Beverly High School Benchmark, v2.0

3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 10x3 mins. @3:23-3:25/k pace w/1:45 rest
Actual: Above
2k c/d
Total: 10.5 miles

If you read my blog regularly (and who doesn't), you'll know that I frequently do three-minute intervals around the Beverly High School parking lot just a stone's throw away from our office. Working out in a parking lot may sound silly, but it's actually one of my favorite workout venues, as described here. While I've done variations of this workout at least a half dozen times, I've never done 10 intervals and I've always been afforded at least two minutes' rest. The goal this morning was to run the same pace as usual, only for more reps and with less recovery. Given how heavy my legs have been feeling lately (with yesterday morning's "easy" run being particularly lethargic), I was nervous about how this would go. To my overwhelming relief, and with the help of you-know-who, I nailed it. The only potential obstacle in the way of success was the fact that we timed this about 30 minutes too late, which meant the last four intervals were spent dodging school buses and late arriving minivans. To be honest, I didn't really mind, as it distracted me from my increasingly fatigued lower body. 

My legs were so tired, in fact, that as soon as I finished rep #10 I promptly sat down on the adjacent sidewalk to catch my breath. When I got up 90 seconds later to begin jogging the cooldown, I immediately noticed that my left hip/glute area felt distinctly off. My gait was forced and jerky and it felt like something deep inside had been forced out of place. This was quite perplexing, if not too concerning initially, because prior to that instant I had literally zero inklings of anything being amiss, not one twinge or ache at any point during the workout or any run leading up to it. I jogged gingerly back to the office, proactively scrapped my evening double and sent a frantic text to our CEO's girlfriend (and my good friend) who is a local sports chiropractor. I can't afford for anything to go off the rails now, so I've got my fingers crossed that this isn't serious.