Windy Tempo Workout

25 min. w/u
6 mi. tempo @ MP (6:52, 6:52, 7:00, 6:37, 6:36, 6:35)
13 min c/d
Total: ~11 miles

This morning dawned with less than ideal weather for a long workout: hot, humid and quite windy. I ran an easy warm-up through the cemetery and added on a bit extra to make sure my left hamstring was nice and loose. Started the tempo on the levee and hit the first mile marker comfortably in 6:52. Shortly after, I rounded a bend and was hit smack in the face with a stiff headwind. It persisted for the next two miles, during which I felt as though I was running backward and was literally counting down the seconds until I could turn around and feel a reprieve. Once I did, the effect was immediate; as soon as I flipped a U I felt like a different person. Rolled through the next few miles nicely and then was faced with another headwind for the last mile. I really wanted to go sub-6:40 on the last one but wasn't optimistic as I struggled to fight the wind. Was pleasantly surprised when I hit the final marker at 6:35, but wished it hadn't felt like such an effort. I spent several minutes walking around and calming down before wogging home.

Moral of the story: I'm going to have to start getting out the door earlier. Period. The weather is becoming prohibitive otherwise. And despite pounding two Nuuns and a bottle of water within minutes of arriving home, I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to re-hydrate today. On a positive note, the hamstring didn't feel tight at all, and overall I felt more relaxed on this workout than on the 3x2 mi. last Friday.