Today was the first speed work session of the programme. I started with a mile jog at slow pace to warm up. I ran 1.5 miles at fast pace (8:46-8:26 per mile) then a half mile jog at very easy pace (i.e. to recover my heart rate and breathing) then repeated both laps. I finished off with a mile jog again at slow pace.
Normally I like to do speed work at the track but that’s been when the repeats were only 200m or 400m, not 1.5 miles. If I go to the track I will cycle to work, to the track after work, do my session and cycle home. Today, though, I had my driving theory test at 9.00am so I didn’t want to cycle. With these longer repeats, it is just as easy to do them around my normal running route. I was able to run mostly on the flat for the two 1.5 mile laps.
Needless to say it was still rather difficult keeping that pace up the whole 1.5 miles, more so on the second round. I was running just faster than that pace for a maximum of half a mile in speed sessions last autumn. Having said that, I did manage to run a 10k last September at about 8:50 per mile and that was after a week of eating all sorts of junk food in Arkansas while on holiday. I can run that pace but I’m not at my fittest at the moment. I did it, though; that’s what matters. It was hard but it’s done. On to tomorrow.
Here is the schedule for the rest of the week. It is a slower run tomorrow, thankfully.
| Week Two 8-14 February | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Rest | 1M jog, then 2 x 1.5M (or 11-12 mins) fast, with 800m (5-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog | 5M slow | 1M jog, then 2M (approx 18 mins) brisk, then 1M jog | Rest | 4M (approx 42 mins) easy | 8M (approx 82 mins) slow |