Footsteps in the Fog

Ran out the front door into a cool mist this morning, headed to the Temple track. Easy run up the Cecil B. Moore hill, and I felt really great for some reason. I'd been looking forward to trying this workout for a while. Plan was 3-4 x 1600m repeats at around 5k pace, which I'd guessed to be between 6:10 and 6:15/mile for me. So I'd be happy to clock 93's or 94's for each 400. 4th repeat would be conditional, based on how I felt at that point. I intended to work hard, but not all out.

Stretched for a few minutes once I got on the track, and this really seemed to pay dividends later on, if only mentally. As usually happens when I shoot for target times, the first lap goes by quicker than the rest. Don't remember all the 400 splits but first one was 90.

First 1600, 6:12. Right on.

I allowed myself 400 m recoveries, and these passed in about 2:15 or so. Next repeat feels easier, 6:10. Breathing in sync with my stride seems to help a lot. This and my footsteps are all I can hear as there's not much activity on campus this early. 6:10 for number three, and by the end I'm pretty tired, but I decide to try a fourth. I notice during this final repeat that my legs are leading in my stride, almost like I'm leaning back above my hips. Although I'm working hard now, number four doesn't seem as hard as I'd imagined it would, and it goes by in 6:11. I take a final jogging lap and head home for a total of 10 miles in 1:15:13. HR 167. The 2.5 miles back from Temple are slow and heavy. Looking down Girard Ave I can see the base of the skyline beneath the fog.

In retrospect I think the best part about this workout is how I felt during the repeats. At no point (perhaps with the exception of the final lap of the 3rd and 4th intervals) did I feel like I was pushing that hard. Certainly not effortless, but I had a sensation that I didn't need to think about hitting my goal times, that instead my legs would take me there. I kind of lost myself in focus for most of the time. This made the workout go by quicker and seemingly easier.

[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 25 situps, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 3 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 15 piriformis lifts, 3 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]