A New Workout Distance

AM: 3 miles
PM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 10x600m @5k pace w/2 mins. rest; hammer #9
Actual: 1:59 (79 through 400m); 2:00 (80); 1:59 (79); 2:00 (79); 2:00 (78); 1:59 (79); 1:58 (78); 1:57 (78); 1:54 (76); 1:57 (78)
2 mile c/d
Total: 8.5-9 miles

So, I don't think I've ever actually done a 600 workout before. The down side is that I have nothing to really compare this workout too. The up side is also that I have nothing to compare it to. Vaguely I had the notion of coming through the 400 at my goal 5k pace--5:20 per mile, or 80 per lap--then just trying to maintain that pace to the finish, but I had no idea how comfortable that would feel or if I would be able to maintain the intensity throughout the workout.

For the first Tuesday in as long as I can remember, we had plenty of sunshine on the track. Looks can be deceiving, however, as it was still bitterly cold outside thanks to an unfriendly 20mph wind. The problem with the JC Smith track is that it's set up so high relative to the city, which means that the wind can blow from essentially any and all directions at one time. This definitely presents a challenge when you're attempting to run fast, which I was (relatively speaking) today.

Now that I've got my excuses out of the way, I can say that the workout ended up going pretty well. (I'm hesitant to agree that it was my best workout ever, which Simmons told me afterward, but it's a nice ego boost nonetheless.) Looking at the splits, I started out right at goal 5k pace and gradually brought it down to goal 3k pace or faster. In fact, the "hammer" was probably right around goal mile pace (yeah, I'm not a miler, I get it). The wind did prove challenging and made for quite a bit of fighting on the backstretch, so I'm pleased that I was able to maintain the pace throughout. I went through the 400 as fast as I ran my open 400s last week, and put in 6k worth of work today versus 5k last Tuesday. It certainly didn't feel easy, particularly the last few, but given the outcome I can confidently call my first 600 workout a success.