Twelve By Twilight

AM: 3 miles
PM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 12x800 w/2 mins. rest @2:35-2:40; hammer #11
Actual: 2:38, 2:38, 2:38, 2:38, 2:37, 2:36, 2:36, 2:37, 2:37, 2:36, 2:34, 2:35
(Average: 2:36.7)
1 mile c/d
Total: 10 miles

Tanya and I along with Jenna and Sean headed up to the track to meet Coach Simmons just before 7pm. With the current heat wave, working out mid-afternoon wasn't an option, and neither of us were relishing the prospect of running this hard early morning. So, with my class being canceled and Tanya having never missed a Tuesday class, we elected to change things up a bit and head out to the track in the evening. We knew that temps would be tolerable once the sun began to set, and you can't argue with the logic of working out on the same track and at the same time as our Nationals race will be held next month. This seemed like the best option for the day.

JCSU was bustling with activity when we arrived, which made for a good buzz on the track. The youth track team that Jordan spotted last week was there, as were a few stray JCSU athletes and my friend Danielle and her fiance from CRC. It was still about 80 degrees when we began our warmup, but the air was fairly dry and it didn't seem particularly pollen-intensive. Taking that into account, along with the caffeine pills we'd ingested (for a fun experiment) at 5:30 and our matching flame spandex, it seemed as though conditions were primed for a solid workout.

My goal was to run the first half on cruise control, settling into a solid rhythm and not straining for the pace. I knew Tanya would be far in front of me and I tried not to let that mess with my head.The thing with 12x800 is that it's a bear of a workout, no matter how you slice it. Sustaining the intensity while achieving the desired volume is no easy task, particularly if you start out too hard. I'm not going to lie though; it was quite humbling to be running one of my best workouts ever and yet still be lagging so far behind. For each of my early 2:38s and :37s, Tanya was clicking off 2:28s and 2:30s. As we progressed through the workout, however, I began to notice her coming back a little bit. She was still finishing ahead of me on every interval, but the gap between us narrowed considerably as I slowly inched down the pace. I felt comfortable through #8, which was pleasantly surprising, and knew that if I just kept things together I would end up running my best workout of the spring.

Meanwhile dusk was fading, and with each passing interval the track began to disappear from sight. I haven't run a workout this late in a long time, and I have to admit there was something electric about gliding silently through the darkness with nothing but the downtown Charlotte skyline to illuminate our path. At some point we'd planned to ditch the flats and don our spikes but forgot, our breath too ragged between the final few intervals to process coherent thought. The second lap of #11 was our designated hammer, though neither of us felt like we had much left to give. I somehow managed to gain on Tanya as we rounded the final curve, pulling up beside her at the line. The last interval was the toughest as we both struggled to get back on pace, and to my disbelief I found myself swinging around her with 200 to go and kicking all the way home. We both collapsed on the track, exhausted and relieved to have this effort behind us.

So, reflecting objectively (completely unbiased, of course), we pretty much kicked ass out there tonight. Both of us completed six miles worth of work at 5k pace or below. In looking back at my few previous 12x800 workouts, this shows marked improvement. (Actually, the last time I attempted 12x800 I ended up getting injured, so I suppose anything would be an improvement over that.) It was just over a year ago that I ran 12x800 and hammered 2:38; tonight that number was slower than my overall average. If we both stay healthy and well-rested, there's no reason why Tanya and I can't go 1-2 at Nationals in this event. You can bet that thought was on both of our minds as we pushed through twelve by twilight tonight.