Last hard workout before the races! I was very apprehensive about this one. 8K of intervals is a toughie, and it was pretty warm. When we got back from our workout, it was 77F (25C) and 54% humidity. The humidity was quite high by my desert standards!
Nyle and David came to the track with me - what a pleasure to have someone to work out with! They had an easy 8K, as they have been able to train more than I have. Jim had me not tapering at all before the 5K because I am not quite up to speed yet due to the shin injury. Anyway, they warmed up with me. I did an easy 1600m in 10:04 with strides. My left adductor felt tight for 200m or so and then it was totally fine the rest of the workout. Whew.
Then it was time to get going. Ugh. I actually started to get a bit emotional, because I guess I'm more keyed up about this than I thought. Nyle and David gave me hugs, calmed me down, and helped me think positively. Thank God for friends!!!
I started off surprisingly well. I felt very, very strong on the first 2K. I wonder if it's the altitude difference? Usually I don't notice it, but maybe that was it? Or maybe I'm just finally getting fit? I did a 5:28 and 5:29 for the first 2km! WOW! I have never done a 2K under 11:00! This one was 10:57! I was starting to get pretty darn warm...gee, it was hot. But I was excited to do the next one. It was also really good - 5:31 and 5:32. However, I had pushed that one really hard to get those times, and it was hot. I felt spent. Uh-oh. I wondered how I'd do now. My legs felt like Jell-O and I still had 4K left. And it was HOT. Really HOT. (Nyle and David thought it was hot too, and they were just doing an easy 8K). The next 2K really, really hurt. Bad. I started off with a 5:39 for the first 1K, and then I caught up to Nyle, and I told her I didn't think I could make it, that I was really hurting. She sped up and walked that whole next 1K with me! It was so helpful! We did a 5:37 for that km and I was totally spent then, but glad I'd been able to do a bit faster than the first km. My ave HR for that km was 174! Yikes! I was so glad for the 3 minutes of rest. But I was seriously HOT. I hoped I had something left. I surprised myself with a 5:33 1K, then 2 min rest, a 2:44 500m, 2 min rest, and finally a 2:42 on the last 500m! Amazing! I didn't think I had anything left, but I guess I did - Nyle sprinted the last 100m with me, which really helped.
Now for the down side...on the last 500m, I felt a pull in my RIGHT adductor. Yeah, not the left one that's been hurting, but the RIGHT one. Ugh. It still hurts. I'm icing it now and will baby it; it's probably just a spasm that will be better in a few days. I think the technique changes Jim made are very, very good, but they are using muscles a bit differently, especially my adductors as I get my toes farther back. It's making me a lot faster, but the muscles are not used to it yet. I am a bit nervous that I will not be recovered by Thursday, but hoping that tomorrow's optional day and the 20 min w/strides on Wednesday will be just the recovery I need.
Garmin connect data here.
No comments:
Post a Comment