10K kickdown

Met Kelly at 5:40am. It was cold (28F, -3ishC), dark, and snowing lightly. We are either tough or crazy or both. We met at Liberty Park to do the 10K kickdown starting on the south end of the park. We really must switch to the north end of the park - it's psychologically much easier because of the slight downhill you get on the last hard interval. Starting on the south end of the park, you have to do a slight uphill as part of your last hard interval. It hurts.

It hurt more today because I was tired for some reason. Nothing felt sore, but my walking just felt a bit stilted and uncomfortable. I knew I wouldn't be fast. I tried to psych myself up, to no avail. The first 5K was OK, and even up to 7.5K wasn't so bad, but the last 2.5K I had a lot of trouble going faster, and I was slow compared to what I can do when I'm feeling good. Still, it wasn't too awful, considering I felt lousy. Kelly did better than me, doing the last 2.5K about 10 seconds faster.

Here are my splits (2.5km):
15:34, 15:29, 14:48, 14:32. HR was up to 170, so I know I was working it.
Edited to add total time 60:23

Garmin data here.

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Afterward I went home but I did do my glute exercises - 3 different ones. 3 sets each of one-legged getting up from chair (3x10 each leg) and also lunges front + back (3x10 each leg). 2 sets of step downs (2x10 each leg).

My glutes are quite sore/tired now! Tomorrow could be interesting...