Shape Cutting x 25

AM: 4 miles
PM: 2 mile w/u
Target: 5x(5x400m) w/1 min. rest (400m jog between sets of 5)
@86, 85, 84, 83, 82 (hammer #20 and #25)
Actual: (86, 86, 85, 86, 85); (85, 83, 85, 83, 85); (81, 83, 82, 82, 81);
(80, 81, 82, 81, 73); (80, 81, 80, 80, 72)
2 mile c/d
Total: 11 miles

First things first: I'm really pleased with how this workout turned out. I really didn't know what to expect, as I haven't done more than 12x400 in quite some time and I felt fairly crap-tastic on yesterday's runs (and, to be honest, on this morning's shakeout as well). Jess and I drove over to Johnson C. Smith early so we could get this effort going in time to salvage some sunlight and make it back for my class (which actually ended up being canceled, but that's beside the point), and we arrived with enough time to warm up and bang out our first two sets of intervals before Jeff and the gang arrived. Like last week, we were granted an afternoon that was quite chilly but full of sunlight and virtually absent of wind--a rarity at Johnson C. Smith--so we had no complaints about our workout conditions.

As far as the actual intervals go, I felt extremely comfortable throughout, and even when my legs began to fatigue toward the end I still kept my breathing relaxed and controlled. The first two sets were so slow that I actually struggled to restrain myself from picking up the pace, and once I settled into the lower 80s my stride felt much more natural. Jess ran a fantastic workout and was only a few strides behind me the entire time; certainly both of us benefited from having each other nearby. She only had 20 on tap and I was jealous when she pulled off after our fourth set, but I still felt decently comfortable and was excited to see what I could eek out at the end. My final hammer wasn't quite as quick as I'd hoped for (and I didn't earn the "free trip for Jordan to Charlotte" that Jeff promised me for breaking 70--sorry, babe) but by the final hammer I was working pretty hard and I doubt I could've gone much faster without things turning ugly.

To be honest, the cooldown was the most painful part of this effort. I am going to be very, very sore in the morning.