Final Workout

I ran a good hard fartlek workout this morning with WVR in preparation for the 5k race Saturday. 13 people showed up for the 5 am run, apparently a record.  I stayed with the pack at an 8:32 pace for the first mile to warm up and then tried to chase after the speedsters in the group. I managed 7:38 for the second mile which included most of my fartlek sprints. That is right where I need to be in order to hit my 24 minute goal for the race, but it is going to be tough to maintain that for a full 3.1 miles. I faded in the last 1.5 miles, but I was running on my own at that point. The two fastest members of our group left me in the dust and then turned off at the 3 mile mark. With no one to chase, and no one challenging me from behind, it was hard to maintain my pace. I also stopped the fartleks for the final mile. I averaged 8:16 over the entire run, just shy of 4 miles. That’s just 31 seconds/mile slower than what I hope to run Saturday.

I am a little worried about the heat. I expect it to be well into the 80's when the race starts at 7:30.  Working in my favor is daylight.  Most of my training in recent weeks has been pre-dawn and I usually run faster when I can actually see where I am going.   My hope is that these two factors will negate each other.

My plan is to hold back just a little for the first mile and then gradually accelerate. I’m hoping for splits of 8:15 and 7:45 for the first two miles, then as long as I can finish the last 1.1 in under 8 minutes I will be fine.

I plan to do an easy 3 miles on Friday just to stay loose. It will be hard to hold back.

Calling my Shot

I just registered for the Children of the Nations Run for Africa 5k in Winter Springs, FL on July 24. I haven’t run a 5k since 2006 but my training has been going very well lately and I think I have a good feel for what I am capable of, especially after my performance on the beach at the Daytona 4 Miler two weeks ago.

I have incorporated hill training and fartleks into my weekly training for the past few weeks and as a result have set several new PR’s and have seen more and more of my mile splits dipping under the 8 min/mile mark.

So I’m calling my shot. I have a goal in mind and I am publicly declaring it here and now.

I finished the Daytona 4 Miler in 33:38 with an average pace of 8:25.

My goal for the 5k is 24 minutes. That’s an average pace of 7:45.

Wish me luck. I have eight more days to train.

fartlek workout - a haiku

ran fartleks today

i just needed a chuckle

juvenile humor