt. I jogged the half mile to the track and hopped the turnstile.*

*I was explaining this to some people at work. My logic went like this. Yeah the track is locked, but I just climb the entrance. There is an older gentleman, like 50-60s, walking on the track. I see him out there so I assume that everything is going to be ok.

I did my workout. 12 x400 and 14 x 200. A workout to get my ready for a 10k that I am going to run this weekend. I did the first two 400s. The second one was 80 and I was cursing myself. After that things started...to fall into place. I was extremely consistent on the times I was hitting, 77's. I know this isn't the fastest that I have ran 400s in a workout.**  I felt the pain coming and resisted it. I welcomed the fatigue. I welcomed everything that was happening. I hadn't had this feeling in a long time.

**What I like to call the Spring of B-Mac 2011 is when I was phenomenal shape. I do remember that there was one 800 workout, like 8 or 10 by 800 where I averaged 2:26 for them. That was when I was in great shape.

Going back into my log and averaging out the times for this workout compared to the one last Thursday, I ran a full second faster. That was great. Then there were the 200s. No longer was I bending over, hands on hips. I was ready. Oh I was feeling it, but I was feeling good. Averaging 36s for 14 of them. I feel that the time to run fast is right there. Injury and illness free will be two BIG factors and I hope that I am lucky in those two departments.

The track has become a home during these winter months (November to present). I am able to run close to what I was doing, but I want more. This is the year I run under 16 minutes for 5k. This is the year I run under 27 minutes for 8k. This is the year I run under 34 minutes for 10k. Not great times to be honest, but those are the goals that I will be working for this year.

Picture of the Roosevelt HS Track (during the summer time?) where I run my workouts.