Been busy. So, got the slightly long run in over the weekend while visiting Susan in Boston. Run was supposed to be 90 to 105 minutes and it was scheduled for Saturday but I did it on Sunday. I was also supposed to get an easy run in on Friday but I skipped that one.
Anyway, had a nice ten miler in Boston. Susan took me on a route from Somerville through Cambridge, along the Charles and back up Mass Ave through Harvard Square to Somerville. She did almost to the seven mile point with me, until she thought I could find my way home on my own. I was proud of myself for not getting lost, although honestly it was pretty easy since I just had to stay on Mass Ave and remember where to turn right in Somerville. It was a little confusing coming through Harvard Square, and I had to ask a couple of people before I found someone who could point me in the right direction! (It was move-in weekend and there were a lot of confused freshman and families wandering around.)
We started out in the 11s and gradually crept up into the 13s as Susan's lack of fitness (and inability to drink or eat while running) took its toll. She took the T back to her apartment as planned after leaving me, and she felt better as soon as she stopped and had some Gatorade.
After Susan left me, I dropped down into the tens, but felt like I would have gone faster if the sidewalk had not been so crowded. This route would work better earlier in the morning when there are not so many people out wandering around!
It was not bad running weather even though we got a late morning start. I felt great the entire way and honestly like I could have even gone another 10 if I had the water and GU and time. I know we were going slow but still, it was great to feel good after a ten miler. 10.08 miles in 1:57 or so.
Okay, so today I decided to do the tempo interval workout that I was scheduled for yesterday, which I took off because I was traveling home and also would have needed an easy day anyway. Workout was supposed to be 20 minute warmup, then 4-5 x 1000 meters (or 8 minutes) at 8:24 - 8:43 pace, with three minute recoveries, followed by 3 x 200 meters (or 40 seconds) with one minute recoveries, and then the 10-20 minute cooldowns.
It wasn't that hot today but it was very humid, so I once again hit the treadmill. I did the 20 minute slow warmup, but I went straight from 3.5 pace to 5.0 pace so it was just a tiny bit faster overall. Then I tried to do the intervals at 6.9 mph, which is 8:41 pace, right on the slow end of the range. I was surprised that these long intervals were not done much slower than the shorter intervals I had to do last week. On the recoveries, I walked for 30 seconds, then jogged for 2 1/2 minutes.
I found eight minutes at 8:41 pace to be rough. Near the end of the second interval, I got a twinge in my left knee. So I had to slow it down a little for the second two intervals. I went down to 6.8 mph or 8:49 pace, which is outside the slow end of the range. Bummer.
Anyway, I had a rough go of it. Most trouble I've had completing one of these workouts.
I am not quite sure what you are really supposed to do with the shorter interval section of this workout. Same problem I had last week. I suspect maybe you are supposed to do them faster but how fast? And the knee twinge scared me. I ended up doing them at 7.0 mph or 8:34 pace, but I ran for a minute instead of 40 seconds because after an hour, the treadmill doesn't display time in seconds. On the recoveries, I walked 30 seconds, jogged 30 seconds.
Then to finish up I went pretty soon to the standard treadmill five minute cooldown program, instead of jogging for 20 minutes. I figure I don't need the cooldown so much. The intervals are the meat of the workout.
Anyway, it was a total of 6.69 miles in 1:15. Iced the knee afterwards and seems okay.
Tomorrow it's just a recovery run of 30 to 45 minutes.
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