NYE Workout

AM: 10 mins. core
3 mile w/u + stretching
Target: 3xmile @6:00, 5:50, 5:40
Actual: 5:57, 5:45, 5:32
3 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles

I woke up this morning excited to don some flats and attempt a baby workout. Originally we'd planned to get out the door in the afternoon, then revised our plans to 11, then bumped it down to 10 once we found out the OU-Stanford game would be starting at 11 our time. It was fine by me, as I was anxious to get out the door. With temps in the low 60s and a sky full of sunshine, the conditions were shaping up nicely at go time.

Since we're sans vehicle for the rest of our stay here, this meant that running to a nearby track was our only transportation option. Fortunately we're just about 3 miles away from the San Diego High School track, and since school isn't currently in session we didn't anticipate getting kicked off like last time. As we were approaching the stadium from the concrete overpass that bridges the highway, we noticed that the athletic department had undertaken some pretty impressive renovations with the football field since we were last here: new high-tech turf, new throwing and jumping areas, and a brand new paint job. It was only when we drew closer that we discovered this had come at the expense of the track. To be precise, the area where the track belongs was still there...but it had been completely paved over and all the lines and lane markings were removed. So essentially we would be doing our workout on a road that just happened to be a 400-meter oval. Awesome.

As I changed into flats and began stretching, Jordan outlined the plan. Basically he wanted to run 1000-m intervals at his goal pace, while pacing me on my miles as his recovery in between 1000s. Essentially he would be doing a long tempo at varied paces, while I would be doing my miles with just over a 3-minute rest. This would give me ample time to jog across the perfectly manicured field to the opposite 200-meter marker, where I would join Jordan for the next interval.

Believe it or not, the plan worked out perfectly. Jordan ran his k's right on target and was able to transition smoothly into my pace each time he picked me up. The "goal" times I came up with above were really just arbitrary ballpark figures; what I really wanted was for the first mile to feel easy, then to focus a bit more on the second one, and finally to open up and see what I had left at the end. And, essentially, that's what happened. I felt very comfortable on the first two intervals and used them as an opportunity to focus on keeping my arms low and driving forward. By the second lap of the final mile I was laboring, but I stayed strong and finished very much under control. Given that I haven't done much in the way of speed work lately, this was a huge confidence booster. The best part was that despite wearing flats and running on what could have been the interstate, my leg felt fine throughout.

As is always the case with this kind of effort, the worst part was the jog home. We kept the pace very relaxed, even stopping for a minute to check out what looked like the makings of a 5k taking place in Balboa Park. I'm not sure what the plan is for the rest of the day, but with a solid workout in the rearview mirror we're both guaranteed to be in a good mood.