Back to the Track #10

Yesterday was my final, pre-Ottawa track workout.  It was time for some 1,200 meter repeats, aiming to do them in 4:21 (5:50 pace).  My last attempt at this a couple weeks ago was not great, with the first one too fast at 4:16 and then failing to hit 4:21 in any of the subsequent attempts.   So after a couple of good training weeks, including a solid 10k time trial I was ready to try again.  

I've technically started my marathon taper so wasn't dead set on doing all 6, but I was determined that all of them would be 4:21 or better!

Had planned to run early am but slept badly and didnt feel like it, so put it off to the late afternoon.  Hit the track about 5:15pm and it was hot, at 78 degrees.  Plus there was a reasonable amount of wind, making the final 100 meter stretch into a headwind.  Not good signs.......

Ran some warmup, with a few 100m sections trying to get on pace - they were 5:14, 5:21, 5:24 so still starting way too fast.  Oh well, better than too slow!  Again, 4:21 means 87 seconds laps, or 43.5 seconds for each 200 meters - Here's how it went.....

1. Started fast again - first 200 in 40, 400 in 84, finished in 4:17.  So pretty much on pace except for that first 200.  Felt OK
2. Fast start again in 40 - finished in 4:18.  still feeling OK
3. 200 in 40 (yes, again...) - finished in 4:20 - feeling the effort and the heat
4. Started a little better (200 in 41) and struggled a little in the middle 400, but closed it out in 4:21

Decided that 4 was enough for today.  I know I could have done #5 in 4:21, but #6 would have probably been hard - don't need to be killing my self within a couple weeks of my race.  Average was 4:19 (5:47 pace), so the 4:21 1,200s are officially checked off my list!

No track next week as I have a final 10k race on the Sunday, and apart form that it's just a couple tempos, some pace running, a few 10-15 milers and easy running to go.  Fingers crossed!